Stay, Play and Hide in a mad, mad world.

Hello Dog Owners!

I’ve been having thoughts recently.

Good thoughts though and ones that will hopefully shape some things to come.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what we expect of our dogs and what other people expect of them too.

To say that expectations can sometimes be a bit unfair, is an understatement.

It’s amazing how some people hold higher expectations concerning your dog than they do of their own dogs and a lot of the time it’s emotional-based irrationality that’s in play.

It’s these types of irrational expectations and behaviours though, that can be to our detriment.

But what if we exceed those expectations that other people hold us and our faithful friends to, would they be happy then?

I’m guessing they wouldn’t, but even so I have decided to look at upping my training to a higher level, so watch this space!

Other than that I’m trying to prepare for the winter. Thinking about what clothes I’m likely to need to keep me warm and dry, as well as preparing mentally for the chillier days!

Not long now….

ANNOUNCEMENT

Joey’s Social!

It’s not log until November now. The nights are drawing in fast and the temperature is notably decreasing as the nights roll on.

Why November?

Joey and I have been having a little chat.

He has his 1^st birthday coming up at the beginning of November (we don’t know his exact birthday with him being a rescue) and I asked him what he wanted to do.

I suggested a firework party…. But you know, it might not go off with that much of a Bang!!

So, apart from him wanting to go swimming with his friends and play on the beach until he can’t run anymore, he’s been telling me how it would be cool to have a group of friends around his own age that he can hang around with, be with, train with and have fun with.

I told him that he won’t want to go swimming in November, it’s gonna be cold!

So we’ve been pondering ideas as to how we can create a small social club where a group of us can meet up regularly and have some fun, all while learning, training, growing and being happy together.

So, we’re looking at creating a place he can call is very own – and the idea of “Joey’s Social Club” was born.

And because you subscribe to the newsletter, you’re hearing about it first!

We will however, be pushing this out to our social platforms over the coming weeks, so be sure to get signed up if you’re interested.

The Benefits of a Social Group

There are certain benefits of a members-only social group, such as:

• The same small group of dogs get to know each other very well
• Puts owners minds at rest that they can let their dog run and play without issue
• Dogs not only get used to playing together, but also training together
• Meetings can be varied from enclosed fields, on-location trips and local social gatherings
• The social group will consist of a small and limited number of dogs and owners
• Gives your dog a ‘core’ social group which can help with their overall mental-health
• Give you and your dog a sense of belonging and familiarity
• and much, much more!

How Much Will it Cost?

Well, we haven’t really thought too much about that as yet, but the initial idea is to accept initial members for a small monthly charge that wouldn’t be more than the cost of a coffee or two.

Additional costs for hiring enclosed fields, providing transport, entry fees or beverage costs, etc., will either be paid for separately, paid individually or split between the number of people attending.

How many places will there be?

The idea is to keep groups small and handleable.

Either one or two groups that meet at various times every week or two and limited to around 10 to 15 dogs per group. Probability is that not everybody will be able to attend every meeting, so this number keeps things manageable.

How do I join?

We’re only getting numbers at the minute, so if you’re interested in being part of Joey’s Social Club, you just need to register your interest using the button below.

If you have some ideas for the group then hit reply and let us know what you’re thinking!

Please Note:

• Places are to be strictly limited and will operate on a first-come first-served basis.
• Dogs to be aged between 7 – 18 months to begin with. Age range will change as Joey ages!
• Only friendly non-aggressive dogs will be accepted into the social group.
• As we build up the group, each new dog will be invited to a complementary session to see how it engages with the other members, prior to being accepted into the group.
• Places will be limited, so get your name on that list first!

(registrations are closed)

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CORE TRAINING: TO STAY OR NOT TO STAY…

Do you ask your dog to “Stay?”

Do you ask for a “Sit” and then ask them to “Stay” as you walk away, or if you want them to remain where they are?

Or, do you not bother with the stay and instead opt for an implied stay?

Whatever you choose to do consistency is key, but let’s discuss the benefits, or not, of using the “Stay” command.

The Implied Stay

Personally for me, I use an implied Stay, but what does this mean?

Well, it simply means that I expect the dogs that I train to remain in the last position I ask them to be in and then to stay in that position until I ask them to do something different.

So for example, if I ask the dog to “Sit”, then I would expect them to remain in that position until I ask for a “Down”, “Stand”, “Come” or “Break”.

Similarly this goes for every other position too, be it the Down, Stand or Settle.

The Benefits of a Separate Stay

Well, I can’t really think of any benefits.

I would much rather just say “Sit!”, rather than “Sit! Stay!” and “Down!”, rather than “Down! Stay!”

It just seems to be an added command that has historically been used without too much consideration.

In my mind, it’s much easier just to use the one command rather that using two!

Is there a Use for Stay?

So is there a use for the “Stay!” command then, or shall we forget it altogether?

Well, for me there is a use for “Stay” and in my case it’s when I ask a dog to stay, or to stop.

Of course, you can use the word “Stop” in these instances, but for me “Stay” flows better in my mind.

Try It!

If you regularly use the “Stay” command while doing position work, try getting rid of it altogether and train using an implied “Stay”.

You may need to use some Spacial Pressure (which we’ll cover next time), but who knows, after a very short while you may start to think why you kept saying “Stay!” for all that time!

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THE ONLY GAME IS ‘CHUCKIT!’

I think I’m cursed.

I go about my day minding my own business and then my brain starts to notice things and just won’t leave me alone.

Why do I continually notice these things?

Everywhere I go these days, I see people with dogs walking around carrying Chuckit! Launchers!

Or, standing at the edge of a field on the footpath launching balls for their dogs to chase, so they don’t have to get their feet wet (the people, not the dogs) on the fresh dew-laden grass.

To me it seems a mindless (and an unconscious) task, a lot of the time.

But as people catch-up with their early morning emails and Social Media feeds on their mobile phones, hold conversations with their friends or listen to music and detaching themselves from the morning chorus of the birds waking from their sleep, they repeatedly chuck, chuck, chuck and chuck again, until they get bored, get arm ache or their dog gives in.

Tongue Twister: How many woods would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

I’m not saying there’s not a place for this popular game and playing ball with our dog has always been a thing, but often times there is absolutely no interaction from the owner and that to me is a crying shame….

Both them and the dog are missing out on so much!

But out of all the other games there is to play and all the other things that there is to do with your dog, be it running, training, playing tug, recall practice, playing Frisbee or my favourite training game – Recall, Tug & Fetch with position work and heeling styles thrown in – “Chuckit!” seems to be the game of choice and for many, the only game available – period.

It’s one thing tiring out your dog physically over an hour or so, but a high-paced 15-minute training session can both tire them out physically and mentally, giving you extra bang for your Buck!

If you’re one of these “Chuckit!” people, why not have a go at varying your playtime interaction with your dog and leave that “Chuckit!” Launcher at home a couple of times each week?

Play can become more valuable and more engaging when you play too!

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ENGAGEMENT: HIDE & SEEK

I like nothing better than a walk in the woods with the dog.

In the summer the heavy leaf-laden trees provide more than adequate shelter from the heat of the sun, making for a much needed cooler and altogether more enjoyable environment for a slow meandering stroll.

Year round the woods are a phenomenal place to be, with the new spring buds beaconing the oncoming of summer and the falling leaves of autumn signalling that the end of another year is not too far away.

Plants, trees, birds, animals, fungi, leaves and ….. sticks!

But more than that it’s a great place to build recall, practice obedience positions and play Hide & Seek with your dog!

When out and about with your dog in the woods and they get carried away sniffing and wandering a little too far away, why not quietly and sneakily hide behind a tree or a bush?

If you’re feeling up to it, you can always climb a tree and look down as your dog tries frantically to find you…be careful though!

I think hiding behind one is more than adequate.

Practicing this exercise can:

• build engagement, as your dog needs to keep an eye on the unpredictable behaviour of their owner
• build your dogs scent and hearing skills as they have to try their hardest to locate you
• train your dog not to venture too far away as you may disappear at any time!
• keep them looking out for you and attentive towards you

Woodlands can also contain a fair amount of wildlife such as squirrels, rabbits and deer which you can use to enforce your “Leave It!” command and build on recall with a longline.

If you do want to have a go at playing a brief game of Hide & Seek, be fair on your dog. Here are some ground rules:

1. Don’t throw something (like a stick) for your dog to fetch and then hide while he is running to get it. This is bad gamesmanship and will kill your efforts to play this game. They will be anxious to run from you as they anticipate you will hide. This is unfair.
2. Only hide when your dog isn’t paying attention to you.
3. Don’t lose sight of your dog. Always know where they are and if they run away too far, call them back once or twice without giving away your exact location. They should readily come towards the direction of your voice.
4. Make sure your dog is safe. Don’t play this game in a small woodland next to a main road, for example.
5. If your dog can’t find you and runs away somewhere and you can’t call them back, they will likely go to where the car is parked, or home. Do all you can to call them back and come out from your hiding place so they can see you.
6. When they find you, go overboard on the praise – both physical, verbal and treat-wise!
7. Play this game most times you visit the woods. They will learn they need to stay close.
8. If you play other games such as fetch and recall, play these first, so that your dog doesn’t expect you to hide while playing, can concentrate on enjoying itself and training.

This exercise evokes a degree of stress in your dog as they become anxious when they can’t find you. However, this stress will shape an appropriate behaviour so that your dog becomes more attentive to you and more controllable off-leash as time goes on.

When this exercise is practiced with a young puppy prior to 16 weeks of age, the impact on their psyche can be so great that they will always remember that they need to stay close to you, as you may disappear at any time.

Why not make a special trip to a woodland near you and have some fun with your dog?

Exercise their body, exercise their brain and exercise you – all at the same time!

Have fun and let us know how you get on!

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IS 100% REALISTIC?

When you sat a spelling test in school, were you expected to get 100% of the spelling correct?

What about your exams? Did you get 100% in every single exam you took?

Did you Expect to?

How about at job interviews?

Were you 100% successful and got offered every single job you applied for?

Let’s get a bit more personal, what about relationships?

100% successfully were they?

Were you successful in not arguing 100% of the time, getting along 100% of the time and remaining faithful 100% of the time?

Do your children do what you ask of them 100% of the time?

Do they behave perfectly 100% of the time everywhere they go?

What about you?

Are you in control of yourself and your emotions 100% of the time?

Well, are you?

In the last edition of DOT News, I briefly mentioned about a growing body of trainers – and people – who comment that 100% of dogs should be under 100% control 100% of the time in 100% of environments, have 100% recall effectiveness 100% of the time and in all environments they encounter.

As the days pass by, I find this mindset has expanded to reach a growing number of people. It’s getting like the mass hysteria of The Salem Witch Trials the more that time goes on.

But let’s take a pause and examine things.

Here’s a real-life scenario and my own personal experience…

Me and another guy were walking along the river through the woods. The woodland path is a fair bit higher than the river and there are pathways every now and again that lead from the main pathway and down to the water’s edge, where we usually take the dogs for a swim.

At this point it needs to be said that this is a Private Woodland owned by a fishing club and accessible only to them and residents in the small community that lives nearby.

Seeing as some of the dogs I train live here, we have access permission to the woodland path.

We had 4 dogs with us that day. I had Joey, my little rescue dog who’s coming on in leaps and bounds (literally!) and a German Shepherd Bitch that I’m training. Joey was off-leash and being his normal bouncy friendly self, while the GSD was on a 30’ drag line.

The guy I was with had his dog who spends most of her time looking for squirrels and the other dog was another German Shepherd Bitch who has permanent brain damage. She’s a sweet little girl, disabled and gets very vocal when she gets excited and meets other dogs. She can be a bit full-on and picks on Joey all the time, but she’s harmless nonetheless.

So there we were, walking along, having a chat and practising recalls with the dogs, when all of a sudden a couple of walkers appeared with their Collie dog with a harness (of course) and an extendi-leash (boy oh boy oh boy, can’t make it up!).

The dogs go and see the Collie as we walk past. We’ve told the people that the dogs are fine and I was pleased that I was able to get the attention of the GSD on the longline and get a decent recall from her. Joey was a little more difficult and wanted to follow the other people and play, but he came along soon enough and as the disabled GSD continued to bark in excitement as she always does, we all went our separate ways along the narrow woodland path. The entire ‘meeting’ lasted no longer than 10 seconds and was a non-issue! Meaning, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

But here’s the thing. In the typical inexperienced handler/owner style, as soon as they saw other dogs the first thing the owners of the Collie did was to pull their dog in and hold it tightly on a tight restrictive (extendi) leash. What does that do? Well, as you may probably know by now this can induce leash reactivity, so what did the Collie do? Pull, pull, growl, bark and snap. Textbook behaviour in that scenario.

The only other thing to mention was that the woman had a look of fear on her face as soon as she saw the dogs approaching them. Another common reaction by many people these days.

So, today I went down to do some more training with the German Shepherds and it would seem the woman has an issue. Everything was our fault. The way she felt was our fault. Apparently we couldn’t recall the dogs and her 5 year old child she had with her was really scared…..errr…..what child exactly?

Her comments were also surprising as all the dogs responded to recall nicely and came along quite happily within a few seconds. Like I said, the entire ‘meeting’ or ‘passing on the path’ lasted no longer than 10 seconds and yet……

What the hell is wrong with the world?

Talk about making a huge issue out of a non-issue. But why?

Why were they even in the private woodland without permission anyway?

My opinion is this in all these types of scenarios.

There is NO WAY that ANYBODY can guarantee or claim to have 100% control of their dog in 100% of environments 100% of the time!

If they claim that they have, then let’s wait until firework night shall we? Or if they come across prey, sheep, deer or other livestock that run and incite a dogs prey instinct.

Let’s see how much control they have then!

Half of the time, these people demonstrably show that they haven’t even got 100% control over themselves by standing there shouting and pointing blame at others, just because they have encountered a situation that breaches their uncommunicated expectations.

Yes, of course there are ways and means that you can have greater control of your dog while off-leash. That is what electronic training collars were invented for and the same type of people that moan about people not having control of their dogs, are the same people that are at the helm of the movement calling for the ban on “shock collars”, as they change the name to emotionally dramatise and stimulate people’s emotions to get them onboard with their plea.

I mean, what is the World really coming to?

Would they rather have a dog put down, rather than use an electronic training collar to hold the dog accountable for the natural and friendly behaviour that the people are complaining about?

The argument is that everybody should be able to enjoy all the places that people go to let their dogs run free.

And I would agree.

However, my thinking is that if you are going to a place where you categorically know that is where the vast majority of people who go there have their dogs off-leash, then you need to expect dogs to be running free. You need to ascertain whether that’s an environment you want to be in. Otherwise, steering clear would be a better decision, I would have thought.

It’s about taking personal responsibility.

Those of you who understand that a dogs sense of smell is hundreds of times more sensitive than humans, will also understand that your dog will be off investigating what’s happening half a mile down the lane, before you even see or hear anything.

It is of utmost importance that we all strive to train our dogs as much as we can and to the highest level we can, to ensure that they are as responsive to a recall as they can possibly be, so we can get them on-leash when we need to.

But dog owners are not magicians!

We can’t suddenly have our dogs on-leash the moment we see somebody. It takes a little time to recall our dogs and get them securely on-leash, and yet…

The people who complain keep walking towards us. Getting closer and closer and not giving any time for us to recall and put our dogs on-leash before they get to us.

Even if we ask them to wait, they usually don’t.

And yet they complain…

You want me to make my dog 100% accountable off-leash?

Great! Now stop your other petitioning activity and stop preventing the use of electronic training collars, eh?

Dogs are animals.

If people can’t control themselves, their emotions or their children 100% of the time in 100% of situations, then surely, it is certainly unreasonable for them to expect others to control the instincts of their dogs 100% of the time in 100% of situations. Isn’t it?

And yet, the dog gets the blame.

Truly, what kind of world are we living in?

Next, rather than banning certain “dangerous” dog breeds, they will be calling for a ban on all breeds, because those who can’t control their own emotions or behaviour are scared of every single dog that approaches them if they are greater than 6 inches tall.

So they complain, moan, report and petition.

I really hope I don’t become one of them at any stage of my life.

It’s always important to be respectful of people and to ensure that your dogs are on-leash when they should be and when not in either a designated off-leash area, an area that is known to be a place dominated by dog walkers or when around livestock.

What do you think?

Do you think that 100% is realistic and have you achieved it – with your dog, with yourself and with your kids?

Hit reply and let us know your thoughts!

And with all that said…..

That’s it for another Newsletter!

Hope you’ve enjoyed it & see you in the next one.

Until next time,

Happy Training!

Que Sera…

– Stuart