Alyssa and Dougal

30/12/2022

We did something a little different today…



One of the ultimate goals for Dougal and I has been to go to a cafe to have lunch and a coffee whilst D is chilled out relaxing.

This has always seemed so far away for us, but we took a huge leap closer today.

We went to try out a cafe - not to eat, drink or order anything; just to explore it and become acquainted with it.

Before doing anything with D, I popped into the cafe to see if they were okay with it. It was 20 mins before closing, and there weren’t many customers coming and going, so it was all guns blazing for Doogs. 

I gave Dougal lots of time outside to sniff and get used to seeing people and cars moving around.

We then moved into the foyer, where Christmas decorations provided some interest for him to sniff - along with the mystical corks-in-a-glass decoration that he was somewhat intrigued by.

Finally, we took a deep breath and opened the door in to the actual cafe. The coffee machines were revving and you could hear people having conversations - plus lots of new sights and smells for D to get used to.

I just let him figure it out. We stayed at the entrance for a short while, letting him sniff things and connect back with me a few times. Every time he engaged with me, I rewarded him.

Before long, he wanted to go and explore the room - my mum was in there having a drink with a friend, so he got to go and say ‘hi’ to them. He stayed calm and collected this whole time, so I didn’t have a problem with him having a wander. He was very much in control of his emotions (as Danielle Beck would say, he was in control of his meerkat!), so we explored together. 

After a few more mins of this, he was still enjoying it and really calm, but I wanted to leave on a high note and before something could upset him. So, we went back to the car where he settled in for a nap.

This is something I have dreamed of for years, but am only now actively working on. 



I’m beyond proud of how he handled today, and can’t wait to go back and actually order a drink next time!

06/12/2022

Sometimes, we have bad days, too.

Today was annual boosters day. So, an early morning vet trip was on the cards.

I was actually looking forward to it this year - we'd been proofing his chin rest and getting him used to all sorts of handling, and he was smashing it (see photo taken last night).

But today, the dog training gods were not shining down on us.

We always hang fire in the car park, waiting to be called straight into the consult room. This gives Dougal breathing space, keeping his bucket empty and setting us up for a good session. This bit went swimmingly.

But, as we went in, a reactive shepherd in the waiting room lunged at us. He was no more than 1m away.

Obviously, Dougal was shaken by this. He was agitated. Minimal barking, easily distracted (wahey!), but very antsy.

He struggled to explore the consult room because of it. He was on edge.

Of course, this meant that all of our work on chin rest was a bit defunct.

If he doesn't feel safe, we can't expect him to opt into anything that makes him feel more vulnerable.

Luckily, I've also been working on getting Dougal used to restraints (more on this later), so we were able to go through the health check and vaccination process physically unscathed.

Emotionally, this process also didn't seem to affect him too much - he was mostly concerned with the shouty dog on the other side of a thin door. In hindsight, this is a win.

But his bucket was getting undeniably full.

The shepherd kept barking, and the door to the consult room was rattling in its frame every time someone walked past.

We ended that consult with Dougal having a full-blown reaction at a painting of a dog on the wall. He was so overwhelmed, a painting (that he'd already looked at and processed calmly) pushed him over the edge.

The drive home was distressing for both of us. Dougal was upset and shouting at nothing in particular. This filled up my bucket to the point that I had a little cry when we finally walked in the front door.

I harp on about how training is never linear. We all experience setbacks and holes that we need to climb out of. But living it is hard. It's emotionally taxing.

So, it's time to live by what I preach. We have a calm day ahead of us. I have a hot chocolate and an easy work day, cuddled under blankets. Dougal has a choice of rooms at different temperatures, extra chew opportunities, and lots of lickimats and stuffed kongs scheduled throughout the day. We'll do a touch of scentwork later, too.

Now, though, it's time to breathe and reflect...and eat chocolate.

01/12/2022

Today, I committed the cardinal sin. 😱

I took Dougal out for a training session…without treats.

It was an “on-the-fly” kind of walk: we weren’t intending to go but somehow we ended up there.

The field looked quiet to start off with, but we soon ran into trouble. We ended up surrounded by 8 dogs, all of differing levels of activity and volume.

Dougal started offering some beautiful disengagements, and he deserved some stonkingly good rewards for them. So, without treats, how did we make this work?

Let me introduce you to something called functional rewards.

These are when we use the environmental motivation of our dogs as reinforcers for behaviours we like.

In this situation, Dougal offering a disengagement meant we made more distance between us and the dogs (something he was keen to have). This also enabled him to sniff the hedgerows - another big reinforcer for him.

The beautiful thing was that, through the ten to fifteen minutes it took us to leave, he never once felt the need to be vocal. We had a bit of a running, but not much, and he was able to leave the situation calmly (we could predict where each dog was going and how quickly, so we could plan the best escape route).

In fact, for the majority of it, Dougal was calmly walking nearby and offering lots of check ins.

For me, this is great proof that you can train a dog with rewards that aren’t just food.

After all, every dog has a motivator - we just need to work out what it is for that individual.

(Saying that, though, food is what’s called a primary reinforcer, and every living thing is motivated by it to a degree. If your dog isn’t, it’s worth exploring why that may be, as it’s commonly down to not feeling safe enough to eat, and that needs tackling in itself)

27/11/2022

🌿It’s time for the mud-pit reveal! 🦛🐾

Last weekend, Luke and I decided to finally tackle the bottom of the garden. This has been on our to-do list since last summer, but took a backseat as we tackled the inside of the house. However, you may have noticed it’s been a bit wet over the last few weeks, so to make our lives a smidgen easier, we hired a mini-digger! 🚜��The one problem with this plan, though, was (of course) Mr Dougal himself. ��Dougal is the dog that, only a couple of years ago, lost his mind because a cardboard box appeared on his usual walking spot. We’re talking cowering into the ground, completely frozen, and refusing to move or even take his eyes off of this cardboard box for about 15-20 minutes.

He has improved a remarkable amount in those few years, and is overall much more relaxed and confident, but I was still wary of what his reaction to this new garden feature would be - especially when the engine was running and it was shifting dirt.

I had planned to keep him inside as much as possible, only letting him into the garden when the digger was safely off. I also expected to need to do some counter-conditioning work around it.

But, much to my surprise, Dougal saw the big yellow beast outside and instantly wanted to investigate 🧐

I let him out cautiously, but he was so keen to get over to it and give it a good ol’ sniffing. Things were so positive, that we eventually decided to let him stay out whilst one of us manned him, and one of us manned the digger.

He couldn’t have cared less! ��We even got to the point where he was ignoring it and just chilling out watching the whole thing unfold. He basically became our project manager👷🏼

So, the moral of the story?

Sometimes, even the most nervous and under-confident dogs can really surpass expectations and have those little glimmery moments of bravery 🤩

27/11/2022

Oh how true this is 😂

24/11/2022

Here’s a little snippet of tonight’s training session. With the garden now being a mud pit (all will become clear and, no, it’s not for naked ladies to wrestle in!), Dougal’s paws are getting filthy every time he goes for a bimble.

To save having to wash his paws in a bucket, we’re finally trying out the MudBuster. But those silicone bristles are going to feel weird on his feet, so I’m giving the control back to him - I just hold it still!

You’ll also notice a Kong Replay in frame - this is one of his favourite puzzle feeders, and is filled with the exact same stuff I’m using as rewards (a mix of Eden kibble and Natures Menu training treats).

This serves to give him choice. At no point should he feel like he *has* to train with me to earn food. He gets two “free” meals every day (no prerequisites, not even a ‘sit’), plus at least one puzzle feeder, chew, and/or training session. By giving him options at any one time, he gets to actively choose what he wants to do.

And if he opts out of training? No big deal! We wrap up and try again another day.

I feel like this video shows just how much he loves training and engaging with me (which makes me incredibly proud!). The puzzle feeder is RIGHT THERE, and yet he chooses to come back to me time and time again.

This is what training should be for you AND your dog - fun, valuable time together, that you both get to opt in to.

20/05/2022

Happy Friday from this little goofball!

20/05/2022

Happy Friday from this goofball! 😍

16/05/2022

The best training happens in short stints, and the opportunities usually arise when you’re busy doing something else!

Today, I was digging out the garden ready for us to start putting some decking in, when our back-neighbour’s dog ran out and started barking.

Dougal usually responds to this by barking himself, and they end up yelling at each other until one of us calls our pup in.

Today, however, I was right in the war zone! So Dougal learnt that if I’m out here, the other dog isn’t worth barking at, because we can play BALL!

All in a good day’s work 😂

16/04/2022

When your dog finds comfort in small spaces 😂

14/04/2022

🚨NEW DISCOVERY ALERT 🚨

If you’ve ever owned or worked with a reactive dog, you know how tough it is to find an appropriate place to walk.

It’s T-O-U-G-H.

There are usually too many people, pinch points where you inevitably have to get too close to others for comfort, or off-lead dogs running amok.

Well, I’m very excited to have just discovered this app, “AllTrails”.

It looks like it’s designed primarily for hikers, but has information on all the walks, including whether they’re dog-friendly, and IF DOGS HAVE TO BE ON-LEAD.

I can’t wait to try out a few local ones to see if people pay attention to the rules, but I had to share it here in case it helps anyone else out on their journey!

14/04/2022

🚨NEW DISCOVERY ALERT 🚨

If you’ve ever owned or worked with a reactive dog, you know how tough it is to find an appropriate place to walk.

It’s T-O-U-G-H.

There are usually too many people, pinch points where you inevitably have to get too close to others for comfort, or off-lead dogs running amok.

Well, I’m very excited to have just discovered this app, “AllTrails”.

It looks like it’s designed primarily for hikers, but has information on all the walks, including whether they’re dog-friendly, and IF DOGS HAVE TO BE ON-LEAD.

I can’t wait to try out a few local ones to see if people pay attention to the rules, but I had to share it here in case it helps anyone else out on their journey!

06/04/2022

31/03/2022

Dougal has taken over the workstation today!

He’s been reading up on how his ancestors became dogs 🤓

Thankfully, the coffee was decaf 😉😂

31/03/2022

Dougal has taken over the workstation today!

He’s reading up on the latest research on how his ancestors became dogs 🤓

(Thankfully, the coffee was decaf 😉😂)

25/03/2022

Today, I went for a walk...WITHOUT THE DOG.

And, wow, it felt lovely.

You all know I adore my little Danger Cloud, but being able to relax into the walk was so liberating.

I felt pretty stressed and anxious beforehand, it's been growing for a couple of days. So, when Luke suggested a countryside walk, just us two, I jumped at the chance.

There were plenty of dogs around, and I was able to *gasp* just... watch them. I smiled at them and said 'hi' to their owners. I didn't have to keep one eye on my own dog ready to manage and train him.

I did, however, feel a pang of that old grief.

I think, as reactive dog owners, we often grieve for the dog we wish we could have. The dog we dreamed of. The dog that allows us to go for carefree walks in the countryside. I definitely did when I was first getting to grips with Dougal's "quirks".

Luke and I talked about how lovely it would be to have a dog we could let off-lead and just enjoy the long grass. After all, whilst Dougal is making huge improvements, I will never be comfortable risking him off-lead. Even if he gets to the point of being totally chill with other people and dogs, I never want to risk something spooking him and sending us backwards.

But, something that did strike me was how much we enjoyed the walk, regardless. Yes, a sociable dog along for the ride would have been the cherry on top, but the walk itself was wonderful.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say, is don't be afraid to go for walks by yourself, with a partner, with a friend. It's okay to go for a walk and leave your reactive dog at home.

It's worth it, even just to recalibrate yourself, and find the joy in walking again.

____

24/03/2022

Dougal meets his great grandma!

If you remember, my granny was having some health problems a couple weeks ago. I'm over the moon that she's miraculously bouncing back to health (my mum makes a seriously great carer), and this meant she got to say 'hi' to Doogs!

He has met her before, but a LONG time ago (a couple of years!), and now she walks with a big metal box (zimmerframe)!

To get to this beautiful moment, and be sure everything was safe, we've had a good handful of staggered visits. This allowed him to get used to her and the zimmerframe from afar, before gradually being allowed to move closer. Obviously, we had a smattering of counter-conditioning thrown in there.

This has all led to this lovely moment the two of them shared, where Granny was able to lean into her grandparenting skill of overindulging - and gave him SIX markies.

I don't even mind, because this moment made me so happy to see.

What was even sweeter? He later brought her his favourite ball, and dropped it at her feet, before then lying down against her legs.

He's such a sweet boy once he builds up that trust.

____

23/03/2022

CO-OP CARE IS BACK, BABY!

It's been a while since Dougal has been professionally groomed, but the time has come to get him back into the swing of things!

It didn't make sense to expose him to pro grooming last year, as everything was so up in the air with my health and where we were living. But everything has calmed down again, and I feel like he has the bandwidth and resilience now to give it another go.

For those of you that have been with us for a while, you will know that Dougal knows a couple different 'start button' behaviours - the main ones being 'step' and 'chin'.

In the run-up to his first appointment, we've been revising both of these with some beautiful results. But now we need to proof these behaviours, and get him confident in doing them in the grooming salon.

This morning, we had a meet and greet with his new groomer - and it went really well! He was able to wander up to her, have a sniff around the reception area, and he had lots of tasty cheese 🧀

The cherry on top, though, was him being able to happily hold his 'step' in this new setting.

We have another appointment for a week's time, where he will see the actual grooming room, and get more familiar with the groomer!

I'm so lucky to have found a groomer locally that understands co-operative grooming, and is on-board with his training. He really has every chance of soaring here ❤️

____

22/03/2022

We went Ninja BATting today!

If you’ve never heard of BAT, it stands for Behavioural Adjustment Therapy, and is a great way to work with reactive dogs! It uses concepts such as threshold distances and disengagement to help dogs to feel safer around their triggers, allowing them to get closer and keep their cool.

The best way to do this is with triggers (e.g dogs) you know, so you know exactly what they’re going to do next (usually stay where they are, especially in the early days!). But, ninja BATting is great for when your known dogs aren’t available, or if you don’t know any at all!

It involves finding a suitable area and then using triggers you spot in the wild as training opportunities. It is much riskier, but a lot easier for many people as it requires less planning.

Want to know more about BAT (or its sisters, CAT and LAT)? Drop me a comment or a PM!

22/03/2022

We went Ninja BATting today!

If you’ve never heard of BAT, it stands for Behavioural Adjustment Therapy, and is a great way to work with reactive dogs! It uses concepts such as threshold distances and disengagement to help dogs to feel safer around their triggers, allowing them to get closer and keep their cool.

The best way to do this is with triggers (e.g dogs) you know, so you know exactly what they’re going to do next (usually stay where they are, especially in the early days!). But, ninja BATting is great for when your known dogs aren’t available, or if you don’t know any at all!

It involves finding a suitable area and then using triggers you spot in the wild as training opportunities. It is much riskier, but a lot easier for many people as it requires less planning.

Want to know more about BAT (or its sisters, CAT and LAT)? Drop me a comment or a PM!

16/03/2022

A huge part of my job is helping others to understand their dogs better, and work with them to create a solid. happy relationship.

What I didn't realise, however, was that I've accidentally been doing that at home, too.

Before I met Luke, he didn't know much about dogs. Yet just this week, I got the joy of hearing him teach his mum about dog body language, and then I stumbled in to find this training session in progress.

I genuinely believe Luke and Dougal's relationship is now as strong as mine and Dougal's, and it makes me so unbelievably happy to see moments like these.

____

15/03/2022

When he’s not happy about the training session ending… he comes to pester me some more 😂 The new treats we’re using have clearly got him revved up!

11/03/2022

Dougal has an ear infection ... again 🙄

He was doing a great job of hiding it, but the other night just seemed a bit stressed out before going to sleep.

Lots of panting, a bit restless.

I put it down to him being overexcited about me coming home, but now I think he may have been in pain, certainly uncomfortable.

I woke up at 4am that night to him relentlessly shaking his head, which is a huge red flag 🚩

I went to check his ears, which he usually tolerates really well with the help of co-op care, but this was different.

He tried to dodge my touch, his tail going 1000 mph, and even cried when I touched his ear.

The great news is that he's responding to treatment super well already, and is now only very occasionally showing signs of being bothered by it.

The task I now have is working out why he's having so many ear infections recently. My spidey senses are telling me it may be something in his diet. There have been a couple of new treats we've been trialling in the last couple of months, and I suspect they may be behind it.... time will tell!

____

08/03/2022

For the eagle-eyed among you, you will notice that this is NOT Dougal.

This is my parents' dog, Amie.

For the most part, she's non-reactive. She's 'normal'.

And, this morning, I had the joy of walking her.

When you've had an anxious dog for a few years, you learn to manage the environment and to always be engaged with what's going on. It's not enough for you to react to things as they happen, you have to be proactive and think of possibilities before they unfold, so you can mitigate any disasters.

But, today, I didn't.

I could switch off and let her be her (but, of course, I couldn't resist just a ~little~ training).

And can I tell you a secret? I got a teensy tiny bit (gasp) bored.

Coming home felt like just another part of the day. I didn't have that sense of accomplishment that follows a walk with the Danger Cloud.

That's the beauty of a reactive doggo, or a 'problem' doggo. I have a fantastic bond with Am, but nothing could replace that feeling of taking on the world together, and coming out on top, that I get to share with Dougal.

I've been away from him now for nearly 24 hours (just so I can help at my parents', it's not permanent!) - can you tell I miss him already!?

23/02/2022

When puzzle feeders are just so wonderful that they have to accompany us to bed 😅🙄❤️

05/02/2022

A little update for you all!

I’ve been distracted with some new projects that have cropped up but I’ll hopefully have some news for you soon! ❤️

It’s grooming day at HPS HQ today!

Dougal has grown quite a forelock so it’s time for a trim.

This takes a full day so that Dougal can have plenty of breaks and feel as comfortable as possible with the process.

He’s currently on a break after a brush and is pouncing about with his giant octopus (which is now minus a te****le!)

How are you spending your Saturday!?

19/12/2021

A good field is worth its weight in gold.

Finding a decent training ground for a reactive dog can be one of the hardest parts of rehabilitation - but it can make or break your training.

Even if you're doing absolutely everything spot on, a surprise dog appearing from behind a nearby tree at close quarters is going to be hard to come back from.

Dougal and I have tried many a location, thinking it would be deserted, only to have dogs run up to us - seemingly from nowhere (another reason to keep your overly-friendly dogs on-lead!). This, of course, elicits a meltdown, and undoes any progress we may have made that day. That, in itself has caused many a meltdown from yours truly!

But, imagine a training area (or walking spot) where you didn't have to worry about these surprises. Where you could be in complete control of the triggers your dog faces. Where you could easily escape a dangerous situation. That's the dream, right?

Finding one is A LOT of work but, once you do find it, you've well and truly hit the jackpot.

So, what do you need to look for?

✅ Wide, open spaces. Wide enough that your dog could see another dog on the other side and be okay with it.

✅ Flat ground. This will stop any unwanted surprises from appearing over the crest of a hill and catching both of you off-guard.

✅ Visual barriers. The occasional large tree, hut, or bush are perfect - they allow you to hide behind them and distract your dog if anything too stressful enters the area.

✅ Know your entrance and exit points. Ideally, your area will have multiples of these, so that you have other options if one becomes congested for any reason. Just like on an aeroplane. you should know your nearest exit point at any time, to allow you to make a swift exit if needed. You should always keep half an eye on these, too, so you have lots of time to react and prepare should new dogs and owners enter the arena.

⏰ ADDED BONUS - get familiar with the peak times of your chosen ground, and avoid them like the plague. You want a little footfall, but nothing too major as your dog will struggle.

With this in mind, comb your local area for suitable places. I find an initial sweep on Google Maps is always useful, and then a few scoping-out visits without the dog to make sure it's suitable, seems to work best.

Still struggling? Try looking for big fields or large car parks nearby (think industrial areas that may have pet shops or vets nearby - so long as you can keep a good distance from their patrons!).

Where do you train with your dog?