Barking up the Wrong Tree!

Why does my dog keep barking when I ask it to stop!

Barking comes in many forms. It's a language we have to learn from our dogs. Are they fearful, warning, happy, playful or wanting attention? It is up to us to decipher, with the rest of their body language and what is going on in the environment at the time.

When we ask our dogs to be quiet when they do warn us of a potential danger coming to our home, for example the postal worker, do we let them bark until the person has gone? Allowing the dogs to gets aroused into a state of frenzy, only heightens their response to the next person or potential danger coming onto the property.

Acknowledgement

Let the dog know they are doing a great job. After all, I like my dogs to let me know if something is bothering them outside, especially at night.
How we acknowledge this, is important.  A calm, reassuring voice of "Thank you, I've got this" when they are barking like crazy, will be heard, I reassure you. Whatever body language they portray, whether hackles up along the back, rigid posture, tail upright, alert ears or the fearful posture of ears back, tail low, head low or running to hide, acknowledge them.
What is your body language saying? Are you calm? Go to where they are barking. They do not need to be touched, use your voice, body language and calming presence for reassurance.

Introducing "Quiet"

Does your dog know what quiet means?
Implementing a simple technique and being consistent, will go towards your dog understanding what "Quiet" means and is more than likely to do it when asked.
Here's what I mean.
Your dog is barking.
Wait for a gap in the barking(yes, there will be one, you initially have to wait for it!)
"Quiet"(Said with calmness and assertiveness)
Bark, bark, bark...
"Quiet"
Bark, bark, bark, bark, grumble...
"Quiet"
Grumble, bark, grumble...
"Quiet, good for quiet"
Wruff..
"Quiet, good for quiet"
Whine..
"Quiet, everything is fine, great job, thank you for letting me know"
Peace descends on the household!

You can use the "Quiet" before the barking starts too. If your dog starts to give attention to anything and you think they may start to bark, use "Quiet" then and let them know all is good.
Praise them calmly for being quiet. You are rewarding the behaviour at the time. They are listening to you. They are learning to self settle and become calmer themselves. And all of this without the use of treats!

The Magic word is Consistency

Consistency plays an important part here. The behaviour you want more of will start to happen more because of your response and acknowledgement at the time. 

As with any place worth going, this will take time to become easy for you and your dog. However the good news is that by being there for your dog and looking after them, this is going towards some basic needs of safety, trust and group dynamics.
And have fun with it....your timing and observation will improve and you'll really get to know your dog and what they are thinking and saying!!

Anxiety - What are we doing about it?

Anxiety is a very broad term for stressful behaviours we see in our dogs. They cause us concern and we try to deal with eliminating the behaviour.
Most anxieties we see, we have given labels to, dependant on the trigger. 
It is not the behaviour we are seeing that needs to be addressed rather understanding the underlying causes, that are bubbling under the surface. These need to be addressed.

What's really happening?
So lets get down to the nitty gritty of what is actually going on here.
To understand whats going on for the dog, many aspects have to be considered.
Genetics, history, Sensory Integration(yes, science has a lot to do with it!) and the Nervous System, Basic Needs, Dog Language & Understanding and the Environment.


Lets start with genetics. 
How a dog is bred has a lot to do with how the dog is going to turn out. Those of us that work with rescues and puppy mill dogs, know only too well the extremes of some of the anxieties that develope. Whether outward or inward behaviours that are shown, dogs deal with their anxieties in different ways. 
Even the best breeding of dogs can and do have anxiety behaviours. 

History
Those first few weeks of imprinting, how they are handled, the environment, even the food they eat, all have an impact on the dogs well being.
The way they are handled, trained and the environments they live in are all part of where they are now, in the moment whatever their breeding.

Sensory Integration & the Nervous System
I love science! This is my favourite along side Basic Needs! How the brain makes sense of all sensory input and I'm not just talking about the 5 senses of sight, sound, hearing, touch and taste. I'm going deeper, the inner sensory systems and how we can influence our dogs outlook and bring them into a successful place to learn. (ebook to be published at the end of May).

Basic Needs
All my work with dogs, is based on the research that I have carried out over the last ten years. These needs are so important to success. Many are overlooked or taken for granted. Each need is linked and intertwined with the other, for the dog to be in a place of successful learning.
Here again we have a huge influence on how we can support the dog in being settled, feeling good, being calm and moving towards a thriving life. This is where trust and safety are built, two important aspects that are overlooked so many times. ("How to Reach the Basic Needs for Success" to be published May 21st 2013).

Dog Language and Dog Understanding
These subjects are huge and thankfully we are continually learning new ways of understanding our dogs. Working with many dogs in different capacities, I have learnt many aspects and am learning on a continuous basis.
Many people know the tell tale signs of our dogs however the more subtle and quick communication between dogs, their responses and actions are always a fascination for me.
Some calming signals are well known such as lip smacking, yawning, posture and gait. There is so much more in context with the whole dog and the environment at the time. 

Environment
Intertwined with all of the above, is the environment. A dog may be settled in one environment, then taken to another and different anxieties start to surface. Dealing with what is going on for the dog at the time brings about our awareness to our dog. How much we understand them and how our skills can support the dog into being in a place of calm and learning whatever the environment, is our responsibility.

Dogs are so in the moment, they are so clear on being in that moment.  How they are feeling in that moment is how we can influence and support them not only in that moment but previous to that moment. All our work and support goe  towards a successful and thriving life.

Anxiety is a state of being for the dog. How it came to that state has many deciding factors some as indicated above. The good news is that supporting the dog into having a choice to move into a state of well being, is possible.
As I said earlier, the basic needs are not so much a step by step process (making it into a diagram is for ease of use). These needs are being met on a continuous basis, whatever the environment, for successful learning in all environments.
As an example, how you feed a dog has such a widespread impact on your relationship with them. Waiting for them to offer a sit, rather than telling them to sit, before placing the bowl on the floor and saying a word or a whistle, so they know they can eat, effects many levels of their basic needs. It will bring in self settling and listening skills for the dog. For you, observation skills will be heightened as you really start to see how the dog learns and how they are feeling. And a level of trust will start to be built upon in your relationship.

Anxiety is reduced when we start to look behind the behaviour seen and work and support the dog in being in a place of comfort, safety and trust.


Jane

www.inspiredk9s.ca

Small Steps of Success

Here and Now

As humans our thoughts are either in the past, thinking of what could have been or in the future thinking what may happen. How difficult it is to be in the now, appreciating what is, with no expectations but to live in the moment?

Dogs Here and Now

Dogs are great, aren't they? They are in the moment. They know when it is feed time, when it is time to go and exercise and when you are coming home from work or going to collect them from playgroup!

What you see in that moment is what the dogs are feeling in that moment. Where their journey has taken them, to be where they are now. Are they confident, thriving and  trusting happy dogs or has their journey been one of abuse, scarcity and lack?

Wherever they have been, we owe it to them to be in this present moment with them. 
Why? 
Because when we are, we learn how they learn, we tune in our observation skills so our teaching skills are clear, precise and understood. 

“Never discourage anyone... who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.” - Plato

I have been reading up on neuroscience. As humans our ability to change a habit or behaviour takes 30 days. It takes that amount of time for the brain to build new neuro connections to make the change.

Paws For Thought

My question is how long does it take for a dog's brain to install new skills or habits? 
Do we implement enough consistent handling or training of our dogs to install the change of the habit or behaviour?
Do we get frustrated when the dog does not do as we ask, when we think we have trained them to do a certain task.
Do we take the time to see whether our dog understands what we are asking?
Do we get consistent results with the dog offering the behaviour?

Successful Learning

With my experience of training guide dogs to guide safely in the environment, my assessment of each dog I worked with was ongoing, from moment to moment. 
With teaching them, I did not have expectations of them, I acknowledged what they were giving me in the moment, which led me to understand how much they knew and how much more I needed to teach them.
This is what I know. Whatever the dog, whether working or companion, true success is acknowledging the small successful steps leading up to the outcome. I believe that if we miss these, then the dog will miss the important growth needed to make more definite internal neuro connections in their brain. 

Allowing the dog to have a choice to learn, with supporting them to successful decisions, will increase their awareness and comfort in their environments.

Enjoy your dog!

Jane