Smart Paws

14/04/2022

Warning!

02/12/2021

I get it because I am the one! However, taking all of these steps make my dog a better one.

Do you see me

I am tired, so tired

Having a dog that is classed as ’reactive’ is draining
Constant micro managing and planning is emotionally tiring

I am the one who has to learn when the quiet times are to walk
I am the one googling on lead only places to go
I am the one who walks a new route on their own first
I am the one who moves out of your way without you realising
I am the one mostly on their own
I am the one in the trees, you probably haven’t seen me
I am the one who hovers in the middle of the field wondering which way you are going, before I can make my decision
I am the one watching where that ball is being thrown
I am the one with the stomach churning when there are dogs running around
I am the one with the full poo bag in my pocket because there are people near the bin
I am the one who drives to ALL of their walking areas
I am the one who silently cheers when its pouring with rain, as less people
I am the one mentally walking every other dog I see
I am the one who knows instantly, which dog my dog would be ok with getting a bit closer
I am the one who also knows instantly, which dog my dog would not be ok with getting closer
I am the one devouring every blog, webinar, course about how to help my dog
I am the one back and forth to the Vets, there has to be pain somewhere
I am the one crying in the car on the way home
I am the one who gets told I shouldn’t be walking my dog if he doesn’t like other dogs
I am the one who gets told it’s my fault, because my dog is on a lead
I am the one who quickens their pace to get to the exit before you let your dog’s off
I am the one who has to ask for you to recall your dog
I am the one who has spent money on good and not so good trainers
I am the one who knows all of the ‘Get out of Dodge’ places
I am the one whose dog has a large safe space bubble around them
I am the one who changes direction so I can increase my distance
I am the one who really gets to see who my dog really is

I am tired, so tired

Do you see me?

Debbie and Sabre
Paws and Train ©️

I see you 💛 I give you hope
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15/09/2021

Puppy owners!

Great infographic.
Be careful to not overload your best friend!

11/09/2021

Be aware!

Public Service Announcement! Xylitol is a plant-based sugar that is extremely toxic to dogs and if it comes from birch, it's called "Birch sugar" (not a new thing, chemically, but that's the name that is newly being used on labels instead of xylitol for that source of xylitol).

I've heard of dogs dying quickly from eating a pack of sugar-free gum left around, for example.

Thanks for the heads up, Pam Williams, and the clarification, Glorya Shine :)

19/08/2021

"My dog won't do what I ask unless I have a treat!" 😧
"I don't want to be bribing my dog with food!" 😠

Have you heard or said either of these things before? We have heard them a lot, and there is something that can be done about it - you just need to make sure you 'fade out the lure'!

To fade out a lure all you need to do is:

🔹 Lure the behaviour with food or another lure, until they have successfully done it 3-5 times in a row.

🔹 Lure the behaviour with an 'invisible treat'. This means you have no treat/lure in your hand but your dog may think you do.

🔹 When they have done the correct behaviour, then show your dog there was no treat/lure in your hand BUT still, reward from the other hand you did not use for the lure.

🔹You can then make the lure behaviour itself smaller and smaller until it becomes a subtle hand signal, or add in a verbal cue.

🔹Once the dog can do the correct behaviour, you can gradually reward them less frequently.

This teaches the dog that even if they do not see a treat on you at the moment you ask for a particular correct behaviour, it does not mean one isn't coming, (getting rid of the need to 'bribe' the dog in order for them to do the behaviour).

This doesn't mean we stop rewarding our dog, to maintain a behaviour; rewards still need to occur, albeit less frequently, however, a reward is not a bribe as the dog doesn't know when it will be coming. These rewards do not always need to be food, but they do need to be rewarding to the dog, otherwise they are not rewards.

We would also like to add that although luring is useful for teaching new behaviours and cues in training, it should never be used to get a dog to do something they are uncomfortable with. This is especially important when working on behavioural modification as the lure will need to be used at exactly the right time in order to be effective, so please seek the advice of a qualified behaviourist or trainer. 👍

05/08/2021

There is such a thing as a teenager dog!

BRAIN UNDER CONSTRUCTION – DEALING WITH TEENAGE DOGS
Those cute, adorable puppies don’t stay that way for long and soon grow up to be adult dogs. It’s often the stage in between this period that owners find the most frustrating and wonder what on earth has happened to their pup’s lovely personality. Just like people, the stage between childhood and adulthood - those often-dreaded teenage years, can be exasperating. There’s a saying that I’m sure will resonate with many parents who have gone through the teenage years with their off spring - “Parents with teenagers understand why some animals eat their young!” Many dog owners are unaware that dogs also go through a teenage stage and are frustrated and unprepared for the changes this may bring. It’s a sad reality that this is the age that many dogs are surrendered to shelters as their owners no longer “like” the way their dogs behave.
The adolescent dog has to cope with surging hormones and a brain that is reorganizing itself. The most pronounced behavioural changes are usually seen between 6 to 12 months old. Although hormones play a huge part in the change in behaviour, the brain is also going through big changes as it develops and rewires itself. All of these changes may cause dogs to be easily distracted, finding it more difficult to learn and retain information and they may seem to have forgotten everything they’ve been trained to do. They may also begin to develop a need to be more independent and engage in more risk taking or excitement seeking behaviour.
Although this stage may be challenging, remembering that it’s just a phase and “this too shall pass”, makes it easier to cope with. Understanding, awareness, patience and consistency will help you both get through it.

24/07/2021

So often people think they have to put their dogs in situations they can’t handle to learn to deal with it. All you create, is more fears!

Get lifetime access to hours of training videos.

24/07/2021

Markers are very important!

Have you ever been in a situation where your dog has done something good but you weren't able to get a reward to them in time? Perhaps you struggled to get a treat out, and by the time you had one available, they had stopped doing what you wanted to reward! Oh no! 😫

The fact is... in training, timing is crucial; if we reward a little too late we could be rewarding a dog for breaking the sit rather than staying, or for barking, rather than being quiet.

One way to combat this issue is by using a 'marker'. A marker is a classically-conditioned cue that predicts an oncoming reward. This makes the marker a 'bridge' from the moment the dog does the behaviour, to them getting the reward, and in essence says “This is the moment you did the right thing, hold tight, your reward is on its way”. 🧀🥩

This allows you to really pin-point correct behaviour and gives you leeway when you don't have a reward instantly available!

Do you train by using a marker?

22/07/2021

Yes, they can generalize if taken through contextual changes with successes.

Does your dog know a behaviour at home, but then suddenly 'forget' it in training-class, or elsewhere? Do you find yourself constantly saying "But they are so good at it at home!" ...? 😫

It could be that your dog just isn't very good at 'generalising' and needs to relearn the behaviour in a few new places before they understand that it applies to everywhere. However, although that seems like more work for you now, you haven't necessarily got the raw end of the deal; those owners who have a dog that is good at generalising can find that they will generalise negative experiences as well! Generalising really can be applied to every learning experience your dog has.

How good do you think your dog is at generalising? 🐶

08/05/2021

In this week's blog, I wrote about the "secret sauce" to resolving separation anxiety: suspending absences.

Here are 10 creative ways that my clients use management to support the behavior modification plans we work through.

It may seem daunting, but the alternative – allowing your dog to get worse – creates so many more challenges.

If you missed the blog post, check it out here: https://www.believeinyour.dog/separation-anxiety-success

06/05/2021

Ruby is my name, nice to meet you. I’m roughly about 2 years old and likely had several litters of pups already.🤰👶
The shelter life isn’t for me and I’m quite sad here. Look at my sweet, sad eyes. 👀 I will be happy to find a family who I can really attach to. I’m kind of a couch potato and don’t need a home with a lot of activity. No noisy, loud kids please. 😟 I’m dog friendly, I was found with another dog who has since been adopted. I’m also cat friendly. Please adopt me, I want a nice cozy bed to sleep in near by new owners. 💜

Apply at www.syvhumane.org/adoptions

01/05/2021

This is such an interesting study.

The researcher who introduced this term tried to clear the confusion up two decades ago, but the myth still lives on.

21/04/2021

So true!

We can do so much for our dogs, including setting them up for success.