Jenny from the Ponds Paws

09/04/2023

These posts never get any easier… I’m so heartbroken to hear that Charlie aka “TT” had passed away yesterday! I’m so grateful to have had the pleasure of knowing and caring for this sweet guy. I miss you so much already lil man!
RIP Charlie 🐾 🌈 💔

05/16/2023

Directional Pressure

The leash and collar is the device we use to communicate with dogs. Whether that collar is a buckle, martingale, chain, prong, or electronic, it is still accompanied by a leash that acts as a conduit for information that flows both ways.

People tend to respond by jerking on the leash when the dog pulls. The dog usually pulls harder. The harder the dog pulls, the volume of the pressure generally increases.

What people don't realize is that they are creating that pressure, and the dog is simply trying to escape it.

We have all seen the dog scrabbling at the end of a leash in a frenzy to get anywhere but near its owner. The owner is hanging on for dear life as their dog vaults down the street, executing the best impression of the Naruto run, choking and gagging like they are going to pass out. The owner blithely follows along behind because they don't comprehend that they are actually reinforcing pulling behavior.

The dog is secured by an ever shortening leash, held in a death grip by the bewildered human, who has absolutely no idea that they are contributing to the erratic, hysterical pulling simply because they are pulling back, or at least, continuing to create resistance through the leash.

They never allow the dog the opportunity to escape the pressure.

I have yet to meet a dog that didn't have a powerful oppositional reflex. The very first thing a young dog does when the leash is attached to the collar around its neck is to fight it.

It's our job to teach them how to accept it.

Throughout training, we apply pressure in a variety of different directions. It's important to identify how pressure helps dogs comprehend what it is we ask of them in contextual ways.

When we teach -sit- for example, the leash and collar are held in such a way that we leverage pressure in an upward pattern with the collar, and downward with a hand on the dogs' rump simultaneously. Our message is "sit!" The dog learns how to do this because physics dictates the dog do so, in order to alleviate the pressure. Training creates a series of signals that alert the dog to a required response.

Every behavior we teach is through the application of some form of directional pressure.

To the dog, the signals he registers are the hand placements that preempt that application; the hand placement for the sit cues the dog that sit is expected, before the command is even uttered. Same for down, stand, and stay. Our practiced movements become cues that the next event requires a specific form of participation.

What people don't realize is that dogs read the context of that pressure literally.

If the dog has been conditioned that upward pressure is "sit," applying upward pressure in any other context becomes confusing. If a dog is learning "down," it would make no sense to the dog if the pressure was being delivered in a way that draws its motion in any other direction but downward.

Training should occur in a way that creates a common language between humans and dogs. The training isn't so much to "fix" dogs, but to give humans a means of overcoming the communication barrier between the two species. We may be endowed with speech and opposable thumbs, but dogs are gifted with a sensitivity that defies our cumbersome, inelegant attempts at communication.

We hobble dogs with our devices and yank them around without observing what they are trying to tell us.

The devices we use to communicate are there to help broadcast our meaning in a salient way. By careful manipulation of directional pressure, we can help dogs understand how to move and when. It's when that directional pressure is contradictory, do we see confusion or conflict.

The leash is there to prevent escape or avoidance. It doesn't really need to do much more than be attached to a dog and a thoughtful human. The type of collar determines the amount of pressure applied to the dog at any given point.

Directional pressure isn't initiated as punishment. It's simply a tactic to help a dog determine how to move in order to relieve that pressure. It's not the volume that matters as much as the direction and the constance. Rarely should it have to increase, and it should never be violent. It just needs to last longer than the resistance put up to oppose it.

A lot of attention is given to the concept of "pressure/release," but precious little is spent understanding the importance of directional pressure and how it affects performance.

The context of directional pressure is singularly the most difficult concept to teach handlers, whether they have handled many dogs or are just starting out. The instinctual draw towards oppositional reflex is strong in both species. In order for our dogs to learn not to fight pressure, we need to stop creating it.

05/10/2023

04/25/2023

Dog parks have become increasingly popular for dog owners that live in cities and suburbs because they provide designated spaces for dogs to play and socialize off-leash in a fenced in area. While...

04/23/2023

UPDATE:
Owner came to grab her cat and give him a proper burial! RIP Max!

⚠️ Sad Post ⚠️
I was walking a couple dogs in Falmouth Port in the path right behind Forrest Glade and unfortunately came across a deceased black and white cat (mainly black) I have talked to some people in the neighborhood but no one seems to know who the cat belongs to. I called Falmouth Animal Control and left them a voicemail. I also called the non emergency Falmouth Police Department because I would like to try and get the cat out so it doesn’t become coyote dinner. I’m posting this in hopes the owner might see it because if it was my cat I’d want to know.

04/08/2023

If anyone gets a Venmo request from me please do not send anything! Someone is impersonating my account.

02/02/2023

Saw the same dog in the same area again today.

02/01/2023

Missing dog in the scraggy neck rd area. Unknown male dog. I couldn’t get close enough to get him and he ended up taking off once he got close to me.

01/22/2023

Rest in peace Seamus boy, I miss you so much already! I’ll make sure to give your little doggy brother all the cuddles this week while I’m with him because I know he misses you just as much!

12/14/2022

*Courtesy Post*
Please Share!

MIKEY!

He is looking for his perfect home. He is a 12wk old Boxer mix. He has a sweet temperament and wonderful around new people and dogs. He is crate trained and almost fully potty trained too! Just wants to play with everyone.

If he remains local, I will provide a Free Evaluation AND 1 (one) Free lesson to help get the training going in the right direction 😊

https://www.eastcoastcaninerescue.org
⬆️ Fill out an application here ⬆️

11/24/2022

Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁

10/27/2022

Posting as a gentle reminder for those of you in the back...

The important thing to know about a prong collar: When put on properly, they apply equal pressure around the neck so the pressure is not focused on the front of the neck on the trachea. The prongs are meant to pinch like a bite. A dog understands that a bite is a correction. When using a prong collar, you get immediate results which cause people to be more consistent and continue their training. Prong collars require less correction, making them a more positive tool.

Myths about prong collars:

Prong collars stab the dog.

Prong collars cause pain to the dog.

Answers to the myths:

Prongs do not stab the dog. They are designed with a curved prong, so they won’t stab the dog but instead create a pinch.

Prong collars can cause pain. However, so can any other training collar or head collar, harness, etc if not used correctly. Always have a professional dog trainer familiar with the use of different tools as no 2 dogs are the same and no human is born a dog trainer. Don't assume you know a tool because you read the directions on the box or saw some awful pictures on the internet.

The only way a tool hurts an animal is because the person holding the leash isn't using it correctly, does not have the education in dog behavior or abuses animals intentionally.

It's ok to be uneducated but that's when you call for help so we can get you and your pet in a healthy place with knowledge you need moving forward.

09/20/2022

Winston and I just wanted to say it was very nice to have officially met you today!

09/08/2022

UPDATE: OWNER LOCATED

FOUND DOG

This guy was found in the area of Odonnell Ave in East Falmouth. If you recognize him, please contact Falmouth Animal Control at (508) 457-2550 ext 3