Amy Thomson Dog Training

25/08/2024

SN16. 0JH gorgeous rural venue
https://www.facebook.com/freethenose
The Dog Nose

Book here https://thedognose.as.me/

25/08/2024

Click on the pop-out icon ( ) in the top-right corner of the resource to open it in Google Drive. Click the download icon ( ) in the upper right-hand corner of the Google Drive page to save the resource to your computer.

25/08/2024

Finally! The new Pet Abduction Act comes into force today meaning anyone found guilty of stealing a dog in England or Northern Ireland will face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both 🙌

As members of the family, we know that having your beloved pet stolen is an extremely stressful, heart-breaking experience. But until now having your pet stolen has been treated no differently to mobile phone or laptop theft.

Under the new law, dogs and cats are no longer seen as objects but as sentient beings who can experience emotional trauma when they are stolen from their owners 💛

Read our information on preventing pet theft and what to do if the worst does happen and your dog is stolen 👉 https://bit.ly/4a2S0pC

23/08/2024

Imogen fell into the just keep running excessively category!!!

DOGS IN PAIN STILL RUN AND PLAY

This is Twig my yorkie, as many of you know she was born with deformed back legs. She has patella issues, cruciate issues, malformed hocks and also elbow disease.

Despite all of this, Twig would play all day. She is a young dog and would run non-stop, play with toys, play with my other dogs 24/7 if she could. She always wants to go for a walk- she never wants to turn to go home, she would walk all day if you let her.

She’s never grumpy, never shows any aggression even when she’s in pain. She partially ruptured a cruciate a few months ago and despite not being able to use her leg she was still desperate to go for a walk and kept dropping balls in my coffee (obvs I didn’t let her walk or play!) 😳

She has phases where her legs are really bad and she is in pain. It would be really easy for me to think she’s ‘fine’ and not in pain as she would still play all day if I let her. My only behavioural signs of pain with her are that she wakes in the night and takes a while to settle again and she barks a bit more than normal at outside noises.

I’ve also seen night-waking with my Dalmatian, Lucky, when he was in pain and my first sign of his back issues was that he would wake up and wander around in the middle of the night. He also still wanted to walk and play.

People often think that a dog who is in pain won’t want to go for a walk but dogs in pain are often still keen to go for a walk and they will want to chase a ball etc and play if you let them. Don’t ever assume they aren’t in pain because they want to run and play!

Signs of pain can be subtle and these are some that I commonly see in dogs I work with -

🛌 They may wake in the night or find it hard to settle in the evening, pacing or moving from bed to bed

🐕 They may vocalise more (whine or bark) and be more attention-seeking (nudging your hand to stroke them all the time or following you from room to room)

🛋️ Hesitating or unable to climb on/off the sofa, go up the stairs or get in and out of the car or needing a bigger run up to get in. Being slower to get up from resting.

😔 Being unhappy about being handled (groomed/dried etc) or unhappy about people sitting next to them on the sofa or walking past their bed

🐩 Changes in interactions with other dogs on walks- less keen on interacting or less keen on certain types of play etc

🏀. Lying down on walks or walking at a slower place but also conversely running excessively (‘runners high’ endorphins make them feel good temporarily)

You may also notice physical changes (the way your dog moves or the way their body looks.

💊 Please chat to your vet if you see any changes, dogs don’t suddenly change and start or stop doing things for no reason.

Pain is one of the primary causes of many aggression in dogs. Dogs also often don’t stop running and playing when they are in pain- signs of pain can be subtle and easy to miss so please, please seek advice from your vet if you see changes

Laura McAuliffe, Dog Communication 2024

23/08/2024

Thanks to Understand Animals for sharing free family workshops from Dogs Trust

https://www.facebook.com/share/TYP62EVQT87JTP2Y/

Have fun as a family this school holiday by coming along to one of our free, dog-themed workshops.

23/08/2024

Fantastic talk on all things holistic grooming and how this approach varies from salon type grooming when dogs are worried about being groomed.
Daniella Woody's Holistic Grooming runs programmes to help introduce pups or adult dogs to grooming in a positive, choice based way. Her clients all pull to get into her grooming room!

If your dog is going to require being groomed regularly for their whole life, investing in making it a positive process is absolutely worthwhile. That's alot of time they will be spending at a groomers and negative experiences can overflow into other areas of day to day life so sometimes just getting the job done does not pay in the long term.

22/08/2024

Lovely relaxed Rally session last night, thank you Emma from Blunsdon Canine Hoopers

22/08/2024

DID YOU KNOW? A dog rushing at a person to "say hello" isn't necessarily a happy confident dog who even WANTS to say hello! Sometimes they're magnetised to the person out of an anxious need to check out whether they're safe or not.

Encouraging anxious dogs to hold themselves back a bit and start to judge a situation from afar is so vital at times. Once a dog is up close a direct interaction is somewhat inevitable and for dogs who struggle with direct interactions and don't want hands all over them, that's a bit tricky.

Sid says hello to new people very quickly with such strength and urgency it is very clear to me underneath that apparent 'confidence' is actually a pretty nervous lad who has just learnt to cope the best way he knows how right now. It's hard to recognise anxiety that gets dressed up as confidence but often it comes across as "OVER CONFIDENT" e.g. pushy, bolshy, frantic etc.

Recognising that the anxiety starts way before an interaction is happening really helps us to deal with the anxiety at its core, not just focusing on an unwanted behavioural consequence such as reactivity.

This handsome chap is on his way to learning that he can let the fear magnet go, thanks to his incredibly empathetic and devoted caregivers 🐾💜

20/08/2024

Whether you're watching 'trainers' (can be a stretch to refer to some as trainers) interacting with dogs on social media, watching TV personalities with no qualifications train dogs or when working with your own dogs, please watch their body language and behaviour as to whether the training is in fact stressful or a negative learning experience for them.

Just because they have lots of views, followers, shout the loudest, have die hard fans or are on TV doesn't mean that the advice they are giving out is sound or safe. Watch with the sound turned off and actually observe what is happening from the dog's perspective.

The industry is unregulated, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer and aren't necessarily sticking to ethical or welfare friendly practices. Like with children, the ends doesn't justify the means.

This is a great video to help interpret what is actually going on for the dog.

Using certain collars, leads, startling devices that are aimed at stopping behaviour by causing pain, discomfort, tightening or a startle response are not only abusive but cause serious fallout and can cause injuries.

How to read your dog’s body language in training sessions. Firstly we shall look at what the ears of the dog are telling us during a training session. When t...

20/08/2024

19/08/2024

Eek!

Tonight I am well and truly stepping out of my comfort zone and going live with Paula at Clipit Grooming. I will be demonstrating how consent based grooming works with the help of the lovely semi-resident dog Flynn.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I really wanted to take this opportunity to show the world that holistic grooming isn’t La-de-dah, it’s about looking at the whole picture. It’s about exploring why a dog is struggling with something and finding ways to help them cope better in future.

Please join us on Clipit Grooming - I could use the moral support!!! 🐾💙

17/08/2024

Sharing the words from Speak Dog

'The dog industry is full of people who work in various ways.
There are some where the dogs wellbeing is the focus, there are some where the humans needs are the focus and everything in between.

I want to focus on the professionals today who ethics might align but the service is different.

This video by Woody's Holistic Grooming is a great visual of why just choosing a good groomer isn't the end of the line.

Daniella is a cooperative care groomer, meaning no tables, no straps, no full groom if the dogs struggles, it's consent based and offers dogs choices.

If I am working with a dog who struggles in some way whether that be emotionally or physically then this type of set up has MASSIVE benefits for dogs who have coats that require regular maintenance.

Now, I want to be clear I know many lovely groomers who work in a more traditional grooming set up, who are just as kind and compassionate but it just might not be the right set up for a certain dog.

It's no black mark against what they do or how they work, but sometimes it's just not the right match.

The same goes when your considering any professional.

Yes, kindness and compassion ( and of course a good understanding of their trade) should be at the top of the list, but the journey shouldn't end there.

Is the service the best one for your dog, or has convenience, cost, habit, influence, etc played a part in your decision making?

Finding a reputable, ethical and compassionate professional is the priority BUT then also seeing if the way they work is right for what your DOG needs should be just as important.

You dog has no choice about where you take them, its big responsibility we have, when deciding on the right service for our dogs.'

16/08/2024

Week 4 🤩

16/08/2024

Week 2 🤩

16/08/2024

Willow the Sprocker has been making great progress with her Walk N Train sessions with team member Hayley.

I initially assessed Willow for shadow and light chasing behaviours as well as manic, ‘disconnected’ behaviour on walks. She pulled hideously on the lead.

It would be too easy to label these behaviours as breed/type-specific.

Whilst arousal regulation challenges are something working spaniels can absolutely struggle with, Willow’s behaviour problems are in fact strongly linked to her health.

Poor Willow keeps getting Giardia (a gut parasite that’s very resistant to treatment!). There is a strong and clear link between her shadow chasing and her gastro intestinal health problems returning.

It was re-diagnosed after I referred her back to the vets for re-testing, prompted by me reviewing her medical history, considering the information given by her family on the extensive intake form I provide and lastly observing her on the assessment.

Whilst it’s crucial to treat health problems, clients still need behaviour modification strategies to minimise dogs engaging in behaviours problems, as learning can still occur and the problem can remain long after the health issue is resolved.

Willow responds really well to the behaviour modification plan, but regression occurs every time her symptoms flare.

Poorly or not, Willow still has a brain that needs exercising and she still needs to get out the house for physical exercise. However, our focus isn’t on exhausting the spaniel!

Caution must be taken with regards to what we ask her to do!
We need to adapt to how she feels that day, but also be aware that arousing exercises, such as a daily focus on high intensity training games with toys, are not going to be helpful for her gut environment.

Again, this is why behaviour problems should be referred by a veterinarian to qualified professionals who have an adequate knowledge of health problems and who recognise that you can’t train every behaviour problem away. A holistic and adaptive approach is needed.

Over two thirds of our behaviour cases require re-examination and/or medical treatment post-assessment for health problems.
It is highly unlikely that these figures are unique to our cases.

A big shout out to team Willow. I know it’s not easy and she’s very lucky to have you! The fact that she’s not got worse and only briefly regresses before returning to the improvements we’ve made is a testamont to your dedication. ❤️❤️

16/08/2024

SMALL DOG, BIG SCARY WORLD

People often think of very small dogs as being anxious and reactive and to be honest, quite a few are. It’s easy for people to ‘blame the owners’ or say that they have ‘little dog syndrome’ or even that they are ‘bossy’ 🙄 Really though, we need to be understanding of what life is like for really tiny dogs.

Tiny dogs often don’t have much control over their lives- they can be picked up easily (even if they don’t want to be) and they can be made to do stuff as they are small. People notice if a 40kg dog is worried about going into a busy park or a cafe and plants their feet and refuses to move but with a tiny dog, you can just make them do it even if they don’t want as you can pull them or pick them up ☹️

Tiny dogs often get overwhelmed before they’ve even got through puppyhood and many are fearful by the time they are 4 or 5 months old 😢 Big dogs may run up and knock them over, even in play bigger dogs can be overwhelming if you are 50 x smaller. Lots of hands reach down to touch them and yes, there it is again, strangers may also pick them up (whether they like it or not). Physically they may be delicate (my yorkie’s legs are made from matchsticks 😂) and may be hurt accidentally during normal dog interactions.

Everything is big and potentially dangerous when you weigh a couple of Kg and are about 8 inches tall. The world can be a scary and overwhelming place.

It’s easy to see then why so many littlies end up worried by the world and particularly by other dogs.

Tiny dog’s signals that they need space are also ignored often; people take notice of a GSD showing it’s teeth or growling and give them space but many people would laugh or totally ignore a tiny dog’s identical communication asking for space. How many ‘funny’ videos are out there that show tiny chihuahuas showing all their teeth and people are laughing at them? 😢 It’s not rocket science that they may then escalate to actually biting if their warnings are ignored - and they get called ‘snappy little dogs’ and again, misunderstood 😢

Small dogs can often miss out on having their species-specific needs met: their need for exploratory behaviour, for social contact; their needs for enrichment and physical exercise too and this impacts on them and their ability to cope. They are still proper dogs with the same needs.

I’ve been really lucky with my handreared yorkie, she’s fabulous with people and absolutely loves dogs but it’s been a bit of a mission to make sure things have gone right. It’s taken time to get her comfortable around bigger dogs on walks and I haven’t socialised her in the same way I have my other dogs as she could easily have become fearful (and then reactive).

When she was a puppy I did let her meet loads of dogs but I was been really careful and it was almost all onlead and with dogs I know and who I knew would be nice to her. Even now she’s an adult I continue to make sure she meets nice dogs and we frequent loads of national trust places as she can meet lots of sociable dogs there who are all under control. The last thing I wanted was for her to be really scared by another dog or physically hurt (she has deformed back legs that put her at huge risk of injury). She goes to offlead places too, but generally with one of my big dogs there too (she has big body guards) 😄

I’ve had to make adjustments to life to keep her safe and make sure she has a happy life and that she doesn’t become reactive. It’s been worth it as she has stayed so sociable (but as an adult she loves small dogs best). If I’d just walked her where I walked my big dogs all the time I would think that by now she would have been flattened or overwhelmed and may have become dog reactive. It’s totally understandable why so many tiny dogs are fearful.

My tiny dog also wouldn’t have had enough repeated, safe and positive controlled interactions with friendly dogs right throughout adolescence if I hadn’t carried on with all the cafe/pub/NT visits and that would have been detrimental. It’s not enough to just do this stuff when they are tiny puppies and then stop at 14 weeks old as adolescence is when if can often all start to go wrong. (It’s also a good justification for my many pub and cafe visits with Twig 😂)

We can’t forget the impact of genetics too and that’s a factor in why many small dogs are reactive; some genes for small body size are linked to fearfulness and reactivity and there may also be epigenetic factors too.

We can all be a bit more understanding too with small dogs and their owners. Don’t berate them for picking their dogs up if that’s what makes their dog feel safe- it won’t be what’s caused their anxiety and it might be what they need to feel safe right now. Don’t let your dogs overwhelm them (even in a friendly way). You’d also think it’s common sense to not pick strangers small dogs up without asking but people try to do it all the time 🙄

We have lots of anxious tiny dogs who absolutely thrive in our reactivity classes, we can keep them safe and make sure they aren’t overwhelmed and also help them to feel more confident around other dogs again.

Laura McAuliffe 2024
Photo shows my yorkie meeting two other small dogs in a cafe

15/08/2024

Week 6 🤩 ✨️

15/08/2024

Pain can be present in young animals....

I've just finished watching the Chronic Pain Symposium 2024 (26 hours of talks!) From Canine Arthritis Management (https://membership.elearning.vet/speaker-schedule)

This snippet reveals the prevalence of osteoarthritis, commonly thought to be a disease we only see in older dogs. Revealing in the research 40% of dogs 4 years and under show radiographic signs of OA and of those 60% have pain in their joints. With only half of dog owners picking up on the signs.

This is why we are constantly referring dogs we see for training onto their vets and other professionals if we feel there is something underlying going on contributing to their behaviour.

Please see:
https://my.elanco.com/en_gb/product-support/pet/galliprant?utm_medium=print&utm_source=companion&utm_campaign=galliprant_2023&utm_content=franks_back&utm_term=full_page_issue_september

For more information on pain and links to behaviour:

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/2/318
https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/inpr.359?fbclid=IwAR1_1REuYnksS2_U0RDX52MfzONrgYIzwMSL2faQzQkflwZ7UvfWMhBh0DE

13/08/2024

Week 6 🤩

11/08/2024

Week 6 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

11/08/2024

I think Winnie enjoyed her snuffle mat 🥰 lovely one to one with Winnie and her fantastic family this week

11/08/2024

Week 3 🤩🤩🤩

11/08/2024

Welcome to our new puppy starters 🤩

09/08/2024

Week 5 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

09/08/2024

Lovely Responsive Recall session with Luna, Edinburgh & Henry

08/08/2024

And some more feedback :)

08/08/2024

Just sharing some recent feedback from class attendees

06/08/2024

Week 5, we did chin rest, wait and find it, paw target on scratch board, scruff and leg handling for injections, leave it 😀