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Here's the FastCat Titles & Points Calculator in action. I made a short video showing how adding entries, changing the height selection, and adding any previously earned points from MyAKC changes the dog's Points Earned and Titles Earned columns.
https://edadt.com/get-fastcat-calculator
Finally happy with my FastCat Points & Title Calculator!
If you've been playing FastCat (or are thinking about trying it out), this little sheet will help you keep track of your dog's points and when they earn their BCAT, DCAT, FCAT, and FCAT1 and above!
All you really need to do for the calculations to begin working is to select your dog's height from the dropdown menu, type in any previously earned points from your dog's MyAKC profile, and then start filling in the Date and Run Time in Seconds for any new runs.
If your dog reaches the threshold for a title, the Calculator will notate which run earned the title. That way, you never miss a chance to grab a big, beautiful ribbon!
https://edadt.com/get-fastcat-calculator
Has your dog trained you or have you trained your dog? 😂
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=412262681334786&id=100076531736958&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=RUbZ1f
Brat
We're now a dealer for E-Collar Technologies! Send me a message if you'd like me to order something for you 😊
💊🧁 Dog Bon Bons 💊🧁
One of my personal dogs, Swisher, injured himself playing Urban Ratting earlier this week so we came away from the vet with four staples to hold the cut together, antibiotics, and an anti-inflammatory.
Luckily for me, Swisher likes food enough to eat pill pockets without a lot of convincing but he gets suspicious of the tasty treats after a couple of days. So, sometimes I have to switch it up to smooshing pills into dog food roll chunks or cheese. That gets old after a while. But, this time I remembered how much my cats like those Churu paste/mousse treats so I figured I'd try it out with Swisher.
It is a huge hit! He can't wait to eat the little dog Bon Bons 😂 I'm sure this isn't a new discovery but it sure is a handy trick for making pill pockets more exciting!
🧁🧁🧁🧁
So, basically you take a couple of decoy (unfilled) Pill Pockets and carefully squeeze the mousse treat into the hole. For the ones with pills in them, just squeeze the mousse treat on top of the closed Pill Pocket.
Let your dog taste the magic of the mousse treat and then feed a decoy Bon Bon (mousse first) to your dog. Then follow it up with a pill-filled one (mousse first still) until you've given all of the Bon Bons and then follow it up with letting your dog lick up some more of the mousse treat from the tube, and you're done!
Also, it's pretty funny to ask Swisher now "who wants Bon Bons?!" and have him start dancing around.
I'm not sure yet how well this would work with a less food motivated dog. It might be one of those things where you have to start feeding some Bon Bons or introduce the mousse treat separately before your dog ever has to take pills again.
If you try it, let me know how it goes! I'm curious to hear if this is successful for other dogs.
Well said!
ROBBIE COLTRANE, the actor who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, has died at age 72.
Back in 2011, I wrote this piece for “Dogs Today,” and it’s a small nod to the big actor who spoke a truth many might have missed.
———————-
HARRY POTTER DOG TRAINING
I feel sorry for professional dog trainers.
You see, they are hired to train a dog, but the first thing they have to tell the client is that they are not going to train the dog – they are going train the client to train the dog.
When this is said, there is always a lot of smiling and nodding by the client, but there’s no real comprehension and probably not too much acceptance either.
Even the dog trainer doubts it can really be done.
You see, people are people, and they are difficult to change. When a dog or a dog trainer shows up in a person’s life, that person already has a schedule and it probably does not include 30 minutes, twice a day, of walking the dog.
Is a dog trainer going to be able to win that kind of time and exercise commitment from his or her new client?
Probably not.
Think about how many people start with a gym membership, and how few are still going to that gym two months later. Think how many people start a diet, and how many fall off the wagon.
When a dog trainer shows up at the door of a new client, honesty may be the best policy, but telling a client “you’re fat and lazy and so is the dog, and both of you need to walk two miles a day” may not be the best way to build up a referral dog training business!
▪️Magic Wands▪️
When people hire a dog trainer, they are not looking for a change in lifestyle or a change in values.
They are looking for a magic wand.
And why not?
We live in an age of miracle diets, miracle bras, and five minute workouts to lift and tone the body.
We have instant answers from Google, satellite mapping systems in our cars, and one-minute rice on the stove.
Surely there’s a 10-minute cure for any and every canine problem?
Come on now: What would Hermione do?
Of course in the world of Harry Potter, it was not Hermione that had a way with creatures, it was the game keeper Hagrid, who was never seen to wave a magic wand.
Instead, Hagrid’s magic was of a more down-to-earth kind. He knew that the secret to training animals, from dogs to dragons, was exercise, consistency, earned affection, and simple corrections and rewards.
▪️The House as Prison Planet▪️
And what do we Muggles offer up to our canine charges instead?
Tell the truth now. What really happens when we come home from work?
Too often we are both exhausted and distracted. We plop down in front of an electronic screen of some sort – a television set, a computer, or a cell phone. It’s been a mad day, and we just want to unwind between telephone calls and emails that demand a reply.
What about the dog?
He’s fine we tell ourselves.
After all, we buy it the best dog food, we spend a tidy sum on veterinary care, and the dog has a basket full of chew toys. We even put in a flap door so the dog can exit to the yard whenever it wants – no need to even ask.
But, of course, if the dog could talk, it might tell a different story!
Imagine, for a moment, that you and your dog have exchanged roles.
Instead of a dog living in your house, you are a small child that has come to live in a cave inhabited by four or five dogs. You are an only child, and the cave is attached to a small yard. You were brought to live in this cave when you were only two years old, and ever since that time you have only been able to communicate with other humans on those brief occasions when you have been allowed out on a short leash.
Now here’s a question: Would you be happy? Would you be fit? Would you know the language of humans? Would your mind be fully developed? What kind of adult would you be if you were raised in these same conditions?
Do you see the parallel? The wonder is not that some dogs are discipline problems, but that almost all of them are not as crazy as bed bugs!
When dogs deprived of exercise, socialization and instruction act out and are brought to a trainer for remedial work, their owners are almost never looking to be part of a drawn-out process that will cost a lot of money and extend over many weeks or months. Instead, the average owner is looking for an event; a quick incantation or party trick that can be repeated in two or three sessions, after which order and calm will be restored.
▪️The Magic Starts With You▪️
But are there really such tricks in the world of dog training?
Yes and no.
Yes, there are specific solutions for narrow and specific problems.
That said, the most important part of dog training has never been a secret any more than eating less and exercising more has been “the secret” to losing weight.
The most important part of dog training is active, consistent and focused participation by the owner in the education of his or her own dog.
The magic does not start when you hire a trainer. The magic starts:
** When you exercise the dog every day.
** When you pay close attention to your dog and communicate consistently with it through well-timed rewards and signals.
This is not to say that there aren’t tools, and that many of them aren’t great.
Every dog catalog and magazine is packed with ads offering up various types of collars, halters, and leashes. Every bookstore is packed with dog training guides promoting clickers, hand signals, food rewards, ball rewards, scent-training, and every kind of freshly-potted canine philosophy.
But no device or method matters if the owner does not have the self-discipline to show up everyday to actively work with his or her own dog.
This is Hagrid’s secret, and it’s not one you can buy in the magic shops in Diagon Alley.
Thinking about trying a Fi Collar to keep track of your pup when you're not home or if they decide to have their own epic adventure? Try out this referral code.
I just bought one for my little terrier who somehow manages to slither to the other side of my fence every once in a while. I never want to feel those moments of worry that she's been kidnapped or has wandered off into a field or some other horrible thing my mind thinks up when I can't find one of my dogs.
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Oops, I totally forgot to post about the barnhunt trial that we did with K9 RatPack. We didn't earn any titles this time but it was a fun time and it showed me what we have to work on still.
If you're not sure what barnhunt is, I've found this video that explains it pretty well: https://youtu.be/ZgxDoDjVbUc
🐀🐀🐀🐀
Over the course of the weekend, we had four runs and found the rat twice (yay!) and an empty bedding tube twice (womp womp).
In order to "pass" the run in the level we are competing in (Novice A), the dog has to find the rat, climb on top of the hay at least once, and go through the tunnel at least once.
Swisher wanted to do everything except go through the tunnel. Even though we started right in front of it, he'd put on his brakes and climb over it. 🤦🏼♀️ One of the runs, he went through the tunnel right as time was called. We were so close!
I also had the opportunity to work inside and outside the course as a Rat Wrangler (but I like Rat Wrestler better). It was a really great experience and I got to watch how a lot of different dogs and handlers worked the course and learn more about the rules and higher levels of barnhunt.
I'm looking forward to registering for the next trial in February!
🐀🐀🐀🐀
Next in our trialing adventure is an ORT for National Association of Canine Scent Work at the end of January!
Barn Hunt, Hosted by the NorthWest Barn Dogs LLC in conjunction with the Mt. Bachelor Kennel Club all breed dog gave dogs of all breeds a chance to test thei...
Registered Swisher for a Barnhunt trial to start off 2022. Playing Barnhunt twice means we're ready, right? 😅
I'm pretty excited to start competing with him since it's a new sport for both of us.
My sweet puppy, Swisher, is definitely going through his adolescent stage. I've seen some of his behavior regress (hello making silly noises in the crate and being unsure of some people and objects) but we're learning how to work through everything. I'm not going to lie, some days are a struggle but I know taking things slow and helping him through this stage is going to help us be a great team in the future!
Do any of you have puppies going through the teenage phase?
Reposted from Swisher got his first taste of dock diving today. He did so good! Next season/practice we'll get him jumping off of the real dock
Reposted from That moment when you can recall your puppy away from playing with the goat and he actually comes back to you 🤩
To Castrate or Not To Castrate!
For decades castration has been recommended routinely for young dogs as a cure for:
🐶 Barking, lunging and reactivity at dogs or people
🐶 Dog-dog interaction challenges
🐶 Hu***ng, inappropriate toileting
🐶 Adolescence (as if it needs curing like it’s a disease 😂)
Download my free book on this to keep forever here: beha.vet/free-neutering-ebook
⚠️WARNING!⚠️ What I’m about to discuss relates to castration and health and behaviour. This does NOT relate to overpopulation management. However, of note, in some countries, castration is considered a mutilation and these countries have less of an overpopulation issue than countries where it is routinely recommended, highlighting how intrinsic overpopulation is to societal beliefs around and respect for dogs.
👉 What actually happens when we castrate a dog?
Well, to put it bluntly, the testicles get chopped off. What does this lead to?
It completely removes the dog’s ability to reproduce.
It removes a major source of testosterone; the Leydig cells that produce testosterone reside within the testicles and so experience a extracorporeal relocation too! Important to note here that I say a major source as the adrenal glands in both sexes as well as the ovaries in the bitch produce small quantities also.
👉 What consequence does this have?
Importantly, testosterone is valuable as a hormone from a behaviour perspective. In multiple species, it has been demonstrated to be closely associated with confidence. Why is this protective against behaviour struggles? Well, behaviour struggles are often driven by lack of confidence, anxiety, fear and situational pessimism and certainly never the result of positive emotional states that testosterone would promote.
“There is absolutely no benefit to reducing an animal’s confidence when working on their behaviour. Confidence is never a bad thing!”
👉 What the SCIENCE Says!
In 2018, McGreevy et al published a study in Plos One (It’s open access so you can check it how here if you are feeling geeky: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5931473/), assessing how the length of time a dog maintained their go**ds for influenced the risk of behaviour struggles.
👉 What did they find?
The shorter the time they keep their go**ds and, in turn, the sooner they lose most of their testosterone, the less likely the dogs’ owners were to report two behaviour struggles - howling when left alone and indoor urine marking.
Oh! Easy! Question Answered! To theatre we go….
Wait for it.
The findings didn’t end there. The longer the dogs in the study (sample size of 6235) kept their go**ds attached and, in turn, their testosterone, the less likely their owners were to report 26 (Yes, TWENTY SIX!) mostly unwelcome behaviour struggles!!
AND
7 (yes, SEVEN!) of these behaviour struggles that were much less likely the longer a dog remained entire would be labelled as “aggressive” (including “aggression” directed towards people and other dogs).
So let’s dive into the reasons why castration is often wrongly considered and wrongly recommended…
😱Barking, lunging and reactivity! This behaviour struggle is often driven by an underlying pessimism, dogs perceiving novelty in the environment (whether that be a human, another dog, a cat or a kangaroo!) to be something to worry about. Pessimism and lack of confidence are closely linked and so it is no surprise that castration doesn’t help this situation and often makes it worse as the McGreevy findings suggest!
Download my free book on this to keep forever here: beha.vet/free-neutering-ebook
😱Dog-Dog interaction challenges! This refers to unpredictability in a dog’s interaction with another dog. It might be that your dog unpredictably snaps when having a nose-nose interaction. It might be that your dog stands over another dog and raises their hackles. It might be that your dog charges and barks at other dogs upon the approach. The thing is, a successful interaction can only occur with three skills: 1. Optimism, 2. Disengagement (seeing value in moving away from the interaction), 3. Calmness. Any weakness in these will lead to unpredictable (or very predictable!!) breaks in the chain. I’m sure we can all relate to a time in our lives where we’ve had a fail in one of these departments and had a bad interaction with someone (maybe a partner….) - it didn’t come from overconfidence, it came from all the rubbish that went on at the office that day and your sore back!
Now I have a saying when it comes to dog behaviour and that is -
“If you want more of something, BUILD IT! Don’t attempt to squash something else to make it seem bigger!”
Success in’t about trying to correct, inhibit or STOP a behaviour. This is about growing the skills needed to behave effectively and go through the world feeling great! So again, castration has absolutely no place here and again often makes things worse!
😱 Hu***ng and Inappropriate Toileting! These behaviours were long hailed as the ultimate in dogs disrespecting us and, therefore, by some twisted logic, if an animal is disrespecting you, you must chop off a body part, reduce their confidence, show them who is boss. Crazy right?! 😂 Of course not - in fact, these behaviours (just like the ones above) are just a couple of behaviours a dog might select from when feeling worried, anxious, scared or a little bit like “I don’t know what to do here.”
Have you ever had an interaction with another human where you were nervous for whatever reason and you said something crazy or did something completely weird instead of just shaking their hand? Meet the canine equivalent: hu***ng!
Again this is driven by LACK of confidence, not overconfidence and so castration won’t make it better and might again make it worse! Inappropriate toileting and marking behaviours can be much the same, and so while research shows that castration might improve marking in the house in some instances, it can equally make it worse based on this and so, importantly, we should never do something irreversible when reversible (non-body-part-chopping) options exist.
😱 Adolescence! Adolescence is not a disease! In fact, none of this is a disease!
“These are not BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS! They’re DOG BEHAVIOUR!”
Adolescence is a period of development! It’s associated with structural brain, cognitive and hormonal changes. It’s a period that actively promotes conflict between the animal (human or canine) and their carer as an evolutionarily beneficial temperature check on the relationship (more on that another time maybe). What all the research agrees on in relation to human and canine adolescence is that confidence and relationship are key! The Asher et al 2020 study on canine adolescence found that conflict (in the form of ignoring a sit cue) was much reduced with increasing relationship between dog and owner. What do we take from this?
Chopping off body parts will not help.
Spend the time and money you were going to spend on castrating your dog and invest it in your relationship bank account instead - invest in positive interactions, games, play, whatever you and your dog love!
Download my free book on this to keep forever here: beha.vet/free-neutering-ebook
🩺👨🏼⚕️ Health Benefits of Castration
Castration has also been recommended from a health standpoint, reducing the risk of a variety of diseases. However, the health benefits castration brings (such as prevention (and resolution of) benign prostatic hyperplasia) are only of significance after the age of 5 in most dogs when they become at increased risk of such. Equally, there’s early evidence to show that castration before one year of age could increase the risk of joint disease, cancer risk and allergic skin disease, further reinforcing the idea that early castration (if even at all) is not nor should not be a procedure that comes with a blanket recommendation for all young dogs.
Reversible Options!
Finally, we must consider if it is appropriate to give a blanket recommendation on anything that is irreversible and not completely benign when reversible options are available. Short-term implants have the same whole body effects as surgical removal of the testicles while still being reversible! These can act like a test drive of the new hormonal system where castration is being strongly considered without the fallout of an irreversible procedure.
👉 The Future!
So, that’s the wrap on castration with a focus on behaviour and training! Whenever I talk about this, it often causes of a wave of remorse and grieving for the now lost testicles of your dog’s youth. BUT I work with people on a daily basis whose dogs have had their go**ds inappropriately removed at some point and yet they are achieving amazing results and living the lives that they dreamt of when they got a dog in the first place.
The first step they took was ditching the labels, the limiting beliefs and the story of how they arrived where they did. The second step they took is they took their dog-owning dream off the back burner and they made it a MUST.
The reality is that castrated or not, you can unlock real-life results and amazing transformations with your dog with the right plan, the right tools, the right games and strategies! I even wrote a book on it you can download for free here: beha.vet/free-neutering-ebook
This is an opportunity to spread the word, save some go**ds along the way and change the blanket advice for the better, so if you know someone who this might benefit, please share it far and wide :-)
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Here's the FastCat Titles & Points Calculator in action. I made a short video showing how adding entries, changing the height selection, and adding any previously earned points from MyAKC changes the dog's Points Earned and Titles Earned columns. https://edadt.com/get-fastcat-calculator
Reposted from @wubbleschnaft Swisher got his first taste of dock diving today. He did so good! Next season/practice we'll get him jumping off of the real dock #swisher #mrksthedevilslettucewrap #ambully #puppylife #mountruckuskennels #riggsxroxie #puppyraising #walrus #xlbully #bulliesofinstagram #buildingstrongdogs #puppy #americanbully #dogtraining #everydayadventuresdogtraining #dockdiving #swimming
Reposted from @wubbleschnaft That moment when you can recall your puppy away from playing with the goat and he actually comes back to you 🤩 #swisher #mrksthedevilslettucewrap #ambully #puppylife #mountruckuskennels #riggsxroxie #puppyraising #walrus #xlbully #bulliesofinstagram #buildingstrongdogs #puppy #americanbully #dogtraining #everydayadventuresdogtraining #superstar #recall #sixmonthsold #goat #chickens #farmdog
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