Positive Paws Training & Behaviour

21/02/2024

Do not let your kid(s) annoy a dog. Learn about these stress signals which dogs exhibit when they are in a scary or uncomfortable situation and they feel trapped and/or threatened.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/8mCfd6WVvPYYWTrZ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

04/08/2023

Today our breed expert looks at what the modern Border collie breed owes to one very special dog.

OLD H**P: THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL

Many of our followers may know about Old H**p (l893-1901 and pictured here); a dog bred by Adam Telfer in Northumberland, in the north of England, about 130 years ago, and often credited as being the ‘founding father’ of the modern Border collie breed as we know it – and certainly the working collie. But for those of you who are newer to the breed, or this page, I thought I would outline a bit more about him, and the genetic impact he left behind on the dogs we own today, in this feature.

PHYSICAL LEGACY
First, his physical impact. One of the first most fascinating aspects of Old H**p, to me, is how much his physical construction, appearance and likeness has stayed true, in Border collies, in countless generations since. You can see Border collies anywhere in the world today who still look so much like him, despite this picture of him being taken well over a century ago. And there are not many other breeds of dog around today of whom you could say the same.

Old H**p, a tricolour, was also not that big a dog; thought to be around 21 inches tall, which still remains the height limit in Breed Standards for pedigree show Border collies in most parts of the world. But his physical construction also gave him all the vital elements any working sheepdog needs; agility, speed, stamina, endurance. The very same qualities that are still being used in so many other different ways in Border collies today, including sports like Agility or Flyball.

The best physical construction is what also gives dogs the best possible movement; fluid, tireless, effortless. And it is this which gave Old H**p the ability to “flash,” as it was said, “like a meteor across the sheepdog horizon.”

MENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL LEGACY
Other than physical construction, it was Old H**p’s mental and behavioural approach to working that set the style for how many modern sheepdogs work today. Not just the ‘eye’, and herding abilities, but the way he could move sheep more gently and quietly than other dogs; his intense commitment to any task ahead of him, and instinctive ability to know what was required of him, from his handler, at any given time.

It is also important to understand how the development of the railways in the late 1800s, and thereafter the motor car, played their part in H**p’s later influence on Border collies. For before him there had been many different ‘types’ of working sheepdog in Britain, or elsewhere in the world, but all more limited to their own specific geographical areas. But with the opportunity for people to travel further, and gather together, also came the starting up of special sheepdog trials for them all to compete at, where they could also more readily compare the style and abilities of different people’s dogs.

Adam Telfer’s Old H**p impressed them all, and thereafter his stud dog services became much in demand. And even though he only lived to the age of 7, he is thought to have left over 200 offspring behind. Moreover 29 out of the winners of the International Farmers’ Championships for Sheepdogs between 1906 and l951 were his direct descendants. Then eventually Old H**p’s other, later genetic descendants spread across the globe.

THE LEGACY LIVES ON
All the Border collies I have ever owned, or bred, have had pedigrees you can trace right back to Old H**p in some way. It is something I always look for, and prize in them. That sense of continuity and legacy of everything that makes a Border collie what it is, or should be. And we owe all this to one special dog who should never be forgotten.

Meanwhile far more on the whole history and evolution of the Border collie as a breed, including the part played by Old H**p and other founding dogs, appears in BOOK ONE in my BREED APART trilogy – SECRETS OF THE WORKING MIND: https://performancedog.co.uk/product-category/books-and-dvds/authors/carol-price/ These books are available in the USA from: https://www.dogwise.com/ # and https://www.cleanrun.com/product/border_collies_a_breed_apart_book_1_secrets_of_the_working_mind/index.cfm In Canada from https://www.4mymerles.com/product-category/books/ And in Australia from: https://gameondogs.com.au/
All text © Carol Price 2023

22/05/2023

02/07/2022

The only right place for our dogs to be is to be right by our sides. ❤️

My dogs know their place.

Every year, I hope the people spewing nonsense about being pack leader, about being the alpha, about how you need to show the dog who’s boss, will disappear. Every year I’m hopeful that they will pick up a book (that isn’t written in their little echo chamber), do a course worth its salt, or even just watch the most basic YouTube video explaining why they are wrong.

Every year I am hopeful that I won’t see any more dogs wearing prong collars, e-collars, being strung up on a slip lead, being yanked back, alpha rolled, pinned to the ground, shaken, prodded, hissed at, kicked. Dogs that are just babies, dogs that are traumatised, dogs with behavioural problems that, whenever they ask for help or reassurance, are punished. Dogs that are petrified of something scary, only to be told “Stop crying!” as the thing they’re phobic of is drawn closer and closer to them.

Every year, I’m disappointed.

It’s 2022. The basis of this training was debunked DECADES ago. Why do people still feel it’s acceptable to treat dogs this way? To lazily slap the word “dominant” or “stubborn” on their foreheads and take that as an excuse to now treat them however they like.

Do freaking better.

“Oh, but my dog is a German shepherd/ Rottweiler/ staffie and they need a strong hand”

No. If you are incapable of handling a powerful dog without beating the crap out of it and walking it with ligatures, sometimes spiked ligatures, constricting their throat, seriously consider getting a smaller breed. It doesn’t make you look like a tough man, walking an incapacitated large breed dog, it makes you look like a coward. Nothing screams “I’m an incompetent trainer” like somebody reliant on choking their dog just to get them to walk nicely.

One day, we will look back as a society on the people who treat their dogs like this, and be totally repulsed. We will think “how did they get away with it?” I hoped, by 2022, we would be at that point already. But clearly not.

Yeah, my dogs know their place. It’s right beside me.

TLDR: you’re not the alpha, you’re insecure.

17/05/2022

This is a great article on how you should communicate with your dog using your intelligence, not manhandle him, to get your dog to do what you’d like.

How often do you tug, pull, push, or lift your dog (perhaps using his leash as a steering wheel or his collar or harness as a handle) to get your dog to do something that they were slow to do by themselves? Try, instead, to use your voice, your body language, your treats, and your bond with your dog to communicate your desires regarding his behavior – and to let him know how much you appreciate his cooperation.

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-pulling-on-the-leash/

Training your dog to not pull on the leash, or to get off the couch, or to sit still to harness him does not have to involve force. Learn more.

29/03/2022

just saw this and had to share

11/09/2021

06/07/2021

Lest we forget….our dogs do not owe us. Love them, and treat them well with respect and kindness.

Your dog owes you nothing. Not a thing.

The decision for him to be in your life wasn’t his, it was yours. He doesn’t owe you anything. If you look at your dog as owing you something in return for your attention, food, medical care etc, then that’s the first problem we have to tackle before we can even begin true training together.

Your dog doesn’t owe you “obedience” he doesn’t owe you “respect” he doesn’t owe you “good behavior” simply because he gets to share the same space and life with you. If you want that kind of relationship and behavior; that’s on you to create, not him.

YOU owe your dog. You owe it to him to understand his history, his development and his ancestors. You owe it to him to learn about his needs, his characteristics and his individual personality. You owe it to him to become educated on how he communicates with you, his body language and train him in a way he understands and enjoys and doesn’t cut corners just because it’s easier on YOU. You owe it to him to protect him and keep him safe. You owe it to him to modify YOUR environment to help him be successful.

Dogs are a privilege. WE created THEM. We’ve done them so many injustices and yet they still go to war with us, herd our livestock, protect us, find people for us, assist us devotedly, meet us at the door wagging their tails and comfort us when we are down. The tasks they do for us go above and beyond any other partnership between species imaginable, so you have to be willing to do your part too.

Your dog owes you nothing. You owe your dog. Remind yourself of that every time you get mad at him for simply doing dog things. Now, let’s get to work to make a great team.

Written by Helen St. Pierre. No Monkey Business Dog Training. Please share with CREDIT to the author.

04/06/2021

Please read this.

If you can, adopt and not buy. A huge number of lovely pets out there deserve a second chance and a real forever home.

Seniors are great but if you must get a puppy, still, check out your local animal shelters or rescuers who might have a suitable pup waiting for you.

Lastly, if you decide to buy a new pup, then please please do your homework and give yourself time to look for a responsible breeder and get to know him/her and the work that they do. Try to avoid buying off-the-shelf.

In short, get to know the breeder you’re buying your pup from, find out as much as you can about the pup and his/her parents and grandparents, give yourself time to observe the pup and make informed decisions when getting a new 4-legged family member.