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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Want to know your biggest mistake?

Want to know your biggest mistake? 

It's thinking your difficult dog's behaviour is All. Your. Fault.

Don't you know that blaming yourself is not going to help one bit? or blaming the shelter, that dog in the park, your family, or your dog!

The only thing that will move you forward is understanding. Understanding what's going on with your Growly Dog, and knowledge. Knowing how to change it.

It's really as simple as that!

Loadsa money

But people try to make it appear complex and difficult, to make you think you can't do it on your own, that you have to pay them loadsa money to do things to your dog, giving you methods without explaining anything to you - the person the dog lives with! - as if your dog is broken and needs fixing.

Some trainers will suggest methods that go against your better judgment, your heart.

You got your dog as a companion, to love, to nurture, to share your life - not to punish and abuse.

I'm here to tell you that it is all absolutely unnecessary

There's no need to resort to mediaeval practices - things that are not allowed to be done to people! - in order to get your dog to behave.

In fact, the longer you're asking whywhywhy, beating yourself up, questioning yourself, and trying to put extreme tactics in place, the longer your dog will remain unchanged.

Some of the things you'll be told to do to your dog will actually make her worse. You see, many people, including - sadly - many so-called "dog trainers", think that your dog is being difficult, stubborn, aggressive, wilful - you name it.

Whereas in fact your dog is just AFRAID! 

Your dog is not bad, she’s just afraid.

Do things look different now?

Suppose that you were afraid of spiders. If I shut you in a room full of spiders would you be LESS afraid, or confirmed in your belief that spiders are all BAD?

I know how I’d feel!

But you’ll be relieved to know that you can carry on loving your dog. 

You can continue to see her as your companion. Someone to look after and protect.

And you can still get the change you want, so that your dog - whether anxious, hyper, shy, aggressive - or just plain GROWLY - can become easier to walk, easier to handle, easier to trust - easier to love again.

Hear what Elle said about her damaged rescue dog who was getting steadily worse with several dog trainers:

“Thanks to you and your thorough, kind, humane and effective methods, we have come a long, long way. I never dreamed that we would have been able to come as far as we have. I am thrilled. 

Thanks to you, we are a beautiful work in progress and we have been able to establish an abiding, deep, and loving bond of trust which brings us joy each and every day…”

Want to restore your bond of trust with your dog and make it “abiding, deep, loving, and joyful”?

 I’ll be bringing you more over the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned.

 We can do this together! 

Got a growly - anxious, aggressive, reactive - dog?

Join the waitlist here for priority notification of our next Growly Dog adventure!

COMING SOON! I think you'll love it!

All your eggs in one (dog) basket

Now that the social distancing restrictions are being relaxed - a little - I’m delighted to see that many of my UK colleagues in the force-free dog training world are once more able to run their classes, albeit with many restrictions and caveats.

It has been a hard time for them. A business they had worked to build up over years of dedicated hard work - closed overnight.

Many got government relief, some did not.

And it got me to thinking about diversity of effort.

Diversity in everything

The more streams of income you can generate, the less dependent you are on just one. Many of these trainers - along with yoga teachers, personal trainers, cookery teachers, and the like - have discovered the joys of online learning. It kept them in touch with their audience while they couldn’t meet physically, and it kept some income coming in.

Many of these people have dropped this internet work like a stone, and gone back to face-to-face classes only.

There’s huge value in “live” classes, of course. And there are dog-owners who cannot see the possibilities of online classes. But this is usually based on a misconception - that the trainer has to see the dog behaving poorly in order to make change.

If you’re working with an expert, there’s a lot you don’t need to explain or show. I can’t tell you how many clients - when I visited their homes to help them with their reactive dog - would start putting on their coat so they could take their dog out on to the street to put him into a difficult situation and demonstrate to me just what their dog did!

Not only did I not want the dog to get stressed at the beginning of our session, but I absolutely knew already exactly what their dog did! It’s what I do! That’s why they engaged me! That’s why I was there!

So if you’re feeling concerned that working with a dog training expert without them actually seeing your dog won’t work - think again! I know from the response to my books and my online courses that physical presence is not necessary (and in some cases, entirely inappropriate) for massive change and improvement to happen.

Just be sure the trainer you pick is force-free! Using force with a reactive, anxious, aggressive - Growly - dog is not only cruel, but counter-productive. i.e. it makes things worse!

But we’re not out of the woods yet

What may happen if there’s another clampdown?

Not so many years ago, the internet was not even a spark on the horizon. There were no e-readers, no audiobooks. Phones were used for . . . phone calls! What we now take for granted was only seen in sci-fi films - strange visions of the future that we never really expected to happen.

Who knows what new things await us! This is exciting! And I for one want to be there, exploring the new possibilities to get our valuable message out to the world. There are billions of people who still see dogs as chattles, soulless, non-sentient beings, not worthy of respect. We are inching our way into changing this way of thinking. SO much more to do!

Being open to novelty is not only essential in our business lives. It’s just as important in our own personal life, and of course in our life with our dog.

One of the chief triggers for reactive dogs is novelty. The ability to accept and process new things is vital to their rehabilitation. So treading the same path (figuratively speaking), always having the same responses, dealing with the same reactions, feeling the same frustration, is not going to lead to change!

You know the old saying,

Your mind is like a parachute - it only works when it’s open!

An open and enquiring mind will lead us to the answers and directions we seek.

Change for your dog!

◆   “No matter how many times I say xyz, he still carries on the same …”

◆   “I’ve tried everything …”

◆   “There’s no hope for my dog, he’ll never change …”

All these statements I hear frequently suggest that what you’re doing isn’t working! Time to put your thinking cap on and find a new way.

Repeating the same actions and expecting a different result is not terribly realistic. And, as is attributed to Einstein,

“You can’t solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it.”

Your dog is a sentient being - like you. This is happily enshrined in law in many European countries. He’s not a machine that just needs a few tweaks with a spanner to function correctly. Your journey with your dog is a journey you take together. It’s what’s happening between the two of you that will dictate the level of success you will reach.

So what are you going to do this week to make some changes with your dog? What new thoughts are you going to bring to your dog “problems”? What new approach might you try?

Let me know what you decide on, and what works for you. A new approach could be just what you need!

Is your dog or your little puppy throwing up more challenges than you anticipated? Check our free courses and find how to change things fast!

Growly Workshop! Enrol now!

Exciting times! Our ever-popular Free Live 5 Day Workshop for your Growly but Brilliant Family Dog starts next week. People are already piling in and waiting excitedly for the private group to open in a few days’ time.

I, of course, think it’s the best thing since sliced bread:

• It gives hope to people with no hope.

• It shows people who have been told to do nasty things to their dog that they are right, and there is a better way.

• It gets results!

• It massively builds people’s confidence that they can do this!

  But why not let the Workshoppers speak for themselves?   

“Four days later and you simply wouldn't recognise Tia. She has changed positively beyond my dreams. Another day another success - can't believe the almost total positive change in both Tia and me. Never seen her so relaxed and responsive when we're walking.”

 “She is already much happier, more responsive AND is improving on her recall.”

“Such small changes with such amazing results!”

“We had a lovely walk, and I think I've overcome a huge hurdle. Now there's a big difference. It's made me more confident. This morning I did none of my usual distractions or avoidance of other dogs but just let things happen. I am so thrilled. Of course, I'm now wishing I'd known this years ago. My dog is just 7 and we've had such a stressful time. We are on our way to a much happier life together because when she's relaxed, I'm relaxed too, and we can have much more fun.” 

“Thank you so much for the training over the last few days, my little terrier George has had a calm week. The main thing is how you have made me and George think about things differently and make some fundamental changes.”  

You are not alone any more:

“I did not realise just how anxious my dog actually is. It’s also lovely to interact with others who experience similar problems.”

For some people, it was less barking:

“Hi Beverley, now on Day 4 of your free online course, thank you. Molly is super chilled and not barked at the neighbour, which she would normally do. Thank you for your expertise. I'm convinced.“

“Other dog lunging barking snarling. Lola and I turned and walked away. I was so proud of her - she never looked back pulled growled or barked, I am brimming with pride. A few months ago she would have been the other dog but not any more. Beverley thank you for all your wonderful advice and coaching.”

For some folk, it was at last stopping the pulling on the lead!

“Well we continued with the focus training and loose lead walking training after the fab workshop, and we have just had the BEST walk we have ever had in 4 and a half years!”

 “Four days into this Workshop, we are making great progress overall with her attention. Loving this hands-free approach. It has also set us up for some great loose leash walking! Thank you Beverley!” 

“ I thought you might like an update! My working lab is now eleven months old and from pulling like a steam engine he is now walking beautifully. This has helped my shoulders and back!”

Even professional trainers learn from the Workshop!

“Just love the first two days of your 5 Day Workshop. I am an Instructor and I have passed your details to one of my students.“

And, in general, people just LOVE the approach, which is a breath of fresh air for many of them:

“Thanks for your kind approach; it’s so much nicer than harsh words or worse!”

“This is really revolutionary! Thank you for sharing your wisdom and by that helping a huge number of people be their best version of pet companion.”

“I love love LOVE that as a beginner it’s about just doing the exercises and letting the magic happen, whether with my creativity or my dog’s responses! THIS I can do!!”

“There are no words for how grateful I am for the start Beverley has given me.”

So get on over to Free Live 5 Day Workshop for your Growly but Brilliant Family Dog and mark your calendar for September 16th when we’ll be starting . . .

•  Starting a new way to be with your anxious dog.

• Starting a new way for you to think about your troubled companion.

• Starting a new life for the both of you!

See you there!

My Growly Dog can’t change

Really?

Why do you think that?

Is it because you’ve tried things in the past and they haven’t worked?

Have you thought that perhaps the things you tried were ineffectual, and it wasn’t the fault of you or your dog. They were doomed never to work because they didn’t take account of the scientific knowledge we have now about how the dog’s mind works.

There are still plenty of people about who want to beat bad behaviour out of a dog. And sadly, many of these are masquerading as your local friendly trainer. This underlines the importance of choosing your trainer from a reliable umbrella organisation who promote force-free training and constant study and upgrading of the skills of their members. There are some links below for you to hunt through.

For help with your reactive, anxious, aggressive, “growly” dog, get our free email course here.

THIS FREE ECOURSE IS A BONUS FOR YOU WHEN YOU SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EDUCATIONAL EMAILS AND OCCASIONAL OFFERS FROM ME. YOU CAN UNSUBSCRIBE AT ANY TIME.
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You owe it to your dog (and to yourself!) to change things so that walks are no longer miserable, visitors may be allowed to visit, and every sound doesn’t have to be woofed at. 

So what if you found the thing that really made a change for you? 

Would you be willing to give it a try

“I failed my way to success” Thomas Edison

You see, I find that once people have tried something and it didn’t work, they want to give up. To hide their disappointment, to cover up the fact that they thought they’d failed.

To avoid the pain of that failure, which they think is now inevitable.

But in fact, the people who succeed are the ones who keep going - they fall, they get up, and they try again.

A baby falls many times when learning to walk. Does he give up? Of course not! He just keeps going till he masters this one-foot-in-front-of-the-other thing,

How many stories have you read of … business moguls, sports stars, artists … who failed dismally, were doubtless told by their friends and families that they should just pack it in, that it was all a waste of time, that they’d never make it?

But they just KEPT GOING?  

When challenged to give up this daft idea about electric light after 10,000 failed attempts, Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

So you can most certainly help your dog to change, and transform life for the both of you!

• No more hiding behind hedges when you see someone coming.

• No more barricading your home from visitors as if it’s Fort Knox.

• No more “I need to take the dog for a walk but I can’t face it.”

You just need to find a method that is kind to your dog, is not onerous for you, and that works! 

I want to show you just what is possible for you and your dog. And I know it’s possible because of what I’ve achieved with my own dogs and the thousands of dogs I have helped. 

Make a start with this email course which gives you a springboard to understanding why your dog does what he does, and therefore how you can start the change.

And check out the many articles for Growly Dogs here on this site. You have found someone who can help you! Don’t lose sight of that. 

News will be coming soon of some exciting developments for helping you and your Growly Dog. Keep an eye out!

RESOURCES:

Fix everyday dog problems fast - free email course

APDT(UK)

KPA

VSPDT

IMDT

CBATI

PPG

How Lacy helps other dogs

This article was first published on 4knines.com and is reprinted here with permission.

Even as a young puppy Lacylu scared people. They would cling to each other and cross the road when they saw her coming.

She looked like a brown bear cub. In no way was she a petite or cute pup, though she did have a very pretty face – still does.

But it was clear from very early on that she was going to struggle in an urban world, full of people, other dogs, things that go bang in the night …

As she matured Lulubelle became more, not less, difficult. She reckoned that she needed to protect the 3,000 acres around us, starting at my feet. Anyone or anything that hove into view prompted ferocious barking - and if she was able she would chase them away.

For help with your reactive, anxious, aggressive, “growly” dog, get our free email course here.

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I know just what it’s like to be a pariah. I’ve had the wrath of ignorant people rain down on me when my dog has barked and lunged toward them. If only they could understand what a gentle and loving dog she really is!

And this is where my lessons began

I’d been training dogs for competition for many years, and after lots of study, I had opened my dog training school the year before, at an age when many people are slowing down and switching off – not studying, sitting exams, learning about SEO, public indemnity insurance, and payment systems!

So Lulu arrived at a very good time for me (and, I think, for her).

I started learning about fearful dogs, anxious dogs, aggressive dogs, Growly Dogs; guardy dogs, nervous dogs, barky dogs (Lacy loves to bark); people’s fears, people’s reactions, people’s emotions.

I was voracious – all the available methods were scrutinised and run past my personal ethos. Many were dismissed out of hand as being harsh or even cruel. Some were hard to assimilate into everyday life. Some were ineffectual. Finally I found the best of the best and focused my energies on developing my skills there, and building my own system.

• I learnt why anxious dogs behave as they do

• I learnt kind techniques that put a worried dog at ease – CLUE: the first step is always distance!

• I learnt how to keep people away without causing them to panic

• And – most important – I learnt how to help other people with their “growly” dogs

Lacy’s now able to look at a strange person or dog and move on. She logs their position carefully, just in case they should try anything … but she can pass them peacefully. (She’s never bitten anyone.)

My fluffy bear cub has come so far in a few years – and is helping others like her to gain confidence and give their owners at the other end of the lead a bit of peace. Both dog and owner learn new coping skills together.

Helping my dog get over her fears has led to a better life for so many more dogs!

Once the poor harassed owners learn that their much-loved dog is not nasty or vicious a new life opens up before them.

It certainly did for me!

Your first step towards your new life with your growly dog is in this free e-course

   

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