Dog Behaviour Clinic

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Dog Behaviour Clinic Dog Behaviour Clinic was first established in 2007, covering N Cambs, S Lincs W Norfolk

Accredited dog behaviourist and trainer
Relationship centred, kind, fair, positive reinforcement training
No force, no fear, no pain
Joint Principal of The International School for Canine Psychology and Behaviour (ISCP) www.theiscp.com

A relationship is a continuous learning process that requires ongoing effort and communication. It involves understandin...
26/06/2024

A relationship is a continuous learning process that requires ongoing effort and communication. It involves understanding and adapting to the needs and desires of both individuals involved. Feedback loops within a relationship provide opportunities for growth and development, contributing to its dynamic nature. Each interaction offers insights and challenges, contributing to the evolution of the relationship.

In order to effectively communicate with a dog, it is essential to recognise and acknowledge that they have valuable tho...
23/06/2024

In order to effectively communicate with a dog, it is essential to recognise and acknowledge that they have valuable thoughts and feelings to express. Without this fundamental belief, it becomes difficult to truly listen and understand their needs, emotions, and messages.

A few people have asked me how little Luna is getting on so here is a little update. She is the German Shepherd who was ...
22/06/2024

A few people have asked me how little Luna is getting on so here is a little update. She is the German Shepherd who was worried about being touched.

She watches other dogs from the window of the enrichment room and does not react - just shows interest so we let her watch. She now requests fuss and affection from everyone who takes care of her. She loves getting out in the car too so we have been slowly expanding her experiences and she is taking it all in her stride. She has seen horses, sheep, pigs, ducks and chickens, watches them for a while and if she looks like she might become more aroused I just call her name and she comes to me. She then ignores them for the rest of the walk.

She is ready to find her new home and is currently being cared for by German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund. You can find her details on their website.

Every interaction with a dog is an opportunity to show them love, respect, and kindness. Be clear, consistent, and kind ...
19/06/2024

Every interaction with a dog is an opportunity to show them love, respect, and kindness. Be clear, consistent, and kind in your communication. Dogs rely on us to guide them through the world, so let's do so with honesty and compassion.

Introducing  KiaKia is a  GSD who is around 2 years old, and was found as a stray. German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund step...
17/06/2024

Introducing Kia

Kia is a GSD who is around 2 years old, and was found as a stray. German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund stepped in to help after her 7 days were up. When I first met her, she was incredibly toy obsessed. She would grab the first toy she came across and run around in a frenzied fashion. She simply could not relax or switch off or think of anything else if there were toys around.

Now, some might say she needs to work so increase her physical exercise, give her a job to do, take her to agility and so on, or that the simple way to stop the obsession is to take all the toys away and not to give them to her at all. However, there are problems with these approaches. If we think about this from a welfare point of view, that is not conducive to good welfare! She may find comfort or an emotional attachment from having toys, or it may have started as a coping mechanism. Would it be fair for her to never have a toy again? She would most likely find something else to use as a toy over time anyway. Dogs like Kia do not need an increase in stimulation as she was already over stimulated by the toys. The other problem is that this approach does not change the underlying motivation or behaviour or help her to move forward. Even if she didn’t have toys for a long time, if she ever came across one, the motivation and the high stimulation from them would still be there.

We began bringing her into a specially designed enrichment room, provided by A17 kennels, for which we are so grateful. It also doubles as a room that mimics being in a home. We loaded up some snuffle mats and towels with treats of various textures and tastes at different heights. We placed down some blankets that had been around people and some that had a few drops of different (dog safe)scents, specifically designed for dogs. Scent work can be really rewarding for dogs. We also put some paste onto some cones and other surfaces.

Initially, we removed all the toys from the room so that she could begin to enjoy exploring and then gave her one toy for the last 5 minutes of the session. We found that Kia really enjoyed licking the paste and sniffing around the room. Over a number of sessions, Kia began to slow down and actually sniff and investigate the room, seek interaction, physical contact and affection.

We no longer remove all the toys before she comes. She will pick up a toy and briefly interact with it but then chooses to come over for some affection or even some grooming. At some point in the session, we provide her with a long-lasting dehydrated treat so that she goes to lie down with it. (Obviously, just being still doesn’t mean that a dog is actually relaxed). Today, she had one of these treats and then came over for affection and lay down on the floor for about 5 minutes. We will be introducing her to some more fun scent work over the coming weeks and also man trailing.

The point of writing this post is to think about how we try to change a dogs unwanted behaviour. It isn’t just about stopping or preventing the behaviour or doing some training with them. Being obsessed with toys was not a problem in Kia’s eyes, just in the humans. Of course, long term, being obsessed and having tunnel vision when it comes to toys is not a healthy way for a dog to be. Dogs with this kind of fixed focus lose all awareness of potential risks that they would otherwise have. The urge to grab and hold on to toys, to chase and play with them overrules everything else so it is not a healthy state to constantly be in.

When we are wanting to change a dogs behaviour, we must think about the dogs motivations, ensure that it is not detrimental to their welfare and only use kind, fair, effective and ethical methods.

We talk a lot about looking for changes in body language so here's a chance to practice.What differences, if any, can yo...
15/06/2024

We talk a lot about looking for changes in body language so here's a chance to practice.

What differences, if any, can you see in the body language of photo 1 compared to photo 2? They are slightly blurred as I have zoomed in but hopefully you can see clearly enough.

Not looking for interpretations, just purely observations.

12/06/2024

A fun video for observation purposes only. We often miss so much and we need to train ourselves to look for changes.
This is a couple of clips taken of my senior boy, waiting to pounce on his toy.
Can you spot any changes in the video clips?

“A handler who insists that a dog ignore the world is one who is afraid of losing control of the dog” Suzanne ClothierWh...
09/06/2024

“A handler who insists that a dog ignore the world is one who is afraid of losing control of the dog” Suzanne Clothier

When dogs are interested or curious about novelty in the environment, it is often suggested to train them to focus on the handler and ignore whatever they are concerned about. A dog who is trained to rigidly ignore their world is not being a dog and is not able to learn coping skills or other strategies.

There is nothing wrong with letting dogs watch things in their world as long as we can recognise when a dog is going beyond alert curiosity or interest and are becoming worried, fearful, or ready to react. We can then offer them some support and help them move away.

Photo ref: Luna waiting for her new home with German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund

In our relationships with other humans, we don’t discount or laugh at others experiences, we try to understand their poi...
07/06/2024

In our relationships with other humans, we don’t discount or laugh at others experiences, we try to understand their point of view and respect their reality. So why can’t we do this with our dogs instead of expecting them to face their fears?

05/06/2024
Another practical strategy that Hanley-Dafoe talks about with children is listening with the intention of really hearing...
05/06/2024

Another practical strategy that Hanley-Dafoe talks about with children is listening with the intention of really hearing them and what they are saying. We can also do this with our dogs. Really try to listen to what they are saying through their communication.

Hanley-Dafoe, R. (2020, October). The Guide to Resilient Children. Scouts Canada. https://www.scouts.ca/f/13bw8

We know that play strengthens bonds and supports child development in lots of ways. It is a building block for empathy, ...
02/06/2024

We know that play strengthens bonds and supports child development in lots of ways. It is a building block for empathy, communication, and relationships. Enter your dog’s world and join in the fun.

Photo ref: Kira waiting for her new home with German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund

Observations only, NOT interpretations.Compare the body language in the two dogs. What do you see? Which dog is in a hig...
01/06/2024

Observations only, NOT interpretations.

Compare the body language in the two dogs.

What do you see?
Which dog is in a higher state of arousal?
How do you know?

As owners, guardians, or caregivers (insert whatever term you use to describe your relationship with your dog), we play ...
30/05/2024

As owners, guardians, or caregivers (insert whatever term you use to describe your relationship with your dog), we play a significant role in the development of our dog’s emotional foundations, just as we do with children. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, Ed.D., an award-winning author talks about practical strategies that help foster and cultivate resiliency. I have replaced the word child with dog in the quote below.

“When your dog walks in the room, do your eyes light up? That’s what they’re looking for.” Show you are genuinely glad when they come into the room.

Try it with your dog :)

Hanley-Dafoe, R. (2020, October). The Guide to Resilient Children. Scouts Canada. https://www.scouts.ca/f/13bw8

Photo ref: Myla looking for her new home with German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund

If we can trust what a dog is communicating to us, and know it is an honest communication from them, we should remember ...
27/05/2024

If we can trust what a dog is communicating to us, and know it is an honest communication from them, we should remember that our dogs expect the same from us!

Photo ref: Ted waiting for his new home with German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund

This beautiful dog waiting for her new home loves her ducky! Jack loves his piggy, Bonnie loves her ball and Luna loves ...
25/05/2024

This beautiful dog waiting for her new home loves her ducky! Jack loves his piggy, Bonnie loves her ball and Luna loves her big ball.
What's your dogs favourite toy?

A random photo I took of two of my dogs watching the birds through the window. Although we need to be careful about look...
24/05/2024

A random photo I took of two of my dogs watching the birds through the window. Although we need to be careful about looking at a single photo and making a judgement as we don't always know the background, circumstances etc, in this photo you can really see the difference between the two dogs reactions to the birds from their body language.

What do you see? Compare the body language of the two dogs.

Dogs, like us, are emotional, social creatures. They communicate through silent signals, as well as through vocalisation...
22/05/2024

Dogs, like us, are emotional, social creatures. They communicate through silent signals, as well as through vocalisation, and also through scent and touch. Once we learn to read their body language this opens the door to a wealth of understanding that can truly enrich our relationship.

Contrary to what some tv “dog trainers” would have you believe; dogs are NOT trying to assert their dominance over their...
19/05/2024

Contrary to what some tv “dog trainers” would have you believe; dogs are NOT trying to assert their dominance over their canine or human “pack”. Dogs view humans as family rather than being part of a pack, dogs know we are not dogs!

Yes, my dogs sleep on the sofa or our bed!

When a dog's ears are tight around the base and held high and erect, behaviours are likely to be less thoughtful.. This ...
15/05/2024

When a dog's ears are tight around the base and held high and erect, behaviours are likely to be less thoughtful.. This is linked to engagement of the sympathetic nervous system as opposed to the parasympathetic nervous system.

As a dogs ears rise, and tighten, and the space between the base of the ears narrows, an internal change is occurring. Dogs are more likely to move towards more automatic behaviours such as herding, chasing, ragging, mouthing, grabbing and running.

Dogs are better able to detect movement than humans and can detect movement from around 900 metres.
12/05/2024

Dogs are better able to detect movement than humans and can detect movement from around 900 metres.

We may know we are trustworthy or that someone else is trustworthy, but we should not assume our dogs know this - trust ...
09/05/2024

We may know we are trustworthy or that someone else is trustworthy, but we should not assume our dogs know this - trust has to be earned. We can show dogs that they can trust us by our actions and interactions.

Humans control a large part of dogs lives and some of this is due to keeping them safe. But we control when they eat, wh...
06/05/2024

Humans control a large part of dogs lives and some of this is due to keeping them safe. But we control when they eat, where they eat, what they eat, whether they have company or are alone, when they have access to outside, which dogs they get to interact with and much more. So how can we give dogs more choice in their lives without putting them at risk? I've listed a few suggestions below but can you think of any others?

Choice of sleeping area
Choice to engage or not
Choice of going outside in the garden or staying in
Choice of treats or food
Choice of toys
Choice of where to walk, and which direction
Choice in being handled for things such as grooming and other care focussed tasks
Choice to stop and sniff on walks – not walking to heel!

A dogs overall body posture is a good indicator of how they are feeling but what should we look for?➡Where is the weight...
04/05/2024

A dogs overall body posture is a good indicator of how they are feeling but what should we look for?

➡Where is the weight of the body held - more on the front or on the back legs or is the weight centred?
➡Is the body curved or facing head-on?
➡Is the body lowered or is it held very tall and square?
➡Is the dog standing, sitting, or lying down?
➡Are the dog's movements fluid or stiff?
➡Is the dog moving away or towards an interaction?

02/05/2024

Enhancing your observational skills

🧐Would you like to understand your dog better?
🧐Do you get confused by their signals and communication?
🧐Do you only listen to your dog when they “shout”?

Understanding your dog's communication is the foundation for building a strong relationship and meeting their needs. It's amazing what we can learn from their subtle cues and nuances of communication.

With our help, you can become a pro at interpreting your dog's behaviour and responding appropriately. Let's work together to enhance your connection with your dog and create a harmonious, happy relationship.

We have an incredible offer for you. Starting at the end of April, we are offering the opportunity to enhance your observational skills.

Would you like:

✅A monthly live online session analysing videos
✅Opportunity to submit a video for discussion
✅Access to a private group where you can ask questions and join discussions

How it works

You can join as a dog guardian/owner or as a professional. Membership is just £5.00 per month (minimum 6 months subscription)

Register your interest by dropping us a message or sending an email 📨to [email protected]

01/05/2024

Don't fall for gimmicks, quick fixes or false promises like the video below. We have all seen the adverts offering a quck fix or a shortcut.

First of all, we are not in the business of "fixing" dogs. Also, unwanted dog behaviour does not happen in a vacuum. It isn't just about the dog's behaviour, it is often about recognising the dog's emotional experience, how our actions and behaviours impact them, the dog's motivations, their environment and much more.
Quick fixes often involve harmful or aversive techniques.
Each dog is an individual and there is no universal method that works for every dog. Changing a dogs unwanted behaviour ethically often involves an holistic approach.

Don't get drawn into believing empty promises and false headlines - do your research before employing a dog trainer or behaviourist!

Changes in body language can happen very quickly, literally in seconds as the dog moves from being aroused to reacting. ...
28/04/2024

Changes in body language can happen very quickly, literally in seconds as the dog moves from being aroused to reacting. What differences can you spot in these two photos, taken one after the other?

Prong collars or pinch collars - just don't!🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩According to those who employ prong collars on their dogs, they...
27/04/2024

Prong collars or pinch collars - just don't!
🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

According to those who employ prong collars on their dogs, they are just training collars used to keep dogs' behaviour in "check" and they are apparently harmless.
Really?

Prong collars are designed to cause pain or discomfort in order to stop dogs displaying a certain unwanted behaviour. They're based on the principle of applying something painful or frightening to stop unwanted behaviour.

Many research studies show that aversive training techniques, like prong collars, can cause pain and distress and can compromise dog welfare. We also know that painful and distressing training techniques have long term effects on the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of dogs. I have personally seen the resulting pain, anxiety, fear, physical and mental scarring they cause to dogs.

At the very least, these aversive "tools" do not teach a dog what to do instead!

* Dr. Karen Overall published an editorial in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior in which she wrote: “Absolutely, without exception, I oppose, will not recommend, and generally spend large amounts of time telling people why I oppose the use of shock collars, prong collars, choke collars, and any other type of device that is rooted in an adversarial, confrontational interaction with the dog". (Overall, 2007).

There is NO excuse for animal abuse, no matter what form it takes. STOP using them.

25/04/2024

Red flag play?
Green flag play?
How do you know - what do you see?

Some great comments and observations of body language and some excellent comments about context, which is so important rather than making a snap judgement. I'll now add some context. Does this change your initial thoughts?

CONTEXT
These dogs live together. The brindle dog at the back is 11 and male, the smaller black one at the front is 3 and female. The smaller dog had been lying on the little blue bed. When the larger dog came in, the smaller black dog grabbed the rope toy.

There are many studies that demonstrate the benefit of social behaviour for dogs. For example, playing with another dog ...
22/04/2024

There are many studies that demonstrate the benefit of social behaviour for dogs. For example, playing with another dog has been shown to support motor development and social development. (Sommerville et al., 2017).

Social buffering

Social time with regular dog companions can help improve a dogs’ confidence. Cimarelli et al. (2021) found that dogs with stronger affiliations were more confident when faced with stressors.

If we consider the behaviours of free ranging dogs, we will notice that the dogs often live within social groups who will share resources and territory. They may even forage together and choose to sleep near each other. In a multi dog household, this is often replicated within their own social group. They will often engage in playing, foraging or even sleeping together.

This social behaviour is very different to encouraging dogs to play with random unknown dogs that we meet. In order to provide our dogs social needs we need to think about who they have access to play with, rather than random encounters with unknown dogs at the park.

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