How to impress your (canine) physiotherapist

Summer (Flat Coat Retriever) and Clare recently inspired their fab physiotherapist to dig out her own clicker...

Summer has recently had to start doing some physio exercises (nothing serious to worry about!), so we’ve been working with an amazing new physiotherapist  Frankie from Yorkshire Animal clinic, while our usual physiotherapist Hannah (Theakston Physiotherapy Services) is on maternity leave. 

Frankie has been giving us some specific homework exercise to work on, these exercises include asking Summer to put her feet on a variety of different objects and having her move or change positions. 

Summer absolutely loves doing her physio exercises, and not just because they involve getting lots of treats (though I’m pretty sure that is a significant factor!), putting her feet on different object and moving while she is on them is something Summer has practised since she was a puppy, so for her she’s just playing dog parkour games. 

When Summer was just over a year old, back in July 2018, we attended a Canine Parkour workshop run by our very own Sian. Summer learnt lots of skills that have come in super handy for our physio exercises.

• Two feet on
•  Four feet on
• Confidence on unstable surfaces
•  Self-control  
• Feet in objects 

We think Parkour is not just a great activity for having fun with your dog (which it totally is) but is a really useful way to build your dog’s confidence, in ways that might not be apparent straight away! 

Physio often asks our dogs to move or stand in unusual positions, make use of neglected muscle groups, and cooperate with some pretty weird requests.

Voluntary participation is super important!

Don't forget we're still looking for the best multi-dog Parkour Picture to use as the WCC FaceBook cover - post your submission here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WellConnectedCanine/ 

Happy posing,

Morag & Clare for Well Connected Canine

What’s going on in WCC Land? 


Weekly classes

Next start date is Wednesday19 Feb 2020 last available class date for three months!

• APDT Good Companion class at 18:30 2 spaces

• APDT Good Companion class at 19:30 1 space

Workshops & Activities

Social Skills for Dogs That Struggle are running in smaller groups, more often! See all your options to the end of March, there's at least four sessions per month now

• Social Skills (click to book)

Parkour really is the activity for all occasions and we have a brand new Parkour Challenge in the Wild workshop in February

• Parkour Skills: Outdoor Adventure: Sunday 23rd February (click to book)

Sniffing School - Getting Started

The short workshop will help you and your dog to sniff together like professional detection teams. Your dog will choose from a food scent or a specially scented toy while you learn how to harness that incredible snozz. Core handling skills, individual feedback and support - there's no better way to spend a Sunday morning!

• Scentwork Foundations: Sunday 23rd Feburary (click to book)

New Year: New Actions?

Yep, it's that time of year again when the world seems full of good ideas and shiny resolutions. Not to mention the fields are full of dogs suddenly being walked more than usual.

I'm (Morag) a big fan of setting goals, tracking actions and reviewing progress.

But I'm NOT a big fan of the whole new year/new you shenanigans.



The trick is to figure out your goal, and then break that down into the daily or weekly actions that will get you closer.

Rather than tracking your success each week, just make sure to record what you actually did. You can control what you take action on even if the results are variable!

For example

I can make a point of practicing attention games with Laird at least twice on every walk in dense woodland.

Does that guarantee that he will have been paying attention?

Heck no!

But it massively increases the chance that he will be paying more attention as the days and weeks go past...

We can give you the games, techniques and tools - you just need to put in the consistent effort.



We're officially back in the office from Monday 6th January, and bookings are already open for our January classes (start 15 Jan) if you want some support in taking those regular tiny actions!

Morag, Clare & Laura
Well Connected Canine


What’s going on in WCC Land? 


Weekly classes are moving to Wednesday evenings from 15th January 2020
 

• APDT Good Companion classes at 18:30 Book Here

• Relaxation & Bodywork classes at 19:30 Book Here

Workshops & Activities

Gundog Games workshops with Clare will run monthly AND you can buy three workshops at a discounted rate, so long as you use them within 6 months
 

• Games for Gundogs Book Here
• Games for Gundogs Multibuy Gift Certificate: Book Here

Social Skills for Dogs That Struggle are running in smaller groups, more often! See all your options for January, there's at least four sessions per month now: Book Here

Parkour really is the activity for all occasions and we have an introductory session in January plus a brand new Parkour Challenge in the Wild workshop in February
 

• Parkour Fundamentals: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13187434&appointmentType=12264254
• Parkour Skills: Outdoor Adventure: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13187434&appointmentType=12264316

Multi-dog harmony was a popular request last year so we’re offering a webinar in January to introduce the core skills, AND a practical workshop in February to put it into practice. BOOKINGS OPENING SOON!

There are fewer places on most workshops so you can get more focused, individualised help!

Of rainy days and modern technology…

One of the greatest tools we have to improve our relationship with our dog is the amazing smart phone – because now you can video things without masses of forward planning.

I suspect you, like me, aren’t keen on being photographed let alone filmed.

Yet the power of working with a good trainer is when they spot all your little habits, and point them out.

Watching back videos of your own dog and your training sessions will give you that outside perspective.

That’s why we so often encourage you to send us videos of the problem situations, and ask you to film your homework between classes!

You can read Andrea’s take on having rediscovered a year’s worth of videos across behaviour consults and training classes at the end of this blog…. (Andrea submitted this blog back in the middle of the June rain storms - remember them?!)

I especially love the way Andrea uses the videos to spot where she gets things right not just as a way to critique their performance - top marks!

We have Co-operative Care/Handling and Advanced Bodywork coming up on Monday 15th July.

You'll be able to get so much more out of these classes if you can video between sessions - it lets us give you much more detailed feedback plus your dog may be more relaxed at home.

Drop us a wee message if you want to check the suitability of either class for your dog - we have space for one more student in each class or you can attend as a spectator.


More information and booking - click here

It has been a little rainy recently, restricting outdoor activities to a point and providing you with plenty of opportunity to tackle all those jobs you always intend to do, but feel too guilty to attempt if the weather is outright gorgeous.

One mammoth tasks is keeping your digital photos and videos organised and delete unwanted footage. It is so easy to create all that footage and before you know it, warning signs are flagging up that your storage is almost full and you wonder how the hell did this happen AND more so, what are all these videos off???

Without realising, I created a bit of a documentary of Nate’s journey since his return home and him starting rehab sessions and classes with WCC. 

Watching the videos made me realise how far our little man has come.

During rehab sessions he has learned to cope better around other dogs and to communicate how he feels in his body language. I, on the other hand, learned to spot the cues and interpret his body language better.

Now, looking at some of our early videos, I see cues and signs in his behaviour and body language which at the time I did not “see”, but now, whilst reviewing the videos, are blatantly obvious to me. I see all the work we have done in classes and workshops and the subsequent homework we completed and, you guessed it, videoed diligently.

I now realise how much of a valuable training tool videos can be, as so many times I think we completed a task badly or it feels unstructured and chaotic, but when reviewing the video I spot so many things we did right and what we need to work on to get it done even better.

The progress we both made amazes me and I realise how differently I now handle situations with him, using all the tools I acquired along the way.

I can see how Nate responds more positively to my requests, is more attentive and how we communicate better with each other.

Of course, every day is still a school day (love that phrase) and we have good days and not so good days, but without all those videos, I don’t think I really realised how we have improved together and are working as a little team.

What a morale booster!

Thank you Morag, Clare and everyone else at WCC.

How can I massage my dog when they keep walking away? (new blog/video format)

Welcome to the new format blog/mini video combo!

We are trialling a little experiment where you have the chance to ask me anything about living with and training dogs in our private FaceBook group, and I’m going to try and answer at least one of those per week.

At the same time, I’m also experimenting with some software that actually writes down on the computer what I’m saying. I hope that means is that I can get the blogs out a little bit quicker to you.

I know some people find video really helpful but it’s also handy to have that written record of the answer to refer back to.

So here’s our little experiment to see how it goes!

The first question comes from Sonia with Benson (a lovely big Labrador)

Benson doesn’t generally enjoy being petted, he will sit on our laps all day for snuggles when it is his own choice and he’ll also weave in and out of my legs for ever as a way of greeting, but if we were to move to pet him generally he moves away or he goes and picks up a toy.  How do we work around this in bodywork (considering doing the upcoming course as a observer).

Sonia wants to understand her dog a little bit better but she’s also asking because she’d like to take the Bodywork and Relaxation class as a spectator (Benson isn’t ready to attend class in person yet).

We want to think about this from two angles.  Firstly we have the dog who just generally prefers not to be actively petted by us unless it’s their choice and secondly - how we can handle that when we’re taking a class that means we want to get our hands on them!

Your dog is giving you a big hint – this isn’t a coincidence…. 

• If when you pet your dog, they pretty much consistently move away, or offer you a different body part, or go to get a toy, or suddenly they have an interest in going and sniffing somewhere…. 
• I would say that your dog is giving you a pretty big hint that they would either like you to pet them differently or not pet them at all. 

Why is it happening? 

• It might be because something is different today. Were you being a little bit heavier handed than they like? It might be that just today they don’t feel like it, because you know we all have days like that!
• Or is it consistently happening every day, or when you touch them in a particular place like their hind quarters? Could it be that they are feeling a little sore or tender?
• Often when we pet dogs it’s quite absent mindedly. We just kind of pat them on the head or we might stroke them without really thinking about what it’s like for the dog.

What should you do? 

• Try using the Consent Test to explore what your dog likes, and how they tell you to keep going versus stop now please. If you’re in our private Facebook group or on our email list I will give you a link to our handout.

Basically pet your dog for a few seconds and then stop and see what they do. Observation is really important!

• I would also start working out when my dog is more likely to want to be petted, and using that time to explore things

Sonia says that Benson will sit on their laps daily for snuggles. When he’s being close to you and relaxed that’s probably a good time to think about maybe just a little bit of neck massage or shoulder massage like we teach in class.

Aim to do that kind of bodywork for literally a couple seconds and then take your hands away. What we are looking for is to find out what kind of pressure or touch does my dog actually actively seek out and what will they stick around for.

Struggling to make progress on your own? 

• Try videoing the sessions to watch them back later – it’s tricky seeing the signs sometimes. 
• Slow down! 
• Consider taking one of our Bodywork & Relaxation classes either attending with your dog, or as a spectator (practice at home, submit homework videos and get feedback, learn in class on other student’s dogs). 

Bodywork and Relaxation blocks start on 10th April and then 15th May

Book your Bodywork and Relaxation Class

 

Can it work for any dog? 

Over the 10 years that I’ve been doing massage and bodywork with dogs and humans together, I have not yet had a dog that we couldn’t find some kind of touch that they enjoyed and was useful for them!

Feedback please!

Please do let me know what you think of the new format – it will get better I promise as I juggle live video recording and dictation software!

Morag



PS The last set of Level 2 three week intensives start next week (Wednesday 13th March) with me, so if you were undecided about progressing your training in loose lead walking or self control  don’t delay. These are the last dates for the next three months!



PPS And don’t forget you can see everything that your dog could be getting up to on the website: http://www.wellconnectedcanine.co.uk/

Well that escalated fast! and why I've been in hospital

“I want you to go straight to A + E with this letter. They’re expecting you as an urgent admission. And I’d pack a bag for two days”

Was not what I was expecting to hear at 9.30am last Wednesday when I went to see my GP!!!

You’ll not be surprised to hear that my immediate response was that I really couldn’t do that, I mean who was going to look after my dogs to start with!
And I had clients to see, and……

Then it dawned on me.

Yes, the GP was being cautious, but the consultant on the phone had just agreed that I needed to go in asap for intravenous antibiotics.

(before anyone panics too much, I got unlucky when two cartilage piercings were knocked and became infected, I’ve had my treatment and it’s all under control) 

Thankfully, I recognised the signs of potential infection and went to see my doctor fairly quickly.

The last time I had a problem like this I delayed and put it off – and was very lucky indeed!

But would you know how to recognise the signs in your dog?

When you’re out on a walk, and suddenly your dog is covered in wasps, being stung repeatedly* would you know what to do?

If you’re not sure then grab one of the 4 remaining spaces on the Emergency First Aid seminar, 7pm Monday 14th January, run by qualified Vet Nurse and Dog Training Instructor Antonia Parkin RVN (venue: Yorkshire Museum of Farming)

Book First Aid

The evening will include information on what you should be carrying on walks, how to bandage your dog successfully, dealing with allergic reactions, plus much more...



So, I’d like to apologise to anyone waiting to hear back from me this week, and thank every single person who understood why we had to postpone the Bodywork + Relaxation seminar too.

If you missed out on booking it there’s still time – I’ve rescheduled to Wed 16th January and I’m really looking forward to seeing you there.

Teach your dog to Relax


Here’s hoping for a less exciting week, and may we live in less interesting times!

Morag, the collie girls and the Big Yin 


*yes that really did happen to me last summer, poor Laird was crawling in the wee buggers 

PS In case you were wondering, the girls stayed over with Laura, Keith, Seamus and Brian while Laird had THE BEST TIME EVER living with his Auntie Clare and his gundog cousins for a few days

Don't lose sight of how far you've come when you realise how far you have to go!

It’s the start of a new year, which tends to result in lots of retrospectives and a helping of unrealistic resolutions.

What we’re less good at is giving ourselves (and our dogs) credit for the progress we have achieved.

Clare posted about some of her thoughts and plans in our special WCC Rehab “virtual coffee and cake” FB group (you’re welcome to join if you use our behaviour services or attend rehab club)

The last week before Xmas was pretty hectic for me, and I’ll be honest I was dreading Laird’s last Helpful Hounds class.

The previous week had been rather eventful (one grabbed and bruised hand, stolen toys, complete inability to concentrate, and a total failure to complete any task). I’m so grateful to my ever patient class mates!

But for final week, Laird really did pull it out of the hat.

We opened doors (“shove” = push the nose target), we closed doors without breaking them (“tug it” = grab and pull the tuggy on the door handle), settled beautifully without stealing stuff.

And then the really amazing bit.

The dog that steals and eats basically any plastic related items…waited while I threw out a plastic pot before retrieving it to hand when asked *shocked*

Even better, when we went to the pub later on Laird managed to socialise calmly and even settle for 10 minutes without any non-consensual humpage! I think that because the girlies handle pubs perfectly, I forget how much work went into that bit of their training.

So, since Laird came home with me in May 2018, he’s made some pretty amazing progress.

Are we done? Heck no!
A brief Xmas trip to the Lakes emphasised that his interest in hunting has gotten much stronger, and we need to bring that under control asap. I’m not even going to start listing the things he ate, or the number of times he stole toys from my parents new dog.

 I’m looking forward to the next year with my UltraCollie Freya, ShoutyDog Bronte, and BigYin Laird – life is guaranteed to be interesting!

Are you thinking about next year's training goals?

Determined to crack that reliable recall or learn a new set of skills?

Choose from three week intensives to 10 week block classes, and don’t forget we’ve a new programme of evening seminars too – these let you find out a bit more about special topics before committing to a workshop or full class block!


Book an evening seminar

You asked us for more payment options, so here they are!

• Book 10 week classes or 3 week intensives up front and pay online (don’t forget to use your codes) 
• Book a 10 week class but spread the cost over three payments (instructions here ) 
• Book 10 canicross classes and get one free OR book each week individually 

Book 10 week block classes

Book a 3 week intensive

Special Reward Codes 

Our glamorous assistants can use their special discount codes, and anyone in the WCC family who books more than one class (paying up front) can use your special dedication code. If you think you should have a code, but can’t remember it please email the office for help (info@wellconnectedcanine.co.uk)

Happy New Year!

Morag and the WCC Team 

What Farah did on her holidays (quality of life for senior dogs)

You might have noticed the absence of emails and blogs for the last couple of weeks – I’ve been on holiday with my three collies.

Holiday time, or more specifically downtime, is surprisingly important. Without quiet time brains don’t get a chance to process all the information or learning – and that’s true for our dogs just as much for ourselves.

So the only “training” I worked on was Freya’s ongoing “Project Squirrel” (resist chasing the squirrel and come back when called). We had lots of new places in Scotland to practice and it went really well – more about that next time.

Most of my time was focused on Farah, affectionately known as the “little old lady collie” now. Farah is about 13 yrs old and bright as a wee button. However her physical body is slowly giving up on her (hip & elbow dysplasia, arthritis and heart issues). We need to balance medication, massage and acupuncture to keep her pain levels down.

Quality of life is our priority right now, and for the moment I think we’re managing ok. 

 

Here’s what Farah did on her holidays (in her own words)

“I started by supervising a canicross training camp in the Forest of Dean. While I enjoyed sleeping on my own air mattress I was less impressed at being told I couldn’t do any of the running – these youngsters have no idea how to do it right.

I’ve been out for dinner several times though I did have to chase down a waitress who foolishly took away my chips. The waitress stopped and apologised which made it a bit better, but I still didn’t get my chips back.* 

The chauffeuring has been better than usual with daily trips to good places, often with streams or rivers for me to guddle** in. I particularly enjoyed the morning visits to Loch Tay.

We stopped off on our way back from Scotland as it’s a long drive, and the room had a whole bed just for me – this is proper luxury retirement. Shall have to ask for my own bed at home…

Coffee and bonus cheese sniffing at cafes has happened fairly often (but could always be improved), so many dog friendly cafes make it much easier for me to have exciting days.

I convinced mum to get back into the kitchen and bake my favourite biscuits this weekend (cheese flavoured obviously) as she’s been a bit slack lately. I tested the dough several times, and then the biscuits – you can never be too careful.

One day mum did sneak in teaching a workshop, but I made
it clear this was not acceptable by eating her dinner roll, opening my medication pots and eating a whole tub of cocktail sausages at lunchtime***

It’s been a lovely couple of weeks, and I do hope my mum can keep up with this new lifestyle as I’m rather enjoying it….”

Notes and translations

*The chips were left over, Farah had already had several and didn’t need any more!

**Guddle means paddle and mess around in water

***I now know not to leave ANYTHING in the front of the van – she really is growing old disgracefully!

Have a wonderful week!

Morag and the collie girls


PS This is a great website with lots of helpful hints for your older or arthritic dog https://www.caninearthritis.co.uk/ 

Hiding from thunder, drooling as the rain batters down

If you dread the sound of summer thunder storms, or come home early from work around Bonfire Night so your dog can toilet before it gets dark, you probably live with a noise sensitive dog.

Loud noises can be downright terrifying for some dogs, and it's an insidious problem as the fear spreads from gun shots or fireworks to include thunder, loud rain, slamming doors and more.

It was one of the biggest problems I had to work on with Finn (my first ever rescue collie). He went from being worried about fireworks to panicking over thunder, low flying jets and at one point refusing to toilet outside in the dark for over a month. You could say it was a steep learning curve!

There are no quick fixes for this kind of problem, and if there were I promise I would share them with you.

But there are some tested strategies that can really help your dog to cope better. That might include supplements or even medication, but simple preparation and training ahead of time can make a big difference too.

If you want to help your dog be less scared of loud noises, and release that knot of tension in your own stomach, come to our evening workshop on Wednesday 5th July at 7pm, Wigginton Old School Hall.

There are just 7 places left, and you'll get practical action tips plus a goodie bag, discount vouchers and refreshments!

Don't wait till November to try and fix the problem - get help now.

Morag and the collie girls

Noise Fears & Phobias - How to Help your Dog
Wednesday 5^th July 7pm to 8.30pm (Wigginton)

Book your place now as we have limited spaces

Ring Vets4Pets York on 01904 658 201 to book and pay
Tickets cost £10 per family (max two people) includes refreshments + a goodie bag

New course running in York: The Confidence Course

The Confidence Course:
Training, TTouch and Bodywork to create a calm focused canine

Morag Heirs, trainer and bodyworker
Janet Finlay, trainer (APDT) and TTouch practitioner 1

This weekly course offers you the chance to work with your dog in a controlled environment. We use motivational training methods incorporating toy, food and environmental rewards alongside reward marking/clickers. We will not use harsh or aversive techniques.

**Course runs from June 11th to July 16th - we are currently fully booked**

Pre-requisites
We welcome any dogs with some basic training who are able to be in a hall with other dogs and people. If you are not sure about taking part please contact Morag or Janet to arrange an assessment.

Course Topics:
Creating focus and attention in easily distracted or worried dogs
Dealing with sudden changes/noises/movement
Relaxing in exciting environments
Teaching games and coping skills
Learning to read your dog’s body language accurately

Much of the material in this course has been adapted from Leslie McDevitt’s “Control Unleashed” programme and we strongly recommend you purchase the book (see links).

What to Bring!

• Flat collar and/or harness (no choke chains, prong collars or stop/pull harnesses that tighten under the armpits please)
• A plain webbing or leather lead (no chain or flexi leads please)
• Lots of very small (pinkie nail sized) tasty, smelly treats
• Clicker if you have one
• Favourite toys
• Water bowl
• Mat or a thin blanket
• Muzzle or head collar if you normally use these tools
• Fabric or metal crate if your dog is accustomed to this