Danny Decourtelle Dog Trainer & Behaviour Consultant

01/09/2024

Deprivation increases motivation

This statement has a bad reputation in some dog training circles because it’s considered a bit ‘old school’ and in the past was often associated with the deprivation of food to encourage dogs to work harder.

However

As dog trainers we regularly meet so called unruly dogs whose owners want us to ‘train’ their dog so as to make them less unruly, less reactive & better behaved.

The hope is that through training they can be rid of these undesirable behaviours.

However, what we only too often find is that the dog in front of us is frustrated because, put simply they have intrinsic desires & instinctive needs that are not being fulfilled.

So before we think about any training per se let’s accept and consider that all dogs have these intrinsic needs, they are very real and they need to be met.

These needs are physical, mental & psychological.

If we actually meet these needs then we have a far greater chance of being successful in our training. Ignoring them & hoping to just ‘train’ the dog instead is unlikely to be successful in any meaningful sense.

Not having these needs met can cause serious frustration and we see this in many dogs.

If you have a dog that intrinsically wants or needs to do particular tasks that they are bred to do and by doing so they find those tasks self rewarding, then depriving the dog of fulfilling those needs and doing those tasks will lead to frustration because it will increase the dog’s MOTIVATION to seek out other outlets for them.

In turn frustration leads to over reactive behaviour. We know that & It’s that simple.

The dog needs to be doing these jobs of hunting, chasing, sniffing, searching and so on where they can use both their brain and their body together in tandem.

We need to meet these needs before we even think about ‘training’.

In short, this is a mental health issue for the dog.

31/08/2024

“If we do not create and control our environment, our environment creates and controls us.“

The first step (trigger) in any behaviour that you witness is some sort of change in the environment.

Behaviour change starts here…

It’s hard, it takes time & it can be intense when we are dealing with behaviour that are driven forward by strong emotions like fear or frustration.

These emotions are linked to a state of survival. They are not doing it to p**s you off.

As a trainer I cannot show up and sprinkle magic dust on your dog and make it all ok. I could suppress your dog’s behaviour by intimidating them but I don’t roll that way.

What I can do is give you the benefit of my knowledge & experience and equip you with a tool box of exercises & protocol that will encourage a stronger relationship whilst developing new patterns of behaviour & habits.

Then, as time moves on we can adopt, adapt & improve our methods to suit the individuality and specific needs.

That’s what I do.

17/08/2024

Long-Line

I am always going on about how much I love using the long-line in training & I really do believe they can be a game changer.

However, a few points that are fundamental:It is NOT the same as a lead/leash (but just longer).

They are not for dragging/jerking your dog back to you.

They are definitely not the same thing as a flexi lead.

I use a long-line to give the dog time & space to think,in other words I give the dog options.

I believe this goes a long way in avoiding frustration.

Obviously this is something we build up to, systematically & over time.

What I find most amazing is the improved levels of communication.
You could believe that creating a physical distance might decrease communication but actually it’s quite the contrary.

To be fair this was a tough one with a lot of running sheep in the field but he managed to keep it together.
I’m in no doubt it was a bit sticky for him but he was cool….note also this didn’t happen overnight either.

I don’t do so called ‘quick fixes’

‘Slow & Steady Wins The Race

’

11/08/2024

Stay cool man

11/08/2024

NO DOG SCHOOL TODAY

Every Sunday I volunteer at Sue Evans’ dog training club but today it’s too hot so instead I’m drinking coffee & listening to jazz.

I would say that most dogs that show up at the school tend to be around 12-18 months old. That’s a coincidence you might think, or maybe not.

Another apparent coincidence is the typical narrative from the human perspective which goes something like…

“He/she was such a great puppy. They would always come back when called so I allowed them as much free-running as they wished. There was no hint of aggression or reactivity. I would follow them around the park everywhere and they would play nicely with all the other dogs. Then one day (insert suspicious incident here) and it all changed”

Now and after at least a year of so called ‘freedom’ the owner is imposing restrictions on the dog.

“You what?” Says the dog “this isn’t what we agreed”

As if adolescence isn’t bad enough already for the dog as they try to make sense of this weird society we all exist in. Trying to find their way and work out how they fit into it all while being full of adrenaline with brains like mush.

Now we have extra frustration and even resentment regarding these new ‘rules’ suddenly implemented on the dog.

“But I just wanted my dog to be happy”

08/08/2024

…one thing I really enjoy in life is when he just stops.

So I look and try & see what he sees. Is he just admiring the view, enjoying the landscape?
It often seems to be the case.

I optimistically sniff in the hope of sharing a scent on the air. Like I say, that’s optimistic.

Is he gathering his thoughts, taking a moment and remembering where we came from or where we are going & just taking it all in?

I think so.

It saddens me when I see dogs being yanked along.

Why not instead try to enjoy these moments together as a gift from the dog because after all…

“The essence of bonding is calming & shared experience”

07/08/2024

Up the top in the tarns

04/08/2024

Drainboy & Bell posing

04/08/2024

And this is a few minutes after the rabbit situation…

Notice to the right that 3 or 4 grouse fly up from the ground.

He just stops.

Sometimes of his own accord, when grouse take off, he turns and comes back to me.

This is something I have noticed recently and I wonder if he has simply learned that they always fly off and so no point chasing them?

However, he’s never caught a squirrel but still wants to chase them and even pheasant will gain more interest and they fly just like grouse, so who knows…?

I’m glad I caught this on film because it’s weird.

anxiety

04/08/2024

Another clip of real life’s imperfection.

Notice how he suddenly gets a whiff of something (that I assume to be rabbit) and after sniffing the air he’s off.

He’s already committed to the ‘rabbit’ and I am too late so I hold onto the long line but I do not pull him back.

The longline is there to prevent him chasing rather than pulling him around.

I know with this dog if I start to pull him he will dig in.

I also don’t want to repeatedly call him so I wait for the twitch, the slight head turn, the quick check in and then call him back.

And back he trots with a smile on his face.

04/08/2024

*Image used is to emphasise the point of the post, and is in no way an endorsement of such tools.

04/08/2024

04/08/2024

Pulling the lumber out of the beck and Kane came down to check out progress

04/08/2024

What we do for our bloody dogs…..

Drainboy doesn’t really have much of a garden so we’ve decided to build him one instead.

First step is chopping down the 5 dead trees.

01/08/2024

Here’s a clip of Drainboy doing a very IMPERFECT recall.

Myth buster

I think some folk might think that dog trainers have the most well behaved, best trained, practically perfect dogs in the world.

It’s not true.

What is true is that many trainers are prepared to take on the sort of dogs that might otherwise be overlooked.

Hence, we have a lot of empathy with people as they navigate through the emotions of anxiety, fear, frustration & so on in their dog (even in themselves perhaps)

01/08/2024

Places & spaces out there

Tea for me & a scatter for him is traditional now

01/08/2024

East London Dog Training Collective

Separation Anxiety & Reactivity are both extremely stressful situations to work through for all concerned (dogs & people).

For a while now I have teamed up with Vanessa from to provide help & support for dogs with these issues.

I think it’s fair to say that in pretty much every situation there is a complexity that needs to be unpicked if we are to find solutions to these problems.

Rarely are the answers straightforward and black & white but rather they are quite sophisticated & nuanced.

Consequently we are both aware that the information we give to clients can feel overwhelming, particularly at the start of the process.

We urge people after every session to STOP, even if just for a while. Let stuff sink in, absorb the information. There is after all, a lot of information.

Don’t try everything at once but instead break it down into smaller components and be systematic. Don’t worry about all the bits you have already forgotten, but do ask questions.

Relax.

We know it’s hard but…

‘Slow & steady wins the race’

27/07/2024

We’ve ‘peaked’ at 8am

24/07/2024

RIP John Mayall

16/07/2024

Reminder:

‘As long as we remember them they are not really gone’

More than a decade ago

Flash

RIP

14/07/2024

It’s been a busy weekend and a part of that business was meeting this mini-sausage.

Little Jimi Hendrix….and another collaboration between myself & Vanessa (The East London Dog Training Collective).

He didn’t pay me much heed because he was emotionally elsewhere, that’s fair enough.

ZEN CALM

With people we can talk about best practices such as breathing techniques, avoiding confrontation, letting go of regret & resentment & finding pleasure in the moment.

When it comes to dogs how on earth do we promote inner peace?

It’s a challenge.

We talk a lot about ‘alternative behaviours’ and I like to think of that concept as one of opening a door for the dog & indicating that other options and coping strategies are available to them.

Helping the dog to learn to recognise available options in situations that they may not have previously recognised.

Empowerment in dogs could be thought of as creating more (and better) choices & options.

Building confidence with:

Industriousness-try harder
Persistence-keep on trying
Creativity-problem solving
Resilience- emotional bounce-back

These processes will engender self confidence & promote optimism in the dog, reducing anxiety & encouraging a state of so called ‘well-being’.

The East London Dog Training Collective is a collaboration between myself and Vanessa which came about when it was clear that a number of dogs we came across were both over-reactive in certain situations AND also suffering with Separation Anxiety.

I was always very impressed with Vanessa & by working closely together we can assess and consider the dog’s situation in so much more detail & this has proved invaluable.


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09/07/2024

THE ULTIMATE REWARD

Flow:
‘A state of complete absorption or engagement in an activity that one finds rewarding intrinsically, irrespective of any end product or extrinsic benefit’

AKA - ‘In The Zone’

I speculate that the ultimate reinforcement for dogs is ‘environmental reinforcement’.

This is also us doing a bit of predation substitute training. Using the long line allows him to get stuck in with all the steps prior to actually chasing & killing.

These include looking, following, finding, sniffing etc

Also, I let him do the work without me in the background bleating repeatedly “find it find it find it…” like a demented robot.

06/07/2024

I had a lovely time today with this one.

Even in the persistent rain.

She has done marvellously in just four weeks and the new humans in her life should be applauded for their efforts.

It’s a learning curve for all parties concerned (dog, owners and yes, even the trainer)

Current conversations are based around ‘relationship’ & ‘guidance’.

TOOLS:
One of the best tools we have is our own CALM.

I can see her confidence growing before my eyes and it’s delightful.

05/07/2024

I have found that a superb tonic against the ill effects of frustration and anxiety is:
CONTROL & PREDICTABILITY

How can we instil in our over-reactive dogs the notion that they have control over what happens to them and that events can be predictable?

A lack of control and predictability can cause:

Impaired learning, reduced activity, body weight loss & INCREASED FEAR and more….

Empowerment refers to the process of promoting more ‘power & control’ over one’s circumstances and ‘being empowered’ refers to exhibiting or exercising this power & control.

04/07/2024

During one of those late night conversations, a friend asked me to write down my ‘dog training’ in less than 25 words.
I used 14
I think that more or less covers it ….

28/06/2024

MORE ‘DOORWAY’ MANNERS

We always teach so called ‘doorway manners’ at our group classes and still to this day I find myself explaining that it’s not about the human going first so as to ‘show them who’s boss’ (whatever that means)

It’s about taking responsibility for what might be on the other side,checking that it’s safe to proceed but mainly it’s simply developing a good habit of just holding back for a moment.

Who wants a dog with the rambunctious habit of barging into the unknown? It’s a bad habit and one day there might be something quite untoward on the other side.

Regarding these stiles.

It’s a good idea that he might not leap off the other side, particularly when you are on your own, it’s dark, muddy & p**sing down. Particularly when you have to shove him up first while you clamber behind.

He knows there is a 10 second wait and despite being manhandled in an undignified manner he’s alright with it.

Doorway manners taken to the next level….

22/06/2024

JUST THE SAME AS PEOPLE.

I’m in the mood for a geeky post and I am aware that many people will just roll their eyes and scroll on….

So what do you do when presented with a one year old female dog rescued from a breeding/puppy mill?

Her welfare, emotional state & mental health were given scant regard (if any) and came way down on the list after the priority of money.

These situations can lead a dog to a position of ‘disempowerment’ - namely a lack of effective & adaptive or productive behaviours and a lack of resilience to situations leading to behavioural suppression, learned helplessness & response depression.

Disempowerment is often framed in terms of PREDICTION & CONTROL.

A lack of control and predictability can cause:

Impaired learning, reduced activity, body weight loss & INCREASED FEAR and more….

Empowerment Training

Empowerment refers to the process of promoting more ‘power & control’ over one’s circumstances and ‘being empowered’ refers to exhibiting or exercising this power & control.

Locus of control refers to an individual’s belief regarding the source or cause of what happens to them. An external locus of control refers to the belief that what happens to them is caused by external forces. An internal locus of control refers to the belief that that what happens to them is caused by the individual’s own conduct.

Self-efficacy can be defined as ‘the belief that one is capable of performing in a certain manner to attain certain goals. It’s a belief that one has the capabilities to execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations’

19/06/2024

BEHAVIOUR IS INFORMATION

Dog trainers are often asked to help when a dog is ‘misbehaving & naughty’ or that the dog is ‘bad’.

Particularly with over reactive dogs.

They just want their dogs to be good.

Let’s look at the bigger picture, step back and take a holistic view and reframe those notions and instead ask ourselves questions such as:

What is the dog seeking?

What does the dog need ?

What emotions are they attempting to manage through this behaviour ?

We must recognise that when a dog makes a decision or choice there are no ‘good or bad’ options that the dog takes.

Rather, the dog will behave according to whether it views the situation as SAFE or UNSAFE - it’s that simple.

They move towards what they like and avoid what they dislike.

When we see the behaviour through these different lenses the narrative around ‘the why’ changes dramatically and now we can start the process of implementing change.

One of the most satisfying aspects of behaviour change is when humans sigh with relief when they realise there is an alternative to ‘fighting’ their dog’s behaviour.