Clever Dog Training

26/09/2024

My best little girl 💚🩷
Chocolate brown with very yellow-green eyes 👀

📸Lucky shot with my new iPhone

13/09/2024

Ik ben even offline ✅

Tot na de vakantie 🤗

13/08/2024

Ik denk dat we “mijn hond is vriendelijk” eindelijk eens anders moeten definiëren 👇👇👇

👉 je hond IS VRIENDELIJK als hij kiest om een ander even te negeren
👉 je hond IS VRIENDELIJK als hij niet “met alle andere honden wil spelen”
👉 je hond IS VRIENDELIJK als hij niet per sé door elke andere vreemde moet worden geaaid.

Ik weet niet waar en hoe dat rare, onrealistische Disneybeeld is ontstaan dat elke hond elke vreemde wil begroeten en iedereen wil besnuffelen.

Onze honden zijn geen kindertjes die “naar de speeltuin gaan zodat ze lekker met elkaar kunnen spelen”

I wrote a post a few days ago that was pretty well received. It's been shared 128 times and counting and comments are all along the lines of "this is so true!" and "I totally get this with my dog!".

The gist of that post is that us humans need to stop trying to interact intensively with every stranger dog we see. Basically. Because it's causing anxiety and fear in dogs who would much rather be left alone than be touched by someone they've never met.

What if I said it's the same for dogs? What if I said we also need to stop assuming that our dog needs to say hello to every stranger dog they meet too?

This goes for puppies, rescues and foreign rescues.

I took Lily somewhere fairly busy yesterday. It was beautiful because there were other dogs around off lead too, but none of the dogs stopped to say hello to each other. They passed each other and shared the same walk in many ways, but there was no intense interaction at all. Lily is very socially skilled (a lot of foreign street dogs adopted when slightly older are) and she literally treats other dogs that she may pass at a distance as if they're invisible. It's strange to observe when so many of our UK dogs are primed to want to go say hello to everything so will be pulling towards on the lead, looking over and maybe even whining. Lily doesn't even batter an eye lid at a dog she passes. It feels very natural. Like it's just accepted that on the streets you share space with others. You do you, they'll do them. No harm, no bother.

We think because our dog is a dog they will want to go say hello to every dog they see because they're the same species. This leads us to putting dogs in uncomfortable situations where they have no choice but to interact.

As a behaviourist with a FRIENDLY dog, what do I do when there is a dog walking towards me and mine?

I cross the road or curve into the road. I do not want to put any pressure on Lily to say an intense hello to anything or anyone and having her on lead and walking her right up to a stranger dogs face is extreme pressure! And that's completely unnatural. In the same way dogs don't need you to stick your hand in their faces, dogs don't need to sniff each other and interact either.

Our perspective of a friendly dog is bizarre. We think friendly means will eagerly go up to anything and anyone and interact and want to play. Actually, I would suggest friendly means NOT forcing interaction with anyone at all. It's MUCH more friendly to many dogs to just respect their personal space and not start sniffing their bums without invitation. FRIENDLY, I'd argue, is the dogs who hold themselves back a bit and not assume everyone is wanting interaction. Because invariably, many dogs DON'T want interaction with other stranger dogs and THAT'S NORMAL!

Interestingly, the one dog yesterday who actually full on approached Lily caused her concern. She shrank in her body posture and I immediately called her away. She was visibly relieved to not have to deal with that interaction. It was a huge dog to be fair but if I had been spending my time settling lily in by encouraging her to say hello to every dog we meet I've no doubt her stress levels would very quickly increase and we'd start to see reactive behaviours. No doubt.

Your dog does not need to interact up close and personal with every dog they see. In fact, it's very healthy if the majority of dogs you see that are strangers to your dog are just left as strangers. Having select friends to interact with together in a planned way is much more natural and productive than meeting new dogs every day multiple times a day 🐾💜

06/08/2024

ℕ𝕚𝕖𝕦𝕨𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕤

Ik hoor graag van jullie! Op welke workshops zitten jullie te wachten? Waar wil je meer over leren?

laat het me weten 👇👇👇👇

25/07/2024

Building layers! ⬇️

Our agility trainer builds our skills in layers.
First we learn to find the backside and jump to me as one behavior, without any handler motion.
Then we add a little handler motion and increase the dog’s speed with wings.
We also practice all the different angles and then when we can confidently find the backside and jump back —only THEN we add it in a course!

10/07/2024

𝕍𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕒𝕝 𝕗𝕦𝕟 oftewel hoe goed luistert je hond naar de woorden?

Een goede oude met Silke en Cooper 💪❤️

30/06/2024

💪💪💪 it takes months to build proper strength and good form!
Snap shot 📸 from a recent training video. Every 2-3 months or so I’ll change the conditioning schedules with new exercise (or revisit previous exercises).
✨ change is needed in order to maintain growth!

Proud moment for me - after some bad luck, Rio is not for the faint of heart (a tumble here, a slip there, unlucky hitting a knee while playing with his sister) - he is able to do this exercise the best he ever did 🥳🥳🥳

👉 it takes a whole lot of core and schouder/ upper arm/ chest muscle strength to properly execute without dropping the elbows below horizontal.

🫶 I’ll get to editing some more fitness stuff 😅

12/06/2024

Onze perceptie verandert met kennis.

🩷 in plaats van onze hond in een situatie te stoppen die hij niet aan kan of hem stoppen in situaties tot de hond dicht slaat, vermijd je (of werk je under threshold aan) situaties die je hond (nog) niet aan kan.

💚 in plaats van je hond te labelen als “stout, dominant, pittig, dom etc, leer je dat elk gedrag de
onderliggende functie heeft.

💛 je leert emotionele reacties te veranderen in plaats van blaffen, grommen, snippen, uitvallen te onderdrukken.

🩵 met kennis verandert de prioriteit naar welzijn en de emotionele belevingswereld van de hond in plaats van gehoorzamen.

Knowledge about dog behaviour is important. It's a no brainer. But why? 🤔

Well, understanding dog behaviour is crucial in effective dog training for several reasons. A deep knowledge of canine behaviour allows trainers & behaviourists to create effective, humane, and tailored training programmes. Here are the primary reasons why this knowledge is essential:

⚠️ Understanding Canine Communication.

Dogs communicate primarily through body language and vocalisations. A deep understanding of these communication methods helps to interpret what a dog is feeling or intending, which is crucial for effective training.

Body Language. Knowing the nuances of a dog’s body language, such as tail position, ear orientation, and posture, can indicate whether the dog is relaxed, anxious, or aggressive. For instance, a wagging tail doesn't always mean a dog is happy; the context and type of wag are important indicators of the dog's emotional state.

Vocalisations. Different barks, growls, and whines have distinct meanings. Recognising these sounds allows trainers to respond appropriately to a dog’s needs and emotions, facilitating better communication and training outcomes.

⚠️ Addressing Behavioural Issues.

Behavioural issues such as aggression, anxiety, and excessive barking can stem from various causes, including fear, territoriality, or past trauma. Understanding the root causes of these behaviours is essential for developing effective intervention strategies.

Anxiety. Recognising signs of anxiety and understanding its triggers (e.g., separation anxiety, noise phobia) helps in designing desensitisation and counterconditioning programmes to alleviate the dog’s stress.

⚠️ Understanding the importance and relevance of health and wellbeing vs behaviour.

Physical & mental health do impact dog behaviour more than people realise. Considering possible pain, discomfort, nutrition, appetite amount of physical activity and mental health is absolutely critical before any training can start.

⚠️ Implementing Positive Reinforcement Techniques.

A comprehensive knowledge of dog behaviour supports the use of positive reinforcement techniques, which are based on rewarding desired behaviours to encourage their repetition.

Timing and Consistency. Understanding the importance of immediate and consistent reinforcement helps trainers effectively shape and reinforce desired behaviours. This is critical as dogs learn best when there is a clear and immediate connection between their behaviour and the reward.

Motivation. Knowing what motivates a particular dog, whether it’s food, toys, or affection, allows trainers to tailor their approach to each dog’s preferences, making training more effective and engaging.

⚠️ Building Trust and Relationship.

Effective, kind and modern dog training is built on a foundation of trust between the dog and the trainer. Deep knowledge of dog behaviour helps in establishing this trust by ensuring that training methods are humane and respectful.

Avoiding Negative Methods. Understanding the detrimental effects of punishment and negative reinforcement encourages trainers to avoid these methods, which can damage the dog-trainer relationship and lead to fear or aggression.

Empathy and Respect. Recognising and respecting a dog’s individual temperament and limits fosters a positive training environment, enhancing the bond between the dog and the trainer.

⚠️ Customising Training Programs.

Dogs, like humans, have individual personalities and learning styles. Knowledge of dog behaviour enables trainers to customise training programmes to suit the specific needs and characteristics of each dog.

Breed-Specific Traits. Different breeds have distinct behavioural traits and predispositions. For example, herding breeds may require more mental stimulation, while scent hounds may need activities that engage their sense of smell.

Individual Differences. Beyond breed traits, individual dogs have unique personalities. Some may be more timid or excitable than others. Tailoring training to these individual differences ensures more effective and humane outcomes.

⚠️ Preventing and Managing Problem Behaviours

Understanding the natural behaviours of dogs helps in preventing and managing problem behaviours before they become ingrained.

Early Intervention. Recognising early signs of behavioural issues allows for timely intervention, preventing the escalation of undesirable behaviours.

Environmental Management: Knowledge of dog behaviour informs environmental management strategies, such as providing adequate exercise, mental stimulation, and safe spaces, which are critical for preventing behavioural problems.

06/05/2024

𝕊𝕟𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕟 & 𝕦𝕚𝕥𝕧𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝔹𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕤

Ik post deze omdat zoveel van jullie met mij hebben gedeeld dat jullie Border Collie (of ander drijvend ras) soms/ regelmatig uitvalt naar auto's, mountainbikers, fietsers, vreemden of hoe naar jullie honden visite thuis vinden.

Mooie uitleg over de oorsprong van dit mechanisme in Border Collies (en vast ook herkenbaar voor andere drijvende rassen).

Today our breed expert Carol Price looks at a very commonly misunderstood form of aggression in the Border collie breed.

ATTACK OR DEFENCE?
Understanding the lunge-nip reflex in Border collies

Although aggression is an issue that should always be taken seriously in any dog - and may have so many different triggers or motivations - often owners and, indeed, the wider public, may not always understand the difference between aggressive responses launched more offensively and deliberately in dogs, to attack, and those which the dog launches more instinctively instead, as a more primal kind of defence response. And the latter can be incredibly common in herding dogs like Border collies.

I call this behaviour in Border collies the lunge-nip reflex. It is a totally instinctive behaviour in the breed, frequently by-passing more conscious thought processes, and the reason it is there goes back to their earliest roots as livestock working dogs. For the dog must have the respect of the livestock they work at all times, and if they do not react quickly enough – in terms some immediate defence reaction – when challenged or crowded in by them, then they could find themselves either badly injured or dead.

Further, once livestock learn that a dog, if challenged by them, will challenge them back, they can become that much easier to manage.

ACTIVATING THE REFLEX
Once we understand, too, the direct connection in the collie brain between some deeper sense of mental pressure, or threat, and the lunge-nip reflex being activated, we can also appreciate why this behaviour so commonly gets deflected, in non-working or pet collies, on to alternative ‘threat’ targets. Like a stranger person, or dog or even cyclists and traffic. Anything actually that comes moving more suddenly into their head space, and is more mentally unnerving to their more primal thought processes and defence reactions.

When dogs are in more restricted spaces or situations – like cars - or tied up, or on a lead – such defence behaviour can also become even more likely or intensified, due to the option of escaping any ‘threat’ by running or fleeing being no longer available to them.

Lunge-nip defence behaviour is also predominantly a ‘warning’ behaviour, and thus will most commonly result in either the dog ‘air snapping’ or inflicting minimal injury on anyone or anything it nips. Whereas a dog with a greater intent to attack will bite far more strongly and do far more harm. The same is true of dogs who lack sufficient natural ‘bite inhibition’, or who have never had the chance to learn it.

THE EFFECTS OF MENTAL PRESSURE
Every collie can be different, in terms of how strong their lunge-nip instinct happens to be, and how readily or not this reflex will be launched by them. But the key at all times will be first, to recognise how prone your dog is to this kind of behaviour and second, to understand the things that are most likely to trigger it. Then organise your handling and training of your dog accordingly.

Given the direct link in the collie brain between building levels of mental pressure, or arousal, and how readily the lunge-nip reflex will be used, then clearly the aim is to try to keep your dog from entering this more ‘dangerous’ mental zone as much as possible. Be aware that mental pressure can come from many different sources for Border collies. From higher, or more excessive, levels of sensory provocation - particularly sound and movement (like passing traffic) - or emotional states like fear, anxiety, excitement or frustration. Or a sense in the dog of feeling crowded, hemmed in or cornered some way by others.

THE MENTAL THERMOMETER
It can also really help to start seeing your dog’s mind more like a thermometer, in that the higher the temperature rises, the more likely it is that lunge nip behaviours will follow. Whereas the cooler and calmer your dog’s mind, the less likely they are to occur. Then do everything you can to both attain and sustain that cooler mental state in your dog at all times.

This may also involve working much harder on your dog’s general ‘focus’ and ‘impulse control’ training (covered previously on this page) an well as a more gradual familiarisation with, or desensitisation to, sensory experiences that may otherwise unnerve your dog.

For ultimately Border collies cannot be blamed or condemned for impulses and reactions that have been more deliberately hardwired into them, genetically, for generations, and for a specific working purpose. But we have the ability to better understand and control them, with better insight and training.

Meanwhile, much more on the origins of lunge-nip and other working behaviours in Border collies appears in BOOK ONE in my BORDER COLLIES: A BREED APART trilogy – SECRETS OF THE WORKING MIND, more on FOCUS and IMPULSE CONTROL training appears in book TWO – ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS & LEARNING – and all aggression issues in Border collies appears in BOOK THREE on BEHAVIOUR:
All text © Carol Price 2024
Carol Price collie books: In the UK from: https://performancedog.co.uk/product-category/books-and-dvds/authors/carol-price/ 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/ In Australia from: https://gameondogs.com.au/ And in the Netherlands and Belgium from: https://mediaboek.nl/border-collies-a-breed-apart-book-1.html

03/05/2024

𝟞 𝕞𝕖𝕚 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕣 𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕦𝕨𝕖 𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕖 𝕊𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕙𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕜 𝔹𝕒𝕤𝕚𝕤.

Alle info vindt je hier:
https://cleverdogtrainingonline.nl/sprongtechniek-basis/

03/05/2024

𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕡𝕤- zijwaarts stappen met voorpoten

In deze video vind je een tip een tip om op te lossen als je hond blijft wiebelen met de achterpoten en je zijwaarts stappen wilt leren met de voorpoten.

In deze video zie je hoe ik oplos dat Rosie steeds een pivot maakt terwijl ik haar wil leren alleen haar voorpoten te bewegen.

27/04/2024

𝕂𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕟 𝕕𝕖 𝕜𝕠𝕡

En dat klopt! In de lente kunnen honden meer last hebben van geuren door alle activiteiten/ontwikkeling van planten en dieren. Je hond kan hierdoor meer getriggered worden in geuren willen volgen, interesse in prooien en meer jachtinstinct.

Wist je dat de cyclus van voorplanting voor veel dieren seizoensgebonden is (niet voor honden)?
En niet geheel verrassend is dat ook het slaappatroon wordt beinvloed door de seizoenen!

SPRINGTIME & DOGS: AN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY PERSPECTIVE

Spring is often a long awaited event for many of us after a wet and cold winter. A mere glimpse of daffodil bulbs, and the promise of longer and warmer days can see us cleaning our homes and doing chores we had been putting off for months. For dogs however, a change in seasons can signal multifaceted physiological and behaviour patterns that have been determined from evolutionary biology.

Animal neuro-endocrine systems undergo seasonal shifts. In winter, melatonin activity for example (which is directly related to duration of sunlight exposure) decreases firing of the retinal nerves which trigger hormones for breeding in some species Seasonal breeding is commonly seen due to this, with some groups being assigned as 'short-day breeders’ (eg: sheep , deer and fox ) and long-day breeders ( eg: wolves, horses)
This is also referred to as a 'photoperiod' (an organism’s daily exposure to light) The ancestral control pathway of photoperiodism is thought to have originated before the divergence of mammalian and avian vertebrate lineages in the evolutionary timeline.

However, dogs and other species such as cattle and pigs, are polyestrous, which means they can cycle all year round. Fascinatingly, some exceptions are seen in Basenji and sled dogs who breed photoperiodically.
Dogs are shown to not require a photoperiod to regulate the reproductive cycle ,but their shedding cycles and immune systems are affected by photoperiodic mechanisms.

Most certainly breeding and feeding patterns of other species of both plants and animals affect our dogs’ behaviour seasonally.

Spring brings new and exciting smells from plant and animal activity. Dogs senses typically heighten during this time, and this can mean they get easily immersed or distracted, often manifesting in hunting, amplified olfactory or foraging behaviours depending on the breed and location of the dog. In multi-dog homes this can become challenging if one dog is more prey or scent driven than others, or if all are.

While these fall within perimeters of normal behaviour, dog professionals might get increased enquiries during this time about dogs not recalling , hunting excessively, grass and plant ingesting , not coming inside from the garden, or suddenly becoming fixated by some prey animals. Puppies exposed to the wider world for the first time after their vaccinations can experience sensory overload as well as adolescent dogs who's pre-frontal cortexes are still under development.

Another seasonal affect potentially in pet dogs, who mostly follow human like diurnal sleep patterns, might see an increase in crepuscular activity, like waking at 5.30am or becoming restless around dusk.

Diurnal sleep patterns in pet dogs are hypothesized to be an adaptation to living alongside humans, because variations of nocturnal and crepuscular patterns are observed in most other canids whereas diurnal activity is rarely seen. There are some data to suggest that dogs can benefit from a dark room to achieve sleep efficiency. This might be relevant in the modern environment where open plan light filled rooms are commonly seen.

Spring can therefore quickly become a frustrating time for both dogs and their humans, but recognising the effects of evolutionary biology and making some adjustments can help.

Depending on what is reinforcing for the dog, some ideas for springtime could include providing targeted exploratory enrichment, long line walks to avoid predation or avoiding prey species photoperiodic activity , safe opportunities to dig, scent work or simply some good naps on the sofa together.

Boo Blackhurst CDBC

References:

L. Senger, Phillip 2005, Pathways to Pregnancy and Parturition

Robert Bodiz et al 2019, Sleep in the dog: comparative, behavioral and translational relevance

Brian J. Prendergast 2005, Internalization of seasonal time

Lofts B 1978, Animal Photoperiodism

19/04/2024

ℍ𝕖𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕠𝕚𝕥 𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕧𝕣𝕒𝕒𝕘 𝕘𝕖𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕤𝕥, ó𝕗 𝕕𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕟 𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕙𝕖𝕓𝕓𝕖𝕟, 𝕞𝕒𝕒𝕣 𝕙𝕠𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕙𝕖𝕥 𝕞𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕛𝕜 𝕕𝕒𝕥 𝕕𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡 𝕫𝕖 𝕫𝕠 𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕘 𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕗𝕥 “𝕘𝕖𝕫𝕚𝕖𝕟”. -Frans de Waal-

18/03/2024

En voeg daaraan toe:
❌ veel puppies kunnen niet binnen 2-3 weken uren alleen zijn
❌ puppies lopen niet na 8 lesjes perfect aan de riem
❗️ hierkomen is een proces van maanden en onderhoud voor het leven
❌ niet elke puppy gaat willen “spelen” met andere honden. Het zijn geen kinderen die je naar de speeltuin brengt!

"Ik doe een beroep op toekomstige puppy ouders!!!
In veel Facebookgroepen wordt al maanden naar puppy's gezocht -en het houdt maar niet op.. .
Nu en meteen moet het - zonder er tijd voor te nemen of zich er eerst heel goed in te verdiepen wat het allemaal inhoudt en waar je rekening mee moet houden.

En dan lees je steeds vaker berichten zoals:
9 weken - niet doorslapen
10 weken - nog steeds plassen in het appartement
12 weken - bijt ons - we zijn klaar... enz enz enz enz enz...
Mensen - wat is er mis met jullie?
Puppy's zijn schattig - dat is waar, maar:
Puppy's kosten tijd en werk.
Puppy's zijn vermoeiend.
Puppy's moeten allemaal om de 2-3 uur naar buiten.
Puppy's moeten wennen aan hun nieuwe huisje.
Puppy's moeten eerst alles leren.
Puppy's zijn er niet kant en klaar voor je.
En dan nadat je klaar bent met de puppyfase, komt de eerste puberteit.
Dit wordt steeds wat inspannender - omdat het kleine nieuwsgierige brein gevuld is met energie, alles wil ontdekken, uitproberen, slopen en onvermoeibaar lijkt 🐶
EN VERGEET NIET: DE HOND IS ER NOG STEEDS WANNEER JULLIE ALLEMAAL WEER OP VAKANTIE WILLEN EN WANNEER JE VAKANTIE OVER IS EN JE WEER NAAR JE WERK MOET ! ️
Hij wil oud worden met jou, deel uitmaken van je familie en met jou leven.
Hij kan en wil niet 10 uur per dag alleen zijn, niet constant opgesloten in de bench of op zijn dekentje moeten liggen.
En dát is juist niet duidelijk voor zovelen.
Honden zijn levende wezens. Ze hebben behoeften die voorzien moeten worden, dat kost tijd, geld en geduld.
Zeker de moeite waard, maar je moet je er wel heel bewust van zijn!! ❤️ ❤️

Daarom denk goed na voordat je jezelf hieraan bindt!
Een hondenleven duurt gemiddeld 15 jaar (kan wat minder of meer zijn).
🐶🐩🐕🦮🐕‍🦺

Gedeeld van een andere FB pagina,
credits foto segreto D’Amore Cockers

15/03/2024

Sorry 😅

🖐️😅

11/03/2024

Border collies be like .. wat doet die stomme hond op tv?! (Of kip of ander bewegend dier)

25/02/2024

Border Collies ervaren de wereld vaak anders. Tussen de ene en de andere Border Collie zit soms een enorm verschil.

Waar de een overal mee naar toe kan, sommigen werkelijk gek zijn op mensen, zijn andere Border Collies geen fan van vreemden of nieuwe omgevingen (ook niet gek, want een waardevolle collie die op iedereen die op de boerderij af komt, kan makkelijke worden gestolen---- daarnaast wat maakt het uit op de meeste werkboerderijen als je hond de visite niet geweldig vind- ook hier een stukje genetica ).

Onderstaande tekst heeft een mooie vergelijking met het verschil in reactiviteit en hoe dat vergelijkbaar is met hoe een immuunsysteem werkt.

En het stukje "ACCEPTING FEAR" is waar voor ELKE hond die angst ervaart. Daaraan voeg ik toe: een hond is niet 💯 % maakbaar.

"Hoe frustrerend, ongemakkelijk of zelfs onlogisch een hond zijn angst en de gevolgen daarvan op het gedrag zijn voor ons als eigenaar, het meest belangrijke is nog steeds om te accepteren hoe WAAR en gegrond die angst is voor de hond. En accepteer ook dat het soms echt veel tijd, veel geduld kost om beter te worden. Alleen de hond kan bepalen hoe snel, of langzaam het tempo is om het zelfvertrouwen terug te vinden van iets wat ze bang maakt."

TODAY OUR BREED EXPERT looks at the issue of fear in Border collies and its potential fallout on their behaviour:

FEAR AND FEAR RELATED ISSUES IN THE BORDER COLLIE

It is often said that collies can be more nervous or fearful as a breed, when they may simply mount more excessive reactions to the sensation of fear than other dogs. Or read threat in certain situations or contexts where another dog might not. It is an inherent part of their generally more sensitive and reactive psychology as a breed.

Fear, too, is so frequently regarded in dogs as a more negative trait, when it is actually the most powerful survival response any animal can have. Because without both an adequate perception of threat, and reaction to it, few of our dogs' ancestors were likely to last long. However what goes wrong in our modern world is that so often our dogs' perception and response to threat is out of proportion to the stimulus causing it, which we ourselves may view as relatively harmless.

DIFFERENT ‘FEAR SETTINGS’ IN INDIVIDUAL DOGS
The best way to view your collie's more personal fear response system is much like the immune system. When it is working normally, it only reacts to real threats as and when they occur, and then calms down into a far quieter and less reactive state the rest of the time. When the immune system is working less well, however, it begins over-reacting to things that are actually quite harmless, including the body's own cells.

How strong - or over-reactive - a fear response any collie has can have some genetic root. But it can also be exacerbated by poorer socialisation when a dog was younger, or inadequate exposure to a wider number of different social and sensory experiences at a stage in the dog's life when he/she was most likely to accept them as more normal or less harmful. Any ongoing source of pain, or environmental stress, can also greatly exacerbate a dog's sense of threat, and make them more reactive to this than they might otherwise be.

BREAKING FREE OF THE ‘MENTAL PRISON’
Sometimes as owners we can collude in making our dogs' fear responses to different things ever stronger, or worse, through continuing to let them avoid what they fear. Like, say, walking down a certain street they don't like, or approaching less familiar dogs and people. In doing so, we are simply allowing our dogs to drag us, as well, into their own little mental prison of fear, rather than doing everything we can to help them break out of it.

I have dealt with so many owners and dogs in this kind of predicament, with the dog's level of sensory or social tolerance getting ever smaller by the day, simply through an ingrained pattern of avoidance when it comes to anything the dog doesn't like or finds more unnerving. When really what the dog needs is to be more progressively and continually exposed to what he fears, in a more controlled way, until the level of threat it presents in his/her mind becomes ever more diminished. Usually this will require more specialist training, in knowing when any dog is ready to make that next step forward in confidence. And there may be very, very many little steps forward like these, in the course of turning any fear in collies around.

People - understandably - may always crave far quicker and easier solutions to problems that emanate from the deepest and most primal parts of a dog's brain, when they sadly don't exist. It is also near impossible for the more highly evolved human social brain, which understands everything about its surrounding world, to put itself into the mind of an animal who has neither of these advantages, and thus has nothing more than instinct to rely on, from one moment to the next, to navigate their way through life’s daily new challenges, or potential threats.

TACKLING FEAR AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY
Collies can be wildly different in terms of what they may develop a more fearful reaction to. It could be anything from a ceiling fan or food processor to a plastic tarpaulin flapping in the wind to a set of shutters closing down on a shop as you go past. But it is never the original fear stimulus than matters, but how quickly you can act to resolve the fear about something in your dog before it becomes more drastically ingrained. You will never get a better opportunity to turn a fear response in any dog around than just after it first happened.

Fear about louder noises - like fireworks or thunder - becomes more logical once you understand that they can actually cause dogs physical pain, due to their far more acute sense of hearing. And thus if a noise is not only frightening in itself, but also causes you physical pain, then here is one of those exceptions where I feel the first priority is not immediate re-exposure to them, while trying to change the dog’s perception of them, but to give dogs some clear type of sanctuary to go to, to escape this and feel safer. Only thereafter can you then begin a more gradual desensitisation to such noises, through things like special noise DVDs and better positive distraction techniques to offset fear, so that the dog has longer to gain more confidence about them in much slower and more gradual stages.

ACCEPTING FEAR
However frustrating, inconvenient or even illogical a dog’s fear, and its physical fallout on their behaviour, might sometimes be for us as owners, the most important thing is still to accept how very real, and valid, a response it is for the dog concerned. And also accept that it might time some time, and great patience, to more fully resolve. For only your dog can decide the timescale for how quickly, or slowly, they will rebuild confidence in something that previously frightened them.

Meanwhile a far more comprehensive look at fear in Border collies, its fallout on their behaviour, and how you can train dogs to be less fearful about different things, appears in BOOK THREE (green cover) of my BORDER COLLIES: A BREED APART trilogy: BEHAVIOUR - INSIGHTS, ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS.
All text © Carol Price 2024
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