Canine Insights, LLC

08/29/2024

I love watching dogs meet and play but I also love setting up the right play environment for them to feel safe.
Getting to know each dog as an individual can really help.

Piper had a few minutes of being cautious of Looney Tunes (big white dog), Looney quickly realized that she'd make a friend faster if she got lower to the ground.
It worked!
Benny was a good sport to help everyone feel comfortable.
Benny seems to have the natural ability to help keep everyone cool.

Robin doesn't like multi-dog meet ups and is more comfortable watching from inside. He's the opposite of Benny. If things get stressful Robin will add flame to the fire.
He'd rather play with each dog individually, not in a group.
You can see his chosen spot in the 3rd pic.

What is your dog's current play likes or dislikes?

(Remember, dogs like humans change as they age so the 1 year old might love daycare and the same dog at 4 might hate that same daycare).

08/28/2024

One of those popular things to say about dogs that is simply not as true as people want to believe.

Please, pit bull lovers, stop saying "it's all how they're raised." I know you mean well. But if you truly believe "it's all how they're raised," no stray shelter dog or abused dog would be safe to place in a home.

08/28/2024

A possible conversation:

Piper: Can I have that?

Me: No, it's your p**p bag. You don't want this. Why do you not believe me?

Piper: I just want to check one more time.

Me: See? It's poo.

Piper: Rude

08/28/2024

Your wins might not look like wins to others.

Looney has not had an interest in finishing her meals but really needs to be putting on weight.

Loon has been joining the clean plate club recently and we are very happy about this win.

08/26/2024

In nose work, every dog and handler begins their journey with a savings account we call the "Bank of Joy and Enthusiasm." This account is filled with emotional currency. Every training session and trial search contains communication and interactions that act as either deposits into or withdrawals from the account. Deposits boost and grow the dog's feelings of confidence and independence, while withdrawals do the opposite.

The Dog Driven Search
S Sternberg and D Zinn

08/22/2024

How do you organize harnesses and leashes that get used frequently?

I found these locking S hooks that are pretty handy!

08/20/2024

Rescues, shelters and breeders. There is good, bad and the very, very ugly like the rescue that has been in the news this week.

To me, signs of a good rescue/shelter will include:

-Quality care over quantity! For some rescues this may mean taking in 10 dogs at a time, for others it may mean taking in 1. New rescues like the one in the news should have started much smaller instead of trying to "save them all".

-Working with experts rather than mistaking "loving dogs" as an expertise. Great rescues work with qualified trainers, vets and other professionals rather than thinking they know everything or work with amateurs because they are cheap/free.

-Great rescues place SAFE dogs in appropriate homes.

-Having a buffer of volunteers and finances. Burning out all volunteers and not paying vet bills and then trying to guilt the public is not the way to run a successful rescue.

-Great rescues follow up with adopters.

-Great rescues offer enrichment for rescue dogs. Kenneling dogs for endless hours/days should never be considered as "saving them". Simply "being alive" is not a sign of good rescue.

-Great rescues are caring for the dogs physical and mental wellbeing not simply adopt them out at any cost.-Great rescues utilize behavioral meds, pain management, etc. at the discretion of a vet.

-Great rescues utilize the skills and knowledge of qualified trainers.

-Great rescues do not put dogs in stressful situations of shipping dogs, grooming, vet care or "boot camp" style "rehabilitation" trainers that abuse the dog to make them seem more adoptable. Great rescues will do everything they can to make sure that transportation, vet care, grooming and training are as low stress as possible.

Six dogs were found dead at an animal rescue in Bucksport.

08/20/2024

Research has shown that, in general, dogs show less stress at the vets if they remain in the proximity of the owner. There may be a tendency for some practitioners to feel the dog shows more undesired attempts at escape in the presence of the owner so they recommend examinations or procedures away from them. Work published in 2020 showed that dogs whose owners sat next to them in a chair during the vet examination (dogs were examined on non-slip matting on the floor) showed a reduced number of stress measurements compared with dogs whose owners were not in the room for the same examination

Amber Batson
Canine Behaviour in Mind
Edited by S Rogers

08/17/2024

Jane knows puppies.
Pay attention to what she says.

PUPPIES 🐶

Puppies bite, they chew stuff, they can keep you awake at night and take time to learn a sleep routine, they p*e and poo and sometimes do it inside. It can take time to house train, some more than others.
They can easily get confused about our expectations, they can get frustrated when learning about life and get shouty and bitey, they get tired and bitey and don't want to sleep.

They go through different development stages as they grow having constant new and different experiences, sometimes they deal with these changes sometimes they don't. They make mistakes, they get overaroused, the arousal makes them behave in certain ways like, barking, grabbing, lunging.
They just act on their impulses and they need us to guide them. We need to be kind, understanding and tolerant.

They're beautiful little beings, learning every day, having new experiences every day. Humans brought them into the world, humans give them a home. We have a responsibility to guide and support them through their development with kindness and compassion.
Puppies are hard work but I love the experience, the good and the bad. They are all individually beautifully unique.

We NEED to meet their NEEDS.

They are never with us long enough, before you know it you'll be walking out of the vets with nothing but a collar, lead, a broken heart and loads of memories ...

Enjoy your puppy, embrace the journey, make beautiful memories, even if they're dicks sometimes 🐾❤️

Jane Ardern BSc (Hons) Dip Cabt
Kennel Club Accredited Instructor in Working Gundogs
The Gundog Club Accredited Instructor and Assessor
Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers 1058

08/16/2024

Luna is not a new dog to me but she is new to Ursula the cat.

Multi dog and multi animal households can pose multiple challenges and even safety concerns.
As far as I know Luna had only previously seen a cat from the car window but never face to face.

We planned for the worse, hoped for the best but were ready to put in management and time to integrate these two.

Ursula the cat typically hides from new dogs but maybe Luna seemed familiar in some way. The first night with us Ursula made it past us to go face to face with Luna.
They had a polite hello and it's been pretty boring ever since.
Ursula has run from new dogs previously which can make chasing seem very fun. For some reason with Luna she decided to move slowly.
She really helped us out a lot!

Integrating new animals to your household can be a slow process. Sometimes it's remarkably easy.
The animals always get to decide.

Set up management to prevent problems before they can begin and have a good long talk with yourself about expectations.

But sometimes we luck out.

I'm feeling really lucky that these two get along.

08/15/2024

You'll be seeing this gentle giant's face around this page a lot more.

Luna AKA Looney is the dog of a dear friend that recently passed away.
Our final gift is to give her a home here with us.

Tim loved his dogs more than anyone I know. Luna was his last dog that was by his side 24/7. They shared a deep special bond.

We knew that eventually she would move in with us but wished it didn't come so soon.

We'll be working on training but right now we're just focused on healing her broken heart and adjusting to being without her best friend.

Pic taken Docs on the Bay Veterinary Services where the fabulous team got her microchipped so that we could cross the border yesterday. If you're near St. Andrews, New Brunswick and need a vet I would definitely recommend them.

08/15/2024

I often ask people, "what do you mean by socialization?"
This is one of those terms that gets used to mean many different things but mostly people seem to think it means playing with other dogs or forcing pups into stressful situations.
It's neither.
WaggaWuffins Canine College post does a great job of explaining this hard to understand topic.

What is puppy socialisation?

It is a stage of development in your puppy. It starts at 4 weeks and ends around 16 weeks. However actual socialisation should continue well after 16 weeks as your puppy will go through other development stages having different experiences.

The first thing to consider is your puppy will go through their first fear stage 7/9 weeks old. It's important not to overwhelm them. It's also important if they're struggling to be left alone not to leave them.

During the socialisation stage of development, it's not about socialisation in the context that we understand it. It's about exposure to the world. It's so important that the exposure the puppy gets is positive emotional experiences. So a nervous or sensitive puppy needs less. They can see the world but they don't need to interact with everything in it. They need exposure that they as an individual can cope with. Doing more will not turn them into a confident social butterfly it will probably make them more fearful, even reactive.

It's needs to be a slow steady pressure free pace. Slow down your walks, stop and give them time to take in the environment, there's new sounds, sights and smells. This can be a sensory overload for some. Let them sit and watch, take your time so they can take it all in and then process it.

We used to call it a critical stage of development but it's now a sensitive, because it's flexible. Your puppy is sensitive to experiences so make sure they are positive.

If your puppy is scared support them and help them. This won't reinforce or reward negative behaviours that are driven out of fear, apprehension or caution, it will cause them to relax and feel safe and then those behaviours will stop.
Yes the puppy will become a little dependent on your support but once they feel safe you can teach independence and reward brave choices. Feeling safe will activate exploratory control processes in the brain and your puppy will choose to explore and approach. This is much more powerful than being lured to something they're scared of. Luring with treats to scary things causes pressure and conflict which are negative emotional and stressful states. Timing is key and reinforcement should happen in safe places for it to be emotionally reinforcing.

Forget behaviour and think emotions and experiences at this time.

Work at the puppy's pace, don't rush 🐾❤️

Jane Ardern BSc Hons
Kennel Club Accredited Instructor in Working Gundogs Kennel Club Dog Trainer of the Year
Gundog Club Accredited Instructor and Assessor
Author of Mission Control How to Train the High Drive Dog

08/14/2024

Things I like to see at the vet clinic.
💚

08/14/2024

I have to hold the highest branches for him because he can't reach them.

That's what friends are for.

08/13/2024

The root cause of compromised welfare in dogs is human behaviour - what humans do, or do not do. When we ask dog owners to make changes to benefit their animal, we need to be aware of the gap between knowledge/awareness and behaviour.

Suzanne Rogers
Canine Behaviour in Mind

08/12/2024

Trying to stretch and this is all I can see.

How could you resist such sweet company?

08/12/2024

A dog's behaviour will be affected by diseases including those causing pain, and certain behaviours may even lead to the development of disease. Appreciation of the links between behaviour and disease, as well as the impact of medications and neutering on behaviour can be essential in providing the best health care and welfare opportunities for our pet dogs. The veterinary environment in which assessment of these life-affecting events will take place can be stressful for owner and dog, and taking steps to minimise stress in these circumstances plays an invaluable role in being able to make the right decisions and diagnoses as well as fostering optimal client-vet-pet relationships.

Amber Batson

Canine Behaviours in Mind
Edited by Suzanne Rogers

08/09/2024

If you can't crate in the car try a seat belt harness.

Send a message to learn more

08/08/2024

Tell me your dog's green flag 🟩

💚
We have many but I'll go first with one.

When I go up the stairs Robin goes up before me and every 2 steps turn to me as if to check in.
"Are you sure you still want to go upstairs?"
"Did you leave anything downstairs that perhaps I should go get?"
Or
"Should I slow down for you""

08/08/2024

Joined by one of our favorite Goldens.

08/07/2024

This is Benny's happy place.

He loves chase games but a big dog that knows how to wrestle is pretty good in his book.

Does your dog prefer chase games, wrestling games, tug games or something else?

Benny and Robin like chase games with no body contact or wrestling games.

08/07/2024

What's something that's not a dog sport but you think your dog should win a trophy for doing?

Mine is our wildlife chill skills, including that a wild turkey family has been hanging out in the yard and the dogs can go and play near the turkeys without bothering them.

Turkeys are in pics 2 and 3.

08/06/2024

Really excited about this new book.
I have read it and I think this is the book most dog owners actually need. Management is the first thing to think about when bringing home a new dog. It solves so many unnecessary issues.

Savvy dog trainers know that good management is the best and easiest way to problem solve.

The best selection of dog training books, dog nutrition books, and dog competition books anywhere!

08/02/2024

Where are the treats?
They need to be where you need them!

Remember that our goal is reinforcing good behaviors, not wait and become reactive to unwanted behaviors.

To do this you need reinforcers readily available.
I have treats in the fridge as well as keep treat baskets near the doors.

Creating treat stations in useful locations will make life and training easier for everyone.

08/02/2024

How will your dog communicate their needs?

Does your dog bark or ring a bell at the door to go out?
Stare at the treat cupboard?
Follow you around with a toy?
Whine or cry with excitement when they see their leash?

How do they communicate excitement? Frustration? Tired? Conflicted feelings?

You probably pick up so many parts of their communication but do you ever think about what you miss? Or even what you misunderstood?

I do, a lot. And it's not all in books although the basics are. It's learning, observing and listening to your dog.

My clients that have the biggest issues with their dogs are the people that struggle to hear what their dog is saying.

Previously they worked so hard to supress or stop the behavior of communication that the dog and human are both frustrated.

When I meet them I understand from the human that they want good communication but the dog is there yelling, "But I am and you won't listen to me!"

Dogs that are trying to be listened to but the humans ignore them or even punish them for trying to communicate might get louder and more frustrated.

This may look like: jumping, nipping, barking, pacing, whining, disengaging, acting like they can't hear.

A good dog trainer should help you really meet your dog's needs (hint: it's not exhausting them) and how to communicate, not supress behavior.

08/01/2024

When a fellow dog trainer asks if her cocker can come hang out with your cockers for a few days,

Time to let the hooligans hooligan.

07/29/2024

If you have pets, p*e happens eventually.
If you need to clean up urine from puppies, seniors, etc this product, Pooph actually seems to work and has no scent unlike the really common brand that people often use.

I have no affiliation. I just tried it and was really happy with it.

07/29/2024

Thinking that dog training is just teaching the dog but not the humans, is like thinking putting a tea bag in a cup will make tea without adding the water.

07/28/2024

Our dog walks are far from average.