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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

20 hours ago

This is an extremely good point and one that I agree with. Socialization is all about adapting and adjusting to the environment and learning coping ability as the challenges come along. Treats have their place in training but I don’t like the over-use of them when a pup is processing information and trying to make choices as they deal with early fears and apprehensions. … See MoreSee Less

Presenting the possibility that, during socialization, puppies may not always get the opportunity to retreat to a safe place to relax/regroup as they test their approach to a new object/environment if the person accompanying them is constantly encouraging them to do things outside their comfort zone while presenting treats, Patel said: ‪"Puppies may learn to rely on treats to feel safe in the environment, rather than learn to feel safe without the treats. We want puppies to learn to take their safety from the environment." – Chirag Patel on rethinking puppy socialization #PPGWorkshop #puppies‬

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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

1 day ago

Fabulous session yesterday with this bonnie lass working on leash walking & close-quarter recall.
Lots of encouragement, clear communication using all of our actions and a wide variety of rewards based on her preferred instincts. … See MoreSee Less

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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

3 days ago

How motivated is your dog for giving you a behaviour or telling you they love what’s about to happen?

Look at the delight of anticipation in that face!!! … See MoreSee Less

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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

3 days ago

Are You Experiencing Difficulty Handling Your Reactive Dog?

I thought I would share with you this short piece of advice to one of my clients on handling the reactivity of their dog and also on the crucial aspects of allowing time to learn how to use your methods and practise effectively. That is so important. I will not go into the full details of this particular case but the advice is useful for anyone out there starting off from a point where they are avoiding other dogs due to various levels of reactivity. There are many other things to consider from case to case but the essence of the fundamentals is here for you.

At the moment as you learn to train you will be mostly using avoidance but still widening out in other areas where you can practise your techniques comfortably.

When dogs react they are under stress, and they adopt a behaviour to solve the solution. The training is designed to give them other options and promote effective handling techniques. Consider how well you perform any task when under pressure? There is a big difference in learning how to do something and performing it when under pressure. Pressure changes everything….

It’s not that different for dogs. The primary thing or feeling for any dog is ‘Am I safe?’ This can even be prioritized over other essential needs such as food or water. Dogs react when they cannot control their environment. That’s what makes training a challenge for humans. The key is to understand the situation and not to expect too much too soon but also to go forward comfortably. This is still a learning plus responding under pressure stage. This is where most of the work is done. Some of the expressive and reactive dogs I have in my care I will set aside a good 10 months of environmental control and during that time test and monitor it under small and gradually increasing amounts of pressure. Even then it should only be performed a couple of times per week if necessary. The dog must trust your handling, guidance and direction implicitly for a situation to produce favourable results. As with any progress there will be setbacks and backsliding. This is completely natural and allowances should be made for this. There is no progression without regression. Each regression should allow you to reflect on the situation, environment, what was done, what sparked the behaviour and how you also coped with it emotionally. Doing the fundamentals well requires consistent practise.

If you happen to see no other dogs around in an environment there are other indications that your dog maysense them and start to become anxious and aroused. Pulling harder on the lead, an increase in air scenting and ground scenting, marking and unresponsiveness, a higher alertness and change in breathing patterns. These behaviours naturally produce an increase in handlers finding themselves experiencing greater physical resistance. Whether your dog is walked on a harness or a type of collar can also make a big difference.

Controlling our own emotions and being able to resort to the methods and techniques you have practised are your first exercises in self-awareness. Are you able to focus and channel your thoughts and emotions to doing what you have rehearsed in low key and safe areas. Of course life is no guarantee and we are all taken by surprise from time to time, this is where your self-awareness and response to situations is truly tested. You will employ methods to help you train a responsive behaviour when other dogs are in sight or passing, and equally you should train and rehearse what you will do when you are all taken by surprise by an off-leash dog or by turning a blind corner and meeting an oncoming dog and owner. The ability to remain quiet and go fluidly into your most effective handling strategy requires practise and possibly the enlisted help of some friends.

My advice is to set aside the time for emotional and physical handling, to record your progress and if possible support each other with valuable feedback. Recording your sessions with video is also a very useful tool. If the concept is totally new to you then first 6 weeks should be set aside to familiarize and learn the fundamentals well. In my experience the most difficult part for owners is the emotional aspect or training and also the inconvenience of finding suitable environments to walk and train but it is necessary. This is what generates feelings of trust for the dog in the dog’s handler being able to provide a back door out of a situation. The use of equipment is also very important. Dog training is in itself a skill, handling a reactive dog requires the basic skills plus and emotional and physical balance that contributes to handling the most difficult of situations.

Keep it simple, allow time for learning, record your progress, do not get disheartened at setbacks when you start to test and widen out, do not expect too much of yourself or your dog too soon. The slower you take it, the quicker you will get there. That is my advice on handling dogs with concerns and issues over my own lifetime as a trainer. … See MoreSee Less

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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

2 weeks ago

Rear end sniffing,
Can you tell when it is not consensual?
Do you protect your fearful puppy from it by older dogs?
Do you break it up because you don’t like it?
What’s your opinion and experience with your dogs? … See MoreSee Less

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