Debby's Dog Training & Consulting LLC

06/23/2024

Gearing up for our training workshop and seminar tomorrow at Indiana Coyote Rescue Center where I will be training some of the coyotes, dogs, and wolf dogs with the attendees hopefully learning how to further help the critters. Hope to do some enrichment if the weather holds up!!!

06/04/2024

Thank you Debby's Dog Training & Consulting LLC for the food and treat donation from our WISH LIST sent in and we look forward to your upcoming visit and internal seminar/workshop on body language and handling techniques.

04/12/2024

My newest blog about the importance of crate training

Crate & Confinement training I will answer some common questions and concerns in the following blog. There will be a common underlying the

08/12/2023

Know your species typical behavior and body language!!

04/25/2023

Very nice to see so many zoos and other facilities doing regular enrichment. Enrichment shouldn’t be thought of as extra, but necessary to allow an animal to express thei natural behaviors. Therefore creativity is needed as well as an understanding of ethology.
Everyone knows, or I hope they do, that elephants are incredibly smart animals, live in complex social groups, and have a wide variety of communication skills.
So enrichment can’t just be physical stimulation, especially for animals with higher cognition, they must simulate their brains.

This is why puzzle toys, scent games, and even trick training for dogs is enrichment beyond satisfying their taste and foraging skills.

03/22/2023

02/12/2023

Awesome training!!

02/12/2023

Love these posts!!!

Friday Chat w/ Vlad

Hey, it’s Vlad. Well, I was supposed to have Vinnie as a guest on our chat today but as it turns out that will not be happening. I went to her enclosure this morning, before the interview, to discuss things we could talk about…you know things like having her tell my Vladiators her favorite thing about me, or perhaps the thing she admires most about me. Instead of welcoming me, as she should have, she just gave me this nasty look and said, “go away Vlad”. Now I am paraphrasing a bit as truthfully Vinnie has a bit of a potty mouth. I would hate to offend my fans who no doubt have outstanding morals and a strong ethical compass. I am not sure where she picked up such “colorful language”, maybe from one of her care givers…but I’ve got to tell you, some of the things that come out of that girl’s mouth would make a longshoreman blush.

We do give Vinnie some slack as before she came to JABCECC she had a hard life. As many of you know, Vinnie was born on a fur farm destined to become a coat or some other equal offensive item. When it was determined that her fur wasn’t “good” enough she was just going to be killed. Thankfully, due to the Vlad and his pals project, which you may know by the highly inaccurate moniker of the Panda and her pals project, Vinnie was rescued from the fur farm with 29 of her friends, and came to live at the center.

You may have noticed she is missing an ear and her tail. This is due to the stress caused by the horrid conditions at the fur farm. Nowadays she spends her time sunning her buns, eating her favorite foods and apparently flashing me “stink eye” when I stop by to include her in the highly coveted role of guest on my chat. Well, her loss.

Vlad out.

#%^*!*^!

01/31/2023

The growl is a gift.

Never punish it or try to 'stop' it. Simply listen. Heed the warning and accept this as communication.

When we punish the growl, the dog stops growling and instead will jump from subtle signs of discomfort straight to a bite.
We do not want a silent biter!

Growls are another component of canine communication and are perfectly normal! How else were you expecting them to communicate? Words? 😉

Dogs will growl for a few reasons; play, fear/threat-response, uncertainty, discomfort/pain.

Over time you will learn what each one sounds like, I'm sure, but for now, we must combine the growl with the rest of the body language and that is the easiest way to decipher its meaning.

If a dog is growling with a lowered body and tense ears pulled back, they are feeling fearful and warning that if the threat doesn't go away, they may have no choice but to escalate to a bite. In this moment, it's best to remove the threat and give the dog space.

If a dog is growling with a stiff body and side eye while hovering over an item, they are feeling threatened or worried that their valuable resource (food, toy, "found" object, etc) may be stolen. Do not try to teach your dog a lesson here by removing the resource - instead, speak calmly to reassure your dog and move away, showing them that you are not a thief.

If a dog is growling with a lowered body but is still moving toward the "threat" with curiosity, they are feeling uncertain or apprehensive. Their curiosity is still strong but they're simply a little spooked. Getting closer is not always best as dogs in this state may be easily spooked into fight/flight mode.

If a dog is growling in play, I don't see a problem as long as their body is loose, wiggly, silly, and they have soft eyes. If the game is not as loose and silly and the dog is jazzed up (like when playing tug or fetch, you may not see as much wiggliness or soft eyes - more so excited eyes, and that's okay too. I tend to watch that it doesn't escalate too much, so play for a minute, take a break, play again, take a break. Even a 15 second break is a good reset!

If a dog is growling while being handled, they may not be enjoying the experience at all and are warning you that this is not their jam. "If you keep doing that, I will have no choice but to bite you. Please stop." Stop the handling and work with them to make it a better experience. Find another way to move them rather than forcing them - a food lure or tossing a treat or toy is fine in the interim! If the dog is in pain, this is a conversation for the Veterinarian for sure!

Always assess the rest of the components while the growl is occurring, or if you feel unsafe, give the dog space.

Join our dog-raising and training membership for only $24/mo or $264/yr for a limited time! >> www.tcceinc.com

01/31/2023

Are you wondering, "What can I give my dog for anxiety?" There are anti-anxiety medications for dogs, but first, you need to visit the vet.

01/28/2023

This is part two of our Annual Present Toss Enrichment Event, featuring all of our rescues in the "back" of our sanctuary! Stay tuned for the final part of t...

01/28/2023

Friday Chat w/ Vlad

Hey guys, it’s Stumpy. Vlad could not be here today cause he has other business. I’m not sure what it is but he said something about world domination. Anyway those who have met me know I am a New Guinea Singing Dog. We have also been called New Guinea Dingoes or sometimes Forest Dingoes. This is cause in the wild we live in the cloud forests at high altitudes. The western world didn’t really know about us until the 1950s when some of us where sent to the San Diego zoo. We are considered primitive dogs. If you could go back in time thousands of years you would find us there. The same can not be said for Chiweenies, Chidoodles, Puggles, Schnoodles or the vast majority of dogs around today. My dad was born at the San Diego zoo and my mother was born at a zoo in Canada. Oh, and by the way, we are called singing dogs because of the unique sounds we make. I have a wonderful voice but the same can not be said for my mom. She always gets pitchy and then turns into a canine beat box.

My nickname is love and butterflies cause I love meeting new people and they all fall in love with me. My brother Nick is not nearly the social butterfly I am. I’m called Stumpy because I have a shortened tail. I do get a bit tired of hearing people say Nick has “a normal singer tail”. This would make me abnormal which is just ridiculous. I think my tail is just perfect and everyone I meet thinks so as well.

I know everyone tunes into Vlad’s chat to hear his snarky commentary but that is just not me…it’s not how I roll. I need to be authentic. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed learning more about me and New Guinea Singing Dogs. It would be great to get to meet some of you in person sometime. Until then stay real.

Have a great day

Stumpy

01/28/2023