The Zen Dog UK

05/03/2024

I've been working with this beauty for over a year and what a journey it's been.

There are many moments in training where i stop and marvel over how far a dog has come. A year ago, it would have seemed impossible to imagine her on a public beach enjoying the sea. But here she is 😍

We have got here with training that is based on connection, understanding and acceptance. That means i can work with her in a way that she needs and advocate for her in a way that keeps her feeling safe and supported. When we are out, we are a team.

We have had set backs, many ups and many downs but we keep learning, keep showing up and working with what we have.

It's not been a quick fix, it's not involved fear or pain or punishment, it's rarely been easy but boy have we learnt alot along the way.

Science works, it just requires commitment and trust in the process!

06/02/2024

A rather giant puppy last week who I had the absolute pleasure of meeting.

It can be daunting dealing with puppy behaviours especially when you are so worried about getting it wrong or creating bad habits. And so it's always worth a second pair of eyes. Very quickly we can assess if the behaviour is normal for that developmental period as well as talk about management alongside training.

I only hope this big bundle of energy comes to see me in the classroom!

19/01/2024

If you go down to the woods today you're sure of a big surprise.... 😂

As part of Bella's behaviour modification we are using play. Play is literally a portal to neuroplasticity and is often overlooked as a tool.

We all would benefit from a little more play!

31/12/2023

A sad day for canine professionals, for XL owners and dog lovers in general.

Breed specific legislation is not the answer. Particularly so when it affects the welfare and quality of life of so many dogs.

A government that encourages and provides incentives for killing perfectly healthy, perfectly behaved dogs, is a government that i don't want to support.

It's a sad day for many.

If you are a bully owner and you need some help navigating this, I'm right here!

20/11/2023

Had a few cases recently where hyperarousal was playing a key role in behaviour. It's something I can spot fairly immediately but for many owners it can often be understood as 'my dog needs tiring out' or 'he's just a crazy teenager'.

Often owners then slap some high intensity exercise on top and overlook some of those crazy grabbing, jumping behaviours. We can find ourselves in a situation where that becomes the norm and the dog can't listen or focus. With big powerful dogs, this can be pretty dangerous.

Repeated every day and we have dogs that struggle to regulate, struggle with impulse control and frustration tolerance.

Then i get a call.

So, these are some signs to keep an eye on that can help prevent a dangerous escalation of behaviours. With all problem behaviours, we want to stop dogs practicing them asap.

If you think your dog may struggle with hyperarousal, give me a shout.

04/11/2023

I do like this.
It's very easy to project onto our dogs so that we can rationalise behaviour.
However, there is always much much more going on. Behaviour is often a complex jigsaw puzzle of pieces.

Don't worry though, I totally get why we do it and understanding human behaviour and psychology is also part of my job.

All you need is an open mind and I can help you see some of those pieces.

22/09/2023

Cracking day despite the weather.

What a mix of breeds and training, it has kept me on my toes today.

We have had fears, impulsivity, puppy training, social facilitation and everything in between.

And rest!

14/07/2023

Lot's of Shepherd's with big feelings on Fridays.
To the onlooker it may seem like nothing is happening and that's exactly how it should look.
No effective behaviour modification can happen if the dog is stressed. And ethically, we don't want to put dogs in the face of triggers for the sake of training. This means finding that sweet spot of exposure and pairing it with a spot of science.

Made some amazing progress today!

24/06/2023

Most dogs trained at once ✅

Yesterday was an absolute beast of a day. 5 clients, 12 dogs 🤯

When you love what you do, you connect so deeply with the dogs and the humans and in some cases that's the difference between a behaviour modification plan that works or doesn't.

I don't just rock up and dish out instructions... I'm watching, listening, analysing all the time, reading between the lines. My job isn't to judge, to tell you if you have done wrong or right... It's to meet you and your dog where you are right now. To set you both up to suceed and chuck in some science and education if there is space for that. Sometimes there isn't and that's ok too. I can hand hold and walk you through those tough times.

For many, their dogs are their world and when things get overwhelming it can often feel like our world is falling to bits. Reaching out is hard but i promise you will be in good hands!

05/05/2023

What do you see on dog walks? What do you notice?

Today I had my first training walk with this beauty below. What's a training walk you might ask?

The first walk is usually somewhere with lots of space and few people. The dog is usually on a training line to provide freedom to move.

Me, I'm silent but watching. I keep on the edges and out of the way. I want the dog to be as natural as possible. Relaxed and allowed to move and make decisions for itself without my intervention.
I'm a quiet observer, soaking up the details..... What is the dog's body language saying....
How is it moving?.... Is it sniffing?... Is it anxious?... What smells is it drawn too, what noises does it react to? Does it's energy levels change and if so why?

I watch for irregular movements in gait in all stride patterns. Noise sensitivities, environmental triggers and coat patterns.
Does the dog explore, check in with me or does it lack confidence and seek guidance?
Does it keep close proximity or does it stray?

What behaviours does it offer if any, are there any we can shape? can it take food? What reinforcements are available?

For a behaviourist, a simple walk can be exhausting. This helps us see an animals baseline behaviour away from home and help understand environmental Influences.

From here we can start adding in foundational training skills alongside some classical counter conditioning where needed.

Science is ace!

29/04/2023

Complex cases aren't always the most overt ones or the aggressive cases. Sometimes, the complexity arises in the learning science. Establishing underlying motives, learning styles, emotional systems at play. Especially when you are working with a dog that has previous trauma and even your presence can be aversive, it means being super creative, thinking outside the box (and sometimes hiding out of the way 😂). Time, patience, science and a very considered approach to make sure I help this sensitive girl.

These are the dogs that allow me to grow as I follow their cues and respect their boundaries. It's always at their pace, not mine!

29/04/2023

Amazing news for all our dogs.
Electric collars or e-collars are going bye-bye's.

Just need to see the back of prong collars.

Have a belting weekend!

Dogs all over England are smiling today. As of Feb 1st 2024 remote electric (shock) collars will be banned in England. Thank you to everyone who campaigned for 10 years to get this done! The dogs thank you!
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media-centre/2023/april/cruel-electric-shock-collars-banned-in-england/

14/04/2023

1 hour behaviour session ✔️
30 mins cleaning the dog 🙄✔️
3 hours cleaning the car 😭😭😭

Love it really 😂😂

10/03/2023

Jam packed day with a full remit of behaviour sessions today.
We started with snow and ended with sunshine and in between we had lots of boys to sort out 😂😂

I love getting down to the nuts and bolts of behaviour modification, it's always an incredible process to watch. It can be hard for you owners because a good training session often looks like nothing is happening. This is the case for all the emotional dogs out there, resource guarders, sound sensitive, fearful and anxious dogs. The work has to happen when the dog is not stressed otherwise it just doesn't work. Then, along comes a situation that would previously have triggered your dog and boom... Training kicks in and it feels like a miracle.

The clients today have trusted the process and we seen some amazing results 😍

24/02/2023

Squeezing every last drop of sunshine and blue sky out of today. A great day with clients working through a good range of skills. Then ending the day with this handful 👇 Absolutely blessed.

08/02/2023

What a whirlwind January has been and the start of the year has dealt us some complex behaviour cases. That being said today was a great day. Here's a picture of Bo, who 6 months ago couldn't be trusted on walks around Dogs or some humans. His size and behaviour was enough to put any owner off letting their dog near him. He could not read the social signs from other dogs and was immediately triggered by movement. Interactions were often fraught, vocal and stressful for all involved.

For Bo, the progress has been amazing. It has been an integrative approach with a focus on play therapy. Pairing Bo with a canine mentor that can teach him how to behave has been key and with time he can now happily interact around multiple dogs without issue.

Today I watched him play with a smaller dog, lowering himself to modify and punctuating it beautifully. He not longer chases every movement and his frustration has all but dissappeared. This was only possible because of the amazing dogs that I work with and an understanding of those affective pathways at work. Dogs need friends too, just like us!

05/12/2022

Got to be in it to win it. 😍😍

It's Friday, it's December, weather's grim and I like to give stuff away 🙌🎉.
So here we have a Christmas cracker of a giveaway with over £50 of stuff for a lucky pooch.

To have a go at winning this, it's pretty simple:

1.Post a picture of your dog
2. Like the page Puppy School Lancaster & Morecambe
3. Get everyone you know to like your dog's picture by any means necessary.
4. Sit back and wait for the likes to come rolling in.

The winner will be the one with the most likes at 7pm on Sunday the 11th of December so delivery can be arranged before Santa comes :-)

*Anyone can have a go so share with all your doggie friends!

And while I'm also 'Marketing' - if you have been to class or had a 121 with me, please give us a review so we can reach all those new pups put there!

Now go, go, go!

22/11/2022

Buddy is 11 now and has quite significant mobility issues. Having a senior can be a day to day challenge as you think about transport, changing lifestyle routines such as stopping them going upstairs, carpeting areas or providing rugs, daily medication, physio etc.
And sometimes amongst all that we forget to find ways to play, sometimes because we are scared of them being in pain. This is one of Buddy's favourite games 😂😂 and it's one that I enjoy too 😂😂

Don't forget to play with your oldies 👍