Wigglebums.ca

Our newest email newsletter just went out to our subscribers!! If you are not subscribed....why not??!! We have discounts, recipes, and some very cool insider news! Subscribe today! https://www.wigglebums.ca/

Another quick blog of our favourite things to get our dogs for Christmas and some ideas of what you can get for dogs in your life that are sure to please. https://lnkd.in/gj3vQ6gv

Watching reels and saying a serenity prayer. It used to be that I could not watch videos of trainers because I knew it was inevitably going to lead to animal abuse. The very old school trainers who were visibly abusive to both animals and their people alike. I saw a very popular Canadian trainer (back in the day) punch a dog in the face. This numpty went on to open a school for other trainers who, in turn, became the worst trainers in Canada. Now I flip through reels, and it has become apparent that the harms are way more discreet than they used to be. They look fairly innocuous on the video but still end in a compromise of animal welfare. Watching the dogs for stress signals is heartbreaking as dogs struggle to understand why this person wants to hurt them. But there are always red flags in these videos that make it easy to tell the good from the bad. 1. Using words like alpha, dominant, pack, and weasel word like correction, stim, or pinch indicative that this trainer doesn't realize that the old school methodologies have been long left behind by the evolving science of canine behaviour and cognition. 2. The noose. Either wrapped around a dogs neck or (worse) looped over their nose as well, these look like noose because they basically are. They work aversively to cut off air when a dog pulls and some to yank the dogs head down as well. Not a tool an educated trainer uses except in an emergency capture situation. 3. Not reading dogs properly. I see so many uneducated, inexperienced "influencers" who are completely misinterpreting their dog's body language. Usually, this is due to them seeing canine communication through the lenses of artificial hierarchies your dog does not subscribe to. It is crucial that one does not take influencers seriously when trying to shape behaviour. Just like with internet advice, there is a huge variation in the quality of advice given. Someday, influencers may be held accountable for their advice like real-world trainers are. For now, it is a buyer beware world, and there are real-world consequences for you and your dog.

New blog post drop! We humans often find ourselves feeling lost, isolated, depressed, and doubting our own abilities due to the rapid onset of hyper-novelty. The rate at which our world is changing is barely matched by our own adaptability. Our ability to take in new information, adapt to new technologies, and utilize them in our everyday lives has been tested to the limit in the last century. Novelty keeps life interesting. Hyper-novelty is often harder to wrap one's head around. Now imagine for a moment how this same phenomenon feels to a dog. https://lnkd.in/gA_AYBxM

It is not always a request for attention! Quite often in my career, I have had clients whose dogs have developed a real dislike for strangers. When asked if they have always demonstrated anxiety around strangers, they mention that their dog was very social as a puppy, was socialized by being taken everywhere, and would even roll over for belly rubs. The moment they mention rolling over, I feel a figurative red flag go up in my brain. Not every dog who rolls over is asking for belly rubs. Early on in my career, I learned this the hard way with a foster dog and bear the physical and mental scars of it. Puppies use the roll over to demonstrate that they are not a threat to adult dogs and appeasement, so they are not attacked as such. They learn very quickly that it works on humans too and even learn to develop a love of it as it feels good when humans rub their bellies. However, a roll over that is preceded by a curvy, slinking, tail between their legs, and avoidance gestures would be a clear indication that the dog is not comfortable and likely to bite when you reach out to rub that belly. My foster dog did not even give me that indication, however, as those stress signals proved futile or were even punished prior to him coming to us. He would roll over, lay on his back and bide his time until he was close enough. A consent test is a good way to see if the dog is into the interaction. Mentally count to 3 while rubbing a dogs belly and remove your hand. If the dog wants more interaction, they will generally let you know. If they move away or leave, then we can grant them the space they ask for. Watch for signs that your pup is uncomfortable. Flattened ears (behind or out to the side, but tense), lip licking, tail tucked, etc. If you want to know more about stress signals, check out our video on them at https://lnkd.in/gcKKy5EN

Love is an overused word in our culture. That is because it is subjective and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. I often hear how much people love their animals but still seem willing to inflict harm on them in a misguided effort to "help" them. With neither the training, nor the education to understand the long-term effects of the punitive methods of dog training that people employ, it can be difficult to see the downstream effects that positive punishment (adding a scary or painful consequence with the intention of decreasing behaviour) has on your dog. Often we see what we call "fallout" behaviours stemming from even a single use of P+. The very first time you use aversive on your dog, they learn you are not the person who would never harm them. They learn you are willing to do whatever it takes to gain compliance from them. It tears at the very fabric of a relationship and breaks that trust. Let me give you an example from my experience. A dog goes outside every day and barks at the neighbour dog. The owners, thinking they have stumbled upon an innocuous and easy solution, get an ultrasonic bark deterrent. It emits a very high-pitched sound that humans have a hard time hearing (although it can cause some pretty serious headaches for your neighbors) whenever your dog barks. The problem: it cannot discern your dog's bark from your neighbor's dog. It is triggered by many other sounds. A few weeks down the road, the owners notice a hesitation to go out into the backyard to pee or even for walks. They notice the dog is having frequent accidents in the house. They notice that their dog is getting more reactive to dogs barking. It doesn't make much sense. Why would the dog be suddenly afraid of going outside or other dogs barking? This scenario took quite a bit of unlearning to get this poor dog to want to venture outside again. I equate it to living in a zombie apocalypse. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I do not want to have to battle The Walking Dead unless it is a life-or-death situation. If you are unsure as to whether a piece of equipment is going to cause downstream deleterious effects, please reach out.

I often see people providing what they feel is enrichment in a manner that does not necessarily feel stimulating in a positive way to the dog. Let's take the slow-feeder bowls, for instance. The design is to slow dogs down in feeding so they are not gulping down food and causing digestive upset. They are not inherently enriching to the dog, as they do not serve the purpose of providing mental stimulation for most dogs with any degree of intelligence. There is no thinking process really, and it can just serve to frustrate the dog. There is a lot to take into account when considering enrichment for our dogs. Read our blog post to help you determine what is right for your pup. https://lnkd.in/gjayJnsN...

All behaviour serves a functional purpose. Most of the time, dogs get themselves into trouble by doing dog things (see Chris Rock's Tiger Went Tiger set at https://lnkd.in/ga9VP_PF). Whether digging, barking, jumping, pulling, or even growling and biting, the behaviour meets some need of the dog. Understanding what function the behaviour serves and what needs need to be met is part of the analysis that begins every behaviour modification plan. If you want to change the behaviour, you have to understand it. Then we can train and substitute more appropriate behaviours instead of the ones people object to.

Happy Mother's Day. Where we recognize the sacrifices made in the name of love Mother's of all types offer freely.