Alison Carpenter - In a Spin Dog Training

29/04/2022

The look that tells me the Hairy Womble thinks I’m crazy.
“Why you taking chair for walkies?”

If you have a dog who can lose his cool on lead when other dogs pass-by, having a few ‘defensive’ lead handling techniques in your ‘tool kit’ is a good idea.

Because let’s be honest, you can’t always keep distance.

Sometimes surprises happen, like the man with his ‘doodle’ who suddenly appeared from round the back of a building yesterday (always suspicious if you ask me 🤔)

It’s best to practice such skills before you include the dog – that’s where the chair came in.

And definitely practice the techniques before you actually need them!

25/04/2022

Hard work going on in my office this week!

“How can this possibly be work?” I hear you say. “You’re just hanging out on a (completely empty) white sandy beach in the sun, with a dog!”

True 😀 but in actual fact, this is the MOST important part of the work.

You see ‘The Hairy Womble’ (name changed to protect the innocent) has been working really hard on learning some new behaviours around other dogs. We’ve been hanging around at the ferry port a few miles away, making the most of the start of the tourist season and the visiting dogs that tend to come along with that.

We’re not stalking dogs in an anti-social ‘bark and lunge to scare off all the tourists’ kind of way. Rather working at a distance that allows ‘Womble’ the space and time to make good decisions, learn new behaviours and feel OK about other dogs.

But even though we’re working at a distance where he doesn’t ‘lose it’ – there is still a steady accumulation of ‘stress chemicals’ in his body, so we keep the sessions quite short and then we decamp to the beach.

A little bit of ‘stress’ is not a bad thing. It’s essential in fact.
BUT it’s critical that the body has time to return to a balanced state. And being proactive about the process of ‘coming back down’ is even better.

There’s a reason why we should take holidays, have evenings and weekends off, pursue enjoyable (dog-based) hobbies etc. It’s not just to empty the bank account! Without the opportunity to decompress we end up with a state of chronic stress and that can be extremely damaging to physical and emotional well-being.

The same is true for our dogs. Dogs in a constant state of high arousal struggle to make rational choices and often exhibit lots of unwanted behaviours.

There is also research that shows that learning is most effective when followed by bouts of rest or play, and obviously I want Womble to get the most out of every training session and the empty white sandy beach helps with that too!

You might be thinking this is not relevant to your dog if he doesn’t have aggression issues. Don’t be fooled! The same chemical reaction is happening whether the ‘thing’ is worrisome for the dog or very exciting. Your dog might absolutely love his agility, or wrestling all day with his friends at day-care – but if he doesn’t have ‘relaxation time’ built in, you may well still have a problem on your hands.

Ever had the experience (possibly pre-covid?!) when you’ve got back late from a really enjoyable evening out, WAY later than the time when you’d normally be nodding off in front of the telly, but you’re buzzing and just can’t sleep without a bit of down-time first? If so, that’s what I’m talking about.

So, Womble and me gently bimbling on the beach is THE most important part of the whole training session. If you don’t have an easily accessible, empty, sandy beach – some quiet time on his own with a kong or bone, or a scatter feed in the garden will also help 😉

And yes, this beach is somewhere in Scotland, but I’m not telling you where, or it wouldn’t be empty!! 🤣

22/03/2022

Does your dog like to sniff?

The benefits of harnessing this most ‘basic’ of doggy skills are enormous, and I believe you can never give your dog too many opportunities to sniff either casually as you are out walking, or as a more planned activity.

The video is from a completely informal scentwork session yesterday and sniffing aficionados will probably have to turn away because all the search area is ‘contaminated’ with my scent – but those dogs are enjoying themselves and that’s surely the most important thing?!

There are lots of benefits such as practising calmness and mindfulness; it builds confidence and tolerance for frustration and is known to lower the dog’s heart rate.

Usually when dogs are sniffing they are working in a Goldilocks state of arousal (not too little and not too much) and because we know that dogs prone to over-arousal don’t always make great behavioural choices, opportunities for those dogs to practice thoughtful games and calmness can only be a good thing too.

As well as all of the above, I took it as an opportunity to practise turn-taking and waiting, important in a multi-dog household.

This is a rare video of Millie. Normally the sight of the camera has her heading in the opposite direction to hide in the bushes – but yes, when she’s sniffing, even the camera is forgiven.
Millie likes to cheer Loki on when he’s working and it’s not pleasant on the ears. But she’s totally quiet and methodical when it’s her turn.

You can teach your dog to search for a specific scent or item; or search in a particular pattern. You can get really fancy with what the dog does when he finds the item (We can do that too)...

…or you can just hang out in the sunshine and have some fun.

Surely, it’s far healthier both physically and emotionally for a dog than charging around after a ball until his tongue hangs out?

04/03/2022

Aggression is not a 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵!

It’s a set of behaviours that a dog may exhibit as a response to a perceived or actual threat.

Or put it another way

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 dog is an aggressive dog!”

Because every dog has the 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 to exhibit aggressive behaviours in the ‘right’ context/emotional state i.e. if the threat is considered great enough 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘨.

Read more about my thoughts on aggression in dogs in my latest blog:

https://dogsinaspin.co.uk/blog/aggression-not-personality-trait

Happy Friday 😀

28/02/2022

𝘿𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧?

➡️ You’re more than ready to stop hiding in the bushes and address your dog’s anti-social behaviour towards other dogs.

➡️ Or you're totally fed-up of not quite trusting him to come back when you call. (His recall is great until there are distractions, right?!)

➡️ Maybe even feeling a wee bit guilty about spending less time with your pooch now the world is opening up again…

➡️ BUT it’s tough to fit dog training in around everything else that life throws at you AND you are exhausted at the end of each day. Getting out for a walk with the dog is about as much as you have brain-space and energy for most days.

𝙉𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬?

A residential training retreat is just what you need!

Come and work with me on our small working croft on the beautiful Scottish Island of Lismore, a short ferry ride from Oban.

You can stay on site for the duration of the retreat in our dog friendly, off-grid bothy; or arrange your own accommodation if you prefer.

There are a few 2022 dates remaining for my very popular residential training retreats. Giving you dedicated, focussed training time balanced with a chance to slow down and enjoy just hanging out with your dog.

𝙄𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪?

The retreats are well suited to dogs who have issues around other dogs (i.e. reactive/bark-lunge)

and are also great for working on things like recall, loose-lead walking or just fun activities such as tricks and scent-work.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠?

The week long retreats are designed to be a holiday which just happens to include some dog training, so you can relax and unwind and have some focussed time with your dog.

No ‘boot camp' here!

Every retreat is bespoke, tailored to meet your individual needs, with flexibility throughout.

It really is your retreat.

𝙂𝙤𝙩 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙟𝙪𝙢𝙥 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣?

Send me a message and let’s arrange a time to chat so I can find out more about your training goals and what the perfect retreat would look like for you and your dog 😊

14/02/2022

All this talk of LOVE!❤️

Sometimes it’s about actions not words though.

Loki loves me so much that when he saw my gloves didn’t have one of those fancy touchscreen finger patches, he adapted them for me.

He even took into account that I’m left-handed. So thoughtful.

Good job I love him! 🥰

28/01/2022

As some of you know - I don't have a TV, so I am not commenting on this first hand BUT I have seen so many reactions and responses to the treatment of this poor dog this week, I felt the need to share this.

I live with an elderly, arthritic dog who struggles to do all the things he used to, even with great pain management. If that's Pip being a 'diva' then he is very, very welcome to be the biggest, most indulged drama queen in Scotland.

Guys, a bona fide behaviour consultant will do two things:

Take a moment (or several) to consider WHY a behaviour might be happening

ALWAYS work alongside your vet to rule out any pain or medical issues that might be contributing to the behaviours.

Happy Friday, and choose your weekend viewing carefully!
❤️🐾🐾

2024 update -

This post was made two years ago and has recently been getting attention again. The sad thing is that actually nothing has changed. This program is still being made. There is ( as far as I know - and very happy to be corrected if I am wrong) no veterinary involvement with these dogs prior to filming.

How many more dogs are going to be labled as awkward, difficult, stubborn or just lazy when actually there is an underlying pain issue?

We have so many wonderful trainers and behaviourists that could fill this man’s shoes and provide far more valuable advice and training. Stop giving people like this man air time… pick someone who actually cares about the wellbeing of the dogs they work with instead of the cash going to line their pockets…

-

Some phrases used on this particular episode of ‘Dogs behaving (very) badly’ where 8 year old Ruby would only get off the sofa if the rug was over the laminate flooring, and would sit down and stop on walks…

‘being a madam’

‘Controlling the diva’

‘Indulging her with rugs’

‘Thinks she’s in charge’

OR

Is this actually a dog in pain, a dog scared of slipping and hurting, a dog trying to tell everyone that she’s uncomfortable?

It’s not indulging her with a rug, it’s making sure her own home is accessible and safe for her. She’s not ‘being a diva’ and refusing to walk, she’s telling you it hurts and she’s uncomfortable.

I’m very glad that the owners realise that this dogs weight is having a significant impact on her life but there are other things that need addressing here. I have no doubt they absolutely adore their girl, that is very clear to see, but I desperately wish they had the right kind of support for Ruby, not just let’s force her to walk and walk on a floor she’s is scared

Dogs Behaving Very Badly and The Dogfather (Graham Hall)… I’m afraid the blame falls to you on this occasion. You have a massive platform with thousands of dog owners watching every episode. How about talking about signs of pain? Indicators of discomfort? When behaviours actually tell us somethings wrong? Ways to adapt houses for older dogs and those that struggle with mobility? You could educate SO MANY owners but no, it doesn’t happen. Instead we just see an uncomfortable dog being forced to walk when she doesn’t want to, and live in an environment that she is scared of.

Dogs need us to advocate for them, to realise when we need to do more and to learn the ways that they tell us something isn’t right. Owner education is the key to this and this could have been a brilliant opportunity to do just that.

06/11/2021

It’s been ‘fairly breezy’ on Lismore over the last couple of weeks (as you can hear if you have the sound on!)

That always leads to all sorts of detritus on the shoreline – from single flip-flops to fishing crates, and a surprising number of half-chewed dog toys.

Loki was delighted to discover not one but TWO buoys washed up – just for his entertainment 😂

06/10/2021

Imagine you dreamed playing your favourite Beethoven Sonata on a huge Grand Piano in front of an audience at the Royal Albert Hall.

OK – this is your daydream so you can choose your own instrument, music and gig venue but stick with me 😉

In order to achieve that dream, you’re going to have to put in lots of practice including scales and some easier pieces as part of your progress.

You’ll break the music down – line by line, bar by bar. And some of those trickier sections you might even split your practice down to individual notes.

Finally you nail it! You can play the whole piece perfectly.

Well, in the living room, at least.

But you’ll probably want to practice in front of a small audience first until you build confidence and get familiar with how it feels to play in different locations and the effect that has on your nerves and your ability to concentrate.

I’m almost certain that you would NOT do the following:

• Go straight to perform at the Albert Hall after your very first practice session (or without any practice at all) and expect to be note-perfect.

• Call the piano ‘STUBBORN’ when you are not note-perfect in front of that huge audience after one practice session.

• Decide to learn a different piece of music after one or two sessions because you have not learnt the first piece quickly enough.

Now – imagine that the piano is your dog, and the ‘music’ you wish to perform is a whiplash response to your recall despite all the distractions of the local park. (Insert your own 'music' and choice of venue here!)

Guess what? All the same principles apply!

I so often hear dog owners say:

‘We’ve tried that, it didn’t work’ when they’ve done a few repetitions of the training at home, then gone straight to a busy beach on a sunny Sunday afternoon without any practice steps along the way.

Or

‘We’ve tried everything!’ – and usually they have – but they’ve just not stuck with anything for long enough, or not broken it down into achievable steps.

Or

'The dog's just stubborn'...

If you’ve got a particular piece that you and your dog are not performing too well in public (or even in the privacy of your own living room) take your time, build up your practice slowly, and break things into small steps if you need to.

Rapturous applause awaits you. Or just a proud smile to yourself for a job well done 😊

21/09/2021

Usually the only way to make progress is to step outside your comfort zone. Not too far. Just enough to stretch and grow.

So glad Lou - The Dog's Friend and beautiful Luna trusted me to help them make that next step on their journey.

And who says you can't enjoy a wee drink in the sunshine while training your dog? 😉

27/08/2021

Loki says:

"I think you'll find EVERY day is 'International Dog Day' on this end of the sofa. Now stop scrolling and bring me another biscuit"

😉

10/08/2021

Are you a victim of peer pressure?! 🤔

I’m not talking about smoking behind the bike sheds or knocking on doors and running away. I’m talking about peer pressure in training your dog.

I quite often get messages from clients asking for guidance because their friend/Uncle/hairdresser has told them that they need to do X, Y or Z. You know the sort of thing:

"Just let him off lead – he’ll come back when he’s ready"
"Spray water at him - that will stop the barking"
"It’s OK, I’ve had dogs all my life – he won’t bite me!"

I totally understand, because I’ve fallen foul of the “just leave them, they’ll be fine” pressure recently too, and my dog got a nip on the nose for it.

I felt really bad because I would never have been so careless and allowed that interaction to happen with my clients’ dogs and those who have worked directly with me know I go out of my way to protect the emotional and physical safety of everyone.

But on this occasion, I didn’t keep my own sweet dog safe. Fortunately, he just shook it off but that’s not the point.

I know we all want sometimes to be able to take the easy route. Not have to think or work so hard to achieve the outcome. But we also know in our heart or hearts that the quick fix or easy option or the “leave them to sort it out between themselves” approach is usually not the best for the dog.

The ‘helpful’ person does not have the full picture. They don’t know your dog like you do (or their own dog in many cases 😉)

So let’s make a pact. Let’s continue to be advocate for our own dogs. You know what your dog needs and you have the bigger picture. You know where you started and where you want to get to on your training journey.

If you find yourself feeling pressured into doing something in dog training that just doesn’t feel right – by all means, sound me out.

You never know, I might just call on you to keep me on the straight and narrow too!

21/07/2021

I’ve been running 1:1 residential training retreats over the last few weeks.

I love delivering on them because seeing the progression day by day of dogs and their humans gives me plenty of positive reinforcement, although of course they are tiring for all concerned.

Hearing from one client that their dog had literally slept for 3 days afterwards was an important reminder of how anything unusual or out of routine impacts on our dogs’ emotional state. Just being in a different location will have an effect, and fun and adventures with the whole family, more so.

And for some dogs, that can lead to challenges in behaviour.

Even if your holiday is a totally relaxed affair, consider planning in a couple of days when you get home where your dog has plenty of quiet downtime in his own bed. A holiday to get over the holiday if you like!

You can read even more about this topic here: https://dogsinaspin.co.uk/blog/relaxation-dogs 🙂

21/07/2021

I’ve been running 1:1 residential training retreats over the last few weeks.

I love delivering on them because seeing the progression day by day of dogs and their humans gives me plenty of positive reinforcement, although of course they are tiring for all concerned.

Hearing from one client that their dog had literally slept for 3 days afterwards was an important reminder of how anything unusual or out of routine impacts on our dogs’ emotional state. Just being in a different location will have an effect, and fun and adventures with the whole family, more so.

And for some dogs, that can lead to challenges in behaviour.

Even if your holiday is a totally relaxed affair, consider planning in a couple of days when you get home where your dog has plenty of quiet downtime in his own bed. A holiday to get over the holiday if you like!

You can read even more about this topic here: https://dogsinaspin.co.uk/blog/relaxation-dogs

07/07/2021

There's nothing like crunching on a frozen chicken foot to cool you down on a warm day! 😋

30/06/2021

Dogs are social creatures and so the opportunity to interact with others is essential to their emotional well-being. And who doesn’t love the sight of a couple of well-matched dogs playing together in a wide, open space? But...

That vision is one so many of my clients dream of. Seeing their dog full of joy as he plays rough-and-tumble with his doggy friends.

“But my dog needs to play with other dogs!”

Sadly, for quite a few it’s not a realistic objective.

For dogs who don’t respond well to other dogs (for whatever reason), even after working through a behaviour programme, they may only ever learn to tolerate the presence of other dogs. That’s not the same as wanting to hang out or get into a full-on chase game with them.

And even for dogs who do want to engage with other dogs, there’s still a lot that can go wrong if the play-mate is not well-versed in canine social niceties. It’s essential to choose your dog’s buddies carefully.

So how do we ensure our dogs get the social interaction they need if they aren’t great with other dogs, or your friends dogs are all anti-social thugs? (Hint: The answer is definitely not ‘let him off lead on the beach while shouting “it’s ok, he’s friendly” to all the other dog walkers!)

Fortunately – humans are also social animals, and most pet dogs have been socialised around humans from an early age. So the good news is that hanging out with you and his human family will help to satiate that need for social interaction too.

My dogs would rather be asleep on the floor of the office, lying next to me while I work, than asleep on the comfy furniture elsewhere in the house, because (I tell myself) they want us to be together.

Being ‘in the moment’ with your dog, engaging with him in playing games, training or any of the other enrichment activities I’ve talked about over the last few weeks, and you’ll tick that social interaction box too!

It doesn't matter what you do, just hang out with your dog.

11/06/2021

It’s fairly common for me to be approached by dog owners who are tearing their hair out with their ‘over the top’ or ‘out of control’ dog.

These poor humans are exhausted from spending literally hours each day walking, running and ball throwing; trying to use up all that canine energy, because otherwise they just get no peace.

Unfortunately, there’s a flaw in the thinking - because what is actually happening with all that exercise is the dog is getting fitter and stronger, thereby needing even more exercise.

In most cases, the dog is also getting energised, excited and aroused, making it even harder for them to switch off.

When I visit, I might spend time with the dog and owner in question, coaching them through a new training activity, and the dog is usually flat out on the living room floor, snoring away after about 20 minutes.

That’s not to blow my own trumpet (some would say it suggests I’m THAT boring!) but really to demonstrate what is missing from the enrichment plan is mental exercise.

It’s not unreasonable to expect the sorts of dogs that were originally bred to work alongside humans to have sharp brains and the ability to think for themselves if needed.

So if you’re finding yourself trying hard to tire out your dog, do yourself a favour and consider adding some mental exercise into the mix.

Problem solving activities like puzzle feeders, learning ‘silly’ tricks or more formal training are all options.

Anything that works that furry brain! 🤓

01/06/2021

Food is often the big focus for enrichment activities with dogs. But I encourage you to think about other areas of your dog’s life in which you might provide choices, experiences and opportunities to engage in natural doggy behaviours.

One category of enrichment that is often overlooked is Environment.

The context and environment in which your dog finds themself can play a big role in providing stimulation, new experiences or an outlet for favourite canine activities.

For some dogs just experiencing different surfaces and textures under their toes can give a new perspective.

Mix it up – sand, rocks, water, long grass, pavement. How does your dog respond?

28/05/2021

Weekend Challenge! 'Paws Up'
(Warning: Dodgy editing, but the dog was a good boy 🤣)

Spend a few minutes with your dog each day and teach him a simple trick. Then show off the end result here. And it's a long weekend, so no excuses 😜

If he knows this one already - start a new one, or show off how many different objects he can do 'Paws up' with.

https://youtu.be/WMqMyi0MbkE

Teach your dog to place two front paws on an item when asked

25/05/2021

We’re talking about enrichment again in the VIP group today.

Specifically about introducing activities that allow our dogs opportunities to acquire their food in different ways by mimicking components of the hunting sequence.

This might include games for locating, chasing, grabbing and dissecting the quarry.

Here’s Pip demonstrating how to locate his prey – pieces of sausage that are no doubt quivering in fear under the tennis balls.

Want to be in on future conversations?
Sign up here and get a free e-book of treat recipes to play with: https://mailchi.mp/aedd837faa38/dog-training-treats

21/05/2021

When your recall training doesn’t go according to plan – don’t consider it a disaster and give up!

See it as information.

You can use what you observed to tweak your training. (Why did that happen? What can I do differently next time? Am I asking too much of the dog in this context?)

This weekend remind yourself what your dog is good at and what you love about him!

18/05/2021

Dog Food.

The best diet and nutrition for dogs is a hotly debated topic. But that’s a discussion for a different time and place (and probably not with me!!)

However, if you’re thinking about enrichment for your dog, you could consider introducing some VARIETY.

We’ve been led to believe that dogs should eat the same food every day, and it’s a military operation of gradual exchange over several weeks if it’s necessary to switch brands. Who tells us this? The pet food manufacturers? 🤔

Call me cynical if you like, but since dogs evolved as scavengers who would most likely experience a very varied diet, it’s hard to believe they must always eat the same.

I wonder if we are actually training our dogs NOT to tolerate variety because it is never introduced – and then when the dog does eat something out of the ordinary, well – it doesn’t end well! 🤢

As well as being less boring, research has shown that by introducing a little bit of variety into a dog’s diet in the form of adding fresh, unprocessed food like cooked vegetables to his meal, even just a couple of times a week, we can improve health and prolong the life of our beloved pet. Surely worth exploring?

Have fun experimenting!

What foods does your dog find enriching? What does he politely leave on one side?

14/05/2021

“I can’t train the dog – he won’t take treats outside.”

This is a really common complaint I hear from dog owners.

As with all things dog training related, there’s always more than one possible explanation. Here are two of them:

1. The treats are not worth the effort. Generally aim for high protein (meat) and ensure it is cut into small pieces that are easy to eat. This also means you can have lots of repetitions during a short training session.

Crunching a biscuit takes far too much time for most dogs, and biscuits are usually not that tasty anyway.

2. The dog is in a situation where eating is literally the last thing on his mind. He is in a state of high alert/high arousal/high stress and his body is preparing for immediate survival or engagement with the distracting thing.

What to do?
Rule out the crap treat issue first (I honestly wish I had a pound for every dog owner who told me their dog wouldn’t take treats – while trying to train them using a bit of old bonio they found in the bottom of their rucksack!)

And then you need to seriously consider whether maybe the dog is in a situation he can’t (yet) cope with. His response is telling you he is not in the ‘learning zone’.

Reel in your expectations, find scenarios or set up training opportunities that he can cope with and start from there. 😘

11/05/2021

Enrichment means ‘give the dog a food toy to make his dinner last longer’. Right?

Noooo. It is so much more than that!

Enrichment is about meeting ALL of your dog’s needs in order to empower them to engage in species typical behaviours in the safest and most appropriate way possible.

In other words it’s about setting up the environment to allow your dog to ‘be a dog’ and do ‘doggy’ things.

And there are lots of different categories of ‘need’ to consider – physical, mental, emotional, social interaction and sensory to name a few.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to delve a little deeper into some of those categories and hopefully give you some inspiration for 'things to do with your dog’.

The best way to make sure you don’t miss anything? Sign up and all the info will come straight to your inbox!
http://eepurl.com/dIHhyr 😉

05/05/2021

Every so often I find myself feeling guilty that my dogs are being treated differently from one another. Like the fact Millie spends more time in her crate, when she is struggling to cope with life.

“It’s not fair that Millie is in her crate when the other dogs are here with us”.

The reality is that she is probably much better off in her safe, calm ‘happy place’ and that what is fair for Millie is that her individual needs are met. It actually wouldn’t be fair for her to spend more time in an unsettled state, just so she had the same amount of time with us in the house as the other dogs.

If you sometimes wonder about whether you are being fair to your dog – find yourself a couple of quiet minutes, and read my blog post about it here: https://dogsinaspin.co.uk/blog/being-fair

Don't forget, you have to be fair to yourself too!