Faithful Friends Dog Training, LLC.

04/11/2024

Amen.

17/10/2024

This!

WHY WE SHOULD DO AWAY WITH DOMINANCE THEORY

Dominance/Alpha theory is one of the biggest myths, and probably the most damaging, in the dog training industry. It continues to be perpetuated, despite being thoroughly debunked several decades ago.

Unfortunately, the meaning of “dominance” in dog training has been blurred and misunderstood. Dominance theory is commonly thought to be based on the belief that a dog behaves in the same way that a wolf would; this belief stems from early, flawed studies carried out on captive grey wolves, to demonstrate how they live and behave within their family unit.

Dominance is not a personality trait, it is a fluid state dependent upon the value of a particular resource at a given moment. Beware of anyone calling themselves a professional, yet refers to "dominant dogs". Run like the clappers!

For further reading on this topic, take a look at my blog:

https://www.trailiepawsforthought.com/post/why-we-should-do-away-with-dominance-theory

©️ Trailie Paws For Thought
www.trailiepawsforthought.com

I'm very happy for my content to be shared, but please do not copy and paste (to avoid sharing from source), screenshot, or download any part of it. THANK YOU! 🐾 🐾

09/10/2024

09/10/2024

What a great analogy for understanding antecedents!

Last night, while watching Smallville, (yes, I know my choices are questionable here), there was a scene that immidiately caught my attention. The show is about Clark Kent, teenage Superman, just starting to discover his superpowers. In this episode Clark had just discovered that he had laser beams shooting out of his eyes but had no idea how to control them. He was starting fires everywhere and, to follow the formula of every primetime show in the early 2000s, he was getting himself into a pickle.

Then, his dad stepped in with some wisdom: “Before we find the off switch, first we have to find the on switch.”

Yes! That’s such a great way to explain why understanding antecedents are so important. Clark had no control because he didn’t know what was triggering his laser vision but once he figured out the on switch, he could learn how to manage the behaviour and eventually control the “off switch” too.

If we want to change a dog’s behaviour in a way that’s kind and effective, we need to first understand what’s causing that behaviour. That's the antecedent—the thing that happens before the behaviour (the response). For Clark, this was a l***y feeling while looking at pretty girls (creepy, I know). Once we understand this, we can guide the dog in responding differently without suppressing behaviours, but rather, putting that behaviour under stimulus control.

Let’s say your dog barks like crazy whenever the doorbell rings. The doorbell is the “on switch” for barking, and that’s the antecedent. By figuring that out, we can
a) put the barking on cue (transfering the antecedent from the doorbell to a verbal cue instead) as well as putting the "quiet" on cue.
b) We can also rearrange the antecedent to prevent the behaviour being triggered in the first place (no doorbell? No problem!).
c) And/or you can teach your dog a new replacement behaviour (like grab a toy) whenever the doorbell rings. Once that new behaviour is under stimulus control, the dog knows when to switch on the new, desired behaviour, and when it's okay to just relax!

This is key to avoiding the use of aversive methods like scolding or punishment while providing your dog with valuable information about what is a more appreciated response that also still satisfies their needs and desires. When we help the dog understand and control their own behaviors through positive reinforcement, we eliminate the need for force or fear-based tactics, creating a much more ethical and rewarding experience for both the dog and their human.

02/10/2024

This. ❤️

Muzzles are excellent safety tools.

❌ They are NOT permission to put your dog in a situation they aren’t ready for.

❓What does that mean?

Your dog and the general public may be safe from a bite BUT you may be:
- Putting your dog in situations that are compounding negative associations
- Risking your dog reacting towards triggers and rehearsing a behaviour you should be trying to prevent in combination with a training plan
- Flooding your dog, putting them in the deep end of the pool and suppressing emotions that WILL come out at some point likely even more pronounced
- Exposing the general public to a dog that attacks (charges, pins, snarls, etc) and impacts them negatively, a muzzle protects from a bit but not a reaction

If your thought process is “well, it gives my dog more freedom off leash”, I get it. It absolutely can. But, you are still taking some big risks that may not come with a bite but are going to be VERY difficult to to try and undo down the line.

Muzzles should:
- ALWAYS be conditioned and introduced, trained with regularly before your dog even wears it
- Be part of a plan that integrates the right environments to set your dog, and anyone interacting with your dog, up for success
- Combine behaviour modification to address your dog’s emotions with use of a muzzle
- Always fit properly and in some cases be custom made

Resources:
The Muzzle Movement .muzzle.movement
The Pet Rescue Resource thepetrescueresource.com/muzzle-training

01/10/2024

If only it were possible ❤️

28/09/2024

I can't love this post more!

𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝟭 - an adolescent dog (who, because of the very fact he's adolescent, has low frustration tolerance and high impulsivity) gets frustrated when he can't get access to other dogs around him. That frustration presents itself as lots of big, loud behaviour - pulling, barking, lunging etc

𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝟮 - the owner of the adolescent dog gets frustrated because his dog is lunging & barking when he sees another dog. That frustration presents itself as as lots of big, loud behaviour - shouting at the dog, yanking on the lead, being forceful etc

Both are frustrated because they aren't getting what they want. Both are dealing with that frustration poorly.

Before we can expect to teach our dogs how to deal with frustration we first have to look to our own behaviour. If 𝘸𝘦 can't deal with big feelings without resorting to reactive behaviour is it really fair to expect our dog to be able to do it?

𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 -

• Recognise & acknowledge the feeling for what it is. For me, simply noting to myself that "I'm feeling frustrated" is often enough to help me check myself & start to calm.
• Change something! Frustration builds up when we keep repeating the same thing in expectation of an outcome which doesn't happen. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is a surefire way to frustration...
• And if you can't change something in the moment, let it go. Sometimes there's little we can do in the moment to make things better and accepting that can stop us pointlessly over reacting and adding more fuel to the flames.

𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙜'𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 -

• Learn the early behavioural signs that frustration might be building so that we can pre-empt an explosion
• Don't put them in situations you know they haven't yet got the skillset to handle
• If they can't get access to 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩, give them access to 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨. Can't play with that dog? Play with me. Can't chase that cat? Chase this ball.
• Train behaviours which help your dog learn there's more to life than instant gratification - calm engagement, disengagement, settling, searching

If it's not ok for our dogs to vent their frustration by losing control then it's not ok for us to vent our frustration by losing control. We're the humans with the big brains and we can't expect more from our dogs than we do from ourselves.

24/09/2024

Yep!

That’s me 😂🐶💜

24/09/2024

Absolutely!

18/09/2024

Interesting!

Science of dog aging

16/09/2024

Balanced dog training using positive reinforcement (rewards-based) methods and aversives (physical punishment) is no better than simply using force-free positive methods and love.

08/09/2024

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

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

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

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, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

04/09/2024

03/09/2024

This.

'Normal' is a strange term to apply to a group of sentient creatures, let alone an entire species humans have altered and developed to fit a huge range of purposes. While understanding as much as we can about what is typical for the breeds or types of dogs around us is important, we must always remember to always look at the individual dog in front of us - what matters is what is normal for them.