Paw Seasons Concept Dog Training

28/01/2025

What we think is happening can be for a very different reason entirely.
Hyper dog ❓
Did you know the excited and "over enthusiastic" behaviour they show can actually be from anxiety and stress ❓
It is SO easy to misread anxiety in dogs, we have all done it....thinking a dog is having the time of their lives because they are running around leaping and running full speed at people or other dogs....or perhaps we have labelled them as "naughty" because they keep jumping and leaping at visitors and refuse to listen, so we label that as misbehaving.
Over excited behaviour and a dog "having the time of their life" can be from fear.
Fear responses are tricky, they need looked at carefully and critiqued with an open mind.
This dog training handout is available https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-anxiousness-in-dogs-lesser-known-signs?srsltid=AfmBOoo7B4PfE2ZvsZPiWqoRP9OdAhMXAxu8AzvUBzasSOuO7uFcIEM1

20/12/2024

❤️❤️

09/12/2024

Not all licking is (or should be labelled) appeasement licking.✅❓❌
I appreciate this can be a very divisive subject, and yes, dogs can lick from affection (and for many other reasons)....but if there are other signals shown that your dog is uncomfortable, they can help you determine what is actually occurring and why.
This is ALL great information !
This can help you both!
There is a video linked in the comments that goes into this subject in more details.
Dog training posters available abcdogsnz.com

01/12/2024

🐾🐾🐾🐾

Play suddenly turns❓
What are some signals dogs don't appreciate in play ?
These are just some that can cause play to suddenly turn.
Not all dogs have good play skills and some have very awkward play styles and can even play inappropriately....so not all dogs that do posture over a dog, neck hold and stand over are showing possible problematic play behaviour.
Generally speaking though these can lead to play suddenly turning.
Dog training posters available abcdogsnz.com

17/11/2024

❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾

Such a struggle for some dogs to just stop and rest.❗
The graphic is full of some good tips ....but we have also just added a new video covering exactly how to start place work/mat training which helps ENORMOUSLY with dogs that struggle to calm down.
It also covers DOWN and STAY which I know many struggle with too.
Link in comments.

Yes..this graphic is available in the new shop (details in comments too ). 🙂

30/10/2024

Underrated, misunderstood...but it is such an easy confidence builder for many dogs✅
Building confidence✅
Focus when you need it✅
Engagement and Disengagement around distractions✅
Don't dismiss this really simple confidence boosting game.

Give it a go !

🙂Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collection of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.
Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

28/09/2024

Play is a skill.✅
Good play has rules.
It also has boundaries.
❌If your dog is BURSTING at the seams to immediately jump on and scramble on all over other dogs they see....that is a very big issue, a dog displaying just that can also be from a fear response that many don't know about.
This is not about having a dog that can show no excitement around others, but far too many dogs have no (or very little) social skills when it comes to interacting with other dogs.
There is nothing wrong with dogs communicating they do not like or don't appreciate another dogs play style....the BIG problems can come when a dog has such limited experience they completely ignore all the signs or is so over aroused at the sight of another dog that they are unable to read those signals given.
That is when those "it happened out of the blue" moments can occur.

🙂Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collection of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

31/08/2024

Over excited dog ?🤪
Anxious dog ? 😳
Reactive dog ? 💥
This is an excellent first step to take.✅
I know many people may not see the value in enrichment but I promise you it WORKS and helps enormously with behavioural issues.
➡️We do have a video of exactly how to teach find (I appreciate that many people would prefer a video showing this). The link is in the comments.

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

28/07/2024

Mantra time..."What is rewarded is repeated"✅
This is a simple and powerful message. 🏋️‍♀️
A few things to remember with this though and your timing needs to be clear too.
If you can be more precise when you reward behaviour you want to be repeated, you are making things SO much easier for your dog to understand.
Sometimes people see something they really like from their dog and they stand up, go to the cupboard to get their favourite reward, open the cupboard, get the packet out and the time to reward has long gone.
Have a few rewards on you at all times.✅
It isn't hard to do.
Pop them in a pocket (yes you will curse me on laundry day🙂), but you can make a real difference in your dogs behaviour just by rewarding exactly what you like when they show you.
I am not talking about a sit or a down but all the other times you notice your dog has done well.
They didn't bark at the cat as it ran over the grass YES! Rewardable✅
They chose just to relax on their bed or mat YES! Rewardable✅
They kept all four paws on the ground when your guest arrived YES! Rewardable✅

If you haven't tried rewarding exactly what you want....take up the challenge and try it for 2 weeks.
I promise you, you will see results...but you will probably still curse me on laundry day🙂

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

13/07/2024

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Are there bullies in the dog world❓ Absolutely ✅
Is all play good play❓Absolutely not ✅
Running full speed into play and not assessing or waiting for social cues is a big issue with dogs.
It can cause an immediate change in energy. Sometimes the high energy may be matched, sometimes it causes an immediate stillness and stiffening in the other dog.
THAT can become a very big issue.
While the focus is on the dog that has the highest energy, people can often forget about the other dog involved....BOTH dogs need read and not just the dog that has that extreme energy.
Don't forget who that energy is targeted at.
That quietness/stiffness and stillness from the other dog needs noticed...and intervene if necessary.

Play can turn in an instant...so it is important to advocate even when they are playing.
I am all for dogs communicating together and letting each other know what is appropriate and what is not, but unfortunately many dogs do have inappropriate play styles and are unable to read social cues. They have gone from 0 to 10 even before the lead is taken off to let play commence.
Dogs may react badly to pushy play styles or behaviour they may see as inappropriate.
Over excited/hyper dogs often have very little emotional self regulation.
They don't wait for those important social cues and some don't know how to read them when they are given.
They charge in with an immediate intensity that dogs can react very badly to.

Watch for sudden changes.
Read BOTH dogs and not just yours.
Advocate.

Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collections of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.
Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

08/07/2024

Stress signs, they can be very subtle or are slap in the face obvious.💥. Not all stress is bad either.
I know some people do struggle to see signs of stress in their own dogs, so I made this to help show some of the more common ones.
There are plenty of others.✅
Sniffing.
Attempting to disengage from a situation by being suddenly very "interested" in a scent.
Tail position.
Wags can mean the opposite to happy and stiff tails, high stiff "flagging" tails.
Coat.
It can bristle completely or only in parts, tail, rear rump or along the whole spine.
Hesitancy. Suddenly stopping, changing pace, lowering the head and maybe stretching it out.
Stressed or uncomfortable dogs tend to have closed mouths and tighter faces, but those closed mouths open when drooling, panting or lifting the lips to give a front mouth grin. They can even open up just enough for a tongue to flick out.
Ear positions should also be looked at, they are often a sign of being uncomfortable in many dogs...but not all.
Not all are listed and you may know your own dogs stress signals.
It is important to note that some of these signs are also shown when a dog is in a state of excitement, context and situations all need to be taken into account.
It is ok if your dog shows some signs of stress. It is communication and is very valuable information for you to quickly address what is happening, or about to happen.

I often get asked why I called our business ABC Dogs.
All
Behaviour is
Communication (ABC 😊)
and stress behaviours are certainly communication. 🙂

🙂Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collection of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.
Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

27/06/2024

👀Sometimes what may look like play to us is often highly stressful for one or all dogs involved. 💥
Playing doesn't come naturally to many dogs. As puppies, if playing has been continually encouraged with a dog that struggles to play well, there can be issues with play going forward.
If they have limited exposure to dogs/puppies, they have limited experience and may struggle with appropriate play.
With grown dogs, play is often encouraged with others they have only just met, often without taking the time to assess and watch the play style and energy levels.
The difficulty with this is you need to trust (implicitly) that the other dog involved can GIVE those more subtle signals that play is getting too rough....and you need to trust your own dog will read those subtle signals BEFORE a much larger and possibly damaging incident .
If these dogs have no history together.....neither will have any knowledge of those individual signals given.

Being excited to play doesn't mean the play about to follow is going to be a healthy interaction for all involved. In fact dogs which are "bursting" to play often will not wait for signals from other. They will just charge in there and that can cause an immediate fight.

🙂Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collection of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.
Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

21/06/2024

🐾❤️🐾❤️

Yesterday as I was with a client...I witnessed a child get nipped/bit😠. Not my client, but a dog that was across the road from us being walked by a man.
A woman and her child were walking towards them, they stopped and he told the child to put her hand out for the dog to smell.
Such old advice ❗
Such dangerous advice ❗
It doesn't mean you are friends.
It doesn't mean the dog will like you.

It means a hand is right in front of a dogs mouth that you do not know ❗
This myth has GOT to stop.

🙂Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collection of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.
Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

14/06/2024

All Terriers bark like crazy at everything ❌
Every GSD will nip/bite.❌
Chihuahuas are all aggressive.❌
These are dismissive and blanket statements✅
Some people are convinced ALL of their dogs issues are related to their breed traits. Some are convinced their dogs unwanted behaviour IS because of their breed...when there is NO connection of the issues they have to their breed at all.

Breed does matter however it doesn't mean that unwanted behaviour should be dismissed as "just the way they are".
Just because a dog has a breed trait making them more prone to be vocal during certain activities doesn't mean the non stop barking when left at home or vocalising and lunges at dogs walking past IS a breed trait.❗
If a dog nips/bites children/family/people or anyone....don't just dismiss this as a breed trait from a herding or working breed.❗

Often in Facebook groups these issues that people face are dismissed as "just the way they are".......No....it isn't.

🙂Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collection of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.
Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

12/06/2024

Eyes. They can tell us so much.👀
Some dogs naturally have a tighter face and more whites of the eyes will show....yet it is also a sign of extreme anxiousness for some.
So how do you tell ❓
A dogs eyes can clearly show us how they feel BUT everything needs to be taken in context.

There will be other accompanying signs.
Posture hunching.
Ears flattening.
Changes in behaviour.
Skulking.
Seeking shelter under tables or beds.
Lowering heads and gazes.
Tension and wrinkling in the face...and much more

There are many signs of stress a dog can give and their eyes certainly do show some.
Another common one is avoiding eye contact...or not taking their eyes off someone.
Blinking, squinting and quick glances at something they may be unsure about.
As always, it is very important to take the WHOLE picture into account....because a blink can just be a blink.
A dogs eyes can tell you so much !

🙂Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collection of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.
Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

09/06/2024

What socialising your dog 🐶 is NOT 👇👇👇

29/05/2024

Patting a dog, sounds simple doesn't it ❓🤔
There's a dog, a hand is moving in and patting a dog begins.
It just isn't that simple though. While I love seeing the closeness and the bond clients have with their dogs, sometimes I am the bearer of news that I wish I didn't have to tell them.
I hate saying it, but I have to.
"Your dog doesn't like being touched on the head"
"Can you see them moving away from your hand when you started patting ?"
"Can you see the ears change?"
I can't not say it, and I do say it more delicately than those sentences but it is often a shock. Yes dogs CAN consent to being touched and they can easily remove that consent too.
To make things trickier consent can be given and immediately removed, or consent was given yesterday and not today.
I know some people may have a hang up with the word "consent" when it comes to dogs but they absolutely have the right to say yes or no to touch.
In the graphic many people will see flat ears as a sign of anxiousness/stress but some dogs do flatten their ears when being patted on their heads when they enjoy the touch.
Some dogs will lick a patting hand from anxiety and some from affection.
Patting isn't as simple as it sounds.

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.