Dog Charming; Behaviour Consultant & Trainer
0419 905 466
  • Home
  • About
    • Qualifications, Methods & Ethics, Membership
    • Guarantee
  • Behaviour and Training Solutions
    • Initial Consultations/Hourly Rate
    • Puppy Set-Up
    • Discounted Training Package
    • Problem Behaviours
    • Let's Get Started
  • Videos
  • Testimonials
    • Diesel's Behaviour Change Video
    • Dancer's Nail Clipping Video
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Links

The Puppy Files: The Case of Willow and the Unused Dog Bed

31/10/2018

8 Comments

 
Sometimes (many times) training dogs can be made a whole lot easier by observing our dogs and identifying what they like. Dogs speak to us with their body language and behaviours. We can learn a lot by watching and listening to what they tell us. Willow taught me a lesson in observation and communication recently.
​

There was a bed outside for Willow. It was in the same place that Zuri used to like. Willow never used it. It was there for weeks: solitary, unused.
Picture
​I moved the bed to another position and within a day Willow was lying on it.
Picture
Willow showed me through her behaviour that it wasn’t the bed she didn’t like, it was the position. I could have made so many assumptions about her avoidance of the bed.

1.      She didn’t like it because it smelt like Zuri.
2.      She didn’t like the type of bed; it’s height, shape, size, fabric.
3.      She preferred to lie on the decking.
4.      She preferred to lie in the sun.

There’s no way I can get inside her head to know what’s going on, but I can watch her behaviour and notice things. She didn’t use the bed. She lay in the sun. She lay on the decking. She seemed to like particular spots on the decking. She liked to sit on the outdoor chair. So I moved the bed to one of the spots on the decking near the outside chair. That’s all it took. I was actually surprised. This was the first attempt at problem solving how I could get her to use it. I had been prepared to keep problem solving.
​

What I’d like to express with this example is that dogs have preferences and if we acknowledge these it can make every day life and training easier. We often want to train dogs to do things that make our life easier but neglect to take into account their preferences. Teaching a dog to go to a bed is a very handy task. It can give the dog somewhere to go when visitors are around or when dinner is on the table instead of jumping up or begging for food. I often ask people, “Where does your dog like to rest most often?” If the dog has already chosen a spot they gravitate to, I like to start the training to stay on the bed in that area. Of course I can pick a new area and teach the dog to stay there, no problem, but it’s a little easier if the dog has already chosen the place. Plus I feel it’s nice to recognize the dog’s preferences and accommodate this when helping them learn how to fit into our world.
8 Comments

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    RSS Feed

    Author

    Sonya Bevan is an avid dog lover with a Bachelor of Science degree in physiotherapy. This combination lead to seeking science based information on how to teach dogs and she commenced further study to complete a Diploma of Canine Behaviour Science and Technology. Dog training is both a science and an art. When based on solid principles of behavioural science,  teaching also allows creativity when applied to each unique dog. Most of all, it should be fun for both participants and a way to bond with these special animals we love so much.

    Archives

    June 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2017
    May 2017
    December 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Behaviour Change
    Dog Behaviour
    Dog Body Language
    Dog Etiquette
    Dogs And Us
    Dog Training
    Ethics & Dogs
    Husbandry
    Introducing Dogs To New Experiences
    Puppies
    Scout The Assistance Puppy
    Turbo The Foster Greyhound

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.