PAWSability Center

06/10/2024

We've had some awesome training sessions the past few days! What are you and your pups working on?

24/07/2024

As many of you all know I have another job. As a friendly reminder, please *do not* call my other job and expect me to give you an immediate dog training appointment. I am often booked weeks in advance. We are often swamped 8-5 and I have a strict separation of shelter work and private training.

Picture of my foster cat Queen Purrsephone and her kittens 🐈‍⬛

04/04/2024

Service Dog users, checkout these vests and Laura's great video (and other content)
Ruffwear please sponsor some DOGGY U content; I can see amazing things happening with this partnership!!

🐕‍🦺 Behavior Interruptions & Alerts Course: https://courses.doggyu.com/p/bia🦮 Service Dog 101 Course: https://courses.doggyu.com/p/service-dog-101👉🏽 Sig...

25/03/2024

25/03/2024

How cool 🐑

We call this one: "Home schooling the kids," canine style

Shepherds, farmers, and ranchers will tell you that puppies learn by watching the behaviors of experienced dogs. By observing, they gather useful information and helpful “data” when there seems to be an advantage in mimicking that behavior. This is why shepherds, for example, will allow puppies to watch their parent working sheep.

This type of learning is called allelomimetic behavior, observational learning, or social learning, and it capitalizes on a dog’s inborn predisposition to want to be with other dogs, follow their lead, and do the same things.

When Anna Scandurra in the Department of Biology at the University of Naples and her team did research on the issue, they worked with 50 Labrador Retrievers who lived at home with their owners, none of whom were professional handlers or trainers. The team wondered if an untrained dog could learn a new obedience command after seeing it demonstrated by a dog who already knew the command. There are more details to such a study, of course, but the conclusion is that of the dogs who observed a demonstrator dog, 62.5% performed the task correctly in the test phase, as compared to only 23.5% of the dogs who did not get to observe the demonstration. “In conclusion our results suggest that observational learning could be useful in dog training.” Their findings were accepted for publication by the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

Not everyone, however, agrees that dogs can learn simply by watching. It’s been pointed out that four conditions are necessary for observational learning: Attention, retention, motivation, and production. A pup has to pay attention to the dog performing the modeled behavior; She has to retain the information gathered about the behavior while watching, she has to be motivated to reproduce the behavior in a time and place different from the original time she saw it, and she has to reproduce the behavior.

That being said, evidence suggests to us that ranchers and shepherds know what they’re doing. An earlier study from 1997 conducted by Slabbert and Rasa found that pups between the ages of 9-12 weeks who were permitted to watch their narcotics-detecting mums at work proved to be more capable at learning the same skills at six months of age than control puppies the same age who weren’t previously allowed to watch their mothers working.

By now, the experienced dog owners among you will be thinking that it’s just as easy to pick up undesirable behaviors from watching a “naughty” dog in action as it is the behaviors we actually want, and you’d be right. A word from the wise, then: Be careful what your puppy observes in other dogs!

Image: This photo has appeared all over the Internet unattributed for years, and we’d love to give proper credit. Anyone?

16/03/2024

Hobbes used almost all of his brain power during his session today and needed a mid session nap 💙
A++ work buddy

01/03/2024

💻 Online classes!
Sign up now to get some awesome training sessions in with the wonderful Ayoka Bubar Cpdt-Ka! 🐾

I've got some upcoming online classes going live!

Control Unleashed and AKC/CKC Rally Obedience!

Sign up soon, space is limited!

https://ayokabubar.com/services/

25/02/2024

Sniffaris for the win! Grab a long line, treats, put your dog on a harness and go enjoy the outdoors 🏔️ ☀️

Shake it…shake it off…

A recent study by two researchers in France looked at sniffing, pulse rate, and leash length on walks. Sixty-one dogs were taken on three separate walks, five minutes each walk, once with a 1.5m leash, once with a 5m leash, and once without a leash at all (walk order was randomized for each dog). Off-leash dogs sniffed the most, more than 3x as long as the dogs on short leashes. Dogs on long leashes spent nearly as much time as unleashed dogs sniffing, almost 3x as long as dogs on short leashes.

This study also found that sniffing resulted in lowered pulse rates, and the more intensely they sniffed, the more their pulse rates lowered. Pulse rate was also lowered when dogs “shook off” during walks on all leash lengths. The “shake off” behavior was often seen when the dog’s pulse rate was particularly high.

Read more about it below!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HX77kp2HBDiTxmq/?mibextid=Le6z7H

https://www.tuftsyourdog.com/everydaydogcare/giving-your-dog-time-to-sniff-on-walks-will-literally-soothe-his-heart/

What else can we learn about dogs from their walking behavior? Take your best friend on a Sniffari and see what you observe!

10/02/2024

This is going to be great!! 🐾

The Big Feelings Puppy Virtual Workshop is this Sunday Feb 11th at 1pm CT!

Fear of Missing out( FOMO)! Mine! Give me now! If this sounds familiar, you may have a Big Feelings Puppy. We love dogs with Big Feelings, and we also know they can be challenging and frustrating without the right expectations, tools, and clear communication. In this 60 - 90 minute interactive virtual workshop we teach you how to triage life skills, focus on preventing FOMO, tackle tantrums, and lay the foundation for cooperative and clear communication.

The format will be short sessions of instruction followed by working with your dog while getting real-time feedback. After the workshop participants will be invited to join a private Facebook group where they can post videos for feedback. There will be a 30-minute live Question and Answer session 2 weeks after the workshop.

Topics of instruction include:

Expectation setting
Patterns for clarity
Learning to take turns
Foundations for relaxing while exciting things happen

Register at
https://nonstopdog.com/events

06/02/2024

4 reasons why punishment should be avoided - according to neuroscience 🧠

❤️‍🩹 Neuroplasticity: Recent studies in neuroscience have emphasized the importance of neuroplasticity in learning. Positive reinforcement can effectively shape behavior by reinforcing desirable neural pathways, rather than relying on punishment which does not directly promote the formation of these beneficial connections.

❤️‍🩹 Stress on the Brain: Research has shown that stress and anxiety can have a significant negative impact on brain function and learning. Punishment in dog training can induce stress, potentially impairing the dog's ability to learn and form positive associations with training. This is in line with the understanding that a stressed brain is less capable of effective learning and memory formation, as indicated by recent neuroscience findings.

❤️‍🩹 Dopamine in Learning: Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, plays a critical role in the reward and motivation systems of the brain. Positive reinforcement in dog training can increase dopamine release, which enhances the dog's motivation and pleasure in learning. Punishment does not engage the reward system in the same way, underscoring the efficacy of positive reinforcement.

❤️‍🩹 Cognitive and Emotional Effects: Emerging research also highlights the complex cognitive and emotional responses animals have to different stimuli. Punishment has been identified as more likely to lead to fear, anxiety, and aggression - all of which are not conducive to learning. In contrast, training methods that focus on positive reinforcement can foster a more positive emotional state, facilitating better learning and stronger bonds between the dog and guardian.

Modern neuroscience research supports the notion that punishment is not necessary in dog training. Instead, it advocates for methods that leverage the brain's capacity for neuroplasticity, engage the reward system, and create a positive learning environment. These approaches are more aligned with how the brain learns and adapts, leading to more effective and humane training practices.

ℹ️ Follow .plus.dogs for more modern, evidence based advice on dogs

04/02/2024

Love this!

23/01/2024

Worth a reshare 🤣

15/01/2024

Muzzle Misconceptions from Trust Your Dog 🐾

04/01/2024

Since 2010, January has been known as ! What are your training goals for this month or for 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ in general?
Ruh (Roo) and I will continue to work on our herding skills and work towards our Fenzi TEAM Titles 🏅
I'd love to work on our disc foundations too, but my arm would need to cooperate first 😅