What do you EXPECT from your dog?

Let’s face it, a lot of what we consider a problem - or get frustrated about our lack of progress in - is down to our expectation. 

Our expectation of how it SHOULD go rather than a realistic acceptance of what is. 

We start out with our dogs with high hopes! And it’s hard if the dog in question doesn’t appear to be fitting in with our exalted expectations!

Where is the perfect puppy I thought I bought?

Why is this older dog not grateful for being rescued?

It can come as a real shock and a disappointment. 

But just like with children, you get the one you’re given - not necessarily the one you wanted, hoped for, or expected!

I’m in the happy position of starting out with a new puppy. My dear old Rollo made it to 15½. I tried to manage without a Border Collie … but I didn’t last long! So I now have a new puppy of just 10 weeks.

Expectation, of the realistic kind

Now there are some things where expectation works really well!

🐾 I EXPECTED him to sleep through the night from Day 1, and that’s exactly what he’s done.

🐾 I EXPECTED him to housetrain easily, and that’s just what’s happening. He’s asking to be let out, and he’s going to our chosen pee-spot in the garden. He’s managing just fine given the initial ground-rules.

Of course he’s still only a baby and there will be times I’m not on the ball, and it all comes upon him fast … but there’s no room here for frustration or annoyance as I clear up.

He’s doing his level puppy-best! And my goodness, one thing he’s brilliant at is cuddles!

But of course this expectation was tempered, in my case, with knowledge!

Knowledge of what I had to put into the relationship to make it work.

I’ve reared twelve of my own puppies now, and worked with thousands of other folks’ pups. So if you’re starting from scratch you need all the help you can get!

One extreme or the other!

I find that new puppy-owners have expectations that are either unrealistically high, or ridiculously low. At 8 months they’ll tell me, “I knew there’d be puppy biting but now it’s really hurting!” (My puppy never bites - see these posts for help: https://www.brilliantfamilydog.com/blog/why-is-my-dog-biting-me https://www.brilliantfamilydog.com/blog/10-ways-to-stop-puppy-biting)

Or at 11 weeks they complain that this puppy is still chewing things up or making puddles. (I give him lots of things he will enjoy chewing and I follow my Errorless Housetraining protocol: https://www.brilliantfamilydog.com/blog/struggling-to-housetrain-your-puppy)

The puppy will do what a puppy does. Any expectations we have MUST be supported by actually training the little mite what it is that you want!

This is where you’ll get masses of personal help - start with this free Workshop.

See what Cilla had to say about her Fox Terrier:
“Many thanks for being you! and for all you have taught me. My puppy is so different to all my expectations, because of you. Your training truly is brilliant!”

Reactive Dogs

Some of us got landed with a reactive dog - with no warning and little knowledge. Whether this was a rehomed dog or your puppy who has unaccountably gone spooky and apparently aggressive.

You’re here - wisely! - to acquire the knowledge to get things working well. But remember to keep the brakes on frustration while you’re doing it.

As Susan Garrett says, “Your dog’s behavior is a reflection of your training.” Your dog is doing his best!

Dog Shock Collars will be illegal in a few months

If you are one of those who was seduced into using an electric shock collar on your dog because

• You were told it’s the only thing that works

• They said it’s the quickest way to control your dog

• It’s only a tickle anyway … it doesn’t hurt at all 😳

what will you do after February 1st 2024?

Because that’s when the new law comes into force. It’s The Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023

“These Regulations make provision for the purpose of preventing the use of electronic collars in England.” (Wales and Scotland have already banned them.) This brings us into line with Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Wales, the province of Quebec in Canada, and some states in Australia. More countries are banning them all the time.

“Regulation 2(1) makes it an offence for a person who is responsible for a cat or dog to attach an electronic collar, or cause an electronic collar to be attached, to the cat or dog in England.”

“Regulation 2(2) provides that a person commits an offence if, at any time when the person is responsible for a cat or dog, the cat or dog is wearing an electronic collar and the person is in possession of a remote-control device in England which is designed or adapted for activating and controlling the electronic collar remotely.”

Hooray!

Now, if you’re reading Brilliant Family Dog, then the chances are high that you wouldn’t dream of using one of these mediaeval instruments of torture on your dog.

Everyone agrees that they should not be used on people, and there have been some well-publicised cases of parents being imprisoned for using them on their children.

How horrifying is that?!

But why is it not just as horrifying for them to be used on an equally innocent creature - a sentient being as is enshrined in law in the UK as in the whole of the EU and increasingly elsewhere?

You may have a different view of electronic collars

It’s a free country - you are entitled to that view, however misguided it may be. 😉

But the fact remains, that if you are currently using a shock collar (e-collar, electronic collar, whatever fancy name you call it) to shock your dog into submission, or alter his behaviour in some way, and you live in the UK, after February 1 2024 you are going to be up a creek without a paddle - up a creek without a “controller”!

• You’re going to have to learn what makes dogs tick.

• You’re going to have to do the training with your dog that you should have done ages ago.

• You’re going to have to build a relationship with your dog so that he wants to please you.

How are you going to do that?

The clock is ticking.

You have a few months before you’ll have to bin your electronic crutch.

But we have the answer for you!

We have the paddle you need to get you out of your creek!

Start here, with our free Workshop on getting your dog to LISTEN! You may be surprised how quickly you can learn new methods, and how very very effective they are!

Here are just a few of the comments I’ve received from people who watched the Workshop:

“Thank you so much. I've enjoyed this workshop, especially the attitude of love.” ST

“I watched the first 25 mins and started working straight away with my puppy sooty Lily ..the result was immediate.. using her name only in a positive way resulted in her engaging with me .. I can’t wait to watch the rest and put it into practice.” PW

“Thank you for your free Workshop .. it was very enlightening and made me realise where I was making mistakes. It has given me food for thought and I will start by putting what we learnt there into practice.” WR

“Enjoyed and learned from the first video. I am on my third puppy and am training her. Liked the positive attitude you have towards dog training. Thank you for the first free video.” HJ

“Thanks for your free video, it’s already working.” CL

“I have watched your free workshop 3 times at least and really enjoy it.” CO

“I've just watched the free Workshop and I can't believe what I've learned already to be honest!” LG

“I watched the whole Workshop and found it really good. Well done on working so hard to provide dog owners with a positive way of working towards creating a happy dog relationship.” WP

“Thank you very much for the link, it was a lovely and excellently delivered workshop, I thoroughly enjoyed it.” HE

So hop over there and find out what these folk found! And just how quickly you can transform your dog, without the need of any cruel (and illegal) devices.

RESOURCES

The Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023

Electronic training collars for cats and dogs in England

Position Statement on Humane Dog Training

Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022

Position statement on electronic and aversive training methods from the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology

Are you giving your dog the right exercise?

There are 5 basic needs outlined in the UK Welfare of Animals Act 2006 :

1. The need for a suitable environment

2. The need for a suitable diet

3. The need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns

4. The need to be housed with, or apart from, other animals

5. The need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

I’m always on about no.2! And there are many articles here on Brilliant Family Dog on sleeping and living arrangements and multi-dog households. And of course, no.5 is implicit in most of the posts on this site!

Today I want to draw your attention to numbers 1 and 3, in relation to exercise.

There are increasing requirements for dogs to be kept on a lead, to be restrained, to be prevented from doing natural doggy things.

And this creeping infiltration of prevention is wrong!

Have a look at what the UK Government Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs has to say:  

“A dog needs regular exercise and regular opportunities to walk, run, explore, play, sniff and investigate.”

This is also enshrined in the Dog Control Orders guidance from Defra (the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) for Local Authorities, which states that:

“The authority needs to balance the interests of those in charge of dogs against the interests of those affected by the activities of dogs, bearing in mind the need for people, in particular children, to have access to dog-free areas and areas where dogs are kept under strict control, and the need for those in charge of dogs to have access to areas where they can exercise their dogs without undue restrictions.”

This means that our local councils are obliged to ensure that provision is made for dogs to enjoy free running, sniffing, exploring and all the rest outlined in the Welfare of Dogs Code of Practice quoted above.

EU laws

The Lisbon Treaty of 2009 declared that animals are sentient beings. It was feared that the UK’s departure from the EU would remove this law from our statute books. But, the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 has received royal assent. UK law recognises animals as being sentient.

Phew!

Why am I telling you all this?

You are going to meet people who don’t like dogs.

You are going to meet people who tell you off, and tell you your dog should be on a lead at all times.

As you can now see, this is nonsense! And our dogs’ freedom is enshrined in law.

Now, of course your dog should have sufficient training and manners that you can recall him fast, and ensure that your dog does not interfere with or annoy other users of the land you’re on. And you need to pick up after your dog too. 

But once you are sure that your dog is no nuisance, you may know that you have the backing of the law to exercise your dog properly and freely, and that  opportunity for you to do this must be provided, wherever you live.

The rest of the world

I can’t speak for the rest of the world, as I’m not familiar with their laws. But knowledge that some civilised - or partly-civilised ;-) - countries have these laws enacted may give you power when agitating for change in your own neck of the woods.

We owe it to the dogs in our care to enable them to “exhibit normal behaviour patterns” in “a suitable environment”.

The pictures on this page show my own dogs doing just that!

And if you need help with getting that brilliant recall that will enable you to give your dog this freedom, start with our free Workshop here!

RESOURCES:

UK Welfare of Animals Act 2006

UK Government Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs

Dog Control Orders guidance

Does your dog crash the door??

Does opening the door in your house cause a stampede as your dog rushes the door, almost taking the legs out from under you, and crashing any unfortunate person waiting the other side?

So here’s what we’re learning today: Waiting at the door!

The Door Game!

Here’s an example of using Choice Training to change an everyday annoyance many people suffer - a step-by-step lesson for perfect Door Manners!

Watch the video first …

Enjoy that? I suggest you watch it through twice before getting started with your dog.

Now, please don’t expect this to happen in one session!

You may need several, or many, sessions to get it right. But some - puppies especially - can learn this very quickly.

If your dog has an entrenched behaviour of door-barging it may take a bit longer, but you’ll get there!

You noticed, I’m sure, that I didn’t tell the dogs to do anything!

I waited for them to choose.

I ask them sometimes - to prompt them - but I don’t TELL them.

This is a two-way street!

And if there’s a good reason for them doing something different - the ground is soaking wet, for instance and it’s unpleasant to sit (or if they’re Cricket the Whippet who simply finds sitting on a hard floor uncomfortable altogether because of her hound make-up!) then that’s ok by me as long as they wait patiently and don’t rush the door.

That’s the outcome I want.

You have to keep your eyes on the prize! And not get caught up in nonsensical detail.

Now, you do it

Now, once you know THIS, do you begin to see where else Choice Training can affect your daily life with your dog? Can you think of things that annoy you right now which you’ll be able to remove from your life quickly, painlessly - in fact, enjoyably?

It’s limitless!

I’d love to hear how you get on …

Comment below when you’ve given it a go (or several go’s, depending on where you’re at with your dog).

And for lots more training like this, check out the Brilliant Family Dog Academy via this lesson-laden free Workshop!

If you've gained value from my content or downloaded a free resource, and you'd like to show your appreciation, here's a simple way to support me! Thank you for helping keep me fueled and inspired!

“My dog is a xyz, so we can't do this”

[For “xyz” insert Labrador/Spaniel/Terrier/Corgi/Rescue/Husky/Crossbreed/Poodle/ANY DOG!] 

I hear this a LOT.

“What you’re teaching is great, but MY dog is a xyz so we can’t do it.”

It means that the speaker has decided that they don’t want to go to the bother of teaching a new thing. They don’t want the bother of spending time working on what they see as a problem.

And instead of admitting that they are not prepared to do the work - they shovel the blame onto their poor untrained dog! As if it’s all his fault!

Now, there’s no doubt that there are differences between breeds, it’s also true that every dog arrives as he is - untrained, untaught, uneducated. And it’s up to us to do the work if we expect him to live in our home and follow our inexplicable human rules!

Every dog is an individual

And while it’s true that dogs vary between breeds, it’s even truer that there is more variation between individuals than between breeds.

This is a well-known fact amongst dog professionals.

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We are not dealing with a category of dogs.

We are dealing with our own individual dog.

And its individual owner!

How did you choose your dog?

Tell me - when you chose your dog, did you possibly think “Well he’s a Sighthound/Sheepdog/whatever, so I won’t have to bother about chasing/herding/any-other-issue, because it will be impossible to teach against his genetics.” Did that thought ever cross your mind?

I expect not.

I expect you chose your dog because you thought him gorgeous - and didn’t abandon hope of dealing with these issues till they manifested. Then everyone told you, “He’s a gundog/terrier/guardian/any-dog, so what do you expect?”

The great animal trainer Bob Bailey said,

“Training often fails because people expect way too much of the animal and way too little of themselves.” 

We can have the most wonderful companion dog.

We can adapt our training to suit his breed characteristics - to give him an outlet for his instinctive drives - to accommodate as far as possible what he’s been bred to do.

But when it comes down to it, it’s up to US to do the teaching.

And that means we shouldn’t be making excuses and blaming our dog for our own shortcomings!

You chose your dog.

You owe it to him to give him the best life possible. Let’s get teaching!

Want to make a start? Get our free email course to resolve common “problems” and enjoy a new way of looking at life with your dog.

RESOURCES

 How Much Does A Dog's Breed Predict His Behaviour?

 5 Dog Breed Myths

“Designer Dogs”: What Are They Really Made Of?

Does your dog use the stairs safely?

This is an especially important question for new puppy-owners! But we could all look to make sure we’re avoiding accidents - to us as well as to our dogs - by teaching them right from the start.

First of all, your stairs are safer if carpeted, but this isn’t essential. A mat or some sort of non-slip surface at the bottom of the stairs is important, especially as at the foot of most staircases there is a sharp turn. Puppies are particularly vulnerable to injury on slippery corners!

First of all, you want to make sure the stairs are gated, so there’s no free access to them without you being there to supervise.

And this is how you start: 

1. At the bottom of the stairs, your dog is on lead

2. Place a treat on the first step.

3. Let your dog eat it then place a treat on the next step up.

4. Step up beside your dog as he ascends, step by step, treat by treat.

5. Slow and steady till you get to the top!

If your puppy is freaking out, just do two steps then lift him off. Work at this gradually till you can step all the way up. This will take as long as it takes.

Now you’re at the top! 🎉

So how to get down again?!

Use exactly the same method. You may need to keep the lead shorter now (without putting pressure on his neck, of course!) to make sure your dog doesn’t try to race down.

And it’s super-important to ensure there is a treat not only on the bottom step, but also on the mat at the foot of the stairs. You want to ensure your dog always steps all the way down and doesn’t leap off early! .. as you’ll see Coco does correctly in the two videos on this page.

Next stage

Gradually, you’ll be able to remove the lead from the exercise, and space the treats out a little more (though be very slow to remove the last two on the way down!).

And once you know your dog has got this, you’ll be able to let him go up and down on his own.

You’ll need to find other stairs for him to get used to as well - concrete stairs, other sorts of house stairs, metal stairs, log stairs …

Once you’re both expert at this, you can have some fun together, going up and down stairs:

Coco learns stairs

Safety for us!

Incidentally, there’s a lot of nonsense talked about who should go through a door first. Real nonsense.

Certainly, your dog shouldn’t barge through doors, but once they can wait for permission to go through, I always send mine through first. I don’t want an excited dog to take my legs out!

Same goes for stairs.

I always send my dogs up or down stairs ahead of me. It’s simple commonsense!

No need to get tangled up in dominance nonsense.

Stair agility!

Once your dog is comfortable on the stairs, you can develop his balance skills and have fun with some stair games

Here’s a video to give you some ideas - see how much Coco is enjoying this!

And for lots more answers to your questions, get our free email course here!

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