Rose's Puppy School

12/11/2024

Great thinking from Nerina Napoli from .
https://www.facebook.com/share/15dAf2ALp4/

Why do we train our dogs? When I ask my new students this question, it is often met with the phrase, "so that they obey us."

This horrified me as the last thing I want is a scared slave of a dog behaving in a robotic manner. So that begs the question, what do I want to achieve in training so that we can enjoy an enriched life together?

These are the life skills I would like to help my students instill in their dogs at the very least.

1. The ability to interact with other dogs and people in an appropriate manner. This means your dog has manners and is welcome at pet friendly places.
2. The ability to move with their owner on a loose lead. This means you can enjoy safe walks together and you won't injure yourself being dragged about.
3. The ability to switch off and settle quietly. This means your dog can accompany you places.
4. The ability to stay connected to their owner when off lead. This means the owners trust to allow freedom of movement and enriched off lead walks.
5. The ability to return to their owner when called. This means a lot more freedom to enjoy off leash walks.
6. ⁠The ability to play and have fun with their owner but calm down immediately if required. This makes it fun to take dogs on outings to exciting places but able to cope with more stimulating environments.
7. The ability to move confidently through the world. This means you have socialised your dog correctly and they are able to cope with many everyday noises, smells and experiences.

Training is not a chore, it’s a partnership, an enrichment journey, and a way to get enjoyment out of life with your dog.

At the Wag Way, these are the very basics we make as our priorities.

28/10/2024

Sweet, busy, and oh so smart! Pups learning and having fun!

22/10/2024

An unhappy Pippin baby! She has a teeny tiny foreign body in her cornea that even the clever eye specialist vet can't remove. So meds, meds and more meds for a couple of weeks to try and get it to move to the surface. Praying it does! She's actually such a good patient, still playing and not objecting to drops in her eye every hour or so.

20/10/2024

Amen to this! One comment says we should ask what we can give the dog, not what the dog can give us, and to then look at what breed or type will have the best possible life with us. We had to make the very hard decision to not get another GSD once our Minka died as we're getting older and will likely move somewhere smaller in a year or two, unsuitable for a large breed. And they need a lot of training, longer walks etc. Now we have a Spaniel x Schnauzer (fab combo except for chasing creatures!) And a Border Terrier, the sweetest funniest companion who still need loads of mental and physical stimulation and is very far down close to the ground when one treats her or leans down, but she's easy to transport.and manage.

Please get a dog who is a good fit for you.

It's not a pleasant post but a necessary one. Many of the "behaviour" and "training" issues we come across would not be issues if people had made different choices. I certainly don't mean to sound judgemental here, but with over a decade and a half of working with dogs and their people, I've seen a fair number of cases where people choose the wrong dog or type of dog for their lifestyle.

Some examples

Someone with 8 dogs. They didn't all get along, and the person was out of the house for 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. Some of their dogs were crated the full time, every time, they were out the house. Too many dogs, not enough space and time.

A retired couple who bought two giant breed dogs because "they had always had them." They did not training until the dogs were over a year old and over 60kg. Now reactive to other dogs and they couldn't physically control them.

A family with a working gundog breed. All the gear, no idea. They wanted to dog as a fashion accessory. No outlet for the dog's working needs, the dog couldn't settle as a result, so was now excluded, 20 + hours a day in the utility room. They had money and time, just not the inclination to take care of the dogs needs.

I don't think everyone has the lifestyle for a dog and I certainly don't think every person is suited to every type/breed of dog. When I'm in my 70s, despite being active and physically fit, I'll likely choose a smaller dog. If I live beyond that, I certainly will.

Ask yourself

Do you know what this dog was bred for? Cam you meet some of those needs?

Border collies and springer spaniels were bred to be active, throwing a ball repeatedly as theor exercise is not meeting their needs though.

Are you physically capable of controlling this dog if you need to? If you struggle to carry your shopping 10m from the car to the house, a 45kg labrador or German Shepherd isn't a good choice for you UNLESS your training is consistent and reliable.

Do you have the time in your life to train your dog (and no, exclusion and crating is not the answer to this)? Do you have the knowledge to do so? Or the willingness to learn? This takes time and effort and sometimes money.

Clients of mine years ago complained about the cost of lessons. The woman came to every session with false nails and the guy regularly went on weekend golfing trips with his pals (they were expensive from the description) but neither of them were willing to sacrifice their luxuries for a few months to help their dog (because what would their friends say?)

Who suffers as a result of all this? The dog. They get rehomed. They get ignored or excluded. They may develop destructive behaviours. They become fodder for some 🤡 to slap a shock collar or noose on the dog and hurt them for living.

Many people can have a dog, few (if any) can have any dog.

Having said all of the above, we work with truly amazing clients week in, week out, who rise to the occasion. They change attitudes, invest time and effort into understanding their dogs AND meeting their needs. We get feedback that working with us has not only helped improve their dog relationship but a greater understanding of behaviour has filtered into other aspects of their lives. The learned, adapted, overcame. It's truly awesome to behold.

Please choose wisely. Our dogs deserve it.

20/10/2024

We're learning so much about the emotional life of animals. This should encourage us to be more thoughtful and intentional in our dealing with them, in the wild or with our pets. Know better, do better.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1tFZnx4cjcgiPsnq/

21/09/2024

Bring your woofs and human family for a fun morning!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/DVdLYirUeGLRSefy/?mibextid=oFDknk

24/08/2024

Having trained my own dogs (including German Shepherds - for those who think big dog = need to use force) and helped many people to train their dogs, I can say that this is 💯 correct. Sharing to help 'the public' be more informed and know that they don't need to make their dog uncomfortable in any way to train it. And if your dog has behavioural issues, there are qualified animal behaviourists to help. We know better so we try to do better.

Science shows that aversive methods have risks for dogs’ welfare, so we have to keep explaining that the best approach to dog training is one that uses rewards.

17/08/2024

I'm looking forward to meeting these cuties on Tueaday when they come for their first puppy class. We're going to have a fun and productive few weeks together with their people, developing their understanding of the world and how to navigate their way in different situations. At the same time, their handlers will learn more about understanding their pup, which will help to strengthen their bond.

27/06/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/inDWygbgv4yFpkNw/?mibextid=oFDknk

Helping your dog overcome separation anxiety Does your dog hate goodbyes? Our guide will provide advice to help your dog feel comforted, even when you're

30/05/2024

Two feet up is a shaping game we use for several reasons: Humans learn how they can work without luring to help their dogs learn, they also learn to be quieter and let the dog work it out (so hard for some!). The dog is learning to try different things to figure out what is going to get her the reinforcer and, therefore, new neural pathways and improved problem-solving skills and optimism are developed. We start by marking and rewarding any approach to the object and gradually increase the criteria until the goal is reached. 2 feet up and other object interactions are the basis for body conditioning. Wins all round, smiles and happy tails! #

16/11/2023

Pet parents are really good about getting their puppy's vaccinations for physical diseases, but not near as good about getting the behavior problem vaccination-socialization!

Socialization needs to take place in the correct way (positive or neutral experiences) before the puppy is 14 weeks of age. Yes, we continue after that time, but the time up until 14 weeks is an essential socialization period.

Don't miss it!