Mowgli Bear Dog Training and Pet Services

06/10/2024

Did you know that the senior research scientist David Mech, whose book into hierarchy in wolf packs created the 'alpha theory' idea, then went on to disprove his own work with a later more naturalistic study? 😮

Although wolves and domestic dogs are worlds apart nowadays, David Mech's original book on captive wolves is still used regularly as evidence for alpha-based and dominance training styles. Touting you need to act like a wolf and an alpha and put your dog in their place so they respect you. However, even if domestic dogs and wolves were closer in how they acted than they are, David Mech went on to do further research and instead found that rather than one domineering 'alpha' wolves actually work as a family group with the parents leading the pack. That doesn't sound that far off our human families really does it? In fact, despite what 'alpha theory' states in regards to an 'alpha' wolf always eating first, in reality wolf parents often feed their youngest, most vulnerable offspring first.

The issue with the first study the book used is it was based on captive wolves and not wild wolves and how they behaved in their natural habitat, once David Mech realised his mistakes he did more research, and with new understanding and data he has since gone on to try and repair the damage his original study has done in how we view wolves, and by extension dogs. This is what scientific study is about, updating with the times and the most up to date information. I give huge props to David Mech for instead of trying to save his ego and stick to what he said in his original work, he has followed the science and admitted the flaws of his original study, bringing new knowledge and research forward.

It is a shame that the original idea is still so prevalent in our cultural knowledge and understanding of wolves, whereas the later study is less well known to the masses. I can only hope that will also change over time by us bringing the more up to date information to the forefront. 🐺

You can check out the study mentioned in the graphic for yourself here: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1343&context=usgsnpwrc

04/25/2024

Here’s a PSA on behalf of all dogs.

Stop correcting your dog for sniffing.

Stop it. Please.

How would you like it if I corrected you for looking around a room? Imagine if you raised your head to look around a new place and I popped you or shoved you or said “HEY! PAY ATTENTION” You’d get pretty upset pretty quickly I’d imagine.

Dogs don’t smell because they are ignoring you or being stubborn. We humans primarily depend on sight, but dogs use smell AND sight to assess their surroundings and communicate. People spend more time interpreting visual data than olfactory information. Dogs are just the opposite.

Dogs devote lots of brain power to interpreting smells. They have more than 100 million sensory receptor sites in the nasal cavity as compared to 6 million in people, and the area of the canine brain devoted to analyzing odors is about 40 times larger than the comparable part of the human brain. In fact, it’s been estimated that dogs can smell anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 times better than people.

Scent gives information. Smelling is normal. Smelling is necessary and natural. Smelling is relaxing. Air scenting is HUGE for recovering reactive dogs. LET YOUR DOG SMELL!

Correcting a dog for sniffing is one of the worst things I watch people do. It’s another example of how controlling we try to be in our dogs lives. If you don’t want your dog to smell, teach him to focus on you instead for part of the time, and then give other ample times to smell. If he’s pulling you to smell, use a different tool that inhibits pulling but still allows for some nasal exploration. Even better work on collar pressure work too so your dog learns to smell when there’s less pressure! Walks on a long line on a dirt road or in a field for your dog to zig zag back and forth on to smell is MUCH healthier and more tiring for them as animals than trying to keep them within 6 feet of you on a neighborhood walk.

Please accept that smelling is normal and work WITH your dog on it, rather than just trying to suppress it. Just because that blade of grass or tree isn’t interesting to YOU doesn’t mean your dog deserves a correction. Who cares if you don’t walk the extra block - spend those 5 minutes on that one tree if you need to. Your dog doesn’t complain when you watch YouTube videos of kittens for hours or read the news or binge on Netflix, so let him get his scent binge in to.

Happy smelling pups!

11/24/2023

There is a lingering misconception that using force free and fear free methods consists of just ignoring any 'bad' behaviour and giving a dog food. The reality is that force free training is so much more than that.

It requires an understanding of the history of dogs, why they do the things that they do and how to change their behaviour. Of how to manage the dog's environment so they don't get to practice the behaviour we don't want to see while reinforcing the behaviours we do want - dogs do what works for them so reinforcing alternative behaviours makes the original behaviour much less likely to repeat.

Most of all it means having an understanding of the dog in front of us, their needs, likes and dislikes, so that we can help them with their fears or show them the behaviours their humans would like without danger of fear and pain, or of the dog becoming frustrated or scared.

08/03/2023

You don't even have to own one. Research shows just 5 to 20 minutes interacting with other people's pooches can reduce stress hormones and increase well-being.

07/12/2023

We are soooo excited to officially share our handout on the Stages of Training. Thank you Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin for bringing this to life! This handout is used for clients to follow their dog's training progress!
It goes through all the stages of learning:
1. Acquisition (get the behavior)
2. Fluency (add the cue)
3. Generalization (proof the behavior)
4. Maintenance (maintain the behavior)

Edit to clarify:
1. This is FREE for you to use/make copies of for clients, but not the edit.
2. “As taught by Jean Donaldson” refers to Push, Stick, Drop

Thanks for all the support! 🐾💙🐾

10/13/2019

Say hi to puppy Benny! We had so much fun playing with all of his toys and learning to fetch. I rewarded him for all of his good behaviors! I love great dog parents who put in the work🙂. Way to go Benny!!! ❤️🐾

09/27/2019

Leora and Juan getting their sniff on! Sniffing during walks helps dogs process their environment and provides great mental stimulation!

08/15/2019

Veterinarians suspect blue-green algae may be to blame for the dog's death. The owner hopes her family's tragedy serves as a warning to other families.

08/06/2019

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/uncategorized/plan-ahead-to-socialize-your-puppy-early/

Recently, I witnessed an older couple struggling to carry a crate into a puppy kindergarten class. Once inside, they opened the crate and a large and beautiful Poodle puppy emerged – a pup who was not particularly young, nor disabled in any way. When asked about the puppy and why they carried her ...

06/10/2019

https://positively.com/dog-training/positive-training/the-science-behind-positive-training/?fbclid=IwAR3VVbZlyfKgZvI37emgtvCwAUzCdMEz9gdXUBGT8hTJKcBWclu2LoffGbA

05/28/2019

Introducing a new dog to your existing dog takes a plan. Most of the time I see people rush this and try within the first day to acclimate both dogs. First, think about the stress and anxiety the newly adopted dog is going through, which depending on that dogs prior circumstances, can take months to decompress. Second, your resident dog has no idea who this new dog is and whether they will even like him/her. Would throwing two people into a home to share that have never met go smoothly? Especially one that’s been through some major life changes? We need to slow things down, stick with a plan, be very conservative and assume it will be a challenge for the dogs.
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05/27/2019

Juan having a positive experience getting bathed at the Moab Barkery!! I cut drying off a little short since it was his first time and I could tell he was getting slightly irritated. I made sure to reward him for good behavior throughout the experience, via praise and yummy treats. Thanks to the Barkery! I think Juan definitely prefers the wash tub and warm water temps vs. the backyard hose!

05/27/2019

05/17/2019

Howie* was an adorable little teddy bear of a dog. He wiggled as I sunk my hand into his plush, soft, curly fur. A delightful Cavachon, Howie adored people and loved to meet new friends. He sat bes…

05/17/2019

You may have asked yourself whether what someone has told you about training methods and equipment is really truthful or not. You may have had a knot in your stomach when someone has recommended you do something to your dog that didn’t feel right. I speak with clients every day who are conflicted about what they should and should not do. Never ignore that doubt and always question the “experts” and do some solid research before agreeing to do anything questionable to your dog.
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05/17/2019

🎉 SUNDAY FUNDAY! 🎉

Dogs do not use their noses in the same way we do so it is hard for us to really comprehend just how amazing they are! A dog's nose holds around 300 million olfactory receptors while the human nose contains only about 6 million. And within the dog's brain, the analysing of smells is processed in a portion 40x greater than our own. 🧠 Their nose houses complex pathways with the ability for continuous flow of air instead of our inhale/exhale system. Dogs also possess a vomeronasal organ (Jacobson's) which is able to process pheromones. It's like sniffing in 4D! 🤯

While we rely on sight as our primary sense, a dog's nose is its primary connection to the world. Now imagine going on a walk and everytime you see something interesting someone quickly covers your eyes. Pretty boring, huh?!

05/14/2019

03/18/2019

03/17/2019

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals.

03/16/2019

02/24/2019

Many training and behavior professionals note with alarm the large number of dogs today who seem to have stress and anxiety issues.

02/24/2019

By Dog's Best Friend, illustrations by me. Please don't make your puppy "submissive". There is no need for that.

02/24/2019

Dogs don't need to, "Say hi!".

Infographic credit: SpiritDog Training

02/23/2019

Thoughtful Thursday...

02/09/2019

Thanks to Pam Dennison's Positive Dogs

01/30/2019

A new training program from Canada's BC SPCA is a model for all to follow.

07/25/2018