Avoiding Triggers
Important advice for potential adopters. Please read carefully.
Thanks to The Mutty Professor
My default advice for all dog owners, especially puppy and new rescue owners, to keep problem behaviours at bay:
1) Do most of your walks in a vast green space, using a longline attached to an H design harness where/when needed.
2) Avoid navigating busy street walks every day
3) Don’t allow strangers to pet your dog/puppy randomly on walks, especially on the street
4) Teach all visitors to be calm and hands off on initial arrival to the home
5) Socialise with calm adult dogs first and foremost. High arousal and high intensity play with other dogs should be kept to a minimum
6) Keep walks calm and sniffing focused, return to calm following any excitement
7) Use high value cooked meat treats outside of the home, unless your dog is consistently highly motivated for dry treats in all environments. Inside and outside of the home are very different training contexts.
8.) Give your dog plenty to chew
9) Promote quality rest by positioning beds away from frequent footfall or where dogs are triggered by external noises or visual activity
10) Get your dog on a food they eat in one go (2-3 meals a day) that produces < 4 poos a day that leaves no mark on the floor.
11) If your dog demonstrates a problem behaviour which maintains or is increasing in frequency and intensity after 10-14 days, get them checked by a vet and then employ professional support from someone on the ABTC register ASAP rather than hoping it’s a phase.
My default advice for all dog owners, especially puppy and new rescue owners, to keep problem behaviours at bay:
1) Do most of your walks in a vast green space, using a longline attached to an H design harness where/when needed.
2) Avoid navigating busy street walks every day
3) Don’t allow strangers to pet your dog/puppy randomly on walks, especially on the street
4) Teach all visitors to be calm and hands off on initial arrival to the home
5) Socialise with calm adult dogs first and foremost. High arousal and high intensity play with other dogs should be kept to a minimum
6) Keep walks calm and sniffing focused, return to calm following any excitement
7) Use high value cooked meat treats outside of the home, unless your dog is consistently highly motivated for dry treats in all environments. Inside and outside of the home are very different training contexts.
8.) Give your dog plenty to chew
9) Promote quality rest by positioning beds away from frequent footfall or where dogs are triggered by external noises or visual activity
10) Get your dog on a food they eat in one go (2-3 meals a day) that produces < 4 poos a day that leaves no mark on the floor.
11) If your dog demonstrates a problem behaviour which maintains or is increasing in frequency and intensity after 10-14 days, get them checked by a vet and then employ professional support from someone on the ABTC register ASAP rather than hoping it’s a phase.