Woof Diamonds Canine Coaching

07/05/2022

This looks interesting

Join Professor Clive Wynne as he discusses why dogs have become one of the most widespread mammals on the planet.

04/05/2022

Being given a choice is powerful …..
Brunel hated being dried when I first adopted him. Now he chooses to come over to be dried with a towel because he knows that he can also choose to leave when he wants.

29/04/2022

This, just this 💕

I was a professional dog trainer for years, but it never sat right with me. I was in it for the dogs, you see, and when you train dogs for roles, you have to think just as much about the position they will fill as you do the dog. And I just wanted to think about the dog. That’s why I was there. Th...

14/03/2022

It's a hard journey but it does get better. What you are feeling is normal - I know, I've been through the reactive dog grief cycle. I still feel frustrated and upset occasionally but I still love my reactive boy and have accepted him for who he is.
Getting help is a big step but it really does help.

This is a topic I feel it’s important to share and it’s not talked about enough. Reactive dog grief is that feeling of loss when you have a reactive dog. That moment you realise that your dog is different and gone are those romanticised walks in the parks. It hurts, it’s tough, and many of us would be lying if didn’t admit that at times, we even resent the dogs we love so much, because of the limitations they have imposed on us.

Shock / Denial

As dog owners we’re often outgoing people. We have a dog to share our life with, to go out on long walks, have picnics in the park and pub lunches. Some of us have an idea of the life we want for our dog when they’re a puppy or before the puppy is even born. Our next dog will come everywhere, let’s take them on holidays, they’re going to be an agility dog etc.
Then as they start to grow, we see a few early warning signs that most of us pass off as ‘puppy behaviour’ it’ll pass. Then it becomes ‘well they’re a teenager; it’s hormones’ but there’s a voice in our heads that knows it’s far more that that; yet we deny it. My dog isn’t aggressive, my dog isn’t ‘one of those’, my dog would never bite, my dog doesn’t need a muzzle people will think they’re nasty…but were often fooling ourselves.
Anger / Frustration

Then comes the anger / frustration as it gets worse not better. “Why can’t you be like a ‘normal’ dog / our last dog.”, or that Disney idea of the ‘family dog’.
Our frustration can take us to quick fixes that often make the problem worse, or we start to hide from the world and become the antisocial dog walker, up at 5am to walk the dog and 11 pm, no lunchtime or afternoon park walks for us. We start to bargain with how reactive they are. They’re not aggressive just ‘grumpy’, or ‘sorry she’s a bit unpredictable’. We feel guilty, have we caused this?
Bargaining / Guilt

They say “There’s no bad dogs; only bad owners” we tried so hard where did we go wrong?
Often you didn’t this guilt is misplaced, it’s not you, sometimes it really is your dog. They could have underlying medical condition, developmental problem, or even poor genetics. Sure, there’s always things you could have done differently, but often even with the best knowledge some dogs are just born this way.
Experimenting
In this stage you may have found help, someone who’s positive and force free and is helping you rehabilitate your dog and explaining the underlying emotions that are helping to drive your dog’s behaviour. But there’s no quick fix, and the light at the end of the tunnel seems so far away.

Depression / I can’t do this
We start to feel depressed, we hide, we avoid conversations on a walk as our dogs won’t allow us to get close to others. We dread the ‘friendly’ dogs that come charging across the field as we panic thinking am I going to have to deal with a dog fight, what do I do? What if my dog gets injured or they injure another dog? We start to lose hope, this is it, it’s who they are. I can’t do this, the training isn’t working, it’s not progressing fast enough.

Moving on / finding new approaches
Then we look at our dogs and we see that spark of hope, they calmed down quicker, their reactivity was less intense, there’s hope. You start to really take on the advice and work out your distances, prepare your walks like a military operation, muzzles, treats and toys at the ready. This is your dog, they’re special and you have a bond now that very few can understand. You work as a team now; you’ve accepted this is who they are, and they struggle in many situations but having you with them helps. They gradually feel safer with you and become less reactive, you find new hobbies, scent games, and other activities on a walk. You often feel like you take two steps forward and one step back…but you keep going.

Living with and rehabilitating a reactive dog is tough, it’s isolating, but you’re not alone. They’re with you and there’s so many others who are alone but with you on this journey.

Acceptance

https://controlthemeerkat.com/reactive-dog-grief/02/

12/03/2022

Too good not to share!
BTW both of my dogs sleep in bed with me, cuddle up on the sofa, get generally spoilt and definitely think they're in charge!

I see so many lovely people who come to me with reactive dogs and are worried that they’ve caused their dogs issues as they’ve been told they ‘love their dogs too much’ or they ‘spoil’ them and they are ashamed to admit they let their dog sleep in their bed. NONE of these things cause a dog to become reactive. Reactive dogs are stressed and anxious dogs and they need to feel safe, they need to feel secure and they need to be loved.

Reactivity issues can be complex and are due to anxiety, frustration and often health issues or pain. Past negative experiences, early life experiences, maternal factors and genetics all play a huge role. It’s often a multitude of factors that have combined to cause reactivity and it’s honestly never as you love them too much or spoil them.

PS my yorkie sleeps in my bed and is treated like some sort of demigod in our house and she has no behavioural issues 😂

10/03/2022

18/02/2022

Stay safe everyone ❤️

Stay safe everybody

16/02/2022

Remember that puppies are from a different planet 😂

Sometimes new owners tell me getting a puppy was supposed to be fun, but all I feel is stress. Here's what new owners need to remember.

13/02/2022

10/02/2022

Just read this wonderful post. Living with a 'dog like that' can be so hard sometimes but we still love them. This is a great read for everyone who sometimes struggles with their dog - REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITH A DOG 'LIKE THAT'?

or, how can you cope with walking a dog 'like that'?

We don't always choose to live with a dog that behaves reactively. Some do, people that work and volunteer in rescue, that work professionally with dogs, people experienced with dogs that needs space but many of us did not expect to find ourselves living with or walking a dog that presented us and others with challenges.

We have been looked at with disgust, sworn at, told to put our dogs to sleep, to 'train' our dogs, laughed at and more.

We have also had some really empathetic, kind people that have smiled and kept their distance, that have been happy to give us a moment to create more space or that have simply taken no notice.

It is so easy to judge but we don't know what we don't know.

A dog that is lunging or barking on the end of a lead is struggling. The care giver at the end of that lead is often also struggling sometimes physically, sometimes emotionally and sometimes both.

I understand that it can look and sound unpleasant to see and hear a dog that is struggling for others that either don't have a dog or have never had a dog that behaves in a way that has caused them concern.

It isn't easy living with a dog 'like that' and it can be a stretch to enjoy walks. Some walks can be amazing when we choose the right environment, the best time or the best matched distance.

Some walks can leave us feeling really positive, that we have achieved something and that we and our dogs have enjoyed.

Some walks can feel disastrous and leave is wishing we hadn't bothered.

Some walks are a lot in betweeen with parts that are great and parts not so good.

Learning to live with a dog 'like that' takes courage, patience, empathy, tenacity, an open mind and heart and a support network of people that understand and don't judge.

I had a more or less lovely walk with Ruby today. We had one small lunge at a van but we also were able to create a bit of space and watch a dog go by at a distance of about 20 feet (hurrah) and the rest was mainly sniffing and mooching with a few moments of higher interest when she caught the scent of a cat in the distance.

Ruby is a dog 'like that' and we co-habit and co-exist well. She makes me smile every day and sometimes makes me feel exasperated. I know she is doing her best and I am doing the best for her. Together we continue our journey as part of lifes rich tapestry.

Feel free to share this post and to share your 'like that' dogs and walks.

25/01/2022

Giving your dog a choice can be easy!
I just wish his choice wasn’t so stinky 😂

20/01/2022

This!!

I find there seems to be rather a lot of miss guided assumptions when it comes to reactivity. People assume a reactive dog is an agressive dog.
This is NOT the case, a reactive dog, is a dog that over reacts to an external stimuli (people, animals, noises, other dogs)
It is the EMOTIONAL state when in the presence of the object of their anxiety or frustration.

A dog might overreact by barking, lunging, growling etc for several reasons, it is a communication.
Trying to shut down this communication though fear and pain (lead flicks, choking the dog, startling noises, yelling/shouting, prong or e collars etc.) may well look as though the dog is "fixed" but the underlying emotion will still be there.
The dog just learns there is no point asking for help, none will come...... just pain, so they shut down

Keeping a dog in close proximity to the stimulus with no chance of escape (say a dog reactive dog in a enclosed area with several other dogs) thinking they will "get used" to other dogs, is a very outdated and dangerous technique called flooding.
This again does NOTHING to help the dog, they will just shut down
(They are ticking time bomb dogs)

Whereas if you actually listen to your dog and work on changing that underlying emotion, you will be surprised how the behaviour automatically changes.

Behaviour modification takes time, dedication and knowledge, each dog is different as to how quickly they can move forward.
It's like us going to a psychiatrist/counsellor for a mental issue, you aren't going to be "fixed" after one session.

You DONT "CORRECT OR TRAIN" a reactive dog, you "HELP" a reactive dog.

There is NEVER a need to use pain or fear when training any animal

18/01/2022

So true

14/01/2022

It can be hard living with a dog that has 'issues'. It's so important to be kind to yourself !

10/12/2021

Sums up how I feel about being an 'owner'. How about you?

We muddle through this crazy World together 😜

09/12/2021

Destruction boxes are a firm favourite with Pickle 😂😂
Brunel loves them too 💖

08/12/2021

I updated my Canine First Aid knowledge at the weekend! Thoroughly enjoyed the course too 💖

02/12/2021

Just finished the most amazing course!
This will help me figure out the 'why' behind your dog's behaviour, help me to help you to understand why it is happening and enable me to create solutions for your family and your dog(s) to live together more harmoniously.
I can't wait to put my new knowledge and understanding into practice to help families and their dogs 💖

01/12/2021

Bad walk? Remember to focus on all the things that went well instead of dwelling on the one thing that went wrong 💖

23/11/2021

Bru goes to P@H 🤩
Watch for tips to help a nervous dog relax in a new environment.

18/11/2021

Morning! Did you know that Lidl is a great place for contemplating what its like living with a reactive dog!

17/11/2021

True!

I just like dogs! 🥰

15/11/2021

How do you link Star Trek with dogs?

12/11/2021

Why am I averse to aversives in dog training?
The study I talk about - link didn’t work. I’ll redo it later 👍

11/11/2021

A powerful post by the amazing Grisha Stewart. It's normal to feel angry at our dogs sometimes, it doesn't mean we don't love them. The important thing is that we understand why we should never act upon that anger - to do so would damage the relationship we have with our dogs and make their problems worse.
Grisha recommends a breathing technique to help calm ourselves in such moments - breathe in for the count of 4, hold the breath for 7 and breathe out for 8. Try it, it works.
Hope you have a great day 🥰
https://grishastewart.com/i-hate-my-dog?fbclid=IwAR0XH5cc-qywbrG6QKb6Xc0yiNKfYYHYBwLY_Us4pjxyGFih_a2-Hh-t0_o

I have a confession to make. Today was a down day, that kind of day where I wasn't my best dog trainer self. At all. To paraphrase a Reddit that I found when I furiously googled "I hate my dog," in that moment of frustration, I hated him with the passion of 10,000 suns. A … Continue reading Confes...

10/11/2021

Finding the best places to walk your dog if they are scared of certain things!

05/11/2021

You have to feel for your dog’s toys!! This is Mr Poo after a session pretending to be a rat on my flirt pole!
Luckily he scrubbed up ok after a rinse in the washing machine 😂
Erin the Cocker Spaniel had a fabulous time playing with him
💖💖

05/11/2021

Wonderful Nora