Your Dog’s Therapist Training and Behavior Consulting

03/12/2024

Dogs behave the way they do for many reasons. They do NOT do things deliberately to be stubborn or ‘naughty’, nor do they aim to assert control. Outdated mythologies and training methods have detrimental effects on well-being and strain the relationship between a dog and their caregiver.

🧬A dog's breed and genetic makeup can play a significant role in determining certain behavioural traits. Dogs have genetic predispositions and breed-specific tendencies that contribute to their behaviour.
Some breeds are predisposed to specific behaviours, such as herding, hunting, or guarding.

The environment in which a dog is raised and lives can profoundly impact their behaviour. Early socialisation, which involves exposing a puppy to a wide range of people, animals, and environments during their critical developmental period, is crucial for building confidence and shaping a dog's social behaviour to reduce fear or aggression.

Overstimulation can cause all kinds of unwanted behaviours as it overwhelms their senses and can lead to hyperactivity or erratic responses. For example, if a dog is exposed to loud noises, multiple people, and various stimuli all at once, or on a daily basis, they might exhibit excessive excitable behaviour, poor impulse control, become agitated and exhibit behaviours like jumping, barking, or pulling on the leash, as their senses are overwhelmed by the excessive input.

Previous experiences and learning consequences can influence a dog's behaviour. Traumatic experiences, in particular, can lead to fear, anxiety, or aggression.

How a dog is trained and educated by their caregiver or handler can significantly affect their behaviour. Consistent, positive reinforcement-based training can lead to desired behaviours, while harsh or inconsistent methods can result in confusion or fear.

A dog's health, including their physical and mental well-being, can influence their behaviour. Illness, pain, or discomfort can lead to changes in behaviour.

A dog's emotional state, including fear, anxiety, and excitement, can affect their behaviour. For example, a fearful dog may display unpredictable defensive reactive behaviours or might avoid any encounters and run away trying to hide. While a confident dog may exhibit playfulness and a relaxed demeanour.

A dog can become frustrated and destructive if their mental and physical needs are not met. This dog, full of pent-up energy and boredom, may become frustrated and exhibit poor impulse control. In their frustration, they might resort to destructive behaviours, such as chewing furniture, digging up the garden, or incessant barking. This destructive behaviour is often an expression of their frustration and an attempt to alleviate their built-up energy and mental stress.

The type of diet a dog receives can significantly influence their behaviour, with high-quality nutrition promoting better energy levels, mood, and overall well-being, while poor diet choices can lead to issues like irritability, hyperactivity, or digestive problems.

As dogs age, they may experience canine cognitive decline, which can manifest as changes in memory, learning, and behaviour. This condition can lead to increased confusion, disorientation, and altered social interactions in older dogs.

It is really important to understand that each dog is unique, and their behaviour can vary widely, even within the same breed. Dogs use body language, vocalizations, and other forms of communication to express their needs, emotions, and intentions. Understanding a dog's communication cues is essential for interpreting their behaviour.

03/02/2024

What drives on lead reactivity?

Most dogs that are reactive towards other dogs have the underlying emotions of Fear or Frustration.
When a barrier restricts your dog from achieving its goals and fulfilling its emotional needs you might see reactivity.

Barriers can include : tight leads, windows, fences, doors, gates, being inside an enclosed area such as the car or a crate.

If your dog’s underlying emotion is Fear of other dogs, these barriers can trigger Fear Reactivity as the dog is STOPPED from escaping the situation that triggers the fear

If the dogs underlying emotion is Frustration these barriers STOP the dog achieving its goals of engaging with and interacting with the other dog. ( Or in some cases, cats, or fast moving vehicles)!

All behaviour is a ‘reaction’ to something ( a stimulus) within the environment. But sometimes the response is exacerbated by the situation that the dog finds itself in and also by how you handle your dog in that moment.

It is important to emphasise is that when dogs ‘react’ they are NOT being , bad, naughty, stubborn, nasty, or any other human constructed label - they are having a hard time with the situation they find themselves in.
Many dogs struggle to cope with situations we expect them to deal with such as walking on a short lead.
So Instead of punishing the dog for reactivity, correcting them, we can help you to understand your dog and teach you the skills you need to help your dog cope better with their environment.

We will ask WHY your dog is reactive, assess your dog’s emotions and design a training plan to help you understand your dog and reduce and manage the reactivity.

Myself and my preferred network of reputable experienced professionals can help you turn your struggles into strengths. Please do get in touch using the links.

02/19/2024

Alpha dog, pack hierarchies, ranking...this was all disproven decades ago now. The theories still hang around, unfortunately 🚩
Alpha/hierachy/dominance theory being used, sadly clouds genuine, sometimes very serious causes for behaviour, and this is a welfare issue for dogs.

Many of my clients have been told that their dog was 'challenging them for alpha position' or 'needed clearer communication from their alpha', and that those things were the cause for their behaviour. After assessing them and working closely with their vet, we have found pain and health conditions behind their behaviour, as well as trauma based responses, fear, amongst other reasons. We need to look a little deeper and ditch these old theories, for our dogs 🐕 your dog can't tell you in plain English what they're experiencing, but a qualified Behaviourist who keeps up to date with the latest science can help you.

(Scheduled post for 18th February 2024 during a period of reduced working days, there may be a delay in responding to comments - [email protected] for enquiries)

02/05/2024

02/03/2024

New research on dog training methods for issues with off-leash disobedience found positive reinforcement worked best.

01/26/2024

QUICK TIP: One of the secrets that helps explain the effectiveness of positive reinforcement training, particularly "clicker training," is the proper, systematic use of reinforcers.

A reinforcer is something that occurs after a behavior that serves to increase the likelihood the behavior will be repeated.

Reinforcers can be positive or negative. For more information about negative reinforcers, see the following article: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2018/05/what-is-negative-reinforcement-in-dog.html

For purposes of this post, we will focus on positive reinforcement, which in behavioral terms, refers to something that is added, applied, administered, or delivered, such as food, following a behavior that results in an increase in the behavior. If the behavior doesn't increase as a result of the consequence that follows, then we cannot say that the consequence was "positive reinforcement."

Positive reinforcement training with a marker signal is called "clicker training." An auditory signal made with a clicker - or flashing light or some other type of neutral signal is used to communicate to the animal being trained exactly which behavior results in the reinforcement that follows.

A clicker - or other marker signal is used as a training tool to aid communication between a nonverbal animal and its trainer. It bridges the communication gap, and lets the animal know exactly what it did, and needs to do again to earn reinforcement.

A basic principle of behavior change is this: what is reinforced is repeated. Using a clicker helps an animal know exactly what to repeat to earn additional reinforcement.

The marker signal, such as a click, due to its pairing with food, takes on reinforcement value. It is what is referred to as a secondary or conditioned reinforcer.

Ultimately, the behavior that has been learned through positive reinforcement training serves as its own reinforcement. That is, the behavior becomes self-reinforcing. This is because of its pairing with reinforcement.

Food is faded as the animal learns the intended behavior, and secondary reinforcers are phased in more and more to replace the food. Secondary reinforcers include things the animal has learned to find reinforcing through their association with primary reinforcers. Examples include praise, petting, and play, such as Tug of War.

Food is a primary reinforcer. It meets a biological need and all animals can be reinforced with food. They don't need to learn to find it reinforcing. Human interaction, on the other hand, is generally something that animals learn to find reinforcing.

And as students of clicker training know, the marker signal is no longer needed once the animal has learned the desired behavior. Once the animal understands what to do to earn reinforcement, and the behavior itself becomes reinforcing, we add the cue, and place the behavior "on cue."

Cindy Ludwig, Canine Connection LLC
Willard, Missouri

01/24/2024

Steer clear of dog trainers promising guaranteed results; such claims often lack empathy and a deep understanding of canine behavior. Dogs are individuals, and training outcomes can't be assured. This approach often overlooks a dog's emotional needs and may rely on outdated or harmful methods, lacking in proper education and respect for the dog's well-being.

01/04/2024

Looking at the why behind a behaviour is the best thing we can do for our dogs, and ourselves.

When we see behaviour for what it really is, we realise it’s not personal, just practical for our dogs at the time.

01/04/2024

12/06/2023

Training Tuesday!

12/05/2023

👇🏻

The outdated concept of pack leadership and dominance in domestic dogs has not only been proven incorrect, but also promotes a harmful relationship dynamic. Born from flawed studies of captive wolves in the 1940s, this theory has been wholly discredited by modern research.

Believing a dog is trying to dominate can foster negative emotions towards confused dogs and lead to unfair interpretation of their behaviour. This, in turn, can provoke inappropriate responses from the humans involved, escalating fear and anxiety in dogs, and creating a cycle of adverse behaviour.

Current understanding of canine behaviour underscores the importance of empathy, respect, and positive reinforcement. Canine Principles champions these evidence-based practices, offering an enlightened approach to dog-human interactions.

Don't let misconceptions taint your relationship with your dog. Join Canine Principles, debunk the myths, and cultivate a more compassionate bond with your dog, based on understanding their true nature and empathy towards them.

https://www.canineprinciples.com/online-dog-courses