Changing Dog Behaviour

It’s funny how things inter-link. I took a day out the other day to attend a wee workshop. It had nothing to do with dog behaviour. However, a common factor sparked in my mind: the need for change.

One of my favourite quotes is “Changing Nothing, Changes Nothing”.

To explain - One aspect of resolving dog behaviour issues requires consideration regarding how to change the dog’s access to particular triggers. Sometimes this needs a great deal of thought. Sometimes changes are easy. For instance, consider a dog running in the garden, barking aggressively at people passing by. Our ultimate goal is to teach the dog to be nice and calm or simply lie down or play with a ball. We may choose to persevere with shouting at the dog each day. Nothing changes. Indeed, the barking frequently ends up generalising to other areas too, such as on walks. Consequently, it occurred to me (at 3am one morning, as these things do!) that “Changing Nothing” isn’t entirely accurate. Perhaps a more accurate phrase would be: changing nothing… well, makes things worse!

Instead, we will progress much more quickly if the problematic fence running is prevented for now, by keeping the dog inside more. This change helps to break the present habit and provides time for the new training to settle in.

Generally, troubled dogs do many things that we’d rather they didn’t. Considering how to manage them differently is frequently one of the main starting points to the overall behaviour process. And funnily enough, it’s not the dog that has difficulty with the change; it’s us humans! Our own doggy habits have become entrenched and are truly difficult to alter. It’s us that needs to stop leaving the door open or letting the dog out off the lead or to stop shouting at them as they bark. It’s us that needs to stop leaving food on the table to be opportunistically stolen. It’s us that need to pop a lead on when visitors arrive to stop Molly jumping on them.

So here’s a top tip for just about any dog behaviour issue. Sit down with the family and determine some beneficial new house rules that will stop exposing Molly to the troublesome situations. Review and discuss these changes every day and make sure that we’re not creating new problems or additional stressful situations.

Of course, we can’t stick right there. It’s only a starting point. We need to move on to some training and other exercises to help Molly learn how to improve her behaviour.

For help with figuring out the best behaviour changes and developing complete behaviour programmes, please do get in touch. Pawsability.co.uk. Or look at ICAN

More on changes:

It's always interesting to have a wee look to add some links to other articles on the same topic. So, I had a wee google. It seems that most of the articles published using the word "change" and about changes in dog behaviour (rather than "chang-ing"). Of course, that's not surprising. They look at why behaviour changes in dogs and many particularly consider behaviour changes in older dogs. These articles then are also about change, but from some different viewpoints.

Further Reading:

Karen Pryor's view on the top 10 reasons for dog behaviour changes 

The American Kennel Clubs's view on behavioural change in older dogs

Dogz Thinkz Differentz - How to Thinkz like a Dogz

To share this article, please use this permalink  on how to change things for success with dog behaviour issues

The next article on "change" will be more about the dog behaviour business and why that needs to change.

The basis of this article was 1st published in the Northern Times, Oct 2018.

Author - Anna Patfield , www.PawsAbility.co.uk

For help from a dog behaviourist in Scotland, from Aberdeen to Inverness and the Highlands, please contact www.PawsAbility.co.uk

Warning - 7 things not to do to fix your dog's behaviour problems....

It's sad, but one of the most emotional moments when helping people with their dog's behaviour problems is when I say.... but really, it is ok to cuddle your dog and to speak to them when you come home.... Sadly, they've been putting their dog in the 'dog house' and ignoring them, and what's probably worse - emotionally hurting themselves into the bargain because they think they're being cruel to be kind.... Thank you then for picking up the phone and finding a 'new-age behaviourist!!'

Unfortunately, a lot of behaviourists and dog trainers that are out and about in the world are following the concepts of the dark ages. They're using way outdated methods and no scientific knowledge to aim to fix problems. 

I guess it's really not all that surprising. I'm currently reading a book on the history of the study of the brain and how we got to where we are now. Even to this day, there are some brain-ologists who are discounting alot of scientific proof in their rationalisation of how emotion and the brain work.

Anyway, to get on with these 7 top tips on things not to do to fix your dog's behaviour problems.

Remember these are DO-NOT's.... not DO's

1. Do not continue putting your dog into the very situations that cause the bad behaviour. 

2. Do not eat before your dog (well, unless it happens to be handy for you)

3. Do not stop cuddling your dog (well, unless they really don't like to be touched - but we can fix that)

4. Do not yank your dog's lead to stop them pulling

5. Do not use choke chains, check chains, electric dog collars, or even spray collars. These really most often make the problem worse.

But here are the most important points.

6. Do not roll your dog over or pin them to the ground aiming to dominate them (there's more on how to fix your dogs dominance here) 

And 

7. Please do not browse around on forums, read random books, read things on web sites, search on amazon for an anti-bark collar....  and try this and that and the other. I know a lot of the information on the web is great. But you can't believe everything that's on there. (Ha ha - can you believe this either??...). Unfortunately, all the inconsistency thats freely available most often (unless you're lucky) ends  up causing more confusion for your lovely dog or puppy.

So, what to do? 

Please contact a qualified behaviourist. They'll be happy to chat and either set up an appointment to  help you with your dog - to follow a consistent, positive, psychological approach, or if that's not in your  interest at present, at least you'll be pointed towards the right books.

For help from a dog behaviourist in Scotland, from Aberdeen to Inverness and the Highlands, please contact www.PawsAbility.co.uk

Keep safe and happy with your pet at Xmas

Gosh, it's been a while - I can't really believe I've not posted here for a year!! Surely the dates must be wrong.

Anyway, here's some helpful advice on keeping safe with your pet at xmas.

Are you stressed out by Christmas yet? Well, why not sit down, have a cup of tea and spend just a moment or two thinking on how our dogs or other pets may be affected. Here are a few tips to help to reassure ourselves that they will be safe and happy.

First, let’s consider the now well-known phrase: ‘A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas’. It may seem a perfect time to add a new furry to our family, taking advantage of being off work for a little longer. However, for the most part, this time of year is really busy for us. The best advice is therefore to consider a calmer time in our lives so that we can give our full attention to our new puppy or rescue dog.

Sadly, rescue centres are frequently inundated with abandoned pets at this time of year.  Perhaps it’s worth thinking about the future, before extending your family. Or perhaps you may wish to donate a little to your local rescue centre to help those in unfortunate circumstances.

Next, please consider general safety. During the festive season we may have gifts, decorations and extra food around, all of which can be dangerous for our pets. Dogs and puppies in particular will be very excited with something novel lying on the couch or under the tree, and may well decide to investigate. Whilst presents under the tree do look nice, they may well be too much of a temptation, as may tinsel and other tree decorations. So, please consider how you can keep your tree safe. Perhaps putting a smaller tree on a table would help, or how about a decorative fence around the tree?

Food and treats can also be a hazard. Chocolate, grapes and macadamia nuts (well we may well have them at xmas time) are all poisonous to dogs, along with many other xmas treats. Even feeding your pet some special meal or turkey left overs can upset their digestive systems. Obviously it’s nice to treat our pets, but, just a tiny amount of something safe will feel special for them.  Take care with xmas plants too which are frequently toxic to pets.

Next, it’s worth considering how our change in routine affects our dogs. Can they cope with more visitors? If not, then consider introducing a safe den area in the house for them. Can they cope with being left for longer when you are out at a party? If not, perhaps they would be happier having a friend or neighbour pop in to see them.  But certainly, make sure that you’ve left enough time to give them an extra walk before you go.

And finally, we want to avoid the issue that frequently arises after the holidays. Some dogs who had seemed perfectly happy being left at home whilst you were out at work, can suddenly no longer cope. And, when you return to work, they may bark a lot, toilet in the house or destroy things. It’s a common problem. To avoid this, try to keep their routine similar, and give them a little home alone time.

So, in summary, please try to keep your dogs safe from the food, decorations and presents and aim to keep their routine as consistent as possible.

We hope you have a safe and happy Pawsmas. For more information on dog poisons and keeping your pet safe and happy, please visit Pawsability.co.uk.

Author : Anna Patfield

First published, Northern Times Dec 2016.

Further Reading : More on Xmas by Denise Nuttal 

New year, new dog, new you….

As each New Year comes around most of us promise ourselves that we’re going to make changes in our lives. We will lose weight or get more exercise, or eat more healthily for instance. Sadly, most new years resolutions are broken within a few weeks, I believe.

So how about making a promise with your dog and having a New Years Resolution Dogs Buddy? Here are some win-win ideas.

Weight loss:

Many many dogs are overweight. Unless there are health problems going on then being overweight is a result of too many calories balanced with the amount of exercise taken. So if your dog is overweight, how about setting up a new diet and exercise regime.  You could for instance put 1 spoonful less food in your dogs bowl and add 10 minutes onto their daily walks, or add in an extra brisk walk. This regime obviously hasn’t been scientifically proven, but it seems to make sense to me. You get the added benefit of the extra exercise and you could always join them in eating smaller portions for your meals (if this applies to you Ofcourse). Please always check with your vet before embarking on any significant exercise regime change; it may not be healthy to overly-exercise an overweight dog.

Be happier:

If you’re stressed your dog may well be too. They want you to be happy and content with life just as much as you do. So, have a look at your dog and have a think about what would make them even more happy: more walks, more time outside, more physical exercise; more play time? All of these things can equally benefit us. If you play a new game with your dog, then you’ll get some fun out of that too, and I’m sure you’ll have a laugh in the process. Mental stimulation can also help to improve how your dog feels. I wonder if there are any basic training exercises that could be improved with your dog or perhaps you could look at some tricks, agility or some doggy dancing steps. They’ll all be great fun for you both.

And of course if your dog has some behaviour or training problems, then why not make a new years resolution to get help and get them fixed. That will certainly lead to less stress in both your lives.

Be healthier:

A good diet is also important to give us the best chance at being happy and healthy. So perhaps reviewing and changing your dogs food would help too.

Please note that you should of course always carefully consider whether any changes you make in your dog’s life is appropriate for them. For instance, playing Frisbee with a young dog when they jump up and potentially damage their limbs on landing isn’t going to be good for them. Or, if you’re dog is aggressive with other dogs then taking them to the park more often may not be the right course of action.

If you’d like any help with any behaviour or training problems then please have a look at the Pawsability.co.uk web site or email anna@pawsability.co.uk.

Or why not join us on Facebook.com/Pawsability and share your New Years Dogs Buddy Resolutions. 

Author: Anna Patfield, First Published in the Northern Times, Dec 2014

What's the most common cause of behaviour problems in adult dogs?

insufficient - 

carefully introduced - 

polite exposure to life’s experiences -

as a puppy!

Probably!

It’s all very easy for us dog behaviourists and trainers to presume that pet owners know things. We know that there’s been a lot of work done on the important topics. We probably presume that everyone gets a puppy pack from the vet or a ‘best puppy’ book that helps new owners ensure that their puppy gets the best start in life. It’s probably fair to say, that, indeed, many people do know about the Critical Socialisation Period for puppies.

But, experience from seeing a few behaviour cases last weekend tells me differently. Therefore, it seemed perhaps helpful to share some information.

Aggression, separation issues, fireworks fear, barking, pulling, jumping – all the big problems - can be largely avoided by adequate socialisation and early training. (And carefullly selecting where you get your puppy from in the first place - another blog on that to come soon...).

To explain further – There are 2 critical things going on as your puppy is growing. Firstly, their brains are developing extremely quickly: at 16 weeks old (less than 4 months), their brains are 90% grown. Secondly, when they are born, they don’t ‘feel’ fear. The chemicals in the body that cause them to actually feel scared start to kick in about the 5 week mark and build up to being fully functional about 16 weeks. (All dogs are different in this respect – generally, Germans Shepherds feel fear earlier and Labradors later – but individual dogs are affected differently).

It’s therefore crucially important to get as much experience ‘knitted’ into that exponential brain growth whilst these new things aren’t being associated with fearful feelings. This Critical Socialisation Period is usually accepted as being 8-12 weeks of age.

So, what do they need to be exposed to? Well, all of the things that they are going to have to cope with as adult dogs: all sorts and shapes of people, young and old; motor bikes and people wearing hats and helmets; built up areas; noisy traffic; open country-side; objects and noises such as wheely bins, carrier bags, squeaky gates, washing machines, hoovers, fireworks; other puppies, dogs and animals; being handled; and how to be polite through early training. (There’s a puppy socialisation full checklist available for freeon the Pawsability.co.uk web site.)

Ok, so many of you may be saying: ‘But I got a puppy and didn’t bother with anything, and they are fine!” Well that’s great news, but why risk it? Even if there’s only a 50/50 chance of things going wrong, surely it’s better to work hard over the first three months to save your dog from troubles later (and to save you from a lot more hard work, stress and expense in the future).

It seemed worth mentioning this at this time of year too as many people still think about xmas puppies (not usually advisable). But whether then or at another time, please make sure that you have plenty of time set aside for your puppy’s first few months. It’s hard work.

So what else can we do? Well, firstly please quiz your breeder about socialisation. Secondly, encourage your vet to start safe puppy parties. And, thirdly, enroll early in a puppy training class or early learning session. (Ofcourse, please also take your vet’s advice on safe exposure during the vaccination period.) And please please please don't get a puppy who was brought up in a barn, or from a pet shop or where you don't get a good feeling when you see Mum - there's more info on how to choose a puppy here.

As always, there’s loads of free help on the Pawsability.co.uk web site to prevent puppy problems, and please do feel free to get in touch directly – anna@pawsability.co.uk.

Author : Anna Patfield, First published in the Northern Times, Oct 2014

How to train your difficult dog

A thought occurred to me this morning as I was practicing guitar. I'm just learning, and it's really quite difficult. I have some great tutors tho including web coach guru  justinguitar.com and folk legend Dave Goulder, and Jas Smith not to mention all the other incidentals that happen to cross my path when learning tunes or at concerts / sessions  / practicing with friends  etc... (many thanks all)

Anyhow, that's not particularly important.....

Here's what is.

Many people have problems getting their dogs to "just get it" and can't figure out why.

Well - have a think about it this way - when was to last time your taught yourself something - or tried to learn something? Cooking? Cake decorating? Music? Golf? a Language? or had to speak in public?

We dog trainers say - dog's don't learn the same way that we do - they need lots of practice in lots of different places. I've used the phrase myself.

This morning, it just occurred to me that my thoughts are flawed.

For me, playing something on the guitar inside the comfort of my own home, is completely different from sitting in the pub folk session, plucking up the courage to play and sing! in front of a (albeit very friendly and patient) - small - crowd. It's tense. It's anxious. Fingers trip over themselves. Words come out muddled and fuddled. Sweaty palms. Heart racing..... (well hi local friends, that's how most of the aaamms team feel - you know that.... well you do now....LOL). Actually it doesn't even need a crowd - just a different place really makes it feel different.

So, why should a dog - especially one that gets emotional in some circumstances - whether that's excitement or fear aggression - be any different? (Yes, they're emotional when they're barking lunging, cowering - no they're not just being bad or naughty!)

It's very very difficult to overcome emotional surges and be able to think straight and act calmly.

Learning progresses best with
- tons of simple repetition - sit/stand/sit/stand (or for guitar - C/D/C/D/C/D)
- then add in one friend - overcome that embarrassment
- then 2 friends
- then go somewhere else and practice the same thing
- then add in 1 new factor, like another new friend, or another place
- and all within your coping levels - ah now am I talking guitar or dog training now....

see - what's the difference?

How well do you need to know something - a speech? a joke? a tune? a language? before you can 'perform' in public?

So to help with your dog training, have a think about that the next time your dogs having difficulty walking nicely on the lead past a cyclist or another dog or person, or even sitting.....

more thoughts and ponderings to come along as they strike me :O)

Happy training......

Came across this whilst looking for various tick removal things. Smidge is an insect repellent that works with all blood sucking insects. It works by evaporating from skin and disguising human scent. Ticks and midges also find people by other means but at it does at least help with the skin scent. So, we can now walk our dogs in midget places without being bitten and be a bit safer with ticks. Brill!! More info here - 

Smidge insect repellent 

Dog Bite Prevention Week

Dog Bite prevention week is a fantastic idea, allowing us to take some time to focus on promoting preventing dog bites

Starting at the beginning, working on puppies, good and safe socialisation is key - introducing your puppy safely to all the smells, sights, and sounds that they'll need to learn to cope with in their lives with us.

Training then teaches a dog how to communicate with us - so instead of grabbing things and running off, they leave the things they shouldn't and play with the things they should.

Teaching children how to safely interact with your dog is also a great way to prevent accidents.

For more information and special offers, please see the dog-bite-prevention page on the web site.

And, if you have any questions, please do leave a comment here or email us.

In the news.....

A lucky dog has been rescued from a cliff fall whilst on holiday in Ireland. This can happen to anyone, but keeping your dog in close contact at all times on holidays - use an extending lead  for safety (so long as your dog doesn't pull). And be prepared before you go by brushing up on your dogs recall training. Use super tasty fish treats and a dog training whistle to teach your dog that coming back to you is really worthwhile.

Keep your dogs safe.... yet another story of dog napping (9/4/9)