Louise's Dog and Puppy School was established in 2010 and is operated by Louise Welsford.
Classes at all levels are offered as well as private tuition and behaviour consultations Louise is an accredited Super Pup and Super Teen trainer and has successfully completed the Basic Behaviour Course with Ethology Academy. She trains her own Labrador Retrievers for Field Trials and Retriever Working Tests and is a Field Trial A Panel Judge. She is an advocate of force-free training methods and
believes that the way to improve the life of pet dogs is to help owners humanely educate their dogs by establishing a positive and caring relationship between dogs and their humans.
This is a perfect follow on from Puppy School. We are starting a new course on the 7th of September at the Kloof Scout Hall in Buckingham Road, Kloof, so please give me a call or send me a WhatsApp on 0848287880 or drop me an email to [email protected].
Enrolment for Puppy Kindergarten is open so you don't have to wait for a slot to open up but can join in as soon as your puppy is ready.
Congratulations Rozina and her wonderful family for a great job with Oreo, the English Bulldog. He is seriously one of the most awesome examples of this breed with the loveliest temperament. Looking forward to being part of the next stage of your training journey!
Dianah de Maudave and Dakota have just completed and graduated from Puppy KIndergarten. Dianah has been the most conscientious teacher and Kota an enthusiastic learner. Congratulations. Looking forward to the next adventure in learning.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO ENRICH A PUPPY’S ENVIRONMENT? Enriching a puppy's environment between the ages of 4 and 8 months is crucial for several reasons: Socialization and Behavioural Development Puppies of all ages are highly receptive to new experiences, and positive exposure to various people, animals, environments, and stimuli helps them develop into well-adjusted adult dogs. This exposure can simply be the occasional ride in your car when you need to pick up a takeaway. ...
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO ENRICH A PUPPY’S ENVIRONMENT? Enriching a puppy’s environment between the ages of 4 and 8 months is crucial for several reasons: Socialization and Behavioural Developme…
🧠To understand your dog’s reactivity, you need to understand the basics of how your dog’s brain works.
A dog may not have the capability of processing higher complex emotions of what humans can, however, you can’t look at a dog and tell me they don’t feel. Of course, they do! Their feelings are just not as complex as humans, but interestingly enough they do process information from all parts of the body similar to our human brains.
So, the brain is made up of soft tissue and nerve cells, and is composed of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. These 3 areas of the brain interprets information, controls all functions of the body, and responds accordingly. The brain does not only control physical responses, but chemical ones as well.
Now, let’s go to the autonomic nervous system. The Sympathetic nervous system originates in the spinal cord which is connected to the brainstem at the bottom of the dog’s brain. One of its main functions is to activate the physiological changes that occur during the flight or fight response. This means that the dog's neurotransmitters in the brain send chemical messages to parts of the body to release hormones, and other chemicals to prepare the dog's body for intense action when the dog is experiencing a stressful, or overwhelming event.
The body can fluctuate between flight and fight, and rest and digest. This is because the brain is constantly sending messages and signals from one part to another.
When the dog is feeling heightened emotions such as arousal, stress, happiness, excitement, fear, anxiety, or pain, the brain sends the body messages to react in the following ways:
1. Increased heart rate and respiration,
2. Dilation of eye pupil (to see with more clarity).
3. Inhibition of the lacrimal gland (responsible for tear production and salivation).
4. Dilated airways for increased oxygen,
5. Dilated blood vessels for blood to flow to the muscles.
6. Inhibition of stomach and upper intestinal action to the point where digestion slows or stops (The body can’t process food when in flight/ fight response, it needs to save its energy for survival).
7. The liver releases glucose,
8. The kidneys release adrenaline,
9. Relaxation of bladder.
10. Constriction of blood vessels in many parts of the body.
11. Auditory exclusion (loss of hearing).
12. Tunnel vision (loss of peripheral vision).
13. Shaking.
I want you to keep in mind that all animals (even us humans) are deeply wired to protect ourselves against a perceived threat and each individual has their own interpretations of what is scary and what is not.
For example; I am afraid of spiders and anything that may resemble a creepy crawly, where you may not be bothered at all by the sight of a spider. Fear begins in the brain, and then travels through the body adjusting along the way for the best defence, to run away, or defend oneself as quickly as possible. All these changes happen so fast that the individual wouldn’t even be aware of them or have a chance to really process what is happening.
The fear response starts in a region in the brain called the amygdala. The job of the amygdala is to detect the importance of the stimulus and how much effect it would have on the dog's well-being. This creates a cascade of events which involve the hypothalamic-pituitary and adrenal glands. This is the main driver of the endocrine stress response. The hypothalamus receives information and sends chemical signals to the pituitary gland which signals the adrenal glands to increase the production of cortisol aka “stress hormone”. This stress hormone helps to increase energy in order to deal with a stressful event.
The instant an event is happening it triggers the sympathetic nervous system which signals the adrenal glands to release adrenaline (aka epinephrine) which leaps into action and goes into the bloodstream to increase the blood flow throughout the body which causes quick responses.
The reaction depends on the threat level of the stimulus. The more threatening the stimulus the more intense the response is.
The sight, or sound of something the dog finds scary, intimidating, or threatening creates a stressful event and triggers neurotransmitters in the brain which transmits signals through the synapse from one neuron to another in a chain reaction which changes the way the dog responds to the trigger. These neurotransmitters release a chemical substance at the end of a nerve fibre and these chemicals travel throughout the body and react accordingly.
So now the brain is super alert, pupils dilate, breathing and heart rate accelerates, blood pressure increases, and glucose increases which seeps into the skeletal muscles to provide energy to move quickly.
The takeaway from this is that fear keeps us alive, and it is involuntary. Not one individual has conscious control over it. Even though it is unpleasant and interferes with our everyday lives and functioning, it should be respected not punished.
Maintaining a balance of chemicals in the body is crucial for emotional regulation and stable behaviour. A reactive dog is one who is struggling and may require assistance, possibly including medication alongside a behaviour modification program. This combination aims to establish positive associations and boost the dog's confidence. Veterinary behaviourists specialise in managing a dog's mental state in such cases.
References:
Riva J, Bondiolotti G, Micelazzi M, et al. Anxiety-related behavioural disorders and neurotransmitters in dogs. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2008;114,168–181.
Beerda B, Schilder M, van Hoof J, et al. Manifestations of chronic and acute stress in dogs. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 1997;52:307–319.
Berteselli GV, Servidaq F, DallAra P, et al. Evaluation of the immunological, stress and behavioural parameters in dogs (Canis familiaris) with anxiety-related disorders. In: Mills D et al., eds. Current Issues and Research in Veterinary Behavioral Medicine. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press; 2005:18–22.
This is such an important time in your pup's life and it's over before you know it.
This is an excellent post on how to play retrieve games safely with your dog.
When Can He Play Ball Again? Cody strained at his leash as he entered my examination room. A brown and white pitbull mix with soft eyes, large neck and shoulder muscles, and a beautiful sheen to his coat, he rubbed the side of his big body against my legs then flipped over onto his back, […]
Are you and your pup keen to join me on Saturday 1st June at 3 p.m. at the Scout Hall for some fun and games!
This is not a puppy class, as such, but an opportunity for puppies and their people to interact in a non-threatening environment and explore safely. They are also given an opportunity to play and interact with pups of their own age. Louise will be present to supervise and answer any questions about puppy-related problems🙂.
Some exciting news for puppy owners! Watch this space...
Puppies bite! This is a fact and many puppy owners are at a loss how to stop this painful behaviour. These are six reasons why your pup might be biting you. If you need help, please contact me. I can help.
This is so important... please read and give your dog this gift today.
Today I saw three very different dogs for three very different reasons but I said the following to all three because these 3 simple things can transform your dog's experience outside.
𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣
You're not power walking or trying to squeeze the maximum amount of steps into the shortest amount of time. You're just spending some quality time outdoors with your pal. Slow down. Be present.
𝙐𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣
A longer lead allows for more freedom of movement, more natural movement, allows you to see more clearly where your dog chooses to be and results in less time under tension. The minimum I'd suggest is 6 feet.
𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙨𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙛
We are visual creatures. Our dogs are olfactory creatures. They make sense of the world around them through smell. They obtain information via scent in ways we can't even conceive...who has passed by? how long ago? were they humans? dogs? rabbits? mice? Were they boys? girls? what's their reproductive status? old? young? healthy? ill? relaxed? stressed? Taking a dog for a walk and not allowing them to sniff is like asking a person to walk around blindfolded.
I say these things to new puppy owners, to the owners of dogs who pull on the lead, whose dogs are reactive or frustrated or overexcited or anxious.
I say it to almost everyone because these three simple things can make a 𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙚 difference to your dog's experience and, as a result, to their behaviour. It can settle dogs who are overwhelmed or overexcited by the world. It can help busy, frantic dogs drop down a gear or two. It can build confidence by allowing a dog to gather information about the world around them.
Try these three simple things the next time you are out with your dog and see how it changes the experience for both of you...
Thanks for doing a wonderful job. You are much valued and appreciated! 😀💙
Louise's Dog and Puppy School has been nominated for best pet trainer. Would love to have your vote!https://www.bestofsouthafrica.co.za/durban/bod-voting-category-pets/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2heO0q1BnPNIFzPNoaSpHXPe3ywJ8SFIeU07GFOCLage-EBX0pBSTcMKE_aem_AeKgfwpztMOMw0525vtKmhiw0aoINs7yRFU_Vmds11fGtUYv__W64F5gXoqTMQFK1tEgJzHqChQXuOCST3udY_Vi
VOTE Pets CATEGORYVote for your favourite business in this category and stand a chance to win awesome prizes.*IMPORTANT: You can only vote ONCE per category and cannot come back to this page after submitting - please make sure you select all your favourites in this category before clicking the Submi...
This is something I posted a while ago that I've just updated.
What qualities make a good trainer? We’ve all seen someone who makes training a dog look simple and effortless. What is it about these trainers that sets them apart? Good trainers reinforce correct…
https://clickapupsdogtraining.wordpress.com/2024/04/19/loose-leash-walking-the-basics/
WHAT IS LOOSE LEASH WALKING? This is what I like to see when I see a person walking with their dog. Both keeping pace with one another, engaging in mutual connection and awareness – a bit lik…
Some easy things you can do now if you have a new puppy.
5 Ways to Bond with Your New Puppy (8-12 Weeks) Bringing home an eight-week-old puppy is pure joy! But apart from dealing with playful biting and endless puddles, laying a foundation for a strong …
Clever Nancy figuring out Super Bowls game.
A new Foundations Class is starting on the 13th of April. This class is perfect for adolescent pups who have lost the plot. Attending will help get things back on track.
Some words of wisdom from Jean Donaldson.
Training with food in no way “…cheapens or ruins the bond you have with your dog. It enhances that bond by associating you with one of the most potent unconditioned reinforcers on the planet. The alternative to training with positive reinforcement is training with aversives. Choose and stop agonizing”.
Second Chances – Socializing your Adult Dog While puppies are typically the focus of socialization efforts, adult dogs can benefit from it just as much. But what about the adult dog that fall…
Second Chances - Socializing your Adult Dog While puppies are typically the focus of socialization efforts, adult dogs can benefit from it just as much. But what about the adult dog that falls to pieces when exposed to a dog or dogs that are strangers? Or people that he doesn’t know? Or even strange environments? These are some of the reasons that might account for his often-surprising emotional response....
Second Chances – Socializing your Adult Dog While puppies are typically the focus of socialization efforts, adult dogs can benefit from it just as much. But what about the adult dog that fall…
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Clever Nancy figuring out Super Bowls game.
This is how you practise loose leash walking if you have a small garden or can only practise at odd times during your working day.
