To Be Sure Pet Services

02/08/2024

New girl on the books - Pagan. Been walking her for an existing client for about 6 weeks now. We think she is a Daxi x JR. Probably only 8 months old as just had her first season with her 8th owner. Yes, I said 8th. She’s a lively lassie but so affectionate. Super clever too so working on a couple of things with her.

She has some reactivity to other dogs but I can see is a mixture of frustrated greeting and fear. I bet she was allowed to much freedom to say “hello “ and she met the wrong dog. She did have a little scratch on her nose and eye when she first arrived which lends to my theory.

Will be doing a little training video showing how I’m working on her love of chase and her love of sniffing about.

She’s a little gem and it’s typical that some people get a little dog and think it doesn’t need training and have unrealistic expectations that the dog can never fulfill without help.

02/08/2024

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
I don’t know about, Jack, but I would work that hard to eat those prawns. I love prawns.
Additionally, is the reward worth doing the job? Will you dog give up trying if the reward is not “rewarding” enough ?

Prawns made me think about frustration in dogs today. Here's why it's important for you to think about.

For context, I went out with some friends for a meal tonight focused around prawns. I had never eaten prawns 'properly' before, and so it was a new experience. For those of you who are uninitiated, to eat a prawns you have to remove it's head, pull off the front legs, then pull off the rest of the shell to get to the edible bit inside (please accept my apologies if I got anything wrong, prawn purists).

This was fine, and the food was good, but it could be thinking about the amount of effort it took to actually obtain a single morsel of food. If I had to work this hard for every meal to get just a little bit to eat, I'd get annoyed by day two.

So, what's this got to do with dogs?

Three points.

Firstly, consider what enrichment should be - enriching. Very often I'll hear caregivers deliver all their dogs meals via training and/or enrichment toys. In moderation this is fine, but imagine having to work for every single bit of food to eat, for every single meal? That can actually build frustration.

Secondly, enrichment should be challenging, but not difficult. If your dog is having to work really hard to access it, I'd argue it's a training challenge, not an enrichment tool. Reading a book, watching a movie or playing a game needs to be more accessible than tricky if we actually want it to be beneficial. It's the same for our dogs.

Thirdly, think of how much our dogs have to do to access rewards in their day to day life. How much do you push your dog before you give them food, or toys, or sniffs, or fuss? If you're always pushing them to the next level, frustration can build. Focus is built by consistency, not by raising the stakes. Feed well, play often!

Not everything needs to be a challenge, and not everything needs something in order to access it. Not every meal has to be prawns.

30/07/2024

Keeping cool in the water. All these guys are water babies to different degrees. Only Ted likes to paddle to get cool and then he’s done.

29/07/2024

When the sun decides to come out and gives us that summer feeling, our walks take us to shady woods and fresh water steaks. No hurry, dogs allowed to take what breaks they need and not too far from the van. All very sensible.

29/07/2024

A lot of charismatic trainers will tell you an e-collar is ok but are they telling you the whole story or do the really believe it works ? Why don’t they understand the concept of punishment ?

It’s much the same concept with regard to people. If you think of a time when you were punished for something either as a child, teenager or adult, ask how you felt at the time. Did you want to do better? Were you scared? Did you feel worse ? Did it cause you more problems or create new ones ? Did if make you angry ?

It’s important to remember that dogs are a high fight or flight response creature. They do not evaluate an experience in the same way that we humans can. We need to evaluate for them and chose the course of attention with the dog’s wellbeing in mind, not ours.

Have you seen trainers who use Ecollars say that they are just used for communication and that they don’t use aversives? They may describe an ecollar as a ‘tap on the shoulder’ to get a dog’s attention. An ecollar is designed to be aversive, it’s a form of punishment and at a minimum it causes discomfort and at higher levels it causes pain. If you just want to get a dog’s attention and their focus there are a thousand other ways to do that which don’t cause pain or discomfort.

Using an ecollar may well stop your dog doing things you don’t like as it’s a form of punishment and that’s what punishment does, it reduces behaviours. Punishment reduces behaviour as the dog finds the consequence unpleasant. They may stop barking and lunging at other dogs/kids on scooters/joggers but you won’t change how they feel about things they find scary in a positive way and you won’t make them less fearful.

You may suppress behaviour but you may also remove the only means they have to communicate with you and if you are working with fear-based behaviours this can be incredibly risky. You may have stopped them barking and lunging (as they are now scared to bark or lunge) but what will they do now that you’ve removed those behaviours- are they going to feel happier about the kid on the scooter going past them? How do they feel about the world around them- have you helped them to feel more or less safe? There’s always a risk of fallout and creating new fear-based behaviours that weren’t present before.

I hope trainers who use punishment can at least be honest about what they are doing, some absolutely are but some try and pretend they aren’t using aversives at all.

27/07/2024

Loving this use of the air tag. Mind you, you would need an alternative Recall as you cannot rely on electronics to always work. You will always have a voice and body language available to you so Belt & Braces approach people.

27/07/2024

Doggie Daddy on the prowl again. He’s trying his luck again in the UK ; Birmingham, this time. All very secretive. This is not the sort of trainer we should want in this country. His methods are highly unethical and abusive.

953 signatures are needed, let’s get there by the end of the day?

26/07/2024

I fully agree that adversive tools have no place in our modern society when training animals. I spent some time over the last few days trying to convince some people on another post and couldn’t get through to any of them including the dog’s owner who had sanctioned the use of an adversive aid.

I had the privilege to watch a trainer in the Isle of Wight use clicker and target training to ask a tiger to open its mouth for a medical inspection. Do you think he ever considered using any other method?

If we treated all our domestic animals as if they were tigers, maybe with might be better owners and trainers. As a race, it upsets me that some of my species find it so easy to be brutal.

15/07/2024

Enjoying first full day of holiday on site with no driving the motorhome. There’s Alpachas in one of the fields. Not sure what the dog walk planners were thinking. Gus is imagining what they taste like !!
Did my first trial driving yesterday. Boy, nerve racking. Settled into it after an hour.

12/07/2024

If I’ve ever given you good advice on how to work with your dog, please remind me what I said.

05/07/2024

This applies to my GSD, and 4 of my clients dogs - Lupin the Cockapoo, Orla the Springer Spaniel, Bailey the Labrador and Leo the Westie. I give them a taste of what they want but never to extremes. I feel like a drug dealer sometimes and the ball is the drug of choice !

05/07/2024

Brilliant post so I had to share it. I recently commented on a post in GSD Owners Uk about a young woman who was buying a GSD puppy from the photo she had seen on an as in Pets4Homes. Not seen the pup or anything else. Not sure if the post was legit but goes to show that despite 30 years of modern dog training, people are still making the same mistakes and very often either heartbreaking consequences for them and their families.

Puppies are not clean slates !
You often hear people say 'get a puppy they are a clean slate'

As a behaviourist and breeder I can confidently tell you this is not true. Both nature and nurture has a huge impact.
A puppy will inherit genes from its parents and these genes will impact the puppies genetic potential to behave in a particular way.
Such as :
Using aggression as a strategy to deal with difficult situations
Sociability towards people and dogs
Fearful responses
Sound sensitivity
Strong instinctive behaviour to hunt, chase, grab, hold and guard.
Trainability which includes the ability to learn self control as humans desire it.

When people breed dogs they sometimes select for specific traits and sometimes not. If someone is breeding for a particular look, colour or just money then these traits can become altered becoming stronger or weaker or unbalanced. This can make a dog dangerous for example breeding a dog with gameness and reducing human sociability.

Then the puppy is born and the first 8 weeks learning with the breeder will have an huge impact on the development of all these genetic traits.

My five puppies have all come from the same parents and been reared in the same environment. They have very individual personalities. The training and socialisation they receive in their new homes will only influence the genes and first learning, it won't change their personalities.

So if you are looking for a puppy
Firstly learn about breed traits and instincts and make sure you pick a puppy that will suit your lifestyle. For example there no point getting a breed that is 'aloof with strangers' if you have 3 young children and lots of friends visiting.

Secondly meet the parents or (genes), see what they are like. Make sure you are meeting the actual parents, some people buy in puppy farmed litters and then 'hire' an adult of the same breed to pretend the puppies were bred there!!

Thirdly make sure the puppy has had plenty of early neurological stimulation and learning before it leaves the litter. Ask these questions.
1) What have the puppies seen?
2) Who and what have they met?
2) What have they learnt?
3) How have they learned to play?
4) What do they do if they get frustrated?
5) What do they do if they get bored?

A professional trainer can help support and guide you on the process of looking for a puppy. Don't wait till afterwards for help.

Prevention IS better than Cure. This goes for training and socialisation too, get a professional to help and guide you.

Puppies are building neural pathways with every experience, every day, make sure they're building ones you like.

First Learning is the strongest, make sure you get it right first time.

Written by Jane Ardern BSc (Hons) KCAI (WG)
WaggaWuffins Canine College
Bury Lancashire

*Permission to share this post from this source. No cutting and pasting please and pretending you wrote it yourself 🙄

05/07/2024

Some Newbies to my groups. Nyla, the Belgian Malinois, Hugo, the Rottie or maybe cross Rottie (not too sure of his geneolgy) and Ruby & Nell, new to Gus’s group but in my books for many years now. Love my pups !!

25/06/2024

If I poked you hard in the ribs or anywhere, for that matter, ask yourself how that would make you feel. It’s not appropriate for people let alone our young, impressionable puppies.

Apparently these two fingers are all you need to stop a puppy mouthing you. It's magical and "works every time". The only caveat is you have to be firm and "do it as if you mean it". If you treat your puppy gently it just won't work. But, hey, what's a little harsh treatment if it solves the problem, right? All you have to do is prod your puppy (your 𝘱𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘺, remember...) sharply in that lovely vulnerable, soft part of their abdomen just between their rib cage and their leg. A few sharp pokes and your puppy biting problems are over.

I wish I was joking. But I'm not. This is actual advice given to a client by someone they paid money to to help them.

Not one question was asked about the pup's routine. About the conditions under which the puppy was biting. About how much rest they were getting. Whether they were teething. Whether they were overstimulated. What they were being fed. How they were being played with. Not one question. Because who wants to be bothered with all that when a good dose of physical punishment and emotional intimidation works on a young animal who is just doing what puppies do?

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. Training is a totally unregulated industry and 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 can set up as a trainer regardless of education, experience, insurance or ethics. So if you don't want to end up with someone who'll tell you to hurt your dog do your homework. Check qualifications. Check education. Check ethos. Check their vibe. Because your dog can't.

And if they use force, fear or intimidation it would be totally understandable if you felt the temptation to use a two fingered gesture of your own...

10/06/2024

Simply stopping something from happening does not mean it is fixed. I can put a strip of gaffer tape over the little dent on my van wheel arch but the dent is still there.

Many wonderful dog guardians go looking for dog trainers for help to change a dog’s behaviour which has become problematic, and if they find a good one, they learn the truth about how to meet their dog’s needs and change behaviour with compassion and understanding.

Sadly, dog training itself is a self-regulated industry, so there are many trainers and behaviourists around who miss out on the dog’s needs to create a behavioural change at the expense of the dog’s welfare.

A common example of this with terriers is anti-bark collars.

An anti-bark collar is a device designed to stop a dog from barking by delivering an unpleasant stimulus whenever the dog barks. These collars can use electric shocks, ultrasonic sounds, or citronella sprays to deter the dog from barking. While they might seem like a quick fix to a noisy problem, they are highly unethical.

The use of anti-bark collars ignores the root cause of the barking, which often stems from needs such as fear, anxiety, boredom, or the need for attention (we all need attention sometimes).

Instead of addressing these underlying issues, the collar punishes the dog for communicating. This punishment can lead to increased fear, anxiety, and stress, significantly impacting the dog's welfare.

Collars of this nature often result in suppression, where the dog stops barking not because the issue has been resolved, but because they are afraid of the results, afraid of what the collar does to them.

This suppression can lead to a buildup of stress and unresolved emotions, potentially causing more severe behavioural problems in the future. The use of such collars can damage the trust and bond between the dog and their guardian.

Dogs rely on their humans for safety and support, and the use of an anti-bark collar can lead to distrust and anxiety, causing confusion and distress for the dog.

A well-educated dog trainer will instead assess the mental, physical and physiological health and happiness of your dog.

They certainly won’t just introduce you to the best way to shut your dog up.

( An excerpt from Living With Terriers - an upcoming book release by Sally Gutteridge)

08/06/2024

We are not “choking” here.

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.

29/05/2024

If you really want to be a dog person, you have to learn to be observant. That includes humans body language as well as dogs. Don’t be a pest to someone who’s doing their best. Give them space. And if your dog is bonding off to other people and dogs rather than staying with you, I think you should be looking in your own backyard and fixing that. You are your dog’s Entertainments Manager.

Two sessions today with two very different experiences.

Session 1 - working with a very anxious dog who can be reactive to both humans and dogs. When a neighbour, out walking his own dog, spotted us he held back allowing us to keep a safe distance then gave us a thumbs up and a wave before moving on.

Session 2 - working with a very exuberant, bouncy young dog who is learning to be calm around other dogs. Another dog owner saw us working and kept moving into our space until I politely indicated we wouldn't be interacting today. She responded with a rude tirade, tutting and being generally unpleasant.

One person was socially skilled and empathetic enough to understand what would make the situation go smoothly and avoid conflict. One person didn't have the skills to handle their frustration and reacted aggressively. Our behaviour isn't so very different to our dogs' after all...😉

When an owner is working to resolve challenging behaviour from their dog they often feel judged, embarrassed or self-conscious. The actions of those around them can make all the difference between a successful walk and going home in tears. A little space, a little patience, a friendly smile or an eye roll, a tut or unsolicited advice? The choice is ours.

We have the power to make others feel worse or better. So, since we have that choice, why not choose to make things better?

"We are our choices" ~ JP Sartre

28/05/2024

My Brady, nicknamed “the circus dog “ down Riverside Park due to his antics in trees and on benches and he can walk the whole mini train track.
Sadly, he has been ill since early May and has not improved. The consultant at Anderson Moore has been very careful and thorough with Brady’s care but he’s not a miracle worker. Brady may only have days to go before his illness takes its toll. I can’t believe I’m not going to grow old with this amazing little boy whose courage, cleverness and cuteness has enriched my life.

28/05/2024

I once told a client with a very large Dane x that their dog is not a “walking petting zoo” and know another client who’s puppy was picked up by a strangers child without permission. Respect other owners’ boundaries.

How do you feel about physical contact from strangers? When someone you don't know well stands a little too close or is a little too 'touchy'. For most of us it's really uncomfortable and pretty unpleasant.

So why do so many people think it's ok to touch dogs they don't know? To invade their space and put their hands on them? And why do we reserve our judgement for the dog who says 'back off, I don't like this' instead of the person who thought it was ok to touch a dog they have no relationship with?

Dogs aren't public property. We don't have a right to touch them. They are allowed to say no. If you want to interact with a strange dog, ask the human, then the dog*. And if either of them say 'sorry, no', respect that & move on. If you are the owner of a dog who isn't keen on strangers in close proximity advocate for your dog. Step up & say 'no'. Put your dog's needs before a stranger's wants.

Strangers touching dogs is often all about the human and not so much about the dog. So it's only fair we allow them to say 'no'.

*some ways a dog might say 'no thanks' include backing away, moving away from your hand, turning away from you, moving closer to their human

23/05/2024

Walks cancelled
Tues 28th May
Consult for my Brady at Anderson Moore’s
Apologies to all clients

22/05/2024

All dog walks are
on tomorrow in Hubby’s van.
My van back
for Friday

22/05/2024

Van at garage. Using borrowed van. Will get to you when I can.