Force-Free Training with Candice

14/12/2024

Management is important, especially during times with more activity / guests nearby. Please keep your dog and your guests safe.

14/12/2024

I've been talking with clients a lot recently about how training involves both PROactive and REactive training. So I decided to make an infographic to nutshell the concept.

14/12/2024

Cat experts – including Mikel Delgado, Pam Johnson-Bennett, Sandra McCune, Kersti Seksel and Nicky Trevorrow – weigh in on the one thing that would make the world better for cats.

14/12/2024

“Dogs’ bladders—sacs that serve no known purpose except as a holding pen for urine—allow release of just a little urine at a time, allowing them to mark repeatedly and often…Marking seems to leave information about who the urinator is, how often he walks by this spot in the neighborhood, his recent victories, and his recent mating. In this way, the invisible pile of scents on the hydrant becomes a community center bulletin board, with old deteriorating announcements and requests peeking out from underneath more recent posts of activities and successes. Those who visit more frequently wind up being at the top of the heap: a natural hierarchy is thus revealed. But the old messages still get read, and they still have information—one element of which is simply age.” - Alexandra Horowitz, Inside of a Dog.

This passage always comes to mind when I watch Larkin mark, and mark, and mark, and mark on walks. It’s fascinating to know how dogs’ bodies are designed to leave urine markings, and reinforces one of the many reasons sniffing is so essential for information gathering.

13/12/2024

13/12/2024

The first thing we should focus on when it comes to the relationship with our dogs is making them feel safe. Showing them we are their safe space, their escape, their security.

When working with dogs who haven’t had the best start, often first we see behaviour escalate when they start feel safe to express their needs and stop fearing consequences. Then they seem to relax, play, show you parts of their personality they haven’t been brave enough to reveal before.

There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the little signs our dogs share with us, to say they feel safe.

13/12/2024

It can be difficult to cope with when your dog's behaviour changes suddenly, and your normally loving happy go lucky dog starts to behave awkwardly, refuses to do things, and perhaps growls or barks when asked to do something or approached.

Pain or feeling ill can have a massive effect on behaviour. Think about how it affects your mood when you're coming down with an illness or have pain that won't go away, and how much more difficult it makes doing the normal things you take for granted. As someone who lives with a chronic pain condition I have needed to take time to consider and understand this, and it has helped me to realise how much pain or illness must affect our companion animals, including dogs.

A change in behaviour occurs rapidly should prompt a visit to the vet for a health check to see if there are any illnesses or injuries as a sudden behaviour change can be a sign that the dog is in pain or feeling unwell.

A good and ethical canine professional will always ask when the dog last visited their vet and will recommend a check up to rule out any medical cause for the new behaviour before beginning to make a plan to help the dog and their people. Trying to change behaviour if there is a health or pain issue will, at best, be ineffective, and it is unethical and unfair to the dog to try training when they are unwell or hurting.

13/12/2024

This is something that those of us who work as trainers or behaviour consultants encounter a lot. A client will come to us because there is a behaviour or group of behaviours that they want to stop happening.

This is fine for some behaviours. Destructive chewing can result in injury to the dog, either damage to their teeth or, in some cases, swallowing inedible items that can cause an emergency and require surgery. Chasing cars out on a walk could result in a dog managing to get into the road and run over. Pulling on the lead can make walks difficult and potentially painful for dog and human (particularly dangerous for dogs walking using collars around then neck as there are many delicate and important structures in their throats just as in ours).

The essential first step in working with any behaviour is to think about why it may be happening.

Is the dog chewing because they are young and teething? Give them something appropriate to chew and redirect them to that if they start to chew something else.

Are they destroying things when they are left home alone? They could have separation related issues, in which case it's important to work with a qualified and experienced force free trainer to reduce their anxiety.

Are they given enough opportunities to chew on a regular basis? Chewing is a natural behaviour (as is digging) and it's vital we give them plenty of opportunities to carry out natural behaviours.

Are they chasing cars because they are scared? Or is it because they are a breed that reacts to fast moving objects, like herding dogs, sight hounds, or terriers? In each case here, working with a force free trainer will help, as will finding out activities we can do with our dogs to let them chase appropriate items or control movement as they have been bred to do.

Pulling on the lead is perhaps one of the simplest (and most common) of issues and one very simple reason it happens is that dogs generally move faster than humans, and they need to be taught to match our pace. Switch to a harness to keep their neck safe and reward them when they are in the right position. Again, working with a force free trainer is a great idea as they can show the best way to mark and reward when the dog is in position and how to keep the lead loose.

Another thing that helps greatly with this is to use a longer lead and let them have more length to explore when it is safe to do so, so they can sniff and investigate their surroundings - sniffing is another natural behaviour and probably the one that is easiest for us to let them do, as we can simply let them sniff while we are out walking together.

For any behaviour that humans can find problematic, before anything else, we need to understand why it is happening and, if it is a natural behaviour, our responsibility as caregiver to make sure our dogs are able to do these things safely.

12/12/2024

Are you training multiple dogs? See how I do this, there's a video of my dogs enjoying table trading that comes from the foundation of Crate Games.

12/12/2024

Why punishment is the wrong approach for house training mistakes, and what you should do instead.

12/12/2024

YOU CANNOT REINFORCE AN EMOTION

This is one that comes up over and over again: A dog is afraid, the owner picks the dog up or cuddles or soothes the dog and everyone gasps in shock and horror – “You see, that is why the dog is so fearful – they are coddling the dog and he has learned that being afraid gets him attention”.

NO, NO, NO and a thousand times NOOOOOO!!!!!

Fear is an emotion and you cannot reinforce an emotion. How many of you have been in a scary situation? Have you been lost somewhere? Have you ever worried about a loved one’s safety? Have you fallen and hurt yourself? Have you had to go to a daunting meeting? Have you been mugged? In how many of those situations has someone being nice to you, supporting you or giving you a hug during or after the event ever made you more scared? Has it made you more likely to be scared of the same thing in the future? No, of course not. If anything, it might have helped you to cope or feel slightly better or stronger at the time to face what you were dealing with.

I am not suggesting that every time our dogs are afraid, we do nothing but sit and cuddle them and this will make it magically better – not at all. What I am saying, is that we need to stop thinking in terms of being able to reinforce emotions, when they are just that – emotions and not behaviours. Emotions are involuntary responses and are not subject to operant conditioning. We cannot punish them and we cannot reinforce them.

Now, sometimes (actually very often) behaviours are carried out as the result of an emotion. A dog that is afraid might flee and if this results in them successfully escaping the “scary” thing, then they will feel relief and the BEHAVIOUR of running away will have been reinforced. If the dog uses aggression to get the scary thing to move away and it works, then the aggressive outburst (an operant behaviour) will have been reinforced. So, in that context, we do need to think about what behaviours we want to reinforce in our dogs. I always say to puppy class owners, that if their puppy is looking uncomfortable and wants to move away from something – LET THEM DO SO! Then moving calmly away will be the behaviour that is reinforced. If they are forced to stay in the situation that they do not like and their fear builds, eventually they will react with fight or flight and just surviving the situation will be enough for their brain to say: “Aha, that was clearly a good option – let’s do that again in the future!”

So here are some DO’S and DON’TS:

DO feel free to reassure your dog if he is looking uncomfortable about something
DO respond with love and kindness to your dog if he comes to you for reassurance during or after a scary event
DO allow your dog the choice to move away from something he is not comfortable with (in fact, try to let it be his choice to approach things in the first place and don’t force him to interact with something against his will)
DO feel free to sit and cuddle your dog if he wants to stay close, because the neighbours are having a loud party next door.
DO NOT force your dog to “face his fears” by flooding him with whatever he does not like (e.g. forcing a dog scared of water into the pool)
DO NOT ignore your dog when he looks for reassurance – you should be a place of safety and always the first person he seeks out when afraid
DO NOT judge people who comfort and reassure their dogs or even pick them up to keep them out of potential danger

Finally, DO draw up a proactive plan to help your dog to find the world and the things in it less scary. For more information on how to do this, please see:
https://www.tarynblyth.co.za/single-post/2018/08/13/Counter-Conditioning-%E2%80%93-How-This-Concept-Is-So-Misunderstood
And
https://www.tarynblyth.co.za/single-post/2018/08/28/Desensitisation-and-Where-We-go-Wrong

12/12/2024

So many of the things behaviour professionals are engaged to help with are considered problem behaviours by the dog's humans. Four examples in this image - digging, barking, pulling wanting to explore when on the lead, and chewing.

Are these problem behaviours? Not from the dog's perspective. These are all normal and natural dog behaviours. The issue is that they can be considered problematic by the dog’s humans and societally unacceptable in certain situations or when done a lot.

Natural behaviours are important. Under the Five Freedoms, the basic template set out 45 years ago, the freedom to carry out natural behaviours is listed as essential for meeting their welfare needs.

It's clear that letting dogs do some of these things however they feel like can cause problems. Digging and chewing can cause a lot of damage, barking can absolutely be annoying and unpleasant if it's prolonged and frequent. Pulling on the lead to get to a smell or to have a closer examination of something or just to move along faster can be uncomfortable for both human and dog.

What's the solution?

Find ways for them to carry out these natural behaviours that are comfortable and appropriate for all concerned.

Give them a spot to dig. Whether a specific patch of garden or something like a child’s sandpit, direct them there to dig to their heart’s content. If they are caught digging where they shouldn’t, just redirect them to the appropriate spot. Perhaps hide things in the selected spot for them to dig up and make digging in this one place really attractive for them.

Dogs will bark, it’s part of being a dog for most breeds (although some are much quieter than others and certain breeds make sounds that aren’t barks). It’s not something that will ever be stopped entirely but what we can do is shorten the amount of time they are barking. If your dog barks at a noise or something they see outside, thank them, and give them something nice. It sounds counterintuitive but for dogs who are barking as a warning that they see or hear something it does work. (If a dog is frantically barking and throwing themselves at the door or window and seeming clearly stressed then that’s a different issue and it may well be worth finding a kind and ethical behaviour professional to help understand what is upsetting your dog).

Chewing is one of the most natural of dog behaviours. Seen often in young puppies when teething, it is also something many dogs continue to do and enjoy throughout their lives. Chewing is good for cleaning their teeth and (along with licking) it is a calming activity that helps them to relax. Obviously, we don’t want them chewing our furniture or things so it’s vital to give them appropriate things to chew. There are many chew toys and dog chews that are available, although some can damage teeth or cause issues if the dog bites off large chunks and swallows them and others like rawhide can contain nasty chemicals, so care is needed in selection. Once you have found a safe chew that your dog likes, redirect them to that ‘legal’ chew to save your belongings.

Walking on the lead does not come naturally to dogs. They need to be taught how to walk on a loose lead and match our pace. Many dogs naturally move faster than we do when walking, so it is up to us to show them where we would like them to be when on the lead. Sometimes this might be right beside us when next to a road, for example, and sometimes we can maybe use a longer lead to give them a bit more room to explore. The key is to help them understand the lead needs to be loose. I use a very relaxed form of loose lead walking with my own dogs – no matter how long the lead (I use a 15-foot lead as standard and shorten or lengthen it as needed) as long as my arm is not pulled away from my side, that’s absolutely fine. The important thing when it comes to allowing natural behaviours is to let our dogs explore things when on lead. Let them go over to the water to have a look. Let them sniff that tree they are looking at longingly. Give them time and space to carry out natural behaviours even when we are in places they cannot for whatever reason be off the lead.

Letting dogs do those natural dog things, letting them BE dogs, is a vital part of being the best dog people that we can possibly be, so find the ways that we can let them be dogs safely and comfortably for everyone.

12/12/2024

At this point in time, most folks understand the link between pain and behavior. It’s logical: you don’t feel well, you have less patience and tolerance, you lash out or shut down or otherwise are not the best version of yourself. It makes sense that the same would be true for dogs.

But how do we know there is pain with animals who cannot verbalize that pain?

The short answer: we can’t know.

The longer answer: we also can’t know there ISN’T pain.

Meet Malus.

From puppyhood, he’s been a little spicy. But he’s a terrier, so that’s normal, right? He didn’t like having his feet handled. No biggie. And as he got older, he got a little reactive to other dogs - again, see “terrier” in the dictionary. And after he got neutered at 2.5 years old, his behavior spiraled - going after his housemates, aggression directed at his owners, even less tolerance for handling, increased fence fighting. But there’s some evidence of increased aggression after neutering, so maybe he just got unlucky.

For many folks, that explanation would’ve been enough. They would’ve worked on behavior modification, or just accepted a crate and rotate household, or managed the heck out of all of his triggers… or, honestly, would’ve ended up euthanizing him for his dangerous behavior.

Luckily, Malus’s mom is Katrina, who is essentially a terrier in a human body. She dug in.

Training, a veterinary behaviorist, consulting with other behavior experts, expensive testing - and then we got our first physical explanation: low zinc.

But even with a zinc supplement, his aggressive episodes remained unpredictable. Katrina had noticed some very, very intermittent lameness, foot chewing, butt/tail biting, so off they went to the first orthopedic specialist - one who cleared him orthopedically for all activities.

So they did physical therapy, and pain meds, and kept working on training.

But the weird, mild lameness continued, and so did visits to specialists. A neurologist who recommended an MRI, then more physical therapy for a possible psoas strain, different meds, another orthopedic/rehab specialist consultation, adjustments to physical therapy, a PEMF bed for home use, adjustments to behavior meds, consults with nationally respected trainers and behavior specialists, and finally - FINALLY - a recommendation to see a pain management specialist.

“I think he may have Tethered Cord Syndrome. I’m going to try different pain meds, but there’s a specialist in Massachusetts you should get in touch with.”

With the new meds on board, his behavior improved. He was brighter, happier, had fewer episodes of lameness, self mutilation, and aggression.

Yesterday, Malus had a dynamic MRI at Tufts, where Tethered Cord Syndrome was confirmed.

Today, he had surgery to relieve the adhesions to his spinal cord that have been causing him pain.

He was never “just being a terrier.” He was not acting out for no good reason. He didn’t need harsher training methods. He wasn’t aggressing for no reason.

He was in pain.

There are no words to adequately describe how thrilled I am for Katrina and Malus to have this diagnosis and surgery in their rear view mirror - it has been a long time coming. The strain on Katrina and Kevin’s emotions, time, resources, finances, and household over the last 5 years cannot be overstated. Most folks wouldn’t - and couldn’t - go to the lengths they did.

We can’t rule out pain. We can only rule out specific issues and diagnoses. For Malus, it took finding the right vet who had heard about this rarely diagnosed issue to connect them with the vet who could help.

To my clients I encourage to work with their veterinarian to try to find any physical explanations: Katrina and Malus are the reason why I will push you more if your primary care vet shrugs you off. It’s why I will push and push and push, especially if your commitment to training and management is excellent but we still are struggling to make progress. Malus is on my shoulder (sometimes literally), poking me with his nose, screeching in my ear to look harder.

If you’ve ever heard him, you know how hard that ✨ delightful ✨ noise is to ignore.

(PS - Here’s your sign to sign up for pet insurance.)

To learn more about Tethered Cord Syndrome:
https://vet.tufts.edu/news-events/news/breakthrough-surgical-procedure-relieves-dogs-chronic-pain

11/12/2024

Not all dogs want to be touched by unfamiliar children or adults. Just like we teach respecting personal space with people, we need to teach this about all living creatures. If a dog does not want to be Pet children can blow a kiss wave, offer a treat, or toss a toy. Touching is not a guarantee or a requirement. Just because something has four legs, a tail and fur Does not mean it wants to be touched. The assumption that all dogs want to be touched by children is a dangerous one. If you do pet a dog we encourage you to constantly ask the dog for permission. Pet Pet Pause and see if the dog asks for more. They may move toward to rub against you to indicate they want more. If they get up, shake off Or stretch then they are done. These are just some of the examples you can look for. Strengthen your dog aware skills by observing always.

11/12/2024

You can never be TOO CAREFUL when CHOOSING a TRAINER:

I have written similar posts in the past, but sadly, having just joined a forum for a well known training academy that promotes itself as being based on positive reinforcement principles, I am once again reminded that many people bandy about the term positive reinforcement without having a clue what that really means or having much intention of following it. We even have a local dog expert who claims to use positive reinforcement on her website while simultaneously dishing out advice about dominance and throwing shake cans at dogs and another that claims to only use positive reinforcement, but has recommended a shock collar.

Anyway, back to what I saw yesterday that reminded me of the problem with adopting labels without understanding what they truly mean - and perhaps this is what happens when people with no solid education in behaviour end up in charge of training academies, schools and platforms - at some point there is a fundamental lack of insight into the motivations for behaviour and emotional welfare issues in training which starts coming through. Here are a few more red flags for knowing when to move on and find another, better trainer:

1. An educated force free trainer who understands the underlying emotional factors behind behaviours will NEVER advocate ignoring emotional distress and focus only on the overt behaviour (suppress or ignore it).
2. A positive reinforcement trainer who cares about a dog's welfare will never advocate crating a dog for half his life.
3. A positive reinforcement trainer concerned with a dog's wellbeing will never suggest dealing with signs of potential distress (barking, crying), by advocating isolating the dog where his distress cannot be heard.
4. A true positive reinforcement trainer would never advocate telling a dog to just "shut up"!
5. An educated positive reinforcement trainer does not believe the myth that some dogs want to please you and make you happy and others only respond to avoid making you upset i.e. they only respond to the threat of punishment (negative reinforcement).

I am truly shocked and saddened that people in positions of authority in the positive reinforcement dog training community could actually advocate any of the above. So if this is what can happen in "respectable" circles, think for a moment what the average self-proclaimed dog expert might get up to with your dog, when you trust them and ask for their help, despite their total lack of training or qualifications.

PLEASE be careful who you trust. Check and double check their credentials and their training methods before allowing them anywhere near your dog or taking their advice.