Fido Coach

17/04/2022

This is a good illustration of puppy socialization needs, shared from Good as Gold Training, but I would also add that all of the listed exposure and experience needs to feel *safe* for the puppy. If s/he is nervous, tentative, or fearful the fear should be handled by backing off a little and reintroducing very slowly and with lots of praise, food and patience. Sometimes, for the sake of "socialization", owners push their puppies too far and too fast, and it can backfire. Good socialization requires that we "read" our puppies and help them feel safe as they navigate the sounds, textures, people and animals in their new world.

05/03/2022

This infographic always makes me smile as it’s so very accurate!

25/02/2022

When we attached tiny, backpack-like tracking devices to five Australian magpies, we didn't expect to discover an entirely new social behaviour rarely seen in birds, writes Dominique Potvin.

19/11/2021

DOGS AND TV
Why are some dogs fascinated and some show no interest?
Studies have shown that dogs can perceive images and sounds coming from a TV. Dogs also have the ability to visually identify images of other dogs amongst pictures of people and other animals as well as sounds that they’re familiar with like barking, whining, squeaky toys or certain cue words coming from a TV.
But, just because they can, doesn’t mean that they do! Some dogs are not in the least bit interested while some appear fascinated by what they are seeing and hearing. The individual personality of the dog and breed specific traits seem to be the deciding factor. Breeds that are more attuned to movement may show more interest in TV, while breeds driven by scent may not be interested at all.
Even though dogs are able to recognise screen images, they see images differently than we do. Dogs have dichromatic vision which enables them to only perceive colours on the yellow and blue spectrum. To dogs, every colour appears yellow, blue, brown or grey. Despite their different colour perception, they register moving images far quicker than we do. Modern, high-definition TV sets have a higher number of frames per second than older TV’s and are more likely to capture their attention.
Using the science of dog vision, a dedicated TV channel was developed especially for dogs. It features a higher number of frames per second and has colours set to accommodate the yellow / blue visual spectrum. The channel is aimed at providing entertainment for dogs when they’re left alone.
Out of curiosity, I gave this channel a trial run and my Schnauzers were not in the least bit interested even when I excitedly pointed to the dog chasing balls and splashing through water on the screen. My pointing only caused them to check if there was a bug on the screen that they could catch or if there were any food crumbs around the set and after a quick sniff, they all went back to snoozing, very confused as to what I was making such a fuss about! They are definitely a scent driven breed. That said, I have also seen dogs that are fascinated and even very vocal about what they see on the screen. As with most dog behaviour, it all depends on the individual dog.

17/11/2021

31/10/2021

Thanks to Mighty Dog Graphics for this poster.

26/10/2021

Just five minutes...

What if petting your dog with purpose provided priceless info that could save his life? Dr. Julie Buzby, DVM, teaches 10 touches that show you how.

23/10/2021

Remember this over Halloween, not a new post but a very important one - words and advice by the wonderful Jill Brietner of Dog Decoder

19/10/2021

Graphic by Vet Behavior Team.

If your dog shows any of these signs of hyperarousal it would benefit both you and your dog to get help from a positive reward trainer. Hyperarousal is not the same as a hyperactive dog. Learning the distinction is important if you want to offer your dog, relief.

02/10/2021

If you love four-legged best friend at home, do him and yourself a favor and watch this video. https://youtu.be/46ND3suK1y8

Applied Ethologist and Dog Behavior Specialist, Kim Brophey, analyzes the issues with the pet industry and outlines a new dog training program that values a ...

02/10/2021

Can a highly stressful environment during pregnancy affect how puppies turn out? Imagine this: A young dog goes stray and lives on urban streets for two months, in almost constant fear.

15/09/2021

Yes! Love seeing positive training being applied to farm animals!

Capturing cow urine could allow us to reduce the amount of damaging nitrate and nitrous oxide that ends up in the environment.

26/08/2021

What are the bare basics to behaviour modification? How do we teach dogs to overcome fear? We're creating some handouts to share with everyone.

This is a mockup of our first of several behaviour modification handouts. Let us know what you think and please do point out any typos for us to ammend!

Inspired by Companion Minds

12/08/2021

This is one of my favourite quotes from Jean Donaldson's Culture Clash. No motivation, no training, is such an important message to get across. And of course, food makes for an excellent motivator. There's a reason this book has been so influential in dog training--it's jam-packed with wisdom.

08/08/2021

Canine separation anxiety is one of the most common behavioral problems dog owners face. This video by Fear Free Pets describes the origin and categories of anxiety disorders.
https://bit.ly/3fA7OGz

06/07/2021

Your dog wants you and all the other humans to know this...

My dogs just handed me this!
Apparently, they want us to tell kids (and grown-ups!!) everywhere EXACTLY how they'd like us to say hi!
You wouldn't want to disappoint the pups now, would you!!?
Share away - it'd be rude not to!!

03/07/2021

Here are 8 tips for helping a dog that’s scared of fireworks that you can use the day of and leading up to the event.

29/06/2021

4th of July is coming! Don’t wait until last minute to help your pup! Start preparing now.

13/06/2021

We can often wonder how a scared dog can be scared of something so obviously harmless. It's not harmless to them.

29/05/2021

Is your pandemic pup showing signs of separation anxiety? We have expert-backed tips to help your pet cope when you go back to work.

24/05/2021

Is your pooch licking one paw? Two paws? All four paws?
Dogs lick their paws for many reasons: my article about this topic is in the comments section:

13/05/2021

So much joy!!!

12/05/2021

Words of wisdom from Ian Dunbar...

18/04/2021

Remember... dogs the see the world with their noses👃🐶

Imagine going on a long-anticipated walk, through beautiful scenery, after you have been cooped up all day in the same place, but you have been fitted with a blind fold and are being dragged along at a fast pace. I imagine that this is how dogs feel when we don’t allow them time to stop and sniff the environment. Dogs largely perceive their world through smell and it’s how they collect and process information and make sense of their world. Taking away an opportunity for sniffing on a walk is not in their best interests and as much as physical exercise is important, the mental stimulation that sniffing provides is equally, if not more important.
Studies have shown that allowing dogs to spend time sniffing provides so many benefits – promoting calmness, lowering stress and anxiety levels, lowering pulse rates, preventing cognitive decline and providing mental stimulation and enrichment are just some examples.
Make time for a slow “sniffing walk”, where your dog is allowed to decide which direction to go and allowed to simply follow their nose to their noses content! It may take more patience as we wait for them to finish smelling that blade of grass, but the benefits are well worth it.

04/04/2021

Happy Easter!! Nothing more fun then enjoying an egg hunt with the pups!

We're calling it now: Dog Easter egg hunts are on trend for 2020.

22/03/2021

Fido first... always ❤️❤️❤️.

“It’s amazing how little you care about what people think.” My client said during our lesson the other day.

“You focus on your training regardless of what people around you are doing.

I mean, the other day, you didn’t even notice the dog that was running around at your feet, trying to get your attention, because you were so focused on coaching your student.”

I laughed. It’s true.

I mean, I’m not going to say I never care about what people think of me - I’m only human after all.

But when it comes to training dogs, I NEVER worry about the opinions of strangers.

Because my dog needs my full attention.

And truthfully, the people who are passing judgment don’t.

But in this case my client was mistaken. Because I DID notice the dog.

Even though I didn’t acknowledge it or say hi…

I knew it was there.

My choice to ignore the dog was intentional.

Because if a dog approaches me, I ignore it…

Every. Single. Time.

And dog owners regularly misconstrue my actions when I do.

They think I’m being rude. They take it personally.

But the truth is…

I don’t do it because I don’t like the dog…

It’s not that I don’t want to greet them.

I ignore them out of respect for their owner.

Because lavishing a dog with attention that is pulling to get to me, or jumping around at my feet, is only going to teach them two important lessons…

- Other people in environment are a great reason to ignore your owner

- Being overexcited, pulling, or jumping about pays big

Not to mention, looming over dogs that don’t know me, making direct eye contact, thrusting my hand out, and touching them without giving them the opportunity to check me out first can make them uncomfortable.

Listen…

Anyone who has worked through behavior challenges will tell you how grateful they are when people ignore their dog.

When people don’t swoon, or touch their dog but instead, give them the space to reinforce their training.

And give them the space to say hi if they want to.

So when I’m in public, I offer others the same respect.

Despite my deep desire to scoop every dog up in my arms and kiss their faces (I am who I am)…

I ignore dogs when they approach.

I put their needs above my wants.

And I wish more people would do the same.

10/02/2021

So much gets lost in communication between humans and canines...

Understanding your dog's body language helps you to recognise how your dog is feeling and this enables you to meet their emotional and behavioural needs. It also makes training more effective and strengthens your bond with your dog. Would you like to understand your dog's body language?

We have a new workshop in our Skill Hub entitled Canine Communication: A Language of a Species. Check it out!
https://www.canineprinciples.com/course?courseid=canine-communication-webinar

We also offer an amazing Canine Communication Diploma Course.
https://www.canineprinciples.com/course?courseid=Canine-Communication-diploma

08/02/2021

Do you have a fearful and reactive dog? Then you have likely heard these frustrating words. Managing your dog's fears may have become increasingly difficult during lockdown since there are more people walking their dogs and there's been an increase in dog guardians.

Reactivity can be embarrassing and emotionally exhausting for you and your dog but help is available.

Canine Principles has several courses on fear and reactivity, designed for both dog guardians and professionals.

Check them out.🐾

https://www.canineprinciples.com/pages/courses

29/01/2021

The old, obedience-driven model directed at show dogs is out. A new, more relationship-based approach aimed at companion dogs is in.

21/01/2021

If your dog’s behaviour around your kids isn't quite what you'd hoped for, a canine behaviour practitioner has advice you can try today.