The Good Dog Academy - Marathon

26/01/2024

For anyone local who is NOT registered anywhere I urge you to apply. Please don't wait until your pet is sick or injured needing emergency treatment and go through the stress of not being able to access help because you're not registered anywhere. I have heard of people having to drive as far as Dryden to access emergency care.

Below you will find our new client application. The application is available starting the first Wednesday of every month at 5pm, and closes when the maximum number of monthly applications has been reached. Due to limited capacity, we suggest submitting your application as soon as possible.

15/01/2024

please don't be fooled by adverts for dog training that say you'll have your dog trained in just one week. Seriously guys, that's like saying you can home school your five year old and have them pass the GED at the end of the week!

08/01/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100063640689726/posts/881903293941019/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Extra❗️ Extra❗️Read all about it❗️

Crossroads' next round of Community Vaccine Clinics are here! 🐾🐾 We will be offering vaccines to dogs and cats at our clinic for four upcoming days. This is open to everyone in the community!
All appointments must be made online (no phone calls please). Registration includes details on dates, times and prices.

Registration will begin Tuesday January 9 at 9am.

Visit https://forms.office.com/r/FyzxiU0gjt to book your appointment!

08/11/2023

Good morning all. Just two weeks ago we had to say goodbye to our precious boy. Even though we knew this day would come I don't think either of us expected it to come so soon and our hearts are so broken. Right now we feel raw and yet even though I feel so much pain I am also finding comfort in photos and videos we took.

Make those memories my friends. Record them. Taking the time to set up a tripod or even just catching some cock-eyed footage on the hoof is so very. very worth it.

19/10/2023

This! So often I hear 'well there can't be much wrong if he can run after a Squirrel like that!' Or 'he's not limping so he's not in pain'.

Pain often shows up very subtly, hesitation before getting in the car/up a step ... often labeled as being stubborn. Sometimes brushed aside as 'just getting old' as in nothing can be done just accept it.

Sometimes it presents in uncharacteristic grumpiness, even aggression. Dogs don't just decide to be grumpy or nasty.

Please, please get your best friend checked out if you have even the slightest concern!

What is ‘Silent pain?’ 🤔

Did you know that dogs are genetically predisposed to hide pain because in the wild, weakness or injury would make them vulnerable to predators.

According to some experts, more than half our dogs suffer from ‘silent pain’ that their owners are unaware of. Dogs will rarely vocalise even moderate pain and often just run through it and don’t show any signs.

Silent pain is difficult to diagnose as it is subtle and develops slowly over a long time and any slight changes in the dog are often just attributed to normal ageing.

Things to consider with your dog-

✳️ Dogs are very loyal animals - they will follow you for as long as they can- on walks, up the stairs, onto the bed, ignoring any pain because they want to be with you

✳️ When doing zoomies, playing, chasing squirrels etc your dog won’t feel pain as their endorphins (their powerful natural pain relieving hormone) will be at released - the pain will come later when the dog is home and resting.

✳️ Your dog will not, however, be able to make that connection between the earlier exercise and the pain they’re now experiencing due to the time delay so they will repeat it the next day and the next and so on…..

✳️ Ball orientated dogs will ignore pain and continue to chase the ball as long as you throw it for them until they tire

✳️ Over a period of time and as your dog ages, the joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons become less able to deal with these demands and that’s when injuries start to happen.

✳️ You may at this point start to notice some changes in your dog, they might start to move a little
differently or be less enthusiastic on walks but again, it might not be physical signs. Your dog may develop behavioural problems, become noise sensitive, nervous or agressive with other dogs or may just pant more or find it harder to settle.

✳️ So …..just because your dog can leap for the ball/ jump up and down off the bed/ do ten zoomie laps of the field etc doesn’t mean you should let them and it does NOT mean they are not in pain!

Please share to increase awareness

And just to finish - a pic of my gorgeous arthritic girlie enjoying some autumn sun ☀️ !!

10/10/2023

Despite what you see on Facebook, you cannot train your dog or modify behaviours in 1 day, 3 days or even a week. Training your dog is ongoing, they are learning every day of their life whether we are part of that learning or not. If we believe it will only take a short time and we are done then we are going to be sorely disappointed.

Modifying behaviour, which is very often misrepresented as just stopping an unwanted behaviour - STOP your dog barking, STOP your dog pulling - takes longer. First of all we shouldn't be simply STOPPING our dogs from doing something, but rather we should be asking WHY they are doing it and looking at what WE can do to help them. Secondly, the time it takes to address that 'unwanted behaviour' depends on things like how long it's been going on, how long has the dog been trying to communicate how they feel in the only way they know how? What is the dog's own level of optimism? How safe do they feel, how receptive to learning are they? So many factors that it is near impossible to put a time line on it. It takes time, understanding and patience.

Anyone that tells you they have a magic formula to train your dog to 'service dog standard' or 'fix your dog' (by the way, your dog isn't broken!) in just days or weeks is just trying to con you out of your money.

10/10/2023

THIS
Any of you that have worked with me already know how I feel about the word 'obedience'

👇👇 👇 👇 👇 👇👇

The 70s called, they want their obedience classes back...
Barbara Woodhouse was the celebrity dog trainer of her day with her trademark expressions "Walkies" and "Sitttttt!"

But what do we actually want from our dogs? To come back when we call them. To walk next to us and not pull. To lie down and settle when we ask them, to sit when asked and to be appropriately friendly.

To me these are Life Skills, not obedience.

Obedience conjures images of dominance, arrogance and submission. Do you really want to be your dog's master and for them to obey you like a robot?

I want a means of communicating with my dog that is based on trust, friendship and mutual respect. I want my dog to be comfortable living in our human world. Reward based training gives me that.
Obey has been taken out of wedding vows.
Isn't it about time we took it out of dog training?

08/10/2023

Are you meeting all your dog's needs? Here are five things to help ensure and happy and healthy dog.

06/10/2023

It's that time of year already! We very much take it for granted that Halloween is just loads of fun. But, for some dogs it can be quite the opposite! Weird costumes on even their trusted humans can be scary and the constant doorbell ringing and squeals from excited little humans can be enough to send our dogs well over threshold.

And, as we all know, when our dog is overwhelmed, whether stressed or overexcited (Eustress), they can exhibit some behaviours that we find inappropriate in an effort to feel better or safer.

Check out this handy e-book and start preparing for Halloween NOW!

Check out this A4 designed by Rona.

27/09/2023

It is so important to watch for changes in behaviour and seek veterinary advice when our dog's behaviour changes. Just because they are not limping, crying or yelping doesn't mean they don't have pain. Often the change in behaviour is misinterpreted as being 'naughty', 'stubborn', or aggressive.

🐾 Why does chronic pain have an affect on behaviour? 🐾

The emotion of pain is a form of fear-anxiety and it can directly affect behaviour by increasing vigilance and leading to behavioural responses that are designed to keep the individual safe. For this reason an animal in chronic pain may show avoidance behaviour and try to keep distance from anything that it perceives to be a risk in terms of exacerbating its pain. This may lead to the pet being less engaged in social interactions and showing less interest in play or making very obvious attempts to get away. Painful animals may also show less obvious behaviours of inhibition or appeasement.

Inhibition involves the animal taking in information by watching and listening but not giving anything away. The result can be a pet who is very quiet and can easily be misinterpreted as being relaxed. It is important to watch for signs that the pet is monitoring the environment, for example by watching for ear movement and staring, and not to simply accept that they are "being very good". Appeasement involves exchanging information with others and because dogs are socially obligate animals they will often use this behavioural response when they are in pain. These dogs will seek information from those around them as well as give information back. This is often done through touch and these dogs may lean into people or nudge at them in ways that are misinterpreted as "attention seeking" and seen as unwanted or naughty behaviours.

Dogs may also sniff and lick at people in ways that are misinterpreted as affection. It is therefore important to be aware of changes in social interactions and not to dismiss increased interaction which might signify an emotional change. The other potential response to pain is repulsion and this involves behaviours which are designed to make the perceived threat stay away. Anything that the animal perceives to be a risk in terms of inducing pain can lead to a repulsion response and these responses can vary from a low grumble, to a significant growl, to an air snap and even a bite. While these repulsion behaviours are often considered to be the most serious, because of the potential consequences, it is important to remember that the pain can be equally significant for the pet regardless of which of the four behavioural responses it gives. It is very important to take repulsion seriously and to take steps to avoid the potential consequences of these behaviours but we must not disregard avoidance, inhibition and appeasement which are also important signs that an animal may be in pain.

In addition to the direct effect on behaviour chronic pain can have an indirect effect by reducing an animal's emotional capacity. The chronic pain uses up some of the animal's emotional "space" and means that they are more likely to react to other stimuli, such as noises or social interactions. When this happens the main thing that a caregiver may notice is a change in behaviour but the underlying pain also needs to be treated.

13/09/2023

When we want our dog to change what they do, we need to change what we do first :)

12/09/2023

If you need help with your dog's reactivity or if you simply want to learn loose leash walking for your non reactive dog. I will teach the with understanding and kindness.

11/09/2023

03/09/2023

Following on from my recent post regarding pain. https://fb.watch/mQecUWju0U/?mibextid=nW3QTL

30/08/2023

Good Morning everyone! No morning coffee this morning as I am out and about! I also don't think it fair to inflict upon you my just out of bed hair and face! Instead I wanted to share this piece that popped up on my newsfeed. It made me cry! My out of bed face is also tear stained with a sniffy nose - not a pretty sight!

I often think of my first dog. Ben was a yellow lab, he was a normal rambunctious lab, and I was far too young and inexperienced. The only thing I knew about training back in those days was that you used a choke chain, if they were 'naughty' you gave them a quick tap with a rolled up newspaper, and barked commands like a sergeant major and the dog was supposed to obey without question.

When I think back now I feel so, so bad. I wasn't cruel, I didn't use those things excessively, or because I wanted to hurt him - they didn't seem to work anyhow, they were just the things that were taught back in those days. That was the training method of the day - but I didn't really help him navigate life in a human world. Back then no-one really considered anything from the dog's point of view or that there was a much better kinder and more effective way.

I have often felt shame and so, so much sadness that I didn't handle things better, the way I would today. What would I say to Ben? I'm sorry! I wish you where here today because back then I did the best I could with what I knew at the time, today I know better so I could do better by you.

https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2023/05/can-you-imagine-those-barking-and.html?fbclid=IwAR2yDSTUzTi5LRX-WhGJxrkWXEEbJ-WhUg9qd08V9Lxlv0ZLYrQeUgZpv-g

A dog trainer ponders the question, somewhat retrospectively: what would it be like to be seen, or to see dogs, as struggling, instead of misbehaving.

29/08/2023

Good Morning! Welcome to this morning's Morning Coffee Musings

28/08/2023

Morning Coffee Time!

27/08/2023

As always Shay has written an excellent post! I was once told by a vet that Lucky should never be able to get up on anything where he could look down on me, because he would think he was the Alpha of the pack. I couldn't help but conjure up a picture of my dog dressed like Yul Brynner with his arms folded saying, "sit, sit,sit! Head should be no higher than King!" 😂

Have you ever been told to show your dog where he sits in the hierarchy of your household?

The word ‘dominance’ has become a dirty word in the dog training world. It’s become emotionally charged and we usually can’t use it without stirring up a hornet’s nest. Even at university we were a…

26/08/2023

I feel like Forest Gump .... that's all I have to say about that!

13/08/2023

I have posted before regarding Birch sugar but worth posting again as Xylitol is a huge risk to our dogs!

Birch sugar is xylitol ⚠️⚠️

27/06/2023

We started Bed Games with this little man a couple of weeks ago. He's quite a wary little soul and needs to take his time sussing things out. Yesterday I met his human whilst out shopping, she felt a little sad that he really didn't seem to like the raised bed and felt they weren't getting anywhere. She had kept sessions very short, no pressure to perform. She had left little treats on and around the bed for Mr. D to find so that he would build a good association with the bed.

Yesterday we considered swapping out the bed for a simple mat, as he seemed to like mats and his human felt they might progress a little better.

When she got home this is what she found! Patience and No Pressure wins the day! Nice Work!!

26/06/2023

Sharing this as a cautionary tale/information. Having had a dog myself who got high, it's worth noting the symptoms. My boy wasn't as bad as Sid, but nonetheless scary and in need of treatment. Ben, my old yellow Lab, got high sniffing/licking freshly stained wood fencing!

21/06/2023

Let's talk about N.A.T.O.

02/06/2023

So we had a lovely sniff safari at Carden Cove, down there for about an hour in the cool part of the day. Back home, light snack (A.K.A. second breakfast), and now a nap by the A/C unit 😃

01/06/2023

Our dogs are making choices, hundreds of them, all day long.

Shall I bark at that passer by outside the house? Shall I raid the trash can? Or, should I sit here quietly? Or, maybe I should lay over there on the couch while everyone is out?

If your dog is doing something that you would rather they didn't help them to make better choices by setting up their environment so that it is easier to make the right choice and then reward that choice.

30/05/2023

Wouldn't it be nice if we had a celebration day for our pups! https://rove.me/to/kathmandu/kukur-tihar

Apparently there is a similar festival in Bali in October, to show appreciation to not only dogs, but other animals like cows, goats and others to show appreciation of the work they do alongside humans, providing labor and food.

Kukur Tihar or Kukur Puja literally means the worship of dogs. This is a mini-festival within a larger Hindu celebration of Diwali, the festival of li

19/05/2023

So! This little stinker disappeared for what seemed like an eternity. Not like him to ignore the whistle but I guess a good pile of dirt and a rabbit burrow was just too much of a distraction.

He just got let go from his position of demo dog haha! Seriously though, I tell you my heart was thumpin' as my old worry momma brain started thinking he was stuck/injured somewhere in the bush!