Clever Canine Concept Training

26/10/2023

Does your dog struggle being left alone? 🐶🐶

Dogs don’t come knowing that being left alone for periods of time is a good deal. In fact, for some dogs, it is truly terrifying.

When introduced in the right way, your dog can learn to love spending time on their own, which will have so many benefits as they navigate life. Check out our top do’s and don’ts below!

✅Inspire calmness
✅Ensure all your dog’s needs are met
✅Teach your dog the concept of “presence doesn’t mean access”
✅Ditch the Routine!
✅Grow optimism, independence and tolerance of frustration
✅Consider pet sitters, dog walkers, friends and family

⛔Never leave an anxious or fearful dog alone so they ‘get used to it’ or ‘cry it out’
⛔Don’t ignore signs that your dog is distressed when left alone
⛔Never punish your dog for showing you they’re worried about being left
⛔Don’t leave your dog in a crate unless you have taught them to relax in confinement
⛔Never use any equipment that might be painful or scary
⛔Don’t leave a puppy or dog of any age unattended with any food item that could be a choke hazard

Whether your dog already struggles with separation anxiety or you’re looking for ways to set them up for ultimate success, you can skill them up to be separation solid!

Want more tips and advice? Check out our blog
https://absolute-dogs.com/separation-anxiety-in-dogs-the-dos-and-donts/

Are you part of the Absolute Dogs Games Club? It’s THE place to be for games to skill your dog up in every aspect of life!
absolutedogs.me/jointheclub

24/10/2023

💬🐶 LET’S TALK SOCIALISATION! 🐶💬

If you’ve recently welcomed a puppy into your life, you’re probably keen to start introducing them to other people and other dogs as soon as possible, during that all-important ‘socialisation window’. ⏲️🪟🐕

But what should socialisation actually look like?

🤔 Does your puppy really need to meet dogs of all different ages, breeds, and temperaments in order to learn the right etiquette?
🤔 Do you actually need to work through a checklist of different people, animals, events, and environments for your puppy to experience in the first few weeks?
😬 Or could that actually overwhelm them and knock their confidence and optimism?

The traditional view of ‘socialisation’ would have you believe that you have a critical window in which to expose your puppy to as many experiences as possible, to prepare them for everything they are going to encounter in life. The truth is, this approach relies on exposure and it can really go quite wrong for a lot of dogs, no matter their age. It is what we would call training IN the situation, before your pup has the skills and knowledge FOR that situation.

At absoluteDOGS, we know socialisation is actually an opportunity to cleverly show your puppy that the world is a safe place that they can navigate with you by their side. It’s not about a checklist of things to expose your puppy to… It’s really an opportunity to provide your puppy with a foundation of optimism, confidence, and value in YOU (not the environment and everything it has on offer)! 🐾😍

Socialisation is a life-long event in many ways. We should be regularly training for novelty and non-events, preparing our dogs for real-life scenarios, and doing that over a more extended time period – all while growing optimism, confidence and disengagement skills. We’ve got to be our dog’s guardians, their protectors, and learn when to say “no” to socialisation to guard their carefully grown optimism! ✨✅💪🐶

Keen to learn HOW to get socialisation right from the start and grow confidence and optimism for your puppy (or rehome, rescue, foster or existing family dog)? ✨💖

🔗 Check out our FREE eBook on ‘Socialisation’ in our Secrets to Raising A Puppy: The absoluteDOGS Way resource bundle!
https://absolutedogs.me/resources

🔗 And head over to our absoluteDOGS TV YouTube channel to find our video on How to Smash Through Your Puppy's Socialisation Checklist!
https://youtu.be/tYf1bEaGPhY

10/10/2023

25/07/2023

24/06/2023

22/06/2023

12/04/2023

Reinforcement Strategy – what is it? 🤔

When your dog makes a good choice ✅ you reinforce that choice by giving them a reward. A lot of the time people perceive that reward to mean popping a piece of food in their mouth.

But there is WAY more you can do to make sure that choice is truly reinforcing for your dog. 💗 For example is a toy more reinforcing? 🤔 Is food a more appropriate choice for the level of energy you are looking for?

Save and share this graphic as your reinforcement reminder!

If you want to learn more about dog training and reinforcement our sexier than a squirrel 🐿 course is the PERFECT choice for you! 🤩

Just head here to but it now for just £27! https://absolute-dogs.com/stas/

18/02/2023

⭐Calmness!⭐

It’s one of the biggest gifts you can give your dog and is an essential concept for any dog to understand as they navigate life.

Ideally, calmness should be your dog’s default state.

Calmness allows your dog to choose contented independence over separation related behaviours. Calmness makes it possible for your dog to choose a quiet, relaxing activity over pulling on lead, barking and lunging.

If your dog is truly able to access their inner calmness, any behaviour choice they make is going to be entirely appropriate.

So how can you help your dog to select calmness time and time again?

Firstly, consider your dog’s lifestyle and the power of rehearsal. If your dog struggles with over-arousal, is there an aspect of their lifestyle that could be growing them in a direction that is not compatible with calmness?

❓Do they spend most of their day looking out of the front window, waiting for people to bark at?

❓Does your dog get time to truly switch off, or do they spend the whole day stimulated by the activity of the household (children playing / daily comings and goings?)

❓Do they find opportunities to rehearse inappropriate behaviour choices?

❓Do they spend time in the garden, barking at other dogs or people who pass?

❓Is much of their day filled with high excitement activities?

Secondly, put value into growing and capturing calmness so that this is what your dog rehearses.

Want to unlock the secrets to a calm dog?
https://absolute-dogs.com/product/calm/

08/02/2023

I don’t use electronic shock collars. I have never had a need to use electronic shock collars. I think electronic shock collars are unethical and abusive. I believe if you have a dog you shou…

11/11/2022

If you’ve recently welcomed a puppy into your life, you’re probably keen to start introducing them to other people and other dogs as soon as possible, during that all-important ‘socialisation window’.

But what should socialisation actually look like? Does your puppy really need to meet dogs of all different ages, breeds and temperaments in order to learn the right etiquette? Do you actually need to work through a checklist of different people for your puppy to meet in the first few weeks? Or could that actually overwhelm them?

Over-exposing your puppy, or opening up the possibility of bad experiences can be detrimental. The absence of one bad experience is actually way more powerful than 100 good ones!

So what experiences and interactions are going to set your puppy up for success?

Turn the traditional view of socialisation on its head and think of it as an opportunity to prepare your puppy for the world they will live in. Throw away the checklist of people and experiences you need to tick off, and instead train FOR the situation before you ever consider putting your puppy IN the situation.

Start with focusing on your puppy’s confidence and optimism.

Play games that encourage your puppy to problem solve, to navigate puppy-appropriate obstacles, and to encourage resilience.

You don’t have to wait to get started until the weather is more agreeable, or until your puppy has received all of their puppy vaccinations. Socialisation can start in your home and garden. You get to have fun while also providing your puppy with training and games that will help them navigate the real world and all of the novelty it wants to throw at them!

Want to start your puppy off on the very best path?

https://absolute-dogs.com/product/absolutepuppy/

05/11/2022

Have you ever found yourself trying to ‘reward’ your dog with something super yummy, only to find they spit it out or turn their head away?

Matching your reward experience to the situation and to the environment is really important.

Consider this scenario:
You are scared of clowns. If you are confronted by a particularly scary clown and someone tries to force a piece of cake into your mouth as a way of making you feel better, however much you love cake, it is unlikely to help. You more than likely won’t feel like eating cake while facing one of your biggest fears. You probably just want to get the heck out of there as quickly as possible!

The same is true for our dogs. In any situation, consider what your dog is going to find rewarding at that moment. That might be as simple as getting out of the situation. Distance, or a visual barrier so they can no longer see the scary thing, can be way more reinforcing than someone trying to post food into their mouth.

Be your dog's best advocate and protect their optimism!

04/11/2022

https://www.facebook.com/reel/631074091945056

26/08/2022

In this week’s AbsoluteDogs TV Episode, we discuss our TOP FIVE games to help create the rock-solid recall you’ve always dreamt of for your dog! 💪 😎

If you've just brought home an absolutely adorable new puppy (just like baby Gorse featuring in this video!) and you want to start them off right from the very beginning with value in recall, or even you've got an older small dog who struggles to come when called, we have 🔥THE EPISODE for you! 🔥

From games that encourage your dog to come in close and hang around you, to games that grow value in immediately bouncing back to you, this episode has everything you need to get your dog’s recall foundation off to the very best start!

💚 Let’s dive in! 💚
https://youtu.be/GSRIxfRewqM

21/07/2022

This was such an amazing place to take our dogs to 'work.' What a beautiful facility for seniors with Alzheimer's. This is a disease that is close to my heart as my Dad had it for 10 years before he passed. Boomer had a blast wagging his tail and doing his Boomer thing as he greeted each person.

20/07/2022

I need to explain something super important to you all.

Being a professional dog trainer does not make it so my dogs don’t act like dogs. I’m not immune to their shenanigans any more than you.

It doesn’t mean my puppy won’t bite or mouth or jump or bark. It doesn’t mean I won’t deal with reactivity, or resource guarding, or fear and anxiety etc….. The same as being a pediatrician doesn’t guarantee your child won’t suffer from a medical condition, or allergies etc.

My experience and knowledge may help me observe and prevent things quickly; or intervene appropriately, know what management to use, but it doesn’t give me an invisible shield that means my new puppy won’t grab my pant legs and start yanking on them. I go through allll the same stuff you do.

What being a professional dog trainer helps me with, is knowing what’s normal, what battles to pick, what ones to leave be, and be able to weigh what’s important vs what’s not. It means I also am acutely aware of how fleeting this time is. Looking at Corduroy, I know the reason he’s here is because someone else isn’t, and so I’m treasuring these moments. I know one day I’ll look down at the dog at my feet and think “I remember when you put holes in my jeans” and I’ll smile and miss those early days and wish goodbye didn’t come so soon.

There’s no magic to living with a dog without some chaos and some stuff we’d prefer to not have to go through. But, that’s the trade off isn’t it? The magic is the fact that we have a dog… that’s loves us and chooses us everyday. Please remember that, and let some of the little things go.

Also, please send me some new jeans.

20/05/2022

Is your dog distracted by EVERYTHING? Are walks unpleasant and your dog pulls on the lead as if their life depends on it? Join the Worldwide Sexier than a Squirrel challenge alongside 60,000 people and transform your dog owning struggles!

20/05/2022

Balu often stands in front of his guardian and leans his body against her legs.

Balu's guardian tells me that she thinks that he intends "to limit her movements".

Why does she think that?

The idea that our dogs aim at "limiting our movements" when they lean against us or stand close to us comes from the assumption that
dogs are trying to rise in a hierarchy they form with us.

The restriction of our freedom of movement is seen as a sign that the dog sees himself as "the alpha".

The advice from trainers who work on the concept of rank reduction is that you should then send the dog away, put him in a down away from you and have him stay there, or send him behind you.

There is a basic flaw in this idea!

Dogs do NOT form a hierarchy with us humans.
This has been scientifically disproved.

Even the man who once proposed this thesis,
David L. Mech, today vehemently advocates NOT accepting it anymore!

So dogs don't restrict our freedom of movement to show us who's boss.

What is more likely to happen here is that Balu wants to show his guardian that he loves her, that she is his favorite person and that he knows that they both belong together.

We humans hug and hold hands when we want to show that we like each other and that we belong together.

Dogs show this by lying in close contact with each other
Parts of their bodies touch.

There is a canine science term for this in German: "Kontaktliegen", which translates "contact lying".

I don't know if this term exists in English. I have never heard it.

It's such a pity that completely outdated and, above all, wrong concepts that have long since been scientifically disproved are still being handed down and haunting us.

As a result, Balu's little declaration of love to his guardian is "poisoned".

Oxytocin, the cuddling and bonding hormone, is released in both Balu and his guardian when he presses his body against mum's legs.

How can we free ourselves from these "poisoned assumptions"?

A helpful method is The Work by Byron Katie.

Ask yourself the following four questions:

▪️ Is my assumption true?
▪️ Can I know with absolute certainty that it's true?
▪️ How do I feel when I have this thought?
▪️ How would I feel without this thought?
..and then just let go of this poisoned assumption and enjoy life with your dog! ☺️

02/04/2022

In this week’s AbsoluteDogs TV Episode, we discuss:Labradoodles! While there are many doodles (and this episode will help!), this week we focus on the very p...

01/04/2022

Have you got a dog that plays “keep away” and who refuses to get close to you, no matter what you have on offer? Are your walks a constant replay of catch me if you can?

Yep, the recall struggle is real! Dogs are very creative and really amazing at discovering patterns in the day-to-day. They very quickly learn to predict:

🐶☹️ Clipping the lead on at the end of the walk means the fun is over!
🐩🚶‍♀️❎ The leash coming out when a dog or human is spotted in the distance!
🎉🐺🏞🥳 The leash coming off means FREEDOM - and no value in staying close to YOU!

How would you like some super top tips to turn your proximity and on leash/off leash struggles into your dog’s greatest strengths?

That’s right! You can STOP lead pulling, racing off and keep away today with all the tips, tricks, and troubleshooting hacks we’ve got for you in our podcast episode: Leash Strategies to Transform Your Walks! Check it out here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/761645/8390321-leash-strategies-to-transform-your-walks

18/03/2022

The bucket is such a powerful metaphor to describe what is happening to our dog’s brain during times of stress and excitement. Our dog’s bucket is constantly filling and emptying throughout the day. As a dog owner, you have control of what fills your dog’s bucket and, more importantly, how you can help empty your dog’s bucket to help build calmness. Be your dog’s bucket guardian and download our FREE Calm eBook to learn more.
https://game.absolute-dogs.com/calm44148328