Social Posts & Blogs
How scared is my dog?
Let's imagine you were scared of dogs...for no real reason, it's just how you were born. You'd see a dog on the street and try to walk as far away from him as possible, so that you could feel safe and not stressed.
Now imagine you're going outside but this time restrained (like being walked on a lead). You see a dog and try to walk away, but you can't. You are instead taken up to that dog because "he is friendly" and "you'll be just fine"!But you won't. You'll panic because you were put in a very difficult position and from that moment on, the trust is broken.
That's exactly what we do to our dogs. Sometimes we make it too hard for them and they lose trust in us. We don't run up to everyone on the streets to touch or hug them - especially now - why do we do it with dogs?!
Perhaps we can all start thinking and respecting the fact that some dogs dislike being touched, are scared of humans, and don't want to be approached by us, our children or our dog no matter how friendly they all are.
The rule is simple: Do not touch a dog you don't know. If the dog seems to want to approach, ask for permission at a distance and more importantly, let them walk up and sniff you (also no need to stretch a hand to their face). #fortheloveofdogs
Is your dog as social as you want him to be?
he reality is, most dogs aren't as social as we think they are and dog parks can cause more stress than we think. My dog, Dexter, hated dog parks and it took me a few incidents to realise that...
Most of us when first getting a dog probably had romantic ideas of our dogs playing with others in the park, romping with friends and having a ball meeting furry mates. I certainly did! I was single when I adopted Trevor my Stafford and I had this 101 Dalmatians notion of Trevors lead tangling with the lead of another dog with a handsome man at the other end. In reality he did tangle his lead with a dog and had an almighty scrap which was less than ideal!
Adult dogs are simply not the social beings we are sold the idea of in popular culture. There are some hyper social dogs who love all but the vast majority of adult dogs enjoy the company of their humans and some of their doggy friends and that’s what makes them happy.
What is my dog telling me?
Body Language = The Way Our Dogs Communicate With Us
We believe that all dog owners and lovers need to start paying more attention, try to understand and know how to best react to our dog's body language.
No one knows 100% what dogs are feeling (we often don't know what a human is feeling, let alone a dog who can't talk) but from their body language can communicate (signs of) fear, stress, discomfort, or uncertainty.
Why is this relevant? Because when a dog moves or acts in a certain way, they are communicating and we need to "listen".
If we ignore it, it can then lead to a number of "unwanted" behaviours (i.e.: growling, barking, lunging, rushing) and put him and others at risk.
If we tell them off for growling, we may be making the problem worse and next time they may not growl and go straight for the bite.
Watch your dog = Listen to your dog
For body language educational info, please check @lilita_yaya or contact a local trainer who focuses on dog behaviour and psychology and who can help you better understand what's going on with your dog.
Want your dog to offer a behaviour more often?
REINFORCE IT MORE OFTEN!!
If we want our dogs to do something (we want them to do) more often, then the answer is to let them know that that behaviour comes with a positive consequence.
Take Hugo for example. He loves exploring and sniffing the environment a lot more than he does walking right next to a human (all the time). He loves his humans but...new smells are a whole different story!
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He doesn't mind walking by my side and if we use a short leash, he does it. But I want him to choose to come to me, to check-in and to stay close more often, SO I communicate that by rewarding him when he does it.
We now have a history of consistent reinforcement every time he leaves that amazing smelling tree just to come and walk next to me. He does do it not because I used force or pressure but because we have been consistent. Now, we are at a stage that sometimes he gets a big reward and sometimes he might get to tug or he might just gey a happy praise.
Does it take time? Yes, absolutely!
Does it mean carrying yummy treats or toys? Yup! But it's so worth it!!!!
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New park, new smells, but he chose to stay closer so much more than he used to.
This guy is stealing our hearts every day a little bit more.
Got a new pup! Now What??
Now focus on giving them time and space: they will need it to adjust to the new environment. Have you ever heard of the 3days-3weeks-3months rule?
- Give them a safe zone where no one will bother them (crate, room)
- Learn to read their body language
- Build a strong relationship
- Expose slowly, but don't rush and don't 'flood'
- Observe their reactions while exposing - it will tell you how your dog is doing and what he is (potentially) feeling.
- Take notes of their reactions to certain things (noises, shapes, objects, humans...)
- Let them be dogs, don't over protect or baby them, but keep them safe
THEN:
- find a good local puppy classes course
- start shaping behaviours at home
- expose gradually
For the first few weeks/month don't:
invite the whole extended family and friends to meet the new pup at the same time
invite the neighborhood to come over and meet the pup all at the same time
take them to busy and loud parties
focus too much on obedience or advanced tricks (start with simple basics)
force or rush them
teach them to like something by pulling them towards it
Whether your pup came from a breeder or a rescue, the recommendations are very similar. The main difference is that from a responsible breeder you will hopefully get more information about the parents history (health+behaviour+background), breed lines, personality, siblings, first few months of life, etc.
From a rescue, you may not get all this information but sometimes you do. It depends on the case but there are lots of amazing puppies in rescues looking for a forever home! Plus remember puppies are not completely "clean slates" no matter where they come from.