Wagging Tails Dog Training

25/04/2024

In our classes we get a wide range of breeds and crossbreeds which we absolutely love. The beauty of reward based training is that it works for all breeds. However there can be some extra challenges when it comes to the more independent breeds (terriers, hounds, nordic breeds, livestock guardians etc) because of the jobs they are bred for meaning their priority isn't working with or for people.

I thought it would be worth sharing this blog again where I talk about this. My mantra is that no dog is untrainable, you just need to know how, you may need to think outside of the box in terms of training and rewards, you may need to learn some extra training skills, and you may need to accept certain limitations. But don't ever let anyone tell you your dog is untrainable or not worth bothering with! The huge range of breeds we have in our classes doing well in everyday life and achieving rosettes and awards in training is proof that it can be done with your dedication. 🥰

Have a read of this blog and feel free to share.

Have you ever been told that your breed is not trainable? Have you ever read that there is no point in even trying to train your Beagle, Greyhound, Husky, Saluki, Akita, Terrier, Dachshund, Bassethound...? Or is your dog of any breed just particularly "stubborn" or just not interested, or do you thi...

19/04/2024

Are you one if those owners that are jealous when you see someone walking their dog on a lovely lose lead whilst your dog is dragging you down the road? Pulling on the lead is one of the top problems owners have and one of the main reasons why owners come to classes or ask for 121 help.

From the dog's point of view however it is one of the most difficult things to do... but why?

It is pretty unnatural for a dog - especially if they are young or are a busy breed - to just walk relatively slowly in a straight line. If you watch dogs off lead, they zigzag, follow their nose, run or at least trot... Unless a dog is elderly or physically limited, they won't just plod along slowly like we ask them to when walking on the lead.

So it isn't just a matter of teaching a dog to walk on a loose lead which seems simple enough, but from a dog's point of view it is everything but... Here are the skills they need to learn!

🔷️ They need to pay attention to what you are doing, stay connected with you.
If your dog hasn't learnt to be aware of your movements, then he has no chance of walking nicely by you. Play with your dog on walks, do some training on walks regularly, have fun even when on lead. Your dog will want to stay with you and will wait for the next fun segment of the walk.

🔷️ They need to learn to walk slower.
Most dogs will naturally trot or run as their default pace. Walking at human speed is slow even for small dogs. You need to teach them to slow down. Spend a minute here and there on a walk to walk super slowly on lead, one step at the time. You can do the same in your garden walking around trees or bushes, put low poles across the ground to step over, do scentwork and other calming and slow activities with them. Teach their body, their muscles, their brain to slow down at times.

🔷️ They need to learn where you want them to walk.
So you need to teach them of course where you want them to walk, by your side, within 2 feet of you, whatever you decide is your criteria. This is what most people do, but without the dog learning to focus and move slower, teaching just this step alone often doesn’t lead to a successful outcome.

Some dogs find some of these elements much easier than others, but they can all learn. It does often take a lot of practice and patience though.

✅️ If you'd like some help with loose lead walking and other training issues, then check our website for local or online options. www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk

12/04/2024

CPD (continued professional development) is so important for professionals in any area. As an APDT member (www.apdt.co.uk) we need to show every year that we have completed the required amount of hours of CPD.

I really enjoyed listening to talks and lectures of the Chronic Pain Symposium recently, and I have a few more recordings to catch up on.

Pain has such a huge influence on behaviour, in fact behaviour changes are often the first or even only indication of pain in animals. It is thought that up to 80% of behaviour our issues in dogs are influenced by discomfort/pain. That's why as a Behaviourist it is important for me to learn all I can about it.

12/04/2024

Is your dog able to settle when you need to wait somewhere together, or are they constantly busy and exploring within the length of the lead? Can you go to a pub or café and your dog will just relax and settle under or by the table?

I think the ability to settle in all sorts of situations is something that has got a little bit lost over the years. These days we just take the dog for a walk and come home again. The dog is often wired whilst on the walk busy being a dog and can only chill when back home. In the old days it was a bit different as dogs would be waiting patiently with the parents at the school gates, or they would be tied up outside shops where they needed to wait calmly for periods of time (and NO, don't tie your dog up outside shops!) etc.

In our classes we teach dogs to settle and recommend to practice it regularly, it's such an important skill. Yes, sometimes the homework we give owners is to go to the pub with their dog to practice... whoever said dog training isn't fun. 🤣

Well, Logan needed to see the vet for an ear infection earlier this week. Spaniels aren't great at keeping still, and it's even harder when you are blind like Logan and trying to work out what's going on around you, but he settled nicely until it was his turn. 😄

If you too would like to teach your dog to settle or any other useful skills, give us a shout. Www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk

10/04/2024

Taking our dogs for a walk is one of the big reasons why we have dogs. I for one would rarely go out of the house if it wasn't for my dogs.

So when we have a new puppy, we can't wait until they are fully vaccinated so we can take them for walks. It is a big event and lots of exciting anticipation... only to find that our 12-week old puppy isn't as keen as we are!

For a young puppy, the big, wide world can be a scary place with lots of noises, sights and smells to process and get used to.

So how can we make those first few walks as beneficial and pleasant as possible?

✅️ Forget about the word "walk". Just think about little adventures instead. Puppy walks in particular are not about walking, distance or speed. They are about learning and processing the environment around them.

✅️ Always take tasty treats with you (cooked chicken often works well) and your puppy's favourite toy.

✅️ Reward your puppy's behaviours that you like with a treat, e.g. sitting, walking nicely next to you, settling etc.

✅️ Use treats or a toy when you puppy is a little bit worried about something. If for example your puppy is a little unsettled by cars, give a treat each time a car goes past. Or if they worry about barking dogs, give a treat every time they hear a dog bark in the distance. This will help your puppy to gain confidence.

✅️ Go at your puppy's pace, don't rush. Give your puppy plenty of time to sniff, or just stop and take the surroundings in, it's not about walking, it's all about exploring this new world out there.

✅️ Going at the puppy's pace also means don't overwhelm him by taking him to lots of new places or busy places when he is still finding his feet. Keep to quieter areas for the first few walks, go to places where he can observe from a distance if needed. It is of course important to take your puppy out and about to socialise them, but don't rush it. Some puppies are more confident than others, take it at whatever pace your puppy is comfortable with.

Here is little Buddy, the 3-month old Golden Retriever puppy on one of his first walks. We gave him lots of time to stop and process things rather than hurry him along.

If you need any help with your new puppy, at home or out and about, give us a shout. Www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk

07/04/2024

As a professional dog trainer and behaviourist I regularly update my knowledge via conferences, webinars, seminars, workshops, books etc. both on the theory of things and practical training.

This weekend I have been listening to talks and lectures as part of the Chronic Pain Symposium organised by CAM (Canine Arthritis Management).

Why would a dog trainer want to learn about physical issues like chronic pain aimed at veterinary professionals? Well, there are two important reasons for me.

1. Personal reasons
I have had and still have now several dogs with chronic pain issues. I want to know as much about it as possible so I can help my pups to the best of my ability and give them the best quality of life in the short and long term (of course with the help of my vets and physical therapists).

2. Professional reasons
Pain, and particularly chronic pain, has a huge impact on behaviour. Studies have found that up to 80% of behaviour problems in dogs are caused or aggravated by discomfort and pain.
So as a Behaviourist I want to know how pain works and how it affects behaviour. I have first hand experience with my own dogs how discomfort and pain can cause behaviour changes, including and particularly also aggression.
So by learning as much as possible about it, I can help my clients and their dogs better and enable them to have the quality of life and harmony they aim for and deserve.

Here's just a glimpse of what topics are covered:

"Behaviour and Neuropathic Pain"

"Pain Perception and Environmental Influence"

"Pain and Discomfort: A Discussion Between a Veterinary Behaviorist and a Physical Therapist"

"Emotions and Chronic Pain"

"Pain, Behavior, and Resilience"

"Exercise and Pain Management"

"Caregiver Burden, Compassion Fatigue, and Empathy"

And that's just today. 😁 I won't be able to listen to all of it today, so it'll keep me busy for a while. 😀

If your dog has got behaviour issues, don't hesitate to contact us to find out how we can help you. www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk

07/04/2024

How time flies. 10 years ago I moved from South London to Norfolk and with that founded a new branch of WTDT near Diss and Thetford.

This week there is an article about WTDT in the business section of the Diss Express celebrating our 10th Anniversary here in Norfolk. An amazing WTDT community has grown here, both through classes and 121 training.

I can tell you that the photo shoot which took place on Wednesday was a bit of a challenge as it all had to be done in a few minutes with very excited dogs, but we did it and this picture was the result. 😀

And if you are wondering why Blake has his eyes closes... he has Iris Atrophy and sunlight (which we had for a change at that particular moment) is very uncomfortable for him.

05/04/2024

This old picture of Skye and Dylan has just popped up in my FB memories. This was just a few days after moving into my new house here in Norfolk, hence the temporary "furniture" 🤣.

Skye, my cocker spaniel, used to live on the window sill and comment loudly about everything that she saw and heard.

Do you have a dog that barks at things through a window? I often have clients that have problems with their dogs shouting at people, dogs or cats walking past their window. They have tried to close the curtains but the dogs generally find a way around that, and it also makes a room dark.

There are ways of training a dog out of this, but it can take time and it is often hard to be completely consistent and therefore successful.

The easiest solution which in many cases is truly a quick fix (and there are not many of those in dog training, right)? Privacy film for windows. You can cover your window or French doors up to a height where the dog can't reach, it's inexpensive, lets the light through and comes in all sorts of plain or fancy patterns.

Because your dog can't see through it, they don't get triggered, their stress levels are reduced and they will be more relaxed in general (like my lurcher Dylan below) and so will you and your neighbours be because your dog is not barking constantly anymore. Result! 😀

02/04/2024

If you give your dog rawhide chews and treats, it would be worth reading this article.

https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/articles/one-minute-articles-the-dangers-of-rawhide?fbclid=IwAR2kq5KjatSi124rBaZ4ayGZu2RC9J7nufANDTt-_KgPm8cbSv0C-mFA5Dk

Rawhide chews might seem like a tasty treat for your dog, but they come with hidden dangers that every pet owner should be aware of. In this infographic, we'll explore why rawhide chews should be avoided and the potential risks they pose to your beloved pet's health.

30/03/2024

Oh Gosh, my dogs and I are famous. 😍🤣

We loved doing the photo shoot with photographer Dylan a couple of years ago and the result is stunning. I have pre-ordered my copy of the book, have you? And I will be getting the Guardian (the article is in the magazine) this afternoon after work. 😀

Rachel and Andrew live with 19 of them, Julie never goes to the toilet without one, and Chloé’s take her socks off for her. Meet the pet lovers whose canine companions take the lead

29/03/2024

Wishing you a very happy Easter. Have a great weekend with your pups.

Here is Bentley, who comes to our Junior classes in Norfolk, giving you his best smile. 🥰

28/03/2024

I have been working with several clients over longer periods of time to help address some deep-seated behaviour issues. I love it when I get to help and coach over several sessions rather than just one or two, because it allows me to provide more specific and effective help (hence why we offer Home Visit Packages and discounted block bookings for 121 sessions - available depending on your location).

Dog training isn't usually a linear and straight forward process (no learning process is for any species), you get ups and downs and three steps forward and two back. If an owner goes through this process alone, then it can sometimes seem that the professional advice given was ineffective when it may have just been a natural dip in the learning process or something that needed tweaking a little (and again, longer term coaching allows me to help with that).

Anyway, what I am getting at is this... a few days ago a client with her nervous dog and I decided to go back to a location where we've been before where things went well (in fact exceptionally well) and we wanted to use the previous success for further confidence building... And it all went belly up! The dog would not even go near the doors that weren't ever a problem before, and we couldn't even get into the building.

Yes, it was disappointing, and yes, we couldn't quite believe what was happening after things were going so well before... BUT... failure is often a necessary part of success because failure gives us information on what doesn't work and sometimes that's very useful, even vital, information to get us to where we need to be.

My client and I discussed the possible reasons why the sudden increase in fear... We may never know exactly why a dog (or us) suddenly takes a step back, as mentioned above, that's quite normal in any learning process, but in this case we think it may be the fact that the dog hasn't been on his usual anxiety supplement for a few days. Sometimes with these things you can't see how well it works until you stop giving it and see a deterioration (or not as the case may be).

So, the solution in this case is to put the dog back onto the supplement and then we will go back to the same venue in a couple of weeks to see how the dog copes then.

So, to recap... Failure is often a necessary part of success because failure gives us important information on how to (or how not to) achieve a goal.

If you need any help with your dog's behaviour, give us a shout. 🙂 www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk

26/03/2024

When people see me out and about with my lurcher Blake, they generally ask two questions.

1. Why does he need to wear glasses?

2. How come he tolerates them so well? My dog wouldn't.

The answer to the first question is that Blake has Iris Atrophy. This means that his pupils don't adjust to light anymore. So bright daylight is uncomfortable for him and reduces his vision. Sunglasses allow him to be in the sunlight without problems.

The second question is not straight forward, but there are three elements that really help.

🔸️ I took plenty of time to get Blake used to wearing them by using lots of treats for the training.

🔸️ Blake is muzzle trained (as are all my dogs) and as a lurcher he is used to wearing a muzzle for longer periods of time (all my sighthounds are muzzled when off lead in public). Wearing canine goggles is not that that far off from wearing a muzzle. Both go on their face.

🔸️ I am a big believer that just generally teaching different things in a reward based way regularly enables dogs to get used to new situations more easily as they are used to learning and adapting. Especially trick training is particularly helpful for these situations. 🙂

So if you see Blake about in his fabulous sunglasses, now you know why he is wearing them. (And if your dog needs glasses for any reason and you are looking for suitable ones, I can highly recommend RexSpecs, they are such a good fit even for unusual face shapes).

If you need any help with training or you are just looking to give your dog a fun hobby, check our website for way we can help you. www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk

24/03/2024

How fabulous is it to have a great run and walk and still come home with a clean and dry dog. 🤣

Elijah and I got up early today and were at the dog park at 7 am. Secure dog fields are a great way of giving your dog off lead exercise, be it because your dog can't go off lead in public, or for training, a play date with friends or just to have some quiet and relaxing off lead time with your dog(s) without having to keep your eyes open for other dogs, people, wildlife or livestock.

There are lots of secure dog fields around now, if you're not sure where your local ones are, comment here and I'm sure we can help you find one. Those of you that use secure fields please feel free to comment too.

After the run here, Elijah and I then popped over to the local nature reserve for a bit of sniffy time and we met the horses today too.

23/03/2024

It's National Puppy Day today... well, here at WTDT it's Puppy Day every day. 🤣 Anyway, I thought we'd best post a puppy picture and please feel free to add some yourself.

I'll also take this opportunity to summaries our Puppy Services here to help you and your pup get a great start in your life together.

PUPPY FOUNDATION COURSE
We run courses in South London at South Norwood and East Dulwich and in Norfok near Diss and Thetford for puppies of up to 5 months old. We cover basic obedience, handling and life skills.

PUPPY HOME VISIT
This is a 2-hour session in your home where we can answer any puppy questions you have and help you get started on some basic obedience exercises. Many first-time puppy owners chose this option, often in addition to the Puppy Foundation Course. These are available in person in our South London and Norfolk locations, but also online for anyone too far from there.

See www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk for more details.

This cute puppy below is by the way Parker, who came to our Puppy Classes a while ago and is now a big, grown up boy. ❤️

19/03/2024

HOW TO USE TREATS

Being reward based trainers, we use treats and lots of them. However, most people using treats just use them in one particular way... giving it to the dog from the hand to the dog's mouth. That's often great, but there are so many different ways of delivering that food reward, and it often adds a lot more value to it for the dog (movement increases value). How many ways can you give a treat?

🔸️ Give by hand
🔸️ Toss along the ground
🔸️ Roll along the ground
🔸️ Drop on the ground
🔸️ Scatter several treats on the ground
🔸️ Get the dog to chase the treat in your hand before releasing it
🔸️ Hide a treat
🔸️ Get the dog to catch a treat you throw
🔸️ Put a treat into a pouch/lotus ball for the dog to chase and either you give the treat or the dog gets it out himself

Can you think of any other way of using or delivering a treat to reward? Put it in the comments.

Here is Elijah catching treats I throw, he loves doing that and is so good at it.

17/03/2024

REWARD BASED TRAINING

Yes, that's what we do... but then you knew that already, didn't you. 🙂

When we talk about reward based training, we automatically apply this to the dogs. We think of using treats, using toys and play, not shouting or causing pain/discomfort... And quite right, of course, that's reward based training.

But in dog training there are TWO parties involved - your dog and YOU, the owner. And as dog trainers we are training both, actually truth be told, we mostly train YOU so you can teach your dog. 😉

So coming back to reward based training... this doesn't just apply to our dogs, but to us owners too! And dog trainers really must remember that, especially us reward based trainers.

Here at WTDT we take our commitment and compassion to the dogs very seriously and the same applies to the owners. Reward based training here doesn't just refer to the dogs, it refers to the whole team, owners and dogs. ❤️

So if you would like to join our classes or book 121 training, but you have had bad experiences in the past (not just dog training, but any kind of learning) or are just not sure, please talk to us. We're always happy to help and accommodate any special requirements too.

www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk

16/03/2024

REWARDS

What do you reward your dog with if they have done something you asked them to?

With reward based training, many owners and indeed many trainers, think that it's all about treats. Yes, we use treats a lot too, absolutely, as they allow a lot of repetitions in a short space of time and are a very convenient and effective way to reward our dogs. But there are so many other types of rewards and we mustn't forget about those. Think about...

🔸️ Toys and various ways of moving them
🔸️ Playing in various ways
🔸️ Voice (happy cheerful, laughing)
🔸️ Body and how we move (including clapping!)
🔸️ Touch
🔸️ Sniffing
🔸️ Saying hello to a dog/person
🔸️ Going off lead
🔸️ Going into the garden

There is so much more. The key thing is to find stuff your dog loves or loves doing and that are practical for your training purposes. What rewards does your dog love?

Here is an example of my lurcher Blake and I practising our competitive heelwork (we're a bit rusty, because we can't compete anymore we don't practice as much). He loves toys (tugging and chasing) more than anything, so I will often use toys with him. Lurchers can be hard to motivate, so having a high speed and moving reward they love is ideal!

Give us a shout if you need help with training. We run classes in South London and Norfolk and offer 121 help too for any breed! Www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk

16/03/2024

When we teach different exercises in our classes, we always explain why we feel they are important to know and what use they have in everyday life.

Well, why do you think we teach our dogs to stay put when we ask them to?

Because it means we can get them to pose for great pictures of course like my three pups here. 🤣

06/03/2024

"I don't want my dog to just do what I ask them to do when I have a treat"

"I can't use treats when my dog is working/competing/I don't have treats on me..."

"I want my dog to do what he's told to do because I said so, not just because I have treats"

Sound familiar? I hear these and variations thereof on a fairly regular basis (though definitely less than a few years ago to be fair) - both from trainers and from owners.

As you may know, there are different ways of training dogs. Discussions about training methods are often a contentious affair... Social media highlights this even more. There is the problem of qualifications (did you know that Dog Trainers and even Behaviourists don't need any qualifications whatsoever to call themselves that?) and appropriate training experience - but I'll cover that particular debate another time. Then there seem to be more questions than answers when it comes to actually training dogs... what is right, what is wrong, what is acceptable, what is ethical, what is science led, what is effective, what is fair, what is necessary... It would be quite easy to write several books about it!

However, I want to hone in on just ONE issue, and it is one that some trainers (and owners) are ever so passionate about... and I am never quite sure why it causes such aversion in some people... TREATS! There, I've said it. Do you use treats when training dogs, or are you in the camp that doesn't think they are necessary or even feel very strongly that they must not be used as they hinder training? (Some dog trainers even seem to proudly advertise that they don't use treats for training!).

Well, being a positive, reward based trainer, I use treats and teach owners to use treats and how to use them effectively. Why? Because as a reward based trainer, we focus on rewarding behaviours that we want, and to get those we need to... well, we need to reward, don't we. Does it always have to be food? No! There are tons of different types of rewards available when training dogs, and indeed a good trainer will know how to use those different reward effectively in the various situations. Just a few examples... toys, play, praise, walks, going off lead, interaction with another dog, interaction with people, sniffing... Rewards are what your dog considers rewarding, and rewards can be anything that your dog wants and enjoys! (Not everything your dog likes and wants is practical to use as a reward though!). And rewards is only a part of reward based training too, but let's not even go into that for now.

So if a dog trainer thinks that positive reward based training is just about giving our dogs tons of food all day long, it simply means that they don't really understand how reward based training works. But let's concentrate on the wretched treats, shall we?

There are two issues that I want to cover in this (rather long) post about treat training! And yes, I'll talk just about treats in this case, as this is what seems to be the point of contention for some trainers and owners.

1. Phasing out treats properly
2. Just keep using the blooming treats if you want to

PHASING OUT TREATS
Yes, treats can be phased out in due course. Just because we teach something with treats doesn't mean that the dogs will never be able to do that behaviour without treats. If done correctly you can absolutely teach your dog stuff that they will eventually have to perform and execute without treats in front of their schnozzle. If they can't it means that the dog doesn't understand the behaviour properly that you ask from them and/or the treats haven't been phased out properly. How? If you go from holding a treat in your hand and then rewarding your dog with said treat when they have done the exercise and then you go straight to no treat in your hand and no treat as a reward, your dog is going to learn so very fast that no treat in your hand means no reward (or at least not the reward they expected and probably wanted). And bingo, within a few repetitions you have just created a dog that won't do anything without a treat in front of them.
The solution is simple though... build in a middle step and teach your dog that even if you have no treat in your hand they will still get a treat as a reward (and that treat can eventually be replaced with other types of rewards including life rewards).

2. KEEP USING TREATS
And then there is MY opinion and question... what is so bad about using treats for longer, if not forever?
Many people feel strongly that dogs should just do what they are told without questioning it, just "because I said so". But you know, dogs (just like us or any other animal on the planet) don't do things just "because someone said so"... We do things to either achieve or avoid a consequence. Consequences can be an external or internal reward (something that makes us feel good) or an external or internal punishment (something that makes us feel bad). External being something that happens to us from the environment around us (e.g. applied by an owner or trainer) and internal being something that we feel (joy, fear, happiness, anticipation of something good or bad etc.). So if someone says that a dog needs to do whatever they are told without treats, it doesn't mean that the dog does it in a vacuum. There is always a reason for their (and our) behaviour, either the anticipation of something pleasant if they do as asked, or the anticipation of something unpleasant if they don't do as asked. And given that the strongest feelings about treats usually come from trainers and owners that tend to use more averse training methods, I would argue that most of those dogs do things out of worry what might happen if they don't rather than just because they are told to do so. Many of those dogs will also be wearing tools that threaten them with discomfort and pain, so my questions is why are reward based trainers and owners made to feel bad about using a powerful tool like treats to provide the consequence that the dog wants to get the behaviours that we want?

I am not saying don't bother phasing out treats if that's what you want to do and what in many situations and environments is needed (e.g. certain types of working dogs or competition dogs), but I am more than happy to always use treats in some situations without bothering to phase them out.

Yes, there's lots more to it... using treats as a reward, not just a lure, using different types of rewards, phasing out, turning learnt behaviours into habit and much more. But what I simply want to say is... if you want to use treats, use the blooming treats. Treats are not the outcast of the reward family, they are a highly valuable training tool that we should use with confidence and conviction regardless of what anyone else says. There you have it, we like using treats because they're such an easy, convenient, powerful and effective tool in dog training, why would anyone want to dismiss them so completely?

So if you'd like to learn how to use treats (and of course other types of rewards and positive techniques) effectively, then give us a shout so we can help you achieve your training goals. www.waggingtailsdogtraining.co.uk.co.uk