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Upcoming ThunderStorms With the heatwaves always comes a period of thunder and lightning, some dogs may not be bothered but some dogs will be very stressed. In the UK thunderstorms and lightning have been prevalent and it's super important to be prepared. Closing the curtains, playing music, turning on white goods, providing mental enrichment games as well as chews and or physical play if your dog is able to play is super important. You can absolutely comfort your dog if they will allow you, especially if they initiate needing comfort. Provide safe cosy spaces and lots of escape routes, we may deem a space as cosy and safe but our dog may feel safer elsewhere so it's important to respect this and give them choice of the spaces within the home. Preparation is key for storms and advanced preparation can really help as many dogs are sensitive to the change in barometric air pressure. Myself and others have found that sound isn't enough alone for desensitisation as dogs are so clever they identify the sound being flat. Using a subwoofer creates a bass and even gives off vibrations with the sounds which is a lot more realistic. Which is great for the desensitisation process, I've used this myself for my multi species within the home and clients have also had great success. They can be purchased from amazon or ebay for around £20. As a thunderstorm is coming, closing the curtains and having music playing as well as a white noise machine, helps to drown out noises from outside. Many white noise machines offer different frequencies and wavelengths for your individual dog, playing with the frequencies to find the most soothing can be incredibly helpful. Bring the sofa away from the wall to create a tunnel, if you have two sofas or a sofa and an armchair to create a den like children do, if you have a dining room table this can also be turned into a den. You may have a pop up crate, they can be really useful, and can be made super cosy. Some people turn cupboards under the stairs into a really cosy dog room, some even put up fairy lights, posters, pictures and a TV! The other thing we need to make sure is ready is either frozen licki mats or Kongs or fresh Kongs and Licki mats, as well as our enrichment games and brain games. These again all need to be ready before, so that we can settle the dogs before the storm. We want them relaxed and mentally stimulated before the storm and we don't want to cue a fear as the storm begins. Make a poster for the door and explain you will not be answering the door due to your pup training for the storm. Also post this to social media if you are likely to have friends or family visiting to ensure that nobody is going to disturb you. I can't stress enough if they need a cuddle, then cuddle them as this is absolutely fine and cannot reinforce fear. If they want to hide, sitting near them and reading a book can be helpful. Here are some fantastic articles for further reading: Karalina Westlund https://illis.se/en/eliminating-firework-and-thunder-phobia-in-dogs/ Fear Free Pets has a brilliant article and examples of consent training. https://fearfreepets.com/stationing-behaviors-how-to-teach-consent-skills/ The Do No Harm Dog Training and Behaviour Handbook by Linda Michaels MA from Amazon https://amzn.to/3PhC74z The handbook not only teaches about fear and desensitisation but also teaches about enrichment and explains in depth why working on these behaviours and providing enrichment is so important. Help! My dog is scared of Fireworks by Toni Shelbourne https://amzn.to/3Alwo8N The Relaxation Protocol by Dr. Karen Overall will be very helpful https://journeydogtraining.com/karen-overalls-relaxation-protocol/ I also have these videos on my YouTube of thunderstorms and fireworks desensitisation. Within the videos I am utilising a wireless Sub Woofer speaker which you can get on ebay or Amazon for about £20. This makes the sounds so much more realistic. Enrichment prep https://youtu.be/KLTdr6c6vqI Desensitisation and support for thunderstorms https://youtu.be/_nqpdl7a7CY Firework desensitisation https://youtu.be/DygQqzykxFk Working on desensitisation sessions throughout the year can be really helpful in ensuring your dog is comfortable with fireworks and thunderstorms or at least as comfortable as they can be.
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Giving your dogs a break in the hot weather. Dogs mostly go to the vets during the summer due to heatstroke. Dogs don't have to be out in high noon to get heatstroke. They can get it indoors, through play and not taking a break or from hot cars. There is no shopping, absolutely none that is worth the risk of your best friends life. If you need to go out, let your dog stay at home. Hire a dog sitter if they have separation anxiety, ask a friend to stay with them. Just please don't risk their lives in a hot car. It's important indoors to have wet towels and blankets available for them to lie on as self cooling mats are great but for puppies and chewers not so great as they contain gel. Use fans on the floor to keep them cool. Play outside in the evenings when it's cooler. Have water available at all times. It's important indoors to have wet towels and blankets available for them to lie on as self cooling mats are great but for puppies and chewers not so great as they contain gel. Use fans on the floor to keep them cool. Play outside in the evenings when it's cooler. Have water available at all times. When they do play encourage breaks and rest, over arousal happens very quickly during play and it's really important we monitor them and encourage them to cool down and rest from play so as not to over heat. You can use homemade pup cups, Doggy ice cream recipes, raw frozen bones and treats, frozen licki mats and enrichment toys and teething rings for dogs. Also be aware of the risks of when dogs think eating the water from the hosepipe is great fun. It's fun to see your dog happy and playing but the risks are too high from consuming so much water. They can suffer with water intoxication or aspiration pneumonia. It's just not worth it. You can read more here from the Wholedog Journal which also has safety around sea water too: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/.../water-intoxication.../ Absolutely enjoy summer with your dogs, but do it safely and always manage your dog(s) to prevent them from becoming over heated or unwell during the summer. Enclosed dog fields for hire or Sniff Spots for the US are fantastic. Whether you have anxiety like me and your worried about the other guardians and their dogs rushing or attacking yours, whether you have an environmentally challenged dog and need a break from training or whether you are just fed up of every walk being Mission Impossible with dog attacks being on the rise in the UK. You hire the field and the field is yours for the hour. Bilsby Dog Field has 50 minutes for you to enjoy the field. 5 minutes to arrive and park up and 5 minutes to leave and lock the gate. Giving you a full hour. Where the field is yours. You can even book it for half an hour or a few hours. Of course very field is different and you have to check their terms and conditions. But it's such a nice relief to enjoy your dogs in peace, you can practice homework, recall, use it as a decompression walk, have a picnic as Claire has said whom owns the field. Fields are a huge relief for a break and an opportunity to just enjoy your dog, peace and quiet in safety. Walking dogs is much like becoming like driving now. It's not necessarily your driving (dog) you have to worry about it's the other drivers (guardians) out there! You don't have to use a field or a sniff spot every day or every week even, but it is a chance to give yourselves a break and for you all to relax! Doggy Enrichment Lands is a term coined by Linda Michaels MA, whenever we say utilise a Doggy Enrichment Land because of all the benefits and the improved welfare for dogs the main comment we are met with is space. I don't have much space. But I've shared a room leading straight to the garden for their Doggy Enrichment Land and the garden as their Doggy Enrichment Garden, when we bring a dog into our life we share the space with them. Just like with kids. It's not our space or their space, it's just shared. We're a family unit and it is so important to meet their welfare needs, to have fun with them and enrich their lives as much as possible. You will see in the video how we make the most of "small space", and our garden is partly shared with the half of the rabbits fort! Healing relationships part three In this mini series we have been looking at why people use aversives, contributing factors to attitudes changing and adopting force free practices and welfare for dogs. Now we are going to look deeper into this and the correlation between the use of aversives, behavioural problems and the impact on both guardians and dogs. It's common knowledge in the dog training and behaviour industry that dogs who have behavioural problems suffer through their welfare in a lot of cases. Many dogs are abandoned, relinquished or euthanised due to behavioural problems. Dogs who remain with guardians are known to have poor welfare and quality of life in some cases. (1,2) It's important to highlight that all humans are different and we all handle things differently, for my own experience with Zombie, my youngest who is fearful, I didn't feel overwhelmed or burdened by his behaviour. Because I took a different approach and had a different attitude to begin with. I didn't see Zombie or categorise him as having fearful behaviour or being classified as reactive. Instead, my attitude and approach when describing him was "He has big emotions and he feels a lot of fear, he finds the world a scary place, I do too. He's frightened of x, y, z and I would list off his fears. I also made a point of identifying his strengths. He may have been worried about strangers and other dogs but he also wasn't fearful of Fireworks or thunderstorms. He may have been fearful towards strangers and dogs but he didn't react in the sense of what people normally think when the term "reactivity" is used which is why so many of us are moving away from it. Because Zombie was so fearful he shut down. He would have a panic attack, I related to this and could identify with this and I was very open and transparent about all of our journey. For me I saw a lot of myself in Zombie, my own anxiety and neurodivergence and I spoke to many people and of course I was given lots of unhelpful and unsolicited advice such as euthanizing him and I also got lots of helpful support from colleagues. I'm so glad that I didn't listen. Today Zombie is a happy and well rounded dog, he's playful and makes people laugh, he's boisterous and friends with some people and some dogs. As a dog should be because they absolutely will not be friends with everyone just like us. Researchers found guardians of dogs may experience a form of caregiver burden as found in humans and families due to dogs being seen as a part of the family unit. (3) Through the data that the researchers collected they found that there were four major areas which could be analysed as to understanding the breakdown in relationships and the struggles of behavioural challenges in dogs. Caretaking - expense of the vets, training, behaviour modification, breakdown in relationships, lack of understanding and support from friends and families. Emotions - both negative and positive emotions were reported. Negative included emotions such as anger, fear, frustration, sadness and resentment. Whereas some reported feeling that they had a stronger bond. Coping strategies - seeking help and getting support from trainers and behaviourists as well as some vets and therapists for themselves. Lack of understanding and support - from the general public on walks, friends and family and social media. (4) So when we look at these four categories, the dog isn't actually to be blamed. The frustrations all come down to money and having to spend more money than anticipated originally. Lack of support from friends, family and even some professionals as well as unsolicited opinions from the general public and social media. So here we aren't looking at dogs with behavioural problems as being the problem. We are looking at humans who are unable to deal with negativity from other humans and feeling that this all stems from their dogs behaviour. Guardians are negatively impacted due to other' s opinions. So coming back to part one where I discussed the trainers and behaviourists who have crossed over and their reasoning, this is exactly why people use aversives. People don't like to feel inadequate and some more than others, some guardians like myself can focus on their dogs strengths and support their dog through their anxiety and emotions. People who want the behaviour fixed and they want it fixed now. This is where people turn to aversive methods. Because of their own ideologies, beliefs and lack of understanding of how dogs work, dogs emotions and intelligence. Every single person I spoke to, all crossed over as soon as they learnt better. As soon as a good teacher informed them of how dogs work, where they are going wrong and showing them a different way. A kinder way, but above all, education. As the saying goes. "When you know better, you do better." This series hasn't been about preaching to the choir, this series is about explaining why people use aversives. Because in order to help any guardian and their dog, we first of all have to understand the why of the behaviour. If we want to see more people crossing over, we have a duty of care to educate guardians, to not shout and belittle across social media as the research I have shared highlights. Social media is a part of the problem. Shaming and hating on people is a part of the problem. Showing them, educating them and supporting them is the answer to the problem. It's time to stop people pleasing and using aversives to get a wanted behaviour because it's an emotion and you can only heal an emotion you can't fix an emotion, you can either heal an emotion or suppress the emotion through aversives until the emotion blows up. Which it does. Help people with tutorials, signpost to groups where there are expert Moderator and Admin teams. Offer help and support. Teach people about scholarships with force free schools. Be the change. Be the reason someone signs the Shock Free Coalition pledge with the Pet Professional Guild. Be the reason dog welfare gets better, be the reason that aversives are extinct. I have a YouTube channel filled with free tutorials https://youtube.com/@miyagisdogtraining I have a Facebook group for support and help from the community and not judgement or fear. Miyagis Dog Training Community Go to Do No Harm Dog Training for support and for a team of Admin and Moderators who can help advise, guide and support you. Where comments are monitored. Extinct aversives not the emotion. References J.C. New Jr., M.D. Salman, M. King, J.M. Scarlett, P.H. Kass, J. Hutchiso. Characteristics of shelter-relinquished animals and their owners compared with animals and their owners in US pet-owning households J. Appl. Anim. Welf. Sci., 3 (2000), pp. 179-201 E.F. Hiby, N.J. Rooney, J.W.S. Bradshaw Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare Anim. Welf., 13 (2004), pp. 63-69 V. Braun, V. Clarke.Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual.Res. Psychol., 3 (2006), pp. 77-101 Kristin Buller a et al. (2020) Living with and loving a pet with behavioural problems: Pet owners’ experiences, Journal of Veterinary Behavior. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/.../pii/S1558787820300356...  Image description: A man stands with his head down in front of a door frame that is powerfully lit up. Above the door frame is an exit sign. The text in white reads: Are you ready for the light bulb to switch on?
Healing relationships series part two The most common reason that I have heard that people used aversives in the past is because they thought they were doing the right thing. Even to the point of firmly believing that if we had conversed back then, we absolutely would have argued and they still would have stood by their decision and felt that they were in the right. When exploring why, this is because of ego, not being able or allowing themselves to back down and also feeling hurt at someone pointing out what is wrong and how they are wrong. This is the downfall of humans. When humans make mistakes, after thinking about it at a later date, many people don't just admit that they were wrong or acknowledge deep down they knew that they were wrong, but also feel tremendous guilt and shame. Handling human emotions is a delicate balance for me. Whenever something is pointed out, no matter how respectfully and gently, if the person who is on the receiving end feels slighted in any form, it becomes personal, a criticism and a wound. Can we help how others feel? No of course not, we cannot control how someone will receive or interpret information. Take myself for example, as a neurodivergent person I can get it wrong when I speak to people, I'm the first to admit I can misinterpret what has been said, misunderstand, take things the wrong way and am highly sensitive. To the point where I will ask my trusted person(s) for an explanation of whether or not they think that I'm right in what I think or wrong. The people I seek help from always say that it's not normal to be so concerned and then admit you were wrong immediately when I get their interpretation, if I was wrong. Not all people are built this way, I'm built this way. because I have struggled all of my life with being neurodivergent and with trauma. For other people this isn't the case, whether neurodivergent or not people will understand things the way that they want to understand them at that time. Because we are all entitled to freedom of speech, thoughts, etc. But what about dogs? Dogs are a different species to us and I think sometimes this becomes lost. There is too much pressure and expectation put onto dogs and expecting them to essentially be people pleasers. Many human emotions are attached to dogs and this is where relationship breakdowns begin between dogs and humans. There's definitely a shift with the good old millennials, as we are constantly told in psychology blogs, to the point of surveys and research being performed to analyse the data to such an extent that newspapers also repeatedly share these stories. Millenials are the generation known for calling their dogs "fur babies" which makes sense as our generation during the last couple of decades have seen the vast changes within the approach to dogs and the "force free and holistic movement." "Far from being a selfish generation, millenials work hard to provide for their dogs. Dogs provide millenials with routine, a sense of responsibility and a focus away from themselves." (1) Women's health magazine went another step further to understand the financial side behind millenials and their dogs. If you type in millenials and dogs you will also see the obsession with many financial related blogs and news outlets, obsessed with us millennials spending most of our money on our animals. Women's health magazine found that despite the millennial generation being hit the hardest by the cost of living crisis, (especially as we entered adulthood in 2008 we had the financial crash to deal with). Millennials are willing to make financial sacrifices for their dogs and pets. From a survey of 1,000 participants they found that: 63% spend more money on grooming for their dogs than their own hair. 76% would cancel a date or a night at the pub to spend more money on their dogs. Spending on average more than £31 a month on vitamins and supplements for their dogs and £39 a month on average on grooming. Whilst over 45 year olds spend £9 a month on vitamins and supplements and £12 on grooming per month. Fear free vets conducted their own research and also determined that millennials are leading the way with focusing on preventative care for their pets, that millenials are the most educated generation and due to being the generation of technology, heavily research to make informed choices for their pets and if they don't feel that their pets are being treated well they will go elsewhere and take nothing as gospel, even from vets. I feel extremely called out. Fear free vets also went another step further and referred to a study conducted that determined that: 77% of millennials would have a more favourable view of veterinarians if veterinarians would discuss the health benefits of the human-animal bond with them. 74% of millennials would more likely visit their veterinarian if they discussed the health benefits of the human-animal bond with them. 25% of millennials regularly talk to their veterinarian about the health benefits of pet ownership, more than any other generation. Concluding that millenials are not only seeking the best medical care ever for their pets but are seeking bond centred approaches, gentle handling and considerate approaches. (3) So considering the data and the research it makes a lot of sense that I have been discussing with older people about crossing over to be force free from a traditional dog training background. I've also found speaking to clients of my own generation, and clients of generation Z, that many have used aversive equipment because their parents did, not limited to aversives just for walking. They may have also done aversive acts such as rubbing puppies and dogs' noses in toileting in the home, using crates as punishment and so forth. We also know in the dog world, there are aversive trainers across all generations, not just limited to older generations and as a child in the 90's/2k onward I had a book, that I cherished which damned chokers and other aversives, but was outdated concerning nutrition, crates and so forth. So my generation has been lucky in a way in being able to enter a more force free and holistic based dog world as adults. It's also joked across social media and the media that millennials are snowflakes and need mental health days, which now is becoming the norm and not so much a joke anymore, especially post covid. But this desire to respect mental health, promote self care and knowledge is passed onto our pets, especially our dogs. For many of us in the force free/holistic world we can use psychology papers to understand mental health, researchers certainly do and this has created a much wider understanding and knowledge of the needs and welfare of animals. This is how we understand trauma in animals, what causes trauma and how we can heal dogs through trauma informed approaches. Some of us in the dog world are very open about the trauma we may have endured whether this be in childhood or adulthood and through therapies, studying and learning we develop a deep connection and understanding of the trauma that animals can endure due to humans, the consequences, how it affects behaviour and how to understand a traumatised dog in order to help them. This is perhaps why we are so passionate about educating others and sharing how aversives affect dogs in a negative way, why holistic methods are so much better and why holistic approaches for behavioural consults consider the whole dog as an individual to meet the dogs individual needs and positively change their welfare. As a millenial I feel we have a lot to thank the older generations for, as they have paved the way for a force free and holistic movement that we have been able to learn from, expand our learning and apply this to dogs to the point where there is an international recognition in statistics of millennials being the generation to provide dogs with the best lives possible. We also have to remember that it is only through education and showing others why our methods, thought processes and teachings are so much better not only for dog welfare as whole and meeting dogs biological needs but for a better relationship with dogs, to heal dogs from their trauma and aid dogs who are genetically predisposed to fear, anxiety and environmental challenges and that this can not be met with aggression, aversives, pain, fear or intimidation but through a whole being approach, understanding and gentle care and support for dogs. This is the way that light bulbs will switch on for others and we can only support them on their journey to the kinder ways of working and living with dogs. Despite what any aversive based person may say, showing them, teaching them and educating them is the way to turn the light bulbs on. Join me for part three in understanding, living with and loving pets with behavioural problems and how this can be addressed through understanding trauma, what influences environmentally challenged behaviours and how approaches changing to force free and holistic methods will set you up for success, regardless of being a professional or a guardian. References Graham, T. M., Milaney, K. J., Adams, C. L., & Rock, M. J. (2019). Are Millennials really Picking Pets over People? Taking a Closer Look at Dog Ownership in Emerging Adulthood. Canadian Journal of Family and Youth/Le Journal Canadien de Famille et de la Jeunesse, 11(1), 202-227. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29173/cjfy29454 Davies , E. (2023) Millennials are more willing to spend on their dog’s wellbeing than their own. Available at: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/.../millennials-spend.../ Steve , D. Millennials lead the way in Pet care , Fear free pets . Available at: https://fearfreepets.com/millennials-lead-the-way-in-pet.../ Image description: A man stands with his head down in front of a door frame that is powerfully lit up. Above the door frame is an exit sign. The text in white reads: Are you ready for the light bulb to switch on?
 Healing relationships part one
I have had the honour of being able to speak to other professionals in the dog training industry recently, who have been in the industry for much longer than I have been. Speaking to different generations is always so insightful and a big learning curve. I have learnt about different perceptions in a different time, before I was born and through my childhood. The expectations and ways that dogs used to be treated and the ways that dogs were trained. It actually still happens now, but is definitely a lot less prevalent. Why? Because so many of these wonderful professionals have crossed over. This means crossed over to a commitment of force free training. To not use any tool that could cause harm, pain or fear (even the threat of fear) to a dog. It makes me sad to listen and I've also learned things I have never considered before such as the ways that particular tools could be used to stop unwanted behaviour. I'm not sharing what it is but the thought never crossed my naive mind. But apparently it's very common for the use of this tool. So what is the upside to this? As well as hearing how things used to be done a certain way, I've also learned how these people asked their dogs for forgiveness, having to forgive themselves, healing trauma in both their dogs and themselves. It can be really hard to educate, educate and throw facts and figures at people, with science which has no opinion, it's just data of the outcome of an experiment. You can't argue with it because it is just data. It's kind of like you can't argue with maths, if you add, subtract, multiply or divide with two fixed figures, there's only one right answer. You may not like the answer but it can't be argued with. I'm very much like this when it comes to friendships and asking for advice. First rule, don't ask me. All of my friends know, you don't ask me for advice unless it's animal centred. Anything to do with human relationships is off limits. I'll always be there for them to support and to listen and to guide them if they ask for it. It's very much the same with dog training, I can share my experiences, how they use that information is up to them. We can put out resources and show them indirectly a better way, a kinder way and deep relationships with dogs via YouTube for example. Such as collaborative care and how wonderful it is to give control back to the dog. This is what works for people and people I have spoken to, by being taught by others, not in their face or calling them out, but by showing them, there is a better way, a kinder way for a healthy and trusting relationship with a dog. When the light bulb switches on this is when the healing can begin, again much like the end of a toxic relationship. You cannot heal from trauma whilst you are submersed in trauma, but once you are out of danger, then you can heal. This is the same for dogs, once someone wakes up and that light bulb switches on, your dog can then predict the pattern of behaviour to expect. For example no more pain from aversives or expectation of fear. Will it take time? Yes. Will your dog trust you instantly? Hell, no! Can you learn to heal together? Hell, yes! If you are interested in joining me on this journey backed by science, I'm going to do a series of blogs on this. I'm going to make it as educational as possible and this isn't just for people who use aversives. It will be beneficial to everyone. Because knowledge is power and with knowledge comes learning, through learning comes healing. Look out for part two next!  A white sign reads: Please don’t ask for dog training advice on TikTokPlease don’t go to TikTok for advice.
Please don't go to Tiktok for dog training advice! Don’t get me wrong TikTok is great for learning, I use it as many of you know. It is a great educational tool for learning. What it isn’t, is individual to your situation or your dog, monitored, screened or even transparent. Just like going to the dentist or the vet, dog training and behaviour modification can be costly. But it is also essential to help you and your dog as individuals from highly trained people who are qualified, insured, vetted and assessed by a regulating organisation voluntarily. So if funds are tight where can you go? Do No Harm Dog Training group. How does this work? Join the group like any group, read the rules, agree to the rules and submit your join request. Once you have been approved you can bring your questions to us. Who do you get to speak to? Linda Michaels MA best selling author of the Do No Harm Dog Training and Behaviour Handbook who is also the founder of the group. We have an amazing and highly qualified Admin and Moderator team, who volunteer their time to help people all over the world with their dog training and behaviour questions. With safe, qualified and knowledgable advice, we can also monitor comments from others and keep this a safe place for you to talk and get the help that you need. On TikTok you can be talking to anyone. Especially the profiles with no profile picture or videos. Kids use TikTok. It isn’t a safe place, it’s also not safe for your mental health. Trolls thrive in the world of TikTok, escaping community guideline violations, they are protected by anonymity and they come in droves. Make sure you know who you’re talking to. Many professionals on TikTok have link trees which signpost you to their websites etc. Link trees also cost money so you know how important transparency is to these professionals who use them. Functional rewards for dogs
What on earth is a functional reinforcer. This is so confusing. A reinforcer is a reward. For example a treat, a toy or fuss. So what is a functional reinforcer? A functional reinforcer is a reward your dog chooses. This reinforcer is the reinforcer of all reinforcers, think catnip and cats. Your dogs functional reinforcer could actually be catnip if they do scentwork! Many guardians don’t succeed in the behaviours they want their dog to learn such as recall, because they haven’t yet discovered the power of a functional reinforcer. Functional reinforcers for dogs refer to those that are directly related to the dog’s needs and encourage them to engage in natural and instinctive behaviours. These types of reinforcers are highly effective in strengthening the bond between the dog and guardian, as they help to build a deeper understanding and appreciation of the dog’s unique personality and needs. Being mindful that all dogs are individuals and have individual needs and personalities. This means that no two dogs are going to find the same reward as valuable as perhaps your other dog(s) in the home or a friend’s dog. Finding a functional reinforcer is super easy, you can play the which one game which is super popular amongst guardians https://youtu.be/hONBl1zm7NU Observe your dogs body language as you offer them something, are they excited or are they just complying. Are they chasing a ball and interacting with it or are they just stood watching it? Are they excited to sniff? Are they staying in one spot, frantically sniffing, finding it hard to come away and engage and keeping their nose to the ground. Do they like to watch wildlife such as squirrels? Birds? Do they enjoy people watching? Are they eager to go for a walk or eager to get back home? Do they like to curl up and go to sleep or have snuggles or have a spot in the house they like to retreat to? Do they love enrichment? Games? Training sessions? Or do they love food? What kind of food? Have you tried to offer different kinds of food that aren’t a biscuit? Honestly, when I asked clients if they had cheese, I would have a puzzled look and some would even ask if it was for me! Which is hilarious and we both end up laughing, but jokes aside some guardians simply aren’t aware that dogs can have some human foods. This blog may help you further to understand: The dogs bank account https://www.facebook.com/706073116264853/posts/1816697725202381/?sfnsn=mo Here is a great old post about treats and rewards for dogs https://fb.watch/kLvfI8cZ8N/ Cookie pushers vs the limbic system blog https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=622977069624750&id=100057373879884&sfnsn=scwspmo Some dogs may even find rest and relaxation a functional reinforcer, depending on their needs. Every dog is as individual as humans are, we don’t all like the same things or find value in the same things. Find your dogs functional reinforcer to help you on your unique journey with your dog. You can also check out the podcast I did on the coffee hour, all about play and functionalreinforcers! https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cf7MmB9srWaoZfasbuj6Y?si=KcqduPWoRlKi6yyi5eab5Q My dog won't listen, I need to fix the behaviour now!!! It is important to heal a dog's emotions instead of focusing on fixing their behaviour because behaviour is often a symptom of an underlying emotional issue. If a dog is exhibiting unwanted behaviour, it usually means they are feeling anxious, stressed, frustrated, or fearful. Simply correcting the behaviour without addressing the emotional root cause may lead to temporary improvement, but the underlying emotional issue will remain. This could result in the dog developing other unwanted behaviours or the original behaviour resurfacing in the future. This is also like someone correcting you for a fear of spiders or feeling anxious about a situation. It isn't humane, so it isn't right to do this to a dog. When you do this, your dog will either go into shut down, learn you are not a support system and feel that they have to escalate themselves. Leaving them in a state of learned helplessness. Healing a dog's emotions involves identifying and addressing the underlying emotional issue. This can be done through learning about healing the emotions, desensitisation and counterconditioning, creating a positive and safe environment, and providing the dog with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. By addressing the emotional issue, the dog will naturally begin to exhibit positive and desirable behaviours. Ultimately, healing a dog's emotions not only helps them feel better and lead happier lives, but it also creates a stronger bond between the dog and you. When a dog becomes over threshold, it means that they have surpassed their threshold for stress and arousal. At this point, their emotional state has taken over, and they are no longer able to process information and respond to cues. From a holistic perspective, this can be explained by the complex interactions between a dog's physical, emotional, mental, and well-being. When a dog becomes over threshold, their sympathetic nervous system takes over, triggering the "fight or flight" response. At this point, the dog's body is flooded with stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can impair their cognitive function, cause physical changes such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, and limit their ability to focus and learn. Their body is also becoming physically drained at this point and something not often considered or widely known is that your dog can become poorly and need medical care due to being in situations which cause their body to go through so much stress. Which is why it is so important to move away from the ideology of fixing the dog and instead healing the dog. To prevent a dog from becoming over threshold, it is important to understand their individual triggers and manage their environment and emotional state. This can involve creating a calm and predictable routine, providing plenty of exercise and mental stimulation, using positive reinforcement training methods, and avoiding situations or stimuli that are known to trigger stress and anxiety. Overall, a holistic approach to understanding and managing your dog's behaviour includes considering their physical, emotional, mental, and well-being as interconnected and vital to their overall health and happiness. By addressing all aspects of a dog's well-being, it may be possible to prevent over threshold responses and help them learn and respond to cues more effectively. Guardians, listen to your dog's communications because it is the only way to truly understand your dog's needs and emotions. Dogs communicate in a variety of ways, including body language, vocalisations, and behaviour. By paying attention to these communications, guardians can develop a deeper understanding of their dog's personality, likes and dislikes, and needs. Some common dog communication signals include tail wagging, barking, growling, displaying teeth, licking, yawning, and avoiding eye contact. For example, a dog that is wagging their tail while their ears are pressed back and their body is stiff may be communicating anxiety or fear, rather than happiness. Similarly, a dog that is growling or displaying their teeth may be communicating discomfort or aggression, rather than being "mean". By learning to read their dog's communication signals, you can better meet your dog's needs and avoid situations that may be overwhelming or stressful for your dog. This can help build a stronger bond between you and your dog, and lead to a happier and healthier relationship. Additionally, listening to a dog's communications can help reduce the risk of dog bites or other aggressive behaviours. By recognizing when a dog is uncomfortable or anxious, you can take steps to prevent a situation from escalating and avoid putting yourself, them or others in danger. In summary, listening to a dog's communications is essential for understanding their needs and emotions, building a strong and healthy relationship, and reducing the risk of unwanted behaviours. Understanding that your dog doesn't need fixing, they need healing. This is the first step in truly understanding your dog and their needs. If you work on healing your dog, the rest will follow. Image description: cream background with Wolfdog puppy asleep, held in the arms of a person with a purple hoody in the centre. To the left is a title underlined which says: fix the behaviour Underneath this is a paragraph: Fixing dog behaviour has an attitude of the dog needs "fixing" creating a negative environment and connection. Under this is a checklist with the title: Fix the behaviour why? The checklist has red crosses in each box. Bothered what others think Don't like the behaviour Don't understand the behaviour There is red underlining underneath this. To the right of the image: The title: Healing the emotion for better welfare with a checklist with green ticks reading: Healing the emotion for better welfare Understanding of species behaviour Understanding the expression of a behaviour Understanding their emotions Healing focused The final text on the bottom right reads: Identify the need of your dog and why you want to "fix" their behaviour with green underlining.  |
Or are you looking for support and would like to get to know us better?
If the answer is yes then click the image below to join my free facebook group. What is Miyagis Dog Training Community?
So it is what it says on the tin! Its a community that is international of Clients and Colleagues with the most supportive and friendly people on the planet. Dog Trainers and Behaviourists from all over the world!
Why did I set up such a mammoth group?
I wanted to have a group exclusively for Clients. For support and to meet uo and build on friendships from Classes or One to Ones. I want Clients to see you are not alone with your Dog and the problem you maybe having that you are not the first and won't be the last! I wanted a safe place where Clients could trade stories good and bad in one place for free!
I also wanted a safe place for the Trainers and Behaviourists I mentor within Social Media Platforms.
Why do this for free?
Because when I say I offer an holistic service I really do. It isn't about the money it is about you and your dogs. You and your dogs are all that matter.
So I wanted to encourage people to do homework and build better quality relationships with their dogs. So 3 years ago I had a mad idea and set up the 100 days of dog training challenge. Once a day people would spend 5 minutes plus training their dog. Recording it and uploading their video onto the Community. Every participant recieved a Certificate.
What I didn't count on was how many Professionals wanted to join and how fast word would spread. So this year 2020 I set up a 366 days of dog training challenge.
We have Clients in America, Greece, Norway, Denmark and Spain. We have Trainers from Greece, Norway, Isle of Wight, America and many more Countries. As well as dog trainers and trainee behaviourists: I mentor all over the world.
So again yes this group is free. It is still primarily for clients and for people to get to know me but we also have the challenge running. Again for free. So if you want to join click the image below to be taken to the group directly. See you there!
So it is what it says on the tin! Its a community that is international of Clients and Colleagues with the most supportive and friendly people on the planet. Dog Trainers and Behaviourists from all over the world!
Why did I set up such a mammoth group?
I wanted to have a group exclusively for Clients. For support and to meet uo and build on friendships from Classes or One to Ones. I want Clients to see you are not alone with your Dog and the problem you maybe having that you are not the first and won't be the last! I wanted a safe place where Clients could trade stories good and bad in one place for free!
I also wanted a safe place for the Trainers and Behaviourists I mentor within Social Media Platforms.
Why do this for free?
Because when I say I offer an holistic service I really do. It isn't about the money it is about you and your dogs. You and your dogs are all that matter.
So I wanted to encourage people to do homework and build better quality relationships with their dogs. So 3 years ago I had a mad idea and set up the 100 days of dog training challenge. Once a day people would spend 5 minutes plus training their dog. Recording it and uploading their video onto the Community. Every participant recieved a Certificate.
What I didn't count on was how many Professionals wanted to join and how fast word would spread. So this year 2020 I set up a 366 days of dog training challenge.
We have Clients in America, Greece, Norway, Denmark and Spain. We have Trainers from Greece, Norway, Isle of Wight, America and many more Countries. As well as dog trainers and trainee behaviourists: I mentor all over the world.
So again yes this group is free. It is still primarily for clients and for people to get to know me but we also have the challenge running. Again for free. So if you want to join click the image below to be taken to the group directly. See you there!
