The Dog Blog
The Dog Blog
Ideas Help Games Tips
Ideas Help Games Tips
Stormy weather.....
12 Nov 2020
It’s coming up to the stormy season and my dog is afraid of thunder and lightning – what can I do to help them cope?
Some dogs react to loud and scary noises, in particular thunder. We are approaching our stormy summer season and being prepared for the stormy season (or fireworks) is a large part of helping you and your dog cope.
Watch out for weather forecasts and keep informed of any approaching storms. Your dog may “feel” them coming well before they arrive. This way you can be ready and prepared. Your dog may exhibit panting, pacing, whining or barking as the storm approaches, or even become extremely agitated and scratch at doors and walls.
It is really important that you ensure that your yard/environment is absolutely secure. When dogs panic they can escape from places you may not have considered previously – jumping over very high fences, and from second storey balconies. Make sure their microchip/ID information is up to date – just in case they do manage to escape. When dogs are frightened, they can cover a lot of ground as they attempt to run from the thunder.
It is OK to comfort your dog and reassure them – massage, gentle stroking and gentle spoken reassurance will help. A “safe space” such as a covered crate, bed or a small enclosed space can help them feel protected.
Matching the sounds of thunder (or any loud noise for that matter) with something pleasurable like food can, over time, reduce anxiety over loud noises as the dog starts to associate the noise with yummy food and treats. A quick and easy way to reduce anxiety is to scatter treats or dry food on the ground or floor for your dog to chase.
Chewing and licking are comforting and calming for dogs so have some good quality chews on hand such as bully sticks, kangaroo tails, a filled Kong etc. or a “licky mat” smeared with something yummy like sardines, meat paste or pure peanut butter.
If you find that your dog is too anxious to eat or chew you may want to consider some other options such as calming supplements like Adaptil (as a spray or collar) which use natural pheromones to reduce stress. Rescue remedy, although a human homeopathic remedy, is suitable for dogs as a calming therapy.
Commercially produced thunder shirts wrap around a dog and provide a feeling of security and safety – these come in all sizes so check out your local suppliers.
If your dog experiences full-blown anxiety/panic attacks you may with to consult your vet for further advice and support.
Dr Linda Wilkinson
Dog Trainer
Kaleidoscope K9 Training & Life Skills
Stormy weather.....
12 Nov 2020
It’s coming up to the stormy season and my dog is afraid of thunder and lightning – what can I do to help them cope?
Some dogs react to loud and scary noises, in particular thunder. We are approaching our stormy summer season and being prepared for the stormy season (or fireworks) is a large part of helping you and your dog cope.
Watch out for weather forecasts and keep informed of any approaching storms. Your dog may “feel” them coming well before they arrive. This way you can be ready and prepared. Your dog may exhibit panting, pacing, whining or barking as the storm approaches, or even become extremely agitated and scratch at doors and walls.
It is really important that you ensure that your yard/environment is absolutely secure. When dogs panic they can escape from places you may not have considered previously – jumping over very high fences, and from second storey balconies. Make sure their microchip/ID information is up to date – just in case they do manage to escape. When dogs are frightened, they can cover a lot of ground as they attempt to run from the thunder.
It is OK to comfort your dog and reassure them – massage, gentle stroking and gentle spoken reassurance will help. A “safe space” such as a covered crate, bed or a small enclosed space can help them feel protected.
Matching the sounds of thunder (or any loud noise for that matter) with something pleasurable like food can, over time, reduce anxiety over loud noises as the dog starts to associate the noise with yummy food and treats. A quick and easy way to reduce anxiety is to scatter treats or dry food on the ground or floor for your dog to chase.
Chewing and licking are comforting and calming for dogs so have some good quality chews on hand such as bully sticks, kangaroo tails, a filled Kong etc. or a “licky mat” smeared with something yummy like sardines, meat paste or pure peanut butter.
If you find that your dog is too anxious to eat or chew you may want to consider some other options such as calming supplements like Adaptil (as a spray or collar) which use natural pheromones to reduce stress. Rescue remedy, although a human homeopathic remedy, is suitable for dogs as a calming therapy.
Commercially produced thunder shirts wrap around a dog and provide a feeling of security and safety – these come in all sizes so check out your local suppliers.
If your dog experiences full-blown anxiety/panic attacks you may with to consult your vet for further advice and support.
Dr Linda Wilkinson
Dog Trainer
Kaleidoscope K9 Training & Life Skills
Why games can help your dog
15 Oct 2020
Learning through play has been known as a teaching method for children for years, but did you know that it also applies to dogs? Playing games with your dog (beyond throwing the ball!) can help your dog to make better behavioural choices by teaching them concepts such as confidence, focus and calmness.
We used to always teach behaviours such as sit, drop, stay and expect that knowing how to do these behaviours would prepare our dogs for everyday life with us. But our experience tells us that this is not the case – being able to sit on cue does not assist with anxiety over strange noises such as thunderstorms or lawn mowers. Being able to do a down/drop does not help with being left at home alone for long hours.
In order to help our dogs cope with the complexities of our world we need to shape their brains. Dr Tom Mitchell,
Veterinary Behaviourist says, “that to prepare our dogs for real life we have to shape their brains, and there is always a game that can help”.
Without getting too geeky – what we are talking about is neuro-plasticity. The right games to address particular struggles, together with lots of reinforcement and rewards, can shift a dog’s thought processes towards good choices more often. We call this concept training – and these include focus, optimism, grit (perseverance), proximity (wanting to be near us), flexibility and calmness.
For instance, a dog who lacks confidence and is a bit timid in this busy, busy world we can play a simple game like 2 paws up (see picture). This is a great game that can be played anywhere – with a box, big book, stump – and can provide an activity that allows your dog to feel confident, because they know this game well.
For a dog who is one of those active dogs that never seems to stop – well there are games to encourage calmness. Even just a simple scatter feed of their dinner in the garden is a calming activity.
Games are transformative. Games are simple. Games are effective. Give it a go.
Why games can help your dog
15 Oct 2020
Learning through play has been known as a teaching method for children for years, but did you know that it also applies to dogs? Playing games with your dog (beyond throwing the ball!) can help your dog to make better behavioural choices by teaching them concepts such as confidence, focus and calmness.
We used to always teach behaviours such as sit, drop, stay and expect that knowing how to do these behaviours would prepare our dogs for everyday life with us. But our experience tells us that this is not the case – being able to sit on cue does not assist with anxiety over strange noises such as thunderstorms or lawn mowers. Being able to do a down/drop does not help with being left at home alone for long hours.
In order to help our dogs cope with the complexities of our world we need to shape their brains. Dr Tom Mitchell,
Veterinary Behaviourist says, “that to prepare our dogs for real life we have to shape their brains, and there is always a game that can help”.
Without getting too geeky – what we are talking about is neuro-plasticity. The right games to address particular struggles, together with lots of reinforcement and rewards, can shift a dog’s thought processes towards good choices more often. We call this concept training – and these include focus, optimism, grit (perseverance), proximity (wanting to be near us), flexibility and calmness.
For instance, a dog who lacks confidence and is a bit timid in this busy, busy world we can play a simple game like 2 paws up (see picture). This is a great game that can be played anywhere – with a box, big book, stump – and can provide an activity that allows your dog to feel confident, because they know this game well.
For a dog who is one of those active dogs that never seems to stop – well there are games to encourage calmness. Even just a simple scatter feed of their dinner in the garden is a calming activity.
Games are transformative. Games are simple. Games are effective. Give it a go.
Is your dog happy?
27 Sep 2020
I did one of those facebook quizzes the other day that asked “How happy is your dog?” It got me thinking about what is a happy dog; how would you recognise a happy dog and is “happy” the right word for dog emotions at all?
Dr.Karolina Westlund, an animal behaviourist from Sweden, explains how happiness relates to animal emotions.
She divides how animals are feeling into 4 areas:
1.They are in a pleasant place and are excited and exuberant.
2.They are in a pleasant place and are calm and in serene bliss.
These are happy places – where you want your dog to be spending most of their time. The dogs that spend most of their time here are optimists.
3.They are in an unpleasant place and are barking and growling
4.They are in an unpleasant place and are shut down and timid.
These are unhappy places – and the dogs who spend most of their time here are pessimists.
So how do we ensure that our dogs spend most of their time in a happy place and develop optimism?
We can help our dogs find their happy place by playing GAMES!
That’s right – just through playing games with our dogs we can modify their outlook on life and how they perceive (and react to) the things that happen in their environment.
These games can be as simple as throwing a piece of food out, your dog goes to get it – and when they turn back to you, you mark with a marker word like “yes” and throw another piece of food out – and repeat the game.
Research has shown that to help our dogs move from an unhappy place into their happy place we need to invest time into allowing them to participate in three main activities:
•Seeking – searching and sniffing out food; doing nose work. Hiding treats around the garden or house is an easy way to achieve this.
•Play – using games we can simulate the play that animals would have in the wild. Food puzzles, chase games, retrieving – can all contribute to well-being.
•Touch – patting (when appropriate), massage, long stroking of the flanks will bring calm and contentment.
Make sure your dog spends the majority of time in their happy place by trying some of these strategies.
At Kaleidoscope K9 Training & Life Skills we can help dogs to reach their “happy place” through games, support and strategies. Contact us now.
Is your dog happy?
27 Sep 2020
I did one of those facebook quizzes the other day that asked “How happy is your dog?” It got me thinking about what is a happy dog; how would you recognise a happy dog and is “happy” the right word for dog emotions at all?
Dr.Karolina Westlund, an animal behaviourist from Sweden, explains how happiness relates to animal emotions.
She divides how animals are feeling into 4 areas:
1.They are in a pleasant place and are excited and exuberant.
2.They are in a pleasant place and are calm and in serene bliss.
These are happy places – where you want your dog to be spending most of their time. The dogs that spend most of their time here are optimists.
3.They are in an unpleasant place and are barking and growling
4.They are in an unpleasant place and are shut down and timid.
These are unhappy places – and the dogs who spend most of their time here are pessimists.
So how do we ensure that our dogs spend most of their time in a happy place and develop optimism?
We can help our dogs find their happy place by playing GAMES!
That’s right – just through playing games with our dogs we can modify their outlook on life and how they perceive (and react to) the things that happen in their environment.
These games can be as simple as throwing a piece of food out, your dog goes to get it – and when they turn back to you, you mark with a marker word like “yes” and throw another piece of food out – and repeat the game.
Research has shown that to help our dogs move from an unhappy place into their happy place we need to invest time into allowing them to participate in three main activities:
•Seeking – searching and sniffing out food; doing nose work. Hiding treats around the garden or house is an easy way to achieve this.
•Play – using games we can simulate the play that animals would have in the wild. Food puzzles, chase games, retrieving – can all contribute to well-being.
•Touch – patting (when appropriate), massage, long stroking of the flanks will bring calm and contentment.
Make sure your dog spends the majority of time in their happy place by trying some of these strategies.
At Kaleidoscope K9 Training & Life Skills we can help dogs to reach their “happy place” through games, support and strategies. Contact us now.
How to build your relationship with your dog
How to build your relationship with your dog
1 Sep 2020
When you got your dog, you were looking for a companion, a four-legged friend to go out and do stuff with and a dog who would love you unconditionally. For some of you, that is what you have. For others it has proven a little more difficult to find that point of connection with your dog.
Dr Tom Mitchell, Vet Behaviourist and dog trainer, likens your relationship with your dog as something of a bank account.
We like to look at it as a bit of a bank account…. sometimes you’re paying in, and more often than not you are taking out.
This metaphorical bank account has deposits – which are positive interactions with your dog, that might include play, fun, sharing and affection.
But this bank account may also have withdrawals – where negative interactions such as conflict, frustration, intimidation and aversive training methods eat into your relationship account balance.
Have a think about each day in your dog’s life – are you adding to the relationship bank with positive interactions and do they outweigh any negative interactions. Keeping your relationship bank account in the black with lots of deposits will enhance the relationship you have with your dog.
So here are some tips on how to keep that balance healthy:
- Reward the behaviour that you are looking for and that you want. Eg. when your dog is calm on their bed. Reward it.
- Avoid yelling at your dog – this will mean a withdrawal from your account. We all have moments when we are frustrated and may resort to yelling. Try to stop yourself, and think of how you could reward the behaviour that you want.
- Catch them doing something right – even challenging dogs do good things. Make sure when they are doing something that you want. Eg. keeping all four feet on the ground. Reward it.
- Play with your dog – playing games, running with them, cuddles
I challenge each of you to keep a diary of your interactions with your dog over a week – count all the positive interactions in one column; and all the negative interactions in the other column. At the end of the week – see if your account is in the black (or the red). If your account is leaning towards the red – have a think about how you can turn that around so that you can have the best relationship with your dog.
Have fun with your dog and you will have that relationship that you dreamed of!
Keeping your dog occupied after surgery or during illness
Keeping your dog occupied after surgery or during illness
24 Aug 2020
When your vet says to you that your dog is not to have any exercise for the next few weeks - your heart sinks; you wonder how you (and your dog) are going to cope.
Well thank goodness for games training! There are so many things you can do with your dog that does not involve physical activity and will keep their brain active.
Here are some things to implement:
- Move your dog's crate or pen around so that their environment changes
- Ditch the bowl and feed from puzzle feeders, kongs, snuffle mats or even muffin tins or egg cartons.
- Play games to stretch their brain - for instance: have 3 plastic cups/flower pots and hide a treat under one. Move the cups around and let the dog find the treat.
- Play Mouse Game - where you have food under your hand and the dog has to stop mugging your hand and move back or sit before you release the food. (Adapt according to the movement they are allowed to have).
- When you take them outside for toilet breaks create a food trail so that they follow the treats.
- Make a Noise Box - a box with a variety of plastic bottles (or balls), cans, foil trays etc. Hide treats amongst the bits'n pieces and watch your dog snuffle through. Great for building confidence.
Please always follow your veterinarian's advice on levels of activity/exercise your dog is to have during their recovery period.
If you need any other help please contact us as we have lots more ideas and can tailor a program for you.