K9ology - Dog Psychology & Training

25/11/2024

Muzzles? 🤔

There’s no shame in a dog wearing a muzzle!
There’s many reasons why a dog may be wearing one, and it’s no one’s business at all!

Great post ABC Dogs NZDogs NZ thanks 👏😊🐾

Apologies, bit of a rant.😑💥and this will be a bit graphic.
Yesterday I was watching a post implode with bullying and misinformation...the issue?
Someone decided to muzzle train their dog.
Would these commentators rather see a dog eat away at their own flesh?
Perhaps they don't want dogs to heal from injury quickly and with less infection?
Maybe they would rather see a beautifully trained dog die from incessantly eating rocks?
Would they rather be bit by a dog that doesn't wear a muzzle?

Way too much discrimination and misinformation about muzzles out there.
So to the "I would never be so cruel", "how could you"....and the "I hope he bites you" commentators on this persons post....a well fitted and CONDITIONED muzzle shows a responsible guardian/owner/handler, it means this is a well thought out decision taken by a truly responsible person.

They take their responsibility and their commitment to ensuring everyone's health and safety seriously.....because if they didn't it really can be life or death for some.

Muzzles are used by the MOST responsible people.
End of rant.

Graphics available abcdogsnz.com

24/11/2024

Fun from this weeks Pups/Beginner’s class! 🥰🐾

They all did so well again this week practicing their ‘go to beds’, settling, loose lead plus more! 🥳

They now again have their homework for the week, which I just know they’re gonna ace! 🙌☺️🐾

Well done pooches & their families! 👏👏🥰🐾

23/11/2024

23/11/2024

Windy weather and dogs! 🐶💨

We’re expecting storm Burt today so thought we’d do a post on windy weather! 🤔

Some dogs appear to absolutely love a bit of windy weather and they may appear go a bit silly. For others however, it can be a sensory overload! 😣

Winds bring new smells from far and wide, so for some it can be exciting and make them want to explore more, but for others this could be stressful and make them anxious. It can also disorient some dogs too, so be careful if you choose to let your dog off lead.

Always watch your dogs body language! Look for any signs of stress, anxiousness or not being able to cope, and adjust walks to help them accordingly 😊🐶

Stay safe today everyone! The winds are due to be high. Enrichment games indoors is a good alternative to a walk on days like this 😊💨 🌬️

23/11/2024

Looking forward to seeing class pooches and their families this morning! 🥰🐾We’re in the hall today! Please remember your dogs beds or blankets 🐾

21/11/2024

Back for a catch up last week with this gorgeous pair! 🥰🐾

One of them hated the car and would bark for the journey 😔

Their family have worked so hard and been building up their journey time slowly and gradually, and always at his pace and have now travelled 20 minutes with no barking at all 🙌🐾

We still have some work to do, but I just know they’re gonna ace it! 😊🐾

Can’t wait to catch up with them again in a couple of weeks to see how they’re doing! 🦮

Huge well done guys! 👏😊🐾🐾

21/11/2024

Look at this gorgeous boy! 🥰🐾

His family got in touch as he began to be reactive on lead at times. After assessing him outdoors we noticed it was really only on pavement walks and when near roads his behaviour changed. He was actually feeling anxious and needed help to cope.
We began practicing some desensitisation exercises at distances from the roads and triggers, and his family then had their homework to do for a couple of weeks.
His family have worked so so hard and when we met last week his whole demeanour was completely different 👏😊
He was far far more relaxed, was checking in, walking loose lead and was even able to take treats, which he wasn’t last time we met 👏

We still have a bit of work to do, but they’ve done absolutely fantastic! ☺️I just know they’ll all ace these last parts too! ☺️🐾

Huge well done guys! 🙌😊🐾

20/11/2024

Anyone can use one of these things to get a dog to stop a behaviour😖

It’s not real training though, nor is it behaviour modification! ❌ It’s a quick fix 🤦🏼‍♀️

It’s using force, fear, or the threat of using force or fear to stop the dog reacting or behaving in a certain way.
Seemingly it ‘works’, but all that’s happening is the behaviour is being suppressed 😖

Dogs and their families through being advised wrongly by so called ‘professionals’, are then not actually dealing with why they are doing what they’re doing in the first place.
It’s like us going to a therapist for help with anxiety and them slapping us each time we get anxious!
Would you really go to that therapist?! 🤯
And there can be fallout from these methods, yes I’ve seen it! 😔

Real training and behaviour modification takes patience. It can also take time and require perseverance too. After all, we are helping a dog think and feel differently about something! 🐾

Thanks Chirag Patel, great video 👏😊

In this video, we delve into the world of slip collars and the potential harm they can cause to our beloved canine companions. We explore the truth behind th...

19/11/2024

Just look at these little faces! 🥰🐾

We’ve been working with one of these gorgeous girls and her family for a couple of things; reactivity to some dogs when out and about, and she also can be very vocal in the car to certain things when out too 🐾

At the last session we worked on her reactivity and her family then had their homework to do in between our next session.
My goodness, they certainly have worked so hard and results were plain to see 👏😊
We met at a park this time where we could get space if needed. What happened is what sometimes does, especially if it’s a smaller dog we’re working with, owners just letting their dogs run over 🤦🏼‍♀️
Dogs will be dogs at times, but these owners had no interest or just couldn’t recall their dogs, one was on the phone the whole time while their dog continued to follow us 🤦🏼‍♀️
Luckily as we were all so calm and just kept walking our little girl here handled that situation and the other ones we had like an absolute pro! 👏👏No reaction, looked up mum and dad for direction and just kept listening to us and calmly walking away 👏☺️

We also started some of the car desensitisation, which again she absolutely aced! 👏👏

They now have their homework again to do in between, and we can’t wait to catch up and see how they’re doing! 😊🦮🐾

19/11/2024

Had the pleasure of working with this gorgeous pair and their family last week 🥰🐾

We’ve a couple of things we’re working on; reactivity to the door bell, and for one of them anxiety to certain things when out and about 🐾

At their first session they did absolutely fab! 👏They now have their homework to do and we’ll be catching up again shortly! 😊🦮🐾

17/11/2024

🥳Breaking news! 🥳🐾

Next year K9ology will be joining forces with Solo Pet Services to bring you Loose lead workshops & Recall workshops! 🐾

These will be fun workshops held in Ashingdon on some Saturday’s & some Sunday’s 😊

They will be taught by fully qualified & accredited IMDT trainers who are both members of the UK Dog Training & Behaviour Charter too 🦮

Workshops will kept small so everyone gets 1-1 support when needed and fun elements & tricks will be added as well! 💛

If you’d like to come along please either comment below or message me and you will be the first to find out and choose dates before they’re released online 😊

We want to create other workshops too for all dogs ages and abilities, so if you have any suggestions feel free to comment below too ⬇️

Can’t wait to meet you all! ☺️🦮🐾

17/11/2024

WOW! Only 3 places left in our Pup/Beginner’s classes starting in January! 🥳🐾

If you’d like a place here’s the link below ⬇️

Classes are taught by FULLY qualified & accredited IMDT trainers from who are also members of the UK Dog Behaviour & Training Charter.
The IMDT

Classes are also kept small so everyone gets 1-1 time of needed too 🥰🐾

https://k9ologybookings.as.me/

17/11/2024

I actually love this post from Kommetjie Canine College! 👏

‘Neutral’ gets banded about so much nowadays by some 😖
I hear some say ‘your dog should be neutral around dogs/people/noise/roads’ etc etc. But, is it really realistic?! 🤔

I don’t think it is! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Our dogs aren’t robots after all. They should be allowed to show when they like something, are interested in something, scared of something or unsure etc, but of course in a calm way as possible. They should have their personalities and quirks!
Of course, they may need our help with this, either as pups but even as they get older with things. We can do this in an ethical way.

Dogs I sometimes see being ‘neutral’ either have a slip lead round their throat or a prong or have been ‘taught’ to be ‘neutral’ with one of these contraptions or similar 🙄- that’s not being neutral either though, they’re fearful of what has happened when they’ve been ‘bad’ 😖or what may happen! 🤯

There’s a big difference between helping dogs cope in all kinds of situations and being allowed to still show their feelings in a calm way, than just being ‘neutral’.

Remember real behaviour modification takes time when done properly and involves no tools!

The “Neutral” Dog

On just about every post concerning puppy socialisation these days, you will find comments or advice such as, “remember that socialisation means teaching your dog to be neutral about people and dogs – it doesn’t mean encouraging them to interact.”

These comments have started to really bother me, as I don’t think they reflect the reality of how living creatures respond to the world around them and set impossible requirements for dogs, especially for young puppies. I sometimes wonder if people making these comments understand anything about the mammalian brain or what the word neutral even means.

Just like us, dogs are emotionally driven creatures. They respond to the environment around them according to how they feel and how things in the environment make them feel. Feeling is the essence of what it means to be alive and conscious. It is the difference between an animal and a robot.

The term “neutral” means feeling neither positive nor negative about something. It implies feeling nothing. I would ask you to try and think of things in your life that you feel absolutely nothing about. Can you think of any? How many situations in our lives evoke zero emotional response, where we feel absolutely nothing about the environment we are in or about the people we are around? Maybe routine things like eating breakfast or cleaning our teeth in the morning don’t make us feel much on the surface, but if you scratch a little deeper, for most of us eating always involves some small level of pleasurable anticipation and hygiene chores can feel like drudgery or even an annoyance when we may be in a hurry. Driving to work we may feel pleasure listening to a radio station or music, but we may also feel frustration anticipating traffic or anxiety about being late for work. Arriving at work there may be people that we enjoy seeing and who make us feel cheerful and motivated and there may others who make us feel uncomfortable or slightly stressed. Our emotions are likely to fluctuate with every situation – not always extremely – but just little ebbs and flows of feelings throughout the day.

We are seldom, if ever, completely neutral and I believe that it is the same for our dogs. The idea of expecting dogs to ignore people, dogs and situations because they should not have any feelings about them, seems quite ridiculous to me. Dogs are sentient, complex emotional beings – they are not robots. They are going to feel something in all situations and that something is going to tend towards consisting of either positive emotions or negative ones, depending on their predisposition and life experiences.

So, what about habituation? Does that not mean learning that something has no meaning and so ignoring it? Yes, it does – however, this usually refers to learning to ignore simple stimuli in the environment as inconsequential rather than having no feelings about social situations and other living beings. For example, while I am writing this, there are insects creating a constant high-pitched hum in the garden outside on this hot summer day. However, I only become conscious of them, when I stop typing for a second and take a moment to reconnect to my surroundings. I can also hear the distant hum of the sea, but all these sounds are so familiar and constant that my brain habituates to them and almost blocks them out. This is a vastly different situation in comparison to me deciding to go for a walk down to the beach and passing various neighbours or their dogs – while I may be quite used to encountering other people or dogs on walks, having my brain tune them out completely would be completely bizarre and rather inappropriate.

Yet that seems to be exactly what people advocate for and expect from dogs these days. Dogs must be “neutral” and dogs that actually have feelings about other living beings and any desire to engage or interact are “rude” and poorly trained. Of course, dogs cannot always go up and engage with other people and dogs and we do absolutely need to be able to teach them how to cope when it is best to disengage or stay away – but never allowing them to engage at all in the first place as puppies or to have any positive interactions is not going to create a “neutral” dog. It is in fact more likely to create a frustrated or anxious dog that has no idea how to respond if they are approached and engaged with - something that will happen at some point if you live in the real world.

The socialisation period is a time of high social attraction in dogs – they are drawn to interact with others, because by interacting they learn social skills and communication. They also learn associations and whether other people and dogs are safe or unsafe. Puppies may be drawn to want to go up to everyone and everything, but contrary to popular opinion, this does not mean that they will have the same desire to do so as adults, if you allow them to engage and enjoy interactions with other dogs and people as puppies. Again, of course every dog is different and some dogs may remain more social throughout their lives as adults and require a bit more management and training in how to cope when they cannot interact, but for most, the high level of social attraction that makes them want to run to everyone wanes as they mature and they naturally become more reserved.

It really concerns me that people are being encouraged to expect puppies to keep to themselves and never interact with people or dogs when out and about. The idea of a puppy enjoying themselves playing with friends or learning that other people can be friendly, fun and pleasant to be around has become a terrible thing to be avoided at all costs. Heaven forbid that a dog actually develops a liking for other people or dogs and enjoys their company – don’t you know that this leads to all manner of “bad” behaviour and that a “neutral” dog with no feelings towards other dogs and people is a good dog?

Of course, there is a balance to strike. Of course, we can’t allow our dogs to run up to everyone and everything all the time. Of course, we need to protect them from bad experiences by choosing who is appropriate and isn’t appropriate to meet and greet and of course we need to teach them to handle not being able to engage or approach with minimum frustration or disappointment – but these are training issues which we can work on throughout our dogs’ lives and not an excuse to skip socialisation altogether.

At the end of the day, I would rather have a dog that was a little too friendly, than a dog that was uncomfortable in social situations due to lack of positive experiences. A dog that is uncertain is far more likely to become defensive than a dog who has positive feelings. Regardless of what we aim for though, our dogs will have all sorts of emotions, some positive and some negative – just like us. That is what it means to be alive. It is our job to understand and help them, not to try and isolate them into becoming robots.

17/11/2024

We had such fun at this weekends Pawsitive Pup/Beginners class 🥰🐾

We began recall training this week, which they all aced! 👏
We also then began our ‘go to bed/go settle’ cue too, which again they were superb at 👏
They now have their homework again for the week! 😊

Huge well done guys & pooches! 👏🥰🐾

16/11/2024

🐾Todays classes🐾
Please can everyone & their pooches dress for the weather, as we will venture on to the field! 😊🦮🐾

14/11/2024

Over the years I’ve met many new families with their pups and adopted dogs and of course they dream of what fun they’re going to have in the years that follow. This may be taking them to cafes, going for long walks, taking them on every holiday and perhaps being best friends with other families dogs. The list goes on.

As time goes on though these dreams can seem a distance memory as maybe Fido doesn’t like the other family’s dog, or crowded places and prefers quieter goings on. You may even have a dog that likes to take itself away when visitors are around, as they like their peace and quiet. You may have a dog selective dog.

We can then end up grieving for the dog and life we thought we’d have together with our dog. Perhaps even resenting our dog or blaming ourselves.

However, here’s the thing: just like us, dogs have their likes, dislikes, quirks and own personalities. Added to that some dogs may have a history of trauma or their genetics dictate certain things as well. A lot of the time it’s no one’s fault at all!

Just like humans, dogs can change as they mature or get older or settle in to their environment. Even as pups there may be signs that they may err more on the reserved side or enjoy quieter settings. We must understand and respect that!

I’ve had calls before where people have said they want their dog to go to the cafe with them or shopping. When I’ve met them and assessed their dog and their body language I’ve had to tell some that their dog is not a cafe dog or a dog who wants to go to crowded shopping malls. We then look at other things they can do together and enjoy instead that their dog can cope with and wants to do.

Why would we put a dog through something they blatantly don’t want, if it really isn’t necessary?! 🤯

Of course there’s ways to make these dogs do these things if we wanted 😖That would be unethical though ❌It can also create more problems later on too 😔

After all, would we thank someone for putting a lead on us and keeping us somewhere we blatantly didn’t want to be and were struggling?! 🤔
Of course not. It would be cruel!
So why do it to our dogs who depend on us and should have confidence and trust in us. It could ruin all of that! 😔

So bottom line, look at your dogs personality, really get to know your dog!
Know their likes, dislikes and what they can cope with. Know what makes them tick!🐾

And if you do want them to do something that isn’t a necessity and that they may not cope with, consider is it really necessary and do I want this for them or your own wants and needs? 🤔

If something is a necessity then be sure to get an ethical and fully accredited and qualified trainer or behaviour consultant to help! 😊🐾