Sealion training!
Sealion training is almost identical to dog training!
Watch the positive reinforcement at work here - adding a reward (in this case fish) to increase the likelihood the animal will repeat the task! Simple!
All dog trainers use this method to teach a new trick or task! We all use it 99% of the time for training!
But not for behaviour management or aggression or when we need to unlearn something - that’s when a whole new skill set is required and a whole box of tricks and critical thinking is required by the trainer! Limiting yourself to only using positive reinforcement when trying to improve deep psychological issues is futile and proven to fail!
I must say… wait for it… it was lovely to spend a day watching animal behaviour and not hear the word “science” once!
Why are some dog trainers obsessed with science now?? Behaviour and nature and common sense over taken by science that is being misinterpreted on purpose to justify bad practice!
Anyway I had a lovely day at Woburn safari park would highly recommend 😜 I’m on holiday so don’t come at me 😆😆
🛑Stop doing this!!
🛑Stop doing this with your dog!!! 🛑
Stop saying your dog’s name all the bloody time! 😆😆
Hilariously I always liken the over use of a dog’s name to people who live on the Heathrow flight path…and today I am on the Heathrow flight path so I grabbed this as a quick example!!!
People on the Heathrow flight path don’t hear the planes! Why?
Because they hear the noise all time and it has no consequence or meaning to them so they simply stop hearing it!
But we all heard every plane today as they’re super loud and we are not used to it so our ears alert us to the noise!!
When you say your dog’s name all the time they stop listening as it has no meaning or consequence! ✈️
Oh and yes I’m off on holiday all week with my offspring 😆😆 ☀️ ☀️☀️☀️☀️
Larsson
You couldn’t do this anywhere else! Raw unedited footage of Larsson meeting a dog off lead after years of onlead reactivity…multiple trainers, residential training and multiple thousands of pounds spent!!
Larsson was so reactive on lead to dogs that his owners have dedicated years to help him.
My way with my special ray of sunshine Evil Edna - muzzle up and let her do her thing!
Look at that gorgeous waggy body language!!! He is so relived at finally being able to interact unaided with another dog! For his first attempt it’s pretty wonderful!!
I’ll share more footage from his session this week…it gets better!!!
Super proud to be able to offer such a unique rehabilitation method with my incredible dogs 🥰🥰
Playtime
The art of playing! It’s becoming a lost art! Here’s Pompom and her friend Chase to explain some important signs that your dog is playing appropriately!
The play bow! When dogs play bow it’s like asking consent to play and explaining that all the next moves will be made in a playful manner - love the timing when they break together!!
Curved bodies - when dogs are relaxed and playful they curve their bodies into a C shape to show they are not meaning any threat or harm.
Mirroring - mirroring each others movements to match their vibe! In this case you can see the are pronking about like deer and bouncing about together! Breed traits mean that it’s easiest to play with a similar breed type like these 2 bullmastiffs who play like a pair of Tonka Trucks 😆😆
Doberman rehab
Amazing progress from Nancy the Doberman today chilling with Daphne and the pugs! Evil Edna is denied a treat despite Daph getting one so she unleashes her flying ninja attack pug move on Nancy’s Owner in an attempt to bully her into treating her 😆😆😆
Her behaviour is almost as bad as the weather 😆😆
Big aggression rehab!!
84kg of pure fat headed moron came to us for some rehab -
Also known as Baxter the St Bernard 😆😆
2 years of being a total thug when all he needed was a 4kg pug!
Baxter is reactive and with his size you really need a dog to not be reactive 😆😆😆
Anyway he threw himself into our fence and left a moron size print in the wire and was generally a nightmare and hard to handle for his poor owners who had rescued him!!
2 sessions are on this video - original aggression assessment for the first 3 clips and then yesterday’s second session!
After the preliminary assessment, I set owners tasks and homework to do before we meet again and this pair smashed their mission to expose him to other dogs meaning I could take him to the next level of introducing him after years of avoidance!!
Poor Frog 😆😆😆 she drew the short straw for sure!!!!
And had to deal with this massive unit running at her full throttle, stiff fingers and all with his tongue flapping out the muzzle looking like a right hot mess 😆😆😆
Frog was a mix of furious at me and terrified and bemused! And quickly settled down into judgement mode and threw him some shady looks!
Enter stage left Evil Edna as Frog’s tag team partner and she summoned up some dark looks and eye rolls which quickly made Baxter submit to the powers that be!
And there you have it!!
Not aggressive - but frustrated and lacking in brain cells 😆😆😆😆
84kg of floof of poof sorted out by what looks like a small bullmastiff and an even smaller but very passive aggressive pug!
Lots of tears from the owners and me and frog 😆 several swear words and absolutely 0 f¥cks given by Evil Edna ❤️❤️
Dog language
The English language is confusing at the best of times - so many variations and contradictions!!!…But we expect our dogs to get what we are saying 😆😆
Best example and a common mistake is….
Sit down (meaning sit)
Lie down (meaning lie down)
Get down (meaning get off)
3 different uses of the word down - all meaning a totally different command but with the same word!!
How baffling is that!!??
So I like to simplify things for example - I say “get a wee wee” when I want the dogs to have either a wee or a poo!! I don’t vary it to specify which - it just means get anything out you have to 😆😆
Here on the video is another example I’ll explain!
99% of the time I take my dogs to work in my dog van but on this day I had my car and none of the dogs had been in it before!
I wanted the dogs to jump into the car but as they don’t normally do this I wouldn’t expect them to know the word Car - so I incorrectly use the word van! Why? Because I would always say “on the van” to tell them to Jump into the vehicle and just because my human brain can decipher that this isn’t a van it doesn’t mean the dogs will go “oh hey you moron that’s not a van it’s a car duh 🙄”
So I keep it simple and used the command they know rather than confuse them and incur the wrath of Evil Edna after a long day at work!
Just to remind you that we are the confusing ones not the dogs!!
Also I argued again today about the Scone vs “scon” pronunciation as David is from Yarkshire and I am a true southerner this argument will continue forever 😆😆 but I know I am correct ✅
Mountain Frog
A reminder that my training is for pet dogs! For happy dogs who can sit in the pub with you, accompany you on long walks and even scale mountains together!
A friend & companion on your adventure through life together! What I teach you in puppy classes and private lessons are life skills that I use with my own dogs to build resilience and confidence which all dogs need!
A partnership between 2 species built on respect and understanding and a whole lifetime of fun!!
I know there is so much confusing, contrary, conflicting and sometimes baffling advice on the internet for pet owners - I know there are terms used to convince you to follow certain styles of training and some are pretty extreme - I know it also feels currently like to be a dog owner you need to master super fancy heelwork with a flashy dog or work them with bite sleeves - so a grounding message that finding the correct trainer for you is one who matches your vibe with your dog and where you are heading!!
Video is Frog and myself climbing down Catbells in the Lake District videoed by Jodie giggling at us!!
Why is it only ever the worst smelliest treats they eat on the couch? Demonstrated by a cow trachea and daphne 🙄🙄😆
Boxer assessment
It’s so easy for me to assess dogs here so if you’re unsure of your dogs’s issues or skills an hour assessment can be a real game changer!
Stanley the boxer came for exactly that reason! It’s hard to “test” your dog’s social
Skills if you’ve never had the opportunity so I do it here with my team of aggression therapy dogs under controlled conditions!
Stanley was, as you can see a true gentleman with Evil Edna who loves him!! He had a play with Frog and met Daphne and he can now happily and confidently join social groups and attend a daycare near to where he lives and mix with other dogs which he hasn’t before!
Amazing result for this lovely boy and his wonderful owner ❤️
From one extreme to another
There’s a reactive dog pattern I’m seeing so often now! To swing from one extreme to the other!
To become disillusioned with the “Force Free” cult after months or years of avoidance, distraction, sausage throwing, harnesses and a total waste of time and energy…and then to turn to the other extreme of quick fixes and tools to suppress the behaviour that has built up with the avoidance! It’s something I’m seeing daily!
Merry the foreign rescue is a great example! 2 years of avoid and distract with no clear understanding of WHY she is reactive! Trainers saying she is a severe case the worst they’ve seen and keeping well away from other dogs!
And then inevitably with no progress the switch to trainers using a prong collar to suppress the behaviour instead! Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place!
So Merry travelled a very long way to come to us and she is clearly very excited and frustrated causing the reactivity! Prong off Harness off and muzzle on for some interaction and OMG look at her thrive for the first time in 4 years!!
She must have been so bloody frustrated and nobody was understanding what she was trying to communicate!!
Somewhere between treat wanging and prong collars there IS a happy medium!! Where we let dogs be dogs and express themselves and interpret what they’re saying for their owners to better understand them!!
Great work Merry what fabulous owners you have to work so hard for you to be happy 😊
Mums and dogs
I went out to a home visit that turned out to be one of my favourites I’ve ever done! ❤️
Not just because I met this ridiculously cute snoring chihuahua but because it made me think a lot about the challenges that mums with kids and dogs have, during the summer holiday especially!
❤️🩹Dog mom guilt is real!!❤️🩹
Never feeling like you’re doing enough for your kids or dog can be overwhelming!!
Taking on a family dog trying to pick the right fit for your dynamic but sometimes taking on a dog who has more complex needs than your children is tough!
Always trying to do the right thing but sometimes it not going the right way or how we wanted is hard!!
Having another individual in the home who puts demands on your time and last nerves is not always how we perceive having a dog!!
But you know there is always hope and chance to improve your dog’s behaviour no matter how bad it may seem!
I can’t help you with your kids behaviour 😆😆but I can certainly take away some of the strain that severe dog behavioural issues brings to you!!
Sending lots of positive energy and wine to all the mums of dogs and kids out there doing their best with a lot to juggle 🥂🥂🥂🥂
Evil Edna returns
And just like any Evil villain from a good super hero film she has made a comeback!!
She’s back at work after her season and look how thrilled she is!!!! She could barely contain her excitement!!!
She only asked to speak to HR 3 times which is pretty impressive and she only swore at 2 customers!!
Welcome back Evil Edna 😈
Daphcam
Daphne working the crowd at our VIP members club meet up on Sunday! She still knows how to guilt you into giving her treats!!
What a super day she had with her adoring fans.
Special times either my
Special girl ❤️
Dog agility
Sit down and hold on tight 😆
Join our Saturday morning superstars on their agility run this morning!
The flappy ears and the tunnel have me in pieces 😆😆
Who knew the owners work harder than the dogs 😆😆😆
Thank you everyone for a fantastic day see you all next week!
This is addictive!!
This is so addictive!! 😆😆
Wanna know what large field socialising looks like? Here is Star to show you!!!
We attached the FrogCam to one of our regulars with hilarious results!!!
This is a dog’s eye view of dog park at its best!
Enjoy ❤️
Emotional transformation
❌2 behaviourists said put her to sleep
❌1 trainer said they couldn’t help her
❌2 years in a Greek rescue centre
❌4 months living under her owners bed- not leaving the room at all!
✅2 phone consultations with me
✅1 home visit
✅1 field visit
✅1 owner with a massive heart and more courage than a lion!!
And look at pretty Penny enjoying life!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
She really had me emotional!
This poor owner was at her wits end when she got in touch! This sweet Greek rescue was terrified and hid under her new owner’s bed for 4 months only eating at night when her owner was asleep and toileting on pads in the bedroom! Nobody would help her! Her owner kept reaching out to behaviourists to help
Who said it was kinder to put her to sleep if she was that scared!
Her owner wouldn’t have it!!! She came to us and we did a phone consultation to set some rules!
Her owner for the first time managed to get her in the garden and to walk around the garden each day for 2 weeks!!
Then we came to the house and I took her out on 2 slip leads to ensure she couldn’t run away!
Look what happened - she loved it!!
Dogs need guidance and strong energy- and someone to say hey I got you!!!
So the next day she brought her to my training centre and we let her run free for the first time EVER!!
I brought my favourite collie Jessie in and look how Penny gravitates to her strong energy and follows her!!
I am beyond thrilled with this incredible result!!!
Watch out for Penny at social classes soon!!
A massive thank you to Penny’s owner for her ridiculous level of patience, determination and strength for pushing through and never giving up on this sweet girl!!
A big first
I did a thing!😆I managed to get a dog’s eye view of one of our rehabilitation turnarounds!!
Theo the yellow lab came to us from Manchester after 4 trainers failed to help with increasing reactive behaviour to dogs and humans!
So I put my new FrogCam on Jessie the collie first and then Theo himself to film the rehabilitation happening from his point of view!!
Here is the first footage!! He did incredibly well - considering he has NEVER played with a dog he doesn’t know off lead and he also had 0 socialising at no fault of his owners! They’ve done him proud driving him to us refusing to wear the prong collarbone trainer suggested and taking him away from another trainer who tied him to a pole and allowed dogs to approach him!!!!
Brilliant to see that owners will keep going until they find the right solution for their dog!
Theo is much closer to a happy and relaxed life with his new mates!!
Wait for the flappy ears at the end 😆😆😆😆
FrogCam 🐸 📷
🐸Frog tried out our new toy today at Adventure Dog Park!
Hilarious footage including this classic from Vinnie the boxer!
We’ve all been there frog 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
Husky transformation
Answer me this! Would you take a child to Alton Towers and show them all the rides and sweets and candy floss and fun games but hold their hand tightly and pull them away from it all?? No you wouldn’t!! Cos that would be a sh*t day out for a kid!!!
But we do it for dogs under the guidance of dog trainers telling us that avoiding anything “stressful” is the way to cure behaviour!
But what about diagnosing WHY your dog is acting that way????
Artie the husky has been using avoidance techniques for his reactive behaviour - lunging, pulling and intense eye contact when he sees another dog!
His owners have followed the advice to avoid and distract for about a year and it hasn’t got any better….. but when you see what I did with them you’ll see why!!
He was just frustrated!!! He simply wanted to play!! And the avoidance and distracting was really annoying him!!
The video is 3 sessions
Wednesday - aggression assessment 1 hour by the end of it was playing in a field of 5 dogs
Thursday - play date for 2 hours with 5 dogs
Saturday - social class and neutrality!
He’s like a new dog!!! His poor owners who have been stressed walking him and upset by his behaviour are now able to walk him and see him play!!!! I’m so pleased they came to me!!!
Happy new adventures Artie ❤️
