Zen Critter Animal Training

10/08/2022

I get asked a lot of questions by people. Especially when someone finds out I train dogs for a living, first thing they want to know is _______ about their own dog. Sometimes these problems are the kind that really need more than a quick couple of sentences. But often times these are issues where the primary component is a lack of management.

"My dog keeps getting into the trash, what do I do?"
Put the trash behind a door so he can't access it.

"My dog steals my shoes and chews them up!"
Put the shoes away in a closet or somewhere else the dog can't access them.

"My dog pulls SO HARD on the leash! He won't stop!"
Put the dog on a harness and long line to ensure he is safe and to stop the pulling while you work on teaching better leash skills.

And the list goes on. The first step in ANY training plan is to prevent the unwanted behavior from occurring. It is about managing the environment and access to things so you dog is unlikely to continue to perform the undesired behavior, but is more likely to engage in a desired behavior for reinforcement.

Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz once said "The worst time to correct a problem is after it has already happened." Manage your dog's environment to ensure his easiest, and best access to reinforcement is through behaviors you'd like to see more of!

My house is never more tidy than when I have a puppy. 🤠

09/08/2022

02/08/2022

Progress is not always linear!🐶

Source: .studio

https://instagram.com/mounika.studio?igshid=NWRhNmQxMjQ=

28/07/2022

DON’T FORCE ME TO BE SOCIAL!
We expect that dogs should naturally like all other dogs and want to be friends, after all they’re the same species! Many owners have the expectation of their dog happily interacting and befriending other dogs at parks or when out walking, thoroughly enjoying the chance to engage with the same species, but the reality is often very different, leaving owners feeling frustrated and irritated and wondering what’s wrong with their dog.
Dogs are not that different from us when it comes to social preferences. As people, do we like every person we meet? Do we want to be friends with everyone with meet? Are we all social beings who love to be surrounded by people? The answer is no, but somehow, we assume that our dogs should be.
The sociability scale of dogs is influenced by early socialization and experiences, genetics, environmental factors, what they have learned through life experience and their own individual circumstances. Certain breeds are naturally more reserved than others.
Early socialization, habituation and positive experiences are vitally important and should not just stop after puppy hood, but ideally continue throughout life. A dog’s social tolerance can be improved or may even change through careful behaviour modification and management, but sometimes, we just need to accept that our dog is just not that into other dogs and that’s ok. Every dog is an individual and once we have done all we can to improve their social abilities we need to just accept and love them for who they are and never force them to be something that they’re not.

27/07/2022

REACTIVITY MISUNDERSTOOD
Reactive dogs are often misunderstood. A dog that is reacting to a situation is not trying to be difficult, they are having a difficult time coping with that particular situation and are trying their best to make the scary thing go away.
Reactivity is generally triggered by the emotion of fear. The fear of whatever is scaring them, a fear of a valuable possession being taken away or a fear of a strange person or animal coming into their territory. Anxiety, stress, over excitement, over stimulation, feeling overwhelmed, trigger stacking, or a dog that is tired, in pain or even has chronic itching will often feel irritable and may be reactive in certain situations. If their reactivity is successful in making the scary thing go away, it becomes a rewarding behaviour because it’s something that works for them and it makes them feel better.
It’s not easy to be the owner of a reactive dog. One of my dogs is reactive and I know first-hand how dogs like this can leave you feeling embarrassed, ashamed, angry or frustrated. Why do they have to be so difficult, why can’t they just behave normally? Everyone is looking at me, judging me, thinking that I’m a bad owner, have no training skills, can’t control my dog or have a vicious dog that shouldn’t be taken out in public.
As hard as it may be, we need to take the focus off how we as owners feel about their reactivity and focus on how our dogs are feeling and what is causing their reaction. Whatever it is, it’s not something our dogs can overcome on their own and we need to take steps to help them cope. Reactive dogs need compassion, understanding, management, force free, positive reinforcement interventions and decompression – (a return to a normal, more relaxed state after a period of intense stress, psychological pressure, or urgent activity). These techniques take time and patience but are so important in helping our dogs to feel safe and learn more acceptable ways of coping.
I have learnt through many mistakes, to recognise what triggers my reactive dog and take steps to either avoid those situations, provide enough distance, or provide her with an alternative choice where she feels safe and in control of her environment. There will always be unexpected triggers around the next corner that are not within our control, but doing all we can to manage these triggers has immeasurable benefits.

12/07/2022

If you have a dog with a behavioral struggle like separation related behaviors, you know it is a process to help them feel more comfortable. It takes time and patience …and sticking to the plan. That last one can be tough.

Especially when you encounter a setback. We all know that learning is not a straight line, but when you have put in a lot of hard work in and then your dog has a set back it can feel crushing.

Feel the feelings, take a break if you need to, but get back to it when you can. It is sticking to the process that will help your dog be successful in the end!

If you are feeling lost, overwhelmed, conflicted, lonely, or/and would just like someone help you make a plan, to cheer you on, and help keep you accountable, I am here for you!

19/06/2022

I saw something being shared on facebook the other day that really stuck with me. It was a meme generated by a highly compulsive trainer, who has had significant success (if you want to call it that) in his venue of expertise (dog sports.) He posted a bastardized version of a football coach's quote relating it to dogs. But the very first part of it was the assertion that we should be holding dogs "accountable." And that dogs with behavior, or training concerns, were the result of not being held accountable to their actions. And it bothered me. Because holding someone, or in this case a dog, accountable for their actions implies their actions are a result of a moral decision making paradigm.

Dogs are amoral. This means they have no moral decision making paradigm. They do not understand right or wrong. They have no concept of good or evil. They merely understand what is successful, and what is safe. And in opposite what is unsuccessful and what is unsafe. It is damaging to training and behavior modification to consider behavior from animals anything but what it is: an animal's best effort towards being safe and/or successful.

I have said it many times over the years but I will say it again here: behavior is not personal. Your dog's behavior is not driven by a need to personally affront, or insult you. Your horse's behavior is not driven by a need to personally offend, insult or challenge you. Behavior is not personal. And treating animals like their behavior IS somehow personal is both anthropomorphizing and devalues their emotional/sentient lives. To reduce the behavior of animals to a moral failing is a dirty trick, and serves no one to better shape the animal's behavior going forward.

06/06/2022

One of the many reasons people still fall for the use of compulsion training (under the guise of "balance") is that the fall out that is well documented with aversives in training is often not immediate. Particularly in the case of aggression it can take a while for that to really manifest as a side effect of compulsion training. And it often appears as a maturing adult dog turning reactive, or aggressive behaving with other dogs or strangers. Because fall out is often not an immediately visible side effect of aversive training many people convince themselves they are using compulsion the "right" or "correct" way. But the heaps of scientific papers on the subject are very clear; aversive training causes substantially increased amounts of fall out, and increases the severity of it as well.

But in case you wanted to wade into the depths of scientific inquiry here are some papers to check out: (These are a drop in the bucket but a good place to start!)

* Overmier, J. Bruce, and Martin E. Seligman. “Effects of inescapable shock upon subsequent escape and avoidance responding.” Journal of comparative and physiological psychology 63, no. 1 (1967):

*Hiby, E. F., N. J. Rooney, and J. W. S. Bradshaw. “Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare.” Animal Welfare 13, no. 1 (2004)

*Schilder, Matthijs BH, and Joanne AM Van der Borg. “Training dogs with help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioural effects.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 85, no. 3-4 (2004)

*Blackwell, Emily J., Caroline Twells, Anne Seawright, and Rachel A. Casey. “The relationship between training methods and the occurrence of behavior problems, as reported by owners, in a population of domestic dogs.” Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 3, no. 5 (2008):

*Herron, Meghan E., Frances S. Shofer, and Ilana R. Reisner. “Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 117, no. 1-2 (2009)

* Rooney, Nicola Jane, and Sarah Cowan. “Training methods and owner–dog interactions: Links with dog behaviour and learning ability.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 132, no. 3-4 (2011)

* Cooper, Jonathan, Nina Cracknell, Jessica Hardiman, and Daniel Mills. “Studies to assess the effect of pet training aids, specifically remote static pulse systems, on the welfare of domestic dogs: field study of dogs in training.” (2013). Government report: DEFRA AW1402a.

*Deldalle, Stéphanie, and Florence Gaunet. “Effects of 2 training methods on stress-related behaviors of the dog (Canis familiaris) and on the dog–owner relationship.” Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 9, no. 2 (2014)

* Casey et al.Casey, Rachel A., Bethany Loftus, Christine Bolster, Gemma J. Richards, and Emily J. Blackwell. “Human directed aggression in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris): Occurrence in different contexts and risk factors.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 152 (2014)

*J. J. Cooper, N. Cracknell, J. Hardiman, H. Wright, D. Mills. Open Source version of the DEFRA studies above. 2014.

*Arnott, Elizabeth R., Jonathan B. Early, Claire M. Wade, and Paul D. McGreevy. “Environmental factors associated with success rates of Australian stock herding dogs.” PloS one 9, no. 8 (2014): e104457.

* Ziv, Gal. “The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs—A review.” Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 19 (2017):

*Masson, Sylvia, Silvia de la Vega, Angelo Gazzano, Chiara Mariti, Gonçalo Da Graça Pereira, Christine Halsberghe, Anneli Muser Leyvraz, Kevin McPeake, and Barbara Schoening. “Electronic training devices: discussion on the pros and cons of their use in dogs as a basis for the position statement of the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology (ESVCE).” Journal of Veterinary Behavior (2018).

*Vieira de Castro, Ana Catarina, Danielle Fuchs, Gabriela Munhoz Morello, Steafnia Pastur, Liliana de Sousa, I. Anna S. Olsson, "Does training method matter? Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare" Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal (2020)

*China L, Mills DS and Cooper JJ (2020) Efficacy of Dog Training With and Without Remote Electronic Collars vs. a Focus on Positive Reinforcement. Front. Vet. Sci. 7:508. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00508

04/06/2022

This article examines the growing body of research indicating that reward-based training, and the subsequent absence of stress, anxiety, pain, force, and fear, may improve an animal’s ability to learn; and that aversive training techniques can have adverse effects on a dog's behavior   ...

27/05/2022

Ever wondered why a puppy's behavior seems erratic during adolescence, which occurs between six months and 18 months of age?

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, s*x hormones are changing which effects the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to modulate sensory processing and subsequent behavior.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control.

So what does this mean? This could mean that your dog, who used to come when called, suddenly cannot. This could mean that your dog, who didn't jump up on guests, suddenly does. Your dog that walked nicely on leash is now pulling. Or perhaps it seems like some days your dog responds to behaviors you ask of them, and some days they don't, without any rhyme or reason.

We also see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, frustration and impatience sometimes cause us to act unpredictably.

This adds to your puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for puppies to adjust.

By understanding this we can gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we can help create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best selves.

24/05/2022

Just putting it out there

16/05/2022

Remember...Your Reactive, Aroused, Anxious, or Fearful DOG is not GIVING you a hard time ...
Your dog is HAVING a hard time.

Let me ask you ...⁣

Have you ever had the thought that your dog is choosing to misbehave or is too stubborn or independent to listen?

I get it.⁣

I've certainly been there more times than I care to count over the years.⁣ And I wouldn't have gone past that stage had I not taken the time to understand my dogs on a deeper level.⁣ Oh, was it a relief!

There's a lot of misunderstanding between dogs and their humans, and it doesn't have to be that way.

We can start with not taking our dog's (mis)behavior personally.

Dogs aren't plotting to make us miserable, worried, frustrated, impatient or angry.

Like us, they're just doing the best they can with what they know in the moment.

Remember this too: behavior is communication. When our dogs are not feeling heard, their behavior escalates from a whisper to a scream.

In my free Love Trust Grow Challenge, we are starting the first day with a deep dive into understanding your dog's behavior, and I'll teach you some new and simple daily practices so that you can turn things around with your dog, starting as soon as now!

I'm going to be teaching my heart out, and answering questions live, and I'd love for you to be there!

Sign up for free:
dancinghearts.link/love

See you there!
Kathy xo

PS: Can't attend live? No worries, we will post the replay of each session on our replay page.

13/05/2022

⁣When you or your animal are struggling with generalized anxiety, meaning anxiety is always present, or anxiety associated with certain situations or events, everything in life is harder. It's difficult or impossible to learn, focus, and do the steps needed to improve our well-being. In some cases, including ours, the anti-anxiety medication is a tool that helped bring us to a baseline where we can think more clearly, focus, and learn so the steps needed to improve our physical and mental health can be taken.⁣
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In our brains, as well as cats and dogs brains, chemicals called neurotransmitters send messages between nerve cells, affecting the way we function – both physically and psychologically. Certain neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), are associated with mood. Anti-anxiety medications boost the levels of these different neurotransmitters either by increasing their production and release from neurons and/or blocking them from being reabsorbed back into the nerve cells – resulting in an overall happier, less anxious feeling, not just in us, but our pets too. ⁣
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Medication isn’t a cure- there is no “magic pill” that will take stress away. Instead, prescription drugs are a tool that can help decrease an animal’s physical response to stress, which is what leads to behavioral issues, such as barking, destructiveness, and even self-harm. Medication is used in addition to management, behavior modification, and under the supervision and direction of a veterinarian. ⁣
⁣

19/04/2022

There is often discussions that a dog's misbehavior is somehow a direct reflection of their "agenda." That a dog behaving in a way we might deem inappropriate is somehow "showing dominance" or "challenging you." While the idea of alpha theory and pack dominance etc has been debunked for almost 30 years, it remains a pervasive part of our culture that humans are loath to shake off. The reality is that your dog's behavior that is inappropriate is not related to their efforts to challenge your authority, but rather a simple reflection of a dog trying to achieve what a dog actually wants; whatever is most reinforcing to them in that moment. Dogs are effectively Amoral creatures, they have no true sense of right or wrong, good or bad. They do whatever best serves their interest at any given moment, and for the most those interests are often self serving. Remember; Dogs will do what Dogs do, and for the most part that is going to be Dog Stuff.

05/04/2022

03/04/2022

The other day I mentioned I was angry, and I was, but I also had zero intent to hurt anyone, through word or deed.

Do my words in the image ring true to you?

"Anger and aggression are different. Anger is a response to boundary violation. Aggression is an intent to harm. We can learn to express anger without aggression, and so can dogs."

In humans, anger is an emotion that comes up in response to violation of a social more, agreement, personal boundaries, etc. We don't know what's going on internally, with dogs, and we can't ask, but we can look on the function side of things, ways that dogs say "no, I don't approve of that behavior, and I'm standing up for myself in some way." Distance-increasing behavior in response to a space violation, for example, doesn't have to be a threat. Like the dog that harumphs when a puppy is too close and doesn't engage.

Aggression...we can't really tell intent in dogs (or anyone else, honestly), but we can observe behavior and see if it's on the continuum of doing harm, i.e., a threat.

What behaviors do dogs do that indicate anger without threat?

For example, if Joey goes to take Zuki's toy, she puts a paw on it and continues chewing. "Mine, kid."

If a young dog hits an adult dog too hard, there's could be a grr and an air snap. "Watch where you're going, whippersnapper." Is it an intent to do harm? I don't think so. I think that's just anger and not aggression.

I think it's important to ponder this sort of thing because anger is an oft-maligned emotion in humans and dogs, but really being able to set boundaries is *healthy." What we don't want is aggression.

Food for thought...

16/03/2022

NEW! For cat lovers:
Download from doggiedrawings.net/freeposters (Sorry, I am not sure why it looks so blurry on FB)

13/02/2022

"What is a sniffafari?" It is the term used to describe a walk where direction, distance, speed are all decided by the dog. They provide a great chance for decompression for dogs, and for humans if you let it! These are a wonderful option for young puppies to explore their world and for older dogs who might not be able to keep up pace on a regular walk anymore. When you do one you can make mental notes about the things your dog finds most interesting to help better understand natural reinforcers, and bond with your dog.

19/12/2021

Training your dog is one of the best ways to build your relationship and improve your bond. But trying to figure out how to go about training your pup can feel daunting and at times frustrating.

18/12/2021

The holidays are a joyous time for both humans and animals, but the season can also bring some unexpected hazards. Check out our infographic on how to make sure your holidays are both merry and safe!

23/11/2021

Just a reminder! No one gets into this career field to be millionaires. But we do all need to make a living. When you're paying your dog trainer for their time, you're really paying for the countless hours, years (often times decades) of work spent into developing a person who's individual skills and areas of expertise are tailored to fit your individual dog just right. For many trainers the education they receive, and continue to seek out to better their craft, is time consuming and resource consuming to come by. So when looking around at trainers keep in mind what each trainer has gone through to achieve their goals and experience level. And always seek out trainers who are continually working on improving and studying the science of dog training! (And it is a science!)