Here is a raw clip from our nail trim this morning. I love this for a few reasons. This is what consent looks like, this is what good communication looks like, and this is what an ongoing conversation looks like.
1. I never ask for the chin rest, she offers it. The nail clippers in my hand offers enough information for her to know what we are about to do and she she can choose to participate or not.
2. You will see one moment where she withdraws her consent. I reinforcer that behaviour the same as I do when she opts in. You will see that does not affect her desire to opt in in the future.
3. She takes a break and offers me a different behaviour (down) for reinforcement. There should always be ample opportunities for reinforcement during cooperative care, never just one.
4. The audio is a bit quiet but if you listen carefully, you will hear that I always indicate the same way when I am about to start. There are no surprises.
5. We go slow and take our time. And that door is open and she can leave at any time.
Book reading, teaser #4.
CRC Press Routledge Books
My ideal walk doesn't always align with Juno's needs and wants. I'd love to always loop along the beach or river, walking straight lines along a path allowing Juno to run freely off lead (she gets an abundance of off lead time every walk we take).
But given ACTUAL freedom to choose her route, it often looks very different.
When I walk out the door, 90% or more of the time I let her choose: car or neighbourhood. Then I let her pick her route. Sometimes it's the beach or the river or the park or golf links (we have spectacular choices steps from our door). But rarely is it a straight line to get there. Sometimes, she just wanders and zigs and zags up and down the same streets over and over, checking out all of her local territory hot spots, eventually just taking me back home once she's had her fill.
That is normal and more than okay. If we watch free roaming dogs, they do go on some journeys, but rarely do they involve a strait line or a start and a finish. They may go up and down the same street multiple times in a day. Their goal is very different than ours: sniff, investigate, watch, hear, scavenge, experience the moment. This is SUPER enriching for them.
And, sure, it sometimes means I have to say good morning to the same person 3 or 4 times as we walk back and forth or in circles. But she is fully satisfied with the outing she designed for herself.
Flaws and all this time around 🤭.
Reading from Chapter 3 (and my voice is completely back to normal)!
CRC Press Routledge Books
Order online at any book retailer worldwide.
**Read it? Liked it? Help me out with some positive Amazon reviews!
Before I lost my voice completely, I recorded another exerpt from chapter 2 of my book, Constructing Canine Consent. This time coming all the way from the IAABC Foundation conference in Asheville, NC!
If you enjoyed reading my book, please consider leaving a kind Amazon review!
#canineconsent
CRC Press
Second reading from Chapter One of Constructing Canine Consent. Because I believe this chapter is best taken as a sum of its parts, here are a few concluding thoughts.
If you read this book and enjoyed it, a supportive Amazon review is definitely appreciated! ❤️
Hi friends!
Because I didn't have an official in-person or virtual book launch, I never got to read any blurbs from my book to you.
Over the next few weeks I will share bits and pieces, starting today with the very first para in my preface.
If you bought my book and enjoyed reading it, I would be eternally grateful for some aroha (love) shared via an Amazon, Google, and/or Goodreads review!
CRC Press Routledge Books
https://www.amazon.com/Constructing-Canine-Consent-Conceptualising-consent-focused/dp/1032421592
The unboxing of Constructing Canine Consent!
3-4 years of my hard work is finally in print!
😁 www.routledge.com
CRC Press Routledge Books #TheUnboxing
Well, it has certainly been a minute since we did a match-to-sample. Fun way to exercise the ol' noggin. Even though it's been a while, nothing was forgotten.
Today Merit Dog Juno turns FIVE! We have been on a lot of adventures. From the south Island to the north and from the west coast to the east!
What to do when the temperature soars well over 30°C?
1. Get in car and blast air con.
2. Drive to water. Preferably with access nearly directly from car.
3. Play find it game for some treatos in the water (ones that will float).
4. Dry off in the shade of a giant palm tree.
5. Get back in air con and drive home.
Juno loves "find it" scavenger hunts and loves wading in the water. Add both together = excellent activity!
The waves made it extra challenging today!
Stay cool, friends!
To leash or not to leash?
Just because an area is "off leash" doesn't mean "no social etiquette."
Public spaces are shared spaces. We share them with other dogs, with other people (of all shapes, sizes, and experiences with dogs), and we share it with wildlife, too.
In Canterbury region we are especially lucky. There are heaps of places we are able to take dogs, both with and without leash laws. And Juno and I are no exception to the many people and dogs who enjoy these spaces.
But when Juno is off leash she:
- Doesn't approach human strangers
- Doesn't run up to or approach unfamiliar dogs
- Doesn't chase the wildlife (there are heaps of seagulls on the beach in this video)
- Comes running to me when I call her over
- Stops and waits when I ask (and is rewarded handsomely)
- Checks in with me frequently
And I:
- Pay attention to her and others
- Am present
- Am engaged with her
* If your dog cannot do these things reliably yet, that's okay. Or if you are distracted, it happens. So, use a nice long leash attached to a comfortably fitted body harness. This will still allow them some extra freedom while practicing these skills and practicing good etiquette.
There are absolutely times when we do use the leash:
- If people are having a picnic, I pop it on her while we walk past. JUST IN CASE! (She does love a good picnic)
- If it is an area that requires one
- If it is very busy with people and children
- If there is unusual wildlife around (like a seal pup on the beach, for example). She is far more curious and I want to make sure that she doesn't ever harass that pup. That includes going too close and causing the pup stress
* The leash is not annoying or frustrating for her because she has learned how to move comfortably on one. I don't use it to control her movements but instead as a safety net and in consideration of others.
Both being on lead and off require learning some skills to follow some basic rules (that are quite arbitrary to our dogs, mind you). It's okay to be anywher
Today was unexpectedly busy at our usual coffee spot. At one point, I counted 9 dogs, 16 children, and 11 adults. It is the last day of school before summer holidays and the kids were wound up! They were throwing things around and playing with all the toys. It was a lot (even for me)!
Because of the environment today, I was extra mindful. It was a good opportunity to take in the excitement of the world, but I wanted to set Juno up to feel safe and have a good experience.
1. I situated us in a spot I felt Juno would feel safest. There were kids around but she could see them and there was a little bit of space between us and the majority of their antics.
2. She didn't ask to leave. She is very good at advocating for herself and had she asked to leave, I absolutely would have respected that request.
3. I watched her body language. She was definitely more alert than if it were a normal quieter day (the usual people popping in to grab their morning java). She was watching the kids and dogs doing their thing. But she wasn't showing signs of stress. She was taking treats, her ears were forward, her brow was smooth, her tail was in a normal, relaxed position, her eyes and face were soft (she had her normal serious face on), and her body was mostly relaxed.
4. She chose this position. I certainly didn't force her to lay down. This is also a good gauge for me to know how she is feeling. It is very unlikely she would choose to lay down if she's feeling unsafe.
5. I stayed present and aware. I didn't text my friends or scroll through Facebook. I kept an eye on what was happening around us so I could make sure everyone was safe and happy.
6. I was confident of her capabilities. We have worked up to being in busier environments. But even though I was very confident about her enjoyment levels and her ability to navigate this busy environment, I was still mindful of all those things mentioned above.
She is the only one who can truly judge her feelings accurately. I just n
Remember the other day when I posted about learning to just chill, hang out, and just taking it all in?
The function of settling is SO IMPORTANT for their well-being, but ours too.
I am diabetic. Yesterday we went for a long walk after lunch and I started to become hypoglycemic. A side effect of insulin. I was shaky, had trouble walking, and felt nauseous.
I had my glucose tablets with me, as always, but needed to sit down and wait the 15 minutes for my body to absorb it and my blood glucose to start to rise again.
Juno waited calmly and patently for me until I was ready to go. I cannot imagine how much of a struggle I would have had if she was unable to chill out with me.
I always let Juno roll in the gross things.
She likes it. It makes her happy.
I don't get angry. I don't prevent it or interrupt her.
The smells and the activity of rolling in these odours (taking scent, leaving scent) are enriching for her. Her preference is generally death and decay (fauna or flora).
It might seem gross to us humans, but this is completely normal and acceptable in dog culture. I also love seeing her feel safe enough in her environment to explore the normal canine behaviours she desires.
Then we do cooperative clean up when we get home. Easy!
A 2021 study by Griss et al. showed that high activity levels followed by very low levels are more common in owned dogs than free-roaming dogs. Free-roaming dogs show more moderate activity levels than dogs in human care.
This is not surprising given the lifestyle in most homes-- the 9-5ish work life. Dogs get out for walks maybe once or twice a day and they take advantage of that time by fully enjoying their 30-minutes of freedom. Maybe they have been home alone all day and their energy and arousal levels are off the charts!
Dogs soon learn that outings are about chasing balls or walking without stopping. There is a common ideology that dogs need tiring out by way of high intensity activities.
I incorporate "chill" time into most of our outings. These range from 5 minutes to an hour! I want to slow things down. I want Juno to feel comfortable enough to just chill outside of the house. To watch everything that is happening and just soak it all in.
Here we are sitting down by the children's splash park this afternoon (her choice)! There were hundreds of people around. There are people picnicking. There are kids EVERYWHERE. There are babies and dogs and birds and skateboards and scooters and, and, and...
I didn't ask her to lay down or station beside me. She chose this position because it's comfortable for her. I never force her to visit places she doesn't want to go nor do I force her into particular body positions. This isn't a drill and it's not about "obedience;" it's meant to be enjoyable, practical, and beneficial to everyone.
This is part of socialisation with your dog. A big part.
My priorities are to make her feel safe around everything and everyone, to practice good social etiquette, and to habituate to the world around her so that she can go more places and experience all the things without finding it stressful!
Disclaimer: we have worked up to these busy places. Many dogs will find this environment overwhelming. Always move at your own pace and i
I hope you are all having as much fun as Juno is this weekend! (She is a very savvy gardener).
Juno and I generally enjoy two or three daily adventures. Usually we spend Sunday afternoon enjoying a nice long stroll along the river. But today, Juno wasn't interested in afternoon walkies. She's tired. We've had some loooong adventures this week because the weather has been fabulous and several visitors to the house which is very exciting for her.
So instead, we trimmed nails (which Juno absolutely loves to participate in) and did a fun treat scatter around the yard. Juno has access to the front and back yards, so it's a fairly large space. This is one of her very favourite activities. I hide them well, too. In old flower pots and in nooks in the shed and between rocks.
What an excellent way to enjoy outdoors--scavenging and using her extraordinary sense of smell to locate goodies is at the top of her "favourites" list, for sure.
And me? I got some time to rest my legs as well and get some work done. ☺️
Juno used to be PETRIFIED of the rubbish truck. So much so that if she heard its distinctive sounds even a few blocks away, she would tremble and start pulling me to go home, no matter where we were.
Look what just a bit of classical counterconditioning and desensitization can do. I say a bit because we only ever see this truck once a week, if that. It's obviously not something I can replicate to practise. She is totally and completely relaxed these days (and excited to get to the beach)!
