Fresh Start Pet Behaviour & Training

30/08/2024

Desensitisation programme provided by the Dogs Trust. This will help guide you through the whole process step by step.

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/dog-behaviour-health/sound-therapy-for-pets

Zylkene also has a free sound desensitisation/sound therapy programme.

https://zylkenepet.co.uk/help-advice/sound-desensitisation/

Link to free body language book https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/f/dog-body-language

22/08/2024

Book an online family workshop

18/08/2024

SMALL DOG, BIG SCARY WORLD

People often think of very small dogs as being anxious and reactive and to be honest, quite a few are. It’s easy for people to ‘blame the owners’ or say that they have ‘little dog syndrome’ or even that they are ‘bossy’ 🙄 Really though, we need to be understanding of what life is like for really tiny dogs.

Tiny dogs often don’t have much control over their lives- they can be picked up easily (even if they don’t want to be) and they can be made to do stuff as they are small. People notice if a 40kg dog is worried about going into a busy park or a cafe and plants their feet and refuses to move but with a tiny dog, you can just make them do it even if they don’t want as you can pull them or pick them up ☹️

Tiny dogs often get overwhelmed before they’ve even got through puppyhood and many are fearful by the time they are 4 or 5 months old 😢 Big dogs may run up and knock them over, even in play bigger dogs can be overwhelming if you are 50 x smaller. Lots of hands reach down to touch them and yes, there it is again, strangers may also pick them up (whether they like it or not). Physically they may be delicate (my yorkie’s legs are made from matchsticks 😂) and may be hurt accidentally during normal dog interactions.

Everything is big and potentially dangerous when you weigh a couple of Kg and are about 8 inches tall. The world can be a scary and overwhelming place.

It’s easy to see then why so many littlies end up worried by the world and particularly by other dogs.

Tiny dog’s signals that they need space are also ignored often; people take notice of a GSD showing it’s teeth or growling and give them space but many people would laugh or totally ignore a tiny dog’s identical communication asking for space. How many ‘funny’ videos are out there that show tiny chihuahuas showing all their teeth and people are laughing at them? 😢 It’s not rocket science that they may then escalate to actually biting if their warnings are ignored - and they get called ‘snappy little dogs’ and again, misunderstood 😢

Small dogs can often miss out on having their species-specific needs met: their need for exploratory behaviour, for social contact; their needs for enrichment and physical exercise too and this impacts on them and their ability to cope. They are still proper dogs with the same needs.

I’ve been really lucky with my handreared yorkie, she’s fabulous with people and absolutely loves dogs but it’s been a bit of a mission to make sure things have gone right. It’s taken time to get her comfortable around bigger dogs on walks and I haven’t socialised her in the same way I have my other dogs as she could easily have become fearful (and then reactive).

When she was a puppy I did let her meet loads of dogs but I was been really careful and it was almost all onlead and with dogs I know and who I knew would be nice to her. Even now she’s an adult I continue to make sure she meets nice dogs and we frequent loads of national trust places as she can meet lots of sociable dogs there who are all under control. The last thing I wanted was for her to be really scared by another dog or physically hurt (she has deformed back legs that put her at huge risk of injury). She goes to offlead places too, but generally with one of my big dogs there too (she has big body guards) 😄

I’ve had to make adjustments to life to keep her safe and make sure she has a happy life and that she doesn’t become reactive. It’s been worth it as she has stayed so sociable (but as an adult she loves small dogs best). If I’d just walked her where I walked my big dogs all the time I would think that by now she would have been flattened or overwhelmed and may have become dog reactive. It’s totally understandable why so many tiny dogs are fearful.

My tiny dog also wouldn’t have had enough repeated, safe and positive controlled interactions with friendly dogs right throughout adolescence if I hadn’t carried on with all the cafe/pub/NT visits and that would have been detrimental. It’s not enough to just do this stuff when they are tiny puppies and then stop at 14 weeks old as adolescence is when if can often all start to go wrong. (It’s also a good justification for my many pub and cafe visits with Twig 😂)

We can’t forget the impact of genetics too and that’s a factor in why many small dogs are reactive; some genes for small body size are linked to fearfulness and reactivity and there may also be epigenetic factors too.

We can all be a bit more understanding too with small dogs and their owners. Don’t berate them for picking their dogs up if that’s what makes their dog feel safe- it won’t be what’s caused their anxiety and it might be what they need to feel safe right now. Don’t let your dogs overwhelm them (even in a friendly way). You’d also think it’s common sense to not pick strangers small dogs up without asking but people try to do it all the time 🙄

We have lots of anxious tiny dogs who absolutely thrive in our reactivity classes, we can keep them safe and make sure they aren’t overwhelmed and also help them to feel more confident around other dogs again.

Laura McAuliffe 2024
Photo shows my yorkie meeting two other small dogs in a cafe

03/08/2024

It would be lovely to see some of our rehomes at the event. Pop over and say hello.
This Sunday see’s the return of Lytham dog festival.. at Fairhaven lakeside
The Rescue Trust of North West Golden Retriever Club and myself and Claire from our group will be attending too..
We’ve managed to secure a pitch where we will hopefully generate lots of interest into the valuable work the group does to ensure no golden is left behind,,
Also maybe spread the news of the group and generate some new followers to..
Members of the trust will be hosting as well as a couple of rescued goldens who’ve found their forever homes.. 🥰
Our stand will be holding a doggie themed tombola and the chance to win the infamous ikea golden retriever stuffed doggo..
It’s set to be a dry temp too temp of 20 so perfect weather..
Pls come along to see us if you’re in the area and say hello… 🐾🐾
IMPORTANT!!!
THIS IS NOT A MEET and other dog breeds will be there too, It’s just a great day out on a warm dry Sunday, where your paws will no doubt be spoilt..

31/07/2024

*** SORTED FOR NOW ***

VERY URGENT FOSTER - SCOTLAND!!

Woody will be arriving in the UK on Friday morning, having nabbed a car-lift with foster mum Jo who is travelling from Cairnryan to just north of Edinburgh.

Very sadly, the home we had been hoping could take him now can't due to a family bereavement and so we are urgently looking for a foster (or potential forever) home for him within shouting distance of the above route.

Woody is an extremely handsome spaniel x collie, about a year old. He hasn't known much, but he is really super with people - affectionate/sweet/gentle/playful. He walks well on a lead and his recall is pretty good (well, if there are no rabbits taunting him). He is crate trained (settles fine overnight), is not barky and travels fine in the car.

We think Woody might do best an only dog at the mo, but could also live with a spayed bitch that could tell him off (he's just hit that 'ornery teenage stage and he is not yet neutered - something that will be done at our expense in due course)

Woody would ultimately love a home interested in scentwork/canicross/mantrailing as he shows obvious potential - but he'd also be fab for just an active home that enjoys training and can commit to bringing on a young dog.

If you are in Scotland and could help with fostering Woody from this Friday (2nd) please PM asap

If you are interested in offering him a forever home, please click on this link to submit an application:

https://forms.gle/6cHGxVSxtWfRtRfK6

06/07/2024

24/06/2024

16/06/2024

Let's talk about this photo. It's cute, except it's not. I see a dog who cannot get up without telling the child to get off. How do you think a dog is going to do that?

The 7 Golden Toddler Dog Rules:
#1: If a dog walks away from you, you DO NOT FOLLOW.
#2: Always leave room for the dog to walk away from you.
---that right there is 90+% of dog bites eliminated---
#3: We do not climb on the dog.
#4: We do not grab or pull on the dog.
#5: We do not hit or throw anything at the dog.
#6: We do not touch the dog's food.
#7: We do not go into the dog's kennel.

I promise these are not overly difficult concepts for littles, nor will they rob a kid of their bond with the family dog. It will deepen that bond, while keeping everyone safe.

"Oh, it looks like Moose is walking away from you. She is saying she wants a break. Let's play with this instead!"

"It's Moose's dinner time! Let's give her space to enjoy her yummies."

"That is Moose's room(kennel) and only she is allowed to go in there."

"If Moose wanted a break, could she walk away from you right now? No she really couldn't. Let's move away from the play house. You can keep playing but now she can leave when she wants a break."

In conclusion, ***parent your child or your dog will do it for you, and you will not like how they do it.***

08/06/2024

These days I see a lot of pet dogs being walked on slip leads. It seems to have become a fashion! The slip lead is NOT a training tool for stopping dogs pulling. As you can see from this post it is a noose which can strangle and cause damage and pain if used in that way. The original use is as a quick release lead on trained gun dogs who are working on a shoot where they can't wear a collar/ harness because it could get caught up in bushes when the dog is working. The other use would be as an emergency lead to catch a stray dog or quickly move dogs between kennels. It is not safe or kind to use it for general walking or as an aversive tool to control a dog.

A dogs neck is a very delicate part of their body!

The neck and cervical spine contain the spinal cord, this is where the nerves of the front legs originate. Excessive paw licking is quite often misdiagnosed as allergies when it is in fact pain.

Putting stress on the neck can cause painful disc damage and shoulder problems

A dog has the same number of vertebrae as a giraffe (think about that before choking a dog)

One of the most important structures of the nervous system "The Vagus Nerve" originates at neck level and this controls life essential organs like lung, heart, stomach, and intestinal tract.

The Thyroid gland is located in the neck. If this gets inflamed the immune system trys to remove the inflamed cells.
The destruction of the Thyroid gland cells can lead to hypothyroidism

Increased pressure put on the Jugular vein can cause seizures
Ear and Eye issues are significantly increased

Being je**ed on a lead causes whiplash and bruising.

The epidermis of a dog is only 3-5 cells thick
A humans is 10-15 cells thick

So WHY would anyone want to use a noose ....sorry I mean a slip lead?

A well fitted Y shaped harness is the safest and kindest peice of equipment to use.

06/06/2024

A very good post!

I was having this conversation today with a client and I thought it was worth outlining here for anyone else who needs to hear this:

IT IS NORMAL (AND RESPONSIBLE) TO HAVE TO MANAGE YOUR DOG IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.

What do we mean by 'manage'? We mean by changing their environment or limiting their interaction within an environment in order to keep them from "behaving inappropriately" (in our eyes).

Very typical examples:

🐾 Using a long line on walks
🐾 Shutting dogs away when deliveries come
🐾 Leaving your dog at home when you go somewhere
🐾 Keeping them on lead in some situations
🐾 Keeping them away from the table at meal times
🐾 Keeping them from approaching certain dogs
🐾 Not giving them their ball with other dogs around
🐾 Not putting their food bowl near anothers
🐾 Keeping them on lead around kids

The list could go on and on and on.

I don't know a single person who doesn't have to manage their dog in certain situations because dogs are DOGS. They aren't mini humans who can be reasoned with: "just share your toys with your friend, they're not going to take them away". Dogs are a straight thinking species: I want this, I don't want that, I need this, I am scared of losing that and so on.

It's a real error to assume that our dogs showing any degree of discomfort in a situation is a dog that needs to be "fixed". They're not broken! They're just being their real selves in a world that has REALLY HIGH expectations of them.

It's an even bigger error to assume that adding food to a situation will change anything. In some situations it can make it worse. Counter conditioning is NOT always the answer. Many of my clients have found that out the hard way from previous well meaning advice.

Don't feel ashamed if your dog can't do something that Joe Blogg's dog down the street can do. I bet you Joe Blogg's dog down the street can't do something your dog CAN!

Dogs are so painfully real and honest. They aren't perfect and they never ever pretend to be.

👇🏻 Name a situation where you need to manage your dogs! I'll start:

Lucy: has to be managed around young children with leads and gates
Raggy: has to be managed around stranger dogs as has low tolerance of bounciness
River: has to be managed in the outside world altogether using a long line
Alby: has to be managed around the house as will toilet inappropriately if given the chance.

MANAGEMENT IS AS NORMAL AS SOCKS AND HOT DINNERS.

Spread the word 🐾💜

23/05/2024

Free Facebook Live with Laura Carter exploring how anxiety can help dogs that are need rest

13/05/2024

Please be mindful of the wildlife at Fairhaven Lake.

We're saddened to share that a goose was attacked over the weekend at Fairhaven Lake. It is currently receiving treatment, but its chances of survival are low.

To prevent such incidents, we kindly remind all visitors to keep their dogs on leads while enjoying Fairhaven Lake and Gardens and help ensure the safety of our wildlife. Geese are very protective of their babies so please be careful.

For more information about the Public Space Protection Order visit - https://ow.ly/UMrM50REjuv

01/05/2024

16/04/2024

This is a lovely thing to do for your pet and a great skill to learn.

Free Facebook Live with Laura Carter exploring how anxiety can help dogs that are need rest

07/04/2024

Full incident can be seen on our latest lambing Vlog over on YouTube.

Link here:
https://youtu.be/RzVJdz1s7n8

30/03/2024

Tips for teaching loose lead walking.

26/03/2024

Do your research when choosing a dog. Think about what they were originally bred to do.

Everyone who is thinking of getting dogs should read this because you need to understand this reality:

***I am a 21st century dog.***
-I'm a Malinois.
Overskilled among dogs, I excel in all disciplines and I'm always ready to work: I NEED to work.
But nowadays I get asked to chill on the couch all day everyday.

-I am an Akita Inu.
My ancestors were selected for fighting bears.
Today I get asked to be tolerant and I get scolded for my reactivity when another approaches me.

-I am a Beagle.
When I chase my prey, I raise my voice so the hunters could follow.
Today they put an electric collar on me to shut up, and you make me come back to you - no running - with a snap of your fingers.

-I am a Yorkshire Terrier.
I was a terrifying rat hunter in English mines.
Today they think I can't use my legs and they always hold me in their arms.

-I'm a Labrador Retriever.
My vision of happiness is a dive into a pond to bring back the duck he shot to my master.
Today you forget I'm a walking, running, swimming dog; as a result I'm fat, made to stay indoors, and to babysit.

-I am a Jack Russell.
I can take on a fox, a mean badger, and a rat bigger than me in his den.
Today I get scolded for my character and high energy, and forced to turn into a quiet living room dog.

-I am a Siberian Husky.
Experienced the great, wide open spaces of Northern Europe, where I could drag sleds for long distances at impressive speeds.
Today I only have the walls of the house or small garden as a horizon, and the holes I dig in the ground just to release energy and frustration, trying to stay sane.

-I am a border collie
I was made to work hours a day in partnershipwith my master, and I am an unmistakable artist of working with the herd.
Today they are mad at me because, for lack of sheep, I try to check bikes, cars, children in the house and everything in motion.

I am ...
I am a 21st century dog.
I'm pretty, I'm alert, I'm obedient, I stay in a bag...but I'm also an individual who, from centuries of training, needs to express my instincts, and I am *not* suited for the sedentary life you'd want me to lead.
Spending eight hours a day alone in the house or in the garden - with no work and no one to play or run with, seeing you for a short time in the evening when you get home, and only getting a small toilet walk will make me deeply unhappy.
I'll express it by barking all day, turning your yard into a minefield, doing my needs indoors, being unmanageable the rare times I'll find myself outside, and sometimes spending my days sunk, sad, lonely, and depressed, on my pillow.
You may think that I should be happy to be able to enjoy all this comfort while you go to work, but actually I’ll be exhausted and frustrated, because this is absolutely NOT what I'm meant to do, or what I need to be doing.
If you love me, if you've always dreamed of me, if my beautiful blue eyes or my athletic look make you want me, but you can't give me a real dog's life, a life that's really worth living according to my breed, and if you can't offer me the job that my genes are asking, DO NOT buy or adopt me!
If you like the way I look but aren't willing to accept my temperament, gifts, and traits derived from long genetic selection, and you think you can change them with only your good will, then DO NOT BUY OR ADOPT ME.
I’m a dog from the 21st century, yes, but deep inside me, the one who fought, the one who hunted, the one who pulled sleds, the one who guided and protected a herd still lives within.
So think **very** carefully before you choose your dog. And think about getting two, rather than one, so I won't be so very lonely waiting for you all day. Eight or ten hours is just a workday to you, but it's an eternity for me to be alone.
Like David Attenborough Fans for more:

24/02/2024

This dog deserves a chance.

16/02/2024

Here is Cleo at 9 weeks and later as an adult dog! On the way she has gone trough all the stages of development from a cute baby puppy, to an gangly adolescent to the wonderful dog she is today! Getting puppies off to a good start with their training from an early age is very important and we can help you with that, and support you through the difficult stages as they become canine "teenagers".
On Tuesday evenings at 6.30pm, we have places available on our Early Days Puppy Training for baby puppies under 5 months old when they start. If you would like a place for your puppy, please email [email protected] and I will send you the booking form and details.

10/02/2024

Documents submitted with the application said the aim was to provide “a secure dog walking and exercise field where people can exercise their dogs"

26/01/2024

24/01/2024

This is so true. The more I spend time with my dogs the more I realise how much they try to communicate their needs to me as well as me teaching them what to do and how to ope in our human-centred world. Its a two way thing and every dog I have had has taught me new things.

22/01/2024

Many thanks to Sharon Denovan for making Freya look amazing!