I'm so late to the podcast scene, but I've fallen in love with a few, my favourite being Barks from the Bookshelf, listeners really feel like they're sitting in the room, chilling with the podcast panel.
Anyways, I had to stop and re-listen to this comment a number of times and it almost made me tearful.
Sums up my feelings 100%. Add it to your library.
Me signing back into Facebook and realizing the The Dead Good Dog Trainer is back 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
Dear Dog Owners...
Dear pet dog owners,,,,, Yes, I'm talking to you,
Those brand new to the dog world, and expereinced dog owners too.
Something has happened to our industry, and you might not be in the know
But what's happening is literally ALL about you, and the choice of where you go
Where do you go when you're on your knees, and worried about your pup?
When you need to reach out to an expert, please be aware it REALLY matters where you end up?
When I started working with dogs, almost 20 years ago,
the rolled up newspapers were on their way out, and the dog whispering was being told NO
Dog training had become gentle, we listened to you and your dog,
we learned to treat dogs with respect, and intimidation was never part of the job
So myself and all my peers, we got on with our job
We focused on developing our knowledge and skills, but we never saw the growing mob
While we studied and got dirty with dogs, the mob was growing momentum
They focused on their video editing and look at where it's gotten them?!
Those of us with degrees and masters, and decades in the field
Are expected to put down our sword and shield ??
We worked so hard on protecting your dogs from punishment, pain and fear
but now we're looked at as on equal par to psudo experts in the game a year
We let you down, but we didn't know, we didn't see it coming.
We thought 'balanced trainers' had seen their time, and our jobs would be smooth running!
Yes, we know, those jazzy videos, they can be very convincing,
to see the before, and then the after clips, with the filters and enhancing,
We don't blame you for being sucked in, influencers can be influencial
but please, just stop, and have a think, do these trainers understand the fundimental?
The fundimental reason that these dogs are carrying out unwanted behaviours?
Are their needs being met? Are they in pain? Are they crying out for saviours?
Punishment works, we aren't denying this, and results at times look quick
But look be
Early start this morning on GB News discussing the new XL bully ban that comes in to force today in Scotland.
Probably the happiest moment of my life 🐄 🐮
I think it's time for me to speak up, dispite the fact that I know, and I understand why, this will be met with a lot of heat.
And I'm ok with that. I'd rather take heat for speaking out on something I believe needs to be spoken on, rather than stay silent.
When we have a rapidly increasing frequency of dog attacks, I think that the genetic experiment that XL bullys are needs to end.
There are thousands of XL bullys that grow old gracefully, without any bad rep. I know that. And that's what makes this so hard to say.
Because we can't say 'so many are sweet' without also then accepting that since the breed has become popular in the UK and Ireland, they are responsible for more fatalities than any other breed, by a country mile.
For now, and until we finally start recording the data from these incidences, I am OK with a blanket ban on the breed.
No, I'm not saying I believe that hundreds or thousands of healthy, friendly dogs should be euthanised, but I am getting more and more comfortable with a ban on rehoming / purchasing / breeding XL bullies until we have the data gathered on serious attack incidences, and I think that those who own, work with, or spend time with XL bullies should take extra care and safety measures.
When someone asks me for a recommendation near them I always vet the website of "experts" in their area, to see if they've put their time, energy, and hard earned money into being the best professional they can be.
I agree that experience is essential too, but imo it should be... qualifications, then gain experience to apply those qualifications, then work as a professional while continuing to grow your knowledge and experience through taking courses and attending seminars and workshops.
I always knew Suzi Walsh was good, but I still get a buzz out of seeing professionals list their credentials.
This is super impressive
Dog Behaviour & Training
WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER, I PROMISE, DON'T GIVE UP HOPE 🫂
One of the things I love the most, in fact, THE thing I love the most about being a behaviourist is being able to lift the guilt, shame, anger and frustration off the shoulders of dog guardians, and leave their home seeing hope and optimism back in their eyes.
I am so greatful and appreciative of the fact that my years of studying can provide these dog lovers with hope.
So many dog trainers and behaviourists get in to the industry because we've been there! We've had the messed up dogs who left us pulling our hair out.
We've had those moments of anger and frustration where we've looked our dogs in the eye and said "What's wrong with you? Why can't you be normal?"
We've had the crippling guilt and shame afterwards where we look at our dogs and think "It's not your fault, its me. I'm failing you. I'm so sorry"
One of the phrases I hate to hear is "There's no such thing as bad dogs, just bad dog owners", because a bad dog owner is rare.
We know you are trying your best. We understand you have become jaded. We empathise with your struggle. And we see that you are on your knees.
You love your dog. Your dog loves you.
And do you know what, if the right thing for your dog is for us to help you find a more suitable home, then sometimes that is the right thing to do, and we can hold your hand through the process.
But please don't feel like you will be judged when you reach out for help because you won't be - on the other side there is a compassionate, caring dog behaviourist who has been there and can help you and your dog get on the road to recovery - and it's an honour to be able to do so.
One of the biggest mistakes I reckon peole make is failing to habituate your dog to the world around them.
When you don't get time to figure things out at a distance then you can think they are a BIG DEAL! That they are scary, or super exciting, or become frustrated because you didn't get the time to properly investigate.
When working with puppies I spend a lot of time explaining to their guardians that puppies need time to figure things out, and ideally, to find things boring.
Introducing your dog to something at a distance allows them time to observe, and then lose interest. The losing interest is critical. You don't give treats, you don't praise, you just allow your dog to become "aware, but don't care"!
All too often those of us who have spent decades educating ourselves in our area of expertise (dog behaviour) have our advice dismissed by, what I call, 'study of one' science.
The advice in video below is sound advice - placing an infant on top of a resting dog is both unfair on the dog and dangerous for the baby. Yet when I posted it on tiktok I had a number of angry messages stating that the dog in question loves that baby.
I am sure the dog in the video is a lovely dog. And I am even more sure that thr babies parents don't intend to be unkind to their dog nor put their baby at risk.
Yet the activities in the video significantly increase the probability that the dog could associate the babies presence with increased levels of anxiety, and in many households if you were to place a baby on top of a resting dog the dog could jump up, knocking the baby to the floor, or the dog may even snap at the baby.
Us professionals work so hard on giving advice that we risk assess, and when giving advice to the masses it is our responsibility to ensure that the advice will be effective in the vast majority of households.
You may often look at my videos and think I am being OTT, or that you did xyz to your dog and everything turned out just fine.
But when there is a perfect storm, and we get a call that "my dog bit out of the blue" you can be damn sure that there will be a list on contributing factors to the bite that us professionals have time and time again advised against.
All too often those of us who have spent decades educating ourselves in our area of expertise (dog behaviour) have our advice dismissed by, what I call, 'study of one' science.
The advice in video below is sound advice - placing an infant on top of a resting dog is both unfair on the dog and dangerous for the baby. Yet when I posted it on tiktok I had a number of angry messages stating that the dog in question loves that baby.
I am sure the dog in the video is a lovely dog. And I am even more sure that thr babies parents don't intend to be unkind to their dog nor put their baby at risk.
Yet the activities in the video significantly increase the probability that the dog could associate the babies presence with increased levels of anxiety, and in many households if you were to place a baby on top of a resting dog the dog could jump up, knocking the baby to the floor, or the dog may even snap at the baby.
Us professionals work so hard on giving advice that we risk assess, and when giving advice to the masses it is our responsibility to ensure that the advice will be effective in the vast majority of households.
You may often look at my videos and think I am being OTT, or that you did xyz to your dog and everything turned out just fine.
But when there is a perfect storm, and we get a call that "my dog bit out of the blue" you can be damn sure that there will be a list on contributing factors to the bite that us professionals have time and time again advised against.
WE HAVE OUR WINNER!!!
And the winner of a FREE place on the Professional Dog Reactivity Specialist course is..........
SHOW ME YOUR DOGS!! I'd love to see you guys taking a video of your consent test with your dogs!! If you're happy for me to share them we can make a little montage of 'consensual snuggles'!
Did many of you see all the fuss about the parenting coach who went viral a few years ago about getting consent from babies before changing their nappies?
The media made it out that she was nuts, but I remember thinking at the time that she's being completely misinterpreted.
My understanding of her argument was that, if you are going to do something to a baby that they may not like, then you should give the baby time to process, some predictability on what was about to happen, and the option to say no, through body language, or say yes and consent, again through body language.
The thought of pinning down an upset baby to force them through a nappy change could potentially have some long-term trust issues.
When it comes to our dogs, I am seeing more and more cases of dogs who very much love human company, but display aggressive behaviours when touched, and sometimes their guardians fail to be able to predict when their dogs want to be touched and when they just want to be in close proximity.
It’s so eye opening for many pet parents when they start to do consent tests with touching their dogs, and in my opinion it’s not fluffy hippy dippy permissive, pushover, softie stuff.
Allowing a sentient being to be involved and have agency over what happens to their bodies should be a basic human right, and animal welfare basic requirement.
Yes, I completely understand that in many situations, with kids and dogs, we do have to put them in situations they don’t want or like for safety / medical / just life reasons. However, I’m a strong believer in building trust in kids and pets, and the more we allow our children and dogs to take the time to process what’s about to happen, and the more we listen to their feedback, whether verbal or body language, the more likely they will
