The K9 Coach

30/07/2022

Agency lies in the space between the stimulus and the response.

20/07/2022

Agency is crucial for building resilience.

Agency is an action that produces a particular effect. Having control over our environment, especially control over stress & aversive events, allows us to make choices that will result in a desirable outcome. This control is crucial to our ability to rebound from stress (Armat et al., 2006; Maier et al., 2016). Over time, these experiences build upon one another, which is how we - and our dogs - learn to be resilient.

To learn more about building mental resilience and what agency truly looks like, join us for a two-day seminar:

BEHAVIOR VETS TWO-DAY SEMINAR

Resilience in Dogs - What is it, why is it important, and how do we build it?

Saturday July 30 & Sunday July 31, 2022

9am to 5pm EST (USA and Canada)

Neuroscientist Dr. Kathy Murphy, Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist Dr. E'Lise Christensen, and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant Bobbie Bhambree will answer these questions over the course of a two-day seminar, providing you with evidence-based approaches to assessing and building a dog's ability to adapt, adjust, and recover. This will be an opportunity to look at an important topic in behavior under a multidisciplinary lens. Whether you are an animal trainer, veterinary professional, animal behaviorist or someone interested in dog sports, there will be something here for you.

This is an online event. This two-day seminar will be recorded for those who cannot join us for the live event.

CEUs

Registration:

Shelter/Rescue/Vet Student/Vet Tech Tickets - no expiration date - Streaming: $125

General Admission Tickets – after June 15, 2022 - Streaming: $195

To register and for more information:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/resilience-in-dogs-why-is-it-important-how-do-we-build-it-tickets-335843245187?fbclid=IwAR3

01/07/2022

When mistakes are made, many people shift from doing the right thing to covering their behinds and pointing fingers rather than accepting personal responsibility. As a result, they hide errors rather than fix them and allow minor problems to become big ones because they’re inadequately addressed.

The result is that learning is brought to a complete standstill, making it more than likely to repeat the same mistake. But it shouldn’t be that way. The time has come to view every mistake as an opportunity rather than a weakness. This change in outlook will stimulate personal growth, strengthen relationships, and enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

The truth is that there shouldn’t be shame in making a mistake. How will you learn? How will you grow if you are so afraid to try something new? Chances are it may not work out, but that’s life; there’s no disgrace in that; the disgrace should be in failing to admit, correct, and learn from it. According to Albert Einstein, a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

Credits: Frank Sonnenberg

Check out more here: https://lnkd.in/ewvwKhu

26/06/2022

Does your dog show fear by trying to blend into the background and look small and inoffensive or do they shout loudly to make the scary thing leave them alone?

Almost everyone who lives with a dog who shouts to make the scary thing leave will want to change this, not least because it makes life difficult for us.

What about the dog who just tries to avoid the scary thing? The one who shrinks away or hides? Quite often, these dogs are just labelled as shy or silly and because they don't make a scene and impact our own lives in the same way a shouty, reactive dog might, they don't always get the help they need.

It's often assumed that they'll just get over it if they get used to seeing those scary things, so walks carry on as normal. This is rarely the case though and these dogs can soon become shouty, reactive dogs which do impact our own lives.

These dogs can and should be helped just as much as the shouty, reactive dogs. The emotions underneath are just the same and far too often help is only sought when their fear begins to impact our lives.

All dogs should be helped to live fear free lives for their own sakes, not just ours.

16/06/2022

Imagine you’re really, really excited. Someone comes up to you and demands that you sit down. Maybe they even physically force you to do so. Are you calm now? Or are you just excited in a seated position, and maybe a bit annoyed or scared of the person who forced you to sit down?

What if you’re scared and having a panic attack and someone forces you to sit. Is your panic automatically over or are you just panicking while sitting? Is sitting down really a cure all?

It sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? So why do we do it so often to our dogs?

Remember, if your dog cannot behave the way you want them to behave, it’s because:

🔹 the behaviour we want is too difficult and we haven’t practiced enough (e.g. making your dog sit to enter a dog park)
🔹 the dog is upset, scared, worried or in distress
🔹 we are not setting our dog up for success

Remember, sitting just stops your dog from moving. It doesn’t change the underlying excitement, frustration, fear or other motivation causing the behaviour you don’t like.

And please, please don’t physically force dogs to sit. Not only is this putting an enormous amount of stress on their hips, but it’s putting stress on your relationship with them as well.

16/06/2022

07/06/2022

"You can't reinforce fear. Cuddle your dog when he's afraid."

This is now common advice for owners who struggle with dogs who have phobias such as thunder or fireworks.

And it's GREAT. Please meet your dog's need for comfort and safety when they're panicking!

But where does this advice go when your dog has other big emotions?

When he is following you around the house as you get ready for work, knowing you're going to leave him alone, waiting for you to notice his distress and help him feel safe again?

When he is crying in his crate because he's being socially isolated and all his choices have been taken from him, and he doesn't yet feel safe or confident enough to be by himself?

When he's barking at that scary dog because his panic is so big, he just can't keep it inside anymore?

If your dog is distressed, go to him. You are not rewarding a behavior, you are meeting a need.

Your dog is not his behavior. He is a living, emotional being who needs you.

Listen to what he's saying and relish in the fact that he is choosing you to be his special Safe Person.

06/06/2022

There are a lot of different reasons for your dog's behaviour, intentional vindictiveness or naughtiness isn't one of them.

All behaviours have a function. They serve the individual in some way. Behaviours are the observable actions of any number of underlying environmental and internal processes. Assumptions are not only unhelpful, they are potentially damaging and neglect to address your dogs' reality.

Step back and take a moment to observe what your dog is telling you. If you need help, reach out to a certified and qualified professional.

02/06/2022

26/05/2022

Changing our line of questioning in behaviour analysis...thank you Susan Friedman

25/05/2022

Still putting it out there.

19/05/2022

Keep it real simple to begin with.
Just asking for some basic orientation without a verbal cue but rather prompted by my movement.
What we are trying to create is a "if I move, you move, stick with me" kinda thing. Then I would only really need a solid recall cue for long distance and emergency recall.
Keep it basic.

05/02/2022

Having choice, control, and freedom in their lives where possible and safe is a right for all of us and for our dogs.

Having some form of autonomy is not something that should have to be earned or a “privilege” given by us.

There’s a misconception that when we have dogs that display more reactive and fearful behaviours, that we have to somehow limit their freedom, micromanage them, and “take charge” all the time to show them we’re their “leader”.

In reality, allowing dogs more choice, control, and freedom can help with their stress levels and therefore REDUCE their reactive and fearful behaviours.

For example:
🔹 Letting them decide if they even want to go on a walk because a walk may be too overwhelming and they need more rest.
🔹 Letting them sniff freely on walks that are quiet on a harness attached to a long line can help with that stress reduction.
🔹 Giving them the choice to move away from people/other dogs if they’re uncomfortable with them.
🔹 Using cooperative care and Control Unleashed techniques to give our dogs control over when “scary” things appear.

… And so much more.

Compare the relaxation that comes with this decompression and freedom, versus long hours of crate/place time and stressful heel walks.

Think about how you would feel if you were only allowed to be on a particular sofa in a particular position for a long period of time, and would be punished if you were to stand up or want to stretch your legs and move around. 😖

Unwanted behaviours often do not have anything to do with the amount of freedom a dog has on walks and at home. Having choice and freedom isn’t what makes dogs “bad”.

Of course we take in consideration safety and managing the environment, but it’s a basic need we should be providing the best we can, rather than a “privilege” dogs have to “earn”.

💌 Need for your reactive dog, but want to do so humanely? DM me or click the link in my bio to book a free call with me. 💌


ID: In the centre of a light beige background is a hand drawn style text box that says “Giving dogs choice, control, and freedom is not allowing them "privileges", it's providing them their basic needs and rights.” On the bottom left of the graphic is a picture of a white and black spotty dog sniffing.

05/02/2022

The ecologist Mark Bekoff, who worked with Jane Goodall, says that when we are playing "we are most fully human ". Guess who else loves to play? Dogs. It's part of the reason that they are so successful in evolving alongside us.
But the play between us and our dogs is best done when we are interactive and as a fully emmersed play partner.
Meaning simply standing there and being a glorified toy dispenser isn't going to give you the full benefits that come along with such an effective tool. You need to be a participant which means reciprocating and mirroring similar play behaviors. Bluntly speaking, you need to look like you give a s**t and not just dial it in. Get down and dirty with it.
It's not just good for your dog, it's good for you.
It builds trust, empathy and boosts the immune system. It relieves stress and is a great reward system.
Dogs instantly recognize play, it's just a matter of finding the right game.

03/02/2022

Stop trying to make fetch happen. It's not going to happen. Yes, that is a Mean Girls reference and yes it also applies to fetch in the doggie game sense.

I don't know who needs to hear this but if your dog isn't into fetch despite your best attempts at making that $2 tennis ball from KMART look like it's basically the Hope diamond, then stop. Basically just give up. I mean it could be that your attempts were pretty lackluster, no judgment, but it's most likely that your dog just isn't in to it. Maybe to him fetch is like a basic word find and he's more New York Times crossword, who knows.

Just because your neighbor's dog aimlessly brings back the ball every time it's thrown and thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced bread doesn't mean that it's the greatest game ever. And that dog is probably a Labrador. No judgment but we've all seen that dog. He probably walked into the room with the ball in his mouth and still can't remember what he was supposed to be doing, in this room and with this ball. Huh.
And your other neighbor....the one that can't help but tell you all about her little boy that will play fetch obsessively for hours and won't stop until that ball is completely hidden away else he just sits and barks at it. And we all know that's probably a terrier and um lady you just told me that your dog has some serious OCD which you clearly haven't worked out despite you dog looking so bug eyed that he looks like a patient on day release from the local psych ward. I mean get with the program that dog needs help.
There are so many other things to do apart from fetch. So many things. So if your dog isn't into it just start experimenting with other things.
Please do other things. "Stop the madness"

01/02/2022

Be sure to examine how you categorize affection.
Always check for consent by observing how the dog behaves.

30/01/2022

The other day a great song came on the radio and we had a dance party!