Game Set Go Dog Training

18/03/2024

They are not "just growing old" or "just slowing down a bit"

There is a cause behind their stiffness.
Pain

Pain, and OA, can be treated and managed to the point where your dog can live a longer, happier life.

We believe that canine arthritis is something that needs more awareness! It's not just growing old, it's a condition that can be managed and help prevent premature euthanasia.

13/03/2024

How long are your dog's claws?

Long claws can change your dog's posture and gait, both of these long term can increase the risk of injury to muscles and soft tissue throughout your dog's body. A change in posture can also worsen existing pain from arthritic joints so nail care is particularly important for older dogs.

💡Teaching your dog how to use a scratch board is a fun way to keep the claws short without the need to use nail clippers if your dog doesn't like having their paws handled 👀

I get it....this isn't going to be as popular as other posts, but this message is really important.❗Especially if you have a dog with behavioural issues.❗❗
Reactive dogs especialy can have this very issue and it is a contributing factor.

Within a few minutes of arriving at a clients home and especially if they are reactive, I glance at a dogs claws.
The majority of the time they are overgrown and I can see the claws have caused their toes to splay out, the huge amount of tightness and tension in the foot and the way those long claws are causing pain to this dog.
I will explain to this client just how very important it is to keep a dogs claws short.....often I am met with jaws dropped and a statement of " I had no idea !".

What I cant describe in the graphic is when they grow too long and dogs walk on a hard surface and for some (if long enough) any surface... there is enormous pressure and pain from those claws being pushed back up. They cannot sink into the ground.
That pressure/energy has to go somewhere and it is right back up into the toe and paw, but that is often just the start of the issues.
That causes a change in how paws move...that changes how joints move...that changes how hips move.
From a few long claws a dog can be in pain in multiple areas in their body.

They are not like our nails at all.
If we have long nails, no problem....it usually doesn't cause us any issues at all.
For dogs though.... they can be in incredible pain and will NOT show it in ways we may recognise easily....however they certainly DO show it in their behaviour.

"I will just walk more on concrete"....
Concrete walks are usually not enough to wear down long claws as they can grow much faster than they are worn down.
Those same concrete walks can also cause serious pain.

The remarkable thing about dogs claws is the nerve/blood supply shrinks back just a little when the claws are cut.
If you have a dog with clear claws you can usually see this as a pinky/red core inside the nail.....DONT cut that.
Trim the claws often enough and that pinky/red core will start to shrink back every time (even if it is a mm)....Over a few weeks or months, that is how you get short claws.
If you need help, see a groomer or a veterinarian.
If they are really long you will need multiple visits (if you are unable to do this yourself).
If you have a dog with black claws, get a trusted groomer to do this or show you how and when to stop.

Cutting claws isn't a cure for behavioural issues....but the pain associated with them can be a major contributor.

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

05/03/2024

Does your dog have rough or differing coat patches? These could be a sign of underlying physical discomfort in your dog.

Note the brown dog has hair sticking up in the wrong direction on her shoulders and a wavy pattern of hair above her tail. She is likely to have tight muscles in these areas.

The black dog has a ridge of coarse thick hair along the top of her back. She has spondylosis in her spine which is likely the reason why this coat pattern has developed.

Look back at photos of your dog and see if you can spot any differences in coat colour, texture or growth patterns 👀

These are always worth noting, particularly if you have noticed a change in your dog's behaviour, it could be the first breadcrumb to finding out if there is underlying physical discomfort in your dog.

10/02/2024

Do you know the signs of pain in dogs? Dogs are experts at hiding discomfort and pain! Underlying conditions are often the source of behaviour 'problems', solve the pain and often behaviour improves!

21/11/2023

Why I smile when my dog growls at me.
Sadly, a growling dog is often seen as a bad dog so is punished. As humans, many of us see growling as aggressive or naughty. It can make us feel angry, upset, and sad. Why are our dogs not always loving towards us?

But for dogs growling is a great way to communicate how they are feeling WITHOUT using aggression. Just like we can say, ‘can you stop please?’ or ‘im feeling scared’.
Growling is rarely personal, it doesn't mean they dislike you. They are just asking for space, telling you they are scared, uncomfortable, in pain, or would rather you not take something off them that they perceive as theirs. They may be worried, have gut issues or feel unsafe.

It's no different than us saying we don't feel like a hug, asking someone to not steal our food, our favourite piece of jewellery or possessions. We have a right to give consent and so should they.

When we tell a dog off for growling, when we tap them on the nose, when we shout at them, we are telling them we are not listening, that their feelings are not being heard.
By not listening many dogs will then shout louder, try harder to be heard. They may shut down, even stop growling, but this will just be due to being too uncomfortable or scared to show how they feel. This can lead to lack of trust in you, doing something because they are fearful of you. It may mean that they bottled up their emotions. Or their growling may get worse, they may start air snapping, desperately asking you to hear them. They may even end up biting, feeling that they must increase their communication, that they have no other option left to them.
If we listen to the growl, we can start to better manage their environment, so they are not put in situations that worry or scare them. We can start teaching them that what we are asking of them is a good thing. We can give them space if they need it. We can start building trust.

When Toby first came to us his first behaviour of defence was to show all his teeth, lunge at you and even bite. He looked like a poster dog of aggression. He scared me. But we managed his environment, made him feel safer and we listened. Over time his communication became more subtle, he started to growl, gave us a warning that he was feeling unsafe. When he first started to do this, I was so happy. He made me smile; I knew we were getting somewhere. In the last years of his life, he

communicated with me by giving me a little glance or making a very sweet mumble.
So please try not to be angry or upset if your dog growls. Stop and listen and if it is worrying you then The Dog Geeks are here to support you. We have the right to tell others to back off when we feel unsafe and so do they.

10/09/2023

What motivates your dog to work with you? Ellie is motivated by food and chase!

Knowing what drives and motivates your dog makes training them much easier and more effective! We can modify how we train our dogs to ensure we are working with what drives them!

For some dogs it might smell, others it might be fuss and cuddles! Find what lights up your dog and level up your training sessions!

This is the same for us humans, some people are driven by money and others by job satisfaction, what makes a job worth doing for everyone though is being part of a team. Create that team environment with your dog and have fun training!

23/08/2023

THE BEST TIME TO START MUZZLE TRAINING YOUR DOG WAS TWO MONTHS AGO...

the SECOND-BEST time is TODAY

Humans have a peculiar habit. We are optimistic little souls, never thinking that accidents will happen or our dogs will ever need to wear a muzzle.

Our dog would never bite, right?

Having had to take injured dogs to the vet after car accidents, having watched two (luckily lovely!) dogs fall out of a van on the motorway following an accident, having had to take countless dogs from the shelter to the vet, I know that dogs bite.

It makes me a little different. A Cassandra, if you will, rather than a Pollyanna.

I can see potential bites with alarming foresight.

I also know that some circumstances require muzzles. Sometimes vets insist on them. To go on some public transport, it's required. In France, breeds subjected to legislation must be muzzled on walks. Some of those situations you know are bound to happen. Others you may not think about until you decide to take your dog on a ferry and you'd not even thought that a muzzle would be needed.

So, it's not unusual to be optimistic. Nobody can blame you for that. Also, people don't like muzzles. I get that. Ironically, MORE people cross the road when Lidy is muzzled than when she is not. That muzzle is like a big 'HELLO! I need SPACE here!'

I know yellow leads are popular but I'm forever hearing my clients tell me that their yellow lead had been ignored by off-lead dogs and their guardians.

I've never had a guardian yet who didn't instantly put their dog on the lead when they saw Lidy, muzzled. Muzzles do what we wish yellow leads would do. Except they do it better.

Madness.

They also suit Lidy and me. People are safe, they keep more distance, everyone is sensible.

I don't actually use muzzles if I even suspect the dog I'm working with might bite in order to put them in a situation where the dog might think teeth would be required. That suspicion tells me I'd be putting the dog in circumstances they can't cope with yet. It's time to back it up and slow things down.

I do use muzzles in emergencies, of course, but I tend to use a completely different muzzle than the one I intend to use with the dog in the future. I'm forever hearing people say, 'Well it worked the first time, but the darnedest thing... Went to do it the second time and my dog ran away!'

So many people ruin their muzzles because they try to use them too quickly. It's REALLY hard to undo those first associations and they generalise to other muzzles really easily. It's vital we go slow from the beginning.

I also don't use muzzles to flood dogs I work with and put them in situations they can't control as a way of helping them get over their fears.

The plain fact is that muzzling takes time. If you don't want a battle with your dog every time you pull it out, then you're going to have to take time too.

A bit like fireworks preparation and other stuff, the best time to start with that is at least two months before you really need it.

Sadly, because we're optimistic humans and we don't like muzzles, we often think that we won't need it, until we get an emergency vet visit.

Frankly, I couldn't give a stuff what Barbara or Bob think about my dog in her muzzle. So they think she's an aggressive dog? Good! They'll stay nicely on the other side of the road and won't be tempted to tell their dog to 'go say hello!'

Muzzles are your friend. They're not just for dogs who are eating everything they find. They're not just for nippers and grabbers. They're not just for vet visits or keeping your groomer safe no matter how force-free both are. I keep a spare muzzle in my car, a spare in my training pouch and a spare in the drawer nearest the door. If there's ever a fire, I don't want to try and navigate a scared dog out of the house without a muzzle.

Ironically, I've more clients who'd rather keep their dog permanently on lead than they would to muzzle their dog - which seems a bit crazy to me. A lead traps a dog in position and makes life very unpredictable and uncontrollable. It can hugely contribute to a feeling of powerlessness that ends up fuelling fight-or-flight feelings. Having a muzzle on just in case means the dog can make choices for themselves. Muzzles are often seen as removing a dog's liberty. In reality, they mean that we can give them just a little bit more.

While it goes without saying we should never put a muzzled dog into a situation where we predict they'll fail and they'd feel they needed their teeth, muzzles can make such a difference in expanding their world safely for all.

And who cares what the neighbours think? If they're that judgemental about our dog, who cares for their opinion anyway?

22/08/2023

Muzzle training:

Muzzle training is an important skill for all dogs, even dogs who are usually friendly can be unpredictable when in pain. Vets may also ask for your dog to be muzzled for safe handling for both the vet and dog's safety.

By ensuring your dog understands and/or even enjoys wearing a muzzle you can avoid negative associations and added stress for your dog if one is actually needed in an emergency.

Muzzle training is also great to incorporate into your training sessions as an added skill for your dog to learn!

Heres Ellie showing the early stages of muzzle training, she enjoys learning new things and is great at problem solving new questions asked of her!

If you'd like help with muzzle training get in touch!

05/08/2023

Fitness and self awareness is just as important for our dogs as it is for ourselves! This type of training is very good to work their brains too, which is great if you have a dog who finds the outside world challenging!

Dogs that are aware of their limbs and know how to use their body optimally are less likely to sustain injury during their daily activities. Good physical fitness also prolongs long term health in later years! It's never too late to start conditioning training!

This exercise is still quite new to Ellie but the aim is to stretch and strengthen different muscle groups as well as help her engage her core. There have been many layers of foundation work built up before getting to this stage!

If you'd like to learn more about fitness and strength training for your dogs feel free to get in touch! It's an area I'm particularly passionate about!

02/07/2023

Did you know that the type and fit of the equipment we use to walk our dogs can hugely impact their behaviour?

I'm a huge advocate for a well fitted harness, particularly for dogs that pull or are unpredictable.

Harnesses don't teach or encourage a dog to pull despite the myths, they will pull into any equipment if they are going to pull. It's down to us to train the desired behaviour we want on the end of the lead. Our dogs don't come programmed to walk quietly beside us, we have to teach them how to do so.

If your dog pulls less into an "anti-pull harness", a collar or slip lead, have you ever questioned why? It's because it's causing discomfort and impacting their movement or breathing.

I'd rather a dog was safe and comfortable in a harness, than pulling or lunging into a slip lead or collar. The structures in the neck are very fragile and easily damaged, a well fitted harness will distribute the weight with a much lower risk of injury should the dog pull or lunge.

If a dog is uncomfortable in the equipment we use it can influence anxiety and stress, a stressed anxious dog does not make good calm choices!

Does your dog's harness rub or fit in a way that impacts the natural gait of your dog? Does your dog choke themselves on a collar or slip lead? Does your dog walk away when you get the lead out? If so then it's likely your equipment is causing a level of discomfort and contributing to poor behaviour on your walks.

If your dog is strong and you feel a harness isn't suitable, then a double ended lead clipped to both the front and back of the harness can add a level of control while you work on training.

There is always a reason behind the behaviours our dogs do, so it's key to understand what it is that is driving your dog to pull or react, not just rely on equipment to mask the root of the problem.

If your dog pulls on lead and you are keen to understand the WHY as well as the HOW to training your dog, get in touch! I can help bring the enjoyment back to your walks!

03/05/2023

What does your dog do when you are hoovering and cleaning? Do they bite and attack the hoover or do they choose to snooze? Do they bark like crazy racing around or take themselves off to chill?

If your dog gets stressed when you clean there are skills we can teach them to help them. Let's face it cleaning isn't fun anyway but having a dog who loses their mind when you are hoovering makes it much harder.

Get in touch and we can create an action plan for stress-free cleaning! 💪

29/04/2023

SLEEP!

Sleep is so important for our dogs just as much as it is for ourselves. If we don't sleep enough or well enough we get grumpy, we are less tolerant, we get easily overwhelmed... So do our dogs!

A lack of sleep can negatively influence behaviour which is something we can easily avoid by allowing our dogs enough opportunities throughout the day to rest. Our dogs should ideally be sleeping 14-16hrs a day, puppies even more than that at 16-18hrs a day!

"But my dog is a Border Collie and is always on the go..." .....Even high energy dogs need to develop the ability to rest by default.

Teaching our dogs no matter the breed or lifestyle (this includes top level sports dogs and working dogs..) to relax when they aren't required to be busy is the greatest gift you can give your dog!

Having a dog who is calm by default will not reduce their performance in sport or make them less enthusiastic about playing or walking with you. In fact if they are well rested on a daily basis they will actually be more focused and enthusiastic to be involved in what you do with them. They'll be much more trainable too!

If you teach your dog nothing else throughout their lives, at least teach them how to relax as their default behaviour and you'll be well on your way to having the companion you dream of owning!

If you need more calm in your dog's life feel free to get in contact and I'll show you how to achieve this!

Game Set Go Dog Training 🐾

28/04/2023

Zoomies!

Ellie loves a zoomie! If she's feeling stressed or having a busy week we try to hire a secure field or go somewhere safe for her to zoomie! She's at her happiest when she's racing around at full speed!

While allowing zoomies might not be suitable for all dogs or safe to do in some cases, sprinting is a great decompression activity that works very well for Ellie to help relieve her stress.

Allowing zoomies for some dogs, like Ellie, can benefit your training by letting them release built up tension. Which in turn will help improve their focus and trainability 👌

Dogs, like us, cannot learn new skills when they are stressed or worried. By incorporating activities that your dog finds relaxing into your day / week not only are you improving their mental health, but you'll find they'll learn new skills much quicker and make your training journey more enjoyable for both you and your dog 👍

22/04/2023

17/04/2023

Love Tug-E-Nuff toys! Brilliant training aids designed to last!

NEW!!

TUG-E-NUFF TRAINING TOYS!

We love the quality of Tug-E-Nuff toys! These are amazing toys to help rocket your training and boost your relationship with your dog through play!

We've got squeaker tugs, ball tugs, food clams, pocket tugs, fleece tugs and chaser tugs!

Find us at 2B Beales Close, SP10 1HT, near Vigo Park, free parking right outside the door!

16/04/2023

Claw clipping!

My own Ellie is not a fan of having her claws cut, she's also got black claws so not ideal! I've taught her to scratch sandpaper which she LOVES doing, no fights, no stress, no loss of trust, just lots of fun and maintained claws 😎

Not everything needs tackling head on, it's ok to work WITH the dog to achieve the SAME outcome POSITIVELY and in a fun way 👌

13/04/2023

Homemade treats! Ellie goes mad for these, they are easy to make, freeze well, break up into smaller pieces, bounce well, clean to use and they smell strong enough to get the nose working when lost in long grass! What foods do your dogs love training for?

23/02/2023

How fast and joyful is your dog's recall? Does your dog race back to you with enthusiasm and focus?

The secret to a speedy recall is to find what lights up your dog! For Ellie she thrives on the possibility of a game of chase, tug or food!

If you are unpredictable with your movements and the type of reward you offer, then your dog will love recall, make it a big game!

If recall is something you want to improve drop me a message or email: [email protected]