Over the weekend Maeva entered her first lure coursing trial! Safe to say this little pup was born to run! ๐
It's taken us just over a year of hard work but our loose lead walking is slowly coming together with lots of careful management, thoughtful use of harnesses and some behaviour meds on board to help manage emotional outbursts - couldn't be happier with this little chickie ๐
Want to know the secret to a well behaved dog? Meeting that dogs individual needs!
Looking at your pups breed/s is a good place to start...
Maeva is a Brittany. Brittany's are a type of gundog bred to flush out prey (birds, rabbits etc.) This means she was born to RUN!
The more opportunities I can give her to meet that driving need to run, the more content she seems to be โค๏ธ
Making sure you are meeting your dogs individual needs also means thinking about things such as diet, enrichment, play and environment, along with their physical and mental wellbeing.
If we are able to meet these needs effectively we will have happier, more content, easier to manage pups!
Are you looking for a fun, low impact sport to play with your dog? Have you heard of Canine Hoopers? Check it out! ๐
Ugg boots are suitable training boots for Hoopers yes? ๐ค๐
#uggbootsaustralia #caninehoopersworld #doingourhomework #beinggoodstudents
Here are my my biggest tips on how to get that perfect RECALL (no matter what the distractions are!) ๐โโ๏ธ
- Set pup up for success! You can do this by using a secure/fenced space or long-line. (Maeva is still a teenager so we are still using secure areas for off-lead time).
- Only call pup when you're sure they're going to come back as you don't want them practicing ignoring you. (Notice in this video that I wait until Maeva has stopped chasing the crow before I called her as it increases my chances for success).
- If pup chooses to come back to you of their own accord (without you calling them) reward highly! Checking-in is a behaviour we like!
- Never go anywhere without a pouch loaded with treats and toys ๐ The more you reinforce behaviours you like the more often they will occur.
- And lastly, never let your dog off in an unsecure area unless you are 99.9% sure they will come when you call. (Again, they learn what they practice, so we don't want them practicing running off!)
DISCLAIMER: I definitely sound like a crazy person in this video, but I needed to make myself more fun and exciting then that damn crow ๐
#positivereinforcementworks #recalltraininginprogress #whatagoodpup #gundogarefundogs #gundogsofaustralia
We went to go practice some calm dog/people watching from a distance.... but the place was deserted! So we decided to practice some off lead recalls instead, very impressed with this one, she didn't want to, but she recalled off that magpie! ๐๐ชถ
#brittanysofinstagram #brittanypup #epagneulbreton #birddog #gundogsofinstagram #gundogproblems
To most people this is a video of a dog not doing very much.
To me this is a video of Marley calmly sniffing and checking in with his mum in the presence of other dogs (on the other side of the road). For Marley and his mum Karis this is a HUGE achievement! And a testament to the amount of work and dedication Karis has put in! ๐
Well done team Marley! I'm so proud ๐ฅบ๐ค
C O O P E R A T I V E ๐
C A R E for dogs that find nail trims stressful!
โ๏ธ๐ก๐งค HUSBANDRY ๐๐ฉบ๐ฉน
Dog's need to put up with a multitude of handling, poking, prodding and clipping throughout their lives, and this can be quite an intimidating and scary situation for them.
In this short video I am demonstrating how we can help our dogs to feel more comfortable by pairing a cold, metal spoon (representing scissors, clippers, stethoscope etc.) with something Maeva absolutely LOOOVES - her bed time puppy milk ๐ผ
Notice my spoons slow, continuous movement so pup knows where it is at all times, and how I stop when she moves or stops drinking. I'm trying to give her as much control over what is happening as I can, by doing this I'm saying "hey, it's okay, you can trust me".
A lot of the dog training I focus on with my clients is working to resolve unwanted behaviours. So it is so refreshing to be training something new with my own girl just for the fun of it!
Here you can see little Maeva practicing her indication for the scentwork course we are currently attending (hold nose on coin). Scentwork like many dog sports is a GREAT way to have fun with your dog, strengthen your bond and get to know your dog a little better.
It's wonderful to be able to just enjoy your dog, see how smart they truly are without it always being about resolving a problem - we're just here for the FUN! ๐
#ilovedogtraining
#dogsarethebest
#littlemisssmartypantsโค๏ธ #scentworkaustralia #dogsports #strengthenthebond #havefun
Today we've had a rest day at home! Little miss is going through a growth spurt and has been very overtired! So we went on a short walk this morning, napped, had a play in the pool and now we're napping again!
Some days we don't need to be actively training our dogs, just enjoying and loving them is enough ๐๐
#meetingtheirneeds #puppysofinstagram #epagneulbreton #relaxing
BODY AWARENESS
Puppies aren't born knowing how to walk, move or balance. Like us humans it's something they learn as they grow and develop.
Enrich your pups walks by providing them with opportunities to develop these skills. It can be as simple as climbing up a set of stairs or walking along an uneven surface like this little rocky path we found today! ๐งโโ๏ธ๐ชจ๐๐ชต
Today Maeva met another safe and polite dog. My sisters pup Percy ๐
I thought this video was a nice one to share as it's a good example of appropriate play between dogs.
Note their relaxed, waggy body language, the play bows, short pauses, and the back and forth play between them. These are all signs of two pups having a great time and checking in with each other to make sure their playmate is also happy to continue the game.
I'd like to also mention that Maeva doesn't play like this with every dog we meet, this type of freedom is only allowed with dogs I already know and trust. I have a close group of friends and family, and so will she ๐๐ผ๐๐พ
Maeva is now fully vaccinated so that means WALKIES! ๐
For this first walk I let her nose lead the way!
My tip of the day is to start off walking pup on a longer lead as this will set them up for success when we begin teaching loose lead walking (more lead = less chance of pulling!) ๐
