Canine Academy

03/11/2023

So applicable to dog training!
#1. is really Number 1 !!!

10 Rules for Liberty 🐴

4 weeks on the road teaching dozens of people and horses has helped clarify a great deal in my mind as a trainer and liberty artist. Below are 10 points I believe can help anyone achieves their goals…

1. Be present. Nothing outside of this moment is of consequence. ❤️

2. Dedicate every sense to gathering information about your body, the horses body, the horses movements and reactions, the environment around you. Every factor must be considered and collected to calculate your next move. 📝

3. Be neutral. Take in information you see as fact. Neither good nor bad. It is nothing more than information to be processed. 🕊️

4. Imagine every move you plan to make as a shadowed image playing out in front of you. As if viewing your life from a third person perspective. See each action in the future and combine it with the information you have gathered to make an educated prediction of what will happen next. ⏳

5. Don’t put out fires. Keep your eyes peeled for sparks. Watch your horse and memorise every tick and tell that precedes any negative reaction or outburst. See the spark and stop your ask before it’s fanned in to a flame. 👁️

6. Take small steps but don’t march on the spot. Train your horse in small manageable stages that can be easily understood and digested. But don’t become bogged down in fruitless repetition. Make goals. Log your progress to measure achievements to keep motivated. But always have a goal. If you’re failing to advance towards your goal the answers is nearly always to breakdown the sequence in your mind or by watching it on video. Pin point the moment or moments things go off course and then breakdown each signal you give and pair it with the reaction you desire. Write it down if you need to. Once you’ve found the weak point in your training, polish it up until it’s one of your strongest skills and return to the task you were failing at. But this time with the tools to finish the job. 🛠️

7. Give signals ( especially using the whip ) with the precision of a brain surgeon. Flailing and flapping is equivalent to drunken mumbling and will frustrate not educate. Flapping around like your dusting off cob webs or hammering away like a musician performing a drum role can never be precise or productive 🧠

8. You are looking for reactions. Not to complete your signal in a way that is identical to your idol / instructor or friends. Every horse is unique and will react differently. Watch the horse and stop the moment they react in a way that is positive. This is not only how we keep a horse light but also how we show the horse we see, accept and understand their “try” we appreciate their effort. 🥰

9. Doing the wrong thing calmly and confidently will offend a horse much less than doing the right thing carelessly in haste. It’s not just what you do, but how you do it. 🤔

10. Your entire body is a signal. Feet, shoulders, arms, hands, head, eyes. Everything. If possible practice some form of daily movement / exercise to build your skills in body awareness. You can’t control things you are oblivious of. Find physical interests away from horses to keep gaining mind muscle connection. Learn new skills to practice this control. Then when you train your horse you are conscious of your posture, where and when you step, the movements of the limbs not directly involved in the exercise. You must learn to be aware of and direct your body efficiently or it will constantly give signals to your horse that will be counter productive no matter if you realise or not. 💪

Let me know what you think in the comments below 👇

Photography credit to E J Lazenby Photography

02/25/2023

Training Without Conflict® Podcast Episode Seventeen: Susan GarrettA few weeks ago I released a podcast challenging the rhetoric of the force free ideology. ...

02/04/2023

For the Well Being of all dogs; this post should be watched by ALL dog trainers! Take the time and listen to the information before making choices for your dog.

The Real Facts About Science Based Dog Training: A Training Without Conflict® Podcast

01/21/2023

I think this is a neglected topic. Please give some thought to the type of stimulation that ball play triggers.

Why I don't recommend extended ball retrieving.
Yes, I know dogs "love it". Cause we have taught their nervous systems to crave the brain chemicals!

01/20/2023

Good to remember!

12/28/2022

Incredible!

In this lab, they use different flow visualization techniques to help detect contraband, residues, and develop trace particle detection methods. Part of this...

11/12/2022

old school dog trainers. They have certainly been training far longer than me. I am thankful for the wealth of experience that they have

10/21/2022

From today's 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter.

Each one features⁠

3 short ideas from me⁠
2 quotes from others⁠
1 question for you to ponder⁠

You can see more of today's newsletter (and sign up to get it in your inbox) in my stories or at jamesclear.com/3-2-1

10/16/2022

07/08/2022

Copied with permission from a post by Anne Rogers:

"It is perfectly acceptable, normal and ok for a pet owner to want a family dog, who is safe, fun and can be brought places without that requiring military standard operations and arrangements.

It is perfectly acceptable, normal and ok for a pet owner to not want to or need to become a dog trainer or behaviour expert. To just be a dog owner.

It is perfectly acceptable, normal and ok for pet owners to not want project dogs, who take over their lives, require complete changes to their lifestyle, and mean that, for the remainder of their dog's life, everything must be micro-managed because just one human mistake can mean serious compromises to safety and welfare.

Human welfare is important too, not least because that helps to ensure canine welfare too. We need both.

Dogs wouldn't choose this either.

It's not welfare if we are just keeping them alive under conditions that limit that dog's needs being met.

We're not rescuing them if their lives aren't getting better.

Picture of this beach boy because many years ago, an online/social media bullying campaign was instigated against me by, among others, "force-free" or whatever trainers (I have the screen shots, IPs and all sorts of info) because I decided to choose an impeccably produced, reared and cared for dog so that I could have a fun, safe, nutty companion who challenges me in all the right ways, whose needs I can meet pretty easily and whose welfare I can maintain without massive lifestyle overhauls for either of us.

Been there, done that, and will never do it again, and nor will the countless pet owners who didn't know how to make those choices, and are now stuck and overwhelmed with a dog they love but whose needs are so difficult, and sometimes, impossible, to meet.

I'm tired."

[Photo: Ann Rogers]

02/21/2022

02/03/2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate and define paw placement patterns for canines completing the weave pole obstacle during canine agility trials. The secondary objectives were to determine the most efficient running style and completion percentages and provide a basis for future studie...

09/11/2021

My Mutts in the Mosey Mobile!

09/06/2021

Some wolf puppies will unexpectedly play "fetch," researchers say, showing that an urge to retrieve a ball might be an ancient wolf trait and not a result of dog domestication.

07/19/2021

Puppies bark. The problem isn’t that they bark, the issues arise from how we deal with the barking. Thankfully more breeders are starting to do some great early work with their pups. This means tha…

02/26/2021

Visit the post for more.

10/17/2020

Interactive games may boost positive well-being by combining the benefits of rewards with cognitive and social enrichment. However, a hasty introducti…

09/16/2020

Training must leave time for the dog's memory to consolidate

08/10/2020

Great advice!

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇
The Sniff test - Stop doing that!
The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & the reason a lot of dogs snap at or bite people. This can cause alot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so can end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand so you back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand.Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?
⚠Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.
⚠Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.
⚠Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.
⚠Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.

08/05/2020

Cody strained at his leash as he entered my examination room. A brown and white pitbull mix with soft eyes, large neck and shoulder muscles, and a beautiful sheen to his coat, he rubbed the side of...

07/30/2020

04/06/2020

My son wants a Ferrari for Christmas and I’m thinking about getting it for him. I can afford it; my neighbor has a used one for sale. Apparently it’s been “too much car” for him, so it sits in his garage. I will definitely give my son driving lessons – I know that owning a car like that is...

02/26/2020

The Elusive Malinois “Off Switch” On a regular basis I see on social media people talking about an "off switch" and how the Malinois doesn't have one.  Especially the working line Malinois.  People post their daily routine with their dog, which includes 2 hours of training, 1 hour of fetch at ...

01/28/2020

© Jaymi Heimbuch / Urban Coyote Initiative WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A COYOTE WHILE WALKING YOUR DOG By far, the biggest source of conflict between urban coyotes and humans centers around pets. By Jaymi Heimbuch   Many urban residents see coyotes or have interactions with coyotes while out walki...

01/23/2020

Mark McCabe, Stephanie McCabe of Training Between the Ears and Kate Walker of The Incredible K9 discuss what we, in TBTE, call the Mousetrap Syndrome and why...

01/10/2020

One of our UCDavis veterinary students practicing cooperative care with her partner.
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Preparing your dog for veterinary handling before they actually go to the vet is an important piece of training.
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Many dogs have a phobia of the vet's office because everytime they go there unpleasant things happen. You can counter this by preparing your dog ahead of time for their exam. Teaching them to not only tolerate but actually enjoy all types of handling will make vet visits more pleasant for everyone!
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12/06/2019

Graphic illustrations used to describe scent theory and movement

10/16/2019

Do you have a dog that is not too keen on tugging? Check out this video, describing the most common mistakes and helping out with fast and easy solutions. :)...

10/15/2019

Good Dog is on a mission to change the conversation! We're a community created for and dedicated to advocating for responsible breeders, supporting you with a collection of free resources and educating the public.