Be More Dog Scotland

04/09/2022

This is a lesson I have been teaching in person to as many of my students as possible.

I can’t reiterate this enough, repetitive ball throwing won’t mentally tire your dog and will likely increases behaviour problems like inability to settle or reactivity as a result of increased cortisol.

This isn’t to say you should never play fetch, but consider the implications (physical and mental) and think about how you can slow the activity down and incorporate more of your dogs senses 👃

To throw or not to throw?

Fetch- a fun, easy way to play and exercise our dogs. However, research has began to highlight both the physiological and psychological consequences of this repetitive, high stress game.

Everybody can name at least one four legged friend that is a ball ‘pest’, and unfortunately, us humans can’t resist continuously throwing a ball to feel as if they are meeting the demand of our canine friend. So why is this a problem? Experts believe that fetch increases the level of adrenaline and cortisol production. These hormones are commonly associated with the ‘fight or flight’ instinct, controlling impulsive moods. Just like after we have climbed a mountain, or finished something that has given us a real ‘buzz’, but imagine this happening over, and over, and over, several times a day, without the opportunity to calm- exhausting, right?

We can all acknowledge that our canine friends are intelligent, to the point that sometimes I begin to wonder if my dog can read my mind? Well, research has been constructed that pretty much suggests that dogs will fetch us an item that appears to make us the most pleased- who smiles at the sight of a wiggly long eared hound returning a fluffy green tennis ball- Hard to resist? Well perhaps OUR love of fetch further fuels our dogs desire to constantly bring back toys and demand another go.

So after half an hour of fetch- our dogs are happy that they are making us happy, and have enough cortisol running through their veins to continue for hours, what’s happening to the rest of the body? As with everything that both we, and they do, repetitive activities cause injury- simple! When a dog chases a ball, they use their hind limbs to propel them forwards, demanding sudden function and engagement of the hind limbs. Then comes the braking to collect the ball. The dog will brace the forelimbs, put strain through all the musculature that was propelling them forward to enable a sudden stop, and then, the ball changes direction or bounces… Well, cue the scrabbling, twisting, turning, jumping- Adrenaline and cortisol already whooshing through the veins, the dog MUST get the ball, regardless of how, and then comes the wipeout.

If your dog is 100% healthy, with no clinicial musculoskeletal conditions, this continuous, high intensity game could predispose them to early injury/degenerative conditions, including osteoarthritis, cranial cruciate injury, muscular tears/strains. If a condition is already diagnosed, excessive strain will probably exacerbate the condition. It isn’t uncommon to see dogs that play a lot of fetch with intermittent lameness that occurs after exercise- adrenaline and cortisol is good at masking pain, therefore takes some time for these hormones to wear off before they feel the after effects of tumbling about.

We also can’t forget to mention the excessive panting, increased respiratory rate that we see during a game of fetch- this is also associated with high arousal and energy expenditure, and obviously increases strain on the heart and rest of the cardiovascular system. If your dog has an underlying medical condition that impacts these systems, is a brachiocephalic breed (short snout), or overweight, they could be at larger risk of experiencing difficulties associated with this.

So, next time our friend delivers us a tennis ball, what can we do instead? Let’s put down our ball flingers and have a think… They’re all designed to sniff! A stimulating treasure hunt will exhaust them mentally, without the physical demand of fetch. Simply hide some treats, or toys around the house or garden and let them sniff away. The pet market has hundreds of options to enhance this game further- Kongs, snuffle mats, licky bowls, all sorts! Fortunately for us, our canine friends are much easier to tire mentally than they are physically. Alternatively, teaching a dog to sit and wait for an object to be thrown, and released to retrieve when told, reduces the impact associated with chasing a moving object, making it safer still.

And as with everything in life, it is reasonable to say ‘all in moderation’- the less you complete a task, the less likely you are to be influenced by its effects. So, the occasional game of gentle fetch will reduce your dogs being influenced by the effects discussed above, however, all it takes is one dodgy bounce! And remember, a mentally stimulated, physically healthy dog, is a happy dog.

A massive thank you to Bella Le Roy MSCVetPhys for writing this article for us.

18/08/2022

Ever heard of ”small dog syndrome?”
This is no laughing matter. Read the below from Edinburgh Dog Behaviour if you want to know more 👇🏼

And this 👇 is how "small dog syndrome" is often created.

Small dogs use body language to communicate in the same way that big dogs do - but all too often, their communication is ignored or not taken seriously (they're small and cute and harmless, right?...).

As a result, they are forced to escalate their communication (think barking, growling, snapping) in order to be heard and respected, and suddenly, they are viewed as "the little angry ankle biter with the too big personality" - and often, still not taken seriously 😞

Observe and respect your little dogs' communication and advocate for them in the way that you would if they were a larger breed - you'll find they will need to escalate their communication less and less 💛

15/08/2022

This is a brilliant read if you have adopted a street dog 👇🏼

Domestic Social Dog vs Street/Stray Social Dogs

There is a difference...

Our home bred domesticated dogs have mostly gone through the benefits of human manipulation through handling, exposure, and social structure that helps them thrive in our mostly domesticated world. We all know the importance of early rearing and the steps to take to achieve this.

As a dog trainer I've found that recent years have seen a popular increase in foreign street/stray dogs. I used to work with one every so often, now it is on a weekly basis. Many of the cases highlight social issues with other dogs or people, powerful prey drive, and fear and extreme trepidation adapting and adjusting to a new environment.

I wouldn't even say it is a new environment...as these dogs have literally landed on a different planet. That can produce immense challenges for owners.

Some dogs make a great transition and there are success stories. But many of them go through difficult times...

Some of the problems with the dogs include:

Living in a house for the first time...

Being restrained on a lead, or any other piece of equipment for the first time...

Coming through the process of capture and transportation...

Lack of freedom they are formerly used to...

Many are independent thinkers and resolve or do things their own way...it is difficult for them to rely on human guidance and direction...

That independence can influence just how receptive they may be to any training the human attempts to provide...

Living close to human habitat they will have mixed associations with humans who have both encouraged and discouraged them...

They have strong avoidance behaviours of flight response to any perceived threat or potential danger. If they cannot escape and are restrained by the human and equipment this can cause strong reactions...

Some have previously been in fights and will have strong associations in close proximity to other dogs...

Some will be very social and will show social frustration in not being able to interact with other dogs due to equipment and human restraint....(this can be common and also perceived as reactivity).

The task then is not re-socializing these dogs as they are already habituated to a world they've previously known, but in understanding them now that they have been removed from that former environment, appreciating what you may have to live with (not all behaviour can be trained away...) and how you are able to use any of your relationship building and training structure to help them adjust better.

Remember, many of them can be very strong independent thinkers and in dogs well beyond puppyhood that may well prove to be your biggest challenge.

The most important state of mind for any dog is...'Am I safe?' That feeling can override the need for food or water. Avoidance is a strong canine behaviour in any dog, but a prevalent one in street, stray, or feral canines.

Some behaviours you have to live with, others are a work in progress, others will need specific management depending on the environment. That is not to say that some of these behaviours cannot be changed or influenced, but to understand that you are experiencing the resistance of independent strong wiring that is specifically designed to keep a dog safe and make choices towards that end...

Convincing a dog to take your guidance and direction under stress when its instincts tell it otherwise and move it to a behaviour they choose instinctively by default is where most new owners can experience the struggle. It all depends on the individual dog.

There's a huge difference between the domestically social home grown dog and the street, stray social behaviour of dogs.

What are your experiences, what are or have been your challenges, and have you experienced big differences in owning both selectively bred domestic dogs and foreign street dogs?

23/07/2022

Not only can a stress holiday / cortisol holiday aid your dog, but it can also work wonders for the handler too. Brain chemistry between dogs and humans is similar, if you live with a reactive or easily triggered dog, YOU will also feel a similar impact.

Give yourselves (you and your dog!) a break and take a few days to be kind to yourselves and do things you enjoy 😊

A Cortisol Holiday is a great thing to implement for stressed out dogs 💛 Especially if you are about to start a training or behaviour modification programme, it can be really helpful to allow your dog to really de-stress and relax before you start.

"If your dog is struggling with anxiety or reactivity, the best place to start your training is with something we call a “cortisol holiday”.
Whenever a dog is stressed, their body releases stress hormones like cortisol. These hormones are designed to do things like increase the heart rate and blood pressure, and ensure the body’s cells are fueled with energy. This means that a stressed dog is ready for action; the famous fight or flight.

Acute stress is useful for preparing an animal to deal with a threatening situation, but chronic stress can be very detrimental. If a dog is entering a stressed state frequently, the stress hormones will begin to build to higher and higher levels. Many reactive dogs have become stuck in a pattern of an ever increasing build up of stress hormones, without the chance to return to normal in between. While the dog is bubbling over with so much stress, it’s very difficult to make progress with reducing their reactivity or anxiety.

To kick-start your training, plan out a period of at least two weeks where you systematically reduce or eliminate stressful events in your dog’s life. Start by making a list of your dog’s triggers; situations that cause them to go into fight and flight mode. Work your way through the list and brainstorm ways to avoid each trigger, or at least lessen their impact on your dog. For example, if one of your dog’s triggers is the sight of another dog, you could change the time of day or location of your walks to avoid encountering any other dogs, or even avoid walks altogether during the cortisol holiday and replace them with mental and physical enrichment at home. If your dog is triggered by the sight of people walking past your house, you could attach some frosted glass window film to your front facing windows. If your dog is reactive to noises from your neighbours you can play some white noise or a radio to muffle the triggering sounds. It won’t necessarily be possible to eliminate every trigger, but the more you can avoid the greater the benefit to the dog.

Once your dog has completed their cortisol holiday, they’ll be in a much better place to start working on learning to relax around their triggers."

11/07/2022

07/07/2022

Tiktok videos of people wrapping cellophane around their heads and smearing peanut butter on their foreheads to keep their dogs distracted while clipping nails are still circulating.

But please do be aware that it isn't as great an idea as it seems.

01/07/2022

29/06/2022

This poor little guy is still missing from John Muir, please keep him in mind if you’re walking down there 👀

🐾🐾 update on Benji. Day 6 still missing 🐾🐾

We’ve been very busy these past few days and throughout the night with two different scent dogs attempting to help find Benji, both picking up scents in a few different locations which we are now working on with cameras etc so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that he’s still in the area 🤞🏽

Trying to stay positive and hopeful that he’ll make an appearance very soon and if I can still ask for you to keep your eyes and ears peeled for him when walking around John Muir I’d really appreciate it 🥰

Can’t thank Dani + Nova, Hazel + Thor, Graeme and Shannon, Mari and of course my amazing Parents enough for all their help recently you guys have been amazing and helped me stay as positive as I can through this horrible situation. 💕

Thanks again to everyone that’s still looking out for Benji and messaging me daily for updates it means the world to me. 🥰

Amy 🧡

27/06/2022

☀️ J U N E ☀️

It’s been quite a month! I started my new role with Borders Pet Rescue at the start of the month, had a brilliant first couple of weeks then promptly left for a week’s holiday in the Highlands with my loves.

We trained hard for this holiday and managed to bag 7 munros in the week we were away. I’m going to write some posts on what I’ve learned about hillwalking with a dog, but for now, let it be known that Juno was a little legend this entire week, I cannot fault her ❤️

I’m going to start releasing some slots for 121 sessions from July, if you’re waiting to hear from me keep an eye on your inbox (and junk mail!) 📧

25/06/2022

We’ve been on holiday this week, Juno has been a target for everyone currently on holiday in the highlands who’s missing their dog at home.

I’m so delighted to say I’ve actually only noticed one chap using this method to say hello to Juno. Not only that, but the majority have engaged in a conversation with us, then asked if they can speak to Juno. I always give the same answer - “yes, you can see if she’d like to speak to you”, and as she’s a very people friendly and confident dog, she rarely refuses.

Dogs are not public property, it’s not okay for someone to directly approach a dog without first seeking a green light from the guardians of the dog. We are really good at teaching kids this message, but why do we often forget it as an adult? Let the dog have the choice (after the guardian has granted permission), it’s far more special if they choose to interact with you.

"Want to be able to make friends with new dogs when you meet them? You can signal that you’re friendly by using canine body language!

We often hear that you’re supposed to offer a dog the back of your hand to sniff, but the body language of this move is actually quite threatening. When we lean forward to offer our hand, we’re facing the dog square on, looming over them, making eye contact and invading their space. All of those signals combine into an intimidating message, and as a result many dogs will become uncomfortable when greeted in this fashion. Confident dogs will usually respond with a couple of signals like turning their head away, yawning, or licking their nose, which means they’d like the human to ease up a bit. Shy or anxious dogs will back away, cower, or even growl, snap or bite.

The best way to greet a dog is to either stand side on to them and invite them over by patting your leg or calling to them, or crouch down on the ground and let them come to you. This method ensures that it’s the dog’s choice to come and say hello – they’re moving up to you, rather than you moving up to them.

If the dog chooses not to approach, it means that they don’t want to say hello. It’s important that you respect that choice, and leave them be. If you’re going to be spending some time with the dog, be patient and hang back – the best way to win the trust of a shy dog is to avoid putting pressure on them to interact. Move slowly, blink your eyes a lot to avoid staring, and don’t speak loudly. If they approach to sniff you, don’t pet them right away. Let them sniff, then when they’re finished move away from them and try inviting them closer again.

Best of luck making some new doggie friends Dog Geeks! We’d love to hear how being conscious of your body language has helped you greet dogs, or if you’ve ever won the trust of a shy dog by being patient and avoiding pressuring them."

Credit: That Dog Geek

24/06/2022

‼️please look out for Benji, he is lost at John Muir Country Park. He is a fellow dog walkers own pup and she is devasted that he is missing‼️

17/06/2022

Walking your dog in hot weather can cause them as much harm as leaving them in a hot car. When to know it's too hot for a dog walk.

16/06/2022

A great tip from Paw Skills for teething puppies 🦷

15/06/2022

It takes a lot for me to trust someone with Juno. This speaks volumes about Lucy as a dog walker, she’s just fab ❤️

07/06/2022

Thursday night masters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an amazing bunch. Bronte, Obi and Chilli are three of the more complex dogs I have worked with in my time. This gang have been working really hard on creating calmness and working on arousal up/arousal down exercises to help their dogs learn how to function when faced with lots of excitement.

We had a brilliant training walk for our final week and everyone worked perfectly. Well done gang, you are all brilliant 🤩

06/06/2022

Here’s to the adolescent bunch 🤩

Winnie, Fig and Sal finished their intermediates course last week with a training walk and were all absolutely outstanding 🥳

You guys have been amazing, it’s been so much fun watching your progress. Well done teams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

05/06/2022

Massive congratulations to the Monday masters who have worked incredibly hard over the last 6 weeks.

Cessna, Darcey, Fig, Tweed & Oscar have been a joy to work with and have all made awesome progress on this block - well done teams! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

04/06/2022

Let’s stop training dogs with commands

01/06/2022

Huge congratulations to this block of Foundations graduates 🥳

Twyla, Laurel, Luna and Rocky, you have been absolutely incredible. I can’t wait to hear your stories as you grow up. Thank you to the humans for showing up and giving it their all every single week.

Superstars 🤩

29/05/2022

19/05/2022

I’m delighted to announce that I was recently appointed as the new ‘Rescue Centre Manager’ with Borders Pet Rescue.

Many of you will know by now it's my goal to become a clinical animal behaviourist and I feel a big part of that journey will be gaining a good understanding of each individual industry within the pet care sector. I have worked in animal care, retail, training and behaviour and will now be getting to know more about the rescue and rehoming side of the industry with Borders Pet Rescue.

I’m incredibly excited. Jobs like this do not come along often in our sector and it really feels like a one in a million opportunity. Borders Pet Rescue have been dedicated to rescuing and rehoming pets in the Borders for over 20 years and their core values very much align with mine; to do their best by unwanted and abandoned animals and promote responsible ownership through education.

Be More Dog Scotland will continue to run at a reduced capacity offering 121 services over the summer while I find my feet in my new role. I will continue to support all my current and previous clients via email/phone, though response times may be slower over the coming weeks.

Special appreciation to my heart dog as always, without her I wouldn’t be here ❤️

11/05/2022

Can you believe we're already almost half way through 2022? As summer approaches I am thinking about the skills our dogs need to enjoy summer adventures with us. First up - Loose Lead Walking

http://bemoredogscotland.com/2022/05/11/loose-lead-walking/

Loose lead walking can be such a tricky behaviour to teach. Often new puppy owners start working on this straight away and feel like they’ve cracked it. Suddenly, the adolescent phase shows-up and …

11/05/2022

This 👇🏼 management is everything 🤩

11/05/2022

Do you play repetitive games of fetch with your dog thinking it’s going to exhaust them so they’ll give you peace?
Think again!
Repetitive ball throwing leads to lots of health complications both physically and mentally.
Listen to what Glasgow Dog Trainer and Behaviour Consultant has to say 👂

09/05/2022

“Bronte and I love Kathryn and her classes. Kathryn is brilliant at filling each class with lots of fun games and skills to work on for all sorts of scenarios, particularly those that your pup finds difficult. She also has sooo much advice for us humans both in and out of class, which is gold! It’s great for us to see Bronte transforming from a feisty wee pup who couldn’t sit still into a chilled out gal! Thank you Kathryn!”
- Liz & Bronte

05/05/2022

Preach 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

There’s no shame in giving your dog a motivator to work for you. None of us work for free!

Let's discuss motivation!

How many times have I heard 'at what point do I no longer need to use treats?'. When researching a local trainer where I'm moving to, they very clearly stated that they don't use treats or 'bribery' when training, just verbal praise and play 🤦‍♀️ (rewarding with food is clinically not bribery - if anyone is unsure, please ask and I will explain).

Whatever we use to motivate our dogs, we always have to use that motivation. If choke chains are used to stop a dog from reacting, then the handler will need to keep using the choke chain. If the choke chain disappears, the repressed reactivity is likely to resurface. These such handlers/trainers don't seem to mind this, but they do mind having to carry treats on them!

In a perfect world, dogs would do what we ask simply because we asked them. However, where in life does that ever actually happen? Do your children listen without a motivation to? Do employees do turn up to work without being paid? Does your partner buy you flowers without a motivating consequence? Does anyone really do what we ask all the time just because we asked them to? Is it really reasonable to expect them to? Then why do we of our dogs?

In short, dogs (and people) will either do things to avoid an unwanted consequence (i.e. punishment) or to gain a wanted prize (positive reinforcement). If we use treats/play/toys to motivate a dog to want to do what we ask, and then we stop all rewards, the science of learning means that the dog will try (even harder) for a while and eventually stop offering the behaviour altogether. This is called 'extinction'.

To to answer the initial question, yes, you will always need treats/a toy/play to continue to motivate your dog to respond to cues.

05/05/2022

My best friend, partner in crime, biggest cheerleader and favourite adventure buddy turns 6 today 🤩

Grateful for every moment I get to spend with this wonderful little creature. She’s got my whole heart ❤️

04/05/2022

Behavior “problems” people tell me their dog has (and they want to fix) that I find extremely relatable -

- He doesn’t like it when people he doesn’t know come to the house, especially if it’s a man.
- SAME
*dogs don’t understand company coming over. They have no concept of UPS, Amazon Prime, or family barbecues. The majority of time in human civilization that dogs have existed with us did not include ANY of these things. They are mostly still hardwired to view unknown visitors on their territory as a potential threat or danger. We forget that most of the time we KNOW who’s coming, but our dogs don’t. And imagine if you didn’t know and suddenly a stranger showed up wanting to come in and hug you. I bet you’d freak out too*

- He’s fine with people he knows, but he doesn’t like it if a stranger tries to or does touch him.
- SAME
*dogs are not public property. I wouldn’t allow a stranger to touch my child or baby simply because she’s cute, why my dog? Dogs should be able to choose if they want to interact with someone and people need to learn how to accept and understand when they say no politely, before the dog feels they have to escalate to get more distance*

- She doesn’t want me to touch her while she’s eating and will sometimes growl or grumble if she has a toy and I try to take it away.
- SAME
*ever try to take away a kids Easter candy? How about taking someone’s money that they are holding in their hand? How do you feel when someone takes food off your plate? Sharing doesn’t come naturally to humans OR dogs, but for dogs it’s rooted in survival and completely normal.*

- She growls when the kids lay on her if she’s sleeping, or if I try to move her when she’s on the couch napping.
- SAME
*not wanting to be bothered when resting is also natural and normal. If I groan and get irritated when my kids do that to me, I’m not labeled as aggressive or unpredictable. What dogs do to communicate irritation or discomfort is absolutely acceptable, and yet they are the ONLY creatures that we see this behavior as a problem*

- He used to be fine with big social gatherings like the dog park. Now he’s not.
- SAME
*behavior and ideas of “fun” change as we get older and mature. Same happens to dogs. I’d love a nice bath and a book at the end of the day now, not a night on the town. Nothing happened to me, I just grew up. Dogs are the same way many times. Their likes and dislikes aren’t always concrete and we have to learn to adapt with them, just as we do ourselves*

I seriously could write these all day. All it takes is a mild shift in perspective to see the issues we label as bad or rude or negative in dogs are often COMPLETELY normal mix and “fixing” them first starts with understanding them, then helping your dog, and meeting in the middle. The more we do this, the easier life with these amazing creatures is for both of us.

Please share and give credit to Helen St. Pierre of NMBDT

03/05/2022

Bird watching instead of chasing, plus disengagement ✅