In reality, most canine problems are usually
more of a problem for the owner and society rather than the actual dog itself. Many dog
behaviours that may be unwanted and/or unpleasant as far as we are concerned may have
actually served the dog well and unless he is given the motive and the opportunity to
learn an alternative behaviour he is unlikely to change. His behaviour(s) may have helped
him to feel/stay safe, deal with stress, reduce boredom, control certain aspects of his
life, obtain food, keep any potential threat at bay and so on.
Naturally, any behaviour that upsets society
or other companions in his life can have a detrimental effect on the dog but it is
important that you separate your own emotions from the behaviour that you would like to
change and understand that in order to change your dog's behaviour you may need to teach
him an alternative behaviour instead such as sitting quietly when he greets a visitor
instead of jumping up. You will need to focus on teaching your dog what he can do, rather
than constantly telling him what he can't do and you may need to make changes to the
management of the dog as environment, poor diet, allergies, stress, lack or mental and
physical stimulation, noise sensitivity and so on can all contribute to problem
behaviours.
If you to need to enlist the help of a
professional who can help you on a one to one basis avoid anyone who uses aversive
techniques including pinning, hitting, shocking, choking or hanging your dog by his
collar. Training techniques that use punishments can increase aggression and depression in
dogs and they do not address potential underlying causes of problem behaviours such as
stress, tension, pain or fear. They are also desperately outdated and cruel. It is far
kinder to use positive reinforcement to teach the dog how we would like him to behave in
the world we have created for him and a combination of Tellington TTouch and clicker
training can bring about the most extraordinary changes in dogs regardless of their age
and breed. Both are fun to learn, highly effective and are pleasant and rewarding for you
and your dog.
TTouch is a unique method of working with dogs
that has formed a vital part of the rehabilitation and retraining process for countless
dogs world wide. It recognises an inextricable link between posture and behaviour and
observing the dog's body language, his responses to stimuli and noting any patterns of
bracing in the body enables you to gain a deeper understanding of your dog even if his
history is sketchy or unknown. The aim is to release tension, lower heart rate and
respiration and to improve the posture of the dog using a combination of body work and
groundwork. This gives the dog a new experience and changes his expectation which in turn
helps him to over ride his habitual, and often instinctive, responses. By recognising
early signs of stress and tension patterns in the body that may be triggering the
behaviour, you can help your dog develop greater confidence and self control and take any
necessary steps to reduce your dogs anxiety or lower his arousal levels before his
behaviour escalates.
Clicker training is an excellent way to teach
your dog how you would like him to behave. Any appropriate behaviour is marked with a
click from a small mechanical device followed by a reward; usually a small piece of food.
Dogs naturally repeat the behaviours that resulted in the reward and verbal cues such as
'sit', 'leave', 'look at me' and so on are only added once the dog is consistently
offering the desired behaviour. Clicker training encourages the dog to use his brain and
can be used to shape all kinds of behaviour including fun tricks and games resulting in a
dog that is mentally and physically stimulated as well as calm and under control.
Skipper, who features in this article, is a
classic example of many dogs that TTouch Practitioners see. He had multiple problems and
was already on his second home even though he was only young. He disliked being groomed,
chased horses, was wary of strangers and would bite if touched by people unknown to him.
He was also reactive around other dogs and would lunge and bark at any dog that passed him
by. His new owners were desperate and had enlisted the help of a trainer who advocated a
variety of useless techniques. They thought they would have to re-home the little terrier
as they thought that he could not be helped. Fortunately for Skipper, his devoted owners
discovered TTouch and I had the pleasure of working with this delightful terrier and his
owners Meryl and Colin.
Sadly many people still label the type of
behaviours Skipper displayed as dominance but nothing could be further from the truth. His
owners knew he had been desperately under socialised in his first home and also knew that
he had not had much opportunity for exercise or training. This lack of education, boredom,
and insecurity spells trouble for most dogs and Skipper was typical of a defensive, tense
and nervous dog who was utterly overwhelmed by the big wide world. His new owners had
sensibly muzzle trained their little dog and this is imperative if there is any risk that
a dog will bite another dog or human.
Even though Skipper was muzzled I asked Meryl
to start gently stroking him with a fake hand. When working with a defensive and/or timid
dog it is important that the person the dog trusts the most is the one to introduce
anything new to help him feel as safe as possible as the majority of reactive behaviours
are based in fear. Using fake hands (or the long dressage schooling sticks we call wands)
to initiate contact with a defensive animal, enables us to stay at an acceptable distance
from them and can change the animals expectation of what human contact may mean.
Once a dog is happy to be stroked by his owner
with the fake hand, we then progress to stroking the dog ourselves with the hand. If it is
acceptable for us to then handle the dog ourselves we then progress to gentle TTouch body
work. Contact with the back of the hand is far less threatening to a nervous and/or
defensive dog as the heat from the palm of the hand may be more intimidating. We stay to
the side of the dog and avoid leaning over him, which may make him feel trapped and
trigger defensive behaviours. We feel for any areas of tension, temperature changes
through the body and any changes in the texture of the coat. Nervous dogs that hide away
will generally have tension through the hindquarters and tail and may have cold feet and
ear tips whilst those that move forward to bite when stressed will often have tension
through the neck, back and hindquarters with a high or rigid head and tail set. They may
also have hot spots on the head and in the middle of the back.
The slow, rhythmical TTouches have a powerful
effect on the nervous system. They release tension, increase trust and encourage deep
breathing and we work in short sessions giving the dog plenty of breaks to allow him time
to process the information we are giving him.
If a dog has any concerns about being touched,
we start with ground work. It is preferable to use a harness and two points of connection
with a double clipped lead as tension on the collar will increase stress in the dog. We
may teach the owner how to lead the dog over patterns of poles on the ground, over
different surfaces, a low level see saw, raised boards and so on to improve physical
balance which in turn improves mental and emotional balance. Alternatively we may take the
dog through the groundwork ourselves or support him on the other side with a second lead
attached to another point on a harness. It just depends on the dog. Negotiating the ground
work obstacles increases flexibility in the body and encourages more considered movement
and thought. This combination of exercises interspersed with slow gentle Ear Slides,
circular TTouches, slides and lifts can have a miraculous effect.
This approach worked well for Skipper, he
began to settle, and relax enabling me to remove his muzzle and continue building his
confidence through further clicker training and TTouch. His posture changed dramatically
and his eyes softened. When a horse appeared he adopted his defensive chase posture
immediately but recovered quickly as I used the gentle TTouches on his body and within a
very short space of time he was able to sit next to me quietly observing the horse as it
walked around him.
It isn't always necessary to train each
unwanted behaviour out of dogs as behaviours are usually linked. As the dog learns to
settle and to relax with the body work and groundwork exercises, he begins to make more
appropriate choices which can be marked with the clicker and rewarded with a variety of
tidbits, verbal praise, physical contact or a game. I worked with Skipper over two
sessions and his owners also took him to their local TTouch Practitioner Garry Hinton who
continued with the work and the result is a happy, friendly, outgoing dog who has many
friends and admirers. Here is an update from his owners.
Dear Sarah,
Skip has come such a long way since we
first met you and we thought we would give you an update on his progress as we approach
the end of the year. We no longer visit Garry because we don't need to!!
We are now able to take him out without
the muzzle and let him off lead in the company of other dogs. He plays happily with all
sizes, colours and breeds and is even happy to share his toys (!!!!) but still returns to
us when called. He also loves to swim in the ponds, even in the chilliest of weather. He
also now stands quietly while the horses with riders pass and ignores all the wild ponies
and cattle grazing on the heath.
He allows us to hold his paws to trim his
nails and happily stands to be bathed and groomed.
The opportunity to introduce him to
children has been limited but he is firm friends with the 8 year old daughter of a close
friend of ours.
It truly was a fortuitous day when we met
you and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Skip means so much to Trevor and I.
Having him around has helped me so much and he is now the root of so much fun and laughter
in our home I can't bear to think that we were on the verge of having to re-home him when
we met you.
We are looking forward to starting classes with him and
trying to teach him all the skills in your great new book. Meryl
