I just know I’m going to regret this one in the long run, but when the 19kg child wants to sit on my knee RIGHT NOW, who am I to argue? 😂
What sort of nonsense are you accidentally encouraging from your dogs?
“Where are our humans?”
Out-of-sight stays with our advanced class tonight - partially out of sight for Guinness, since it’s his first time attempting this exercise, but he nailed it!
What a lovely start to the week - a really successful follow up session with lovely Hallie. At our first session, Hallie was highly reactive to pretty much anything that moved (and plenty of things that didn’t move!) and every single walk was stressful for her and her humans. She couldn’t calm down and had to be dragged away, barking and lunging.
Her humans have been putting in a ton of effort, coupled with some of my suggestions for new equipment and herbal supplements for a suspected hormone issue, and on our third session I was absolutely blown away by their progress. Some of today’s highlights included:
- better connection between dog and handler
- dog and handler both enjoying their walk
- Hallie calmly observing humans doing ‘scary things’ across the street without barking
- Hallie successfully disengaging and walking away from dogs, humans, and bikes
- Hallie choosing to sniff for treats even when a dog was less than ten feet away
- a non-aggressive greeting with a human that she has only met once before
- Hallie advocating for herself - telling her handler when she saw a ‘scary human’ up ahead and needed space, instead of fixating and barking at them
I’m delighted with all of those points, but especially the last one - it’s the first time I’ve seen Hallie very clearly make a choice and tell her human what she needed without panicking. We listened, crossed the street, and that’s when I filmed this little clip. Relaxed lead; a dog able to take treats, check in with the handler, and move freely; no micromanaging, no punishments, no fear; just good communication.
Well done, Team Hallie - you are all superstars ⭐️
Right gang, it's time for an anatomy lesson. I've had several recent conversations with clients explaining why I do or don't recommend specific bits of kit, and found myself having to Google an image of canine anatomy for one person in order to explain why I absolutely will not use grot collars in my training.
It then occurred to me that the average dog owner might never have considered what's actually going on 'under the surface' when you use specific bits of equipment with your dog. I've put together this video to hopefully help you visualise exactly what I mean when I talk about 'the delicate structures of the neck and throat'.
All of the points in the video are made using both a diagram, and dissection images - if you're squeamish, I verbally warn when I'm switching back and forth between the two, but you can also contact me if you'd like a copy of the diagram image without the fleshy bits.
Please, please consider the physical impact that your equipment choices will have on your dog. 'Collar pops' on a prong, grot, or similar noose-like device are barbaric and have no place in ethical training.
Progress looks very different for every dog and handler, but it’s always wonderful ❤️
Riley has been working with me for about six months. Our first few sessions took place on opposite sides of a wire fence, because she was so easily overwhelmed by unfamiliar humans. The sight of other dogs, even at a distance, sent her into a frenzy. Riley’s human had some great skills under her belt, having come across Grisha Stewart’s BAT techniques before approaching me, but she was finding it really difficult to work ‘under threshold’ in the real world when Riley was so sensitive.
Six months in, with her hormone issues under control and a lot of 1:1 sessions behind us, I am thrilled with how well they are both doing. In this clip, we’ve just been for a walk through Callendar Woods, unfamiliar territory for both Riley and her human, with lots of exciting wildlife and the occasional off-leash dog. Coming back into the main park, we had triggers approaching from four directions including a group of off-leash dogs and a fast-moving runner. Riley calmly took herself off the path, watched the hustle and bustle with polite interest, and then checked in with her human for a well-deserved reward.
I love this clip for a lot of reasons. Riley has the freedom to make good choices; she’s not being held tightly to heel or forced to sit or lie down. There’s also very little food being used - there’s no attempt to distract her away from the triggers, merely rewarding her every now and again for a job well done. She’s totally unfazed by my presence, having decided several sessions ago that I’m a ‘safe human’. Finally, she’s free to get moving afterwards, move her feet, shake it off - and she immediately returns to zigzagging and exploring, enjoying her lovely walk in the park.
Progress can be so difficult to measure when you’re living with your reactive dog every day - sometimes you need to step back a little to really see the magic happen.
Slight delay with admin this afternoon 😂
