J Murray Dog Training

17/10/2024

*The Importance Of Small Steps*

Working with your dog to overcome a particularly troublesome behaviour can be immensely frustrating at times. However, we must never forget the importance of small steps in training, because it's only by taking small steps – counting the little wins, no matter how minor they may seem – that we can climb the ladder towards the goal of changing a behaviour for the better.

If we rush our climb, we often fall.
If we skip rungs, we often fall.

For example, instead of striving for your dog-reactive dog to be able to play with others in the park, let's first work towards getting them to be calm whilst walking with you while another dog passes on the opposite side of the road. Instead of slapping an e-collar on your dog to get them to listen to you or deter them from running off in the park, let's instead start by getting them to want to focus on you in lower distraction environments.

Without the small steps, we can never reach the goal, so set your dog up for success and always note the positives, they ARE there to be had. ❤️🐾

10/10/2024

Let's talk RECALL!
Here are my top tips:

1. Recall starts at home. You can't take your dog to the park and then expect "Come" or a whistle to mean anything if you haven't first taught your dog what that word means... and all it means is "certain human noise means treats or something equally awesome will follow, so better get there quick for good stuff". Start at home with your dog sat in front of you, give your recall cue (e.g. "Come" or a whistle) and follow it immediately with a treat, regardless of what they are doing. Make the noise, feed the dog. Make the noise, feed the dog. By repeating the noise and immediately feeding your dog you are 'conditioning' that word/sound, i.e. making it mean something. Then you can start to add s bit of distance by dropping the treat and stepping away from them before you call.
2. Use your recall word strategically – i.e. if your dog is too involved in a big sniff/rolling in poop/whatever and you recall them, chances are your recall will fail and you've then 'devalued' your cue. When training recall, always wait until you have your dog looks up and you have their attention before issuing your cue, so it doesn't fall on 'deaf ears'.
3. As with any training exercise... increase the level of distraction of your environment SLOWLY, i.e. practice in the living room, then the garden, then a secure field (here we were working at A Dogs Biz Secure Fields in Chessington, highly recommend!) or a quiet part of the park on a long-line, and only once you are about 80-90% of your dog's response... (because NO ONE can guarantee 100%, a dog has free will just like you!)... only then do you work off lead in the public park.
4. Vary your reinforcement/reward – sometimes your dog gets kibble, sometimes they get chicken (jackpot!), sometimes they have treats delivered to their mouth, sometimes it's scattered on the floor. Sometimes the reward is simply a good neck scratch and an "ok, go play!" cue to be let off to explore again. By changing your reward each time, you keep your dog's interest and make it worthwhile for them to keep coming back just to see what's in it for them.
5. Lastly... If your recall is faltering, it's because you are fighting your environment or you have unfortunately devalued that precious recall cue... So go back to low distraction environments and try changing your word! Even if you shout "Knickers!", to your dog, all you want it to mean is "better get near mum/dad for the goodies!"

(Although shouting "knickers" in your local park may meet with some strange reactions... let me know how that goes. 😆)

07/10/2024

You wouldn't let Joe Bloggs from up the road fix your leccie just because he was confident around the wires, would you.

04/10/2024

All of a sudden it's that time of year again...
With the long run-up and wind-down to Bonfire Night, (not to mention Hallowe'en, Diwali, Christmas and of course New Year's Eve), Autumn and Winter can be hell on toast if you are a dog owner, as fireworks are one of the most common noise-sensitivities in companion animals.
Helping your dog to overcome noise-related anxieties can be extremely challenging as it often takes a program of desensitisation over quite a time, which, now the nights are fast drawing in (bringing with them those annoying 'surprise' firework dos... 🤦‍♀️), you and your dog may not have. However, implementing just a few little measures now can help them at least manage it by the time November 5th comes around... Here's a few top tips ❤️🐾

Chances are that if you’re a dog-lover like me (which you clearly are, if you’re reading this…), you hate this time of year. While everyone is enjoying toffee apples and sparklers and anticipating Christmas and New Year parties, I’m sat at home like Scrooge, cursing and muttering the dreaded...

21/09/2024

This job can be tough sometimes... But sometimes the tough part is leaving the cuteness behind... 😁
Welcome new client Sydney, who at just 13 weeks old is already an absolute star training pupil thanks to the awesome efforts of her dear human mum and dad 😊❤ Fun training times ahead! 😁❤🐾

17/09/2024

Choosing the right trainer for your dog can be tough when there are tonnes out there, the industry is so unregulated and everybody has an opinion and a recommendation of who/what is right. One thing we can all agree on however, is that when you choose a trainer it should be a very personal thing – you're giving this person your valuable time, money and attention, often inviting them into your own home. However, it isn't like choosing a plumber to turn up and fix your pipes – a trainer / behaviourist's job is to work towards "fixing" (if there is such a thing...), an individual (i.e. your beloved family member)'s way of thinking.

This is why social media likes, followers, claims of 'experience', and even recommendations aren't always the be all and end all – instead, look at a trainer's beliefs, values, the language they use, their qualifications (hopefully from a recognised awarding body)... and above all else, the science behind the methods they use. "Balanced", and even "rewards-based" trainers may reward your dog for 'good' behaviour, but at some point down the line they will also correct the 'bad', using methods (or tools) that are in some way 'aversive' to your dog, i.e. they will rely on fear, pain, or discomfort to 'correct' the behaviour – this could be something as seemingly inoffensive as a 'lead correction'.

As a recent US study into the use of shock collars appears to show, such methods can indeed see results... at least at first... But therein lies the rub – science (yes, science... it's not just the happy-clappy tree-hugger types holding hands and singing "Kumbaya" who are saying this...) has proven that aversive methods are not only less effective in changing behaviour in the longer-term, but can in some cases see behaviours worsen, and ultimately rely on bullying your family member into listening.

"We have to teach our kids right from wrong though, why shouldn't I tell my dog what is right and wrong?"... we hear it so often. My simple answer (as a canine behaviourist, owner, and yes, a parent)... these are human concepts. To your dog, there is no 'right' or 'wrong', or 'good' and 'bad'... there's just 'dog'. Dog behaviour only becomes 'bad' when it inconveniences us. Yes, we chastise our kids for 'their own good'... for example, "Don't touch that fire!!!" or "don't hit your brother!"... but we use our language to tell them WHY. Fire will burn you. Hitting your brother ends in one of two ways: either he'll be sad and won't want to play with you, or he'll whallop you one back, neither of which you will like. Dogs on the other hand don't have the advantage of language, so when you 'correct' a dog, you really cannot explain to him 'why'... it's like trying to argue with a Spanish person in Chinese... they may possibly get the gist of what you're saying and nod along smiling to keep you happy, but you won't be able to fully change their mind and behaviour because they just don't get you.

Ultimately, training is not about 'obedience' but about motivation – what is motivating the behaviour you don't like, and how can you motivate your dog to change it into something that you DO like? We must always ask "what COULD this mean to my dog?", and "would that make him WANT to do X, Y, Z?" If the answer is no... just don't do it.

Balanced dog training using positive reinforcement (rewards-based) methods and aversives (physical punishment) is no better than simply using force-free positive methods and love.

11/09/2024

Being a behaviourist: lying awake at 3am thinking about other peoples' dogs.
(All part of the service... 🤦‍♀️😆)

05/09/2024

While I try as much as possible not to publicly poo-poo other trainers or their methods, I get down when folks tell me how much they love such-and-such a high-profile tv/social media trainer... without fully understanding that not only is their content massively edited (usually to show how quickly they've 'miraculously resolved' the issue, whilst omitting any failings to speak of), but they are focused on celebrity, entertainment and the inflation of ego over actual up-to-date science and knowledge of canine psychology and, most importantly, welfare.
In order to fully (and permanently) change a behaviour you have to understand why it is occurring in the first place... and that takes understanding, constant development of learning (utilising the most up-to-date studies available), and above all empathy... i.e. investment in the dog as an individual, (and indeed their owner too) rather than a strive for ratings and what "looks good".

So... always take dog training entertainment shows as just that - entertainment - look at and question the credentials of the person from whom you are taking advice and question their methods, because if they cannot explain the actual science behind why what they are doing works... chances are they don't know, and it won't.

⚠️ 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝑫𝒐𝒈𝒔 𝑩𝒆𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 (𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒚) 𝑩𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒚

Yesterday, I received the following email from a researcher for the TV programme *Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly*:

"𝑀𝑦 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑠 (redacted) 𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑉 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 ‘𝐷𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝐵𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 (𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑦) 𝐵𝑎𝑑𝑙𝑦’.

𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝐿𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑚.

𝑊𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 𝑇𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑑𝑎𝑦 10𝑡ℎ 𝑆𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑢𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑜𝑛. 𝑊𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒.

𝑊𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑛-𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠.

𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛. 𝑂𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑎, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠!"

My first thought was to delete the email. I'm not a fan of Graeme Hall. I've watched a few episodes of his show, and in my opinion, he seems to make things up as he goes along, relying on outdated training methods.

However, I was puzzled. Was the “cravat” unwell, and they needed a stand-in? I'm a nobody – why on earth would they want to film me training a dog when there are so many high-profile trainers out there? Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to give the researcher a call.

I'm still in shock as I write this. The researcher explained that they wanted to invite me to Lytham with my Border Collie to "demonstrate" to Graeme Hall how I would train my dog not to respond to a phone ringtone.

Graeme would then take my training method and use it to teach the Border Collie of the family seeking help – all while filming it for his TV show!

WTF 😳😳😳

I decided to dig a bit deeper and reached out to the force-free dog training community to see if anyone else had experienced something this bizarre.

It turns out that many trainers had also been asked to attend filming sessions to show Graeme how to train dogs before the cameras rolled. Most reported that they refused because of his methods, but a few had shown him and his team how to train a dog, only to be dismissed without any credit for their expertise.

I then did some open-source research on "The Country’s Best Dog Trainer," as the *Daily Telegraph* calls him. He has no formal training in canine behaviour or training. He’s essentially winging it with the help of whatever trainers are willing to show up and assist him.

According to his website, he charges £875 per session 🤔😧

Now I’m not someone who normally criticises other trainers. I prefer to let my clients decide if I’m the right trainer for them based on how I work with their dogs.

However, I couldn’t let this pass without making it public knowledge.

If you're looking for a dog trainer, please avoid this programme and this man. You have no idea whose techniques he’ll be using week to week, and given that most qualified and accredited trainers want nothing to do with him, the quality of training you’ll receive is questionable at best.

Instead, do your own research and find a local trainer who aligns with your own dog training ethics. Organisations such as The IMDT or APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers can help guide you to qualified & accredited trainers in your area.

𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒈𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒔!

24/08/2024

Great news for pet owners! ❤

The Pet Abduction Act 2024, takes effect on August 24 in England and Northern Ireland, and makes the theft of cats and dogs a specific offence. | ITV National News

13/08/2024

Well that was a crazy year-and-a-bit, but... boom... I am now a qualified level 5 canine behaviourist accredited by the IMDTB 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 86% average between 5 units of study... between 2 part time jobs and a preschooler thank you very much 🤦‍♀️🤯....
(I don't often toot my own horn, but... I'm tooting this time, baby...) 😁

Just goes to show you can't improve yourself unless you challenge yourself 😁

Massive thanks to Dave and Lin Brice and all of the IMDTB team for their support and feedback throughout ❤

29/03/2024

It's been a busy old start to 2024!
Between long-standing and new behaviour/training clients, my role with the wonderful assistance dog-training charity Dog A.I.D, Level 5 behaviour studies with the IMDTB, (4 units down, 1 to go, woot... 🙂), writing for a local magazine, some challenging personal family circumstances in the loss of my dear Father-In-Law, not to mention the 24/7 job of mumming to the small human kid, mumming to the two big long-eared doggy kids, and what is effectively pseudo-mumming to the full-grown husband (who's nothing but a big kid 😆)... the old social media has taken a proper backseat of late, which is no doubt really poor form in a world where a heck of a lot of dog trainers seem to be measured by their quota of 'followers' and whether or not they 'Tik Tok', whatever that is...😆😆😆

(It's ok, I joke, I know what Tik Tok is... I just don't use it as I can't dance...😆)

However, all I'll say is... where some pages have a manager, I have a me. Where some trainers have a social media team, I have a me. I'm my own worse critic, (I always want to be my very best and frequently question if I'm doing 'enough'), however, this is what motivates me to be better, to learn more and grow, and I'm learning to be my own best champion too.

In fact, therein lies the beauty of being a sole behaviourist and trainer as opposed to a big training organisation – I may not have the time to constantly update social feed as I'd otherwise like... but that's because I'm out training, studying, learning, mumming... and always doing better and better - for my clients, (doggy and owner), my charity (or rather the charity for whom I'm very proud to work), my dogs, my family... and myself.

Here's some highlights from the past few months... here's to many more this year 🙂

25/12/2023

Wishing each and every one of you (whether four-pawed or two-legged!) a fabulous Christmas and an amazing New Year 2024 ❤

(Oscar and Rosie send the commiserations of those required to wear the festive headgear of the season.... but take solace in the massive amount of treats they each received today for doing so... 😆❤)

31/10/2023

Happy Howl-ow'een all ❤🎃🐾 x

16/09/2023

If you are an XL Bully owner (and I have several lovely clients who are), and are worried by the recent announcement that they will be added to the banned breed list, do get in touch - I'd happily provide anyone (whether previous client or not) with advice (free of charge) inc. how to muzzle train your dog (if you haven't already done so), or provide links to some great online training resources that can help x
Don't worry, it will be ok! 🐾

26/08/2023

Happy international dog day! ❤🐾❤

11/07/2023

It may have been a long slog... (and yet another excuse why my social media has been somewhat lacking this past year)... but in March I passed the IMDTB's (Institute of Modern Dog Trainers' Behaviour side) Level 4 Behaviour course, and today this big fat official OCN certificate dropping through the letterbox made it all worthwhile ❤

There are trainers and behaviourists out there (some quite high profile, with massive media followings) who say you don't need qualifications to train and understand dogs, that their years of experience is everything and that some of us just throw money at organisations, like you would a netflix subscription, just to "gain letters". Well, after a year of intense study on level 4 (and unit 1 of level 5 already under my belt), I can say that we definitely aren't just paying for letters - on TOP of our experience, we are putting in the effort to learn WHY dogs do the things they do (at a physiological and neurological level) so that we may better change their emotional responses and the behaviours that result from them, not only thereby becoming better trainers/behaviorists, but most importantly better helping owners struggling with their dog's behavioural issues.

While no one can (or should) ever deny that experience is INVALUABLE, furthering your knowledge on a subject and gaining extra qualifications as well proves to the world that you know what you're talking about, and that you CAN help their dog the force-free way because you know how - and importantly WHY - it works.

22/06/2023

💧Take water with you!💧

We were later getting out today than I'd like (the joys of having a potty-training 3 year-old)... so at 9:45am we're just leaving the park and heading home.
It's already 22°c (in shade, according to my phone). I already feel guilty because my dogs are flagging but thankfully home is 2 minutes away....I'm still seeing people just turning up to the park to walk their dogs... 🤦‍♀️

Ok, NO, they're not going to spontaneously combust. Dogs CAN cope with more than we give them credit for (and more than the many fear-inducing media posts would have you believe... dogs cope pretty well in countries FAR hotter than ours after all) BUT...

What gets me most is... I rarely see these owners carrying water? It boggles my tiny mind. YOU need it. Your dog needs it too! I've lost count of how many times other dogs have joined my dogs when I give them a drink in the park. They clearly need it!

Yes it's more to carry. Yes it's a pain in the arse. But I take 2 x 1 litre bottles with me in this weather (1 per Basset) as well as water for me, my kid, (not to mention all her kid paraphernalia too...)
So... Get yourself a mini rucksack! A man bag! Whatever you need to be prepared. Your dog will thank you.
And if it helps keep your dog healthy, your wallet will too!

Caveat - yes, of course it's better to walk as early or as late as you can to avoid the heat of the day as much as poss. And remember - black or thicker coated dogs will feel the heat more. Old or very young dogs will feel the heat more. Small/lower to the ground dogs will feel the heat more. But PLEASE use common sense and carry water in warm weather. For BOTH of you x❤x

19/06/2023

Great graphic from DTC showing the signs of heat stroke in dogs to watch out for.
Chances are you'll never need it, but each year dogs are still brought into vets in the UK exhibiting signs of heat stroke (and that's even with our pathetic attempt at high temperatures compared to other countries) so... it never hurts to know the signs ☀️🌡
And of course... never leave your dog in the car in hot weather ❤

Are you aware of the signs of heatstroke? Would you know what to do if a dog was showing signs? 🌞