Dog be Praised

26/06/2024

https://www.tug-e-nuff.co.uk/collections/offer?ref=dogbepraised

Ludo recommends these!

Play your way this summer. Get a free Powerball Bungee with any 2 toys.

18/06/2024

A lovely catch up with Douglas and his human as he has a little habit that needs addressing...
Can you guess what it is?

08/06/2024

More retriever fun ♥️

08/06/2024

It's been a retriever kind of week ♥️

05/06/2024

If you have or work with collies you should buy this book.
Sue is a dear friend who has both empathy for and experience of the breed.

🐾 Exciting News for Border Collie Lovers! 🐾

Charlie loves a good read and sends a big thank you to Trust Ambassador and long time supporter Sue Kinchin as we are thrilled to announce that a new book, "You And Your Border Collie," will soon be available!

Sue has owned Border Collies for 40 years and with vast knowledge of behaviour and training decided to put that experience into print - and even more amazingly has donated copyright and proceeds of the book to BCTGB. Dive into the fascinating world of border collies, with expert tips, and advice to help support both new and experienced owners of this amazing breed.

All proceeds from the book sales will go directly to Border Collie Trust, helping to support and rehome these incredible dogs. Your purchase will contribute to a brighter future for border collies in need.

Stay tuned for more details and exclusive sneak peeks. Let's celebrate the collies we love so much, and make a positive impact together! 🐶❤️

30/05/2024

This stunner just needs a few go to behaviours to help her navigate a busy world.

She is the best of smoochers 😍😍😍

23/05/2024

Bee’s first ever trip in a car was to the vets to be chipped as a tiny puppy during her critical socialisation period.
First learning is very powerful and her -ve emotional response to cars has not only remained, but with each time she is made to get in the car, even if the destination is amazing, it’s has strengthened.
So we are not looking to find ways to get her into the car, but instead we need to change how she feels about the car.
This will be a slow process, and sometimes you need to go that extra mile for your client 😂❤️

21/05/2024

It’s not just dogs whose pain goes undiagnosed.
This is not an easy read.

20/05/2024

Loki reacts to dogs on the TV and when you’re a Great Dane that can put the TV in grave danger!
Suppressing a behaviour may work short term, but it doesn’t make the need go away, which often results in the behaviour not only returning,but also becoming more intense.

08/05/2024

This is Eric.
Eric was playing with his ball but needed to p**p.
So he dropped his ball and p**ped.
Now he can’t pick up his ball and continue his game because
HE CAN’T GO NEAR HIS OWN P**P.

I love Eric 🩷🩷🩷

04/05/2024

EXPLORING ‘PREPAREDNESS’ IN LEARNING THEORY: ITS IMPACT ON CANINE FEAR BEHAVIOUR & WELFARE

Classical and Operant conditioning, commonly explored within Learning Theory, are valuable tools for dog professionals. Advanced theory encompasses much more; saliency, overshadowing, blocking, contingency, contiguity, and preparedness, all offering a deeper understanding of canine behavior.

The concept of Preparedness or Prepared Learning, introduced by Seligman in 1970, often receives less attention in the realm of animal behavior despite its significance.

Preparedness Theory posits that organisms are predisposed to quickly form associations between specific stimuli and responses, and suggests that certain fears and phobias, such as those related to spiders, snakes, or heights, have an evolutionary advantage and are more readily acquired. Seligmans theory also suggests that prepared learning is likely to be non cognitive and can be acquired in a single trial. These responses, rooted in preparedness, are often highly resistant to extinction, as demonstrated in taste aversion studies.

In literature this is also referred to as ' Biological Preparedness'

Critics have raised questions over the years about Preparedness Theory, particularly regarding the formation of phobias unrelated to evolutionary threats, such as fear of balloons or public speaking ( in humans there have been reported around 400 phobias thus far)
Nevertheless, Seligman’s work remains relevant in scientific discourse, offering insights into the formation and persistence of fears. His work has had applications in classical conditioning studies and has even influenced advertising and politics.

In dogs, phobias may manifest differently due to their unique evolutionary history and close proximity to humans. Situational phobias such as separation anxiety, fear of specific sounds, confinement, and veterinary settings are common examples where preparedness theory can explain exaggerated fear responses ( while we know that veterinary care isn't an evolutionary factor, fear eliciting elements within the setting are considered, especially in relation to one trial learning )
Understanding preparedness is important when addressing animal welfare concerns, particularly in contexts like confinement, social isolation, and exposure to challenging environments as these can limit the animals' quality of life.

As dog professionals navigate the complexities of behaviour rehabilitation, careful consideration of individual limitations is essential.
For instance, determining the appropriate level of exposure for a former village dog adjusting to urban life, or in the case of separation anxiety in a sight-impaired dog showing panic response in social isolation. We might also consider a relevance to the training and management of emotional support animals for example.

In a rapidly changing world, where dogs are increasingly exposed to diverse stimuli, our understanding of preparedness plays a role in ensuring their well-being.

Despite humans’ ability to train animals for various tasks, such as running through flames in a movie set, or jumping from aircraft, the exclusion of preparedness considerations could lead to traumatic outcomes. By incorporating preparedness theory into training and welfare practices, we could mitigate potential fallout, thus ensuring safer conditions for both dogs and their human caregivers.

Boo Blackhurst CDBC

Some interesting research linked in the comments.

References:

Seligman, M. E. (1971). Phobias and preparedness. Behavior Therapy, 2(3), 307–320.

Bernstein IL, Webster MM. Learned taste aversions in humans. Physiol Behav. 1980 Sep;25(3):363-6.

Mineka S, Ohman A. Born to fear: non-associative vs associative factors in the etiology of phobias. Behav Res Ther. 2002 Feb;40(2):173-84.

Landsberg, G. M., W. Hunthausen, and L. Ackerman. "Fears, phobias, and anxiety disorders." Behavior problems of the dog and cat (2013): 182-183.

Lindström B, Selbing I, Olsson A. Co-Evolution of Social Learning and Evolutionary Preparedness in Dangerous Environments. 2016

27/04/2024

Fantastic article by my friend Boo Blackhurst

SPRINGTIME & DOGS: AN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY PERSPECTIVE

Spring is often a long awaited event for many of us after a wet and cold winter. A mere glimpse of daffodil bulbs, and the promise of longer and warmer days can see us cleaning our homes and doing chores we had been putting off for months. For dogs however, a change in seasons can signal multifaceted physiological and behaviour patterns that have been determined from evolutionary biology.

Animal neuro-endocrine systems undergo seasonal shifts. In winter, melatonin activity for example (which is directly related to duration of sunlight exposure) decreases firing of the retinal nerves which trigger hormones for breeding in some species Seasonal breeding is commonly seen due to this, with some groups being assigned as 'short-day breeders’ (eg: sheep , deer and fox ) and long-day breeders ( eg: wolves, horses)
This is also referred to as a 'photoperiod' (an organism’s daily exposure to light) The ancestral control pathway of photoperiodism is thought to have originated before the divergence of mammalian and avian vertebrate lineages in the evolutionary timeline.

However, dogs and other species such as cattle and pigs, are polyestrous, which means they can cycle all year round. Fascinatingly, some exceptions are seen in Basenji and sled dogs who breed photoperiodically.
Dogs are shown to not require a photoperiod to regulate the reproductive cycle ,but their shedding cycles and immune systems are affected by photoperiodic mechanisms.

Most certainly breeding and feeding patterns of other species of both plants and animals affect our dogs’ behaviour seasonally.

Spring brings new and exciting smells from plant and animal activity. Dogs senses typically heighten during this time, and this can mean they get easily immersed or distracted, often manifesting in hunting, amplified olfactory or foraging behaviours depending on the breed and location of the dog. In multi-dog homes this can become challenging if one dog is more prey or scent driven than others, or if all are.

While these fall within perimeters of normal behaviour, dog professionals might get increased enquiries during this time about dogs not recalling , hunting excessively, grass and plant ingesting , not coming inside from the garden, or suddenly becoming fixated by some prey animals. Puppies exposed to the wider world for the first time after their vaccinations can experience sensory overload as well as adolescent dogs who's pre-frontal cortexes are still under development.

Another seasonal affect potentially in pet dogs, who mostly follow human like diurnal sleep patterns, might see an increase in crepuscular activity, like waking at 5.30am or becoming restless around dusk.

Diurnal sleep patterns in pet dogs are hypothesized to be an adaptation to living alongside humans, because variations of nocturnal and crepuscular patterns are observed in most other canids whereas diurnal activity is rarely seen. There are some data to suggest that dogs can benefit from a dark room to achieve sleep efficiency. This might be relevant in the modern environment where open plan light filled rooms are commonly seen.

Spring can therefore quickly become a frustrating time for both dogs and their humans, but recognising the effects of evolutionary biology and making some adjustments can help.

Depending on what is reinforcing for the dog, some ideas for springtime could include providing targeted exploratory enrichment, long line walks to avoid predation or avoiding prey species photoperiodic activity , safe opportunities to dig, scent work or simply some good naps on the sofa together.

Boo Blackhurst CDBC

References:

L. Senger, Phillip 2005, Pathways to Pregnancy and Parturition

Robert Bodiz et al 2019, Sleep in the dog: comparative, behavioral and translational relevance

Brian J. Prendergast 2005, Internalization of seasonal time

Lofts B 1978, Animal Photoperiodism

19/04/2024

Who else does this?

21/03/2024

Today Ludo helped me teach Bee that vehicles aren't so scary!
There are a lot of layers to helping a dog feel safe in a car.
Today Bee learned that being in a closed crate in the back of the car is safe.
We will add closing the boot, turning the engine on and starting to move in increments, at whatever pace Bee feels comfortable with.

08/03/2024

There are plenty of alternatives!

Licky Mats for Dogs,2PCS Large Dog Licky Mat with Suction Cups,Slow Feeder for Dog and Cat Anxiety Relief,Cat Lick Pad,Dog Enrichment Toys for Boredom Reducer,Dog Treat Mat for Bathing Grooming

08/03/2024

Very disappointed with LickiMat

I won't be recommending their products unless they change their stance re the type of training they are willing to support and promote.

02/03/2024

Dogs are masters at hiding pain.
We call it 'Silent Pain' because the only observable symptom is behaviour.
There is nothing to lose from learning more about a Dynamic Dog Assessment, and potentially everything to gain.

If anyone is interested in the Dynamic Dog Assessment and what it may involve, who's it for, the benefits and the outcome!
I will be hosting an online conversation on Sunday 17th March at 7.30pm.

If you have any questions for that evening please feel free to write them in the comments on this post or to message me through this page.

I will set an event up and put the link here for you to join on the evening 🐾

Event link below 🥳

https://fb.me/e/3vD5r09fd

24/02/2024

The course that made me love teaching classes again.

Latest feedback included a box of chocolates and tears of joy!

Book: https://bookwhen.com/kateharperdogtraining

18/02/2024

LATTE in the carpark!
LATTE, Look At That Then Enrichment, is a Pattern Game created by Leslie McDevitt .
Ludo looks at the moving cars on cue, the Look is marked and rewarded with treats in the snuffle mat.

Using the method, rather than just offering a treat, enabled him to take food in an enviroment in which he usually can't.

Predictable and fun, Pattern Games really help you and your dog to connect in distracting, novel or scary environments

10/02/2024

An excellent article explaining why we need to delve deeper into the possibility of pain.

At the moment a Vet telling an owner their dog is physically fine after less than 15 minutes, it's a behaviour problem is nothing more than a false sense of security. It delays finding out about any potential pain or discomfort until the condition has severely progressed. ‘It is almost impossible ...

09/02/2024

Hoopers is a low impact fun sport THAT'S NOT JUST FOR COLLIES!!!

Fearne is a 13 year old mini schnauzer and she loves her Friday morning Hoopers class.

There will be a new course starting at Kate Harper Dog Training in Matfield in the next few weeks so keep an eye on her website.