Canine by Nature

26/08/2024

International Dog Day - How did you celebrate 👇🏼 comment below 🥰

14/08/2024

How often I hear … We went there and they have a lovely environment to raise the puppies and my heart just sinks ! People see what they want to see. Please dig deep. Please at least contact DogsNZ for registered breeders.

31/07/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/W1mn4fAQTncropjv/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Everyone who is thinking of getting dogs should read this because you need to understand this reality:

***I am a 21st century dog.***
-I'm a Malinois.
Overskilled among dogs, I excel in all disciplines and I'm always ready to work: I NEED to work.
But nowadays I get asked to chill on the couch all day everyday.

-I am an Akita Inu.
My ancestors were selected for fighting bears.
Today I get asked to be tolerant and I get scolded for my reactivity when another approaches me.

-I am a Beagle.
When I chase my prey, I raise my voice so the hunters could follow.
Today they put an electric collar on me to shut up, and you make me come back to you - no running - with a snap of your fingers.

-I am a Yorkshire Terrier.
I was a terrifying rat hunter in English mines.
Today they think I can't use my legs and they always hold me in their arms.

-I'm a Labrador Retriever.
My vision of happiness is a dive into a pond to bring back the duck he shot to my master.
Today you forget I'm a walking, running, swimming dog; as a result I'm fat, made to stay indoors, and to babysit.

-I am a Jack Russell.
I can take on a fox, a mean badger, and a rat bigger than me in his den.
Today I get scolded for my character and high energy, and forced to turn into a quiet living room dog.

-I am a Siberian Husky.
Experienced the great, wide open spaces of Northern Europe, where I could drag sleds for long distances at impressive speeds.
Today I only have the walls of the house or small garden as a horizon, and the holes I dig in the ground just to release energy and frustration, trying to stay sane.

-I am a border collie
I was made to work hours a day in partnershipwith my master, and I am an unmistakable artist of working with the herd.
Today they are mad at me because, for lack of sheep, I try to check bikes, cars, children in the house and everything in motion.

I am ...
I am a 21st century dog.
I'm pretty, I'm alert, I'm obedient, I stay in a bag...but I'm also an individual who, from centuries of training, needs to express my instincts, and I am *not* suited for the sedentary life you'd want me to lead.
Spending eight hours a day alone in the house or in the garden - with no work and no one to play or run with, seeing you for a short time in the evening when you get home, and only getting a small toilet walk will make me deeply unhappy.
I'll express it by barking all day, turning your yard into a minefield, doing my needs indoors, being unmanageable the rare times I'll find myself outside, and sometimes spending my days sunk, sad, lonely, and depressed, on my pillow.
You may think that I should be happy to be able to enjoy all this comfort while you go to work, but actually I’ll be exhausted and frustrated, because this is absolutely NOT what I'm meant to do, or what I need to be doing.
If you love me, if you've always dreamed of me, if my beautiful blue eyes or my athletic look make you want me, but you can't give me a real dog's life, a life that's really worth living according to my breed, and if you can't offer me the job that my genes are asking, DO NOT buy or adopt me!
If you like the way I look but aren't willing to accept my temperament, gifts, and traits derived from long genetic selection, and you think you can change them with only your good will, then DO NOT BUY OR ADOPT ME.
I’m a dog from the 21st century, yes, but deep inside me, the one who fought, the one who hunted, the one who pulled sleds, the one who guided and protected a herd still lives within.
So think **very** carefully before you choose your dog. And think about getting two, rather than one, so I won't be so very lonely waiting for you all day. Eight or ten hours is just a workday to you, but it's an eternity for me to be alone.

Like David Attenborough Fans for more.

12/07/2024

**Tips for helping your dogs at home**

Just like parenting children, caring for dogs and cats is an occasional uphill struggle. Pet behaviour is fluid and can change with their environment, either the external or internal environment,…

10/04/2024

**Adolescent dogs**

Internal noise, of any type, is so disruptive to one’s ability to also manage external noise, that as pet guardians we should try to always be mindful of this, and thoughtful in our interactions with those in our care.

Examples of internal noise are things like hormones, pain, digestive issues, allergies, social pain, emotional distress, growth…. Anything going on inside the brain and body disrupting homeostasis.

ADOLESCENCE:
As dogs go through adolescence, it’s safe to say things turn a little topsy-turvy! 🙃

If you’re currently at this stage and feeling like you’ve taken one step forward and two steps back, don’t panic! During this stage of life, there’s a lot going on in their busy little brains.

Here are three facts about the adolescent brain 🧠👇

1. The inhibitory neurons of the amygdala that help to dampen down emotional responses don’t fully mature until the END of adolescence.

2. Communication between the frontal cortex and amygdala, which is essential for skills training, decreases during adolescence.

3. Extinction memory is impaired during adolescence, so if your dog has a bad experience it’s much more likely to lead to a ‘hard wired’ fear memory.

Have patience and compassion as you support and guide your dog through this vulnerable period of brain development.

30/03/2024

**Coco is ready for her forever family. **
If you know us you’ll already know Coco. She’s a gorgeous sweet dog sociable girl who has been in foster with Mum the last 18mths. During that time I have worked with her, Pedro has (hhmm😈) and the lovely Julie Nolan from Howlistic Help, has done weekly training sessions along with adventures. She has a fantastic team around her, and if you’re the lucky family who gets to adopt her you’ll have all this support.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/NLUZPoDLpePmxEzQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

23/03/2024

Adolescence is such a difficult time for most dogs and their families. Like adolescence of all species, they’re experimenting and discovering who they are in the world, and we’re also discovering who they are. All that internal noise is very distracting for them, expect hiccups and setbacks and trial and error. Don’t put too much pressure on them or yourself.

The prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain involved in decision-making, is not fully developed during adolescence. This can look like a dog barking and lunging at something, becoming easily and frequently distracted, a lack of inhibition, and/or not listening to verbal cues as well as they once did.

If you’re feeling frustrated with your adolescent dog, take a breath and try to remember this is temporary. 😮‍💨

23/03/2024

**You can not train away the pain**great post 👇🏼👇🏼

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/X9tq6BzodqNf12bX/?mibextid=WC7FNe

‘My dog is naughty/bad/untrainable/dominant/stupid’

I hear this most weeks on intake forms. Usually I get pretty excited to see these cos I know I’m gonna get to change a dog and owners life!

So often we write our dogs off as any adjective that fits the above and honestly, I’m yet to meet a dog who fits any of those adjectives (and I have worked with 10k plus dogs over the ten years I’ve been doing this!). I do however week in week out meet dogs with health issues that contribute to their slow progress in terms of training. Did you know dogs don’t show pain or discomfort how we do? We often think ‘oh he isn’t limping or yelping so he is fine’.

Please read the examples below ⬇️

🐾 A huntaway cross who I work with who bit his owner. Reluctant to have his feet cleaned, got spicy over any intense handling, had periods of seeming insanity and relentless barking and being unable to calm down. Huntaways are vocal dogs… but…

Turns out he had hip dysplasia. This dog didn’t limp. He wasn’t lame in any way. He chased his ball and sprinted and jumped and had no issues physically on the surface however under that behaviour was pain.

🐾 A French bulldog. Resource guarding to the extreme. Bit his owners while resource guarding the knot pattern in their wooden floor. Also bombed around without a worry in the world and had no outward signs of pain.

Turns out he had a severe spinal condition causing intermittent excruciating pain.

🐾 A young spaniel owned by a very good friend who was having confidence issues. She would ‘tap out’ of training on the regular and my friend went from ‘this is my ticket dog who will represent my country’ to ‘is this even possible?’

Dog had hormonal issues and likely spikes of hormones left right and centre. A carefully timed spay and she is now grade 6 in agility.

🐾 A friends Border Collie. Owned by a very experienced and talented agility handler and trainer. Regularly ‘checked out’ of training sessions, seemed to not be able to learn things that were moderately straightforward. Described by other trainers as ‘oh she is just a border collie it’s what they are like’.

Turns out she is mostly deaf.

🐾 A black Labrador. Always social and friendly and attended brilliant puppy classes and adolescent classes. Had the best start training wise you can imagine. He started showing some intermittent aggression to his owners in the home and aggression to other dogs out and about.

Turns out he had bilateral elbow dysplasia.

🐾 Young German Shepherd. Always energetic and silly in her behaviour but suddenly got worse. Excessive zoomies, inability to settle, increased reactivity to other dogs, reluctant to get in the car, obsessive destruction at home.

Turns out she had an infection in her va**na that was causing discomfort and exacerbating all those teenage behaviours to the point of being unmanageable.

🐾 My own dog! My NSDTR started missing his dog walk contact early last year. I was tearing my hair out trying to fix it.

Turns out he had a minor iliopsoas strain and some physio fixed the issue for us.

———————————

All these dogs have one thing in common. They are not stupid or untrainable or naughty or dominant. They are uncomfortable and that is triggering extreme behaviour fallout.

None of the above issues would be resolveable with training. All of the issues will be resolveable with training ONLY when the pain is resolved. Some of them will have drastic improvement from the moment the pain or discomfort is managed!

If your behaviourist or trainer doesn’t immediately advise a veterinary visit if any aggression, excessive ‘naughtiness’ or strange behaviour is present, walk away immediately. Even if you think your dog is fine, visit the vets. Ask for a thorough examination and push for a proper evaluation of your dog from nose to tail and potentially blood tests too. If you’re still not sure, get a second opinion.

You cannot train the pain or discomfort out of your dog. Address THIS first and foremost.

03/03/2024

So true for the canine training and behaviour profession. Stay humble, keep learning.

23/02/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/F25L1zzqVPNCjHbd/?mibextid=WC7FNe

This is still something I come up against quite regularly unfortunately. The use of food (and positive reinforcement in general) has come a long way, but still is something people want to limit as much as possible.

The thing is, you get out what you put in. And the reality of learning is that unless it's something intrinsically rewarding that the dog is genetically designed to do already, you are likely going to need to provide other reinforcement to strengthen behaviours you want your dog to do. And food is just such a simple and effective reinforcer in many situations (not all).

Think about strengthening a behaviour like a muscle. Trying to lift too heavy a weight and only managing a few successful reps at the gym, you'll still be stuck doing the same a month later. Instead managing multiple sets of 10 reps adding in small breaks, all in a 20 minute session is going to quickly get success. Overtime you will manage the harder stuff with ease.

When your dog is learning something that is not a "normal" behaviour to them (which is pretty much most of the things we expect dogs to do), a high rate of reinforcement in the beginning will lead to success in understanding and performing the behaviour.

I have my own thoughts on why people struggle with the concept of using lots of food with their dogs, but I would be interested to hear what everyone else thinks?

17/01/2024

**Again, I raise the concept of overall raising of dogs, an holistic approach vs just thinking training. **

📸 Look at this post on Facebook

There's a strange culture in the dog training society. A culture which seems to be preoccupied with training methods. How we teach dogs to do things has garnered a lot of attention over the last couple of years. And in many ways rightly so because unskilled dog training can cause distress to dogs an...

09/01/2024

I haven’t shared anything for a while, but this message rings so true for so many people and dogs I see. “Over training” is a concept I’ve been working through with some newer trainers.

There is a common misconception that if we just drill concrete skills (aka Obedience Skills) hard enough, or often enough that it will prevent behavior problems. This is not how behavior works. At best drilling a dog through obedience skills might mask the problem, but it doesn't change their underlying emotional cause of the problem. A dog who is reactive and behaving aggressively in response to their fear, discomfort or perceived threat will not suddenly stop feeling those Big Feelings because he's been demanded to sit, or down through them. A dog who starts a conflict with another dog due to over arousal or frustration , or even redirection, will not suddenly stop feeling all those overwhelming feelings simply because they are drilled in a heel for ten minutes. Concrete skills can have their place, and their uses. But they are not skills for behavior change. They provide a mask for behavior that can cause a false sense of security in terms of whether or not the dog has truly experienced an emotional change towards the stimulus. That can be pose significant risk in terms of aggression presenting behaviors, as it will appear the dog's sudden snap came "out of no where."

When your dog is experiencing a behavior concern, it is because they are having an emotional problem in response to certain stimuli. This is not personal, and it is not a problem that can be resolved by simply drilling the dog to sit more frequently. Under going genuine behavior modification takes time and an effort to address the underlying emotional cause of any behavior disruptions your dog is experiencing.

23/11/2023

Today’s the day to get your tickets !!

Never miss a beat, with our emails containing what’s coming up, special events, great offers and the latest behind-the-scenes news from ASB Waterfront Theatre.

06/11/2023

Dr Kwane is an amazing Vet who gives FREE vet care to the homeless in California and beyond. I love following his work as it is something dear to my heart. He does amazing work so please vote for him if you can. There $100,000 to win that will go towards vet care.

Get involved: Help decide which of the Top 10 CNN Heroes will be named CNN Hero of the Year.

29/10/2023

Love my cast! First table read went well between these two 😍that’s the hardest part done. Making sure they’re comfortable around each other, because we’ll be together a lot production week ⭐️

24/10/2023

I’ve been having fun the last few weeks auditioning dogs for this cool show! The dogs will seriously upstage the human actors, but hey, what can we do?🐾

⭐️⭐️Congratulations to Chip and Oliver for being the Star Dogs that they are⭐️⭐️

This is going to be fun!🐾🎭

11/10/2023

**Aggression in dogs** is not a disorder that needs a cure. So true Jim.
I have learnt so much from this man in my career - Jim Crosby. Shame this is in Oz not in NZ.

https://www.facebook.com/1446202945/posts/10232638866701201/?mibextid=cr9u03

10/10/2023

**Puppy waking you up at 4am?**
Here’s a great article just for you

Would you like us to email you occasionally with Madcap University news?

21/09/2023

🌟🌟Calling all gorgeous cats and dogs out there🌟🌟
🐾They are going to choose many so everyone has a good chance of earning back some treat money! 🐾

20/09/2023

🌟🌟DOG AUDITIONS- Auckland🌟🌟

🌟🌟Chihuahuas and Bulldogs (types)🌟🌟

LEGALLY BLONDE the musical

Do you own a dog that could steal the show as Bruiser or Rufus?

Auckland Performing Arts Academy is on the hunt for two lovable dogs to star in their youth production of Legally Blonde the musical, which will be performed at the ASB Waterfront Theatre from 15, 16, 17, 18 December this year.

They are looking for a Chihuahua to play the role of Bruiser, who is owned by lead character Elle Woods, and a bulldog type dog to play Rufus, who is owned by salon owner, Paulette Bonafonté.
This is what they are looking for in ‘Bruiser’ and ‘Rufus’:

Bruiser Woods: Chihuahua
• Over two years, preferably four years+, but will consider younger if the dog meets all other criteria
• Must love people, especially children
• Must be okay with a lot of noise and movement and dark areas and lights
• Must be comfortable around bulldogs
• A dog who has had some positive training a plus. If they can already speak on cue even better.
• A dog who won’t mind wearing a costume and being carried in a pet carrier and dog bag

Rufus Bonafonté: Bulldog
• Over two years, preferably four years+, but will consider younger if the dog meets all other criteria
• Must love people, especially children
• Must be okay with noise, lights and dark areas
• A dog who has had some positive training a plus. If they have good recall that’s a must
• Must be comfortable being on lead with collar or harness
• Must be friendly with Chihuahuas

REQUIREMENTS:
Both dogs must be
• Desexed
• Wormed
• No bite history
• Available for auditions in Takapuna on Sunday 8 October and shortlist callbacks on Sunday 15 October
• Available for training (may include labour weekend) and rehearsals that will be on the North Shore - October, November, December. At this stage training is scheduled for a Sunday and rehearsal attendance on a Saturday early evening. However, training timing is flexible.
• Available for photoshoot 12 November
• Available for production week and performances at ASB Waterfront Theatre in the city 11-17 December

Life in the theatre is very busy, very hectic and noisy with lots of moving things and people, but we will be making sure the dogs have a quiet, secluded, safe space. The hours will be long and there will be lots of sitting around! Ideally your dog will be happy to chill when not on stage. Enrichment and walks will be provided to make sure they are not bored. Pet guardians will not be allowed to stay for training, rehearsal or performances backstage as this is too distracting for the dogs. During production week the dogs will be very tired. It is important to follow advice on keeping them calm and relaxed at home between shows.

This is an amateur youth production and is an unpaid role, although reasonable pre-approved travel costs will be covered. Both dogs will receive training for the role with a well-respected animal trainer, Maria Alomajan. Maria’s credentials can be found here http:// www.caninebynature.com/about.

TO REGISTER: please complete an online registration form using the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdT9oD9jj3VkIg8DW_22NP_eNRH_cxCILjGFR2EWWucybbjmw/viewform

Then please send a current photo of your dog by email to: [email protected] - please ensure you put the full name of the dog in the subject line or body of the email.

Legally Blonde is a show all about stereotypes and not judging a book by its cover and the dogs are no different in this. So for ‘Bruiser’ we are looking for a cute, tiny, adorable Chihuahua, and with ‘Rufus’ we are looking for the total opposite - a big, brutish looking dog that only a mother could love – preferably a Bulldog, but we are certainly open to options.

Auditions will be held on Sunday 8 October between 10am and 4pm in Takapuna on the North Shore.
Registrations close on Friday 29 September at 5pm.

Audition times will be confirmed after the registration deadline.

Call-backs will be held on Sunday 15 October at the same venue.

If you have any questions not covered above, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email: [email protected].

15/09/2023

08/09/2023

“Are you the 1 or one of the 9?”
How confident are you in reading dogs’ body language? 9 out of 10 people cannot recognise crucial dog body language.

https://dogstodaymagazine.co.uk/2023/09/07/nine-out-of-ten-cannot-recognise-crucial-signs-of-anxiety-in-dogs/?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwAR10ym3HjQiHvmf2E6V_EINPCLGdhf78v6CftQw9HCNMnHbj3Mpbb74Chq8_aem_AR54Ha5Hx2dldHqu9TKsWa0frcVy9VdduycJvZCFvqHKho0urtjMPCz91Iw5hOceINo

Up to nine in ten dog owners wouldn’t be able to identify some 'crucial signs' of anxiety in a dog, according to research by the Kennel Club.

01/09/2023

🧠” Frustration is a normal behavioral response, influenced by a number of environmental factors such as tiredness, blood glucose, learning history, and much more. "

Understanding how different homeostatic mechanisms regulate many of the reinforcers involved in the frustration response, such as hunger, thirst, tiredness, and social frustration. Can help you create practical solutions for frustration-prone dogs.

📝Part 1
Saturday, September 9, 2023
11 am to 12:30 pm EDT (USA and Canada)

📝Part 2
Saturday, September 30, 2023
11 am to 12:30 pm EDT (USA and Canada)

https://behaviorvets.mylearnworlds.com/course/neuroscience-of-frustration-in-dogs?fbclid=IwAR3_81sEe9yxPFLULwsmoyNgDvayFRBSIwgjY7wzkPQbJiIEdknHzvjGjmw

22/07/2023

Something I will be diving into this week with the group of trainers I’m mentoring .