Bright Animal Training

26/10/2024

Someone was feeling spicy & playful today!

25/10/2024

Watching & stalking sheep safely and under threshold, using Predation Substitute Training - Simone Mueller

25/10/2024

Meet Cooper - isn't he squiffy!

So far, I've been working with Cooper's family on his reactivity. Cooper's triggers range from dogs to children and bikes (and the dreaded postman!) so we've been working on encouraging him to take his time in processing sensory information, regulating his emotions and to feel calmer around triggers. Cooper is a dog that goes over threshold quickly and easily, has a low tolerance for frustration and experiences sensory overload easily.

Cooper's an extremely bright boy and learns ever so quickly, but emotions take longer to catch up. His family are doing a brilliant job in learning to read the more subtle signs of Cooper's emotional state and to handle them more confidently.

What a good start, Team Cooper!

24/10/2024

Dominance theory was a terrible mistake, that even the scientist who cataloged it, regrets doing. The deep level of misunderstanding that happened based on inappropriate studies just spiraled out of control into a culturally accepted excuse to train and work with animals with force and punishment.

Dominance theory was the idea that animals, horses included, have a linear dominance and set roles within the herd. The idea that there is a set leader, a decision maker, who controls the other horses' behaviors through threats and the other horses love this horse as their leader. The idea that horses have a linear set hierarchy that determines who's in charge and only changes if overthrown by someone stronger. These deeply flawed ideas have lead people to believe that they can be the leader horse by mimicking equine behavior, they misunderstood, justifying their use of forceful physical control and punishment to train behavior. All under the idea of being a "good leader".

The thing is, science is constantly growing and self-correcting. As we spend more time actually studying horses in various scenarios and environments, and each species individually, their family units, their herds, packs, groups, etc... We have learned this concept of dominance is wildly inaccurate and deeply unhealthy, only seen in extreme, inappropriate environments (like old overpacked zoos with many unrelated animals, as the original studies were based on).

What's really going on then? What is Dominance really? Do we need to be dominant?

Horse herds really work in a much more fluid and dynamic manner, it's not a linear hierarchy. Horses make decisions based on need, if someone has a need, they satisfy that need, the other horses stay with them out of social bonds and safety in numbers. A secure, confident horse will be more likely to make decisions that lead away from the group, while insecure, nervous horses might be less likely to make decisions, sticking more closely to the center of the herd. This isn't leadership or dominance, just confidence, in themselves and their world. This changes constantly. A confident horse may be more clingy and insecure if they have a pain problem, if they're pregnant, or if they're sick. This dynamic is constantly flowing. Who makes the decision, is up to how much the individual wants something. Who stays or goes in the herd is based on social bonds, friendships, familial relationships, and resource needs.

What was frequently mistaken as "dominance" was actually determined roles of priority access to resources. If a resource is limited, the herd knows who has first access, usually the bully. This varies by resource, my sweet itch mare has priority access to the shelter, while she doesn't care about defending food resources. She may shove everyone out of her way for shelter from bugs, but someone else may shove her out of the way for food. A group of 2 might pair up to move off a single horse who would typically move either of them individually. This access to resources is determined with little squabbles, but usually is limited to just some body language threatening gestures. It would be unhealthy if the herd were to compromise each other in fights over resources, when they have the bigger threat of predators they need to remain safe for. We only see extreme linear resource guarding in domestic settings where resources are limited. If hay is fed in limited supply one horse may always get priority access. If there isn't enough shelter, one horse may not let the others in it. This isn't dominance, but resource guarding. This isn't leadership, but the opposite, a horse who is deeply insecure in their resources, in their safety, violently defending themselves. If one horse resource guards excessively, most of the other horses avoid them, ignore them, don't want to groom with them, and don't want to risk dealing with them. They're like a human child bully, so insecure in themselves they act out against everyone else to try to soothe their need.

Ethology has also shown that horses do not think humans are horses. Even if we mimic their body language, they do not equate us as horses. We don't have a place in their access to resources, because we aren't sharing their resources. We are their PROVIDERS. We are the ones giving them their resources, it's our job to understand herd dynamics and ensure our horses have adequate resources in appropriate ways so there is no need to fighting, insecurity, or herd stress. It's not our job to challenge our horses for access to the very resources we are giving them! We are their caretakers.

Dominance and access to resources has nothing to do with training, only knowing how to provide care and management without creating unhealthy or dangerous equine interactions.

Training should be done with a compassionate understanding of behavioral science and how to apply positive reinforcement. It has nothing to do with herd dynamics or dominance, or even strong leadership, but rather clear communication, compassionate care and gentle behavior training.

Additional resources
https://www.awla.org/uncategorized/alpha-dogs-dominance-theory-fact-or-fiction/

https://www.clickertraining.com/node/2297

https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/dominance-when-an-outdated-theory-wont-go-away

https://news.asu.edu/20210805-discoveries-myth-alpha-dog

https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/horse-dominance-1-28/

https://www.thewillingequine.com/post/dominance-leadership

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/behavior/debunking-the-alpha-dog-theory/

https://positively.com/dog-training/article/ethology-why-pack-theory-is-wrong

https://www.rover.com/blog/alpha-dog-meaning/?msockid=323ef8c5489068da23bbeaa549916988

https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/dominance-when-an-outdated-theory-wont-go-away

18/10/2024

Don't you just love an out of hours vet callout for your horse!

I had a reminder this week of the power your own stress levels have on your animal's behaviour.

A couple of days ago, I turned up to the pony field to find Clio hopping lame. She's never been lame in her life, and on that day she could barely put weight on one leg. Naturally, the worst runs through your mind (has she broken the leg, torn a tendon?). The vet confirmed it's an abscess (phew!).

I have done a lot of foot & farrier training with my girls, but not trained for abscess care. I was very upset and anxious at seeing Clio in so much pain, so when the vet arrived I hadn't prepared any food and attempted to use pressure and release whilst the vet cut into and drained her infected hoof (again, a very painful procedure). As I should have expected, I got a few cuts and lumps to the face/head attempting this unsuccessfully, as Clio was having absolutely none of it. Cue sedation so the vet could treat her hoof properly. To ease my anxiety levels even more (haa haaaaa) I had made the field shelter into a stable with lots of bedding to keep her hoof clean and dry, with Edna 'stabled' next door for company, and I reckon the moment I went home that night Clio broke out of it into her field (my two hate being stabled).

I've needed to clean & change Clio's poultice daily, which I was dreading: ponio needs to stand rock still, not place her foot back on the ground (where the wound will get dirty) and you need two hands the whole time to poultice and bandage it. And my sharp, young pony's least favourite behaviour is to stand still for any length of time!

Attempt no. 1 went horrendously. In my anxious rush, I gave Clio a big bucket of feed to a) keep her still and b) hopefully let me get on and treat the foot with both hands. However, I managed to prick Clio twice with the scissors whilst trying to hack the old bandage off, and when I cleaned the wound it stung and that was it - Clio was (understandably) not letting me do a thing to that hoof any more.

After 40 mins of trying to treat this bloody hoof without losing my temper (pregnancy hormones reeeeally not helping here) I stomped home bawling my eyes out, having had to leave Clio with an untreated open hoof wound in a wet & muddy field.

Later that evening, with a plan (and after a much-needed meditation class) I went back up to the field with my partner.

Plan B involved:
- No pressure and no force (which I only slip back into in emergencies when I'm panicking, as above). My ponies are never handled with pressure and release, so they reeeally don't like it when it is used.
- I took a 'mat' (the only clean bath towel left in the house - sorrynotsorry) for Clio to park herself on. She looooves mat training, it's familiar to her, she has strong positive associations of mats, and if she did put her foot down it would stay clean.
- I started easy: just asking Clio to station herself on her mat several times. I then asked her just to let me hold her hoof a few times, which I marked and reinforced (thanks to my partner with the treat bag)
- I took someone with me to help (see above). Hoof in my hand = marked and reinforced; foot on the ground = no food.
- I used non-stingy stuff to clean the wounded foot.
- I took lots of slow, deep breaths, forced myself to slow down, and accepted that if Clio still wouldn't let me treat her foot, then she would survive without treatment.
.. And it went as easy as pie. Thank goodness Clio and I have a solid trust bank, as I'm not sure I'd have let me hold her foot if I'd been her, having accidentally hurt her a few times the first time. ~

Moral of the story:

- R+ is FOR emergencies, not for everything but!
- Taking your time and keeping yourself calm is everything, especially dealing with an anxious and/or in-pain animal
- Ask someone to help you!
- Don't put yourself in situations with your horse where you are likely to get several bumps to the head, especially when you're pregnant!
- Everyone gets it wrong sometimes

18/10/2024

This week, the squiffy wee Bamse (just look at that face) and I went for a (very, very, very wet) training walk together.

We toured all around Kendal town centre, working on how he feels around dogs and other spooky triggers - of which there were many.

With Bamse's family, we've been working on helping Bamse to feel more confident in the outside world, and to slow down and process stimuli around him rather than go straight for a reaction. It's easy enough to teach a dog to 'do' (or 'not do') things; changing their emotional response to a trigger takes time and careful behaviour modification.

Bamse did absolutely beautifully, with no reactions at all. His family's hard practicing has clearly been paying off.

Well done Bamse!

15/10/2024

Happy 3 year gotcha day anniversary to this little bean!

15/10/2024

Meet the very sweet Maia!

I've been working with Maia and her guardians to help Maia with her low-level reactivity, loose-lead walking and recall.

We've started by building her confidence out and about, around dogs and spooky triggers. This means giving her as much freedom and choice as safely possible on her walks, whilst setting her up for success to make the choices we'd like her to. As often happens, we started right at the beginning by reducing Maia's arousal level. We also started to build her self-efficacy and confidence (whilst also giving her a regular additional arousal outlet) through enrichment and free work (which she loves!).

Training dogs is so much more than teaching them to 'do' (or 'not to do') things. With emotion-based training/behaviour problems - which is most of them - target the emotional response and everything else falls into place.

The best thing of all? Maia seems to really enjoy the sessions and looks like she's walking on cloud 9 coming out of each session - exactly how training should be!

Well done so far to Maia and her dedicated guardians!

09/10/2024

Meet beautiful, bouncy labradoodle Banjo (nope, not the same dog as Banse who I posted about a couple of days ago!)

Banjo's guardian got in touch with me to work on Banjo's reactivity towards other dogs on walks, as well as anything else he finds spooky.

As with many young and reactive dogs, Banjo is impulsive and has learned, if in doubt, bark! Whilst generally sociable and interested in other dogs (he lives with another dog too) he isn't too confident around them. This is a common problem I see, where a dog feels conflicted: interested but not sure how to behave; wanting to interact but doesn't have the social skills to do so appropriately.

We've been working on keeping Banjo under threshold (not easy), encouraging more pro-social behaviours such as sniffing and disengaging from other dogs, and helping him to feel more confident out and about as a whole.

08/10/2024

Update!

Any client of mine is welcome to borrow any of the pictured books from me, for fun or for learning! I will request a £10 deposit that is given back to the loanee once the book is returned.

Happy reading!

08/10/2024

Evening all!

I have decided to add a new service to all clients. This is training walks, mainly for dogs whose behavioural problems apply to outside the home (but not necessarily). Training walks will involve me collecting your dog from your home and training it myself. Training walks are available from 30-90 minutes and I supply all treats and the owner supplies suitable walking equipment.

Training walks are a service offered in ADDITION to 1-2-1 training sessions with owners present. Owners must:

- Have had a full assessment first with me and their dog
- Had at least 1-2 sessions themselves so that they are following the same training plan when with their dog
- Will still be doing most of the dog's training themselves.

Training walks are aimed to support:
- Owners in need of respite/a break
- Owners who don't particularly enjoy training
- Owners who would like more support between sessions
- Owners whose health problems or commitments get in the way of training their dog every day
- Owners who are stuck or keen to see a bit more progress
- Owners who struggle with anxiety and confidence when training their dog/taking their dog out

Training walks, for those who would like to use them, are recommended at 1-2 times a week. I am unlikely to offer more than this as it's important that owners still feel involved and upskilled enough to train their dog themselves

My website will be updated this week with details.

07/10/2024

Meet Banse, this gorgeous 11-month-old minature Schauzer!

Banse's family got in touch with me for help with Banse's reactivity on walks - mainly to dogs, but sometimes to people too. As with many reactive dogs, Banse also pulled on the lead and lagged behind on walks. It became clear that Banse is not very confident in the outside world. Now we have started working on meeting Banse's emotional needs and his overall confidence, the lead walking will become easier and his lovely family will be able to enjoy him a lot more.

07/10/2024

I know a number of you need to see this today.

Maybe you needed to hear this today 🫶

06/10/2024

Ouch, That Hurt!

If only dogs could say this when they’re in pain, but instead, they can only resort to growling, snapping, or becoming agitated to communicate their discomfort. Take Charlie the cockapoo, for example. Grooming had become such a struggle for him that he needed to be sedated for it in the past. Concerned about his behaviour, Charlie’s family sought help from a trainer, who recommended a vet physio. It was there that they discovered Charlie was living with several painful conditions, including elbow dysplasia. Now, after many appointments and a team of professionals, he’s getting the pain relief he needs. It’s absolutely no wonder he was struggling so much with grooming. I’m glad that Charlie found his way to me, too, where we are working on a complete reintroduction to grooming at Charlie’s pace.

This situation highlights the importance of not labeling dogs as “aggressive” or “reactive” during grooming without exploring potential underlying causes. In Charlie’s case, his resistance to grooming wasn’t due to a behavioural issue—it was pain. Many dogs might be experiencing similar discomfort, but instead of receiving the support they need, they’re misunderstood. As groomers and pet owners, it’s crucial to recognise that behaviour is often a sign of something deeper, like pain.

I genuinely believe pain is the cause of many dogs grooming issues. Charlie is fortunate to have a family who advocated for him and pushed to get the support he needs 🐾💙

06/10/2024

Today I took Freja for a training walk for the first time in ages. I felt absolutely awful for the first part of my pregnancy, so my partner kindly took over walking the dogs for me.

Freja gave the moored boats at National Trust a good few stares, decided they were very scary indeed, and legged it back towards the car park. By the end of the walk, she was happily walking alongside them.

Freja couldn't be more opposite in personality to Inka. Inka is loud, ballsy, boisterous, in-your-face. Freja is quiet, introverted, gentle, internalises her emotions and is by default an anxious little girl. It is so easy to abuse and re-traumatise her by the way people handle her and the level of exposure she is given to the outside world.

Freja's training walks don't look as such. She will most likely not take food rewards. Freja needs to feel she has as much choice and control as possible: any sudden lead or emotional pressure triggers a notable fear response in her. She needs her hand held but from a distance, allowing her to pause, to sniff and to process the world around her. We saw dogs and people, and by going at Freja's pace had no reactions. She chooses the different directions we go in and I follow. Freja reminds me of the subtleties in us that make all the difference to how our dogs feel.

For a year when my partner worked away with Blue, and Inka wasn't even a speck in his mum's tummy, it was just me & Freja together every second of every day. I miss that one-to-one time with her (and Freja really benefits from it) so today was much needed. Once settled into the environment, Freja wanted me to chase her, throw her pine cones, to have a good run, and have lots of Mum kisses.

06/10/2024

Yes!

(Sorry for the typo, I can't edit the image once posted!)