''We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. Its the best deal man has ever made."
- M.Facklam
This is my foundation principle. Without something to focus on, dogs will find their own fun, and as I like to remind owners over and over, dogs are really not good at being left to make desicions. Their idea of a 'job' is to bark at the postman, chase cars, go crazy at dogs passing in the street etc. By being the one that makes the rules and sticking to them, you will earn your dog's respect and loyalty.
Motivation
Nothing in life is free, and everything has a consequence. Your dog's motivation can change from one minute to the next, it is our job to figure out what makes him tick. If you have (or are) the thing that motivates him most at any given time, then you win - you have his focus!
This can be, food, a toy, you, another dog, whatever. He gets a little bit of it, if he does something for you. So he is 'working' for it. It means that the habit forms of listening to you. If you can practise a little everyday, it means that when it counts (off the lead for example) it's second nature to come back without thinking about it, as it has been practised over and over.
Interrupt, Refocus, Reward
Our society, I feel, is negatively charged. We are quick to tell off our kids and children and employees, but what damage is this doing long term?
Studies have shown that if we continue to tell off children over and over without positive stimulation, the child will grow worse in it's behaviour, doing 'bad' things to get attention. I find that an interesting concept to apply to dogs too. Sometimes we come across dogs that know that peeing in the house is not acceptable, grabbing socks and shoes to play with is not allowed, and they know it has an adverse effect, however they do it, and in front of us to get our attention. We need to bring our thought process round in the opposite direction now, and I know it is more work, but it is alot more rewarding too. If an undesirable behaviour happens, let's ignore it, Interrupt it,and Refocus all that energy onto something allowed (like a special tug toy) and Reward that good behaviour. Let's try to catch good, calm behaviours.
Reward Pushy, Get Pushy
One of the most common mistakes I see is owners rewarding pushy behaviours. Let's break this down. A 'reward' is a something that makes a behaviour stronger, just because you didn't consciously issue the reward (e.g. petting him when he is close by), doesn't mean it wasn't rewarding to the dog. If it works, the dog will try it again, that is how habits are formed (we do the same, e.g. turning the key in the ignition makes the car go, this is a behaviour that is rewarded, so we continue to do the behaviour).
'Pushy' is an undesirable behaviour. Let's take barging through doors as an example. One day a pup goes first through the door. It works, he gets to go first and his owner follows and takes him to the park. The same thing happens the next day, and the pup knows the park is coming and gets a little excited. Each day his excitement grows and he starts barking in anticipation of the door opening. The 'reward' in this case is the door opening (and heading to the park), and his 'pushy' behaviour is getting worse, he is throwing himself at the door and barking his head off, until the door is opened (I have seen this!) The owner doesn't understand why the dog is so excited. The dog is in a frenzy, and can't hear his owners pleas of ''shhh, quiet - THAT'S ENOUGH'' (indeed he might think you are joining in, rejoicing in the anticipation of the walk!). It is preventable and fixable, but it started somewhere as a small behaviour that grew and grew into a problem. A little issue can get big in no time at all so be careful of what you are rewarding!
You are what you Eat
This old saying has never been so true when applied to dog food. Try to avoid coloured foods ('E' numbers do the same to dogs as to kids) and read the ingredients label... try to avoid buying products that have 'cereals' labelled first, (the dog's digestive system is carnivorous) and look out for wording like 'meat meal' or 'derivatives' (means 'once came from') and the meat will have been labelled ''not fit for human consumption''
I have been feeding a natural diet for over 6 years. If you are interested in diet matters and want to know what I recommend, please get in touch for a chat.
Anxiety
There are an increasing amount of dogs who develop behavioural problems from anxiety or stress, which can turn into fear, or more commonly aggression. This can develop in a number of ways, one of which is from over protection (through 'love') from owners. Many people will use "it's ok" when their young dog is scared, this is thinking from a human point of view - the dog hears "yeah I am worried too, I have no idea what to do here". The dog grows up to feel he needs to protect himself and his owner/family. What a dog really wants is someone who will take care of him (don't we all!) I know this firmly as I have witnessed it hundreds of times, dogs come to stay with us, and within days they act like the whole world has been taken off their shoulders... in short, they relax.
'Good Dogs'
There are no good or bad dogs. Quite a profound statement, so let me explain. Everyone tells me that their dogs are exhibiting behaviours, perhaps that are not acceptable in our society, however along with that they like to tell me that their dog is a 'good dog'. Everyone says it, so it is likely to be connected to our emotional response about the animals we own. They are 'good' because we love them, or we have a history with them. In my opinion a Good Dog is made, NOT born. We make them the way they are, through their environment; the way we bring them up. If we can change their environment, then we can change they way they are, not their character, but their behaviour.
Extended Pack Members
Cody the super handsome labrador, on top of Aonach Mor
Cody has trained with us from puppyhood into an adult. He is the perfect example of a family pet you can be proud to take anywhere, all that work and training does pay off in the end. He helps show off our stuff at our training demonstrations...
The cutest little border pup, Dougal is 'brother' to Toby, who made his debut on our Grooming page
Sasha and Shadow in harness practising for pulling the rig
It took months of hard work to get Cailleach confident around strangers
Blaze came from Second Chance Rescue, where he had sought refuge from being put to sleep. He had attacked another dog and his behaviour with people was scary to say the least! Thankfully Ena had a feeling he could be helped and called Jess. It took Blaze days really settle he decided that actually he loved dogs and people. He came to classes and just got better and better and his confidence soared. He had been with us for over 3 months, and just before he found his forever home, he helped new 'inmate' Max to realise that he didn't have to attack dogs either. We are so proud of how far he has come, and hope his new owners realise just what an amazing dog he is. He will always have a special place in our hearts.
Tayna the German Shepherd. A dog in a million, from a hard hard start, lots of training,
a long long walk, and finally home comforts with a new baby brother!
Turbo (littermate to our Cuillin & Skyeisla) and his couthy brother Cody
Luke, (on the right) who happens to be related (half brother) to our Screwy Louis
Danny - seriously cute, seriously cheeky!
Jack the Lad (on the left) a dog to be proud of, loves to come see his friends at the farm
Sasha, tiny, cute but big attitude!
The very fit Akela often seen running behind 'that bike' around Dundee