This is something I discuss a lot.  I was talking about this during my lecture on my canine behaviour course at Bridgwater College on Monday, and I talk about this during my puppy classes.  The answer is: it depends on each dog.  I realise this isn’t that helpful, but I will do my best to explain and guide you through all the different things to consider. 

Most people that get a puppy understand the importance of socialising their puppy.  They know it’s important to get them around other dogs and people to build their confidence and skills of how to communicate.   The first hurdle is puppy vaccinations, as you don’t want to mix them until they are fully vaccinated.  This doesn’t stop you exposing your pup to new environments and some suitable dogs.  Do you know anyone with a suitable adult dog that could come round the play in the garden?  I say suitable because I want this to be a positive experience!  If you don’t know any suitable dogs, that’s ok.  Drive somewhere that your pup can sit in the car and watch the world go by or carry them around (depending on size of pup) and let them see other dogs and people.  They don’t have to interact to gain positive experiences and learning.  They do brilliant carriers and push chairs for dogs now that you could use if they are too heavy to carry.  It’s so important that you don’t keep your pup at home, not exposing them to the world until their vaccinations are complete. 
 
This is especially important if you have a sensitive breed.  Herding or guarding breeds I think need more careful raising to make sure they become confident.  However, breed doesn’t tell you everything, each dog is different, and you need to be adjusting your plan as you progress depending on how your pup reacts.  If your puppy is super confident, wanting to say hello to every dog and person they meet, then you actually need to switch your plan to managing them so that they don’t learn to expect that everyone will say hello.  You don’t want them to become frustrated that their expectations aren’t being met when they become bigger and it’s likely their greetings are less welcome.  Don’t allow your dog to learn to be a splatter!  You know the one; the dog rushes up and demands to play with any dog they meet or jump all over people.  This is usually down to puppies being allowed to play and interact with every dog and person they meet.  This doesn’t mean you stop allowing interactions, but you need to switch to older dogs, ones that can show them to be neutral around each other and not just play play play.  You also show them how to ignore other dogs and people, by engaging them with you and that playing with you is so much better. 
 
If your puppy is more cautious or worried, then you don’t want them mixing with other dogs that will overwhelm them.  Usually, other puppies aren’t the best play mates as they don’t have any manners yet.  Finding suitable dogs that they can interact with, without the worry of it becoming scary will show them that dogs are ok.  As their confidence grows you can then build up to different personalities of dogs.  

You need to have find suitable set ups so that your puppy can interact with appropriate dogs.  A mix of puppies to play with and adults that show them through social learning how to be around each other.
 
The final note to say is that if you have a dog at home – this dog doesn’t count towards their socialisation.  It’s so important that dogs learn these skills alone, without the backup of ‘big brother/sister’.  If you live somewhere with little opportunity to meet others, then get in the car and find places to go where there will be opportunities for social encounters.  Finding the balance between positive experiences and learning opportunities without teaching your dog to become a ‘over social’ splatter is a real balance.  This is why joining a well-run puppy class will help to guide you and give you some well managed socialisation opportunities.  The trainer will also be able to give advice on what your puppy needs, to match their personality and stage they are at. 

Raising a puppy is hard work, and getting socialisation right can be tricky, so please do reach out if you need support.   

​Jo x
 
(Photo is of my Bramley and puppy Heidi having a meet up in my field to help her build confidence around dogs.) 

As a trainer I like to test my skills.  I love to keep learning and the dogs that I have shared my life with are the best teachers I could ask for – whether I wanted the lessons or not!!!  If you’ve worked through any problems with your dogs, then you know what I mean by that statement!

To me, competing in any sport really pushes my skills which I truly believe will help me work better with your dogs.  It’s not just about training to a level where it’s ‘good enough’ it’s about learning how to proof all that learning and trust that it will work no matter what distraction or environment I am working in. 

I currently complete is Scent Trials, Hoopers and Rally with Cuba & Hallie.  Bramley has started his gundog training and scent training (with Jon) and hopefully he will be ready to start doing some competitions next year.  I am fully aware that you might have no interest in competing with your dog and you simply want a dog that will come back when you call them or not bark at another passing dog, so why would me teaching my own dogs be helpful in my learning journey?

The short answer I can give is I want to show that my dogs can work in all environments, can listen and respond and do a skill that we have spent many months/years’ learning.  Working through the problems that we discover as we progress and seeing how each dog is different and has different learning and time frames.  My expectations must be managed, and my disappointments also are part of the journey.   Not giving up is also a big lesson to learn.  Plus I get to share all the mistakes I make along the way with you (I have lots of funny stories to share!).

Bramley has just turned 1 and we are struggling with all the usual challenges of having an adolescent.  His recall can definitely be ‘wobbly’; his desire to meet and play with other dogs is very high and we are finding our way through the balance of using long lines and management whilst still giving him all the outlets that he needs.  If you’ve got a teenager, then you will totally understand that feeling of despair of all that training you did during those first few months seemed to have been lost.  If I want him to compete (or just enjoy our walks) then I want to work through all these challenges and have him working off lead in distracting environments, so working on the basics is essential.   

Your dog might not be suitable to compete for a variety of reasons.  Cuba I hoped to do agility with, but he kept getting injured, so I choose to move to Hoopers which he loves.  We have now also found Operational style scentwork (different to how we started training), and we have progressed so far in the last 2 years.  Hallie, I wanted to do obedience with but with her chronic back pain, I wouldn’t ask her to do that.  Finn (my first Collie) I hoped would do agility, but he honestly didn’t enjoy doing it, so we stopped.  I know lots of dogs that I wouldn’t ask to go and compete in a show environment whether that for behaviour or physical reasons, however, as a Trainer I do think if you are going to help others train their dogs, for whatever goal, then you need to put your skills to the test and see how far you can progress.   

​Jo x

We expect our dogs to adapt to live in our human world, but do we actually make adaptions to our lives so that our dogs can have the best possible life?  The privilege of having a dog in our lives is one that is so easy to get.  You could literally just decide one morning, and I reckon you could buy one with a few days.  Now I don’t want to get started on this issue (I have big feelings about that too!) but focus on the idea that without much planning or thought you can bring an animal into your home and just expect them to fit in.  This isn’t just take 2 weeks off work to settle them in and go back to ‘normal’ without any changes to your life. 

Are you ready to have some disturbed nights sleep if the new dog needs help to settle?  To get up early when the weathers too hot to walk during the day or get very wet when it won’t stop raining? Are you happy to give the dog their own space/area that is a safe place?  Are you willing to spend time learning how to read their body language communication?  Do you accept that fur will now be in every area of your house?  Do you understand that you might have to say no to some social plans because you cannot leave your dog for long periods of time?  Or you need to pay for a dog sitter?   

A big issue I come across is people struggling to change their opinion of what a dog should like and enjoy?  I talk about the ‘Disney dog’ in that we have grown up with unrealistic expectations of dogs in general.  Not all dogs enjoy going to the pub.  Not all dogs want to play with other dogs.  Not all dogs can be off lead in certain environments.  Can you make the changes needed to help support your dog’s individual choice? 

I speak to people that have had a certain breed of dog before and they presume that the next one will be the same.  Although there will likely be similarities between them with breed traits, but even if they are bred from similar lines, they will still be different.  That’s all about personality!  Are you willing to get to know the dog in front of you and work together to get the best outcomes for both of you?  To fulfil both of your wants? 

A sentence I say a lot is “don’t set your dog up to fail”.  If you know they cannot do a certain thing or cope in a certain situation, then why are you asking them to do it? Now don’t get me wrong, some of these things are training issues and as such you can spend time training your dog to learn all sorts of skills and modify their behaviour, however sometimes you need to accept that maybe it’s you that needs to adjust, it’s you that needs to change your behaviour and embrace the dog in front of you. 

Jo x
 
Photo of Penny & Pickle from this morning’s home visit – how gorgeous are they! 

I am seeing more and more cases of dogs that struggle with frustration.  This is often seen by dogs barking and lunging towards other dogs or people.  This frustration response to due to the dog not being able to do the action they want.  In lots of cases this is due to the dogs desperately wanting to interact with the other dog.  Their expectation is that they will meet and play with other dogs, and when they cannot, they display their frustration through, what looks to most, like aggression; barking, lunging, growling etc.  This of course makes the other dog owner move away from this ‘out of control’ dog, which increases the dog’s frustration as the thing they wanted to interact with is getting further away! 

Raising a young dog is hard work.  Finding the right balance of socialising your dog so they are confident in social situations with other dogs and people but also not to allow them to be ‘over social’ and expect that each and every dog and person wants to interact with them.  I use the term 'over social’ as to me this describes some dogs that expect that each dog wants to be their new best friend.  They cannot understand why a dog would not want to play and often can pester and be rude with their manners and body language.  You will hear owners apologising saying something like “they just want to say hello”. 

I believe we are setting our dogs up to fail.  I think for some, going on a dog walk always involves interacting with other dogs and therefore we are setting our dogs expectation that walks mean social time.  When I am walking my dogs, I want them to want to play with me!  To engage with me and play different sorts of games together.  Yes of course, sometime my dogs meet other dogs, but their meeting is brief and I encourage them to just walk past.  Now with an 8-month-old puppy, this is certainly a challenge.  He is at the stage where his desire to be social is increasing.  As a teenager I also know that some dogs will really find him offensive and at 24kg he is a big dog with long legs so I know to some he will be intimidating with his bounciness.  This means when I am walking him in areas where there are other dogs, he needs to be under control.  Using a long line sometimes or giving enough space where I know he can still listen to me.  I don’t want him to learn that he gets to play with other dogs without me knowing this will be received well by the other dog.  Even then, even if every dog we met was a lovely sociable playful dog, I still wouldn’t allow him to interact with them.  I don’t want to set up that expectation in him.

I need to get a little controversial...I do think that the rise in doggy day care might not be helping this issue.  Before anyone shouts at me, I know lots of brilliant people that run excellent dog walking and day care businesses, however I do think that teaching your dog that they can just play all day with all the dogs they meet, might not be best for them.  I love that we now have options with professionals helping us look after our dogs.  It means more people can have dogs that have work or other life commitments, so this isn’t that I don’t like the services now available.  However, I do meet some dogs that have spent a lot of time in day care and some of these dogs definitely struggle more with frustration issues around other dogs.  Has this made a difference to our dogs’ expectations? 

I run a Foundations & Focus programme for adolescents and rescue dogs, and we have an off lead social group each month, so that dogs can have appropriate off lead play with suitable other dogs.  I also have my DOG Hub membership group, which allows dogs (and owners) to become friends and they also have some play time together.  I think there is nothing more joyful that seeing dogs play with each other, running around and having a great time.  This is an important part of their development, however if not managed well, I do think too much off lead play with dogs can have a negative impact.  What do you think? 

I don’t always get it right. Bramley (my pup) has definitely been annoying to some dogs, and I will always tell you the truth about the mistakes I make, but my aim is to set my dogs up for success and to keep focusing on the adult dog that I want him to be.  Each dog is different and therefore the journey will be different, but do try to think ahead and plan your training accordingly.  

​Jo x

I was asked by Bridgwater College this week to be a guest speaker for one of their City & Guilds groups at the Animal Management centre.  I am a guest lecturer for their adult short courses on Canine Behaviour but being asked to speak in front of teenagers to me was quite another request!  I was really quite nervous and worried that I wouldn’t get any engagement during my lesson.  Well, the good news is that they were a wonderful group and were very happy to engage with me and play some fun clicker games (well I did pay with Smarties!!).

One of the tasks I asked them to complete was to think of all the activities a dog would like to do.  If they were given choice, no barriers such as doors or locations, what do you think your dog would choose to do?  Running? Chasing? Swimming? Sunbathing? Chewing? Eating? Sleeping?  It’s actually something I often ask my behaviour clients to consider as it gives us a real insight into your dog’s personality. 

I then asked them to write a list of things we want our dogs to do.  Suggestions were: come back when called, walk nicely on the lead, don’t roll in fox poo, don’t chew the furniture, don’t steal the cake off the counter!  We then put both the lists together and it quickly dawned on them that they don’t match; they don’t match at all! 

Now this doesn’t mean our dogs cannot be trained to have skills that we need for them to be safe and a lovely member of society, but it’s important to know that most of what we want our dogs to do aren’t actually what they would choose to do.

Come back when called or chase a rabbit. Ignore the food left out on the counter or grabbing a quick bite.  Walk really slowly, at human pace, rather than get to the fields as quickly as possible.  Can you see why some skills we need from our dogs will take time to teach them. 

Most of you know we have a new member to our household – Bramley will be 6 months next week and he is still very much learning all the skills we need from him.  A lot of what we are still doing is management, so that he cannot rehearse unwanted behaviour.  For example, when we walk in areas where other dogs are around, he is mostly on his long line, because I know he will want to go and say hello to all of them.  I don’t want him to learn that it’s ok to go up to every dog that we come across.  That is not good dog manners as lots of dogs won’t want to interact with him.  So to keep him safe and be respectful of others, we have to manage him as his recall isn’t strong enough yet to trust that it will work.  This week he has decided that the rug in our lounge is something he wants to chew, so we have removed the rug.   He is teething at the moment, and he is looking for lots of things to chew, so we are giving him lots of appropriate chew toys, but also still managing his environment so he doesn’t get it wrong. 

The expectations we have on our dogs that they should just know and understand is usually too high.   Think back to what they would choose to do and what we need from them.  I want to encourage you that all those skills are very possible to teach.  Through fun, play, rewards and setting them up for success, you really can enjoy the journey along the way until they can be given more freedom and be trusted to have learnt the ‘rules’ that we need from them.   

If you want help with any training or behaviour issues, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
​
Jo x

Pain isn’t training.
Fear isn’t training.
Discomfort isn’t training.
Intimidation isn’t training.
Violence isn’t training.
Aggression isn’t training.
They are not training styles.
They are not differences of opinion.
These are all forms of coercive control.
Do you want to teach/train/care for dogs, or do you want to coercively control them? - there’s a big difference.
 
Shay Kelly wrote this recently and it hit home so hard that I had to share it with you all.  I spend a lot of my time worrying about people using punishment-based training methods as it breaks my heart.  I see it all over social media, although I do try to avoid it. 

I know of so many well-meaning dog owners seek help with their dog and end up with trainers that show them ‘how to be the boss’ or make them feel like a failure because they let them on the sofa or sleep on the bed.  They aren’t being a ‘pack leader’ and that’s why their dogs are misbehaving.  They are shown how to use techniques that cause their dogs to become fearful of the consequence of them doing a certain behaviour.  They must ‘correct’ unwanted behaviour.  Does it stop the behaviour – probably!  If it causes enough pain/discomfort/fear than yes that behaviour will reduce or stop however the fall out of doing it to me to too great to even consider using these methods. 

Our dogs trust us; we have full control over every element of their life.  They are not trying to dominate us.  They are not trying to misbehave just to make your day harder.  They are probably just ‘being a dog’ and doing dog behaviours.  That doesn’t mean you cannot spend time training them, showing them how you want them to behave and to have rules and boundaries.  To keep them safe and to have any enjoyable life together, but that shouldn’t mean a life of stress, anxiety and worry. 

I know I have written similar posts before, and I know I will write them again.  I can only do my best with the people that are wanting to work with their dogs, to get the best trusting loving relationship possible.  I am just trying to guide those people that might not be aware that they are other ways to help our dogs that do not require fear or intimidation.  Our dogs are with us for such a short time; you are their whole world so make sure that their lives are as enjoyable as possible. 

Reward based training doesn’t mean allowing dogs to not have any rules or boundaries.  I want them to listen to me when I need them to respond, to have manners to live in our human world, however I am not prepared to use any methods that damage my relationship with them and cause any distress.  If they are getting it wrong and doing something I don’t like – I need to reflect on what my expectations are compared to how much training I have done with them.  If you haven’t spent time showing them what behaviours you want them to do (or not do) then you cannot expect anything other than they will be a dog! 

Be proud of using reward-based training methods, show them off to anyone that is interested and let’s show everyone that there is no need to use punishment in training.  

​Jo x
​
(Photo of Hallie & Bramley on my bed!)  

I saw this quote on Facebook recently from Susan Friedman “The animal is never wrong…you get what you reinforce.  All behaviour has a function including undesirable behaviour.  The question is not “Why is the animal behaving this way?” but rather, “What’s reinforcing this behaviour?”
 
If we can think for our dog’s behaviour in this way, I really believe it would help us understand those behaviours that we wish they didn’t do.  I talk to lots of people who get really distressed that their dog does a certain behaviour, and they think the dog understands this behaviour is wrong.  I hear “they knew they shouldn’t be doing that”.  Let’s just be clear – dogs are not moral; they have no concept of right and wrong.  They view the world as what works and what doesn’t. what’s safe versus what’s dangerous.  As Susan Friedman says, “all behaviour has a function”. 

So the real question you should be asking yourself is “what is the dog achieving from doing the behaviour?”.  “What is reinforcing it so that they repeat it?”. 

Let’s talk through some examples:  Your dog is jumping up on your kitchen table.  Sometimes when it jumps up something is there to grab, crumbs from your toast, a smelly tea towel, or even loaf of bread.  Can you see that the action of them jumping up is being rewarded by the ‘thing’ they get.  Now what usually happens is that you now catch your dog in the action of jumping up, you tell them off or correct them in some way, they stop doing it.  You think they have learnt not to do it.  However you notice that they still do this behaviour when you are not home as you find evidence of things chewed up when you return home.  You now think your dog is doing this on purpose – they knew they shouldn’t be doing it; they are doing it to spite me.  No!  They have learnt that doing that behaviour when you are present is dangerous (there is a consequence) but when you aren’t home, it’s safe so that’s when to do it.   This is smart right?  It’s safe when no one is around so that’s when they do the behaviour.  It gets reinforced because sometimes they win something like some left over food. 
 
Let’s think of another example.  Your dog is worried about other dogs getting too close, so they have started to bark when another dog approaches.   Most of the time, the owner of the other dog will move their dog away (as barking is intimidating) so now the barking dog sees their behaviour as successful.  After a few repetitions they have learnt that barking keeps them safe as the other dog moves away.  Even if this barking behaviour doesn’t work every time, it work’s often enough that it is seen to be successful and therefore the function of barking has achieved the goal of making the other dog move away. 
 
Once a behaviour is learnt then why would the dog change it?  It works!  Behaviour will only change if you consider the function, the ‘why’ of the behaviour is happening and what is reinforcing it?  Only then can you look to change the behaviour.    
 
Have you ever tried to change your behaviour before?  Something that you have done for a long period of time.  It’s hard work and takes time. 
Sometimes figuring out the ‘why’ needs a different viewpoint and not from someone in the middle of it.  I am very happy to tell you when I struggle with my dog’s behaviour, I seek help from others.  People I trust that can help and guide me to achieve the best outcome for me and my dog.  There is nothing wrong with asking for help. 
 
If you have got to the point where you need help and support for your dog’s behaviour and to understand their ‘why’ then please get in touch. 
Jo x

It may surprise you that as a trainer I haven’t started doing much training with Bramley yet.  We have had him 6 weeks, and in terms of obedience training, he knows sit (the breeder started that) and to respond to his name, so the start of recall training.  That’s it.  I think this will surprise some people. 

With any new dog (puppy or rescue) the last thing I focus on is obedience training in those first few months.  Don’t get me wrong, I start working on manners such as where to toilet, reducing puppy biting, confident in being handled and showing them how much fun playing with me is.  My focus is on finding out who this dog is, what they enjoy doing, working on building confidence in the world around them (noises, different environments, people, dogs etc) but mainly it’s all about building a trusting relationship.
 
I love all the training side, and he will learn lots of skills, but you cannot expect a dog to enjoy training and learning without the fundamentals of having a relationship first. 

Our main focus with Bramley at the moment is raising a confident dog. We met our target of meeting 100 people before he was 12 weeks old (Ian Dunbar recommends this amount) which took lots of planning and carrying him around and having people in our house.  He has meet several of our friends’ dogs before he was allowed out to interact with others.  We have been to garden centres, B&Q, housing estates, rural walks, woods, riverside walks, seen some horses and sheep.  Lots of trips in the van, which he is now happy to travel in.  Working on being left alone, and appropriate play with the other 2 dogs.  I have goals of what I want him to be good at as an adult and what experiences I don’t have easy access to – this shapes what we do each week.  I need to be proactive in what we are doing but also being aware to not overwhelm and give him space to process. 

The joyful moments we now have with him and Hallie playing together is lovely.  We had to do a slow introduction to start with as Hallie can guard me and stuff on the floor, so management is needed.  However, they are building a lovely bond together and figuring out how to play.  Cuba isn’t that interested but as he is 9, I wouldn’t expect him to be.  I think when Bramley is less bouncy their relationship will build. 

I will keep you all updated with what we get up to as he grows up.  The joys of adolescence will be on us in no time!!! 
​Jo x

I was out with a client last week and walked past another dog walker who the moment they spotted us, moved away and was obviously wanting space.  I initially was really happy as I love it when I see dog guardians knowing what their dogs need and will advocate for them. We of course moved over as far as the path allowed.  However, it quickly turned into a sad experience…as they walked past us, the dog gave a few barks at us, and the owner started shouting no and yanking on the dogs lead.  This dog was clearly uncomfortable about being this close, and the consequence of the dog expressing his discomfort -  he was shouted at and hurt by the person that should be his protector.   
 
This isn’t a one-off experience.  I frequently see dog owners that use punishment as a way to control their dog’s behaviour especially when they are feeling embarrassed or out of control of what their dog is doing.  I genuinely feel sad, a deep-down stomach sort of upset; but my heart goes out to these people.  It’s so hard to have a dog that ‘misbehaves’ and the looks of judgement that come from other dog owners is really hard to cope with.  It still shocks me that other dog owners can be so unhelpful towards each other.  Surely, we should all be on the same team?  We all just want our dogs to have a lovely, safe, happy life? 

I understand the stress and frustration of having a dog that looks like a ‘crazy fruit loop’ (my technical term) when another dog turns up.  It’s so embarrassing.  It’s hard to not get upset and angry as this usually loving dog is now looking like a crazy beast.  You don’t understand – you give this dog a wonderful life, and this is how they are paying you back!  The walk is for them anyway, and now it’s ruined because of their behaviour.   You don’t understand that they are so wonderful most of the time, expect when another dog shows up.  Have you considered they might also say the same thing about you??? You are lovely most of the time, but the moment another dog turns up, you turn into a lunatic.  You start shouting, pulling, and looking like a mad person!  Just a thought…

You and your dog are now in a circle of behaviour in that you both ‘react’ when another dog is present.  It’s a hard behaviour pattern to change, but it can be.  However, I really want to express my concern in using punishment as a way to stop this reactivity.  Making your dog fearful of expressing themselves is not the way to do it.  Fear of being hurt or punished will only suppress the behaviour, it won’t change how they feel about the situation.  Yes, it might look like it’s working as your dog is no longer shouting or lunging at other dogs – but at what cost?  The cost of your dog now living in fear of when the next ‘lead check’ might occur, or worse.  Are you aware that dogs don’t process information as we do.  They may not understand that the pain is due to their unacceptable behaviour – it’s much more likely they will pair that pain with the presence of the other dog.  So now they are even more afraid of the other dog and afraid of you too! 

Can you imagine living in a world where the person you trust with your life, is also the person you fear?  Dogs are so forgiving animals that they do put up with it.  That is not the life I want my dogs to experience or anyone of yours either.

If you are struggling with your dog’s behaviour, please reach out and ask for help.  I know that most of us find it hard to accept that we cannot do things alone and that we need help.  However, it really can be the best decision you make.  Please makes sure you use a qualified, rewarded based trainer, so that you get the best results without it costing the loving, caring and trusting relationship you have with your dog.   See the ABTC website link below for details of trainers that follow a code of ethics and have been assessed.    

Jo x

​https://abtc.org.uk/

However, we do need a bit of empathy and to understand what is going on for our dogs. Do you remember being a teenager? Certainly, a time of change and confusion.  So why wouldn’t our dogs (or an animal) be similar. 

The mammalian brain is physically changing during this period between puberty and adulthood.  What this means is that they are more likely to take risks, have less inhibition, their confidence is increasing, their desire to be ‘social’ increases and prey drive kicks in.  Sound fun!! 

I remember being a teenager well.  Finding my place within the world, wanting to be grown up but not knowing how to be.  Hormones were of course impacting me and my friends as well, so no one really knew how to manage their behaviour sometimes.  My parents were also trying to find the balance between giving me more freedom versus keeping me safe. 

I think having an adolescent dog it very similar.  We need to understand how many changes are going on physically and mentally.  We must find the balance between giving them outlets for what they want versus keeping them safe.

Having suitable dogs that they can interact with without learning to be a hooligan.  Using long lines to make sure they don’t learn how much fun running off and chasing a rabbit or bouncing on all the other dogs in park can be!  Giving them some quiet time to allow them to process the world.  Managing our expectations about what they can do, where they can go and help them cope if they are struggling.

Remembering that management isn’t cruel, it’s about not setting your dog up to fail.  What gets rewarded gets repeated!  Can you imagine the internal reward (feel good factor) your dog gets when it chases a rabbit across the field.  They cannot hear you calling them, all they know is that this is the best thing they have done all day!  So why wouldn’t they want to do it again tomorrow?  For you, you are terrified that your dog is not listening to you and scared they aren’t safe.  It’s the same if you allow your puppy to play with all the dogs they meet on a walk – this isn’t going to help them cope with their frustration of not being allowed to interact when the other dog when they are older.  Management is essential during this time in their life. 

However, please don’t take this to mean you hide away and don’t spend this time still working with your dog.  This period of their life is very important to develop a well-rounded adult dog. 

A few thoughts for you to help: How often do you play with your dog?  Spontaneous, silly, just running around play?  Do you give your dog appropriate outlets for both physical and mental desires?  Hiring a dog field is a great way to give them some safe off lead time, do some training games, sniffing time, and be relaxed because you know no one else is around.  Get to know your dog – what do they like doing?  I love asking people – if your dog had choice of what they get up to, what would they do?  This will guide you as to the fun activities you can learn together. 

I personally really enjoy this time in a dog’s life.  I love getting to know who they are going to become.  Yes, it is challenging, yes it can be hard work, but please remember to enjoy it too!  We don’t have long with our dogs, so make it all count.  

Jo x