Navigating behavioural change isn't always a straight path, but rather a winding journey with highs and lows along the way – and this is completely normal.
When it comes to dog training, there is rarely a quick fix to resolving behaviour or training issues.
This is an example of what I mean… and it happened to me a couple of days ago.
You might remember Teasel? Here's a quick backstory, Teasel is a sweet teeny chocolate labrador, who came to us as a foster last year, we guess she was around 6 months old. Initially she was very unsure and nervous of people, so naturally it has taken time to gain her trust. But in the last year she has really flourished. Loves scentwork and we have certainly found her sweet spot in gundog training. Actually, she loves to retrieve anything and is especially fond of slippers!
Now Teasel loves her walks. But she can get a little over-excited at the beginning, and I am sure plenty of us can relate to that! We get the spinning on the spot, lunging, all topped off with a bit of barking. To help manage this behaviour, just as we get out of the car, we
use a fun games-based protocol which helps her feel calm and connected, and ready for the walk ahead. This really works, to the point I felt we would be OK without it. Uh oh….
Yes, you guessed it, on this day it all went a bit wrong!
On the morning in question, Teasel was more excitable than usual; and I had completely forgotten our little pre-walk fun routine. Oops. So, what happened?... Well she explodes out of the car like a whirling dervish. She was on a lead, but honestly this was not a great start, and I felt hugely embarrassed. It took time to calm her down because once dogs are a bit over aroused it can be a bit a challenge for them to think straight.. and myself for that matter!
OK... hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? But contextualizing the actions of our dogs gives us insights into their motivations. With Teasel, what was the “why” behind her over-excited behaviour?
Reflecting on the day’s events I realised I was I was bone tired, Woody, ( our teen pup ) had me up INCREDIBLY early that morning, and that meant that Teasel has also been up early. And Teasel like me is no early bird! So we are both suffering from a lack of sleep and not on our best form. From the get-go we have a couple of things that might have influenced Teasels reaction that morning. Honestly I think that learning about dogs is a bit like being a detective, gradually unpicking the layers of our dogs behaviour and getting right down to what makes them tick. But I think it's useful to look back at those embarrassing incidents and remember that a dog's behaviour is essentially their way of expressing emotions and they are not being naughty or stubborn, but just a form of communication.
With that in mind I have put a few tips together you might find useful if you experience a similar situation...
Even if things go south, don't knock yourself. It's okay to feel disheartened.
Reflect on what happened. Could you change something for next time? Making a note of your observations as they might come in handy in a similar situation. For sure, if I feel really tired, perhaps I should wait until I feel rested before taking the dogs out. We do sometimes feel pressure to walk our dogs, but actually just a sniffy wander round the garden and some fun retrieves would have been far better!
Talk to a friend, particularly if the incident was upsetting, sharing can be helpful in putting things in perspective and moving forward.
Finally...
With anxious or over reactive dogs, changing how they feel is a journey with highs and lows. Expect a few blips and cut yourself some slack. It is normal as our dog’s caregivers, to feel a bit emotional ourselves when things go a little wrong but try and learn from them if you can.
Remember, dogs express their feelings through behaviour, they are not deliberately being difficult or awkward.
BUT most importantly DO remember to celebrate those HIGHS along the way with our amazing dogs!
Does this strike a chord with you? Feel free to reach out to me here
Kate Hart
Founder of My Hart Dog