Paw Seasons Concept Dog Training

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 !

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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.

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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.

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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🙂

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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.

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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. 🙂

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 !

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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.
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07/05/2024

🐾🐾🐾

Over aroused/"hyper" dogs....a VERY big issue, and this is strictly aimed at these dogs in particular.
Poor impulse control, very little emotional regulation, constantly wanting to move, grabby, not listening, mouthy, jumping, barking, unable to settle, fixated on moving toys, these dogs are often panting when moving and sometimes have an almost "manic" look.
These dogs are HARD to live with.
I get it.
Nothing seems like enough for these dogs.
There wouldn't be a week go by where I don't have a handful of clients affected.
Unfortunately solutions are often offered which just ADD to the issues such as pack walks/daycares or much heavier exercise to help "tire them out"...

Make no mistake.....for the vast majority of these dogs ALL this does is exacerbate the issue and create "adrenaline junkies" that NEED and WANT more....much more than anyone can give.
The stamina these dogs have built up is incredible....and that isn't a good thing.
They will just need more and more.
The loop is never ending and everyday more "fuel is added to the fire".

There are those in the industry that believe the answer to hyper and over aroused dogs is to exercise them harder, faster and for longer. It is endemic in the dog training world that these dogs need to be "tired out more" by heavier exercise and physical activity.

Then there are those in the industry that KNOW the huge issues these dogs are facing and how absolutely damaging the "prescription" of more exercise can be.

These dogs desperately need balance and calm.
They need a carefully constructed plan to help those stress hormones dissipate.
It isn't as easy as just stopping exercise or excessive play as this can cause more issues.

Mental enrichment....getting that brain working.
Using the nose far more than the eyes.
Walking in low stress areas.
Teaching true relaxation....which is a skill, and CAN be taught.
These are just some of the ways to help these dogs, but you are likely to need a trainer to help you get that finely tuned balance that you, your family and your dog so desperately need.
Teach you dog HOW to switch off and how to use their beautiful brain.....and watch just what a difference that can make.

Mental enrichment IS tiring......but it is also confidence building, rewarding and it will help you both have a stronger bond, and allows them to show and use their natural abilities.

There will never, ever be enough exercise, play or excitement in these dogs life to ever make a positive change, you will only ever build up their stamina and need for more. It can get much worse.

You cannot throw that ball enough.....
You cannot walk/run them enough......
You cannot tire them out enough.....as physical exhaustion only "fuels" this behaviour.

When those physically exhausted dogs wake up.......the over aroused/hyper loop starts all over again.
However if you recognise it.....you can help this.

Not all the behaviours shown are behaviours only shown by hyper aroused/overly excited dogs but these are definitely common to those particular dogs.

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.
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Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

27/04/2024

❤️🐾🐾🐾

A couple of years ago someone showed up unexpectedly at a session we were having for reactive dogs.
This was at a large venue we use.
Completely out of nowhere a woman showed up at our remote location and came marching right toward us.
I had no idea who she was and she was walking towards all of us with purpose.
The clients and the dogs were wonderful....calm and everyone put into place what they had been taught (luckily this was our last session so a lot of work had been done previous).
They weren't barking or lunging (always a strange word to spell!). All the dogs attending were amazing as were the guardians/owners.

This person and their energy could have caused a reaction so I matched her speed and walked right up to her to head her off.

I told her she couldn't be here as this was a private class and these were reactive dogs....she asked what a reactive dog was as I walked her to her car.
So I told her, her next comment was....

"Why would anyone want a dog like that" !

Everyone heard her say this.
I told her that was a really rude and insensitive thing to say.
These people love their dogs and often it takes just one incident for a dog to become reactive.
She didn't understand.

I know the difficulties and the judgement reactive dogs face, that also extends to their guardians/owners.

If you are out walking somewhere and see someone struggling with their reactive dog maybe think about how to help the situation rather than jump straight to self righteous judgement.

Can you give them more distance ?
Can you remove yourself quickly and calmly ?
Do they need something specific ? Ask them.
Can you stop your dog staring at theirs ?

If you can....please do BUT as you do this, acknowledge the people holding onto that lead and acknowledge that they are doing the best they can. Give them a small wave or a thumbs up.

Reactive guardians are some of the most dedicated people I know.

ALL it can take is ONE issue to occur and a dog can become reactive.....you could easily be that person at the other end of that lead.

18/04/2024

One of the easiest things you can do...and one of the most powerful.🏋️‍♀️
If you have a dog that struggles to settle, I really do urge you to try this.✅
Many things in dog training and behaviour modification can be quite tricky and complex, this is SO easy peasy lemon squeezy🍋.
Some people find the concept difficult as it seems too easy.
So what is this super duper easy trick to a calm dog?
Reward the calm.
Reward often and reward the "nothing".
Say what ????
Why on earth would you want to reward "nothing" ?
Because that is exactly how you will have a dog that shows you calm behaviour.
Behaviour that is rewarded IS repeated.

Make sure they ARE actually calm though and not "bursting out of their skin excited"....which dogs certainly can be and their bodies can be still but they are about to explode with energy at any second.
Don't equate stillness with calmness.
You can have a dog moving and being calm. Reward that too !

Carry rewards on you and capture that calm...often.
In a week or two (or even in a day or two for some) watch what happens !

🙂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.
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13/04/2024

04/04/2024

❤️❤️❤️❤️

This is by FAR one piece of advice that can help everything. Especially if you have a reactive dog 💥
It can take a while to get into the habit of actually doing this though.

There is one thing that ALL good trainers have in common.
We are TOTALLY aware of EVERYTHING around us.

We may be helping the dog in front of us but we are totally aware of what is behind us, around us, the sounds, the movement....the possible and probable.
The environment and what is around can both positively or negatively affect your dog....immensely.

Windy day ?
Your dog was aware of the 20 dogs on your street...now it is aware of 100 in the area and cannot pin point their distance as well as before. This can make some dogs on edge. The information is distracting.
Most trainers dislike wind.

Car parked ?
There could be a cat under it, a dog about to be let out of the back seat or boot area. Is there a driver in the front about to drive off....is it likely to be a very noisy car ?

Children in a front yard playing ?
Are they about to run out the gate ? Does one have a scooter about to leave ? Are they quiet or are they excited ?

Dog behind a gate ?
Is it older ? Is it there to alert its humans ? Is the gate secure or is there a section of the fence it could easily jump?

Dog on lead being walked ?
Is the walker aware of their own dogs behaviour ? Is the dog straining on the lead (this can lead to a reaction for some dogs). Is this dog giving yours a heavy stare or just a glance ?

At a local field....
Is there another dog or more than one ? Is someone throwing a ball nearby and oblivious to how close it can get to your dog. Is a dog off lead running and in a hyper excited state ?
Is one dog barking incessantly ?

So....how on earth can this help your dog ?

Awareness, awareness of environment, possible issues and most importantly how your dog reacts.
Many times I am told behaviour has come "out of the blue".
In the vast majority of cases it hasn't come out of the blue......all signs were already there.
Just not picked up on.

If you can tune into the environment and watch your dog you WILL learn valuable information.

Is the wind too much ? Does it negatively impact your walk every time it is windy ?
That is information you can use. Walk when it is calmer.

Is your dog ball obsessed ? The dogs at the field have a ball 30 metres away from you.....is that why your dog has changed their behaviour ?

Does your dog suddenly dislike large white dogs ? Are you aware that the dog that barks the most on your walk is the large white dog on the corner by your house....the same corner where loud cars speed past ?

This takes a while to perfect but you can absolutely start to tune in more by stopping a few times on your walk and listening to the environment around you.
That is a great start.
Can you hear that loud motorcycle down the block heading your way?.....you can now prepare your dog that doesn't like motorbikes (with focus on you, encouraging sniffing to relax or pull out a treat/toy to focus on or sniff out).

Did a mower just start a few doors in front of you ? Cross the road and encourage calmness and reward looking at the mower from a distance instead of forcing your dog to walk right past the object it dislikes.

All of this helps you make better decisions, but much more than that you will begin to see and hear things that affect your dog that you would have never noticed before.
You will KNOW that your dogs tail is bristling because you are coming up a parked car that a cat has just ran under, you can cross the road to avoid an issue......or get focus on you as you pass.
You will KNOW that the hesitancy in walking past a certain house is because there is a dog on their path that stares heavily at yours...again you can help your dog through that now you are aware.......BEFORE an issues occurs.

So give it a go.
Start to listen.
Start to look for possible issues rather than be forced to be reactive.

I promise you it will change everything.