M A T E S
Percy absolutely adores these two. He bounced around the whole walk because he was so excited they were with us. Now his social cup is full 🍵💚✅
G U I L T
Some days I feel so guilty! Of not spending enough quality time with Percy anymore, asking him to go lie down, putting him away, not having energy to play with him....
The day after a 'guilt day' I make sure to take even just 30 min to drive somewhere and do this with him. If I'm low in energy I don't go far, just do fun things 🐾💛
A reminder for all of you that have the dog mum guilt: your dog loves you, they would still rather live with you than anyone else, they get more from you than you think.. AND it doesn't take much just to squeeze in some quality time to make up for those days that they have to be patient angels 😇 🐶
www.caninecare.co.nz
W A D D L E
Percy and I are waddling it up! I am trying to do short walks with the pram in different locations. Yesterday we went to the beach at low tide, and it was beautiful!
I make sure that Percy isn't FULL of beans when we do this. He already had a nice long walk with my partner in the morning, and was keen to be in training mode. Eventually the boring pram walks can take him to fun locations 👌✨
Little and often is key! It is good for me to practice handling a pram too 😆
#babyprep #39weeks
I am experimenting with meals that will be more enriching for Percy when baby arrives 🙂 Here is one idea 💡
🍪 Bone broth soaked Acana kibble
🐟 Sardines
🦌 Venison muesli
Kiwi Canine is your one stop shop for all things to make your dogs lives more enriching, check them out ✨
Have you had a baby? What did you do to keep your dog busy on those days where you didn't get out of the house? Please share your ideas below 👇
#babyprep
B A B Y = C A L M
Once your dog is used to being behind a fence/gate with you doing distracting things, have baby playdates!
Percy has done hundreds of repetitions of 'place' work in this basket. In this context I didn't ask him to go there, but it's such a habit that he choose too - and I intermittently surprised him with a piece of cheese delivered to reinforce his calm.
If Percy was not able to stay calm, he could have been eating something like a frozen Kong or bully stick to help him settle. Then I would have ended the session as he finished this (unless he settled), so that next time he'd remember being relaxed in this situation.
From this type of set up I want him to learn to give the baby space when they are on the floor, and also that he isn't loosing his own safe space because I have made him a new roommate!
Thank you baby Myla for doing baby things and making baby noises for Percy to desensitise to. Myla is the boss lady at the coolest dog friendly cafe/wine bar in Christchurch. If you haven't been there yet, I really recommend you do @ six ounces
#babyprep
P R A C T I S E
You saw me on the driveway last time! Now we are out in the real world with some added distraction.
I drive to a park, and have high value treats that he gets when I ask him to walk with me. My criteria is that when I move forward he walks near me, and when I stop - he stops (and gets a reward). Then I might let him run free for a bit and call him back to me to repeat this again.
Little and often is the way!
#babyprep
P R A M
I bought our pram early, so I can practice calm walking for months before baby arrives. It makes sense to do this now when I have the time (apparently babies are time consuming 😜).
My criteria is that if the pram moves, we move, and if the pram stops, we stop. He's choosing to sit in this video, I'm not asking him to but I don't mind.
This is the first video of me introducing the pram and I am making it as easy for Percy as possible. Using a wall, walking slowly, clear body language of me starting to move or slow down etc.
At the end of the session he thought that the pram was rewarding and a place to do calm things. We are off to a good start!
#babyprep
What does good play look like?
I often get asked this question. One thing that you can see half way through this video, is the pause. Dogs taking a pause, to see if the other dog is keen for more, is beautiful. Sometimes they just stand still, or they may have a shake off, or run the other way to see if the other dog wants to chase them.
If your dog is playing, and they don't pause, lure the dog that seems to be higher in energy away, and see if the other dog comes back for more fun. If not, stop the play and encourage sniffing and other activities 🙂
🌟Let dogs dig 🌟
Percy started to dig and explore this big hole full of driftwood today. What did I do? I sat down and enjoyed the beach. 15 min later he was finished. This was obviously the outlet he needed this morning.
Being a terrier, digging and holey stuff is in his genetics. This is a beautiful safe way for him to get an outlet. There were no bunnies to catch, he didn't disappear into a hole for hours (he has done this before 🙃) so a win win for all!
Fridays are for friends, fun, and chase... Juno you are SO CLOSE @meritdogproject
Life skill 🐾 How to relax on cue.
One of the first things I teach all dogs, is how to relax on a mat. This behaviour is so useful in more ways than I could explain in this post!
Mat work helps a dog feel calm in a place that has a high reward history and they know that you are always coming back to them. This means they want to be there!
I follow Karen Overall's relaxation protocol for the first 2 weeks and then make it up as I go depending on the situation.
Let me know if you would like to know more and I can help you get started 🌟
www.caninecare.co.nz
Is your dog scared of people?
This is my dog Percy, he is weary of strangers and wants to bark at them. Well, he used to want to, now it’s very situational. This video shows how far he has come as a result of practise and training in the right environments!
He is now able to sniff around this busy market, ignore all people, and check in with me as soon as he is even the slightest bit worried about anything. Watching him make good choices makes me so proud.
The vest helps him get the space that he needs and ensures no one bends over to try to give him a pat on the head. I can highly recommend getting one from Rocco & Co. if your dog doesn't like strangers.
I mean, in a perfect world no one should pat ANY dog without the dog asking for attention! I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t like strangers touching my head just because I am cute.
Reactivity training takes a lot of practice, but it pays off when the dog knows what to do instead of reacting.
www.caninecare.co.nz
Percy loves some puzzle time on rain days. This one is by @nina_ottosson and you can buy cool puzzles from @kiwicanine
What's your dog's favourite indoor games?
www.caninecare.co.nz
#readabookwithyourdog #summerchallenge
Day 10
We found this great spot today, watched the big colourful birds zoom past, and just chilled. If you are in Christchurch, PM me and I can send you a pin to this location!
Happy Friday from Percy and I 🧡🤓🌞📖
After Nev had a good off leash run in the forest, we practiced some loose leash walking with our new training lead from @kiwicanine
Nev and I have been practising his walking in a loose heel for several months now, this was a tad hard for him as he knew we were getting close to the pond where he gets to swim! He managed just fine tho as we have done so much work to get here.
Practise makes perfect, good things take time. When and where you choose to train does make a difference. Start somewhere boring and make it super easy for your dog to get it right 👌😎🌟 #goodboy
I love that my work colleagues are always so happy to see me ☺️ #caninecareotautahi
Happy Friday from Percy and I 💛 #sandbathing #zoomies
Does your dog love it when you throw them a ball, frisbee, or stick but then happily just parades off with? Here is a video of how to use their natural chase instinct to teach fetch. Mark and reward your dog when they bring the item back to you, try for 3 successful deliveries per session, and remember to always end the session before your dog does!
Does your dog hate their harness?
I hear you. Percy hasn't been a big fan of his harness in the past, so we started from scratch. It has taken me weeks to get to this stage!
The trick is to go slower than slow. Let your dog choose the pace and don't add a step until your dog is ready, and take a step back as soon as you see any sign of your dog wanting out. This makes the training as errorless as possible and your dog will make new and positive associations with the harness.
Every dog is different. Train the dog in front of you, at their pace.
R E C A L L
Recall is possibly the most important skill for your dog when you are out and about walking. A solid recall means your dog can have so much more freedom to explore 🌳
Here are my top tips to teach your dog to come back every time you call them.
1. Start at home: put a piece of kibble on the floor and run away from your dog, when they catch up do the same again. Eventually use the cue when they are coming towards you and pay them well with yummy stuff.
2. Set your dog up for success. Never call your dog if you are not 99% sure they will come to you. Make it easy for them and use a longline for safety once you start training outside.
3. Vary what happens when they do come to you. Be exciting and unpredictable. Sometimes they get a high value treat, sometimes you play a game, sometimes you change direction, only every once in a while do they get put on lead.
The hardest part about recall is when the environment is more reinforcing for your dog than you are. This is why you need to have a few tricks and games up your sleeve to be more reinforcing than other dogs etc.
If you'd like more help with this or something else, book an online consult with me! I offer 50% off if you are in level 4 lockdown 🔒 💛
