Walking nicely on the lead.
In a harness.
No pressure or discomfort on his neck from a choke chain.
No pressure or discomfort around his snout from a head collar.
Relaxed.
He is allowed to stop and sniff whenever he wants. For as long as he wants.
He is allowed to stop & process his environment whenever he wants.
If he is ever worried about something that he sees / hears / smells / senses then he knows I will move him away and then when he feels safe we can stop and investigate from a distance, if he wants to.
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
#TurkishKangal
#KangalShepherd
#Kangal
#Malakli
#AnatolianShepherd
#LivestockGuardianDog
#LGD
#DogsOfTurkey
#GiantBreeds
#LooseLeadWalking
#Harness
#DogTraining
#PositiveReinforcement
Let sleeping dogs lie ....
You should NEVER disturb a dog whilst he is sleeping - don't fuss them, touch them, stroke them, kiss them, tickle their feet ...
Hunter isn't sleeping here. I started filming because he was rolling around on his back, being silly. Typically, when I switched the camera on, he immediately stopped & flopped down - which is what you see here.
I *knew* he wasn't asleep or even resting properly. Literally, 2 seconds before this he was rolling around.
His body language is good. He's not asking me to stop. He's not showing the whites of his eyes / pulling his ears back / tensing his lips up.
He is totally aware of me touching him and I'm not at risk of starting him.
If he had been sleeping, I'd NEVER touch him like this.
Let sleeping dogs lie ....
#TurkishKangal
#KangalShepherd
#AnatolianShepherd
#Malakli
#Karabash
#LivestockGuardianDogs
#LGDs
#DogsOfTurkey
#Rescue
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
Resource Guarding
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
#Kangaling
#TurkishKangal
#AnatolianShepherd
#Malakli
#Kangal
#TurkishDogs
#DogsOfTurkey
#Karabash
#LivestockGuardianDog
#LGD
#GiantBreeds
#DogTraining
#PositiveReinforcement
#RescuedIsTheBestBreed
Hunters story .....
#Kangaling
#TurkishKangal
#AnatolianShepherd
#Malakli
#Kangal
#LivestockGuardianDog
#LGD
#RescueDogs
What was your Livestock Guardian Dog originally bred for?
Do you know?
How would a typical, working LGD spend his days? What would his surroundings look like? What would he see? Smell?
What would it look like when he was "working" .... They're not only working when they chase away a predator. They are working all the time. Watching. Scanning the horizon. Catching the different scents as they blow in from afar.
So, whilst it may look like just a dog laying down or just a dog sitting there the chances are, if it's an LGD then even in that laying-down position he's still working & he's still got his eye on his surroundings, ready to jump into action if needed.
Genetics.
You can't change genetics. Or DNA. Or the blood running through his veins, screaming out to be a good, working, Livestock Guardian Dog.
Think about that as you look at your Kangal or your Anatolian Shepherd laying at your feet.
Think about why their behaviour can be so over the top .... Full of beans ... So much energy .... Always on the go .... MUST WALK THEM MORE TO WEAR THEM OUT ....
Nope .... No amount of walking will cure their need to "work"
Physical exercise is not what's needed in order to calm your dog down.
And what about the aggressive ones? Can't walk past any dogs without him lunging & growling at everything??
No amount of "socialising" will fix this if you're just causing more & more distress every time you see other dogs .... Or humans ....
Whatever is on your list of issues that you are facing with your Kangal then your first & most important task, before you even consider any other training, is to meet his genetic needs.
Make small changes.
Create opportunities.
Reinforce the little glimpses as they happen and watch them grow into big, solid, dollops of LGD before your eyes.
Reap the rewards of satisfying your dogs needs.
Embrace the calm, steady, intelligent dog that develops in front of your eyes.
Full of confidence - not in an overly-confident / loud way but confident,
Reactive Dog video *ONE*
There's so much equipment out there so which is the best gear for
your reactive Kangal to wear?
Harness? Slip lead? Head Collar?
And could the equipment you choose be making things worse??
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
#ReactiveDog
#TurkishKangal
#AnatolianShepherdDog
#Malakli
#DogsOfTurkey
#GiantBreeds
#LargeBreeds
#PerfectFitHarness
#DogTraining
#PositiveReinforcement
#KANGALING
How you plan your dog walks / what you allow / don't allow whilst out on a walk can help to play a part in how your dog behaves once he gets back home.
I always want to create calmness, settled, relaxed, and fulfilled. I always want to take my dog home thinking: WOW! That was great - I did pretty much everything I wanted and all of my needs have been met.
I'd never want to return home with my dog thinking: GGRRRR!! So frustrating!! My human didn't let me sniff hardly anything and the stuff that I WAS allowed to sniff, I had to move on after just a few seconds before I'd got the exciting bit. So annoying!!
What are YOUR dog walks like? And what would YOUR dog say when he got back home??
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
#Kangaling
#TurkishKangal
#TurkishShepherd
#AnatolianShepherdDog
#Malakli
#PositiveDogTraining
#GiantBreeds
Sometimes it's not the dog that needs the Training ......
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
#KANGALING
#TurkishKangal
#AnatolianShepherd
#Malakli
#ChildrenAndDogs
#DogTraining
#RespectTheGrowl
What did YOUR dog learn today?
They're always learning something so make sure it's the behaviours you want more of that are being learnt .....
#kangaling
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
Reactive Dogs
Reactive Dogs
What is your dog reactive to? Humans? Other dogs? Bikes? Joggers? Adverts on the TV?
And what even IS "reactive"??
Just one or two barks at a jogger? Or, does it have to be full on, 20 barks, whilst lunging forward & rearing up??
It's irrelevant!
It's ALL reactive.
And my training advice is always the same ....
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
#Kangaling
How do you know if your dog is friendly with other dogs or not?
So, how do you know if your dog is actually OK with other dogs or not?
I believe there are hundreds of dogs living their life on a lead & being labelled as unfriendly just because they bark & lunge at other dogs but they're possibly only barking & lunging BECAUSE of the lead. If they wasn't on a lead they probably wouldn't bark & lunge but .... How do you risk it? How do you do it safely when you own a giant breed?
Getting your dog PROPERLY Assessed by a Canine Professional is so important.
Hunters story could have been different.
If I'd have taken him out in that very first week (when he was very stressed from so much upheaval) and if he had met other dogs it's possible that he would have been less tolerant of other dogs and it's possible that he could have snapped .... Been labelled as aggressive .... Not good with other dogs ... That he'd start barking & lunging at other dogs whenever he saw them through sheer frustration.... It's possible that Hunter could have been labelled as unfriendly towards other dogs all because we got it wrong in that first week.
Slowly, slowly wins the race 🐾🐾🐾
Don't rush it.
Set up guaranteed WINS by keeping a huge distance.
Read the body language / listen to the body language/ respect the body language.
Hire a Professional to Asses your dog and to help you
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
Being "friendly" & being "playful" towards other dogs is not necessarily the same thing.
My dog is super friendly..... But, he's not playful ....
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
#Kangaling
Pack Leader nonsense
The tone of your voice doesn't matter. You do not need to speak in a loud, firm voice in order to achieve the behaviour you want and if you DO need to speak in a loud voice then your dog is probably only doing what you ask through fear - because you are being loud & firm!
Our training approach looks at the dog as a whole. We look at the whole picture and break down every single little piece of information to actually figure out what is going on and then we work on fixing the underlying issues to actually create change and achieve new behaviours.
Shouting at your dog / yanking the lead / pointing a finger / tapping your dogs nose / yelling "that's enough!!" every time your dog barks at another dog or a jogger or a noise in the back garden or whilst jumping up at the windows in the house is never going to actually change anything.
Sure - it may work. You may "only have to say ENOUGH once now, in a loud voice" but .... The fact that you need to say anything at all suggests that the undesirable behaviour is still there in the first place!
Wouldn't you rather that the behaviour was totally extinguished and that you didn't have to tell your dog off at all??
I never really understand why folk continue to tell the dog off for repeating an undesirable behaviour over & over ... Over the months .... Over the years .... Keep on yelling THATS ENOUGH!! Instead of actually changing the behaviour....
Online Consultations / video calls / face to face appointments in person available:
www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
My dog barks & lunges at people.
And my Dog Trainer told me to just stop going near people then ....!!!
How will my dog ever learn how to behave around people (dogs / cars / children / *enter any other object here!) if I just continuously avoid people??
🐾🐾🐾🐾
I hear it all the time.
"But surely the behaviour will just get worse if I just avoid people?"
"He's never going to learn if I just keep avoiding people, is he!??"
"I watched another Dog Trainer on the internet and they said that avoiding the issue is never really going to help"
Here's the thing ....
It's the use of the word "JUST" in those sentences above which always seems to be the only word that is heard.
You don't JUST avoid other people and *boom* that's it, job done, your dog is fixed!!!
Of course that's not it.
But that's what people hear.
When I ask folk to avoid the triggers for now whilst we work on the actual Training Programme it's often met with "Rubbish!! That's never going to help fix the problem, is it"
They never hear or never understand the rest of that sentence ..... "Whilst we work on the actual Training Programme"
I don't use, promote, recommend or support "quick fixes" in Dog Training.
Anything that is a "quick fix" is likely going to cause harm or distress to your dog.
So, for example. In this situation your dog may be doing the undesirable behaviour of barking at people (so has already been placed in a state of emotional distress) just for your Dog Trainer to show you how to shut them up .... How to yank the lead .... How to choke your dog a little around the neck .... How to pull them & drag them away .... How to say firm, loud words to them ...
ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE!!!!
So much distress all round and your poor dog will be so stressed. You will likely feel awful at having to harm your dog or you may possibly weigh it up and conclude that it was worth putting him through this little bit of distress just to have the problem "fixed"
At no point has THIS training eve
**Distressing video**
This video shows Peter in a state of distress. He is struggling with his emotions here. A bit like when a human has a panic attack - things in the environment trigger a response from inside of you which you have no control over. Your emotions just boil & bubble up until you are completely overwhelmed.
You are not being naughty.
You do not need to be shouted at.
You do not need to be punished.
You are not being aggressive.
You are not being stubborn.
You are just in a state of emotional distress after something within the environment you are in triggered a response.
For Peter, the sight of *some* dogs triggers this response.
***NOTE*** We NEVER allow a dog to reach this state of distress during any of our dog training sessions and this brief video was filmed purely for educational purpose - Peter was fine. He recovered quickly and we made sure he had a lovely walk with his pal, Max immediately afterwards.
In this video you'll see Peter rearing up / lunging / growling / barking / pulling towards another dog.
You could very easily watch this clip and label Peter as an aggressive dog ..... Not dog friendly ..... Can not be around any other dogs ..... Difficult to manage ..... Needs telling ....
You'd be very, very wrong if you thought any of those things and in fact, if you watch this second video, filmed 5 minutes after this first video, you will see Peter backing off & moving away from another dog when the dog barks at him. He DOES NOT retaliate. He DOES NOT "fight back" or even attempt to stand his ground ..... What you see in this second video is Peter being told off by another dog and then Peter very politely moving away without wanting to cause any trouble.
WATCH HERE:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeu6nJQC/
So, what's going on in this first video?
Why is Peter doing these behaviours??
Do you see the way he gets frustrated with the lead & the harness? Very briefly, there's a moment where he bites at the lead and the front of his harness.T
When ya hooman does the Kangaling with you .....
#Heaven
#kangaling
Naturally drawn towards the scent of Live Stock blowing in across the breeze 💕
I just absolutely love to watch him "switch on" and become an LGD.
I adore watching him doing his thing.
The pleasure it brings him.
The peace & the calm as he gets to "be a Kangal" even in this modern world .... In this busy town .... In this hectic lifestyle we lead.
A far cry from what it *should* be like for a Kangal but ..... I can do my best to meet his needs every single day even if only for a few minutes on some days.
My promise to Hunter is that I will ALWAYS respect his breed & I will always understand his need to do Kangal things.
#Kangaling
#TurkishKangal
#kangalShepherd
#AnatolianShepherd
#Malakli
#LGD
#LivestockGuardianDogs
#WorkingBreeds
#CanineBehaviour www.KangalDogTrainerUK.co.uk
Giving choices to your Kangal.
Do you ever just stand at the end of the road at say, "OK, bud - Left? Right? Or, straight ahead?"
Do you ever just let your Kangal *choose* which way they want to go?Even if it messes up your route??!
Do you ever find yourself stuck in one spot for what feels like forever whilst your Kangal sniffs & re-sniffs & then sniffs some more, the exact same spot, over & over?
Do you find yourself hanging around at a particular lampost because your Kangal isn't ready to move on yet?
Do you "allow" the sniffs?
Or, do they anger you? Frustrate you?
Your Kangal should walk along with you and not stop unless you say??
And once you feel you've waited long enough are you huffing & puffing and dragging your dog away from a sniffing-spot??
It's really important to allow ALL dogs to sniff on their walks. And not just a quick sniff & then be pulled away .... I mean a proper, full-on, every inch of that spot sniffed & sniffed in it's entirety, over & over until the dog has completely absorbed all of the information he needs ... But, it is even more important to allow your dog the time to sniff fully & completely if he is reactive, anxious, nervous, over excited, pulling on the lead plus a dozen other behaviour problems you may be facing .....
Sniffing is calming.
It's relaxing.
It's the most natural thing in the world for a dog to do - they explore their whole world through their nose.
Denying them the opportunity to fully sniff a spot until THEY are ready to move on (not YOU!) is only going to add to their frustration. And if you repeat this over & over during your walk .... And your walk is repeated over & over throughout the week .... And across the month ..... You are just building up more & more frustration in your dog instead of grabbing all of those opportunities to create a calmer, more relaxed dog
Imagine only having access to your phone or your Laptop once per day, just for one hour and you had to read ALL of your emails within that h
