Meg's Pawsitive Pups

12/01/2024

Fun games with your pup!!

10/19/2024

Attention anyone using dog walkers, especially those that do “pack walks”…Ask lots of questions to the company/person you use. The post below shares what happens all
the time, you need to make sure your dogs are safe under the care of others.

Today we witnessed a dog walker, with six dogs; four of them off leash -enter the parking lot from Wilson Mt.

While trying to leash the dogs, per our ‘request’, two of the dogs ran from the dog walker, and headed back into the woods.*

When the dog walker re-entered the woods (with the now six leashed dogs - three per hand), she dropped one of the dogs leashes, at the same time that another dog slipped out of its collar.*

*Everyone was ultimately safely collected.

The dog walker stated that she was unaware of the leash law, yet she was parked directly beside the leash requirement sign. She also stated this was not her first time in Wilson Mt.

The dog walker also stated that she ‘didn’t think dog walker rules applied if at least one of the dogs being walked is [her] own dog and not a clients’ dog’. We are still trying to wrap our head around that one. 🤦‍♀️

The dog walker further stated that she didn’t need ‘poop bags’ because all of the dog’s owners reported ‘the dogs had pooped prior to their scheduled walk’. Again, 🤦‍♀️.

This was all very unsettling.

October 2nd marked the 1-year anniversary of Lola’s disappearance….with a paralleling script —-the same park… a dog walker-without a permit, with six dogs ; four of them off leash, in a (posted) leash required park.

Dog owners - while we will continue to address these violations, hazards and liabilities with dog walkers, as well as try to figure out just how to improve this lucrative, often care-free portion of the dog care industry- we cannot urge you enough to please know who is caring for your dogs, to know that this person (or company) is adhering to the laws -and is capable of taking on the practice and the responsibilities of dog walking.

Do you ask your dog walker how many other dogs will be walked with your dog?

Do you ask if the dogs will be taken off leash? And if so, if the dogs are legally allowed to be off leash in the area to where they are being taken?

Do you ask if dog walking permits are needed - and secured, for certain places? Have you asked to see them?

Do you ask what plan is in place if your dog (or one of the other dogs) should go missing from the pack, or if there is a dog/dog or dog/wildlife or dog/person- altercation?

You are the voice for your dog’s welfare. Asking questions, requesting to see protocols, permits, incident management plans- is the best way you can protect the one family member who cannot tell you about their day!

08/29/2024

Love this!!

Today's Dog Training Myth of the Day: "Only tell them once!"

What if you ask a dog (whatever age, breed, s*x, background, training level) to do something, but there is no response?

Set aside the myth of "only tell them once." Good rule of thumb: if it were a toddler, what would you do? Probably wait a few beats, be sure you had the kid's attention, then ask again.

Just like us, dogs may not be tuned in 100% because they are busy having their own experience of life which may or may not include you at any moment.

If you *do* have the pup's attention, and they did hear you, next step is to consider that they do not understand and/or don't see the point!

I've often asked clients to stand on a chair and sing happy birthday. I've done it while they were trying to take notes. Result: no compliance, and they say usually say, "Sorry - I was focused on taking notes. What did you say?"

If they are paying attention to me but look at me as if I'm crazy, I ask, "Did you understand what I asked? You did? So why aren't you doing it?" Inevitably the answer is, "I don't want to" or "Why would I do that?" It helped them understand how their dogs might be responding.

So give your dogs the courtesy of clear communication, engage attention first, be sure there is understanding, and make it worthwhile for the dog to work with you. Respect, courtesy and taking responsibility for what we are communicating and how we are communicating -- those are all supportive of healthy dog/human relationships.

This does not mean repeating, Sit-sit-sit-sit-sit-sit which is not good communication no matter who you're talking to! 😊

If you want and need response to just one request (and this has great value!), you first have to teach understanding, understand that connection and attention must come first always, then develop the skill, tighten the criteria and make it worthwhile. Then practice!!!

06/25/2024

Very important read!!!

Apparently these two fingers are all you need to stop a puppy mouthing you. It's magical and "works every time". The only caveat is you have to be firm and "do it as if you mean it". If you treat your puppy gently it just won't work. But, hey, what's a little harsh treatment if it solves the problem, right? All you have to do is prod your puppy (your 𝘱𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘺, remember...) sharply in that lovely vulnerable, soft part of their abdomen just between their rib cage and their leg. A few sharp pokes and your puppy biting problems are over.

I wish I was joking. But I'm not. This is actual advice given to a client by someone they paid money to to help them.

Not one question was asked about the pup's routine. About the conditions under which the puppy was biting. About how much rest they were getting. Whether they were teething. Whether they were overstimulated. What they were being fed. How they were being played with. Not one question. Because who wants to be bothered with all that when a good dose of physical punishment and emotional intimidation works on a young animal who is just doing what puppies do?

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. Training is a totally unregulated industry and 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 can set up as a trainer regardless of education, experience, insurance or ethics. So if you don't want to end up with someone who'll tell you to hurt your dog do your homework. Check qualifications. Check education. Check ethos. Check their vibe. Because your dog can't.

And if they use force, fear or intimidation it would be totally understandable if you felt the temptation to use a two fingered gesture of your own...

04/23/2024

Great tips on what to think about when training your dog.

03/23/2024

03/05/2024

Dogs are great at many things, but one thing they are not so good at is generalising. It makes sense to us that, when they have learned a cue at home, they should be able to understand and respond to that cue wherever they go. The thing is that dog brains don't work in quite that way. Dogs need to be taught that the same cue means they do the same thing in all different kinds of environments and situations.

To do this, we need to generalise or 'proof' the cue. Help the dog to understand that the cue asks them for the same thing, wherever they are.

To do this we look at the three factors listed here.

Distance: Initially when we are working on cues with our dogs, we will be very close. But there may well be a time when you would like or need to ask your dog to do something when they are a distance away from you. To do this, gradually start asking the dog to respond to the cue from further away. For recall, as an example, once the cue is well established at home, start practicing at slowly increasing distances when out for a walk (use a longline attached to the dog's harness until their recall is solid in all locations and from distance). Periodically call the dog back from a distance, reward, and then send them off to explore again. This is one that's good to keep doing once their recall is reliable and they can go off lead, as only ever calling an off lead dog back to put the lead on might well put them off coming back! And remember to always call your dog back if they are approaching an on-lead dog as a simple courtesy to the others using the same area.

Distractions: This is an important one for many dogs, especially young dogs who are keen to explore the world and learn about their environment. Once the cue is well established at home, start building up distractions slowly. Going from your garden at home to a busy local park will be far too much for the dog to be able to concentrate so take it in little steps. Outside your house, perhaps, or somewhere like a car park with plenty of space but where there will be some people/cars etc to act as distractions. Build up the number of different places and how busy the places you go to are to help your dog see that the cue means the same, no matter how busy the environment. (But play fair and let them have plenty of time to explore new environments safely and happily, for both you/your dog and the others using that space).

Duration: Sometimes we will need to ask our dogs to do something and have them keep doing it for a while, perhaps a sit, a down, a wait/stay. Something that helps with building duration is having a release cue, and this is something that we can teach the dog at the same time as the initial cue we'd like them to respond to. For instance, I use 'OK' as my release cue, so I'll ask my dog for a down, and then say 'OK' to let him know that he's fine to get up again. Initially we'll say this almost immediately after we've marked and rewarded the down, and then gradually increase the length of time between the cue and the release.

You can combine all three of these factors to have a cue that your dog can respond to at distance, in any kind of environment, and (where appropriate) will stay there until released. Having this kind of reliability in your cues means you can be confident and enjoy being out in the world with your dog, knowing that they will listen to you wherever you are.

02/21/2024

It’s Hump Day!! So let’s talk about one of the most misinterpreted dog behaviors…Hu***ng.

HU***NG HOUNDS - It’s not always what it seems

Some dogs do and some dogs don’t, but if you have a dog that humps at the most inopportune times it can be downright embarrassing or annoying.

Other dogs, other people, visitors, toys, cushions, furniture, anything that can be mounted and clung to may be fair game.

As people, it’s natural to assume that this behaviour is of a s*xual nature, that our dogs must be overs*xed, s*xually frustrated or the all-too-common incorrect belief that our dogs are just trying to be “dominant” or “the alpha”.

Hu***ng, like many other dog behaviours does not always have a simple reason. It can be a complex behaviour which is usually emotionally or socially based.

Looking at what may be triggering the behaviour should always be the first step before finding ways to change a behaviour.

The solutions will depend on the cause. It may be finding ways to reduce stress or anxiety levels, increasing mental stimulation, teaching calm behaviours to prevent over arousal, ensuring your dog is getting enough sleep, using management or in some cases a veterinary check up to rule out any medical causes.

When hu***ng is annoying another dog or person or causing frustration, discomfort or harm in any way, then obviously this behaviour needs to be immediately addressed, but sometimes we may need to ask ourselves – is it really something we need to stop our dogs from doing just because we see it as socially unacceptable?

Is it a harmless way of relieving stress or anxiety after a difficult day or a way to expend pent up energy that is not causing anyone harm?

Is a little hump now and then okay if it’s not causing any harm?

If we prevent this, correct it, or at worst punish this behaviour are we removing a harmless natural outlet and risking another unwanted behaviour taking its place?

Hu***ng is one of the most misunderstood behaviours.

Very often, behaviour is not about the way it looks, but the way we perceive it from our human perspective.

01/28/2024

This week I got to meet Archer and his new family. Archer is 11 weeks old and his family are first time dog owners. During our meet and greet we talked about house training, vaccinations, nutrition, grooming and started a couple new cues like sit and down. Dog training isn’t just about teaching pups cues like sit, down, stay etc, it is also about teaching the families all aspects of dog guardianship. Archer has an amazing family who want to do their best. Great job guys!! #

01/07/2024

First snow storm of the season. Let’s see some pictures of your pups enjoying the snow. For some of you this is your pups first snow storm ❤️🐾❄️☃️

12/13/2023

Maya had another great Day Training session. We worked on her impulse control, leash walking and recall. Check out my website www.megspawsitivepups.com for more information on my Day Training sessions.