Welcome to the first of the 2016 podcast episodes! Will your puppy or young dog just grow out of reactivity? Not usually! Young dog's brains are especially sensitive as they develop, right up until 1.5-2.5 years. We need to make a plan to help them through behaviour challenges while keeping their sensitive state and their socialization needs in mind. đ§ Listen Now Dream Dog! A 6 month program to unlock a fuller, happier life with your dog. â° Registration opens Jan 14th! Struggling with your...
4 days ago â˘Â 1 min read
Many times I get called out to help with a dog who is absolutely great... except for this one thing. The pooch might: Attack other dogs when they play together Bark uncontrollably when men come into the house Lose their marbles if someone has a ball or stick or any type of food. Not like little dogs Not come when called ... insert behaviour challenge People try and try, but they just can't fix this ONE thing! Usually, the reason nothing seems to work, no matter how hard they try, is that the...
5 days ago â˘Â 1 min read
Mable <3 This picture is of a student's young Pomeranian, Mable. Mable LOVES me, the neighbours, that person on the street, any dog who happens to be in eye sight.. and probably those that aren't. Mable is a very social dog. But how do I know? How do I know that she enjoys contact, isn't just coming to me for treats or for safety? How do I know when I find a stray dog on the side of the street if it is safe for me to put my hand in their collar? I look for affiliative behaviours - social cues...
6 days ago â˘Â 2 min read
I can teach your dog to listen to me. I can teach you how to get your dog to listen to you. But I canât teach your dog to listen to you. But only you can make the connection happen.Only you can do that. Becoming a responsive, happy, easy-to-be-around dog is not something I can just program into a dog. They don't come with little switches on their necks for me to program đ Training a dog is about connection and relationship. For working type dogs, it's a lifestyle. "GOOD BOY!" 3 Steps to...
7 days ago â˘Â 1 min read
The dog training world is deeply divided. There are trainers who rely on tools to control dogs and suppress behaviours. There are trainers who work hard to avoid causing any discomfort at all. And between those two ends is a huge spectrum of approaches. On top of this, dog training is an unregulated industry. Anyone can put up a website, print a business card, and call themselves a dog behaviour expertâregardless of education, experience, or competency. Itâs frustrating. I get it. We care...
8 days ago â˘Â 2 min read
This study of 1300 goldens shows that the genetics in dogs are similar to humans in specifying behavioral traits. It's very cool stuff. Not only does this give us more incentive to consider the emotional experiences of our dogs, but it affirms what many of us know - genetics affect behaviour. It's not all "how you raise them". Behaviour is Nature AND Nurture. Read the study For anyone breeding dogs (or horses) a common adage is that the pups get their temperament from their mom. Studies like...
9 days ago â˘Â 1 min read
I donât know whether thereâs more of it lately, or whether the algorithms have simply decided this is what I should seeâbut my feed is flooded with videos of trainers being harsh with dogs. Dogs being heavily corrected (punished), intimidated, told they âjust need to hear no.â Then the camera pans to a dog who is afraid and shut down⌠and that state is labeled submissive, calm submissive, or who has clarity. Kindness is not spoiling your dog.Compassion is not ruining your dog.Cuddling with...
10 days ago â˘Â 1 min read
Are you managing your dogâor training your dog? Ideally, youâre doing both. In the picture above, Jubilee was about 2 years old, at the worst of her health and behaviour problems. We were in a hardware store when another dog walked into our aisle. I gave her a fun game to play - I distracted her. That is management. All dogs need management. Puppies, new dogs, and dogs who are still learning all rely on management to stay out of trouble and to prevent rehearsing behaviors we donât want. But...
11 days ago â˘Â 1 min read
One of the hardest things for many of us is really resting. And our dogsâespecially dogs with big feelingsâneed real, quality rest too. Our well-meaning go-to is often to do more or to wish we could do more, to beat ourselves up for not doing more. Yes - training is important. But so is teaching our dogs to relax. A dog who is always expecting more is exhaustingâfor them and for us. And often, that pattern isnât because weâve done something wrong, but because no one ever showed us how to say...
13 days ago â˘Â 1 min read