Trish Wamsat, Home Schooled Hounds

11/17/2024

Consent and why it can be very useful and very impractical has been on my mind lately. I am working with a feral dog that was born in confinement and kept there. When the dog was taken outside, he was dragged along the ground on a harness and not taught to walk. While the people at the facility probably thought they were helping him, this created more adversity to a leash than if they never took him for a “walk” If I waited for consent from this dog to walk on a leash, it may take years to his lifetime and that is time wasted he could be walking in a park. While Waiting for consent the dog is building stronger habits of NOT walking and resisting the leash altogether. Dogs lives are short. How much time is humane to let dogs not be a dog while waiting for consent?

The dog also has NO concept of the choice he is making when he doesn’t want to walk on a leash. The dog doesn’t understand that if he walks on a leash, he will be able to exercise, sniff, run, and just fulfill his dogness. He has never experienced these things in a leash so he has no idea the leash means freedom and fun. We cannot explain it to him. He is a dog. We can only SHOW him. And to show him what he is missing we have to actually get him outside. Even then, since he has never been outside on leash while having a positive experience, he still won’t understand the choice for a few walks at least.

So is it even fair to put this decision on a dog that cannot comprehend what the consequences of his choice is? Or is waiting for consent a way for people to skirt the sometimes unpleasant choice of doing what is best for the dog in our human world? Is waiting for consent just taking the responsibility, and therefore any blame if it doesn’t work, off of us? Is waiting for consent actually fear of taking action and messing up the dog?

As usual I think we can find the best path in the middle ground. There is always a place when working with feral and fearful dogs, and all dogs, where they can experience some stress or unpleasantness and then learn that thing is actually good. This may be through many avenues and with this dog I am using cream cheese in a spoon combined with a harness. This is for the dog’s success and also the owner’s comfort. This is also all over zoom so I can’t be there in person to guide. There is a happy space of the dog expanding his world and trust in his handler by doing slightly challenging tasks together.

Just to be clear, forcing a dog, like dragging the dog, is not that happy space. I may put tension on a leash for a second, but then the dog learns how to release it and therefore gains confidence. I may use a leash to have the dog go out the door, but then the dog gets outside and decides he likes to be outside so then he can actually make the choice to go outside. (Classical conditioning and learning how to control things improves dogs confidence and is proven in many studies but I don’t recall the sources at the moment)

Dogs are curious and open to improving their situation. They are genetically programmed to handle stressful situations and adversity and then learn the situation actually benefits them. By us not allowing the dog to use these innate skills and resiliency are we being true to the dog?(That trash can the dog knocks over makes a lot of noise, but the dog comes back for food and learns by classical conditioning the trash can noise is a good one. This is essential for survival of many dogs in the world). But sometimes our human parameters and ideas like consent get in the dog’s way. Reasonableness needs to be present in dog training again.

08/12/2024

Casting call! Looking for dogs of these breeds/mixes for a photo shoot in San Francisco Sept 9-11. You don't have to be there, I can take dogs that are selected or you can meet me there.

They need to have a solid Sit, Down, Stay, not be afraid of people or dogs, not aggressive.

We have time to work on Stay before the shoot so don't worry tooo much about that.

Please comment, message or text (408 710-2883) me with a close up of their face and a whole body picture. So far I have no more information on the Doodles as far as size, color, groom so send me yours so I can get it to the client.
PS one of these things is not like the others! 😉


Golden Retriever
Yellow Lab
French Bulldog
Dalmatian
Springer Spaniel
Great Dane
Beagle
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Shepherd
Bernese Mountain Dog
Old English Sheepdog
Doodles

07/15/2024

This.

There isn't a day that goes by where someone isn't making a comment somewhere on the internet about dog collars. What should be used, what shouldn't be used, why one is better than the other, etcetera.

You would think that one's proximity to heaven is hinged on one's beliefs about collars. I find it pretty odd that the folks condemning a particular collar's use do so not out of any real experience, but by clinging to the mantras of a loud but incredibly ignorant sect of folks who have repeated the shibboleths so many times, they lost the courage to discover the truth for themselves.

A collar is a tool, just like a leash, a crate, a dog bowl, or any other device we use. The collar itself isn't really the problem. The perception of the collar as 'cruel' or 'inhumane' is.

There isn't a device out there I haven't used. There are some I prefer, and even of those, some I use only occasionally. I am thankful I have them in my arsenal of tools.

My selection process starts with using the most 'basic' tool and judge from there. Decisions are always based on the animal in front of me, the goal, and the conditions under which the dog will be expected to perform when handled by someone not *me*.

This becomes an important distinction. Especially when the owner is a tiny woman or senior who happens to own a young dog that promises to achieve a certain size or a large dog that has grown up thinking it was the Emperor of the Universe.

I work with people of all ages and abilities, and what becomes exceedingly apparent is the necessity of helping them (the owners, not the internet experts) effectively control their dogs with maximum efficiency and authority.

I am not above putting a Starmark collar on an enthusiastic puppy or a micro-prong on a toy dog. I will counsel an owner to consider an e-collar for quite a few different scenarios, especially if there are dexterity and ambulation issues.

The tool itself isn't the problem. If people would smarten up, start their dogs' training earlier, and not wait for undesirable behaviors to emerge and strengthen, we wouldn't have half the tools we currently have. I wouldn't spend a ton of time Frankensteining a couple collars and cludging together something for a specific client to help them with application and control.

Many folks disregard the *owner's* need, fixating only on their misguided interpretation that a given device is 'cruel' when in fact, the vast majority of collars were originally designed to make training ~less~ confrontational.

Humans' misuse doesn't make the device less effective, regardless of how it's design is interpreted by folks who can only see the forest, and not the variety of trees within it.

The human equation is the unknown quantity, with their petulance and infantile lack of emotional control, and their dimwitted willingness to blame the dog's 'stubbornness' instead of their own ham-handed insistence that the dog perform to some exceedingly lofty expectation after a repetition or two of any given exercise.

Humans are the ones that made that dog that way. They continually justify their smug superiority with unreasonable physical handicaps and call it preservation breeding. They pursue unnatural aesthetics while disregarding temperament and trainability (both influenced genetically, regardless of what pseudo-science is saying), and leave the mystified owner in a cesspool of nonsense and conflict.

They have no place to turn. The information they find is contradictory and full of half-witted nonsense that leaves them confused and uncertain.

Owners are blamed for their dog's behavior, but aren't offered solutions that would remediate that issue clearly, quickly, and without fallout. They are made to feel shame for their choices, when all they wanted to do was get help.

Cruelty is everywhere. The human that chooses to kick, beat or slam a dog against a concrete floor didn't use a tool. He used his arms, hands, and feet. The girl that bludgeoned several dogs to death didn't do it with a collar. She did it with a blunt instrument.

Having the latitude to help people is the grand design of every tool known to man; to facilitate convenience, or to create additional control without having to expend additional effort.

Any of us over a certain age should remember what it was like driving some tank of a car without power steering and power brakes. Many of us recall the 'mom arm' because shoulder restraint sat belts hadn't been invented yet.

Every thing out there is a derivative of some other thing, and dog training tools are no exception. Some form of slip-type training collar has existed since Xenophon or before. Prong or pinch type collars have existed for over a hundred years, and electronics have been around since the 50's

Tools are and can be innovative. They are a gift that helps us communicate with our dogs in a succinct and graceful way. Learning about them requires more than an opinion on social media.

I deplore intellectual laziness as much as I deplore cruelty. Tools aren't the enemy. Ignorance is.

06/30/2024

Calling all of Trish's clients! 🐾

Hey there! As we gear up for a fantastic summer of training, I'm reaching out to ask for your help.

So many of our year-round clients are traveling this summer, our classes and walks are a little smaller than we like. As you know, those classes and walks are critical to helping the pups learn the very best manners and obedience (plus they're more fun when there are more dogs!) so we're looking to grow our classes and walks this summer to make them even better for all of us.

So, if you've seen positive changes in your pup since starting training, why not share the love?

If you refer a friend or neighbor who signs up *before midnight July 1st*, you'll get your choice of a free rattlesnake avoidance training session or a $100 Chewy gift card!

Plus, your friend will receive a great discount! And don't forget, they get a free "see how it will work for YOUR dog" call or in person meeting.

Help spread the word and let's make this summer one to remember for you and your furry friends! Just tag a friend who might be interested or have them reach out to me directly.

Friends don't let friends struggle with dog problems 😉.

Thank you for being part of our awesome training community!

06/27/2024

Is it true that if we use cold water on heat stroke pets they will go into shock?

One of the most common things we still hear is that we can only use tepid water on a pet with heat stroke, incase they get some complications like hypothermic overshoot, peripheral vasoconstriction hindering a cooling response, and cardiogenic shock...

We have heard not to use cold water in case it causes shock... this rarely happens!

But guess what? In a recent study over 26% of dogs presented with heat stroke died, with flat faced breeds making up nearly half of heat stroke cases seen in the study.

You should:

💧Get someone to call the local veterinary practice and tell them you're going to travel down with a heat stroke patient
💧Pour, hose or if possible immerse the pet in very cold water (this should obviously be done under constant supervision, ensuring the head is fully above water and immersion should not be attempted if the animal is too large, or you are unable to do so without hurting yourself)
💧NB: If using a hose pipe, make sure it has run through until cold, as they can often contain water that is extremely hot in the tubing initially
💧Do not drape in towels and leave them in situ. Keep the cold water flowing.
💧Move to a cool, shaded area
💧Prepare to transport to vets in a cold, air conditioned car

In studies they found that:

🌅International consensus from sports medicine organisations supports treating EHS with early rapid cooling by immersing the casualty in cold water.
🌅Ice-water immersion has been shown to be highly effective in exertional heat stroke, with a zero fatality rate in large case series of younger, fit patients.
🌅Hyperthermic individuals were cooled twice as fast by Cold Water Immersion as by passive recovery.
🌅No complications occurred during the treatment of three older patients with severe heat stroke were treated with cold‐water immersion.
🌅Cold water immersion (CWI) is the preferred cooling modality in EHS guidelines and the optimal method applicable to UK Service Personnel
🌅Studies suggest using either ice-water or cold-water immersion

The best intervention is PREVENTION, but if you find yourself with an animal with heat stroke, using cold water either by pouring, hosing or ideally (if safe) immersion then this may help reduce their temperature to safe levels while you transport to a veterinary practice.

Read more below:

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/cool-icy-cold-or-tepid

05/27/2024

How big is your leash??

We should be able to safely and comfortably walk a 60+lb dog on a 1/4 - 1/2inch wide leash! None of these giant horse-rope leashes, harnesses with leashes attached all over and even those giant "no pull harnesses". Why? If you go out ready for a rodeo you're going to get a rodeo.

Giant or heavy duty leashes, collars and harnesses tell your brain you're up for a struggle with your monster of a dog. Your mindset really affects how you handle your dog and how you handle your dog affects their behavior. Treat them like they need heavy duty handling and it will be hard to get your brain to embrace that you can do it with a pinky - and hard to convince *them* you don't want a rodeo.

Another benefit is that walking them on a leash not much bigger than a shoe string makes your brain think about how to not pull on your dog - "yikes, what if the leash breaks?!" - so you learn better ways to walk with them. You learn to use your voice, your body, your expressions to keep your pup with you.

A soft, slack, tiny leash is a beautiful way to show that your relationship with your dog is healthy and happy.

And you can get that! Call us and get the relationship with your dog that makes people stare at how well behaved he is.