Wednesday, 21 February 2018

Rehab Club Brags (Feb 2018) and what "doing nothing" might mean



February's rehab club was all about slow motion movement and observations. We worked fairly close up with everyone around people and dogs, and we tried to see all the small communications.

Question of the day:  what are our dogs telling us when they stop wanting to play Look At That or Engage/Disengage games? 

If your dog is keen on food (and all of ours were) then when they STOP looking at the other dog in exchange for treats there's going to be a reason for it...

  • it could be boredom  but it's not usually
  • it might be they'd like to move away, the session has lasted long enough
  • it could even be that our dog is feeling threatened or worried

Even when you think your dog "isn't doing anything" they probably are... does your dog slow down, hesitate, turn away.

If we're moving too quickly towards the other person or dog, then you might miss your dog pausing. Also watch for your dog conveniently crossing in front of you, blocking your path. Again this is communication.

Why do we want to do things slowly?

Partly so we don't miss the important but small things

Mostly because slow, careful experiences give our dogs space to think, consider and react thoughtfully.

"strong emotions make us (and our dogs) stupid"

Exciting news - we WILL be offering an extra weekday rehab session once a month on a Tuesday afternoon. We've chosen the day that worked for the majority of you, but we know it won't be perfect for everyone!

First weekday rehab sessions: Tues 13th March 2pm, then Tues 24th April at 2pm



To book on please email Laura initially (we'll have a new booking system running shortly) on info@wellconnectedcanine.co.uk

Want to know more about rehab club, and get specific tips and hints to help? Sign up to our rehab specific list here! Rehab Club List



 

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