Woody's Dog Training

24/07/2024

Methods matter!

The pawfect storm: study finds high levels of problem behaviours and use of aversive training methods in pandemic puppies  Published: 22 Jan 2024 | Last Updated: 22 Jan 2024 00:01:56 The average number of owner-reported problem behaviours among ‘pandemic puppies’ was five, with problem behaviou...

12/07/2024

Real-life training scenarios - cats!

Often really triggering for dogs - Tanzy used to bark, scream, lunge, turn herself inside out.

With consistent training, this is what we have now.

When I talk about teaching dogs how to make better decisions themselves, this is exactly what I mean.

Tanzy made the choice to disengage herself, with no prompting, distracting, corrections or aversives required.

Good job Tanzy!

10/07/2024

Methods in dog training - not all approaches are helpful for dogs, or for you in the long-term.

Ask questions, do some research and please please choose a trainer who doesn't rely on out-dated and aversive methods.

We can do so much better.

*Please note* If you have used these kind of methods I am certainly not judging.

I have used aversive methods with animals in the past, because that is how I was taught, it was what I was told to do and it was all I knew.

But now we know better and having seen both sides of the coin I am 100% sure that we can teach animals what we want without the need for such methods.

The dogs can't speak for themselves so I am more than happy to be a voice on their behalf.

07/05/2024

When a puppy leaves their litter and everything that they are familiar with, it can be a scary experience.

Helping them to feel safe is a priority, and this may include sleeping with them at first.

Most importantly, don't let them 'cry it out' as this exacerbates their feeling of vulnerability during isolation. Go to them and help them to feel safe again - you won't be reinforcing the crying, you will be addressing the emotions that trigger the cry and as such the crying will naturally stop once the dog feels safe again.

This applies to any dog - not just puppies

CRY IT OUT
Cry It Out – Why What We Learned from Children Applies to Puppies.
There has since at least 1913, been a school of thought that suggests allowing tiny babies to ‘cry it out’, ie, cry until they give up crying, with the parent no longer responding to cries for attention, comfort or contact, is beneficial or indeed, necessary in raising children.
Somewhere along the line this also became the advice applied to puppies, with the warnings that if you did respond to a pups cries for attention, you would as with the child oriented version of this advice, create a needy individual who was insecure and lacking in confidence.
We now know the opposite is true, unfortunately from a dog perspective very few studies are done on dogs, simply because there isn’t the money in it to do them.
So we are left to extrapolate from studies done on children, but that’s actually ok, because a dogs brain is very comparable to the brain of a child under 2 years of age. They have similar needs for comfort, warmth, food, physical contact, social support. They have similar difficulties in communicating orally, in lacking impulse control and lacking fine motor skills.
So here’s the grim truth.
Young mammals left to ‘cry it out’ do not ‘self soothe’. In fact what they learn (Bowlby J. 1960’s) is that after going through a cycle of protestation, then despair, they reach a third phase of detachment – in effect they give up trying to get a response, get comfort or contact and become apathetic. Their distress is still present, they simply have learned it will not be alleviated as a result of their behaviour, they have shut down.
Whilst the theory ran that if you provide attention constantly so that the young mammal in question does not need to cry, or you respond promptly to their cries, they will cry more, seek attention more… in fact the opposite is true.
A study in 1986 demonstrated that the more the mother holds and carries her baby, the less that baby will cry and fuss. Other studies (cross cultural but still human, not dog) showed that those parents who responded quicker to crying babies also have babies who cry far less often!
Going back to puppies – we have taken them from their mothers, their litter mates and their familiar environment.
If we compare our domestic dog to feral and wild dog populations we see that our domestic puppies experience this separation from their primary care giver and litter mates at (on average) between 6 and 12 weeks of age.
Their wild/feral counter parts are in the constant company of litter mates and the near constant company of their parent until weaning. Beyond weaning, they are still in the constant company of littermates, parent and other relatives unless they choose to be alone, which is unlikely to happen before adolescence and the hormonal changes that are related to adolescence.
It is true that domestic dogs and wild or feral canids are not the same, but the difference is that domestic dogs actively want to be with humans rather than with other canids.
That being so, they are in no way equipped to be isolated and alone, any more than the feral or wild dogs would be.
So what are the risks of subjecting a puppy to isolation from a social group or new primary caregiver,and ignoring cries for company, comfort or contact?
* The increased cortisol levels can actually damage or kill off neurons and the neuronal interconnections – this can affect how well your dog copes with stress, anxiety and fear in future, predisposing them to be more reactive and fearful.
*Stress hormones go up faster than they come back down – so that stressful experience is affecting the dog for much longer than you might think. Possibly days.
*Repeatedly putting stress hormones up will inhibit learning, affect sleep, affect bonding and attachment.
*Repeated stressful experiences that the subject cannot escape from leads to PTSD in humans – we have no evidence to suggest that this does not also happen in dogs. Given the similarities between the human and canine brain, it is reasonable to assume dogs can also experience something similar to PTSD.
The short version of all this is – there is no benefit to leaving a dog to cry it out, separation anxiety is normal for puppies, they need to be with someone most of the time!
Separation anxiety as an abnormal behavioural issue comes about as a result of an insecure dog, who has not been taught how to cope by themselves, not as a result of creating a secure, confident dog who is given what they need as a puppy.
Emma Judson

To get free dog training advice, please visit our group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogtrainingadviceandsupport/

05/05/2024

Using a couple of foundation exercises that we train and practice, out on a walk.

30/04/2024

28/04/2024

Nesting birds - one really important reason to keep dogs fully under control when walking along the canal.

Can you see the ducklings? How good is their camouflage?!

No match for a dogs nose though!

19/03/2024

Building connection and focus by doing simple things.

A few days after taking this video, I was picking discarded poo-bags out of a hedge (which took a bit of time!)

Instead of running off, Tanzy stood and waited for me, just as I wait for her when she's busy.

It's a two-way street... 🙂

07/12/2023

Wow!

01/12/2023

Dog-dog reactivity and confidence building - here is a wonderful example of progress and what can be achieved over time.

Today we had a truly fabulous walk with Mabel the German Shepherd. After having several bad experiences as a puppy and being attacked as an adult, Mabel understandably had some confidence issues around other dogs - especially small, barky, fast-moving ones!

This lack of confidence manifested as barking and lunging at other dogs. This behaviour can often be misunderstood as aggression, especially when shown by larger, more intense breeds.

But actually this behaviour has a function - to prevent interactions and to make other dogs go away. It works! And as such will be repeated, and repeated, until walks become miserable for both dog and human.

Over the last year, Mabels wonderful person and I have been working together to help Mabel to feel better in the presence of other dogs.

We started with some foundation training exercises that we wanted Mabel to eventually be able to do in the presence of other dogs.

We also paired good things with the presence of other dogs so that Mabels underlying feelings could be changed.

We taught her that she had other options and as such didn't need to bark and lunge at dogs she encountered!

Finally we did lots of gentle exposures with Tanzy, building Mabels confidence as we worked.

Here is the result - both dogs had a lovely walk and enjoyed each others company - almost as if they have been friends forever! Please see an extra video in the comments!

Good work team Mabel, and thank you Tanzy for being an excellent participant in all that I ask you to do. Your work ethic is amazing and your ability to help other dogs overcome their fears is priceless! ❤️

27/10/2023

Up & Off

Why train these behaviours?

Some dogs are what I call 'upward' in that they seem to have springs in their legs! They love to jump and climb, but sometimes this can be irritating or even unsafe from a human perspective.

Some dogs might:

🐾 Jump up on people

🐾 Jump on tables or work tops

🐾 Guard or refuse to get off of the sofa or bed

🐾 Have handling issues

🐾 Have loads of energy generally

In these cases I love to train a clear 'up' and 'off' so that we can show our dogs what we want without the need to use punishment or conflict.

By putting a behaviour on cue and then practising in appropriate places, we can give the dog the outlet that they need, and we can manage situations that we find challenging much more easily.

In fact when a behaviour is on cue and practised safely, the dog is then far less likely to practice the behaviour inappropriately. Win-win!

For Tanzy this is great exercise and enrichment - walks with my elderly dog are slow and short, so we fill Tanzy's gaps with tricks and other fun behaviours!

26/10/2023

Just had another fab training session with Rich from For The Love Of Bullys and his rescue Staffy Manu.

The first time that I met Manu, he was a crazy ball of energy - given his history and general demeanour we took things slowly, gave him time and taught him some helpful behaviours.

Today we planned to do a session around calm greetings with Tanzy, and much to our delight he nailed it! So much so that they were able to do some autumn foraging together!

It's so satisfying to see how far they have come - Rich is a brilliant handler and Manu is thriving - safe, happy and overall a wonderful dog 🐕❤️

11/10/2023

It's nearly that time of year when fireworks begin, so it's time to prepare.

1. Helping your dog to be calm overall is the first step, so well in advance, teach them lots of sniffing exercises such as:
• Find-it
• Sniff trails and treasure hunts
• Interactive feeding toys
Also provide lots of suitable chews and opportunities to lick:
• Pig or rabbit ears
• Tendons, pizzles and tripe-sticks
• Bones
• Lickimats, Kongs, liver paste smeared on chew-toys or bones.

Sniffing, licking and chewing are very calming whereas chasing and other high-tempo exercises are not, therefore avoid these activities when fireworks are likely and keep things on the down-low.

Do a long, gentle walk that incorporates lots of sniffing and exploring. Do some training and scent-work. Ask me for ‘The Rucksack Walk’ if you would like a fun activity. Basically, provide plenty of calm enrichment during the day.

2. Create a safe-space/den area well in advance:

It’s important to prepare well before the fireworks start so that your dog doesn’t associate any changes with the impending season.

Start to condition a safe-space several weeks before. If you know that your dog has a place that they like to go when they feel scared use that place. You can put an item of clothing that smells of you in there to help comfort them.

Important points to consider:
• Allow your dog to choose where they want to be when the fireworks begin
• Don’t coax or try to organise them
• Leave them alone if they prefer that
• Provide company and reassurance if they like that (you can’t reinforce fear)

Other useful tools – use at least 2-3 weeks before
• Adaptil products
• Dorwest Fireworks Combo
• Veterinary medication for severe cases
• Block the smell of cordite with dog-safe oils, smelly treats hidden around, laundry, cooking, anything that you can think of but ALWAYS in advance.
• Leave signs outside asking people not to knock if this is a trigger to your dog

3. The evening routine:

• Ensure that your dog has been fed and toileted before dark
• Close windows and curtains before dark, not when you hear the first sound!
• Turn your music up loud, provide a white noise machine and use appliances such as the dishwasher and washing machine.
• Be aware of your own behaviour – it has a HUGE effect on our dogs. Be calm and reassuring.
• Give your dog lots of food puzzles and games to enjoy, or do some simple training games or tricks if your dog enjoys that.
• Change your routine gradually with the seasons:

- When the clocks change, don’t delay feeding time – keep it the same.

- Walk earlier or phase out the late evening walk if you generally do one. Walking in the dark is too risky - if there are sudden fireworks this could startle your dog severely.

- Incorporate more training and enrichment.

- Spend time doing lovely things together during the day.

- Ensure that your garden is secure and go out with your dog after dark, on lead if they are a potential flight risk.

For established fear you can do a desensitisation and counter-conditioning programme to help your dog feel better about the noises, however this must be done well in advance as it can take many weeks or months.

Once the season has settled down please contact me to begin this training in preparation for next year.

Have a wonderful autumn!

05/06/2023

There are many elements to dog training, one of which is the equipment used.

Generally, I recommend using a harness, especially for dogs who pull. (And no - harness's don't cause or exacerbate pulling - this another widely perpetuated myth!)

The main reasons for this are to protect the dogs delicate neck structures, and to give the handler more control.

Plus, when a dog is stressed or frightened, using a harness can be a helpful step towards minimising this. Imagine being frightened of something, and when it appears the tension around your neck increases. This only adds to the stress that the dog is feeling, which in turn makes the trigger more worrying, not less.

So where to begin? After a training session I provide a list of suggestions, and the one thing that all of these suggestions have in common is the basic shape. Watch this video and see if you can guess what my preference is and why.

And if you have any questions about equipment, please don't hesitate to ask - I am always happy to help.

In this episode, we talk about how to choose the best harness for your dog. In the video, we cover these questions:1:53 What are the three main types of harn...

09/05/2023

Predation Substitute Training - what is it?

A lot of dogs like to chase and even kill prey animals - from birds and rodents, to deer, sheep and even cats.

Not surprising, given that dogs are predatory animals who have evolved over thousands of years to survive by hunting and scavenging.

Add to that selective breeding e.g Terriers who have been bred to chase, catch and kill 'pests' quickly and effectively - and BOOM - it can be a recipe for disaster.

While this video doesn't look like much, it's actually a great demonstration of how predation substitute training works.

Tanzy has a kill history and would chase anything that moved without a second thought. With clear, kind and consistent training, she is now able to manage herself calmly around potential prey rather than attempting to catch then most certainly kill wildlife given the chance.

The ability to disengage from potential prey is a skill that can be taught. We don't need to use aversive methods to teach a dog not to chase either. Instead of punishing a dog when they do what they are hard-wired to do, we can use appropriate reinforcement to help them to make safer choices, while still meeting the dogs intrinsic needs.

If you have a hunter, don't be swayed into believing that shock training is your only option. Especially now that shock-collars are due to be banned in England. We can create much stronger, longer-lasting behaviours using planned and practised strategy - no force required!

13/03/2023

Great lead-handling tip 😀

08/03/2023

Caring for our elderly canines. Just as with humans, things change as our dogs get older. What can we do to help with this next stage of life?

1. Ensure their physical comfort and safety. This could mean:
- Putting down runners on slippery floors.
- Keeping claws short.
- Using ramps and steps where appropriate e.g for getting into and out of the car.
- Denying access to stairs by using gates.
- Ensuring that they have a choice of good quality beds.
- Feeding from a raised bowl.
- Adjusting their diet accordingly and providing a variety of suitable foods and enrichment activities.
- Regular vet checks and reviews of any medication/pain relief/dental issues.
- Using complimentary therapies such as Osteopathy, Chiropractic, Massage and Bowen therapy.
- Keeping them warm - this may mean investing in a new coat for bad weather.
- Ensuring that they get enough rest and have a quiet place where they can be undisturbed by other dogs, children and people in general.
- Investigating and addressing any sudden behavioural changes - pain is often present when behaviour changes.

2. Adjust walks and activities accordingly:
- Switch from long walks to shorter, more frequent walks.
- Walk at their pace, don't expect them to match ours.
- Stop or slow down to wait for them, so that they don't have to rush to catch up, or don't lose sight of you.
- Allow them to sniff as much as they want.
- Swap high intensity games such as tug for slower games such as 'find it,' 'which hand' and other scent work.
- Continue with fun, easy training - you can teach an old dog new tricks, just a bit more slowly!

3. Be patient:
- As our dogs age, they too get some cognitive decline and may start pacing, becoming a bit unsettled, scrounging more and generally dithering. It's not their fault - be patient and help them/show them what you want them to do instead of getting annoyed.
- It may take them longer to respond to known cues, or some behaviours may be uncomfortable physically now. I am not a fan of constantly asking our dogs to sit anyway, but think before we ask them 'can you do it?'
- Understanding that their hearing and eyesight may be in decline - another great reason to do more scent work.
- Understand that big days out and busy environments that your dog used to enjoy may now be too much for them.
- Understand that even previously very sociable dogs may not want to interact with other dogs so often, especially if other dogs are young/bouncy/generally higher energy. Advocate for your elderly canine, give them space and time.

4. Learn more about it:
- I love this book: www.goodreads.com/book/show/27842539-remember-me
- Find other resources such as info from the RSPCA, Blue Cross and Dogs Trust websites.
- Also canine arthritis management info from www.caninearthritis.org & www.caninearthritis.co.uk

5. Enjoy them for who they are. We can never get the time back so make the most of it and relish these golden years

27/01/2023

A wagging tail = a happy dog right? This is one of the most commonly misunderstood canine communication signals. Take a look at this post by ABC Dogs demonstrating some not-so-happy tail communication.

29/11/2022

Absolutely love the information and advice in this podcast about the adolescent brain: https://www.buzzsprout.com/317348/11436642?

In this episode, Dr. Kathy Murphy joins the podcast to talk about dogs' brains and how they process information during adolescence. Adolescence can be a difficult stage for both dogs and their humans but having better knowledge on what an adolesce...

11/09/2022

You have probably noticed by now that taking photos and writing posts for social media aren't a priority for me - however I couldn't resist taking a picture of Banjo the 11week-old Sproodle relaxing after his training session yesterday!

He learned that his name sounds good and that he gets rewarded for orientating towards and looking at his humans when he hears them say his name.

He also learned that firework sounds predict good things and as such are nothing to be scared of - something that I like to support owners in teaching their dogs. This can save a dog so much stress throughout their lives.

We also covered some common puppy challenges such as toilet-training and nipping. This stage is all about prevention of unwanted behaviours, cultivating good choices from pup and teaching them that the world is safe. Lots of great work from Banjo's family. Such a pleasure to see and so much fun! 🐕❤🐾

28/02/2022

To all of my lovely customers both past and present - may I ask a favour please? Would you be so kind as to leave a short review here: https://g.page/r/CZqrMK4MfphPEAg/review

I have just added Woody's Dog Training to Google Maps and some reviews would be most helpful!

Thanks in advance for your time, I very much hope that all is well with you and your fab dogs!

Jo :-)

Post a review to our profile on Google

16/02/2022

After each training session I always advise to 'end with a game.'

Not only does it do wonders for the relationship with your dog, but it actually consolidates learning and makes training more successful in the long-run!

What's not to love about that?

Making time for play immediately after a dog training session improves the dog’s memory

13/12/2021

Cooperative care - what is it? It's a way of doing basic maintenance but in a way that minimises stress to both dog and human. It makes the dog a participant rather than us just doing stuff to them. It can be used to help a dog feel better about handling in general, and it can also be used to reduce stress at the vets.

Here is a video of Gunner having his claws clipped and filed. He doesn't mind it because I have taken time to teach him what is happening while building positive associations as we go. I didn't just dive in there with the clippers and grinder, I spent time conditioning the equipment and then introducing each step slowly, building Gunners confidence as we worked.

He now knows that nail-maintenance predicts good things so he doesn't mind having it done. Why make things a struggle when we can make it enjoyable instead?! 👌🙂🐕❤

15/11/2021

Dog-dog play - what to look for and what to look out for, part 1.

Dog Play - Part 1 July 05, 2021  Dog play is a big topic so I am going to discuss it in two parts, like I did with 'Petting Dogs'. In addition, I will suggest some further reading in case you are really interested in this topic. Let's start by looking at what isn't play Play between dogs has to be...

12/11/2021

EMOTIONS MATTER!
Dog’s emotions really do matter, far more than we may think. Emotions matter because an emotional state drives behaviour. When a dog’s emotional needs are not being met, behaviour problems often result.
Dogs experience emotions like anxiety, fear, stress, depression, frustration, anger, helplessness, pleasure, happiness, relief. Although there will always be debate on whether a dog’s experience of emotion is similar to ours, science is continually providing a better understanding of how a dog’s brain works.
The way that emotions are processed in the brain is probably where the emotional experience of our species differ. Because the cortex of the human brain is five times bigger than a dogs, we experience emotions on a far more advanced level. To put it simply, when a dog feels an emotion, it’s a simpler, purer emotion, not complicated by a complex mixture of human thought process.
So many dogs live a life where their needs are not met, but have owners that insist on a quick fix to change an unwanted behaviour. Behaviour shouldn’t be looked at independently or singled out as a particular problem that needs to be fixed without first looking at whether the needs of a dog are being met. When needs are met, a dog’s emotional state will change, which will in turn bring about positive changes in behaviour.

12/11/2021

Also applicable to dogs....

What else can we add?

Thanks to The Therapist Parent

19/09/2021

Beginners scent-work in case anyone is interested 🙂

Book a space if you're interested