Savvy Canine & Equine Training

22/11/2024

Preventing unwanted behavior reduces the amount of training you have to spend to stop the behavior.

It's a universal truth to ALL animal behvaior- dogs (and people, chickens, orcas, horses, whatever) Do What Works. If a behavior produces a result they wanted, they'll repeat it. So make the ones you want easy and rewarding. It really is that simple, at the base.

21/11/2024

Recalling one of the most requested behavior clients want their dogs to learn. How we approach teaching the behavior can have a significant impact

Movement and excitement ✅
Practice and make it a priority ✅....BUT ❗ if there is an over arousal issue that permeates your dogs life, you may really want to work on that first.
Everyone wants a good recall to happen and it really IS possible, but there are things we should and shouldn't do with recall.
If your dog barely listens to you calling them in your own house or in your yard....there is virtually zero chance it will happen at the beach when your dog is off lead surrounded by other distractions.
Recall needs work, slowly expanding and listening in ever increasing environments.
If the effort is put in, it can work beautifully AND when you really need it.
Keep it fun !
Keep it exciting !

Yes, these graphics are available for purchase and can be used for handouts and posters, pop over to ABCDogsNZ.com to check out the collection.

18/11/2024

👌😂😂😂😂

16/11/2024

A free ebook for puppy owners by one of my favorite trainers

Packed full of info you NEED! 🐶➡️ instinctdogtraining.com/puppy-parenting-guidebook/

14/11/2024

I love teaching opposite behaviors together.

13/11/2024

Think of the saying “the straw that broke the camels back”

TRIGGER STACKING – WHEN BEHAVIOUR HAPPENS “OUT OF THE BLUE”

We’ve all had those days when nothing seems to go right and one frustrating thing after another happens to us, leaving us feeling wound up, stressed and ready to explode at the next unsuspecting person who dares to ask us something.

This “unsuspecting” person may think we have a serious behaviour problem or need anger management therapy, when the truth is that we’ve just had a really bad day or even a few bad days and don’t usually behave like this at all.

Dogs are no different and a behaviour that seems completely out of character or happens “out of the blue” is often caused by “trigger stacking”.

A trigger may be anything that increases a dog’s stress levels and has a negative impact on their emotional, mental or physical state.

These may be small things that we may not even notice or seem insignificant to us, but they are all adding to an increasing “stack” of events that may culminate in out of character behaviour.

When stress levels reach a certain point, the next stressful event, however small, may cause an explosive reaction that is completely unexpected.

Instead of just focusing on a particular behaviour and seeing it as a problem that needs to be prevented, take a step backwards, look at the bigger picture, look at events, circumstances or environmental factors that may have played a role leading up to that behaviour.

Being aware of potential stressors and allowing your dog time to decompress, relax and unwind for a few days will often mean the difference between “normal behaviour” and a behaviour that seems completely out of character.

09/11/2024

Great video on dog not wanting to be touched on head but using subtle body language that is often misinterpreted

06/11/2024

You may hear dog trainers discourage dogs meeting on leash. This is to avoid dogs having altercations.

WHEN SECONDS COUNT

This post is not advocating that dogs meet every other dog, but about how to go about it, if and when it does happen, in a safer way.

The 3 second rule for dogs meeting each other is used as a guideline to help foster positive introductions, prevent either dog from feeling overwhelmed or trapped and prevent any potential reactivity and stress.

A short 3 second introduction is enough time to provide important information to both dogs.

Enough information for dogs to know – “are you a threat?”, “do I like you?”, “do I want to learn more about you?”, “do I really dislike you?”, “do I need you to go away?” etc. Both dogs may not feel the same way – one may not be happy to engage while the other may want to.

All interactions should ideally happen like this, not just initially. Just like us, dogs can have off days – things like pain, trigger stacking, lack of sleep or a host of other reasons can influence whether a dog wants to interact or not.

There are countless times I have witnessed meetings or introductions between dogs that have gone on just a few seconds too long and have not ended well. This can have long lasting effects on future behaviour when meeting other dogs.

Understanding body language is critically important. If we are going to share our lives with another species, protect them, advocate for them and help them feel safe, then we need to understand and respect their language.

The examples in this post of red and green flags are just a few general ones to look out for – there are many more and these will differ depending on the individual dog, context and circumstances.

Here are some resources and links to learn more about body language -
On Talking Terms With Dogs - Calming Signals, 2nd Edition by Turid Rugaas
https://www.dogwise.com/on-talking-terms-with-dogs-calming-signals-2nd-edition/?srsltid=AfmBOoqj8ruQJx5bCP7qWb03TqCyAGfmAvCj988UuWk_L1_UHbYcZsES

The Veterinary Behaviour Centre
https://www.heska.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/TVBC-Canine-Dog-Body-Language-handout.pdf

Make sure those first 3 seconds count – they can make all the difference.

05/11/2024

With Thanks Giving a few days away and Christmas following soon after keep them safe with a few simple precautions!

04/11/2024

A winter walk…

02/11/2024

Life inconveniences can be used as training moments. So be prepared and have yummy treats available for those training moments. Delivery guy, mail carrier, garbage pick up, doorbell rings unexpectedly, car honk, anything can be an opportunity for learning.

Sometimes if we see inconveniences as training opportunities, it can help shift our mindset.

When working on door reactions it can be hard to find friends to knock repeatedly.

Halloween could be just the challenge we’ve been working towards.

Walk early to avoid trigger stacking, then get the treats ready. And if you want to turn off all the lights and hide, that’s okay too!