Allsorts Dog Training

When the unexpected happens, what do you do? Our neighbours goats commonly escape and roam. It is no surprise to see them on the road at times but this time they were further up the road than normal. A Billy goat was busy making closer acquaintances with another neighbours goat in the field next to where we were. However, this young female I didn’t know was there until we came round the corner. We have pet goats ourselves, which both Kora and Pepper have seen. But this context was different and it spooked both the dogs. Rather than rushing them away at first glance, I gave them a moment to observe the goat. She clearly wasn’t going to approach us but in true goat fashion held her ground rather than fleeing. Both dogs chose to sit and observe her. They were not priming for action to chase. It was purely an assessment. Once I calmly turned them away and moved on you can see that both, particularly Kora, were rattled by its unexpected presence. Had I gone closer or continued with my walk forwards I would have provoked a more severe response in my dogs. Closing the gap would have meant that the goats response would have changed too. I have no desire to ‘test’ my dogs around loose and unpredictable prey. So going back the other way was the sensible choice for all involved. Sometimes we must adjust our plan for the welfare of all those involved. #dogtraining #dogbehaviour #dogbehavior #dogsofinstagram #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogbodylanguage #goat #preydrive

Breakfast al fresco! 🍗🥓🧀 #dogsdinner #dogfood #dogsearch #sniff #snifferdog #searchdog #canineenrichment #dogtraining #dogsofinstagram #dogbehaviour #dogbehavior #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogs #lifeofadogtrainer

Some dogs have the same energy vibe, the same play style. Where many dogs are intimidated by Wallace the mastiff, Pepper was thrilled to have someone as bouncy as her. But whilst they raced around together I was always mindful of Wallace’s steam running out and him needing space from her too. He’s older than her, he has some joint issues and he will tell me when he’s had enough. Watch the video and tell me when you think Wallace gives his ‘that’s enough’ cue. It’s subtle and most would miss it but can you spot it? Note what I did next. #dogtraining #dogbehaviour #dogbehavior #dogsofinstagram #dogoftheday #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogbodylanguage #dogs #lifeofadogtrainer #caninebehavior #dogsplaying #dogsocial #dogsocialisation #dogsocialization #caninebehavior

Switching prey drive on and off can be a challenge. There’s no doubt it’s a topic that sparks a lot of debate between trainers. Luna has learnt how to listen under a state of arousal and can curb her enthusiasm to herd the goats if I ask her to stop, but likewise waits for the cue to start again. This has been rehearsed away from the context of the prey, using other stimuli like toys and patterns of reinforcement. Only then have we applied it to the goats. She can now help move them from paddock to paddock if I need extra help. But the majority of the time the goats will come to a bucket of feed. #sheepdogs #sheepdog #goatdog #preydrive #dogtraining #dogbehaviour #dogbehavior #dogoftheday #dogsofinstagram #headingdog #goats

SOCIAL MATURITY - what are the signs your dog has reached it? There’s no doubt some dogs mature faster than others. Whilst breed size may influence this, I also find it’s very personal for each dog. But we’re not talking sexual maturity here (although it can be a contributor), we’re talking social maturity. This is normally when a dog leaves their adolescent phase and enters in to adulthood. With this comes more ‘sensible’ behaviour, less impulsivity, more considered actions, less desire to form new bonds and more desire to have personal space and give others their space. In essence it’s just like us. By your 20s you start to be more selective about who you enjoy the company of and may already have an established ‘friend’ group with less need for more. In your 30s you likely become less social and start to ‘filter’ those friends who perhaps are too much work or conflict with you. In your 40s you may have just a few friends but start to be less tolerant of others and are more likely to voice that! In your 50s, well I’ll let you know as his staring me in the face very soon! #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainer #dogtrainingadvice #dogbehavior #dogbehaviour #dogbodylanguage #caninebehavior #dogsocialisation #adolescentdogs #teenagedog #blacklabradorretriever #blacklab

Bear & I started our Treibball training tonight at our local club. Great to see lots of people interested in this relatively new dog sport. We started with pivoting. Bear has done some of this for heelwork but teaching him to face me rather than stick to me took a little more shaping. He coped well in the environment and remained engaged and quiet. Super proud of him. #treibball #dogsport #dogsports #doghobby #dogtrainingisfun #dogclub #dogtraining #dogs #dogsofinstagram

Why do dogs spook at things we know won’t hurt them? Do you find yourself saying “it’s JUST a…….” In this case a foam blob. You and I know that but why don’t they? While dogs and humans share common brain structures and functions, differences in brain size, cortex complexity, and the proportion of specific regions, particularly the olfactory cortex and prefrontal cortex, lead to significant differences in cognitive abilities, such as smell processing and complex problem-solving. How are their brains different to ours? * Brain Size:
Dog brains are smaller than human brains, and their overall brain-to-body ratio is lower. 
 * Cortex:
The human brain has more folds, resulting in more surface area and a larger cerebral cortex compared to dogs, where there are fewer folds. 
 * Prefrontal Cortex:
The part of the brain where higher-level processing and thoughts occur (prefrontal cortex) is more developed in humans. 
 * Olfactory Cortex:
Dogs have a proportionally much larger olfactory cortex (the area dedicated to smell processing), contributing to their superior sense of smell compared to humans. 
 * Neurons:
Human brains have a much higher number of neurons (around 85 billion) compared to dog brains (around 2.2 billion). 
 * Cognitive Abilities:
Dogs tend to think about the present moment and what’s happening next, focusing on acquiring food, living in a safe space, and avoiding danger, while humans have a greater capacity for higher-level thinking, problem-solving, and planning for the future. 
 * Brain Regions:
The frontal lobe, which in humans occupies the front third of the brain, is relegated to a paltry ten percent in dogs.  So it’s more about how you can support your dogs in these moments so they feel safer. Be understanding that they may not perceive things the same way you do. #dogbehaviour #dogbehavior #dogtraining #dogtrainingadvice #dogbodylanguage #lifeofadogtrainer #fearfuldog #fearfuldogs #caninebehav

Recognising when you’re the problem is vital in any dog training you do. Am I asking too much of my dog? Has the behaviour been reinforced enough? Is my set up wrong? Is my body language influencing the dog? Is my tone of voice conveying something different in the dog’s mind? Do I need to go back a few steps in the learning sequence? And I guarantee we’re normally the problem, not them. #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtrainerslife #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogbodylanguage #lifeofadogtrainer #dogs #caninebehavior #dogskills #impulsecontrol #sitstay #retrievetraining

FOR THE LOVE OF THE SEARCH I was questioned by someone recently why I didn’t do ‘obedience’. I presume they meant competed or teaching it. They were shocked as there was a clear presumption that all ‘good’ trainers surely must do obedience. Of course I teach my dog’s manners and skills. But the reality is that on a day to day basis I simply don’t need them to perform precision obedience. Do I want them to engage with me? Of course. But there’s heaps of ways to do that. In my younger years I went to competition obedience classes. It was that or agility back then. But it wasn’t until I discovered Working Trials and the HTM (Heelwork to Music) that I really felt inspired. The variety of WT and the creativity of HTM all struck a chord in me that led me to ultimately finding my true passion, Search and Rescue. To this day nothing else has come close to feeling I got from working with my own dog for a better cause as a qualified Search and Rescue dog team. The close partnership, the dependency, the anticipation and the dopamine hit. Search and Rescue dog training became my life, my passion, my world. So when I go out with my dogs, even now searching exercises are always at the top of my list. I see their natural passion, skills and drive come to the forefront. I see their desire to succeed. I see their happiness. For me that is everything. I may dabble in a few other sports but ultimately my heart will always lie with scent training, and it seems the world is catching the bug too. On behalf of all your dogs I’d like to thank all of you for exploring beyond the traditional dog sports and for tapping in to your dog’s true genetics. I hope you enjoy it as much as they do, as I certainly still get my little dopamine hit watching my dogs every day. #dogtrainerslife #dogtraining #dogtrainerslife #dogsports #dogsportslife #dogbehaviour #dogbehaviour #dogtalent #scentdog #searchdog #searchingdog #snifferdog #nosework #scentwork #scentworktraining #tra

With just a few more sessions left, Chevy is doing well with his hydrotherapy. Always keen to go in, and does the zoomies after being dried off! #caninehydrotherapy #caninehydro #dogphysio #dogphysicaltherapy #dogphysiotherapy #caninerehab #caninerehabilitation #dogoftheday

Paddy, one of our cats, went to the vets today as we suspected he had a Lipoma on his shoulder. We were right so it’s nothing sinister which is a relief. So whilst we were there I took the opportunity to do some weight scale training. Whiskers Temptations are Paddy’s favourite treat so we cracked open the bag and guided him on and off the scales. He’s lost a little weight but nothing too serious or of concern. It was good to see him relax and be curious about the room. #cattraining #cat #catsofinstagram #catlife #catbehavior #catbehaviour #catbodylanguage #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #lifeofadogtrainer #vetvisit #cooperativecare

Knowing when to let a dog go forward to investigate and when to back off is a skill in reading your dog’s body language. When Wallace was a puppy and an adolescent he would have struggled experiencing such a moment as this. A compacter generates movement, noise and vibrations so it could be a sensory overload. Especially when attached to a human acting ‘strange’. But as an adult who is now more equipped and resilient he is more curious so he takes the lead and I give him te option to investigate more closely. I still guide him and reward him but I encourage him to be more brave every day and to take these opportunities to facilitate that. #dogtraining #dogbehaviour #dogbehavior #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogbodylanguage #dogs #lifeofadogtrainer #dogsofinstagram #dogoftheday #mastiff #reactivedog #reactivedogsunite #reactivedogsofinstagram #reactivedogtraining