New Puppy Adventures with Quest

Quest Adventure Ross has been here for three weeks now….and we've most definitely been having an adventure

Each puppy I get teaches me something new, and Quest is no exception, this time I’ve learnt just how much of an impact the breeder can have on your puppy!

Quest’s breeder followed the Puppy Plan and I can really see how much of a positive impact this has had on Quest’s development in her first few weeks. 

From day one Quest has been happy to settle on her own, often taking herself into a different room to go to a comfy spot for a snooze, she also settled straight into sleeping in a crate next to the bed from the first night. It’s really important to me that my dogs are able to cope being alone, as,  although I spend a lot of time with them, there are times I need to leave them home alone.  I always plan on taking my time to build alone time gradually – but apparently Quest has other ideas 😃

So far Quest has been sociable but respectful with my other dogs, but she’s still making good use of that puppy licence sometimes!!  She’s also really sociable with people, is happy to approach and enjoy a bit of fuss, yet at the same time she also quickly accepts that she can’t go and say hi to everyone she sees.

She’s confident walking on a variety of surfaces, going up and down stairs (yes she thinks it’s a great game and I have to prevent her doing it!), climbing on things and jumping off them. This is great for me, I’ll want us to do a range of different activities with her when she’s older, so she needs to be confident trying new things (without putting herself in danger ideally!)

Initially it was great fun chasing the cats and chickens, but she has very quickly learnt to ignore them with only a small amount of management from me. This is really important, because I don’t want Quest to learn bad habits and I don’t want the other animals to be worried about her.

We live in a pretty noisy place (lots of trucks passing the house and machinery banging around)and she has habituated to those noises really well, initially she was a little unsure of them but now ignores it when huge trucks come past the house . We’ve also been loitering in car parks and she’s relaxed with traffic passing.

She's been for two vet visits already (one for 2nd vaccination and once for a little lump (nothing serious) and she's been relaxed and happy throughout (with help from plenty of tasty cheese!) 

Don’t worry though, she’s not totally perfect, she still likes to sniff out and eat dead things the cats have left  – so lots of work to do there!

She also had a scary incident with a really loud noise in the house, which really spooked her – more about how we worked though that later!

She’s currently attending our puppy classes, because even though I know how to teach all the exercises, puppy class provides a safe environment for her to learn and have new invaluable positive experiences.

More Updates on life with Quest coming soon

Happy Training 

Clare & the Gang

P.s. what's coming up in WCC land? Check out the website for details of all our upcoming classes starting in October! 

How many pounds per square inch can GWP jaws exert? Part two of the progress reports

This is a blog about progress updates, but I figure it's important to be honest about the ups as well as the downs.

Update for Laird

The much loved giant GWP and his ongoing struggles with giving stuff up and love of eating plastic (and anything else that fits in his mouth) have often featured in my writing.

Last week I discovered first hand just how powerful his jaws are.

I have to be honest, it's not a question I’d ever considered before… but it turns out a large adult dog can exert quite a lot of pressure through their teeth.

Laird was behaving out of sorts one evening* - grumbling about a chew, and grumping at his sister Bronte too.  Later on there was a tricky situation involving Laird, my kitchen bin and a large amount of plastic wrapping from some smoked haddock.

It was dark, and while I knew Laird had managed to pull some of the packaging out, I underestimated how much was already in his mouth.

In too much of a hurry to turn on the light, I approached and asked Laird to target my hand with the plastic in his mouth. Usually if he can do this, he'll also be able to give it up.

That night I mis-read the situation.

As my fingers made contact with the plastic, Laird suddenly pulled away.

I tried to hold on, hoping to prevent him from swallowing it.

Laird re-gripped the plastic to make sure he had a firmer hold (letting go and re-grabbing)

My hand was caught in Laird's mouth, and as he started to squeeze his jaws the pain became incredibly intense.

The next 5 minutes felt like the longest in my life.

He didn't understand why I wasn't letting go of the plastic.

And I physically couldn't get my hand out of his mouth!

At one stage I had both hands trapped.

But eventually, my hands escaped, and yes I abandoned the plastic!

In the two days after the incident, Laird returned to finding and eating rubbish on walks with a vengeance. I couldn't ask him to give anything up in the house.

But four days later we were able to attend a Gun Dog Games workshop all about retrieves, and it went really well.  Both Laird and I have a long way to go, but the setback was much less than I feared.


*later on I discovered Laird had split a claw right down to the quick on his front left paw, so was probably in quite a lot of pain, poor lad

Training, changing or improving our dog's behaviour is a life long challenge.

But even when things go horribly wrong, you WILL land on a cushion from all your previous training, relationship building and more.

And that means it takes less time to recover from each set back, I promise!

Which is where the value of regular, incremental training comes in. Every positive experience you have with your dog is a deposit in your joint trust account.



And there's always something left to build back up from.

Next week I'll tell you about Brian coping with the scaffolders, and Quest facing an unexpected bang!

Happy weekend!

Morag, the Big Yin and the Collie Girls

 

Want to do more training with your dog?

New courses start on Monday 7th October at Yorkshire Museum of Farming

APDT Good Companion Award (weekly class)

Essential real life exercises you and your dog can enjoy learning together in a group setting.

You will both learn: response to name, manners (not jumping up), walking nicely on lead, coming back when called, stay, self-control around food and doorways (including the car) and play manners.

• 5 week courses
• Suitable for new starters AND progression students.
• PLUS you can choose to be assessed for the APDT Good Companion Award at Foundation or Progress levels.

Book APDT Good Companion Class

 

Sniffing School: Bomb Detectors (weekly class)

The dog moves steadily down the line of people, suddenly the tail is going extra fast and the bum slams onto the ground. Those brown eyes are staring hard at your left pocket… that’s a passive indication!

This is where the find stops being the reward - vital for a bomb detection dog, but an extra challenge for your dog to take on!

• Three week module
• Pre-req: Dogs can settle quietly in class; can search for at least one target scent; can offer one consistent behaviour (e.g. sit)

Book Sniffing School (Bomb Detection)

How Max and Gina survived the school holidays - part one of the progress reports

An update from Gina with Max, one of our amazing dogsbodies as well as being a dedicated client! 

Laura’s recent blog about how Parkour had made their holiday more enjoyable got me thinking about the last few weeks while the children have been off school. (missed the blog? catch up here)

I guess most people who have a dog, but no children don’t give much thought to school holidays.

However, for me and my dog Max it has previously been a challenge that we have survived, but only just.

The problem is that I live in Bridlington right in the middle of the tourist area and Max struggled around pretty much all dogs and most unfamiliar people, not a good combination on a sunny August day.

Previously we managed the situation by either getting up at the crack of dawn or driving somewhere quiet hoping that we didn’t meet anyone else.

This summer we not only survived the tourists, we have actually made progress towards our goals. 

We started with Well Connected Canine last year, initially with 121 help then progressing on to rehab club.

However, more recently we signed up for the special workshops designed for dogs that struggle in normal class situations such as Scentwork for Sensitive dogs, Parkour and the Foundation Skills weekly classes.

I had previously under estimated the benefits of Max being able to work in safe set up scenarios and the difference has been amazing and lovely to watch.

The classes usually take place at Paw Park, so the open space makes it easier for the dogs to cope and each dog has its own “safe area” allocated which is screened off from the rest of the class.

We are currently working on a “wait” while I peer suspiciously around corners, walls and cars in search of any dogs or dubious looking people before deciding if Max can move forward or we do a quick let’s go in another direction.

So, is everything perfect with Max now?

Not yet - I still have to think about where we will walk, I have to constantly check Max is relaxed and coping when we are out.

The difference now is I have learned to be more relaxed myself and have more skills in my training tool box to use, although scent work is by far the most often used and I can often be found throwing and sticking cheese around Bridlington.

My next goal is to get Max closer to other dogs without him becoming worried, so I have booked on to Social skills for dogs that struggle, I want to be your friend?!

Who knows on my next update Max may have a new friend, that’s if I have not been taken in for questioning regarding my odd behaviour lurking around corners and throwing cheese around the town.

I know there are new classes starting soon and would recommend anyone who has been attending 121s or rehab to talk to Morag, Clare or Laura to see if you and your dog are ready for the next step. 

Gina and Max 

Since this was written Max has also been practicing his small talk at Social Skills for Dogs That Struggle. Learning how to politely greet Seamus, quietly flirt with Summer and more...having a new BFF might not be that far away!

The next blog will have a rather mixed bag of updates from me (Morag), Clare and Laura...

What's on at WCC for Sensitive Dogs?

If you feel like you have a Sensitive Dog, get in touch to talk about how we can help you both enjoy life together with less stress (email: info@wellconnectedcanine.co.uk)

Completed an Orientation or Behaviour Assessment with us already? One of these activities might be just what you’re looking for!  Look in the private Facebook Group or email us for the booking link (that way we can make sure you book onto the most suitable session)

Why labels matter – is your dog “reactive”?

Human language is full of labels. It’s a verbal shorthand, one or two words to use instead of a long sentence of explanation.

But sometimes we might have different understandings of the same word or label.

And then that convenient shorthand gets in the way of developing our understanding.

In the dog world, there’s been a noticeable shift away from describing dogs as aggressive or dominant which might feel like a positive step forwards.

Instead you’re more likely to see words like reactive.

Beware of trainers who use the word “reactive” and then use" dominance reduction" and  punishment as a training technique. 


“Reactive” as a label can feel like it carries less judgement than “aggressive”, but it still fails to accurately describe what our dog is doing and how they are feeling about that.


Reactive usually seems to mean “my dog will bark and or lunge at….” either people, dogs, or both in a particular set of circumstances. So your dog isn't "reactive", they lunge/bark at men walking past wearing hats!

What about the dogs that "react" by going quiet?

Choosing to back away, avoid confrontation, retreat from the situation or even freeze.

So, from now on you’re more likely to see Clare and myself writing and talking about sensitive dogs.

Dogs that struggle in specific situations.

This includes dogs that find life difficult for whatever reason, and whose responses are problematic to both the dog and you.

Sensitive dogs might

• struggle to concentrate and fool around when they get overexcited
• lunge or bark when they feel frustrated, or threatened
• shut down when they feel like there’s a lot of pressure to do something
• get worried when they hear loud or unexpected noises

 Sensitive dogs often struggle to bounce back from stressful situations-but this reaction can look very different for each dog.

Practically here’s what that means for WCC!

S-Rated
We are updating our courses workshops and classes to clearly label some as S-Rated, that means suitable for sensitive dogs!

Social Skills
Rehab club has been revised and renamed to focus more on social skills for dogs that struggle

• I want to be your friend (I think!) is designed for dogs who really do want to make friends but might be lacking in the finer social skills. Frustrated greeter is another common label! 
• I want to be alone is designed for dogs who will have happier lives if they can learn to tolerate the presence of other dogs around them, but have no real interest in making social connections. 

We think labels matter.

Labels can make it easier to communicate about our dogs, their needs, and find effective interventions.

Labels can also conceal acres of misunderstanding, influence your attitude to your dog (are they stubborn or struggling to hear you) and sometimes accidentally exclude the very dogs we want to help.

If you feel like you have a Sensitive Dog, get in touch to talk about how we can help you both enjoy life together with less stress (email: info@wellconnectedcanine.co.uk)

Completed an Orientation or Behaviour Assessment with us already? One of these activities might be just what you’re looking for!  Look in the private Facebook Group or email us for the booking link (that way we can make sure you book onto the most suitable session)

Have a wonderful weekend with your dogs!

Morag and the beasties

New member of the team

The well connected canine team has a new member, meet Quest

Quest Adventure Ross

She’s an 8 week old working cocker spaniel and a new addition to our family. We are absolutely in love with her. My dogs on the other hand, not as much!

Poppy, Spencer, Summer and Scout are not really sure about the new addition yet!

Scout (Border Collie) just wants to herd her, so follows her around moving from side to side as he moves behind her. We’re interrupting when we need to and limiting how much he practices this behaviour, as I’d prefer him to relax around the puppy rather than constantly watching her every move.

Poppy (Cocker Spaniel) is pretending she doesn’t exist, she’ll tolerate the puppy being around her, and even lying with her, but will tell the puppy off appropriately if she starts to jump on her or bite her ears. We’re making sure Poppy can escape the puppy if she wants to, but the puppy is being pretty respectful so we don’t need to step in too much.

Summer (Flat Coated Retriever) thinks the new puppy is OK. They’ve had some really nice play together. Summer has been gentle with her and even self-handicapping during play by lying down so they can have little wrestling sessions. She’s not been doing her usual body slams and neck grabs, it’s nice to see that she’s able to moderate her play style for the puppy.

Spencer (German Shepherd) is still a bit concerned about her. He spends his time avoiding her and sniffing her when she’s not looking or asleep. For such a large dog is really is a worrier. The puppy isn’t really pestering him, so we’re just supervising and making sure he has a safe place to move away to if he needs it.

My dogs could easily find this new addition overwhelming, especially Spencer. He can be quite an anxious boy, and used to really struggle with meeting new people and other dogs. He still shows some signs that he feels uncomfortable when the puppy approaches him, like turning his head away, avoiding her or moving away, but I’m really happy he is able to make those choices as they tell me is coping much better than he used to, previously he would bark and charge towards something which worried him.

Spencer being brave while the puppy sleeps!

If you’ve got a ‘Spencer’ – a dog that struggles – don’t forget to check out the exciting activities and sessions we’re running specifically for dogs that can’t cope in standard class or workshop settings yet.

Practical skills sessions for dogs that struggle

These group sessions are specifically designed to progress the training you've already started with one of the team, in a safe and secure environment. 

Social skills sessions are designed to help your dog to learn to relax around other dogs and/or people, whether they are a frustrated greeter (I think I want to be your friend) or a wallflower (I want to be alone) 

Social Skills for Dog that Struggle - I want to be alone

Social Skills for Dogs that Struggle - I think I want to be your friend?

Essential Skills is a 4 week class working on some of the core skills required for having more enjoyable walks with your dogs, including; recall, loose lead walking, settle and emergency stop & escape. 

Essential Skills for Dogs That Struggle (4 week class)


Activity classes and workshops, because all dogs deserve to have fun :) 


Activity Foundations for Dogs That Struggle (4 week class) 

Introduction to Sniffing School for Sensitive Dogs 

Parkour Progressions for Sensitive Dogs

Parkour Fundamentals for Sensitive Dogs

Happy training

Clare, Poppy, Spencer, Scout, Summer and Quest 

What have you learned from your dog? And what are you going to learn next!

(Blog written by Morag)

The only time you’re not learning is when you’re dead (probably).

At least, that’s certainly what it feels like. Clare has just spent a whole week at a gun dog training camp with Summer, her flat coated retriever. I took the brave step of attending a competition obedience workshop with Laird (yes, the Big Yin) on Sunday with Jo Hill.

Not that either of us are particularly planning to compete in these activities. But despite being fairly successful dog trainers, we are always keen to learn more from the experts. And it’s worth remembering, that the best expert who has the most to teach you is the dog sitting right in front of you…

As we move rapidly towards the open day at the Yorkshire Museum of farming and our 10th birthday celebrations, I wanted to remind you to think about what you have learned or are learning from your dog.

Laird is a wonderful dog. I adore his deep brown eyes, his expressive eyebrows and disreputable a shaggy beard. I am frequently challenged by his enthusiasm, his size, and unerring ability to find any socks left around the house, and his near addictive obsession with tennis balls.

Sometimes, Laird struggles to give things back. He gets conflicted. Between wanting me to play with the toy with him or throw the ball, but not wanting me to steal the item.

What Laird is continuing to teach me is to relax. Breathe. Smile. To love him unconditionally and tell him so, even when he is holding onto and refusing to give something up! When I take the pressure off our relationship, when I give Laird real choices, that’s when the magic starts to blossom.

I get frustrated with my dogs and sometimes I do wonder what I’m doing! But I am doing the best I can with the knowledge I have right now. And my dogs generously offer me new knowledge and information every day of my life.

Please, come and celebrate our 10th anniversary on Saturday 7th September at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming, Murton Park between 10am and 3.30pm.

Attending or not, please hit reply to this email now and tell me what are you learning from your dog?

It might be something you’ve learned in training with Well Connected Canine or something totally different. I’d love to know, and I’d love to see pictures of your amazing dogs. Each and every story will be represented on an inspirational poster dotted around our open day, so get typing!

And as we move towards autumn, it’s time to start thinking about our next training goals, classes and workshops. Laird and I have signed up for Clare’s Gun Dog Games to work on that happy retrieve and relinquishment of items.

What are you going to learn with your dog before the end of 2019?

Our autumn classes are now ready to go and we'd love to help you achieve a new training objective.  Weekly classes that are now open for booking

General skills building

Why not master that recall, conquer that nice lead walking or stop that scavenging with one of our three week intensive skillbuilders?

 Book your three week intensive here



For an all round challenge, you can take on the APDT Good Companion Award

Sign up to the challenge

Canine sports and activities

Ever wondered about sniffing like a REAL bomb detector dog?  Try our Sniffing School Detection courses to introduce passive indications into your scentwork challenge

Sniff like a pro here


Take on our Parkour challenge and see how inventive you and your dog can REALLY be?

Show off your skills here


Or build up your canicross skills with our new-look three week courses, all built around specific skills to make you into the sharpest team on the trail

Find your canicross challenge here  

Special classes for special dogs

Not that all our dogs aren't special, but for those who find the normal class set-up a little too much to cope with, we also have another offering of our Essential Skills as well as a new Activity Foundations for Dogs that Struggle (this will be the last block of these class types this year, so do come along and join us if you can)

Book your Essential Skills for Dogs that Struggle place here  



Whatever you decide to do, happy training!

Morag, the collie girls and the big yin