What colour are you right now? Checking in with yourself and your dog

Back in March 2017 I completed the Hardmoors 55 mile ultra race along with Freya the ultimate Ultra Collie.  The funny thing is, I was absolutely certain that I would be pulling out when I met up with my support crew just after the last checkpoint.

*if you'd rather listen than read, here's the video version which is almost the same but with added Bronte disruption and even more excitement!

 At 10 PM I had been running for just over 12 hours, my knees were agony, there were massive blisters on my feet and I was just a little bit tired. The batteries in my head torch were unexpectedly failing and I got lost in the woods at least once.

I hobbled into the Captain Cook Monument car park to meet my support crew with every intention of stopping. And yet 20 minutes later I was on my way back up another hill, wondering how on earth that had happened.

And the simple answer is because I forgot to tell my support crew that I wanted to stop. It was in my head but it failed to come out of my mouth. I utterly failed to use the colour check system!

What is the Colour Check System anyway?

It was created by my hiking group after a memorable occasion when one member of the party announced at the top of the hill (some way into a very long walk) that they were going to need to pull out because their feet were just too painful.

Of course, we were at the top of the hill. And getting him off the hill and back to safety was not straightforward. Up until that point we didn’t realise how much trouble he was in.

So the colour check safety system was born.

Every time we stopped for a planned break, you ask each other what colour you are.

• Green meant fine, you were feeling good, able to carry on and complete the route, not needing any intervention at this stage.
• Yellow through to amber meant that things were a little bit tricky, you might be sore somewhere or you might need food caffeine or medication – some kind of intervention!
• Red meant that there was a problem. Either you were in a lot of pain, you were exceptionally exhausted, or in some way you felt unable to carry on. 

The advantage to this system is that it’s consistent, we all have a shared understanding of roughly what each colour means. Because we check-in consistently and regularly, there is much less chance of anyone apparently moving from green happy to carry on to red emergency escape required.

It’s also really important when your natural tendency might be to push on just a little bit further than you maybe should. That’s what happened to me in the hardware is 55!

On Sunday Laura and I ran the Whitehorse half marathon (16.9 miles) and we made an effort to do a colour check at every checkpoint. We finished the race feeling fairly strong and knowing how the other person and dogs were doing.

So, what exactly does all that have to do with dogs? 

 

How many times have you been on a walk with your dog, at a training class, attending a workshop or some other kind of ongoing activity-and it felt like your dog had a meltdown out of nowhere?

I don’t just mean that your dog started lunging and barking, I also mean those situations where your dog suddenly stops listening to you. Or, they get so overexcited they hump your leg. Or they suddenly take off, running away to try and find safety. Those reactions would come under the heading of red.

Just like us, our dogs don’t generally move from green (comfortable, relaxed, happy, responsive) to red (unable to listen, barking and shouting, no brain left) without there being any intermediate stages.

The question is can you notice in time and take avoiding action?

Observing your dog’s body language is a great way of checking in with their emotional state.

However, it can be tricky to get right, and sometimes we get caught up in whatever activity is that we are doing, just like I get caught up in running and forget to check in.

The colour checking that we use on walking and now running events happens automatically. It’s just done regularly throughout the activity rather than when we think we need to.

So I’m suggesting that it might be useful to have some clear and easily observed behaviours where your dog’s response will correspond to a colour check in your dog, and that you consistently and routinely make a note of these.

Here’s some ideas to get you started: 

 Of course this only works when your dog has

• a range of behaviours or skills that you can ask for 
• reliable basic training 

And when you know what “normal” and “happy” looks like for your dog!

I’d love to hear what your “colour-check” behaviours might be – tell me about it on email, or in the WCC special FaceBook group here.

Happy colour checking folks!

Morag, the collie girls and Laird the Enabler (named by Laura for making us run up hills) 

What’s coming up in WCC Land 

 

Activity Weekends - your chance to book on early

We’re offering a range of fun things to do with your dog in half day weekend workshops over the summer! From Herding Dogs to Parkour, with Scentwork and Gundog Games there’s something for everyone even if your dog struggles around other dogs.

All based at the PawPark, Sand Hutton or Sand Hutton Village Hall.  All morning workshops to avoid the summer heat - do check the start time carefully! (click the workshop name for more information and book your space)

Sat 29th June AM	Gundog Games (fully booked) with Clare
Sun 30th June AM	Herding Dog Games with Morag	Parkour Fundamental for Reactive Dogs with Laura
Sat 20th July AM	Introduction to Scentwork & Sniffing School (with Morag)
Sun 21st July AM	Sniffing Progressions – patterns for perfect teamwork (with Morag)
Sat 27th July AM	Gundog Games with Clare
Sun 28th July AM	Herding Dog Games with Morag	Parkour Progressions with Laura

 

Events and shows 

 

Sat 6th July Charity Dog Event, The Fox Inn, Holgate (York) is hosting a charity dog event with Claire’s K9 Clips, and we’ll be there to create more Scentwork Addicts. Come along to enter the fun classes, socialise with your dog and sneak in some extra sniffing too.

Sat 7th September, WCC 10th Birthday & Open Day at Murton (Yorkshire Museum of Farming) with canine activities, stands and stalls to treat yourself or your dog, challenges for all the family and more. Help us celebrate TEN years of building better relationships with our dogs!

“The training worked!” When a plan comes together...

“How did you get your dogs to do that?” someone shouted over at me in the park yesterday.

I looked over, wondering what he meant.

Freya as usual, was insisting on training and doing tricks at me while Brontë wimbled happily by my side. Laird was thundering back towards us.

The chap wanted to know how I managed to get my dogs to come back when I called them. He had a little Lhasa apso who was very definitely staying on lead.

“With cheese and balls” was my mostly serious answer!

We had an interesting conversation about making sure we give our dogs a good reason to come back to us and how we might start training it.

And then, I came home to open my email and found a message from Jane and John (not their real names) who have been working hard to stop their big retriever crossbreed from charging off to greet other dogs and ignoring any suggestion from the owners that she might want to come back.

Your training works!

It was busy with dogs today so it was a good test for her. She did very well and we were really chuffed. We then met some friends who have 3 dogs. They kept remarking about how calm she was compared with when they’d last seen her 2 or 3 months ago. She was almost laid back with the other dogs!

Recall, or coming back when asked to, is one of those essential life skills.

It can turn walking your dog from a tiresome task into a pleasant enjoyable experience.

And when we talk about recall, I need your dog coming back promptly when you call or whistle them. Not just coming back at the end of a play session or after chasing the rabbit!

It’s a deceptively simple process, but you have to be consistent in your training and only take tiny little steps forward when your dog is really ready.

The not-so-secret Secret Recipe for Recall

• start playing games that encourage and reward your dog when they pay attention to you (parkour, scentwork, tracking, hand targets, and anything else) 
• stop letting your dog run off and ignore you (long lines are your friend) 
• start teaching a brand-new recall cue (a word or whistle pattern) and link it with the best ever reward for your dog (find their crack cocaine) 
• practice the new recall in very low distraction places to begin with (inside the house, in your garden, in a secure field and so on) 
• gradually build up the level of distraction and always be willing to drop back a stage if your dog is struggling

If you're reading this email or blog, and have an nagging sensation that your dog's recall is not as good as it could be, why not commit to recall being your summer training project?

• It’s never too late to sharpen up or introduce a reliable recall. 
• It really can save your dogs life. 
• And it will improve their quality of life and yours! 

I would love you to come and post in our small friendly private Facebook group if you’re taking on the summer recall challenge. https://www.facebook.com/groups/WellConnectedCanine/

What steps are you taking so that your dog isn’t practising the wrong thing?

And do you know what your dogs crack cocaine really is?

Of course, if you’d like a little bit of extra help and expert coaching, there is always our three-week intensive training programs.

Find a 3 week intensive

We offer level I and level II Baby Come Back courses to sharpen your skills, and you can ask us for a private course too!


Happy recalling

Morag, the big Yin (it’s nearly his one-year gotcha Day) and the collie girls 

P. S. Our recall is a bit of a work in progress. Freya is pretty reliable except if she gets too far away and finds a real bunny, but Project Squirrel has been a great success. Laird is pretty amazing unless he is actively on the hunt for something, and deer are our personal nemesis right now. But I promise we are working on it, and I’m using exactly the same techniques that we teach you in our courses!

P.P.S. yes, it has been a while since I emailed and blogged to you all, sorry about that! I've been a bit poorly lately and am still recovering so don't be surprised if it takes me a little longer to reply to emails or messages


What else is going on in WCC Land?

Sat 25th May Gundog Games

Sun 26th May Herding Dog Games 

Play with your puppy!

This week we had our first baby gundog workshop. We worked on retrieve, steadiness and control. One of the things I noticed was that all the puppies weren’t initially interested in playing with the toys we offered them.

This was probably because they were a bit distracted by the other puppies and also because they weren’t used to playing in different places, especially as we knew most of the puppies liked to play at home. But, with some tweaks and changes to our own play style we managed to get most of the puppy’s playing a game of tug with their person.

Not every dog loves playing with toys, but there are some great benefits to playing games of tug with your dog.

You can use play and toys as a reward for behaviour you like

     Toys can be used to help your puppy learn self-control e.g. wait for permission to grab the toy 

Even a short game of tug can tire out a puppy

Tug games can eventually help your puppy to learn to enjoy giving things up, because it’s more fun playing with you than running off with a pair of socks!
The final and most important benefit….it’s really great fun for you both!

Top tips for playing with your puppy

Play can become very exciting very quickly and result in puppies becoming over excited. Keep sessions short (20-30 secs initially) and games of tug gentle  (no sharp and fast tugging on the toy)

Put some effort into it! Some puppies will immediately want to grab any toy offered, but many need to be encouraged.  Start with the toy on the ground and let your puppy chase and pounce on the toy, you may have to do some running about to get them chasing the toy! Most puppies prefer this to having a toy handed to them or wiggled close to their face.

Use toys with long handles so sharp needle teeth can be away from your hands!

Find the toys they love, consider the texture and material of the toy, your puppy has to like having it in their mouth. You can also keep a few ‘special’ toys hidden away they only get when playing with you.

Move away from puppy if you drop the toy, and give your puppy lots of encouragement to bring it back, once they do you can re-start the tug game.

Practice play in different places, some dogs will only play at home, and are reluctant in other environments, but you can help them learn tug is a great game anywhere!

What about chasing balls?

Lots of dogs love to chase a tennis ball, and it can feel like a great way to tire them out and provide lots of exercise in a short space of time.  

If your puppy is ball mad there are a few things to consider;

Repetitive high energy exercise results in the release of the hormone adrenaline, the side effect of lots of this type of play can be an over excited puppy who struggles to settle even after the game has ended. 

The take-off and landing impact for the ball can put additional wear on tear on the puppies developing joints, the long term effect of which may not be seen until later in your dog’s life.

Read more about the effects of ball play https://barksfromtheguild.com/2015/09/25/is-fetching-really-all-that-fetching-for-dogs/

This doesn’t mean you need to ditch the balls, but you may want to consider how you play with them. Perhaps instead of repetitive fetch games, try hiding the ball for your puppy to find!  

The most important thing about play is to have fun with your dog!

Happy Training

Clare and the gang

PS  Don't forget to check out our upcoming classes! 

Classes

Do I need a puppy training class?

Puppy classes are one of my favourite classes to teach, I enjoy getting to know the individual characters of each dog, I love to see the owners joy when their dog learns something new and I also like the support that working in a group provides “yes, my puppy grabs at clothing too!” 

I think that well run puppy classes are a great way to get your puppy off to the best start, but they might not be right for everyone. 

Benefits of attending a puppy class 

You should receive plenty of support from your trainer, we know how difficult raising a puppy can be, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows…more like needle teeth and endless supplies of kitchen roll! We want our puppy classes to provide a safe and supportive environment, where owners can ask questions and discuss how to deal with some of the challenges they face. 

Your trainer should provide you with on-the-spot coaching and feedback while you are training your puppy in class, adapting and progressing exercises throughout the session. The trainer can give advice on timing and when to reward your puppy. 

Trainers are really good at reading dog body language and they will help you learn about your puppy’s body language and behaviour in class. They can help you to recognise when your puppy may be feeling scared or worried or when they may be starting to get over excited and give guidance on what you can do In these situations. 

It can be difficult to set up situations in real life to practice some of the skills you puppy needs to learn, like greeting people without jumping up. Classes can provide great opportunities to practice these skills in a controlled way so you can feel more confident practising outside of class. 

Puppy classes come with a whole host of distractions, other dogs, people, noises, food etc. Your puppy class should be set up so that your puppy can be exposed to these distractions, but still able to learn and eventually settle around all these exciting things. A valuable skill for our dogs to learn! 

Classes are a great way to provide safe opportunities for socialisation, especially if your puppy is still waiting for their final vaccination. 

Owners are often concentrating so hard on training their puppies that they can’t remember everything the trainer talked about in the session, so to make sure you get all of the relevant information handouts are provided in class and we we’ve created an online teaching area full of extra resources and information.   

Classes aren’t for everyone 

Our puppy classes run for six weeks and we recognise that can be a big commitment for some families who are often busy with other activities or plans. 

The timings of our classes do not work for everyone, some owners work evenings or have small children who need to be in bed early. 

Sometimes being in a group situation can feel overwhelming for some owners and also for some puppies 

In these cases classes may not be the best solution and working with a trainer on a 121 basis may be a better option. 

Puppy classes aren’t compulsory and may not be for everyone, but they can be beneficial and get you off to a really great start. 

If you want to know more about our classes or recommend them to a friend just click on the image below 

Happy Training 

Clare and the gang 



P.S. We still have two places left on our upcoming Baby Gundog Mini workshop next  Wednesday 920th) evening 

 Open to any gundogs and gundog cross puppies

Baby Gundog Workshop

Picking a puppy – does breed matter?

I think the answer is NO…and YES! 

 Most of the things your puppy does are totally normal, albeit sometimes annoying, and all puppies do them. But some of the things your puppy does may have more to do with their breed than their age. 

I’ve been teaching puppy classes for 9 years and I always expect owners to ask certain questions in class; 

‘my puppies biting at our hands – what do we do?’ 

‘My puppy keeps weeing in the house – help!’ 

‘he won’t settle on a night or when we leave him’

We include a group discussion at the end of class so we can discuss management strategies and training techniques for these scenarios. These issues are pretty common across all breeds of puppies and it can be great to know you’re not alone! 


Then we get the questions, or cries for help, which aren’t typically the same across all breeds of puppies. 

 'My retriever puppy is picking everything up and carrying it around, they have now started running away and growling when we go near' 

 'Our Collie pup was pulling towards cars on walks and has now started lunging and barking when cars go past'

'My Terrier thinks chasing the kids feet and biting them is a great game, they’re now scared of him' 

While these problems aren’t uncommon, we may expect to see them happen in some breeds more than others. 
   

So, does breed matter when you’re picking your puppy? 

Once you’ve done your research, picked a breed that fits with your lifestyle and you’ve found a good breeder (who knows their breed well and can support you with choosing a puppy), you can prepare for some of those breed specific behaviour traits that may pop up! 

• We can’t stop the retriever puppy picking things up, but we can teach them to love bringing things to you 
• We can't change the Collies desire to herd things, but we can teach them what we would like them to do instead of chasing cars 
• We can help the terrier find a more appropriate outlet for chasing and biting things that aren’t feet! 

Do you have a Gundog puppy? 

Join us for a mini workshop where we’ll discuss living with these breeds, a chance for you to ask questions and work on some foundation exercises to harness their incredible work ethic. 

 Booking for Baby Gundog  

Do you have an older Gundog or Herding breed? 

We’re running a series of workshops for Gundogs and herding breeds to introduce games you can play with your dog to harness their hunting or control their herding! 

 Booking Link for Workshops  

 Happy training 

 Clare and the gang

New Puppy...are you really ready?

I have a confession… I’ve had a lot of puppies over the last 9 years, probably about 10!!. Now, they weren’t all my puppies, some were foster puppies for rescue and some were client puppies and some I was lucky enough to keep

And you’d think by puppy number 10 (Summer the Flatcoated Retriever) I’d find puppy raising a walk in the park, wrong! Each and every time it’s blooming hard work.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got excellent strategies and management skills for toilet training, dealing with mouthing, teaching the puppy to be happy alone, training etc. but all of that takes time and commitment.

The hard work is getting up every 30-45 mins to take the puppy out to toilet, making sure I have tug toys everywhere for playtime (instead of puppy using my trousers), managing interactions with my dogs so nobody gets bullied (Spencer the German Shepherd is such a softie he often gets picked on by puppies), sitting next to puppy’s crate until they fall asleep at night (and sleeping with my hand on the crate). The daily time dedicated to taking the puppy somewhere new and having a new experience…..I’ll stop there, you get the idea.

Preparing for a new addition

This week I went to visit Emily and Mike and their amazing Working Cocker Spaniel Sully. Emily and Mike will soon to be adding a new addition to their family, Buzz the Working Cocker Spaniel puppy. Emily and Mike have already successfully raised one puppy, but they wanted some extra help with a few things to prepare Sully for the new puppy coming home.

We talked about how they might manage the new puppy and Sully at home to ensure both dogs get human time without any issues. How, when and if we might want to intervene when the dogs are interacting together.

Puppies are hard work, even if you’ve already raised one puppy or are an experienced puppy raiser…are you ready?

Where to find extra support

One of the best ways to make sure you get some additional support with raising your puppy is to attend a well run puppy class, with instructors who are experienced and ideally qualified to teach you and your puppy. 

We are happy for prospective puppy parents to come and observe our classes before they commit to booking with us so they can meet the team and see how we train. 

Find out more about our Puppy Classes by clicking below

If you’re not local to us try looking on the APDT website for a trainer who runs classes local to you.


Already attending our classes but need some extra help? Don’t forget we can offer a discounted Puppy 121 session for those attending classes, you can email your trainer directly or the office info@wellconnectedcanine.co.uk

Happy Training 

Clare and the gang

P.s. Do you have a gundog puppy? Interested in learning more about these amazing dogs? Want to get started with some gundog foundation training? 

Watch this space - Baby Gundog Training workshop coming soon!