Pawsitive Training

06/09/2024

Thank you to my clients who have been really flexible and understanding this week.

Beano has been really poorly with some sensitivity to his mouth. After a general anaesthetic today to look in his mouth the vets found an abscess and had to remove his molar which must have been incredibly painful for him 😢

He’s now snuggled up after a very painful and stressful couple of days.

We knew Beano was in pain with the following behaviours:
- sharp head turns when touching his mouth/ gums
- yelping when opening his mouth
- avoiding holding items such as food, chews and toys
- reluctant to jump around
- pawing at his face
- mouth chattering
- noise sensitive
- high startle response
- tail tucked
- blood and sensitivity when brushing teeth

These behaviours started showing on Wednesday, he was taken to the vets Thursday morning and had the surgery Friday 🐾

Always follow your gut if you feel your dog is acting differently. Dogs are actually very clever at hiding pain, and most likely Beano would have been in pain longer than a couple of days but we picked up on it once he showed the signs 💖💖

04/09/2024

Well hellooooo Mr Marvin 😍😍😍

Just brightening up your day with puppy Marvin! He has weekly sessions to help with general puppy behaviour including:

Crate training
Settle
Mouthing
Play
Wait
Drop
Recall
Socialisation
Toilet training
& more!

03/09/2024

The handsome Leo booked in for a behaviour assessment to work on his barking in the home, and his separation anxiety 🐾

The first step for any behaviours we want to work on is checking there isn’t anything causing these behaviours, one example might be not meeting the dogs needs, or a breed specific need! 💖

Can anyone guess what Leo might need more of as a Spaniel?

Some ideas might include:
Sniffing- find it game, scatter feeding, puzzle feeders, snuffle mat, hide and seek with toys
Licking- calming, lickimat, chews, KONG
Chewing- also calming, chews, KONG, toys
Digging- Sand pit, destruction box
Exercise- hired enclosed field, off lead time, sniffing time, play, explore
Sleep- yes sleep!!
A good diet- diet can cause more hyper behaviour, or not have enough to support what they’re body is going through

If your dog is from a working line, or even if it’s not, the above may need to be used multiple times throughout the day as your dog has been bred for a job to do!

15/08/2024

An unqualified trainer recently created a video recommending that you let your puppy 'cry it out' in a crate. This is incredibly damaging advice that will not only damage the relationship you share with your puppy, but also cause more behavioural issues in future. How do we know this?

Despite the fact that dogs progress through developmental stages much quicker than humans, puppies experience similar emotions and developmental stages to that of a human baby. Research continues to reveal that dogs are a sentient species and that their brains respond to stimuli, such as stress, in the same way as our own.

Rat brains are often used to research how mammalian brains work. In one such study, it was found that there is a critical period for switching on genes that control anxiety for the rest of the animal's life. If the rat offspring experienced a low nurturing mother in the first 10 days of life, those genes never switched on, resulting in that offspring being anxious for the rest of its life. The same mechanisms are found in the human brain, whereby the caregiver has the ability to influence genes, depending on the care they provide. Scientists have also revealed that there are actually hundreds of these genes influenced by nurturance. Thus, this study revealed that the care provided during infancy, has the power to influence the mammalian brain's ability to manage stress and anxiety. (Michael Meaney and colleagues; e. g., Meaney, 2001).

The argument that "letting puppies cry it out will help them develop resilience", is disproven by scientific research. Studies reveal that human babies left to cry don't self-regulate in isolation. "If they are left to cry alone, they learn to shut down in face of extensive distress—stop growing, stop feeling, stop trusting" (Henry & Wang, 1998). In comparison, when a baby is consistently comforted when they are distressed, they begin to expect to be soothed, which then contributes to the baby's future ability to self-soothe. Therefore, responding to a baby's distress helped them develop more resilience in future.

Other studies show that babies left to cry it out, have a tendency to become insecure, aggressive, bad tempered and more demanding. In fact, the extreme distress occurring as a result of prolonged crying, is even believed to cause significant damage to neurons in the brain. (Darcia Narvaez Ph.D)

During infancy, the brain is developing quickly, thus when the baby is distressed for long periods, it creates conditions for damage of the synapses. Cortisol (the stress hormone) is also released, which when in excess, can destroy neurons in the brain. Prolonged stress can also begin to impact the infant’s immune system, for example, prolonged distress in early life can result in a poorly functioning vagus nerve, resulting in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. (Stam et al, 1997)

Study after study reveals that lack of care and leaving a baby to cry negatively impacts the development and resilience in a variety of mammalian species. ( Don't forget a lot of what we know about the human brain is from studies of other mammals rather than humans.)

We are trying to demonstrate that we are this puppy’s new family and surely we want our puppy to feel safe and loved. If they begin to feel more insecure because prolonged crying hasn’t gotten them the comfort they needed in the past, they will soon learn to escalate their behaviour in a desperate attempt for comfort. Thus, leaving them to cry can actually result in more behavioural issues, because our puppy now feels so insecure and anxious, they can’t cope being left alone.

“Caregivers who habitually respond to the needs of the baby before the baby gets distressed, preventing crying, are more likely to have children who are independent than the opposite” (e.g., Stein & Newcomb, 1994).

The same is true of puppies. Rather than thinking in turns of giving attention for the crying, we should be trying to prevent the crying altogether by ensuring we always respond to our puppy’s needs. Crying is the first form of communication puppies develop and its indicative of a need and we took on the responsibility to address that need when we brought them home. So, it is very unfair to decide we aren’t going to respond to the crying, when it is us that decided to bring this baby into our family.

From these studies, and many more, we can conclude that forcing independence on a puppy can often lead to greater dependence on you. - Holly Leake ©

Please feel free to share this post but please do not copy or paste the writing or edit the graphic in any way. Thank you.

References

Darcia F. Narvaez Ph.D. 2011

Henry, J.P., & Wang, S. (1998). Effects of early stress on adult affiliative behaviour, Psychoneuroendocrinology 23( 8), 863-875.

Meaney, M.J. (2001). Maternal care, gene expression, and the transmission of individual differences in stress reactivity across generations. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 24, 1161-1192.

Stam et al, 1997

Stein & Newcomb, 1994

13/08/2024

Carlos had his behaviour assessment to discuss his behaviour as a foreign rescue dog 🐶

It’s important that we have realistic expectations for dogs that we get from different countries, especially those who are genetically bred as street dogs!

Even as a puppy coming to the UK, their brains are build to live on the streets in countries where human to dog interactions may be limited or very negative 🐾

If you would like to learn more about adopting a rescue dog from abroad or UK, or would like to book in an assessment to help with any behaviour concerns with your rescue dog, get in contact today 💖

13/08/2024

12/08/2024

Why Are Romanian Rescue Dogs Often Reactive?

Romanian rescue dogs have captured the hearts of many with their loyal and loving natures. However, it's undisputable that many of these dogs exhibit reactive behaviours, i.e., barking, lunging, growling, running away, snapping, and hiding, to name some.

There are a few underlying reasons for this issue.

The Harsh Reality of Romanian Street Life
🐾Survival Instinct: Dogs living on the streets must constantly be on guard, fighting/hunting for resources and protecting themselves from threats. This environment fosters a heightened state of alertness and reactivity.

🐾Lack of Socialization: Romanian street dogs often develop fear and mistrust towards people without consistent human interaction.

🐾Trauma: The experience of being caught, transported, and placed in a shelter can be incredibly stressful, exacerbating existing behavioural issues.

The Challenges of Shelter Life
🐾Overcrowding: Shelters are often overcrowded, increasing resource competition and heightened stress levels.

🐾 Limited Stimulation: The confined environment of a shelter can lead to boredom and frustration, which can manifest as reactive behaviours.

🐾Lack of Individual Attention: With limited resources, shelter staff may struggle to provide adequate attention and socialisation to each dog.

The Transition to a New Home
🐾 Overwhelming Stimuli: The sudden change from a shelter to a home environment can be overwhelming for a Romanian rescue dog, triggering anxiety and reactivity.

🐾Lack of Understanding: Many adopters are unaware of the challenges faced by Romanian rescue dogs, leading to unrealistic expectations and potential frustration.

What Can Be Done?
🐾 Patience and Understanding: It's crucial to approach a Romanian rescue dog with patience and understanding.
🐾 Professional Training: Seeking guidance from a specialist like myself, will help you prevent or overcome any problems.
🐾 Positive Reinforcement: Reward-based training can help create positive associations and build trust.
🐾Consult a Veterinarian: Rule out any underlying medical conditions that may be contributing to the dog's behaviour.

It's important to remember that every dog is an individual. While many Romanian rescue dogs exhibit reactive behaviours, it's not a universal trait.

With love, patience, and appropriate support, these dogs can thrive in their new homes and become cherished members of the family.

If you need help with your foreign rescue dog or are planning to adopt, then reach out for support by email at [email protected]

11/08/2024

Puppy cuddles with 💖

09/08/2024

How cute is Willow 😍

Willow did really well during her behaviour assessment to work on lead walking and feeling comfortable around face to face interactions with dogs! 🐾

First we want to work on her associations at a distance, so she feels safe and comfortable around dogs. We also want to watch her body language and if she feels uncomfortable advocate for her having space! 🐶

We spoke about clear cues for Willow, rather raising our voice which can cause frustration and arousal for dogs when they’re interacting.

We also spoke about reducing and avoiding ball throwing and sticks! Willow became so addicted to this that she would guard these items from other dogs even if they were their items!

Chasing balls/ sticks/ toy’s repeatedly can cause over arousal, adrenaline and a huge dopamine release!! This makes it very addicted but can also cause frustration and over stimulation. It also isn’t great for their muscles and joints and so reducing the ball throwing, and giving Willow other activities, such as find it games, on walks can help her cope in these situations and process her walks 💖

If you are struggling with behaviours and would like help, book in today 🐾

06/08/2024

Lenny 😍

05/08/2024

The trouble with ‘training tools’

Force free trainers are firmly opposed to using training tools that are aversive in nature, including slip leads, electric collars and prong collars as some of the most widespread that are seen.

Proponents of their use will point to how well they ‘work’ – for example we’ll often see people proclaim that using a prong collar has completely revolutionised their walks with their dogs and they go on to say that ‘used correctly’ it’s an excellent training tool. So let's use that as an example to see what the issue is with these tools.

The problem is that it’s not actually really training the dog.

Look at how positive reinforcement is used to train a cue in dogs. When the dog makes the right choice, does the right thing then they get a reward. They like the reward and so are more likely to do the same thing again in an attempt to get that same reward.

Once the association is firmly made and the dog is able to reliably respond to the cue in the way we’d like, we start to fade out the use of the reward. If using treats, the dog might start getting a reward every second time, third time, then randomly so they are never quite sure when the reward is coming (but it might be the next time they do that thing, so they will keep trying). Eventually we are using the reward very little, but the dog is still responding to the cue in the desired way.

Ok, you might say, how is that different to the prong collar?

The prong works by contact of the prongs on the skin of the dog’s neck (remember that a dog’s skin is 3-5 cells thick compared to the human’s at least 10-15 cells thick). This is uncomfortable. Some people will say they tried it on themselves and it was fine – look at the difference in skin, and also remember that the dog has no way to know when the collar is going to be tightened.

I’ve had people tell me that the dog’s neck is the strongest muscle in their body equivalent to the human thigh. Not only is this physiologically incorrect (to say the very least!) it is also dangerous. Think about the delicate structures in the human throat.

The windpipe.
Oesophagus.
Lymph Nodes.
Carotid artery.
Jugular vein.
Thyroid.

All of these are in the dog’s neck as well and are very vulnerable to injury. The result of pressure on the dog's neck, especially firm and rapid pressure like a 'lead pop' (even from a flat collar) can be potentially catastrophic.

Danger and discomfort aside, the fact is that, while these collars might stop pulling while being worn, they fail as training devices because no actual training takes place. Take that prong collar off of the dog, put a normal flat collar back or a harness back on, and see how long it takes for the dog to realise they are able to pull again without the pain?

What the slip lead, prong collar (or electric collar if used to shock the dog when they pull) does is suppress the behaviour in that moment. It does nothing to show the dog what they should be doing or deal with why the dog is actually pulling - which is generally because they have not been taught properly to and so don't really understand what we want from them. And also dogs often naturally move faster on their four legs than we do on our two, so again they need to be taught how to match themselves to the pace that's needed.

The absolute best way to do that is to reward the dog when they do what they want, when they are in the right place for loose lead walking. Yes, this can take time and so the 'quick fix' can seem appealing, but the danger of using anything that the dog actively seeks to avoid is that it could damage their trust in the people around them and have serious consequences for the relationship between you.

Teaching them what we would like them to do and how we can both be comfortable during the walk is so much more effective than trying to just stop a behaviour, and using positive reinforcement and force free methods build their confidence and trust in us.

And no, I’m not expecting people to immediately take off the tools, but what you can do when you become aware of the problems of relying on aversive measures that cause discomfort, pain and fear, is find a force free trainer who can help you see how to show your dog where to walk nicely and comfortably for you both, or find other tools that are not aversive, for instance a harness with 2 points of attachment so the dog can be walked from the back clip but the front clip allows for steering the front end if needed while training is ongoing.

02/08/2024

Oh look another Border Terrier 😍

Beans was booked in as she was biting her owners a lot and struggled with barking at other dogs!

During our session we spoke about reasons why:
Enrichment/ routine/ outlet
Diet (can cause change in behaviour!)
Change to comfortable harness
Behaviour modification around other dogs

Since our 1 hour session, her lovely owner messaged me saying since changing her diet and harness the nipping has stopped, and she is much happier on her walks!

How amazing is this😍

02/08/2024

So great to catch up with Ronnie after he moved to Brighton 😍

Ronnie did so well during our zoom session! We worked on some impulse control around his tennis ball 🎾 he picked it up super quickly as he does with all his training 🐾

12/07/2024

05/07/2024

To be part of an association as a trainer or behaviourist you will have to follow their code of conduct.

I have seen and heard a few ‘qualified’ professionals recommending techniques that are not up to date and ethical. Please check who your are getting advice from, and report anyone who doesn’t follow these codes.

Unfortunately the industry is not regulated, and so anyone can call themselves and trainer. If you are working with someone recommending the below, ask who they are qualified with and what they had to do to get that.

We know so much more about dog behaviour, there’s no need to punishment, tools or outdated dominance methods.

https://apdt.co.uk/code-of-practice-apdt/

While there will never be a definitive list of equipment and techniques that the APDT does not permit, anything that is designed as an aversive should be considered prohibited.
The following list gives examples of some of the equipment and training methods which are covered by the Code of Practice 5.2 not to be used in the course of delivering dog training instruction.
1. EQUIPMENT
Check/choke chains
Prong, spike or pinch collars
Electric shock devices in any form
High frequency sound devices
Compressed air canisters
Remote controlled spray collars
Automatically triggered spray collars
Training discs/rattle cans/bottles/chains/keys
Strong smelling/tasting substances e.g. smelling salts/bite back/bitter sprays
Any equipment designed to tighten on any part of a dog and being used to do so.
2. METHODS
Liquid sprays
Loud noises/Startling sounds as interrupters Throw stick/chain
Pinching any body part
Hitting
Biting (of dog)
‘Alpha roll’
Any manhandling that causes pain, discomfort or fear
Deliberate checks on collar and/or lead
Choking

CODE OF PRACTICE APDT Code of Practice 1. OBJECTS The objects of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) are to carry out activities which benefit the community and in particular (without limitation) to: 1.1. Supply and promote progressive, science and evidence-based training methods for the bene...

05/07/2024

Far too many times dog owners have been given advice to “show the dog who’s boss” and “be the alpha.” The unfortunate side effect of this thinking is that it creates an adversarial relationship between the owner and their dog with the belief that the dog is somehow trying to control the home and the owner’s life. Such misinformation damages the owner-dog relationship, and may lead to fear, anxiety and /or aggressive behaviors from the dog. Dogs cannot speak our language and they can find themselves thrust into situations in our homes that they find difficult to comprehend, by owners trying to behave as they mistakenly believe “alpha” wolves do.

PDF Version The use of dominance and pack theory in explaining dog behavior has come under a great deal of scrutiny as of late. The Association of Professional Dog Trainers wishes to inform the dog owning public about the ramifications of a reliance on dominance theory as it relates to understanding...

03/07/2024

It is theorised that human crying triggers social bonding and human connection. It's a way of communicating, albeit sometimes not fully consciously, that whatever is ongoing is feeling outside of our coping skills and we need help.

DID YOU KNOW? Evidence has suggested that tears born from emotional trauma are chemically different to those from irritation such as chopping an onion. Emotional tears have more protein which enables them to stick to the skin and roll down the face slowly, maximising the potential of other people to see. Even if we don't WANT people to see us cry, the point is it's a natural way of eliciting compassion and empathy in another.

I've always wondered what a difference it would make if dogs cried instead of barking or growling etc. Barking/growling/snapping etc has the same purpose - communicating an inability to cope. Yet because we aren't primed to respond to these signals of crisis in the same way as tears, with kindness, it's often just labelled an unwanted behaviour and dogs are corrected and told to "shut up".

When we change our perspective on what the aggressive behaviour responses in our dogs are highlighting, an inability to cope, much like crying, it can help us to change how we think we need to respond to it.

If wolves could cry, would we do better at caring, protecting and responding?

Picture taken by a good friend with a good camera! 👏🏻

03/07/2024

I was working with a client this morning and they said their dog seemed calmer when they were holding their ball in their mouth. They asked if it was ok to let that continue or whether it was detrimental in some way.

Most of us have things we do to soothe or settle ourselves when we are feeling a little overwhelmed. We might use earplugs or noise cancelling headphones in noisy environments, we might put on sunglasses to create a little distance for ourselves, we might seek out different textures to touch, we might hug or hold ourselves. Yes...these behaviours may be indicative of a degree of anxiety, overwhelm or stress but they also help us soothe, calm & comfort ourselves when we need a little help.

Our dogs display self soothing behaviours too. They might chew or lick. I used to have a dog who would suckle on a soft toy when he was tired. And some dogs, like the one I was with this morning, find holding something in their mouths soothing.

If our self soothing behaviours comfort and calm us then why wouldn't we let our dogs do the same?

Of course, in an ideal world, we'd love our dogs (& ourselves!) to never experience stress or anxiety and so have no need of self soothing behaviours. But we don't live in an ideal world. So, if your dog has a tactic which helps them feel better in stressful moments 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮* then why not let them do it? We can still teach them how to feel more comfortable around their triggers so that, in time, they need those self soothing behaviours less. But in the meantime if it helps and doesn't harm...why not?

*𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘺....𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘨. 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦

03/07/2024

03/07/2024

28/06/2024

Little man had 7 teeth removed today during his dental. There’s always a risk going under GA, especially with a senior dog, but I’m glad he’s recovering well and had the teeth removed as that must have been painful for him.

His vets are amazing and were so reassuring with regular updates. They never treated me as if I was stupid or dramatic for worrying about Badger and ensured everything would be as force and fear free as possible, never pushing him or putting unwanted stress on him whilst prepping 💖

Thank you to the team at Brelades Vets

28/06/2024

If I do *insert punisher* he stops reacting!

I saw someone a number of months ago, not in a professional training capacity, who was absolutely adamant that a firm ‘no’ and a leash pop would stop his dog reacting to others. I stood and observed as he demonstrated for me his training. He told the dog to sit when another dog appeared and his dog turned his head away from the handler, ignoring the first cue. He then leash popped the dog with a firm ‘no’ and asked for a sit again. The dog again turned his head away and licked his lips, flashing the whites of his eyes but obeyed and sat. The handler was then very pleased and told his dog what a good boy he was, eliciting a soft tail wag. The handler informed me because he was confident that the dog was confident.

This got me thinking about how we view our dogs and how we often focus on obedience over emotional stability. In this particular dynamic, this handler valued obedience moreso than his dogs emotions in that moment. I’m not convinced the dog felt the same. I felt for the handler because he didn’t know better, and we can only do what we know. He went on his way and I saw him a few months later but more on that below.

Now I’m not a super fluffy trainer. I do interrupt behaviours I don’t like (and shock I even use the word no!) but I am a firm believer that punishment is not the solution to reactivity. ‘No’ does not change emotion and ALL behaviour is driven by emotion of some sort. Remember the last time you were crazy stressed and upset and someone told you ‘calm down!!!’ How did it make you feel? It probably did jack s**t.

Imagine you came to see me to deal with your fear of spiders. What I’m going to do is put you in a bathtub filled with spiders and every time you shout or kick or scream I’m going to give you a firm ‘no’ and hold you in place. Eventually you’ll likely stop screaming and kicking off, but have I dealt with your feelings about the spiders? Not likely.

‘But it’s not always fear!’ I hear the fanatics shout! Say you came to me because you’re addicted to chocolate. You just can’t stop! So every time you reach for the chocolate I tell you ‘no’ and hold you in place. You’ll probably stop reaching for the chocolate but when I’m not there, you’ll go right back to it!

Behaviour work can be tricky and you can get bogged down in the details, but put simply, good behaviour work is about working with the emotions of the animal in front of you (dog and human!). For long term changes to behaviour, avoid the quick fix that seems to elicit immediate response. Look at WHY it works too.

The leash pop dog I spoke about at the start? He didn’t react because the worry of his handler was greater than the worry of the other dogs. Six months down the line I spoke to that same handler who told me he had to rehome the dog as he had started becoming destructive in the home and his reactivity was worsening with other dogs and turning to reactivity to people too. The reality is that the lead pop and a ‘no’ had put a sticking plaster on the problem that had no long term viability in terms of behaviour modification and created a pent up ball of stress that had nowhere else to put that stress, and his couch and his neighbour got the brunt of it.

Now obviously this story is on the more extreme end of the scale, but I’m seeing more behavioural fallout from trainers that don’t understand body language or communication or basic behaviourism who have stopped a behaviour without considering the emotion that led to the behaviour to begin with.

Deal with the emotions first, then work on the obedience. Enforced obedience alone is never the fix.

26/06/2024

Every time I see people asking for help with their horses with problem behaviour, I see other lovely well meaning people give advice that goes something like, "you can fix that with clicker training".

NO. PLEASE STOP.

Have you heard of the Humane Hierarchy? I consider myself a Humane Hierarchy trainer, amongst other things.

It means that there are many things we can do to influence behaviour change or address problematic behaviour, BEFORE we even get to Positive Reinforcement training.

If there is a problem or a fear, we don't "click it away", I certainly don't! I look at the broader picture first, I never try to just train away problem behaviour, because it's communication, it's often expressing a need or telling us something is amiss. It's valuable information.

This means I would refer people to their vet first, then address things like diet, nutrition, physical setting/environment, prior training history of both horse and human and then finally antecedent arrangement, as per the Humane Hierarchy.

The point of embracing R+ training for me is that it is fun and that not only WE enjoy it, but our horse does too. But I also take a bigger picture view and ensure the horse's needs as a species are being met as per the Five Domains (Mellor). Often meeting their needs and setting them up for success in their environment prevents most problems and unwanted behaviours.

For example your horse is pushy, or muggy or nipping or licking or even aggressive around food, which is a very common issue when starting out with clicker training, but also a common problem generally. So many horses have been food deprived or had restricted access in their previous lives and it creates food anxiety and aggression around food. This is a very uncomfortable emotional state for your horse and it can easily be associated with you and your training and you end up with a very unhappy horse when you are training. This is centred around issues with food anxiety that need to be addressed via environmental arrangement, management, lifestyle and then finally training. I don't suggest continuing to train while your horse is suffering from this type of emotional state or that it can be addressed solely by clicker training.

Ruling out any health issues or things like ulcers is always your first step. Then, addressing the environment that is causing the behaviour of resource guarding is next. It's not fair on any horse to have to share or guard either during feed times or during a training session. We need to organise the environment to prevent the unwanted behaviour AND make the horse feel safe and happy, such as separating horses and other animals when feeding or training with food.

Clicker training may seem simple, but it is not easy - it is quite complex in fact, if you want to get it right and be good at it and most importantly, that your horse enjoys it.

Good basic R+ training with a high Rate of Reinforcement, low Criteria and good Timing is how you can move forward successfully. Things like reverse round pen training, liberty and obstacle training all come with time, experience and good quality basic behaviours and a horse who is comfortable and enthusiastic to train and is not worrying about being interrupted or having to resource guard.

If you are really unsure what to do next, please consider coaching and check out the coach thoroughly first. This type of training does take knowledge and skill and most people do need experienced help to progress in their training.

If you want to learn more about the Humane Hierarchy, here is Dr Susan Friedman's original paper:

https://www.behaviorworks.org/files/articles/What's%20Wrong%20With%20this%20Picture-General.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3ekuUhgqnorz2gysE3W_g6gUjibP-8Bz_8ORKk3Juw08kApL1lwDJSZGs_aem_ER8KYPZcHtlQ64bOTF3iEg&fs=e&s=cl

Or you can read an excellent overview from Eileen Anderson here:

https://eileenanddogs.com/blog/2013/05/21/the-humane-hierarchy-1/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1Z_FF2wblBjDS9FPje6G0Rfm3dW2MUR33zI7mbOZ2FIepurLuszrtINxk_aem_J834rDtfIUVh_jqpHvRXaw