The Everyday Dog Positive Training of South Shore & Plymouth County, Mass.

10/07/2024

CULTIVATING CALMNESS

We teach our dogs all sorts of things, but maybe don’t realise that teaching “calm” is also an important behaviour that has so many positive applications for both us and our dogs.

“Calm” can be defined as the absence of agitation or excitement; a feeling of tranquility; serenity and peace. These feelings are so often lacking in both our lives and that of our dogs.

Besides teaching dogs to settle on a mat or in another place or capturing and rewarding calm behaviour, here are some other ways to promote calmness.

Scenting or sniffing is a really effective and simple way to promote relaxation. It lowers the pulse rate and creates feelings of wellbeing.

Chewing is another powerful relaxation tool. Dogs use the chewing to relieve stress, frustration or anxiety. Chewing has a calming effect on the adrenal-pituitary axis in the brain which triggers the release of endorphins. It’s like self-medication for stress or anxiety.

Relaxing music that is specifically made for dogs can also work well, especially with dogs that get over excited in a car or have storm or firework fear.

When playing an exciting, high-energy game with your dog, take frequent breaks before starting up again to help your dog wind down and become calmer.

Aromatherapy, ear or other types of massage are other ways to help create calmness.

Cortisol holidays are also really important after a stressful event to prevent trigger stacking and allow cortisol levels to return to normal.

Conventional wisdom says that the ability to remain calm is a character trait that most of us lack, but Neuroscience teaches us that remaining calm under pressure is not an inborn trait, but a skill that needs to be learnt, practiced and managed and this applies to our dogs as well.

29/06/2024

https://youtu.be/tFfDPV48jG0?si=_sEWkQ9dxjWZfmlz

Deconstruct and understand the intricacies of aggression, reactivity, and arousal in dogs so that you can build sensible training plans that support your can...

24/06/2024

A Classic! Great Book

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals.

24/06/2024

Please be considerate

19/06/2024

With temperatures soaring over the next few days, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is reminding pet owners to take steps to keep pets safe as we experience the summer-like conditions.

Keep your pet safe and healthy by following these important basic guidelines:

🐾 Prevention is always your best bet. Whenever possible, leave your pet at home in a cool, low-humidity, and temperature-regulated room.

🐾 If your pet must be outdoors, find a shady spot with ample air flow to prevent overheating.

🐾 Hydration is key, so keep a bowl of cold water accessible at all times.

🐾 Limit exercise to the morning or evening hours when temperatures are at their coolest. Aside from the heat, the high humidity can cause respiratory issues for animals, particularly short-snouted animals (i.e. pugs).

🐾 When the temperatures rise, it’s Too Hot for Spot®! Never leave your pet alone in a parked car -- even with the air conditioner on or the windows cracked.

It is illegal in Massachusetts to keep an animal confined in a vehicle during extreme hot or cold conditions, and when a weather advisory is issued, it is also illegal to keep dogs tethered for longer than five hours in a 24-hour period. Dogs also cannot be tethered outdoors between 10 PM and 6 AM, unless for not more than 15 minutes and when the owner/keeper is present.

For more safety tips, visit https://arl.boston/THFS.
Image description: a white and brown dog drinking from a hose.

19/06/2024

https://www.psychdogpartners.org/positive-force-free-training

by Katie Jesseph, Paws on the Plains dog training I use force-free methods for a number of reasons. Listed below you’ll find several quotes from prominent organizations, as well as studies that have been done to assess training methodology. In addition to these sources, I have a few specific reaso...

12/06/2024

29/03/2024

IF DOGS COULD WRITE ….A BILL OF RIGHTS

Dogs are held captive in our human world but and are not born to understand our human ways.

We expect so much of them. We expect them to know, conform and behave in ways that are “acceptable” to us.

So many dogs are subjected to force, punishment, intimidation, aversive tools or outdated training methods as humans attempt to change and control them.

There is nothing admirable, ethical or intelligent in physically or emotionally forcing any sentient being to comply.

Take the time to learn and understand how they communicate, their emotions, their needs and use updated, modern, scientifically based methods to modify unwanted behaviour.

Guide them with understanding, with patience, with compassion and kindness.

If dogs could write a Bill of Rights, these are some of the things I believe they would want us to know.

25/01/2024

BE A DOPAMINE DEALER NOT A CORTISOL CREATOR

Although there are other chemicals that have an effect on behaviour, the neurotransmitter dopamine and the hormone cortisol are important ones to understand.

Force free, positive reinforcement, reward-based methods result in a release of Dopamine which provides important motivation to seek out rewards, increases attention, memory and reinforces a behaviour. Behaviour is far more likely to be repeated when Dopamine is released.

Using punishment or aversive, old fashioned methods causes stress which increases the release of cortisol. Cortisol inhibits learning, affects memory, decreases motivation and can cause emotional, psychological and even physical damage.

Some ways to increase Dopamine levels and lower Cortisol levels –

Only using positive reinforcement, force free, reward-based techniques.

Slow, sniffing walks in a quiet area, interactive play, puzzle toys, lick mats, snuffle mats, foraging, providing mental stimulation activities, routine and predictability, enough rest and sleep and a balanced and nutritious diet.

Give your dog a “cortisol holiday”. Cortisol levels can take between two to six days to return to normal after stress.

This “holiday” could look like stopping walks for a week or changing the time of day you walk to a quieter time, covering or blocking access to a gate, fence or window, avoiding visitors or generally just taking a break from anything that may be causing stress.

11/01/2024

🙂 Fear free Veterinary Hospital

Schedule an Appointment Client Portal Login Fear Free Certified Professionals Learn More Who We Are At Marshfield Animal Hospital, we consider your pets “four-legged family members.” All of our employees have pets of their own, and we understand that your pet is an important part of your family....

25/12/2023

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

18/12/2023

RESEARCH REQUIRED!

Choosing a dog just because of the way they look.

We wouldn’t choose a partner or make a commitment to sharing our lives with someone based purely on the way they look – (I suppose there could be exceptions in some cases!)

We would first really get to know them, what kind of personality they have and who they really are before making that sort of commitment.

Yet people continue to choose dogs just because of the way they look.

Maybe they saw a dog like that in a movie that they enjoyed or maybe they just really like the way they look, without having any understanding or thought to learn about what that particular breed was selectively bred to do and what behaviour might be expected.

The way a dog behaves is not always specific to the breed. Dogs are individuals, with their own unique personality and their behaviour is shaped not only by genetics, but by specific life and learning experiences and environment, but problems can happen when the traits of that breed and their specific needs are not taken into account.

Some breeds may just simply not be compatible with a particular person or family’s needs, lifestyle, environment or expectations.

Is it fair or ethical to need to suppress, train out or even punish breed specific tendencies, calling them behaviour problems, when we hold a dog in a captive environment that is unsuitable for them.

First research the breed and learn all you can about potential traits and what to expect before making that choice.

18/12/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zePoVo0RwPY&list=RDCMUCMhBGSskVnZxn6C-uQg21Pg&start_radio=1&rv=zePoVo0RwPY&t=8

Problem Prevention in Puppies and Dogs - An Empowered Approach to Life With Dogs

18/12/2023

Help your Dog to be Successful

How do I stop my dog from stealing food? How do I get my dog to stop drinking toilet water? Why does my dog run off all the time? These are just a few of the countless things dogs do that make their guardians run to professional trainers for help.

17/12/2023

:) MAKE LEARNING FUN

A modern evaluation of the use of resource control in modifying dog behaviour

27/11/2023

NIPPY PUPPY

Puppies bite for many reasons, including expressing discomfort/frustration, in play, and because they are overtired. Puppies also have an inclination toward a “witching hour” at dawn and dusk. We’ll look at each of these scenarios.

19/11/2023

Written by my good friend and long time 4-H leader Cathy Acampora.

This book will simply teach you about dog body language and safety. Perfect for new dog owners and any dog owner with kids. It simply describes many safe practices to prevent dog bites and attacks. 77 percent of all fatal dog attacks are to kids and 89 percent of the time no adult is in the room....

15/09/2023

QUITTING SO MUCH SITTING
How did we become so obsessed with making our dogs sit for everything?

Maybe because we believe that a dog that sits on cue is obedient, well mannered, calm, has self-control and that sitting is incompatible with unwanted behaviour. Maybe because it makes us look good as strong, respected leaders or disciplinarians and allows us to feel in control.

But is it all really necessary or in the best interests of the dog, both physically and psychologically to expect them to sit so much?

Sometimes what we have always believed is not what’s best for our dogs.

“Sit” is usually one of the first thing puppies are taught. Just one session at a puppy school may include up to 20 or more “sits” - that’s a high intensity workout for a dog at any age, but puppies in the growing stage are particularly at risk. These sitting repetitions put excessive pressure on the developing skeletal system which may lead to damage or injury that may only become apparent at a later stage.

Senior dogs may find it really painful to sit down and then get back up. Sitting puts pressure on the lower back, hips and supporting muscles. Certain breeds are just not designed to repeatedly sit.

There is nothing wrong with teaching our dogs to sit and occasionally asking for sits in certain situations, but look at teaching more natural, alternative behaviours as well, that are just as effective.

Wait, stand, 4 paws on the floor, hand touches or chin rests are all some behaviours that can replace repetitive sitting.

06/09/2023

My youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/TheEverydayDog for My goal is to help humans understand their dogs, to create the relationship they both want, Using training techniques that are Simple, Effective, Safe and Fun for all.

01/09/2023

PREDICTABLE PATTERNS AND WHY THEY MATTER
We can help our dogs cope in our world by providing predictable patterns that they can follow, even when the unpredictable happens.

This requires consistency and repetition, but dogs quickly learn what to do when that behaviour creates a predictable, rewarding result.

Predictability allows the brain to conserve energy which lowers anxiety and creates a sense of trust and security in knowing what to expect or what comes next.

Like other animals, people included, dogs are experts at looking for and finding patterns.

Being able to find a predictable pattern, not just in an environment but in the behaviour of others, helps to make sense of a situation, rather than feeling confused or anxious when no pattern can be found.

When we create predictable patterns, dogs begin to understand what happens and how they should respond when a specific situation occurs.

The situation becomes the cue for the behaviour rather than the cue itself. We often get caught up in using cues instead of just showing our dogs that this is what they should do in this situation.

Pattern games or training a behaviour by using patterns is a really effective tool to use with dogs that are reactive, anxious, fearful or lack confidence.

They’re simple and quick to teach and provide predictability when a situation may be unpredictable.

To find out more about Leslie McDevitt’s different pattern games from the Controlled Unleashed ™ program, have a look at Tanzi Leary’s (CDBC, CPDT-KA, PMCT1, SAPT, FFCP) website - https://www.dogcrazylady.com/post/pattern-games

01/09/2023

POOCHES DON’T LIKE SMOOCHES!

Should we be hugging and kissing our dogs because it shows our dogs just how much we love them?

After all it’s how we as people show our love, affection and provide comfort to one another.

But dogs are not people and we can’t just assume that they enjoy this or understand what we are trying to communicate.

But my dog enjoys being hugged and kissed! Yes, there may be some dogs that do, or some dogs that have learnt over time to tolerate this invasion of their personal space because they have learnt there is no escape. They are trapped, confined, immobilised and helpless.

The majority of pictures of people hugging or kissing dogs clearly show many signs of stressed body language.

It’s so important to be aware of how our dogs are feeling by learning basic body language. It’s the way our dogs communicate and we owe it to them to understand their language.

Respect a dog’s personal space. Provide a choice. Seek consent. This is what builds relationship and trust.

Save your smooches for the people in your life that enjoy them!

30/08/2023

https://youtu.be/smCgn-qM8ps?si=I0gswuAFmx4L9W-K

Teach your dog to listen to you with the Positive Training Trifecta. It’ll make your dog fall madly in love with you! **** Download the FREE Simpawtico Basic...

07/08/2023

Using your dog's natural behaviours to train him The first step is to identify what your dog finds naturally motivating. Everything in training comes down to motivation, and motivation comes down to finding the reinforcer that your dog wants. The difficulty is that not all dogs want the same thing,....