Initially The Clam was created as a distance reward to drive dogs forward and maintain focus during agility training. The Clam means you can instantly reward your dog from a distance as you throw it and your dog helps themselves to the yumminess inside - no more waiting until they get all the way back to you for a treat!
However, the real beauty of The Clam is its versatility. It’s a fantastic agility training toy, but it can also be successfully used for everything from enriching mealtimes to scentwork, making it an essential element of your dog training toolkit.
If you’re the proud owner of a Clam, here are five fun ways to use it…
The Clam is perfect for playing hide and seek with your dog, as part of scentwork training or just as a handy idea for enriching days at home with your dog, especially if its particularly hot or cold outside or if your dog is recovering from injury.
The secret to teach this game is to fill your Clam with some really smelly, delicious treats (find some perfect options here). Don’t worry, your Clam can be popped in the washing machine on a cool cycle so it won’t smell forever!
Make it easy to begin with. Hide The Clam under a cushion on your living room floor and give heaps of praise when your dog discovers it. Gradually work on hiding the Clam in trickier places - but always keep it positive and follow your dog’s lead.
New, unfamiliar sounds can be troubling for some dogs, especially puppies and rescue dogs.
To add novelty and build your dog’s confidence around ‘new’ noises, fill a box with ‘noisy’ materials and hide a filled Clam within, then encourage them to find it. These could include crumpled paper, empty containers filled with pebbles, empty milk cartons and left over plastic packaging.
This can help your dog adapt well to unfamiliar situations and build overall confidence.
A game of fetch is a fun game that seems to come naturally to lots of dogs, but needs working on with others. If you want to help your dog learn to fetch, The Clam is a great tool.
The key here is to show your dog that you are putting a yummy treat inside and let them have a sniff. Throw it a short distance and call them back to you. When they get to you, let them open The Clam and enjoy the treats inside (if they already know how The Clam works and help themselves to the treats before this, that is ok too!).
In time, they will learn that they need to bring The Clam back to you to get it refilled. Adding in a verbal ‘fetch’ or ‘bring it’ cue can help when it comes time to try fetch with a ball or other toy.
As we don't want to overdo it with fetch, it's a great idea to teach your dog to wait while you throw The Clam, so you can toss it in bush or higher grass and they get to track it down with their amazing noses for some extra mental stimulation.
Ditching the food bowl and giving your dog their meals in different ways is a fantastic way to enrich your dog’s daily life. Scatter feeding can work well, but what’s even better is to get your dog to work for their supper by hiding it within The Clam and letting them sniff it out.
According to enrichment experts, just 20 minutes of sniffing work is equivalent in terms of stimulation to an hour’s walk. Start by hiding The Clam in easy-to-find places (as described in idea two, above) and work up to more difficult challenges.
Many guardians have seen their dog’s recall success rate go through the roof when they add in a tug toy, especially our pocket range.
But variety is the spice of life after all (and will keep your dog from getting bored and losing focus), so The Clam is a fantastic aid for rewarding recall. Just fill with your dog’s favourite treats and throw a short distance from you when they return while offering verbal praise.
The Clam fits perfectly in your pocket so is the ideal addition to our collection of recall-boosting training toys.
]]>When working with a Roxy that was afraid of car rides, we first established that the issue started when she was a puppy and was repeatedly sick in the car. This can happen with puppies who are more prone to motion sickness which can have to do with the parts of the inner ear involved in balance not being fully developed yet. For that reason it's always good to keep car rides short and successful while the dogs are getting used to them. However, sometimes we have a dog that's already scared and we need to work backwards, so this is how we went about it with Roxy.
While Roxy appeared to have outgrown her motion sickness, she had created very negative associations with the car and would avoid getting in the car and pant and drool hard on every car ride while pacing frantically.
Everything related to the car and car ride was serving as a fear trigger to Roxy: putting on shoes, getting the car keys, getting the lead and harness, leaving the house with Roxy, walking towards the car, getting in the car, attaching the seat belt attachment to the harness, closing the car doors, starting the car, the sound of the engine, the movement of the car.
After deciding that Roxy will not go in the car for the duration of the systematic desensitisation programme, unless it was a true emergency (in which case it’d be important that the setup was completely different to the one they’re working on), the first parts of putting on shoes, grabbing the keys, harness, lead and leaving the house with Roxy to walk past the car and take her for a walk were successfully addressed within a couple of weeks, without putting any active training steps in place. Roxy disassociated these triggers from car rides and instead learned they were safe.
Parallel to this, Roxy's guardians started teaching Roxy in the living room to relax on a blanket that was to become her travel blanket, sprayed with Adaptil Travel Spray. She was wearing her harness for this which was attached to the seatbelt attachment. Initially she’d always have some spreads on a LickiMat to help her relax and once that was finished she’d be rewarded just for being relaxed on the blanket. They started with continuous reinforcement for relaxation before moving to variable reinforcement and eventually to intermittent reinforcement. Once she was happily relaxing on that blanket, they added in a low volume recording of the sounds of the inside of the car when starting and driving. Over the course of a few sessions they were increasing the volume of that recording ensuring Roxy remained calm throughout the process. These sessions were repeated in different locations with the blanket, inside the house, in the backyard and in the driveway.
Once Roxy was happily going on her walks past the car, the guardians started adding in a jump into the car and back out before every walk. Initially shaping and lots of rewards were required but quickly it just became part of her walking routine.
Now it was time to move the blanket into the car. The same exact setup as in the living room was provided: blanket sprayed with Adaptil, Roxy in her harness on the seatbelt attachment (not clipped into the seat belt buckle) and LickiMat and afterwards intermittent rewards for relaxing. For a few sessions the setup didn’t change much other than that over time the guardians started closing the car doors and sitting in the driver and passenger seat rather than in the back with Roxy and that the seatbelt attachment got clipped into the seat belt buckle.
As Roxy was habituated to that setup the low volume recording was introduced again and they were able to increase the volume quite quickly. The next step was to actually turn the car on. The guardians made sure to turn it on and leave it running only for the duration that Roxy still had plenty to lick on her LickiMat, then they turned it off, spent some more time rewarding her for being calm and finished the session. Over time they progressed to having the car running beyond the LickiMat duration. Once they were able to have the car running for 5 minutes, they started the car and after about half a minute drove a few metres within their driveway before ending the rest of the 5 minutes just parked up. Gradually they increased how far they would drive before finishing just parked up.
They had a roundabout about 50 metres from their home and once they could make it there, they would go into the roundabout and drive back home. Until that point they would stop the session wherever they ended up and walk Roxy back home and get their car by themselves after, to avoid backing up and turning around movements. Once that roundabout milestone was achieved the progress from there was pretty quick, but still always ensuring to only increase duration at a level that doesn’t cause any stress to Roxy. Roxy now happily goes on car rides, even further trips for holidays, etc.
]]>For those seeking natural ways to boost their pets' health, Green-Lipped Mussel is a New Zealand treasure that's not to be ignored. This supplement with health benefits, derived from the coasts of New Zealand, has been a part of the Māori diet for centuries and seems to have led to a reduction in joint issues.
Green-Lipped Mussel is a powerhouse of nutrients, showcasing its effectiveness in promoting canine health. The omega-3 fatty acids it contains, such as EPA, DHA, and the unique ETA, contribute to potent anti-inflammatory properties. These can aid in reducing swelling and pain, with ETA showing a robust anti-inflammatory effect (similarly to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines), surpassing traditional omega-3s found in fish oils.
Latest scientific evidence underscores the significance of phospholipids in NZ Green Lipped Mussel Powder which act as an effective vehicle for the body to access Omega-3 (w-3 PUFAs).
Additionally, the presence of glycosaminoglycans supports joint health by contributing to the building blocks of cartilage. Additional antioxidants like vitamin C and E, zinc, magnesium, copper, and selenium further enhance the overall well-being of your pet.
Green-Lipped Mussel can be particularly beneficial for dogs dealing with long-term inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis. Research suggests its positive impact on arthritis symptoms, making it an invaluable addition to a dog's (and cat's) diet.
Green-Lipped Mussel for dogs is generally safe, with no reported side effects. While rare, dogs may have shellfish allergies, so it's crucial to avoid it in such cases. As a precaution, observe your dog the first time you introduce Green-Lipped Mussel or its extract to watch for any signs of allergies.
Research indicates that Green-Lipped Mussel can significantly benefit dogs with arthritis, reducing pain, inflammation and improving mobility. Alongside traditional treatments, incorporating this nutraceutical into a dog's diet could even lead to a reduction in the required medication dosage which of course would need to be done in close consultation with the prescribing vet.
Typically, improvements are seen in 6-8 weeks, with long-term use recommended for sustained benefits.
I adopted my boy Hank at 13 months of age and when I presented the nail clipper to him the first time, he air snapped at it and remained in a defensive position until I removed it. He was on edge for the rest of the day. Obviously I was prepared to take it easy with the nail trimming process as I didn’t know what he was like with it, but I simply had not anticipated that he would have such negative prior associations with a nail clipper that its sight on 2 metres distance would elicit such an intense fear response. Hank's nails were quite long, to the extent that they were pushing up the knuckles on his paws when walking, so I really needed to get to the point of being able to clip them as quickly as possible.
I utilised what's called systematic desensitisation. We started with creating a grooming station which was a specific blanket on a specific spot in the house. Hank learned to settle on that blanket and we worked on handling paws and nails without nail clippers present. Hank was fine having the top of his paw touched, but not having his paw grabbed, so over the course of a few sessions through desensitisation and counter conditioning we worked our way up from touching the top of his paw to touching the bottom to grabbing and lifting. Once I could do that with one hand I started introducing the second hand and started gradually working on separating his toes, touching the nails and what interestingly required a lot of small approximations: staring at the toes. The added attention was initially triggering for him.
Parallel to these exercises taking place I would a few times a day get a helper to help work on the presentation of the nail clipper. Initially they would present it all the way across the room and when Hank would notice it I would mark and reward. We continued this counter conditioning process with a helper gradually reducing distance until we were at the 2 metre mark from which I was able to continue working by myself.
Once I was able to have the nail clipper near Hank (including while squeezing the handle and making that cutting sound), I started leaving it laying on the ground next to us while we were doing our paw handling exercises on the grooming station. I was now using a metal teaspoon to approach his nails with and eventually touch as well. Once I was satisfied with the extent of duration and handling intensity that Hank was happy with I started to work on picking up the nail clipper during our sessions; initially just by 1cm and for a second and then gradually for longer and higher.
I actually also got some pasta and started cutting the pasta to recreate the actual cutting sound which I was eventually able to do right next to his nails. Now I started to work my way towards touching his nails with the nail clipper, recreating the cutting sound and also gently closing the clipper on his nails without cutting. We would go through lots of fake nail trims before eventually doing one little trim which was clearly a slightly uncomfortable experience for Hank, so we finished with a massive jackpot treat scatter straight after.
Over the course of a few more sessions of plenty of fake trims before one tiny real one followed by a treat scatter to finish the session, Hank became more comfortable with the physical sensation he experienced when the actual trim happened. It is important to point out that from not trimming to trimming, there weren’t any more approximations to keep the experience entirely below threshold, so that part wasn’t perfect systematic desensitisation, but the counter conditioning angle helped overcome this.
After about a month, once Hank was physically comfortable having a nail trimmed, we were able to work our way up to bigger trims and also eventually more per session. Because Hank always got a treat after every trim, he actually started to treat the sound of the nail clipping as a reward marker and will perk up and look for a treat every time he hears it.
After a few months, Hank got to the point of running enthusiastically to the grooming station as soon as the nail clipper is presented and at least for his front paws presenting them voluntarily into my hand rather than having me pick them up. The grooming station has changed over the years and we can do it on any couch or blanket.
]]>Halloween is a fun and spooky time of year for kids and adults alike. However, it can be a stressful and unsettling experience for our furry friends. The constant stream of unfamiliar faces knocking on the door or ringing the doorbell can make pets anxious, and it's essential for pet guardians to understand why and how to set them up for success during this season.
Here are just some of the obvious reasons why especially our dogs might not be happy with Halloween visitors:
Taking our dogs out on walks is part of our day to day lives together - promoting exercise, socialisation, and mental stimulation. Choosing the right equipment for those walks can make all the difference.
Retractable dog leads have been popular among dog parents for their convenience, but they do come with their own set of pros and cons. In this article, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of retractable leads and recommend the use of long lines as a safer alternative for walking our canine companions.
1. Increased Freedom: Retractable leads allow dogs to explore their surroundings with more freedom. Depending on the lead they can extend about 5-8 metres, enabling dogs to roam and sniff while still being tethered to their guardian.
2. Control over Lead Length: Dog walkers have the ability to adjust the lead's length, depending on the situation and the dog's behaviour. This feature can be useful when transitioning between open spaces and crowded areas.
3. Ease of Use: Retractable leads typically feature a one-hand operation, making it convenient for dog parents to manage both the lead and their dog effortlessly. This can be especially beneficial for someone that is physically less able or is needing to manage other things like prams.
1. Limited Control: The very feature that grants dogs freedom also compromises the guardian's control. In emergency situations, retractable leads may not provide sufficient restraint, leading to potential accidents or confrontations. A huge factor is the part where you can't easily shorten a retractable lead if the dog is pulling on the end, but those are the exact situations where control would be required.
2. Potential Injuries: The thin cord of retractable leads can cause injuries to both the dog and the owner. If the cord gets tangled around a limb, it may result in cuts, burns, or even broken bones.
3. Encourages Pulling: Dogs may develop a habit of pulling when on retractable leads, as they learn that pulling extends their range. This can lead to difficulties when transitioning back to a standard leash.
4. Safety Hazards: Retractable leads may pose safety hazards to both dogs and humans. The extended length can cause tripping accidents, especially in crowded areas, and the thin cord may become entangled with objects or other dogs.
5. Gear Safety Checks: With all gear (collars, harnesses, leads, etc.) it is crucial to perform regular checks to ensure that all clips and materials are still in good condition and not about to fail. With a retractable lead we cannot look inside the handle, so it remains a mystery if there is fraying or similar happening at the attachment point inside.
6. Not Helpful For Teaching Off-Leash Recall: When our dogs are feeling pressure on lead in order to stay within a certain distance from us, they are not learning how to be off leash completely as they relying on the pressure for information. Freedom and recall on a retractable lead does not translate to understanding how to respond when off-lead.
7. Can't Let Go Of It: Sometimes dog guardians face with situations where it may be the better option to let go of their dog's lead (if legal and appropriate to do so in the environment they are in) such as when a dog is rushing their dog or when facilitating a friendly greeting amongst dogs without tension or even in the process of their recall training. This is not possible with a retractable lead due to the handle and the retraction mechanism. In fact, it's dangerous if they let go accidentally as the dog is then being chased by a big handle.
1. Open and Safe Areas: In spacious, open areas like parks, fields, or beaches, where there is minimal traffic or potential hazards, retractable leads can provide dogs with the freedom to explore while still being under control.
2. Well-Trained and Relaxed Dogs: For dogs with reliable leash manners and training, retractable leads can offer a bit more freedom to enjoy walks while maintaining control over their movements.
And ensure that the retractable lead you have chosen is appropriate for your dog's size and weight. Understand how to lock and release the lead and how to adjust its length.
Inspect the Lead Regularly: Before each use, check the retractable lead for signs of wear, damage, or fraying. Replace it immediately if you notice any issues. Always stay vigilant and prepared for any situation. Be prepared to lock it quickly if needed.
Be Mindful of Other People and Dogs: Be considerate of others around you. Keep your dog on a short lead when approaching people, other dogs, or wildlife. Don't have children handle the retractable lead.
1. High-Traffic Areas: Using retractable leads in busy streets, crowded parks, or areas with heavy foot traffic and vehicular movement is dangerous. The extended length can lead to accidents and entanglements with passersby or other animals.
2. Reactive or Aggressive Dogs: Dogs with a history of reactivity or aggression towards people or other animals should not be walked on retractable leads. These leads do not provide enough control to manage potential confrontations and there is a serious risk of them breaking in the wrong moment.
3. Untrained Dogs: Dogs that have not been properly leash trained should not be walked on retractable leads. The freedom offered by these leads may encourage pulling and erratic behaviour.
4. Near Cliffs or Water Bodies: Using retractable leads near cliffs, steep drops, or water bodies can be risky. The lack of instant control may lead to a dangerous situation where the dog could fall or get into difficulty.
5. In Close Quarters: In tight spaces like elevators, staircases, or busy sidewalks, retractable leads can cause tripping hazards for both the dog owner and others.
6. Public Facilities: Retractable leads should not be used in places like restaurants, stores, or public transport, as they can be disruptive and pose risks to others.
Long lines are an excellent alternative to retractable leads, providing several benefits:
1. Superior Control: Long lines are typically made of strong materials like polyester or biothane, offering better control over dogs, even at a distance. This enhanced control reduces the risk of accidents or unwanted encounters.
2. Enhanced Safety: With a consistent length and thickness, long lines are less prone to tangling or causing injuries compared to retractable leads.
3. Training Aid: Long lines can be a valuable tool for dog training and recall exercises. They allow guardians to maintain control while gradually teaching the dog to respond to cues at a distance. By handling a long line correctly you can simulate the feeling of being off the lead while facilitating greetings, practising recall, explicitly you are avoiding the dog feeling the pressure of the lead as you're going through the practise steps.
4. Suitable for All Dogs: Long lines are suitable for dogs of all sizes and breeds. They are particularly helpful for dogs in training, those with behavioural issues, or in environments where off-leash walking is not recommended.
Whether you use a long line or a retractable lead, practise for you and your dog are key. Practice Emergency Drills: Train yourself when there is no emergency how to quickly get close to your dog when they are pulling at the end, so you are prepared in case of an emergency or potential hazards.
While retractable dog leads offer convenience and freedom, their potential risks usually outweigh the benefits. For a safer and more controlled walking experience, long lines are highly recommended for those guardians that are physically able to use them.
Long lines provide dog guardians with the ability to maintain control over their dogs while allowing them the necessary freedom to explore and exercise. By choosing long lines over retractable leads, dog owners can ensure the safety and well-being of both their pets and themselves during walks and outdoor adventures. Please note though that in high-traffic areas or public facilities a leash length of up to 2m will be the better option.
Ball launchers have become a popular accessory for dog owners who want to keep their dogs active and entertained. However, these devices can have negative effects on your dog's health and wellbeing.
Some dogs become obsessed with fetching a ball, which can lead to behavioural problems. They may become aggressive or anxious when they are not playing with the ball launcher, making it difficult to enjoy time with your pet. It's important to recognise the signs of obsession and to limit your dog's use of the ball launcher.
Dogs are naturally curious and enjoy exploring their surroundings through sniffing and relaxing. However, when they become obsessed with fetching a ball, they may lose interest in these natural behaviours. This can lead to boredom and frustration, causing your dog to become less active and less healthy.
Repeatedly launching a ball puts a lot of stress on your dog's joints, especially if they are a high energy breed. This can lead to joint problems such as arthritis, which can be very painful and expensive to treat. It's important to limit the amount of time your dog spends playing with a ball launcher and to give them plenty of rest breaks.
While ball launchers may seem like a fun and easy way to keep your dog entertained, they can have negative effects on their health and wellbeing. They interrupt natural behaviour, can cause joint problems, and lead to obsession. If you want to keep your dog healthy and happy, it's best to limit their use of ball launchers and encourage them to engage in natural behaviours such as sniffing, scent work, exploring and simply relaxing.
Collection
The process begins with the collection of yak and cow milk harvested in the Himalayan regions of Nepal. The yaks and cows graze on medicinal plants and herbs above 4,500 metres, free from modern day pollution. The milk produced is high in nutritional value as a result.
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PasteurisationIn the next phase the milk is pasteurised to ensure product safety and uniformity. Once the milk thickens after consistent beating and stirring the butter is extracted, making the Yak Chew low in fat. Next, the remaining milk is heated again until white cheese starts forming to remove the lactose and make the hardened cheese. |
Natural AgingAfter extracting the cheese content, it is transferred into a burlap sack to drain out any remaining water and whey residue. The sack is then compressed for a few days with a locally made apparatus, made of large stone, wood and bamboo. No contamination occurs to the product during this process due to the cold climate. Next, the wrapped cheese is cut into pieces and dried under the sun or a wood fire oven for several days to transform into hard chew. |
Cleaned, Cut and InspectedThese hard chews are brought into the processing unit in Kathmandu, where every piece of chew is first tested for quality and then cleaned using a mixture of lime juice and water. Strict hygiene standards are maintained to prevent any contamination to the chews. Next, the chews are cut in 4 different sizes using food grade equipment in order to maintain good quality. |
Dried and StoredFor the final step the chews undergo a final drying process in order to exude all the moisture, before the chews are packaged and exported. |
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We are just like dog trainers all across the world huge fans of Long Lines for dogs! They can be used in a variety of settings where you wish to give your dog more freedom than a standard leash would give while ensuring your dog’s safety, giving you peace of mind, adhering to leash laws or helping with your training. An untrained or reactive dog off-lead is a recipe for disaster and as dog guardians we must always respect other animals' and humans' autonomy and their right not to be rushed by our unruly canine.
We recommend long lines to teach our dogs to mooch calmly and sniff a lot, to work on recall, to work on seeing triggers (exciting or scary) without running up to them, or of course for tracking, nose work and scent detection.
Please note that long lines are not the same as retractable leashes which we consciously choose not to stock. Read here a short overview why.
To keep our dogs' walks interesting we want to provide them with different kinds of walking experiences (thanks to That Dog Geek):
In most cases for long lines we recommend the 10m length as that gives your dog the most amount of freedom without it all becoming unmanageable, but there might be certain reasons to choose a 5m one:
Not sure if 5 or 10m is the best choice for you? You can also get 7.5m ones. We like those for dogs that are mostly all good, but might in rare occasions show minor reactivities.
There is also a special kind of Long Line, the Dragline! If you are at the point where you feel your recall is 100% reliable, you can have your dog's lone line dragging (in off-leash areas) as a middle step between long line and fully off-lead, so you are able to react by picking it up or stepping on it if needed, even if your dog is 5 or 10 meters away. You can have any long line dragging theoretically, but the Dragline comes with a removable handle, so nothing can get stuck anywhere and you can easily reattach it and use as a standard long line.
Whatever you do: always have any long line attached to a backclip harness rather than a collar to avoid injury!
A long line can give you so much more peace of mind and your dog so much more freedom while reinforcing good behaviours, not just for recall training but also for teaching appropriate manners and greetings around other dogs and humans and any other distractions.
We never go anywhere without our long lines, even for dogs that are good off-lead, we are always mindful that we might be headed to new places or to places that require them to be on-lead. We always start off on a long line at a new place to see what the place is all about and give our dogs a chance to acclimatise calmly and safely.
We stock these high quality affordable Polyester Long Lines which are great for all occasions and get great feedback. They are of the absolute best quality, being made to last and are great value to money. However, if your dog is a REALLY strong puller or constantly drags their long line through the water, you might want to consider our Biothane Long Lines instead as they might be nicer on your hands and easier to clean in those cases. They are pricier but feel very nice. And of course the Draglines as explained above.
They all come in XS/S and M/L which refers to the thickness of the line and therefore their heaviness as well as the size of the clip which makes the bigger ones heavier and sturdier than the smaller ones. The dog weight recommendations differ between Polyester and Biothane, so please click on the Sizes & Break Strength chart to check for your dog's weight.
Finally, watch this great explanation video from Battersea to learn more about how to handle a Long Line:
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NOTE: Check with your vet that your food choices are suitable for your pet.
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IMPORTANT: Check with your vet that your food choices are suitable for your pet.
]]>When we are socialising our dogs, we can make the mistake of thinking that the best thing to do is to allow them to meet everyone and every dog we come across. This is an easy mistake to make; we want to do our best by exposing them to as many different kinds of animals and people, ensuring that they don’t develop fear of things they will come across in their lives. However, it is really important that we understand better ways to socialise them, and why they are so important.
This, of course, is not always the case! There are a multitude of reasons they won’t be able to do this. Perhaps we are needing to move on to get somewhere, identify a dog as an unsuitable match for our dog, or are simply being respectful by not allowing our dog to approach every person (some of which will not want to interact with your dog!). What we are doing by enabling this behaviour is setting our dogs up for frustration when not meeting the expectation we have set for them in the past. When we break expectations, undoubtedly causing frustration, we are setting our dogs up to display undesirable behaviours. This includes barking, jumping up, nipping at the lead or at the handler, or tugging as hard as they can repeatedly on the end of the lead. We can then get exasperated with our dogs and react in ways that are not conducive to a healthy relationship.
Furthermore, we don’t want our dogs to have negative experiences by rushing up to a dog that perhaps might not appreciate our dog's behaviour. We also don’t want our dog rehearsing undesirable play-styles and behaviours by having them reinforced with dogs who don’t have very good social skills, or other humans that reward our dogs with cooing and cuddles for jumping up on them. As always, we want to set our dogs up for success!
Another reason we don’t want to create this expectation is because we want our dogs to be able to focus on us in a wide range of environments with a wide range of distractions. This is both for their safety and for the wellbeing of our relationships with our dogs; if everything else is far more exciting than you when you are out and about, you will likely become frustrated with your dog for not being able to ‘pay attention’ when you ask them to.
1. Understand that socialisation doesn’t mean being able to interact with everyone.
Socialisation is not just about learning how to engage with others, it’s about being able to be calm around others.
Your dog will need to rely on your judgement to make the right calls for their socialisation as they learn how to interact appropriately in each new environment, with each new distraction. This will take time, perseverance, and patience, but will be more than worth it in the long run!
3. Spend time practising calmness in different environments, going at your dog's pace. We want to keep stress levels manageable, avoiding exposing your dog to one trigger after the other without breaks to decompress. We can begin by practising in our houses, our yards, moving onto car parks, from our cars in people-parks, and so on in increasingly exciting and distracting environments, always going at your dog's pace.
]]>Resource guarding occurs when a dog has, or is around, something they find very valuable. This could be a special treat, their bed, their food bowl, some rubbish they’ve found, a human or toys. Resource guarding is normal dog behaviour. Dogs have evolved as opportunistic feeders, and it is natural for them to protect what they consider to be their valuable treasure from potential threats. They will begin signalling discomfort through escalating aggression (see ‘canine-aggression ladder’). Aggression signals in canines can be an important form of communication to avoid conflict.
Resource guarding can be identified by other subtle changes in behaviour, such as eating faster or putting their body in between the perceived threat and their resource. If they feel the need to tell someone or something to “back off”, they will utilise their social toolbox and use their subtle signals such as lip licking, growling, freezing still and giving the side eye. If this works well enough for their desired effect, they will not escalate their signals further. If their signals are ignored or challenged, they may escalate into growling, all the way up to biting in the worst instances.
Whilst resource guarding is normal, it is still important to work on it as it is important for humans to be able to remove dangerous items from their dogs and for children to be safe around dogs and their resources.
It's important to remember that the things our dogs find valuable can be changeable; what they are resource guarding today might be different from what they feel they need to guard next month. Because of this, the best way we can help our dogs minimise resource guarding tendencies is to focus on the bigger picture, rather than just the item in question on a given day. To do this, rather than look at training around a certain toy, we are instead going to focus on altering our dog's emotional state - we want them to look forward to seeing us (or other animals) while they have possession of, or access to, whatever they find valuable.
Very common advice you will find on the internet is to pet your dog or play with the food in their bowl while they are eating, or to remove the food from them and then give it back. If you try these techniques, you will in the best case scenario just be an annoyance to your dog while they are trying to enjoy a meal. In the worst case scenario you are creating serious defiance towards you near their food and therefore the guarding behaviour is created and continuously escalated.
We always want to teach our dogs that our presence means good things are going to happen. We don’t want to make them fear losing what they have; to no surprise, taking food off your dog does not teach them how to enjoy the presence of others around valuable things. However, providing them with positive experiences while they have access to high value items can change their minds.
It would be counterproductive attempting to stop our dogs from using their subtle warning signals; all we would be doing is making them bottle up displays of their emotions at times where their behaviour would be mild. By ignoring those signals and pushing forward anyway, we can unintentionally invoke aggressive behaviour much higher up on the aggression ladder, such as lunging and nipping. We actually want our dogs to be able to use these relatively safe signals to show their discomfort, giving us the opportunity to moderate our behaviour, modify the environment accordingly and address the identified issues through training.
As with most training, our first tool to use is MANAGEMENT. We want to prevent as many potential negative feelings around prized resources as possible. This means giving your dog ample space when they have prized things.
If they are the sole dog in the home, you will only need to monitor the humans in the home. This means making sure everyone knows, and follows, the rules. If you cannot guarantee that, it is best you utilise a quiet area or crate.
If you are in a multi-dog household, you can set your dogs up for success by providing your dogs with separate areas to enjoy their goodies, whether that be in a different room from one another, in their crates, or seperated with an appropriate divider (e.g. puppy-fence/baby gate). Unless you are actively supervising your dogs, it is best not to leave them together with high valued treats or toys, particularly if they have any history or tendencies to guard resources.
Start building up positive associations by using the TREAT & RETREAT method:
When doing your treat & retreat at your dog's pace, you will begin to notice your dog perking up when you approach. This is what we are looking for - the expectation of something good coming. Continue to reward them using your treat & retreat, reducing the distance between you and your dog in slow increments once they have shown happy signals at the last distance you used. Eventually, if you have taken the time your dog needed, you should be able to bring your hand to the dog’s resource and add your high value treat right on top of it; moving forward from there, at some point your dog will even look forward to you picking up the item because they know it will come back with even more goodness on top. Do not rush it and only move forward if your dog’s head backs away from the item and they look at you full of positive expectancy.
If you have more than one dog and are concerned about potential resource guarding issues between them, you will also use the treat & retreat method described above but with a barrier between your dogs. If you do not have access to a barrier, you can use their leads to maintain a comfortable distance for each of them. Allow them to move away from one another but not towards each other - you need to be the one keeping an eye on each dog's signalling and preventing them from even getting to that point while providing the treats to create a positive association. Follow the same principle as the treat & retreat for humans.
You should also practice swapping one goodie for another with your dog/s. This is especially helpful when they get hold of things they're not supposed to have. Set them up for success by asking them to ‘swap’ their low-value toy/item for your high-value toy or chewie. Rather than approach your dog to swap, call them over to you to reduce the pressure. Our reward needs to be better than what they have. Very gradually you can ask your dog to swap things that are a bit higher in value - always going at your dog's pace.
In essence, the aim is to improve your dog's emotional state around the things they value the most, such as a special toy or certain foods. We are increasing their optimism that good things, rather than bad things, happen when you’re around their goodies. In the long run, your dog will be much happier, and healthier, for it.
If your dogs are already past some minor signalling and are properly resource guarding, please contact a force-free trainer and work through the protocols with them.
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Dogs evolved to use their voices in a myriad of ways, their vocal repertoire is vast and complex. In combination with their vocal skills, they are highly attuned to deciphering the vocalisations of their species, with 39% of the area responsible for deciphering sounds in their brains dedicated to understanding the vocalisations of their canine kin. A further 48% is dedicated to non-canine/human sounds in their environments, with the remaining 13% dedicated to understanding human vocalisations.
The range of vocalisations dogs can produce is likely due to their selective evolution, a result of our picking-and-choosing which dogs will pass on their genes in order to improve their usefulness to us. This is exemplified by the lack of vocal variation in wolves and foxes, further supported by how quickly foxes will develop more complex vocalisations if we breed them for tameness.
However, with increasing urbanisation and a changing attitude towards dogs as vocal animals, the acceptance of dogs using their voices has decreased.
Like most behaviour, there is MOTIVATION underlying it – this is key to our understanding, and therefore approach, of minimisation of excessive vocalisation. In order to support harmonious living and relationships between dogs and the wider community, as well as improve our dogs’ mental health, it is important that guardians of dogs learn how to teach our canine companions to reduce such excessive behaviour.
Many dogs use vocalisations to communicate with others, following a cause-and-effect pattern. First, we will quickly look at the scientific process before discussing an example that will put it into context of our companions at home.
Studies on the visual Canine Communication Cycle have revealed the following pattern, which we can likely generalise within reason to vocalisations:
That’s a bit confusing for most of us, so let’s put that process into an example. While this model can explain whimpering, growling, whining, and more-worrisome barking vocalisations, we are going to focus on a common scenario many of us experience during the puppyhood phase of our dogs’ development:
Ralph is not naughty for barking at his dad – he is simply trying to figure out what works, and what doesn’t. That means Ralph's dad needs to set Ralph up for success by pre-empting phase one of the communication cycle! If Ralph's dad wishes for Ralph not bark at him to initiate an interaction, he will have to teach Ralph what he should do to get his dad's attention, such as sit by his feet facing his dad for instance. Perhaps Ralph’s dad is happy for him to bark once, then Ralph’s dad can signal to him through clear cues whether or not he wants to play a game. He will also need to teach Ralph that he is not always available to give him attention and set realistic expectations that he is not available when he is busy with another activity, such as reading a book or working at his desk.
Young dogs often vocalise more than older dogs, with many young puppies exploring their voices to the dismay of their guardians. They are determining how to use their vocalisations to influence their environment; whether it’s initiating a game of tug or gaining other kinds of attention, learning how to engage and manipulate their environment is a crucial part of learning. Young puppies will often initiate ‘barking games’ with their peers, older dogs, and their human counterparts. If a dog has been consistently rewarded with attention or other wanted things throughout their life for vocalising, they are more likely to vocalise frequently. Our job as carers is to teach our dogs when it is appropriate to use their voices, and when it is undesirable.
Breed can also affect the rate, and kind, of vocalisations dogs exhibit. Dogs bred for herding are often selected for their prowess at using their voices to control other animals; dogs bred for human companionship may vocalise more for human attention, being more prone to sensitivities regarding separation; highly intelligent dogs may be more likely to become bored when deprived of adequate enrichment; dogs bred to have erect ears usually have superior hearing to floppy-eared dogs, increasing their sensitivities to noises in their environments; and the list goes on. In each instance, it is important for us to recognise the cause of excessive vocalisations and what motivates them.
Common reasons dogs vocalise in the home environment are to communicate with other members of their social group. Let's have a look at different reasons with their different purposes and different emotional states:
Dogs often bark or whine when they are encountering a frustrating situation. Barking while pulling on the leash, in the car, or at a cat out the window can all be signs that your dog is frustrated because they don’t have access to what they want. They are facing a seemingly unsolvable problem. For example, being on a leash often means that our dogs can’t move freely to explore as they wish; being in the car often exposes our dogs to lots of stimulating things going past that they can’t get to, such as a park or other dogs walking; being able to see out the window at home exposes our dogs to exciting things that they can’t access. Importantly, dogs can also vocalise from frustration when their general needs aren’t being met.
Over-arousal occurs when your dog has been bombarded with too many triggers or activities, including excessive physical or mental exercise, or too many new things. Over-arousal can cause numerous undesirable behaviours, from excessive vocalisations to serious bites. Continuous exposure to a state of over-arousal can cause long term issues in canine mental health, including an inability to rest properly, affecting overall health. Canine day-cares are often sites of over-arousal.
Under-arousal is easiest referred to as ‘boredom’, where your dog’s needs aren’t being met. Unless your dog has learned that nothing they can possibly do will relieve this stress (an incredibly unfortunate state called ‘learned helplessness’), they will try to fulfil their own needs or request their fulfilment by engaging in escalating behaviours, from excessive vocalisations, to physical demands, to desperate escapes.
Pain in the simplest terms is discomfort ranging from mild to severe due to illness or injury. Pain should always be addressed as soon as it is identified.
Fear is a direct result from something in the environment. This fear may be completely justified, such as fear of something that can cause one harm (including loud sounds hurting the ears, a physical or emotional threat etc.) or something simply not understood. Most animals, including humans, are to some degree or another ‘neophobic’ – this means fear (phobic) of new things (neo). While fear-inducing triggers from justifiably dangerous things should always be avoided, teaching your puppy to trust you using positive reinforcement at their pace and providing a ‘safe haven’ from perceived possible threats will increase their confidence, reducing the likelihood of excessive neophobia.
When we talk about anxiety, we are talking about an unsettled or fearful state that isn’t triggered by anything in the current environment. Anxiety can be the product of exposure to lots of scary things over time, causing your dog to be in a perpetual state of unease. Anxiety can also be triggered by something that causes fear, but your dog is unable to resume calmness after an appropriate amount of time similar to the way other animals can. Anxiety can often be treated by a fear-free trainer, but sometimes requires the assistance from your vet/veterinary behaviourist.
Dogs use very clear signals and vocalisations to indicate the initiation of an aggressive sequence, unless they have been punished for displaying warning signals in the past (never punish the growl!). Aggressive displays can be triggered for reasons specific to the individual, and are often the result of the ‘fight’ mechanism in the fight-or-flight response. Aggressive displays are often linked to fear, anxiety, or underlying health issues. Aggressive vocalisations generally mean ‘get away or I will hurt you!’.
Dogs communicate vocally using whining, whimpering, growling, and barking. Not only are there different kinds of vocalisations our dogs can make, but the pitch, volume, and rate of their vocalisations can also tell us a lot about their emotional state and intentions. In general, low pitches of vocalisations signify the receiver (listener) to withdraw, while high-pitched vocalisations invite the listener to approach. When a dog is barking quickly, it is more likely to be an unwelcoming signal compared to when they are barking at slower rates.
Understanding the different kinds of vocalisations and their variations will provide you with insight as to the underlying causes of your dog’s vocalisations. You can use this understanding to accurately document the sequence of events occurring during undesirable vocalizations using the ABC method discussed later in this article.
A high pitched, loud and consistent vocalisation of long duration, with a short break between each successive vocalisation. Whining often signifies dismay at separation and loneliness, anxiety, and/or frustration due to being unable to gain access to something desirable.
Short, quiet, high-pitched successive vocalisations, often signifying fear, anxiety, pain, or a general feeling of being unwell.
A low-pitched rumble, often increasing in volume and mostly used for close-quarters communication.
A clear, loud vocalisation used for both short and long distance communication
For health and safety reasons, it is very important to understand and address the underlying causes of whining, whimpering, growling. Contacting your local fear-free trainer to get advice as soon as possible minimises damage to your dog's mental health and reduces the likelihood of injury. Separation related issues and stress damage well-being; whimpering often signifies high levels of anxiety, and potentially underlying health issues. If growling or barking is accompanied by teeth baring or any other worrying signs indicating the listener to withdraw, seek assistance. While growling may occur in jest while playing games of tug, if you are unsure, contact your trainer to confirm the cause. In conjunction with advice from a trainer, book a vet appointment for any whimpering that cannot be tied to external stress-inducing stimuli.
Now that we understand the types of vocalisations dogs use and their common causes, we can begin to identify the underlying causes of our dog’s excessive vocalisations. This is the first step to implementing your plan to help your dog overcome the causes and promote a harmonious household free of unnecessary vocalisations.
The easiest way to identify triggers for certain kinds of vocalisations (and other behaviours) is to keep an ABC diary. To do this, you will need to take note of what happens before your dog vocalises, what sort of vocalisation they are doing, and the result of those vocalisations.
ABC diaries are implemented in both human and canine behaviour modification programmes: Antecedent (what happened beforehand); Behaviour (what the dog did in response); Consequence (what happened after the behaviour). Keeping an ABC diary can help you, your trainer, and your vet decipher the underlying causes of your dog’s behaviour, which will in turn help determine the best plan of action. Seeking advice from a fear-free professional is the most effective way to address undesirable vocalisations quickly while simultaneously promoting a positive relationship between you and your companion.
Luckily for us and our dogs, there are lots of ways we can help them learn to cope with frustrating things, fears, over-excitement, and other causes of excessive vocalisations while we figure out the best plan for their specific situation. As always, we want to set our dogs up for success by managing the environment in order to pre-empt undesirable vocalisations.
Next, we want to teach our dogs how to relax – while it may seem like dogs should naturally know how to do this, a lot of the time we need to intentionally provide a supportive learning environment. We also want to make sure their physical, mental, social, and emotional needs are being met.
Finally, we want to implement positive reinforcement training to promote quiet, calm behaviour when confronted with triggers, at the distance and rate your dog is able to cope with without vocalising before decreasing distance. Here are things we can implement in the home, in our dogs' routines, and in training to minimise excessive vocalisations:
Management – Congruent with all training, while your dog learns how to reduce excessive vocalisations you can help them along by setting them up for success using management tools relevant to their triggers.
Teaching our dogs to relax – Practicing these exercises with your dog to promote relaxation will decrease excessive vocalisations caused by anxiety, over-arousal, and excessive excitement.
Other ways to utilise positive reinforcement to decrease common undesirable vocalisations
Again, it is extremely important to address fear, anxiety, and aggression related behaviours and vocalisations as soon as possible in order to minimise long-term difficulties. The sooner your dog is helped, the easier it will be for them to recover. If you are having difficulty identifying the cause of your dog’s vocalisations, or having trouble implementing an effective plan, seek professional help. Together, you will be able to identify their triggers and implement a plan to improve their quality of life.
]]>We’ve all heard how puppies can go through fear stages at specific ages where they are exceptionally sensitive to negative experiences. During these stages, puppies are purported to become fearful of the familiar. Do these stages exist? It absolutely seems so, and makes sense in the context of our scientific understanding of canine development. We are going to step away from rigidity here, and ask you to look at the puppy in front of you rather than how many days old they are.
In reality, every dog is different. Rather than approaching puppy-raising with strict numbers in hand, consider developmental markers as a guide. While we will talk about age ranges, always consider your pup to be an individual and allow for variation.
Puppies of more neotenous breeds (i.e. have ‘baby-like’ features such as floppy ears and rather short noses like a Cavalier) tend to take longer to emotionally develop than less neotenous breeds (i.e. like the pointy-eared, long nosed German Shepherd). Larger breeds also develop a lot slower than smaller breeds; a Neopolitan Mastiff is going to take a lot longer to reach maturity compared to a Pomeranian. Keep this in mind not only in relation to fear stages, but in relation to development in general.
Research suggests that those less neotenous breeds, notably the German Shepherd and Yorkshire Terrier, have an earlier onset of fear-related behaviour compared to their ‘baby-like’ counterparts (Morrow et al. 2015). One of the authors of such studies, Dr. Joy Pate, says that “We think that the important message here is that, while exposure to novelty and 'socialization' are necessary for development of stable adults of all breeds, the timing of this critical window is breed-dependent. In breeds with earlier onset of adult patterns of fear-related avoidance behavior (the GSDs and YTs in our study), it is critical that they be exposed to novel experiences earlier than some other breeds.” (Pate, 2015 via Todd, 2015).
How Do I Know It’s a Fear Stage?
It’s fear of the familiar; the pup is having fear responses to things they have been perfectly content with up to this point, and they have not had a recent negative experience.
It comes on very suddenly; it didn’t develop over a long period of time.
It’s finite.
Why do Fear Stages Occur?
When we think about it for a moment, it’s obvious. Fear stages tend to coincide with developmental stages that allow dogs to sense and explore the world more keenly. Whether it’s at 5 weeks old or 18 months old, increased sensitivity is useful for quickly learning what is dangerous, and what is not.
How Long Do They Last?
It really depends! For some dogs, these stages may be fleeting and you might not even notice. For other dogs, they might experience this heightened sensitivity for days, weeks, or even months during their adolescence.
What Do I Need To Do Now?
You need to protect your dog from negative experiences, now more than ever. Single-incident learning can be more likely to occur in these heightened states, meaning a pup might learn that something isn’t safe from just one negative experience. Take things back a notch or five, and don’t add additional stress if your pup is already having a hard time. Experiencing minor stress they can practice recovering from can help build resilience. However, if your pup isn’t recovering from minor stress quickly, you need to take things back. This might mean changing walking routines or other plans you had for your pup so you can support them through these stages. If you’re unsure whether or not an experience will be good for your pup, play it safe. If you’re at all concerned about an increase in fear, touch base with your local APDTNZ registered trainer.
Onset ~5 Weeks Old: Starting to Explore
That’s right. Long before your pup is ready to come home they will have gone through a fear stage. Why? At this age, pups generally become physically capable of exploring their environment. Learning quickly what is dangerous and what is safe is important for survival.
Take this as a reminder that at least half of the experiences and exposures your pup has had by 16 weeks old were facilitated by their breeder.
Onset ~8-12 Weeks Old: Keener Senses, Change of Environment
The next fear stage is more well known - the 8-12 week period, where many have just brought their puppies home. At this age, their brains are rapidly developing to adapt to their surroundings while their senses are growing in acuity. They are learning a huge amount of information in a short period of time. Not only does this make them more open to learning good things about the world, it makes them more sensitive to negative experiences as well.
Onset ~6-24 Months Old: Becoming a Mature Dog
The last known fear stage/s occurs during the adolescent period, and ends before the dog is fully mature. At this age, dogs would naturally be branching out more, as they’re no longer completely dependent on the protection and security their family provides. Problem-solving skills are improving. Their brains are in developmental-overdrive, working to make connections and integrate everything together. They’re also being bombarded with important hormones during this time, which adds another layer of complexity to their cognitive and physical experience.
References:
Lindquist/Killion, J. (2000-2020). Puppy Culture [Film & Podcasts]
Morrow, M., Ottobre, J., Ottobre, A., Neville, P., St-Pierre, N., Dreschel, N., Pate, J. L., (2015), Breed-dependent differences in the onset of fear-related avoidance behavior in puppies, Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Volume 10, Issue 4, Pages 286-294, ISSN 1558-7878, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2015.03.002.
Miklósi, A. (2014). Dog behaviour, evolution, and cognition. Oxford University Press.
Todd, Zazie (2015) Different dog breeds, different sensitive periods? [Article] https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2015/04/different-dog-breeds-different.html
For instance, the methylation rate showed a seven-week-old pup corresponds to a 9-month-old human baby, and both species begin to get their first teeth at this time.
But the comparison breaks down after early puppyhood. The dog clock ticks much faster with pups speeding through puberty and reaching sexual maturity within their first year. Then, the dog's epigenetic clock slows down as the dog ages, and begins to match up with humans again in its later years.
According to the formula, a 2-year-old dog is the equivalent of a 42-year-old human, but things slow down after that. A 5-year-old dog is the equivalent of a 56.75 year old human, and a 10-year-old dog is the equivalent of 67.8-year-old person.
[human_age = 16ln(dog_age) + 31]
Find more info about this study Here.
Of course the rate of maturity and life expectancy vary depending on the dog’s size and breed. The above is for Labradors.
Small dogs reach skeletal and reproductive maturity sooner than larger breeds, which means that they grow up faster than bigger dogs. At the age of one, a small dog might have reached its full adult size a but a larger dog breed will likely still be growing.
For the first few years of life, small dogs mature much faster than bigger dogs. After the first few years, however, their rate of growth slows down.
Our dogs spend most of their days lounging while we live busy lives and while they luckily in fact do need a lot of rest anyways, their life can at times be a bit boring. So, let's give them something fun to do and enrich their mealtimes!
"From an animal welfare perspective food puzzle toys are great because they give dogs positive experiences in the acquisition of food. Sometimes people are concerned that dogs might find food toys frustrating, but the challenge is fun for dogs." Zazie Todd, PhD
Dogs like working for their food rather than getting it ‘for free’, it's called contrafreeloading. Food toys can also help with giving more satisfaction to an obese dog while on a weight loss journey and help slow down hasty eaters.
Does your dog like pawing, nudging or snuffling the best? Or does that maybe depend on the day and the mood for them? It's good to provide some variety in their toys, but always make sure to adjust the difficulty of the toy to their level. Best to start easy and make it more challenging as they succeed more. Try to use different toys on different days to keep it interesting. :)
Some enrichment toys are best for use with spreads, raw meat or other wet foods whilst others should only be used with dry food and treats:
Be sure to teach your dog how to use the toy if they are a bit unsure and choose the right size. Some toys are specifically made for tougher chewers which will be indicated. If you have more than one dog, set them up in separate areas, so they can enjoy their enrichment worry free.
Need some inspiration on what spreads to fill in your Wet Food Toy if you are not feeding a raw diet? Besides wetting your kibble, here are a bunch of other options. And did you know that most Wet Food Toys can be frozen as well? Talk about giving your dog a long-lasting toy!
And if you are a bit into your DIY, try treats in cardboard boxes or rolled into towels or hidden in empty toilet rolls or even a combination of them all. You can also poke holes in the sides of empty water bottles or fill a muffin tray with treats and cover with balls or similar. Be creative! :)
]]>We all want our dogs to be safe, healthy and happy. The more we learn about our canine companions, the better we understand how crucial it is to provide them with enrichment opportunities, training and a sense of safety.
It can be a daunting feeling to bring home the new family member! You want to make sure you set yourself and them up for success and that can feel like a 24/7 task, but the good news is: the better you are prepared the easier it will be, so let's look at the gear you want to acquire to be prepared:
1 CRATE
Any new canine in your house will need time to learn not to eat your furniture, where to toilet, when and where to sleep and as such a Crate is our first must-have! A crate provides your dog with their own safe space for naps and quiet time and a calm space to enjoy a treat while removing the need for you to be with your dog literally every second of the day while you are settling them in.
It should be a size that allows your dog to stand up, turn around in and lay down flat on their side with a bit of space between them and the walls of the crate, but you don't want it bigger than that, so the dog feels cosy and also so they don't toilet in the spare space. If your pup is still growing, you can get the size that they will eventually need and use a “crate divider” to let the crate grow with your puppy.
Be sure to introduce the crate right:
A nice addition to your crate can be a Play Pen which can be attached to the crate to allow your new family member a bigger dog proofed space where they can have quiet time and be when you can’t watch them. It is big enough to allow room for a toileting space (can be necessary for puppies that need to be left alone longer than they can hold on for), room to play with their toys or enrichment objects and move around while still being safe.
Especially stronger adult dogs can knock pens over though, so do be sure to introduce them right: Stay close initially to make sure they aren’t practicing jumping on or over the gate, rewarding them for calmness, and increase your distance from the gate and time away at their pace. Give your dog a mental stimulation toy (will be discussed further below) in the area separated from you to distract them while they adjust.
2 HARNESS
Keep your dog safe by getting them a well fitted Y-shaped harness (like this trainer's favourite: the Perfect Fit harness). It is the safest way to have a leash attached to them as it protects all the important structures in their neck, back and shoulders, is more comfortable, prevents your dog from slipping out, makes it less likely to get the leash caught under their legs and most importantly helps avoid injury (such as throat damage) if they ever suddenly hit the end of the leash.
A harness also allows you to use a long line (our next must-have) and you can attach your Seatbelt Attachment to the back clip while in the car, to keep your pup secure.
3 LONG LINE
Dogs experience the world with their exceptional ‘sniffers’, the nose and vomeronasal organ, and we need to let them use their most important sense as much as possible. The best tool for this is a Long Line! A long line is a length of rope (usually between 5-10 metres long) that can be used to allow your pup more freedom in large spaces to sniff and explore while you work on your reliable recall or if they tend to be reactive to certain triggers. It will also prevent your dog from practising running up to other people and dogs and pulling on the short lead while you are working on leash training. A great tool to allow freedom while also following leash laws and good dog owner etiquette!
4 TRAINING LEAD
Obviously every dog needs a lead. For your basic short leash, we recommend a 2 metre double clip Training Lead with D-ring attachments at different places along the leash so you can adjust the length of the leash to what works best for you and your dog in each situation. The leash can also be clipped around your waist if there is a need for your hands to be free. Additionally you can clip it around the chair or table leg at a café or use the double-ended setup with your back- and front-clip harness which is explained here.
5 POO BAGS
Oh shi... We all need to deal with the poop topic, so best to be prepared.
Essential for any doggy parent are Poo Bags. We recommend degradable bags, so that we are looking after the environment while cleaning up after our pups. It is the law to clean up after your dog in any public place, but also it's the right thing to do, no-one likes stepping into doggy landmines. However, nothing more annoying than carrying a poo bag for the rest of your walk, so here is the solution: The Poo Bag Holder can be attached to your treat pouch belt (another must-have, keep reading :)) and is the easiest solution for carrying poops.
6 ENRICHMENT TOYS
Did you know that licking and chewing releases endorphins in dogs and that sniffing activates the part of their brain responsible for releasing dopamine? No wonder dogs like to work for their food and get outside for sniffs - it will give feel-good brain chemicals galore! Let's look at practical helpers to give our dogs an outlet to perform those natural and appropriate behaviours in safe ways.
Enrichment toys keep your pup’s brain engaged and tire them out in a constructive and sustainable way allowing them to play, sniff, lick, chew, and use their body and brain to figure out puzzles. Let's discover our 3 faves:
7 TREAT POUCH
Obviously all modern doggy parents know that having treats with you on your walks is the easiest way to train your dog and reinforce all the good stuff they do! Luckily you have them on a harness and long line, so they are all set up for success, thus there's heaps to reward them for. But who wants treats sticking to their pockets or even worse forget the treats were there just to either come back to chewed pockets or find the yucky slime in them after washing your pants!?
We sure don't, so we went on a mission to find the best treat pouch around which turned out harder than imagined: they were either too small, too solid, didn't close, not enough pockets, poor quality, etc. But we don't give up: Check out this Treat Pouch – designed, tested and loved by trainers and made locally in Christchurch! A water resistant, durable place for all your yummy meaty, stinky treats to be kept handy.
Comes with a belt for waist attachment, has three separate areas: one big pouch for your main treats with a closing mechanism to keep nosy snouts out, one high zip pocket to keep your phone and keys safe and one small extra pocket on the front for those extra special treats you want to keep separate.
8 TREATS
All this talk of Treats sure got us (or maybe more your new best friend) hungry! So, what are good yummies to pop in your new pouch?
Big winners are Tripe & Lamb for the main pouch and freeze dried Venison Heart for your special treat in the front pocket. Given you want to feed your treats pea sized it's good to know that these are super easy to break up and yet don't crumble. For an extra special pouch we add crunchy Muesli to the main and soft Lamb Feast to the front pocket for added textures and variety.
Other treat options from the supermarket are little pieces of cooked chicken - pretty healthy - and less healthy but also yummy for big training challenges are small amounts of cheese, sausages or ham, but use those in moderation and make sure to account for the extra calories.
9 MEATY CHEWS
Chewing naturally calms our dogs and helps with their dental health too! Meaty Chews are a fabulous healthy way to keep your pup entertained and happy. They also allow them to have something 'legal' to chew when the urge arises.
When looking for a meaty chew, look for something that has no added fillers or extras and no artificial colouring or flavours. Natural is best and healthiest!
If we really had to pick favourites from the amazing range of meaty chews we would probably go with:
Get a collection of the items above with one order here..
1 NON-MEATY CHEW
It is also important to have other non-food toys and things dedicated to 'legal' chewing whenever they feel like it. Meaty chews won’t last forever, so having a wee toy box or corner with alternative, Non-Meaty Chews allows our dogs to grab them whenever they feel like chewing something.
2 ADAPTIL
Mother dogs communicate with their puppies through natural chemical signals, or pheromones. Adaptil replicates these pheromones, providing comfort and security to dogs of all ages. This helps dogs and puppies to feel reassured and relaxed in challenging situations, reducing signs of stress and anxiety.
Weaning from their mum and leaving their litter mates is a particularly stressful time for puppies, but also adult dogs can find it very challenging to get used to a new environment. Adaptil aids in comforting them, de-stressing and making them feel safe.
Adaptil has been shown to reduce noise sensitivity and vocalisations in the home and in the car while supporting calm behaviour instead. Comes in the form of a collar that your dog can wear 24/7, a plug-in home diffuser and a spray (which is helpful to use in places like cars and crates).
3 SNUGGLE SAFE
Especially nice for young puppies who just left their litter but also great for our adult dogs that tend to get cold easier: the Snuggle Safe!
A non-toxic bite and scratch resistant heating disk (about the size of a small plate) that comes with a cosy soft cover and can be heated in the microwave to provide warmth and comfort for up to 10 hours.
This can help settle the pup, calm them down and help them feel safe and cosy.
4 TUG TOYS
Thanks to Samantha, Auckland based trainer, for pointing out that of course we want a toy to play with as well (soft, that you can play tug with or the dog can retrieve). The longer the toy the better - keeping puppy teeth away from hands when playing. We've got just the one: Puppy Tug Set made in Christchurch. We produce and sell them in sets to help you practise your 'drop' behaviour.
For adult dogs the PULLER might be the better choice as the ring nicely keeps your hand away from the teeth and their stronger teeth can sink in while playing. Just remember that tug toys are not to be left for chewing, but rather need to be removed after supervised play.
Providing your dog with the essentials above really is a win-win for both dogs and owners: your pet feels good and you feel even better knowing you are ensuring daily that your dog can ‘thrive’ rather than simply ‘survive’. Please email us if you have any questions about these products!
]]>In recent years, head-collars have had their rise and fall in dog training. While there are some dogs who are trained to wear a well fitted head-collar and have loose leash manners, their purpose is commonly attributed to controlling a dog who is deemed 'unruly' on the lead. This is to provide a tighter rein on their ability to pay attention or investigate other things in their environment and necessarily causes discomfort due to pressure on the sensitive nose area and through their body. While the average guardian doesn’t view such equipment in this harsh light, the more we learn about dogs and training methods, the better we can inform ourselves and make the best decisions for our dogs’ wellbeing. For headcollars, this means it’s time not just for professionals, but for guardians in general, to step away from their use and focus instead on improving training methods and their application.
Some people have recommended the use of head-collars to teach a dog how to walk on lead, or when working with a reactive dog. The advertisements for them often spout a ‘cure-all’ for issues our dogs can experience on the lead. While they can indeed provide a person with more control over the direction of a dog’s gaze, the fallout for them is both a spike in stress, increase in stress signal displays, increased discomfort and a reduction in enrichment during their walks. Their use as a ‘solution’ in training lead walking is, therefore, ethically problematic and counterproductive to our training goals.
To the contrary, preliminary research has suggested that dogs might not actually be pulling any less than if they were on a harness. This is not to claim that the guardian's experience of the pulling hasn’t lessened; the head-collar may have in fact improved the experience on the human-end of the lead. This could be because the point of ‘pulling’ is no longer coming from the dog’s torso; the strength and sensation of pulling has been transferred to the dog’s sensitive muzzle and neck. Additionally, they cause discomfort and sometimes pain for a dog when they try to turn their head away. If they can’t help themselves and pull towards a distraction, the pressure is directed onto their muzzles and through their body, twisting their neck around with force into an unnatural position. Studies suggest that head-collars can in fact worsen the reactivity of a dog by further reinforcing negative associations of pain when they are triggered by something they are sensitive to, such as cars or other dogs. If used in conjunction with a short lead or handling technique that enforces the dog's head to be held high, the dog is prevented from engaging with their environment whatsoever; the ‘walk’ turns into just that - trotting mindlessly next to their human handler in discomfort with no enrichment or freedom.
As you know, training by creating unpleasant experiences for our dogs when they do things we don’t like (called “positive punishment” i.e. smacking a dog on the nose for something you don’t like) is against our ethos. We aim to build relationships based on mutual trust and respect by using humane, force-free, science-based training methods, based on our dogs' natural instincts. While we cannot speak for every case, head-collars are very unlikely to be the best option for the vast majority of dogs and their handlers.
Loose leash walking is an important skill that we want to teach by rewarding our dogs for making good choices. We set them up for success by giving them foundational skills prior to exposing them to distractions on their walks. Adding distractions gradually and increasing the difficulty of environments at your dog’s pace, rather than expecting them to be fine with everything, maximises your training successes. Furthermore, exploring the world through sniffing and mooching is critically important for a dog's mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Under the right circumstances, and applied in the right way, a double-ended lead attached to the front and back clips of a well fitted harness may be the appropriate alternative tool. The double clip setup can provide an extra point of attachment in situations where you need to quickly stop your dog from spinning or lunging towards a trigger while minimising risk. For people who are at risk of falls or injury, this setup can provide extra stability and reassurance to ensure the safety of both themselves and their dogs should a difficult situation arise. Read more on this setup here.
As strong advocates of enrichment and letting our dogs be dogs on walks, we strongly urge guardians to strive to meet the mental, emotional, and physical needs of their dogs regardless of equipment used. Besides training, maybe consider long line walks in nature: you might find that both of you enjoy them much more anyways.
The next time someone asks you about head-collars, consider sharing this information with them so they can make more informed choices.
]]>While it used to be the case that people viewed muzzled dogs as an admission of a vicious dog, that attitude has been steadily changing, especially in the dog training world. Muzzle-training is becoming more and more commonplace, even in the absence of any perceived threat. Why is that?
There are many admirable reasons why people put the time into muzzle-training their canine companions. For starters, being comfortable and unafraid in a muzzle is priceless to a dog who suddenly needs to wear one. Perhaps they’ve been injured or feel nervous about a vet treatment. Perhaps they’ve suddenly decided eating poop or trash out and about is the best thing in the world. Maybe you are visiting a family who are afraid of dogs, but are willing to have your dog over if they can wear a muzzle. Being happy in a muzzle takes away one extra pressure for both the dog and whoever needs to engage with them.
We can also often fail to think about the adaptive, dynamic nature of our dogs. If they’re confident and friendly around other dogs and humans now, won’t they be like that forever? Like us, dogs will have a huge range of experiences in their lifetimes, some of which are out of our control. Perhaps an off-lead dog rushes them, a bicycle collides with them, a vet treatment was more painful than anticipated, or a child pokes them in their eye. Good or bad, experiences will affect how they will feel, and behave, in the future. While some dogs may seem excessively resilient to adverse events, others may be prone to the opposite, becoming deeply affected by a negative experience. Wherever it is, we all have our tipping point.
A muzzle provides a fail-safe. Regardless of what else is going on around you during novel experiences or potentially challenging training sessions, wearing a muzzle not only keeps everyone safe, it ensures that your dog won’t be able to act in a way which puts their future in jeopardy. Being able to confidently place a muzzle on their happy snoots removes the risk of serious damage should our lead fail or anything else goes haywire.
Imagine you are doing training with your dog around stock animals; they are on lead and you have them at a safe distance, working with them at their pace. Suddenly an animal escapes and comes within striking distance of your dog. Perhaps you are working with your dog around their fear of children, again working at a safe distance with complete control of your dog, until a group of yelling children ignore your pleas to keep away and sprint up to you and your dog, trying to pat her on the face. While you might think these scenarios seem far-fetched, they do indeed happen. A muzzle can be the difference between a scare and a tragedy. While we always strive to set our dogs up for success regardless of the scenario, having that extra layer of safety can prove to be priceless.
Muzzle Etiquette
Many dogs are now trained to wear muzzles without being a risk to others. That being said, we should still be mindful and respectful of dogs we see in muzzles out and about. Dogs with fear issues might need to wear muzzles to prevent the risk of an incident should they be confronted with their trigger. While the muzzle protects the physical world from their outburst, their mental experience is still impacted by a negative experience. Regardless of what is driving the displays, we should aim to avoid being the trigger that causes a dog to rehearse a negative behaviour.
You might also see dogs wearing muzzles out and about whose guardians are walking confidently and calmly through groups of people or animals. Dogs may have specific triggers that their guardians are aware of, whether it’s just dogs or birds or people, or even certain kinds of people (i.e. young people, or people with certain hair styles). In these scenarios the guardian is likely closely monitoring the environment, so you can take their lead while being mindful.
Occasionally you might see a dog in a muzzle who is off-lead. These dogs may be at the end-stage of their rehabilitation training, or they might simply have a strong desire to eat poop or trash! The muzzle is simply a tool to keep everyone, including the dog, safe.
Muzzle training is becoming the ‘new norm’. There is an excellent array of comfortable muzzles for dogs of different shapes and sizes available. Let’s move away from the preconception that muzzles are for ‘bad’ dogs, and instead see them for what they are - a helpful tool we can train our dogs to enjoy. While removing the stigma, let us also appreciate the owner who is being responsible by having trained their canine companion to be comfortable wearing a muzzle. Happy Muzzle Training! (Find a muzzle training video here)
]]>We’re often asked if front clips are okay for gaining more control of a dog during their walks if they are lead pullers or reactive. For anyone going out to get a ‘quick fix’ for their dog’s lead-pulling behaviour, that would be a strong ‘no’ from us. Under specific conditions however, we do feel that they can be useful.
Let’s get one thing straight – clipping a lead to the front of your dog’s harness does not magically teach them loose-lead manners. If it appears to immediately resolve pulling, that’s because it is now uncomfortable for the dog to pull; it’s punishing for the dog to pull because it causes discomfort which is not an ethical solution, but also over time the dog can get used to the sensation and the pulling just returns. There is also an added risk for dogs who pull or who become excitable or reactive: if the dog lunges, they are at risk of injury as their bodies inevitably twist back around when they reach the end of their lead. Oftentimes, the dog is still pulling quite hard, but the guardians need to use less strength to hold the lead - this should not be the sole goal, as that one-sided pulling will be very unhealthy for the dog’s physical alignment. As you would know by now, we do not support a punitive approach to training for good reasons. We will have better results by teaching and rewarding our dogs for what it is we do want, without requiring their discomfort. While equipment can be a helper, it is our job to train our dogs and teach them the life skills they need to live up to our expectations and goals for them: A dog that has learnt loose lead skills is much more relaxed and happy on walks and you will be too! :)
Front clips can be helpful when used safely, with compassion and in combination with a back clip on a well-fitted harness. To do this, you would need a double-ended lead, which is a lead with a clip at either end. One clip can be attached to the back of the harness, and the other on the front. By holding the lead at the point where the back-clip reaches tension before the front-clip, you can avoid injury and prevent your dog from practicing pulling from the front-clip point.
If your dog isn’t getting tension on the front-clip when they pull, what’s the point? Even though we always aim to set our dogs up for success and keep them under threshold, there are times where life doesn’t go to plan. Being able to gently roll your fingers along the lead in a way that barely engages the front clip while you ask your dog to do a U-turn to avoid a situation ripe for reactivity is a good example of this setup being used appropriately. It’s best to positively condition any pressure on the front clip to become the cue for the dog to slow down and curve back towards you, like doing figure 8's in your backyard and rewarding the dog for turning back.
The double clip setup can also provide an extra point of attachment in situations where you need to quickly stop your dog from spinning or lunging towards a trigger while minimising risk. For people who are at risk of falls or injury, this setup can provide extra stability and reassurance to ensure the safety of both themselves and their dogs should a difficult situation arise.
Under the right circumstances, and applied in the right way, the double-ended lead attached to the front & back clips can be more than appropriate, and it can also act as a gentle reminder for a dog that is trained to walk on a loose lead when they are getting just a tad too far ahead.
A dog that's used to pulling on a lead will not stop when they hit the end of the lead, oftentimes the opposite is the case. A dog that is trained to walk on a loose lead will feel the lead tighten slightly on their back clip and slow down because they notice they're getting too far away. We don't want the front clip lead pressure to be uncomfortable for the dog, but rather function as that gentle reminder in a freshly trained spot where they haven't got the opposition reflex (“I feel pressure, I pull harder”) yet. If the lead is always the same length they get pretty used to where they need to be and will hit the end of the lead less and less. Continue to reward your dog for doing what you expect (walking on a loose lead) and note that having a slightly longer lead can make the world of a difference, see leash length article.
In all cases, the back-clip must be considered the default attachment point when walking. Not only is it better for your dog’s physical and mental health (which is our priority), it also prevents your dog from getting accustomed to ignoring any pressure on the front clip. If you have already been using the front clip for the sole purpose of “fixing” pulling on the lead, you’ve probably noticed that eventually the effect wears off. To prevent this from happening with a new harness, you want to consider the front-clip attachment as an additional measure that’s used very occasionally if the situation immediately requires it and never for longer than a second. So, if your dog has just spotted a cat for example and really wants to pull towards it, hold them with the pressure on the back clip rather than spoiling your front clip effects.
If you are unsure, play it safe and stick with a back-clip harness. Even safe equipment can be harmful if used incorrectly – like yanking on a lead – and it is far better to be safe than to risk damage to your dog. Putting the time into their training and seeking assistance as needed will do far more good for you and your dog than relying on any equipment to resolve their pulling.
As always, happy training!
When we breathe in through our noses, we are taking in the air from around us and it is pushed into our nasal cavity to be processed. This job falls to our smelling receptors, called olfactory receptors. These tiny structures code outside information, such as the smoke from a fire, into information that our brains can then process and make sense of.
Studies have shown that engaging your puppy to find food increases their optimism – huh? What does this mean in the context of dogs? For your dog, this means that they are more likely to expect good things to happen rather than bad things, or boring things. When you have a shy dog, or a dog who reacts out of fear, increasing their optimism can help them build confidence that the world is actually a pretty good place to explore after all.
Dogs' play and chew habits vary and no dog toy is indestructible. We strongly recommend you know your dog’s habits before easing up on your 100% supervision with toys. Check out our guide below to know which toys are best suited to meet your dog’s chew and/or play needs.
Play Safe. Play Smart! No dog toy is indestructible, all dog toys risk ingestion and loose pieces may cause blockage if swallowed. Supervise use at all times and choose toys that are appropriate for your dog’s strength and chew habits. Remove toy if damaged. Your dog’s safety is your responsibility.
GoughNuts Rings |
GoughNuts Stick |
GoughNuts Tug |
Rumpus |
Hurley |
Qwizl
|
Tux |
Jive |
Kong Extreme |
GuRu
|
Squeak |
Wobbler |
Toppl |
Zwig |
Skamp |
Rumbl |
Kong Classic |
Liker Balls |
Snoop |
Bouncer |
Gyro |
Magic Destuffer |
Bumi |
Tizzi |
Mazee |
Lickimats |
Tiny Destuffer |
Snuffle Mat |
Rowdies |
PULLER |
LIKER with Handle |
Barbell |
Tug Ring |
Puppy Tugs |