Three tips to help you feel safer and more in control walking a powerful or large dog, and not fall on your ass (we’ve all been there!).
1️⃣ Use the thumb loop grip! Ensures you have the maximum control and are not going to lose your grip or have your hand injured.
2️⃣ Use the right gear. Control the head, control the body. Use a well fitted and strong collar and lead or other device that attaches around the neck/head rather than harnesses which allow your dog to really use their full strength.
3️⃣ Use physics to your advantage. Anchor the leash at your belly, move your weight onto your back foot and use sideways pressure to move the dog around - not pulling straight back where they have the most power to pull against you.
Do you have any questions you’d like help with in a future video? Let me know in the comments below!
It’s never just the kids dog! If you’re bringing a dog into your home, encourage the kids to step up and be responsible with this commitment they’ve taken on - but at the end of the day the buck lands with you. Your home, your responsibility.
Reminder: dog ownership is a privilege, not a right. Before you get a dog, this is the stuff we need to be thinking about - it’s not all glossy fun and games! It can be hard work. It can be expensive. And it can mean making sacrifices to ensure their needs are being met. That’s part of the responsibility we choose to take on.
It’s 100% worth it in my book, but it is worth seriously considering this stuff BEFORE getting the dog.
Canine professionals might be the expert in their field, but you are the expert when it comes to your dog. Your dog is counting on you to advocate for them.
I can’t tell you how many times a client has had the all clear on a vet check, only to go see someone else and find major issues that were causing the dog pain. They’re only human, as with any other professional.
If you don’t feel heard, if it doesn’t make sense, if you think there’s something else going on that is being missed - trust your gut and get a second opinion.
Maybe they agree with the first professional and can clarify things for you. But many times that second opinion could be the difference between success and failure, or life and death for your dog.
Pain can have a drastic effect on our dogs behaviour and ability to learn. Many behavioural issues have some element of pain/health related issues underlying them, and by addressing this we can reduce that layer of stress and create more capacity for behavioural change. This may be chronic, but is also the first thing to check if you’ve seen a sudden deterioration in behaviour. And don’t just assume that because your dog is still keen to run and play that they’re totally fine - many dogs can hide pain very well, especially when excited, and it’s not until later that it becomes more obvious to us.
Training it’s important, but it is just one piece of the behavioural puzzle. Health is so important to get our dogs feeling & behaving their best. Your veterinarian is a crucial member of our team.
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Need help with your dogs behaviour? Serving Waipa & Hamilton, New Zealand - 📧 [email protected]
Let’s talk whistles! I love whistles for recall because (with practice) they sound consistent regardless of your mood, and they carry well over distance and through uneven terrain, bush etc when compared to your voice alone. By pairing this consistent sound with stuff your dog likes, it creates a really powerful conditioned response that has our dogs spinning on a dime.
Note - in this video I call it the Logan A1. This is the Logan Ventura, my other one is the A1. Both are excellent and for pet dog purposes it’s very much a case of personal preference. 😊
Any questions please let me know.
Purchased from @dog_and_country_nz
Unsupervised dogs do not belong in front yards in town facing onto footpaths. Especially if they are reactive, on or off the property. The more a habit is practiced the stronger it gets, and it gets increasingly difficult to change.
Some properties are easier to fix this issue than others, but whatever it takes - if you want change, step 1 is to stop them rehearsing the behaviour when you’re not there.
🌟 ADVERTISING ON BEHALF 🌟
I have met this dog a couple of years ago and know the owner.
Sky - 3 year old Border Collie/Beardie.
Located in the Waikato.
*EDIT - we had the wrong dog in the first agility clip (black and white collie at agility problems 🙈). Updated with correct clip.*
Sky’s owner says: “Looking to rehome as she needs more work and stimulation then I can provide. Easy to train and highly food motivated! Loves agility, fetch and swimming. Would suit a home that will take her on adventures and give her cuddles. Would not suit a home with small children (non negotiable) and gets anxious when meeting new dogs. She is so very loved and a really hard decision to rehome so I wont be letting her go unless the home is suited for her.”
Happy to discuss further with genuine enquiries via messenger and put you in touch with the owners if suitable. Commenters, please keep in mind that there are legitimate reasons for rehoming and this was not an easy decision for her heartbroken owners.
Please share with anyone who might be a good home for Sky.
No breed is exempt from their history and generations of selective breeding for certain jobs. To truly love and respect a breed is to accept and respect all of them - not just the bits that suit us. Ignoring these genetics are a big part of why these guys are suffering so much in the modern world.
Does having heritage in dog fighting mean that they’re bad dogs? No.
But we do have to be mindful that they may be genetically more interested in conflict than some other breeds. We have to be mindful that there is genetic dog aggression within the breed - not all (especially as they get watered down over the years), but there are certainly litters where they’re dog aggressive from 6-8 weeks old.
We can train and socialise with this in mind, while considering the individual in front of us. We can build them into the best version of them we can. And we can love the dog for who they are. But we cannot wash away history and years of selective breeding and turn them into a poodle.
And to be clear - dog aggression and human aggression are generally two different things. A fighting dog who turns on its handler would be very unhelpful.
This is not my area of specialisation, but I highly recommend checking out Jay Jack’s various podcasts for real world, respectful insights into bully breeds - loving all of them, not just the bits that are convenient for us.
The traits that make a good dog in one environment can make them a nightmare for another. We need the right key for the lock!
Genetics provide us the raw material to work from. How malleable that is with training (what percentage is based in training) depends on the individual, the trait in question and the training approach. There is no set ratio.
In the words of Hannah Brannigan (?) though - before you get the dog, assume everything is genetics. After you get the dog, assume it’s all training.
Adjust and put in the work to make your individual dog the best version of THEM that they can be. 🙌🏻
Kudos to any parent who takes time to teach their kids about dog safety - that’s massive. Unfortunately our current approach of “ask before patting!” isn’t working, and would be better replaced with “look with your eyes, not your hands”.
Many kids I meet on my walks are somewhat magnetised towards dogs. They have an expectation that they just need to ask the owners and that’s the key that they will be able to pat every dog they see. Frequently that includes rushing ahead of parents into the dogs space, before even asking and barely hearing the no. When told no and actually understanding that, frequently there are tears and disappointed kids. However that’s a lot better than the traumatised kids that result from dog bites.
As dog owners and handlers we all need to be doing our part to keep dogs and kids safe. This can include situational awareness, training, blocking access by using defensive handling and clear communication, using appropriate management tools and being mindful with where we are taking our dogs in some situations if they are not comfortable. But parents, please don’t count on every dog owner to have the awareness of body language or communication skills to do this to protect your child for you.
Instead, normalise looking at public dogs with our eyes and not our hands. Get your kids comfortable and happy with dogs with safe, known dogs from owners you trust. Learn basic dog body language and have some situational awareness yourself so you can also be mindful of when owners might be creating space from your child or if a dog is showing signs that they’re uncomfortable which owners may not be picking up themselves.
Dog bites on kids are terrible traumatic things, and unfortunately are far too common. Everyone has their part to play in keeping kids safe with dogs, and a big part of that includes education. Just being in public does not mean a dog is safe or comfortable with kids. And just because a dog tolerates pats for a short
We don’t need extra crap getting in the way of our communication with our dogs.
Say no to bungee leads, say no to plastic clips, say no to chunky material that is a pain to handle. Simple is best and allows for the most clarity in your dog handling.
Sincerely, dog trainers everywhere. ✌🏻
For NZ people - I use and recommend @travelling.tails.nz @shinecanine and @wilddog.nz
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Need help with your leash walking? Serving Waipa and Hamilton NZ - email [email protected]
