Welcome to FIDO Dog Training and behaviour services
According to several sources I have checked out recently, more than 50% of dog owners have never taken their dog to any kind of formal dog training event. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the remainder of them are completely untrained, but it certainly made me think.
Particularly since the recent lockdowns I’ve come across many dog owners who don’t really know what their dog needs, how to please them or how to keep them safe and secure. There’s an element of owners who seems to believe that dogs can handle the world themselves and don’t need their owners’ guidance when meeting people, other dogs and everything else they need to learn to cope with.
Two puppies meeting for the first time
‘Let them sort it out’! That phrase makes my heart sink. For dogs which have been well-socialised since they were very young and who have learned manners, this can work, but the success of these meetings depends on everyone involved being equally aware and polite and sadly, that is rarely the case. Under-socialised, untrained puppies grow quickly into boisterous and insecure adolescents who can take risks and intimidate other dogs, maybe because they feel insecure and afraid or perhaps because they just can’t contain themselves. The resulting confrontations can cause fights and bring terror to the hearts of shier dogs and these situations are like a spreading virus, causing fear – based aggression in dogs with all sorts of characters. It may only take one negative encounter to completely alter a dog’s view of the world and make them react badly. The modern term for dogs which overreact or behave aggressively is ‘reactivity’, and although not all reactivity is aggression, aggressive behaviour usually forms a large part of it.
So how can you avoid this happening to your dog? A well trained and socialised dog has a strong bond with their owner. They understand that their owner can keep them safe and have learned resilience to some of the worrying experiences life may throw at them. Dogs have been bred by us for thousands of years to do our bidding and they depend on us to guide them as they struggle to make sense of our human world. Offering your dog a good quality of life is about learning to communicate with them, understanding their needs and giving them the tools to cope with the world we have created whilst supporting them to keep them safe, healthy and secure.
Early training gives dogs structure, social skills and the confidence to enjoy play, walking, meeting dogs and people and much more. A well-trained dog is likely to be a happy dog because they enjoy more freedom, they understand what is expected of them and therefore feel more secure than a dog without guidance. An added bonus is that your well-trained pooch is likely to receive a lot of positive interaction with people who live with and meet them.
These two pups are ready to learn!
Effective, positive dog training depends on finding your dog’s individual motivation and communicating with them clearly and with good timing so they understand what you are asking of them. The sooner you start educating yourself and your puppy, the fewer issues they are likely to have as they grow up. Even if your dog is older and hasn’t been trained, it’s never too late, it can just take a little longer. As a certified canine behaviourist and dog trainer I can help you to understand and communicate with your dog in a language they can comprehend to form the basis of a strong and secure bond focussing on the relationship between you. Teaching actual cues becomes so much simpler when your dog wants to please you and can truly communicate their needs. FIDO offers individual training programmes covering training and behaviour issues, group courses for puppy and young dog socialisation and further training courses for fun, obedience and bonding.
This is the first blog to be published on my new website and I have promised myself that I will write regular blogs on dog training and dog behaviour-related topics . I hope that you will find them useful and interesting. The year is rushing by and I will be offering advice on coping with your dog’s fears on bonfire night, taking the stress of dog ownership out of Christmas and, all being well, sharing my experiences with you of bringing up a new puppy. She should be coming to join my family at the end of November and I can’t wait!
