Ramblings from a Canine Behaviourist & Trainer, and Nutrition Advisor. With a sprinkling of Twyla's Bark. #funnotfear #ethicsinaction
Sunday, November 14, 2021
No, no, no...
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
When treats are not enough.
When we got outside, the most wonderful things were happening. Everything had come alive!
There was rain and it was really splashy and made the best smells in the ground and noises as it hit things! It patted me on my head and back like a wonderful shower of fun.
There were leaves, glorious leaves, blowing about everywhere, of all different sizes, smells, shapes and colours, each one chanting "chase me" as they blew along the path.
The puddles were big and sloshy, so much fun for my feet to plop about in... and the ones in the mud - ohhhhh I could dig those forever. That squelchy satisfying squish while my feet paddled away to find the elusive bottom of the puddle.
The grass was cool and wet, and all the smells were inviting me to roll in them.
We also saw one of mum's puppy clients and they wanted to play too - so SURELY I was well within my rights to want to be a muddy pup? Ferocious beasts are not designed to stay clean for long.
I couldn't understand why Mum didn't want to join in. I thought she was being a miserable old cow. She took me three times around the houses, and we didn't even get to go to the field or onto the new estate round the back.
All the best-wet weather action would SURELY be at the field or the new estate round the back? All those muddy, grassy, leafy places! What a waste! I got to sniff the bins, and a few pocket treats when I got up out of the grass... but that was about it.
Mum looked grumpy and I was starting to get frustrated. I wanted to go over there to chase leaves and play in the mud, and the water, not go with Mum.
Mum said we had to go home as there was no point trying when it was like this out. She said it was her fault for not thinking ahead and that we had to remember that I was still a pup who was still learning. She said we shouldn't practice what we don't want me to get good at. Including being a muddy pup. So we went home.
Moo said he never liked the rain and couldn't understand what the fuss was about, so he just ignored my complaints and carried on sleeping. Typical!
So fast forward to today. Mum said she can clearly see that I like chasing things. So we forgot all about trying to walk nicely today and went straight to the park, where although I still pulled a bit to get there, once there, Mum clipped on a long line to trail behind me and whipped a surprise new frisbee out for me. It is a nice soft one so it didn't hurt when I wanted to catch it.
Mum asked me to do a few sits and downs, and to walk around with her for a little while, and in return, she threw the frisbee for me to go after. She said we can't do it too much as "repetitive chasing things is bad for my little growing body" but a few throws in between doing other stuff is fine.
Playing chasey things with Mum is fun. I like doing chasey things best. Even better than chewing things, eating treats or digging. So having chasey things that I am allowed to do, and then using that as a reward for things Mum wants me to do seems a fair compromise. I didn't even notice all the leaves blowing about today as we were having so much fun. Or the other dogs. Or the children in the park. Mum seemed happier too. She said something or other about "Premack", but I was too busy running around on my long line with my new frisbee to listen to that boring trainery stuff.
She gave me lots of treats too and on the way home, even past the cars on the main road, I walked nicely beside her, having a nice little chat with her about the things we could see instead of me trying to chase off after them. I didn't even pull!
Mum said that is good practice doing things we DO want me to learn, instead of things we don't, and that I was a really good girl today. I think actually, I am always a good girl and that it was MUM who behaved better today.
Today was a good walkies.
Sunday, October 17, 2021
It's not my fault everything tastes so good!
I have a big plan in life. I am going to eat the table. I already made a good start on it. Mum bought me some coffee wood sticks, she said they cost her "a bloody fortune", but she really shouldn't have bothered as her "£3 bargain buy from the charity shop" coffee table is much more fun. Mum says I am a toad and she is giving up as "at least if I am eating that, I am not eating anything else".
Silly Mum. I am a ferocious beast, and beasts eat lots of things.
I wanted to eat a worm yesterday, but it slithered into the grass and I could only get half of it. So to teach it a lesson I started to dig a hole to get the rest of the worm out of the mud. Mum had only just paid the gardener to do the garden and was not very pleased. I am going to have a digging pit of my very own as Mum said she is pretty sure I would like one. I hope it will have worms in it too.
I noticed that Mum has moved all the stuff off the kitchen side, or at least moved it all to where I can't reach - I think this is really unfair and have been letting her know it too. Soon I will be able to reach more stuff again though, so I keep trying!
Mum said I am getting very good at going for walks now, I only pull a little bit (I can't help that she is so slow!!) and she doesn't need to feed me constantly all the way around, which I am not so sure is a good thing. But it does free up time for looking at things and letting me have a run without me lead on in the field.
Mum was really surprised at how good I was at coming when called when she had the long line on me, so she lets me have a bit of off-lead time during our walk. We practised loads at home so I already knew what "come" meant. I also know she carries sprats in a pouch and then lets me go off again most of the time, so of course, I am going to come back. When she doesn't let me go off again, she clips my lead on and then we walk to somewhere else that is fun, or have a little scatterfeedy picnic, so I don't mind if it means my off-lead time has finished too much. It would be a different matter if every time she put the lead on it meant we were going home, and there were no sprats involved. Then I wouldn't want to come back very much at all.
Moo is finally realising that I am the best sister and that when I can sit still for more than five minutes (which is hard when you are a Springador), I actually give quite nice cuddles. If I remember not to chew him. He does taste good.
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
A Big Day!
Sunday, September 19, 2021
We did some exploring!
I tried to show it my brother's chicken, and she also tried to show me hers.
She kept copying me though, so I wasn't too sure about her. Besides... she doesn't smell much like a dog at all... weirdo...
GREAT NEWS: My brother Moo is really good at playing chase in the garden. He finally decided to play with me yesterday evening. I knew he couldn't resist for long. But I didn't realise just how much fun he can be when he is feeling happy.
We also played ball together with Mum and LOTS of balls, so that we always had at least one each and more on the ground, so there would be no need for any arguments. I, of course, do not need to argue as I am a fearsome beast, and just take what I want. Moo might get grumpy if I do that though and Mum says we have to be "appropriate", and not be too fearsome or beasty.
When you are as big and tough as me, it is very difficult to remember not to be too fearsome or beasty, but if I want to keep playing with Moo, I will do my best to remember, and Mum will move me away to do something different if she thinks Moo is in need of a rest. After all, he is a bit wussy... But I do like him.
I also went for a walk yesterday to the park and saw a man throwing things around. I wasn't allowed to go and catch them though, as apparently, he was "juggling" and Mum thought it would be good for me to see something "novel, in a controlled manner". I got some sprats though, so I didn't mind.
I saw a racehorse. In fact, I saw three. They are big and stinky so I thought I had better have a quick look from far across the field and then leave them alone. Mum said I was very clever and a good girl for making a good decision. Not that I had much choice as Mum makes me wear a big long lead on my harness that stops me from going off to chase things. So I chose to come and get more sprats from Mum instead of trying to show the racehorses who is the most fearsome beast in the field.
I also saw a Catses. Moo has warned me about Catses. Especially a black Catses that always runs out to get him. I don't know what the fuss is about - I thought he looked like a great thing to chase. Shame I had this pesky long-line-lead-thing on!
I did wee on a little girl and also on the Tesco lady (don't tell Moo), so Mum thinks we need to do some "confidence-building games" while I am still little, so it doesn't become a thing. I am not sure this is true - after all, I am a fearsome beast!! And an intrepid explorer now I have been to the park too... but I like the sound of playing games with Mum so I will placate her.
Saturday, September 18, 2021
I am so very fearsome.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
A lesson learned.
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
My first day as a Locke's Dog
Meet Twyla!
Friday, July 2, 2021
Why I am trying to do, what I am trying to do.
Why am I so keen on helping dogs and people with anxiety to
live a happy life together?
I want to tell you a bit of my back story. It comes with a
trigger warning for domestic and sexual abuse, panic attacks and PTSD.
I talked to a person I know on Facebook earlier about a
really dark time in my life.
I was in my 20s, a lonely single mother, and had had bad
experiences with various people throughout my life. I found myself falling in
with the wrong crowd and ended up in a domestic violence situation.
It was horrible. I was separated from my family and all but
a select few friends, and I was too blind to see it happening until it was too
late.
I was abused in the most awful ways, and I turned to addiction
after addiction to help me cope.
I found the strength to walk away from the abusive situation
after a few years, but it left me with many struggles.
I was afraid of my own shadow and had developed panic
attacks.
I felt worthless and had lost all my confidence.
I eventually managed to give up my addictions with the help
of my earth angels but felt like the whole world was watching me in disgust
regardless.
I was ashamed to be in my own skin; the guilt I felt for
what my children had been through was unbearable.
I had no real friends apart from the two I had been allowed
to see.
My family barely spoke to me.
My children were struggling.
My dear darling Ruby, a Labrador who was perfect in every
way, had witnessed the entire period and all the horror that came with it. She
never did like men very much but had become my best friend.
That dog saved me from me so many times.
But I found doing anything for her so very scary.
I could barely speak to people, and when I did, I had become
a stuttering mess.
So I hated it when I had to communicate with vets or people
in the pet shop.
She was a prolific puller, and I thought people were looking
at us while I tried to walk her.
So for a long time, she did not get walked, and her claws
grew really long, but I was too nervous about approaching a groomer about it to
actually get them trimmed. After all – they were bound to think I didn’t
deserve such a lovely dog.
There were so many things I wish I had done differently for
that beautiful dog.
My one comfort is that for several years before she passed,
I had already begun an ongoing journey of learning to manage my PTSD and my
anxiety. When I got Moo, my Tibetan
Terrier x Cavalier my life was incredibly different.
He has never known anything except love.
But you see, he struggled with poor health, to the point the
poor boy was vomiting and passing blood daily and was so underweight and
clinically anorexic that it broke my heart. His behaviour was fearful and
aggressive, and I was so afraid people were going to blame me. After all – what
was I thinking, getting another dog, when I clearly couldn’t look after myself
or the family I already had? (Despite the fact I was doing so, and quite well –
I just could not see it.)
There was talk of putting him to sleep.
But I was determined to get something right for once, and I
set about learning how to help him.
I was so scared – it is terrifying, thinking about learning
new things and meeting new people. But I had to do it.
And that changed my life.
From there, I learned about canine behaviour, developed a
passion for it, got qualified and started working with dogs with all kinds of
struggles through my Locke’s Dogs – Behaviourist & Trainer business.
But there was still that nagging part in my brain that said I
am not good enough. I was getting great results with the dogs, but it didn’t
feel like I was doing enough.
And I worked out why.
After leaving Moo with my daughter, who also has anxiety,
for a week, I realised that I needed to be helping BOTH ends of the lead. I
needed to reach out to anxious dog owners as well as their dogs.
I KNOW that a happy life can be had together.
So Fun Not Fear® was born.
If you need help with your dog’s issues but your anxiety has
stopped you in the past, we can help.
Get in touch.
Saturday, June 5, 2021
Stop ignoring your poor dog!!!
If I sound judgemental – tough.
I have had too many people moaning lately about how their dog
is being an inconvenience, and I am done being friendly about it.
I am not talking about if you are ill and can't help not being 100% for a few days. That is different.
I am not talking about if you have genuine struggles and are willing to seek help – that actually makes you a good human for your dog, and I would love to work with you to help you resolve this.
But, instead, I am talking of people who ignore their dog day in, day out.
Who expect them to lay quietly, sleep, eat, sleep and never
so much as bark in between, being a good little robot while their human flits about doing whatever humans
do.
Who forget that a little fluffy person has been looking
forward to being with them all day.
The only attention these dogs get is when they are being
told to go and lay down, be quiet, get down, hurry up, and so on. What fun is
that in life?
Don't ignore your dog.
It's not complicated.
You wouldn't routinely ignore your child. Your dog has most
of the same feelings and emotions as a two to a three-year-old child, and if
you try ignoring one of those for too long, then you are going to find yourself
regretting it reasonably quickly.
There is a saying. "Your dog is part of your life, but you
are your dog's whole life". And you are. Imagine if the love of your life
couldn't be bothered anymore, no matter what you say or do. Humans get very
upset when it is done to them. What makes them think their dog feels any differently?
Too many people play with their new dog or puppy, the novelty
wears off, and then they are bored of their dog. Or they have got new hours at
work, or something in life has changed slightly, and now they have less time
for their dog.
Their living, breathing, thinking, feeling dog.
Their dog, who spends all their time wishing their human still
played with them, still got their tuggy toys out, still gave them belly rubs
and took them to lovely places and rolled around on the floor playing kissy-face
or whatever they used to enjoy doing.
And then these same people wonder why their dogs start to
display "problem" behaviours when they are bored.
And yes – I get that you have been to work and you are tired.
That the kids played up, and it's been a long day. Guess what? It's been a long
day for your dog, too, sitting around bored and missing you… and 15 minutes of
your time spent playing, having fun and showing them you care might do you both
some good.
You made a commitment when you got your dog to look after
them, love them and be their human. Just because you have had a shit day or
your situation has changed slightly does not mean that you should emotionally
neglect your dog.
And quite frankly, some enrichment, a walk or even just 20 mins playing with
the ball down the garden will more than likely mean they are happy enough to
let you have a rest afterwards anyway. So why not spend that time curled up on
the sofa with them instead of telling them to get down?
After all – you are their human, and any time spent with you
brings them great joy.
Dogs are for life, not just for Christmas and Lockdowns.
Friday, June 4, 2021
Don't Walk!!!
Is your dog not behaving as expected? Has their behaviour
gotten worse or changed?
Have you been told to walk them more often?
Are you finding this is not working?
You are walking more than all your friends with their dogs,
but seemingly not getting any better behaviour…
Well, the good news is that no longer do good trainers tell
owners that walking more is the answer to all their prayers - in fact,
sometimes it could be making things worse.
A dog with many triggers may find walks very stressful, and
the walks could be making things worse.
A dog in pain may be finding the pain exacerbated by the walking,
and so the walks could be making things worse.
A dog with allergies may find more allergens in the
environment when they're outside, and so the walks could be making things
worse.
A dog with overgrown claws could be finding walks very
uncomfortable, and so the walks could be making things worse.
A dog who is very tired, and not sleeping properly at night,
may require rest rather than exercise, and so the walks could be making things
worse.
All you will get is a dog who still exhibits these
behaviours but is now also very fit.
If your dog is struggling with their walks, the first thing
you should do is stop the hikes and do something your dog enjoys instead.
Then, consult your vet and make sure pain is not an issue.
Then, call in a qualified behaviourist who will help you to
determine what it is about the walks that your dog is not enjoying.
A good behaviourist will never use aversive methods, shock
collars, punishment or anything the dog doesn't like. Instead, they will work
with you and your dog to make things better for your dog. So be that on the
walk or otherwise.
If you need help or your dog is not enjoying walks, please do get in touch. We can help.
Monday, April 26, 2021
Digital Dog Training
One thing we have discovered, over the course of lockdown, is how bloody fantastically dog behaviour cases respond to virtual help.
The dog doesn't have to be faced with a new trainer, or place in order to get started with their training. This is massive for fearful dogs.
Puppies can learn in a more suitable environment than the local village hall, or a class where they are rammed in with 5 other puppies all teaching each other exactly how not to behave. Granted - some puppy classes are very good at not allowing the puppies to have a free for all, where they learn the exact opposite of appropriate behaviour, but even then, the distraction during the lesson from the other families, the other puppies and dogs, is massive. Where would you learn better? In a cosy place at home where you can relax and concentrate, or in the local nightclub with noise pounding and lots of other people dancing and jumping around? It is the same for dogs.
Dog-dog socialisation is much more carefully managed, so when done right leads to much less reactivity. If each dog your puppy meets is one that you know will provide a healthy and happy experience for your dog, and they are then not forced to spend an hour in each other's company with a pile of other dogs in a training class, then your puppy will have a more healthy and happy attitude towards other dogs in general.
The dog with separation anxiety can't be helped so effectively if their human and a trainer are still in the room, or even the house once you get to a certain stage in their recovery - but if they have their own zoom meeting camera, the human, the trainer can all assess remotely how the dogs are doing and this in turn helps the dogs to become desensitised to being alone as it takes the guess work out of what is going on in their human's absence.
The humans can have recordings of all of their lessons as well as all the links to resources that they need - so training can be watched at leisure, and rewatched some more.
Training can be from specialist trainers all over the world - no longer does the local trainer need to be a jack of all trades when it comes to training your dog. You can now find niche trainers who specialise in your dog's exact problems at the click of a button. Going digital, and finding a worldwide market has given trainers the opportunity to find aspects of training that they are excellent at, and they can then pass this knowledge on to you.
Locke's Dogs for example, has a real affinity for humans or dogs with anxiety, and we have now set up our business to have an arm specialising in this area, so that anxiety prone dog/human partnerships can access specialist help with both of their struggles.
You can train, any time, in any place as your trainer will always be there with you, on your phone screen or any other device - so no need to miss classes ever - and if you do, you can easily catch up again by watching playback of lessons.
It is also better for the environment as there is no need to be driving cars around to sessions, or printing off reams of literature,
There is also none of the "he does it perfectly for the trainer" scenario, where the trainer has their mechanics just right, has the dog doing exactly what is being asked of them, and then when the trainer disappears the dog behaves as usual for their human - their human IS the trainer now!!
There are so many advantages to digital and virtual training. The big schools that teach other trainers as well as dogs, like absoluteDOGS or The ISCP have been teaching online for years. There is a reason for that!
Covid-19 rules mean we are very limited in how we can interact physically with the dogs in the sessions anyway - so it makes no real difference if we are there in person, apart from serving as a distraction to the dog.
Locke's Dogs has even started their own online school, Fun Not Fear®, as a result of realising how much we love digital training. We still do 121 in person, but we limit this now to a ten mile radius of Newmarket as we really don't think that there are any advantages to in person training any more.
Slowly the clients are also catching on and realising that digital is best for them and their dogs too!
Freya x
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
The biggest threat to positive training is positive trainers.
"Positive training". When you first hear of it, you think it sounds lovely. After all, the trainers and behaviourists are all super kind to animals and pride themselves on being able to teach the animals long lasting and effective training, using methods that the animal actively enjoys, rewards, games and all the good stuff, with none of the bad stuff like ecollars, prongs, yanking on the lead, anti-pull equipment that stops the dog from being able to move freely and so on. Taking into account the differences between each case, the individuals likes and dislikes, and helping them to have a happy life. Exactly how it should be.
So you assume that all positive trainers are also lovely. WRONG. As much as it pains me to say it, positive trainers bitch and moan about each other constantly - not in any of the groups I run as we do not allow it, but with each other, and in other groups and gangs they hunt in packs. They troll and make nasty comments on social media, slagging off people left, right and centre. And then those same trainers all go and slag each other off somewhere else to someone else. They then create politics that Westminster would be proud of. All trying to outdo each other in Game of Bones style power play and underhandedness in the quest to be the most successful and "positive" gang.
The biggest bullies publicly pick off anyone they can, in their own quest to make themselves feel the most "positive" of all, helping to create the phenomenon known as "imposter syndrome". They then feed into already anxious people's worries, diminishing what is left of their confidence as much as they can. Rather than helping or guiding people along on their positive learning journey, these delightful folk are desperate not to be seen as "less than" and, like all bullies, feel elevated by picking on other people. These bullies feel anxiety, the same as anyone else, but they choose to express it in a way that emulates the fear culture in an online toxic playground environment.
What can then happen is we lose very good behaviourists and students. Nice, caring and sensitive people who want to train nicely, but either can't stand the pressure of being horribly picked on by their peers, or they go over to the "dark side" where the trainers might zap the dogs but at least they are nicer to each other. Rates of suicide are higher among care industries, including that of the animal care industries than pretty much any other. We should be supporting each other, not bringing each other down. It is a real shame.
Like Vegans can be their own worst enemies, the biggest threat to the positive training movement, is positive trainers.
So, what can we do about it?
Firstly, stop allowing bullying in groups and on pages - we can talk about methods but not name pages or trainers. It is unhelpful and unprofessional to slate each other like that and just leads to defensive posturing.
If you have a real issue with something someone says, report it to admin or privately message the person involved. There is no need to talk down to people and humiliate them publicly.
Teach kindly and learn kindly. Remember that there is always another human on the end of the laptop, and your throwaway comment might cost them their career or in some severe cases - their life.
You are the sum of what you surround yourself with - make full use of your block button. Don't remain in toxic groups, or bother trying to argue with trolls and bullies. It really isn't worth your time. Similarly, don't join in if you see it happening, as that will mean you are just as bad.
Take time away from social media, and "work stuff", and spend time doing things that make you happy, with people who make you happy.
At the end of the day, we are all here because we wanted to help animals. Lets not tear each other down like bullies in a playground. No animal ever was helped by their trainer not being at their best or being forced to quit because of other trainers. Lets build each other up instead. It's really not that hard to just be nice to each other. After all, we can do it for animals - so why not each other?
Play nicely, and stay safe xx