Canine Behaviour Coaching and ManTrailing

14/08/2024

Sport-ManTrailing with your dog for fun and enrichment.
Working with the dog’s incredible sense of smell to follow a person’s individual scent trail to locate them is nothing new and has been used for many years all over the world by Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue groups and the Military to find people who are lost or trying to evade detection. But did you know it is also a fantastically enriching activity for your dog?
Here at Canine Behaviour Coaching and ManTrailing we work to accomplish understanding and fulfilment for both dogs and handlers in a positive and supportive environment.

As a qualified instructor using the Kocher Method of training, I set the dogs up for success, allowing every dog to enjoy the rewards of expressing their deep-rooted natural instincts.

Some of the benefits of Sport-Trailing;
• It builds a great working partnership between your dog and you
• You and your dog grow in confidence working together.
• The dog learns to harness the power of their incredible nose
• It uses your dog’s natural instincts, creating fulfilment and satisfaction.
• It also provides you and your dog with physical and mental stimulation.
• Sniffing activities are proven to help dogs relax.
• It is open to Dogs of all breeds, ages and abilities. This includes dogs with confidence issues. We work dogs individually which means that we can work with reactive dogs in a safe environment. (Precautions are taken where needed and each case is treated individually)

Sport-ManTrailing is good for us humans too, we get to hang out with like-minded people, we learn together and support each other, often we get to eat cake and drink coffee and we always get to talk about dogs.

If you are interested give me a call or drop me a message on 07813072510

13/01/2024

WHY I 'IGNORE' YOUR PET

When I walk into your home, I always 'ignore' your anxious or fearful pet (cat or dog) and wait patiently for them to make the first move.

I don't crowd them or touch them without consent. I don't face them head-on or stare them in the eye. I just observe them without putting them in a worse emotional position. Even when they venture close to me, I refrain from touching them. And no, I don't extend my hand so that they can smell me as they could smell me when I entered the gate already due to their keen sense of smell. Extending my hand just scares them. No sudden movements. No loud voices. Just calmness. I wait patiently for them to initiate contact and communication with me. Even then, I limit contact to 3 second bursts.

Sniffing me is not an invitation for me to touch! The dog is gathering information about me. I wait for him to nose me or paw me or lick me and then may pat them. Even then, I pause for corroboration (wait for another sign) to ensure that it's OK to pat them. Rather err on the side of caution and go slow.

I 'ignore' your pet out of love and respect. I give them choices. Choice based behaviour modification builds self-esteem and confidence.

Now you know why I 'ignore' your pet...

Edit - when I say ignore, I mean respect 🙂

📷 Megan Karnes

14/12/2023

10/12/2023

Scented Candles: Seasonal Smells, but Harmful to Everyone’s Health 🕯️⚠️

As appealing as scented candles are, they also produce dangerous indoor pollutants that dramatically affect the health of your entire family, including the furry members. 🤧❗

I don't recommend using air-scenting products, especially if you have pets in your home that can’t step out for a breath of clean, fresh air, if needed. ✖️

For safe, nontoxic ways to keep your home smelling fresh, read today’s free article: https://bit.ly/3sR4sbR

03/12/2023

The outdated concept of pack leadership and dominance in domestic dogs has not only been proven incorrect, but also promotes a harmful relationship dynamic. Born from flawed studies of captive wolves in the 1940s, this theory has been wholly discredited by modern research.

Believing a dog is trying to dominate can foster negative emotions towards confused dogs and lead to unfair interpretation of their behaviour. This, in turn, can provoke inappropriate responses from the humans involved, escalating fear and anxiety in dogs, and creating a cycle of adverse behaviour.

Current understanding of canine behaviour underscores the importance of empathy, respect, and positive reinforcement. Canine Principles champions these evidence-based practices, offering an enlightened approach to dog-human interactions.

Don't let misconceptions taint your relationship with your dog. Join Canine Principles, debunk the myths, and cultivate a more compassionate bond with your dog, based on understanding their true nature and empathy towards them.

https://www.canineprinciples.com/online-dog-courses

29/11/2023

December Mantrailing dates.
A few places available on the following dates;
1st, 3rd, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 24th, 28th, and 29th.
All levels welcome, message me on 07813072510 for more information.

11/11/2023

When did education and ethics become a joke and a game in the dog industry, where the players dress in costume and pretend to wield magic?

Since when did we choose charisma over qualifications? So many on social media announce themselves as dog trainers and promote this idea that they have a magical talent that very few possess. This leads many to believe they don't have, and can never have, the knowledge or skills to change their dogs behaviour. This isn't true. You do have the power to change your dog's behaviour. You do have the power to improve your communication. You do have the power to train your dog. It's not something you are born with, it's something you learn, if you are willing to put the time and effort in.

While there are definitely those that have talents in the dog industry, these should further their education, not replace it. The best dog trainers show humility and acknowledge that there is always more to learn. Ego has no place in the dog industry, rather the industry should be grounded on education and ethics.

Pema Chodron once said that "ego seeks to divide and separate." This is the very opposite to what we want to achieve when training your dog. Communication and the relationship are integral to any behaviour modification plan. So, choose a trainer that is willing and qualified to teach you how to train and communicate with your dog, rather than one that disempowers you with their egotistical belief system.

05/11/2023

We are taking part in a collaboration pop up shop from 14-19 November, open 10-5 Tuesday to Saturday and 10-3 Sunday.

An array of yarns, knits, sewn items, gifts, baskets, rugs and much more. Come and see us in Stonehaven 🤎

18/10/2023

Engagement between a dog and their guardian is beneficial for several reasons:

Relationship building: Engaging with your dog strengthens the bond between you, fostering trust and companionship.

Training: An engaged dog is more receptive to learning, which leads to easier and more effective training sessions.

Mental stimulation: Interaction and engagement help keep your dog's mind sharp, reducing boredom and preventing undesirable behaviours.

Physical exercise: Engaging activities like playtime and walks contribute to your dog's overall fitness and health.

Socialisation: Positive engagement with you and others helps your dog become well-adjusted, confident, and adaptable in various situations.

Communication: Frequent interaction improves understanding between you and your dog, allowing you to better recognize their needs and emotions.

Overall well-being: An engaged and connected dog is likely to be happier, more content, and have a better quality of life.

🐶🐶🐶

18/09/2023

05/09/2023

September ManTrailing dates
Limited places available in Aberdeenshire.
Friday 15th am and pm
Friday 22nd am and pm
Call or message 07813072510 for more information or to book a place.

21/08/2023

Never lose sight of what underpins what you do...

10/08/2023

August Mantrailing dates.
a few spaces left on;
Sunday 13th, pm only, Finzean
friday 25th, pm only, Alford.
Message me on whatsapp on 07813072510 if interested.

03/08/2023

DON’T FORCE ME TO BE SOCIAL!
Do we like everyone we meet? Do we all enjoy socialising and spending time with lots of different people? I certainly don’t and refer to myself as a “caninetrovert” – a person that much prefers to spend time with dogs rather than people. Maybe I’m a little different to the “norm”, but be that as it may, we are all individuals with different personality styles and social preferences.

Some of us are extroverts, gaining energy from interacting with people; some of us introverts, who find people draining and need alone time to recharge our social batteries and some of us are somewhere in between.

If we acknowledge that we are all different in this way, we also need to acknowledge and accept that our dogs are similar.

They could be overly affectionate or fiercely independent, approachable or nervous, energetic or laid back, confident or cautious, sociable, tolerant, selective or reactive.

We may be really disappointed when our dogs turn out not to be the socialite we expected them to be.

Some may even see this as a behaviour problem that needs to be “fixed”. Sometimes it can be improved, especially if the cause is from a negative experience, but genetics, breed tendencies, individual personalities, health and age all contribute to tolerance levels and sociability.

Accept your dog for who they are, allow them to choose whether they want to be sociable or not, respect their choices and never force an interaction that your dog is not comfortable with.

03/07/2023

Symbiotic health
I love this slide from the PetBiome's short presentation on the dog's microbiome: https://www.facebook.com/Superfixsupplements/videos/814916023477950?idorvanity=340053143488709

Keep yourself healthy to keep your dog healthy and vice versa. ❤️
It's obvious in many ways and now also through the gut biome.

13/06/2023

07/06/2023

Don't aim to fit in.
Many people feel that to be popular or accepted; they have to fit in and change significant parts of their personality to feel like they belong. In the canine business world, it's no different. I think that when people start to worry more about keeping people on side, they can find it hard to remain authentic. Of course, that's a personal decision, and anyone working in the field of human behaviour will tell us that the reasons for trying to be someone different to gain acceptance are wide and varied, not least to avoid bullying or to keep their head down and not cause ripples. One thing is for sure; it's not comfortable.
We can think about this 'fitting in' in relation to dogs too. On a wider scale, society expects dogs to behave a certain way; any deviation from this means there is a big problem. Owners/guardians feel pressure to have that perfect dog, the one you can take everywhere, who loves all people and other dogs, would never growl and is 100% obedient. On a more personal scale, many people find it hard to accept that their current dog is not the same as their previous dogs. 'I never had this problem with my last dog' is a common statement made. If your previous dog was a model citizen, then you were lucky in so far as the things you wanted from them were probably on the dog's radar anyway. When that alignment of human and dog comes together, it can be a wonderful relationship. The pieces of the jigsaw fit without difficulty.
This 'new' dog has their own personality, their own thoughts and needs, and these may not always be lined up with the human. Can you still have a relationship with that dog? Of course, you must build that relationship; you haven't taken one jigsaw piece out and replaced it with an identical part; things need to be adjusted and changed on both sides of the relationship. Above all, you should embrace the differences instead of trying to make the dog fit in.
It's time we changed our opinions about dogs and dog behaviour; we can all be different, unique and flourish rather than both them and us trying to be something we are not.
Fitting in is costly; it takes energy and ultimately isn't a happy state to be in. Be prepared to stand up for your dog, don't let people make you think less of them and celebrate their uniqueness.

06/06/2023

Emotional dysregulation
Our domestic dogs don't experience the range of natural interactions that they should. Being on the lead, being forced into social situations that they would rather avoid, not being able to make a choice that ultimately leads to a de escalation coupled with the pressure to like every other dog and stranger is completely overwhelming.
In a natural environment, dogs would avoid the other dogs or people that they didn't like and would be able to regulate their emotions accordingly.
We concentrate so much on socialisation and training that we can easily over ride what the dog knows with every fibre of their being, that is that they should yield or give space.
Dogs know this, they don't have to be taught it but humans can certainly thwart any attempts by dogs to 'do the right thing'. This isn't saying that we should let dogs sort things out between them but it does mean that we should be more mindful that dogs often know what is best for them and we could be putting them into situations that they cannot handle or that cause tension between two dogs.
'Emotional dysregulation means that an individual has difficulty regulating their emotions. They may feel overwhelmed, have difficulties controlling impulsive behaviours, or have angry outbursts.'
Photo: Eric is unsure of the deer and maintains a distance to process and manage his emotional responses. Shortly after this photo was taken, he calmly walked off, choosing not to decrease the distance or interact.

18/05/2023

There is a common misconception that the best way to manage hyperactive dogs is to try to physically tire them out. For some working breeds, they will need more exercise than other breeds but if we regularly engage in activities that cause our dog to become highly excited and over-aroused, every day for long periods, they will have high levels of stress hormones in their bloodstream, even though they appear to enjoy these activities.

Overarousal is not necessarily just linked to negative events. It occurs with positive events too. We often see this in dogs who play long daily repetitive games of fetch.

10/04/2023

We often refer to dogs as our pets. An animal that the kids can play with. A captive friend whose fur we can cry into on a bad day. We often hear them called ‘it’ and expect them to fit into a little set of rules to be a good family pet. And if they don’t meet our expectations or stay enthusiastic and trouble-free housemates, we have cultivated a belief that we must train them, and then they will behave better.

But what about what the dog wants?

Or how they feel?

And what about all the lessons we can learn from them? What if we stop trying to impose our will onto them? Imagine if your dog could do so much more than being a good family pet.

I urge you now to give pause on the idea that your dog might just need more training and instead step back and watch them better, learn their language, question their beliefs, and improve their agency.

Dog training has been the go-to response to the family dog simply showing us their needs for too long. It’s time to rethink the place of dog training.

It’s time to have a much better and more enriching relationship with our dogs, where creating different responses and behaviour through training is a small part of the bigger picture -and not the whole canvas.