Hopping Gait
#painawarenessmonth
'But my dog still chases their ball!' This is a common response when you speak to owners about whether their dog is in pain.
Have a look at the video of Luna on a walk. She hops in it, 'a typical small breed trait!' I hear you say. Other than hopping, Luna has no clinical signs. However, I knew that this was not right, so I took her to the vets to investigate. First, they ruled out a luxating patella (dislocating kneecap), as dogs will often have this hop with a luxating patella. I then had the option to stop investigations, after all it could be because she is a small breed?!
Being the sort of person I am, I wanted an answer. Luna has 2 bulging discs in her spine when she moves. It took an x-ray (nothing found), an MRI (nothing found), a nerve block (nothing found) and a CT scan (bulging discs found) for her medical condition to be diagnosed. Luna was on pain relief daily for about a year whilst we used physio to build the relevant muscles. We were able to stop the pain relief for a while but now she is older she is back on pain relief as I noticed she had become less playful, and she was also getting me up in the night to go for a wee. This is a good indicator for her that she is sore; if she can’t hold her bladder through the night.
She loves life, will play endlessly, and people often mistake her for a young dog even though she is now 7 years old. People who see her on the field, struggle to see that she has a condition that causes her pain. If I had not persevered with investigations (thank goodness for pet insurance!) then I might just have written her hop off as a habit, something that she just does.
Chronic pain is difficult to pick up in dogs. They are very good at hiding pain and will just keep going. They will carry on going for those long walks or chasing their toys. If you think that your dog is in pain, then please be their voice and take them to the vets.
If you are not sure whether your dog’s behaviour is being impac
Paws was referred to me for osteoarthritis in his left shoulder. You can see in the first clip that he is head nodding when he walks. Head nodding is a sign of forelimb lameness. When the dog's head goes down, look at the leg that is landing. The dog will put their head down on the sound leg. Meaning that it is the other leg that the dog is lame on. Can you tell which was Paws' lame leg?
I treated Paws by:
✅Massaging him,
✅Using laser therapy,
✅Prescribing strengthening exercises,
✅Managing the home environment such as putting non-slip mats down.
After a couple of sessions, you can see the difference in the videos. I am delighted to report that Paws is now back to being an active boy who loves his walks!
If you think that your dog has started to slow down or your dog has been diagnosed with a musculoskeletal condition, then please get in touch to see how I could help.
#happydogs #IRVAP #veterinaryphysiotherapy #CBPC
Yesterday I wrote about management you could put in place to help your dog through the firework season. Today I have written a recommended daily routine. Again, please remember that every dog is an individual and what works for one dog, might not work for another.
You will want to set up some of the recommendations below, several weeks before you are expecting fireworks.
🐶 Walk your dog before dark. If you get home after dark, then do not go for a walk. Instead play games and do mental enrichment activities at home. The Facebook group ‘Canine enrichment’ has some great ideas.
🐶 Shut the curtains/blinds before dark and put the light on.
🐶 Increase the volume of TV/Radio, as long as your dog is not scared of it.
🐶 Take your dog out to toilet early on.
🐶 Take your dog out in the garden on lead in case an unexpected firework goes off.
🐶 You could also create a toilet area in the house using astro-turf or puppy pads.
🐶 Train your dog to toilet on cue to reduce how long you have to be outside.
🐶 If your dog hides somewhere unusual such as under your bed, then let them. Make sure they always have access to the hidey hole during firework season.
🐶 You could trial distracting them by doing some fun training (things they already know such as sit and down) or by giving them a long-lasting chew or stuffed Kong.
🐶 If your dog comes to you for attention, then be there for them! You do not want to reject them as that could make them more anxious.
Luna and Loken are good with fireworks. You can see in the video that Luna is sleeping through the fireworks BUT even though they are good, I still follow the above management advice so that I do not put them in a situation they might struggle with. Especially because both of them have chronic musculoskeletal conditions and we know there is a link between musculoskeletal pain and noise sensitivity.
#apdtuk #positivereinforcementtraining #forcefreedogtraining #happydogs #CBPC #IRVAP #f
My advanced class are amazing. Look how good their lead work is around the distraction of other dogs! 🐶😍
#apdtuk #positivereinforcement #happydogs #forcefreetraining #CBPClinic
It can be difficult to commit to training classes or regular one to ones due to life being busy.
I created this online course with a few other trainers over lockdown. In this online course, we have squished lessons into short 5 minute daily sessions Monday - Friday for 6 weeks. Commit to just 5 minutes a day and marvel at the results. This is a life skills course to teach your dog the behaviours you need them to do such as walk nicely on the lead or come back when called. Click the link below for more information.
https://schoolfordogs.teachable.com/p/canine-behaviour-clinic-level-1
Why should you sign up?
✅ Access to the videos for life
✅ The option to join a private Facebook group for my clients
✅ The option to send me training videos for feedback
#apdtuk #positivereinforcement #puppytraining #forcefreetraining #happydogs #CBPClinic
I love getting videos like these! Winnie is one of my training clients and she is so clever. We work on a lot of different exercises with her to keep her mentally stimulated.
These videos show us combining behaviours together. To start with we taught the behaviours separately and then once they were reliable put them together.
In the first video (see in comments because Facebook is annoying and you can't post more than one video at a time!), you can see Winnie performing her hold of a dumbell whilst pivoting on a stool.
In the second video, you can see Winnie doing beautiful lead work (with no lead!) and performing a variety of behaviours on the way round the garden.
Isn't she amazing and a huge credit to her guardian for putting in a lot of hard work?! ❤️
#apdtuk #positivereinforcementtraining #happydogs #forcefreetraining #CBPClinic
Arthur and Della were amazing tonight at learning to walk nicely on lead around another dog.
It is really important that puppies learn they are not going to be allowed to greet every dog or person that they see when out and about. Also that they learn to train around distractions.
#apdtuk #positivereinforcement #happydogs #puppiesofinstagram #CBPClinic #forcefreetraining #puppytraining
Over the next few days, we are going to look at a problem that many owners face with their dogs; pulling on lead.
Let's look at some of the statements that I commonly hear:
❌ Harnesses cause pulling
❌ Collars will stop a dog from pulling
❌ My dog should walk on the left-hand side of me
❌ My dog should not walk in front of me
❌ Slip leads/choke chains etc. do not cause pain
It might surprise you that none of these statements are true!
Some people will say that harnesses cause pulling and that is why sled dogs wear them, but this is not true. No piece of walking equipment causes a dog to pull. I have seen dogs pull in collars, harnesses, slip leads, choke chains, head collars, front attaching harnesses etc.
Dogs naturally walk faster than us and they are often allowed to pull and then greet another dog or sniff a lamp post, so they learn that pulling works. Pulling is caused by motivation, this might be motivation to move towards something such as an interesting smell or another dog. Or the motivation might be to move away from something such as a scary noise.
To train your dog not to pull, you need to work out why they are pulling in the first place.
‘My dog should walk on the left-hand side of me’. Traditionally, dogs used to walk on the left-hand side but there is actually no need for this. I like to train dogs to walk on both sides, as you might need them to walk on your right-hand side if you are on a narrow pavement and do not want them next to the road.
'My dog should not walk in front of me' comes from the dominance theory. This suggested that if the dog walked in front of you, they were trying to dominate you and be pack leader. I can completely assure you that if Luna or Loken walk in front of me, they are not trying to take over the world! The dominance theory has been completely debunked.
'Slip leads/choke chains etc. do not cause pain'- I might upset some people by saying this is not true but it is important to know the
We had an amazing agility lesson this morning. Loken only started agility before Christmas but absolutely loves it.
Please do ignore me running 🏃♂️, it is something I usually avoid! 😂
As a trainer, I think it is really important to practise what I preach and have another trainer tell me off for doing things wrong or help me improve my mechanical skills. Make sure that your dog trainer is always looking to improve their skills.
What are you up to with your dogs on this sunny day? 🌞
#apdtuk #positivereinforcement #poodlesofinstagram #happydog
A common behaviour that I get asked to help with is recall.
When we let dogs off lead, we are competing against smells, dogs, wildlife, people, food and it can be challenging to be more exciting than all of those distractions.
Common mistakes that I see people make are:
❌ only calling their dog back at the end of a walk
❌ telling their dog off if they didn't come back straight away
❌ not rewarding their dog for coming back
❌ repeating their recall cue when the environment is too distracting and the dog is not responding to it
Recall is one of the behaviours that I continue to reward reliably. I want my dogs to come running back to me as soon as I cue them. The reward you use needs to be one that your dog loves and causes the behaviour to increase in frequency. For some dogs rewards might be:
✅ high value treats hand fed
✅ high value treats rolled along the floor
✅ a tug toy
✅ being allowed to go and play with another dog
✅ being allowed to go and sniff
I recommend that you have a recall cue (not just your dog's name as we tend to overuse that). Start training by:
🐾 In the house, say the cue and give your dog a treat or play with them.
🐾 In the garden, say the cue and give your dog a treat or play with them.
🐾On a walk with NO distractions around, say the cue and give your dog a treat or play with them.
🐾 Start to say the cue at a bit of a distance (maybe even 2-3 steps away), your dog should come running over to you because they associate that cue with fun things, then give them the treat/play with them.
🐾Gradually increase the distance that you are from them when you call them.
🐾 Gradually increase the level of distraction that you practise near by.
Remember to practise recall and let them go off again! That is what I am doing in this video. You do not want your recall cue to become the signal that their fun is going to end.
Also, please remember that you are required by law to be in control of your dogs at all tim
I am now back from annual leave. It is going to take me a day or two to catch up on all messages so thank you for your understanding if I don't reply to you immediately today.
Luna and Loken had a lovely time whilst we were away, I'm not sure they wanted to come back home with us!
**New Classes Starting Soon**
🐾 Confident Canine Puppy Course starting on Saturday 5th March- NOW FULLY BOOKED
🐾 Mischievous Mutts Course starting on Saturday 5th March at 10.45 am. For dogs 20 weeks +, it is a life skills class where we cover recall, lead work, settle, drop, leave and more. 5 week course, £75.00
🐾 Follow On course starting Saturday 5th March at 12.15pm. This is a 5 week course for any dog that has already completed a course with me.
🐾 Rapid Recall starting on Saturday 5th March at 1.45pm. This is a 3-week course where we work on your dogs recall and is £40.00.
🐾 Confident Canines' Puppy Course starting on Friday 18th March at 5.00pm and is £75.00. This is a 5 week course for puppies up to 20 weeks of age. We cover settle, recall, lead work, drop, handling and more.
All classes are for dogs that are friendly with people and dogs. There is a maximum of 5 dogs per class and they are all held at Early Paws in Runcorn. Handouts are sent out after every week.
For more information or to book, please visit my website www.caninebehaviourclinic.com
I am currently on annual leave, (the video shows what I have been up to on my holiday!) So will be unable to respond to enquiries until I am home.
Winnie was adorable practising her 'toes' cue in class today. This is where they put their paws on your feet and you can walk with them!
I have put my class dates up for January now. If you would like to find out more about the classes I run or to book on, then please visit the website www.caninebehaviourclinic.com 🐕
Yesterday, I wrote about Luna. Today it is Loken's turn.
🐶 Loken
🐶 Miniature Poodle X Toy Poodle
🐶 2-years old
🐶 Clinical signs: abnormal gait (he crab walks), he would jump off the sofa or swing his head round to his back as if he had had an electric shock (doesn't do this since being on pain relief), behavioural problems.
🐶 Diagnosis: Conformational defect. Hind limbs are longer than front limbs which leads to an abnormal gait. Soft tissue pain over back which is probably due to abnormal gait (imagine if you walked with a limp for a long time, the compensation on the rest of your body is likely to cause problems!)
🐶 On Onsior (pain relief)
Loken came to me with behavioural problems and we have seen a significant improvement since he went on pain relief. His behavioural problems are:
🐩 Counter surfing
🐩 Resource guarding anything he has stolen in the house or picked up on a walk
🐩 Aggression during formal handling such as being injected at the vets or being groomed
Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to change Loken's conformation so we use physio to keep him comfortable. We acheive this by:
✅ Massage to help reduce muscle tone in areas where he is sore
✅ LASER as a way to increase blood flow to his sore areas and reduce pain
✅ Thermotherapy- we keep him warm and often use a heated wheat bag to warm his muscles prior to taking him for a walk
✅ Stretches
✅ Exercises such as the cavaletti poles in the video
If you think your dog or horse could benefit from physio, then please contact me. All of the details can be found here: https://www.caninebehaviourclinic.com/veterinary-physiotherapy
For something a bit different, I have decided to put on a trick training workshop! Tricks can be a great way to have fun with your dog and help build their confidence.
🐶 1-hour workshop
🐶 £15.00 per dog
🐶 Based at Early Paws
🐶 Maximum 6 dogs
🐶 All dogs must be friendly with people and dogs to attend
Luna is showing off her favourite trick in the video!
If you would like to book a place, please click on this link:
https://bookaservice.as.me/?appointmentType=28116877
Yesterday I wrote about management you could put in place to help your dog through the firework season. Today I have written a recommended daily routine. Again, please remember that every dog is an individual and what works for one dog, might not work for another.
You will want to set up some of the recommendations below, several weeks before you are expecting fireworks.
🐶 Walk your dog before dark. If you get home after dark, then do not go for a walk. Instead play games and do mental enrichment activities at home. The Facebook group ‘Canine enrichment’ has some great ideas.
🐶 Shut the curtains/blinds before dark and put the light on.
🐶 Increase the volume of TV/Radio, as long as your dog is not scared of it.
🐶 Take your dog out to toilet early on.
🐶 Take your dog out in the garden on lead in case an unexpected firework goes off.
🐶 You could also create a toilet area in the house using astro-turf or puppy pads.
🐶 Train your dog to toilet on cue to reduce how long you have to be outside.
🐶 If your dog hides somewhere unusual such as under your bed, then let them. Make sure they always have access to the hidey hole during firework season.
🐶 You could trial distracting them by doing some fun training (things they already know such as sit and down) or by giving them a long-lasting chew or stuffed Kong.
🐶 If your dog comes to you for attention, then be there for them! You do not want to reject them as that could make them more anxious.
Luna is good with fireworks, the video is of her last year but I am not sure how Loken will be. Therefore, I will be putting management in place to make the experience as easy as possible for him.
#apdttrainer #fireworks #positivereinforcementtraining
'But my dog still chases their ball!' This is a common response when you speak to owners about whether their dog is in pain.
Have a look at the video of Luna on a walk. She hops in it, 'a typical small breed trait!' I hear you say. Other than hopping, Luna has no clinical signs. However, I knew that this was not right, so I took her to the vets to investigate. First, they ruled out a luxating patella (dislocating kneecap), as dogs will often have this hop with a luxating patella. I then had the option to stop investigations, afterall it could be because she is a small breed?!
Being the sort of person I am, I wanted an answer. Luna has 2 bulging discs in her spine when she moves. It took an x-ray (nothing found), an MRI (nothing found), a nerve block (nothing found) and a CT scan (bulging discs found) for her medical condition to be diagnosed. Luna was on pain relief daily for about a year whilst we used physio to build the relevant muscles. We were able to take her off it for about a year but now she is back on it as she was beginning to show signs of slowing down.
She loves life, will play endlessly, is amazing at agility and scentwork and is just a typical young dog. People who see her on the field, struggle to see that she has a condition that causes her pain. If I had not persevered with investigations (thank goodness for pet insurance!) then I might just have written her hop off as a habit, something that she just does.
Chronic pain is difficult to pick up in dogs. They are very good at hiding pain and will just keep going. They will carry on going for those long walks or chasing their toys. If you think that your dog is in pain, then please be their voice and take them to the vets and persevere if you do not get an answer the first time!
#PainAwarenessMonth
Every dog will progress at a different speed, and it is really important that you do not rush this process. It is also important to remember that dogs are context learners. This means that if they get used to hearing the audio files in a specific order or at a certain time or in a certain room, then when they hear them in a different context, you might see a fear response.
Due to this, you want to vary the time of day, the order of tracks and the room that you play the audio files in. As you change the criteria, you might need to lower the volume. For example, if your dog is happy with the audio files in the house and you are starting to use them outside, then start again at the lowest volume and work your way back up.
The take home message from the last few days is: start the firework desensitisation program as soon as you can. This will help make firework season easier this year. The video is of Luna hearing real fireworks at the start of this year. We did a lot of work with firework audio files when she was a puppy to prepare her for the real thing.
#fireworks #apdttrainer
Step 3 to help your dog with fireworks is to assess your dog’s threshold.
Desensitisation is when we take a stimulus that your dog finds scary and expose them to it at a level that does not cause a fear response. Gradually over time we increase the level of exposure. If you play the audio files and your dog shows any sign of stress, then you need to turn it off and give your dog time to recover before trying again. When you try again, the volume should be reduced significantly.
Some dogs find the audio files too loud in the same room, so you have to play them in a different room to where the dog is relaxing. If your dog’s phobia is severe, then they might need medication to help them to be in a position to learn. Medication will not fix your problem and can only be prescribed by a vet. It helps reduce your dog’s fear/anxiety so that their threshold is increased and you have a chance to implement the desensitisation program.
Coco is a 9-year old Miniature Poodle who is scared of fireworks. She has always been scared of fireworks, but it has gotten worse as she has gotten older. She has had a problem with her hip and now has some arthritis, so she is on pain relief. This pain relief will have to be assessed and adjusted as she gets older. In the video, we are assessing how she reacts to the bangs and pops audio file. When she is relaxed, we put it on and gradually turn it up until her ear twitches. She sits up slightly but then goes back to lying down. Her breathing rate increases slightly so that volume was 75 % on the device so we would start with playing the audio files at 65% as we do not want any fear response.
#fireworks #apdttrainer
