Gowalk.dog

03/02/2024

'I used 'no' all the time my dog understands it'
'Dogs need boundries'
'Woke dog trainers, now we can't even say no to our dogs'
'Dogs don't understand 'no''
'No, isn't effective'
'I tell my dog 'no' and every time he looks at me and stops what he is doing'

Deep breaths everyone. For once everyone is right. 🙂
What the genral press and dog training circles are referring to is that 'no' isn't an instruction.

When we use cues they are paired to a behaviour- right? So sit means put your bottom on the floor. Down mean rest on the floor, bed means go to your bed. Each of these things we have taught our dog the meaning by pairing our cue with their behaviour.

When you use 'no' in multiple different senario's where the dog is say chasing, or jumping, or licking a childs face etc it's really just an interupter, it makes the dog stop and notice you. It isn't a trained behaviour to stop moving if someone shouts, hiss, tap, click- whatever, that's something inate- a survival instinct to stop and take heed at something unusual. However, if that behaviour of stopping is rewarded or punished consistantly, the result of that same interuption 'no' will then either strengthen or weaken the behaviour and so 'No' gets paired with a behaviour and actually can become a cue- with caveats.

So lets say a puppy one day goes to pick up a food wrapper off the ground and you say no- the pup freezes, looks at you, and hopefully at that point reward them for making that choice, so staying still and looking at you, when you said 'no' ended up being rewarded. So the next time you say 'no' that might be the behaviour you get. You are happy the pup knows 'no' the pup is happy it get rewarded for stopping and looking. If it get reinforced every time then it does become a cue right? 'No' means stop and look at me. That's how animals learn.
Wait, did I just disagree then? How can that be right too?

Because the way 'no' gets used isn't ever consistant and even with regular consistancy, there are still issues.

Say for example, best case senario - that same puppy grows up consistantly being told 'no' in cases where the owner wants a freeze and look, and thats rewarded, it become the behaviour for that word. Then the puppy jumps on the sofa one day and is told 'no' and they do what they have done every other time - stay still and look, this time the mood is different. The pup is still on the sofa, so then other cues start flying around, 'down', 'off', and the pup having never heard them before is confused but does the last thing you instructed and they understood 'no' so they stay still and look. By now the pup owner is really confused, the owner thinking the pup is CLEARLY being stubborn, so they go to take the pup by the collar and the pup digs in its heels (dragging anything towards an edge results in backward pressure) or worst still growls in frustration or confusion. Then it comes again 'NO'. The puppy being a good dog stays put and looks at the owner, who is now thinking they are being a defiant little sh*t and acting aggressively to boot.

Yeah, it never ends well.

This is why as dog trainers- we advise to teach a behaviour, rather than the notion of an absence of behaviour, and to prrof the behaviour in almost every environment. We all agree dogs need boundries and that means working on strengthening the behaviours we have. Teach a proper sit and proof it you have a boundry the size of the dogs backside, that's pretty tight boundry.

Let's take that wee pup again, back happy on his walks, the timing on the walk coincides with school run. Great if you have space and opportunity to watch from a distance but this time nope and the puppy naturally starts to pull. 'No', nothing happens, no stop and freeze this time- why? Too many competing environmental factors, the puppy is overwhelmed and can't respond. 'No, no, NO!' as the puppy gets more worked up and the owner frustrated that every time before 'no' made the pup stop still and now it's just not working. That leaves the puppy owner feeling crap their 'training' failed, the puppy in the dog house and everyone miserable.

Moral of my wee story, don't want a pup on the sofa/thesurfaces/people teach it 'off', don't want your dog picking up objects? Teach 'leave'. Teach them in different places, and gradually increase the amount of distractions til they can handle anything. 🙂

Don't underestimate how clarity and communication will boost the training level you achieve. So, while I would agree 'no' for many dogs does become understood as a kind of 'stop/freeze/wait' cue it often gets muddied because people then try and use it in a way that has little chance of working.

Lets have a wee think about what might be a more normal scenario.
If you think about the times you use 'no' do you always follow up with a reward or a punishment? Say you walk in the kitchen and your dog had their head in a bin and you say 'no' stearnly like the internet dudes like you to. The dog responds, stops what they are doing and retreats, are you likely to them praise the dog thats just been feasting on carcase remains? I don't think many people instinctively would and so in training terms that particular 'no' was followed by a punishment (the food resourse access) even if you didn't scold them. Punishments reduce behaviour so the stop and retreat- less likely next time. The bin raider, despite being told and doing 'it' the first time, is more likely next time to keep on munching.

And that is why 'no' becomes defunct as a training cue, it has no consistancy and no clarity.

16/12/2023

I thought her time might be up the other day. Epilepsy is a knife edge, finding the right balance between life and safety. One day she won't come round from it, but for now we are smiling.

29/01/2023

14/09/2022

Anyone know the owner?

Thank you for all sharing, owner contacting dog warden.

Missing dog handed into the St Andrews branch. If this is your dog please contact us on 01334 466800. ID will be asked on collection.

Please share! Dog now with dog warden. 🐾

25/08/2022

Eevee and Isla doing some scentwork. Scentwork is an awesome way to provide some enrichment during walks. Some great self control when I throw the ball too. If you want to try this, start off asking your dog to sit and just place the ball on the ground beside you. Gradually build in some motion by dropping the ball, then adding distance.

18/07/2022

Shorter walk and some swimming instead, exactly what the dogs need on days like this. No afternoon walks available today or tomorrow due to the heat forecast. Keep your doggos safe

09/06/2022

Dead Gannets on the East and West sands at the moment, beaches best avoided.

Fife Council is working with partner agencies following reports of dead seabirds off the Fife coast and elsewhere in Scotland.

There is a risk that dead or ill sea birds may appear on Fife shores. At this time Avian Influenza has not been ruled out so it's important that the following guidance is followed:

🔘Don't pick up or touch dead or sick wild birds
🔘Keep pets/dogs away from any dead or sick birds
🔘Don't feed wild waterfowl
🔘Don't touch wild bird feathers or surfaces contaminated with wild bird droppings
🔘If you keep poultry or other birds, wash your hands and clean and disinfect your footwear before tending to your birds

Please report any dead wild waterfowl to DEFRA's hotline: 03459 335577.

If you find a live but ailing bird call SSPCA 03000 999 999

Find out more at www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu

03/06/2022

Lovely day out today.

08/03/2022

True!

LOL. 😊

09/12/2021

Oh no, please get this little one home safe.

18/08/2021

Please be careful if your dogs like to swim.

+++ UPDATED INFORMATION +++
Blooms of suspected blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) have been noted at:
🔵Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy
🔵Clatto Reservoir, Cupar
🔵Lochore Meadows, Lochore
🔵Loch Gelly

Blue-green algae pose risks to public and animal health when they form blooms and scums in freshwater in warm summer months.

In people, exposure to the blue-green algae toxins may cause skin rashes and more severe symptoms if swallowed.

Dogs are also at risk if they drink the water, or lick their coats after swimming; exposure may be fatal or lead to severe symptoms requiring very rapid vet treatment.

Please keep yourselves and your dogs away from affected water bodies.

Further information and advice can be found at www.fife.gov.uk/bluegreenalgae

16/08/2021

You may not be aware but there is a bit of an epidemic going on in town at the moment affecting our pets –Kennel Cough. Myself and other pet professionals in St Andrews have seen a huge surge in cases in the past week and while Kennel Cough is not a major health issue in general, there are some things to take into consideration, so I thought I would write a little ‘How to’ guide if your dog comes down with Kennel Cough.

First a few Facts and Myths-

MYTH “I don’t put my dog into kennels, so they won’t catch kennel cough”

The correct name for kennel cough is actually acute infectious tracheobronchitis – an infectious cough of the upper airways in dogs. It is highly contagious and can be caught anywhere but especially in places where infected dogs may have been housed.

FACT “The boarding kennel/dog walker/groomer won’t accept my dog with a cough”

Pet professionals have a responsibility to prevent the spread of diseases amongst their furry friends, which is why we cannot take on dogs with a cough. Oral and nasal vaccines can help protect against some strains. We don’t like to turn people away- it’s our livelihood after all, but we also cannot risk other people’s pets falling ill.

MYTH “My dog can’t catch kennel cough as they’ve been vaccinated”

Much like vaccinations in humans, the kennel cough vaccine doesn’t eliminate the risk completely, but it will significantly reduce the risk of your dog catching the disease and boost the speed of recovery if they do catch it. At least two dogs I know are vaccinated have it right now.

FACT “Kennel cough can spread in multiple ways”

Kennel cough is highly contagious and can be spread through the air – it’s a mixed viral and bacterial disease, so when an infected dog barks or coughs the aerosols produced are infectious. Obviously direct contact is also a risk – e.g. dogs sharing toys or touching noses during play and shared water and food bowls can be a source of contamination too. Dogs with coughs should not be walked in public places until a week after the cough has disappeared.

MYTH and FACT “My dog is fit and healthy, they’d recover easily if they caught kennel cough”

Puppies and elderly dogs are more at risk of complications and severe illness as a result of kennel cough, but dogs with pre-existing medical conditions, which you may not be aware of, are too. Kennel cough is an unpleasant disease and can often interrupt sleep even when dogs are mildly affected.

IF YOUR DOG DEVELOPS A COUGH-

Natural honey can help soothe the throat, a teaspoon full 2-3 a day for large dogs, ¼- ½ a teaspoon twice a day for small dogs.

Walk them in a harness rather than a collar- this takes pressure from their trachea and will speed recovery.

Have them in the bathroom while you run a shower or bath, a steamy room can help clear the airways and make them more comfortable.

Isolation- Your dog is highly infectious, keep them confined to your garden or on isolated walks away from public places until a week after the last of the coughing has disappeared. If you have dogs that normally visit your home they should stay away for at least 3 weeks after the symptoms have disappeared. This unfortunately means no groomer visits, no trips to the beach, no dog walks with friends, you may have to get more creative in how to entertain your dog for a while.

Many dogs will recover naturally, but if they seem uncomfortable or unwell, please seek veterinary advice.

27/07/2021

Oh dear, how awful. If your pet goes missing, please be careful you don't fall victim to this scam.

16/07/2021

It's going to be HOT, HOT, Hot for the next few days, please be aware of the signs of heatstroke. Check the pavements, and only walk your dog in the middle of the day if it is absolutely necessary. Have fun and see the image for a few ideas to keep your dogs cool.

25/05/2021

So John Lewis have a new soft toy dragon called Fud. 🤔 What do you not want to shout out loud should your dog get hold of it? I'll start- " I'm going to have to leave my Fud in the garden to dry now" :O 😮

24/05/2021

So the other day Eevee jumped off a bridge, huge drop the other side but she is fine. What's the silliest thing your dog has ever done?

18/05/2021

What does a strong recall look like? Your dog should turn as soon as they hear your call or whistle. They should return as fast as they can. They should leave a chase, a scent, or play and return with as much enthusiasm as they can muster. Not get distracted on the way back. Always on the the first cue. Eevee is coming on great with her recall. Here she is recalling from chasing birds, and recalling from someone she loves past several dogs.