If you go down in the woods today.....

 If you go down in the woods today

You're sure of a big surprise!

 Teddy Bear's Picnic, lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy / John W. Bratton

*and yes, that is Laird temporarily back on a long line in very exciting places. All part of my plan to give him more freedom later in the year*

In case you need to drive out the earworm, listen to the whole song here! 


I hope you've been able to find something better than muddy floodwater in the woods this week?

All fingers crossed here for better weather in March, not least because we have all sorts of workshops and events planned.

Social Skills (for dogs that sometimes struggle)

Safe spaces for your dog to practice their conversational skills with other dogs or people. These sessions are ideal if your dog is ready to get closer, learn how to make friends or build tolerance levels.  Maximum of two spaces per session

• When: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays - there will be evening sessions from the spring 
• Where: PawPark, Sand Hutton
• Check the schedule and book here

Hoopers Taster Session (with Clare)

If you missed out on booking in to try Hoopers, we have one more workshop running before regular classes start. You MUST have attended a taster session or a 121 intro with Clare to be eligible for the classes!

• When: 21 March 2020
• Where: PawPark, Sand Hutton
• Book your space here

That's not a sheep! Herding Dog Games (with Morag)

Does your dog crouch, stare, fixate or chase stuff?
Ever feel like you've just been herded round a walk?
Are other dogs puzzled by your herding dog's behaviour?

During this half day workshop we'll be learning about the special quirks of the herding dog brain and incorporating games designed for  them into your training to help build focus, steadiness, recall and the start of control at distance...plus more!  Open to all breeds of dog, not just collies! 

• When: 22 March 2020
• Where: PawPark, Sand Hutton
• Book your space here

Changing the world, and paying taxes

I really do want to change the world, one relationship at a time.

And Well Connected Canine getting bigger is one way that I can help more people and more dogs.

It’s been a super exciting year already with a new venue, new classes and some new trainers joining the team too. We’re running practical interviews for class assistants this week (eleven of you want to help!) and you’ll see more new products in the class shop.

But as a larger company we have more responsibilities and that now includes being VAT registered.

Sadly the tax system isn’t very well designed for little businesses like us that provide services to people like you. We’re absorbing the increases in tax as much as we can, but sometimes our prices will have to go up.

I firmly believe that awesome relationships are built on honest communication, and careful support.

That’s as true for you and your dogs, as it is for my amazing team of trainers and behaviourists.

I don’t pay your dogs, or my dogs peanuts, and I don’t pay my lovely staff peanuts either.

I want everyone who works with you and me to feel rested, be able to take holidays, and give you their absolute best in every session.

So, some of our classes and workshops may cost a little more thanks largely to the government.

As a socialist at heart, I’m okay with paying tax. And I’m really excited that we’re big enough to need to pay VAT even though it stings a bit!

Thank you so much for trusting us with your dogs’ education and development. And thank you for helping to make WCC a bigger, happier company.

Classes are one of the things that have had to go up in cost. You know we keep the numbers really low (4-6 dogs attending) and we like to have at least one trainer plus an assistant for the sessions. We want you to get personalised attention, targeted feedback and see steady progress!

If you are interested in booking onto the Summer block of classes starting in July, go here:



If you are an experienced handler attending one of the Progressions classes at the moment but might miss sessions when you are on holiday, you can ask Laura about Pay As You Go (for the advanced classes only).

With slightly tender bruises (thanks to Laird + head collisions), less sleep than is ideal (emergency spey for Freya) but excited for the future

Morag

Here's how the bruises were looking earlier this week!

Hey kids, let’s talk about drugs

Today’s blog is all about drugs!

I’m thinking about them because I noticed at the weekend how well Freya was coping. Not just with having a new brother (the big yin), and travelling in the van, but also with my neighbours building a fence with a nail gun!

Just a few months ago Freya was really struggling with noise fears, and we could only just peek out the front door at the van. And adding in a new dog was out of the question.

I have used drugs to help her, but most of the change has come about from Freya being super awesome and working through her training plans with me. Once I’m happy she is showing stable progress, my vet will help me to gradually reduce the dosage.

*please don’t email to ask what drugs we’re using or the dosage – anything like that needs to be discussed with your behaviourist AND your vet*

In case you didn’t know, my original background and training was jointly in Psychology, and Complementary/Alternative Medicine (specifically bodywork and remedial massage therapy). I studied at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, plus several private colleges in the UK and the USA. 

So how did I go from being the passionate student who fiercely believed in taking a “natural” approach to health, and fell in love with Lucy Johnstone who wrote “Users & Abusers of Psychiatry”  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Users-Abusers-Psychiatry-Critical-Psychiatric/dp/0415211565 , to being a Clinical Animal Behavourist who sometimes works with vets to use psychoactive medication (drugs) with my clients.

• Because sometimes we (people and animals) need a bit more help or support before we can change our habits and behaviour.
• Because sometimes will power isn’t enough.
• Because sometimes the real world gets in the way of your careful training plans.
• Because sometimes daily living becomes unbearable.

I don’t think drugs or medication are the answer to any or even most problems, especially not on their own.

I do think that we need to really understand the situation, and offer the support that the person or animal will most benefit from right at that moment. That might include bodywork, change of routine, confidence building games, behavioural therapy, herbal supplements or even medications.

Mental health is a hugely controversial area and I don’t have the time or space to really get into the details here. 

But we have to make choices for our animals that they can’t make on their own. We ask them to live in a busy, challenging human world. And we sometimes end up living with individuals who find those things really hard.

What supportive medication CAN do, is help a human or animal to gain a degree of calm and space in their own brain. Then the talking therapies, or cognitive behaviour therapy, or behaviour modification can really start to take effect.

The middle of a panic attack is not the time to start a training plan.

When your animal is showing significant signs of distress on a daily basis, we need to reduce that first.

I have used these kinds of medications (both “natural” and “conventional”) with myself, and some of my own animals. I have opted to make informed choices that bring us all a better quality of life. 

Saying we just don’t want to use drugs can be a bit like saying I don’t want to put a plaster cast on my broken leg….

Yours in thoughtfulness

Morag, the partially medicated collies and the Big Yin

PS Does your dog get worried by sudden or loud noises?

If you missed our evening seminar on how you can assess and start to improve these before the dreaded Bonfire Month of November, you can still buy the recording to watch at home for only £10

Just book below and you’ll automatically be sent the seminar details (don't worry about the time or date - you can watch it whenever you want!) 

PPS For anyone who wants to read an emotional, ferocious blog rebutting the original picture meme, go here: http://missbanshee.com/2016/06/04/this-is-an-antidepressant-a-rebuttal/

*WARNING there is some bad language and strong feeling here*