Endless Pawssibilities Dog Training

15/08/2024

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Wanting a behaviour from our dogs to stop is common. Sadly, there are so many 'trainers' who appear on television or have massive social media followings who will advocate using devices and methods that 'will stop it fast'. Let's be honest, as humans we are often results driven, so I can see why these would appeal to people who don't know why these things should not be recommended and used. The reality is that they can make the situation so much worse.

Suppressing a behaviour doesn't mean that the reasons that behaviour happened aren't still there, just that the dog can't do what they feel they need to in that situation. That can lead to increased frustration, stress, fear - depending on what the driver for that behaviour is. Think of it like a pressure cooker, adding more and more pressure, with no way to reduce that pressure. Eventually there comes a point where the pressure is just too much and boom.

If a behaviour is something we can't live with, there are things we can do without suppressing that behaviour. Manage the situation so that the dog is not in a position to practice that behaviour - for example baby gates to stop them jumping up at arriving guests or finding quiet areas to walk if your dog is uncomfortable with other dogs close up. If there is something you would prefer them to do in that situation keep using the management and then, using kind and ethical methods, teach them what you would like them to do instead. If the behaviour is not something that we can simply train an alternative for - a dog who reacts to other dogs around for example - find a behaviour consultant who uses modern and kind methods to help the dog no longer feel the need to use that behaviour.

Behaviour suppression is never the answer.

Here are links to a couple of blog posts that explore the topic a little further:
https://www.goodguardianship.com/post/the-first-question-to-ask-wtf-what-s-the-function
https://www.goodguardianship.com/post/why-we-should-look-beyond-stopping-behaviour

15/08/2024

I still think it’s weird that the amount of time in outside and in the woods lately I haven’t been affected by this. But I’m strangely happy it’s not the cicadas!

Due to periodic cicada eggs, which they feed, there's an explosion of Oak Leaf mites this year.. The mites bites people and pets

15/08/2024

Todays is brought to you by my Lucy! Lucy had her biannual yesterday, and although the visit was extremely it has given me an opportunity to

I took some of Lucy while at the office because well first of all, she’s just THE anyways. But I wanted to use these pictures to demonstrate how social media can be. You see, the eye doctor is VERY gor Lucy (mom and I too). They have to put dye in her eyes, and use scary devices.

can be tricky, there’s no denying that. People like myself and daycares post all these pictures of dogs that look so cute! Right? Well not exactly…. Sure I could sell it like we had the most successful visit in the history of visits because I mean look at these pictures. But the truth is that even with all the work we’ve put into the eye doctor specifically, even with the help of meds, Lucy was still very stressed.(which isn’t to take away from how truly successful we were yesterday, and how the doctor was with how well Lucy did this time!)

So when you see daycares or trainers post pictures or even videos just remember to look at the body language. Remember to ask yourself if there’s more to the story than just the picture. I’ll post a video of Lucy taken moments after these pictures in the comments. I don’t love seeing her so stressed, but thought this was a unique opportunity to cover body language in a different way.

And if you want to learn more about end me a message and I’d be happy to set something up!

12/08/2024

12/08/2024

When your roll of p**p bags falls out of your pocket and unrolls…

06/08/2024

This. Right. Here!!!!! Just because you lack the skills and understanding to teach dogs without mistreating them, doesn’t justify your “methods”.

Many products and practices are labeled as "humane" to appeal to compassionate consumers.

However, this is often a case of welfare-washing.

Welfare-washing is a deceptive marketing strategy where companies and individuals claim their products or practices are humane, prioritizing animal welfare.

In reality, the claims are simply a marketing ploy - or an individual's lack of understanding of what defines welfare.

For example, terms like "cage-free" or "free-range" can be misleading, suggesting idyllic conditions that aren't always rooted in high welfare standards for chickens.

It sounds nice, but the criteria are only marginally better than caged hens.

Slip leashes, prong collars, and e-collars are often stated to be humane and associated incorrectly with welfare.

High welfare means animals have control over their own lives, allowing them to express natural behaviors, feel safe, and have positive experiences, thereby promoting a good quality of life.

It's crucial to critically evaluate claims made that will impact our dog's mental health.

But how?

Humane treatment should mean comfort, joy, and freedom from fear and pain for animals.

We must look beyond the marketing and question if the practices genuinely benefit the animals or merely serve our needs.

A key indicator is speed and time.

If something simplistically changed behavior quickly (ie: a bark collar that stops your dog barking instantly) that usually follows the saying it might be "too good to be true."

By adopting a critical mindset, we can challenge welfare-washing and advocate for true humane treatment that prioritizes the needs and well-being of all animals - us included.

A great place to start is with the question "Would I want what I am seeing/doing done to me?"

The focus needs to be taken away from the outcome and be put more on the intentions behind the methods being used.

04/08/2024

🚩RED FLAGS 🚩

When it comes to finding a good dog trainer or any type of Dog Pro it's important to know what to watch out for. Here are some red flag words that should make you think twice and walk away:

If you hear or see these terms, look for another trainer/dog walker/boarder/daycarer/sitter. Keep your dog safe. 👍

At Yappily, all of the dog trainers listed use kind and effective, positive reinforcement methods👉www.yappily.co.uk

02/08/2024

Accurate

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲?

For everyone out there who is struggling with their animals’ behaviour REMEMBER

🐴🐶Progress is NEVER linear
🐴🐶 We ALL have bad days and so do our animals . Sometimes life is overwhelming and there are going to be multiple contributing factors to this for example :
-A bad nights sleep,
- The weather making things difficult or for our animals for example the wind potentially making the world noisier or making trees or other objects move making everything more stimulating
- Other stressors at this time of year for us as humans finances or tensions with family and for our animals fireworks from our human celebrations or changes in routine as the clocks go back
- Pain or feeling under the weather
- Other factors unique to us and our animals’ as individuals and our animals too including developmental stage adolescence is HARD or past experiences
This is not an exhaustive list . All of these can lead to trigger or stimulus stacking reducing coping, lowering thresholds for stress and increasing emotional reactivity (for us and our animals!).

🐴🐶 Cut yourself some slack tomorrow is another day . Spend time with your horse or dog just hanging out. Get a cup of coffee and a biscuit to warm you up as it’s cold if you are outside

🐴🐶 Change takes time. Take baby steps and prioritise emotional state over the behaviours you want.

🐴🐶 Revisit any needs that may not be being met including physical, social and emotional

🐴🐶 Break it down into smaller chunks.

🐴🐶 Get support for yourself as well as your animal . If in doubt reach out.

🐴🐶 Find your horse or dogs strengths and celebrate those. Accept them for the amazing individuals they are .

🐴🐶 You are doing your best

©️Jessie Sams Animal Behaviour and Trauma Recovery Service

02/08/2024

Some food for thought…

01/08/2024

Another fantastic visit with Dr Britton at Lombard Veterinary Hospital . Einstein got to meet her for the first time and they definitely liked eachother🤣. Einstein has lost 8lbs since March! Still has some weight to lose, but Dr B put us on a path I’m feeling really good about and I feel like a big piece of stress has been lifted off of me because my boy won’t be in as much pain anymore. Guys seriously, I cannot reccomend Dr Britton enough! She reminds me of me in the sense that you know from the second she walks in the room she truly cares about your pet, she’s thorough and doesn’t rush, and she takes the time to make sure any of your questions or concerns are addressed. It’s a really good feeling to know you found the Dr that will take care of your pet the rest of his life. The other nice thing about lombardveterinaryhospital is there’s no lobby, which for anyone who knows me is one of the few things that cause me anxiety. Seriously if you’re looking for a vet or thinking of switching vets I can’t reccomend Dr B enough!

31/07/2024

There’s only 1 trainers YouTube content I would reccomend and she definitely wouldn’t say anything like this… because aggression can’t be “fixed” overnight

31/07/2024

Since this page is public… huge shout out to Endeavored Bliss for the delivery today! I’m not going to pretend to know the details, but when the food truck comes to you it’s pretty awesome! Can’t recommend the food enough! Especially this chipotle crema stuff! 🤤🤤🤤 guys go find her truck! Or when she gets the delivery aspect fully up and running make sure you get on her list!

30/07/2024

Replace carpet with my bed and you have Einstein 🤦🏻‍♂️

30/07/2024

Punishing an animal can have significant negative consequences for their behavior and overall well-being. Here are just a few examples of the fallout of punishment. ​

​

To learn more about training, consider completing our DogWise course https://coape.org/coape-courses/dogwise/

30/07/2024

Why do we as humans do the things we do?

30/07/2024

❤️❤️

29/07/2024

Don’t usually share stuff like this here but as a big marvel fan, this is the best movie the mcu has put out! Go see it!

Was there ever any doubt?
~Ryan