Hello, it has been a long while since my last Blog. Life gets like that Hey?

Lots of changes over the last few years, lots of travel, lots of teaching.

The advantages to this is I have met a lot of wonderful Dog Folk and made some new friends along the way. I feel a lot more connected now to the Dog Industry after being Isolated here for so many years and am spending time with people that I lost touch with over the years.

The disadvantages to all this travel though is that my own business has suffered from neglect and my long suffering clients have had to be very flexible with Class times and Consult availability. Thank you for your patience!

I have cut back on my travels this year and found a bit more life balance. This has given me the opportunity to have some tinkering time in the kitchen developing recipes and learning the wonderful world of the dehydrator.

My own dogs have put their paws up to be the R & D team and have been thoroughly testing each and every batch that have come out of the dehydrator. The 3 second rule is not required in the She Shed as most times a dropped piece of food does not even reach the floor before being snatched out of the air.

There have been some tragic incidences within the Pet food industry over the last few years and many issues have finally come to light. Megaesophagus, paralysis, kidney failure, liver failure, plastics contamination, high levels of mercury, cancers, food recalls a plenty.

This led me to examine what actually goes into those dog training treats that come off the shelves. What effect do they have on my dogs health? Behaviour? My clients dogs health?

Am I poisoning dogs by the use of the overly processed products? Where are these foods coming from now? Australian owned? Offshore? What are the regulations that should be protecting our pets from product content?

My journey from there led along the path of sustainably and locally sourced meat that could then be dried into a training treat that was pure protein, no chemicals and very high value to the dog being trained. A lot of the clients dogs I see are very well fed so any extra training food needs to be of a high value. Not many owners will remove a dogs daily intake and use it for training instead of giving it away for free.

I try to live along the Permaculture principles of minimum waste, ecologically friendly, minimise food miles etc. So I combined these principles with my Chef experience and came up with a range of products to fit many training requirements.

So the Brownie range was born. Still in it's early stages of development and just starting out in sales, I hope this range of products helps you all in your training journey and brings back safe, nutritious, high value rewards for your dogs.

Yes this whole range has been tested on animals (the jerky has also been 'tested' by many handlers also) and I hope that these products bring as much satisfaction to your dogs as they do mine.

The ramblings of the 3am mind.

First off I apologise for the lack of posts, my life took a bit of a left hand turn back in October and has been a little consumed by new responsibilities. Funny how life does that, just when you think you have a focused track you loop back on yourself and take a road that you have travelled before.

I have found myself back teaching students of dog training, it has been awhile since I was last responsible for other peoples learning in this way. That is to say people who have chosen to sign up for a course and dedicate some of their time to learning the craft. I am back with the NDTF after many years away and finding it very different from when I was involved back in the mid 90's.

The cross section of students backgrounds are just as diverse but now there seems to be a definite shift in the male / female balance. I was the first female through in the NDTF course and over that first ten years I was involved there were few woman trainers, the main intake of students were male. This was probably due to the focus of the training back then being in the working dog sector. How things have changed, in most ways for the better but in some....well not so.

As trainee's we were given many opportunities to learn, both in lectures as well as on the field. We were expected to work every training session with clients and dogs, attend every lecture and workshop after hours and then train our own dogs to a high standard after the training was finished for the day or night. I started that traineeship at the age of about 17/18.

My full time job at this time was in Graphic Repro, a four year indentured apprenticeship that involved 3 years of trade school and a Master in Trade that was responsible for my teaching. A hard man who expected perfection and dedication to the job. I spent ten years under his guidance before I left to pursue other careers within the printing industry, to gain a wider knowledge as well as a sense of self and independence. When I started that trade back in 1986 I was one of three girls who were the first to ever go through the trade.

I ask students now, why do they want to do this course? What is it that they want from this experience? What are their expectations? What are their current trades? What other skills do they think they have that could help them with becoming a dog trainer?

The diversity of backgrounds is brilliant, the common thread throughout though is the passion for dogs. Making a difference for either the dog they currently own or on a wider basis through rescue and rehabilitation. Many come with vast knowledge and years within the dog trades.

As with any cross section of people there are those that you wonder about, the ones that seem to have a skewed perspective or are maybe are just naive. I think of them as "the entitled ones".

Those who feel that a simple course will make them into something else, something more purely through the attainment of that first certificate. These are the ones that expect a job handed to them and the kudo's that go with it. Reality bites hey?

Any apprenticeship eventually ends, you 'do your time', 'earn your stripes' etc etc. But once that apprenticeship ends you are never really a trades person until you do your time as a Journeyman. The end of a period of initial learning needs to then take it on the road. Go find other masters in trade to work under, different facets of the same industry or maybe other trades that will compliment the work you want to perfect or become better at. As a dog trainer you need to hunt down opportunities, volunteer your services to gain more experience and give some back to those that help you as a journeyman. Quid Pro Quo.

The day you think that the journey has ended and that you are done with the travelling is the day you stop learning. Don't sit back and wait for opportunities to be handed to you, hunt them down and run with them for as long as they last. Then say thank you and move onto the next opportunity to gain knowledge and make y

Today I got a message through from a client who has been incredibly pro active in training her new pound dog Murphy. The Murph had a few typical rescue type issues such as pulling on the lead, jumping up and was a little reactive in low light situations. Just a bit young and undeveloped and certainly exuberant in his Lab x way.

Our Murph has been a regular attendant at classes as well as his handler seeking out extra curricular activities for him. This dog/ handler team are progressing very well but there have been some inconsistencies as far as Murphs other human and this is creating challenges.

So, back to the message received...

You would be proud of me! Mr X was playing with Murphy and getting him to fetch using the fetch command, but then wanting him to put it in his hand. He kept saying fetch even though that is what Murphy was doing. So i asked him what day it was. He told me. I asked again. Ditto. The third time he got annoyed. So i said that is what you are doing to Murphy. And he got it. We agreed new command - put. Such a simple but powerful illustration

Standing ovation for this lady, brilliant initiative without being confrontational. Simple, succinct and a successful outcome for all. This will then have the knock on effect of Murphs second human getting less frustrated with the dog and having a better understanding of clear communication.

A training exercise to help you with this concept is "Paws Up" and "off".

Use a low stool, box etc and teach your dog "paws up", use free shaping, luring, guiding or what ever combo works for you. Once the dog is consistent with this the teach the second half of the skill "off". This is not a correction in any way, you are not telling the dog off it is simply another skill. Again, luring can work easily for this, lure the dog off the stool and reward when it has 4 paws back on the ground. In this way we now have a clear line of communication to the dog for other situations. Say for example the dog is bench surfing for that meat thawing out..."off".

Done and dusted, no yelling required and no suppressing of the dog so that we can harness that skill at a later date for a complex skill.

We can then teach the dog "paws up" as a greeting if we want it for cuddles or fitting of equipment etc. Then simply "off" when we are done. We control the outcome simply and clearly, we retain consistency and bond.

Other examples could be "speak" and "quiet"...two sides of the same coin. Maybe you are having issues with a thief type dog? "Mine" and "Yours" is a great baseline to create from day one.

How about "inside" and "outside"? If you have a door dasher dog then this is the training exercise for you! So instead of getting frustrated at the dogs non compliance, think about the situation....the whole picture. Are you being clear? or are you expecting the dog to "just know"???

Happy Training Folks!

There are so many ways that we can engage with our dog when we are training, what we use as a training aid is dependant on your dogs preference.

Some LOVE their food to the point that they will almost turn themselves inside out to gain what you have in your hand. Then there are others that will give your Uba treat a sniff then turn away with that look that says "You can't do better than that??"

There are many breeds or mixes of breeds that have what is known as a high prey drive or retrieve drive. These are the dogs that toys are your best form of reward and focus puller.

So your homework will be: Who is your dog? Who are they really? What rocks their world? Have you conditioned your dog to engage with you through play? Is there a toy that just really ticks all the boxes for them? Or do they not have any inclination to play with toys?

If the latter is the case then you will need to find a training treat that really does attract them. Have a range and swap them around. Work out what works well and reliably but keeps the dog at a steady level of concentration.

Safety warning: Many of the products on the market today are brought in from China.

They are low cost for bulk quantities and readily available from most retail outlets.

READ THE LABEL. What have they used in the ingredients? What have they used as a preservative?

What have they been treated with to appease Australian Quarantine laws?? The answer to all of these questions is often quite frightening with devastating results for your dog. If you would not eat it yourself then do not use it on your dog! If it looks and smells like plastic then why would you feed it to somebody you love??

Research what is safe and why not add beneficial ingredients to their diet through training treats?

I have been developing a range of jerky and biscuit treats that incorporate super foods, (organic where possible) and so far have been very successful even on very fussy dogs. My recipes incorporate seasonal produce, home grown organically along with free range eggs and whole milk.

The flours are kept to a minimum and are whole grain, gluten free such as Besan and Buckweat.

Sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, kale, silverbeet add vital nutrition while working very well as a lure.

The Jerky meat is simply sliced thinly, marinated in soy (to help preserve) then dehydrated. A lengthy process and work intensive but well worth the result as I can now use my lures and know that they are very safe as well as being more effective than the commercial products. I have to keep the jerky locked up as there have been a few thefts already! This from dogs that usually turn their noses up at most treats I have tried on them so far.

USING THE TREATS

The concept of a 'lure' for a dog is pretty much the same as what you would use for fishing. It needs to attract the dog attention and get it's body to follow it. With dogs though we do not use hooks!!!

We want to capture the behaviour not the dog itself!

Some treats are so highly rewarding that the dogs ability to hold a thought is impaired by it's overwhelming need to have what you hold. They then throw random behaviours at you in the hope that one will work to gain what they need. We need to find out what works for your dog on that day, in that moment. Dogs are not machines, tastes change, needs change.

Levels of anxiety directly effect the dogs appetite and ability to concentrate as well as problem solve. Ambient temperature, how hydrated is the dog? How fatigued are they?

Also consider that trinity of training, Distance, duration and distraction.

So take a look at your training kit, do you have a broad range of lures? (treats) Is there something in that bag for the dog that is reliable? That the dog will always want and feel that they have gained a reward for a behaviour? That they will offer that behaviour again and again even under distraction because they really want what you have?

Then we need the 'jackpot' treat, that reward that says to the dog you have hit the mother lode here buddy. ( try jerky!) That what you have just done for me is awesome, a complex skill that required your dedication to complete. The attitude of you as the trainer needs to reflect the value of the reward and the recognition you give the dog for the skill they have just learned.

A note of caution here, DO NOT just become a Pez dispenser! Poking treats at a dog to overcome every behavioural issue is a trap that will lead you up the wrong path. Use a balanced approach of YES and NO to let the dog understand what is an appropriate response to a stimuli and what is not.

The correct use of treats is as a lure to condition a response to a command, that is our aim. Using a suitable treat for your dog as a part of the pattern of learning can then enable you to teach the dog to offer different positions according to where you move that lure. Engage the dogs nose, then where you move that lure is where the dog will follow. Think of it as a dog magnet!

TECHNIQUE

If you allow the dog to get a snout full of scent then hold the treat up and above the dogs head then the dog will naturally look up and the bum goes down into a 'sit'. Tie this movement with the sound you want to use as a command and there you go! For a stand then pull the food forward in line with the dogs nose, guiding gently with your other hand. this can then teach the dog to 'stand'. A drop or down can be achieved by getting the dogs nose onto the treat then pulling your hand down between their paws and then moving the hand along the ground back towards the dogs hind feet. The dog will then crouch and lie back into a drop by simply following the lure.

A 'forced' drop where the trainer pushes the dog down into this position through pressure alone can confuse a dog. A nervous dog is likely to bite you for your efforts. Once a negative association is gained through inappropriate techniques it is a long road to come back to a willing response from the dog. A forced sit or a stand can have a confusing effect on the dog also but it does not seem to be as overwhelming as the forced drop. If a dog will work for a lure and it is safer for you and the dog then why not use it?

Once you master the dog magnet concept of luring have some fun with it! Teach the beg, roll over, dance, head down, on your side etc etc etc!

SUMMARY

If you can condition your dog to have an excited response for a toy then you will have an incredibly powerful reward system. One that works in high distraction environments, is reliable and has the ability to hold the dogs focus even if it has aggression issues etc. You can then have an energetic play session after the release command to burn off some of that angst.

If the love of your dogs life is his stomach then you will need a range of options to suit their whimsy of appetite. The higher the value of the reward for the dog then the more reliable the response and also the more the dog engages with you to achieve the outcome you both want.

Win win!

Miss Nellie came to us from a local Dorper Breeder at about 4 weeks of age.

Straight off the paddock and into a dog crate to bring home.

A script had come in that required a sheep, she did not have to do much but needed to be social, safe and able to be picked up and handled.

Walk on a lead and not react around the equipment on a set.

No much to ask hey? From a lamb that only 2 days previous had been a feral little bugger running the paddocks.

Miss Nellie within few hours of putting that collar on and being handled decided she liked living this side of the vally. The grass was green and the pellet bin never ran out. She imprinted so well and wanted to be with us all the time. She gardened with me, came in the house for lunch and then cushed down and slept on the dog mat. Hence Young Nellie never did go back to the sheep paddocks, she is a permanent resident here.

Emmy and Juniour just seemed to shrug in their own canine way and just accepted Nellie into the family. The ducks however do not like her rampaging ways and refuse to share the yard with her until she is locked up for the night.

Nellie has also been known to put her head down and run at chooks, bopping them out of her way.

Much to the breeders disgust I do refer to Nellie as a very Goaty kind of sheep, her intelligence is not what I would usually associate with a sheep and her need for engagement is very high.

Nellies first day on set showed me that she has the head for this kind of work. I got her out of the crate after travelling 3.5 hours down to the big city, clipped on the dog lead and walked her straight in. She trotted past all the people, equipment, cables etc and was happy to be patted and handled by anybody. Any down time was spent nibbling at the grass and weeds or sitting on somebodies lap for a photo session.

She became the therapy sheep, everybody wanted to touch the fleece and spend some time with her. Thank you to the crew for being so kind, her first job was made very easy due to this.