Want your dog to handle being home alone? Start by teaching them independence while you’re home.
Here is how to…
I wish more people knew this about treating their dog's Separation Anxiety
Dog Separation Anxiety Training Tips: what’s all the fuss about the “break area”
Did you know that where you start your dog's separation anxiety training can make all the difference?
Your and your dog's break area is their calm place — the spot where absence training begins and where they remain settled, or go back to, throughout each training exercise.
Getting this setup right helps your dog feel more secure and sets the foundation for a smoother training journey.
3 REASONS WHY YOUR DOG KEEPS PULLING ON LEASH
OVERWHELM / PAIN OR DISCOMFORT / YOUR EXPECTATIONS
One, or more, of these three reasons might just be why your dog won’t stop pulling on leash.
Albeit your very best efforts to patiently, and positively, train your dog to walk with you, rather than drag you sailing down every path or road.
Is your dog overwhelmed? This can be excitement, or fear, or frustration, or a bit of everything. And this happens often with young dogs, puppies and adolescent dogs.
Your dog may have some discomfort or pain and walking slowly, at your pace, could elevate the discomfort. Observe your dog’s gait: at the beginning of a walk, at the end, after they’ve been resting etc. Check in with your vet!
Are you expecting too much? Teaching a reliable loose leash walk takes time and dedication, don’t expect too much too soon from your young dog. Does your dog really have to walk by your side all the time? Try giving your dog a slightly longer leash (in the right environment), maybe they simply prefer walking a little ahead of you.
There are of course many other reasons why your dog may be pulling on leash and if you feel you could do with some help, please get in touch.
Phantom Pregnancy & Separation Anxiety 🐾
Phantom pregnancy, also known as pseudopregnancy or false pregnancy, is a condition where an intact female dog exhibits signs of pregnancy despite not being pregnant.
This phenomenon is primarily due to hormonal fluctuations and understanding how a phantom pregnancy can impact a dog's behaviour, especially concerning separation anxiety, is crucial for effective training and overall well-being.
Resource Guarding: we all do it!
Resource Guarding is one of the most natural behaviours, for us humans and for our dogs.
🐶 It’s just that when our dogs do it, let’s say ‘excessively’ from our point of view, it doesn’t fit into our lifestyle.
💜 The key to addressing resource guarding is understanding, not confrontation.
➡️➡️ Instead of punishing your dog for growling or snapping - simply behaviours that communicate their discomfort - focus on:
✅ building trust (counter conditioning)
✅ management (avoiding situations where your dog feels the need to)
✅ positively teaching new skills that will allow you and your dog to easily navigate these situations (drop, leave, hand target, back, off, etc).
🛑 also rule out underlying heath niggles (you’d be surprised by how much GI issues or pain/ discomfort can play into resource guarding behaviours).
🐾 and ensure your dog’s basic needs are met, from providing them with a safe place to rest to being able to eat in peace.
Reasons Why Treating Separation Anxiety Is Worth Every Effort
Do you have a dog who struggles with Separation Anxiety? Here are 8 questions you should ask yourself
6 STEPS TO TRAINING A SOLID RECALL
Questions my clients have been asking about separation anxiety in dogs
Separation anxiety in dogs can be challenging, affecting not only your dog’s happiness but also your daily life.
💔 If your dog becomes distressed when left alone, barking, whining, or becoming destructive, you’re not alone. Many dog owners face this issue, and it can be heartbreaking to see your pet struggle.
Be an ACTIVIST for those who depend on you
Does your dog suffer from the post-holiday blues?
It's that time of year (for most of us). The summer holidays are coming to an end and we're back to the grindstone. Our dogs, meanwhile, have gotten used to having us around 24/7 and are now faced with home alone time…and some of them might be struggling with this.
Here are some tips to help your furry friend adjust
We've won an Award!!!!
Very excited to announce that we have won another Award 🎉🎉🎉🎉
🐾 'Best Canine Behaviour Consultant 2024 (Southern Sweden)' at the Scandinavian Business Awards.
🙏 A massive thanks to all my wonderful clients who’ve taken the time and have left me great testimonials which hugely impacted on the judging panel’s decision.
🐕 And the biggest thanks to the one and only, Miss Wolfgang. This one is yours my little golden nugget ❤️
Providing enrichment for your dog to set them up for alone time training success
Boredom, Frustration or (separation) Anxiety - what is it??
Setting up your dog for training success
How to create a good dog training environment:
🐾 To begin with, train in a non-distracting environment to help your dog stay focused, then generalise the behaviours to more distracting environments.
🐾 Train when your dog is motivated.
🐾 Break behaviours down into small easy to learn steps.
🐾 Always allow your dog to opt out of the training when needed. For example, you may find your dog starts to sniff the floor suddenly, that’s her asking for a break.
🐾 Minimise opportunities for your dog to choose an incorrect response, providing you with repeated opportunities to positively reinforce all of your dog’s correct responses (mark & treat).
THIS WAY
THIS WAY..for when you need to direct your dog in a general direction but don’t need them to come to you.
I use this verbal cue when the dog is off-lead to let her know “to come in my general direction” as well as for on-lead, as an ‘emergency exit’ behaviour to quickly get out of a potentially tricky situation.
Adolescent Dogs
Working with adolescent dogs is a wonderful, and also often challenging, training category on its own!
The key to the kingdom is to help the human understand what their dog can and cannot offer at this developmental stage.
Patience and managing the dog’s environment is a large part of it, while continuing to reinforce the right behaviours and provide outlets for what your dog needs during this tumultuous time (we’ve all been there after all, I know I have…..sorry Mum…).
If you need help with your teenage dog, I offer an ‘adolescent dog survival’ training programme to help you and your dog navigate this developmental stage.
Loose Leash Walking Tips
Leash Walking Tips - whether you are starting from scratch with a puppy, working with a bouncy adolescent or adult dog or even a rescue dog who’s not used to a leash.
🐕🦺 Good equipment is key: I’d opt for a well-fitting harness but there are, as always, exceptions to the rule. Get a long leash and/ or a training line (3m - 5m, depending on your long leash handling skills).
👩🏻 Understand that you, the human, are a bit boring when it comes to walking. You walk in straight lines, probably a bit too slow or fast (depends on how your dog sees the world), you never stop to sniff or wee. Look at it from your dog’s perspective and allow for all the sniffs and exploration they need.
🌭Get your dog used to good things happening when moving with you (NOT by your side but moving with you). You can use pattern games for this, capturing (mark/ reward) check-ins and more.
🐾 When outside; start practicing in an area where your dog has the option to move more freely.
🩺 Don’t forget that underlying medial issues can feed into leash walking behaviours.
Things I tell my clients to make their puppies’ and adult dogs’ day to day the best they can be
Everything starts with and is influenced by learning to ‘talk dog’ and understanding your dog’s needs (both physically and emotionally).
Good quality socialisation and habituation, working at your dog’s pace, is so much more important than teaching traditional behaviours such as sit, down, etc.
On that note, a ‘sit’ isn’t as important as you think it is. And can matter of fact become an aversive for a dog with physical ailments. Don’t make it a default part of other behaviours you teach your dog.
Be your dog’s safe place and provide as much choice and agency as you can for your dog.
A happy tummy and gut makes for a happy dog!
Be more dog, you fur friend will love you for it.