December 22, 2024 • 29 mins
On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show Harriet is joined by two of our excellent returning guests, sharing a topic from the perspective of both young puppies and older dogs. Abi Howes Puppy Development Trainer and Kylie Gersh Training Program Manager and Instructor will be talking about dogs settling both relaxing into new homes and environments and being settled out and about in public. As you may have dogs coming into your home, or bringing your dog to new places over the holiday season, I hope you find these tips helpful. We're going to chat about settling for dogs of all ages and how we can work with our baby 8-week-old dogs, up to adult working Seeing Eye Dogs and support them into new homes or out working.
These are some general tips, if you’re a Seeing Eye Dog handler, don’t forget you can reach out to your instructor, or to the team by emailing SEDclients@visionaustralia.org for training support! If you’re a volunteer carer with us please reach our to your staff contact for assistance. Please note staff will be on leave between December 20, 2024 and January 6, 2025, so please bear with us and the team will be back in action in the new year.
If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:11):
On Vision Australia radio. You're listening to the Seeing Eye
dog show. With me, your host, Harriet Moffatt. Today I've
got some great tips from two of our excellent returning guests,
Abby Howes, Puppet Development trainer, and Kylie Gersch, training program
manager and instructor. We're going to be talking about dog
settling that is both relaxing into new homes and environments
(00:31):
and being settled out and about in public. As you
may have dogs coming into your home or bringing dogs
into new places over the holiday seasons, I hope you
find these tips helpful. Our two guests are going to
chat about this topic for dogs of all ages, and
how we can work from those baby eight week old
puppies up to adult working, seeing eye dogs and support
(00:51):
them into new homes or out working. I hope you
enjoyed this discussion as much as I have. Hi Abby
and Kylie, thank you for joining me on the show today.
Thanks for having us. Thanks for having.
S2 (01:06):
Us, Harriet.
S1 (01:07):
So we're going to talk a little bit about a few,
I guess, a few kind of parts of settling and
what settling is, and in particular focusing on the different
ages because, um, you two, between you actually kind of
look after a pretty wide age range of dogs. If
you guys would like to tell the audience, if anyone
is not aware what age range you look after, that
(01:28):
would be great.
S3 (01:30):
Uh, so I might start. Hi, I'm Abby, I'm a
puppy development trainer, so I work with our pups from
eight weeks until about 12 to 14 months when I
hand them over to Kylie and her team.
S2 (01:40):
Um. Thanks, Abby. Yeah. Kylie Gersh, the training manager here
at Seeing Eye Dogs. And as Abby said, we work
with the dogs that are around 12 to 14 months,
up until about 2 to 3 years, just depending when
they come into training as an instructor. We work with
dogs up until they retire, which can be anywhere upwards
to ten years old, so.
S1 (01:59):
We can't exactly expect the same of our baby eight
week old puppies, as we might have, are fully trained
working dogs. There are two particular types of settling that
we are referring to. Would anyone like to explain what
those two things might mean?
S3 (02:13):
So as the instigator of the confusion, I will take
that one on. So we have settling as in the
ability to settle in a space calmly and engage with
the environment in a calm manner that might be on
a bed or in a down, or the other form
of settling as in, to settle into a new environment.
When you get a new puppy and a new dog
(02:34):
might be joining your household, whether that be short term
for the Christmas break or longer term because they're a
new member of your family.
S1 (02:41):
When we're talking about both of those, would the difference
almost be like a duration type of thing? So there is.
S3 (02:46):
A difference in what you might expect. I suppose that
might be what you're thinking. So a pup that can
settle on a bed, you may expect that they would
potentially then fall asleep and that duration would last a
bit longer. And the speed at which they settle, at
least for a puppy, should be a little bit quicker
in that known environment versus a more novel environment they
may not have been in before. You may see a
(03:08):
slightly longer duration to settle, or their ability to hold.
That settled behavior is more easily interrupted by things passing
in the environment, particularly for your younger puppies. Kylie, would
you want to speak for your older dogs and expectations
in those two different environments?
S2 (03:24):
I guess, um, just around settling a dog into a
new house there are known to you. So it's it's
kind of having to get to know each other and
them knowing the environment as opposed to maybe a dog
that you've been with for a little while and that
you're supporting them to settle into a new. If you're
out and about, maybe you're starting a new activity that
(03:46):
you would like them to settle at work or in
another place. So they've already developed a relationship with you.
So I think sometimes there's different approaches. If you know
the dog or if you've worked with the dog for
a little while or the dogs are known to you.
S1 (03:59):
Would you describe settling as specifically being in one spot
kind of stationary, or they can kind of be settled,
but also loosely moving about.
S2 (04:08):
For me, I guess when we're talking about adult dogs,
I would say when I think about a dog being
settled would be more that the dog's showing relaxed body
language and they might be slower in their movements, or
they might be what I would consider resting. So laying
down and loose body language, not overly alert or getting
(04:29):
up and down frequently to your movements or other movements
and just being able to remain relaxed.
S3 (04:36):
I would say that is very similar for our younger
dogs as to what we would expect, the amount of
up and down that we would probably consider settled in
a pup is going to be a lot more so.
Pups can also be settled in play. So I might
have a ten week old puppy that is moving around
engaging with different toys, but they're engaging in independent play,
(04:57):
appropriate play. By and they're somewhat sticking to the same area,
and I would consider them quite settled as long as
they had that nice loose body language and they were
able to do that sort of self-soothing, independent activity.
S1 (05:11):
When we're talking about that settling into a particular environment,
what are some tips with our younger dogs in particular,
to help them really get more acclimatized into a new environment?
S3 (05:22):
So I think it's really important to make sure that
PUP has an understanding of where appropriate toileting spaces are
and things like that, just to help reduce any frustration
they might be feeling if they are needing to access bathrooms.
So making sure they're well toileted before they enter, and
also that they have an understanding of where they're meant
to go to avoid some human frustration that may impact
their settling in terms of accidents that may occur in
(05:44):
the House, obviously within a range of age appropriate, you
are more likely to get just accidents from your sort
of under 12 weeks old versus, say, a six month
old puppy that's coming in.
S1 (05:55):
Would you say that you can trust them.
S3 (05:56):
Less the younger ones. They just have a smaller bladder,
so you're more likely to see those inside accidents. So
making sure that, say, a six month old is toileted
before they come in, you have a little bit more
time to work with before you need to engage with
them and make sure that they know where their toileting.
But if we can just reduce some of that frustration
around potentially entering a space while already feeling some discomfort
(06:17):
can help. Making it available to them to have a
wand to have a sniff, I think, helps the dog
settle more than being able to sniff around, particularly if
you've had or have other dogs in the home being
able to sniff them out, potentially before they actually engage
with them in any capacity can be really helpful and
making it really clear where their space is if the dog.
So our dogs are often crate trained in the puppy program,
(06:39):
so making it really clear where the crate is and
allowing them some time to settle, getting some of their
energy out ahead of time as well. So going for
a bit of a walk before they enter the home
where they ask you. Asking them to settle and be
calm can also really help.
S1 (06:50):
If it's not a dog that you are familiar with,
would you give any particular other advice? For example, if
another dog is coming into your home and you're not
familiar with them and their behavior.
S3 (07:00):
It can be really great to go for a walk
together with you and your dog. If you have an
extra set of hands and get that engage and excitement
of the two dogs out of the way. We work
a lot with Labradors and Golden retrievers. So as long
as there's no dietary requirements in the mix, a little
bit of feeding and training can go a very long
way in building some rapport. Kylie, any other suggestions?
S2 (07:21):
I think it would be the same because the dog
isn't known to you. I guess. Kind of trying to
understand the dog a little bit before going in, introducing
like if you've got other animals and pets, consider how
you would introduce them, consider how the house is set
up and maybe setting that up prior to when the
dog's coming. I think. Abby, you touched on some really
great points around making sure that the dog has done
(07:44):
their business before coming in. Even for adult dogs, that's important.
Allowing them some time, even if you don't want them
in the kitchen or other areas later on, is actually
allowing them to have an explore with adult dogs in training,
we usually suggest that that's on a lead or a
longer lead, so you still have some control or management
of them in that as they're exploring, just to prevent
(08:05):
anything that may be unwanted behaviors if you can, and
then finding them a spot that they know that's their area.
And for adult dogs we do use crates like in
puppy program, but also some of the dogs we use tethers,
which is basically a lead that we use to attach
to a piece of furniture, usually something very heavy, that
(08:27):
that means that the dog can't pull it over, that
the dog is basically what we call on, on tie down.
And that's because it's really important for our clients, as
they often use that because it's portable and they can
take maybe if they're going to the gym, or are
they going to a friend's house that they can take
that with them. So if you do have an adult dog,
the instructor might let you know whether the dog's most
(08:49):
comfortable in a crate or tether, or whether you could
use either.
S3 (08:53):
We often will pair sort of a bed or a
lighter visual space for our young puppies with the tether.
So having a visual point of difference between your regular
flooring and the space that they're in can also help
indicate to some puppies that it's kind of wind down time.
So by placing them on a bed or on a
tether that is near a bed, they will actually sort
(09:14):
of associate the two things together. And you may find
they actually just naturally go into a more settled, slow,
loose body language, purely just from association. At least we
have found that with the puppies.
S2 (09:25):
Yeah. Great point Abby. Yeah, if.
S1 (09:28):
I have a very young puppy who is tethered on
a bed, is that you have to be very careful
that you're not tethering them to anything. That might be
like a tasty chair leg.
S3 (09:37):
Absolutely. Um, I would hope that Kylie, with your older dogs,
you don't encounter this too much, but definitely with our
younger pups, those ones that are teething. Just be aware
of what you're tethering them to, because if it looks
like a chew toy, it can be used as a
chew toy or make sure that you are providing something
Think appropriate and alternative. So for our younger pups that
maybe haven't got that much experience with tethering, or they
(09:57):
may not have that much experience in the crate, and
we're needing to settle them in a space where they
need to be restrained by tether or in the crate.
Giving them something like a nylabone with some peanut butter
on can really help them settle. Or a Kong. A
frozen Kong in this weather is amazing because it helps
cool them down as well. So also make sure that
while being settled is about settling into a space and
(10:19):
also being able to settle calmly, we need to make
sure we're providing them with something to occupy. If they
are new to an environment, new to a home, or
new to settling in general.
S2 (10:31):
Yeah, absolutely. And like you mentioned, Harriet too, having things
that are not chewable or less things that are chewable
in that area is very helpful. And Abby mentioned some
great things that that can be utilized there. Also in
regards to if you're a handler that has a leather lead,
I always recommend not using a leather lead to tether
them with because they love to chew on them, even
(10:53):
adult dogs. So usually we're provided with a type of
tether that means it's less likely to get chewed.
S1 (11:00):
Yeah, I was thinking of multi-animal homes. So you've got, like,
multiple dogs in the home and you're asking the dog
to settle into that, or even potentially something kind of
novel that the dog might not have encountered encountered before,
like a cat. Um, do you have any advice for
those types of scenarios?
S3 (11:18):
Often the case in puppy program, particularly when you get
your first puppy coming home, or if you are going
to be home over those big holiday periods where everyone's
away and you've nominated yourself to take on a second puppy,
it can be quite challenging. So it's really good to
think about how close in age are these puppies, and
how able are they to regulate their own play together?
(11:40):
Or how much do you need to supervise the play?
It is absolutely fine to them. Have a play and
have a run around the backyard. But if they're very,
very close in age, you may need to actually instigate
some separation. So one's on the tether and one's in
the crate, one's in the crate and one's loose every
now and then, just to actually allow them to bring
that emotional level down, if they're really heightened and in
(12:03):
that really high energy state, they actually can't settle into
a new space, nor can they actually settle in terms
of being able to lie nicely on their bed. Make
sure that you are taking the time ahead of any
big events to get energy out of them so that
they aren't walking in full of beans. You're just going
to have a losing battle in that regard and do
(12:23):
a little bit of distraction work. So I often find
that if we pop both pups on a tether across
a room and you just work on rewarding feet on
the ground, and then you build two bottoms on the ground,
and then we build to laying down, and we just
slowly work on rewarding those incremental improvements in that ability
to settle. The actual interest level can move away from
(12:44):
the other animal to you, and then you can work
on reducing those rewards out. A lot of our puppies
haven't had experience with cats before. We often get requests
from the instructors of, you know, has this dog lived
with a cat before? So, Kylie, maybe you can tackle
the cats.
S2 (12:58):
Yeah. Look, cats don't usually like dogs in rushing at
them or into their faces. A lot of the time
I experience that cats go hiding for a little while
and when a dog arrives. So it's just I think
it's thinking about both animals and what they need with
the cat. We often suggest baby gates or something in
an area. Food is off the ground because Labradors would
(13:20):
always eat food on the ground, but baby gates or
areas where the cat can easily get away. But having
the dog initially on tether or with you, they will
smell a lot. And if they've never lived with a cat,
they will probably be more active in there looking for
what what they're trying to smell. So just allowing them
that time and hopefully to relax. I think, Abby, you
(13:41):
mentioned really great information about getting their engagement back with you,
using food. If they are relaxed or they are able
to lay down or showing you any signs in their
body language that they are a little bit less alert
and relaxed is just rewarding. That, and over time, hopefully
the cat resurfaces and you can get more opportunity to
reinforce or reward with food or praise the behaviors that
(14:04):
you're wanting around that. Sometimes you might have to physically
separate them. So have the cat into another room if
they're particularly bothered by their new furry dog friend that's
come in.
S1 (14:15):
Yeah, it is a very novel and interesting, smelly, you know, surprise.
If they kind of walk in there like I've never seen, like,
what is that smell? They're quite pungent I think some cats. Yeah. Yes.
S2 (14:26):
And litter are always up to or in an enclosed
litter tray. The full litter tray using enclosed is is helpful. Yeah.
S3 (14:33):
If you are settling a new small puppy in just
if you're using a baby gate, check that the puppy
doesn't fit through the baby gate. Also, some of them
have wider bars than others. And while if your puppy
is over five months, that won't be a problem if
you have a small dog or a young Labrador. They
may stick their head through the bars and still engage
with those spaces that you're trying to keep separate from
(14:54):
your cat.
S2 (14:56):
Very good point, Abby. And yes.
S1 (14:59):
I have had puppies home that have been smaller than
my cat. So, you know, the litter tray is a
good point as well. That cat litter if it is accessed.
Some types are okay, not ideal. And there are other
types like crystal types that are very important to not
have in your house or accessible when you have dogs,
because they will potentially try and eat the cat poop.
(15:20):
But some types are kind of harmless in very small
quantities if they're quick enough. Other bits can cause some damage,
so just be mindful of that one while.
S3 (15:27):
We're talking about things that should be kept out of
reach when we're settling new dogs into multi-dog homes. If
original residing dog has any favorite toys or toys that
have a lot of emotional value value to you, I
would suggest putting them out of sight for the duration
of your guest, or at least until they have been
(15:47):
home a few days, and you get to know their personality.
Whereas you may be in the situation that I was
recently in where we lost eight toys due to full
on play of other dogs. So if it's precious to you,
make sure that it's out of reach for the new pup.
Just because your dog can be trusted with it doesn't
mean that this dog that you're getting to know is
going to value it to the same degree.
S2 (16:09):
And, Abby, I think you raised a good point. Whenever
you're having a new dog that you don't know, is
is just having an extra level of supervision or awareness
that they're new to the space and you're getting to
know them and they're getting to know, know the space
and encourage you to supervise a little bit more closely
to begin with until you get to know them more
(16:30):
and know what they get into or what their likes
and dislikes are. Particularly you mentioned about soft toys or
other items in the home. Yeah, it's always good to
supervise and allow that a little bit more room or
times where you allow, um, them a little bit more
space when you after you get to know them.
S3 (16:50):
Absolutely. And you might it might even be appropriate play
that the toys are getting destroyed in, but no one
wants to clean up after a decapitated soft toy. So
just supervise as much as you can.
S1 (17:01):
Even home behavior wise, a new dog. You don't know
what they might try and get away with that they
might not even try with their carer. They might think
this is new, I could try.
S2 (17:11):
Yeah, and it's stress sometimes too because it's a change.
So sometimes they will be behaving differently or they might
feel more stressed. So they might show behaviors that maybe
if they're changing carer homes or going from kennels to
to their carer home, or from a carer home into kennels,
change of environment sometimes can carry stress and different behaviours.
S3 (17:31):
It's not unreasonable to expect that it could take several
days for the dogs to recover from that because they
are having spikes in their hormones and things like that.
So just keep in mind that even though you might
feel like, oh, but they've been here 24 hours or
48 hours. Now that it may take them a few
days to settle, to get used to the new routine
and even changes in like feeding times and things like
that can have a little bit of an impact on
(17:53):
how the dog settles into your home.
S2 (17:55):
I mean, you raised a good point in terms of
feeding as well. I think you were talking about like
going to big events or Christmas parties and those type
of things. If we're talking about Christmas foster care, and
I generally encourage giving the dog a time to have
an energy outlet, letting them relax, then feeding them before
you head out into your activity, particularly if it's like
a nighttime thing, more chances that the dog will be
(18:18):
settled providing you got that time between a run and feeding.
And then hopefully there's you're setting them up to be
more settled when you're out and about.
S3 (18:28):
And keep in mind, like different ages are going to
need different amounts of that. So what you might do
with your six month old puppy, you may need more
or less for your 14 month old training dog that's
coming home to spend Christmas with you. So just keep
in mind that those ages can make quite a difference
as to what they need before those big events, or
as to whether they actually need a break within those
(18:50):
big events. And if you are a family that has
a big Christmas dinner, maybe have a think about how
you're going to tether or create or manage the dogs
while everybody's eating, because those high interest we're talking about
typically Labradors and golden retrievers. For our case, a lot
of Christmas food can create a lot of Christmas spills,
which can create a very interested dog.
S1 (19:10):
One of the good things about the crate is that
it does fold up, so you actually can bring it
to a family event, and I have done that before.
You know, you just carry the crate in, unpack it.
I have found that it's been a very positive thing
for the dogs, that I've done that for where they've
just kind of gone, oh, cool. Well, I'm really out
of the way. No one's bothering me. It's a great time.
So thinking about out and about settling behavior. So now
(19:32):
I'm thinking more about things like, you know, cafes, restaurants, theatres,
your office, that type of thing. What are the kind
of tips that you might provide on that one, starting
with what would the expectations be? What we're talking about
being settled in a public place.
S3 (19:45):
I always recommend my carers as close to a training
dog as possible. So, Kylie, would you like to speak
to what your expectations would be of a working dog
settling out and about? And then I can build on
to how we might get there.
S2 (19:59):
Look, I think for our clients it's really important because
they're going about their day to day life and they're
wanting to move to different areas, and they need to
attend meetings and all sorts of things and be present,
either working or with family and friends. So ideally that
the dog is relaxed and calm by their side and
is able to stay quiet for increasing periods of time.
(20:21):
So sometimes I'll handlers might be in a meeting for
1 or 2 hours, and that they might require them
to remain relaxed, or they might be going to a
gym session or just moving between walking and different activities.
So I think the end goal would be that they
are able to utilize the energy when they're out working
and then able to when they come to a stationary position,
(20:43):
able just to stand beside the handler and or if
they're the handler, seating is just to relax by their
side in a sit or in laying down. Easier said
than done to to get that and consistently, but that's
obviously built over time with the handler and what we're
ultimately aiming for.
S3 (21:01):
So for our puppies, that would be a dream puppy
and we want to build up to that. So starting
with what can they achieve at home? So there is
absolutely nothing wrong. Before you go to an event with
doing some practicing of a sit a down holding those positions,
how long is puppy kind of naturally hanging out and
chilling out on their bed? What are those sort of
(21:21):
time frames before they're kind of like, well, I'm going
to get up again and go and investigate my toys
or things like that. Do some sessions of various durations
at home in a controlled environment, just so you can
get an idea of what your puppy is capable of.
If it's a new puppy into your home that you
are still getting to know, perhaps have a conversation with
their carer or their usual family as to what is
(21:45):
achievable for them in that context. And then when you
head out and about for a young puppy, I would
recommend cutting that in half or three quarters of what
they can achieve at home is kind of where we
would expect out and about, depending on how busy that
environment is. So if it's kind of a coffee catch
up and you're the only ones in the cafe and
there's no one really moving around, it's not unreasonable to
(22:06):
expect that puppy can hold it down for three quarters
of the amount of time that they're holding it at home.
If you are at a thriving Christmas dinner with people
moving around and footsteps everywhere, you're probably only going to
achieve about a quarter of that time. So put a
little bit of work in ahead of time to see
what is normal for your puppy, and then take some
things to help you along your way. So if your
puppy is, for instance, able to achieve five minutes of
(22:30):
settling before they are putting their nose around, having a
sniff around to see if what crumbs have been dropped
at the meeting room table over coffee. Maybe at four
minutes in, you're going to give them a nice big pat.
Give them a reward. Ask them to do a set
and then resettle them in a down just to interrupt
before we get to that testing point. And then over time,
build that up. But it is most important to do
(22:50):
a little bit of work to get to know your puppy,
whether that is your regular puppy or a new puppy,
to see where they're at. Coming into expectations of settling
in a novel environment.
S1 (23:02):
What types of like settling aids might you bring for
a puppy? If you're doing your at home settling and
you've got your tether and then your your wet bedding
or something like that and your nylabone, would you bring
those things out and about with you? Absolutely.
S3 (23:16):
So bringing some bedding so your vet bed or just
a tea towel, even just something that creates a visual
space the puppy is used to having the expectation of
paws on can really help because it gives them a
space to be. It also can help with comfort because
you might be in the cafe and those tiles might
actually be really, really cold and your puppy is fidgeting
because they don't want to lay on the cold tiles.
(23:36):
Or we might be sitting at a bench in the sunshine,
and the grass is actually really spiky and hot, and
they're fidgeting and moving around, and they're unsettled because they're
not comfortable. So you can help remove some of those
elements from the challenge level. A nylabone or a preferred
clay item can be really helpful, something that isn't going
to roll away and that they're not going to want
(23:56):
to chase after because that is going to undo what
you're wanting to achieve.
S1 (24:01):
Nothing too squeaky. I'm thinking if you're in the office.
S4 (24:04):
It.
S3 (24:04):
Absolutely depends on your tolerance levels. If it keeps your
puppy settled and you can tune it out, that might
be something that's appropriate. But maybe just check in with
the people that you're going to be hanging out with
that they can also tolerate a squeaky toy, but something
that pup can then focus on. You also don't want
to rely too heavily on food, because the presence of
the food itself can actually encourage the dog to be
(24:25):
unsettled because they're looking for the next reward, or the
next treat, or the next thing that's going to get
them some food. So while you can use training aids
like peanut butter on the nylabone or a Kong filled
with food. You want to achieve a little bit of
a downer on the day before you offer that out,
rather than using it to get to the behavior. And obviously,
(24:45):
depending on your dog, they may actually value just pats
and praise. So don't forget to just check in with
them and tell them they're doing a good job. It's
really with our young puppies. We often fall into this
habit of we only engage with them when they're unsettled
because we're trying to resettle them, and then when they're settled,
we take this big sigh of relief and we get
on with what we need to get on with, and
we forget to tell them they're doing a good job
and they haven't worked out yet. What is the behavior
(25:07):
that we desire? So we reinforce the undesirable behavior by
giving them our attention when they do it.
S1 (25:13):
Would you just use your verbal then it would be
your kind of preference, I guess.
S3 (25:18):
Absolutely. So a nice calm pat. If your dog likes
pats or using a very monotone like oh good boy,
good puppy, try not to use your marker word because
then they're going to expect food and try not to
get too excited in your voice because that's going to
get their energy levels up. But like nice monotone. Oh
good job. A little bit of acknowledgement and a bit
of an ear scratch can go a very long way.
S1 (25:40):
And if they are popping up what would you do.
S3 (25:43):
So a little bit of a redirect into what you're
looking for. If you find that you're in the pattern
of we're going to use Dobby because that's my dog.
So that name comes out pretty naturally. So Dobby down
sits there for two minutes. He pops back up again.
Dobby down. And you're in this pattern of just asking
and rewarding. Asking and rewarding can use a little bit
of a leash tether where you pop your foot on
the end of the leash and just create a shorter
space for them so they can't pop up as easily.
(26:06):
Have a look around in the environment and is there
something that might be distracting them? So if you're sitting
in the beautiful sunshine, having a coffee with your friend
and there's actually a bird two meters away that's hopping
around and your dog's popping up, maybe they're distracted by
the bird. Can we redirect their attention and change whatever
it is in the environment that's distracting them? There's usually
something going on that's causing them to pop up, so
(26:26):
it's either that we've accidentally rewarded it, or there is
something creating enough of a distraction that they want to
move around.
S1 (26:33):
Would you say any different for the older dogs on
that one?
S2 (26:37):
No. I think they're all really great tips that Abby
has been able to provide. I guess with adult dogs
when they're new to you. I would go back to
maybe what you were doing with a puppy or a
dog that you didn't know. So I think what Abby's
mentioned is great.
S1 (26:52):
Is there anything else that either of you would like
to share about settling either time?
S2 (26:57):
I'm just going to say that sometimes it's a challenging
behavior and if depending on the dog's natural energy levels.
So just to be kind on yourself, there'll be days
where and particularly the more active or different personalities of
dogs do find settling a little bit more challenging. So
there might be more management with one dog than you'll
have with the other. Or another dog might find it
(27:18):
extra hard to be able to do that, so reach
out if you're having particular issues to your puppy development,
or contact person or instructor. If you're noticing or you're
having some difficulties with doing that, and might just like
to chat through some other strategies that might help for
your individual dog.
S3 (27:36):
If you have a busy day like take some patience
for yourself. Give yourself a break. Use the tether. Use
the crate to help aid the dog in settling, rather
than relying on yourself being there so that if you
are feeling a bit anxious or overwhelmed or just exhausted
from a busy day, you can give yourself 15 20 minutes.
That reset can make a huge difference to the dogs,
(27:58):
because they do pick up on all those feelings down
the lead or as we engage with them, and that
can hinder their ability to settle in the public place
because we're really anxious about how they're behaving. If you
need to take five minutes, use those other tools and
take five minutes because it will make a world of difference.
If you're in a public place. Sometimes this simple act
of ordering your coffee in a takeaway cup can just
take that pressure off. But my coffee is still not
(28:19):
here yet, and oh my gosh, this puppy keeps popping
up and I've got to finish my cup and I
can't take it with me. So sometimes just the act
of I'm going to get it in a takeaway form.
your stress levels are reduced while your dog is settling.
That helps your dog settle, and then you actually can
finish your meal at the venue, just in a takeaway format.
S1 (28:42):
You've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dog show on
Vision Australia Radio. I hope you enjoyed my interview with
Abbe Howes, Puppet Development trainer and Kylie Gersch, Training Program
manager and instructor, talking about settling. There are lots of
handy tips from our expert staff on the Seeing Eye
Dog Show podcast that you can stream on our Omni
FM page, or your preferred podcast platform. Don't forget to
(29:04):
check in with your trusted seeing eye contact if you're
a handler or carer with us for advice specific to
the dog in your care. For more information on seeing
eye dogs, the work we do or how you can help,
head to our website at Sydney Vision Australia. Org. Thank
you for listening and have a lovely holiday season.
On Vision Australia radio. You're listening to the Seeing Eye
dog show. With me, your host, Harriet Moffatt. Today I've
got some great tips from two of our excellent returning guests,
Abby Howes, Puppet Development trainer, and Kylie Gersch, training program
manager and instructor. We're going to be talking about dog
settling that is both relaxing into new homes and environments
(00:31):
and being settled out and about in public. As you
may have dogs coming into your home or bringing dogs
into new places over the holiday seasons, I hope you
find these tips helpful. Our two guests are going to
chat about this topic for dogs of all ages, and
how we can work from those baby eight week old
puppies up to adult working, seeing eye dogs and support
(00:51):
them into new homes or out working. I hope you
enjoyed this discussion as much as I have. Hi Abby
and Kylie, thank you for joining me on the show today.
Thanks for having us. Thanks for having.
S2 (01:06):
Us, Harriet.
S1 (01:07):
So we're going to talk a little bit about a few,
I guess, a few kind of parts of settling and
what settling is, and in particular focusing on the different
ages because, um, you two, between you actually kind of
look after a pretty wide age range of dogs. If
you guys would like to tell the audience, if anyone
is not aware what age range you look after, that
(01:28):
would be great.
S3 (01:30):
Uh, so I might start. Hi, I'm Abby, I'm a
puppy development trainer, so I work with our pups from
eight weeks until about 12 to 14 months when I
hand them over to Kylie and her team.
S2 (01:40):
Um. Thanks, Abby. Yeah. Kylie Gersh, the training manager here
at Seeing Eye Dogs. And as Abby said, we work
with the dogs that are around 12 to 14 months,
up until about 2 to 3 years, just depending when
they come into training as an instructor. We work with
dogs up until they retire, which can be anywhere upwards
to ten years old, so.
S1 (01:59):
We can't exactly expect the same of our baby eight
week old puppies, as we might have, are fully trained
working dogs. There are two particular types of settling that
we are referring to. Would anyone like to explain what
those two things might mean?
S3 (02:13):
So as the instigator of the confusion, I will take
that one on. So we have settling as in the
ability to settle in a space calmly and engage with
the environment in a calm manner that might be on
a bed or in a down, or the other form
of settling as in, to settle into a new environment.
When you get a new puppy and a new dog
(02:34):
might be joining your household, whether that be short term
for the Christmas break or longer term because they're a
new member of your family.
S1 (02:41):
When we're talking about both of those, would the difference
almost be like a duration type of thing? So there is.
S3 (02:46):
A difference in what you might expect. I suppose that
might be what you're thinking. So a pup that can
settle on a bed, you may expect that they would
potentially then fall asleep and that duration would last a
bit longer. And the speed at which they settle, at
least for a puppy, should be a little bit quicker
in that known environment versus a more novel environment they
may not have been in before. You may see a
(03:08):
slightly longer duration to settle, or their ability to hold.
That settled behavior is more easily interrupted by things passing
in the environment, particularly for your younger puppies. Kylie, would
you want to speak for your older dogs and expectations
in those two different environments?
S2 (03:24):
I guess, um, just around settling a dog into a
new house there are known to you. So it's it's
kind of having to get to know each other and
them knowing the environment as opposed to maybe a dog
that you've been with for a little while and that
you're supporting them to settle into a new. If you're
out and about, maybe you're starting a new activity that
(03:46):
you would like them to settle at work or in
another place. So they've already developed a relationship with you.
So I think sometimes there's different approaches. If you know
the dog or if you've worked with the dog for
a little while or the dogs are known to you.
S1 (03:59):
Would you describe settling as specifically being in one spot
kind of stationary, or they can kind of be settled,
but also loosely moving about.
S2 (04:08):
For me, I guess when we're talking about adult dogs,
I would say when I think about a dog being
settled would be more that the dog's showing relaxed body
language and they might be slower in their movements, or
they might be what I would consider resting. So laying
down and loose body language, not overly alert or getting
(04:29):
up and down frequently to your movements or other movements
and just being able to remain relaxed.
S3 (04:36):
I would say that is very similar for our younger
dogs as to what we would expect, the amount of
up and down that we would probably consider settled in
a pup is going to be a lot more so.
Pups can also be settled in play. So I might
have a ten week old puppy that is moving around
engaging with different toys, but they're engaging in independent play,
(04:57):
appropriate play. By and they're somewhat sticking to the same area,
and I would consider them quite settled as long as
they had that nice loose body language and they were
able to do that sort of self-soothing, independent activity.
S1 (05:11):
When we're talking about that settling into a particular environment,
what are some tips with our younger dogs in particular,
to help them really get more acclimatized into a new environment?
S3 (05:22):
So I think it's really important to make sure that
PUP has an understanding of where appropriate toileting spaces are
and things like that, just to help reduce any frustration
they might be feeling if they are needing to access bathrooms.
So making sure they're well toileted before they enter, and
also that they have an understanding of where they're meant
to go to avoid some human frustration that may impact
their settling in terms of accidents that may occur in
(05:44):
the House, obviously within a range of age appropriate, you
are more likely to get just accidents from your sort
of under 12 weeks old versus, say, a six month
old puppy that's coming in.
S1 (05:55):
Would you say that you can trust them.
S3 (05:56):
Less the younger ones. They just have a smaller bladder,
so you're more likely to see those inside accidents. So
making sure that, say, a six month old is toileted
before they come in, you have a little bit more
time to work with before you need to engage with
them and make sure that they know where their toileting.
But if we can just reduce some of that frustration
around potentially entering a space while already feeling some discomfort
(06:17):
can help. Making it available to them to have a
wand to have a sniff, I think, helps the dog
settle more than being able to sniff around, particularly if
you've had or have other dogs in the home being
able to sniff them out, potentially before they actually engage
with them in any capacity can be really helpful and
making it really clear where their space is if the dog.
So our dogs are often crate trained in the puppy program,
(06:39):
so making it really clear where the crate is and
allowing them some time to settle, getting some of their
energy out ahead of time as well. So going for
a bit of a walk before they enter the home
where they ask you. Asking them to settle and be
calm can also really help.
S1 (06:50):
If it's not a dog that you are familiar with,
would you give any particular other advice? For example, if
another dog is coming into your home and you're not
familiar with them and their behavior.
S3 (07:00):
It can be really great to go for a walk
together with you and your dog. If you have an
extra set of hands and get that engage and excitement
of the two dogs out of the way. We work
a lot with Labradors and Golden retrievers. So as long
as there's no dietary requirements in the mix, a little
bit of feeding and training can go a very long
way in building some rapport. Kylie, any other suggestions?
S2 (07:21):
I think it would be the same because the dog
isn't known to you. I guess. Kind of trying to
understand the dog a little bit before going in, introducing
like if you've got other animals and pets, consider how
you would introduce them, consider how the house is set
up and maybe setting that up prior to when the
dog's coming. I think. Abby, you touched on some really
great points around making sure that the dog has done
(07:44):
their business before coming in. Even for adult dogs, that's important.
Allowing them some time, even if you don't want them
in the kitchen or other areas later on, is actually
allowing them to have an explore with adult dogs in training,
we usually suggest that that's on a lead or a
longer lead, so you still have some control or management
of them in that as they're exploring, just to prevent
(08:05):
anything that may be unwanted behaviors if you can, and
then finding them a spot that they know that's their area.
And for adult dogs we do use crates like in
puppy program, but also some of the dogs we use tethers,
which is basically a lead that we use to attach
to a piece of furniture, usually something very heavy, that
(08:27):
that means that the dog can't pull it over, that
the dog is basically what we call on, on tie down.
And that's because it's really important for our clients, as
they often use that because it's portable and they can
take maybe if they're going to the gym, or are
they going to a friend's house that they can take
that with them. So if you do have an adult dog,
the instructor might let you know whether the dog's most
(08:49):
comfortable in a crate or tether, or whether you could
use either.
S3 (08:53):
We often will pair sort of a bed or a
lighter visual space for our young puppies with the tether.
So having a visual point of difference between your regular
flooring and the space that they're in can also help
indicate to some puppies that it's kind of wind down time.
So by placing them on a bed or on a
tether that is near a bed, they will actually sort
(09:14):
of associate the two things together. And you may find
they actually just naturally go into a more settled, slow,
loose body language, purely just from association. At least we
have found that with the puppies.
S2 (09:25):
Yeah. Great point Abby. Yeah, if.
S1 (09:28):
I have a very young puppy who is tethered on
a bed, is that you have to be very careful
that you're not tethering them to anything. That might be
like a tasty chair leg.
S3 (09:37):
Absolutely. Um, I would hope that Kylie, with your older dogs,
you don't encounter this too much, but definitely with our
younger pups, those ones that are teething. Just be aware
of what you're tethering them to, because if it looks
like a chew toy, it can be used as a
chew toy or make sure that you are providing something
Think appropriate and alternative. So for our younger pups that
maybe haven't got that much experience with tethering, or they
(09:57):
may not have that much experience in the crate, and
we're needing to settle them in a space where they
need to be restrained by tether or in the crate.
Giving them something like a nylabone with some peanut butter
on can really help them settle. Or a Kong. A
frozen Kong in this weather is amazing because it helps
cool them down as well. So also make sure that
while being settled is about settling into a space and
(10:19):
also being able to settle calmly, we need to make
sure we're providing them with something to occupy. If they
are new to an environment, new to a home, or
new to settling in general.
S2 (10:31):
Yeah, absolutely. And like you mentioned, Harriet too, having things
that are not chewable or less things that are chewable
in that area is very helpful. And Abby mentioned some
great things that that can be utilized there. Also in
regards to if you're a handler that has a leather lead,
I always recommend not using a leather lead to tether
them with because they love to chew on them, even
(10:53):
adult dogs. So usually we're provided with a type of
tether that means it's less likely to get chewed.
S1 (11:00):
Yeah, I was thinking of multi-animal homes. So you've got, like,
multiple dogs in the home and you're asking the dog
to settle into that, or even potentially something kind of
novel that the dog might not have encountered encountered before,
like a cat. Um, do you have any advice for
those types of scenarios?
S3 (11:18):
Often the case in puppy program, particularly when you get
your first puppy coming home, or if you are going
to be home over those big holiday periods where everyone's
away and you've nominated yourself to take on a second puppy,
it can be quite challenging. So it's really good to
think about how close in age are these puppies, and
how able are they to regulate their own play together?
(11:40):
Or how much do you need to supervise the play?
It is absolutely fine to them. Have a play and
have a run around the backyard. But if they're very,
very close in age, you may need to actually instigate
some separation. So one's on the tether and one's in
the crate, one's in the crate and one's loose every
now and then, just to actually allow them to bring
that emotional level down, if they're really heightened and in
(12:03):
that really high energy state, they actually can't settle into
a new space, nor can they actually settle in terms
of being able to lie nicely on their bed. Make
sure that you are taking the time ahead of any
big events to get energy out of them so that
they aren't walking in full of beans. You're just going
to have a losing battle in that regard and do
(12:23):
a little bit of distraction work. So I often find
that if we pop both pups on a tether across
a room and you just work on rewarding feet on
the ground, and then you build two bottoms on the ground,
and then we build to laying down, and we just
slowly work on rewarding those incremental improvements in that ability
to settle. The actual interest level can move away from
(12:44):
the other animal to you, and then you can work
on reducing those rewards out. A lot of our puppies
haven't had experience with cats before. We often get requests
from the instructors of, you know, has this dog lived
with a cat before? So, Kylie, maybe you can tackle
the cats.
S2 (12:58):
Yeah. Look, cats don't usually like dogs in rushing at
them or into their faces. A lot of the time
I experience that cats go hiding for a little while
and when a dog arrives. So it's just I think
it's thinking about both animals and what they need with
the cat. We often suggest baby gates or something in
an area. Food is off the ground because Labradors would
(13:20):
always eat food on the ground, but baby gates or
areas where the cat can easily get away. But having
the dog initially on tether or with you, they will
smell a lot. And if they've never lived with a cat,
they will probably be more active in there looking for
what what they're trying to smell. So just allowing them
that time and hopefully to relax. I think, Abby, you
(13:41):
mentioned really great information about getting their engagement back with you,
using food. If they are relaxed or they are able
to lay down or showing you any signs in their
body language that they are a little bit less alert
and relaxed is just rewarding. That, and over time, hopefully
the cat resurfaces and you can get more opportunity to
reinforce or reward with food or praise the behaviors that
(14:04):
you're wanting around that. Sometimes you might have to physically
separate them. So have the cat into another room if
they're particularly bothered by their new furry dog friend that's
come in.
S1 (14:15):
Yeah, it is a very novel and interesting, smelly, you know, surprise.
If they kind of walk in there like I've never seen, like,
what is that smell? They're quite pungent I think some cats. Yeah. Yes.
S2 (14:26):
And litter are always up to or in an enclosed
litter tray. The full litter tray using enclosed is is helpful. Yeah.
S3 (14:33):
If you are settling a new small puppy in just
if you're using a baby gate, check that the puppy
doesn't fit through the baby gate. Also, some of them
have wider bars than others. And while if your puppy
is over five months, that won't be a problem if
you have a small dog or a young Labrador. They
may stick their head through the bars and still engage
with those spaces that you're trying to keep separate from
(14:54):
your cat.
S2 (14:56):
Very good point, Abby. And yes.
S1 (14:59):
I have had puppies home that have been smaller than
my cat. So, you know, the litter tray is a
good point as well. That cat litter if it is accessed.
Some types are okay, not ideal. And there are other
types like crystal types that are very important to not
have in your house or accessible when you have dogs,
because they will potentially try and eat the cat poop.
(15:20):
But some types are kind of harmless in very small
quantities if they're quick enough. Other bits can cause some damage,
so just be mindful of that one while.
S3 (15:27):
We're talking about things that should be kept out of
reach when we're settling new dogs into multi-dog homes. If
original residing dog has any favorite toys or toys that
have a lot of emotional value value to you, I
would suggest putting them out of sight for the duration
of your guest, or at least until they have been
(15:47):
home a few days, and you get to know their personality.
Whereas you may be in the situation that I was
recently in where we lost eight toys due to full
on play of other dogs. So if it's precious to you,
make sure that it's out of reach for the new pup.
Just because your dog can be trusted with it doesn't
mean that this dog that you're getting to know is
going to value it to the same degree.
S2 (16:09):
And, Abby, I think you raised a good point. Whenever
you're having a new dog that you don't know, is
is just having an extra level of supervision or awareness
that they're new to the space and you're getting to
know them and they're getting to know, know the space
and encourage you to supervise a little bit more closely
to begin with until you get to know them more
(16:30):
and know what they get into or what their likes
and dislikes are. Particularly you mentioned about soft toys or
other items in the home. Yeah, it's always good to
supervise and allow that a little bit more room or
times where you allow, um, them a little bit more
space when you after you get to know them.
S3 (16:50):
Absolutely. And you might it might even be appropriate play
that the toys are getting destroyed in, but no one
wants to clean up after a decapitated soft toy. So
just supervise as much as you can.
S1 (17:01):
Even home behavior wise, a new dog. You don't know
what they might try and get away with that they
might not even try with their carer. They might think
this is new, I could try.
S2 (17:11):
Yeah, and it's stress sometimes too because it's a change.
So sometimes they will be behaving differently or they might
feel more stressed. So they might show behaviors that maybe
if they're changing carer homes or going from kennels to
to their carer home, or from a carer home into kennels,
change of environment sometimes can carry stress and different behaviours.
S3 (17:31):
It's not unreasonable to expect that it could take several
days for the dogs to recover from that because they
are having spikes in their hormones and things like that.
So just keep in mind that even though you might
feel like, oh, but they've been here 24 hours or
48 hours. Now that it may take them a few
days to settle, to get used to the new routine
and even changes in like feeding times and things like
that can have a little bit of an impact on
(17:53):
how the dog settles into your home.
S2 (17:55):
I mean, you raised a good point in terms of
feeding as well. I think you were talking about like
going to big events or Christmas parties and those type
of things. If we're talking about Christmas foster care, and
I generally encourage giving the dog a time to have
an energy outlet, letting them relax, then feeding them before
you head out into your activity, particularly if it's like
a nighttime thing, more chances that the dog will be
(18:18):
settled providing you got that time between a run and feeding.
And then hopefully there's you're setting them up to be
more settled when you're out and about.
S3 (18:28):
And keep in mind, like different ages are going to
need different amounts of that. So what you might do
with your six month old puppy, you may need more
or less for your 14 month old training dog that's
coming home to spend Christmas with you. So just keep
in mind that those ages can make quite a difference
as to what they need before those big events, or
as to whether they actually need a break within those
(18:50):
big events. And if you are a family that has
a big Christmas dinner, maybe have a think about how
you're going to tether or create or manage the dogs
while everybody's eating, because those high interest we're talking about
typically Labradors and golden retrievers. For our case, a lot
of Christmas food can create a lot of Christmas spills,
which can create a very interested dog.
S1 (19:10):
One of the good things about the crate is that
it does fold up, so you actually can bring it
to a family event, and I have done that before.
You know, you just carry the crate in, unpack it.
I have found that it's been a very positive thing
for the dogs, that I've done that for where they've
just kind of gone, oh, cool. Well, I'm really out
of the way. No one's bothering me. It's a great time.
So thinking about out and about settling behavior. So now
(19:32):
I'm thinking more about things like, you know, cafes, restaurants, theatres,
your office, that type of thing. What are the kind
of tips that you might provide on that one, starting
with what would the expectations be? What we're talking about
being settled in a public place.
S3 (19:45):
I always recommend my carers as close to a training
dog as possible. So, Kylie, would you like to speak
to what your expectations would be of a working dog
settling out and about? And then I can build on
to how we might get there.
S2 (19:59):
Look, I think for our clients it's really important because
they're going about their day to day life and they're
wanting to move to different areas, and they need to
attend meetings and all sorts of things and be present,
either working or with family and friends. So ideally that
the dog is relaxed and calm by their side and
is able to stay quiet for increasing periods of time.
(20:21):
So sometimes I'll handlers might be in a meeting for
1 or 2 hours, and that they might require them
to remain relaxed, or they might be going to a
gym session or just moving between walking and different activities.
So I think the end goal would be that they
are able to utilize the energy when they're out working
and then able to when they come to a stationary position,
(20:43):
able just to stand beside the handler and or if
they're the handler, seating is just to relax by their
side in a sit or in laying down. Easier said
than done to to get that and consistently, but that's
obviously built over time with the handler and what we're
ultimately aiming for.
S3 (21:01):
So for our puppies, that would be a dream puppy
and we want to build up to that. So starting
with what can they achieve at home? So there is
absolutely nothing wrong. Before you go to an event with
doing some practicing of a sit a down holding those positions,
how long is puppy kind of naturally hanging out and
chilling out on their bed? What are those sort of
(21:21):
time frames before they're kind of like, well, I'm going
to get up again and go and investigate my toys
or things like that. Do some sessions of various durations
at home in a controlled environment, just so you can
get an idea of what your puppy is capable of.
If it's a new puppy into your home that you
are still getting to know, perhaps have a conversation with
their carer or their usual family as to what is
(21:45):
achievable for them in that context. And then when you
head out and about for a young puppy, I would
recommend cutting that in half or three quarters of what
they can achieve at home is kind of where we
would expect out and about, depending on how busy that
environment is. So if it's kind of a coffee catch
up and you're the only ones in the cafe and
there's no one really moving around, it's not unreasonable to
(22:06):
expect that puppy can hold it down for three quarters
of the amount of time that they're holding it at home.
If you are at a thriving Christmas dinner with people
moving around and footsteps everywhere, you're probably only going to
achieve about a quarter of that time. So put a
little bit of work in ahead of time to see
what is normal for your puppy, and then take some
things to help you along your way. So if your
puppy is, for instance, able to achieve five minutes of
(22:30):
settling before they are putting their nose around, having a
sniff around to see if what crumbs have been dropped
at the meeting room table over coffee. Maybe at four
minutes in, you're going to give them a nice big pat.
Give them a reward. Ask them to do a set
and then resettle them in a down just to interrupt
before we get to that testing point. And then over time,
build that up. But it is most important to do
(22:50):
a little bit of work to get to know your puppy,
whether that is your regular puppy or a new puppy,
to see where they're at. Coming into expectations of settling
in a novel environment.
S1 (23:02):
What types of like settling aids might you bring for
a puppy? If you're doing your at home settling and
you've got your tether and then your your wet bedding
or something like that and your nylabone, would you bring
those things out and about with you? Absolutely.
S3 (23:16):
So bringing some bedding so your vet bed or just
a tea towel, even just something that creates a visual
space the puppy is used to having the expectation of
paws on can really help because it gives them a
space to be. It also can help with comfort because
you might be in the cafe and those tiles might
actually be really, really cold and your puppy is fidgeting
because they don't want to lay on the cold tiles.
(23:36):
Or we might be sitting at a bench in the sunshine,
and the grass is actually really spiky and hot, and
they're fidgeting and moving around, and they're unsettled because they're
not comfortable. So you can help remove some of those
elements from the challenge level. A nylabone or a preferred
clay item can be really helpful, something that isn't going
to roll away and that they're not going to want
(23:56):
to chase after because that is going to undo what
you're wanting to achieve.
S1 (24:01):
Nothing too squeaky. I'm thinking if you're in the office.
S4 (24:04):
It.
S3 (24:04):
Absolutely depends on your tolerance levels. If it keeps your
puppy settled and you can tune it out, that might
be something that's appropriate. But maybe just check in with
the people that you're going to be hanging out with
that they can also tolerate a squeaky toy, but something
that pup can then focus on. You also don't want
to rely too heavily on food, because the presence of
the food itself can actually encourage the dog to be
(24:25):
unsettled because they're looking for the next reward, or the
next treat, or the next thing that's going to get
them some food. So while you can use training aids
like peanut butter on the nylabone or a Kong filled
with food. You want to achieve a little bit of
a downer on the day before you offer that out,
rather than using it to get to the behavior. And obviously,
(24:45):
depending on your dog, they may actually value just pats
and praise. So don't forget to just check in with
them and tell them they're doing a good job. It's
really with our young puppies. We often fall into this
habit of we only engage with them when they're unsettled
because we're trying to resettle them, and then when they're settled,
we take this big sigh of relief and we get
on with what we need to get on with, and
we forget to tell them they're doing a good job
and they haven't worked out yet. What is the behavior
(25:07):
that we desire? So we reinforce the undesirable behavior by
giving them our attention when they do it.
S1 (25:13):
Would you just use your verbal then it would be
your kind of preference, I guess.
S3 (25:18):
Absolutely. So a nice calm pat. If your dog likes
pats or using a very monotone like oh good boy,
good puppy, try not to use your marker word because
then they're going to expect food and try not to
get too excited in your voice because that's going to
get their energy levels up. But like nice monotone. Oh
good job. A little bit of acknowledgement and a bit
of an ear scratch can go a very long way.
S1 (25:40):
And if they are popping up what would you do.
S3 (25:43):
So a little bit of a redirect into what you're
looking for. If you find that you're in the pattern
of we're going to use Dobby because that's my dog.
So that name comes out pretty naturally. So Dobby down
sits there for two minutes. He pops back up again.
Dobby down. And you're in this pattern of just asking
and rewarding. Asking and rewarding can use a little bit
of a leash tether where you pop your foot on
the end of the leash and just create a shorter
space for them so they can't pop up as easily.
(26:06):
Have a look around in the environment and is there
something that might be distracting them? So if you're sitting
in the beautiful sunshine, having a coffee with your friend
and there's actually a bird two meters away that's hopping
around and your dog's popping up, maybe they're distracted by
the bird. Can we redirect their attention and change whatever
it is in the environment that's distracting them? There's usually
something going on that's causing them to pop up, so
(26:26):
it's either that we've accidentally rewarded it, or there is
something creating enough of a distraction that they want to
move around.
S1 (26:33):
Would you say any different for the older dogs on
that one?
S2 (26:37):
No. I think they're all really great tips that Abby
has been able to provide. I guess with adult dogs
when they're new to you. I would go back to
maybe what you were doing with a puppy or a
dog that you didn't know. So I think what Abby's
mentioned is great.
S1 (26:52):
Is there anything else that either of you would like
to share about settling either time?
S2 (26:57):
I'm just going to say that sometimes it's a challenging
behavior and if depending on the dog's natural energy levels.
So just to be kind on yourself, there'll be days
where and particularly the more active or different personalities of
dogs do find settling a little bit more challenging. So
there might be more management with one dog than you'll
have with the other. Or another dog might find it
(27:18):
extra hard to be able to do that, so reach
out if you're having particular issues to your puppy development,
or contact person or instructor. If you're noticing or you're
having some difficulties with doing that, and might just like
to chat through some other strategies that might help for
your individual dog.
S3 (27:36):
If you have a busy day like take some patience
for yourself. Give yourself a break. Use the tether. Use
the crate to help aid the dog in settling, rather
than relying on yourself being there so that if you
are feeling a bit anxious or overwhelmed or just exhausted
from a busy day, you can give yourself 15 20 minutes.
That reset can make a huge difference to the dogs,
(27:58):
because they do pick up on all those feelings down
the lead or as we engage with them, and that
can hinder their ability to settle in the public place
because we're really anxious about how they're behaving. If you
need to take five minutes, use those other tools and
take five minutes because it will make a world of difference.
If you're in a public place. Sometimes this simple act
of ordering your coffee in a takeaway cup can just
take that pressure off. But my coffee is still not
(28:19):
here yet, and oh my gosh, this puppy keeps popping
up and I've got to finish my cup and I
can't take it with me. So sometimes just the act
of I'm going to get it in a takeaway form.
your stress levels are reduced while your dog is settling.
That helps your dog settle, and then you actually can
finish your meal at the venue, just in a takeaway format.
S1 (28:42):
You've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dog show on
Vision Australia Radio. I hope you enjoyed my interview with
Abbe Howes, Puppet Development trainer and Kylie Gersch, Training Program
manager and instructor, talking about settling. There are lots of
handy tips from our expert staff on the Seeing Eye
Dog Show podcast that you can stream on our Omni
FM page, or your preferred podcast platform. Don't forget to
(29:04):
check in with your trusted seeing eye contact if you're
a handler or carer with us for advice specific to
the dog in your care. For more information on seeing
eye dogs, the work we do or how you can help,
head to our website at Sydney Vision Australia. Org. Thank
you for listening and have a lovely holiday season.
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