January 30, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode of The Pawsome Companion, Amy Van Dyk shares valuable insights on creating good habits in dogs. She discusses the importance of consistency, repetition, and making training a part of your lifestyle. Amy also emphasizes the need to practice training regularly, even after the initial learning phase, to reinforce good habits. Additionally, Amy touches on the topic of dog parks, highlighting the importance of not overstimulating your dog, and how habits like sitting and waiting at doorways can translate to everyday life, even in situations like entering a dog park.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
I think dog parks should be used with
caution because there's a lot of things
that happen in the dog park that that
aren't appropriate. One thing to be aware
of is a lot of people use dog parks
because they haven't trained their dog.
So there's a lot of dogs that don't even
know basic obedience skills or or listen
because it's now fenced so it's safe to
0just let your dog run free. I mean for me 11 00:00:19,1000 --> 00:00:22,480 personally, for my dogs, I prefer taking
(00:22):
them off lead places like the bid.
Welcome to the Pawson Companion, where
petsare part of our family. I'm your
host Joanna Herrera, the founder of
Coco & Bondi. I'm very excited
to interview experts and pet owners
to share their stories and insights so
you can use them to take care of your
(00:43):
0babies. 21 00:00:47,1000 --> 00:00:50,280 Hi Amy, how are you today?I'm good, how
are you?I'm happy to see you again. Yeah,
I'm excited to be back. I have so many
questions aboutlike dog
parts, dog bullying, and we would love to
know a little bit more. So tell me
(01:03):
about dog bullying. What is that?I have
never heard about that. So how can I
understand this a little bit more?Dog
0bullying is a little bit harder for us to 31 00:01:11,1000 --> 00:01:14,400 see because we like we don't...
Do dog body language like body language
is different. So it can be like it can
start really subtle. So it can be that a
dog is just like putting their head on
(01:24):
another dog's shoulders and just
constantly like, you know, doing that or
shoving them or like, you know, side
swiping. Like those things can be done in
normal play as well, but what you've got
to look at is like, is the other dog
withdrawing a little bit?Is it avoiding?
Is it looking the other way?Is it being
overly submissive in this situation?
Is the dog relentless with its play?You
(01:46):
know, the the dog is going up to other
dogs that aren't interested and it just
keeps pushing and pushing or shoving and
the other dogs are clearly showing signs
that they don't want to be there. So it's
it's like, you knowNot much
different to a person not respecting
another person's boundaries, but the dogs
are all doing it through their body
language. The dog's saying, Okay, back
off. I don't like that. I don't like
(02:06):
that. I don't like that. And the dog's
like, No, bad luck, bad luck, bad luck.
I'm going to be your friend. So
yeah, I was telling him that I have my
experience. I got a Jack Russell and he
loves big dogs. So
he loves like jumping into them and play
rough with them, butIt was a
few occasions that I used to go to a dog
(02:28):
park, and it was a big dog.
He used to love that dog because I saw
them playing, but it was there were
points where the dog was jumping on top
of him and just like you know him down.
And I wasn't sure if my dog was happy or
not, or I didn't know what to do. So in
those cases, what what do you suggest to
do?Yeah, so I guess I would try and
(02:50):
see if the other owner will like rectify
that behavior to say, look, you knowYour
dog's getting a bit rough. Do you mind
just grabbing your dog and giving it my
dog a break?If they won't, then you're
probably better off like leaving at that
that point in time. Anything like pinning
down a dog or constantly standing over a
dog is really in in dog language, really
inappropriate. The same as like rushing
(03:11):
up to a dog and like jumping on it.
Instead of having a sniff, like you know
you would have seen in a dog park, the
normal way for dogs to greet each other
is to come up side on, side to side,
sniff each other's sides, walk around
circles, get to know each other, and then
a dog does a play about or does something
like that. But if a dog rushes into
another dog's face and just jumps on it
(03:33):
to play, that's not appropriate, that's
bullying. That's like the
equivalent of a stranger just rushing up
to you and giving you a hug, it's just
not. Not most of us are going to be
comfortable with that. So, yeah, like in
those situations, and I
guess, you know, if you are unsure of the
play, is is this play okay?Is my dog
(03:55):
comfortable or not?Getting the other
dog pulled away. If the dog that
seems like it's unsure is continuing to
come back to that game, then it's not,
unhappy about it. If you grab the other
dog and and that's where, you know, dog
parks are hard because ideally, like in
in daycare, we would grab the other dog's
(04:15):
collar and just wait to see how the other
dog responds. But grabbing a
stranger's dog like that, the the person
might not be comfortable, the dog may not
be okay with having its collar grabbed.
But like, if you can ask the owner, Can
you just grab your dog for a sec?I just
want to see if my dog's comfortable.
Because if that dog feels uncomfortable,
it will take that opportunity to get
(04:37):
away. That, oh, you've restrained that
dog, I'm out of here. If it's like,
actually I just needed a break, then
yeah. So, but normal dog
play should be equal. It should be like,
not just one dog on top of the other all
the time. They could be like both rolling
on the ground, one might go on like a
little bit and then they swap back and
forth. But like a dog just constantly and
(04:59):
a dog being submissive. constantly.
And mostly if it's a bigger dog,
obviously. Yeah And if I'm the dog, if
I'm the owner, the dog owner yeah of
the big dog, what I should do is like
grab my dog and yeah ask them to come.
Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Because a lot of it is
just over arousal and over excitement in
(05:20):
place. So, you know, if you're, if you
think your dog's getting a little bit out
of hand, just grabbing your dog. Giving
it a break, getting it to calm down and
waiting till it's calm before you set it
back off to play again. Because it it's
now when it starts to get into that mode,
it's losing control of its emotions. A
lot of dogs too that bully are doing it
out of fear because they actually lack
(05:41):
confidence and are a little insecure. So
you'll find the dogs that bully the most
are lacking. Confidence and and are
insecure within themselves, so they don't
have their own and that's why they pick
on somebody that's an easy target. So is
there anything do you suggest
to those pet owners that have dogs that
are a little bit pullers doing things
(06:02):
like you know?a bit more monitored
play, so you may need to do little bits
of play and give them breaks in between.
Even considering having them on lead
initially for the play, just making sure
that they're not getting more like
reactive. Some dogs get more frustrated
with the lead. They may need to do some
work on teaching the dog how to
self-settle, how to self-calm, and and
(06:24):
even just building some of the dog's like
inner self-confidence so that it's not
trying to like get fake confidence from
other outlets. So,And, you know, we
see fake confidence in dogs a lot, like,
you know, with dogs that are, and you'll
see it with little dogs that are like
scared and then the owner picks them up
and it gets really aggressive. It gets
(06:44):
the fake confidence that my owner's
holding me I'm safe. I can pretend I'm
tougher than what I am. So, yeah. So,
you know, working on on things that
actually build the dog's own
self-confidence. Yeah. Yeah,
OK. So what do you
think about dog parks?Is Is that
good or not good?Or what are the things
(07:05):
that we have to keep in mind if we
frequent those places?Yeah, so it
it depends on the dog park and it depends
on the dogs and the people. So. I think
dog parks should be used with caution
because there's a lot of things that
happen in the dog park that that aren't
appropriate. One thing to be aware of is
a lot of people use dog parks because
they haven't trained their dog. So
(07:26):
there's a lot of dogs that don't even
know basic obedience skills or listen
because it's now fenced, so it's safe to
just let your dog run free. So you know
they can't recall their dogs, they know
their dog can't get away. For
me personally, for my dogs, I prefer
taking them off lead places like the
beach because we're going to come across
trained and controlled dogs.
(07:49):
You know A lot of people like the idea of
the dog park and it's convenient and it's
a good way to exercise their dog. So if
you do want to be able to do it, things
to be aware of is looking
for if there's a big group of people
and all their dogs know each other, you
might end up getting a little bit of a
pack mentality going because their dogs
are so familiar. they all probably come
(08:10):
at the same time every day or every week
and that that can become really scary for
a new dog going in because they'll like
flock at them and and you knowtreat
them like, be a bit too rude and
and bully them more because it's now a
pack mentality. So being being aware
that that can happen, that you've got
that group of dogs that have like built
(08:31):
up their social circle. So a new dog
coming in as an outsider, you know, it's
like that new person coming into a
friendship group, they might not always
be so okay with it. I never thought
about that. Because you feel like, ohh
that's like, because always dogs are very
welcoming sometimes. When you go to a dog
park,get so excited as well to see a new
(08:52):
dog. Yeah. Yeah So, but it could
happen as well. Yeah. Yeah So yeah, being
careful of that. Making sure you, like
if I was going into a dog park, I would
just do a round on the outside of the
park first and let my dog sniff through
the fence to know that there's no dogs
that are going to be conflict. Because
some dogs will just have conflicts with,
you know, particular dogs and personality
(09:14):
types. Justlike some people do. So
making sure there isn't going to be any
conflicts, or if they are, that the dogs
are walking away and not getting angry
with each other. Watching what the people
are like. Are they watching their dogs?
Are they aware of their dog's behavior?
Are they interacting with their dog?Are
they you know monitoring things that that
are a problem and and dealing with it?Or
are they just sitting there in a group on
(09:36):
the table chatting and just letting the
dogs run wild?You know Are the the dogs'
behavior getting monitored at all and
their play behavior?And then you're going
in being aware, like, even though it kind
of just seems like fun, like, oh,
everyone's excited and all the dogs are
crowding. Overcrowding at the gate can
actually be really intimidating for the
dog coming in. It can be really scary for
(09:58):
a dog walking in and everyone's just
overcrowding it. Trying to, you know, ask
people to call their dog away so your
dog's not walking into that and they're
not like,getting bombarded when they
first come in by 20 dogs sniffing them at
once, you know, like you can get in and
let everyone settle. So like that
overcrowding, it actually does kind of,
it it triggers, it's more likely to
(10:19):
trigger a fight because then you get dogs
getting possessive of the space or
possessive of the dog coming in, the dog
coming in is getting scared. If it warns
the other dogs or it does a normal thing
like a growl because, you know,we as
people panic when a dog growls, then
everyone tells that dog off and it's
getting taught that it has to put up with
being pushed around. So you know
(10:41):
it it is normal for a dog when it's
uncomfortable with another dog's behavior
to do a little growl or a little warning
and turn their head away and other dogs
should listen and back off. umm
Especially if it's something like the
dog's overcrowded by 10 dogs and it's
just said like their way of saying of
growling is saying, Can you just back off
a bit?Yeah. And there is a
(11:03):
lot of, I have seen like there are a few
of them that are like for small dogs and
large dogs. Yeah And I feel that is great
because for small dogs
obviously you you want to try to keep
them safe, not because all the dogs could
be aggressive or because they are too big
and they canhelp your dog. Yeah.
So it's good as well that people realise
(11:25):
that the sizes of the dogs has to be
like according to the to the size of the
of the park, right?Yeah. And I I mean, it
it is, it's really good and I think it's
necessary for safety because there are
things like, you know, some dogs will
have prey drives. So smaller dogs may
look like prey and they, you know,
may like go to to
(11:48):
Yeah, yeahSo, and prey drive is not like
necessary. It's It's not really
aggression. It's just a natural drive
that the dog can't help but obviously not
safe. It does make it hard though,
because as much as the sizes should be
appropriate, like like you said, you've
got a Jack Russell, like they don't have
the mentality of a small dog. They don't
(12:09):
act like a Maltese.
they're not like a couch dog, they're a
hunting dog that was supposed to hunt
with bigger dogs. So they actually prefer
to play with bigger dogs because that
play style suits them better, but it's
not safe. So you kind of have to teach
them to like you know modify their play a
little bit to suit the dogs that are
going to be safe for them to play with.
(12:29):
Because taking a Jack Russell into the
big dog park. Yeah, it would be dangerous
for him because he doesn't have limits.
So he's not as scared of ohh
playing with a big dog while the big dog
could hurt him. Yeah, the Terriers have
no fear. Like they, yeah, yeah they were
bred not to back down to any threat.
(12:50):
I know. This is great when they're this
small. So yeah, like, you know,
if you're going to use a dog park, for
his safety, you are going to have to use
a smaller section, which means you're
going to have to teach him to play a bit
more on the other dog's terms. 'Cause if
he goes in to play with, you know,
a little Chihuahua the way that he would
play with with a,A
(13:12):
big dog that he likes playing with, that
dog's gonna be scared. So he's got to
learn like to sit back and let the other
dog have a little bit more say in in what
they want to do. Because he likes playing
so much that he's going to do that, you
know. He's gonna learn like he'd
rather learn how to adjust his play style
to have fun with dogs thatin their like
(13:33):
you know comfort zone, then to not pay at
all. Yeah And it's funny that sometimes
when you go to dog parks, there are these
type of dogs as well that they go and
they just sit there. Yeah But I have
heard from pet owners that they love the
idea of just going to the park and look
at the dogs. Yeah, yeah some dogs do.
They just like to sit and observe and
there's nothing wrong with that. You know
(13:54):
We have dogs that come to daycare thatYou
know, you think they're not enjoying it
because they just sit there most of the
day, but they actually get so excited to
come in and just watch everyone play.
Like, they just want to observe. I think
it's just the personality. Yeah, yeahSo
what are the sort of things that happen
in the dog park like?
in the dog care. Yeah, Yeah so
(14:16):
like obviously our our daycare is very
structured and controlled so we have
trainers running the daycare and because
a lot of people that come to our daycare
are doing training or work with them, we
we make sure that we keep up with you
know basic obedience, things like sitting
and waiting to go through doorways and
being invited to do things, having to
earn their play so if they can sit and
wait and walk nicely to the play area,
(14:38):
then they can go straight in. Some dogs
can go straight in. Some of themhave to
have some time in an airlock or a crate
or a tether on their own to calm down so
that they learn that they have to be in a
like calm, good frame of mind
before they get to play and interact.
Some of them do have to have afternoon
like nap breaks. And obviously like,
(14:59):
you know, the the dogs all like to get
cuddles from the people that that are
looking after them. We will have toys in
the group. Again, it's it's controlled.
So you know, if we see a dog that like
goes to guard a toy, we'll start teaching
them that they're not allowed to do that.
They have to learn to share and just
like, you know, if they are being a
bully, like teaching them that that's not
(15:19):
allowed as well. So you knowcorrecting
that behavior, sometimes giving them time
out so that they have a chance to settle
down and come back a bit more nicely.
Like a kid being at school. Yeah, Yeah so
you have to learn. It's quite an
abstracted environment. And I guess
that's the thing, like when we talk about
dog parks that you just always have to be
aware the people in there with their
(15:40):
dogs, they don't really understand,
not not many of them fully understand
dogs and dog behavior, so they're not
Doing the wrong thing by the dogs
purposely, they just don't know any
better. So you're always at that risk
that you don't have like any trained
professional that really has like, you
know, spent a lot of time learning to
(16:01):
understand dogs and behavior, monitoring
and regulating that environment. So it
is, you know, it's important. if you're
going to do that, if you're going to take
your dog to a dog park rather than going
to a structured and controlled
organization like like our daycare, that
you need to take some responsibility to
educate yourself so you know what you
should be doing and how you should be
(16:22):
looking out for your own dog. Because at
the end of the day, as much as you don't
want to see anything happen to anyone
else's dogs, your responsibility is your
own dog. Yeah. And also to make sure that
You are obviously taking care of your
dog, but making sure that the dog is not
doing things to... Yeah, well nobody
wants to have a dog that's being
inappropriate. Like, you know, taking
(16:43):
care of your own dog also means taking
responsibility and being accountable for
their inappropriate behaviour. So like
to to go somewhere and just be like, oh,
my dog can do whatever he wants as long
as he's having fun, but nobody's dog can
hurt mine. Like that's that's not fair
either. You know, you gotta make sure...
that you're also telling your dog like,
No, you need to stop that. That's okay.
(17:05):
Yeah. Yeah That's That's a good thing to
do. So what other
places do you recommend like for people
to get dogs, like
to get them to socialise?You were talking
about the beach. Yeah. Yeah So,
I mean, for me, especially with the three
dogs, you know and that's something...
(17:26):
with multiple dogs, again, you know, that
pack mentality, they're a family. Dogs do
naturally live in family
units and and protect. So, it's their
pack is is their family, each other. So,
I do have to just be a little bit aware,
especially having this little guy. He's
pretty good now, but when he was younger,
he used to try and like antagonize other
(17:48):
dogs, but when he he had the big guy
behind him to back him up. So, if he
barked at a dog and he got in trouble,
he's gotone four times the size of him,
standing behind him ready to protect him.
And also, you know, Mavro has like a
couple of working breeds and he's a mixed
guarding breeds mixed in him, so there is
that instinct to
(18:10):
protect if he needs to. So, you know,
things like that are important if you do
have multiple dogs, like being aware that
that will happen. If you like can
train your dog to do a good recall going
places like a beach or a park where it's
maybe not fully fenced, but it's an off
lead area and other like nature
areas, so that there's not so much
pressure on them to have to constantly be
(18:32):
with each other interacting, you know,
they can go off and sniff and they can go
off and do different things as well. So
it, you know, caters for all the dog's
needs. You will notice
like if you compare, like for me, I notice
when I go to the beach and these guys
have a run, most of the dogs we encounter
will like come and sniff and then go back
(18:54):
to their owners. So they're not so
intense with their play and especially,
you know they're they're all getting a
little bit older now. They don't want
that intense play anymore. So having like
a place where it'll just be like, hey,
you know have a sniff and then run off or
a little play and then they disappear
from each other. And rather than the dogs
focusing on playing together, they're
focusing on running around the other
(19:14):
dogs. Working, yeah. I feel that my dog
gets more tired when I take him for walks
or to the beach instead of taking him to
the park. Yeah We realize that when we
take him to the park, he becomes
stressed, like more active and he wants
to bite everything. I'm not sure if that
is a good thing or a bad thing or...
(19:34):
Yeah. Yeah, so I guess what what's
probably happening is what's called over
stimulation. So if a
dog's over stimulated, they're
just like us, like you know when you're
like really, you've got something going
on and you're like just really heightened
for a couple of days because your brain's
like so in overdrive. So it can happen to
dogs as well where we get them so, so
(19:56):
high with their their adrenaline levels
and their cortisol levels that they're
like,not tired. They don't come down from
it because they have just like been at
this high level for so long that it takes
them a while to come down. So, whereas
the beach, he's like in a medium level
where he's having fun but he's not
getting all the way up there and becoming
like super overstimulated. So, yeah,
(20:18):
so that can happen and that's why,
you know, we encourage things like breaks
in our daycare like if we can see a dog's
getting overstimulated because that's
where they can startto practice a lot
more inappropriate behaviour because
they're just feeling so like over the
top excited that they've lost control of
all their emotions. So then they start
(20:38):
doing things like what we call
displacement behaviours, humping other
dogs. They don't do it like for any other
reason than they don't, like they're
confused or they'll fidget or they'll
start guarding toys or getting like
aggressive about spaces because they just
are like so heightened that they don't
know how to handle it anymore. So,That'd
be why you're noticing things like you go
(21:01):
to the beach and he's more tired because
he had enough mental
stimulation without too much. So like too
much is not good as well. Umm And the
same as too much exercise, you know, when
you got an active dog, the
people that are like trying to walk the
dog and run them for two, three hours,
you're building up stamina. It's like us
(21:21):
going, you know, going to the gym, the
first time you go to the gym, you're
tired after 10 minutes, you keep doing
that every day. and then it's half an
hour before you're tired, and then it's
an hour, and then it's two hours, like
our bodies adjust and build up stamina so
we become more fit. The dogs will do the
same. Okay, so in this case,
when you run your dog, is that
appropriate to do?It's fine to
(21:43):
do as long as you are setting,
you should always be setting your dog and
yourself up for success, which means
you're setting your habits to something
that's maintainable and manageable with
your lifestyle. Because you know at the
end of the day, we get dogs to fit into
our lifestyle. You know
None of us are getting a dog to change
(22:05):
our lifestyle to suit the dog. We want a
dog to join our life and be a part of our
life and whatever that looks like to each
individual is going to be different. So
for some people the dog goes everywhere
with them. The dog sleeps on their bed,
the dog's on the couch. As long as
they're not displaying inappropriate
behaviours, that's okay.
But then for some of us, it's a different
you know relationship. So whatever you're
(22:28):
doing, it has to be maintainable
long-term. So if you're going to be
running them for an hour a day and that's
what you want to do, that's the physical
exercise you feel like, I I want to run
for an hour a day, then do it. If you're
doing it because you feel like you have
to tire out your dog, it's not going to
work. So it's not like you're not doing
it on the purpose oftiring them out,
(22:48):
you're doing it on this is the exercise
regime that I want to keep up with. It is
good to to give them some exercise.
I do try and condition dogs to have
like a day off every now and then just in
case like if you were ever sick or hurt
and you couldn't do the exercise that you
normally do, that they don't go crazy. I
don't want to have a dog that can't
behave if it doesn't have half an hour
(23:10):
walk a day. I want a dog that can behave
regardless of what's happening
day-to-day. So if I have a bad dayand say
we didn't get out for our normal daily
walk, they're not like
crazy and uncontrollable. Yeah.
Yeah So, I guess like knowing why you're
doing it, like I'm doing this as part of
their habit but the rest of it is, you
know, general lifestyle and maintenance
(23:31):
and and maintaining, you know, their
mental exercise needs. So, if you're
maintaining that side of things. And I
reckon also, it depends on the the type
of dog because not all the dogs can walk.
Or run for an hour, for example. You
know, if you go and get yourself a French
Bulldog, you should not be running that
dog for an hour because they, with their
short nose and their breathing issues,
(23:52):
like they can't physically cool
themselves down the same as a working
breed dog. So, you know, that's why it it
is good to know like what dog you're
getting and what some of its natural
traits are because a working breed has
different desires and different needs
but,you know, there are some dogs that
can't be exercised for that long and
(24:13):
can't run that long because they weren't
bred to be athletic. And if we're trying
to turn a dog and you know, you could be
causing some really serious health
problems like if somebody had a pug
or a French Bulldog and they wanted to
take it. Or a
sausage dog. Yeah, Yeah so
if they wanted to take some of those
(24:33):
dogs, the sausage dogs can manage a bit
more because likeBut it's
the short nose, like the brachycephaly.
You know, if they wanted to run that dog
for hours and hours, they'd be putting
their dog at risk of heat stroke, even on
a not hot day. So, you know, there's
there's some awareness to to be
cautious of. You know, if you want a dog
(24:54):
that's like more weather resilient, like
obviously him having that those
Australian breeds and that Kelpie, they
they just cope with everything.
Butyou know, that comes with its
downfall too, because having an active
breed means there's a lot of, like
they're easier to train, but they're also
harder to maintain behaviour-wise because
(25:14):
they have different drives, different
desires. And I reckon you need to
also, when you get a dog, think on, okay,
what are the things and activities that
you like?If you are an active person,
it's great for you toto have a dog that
is active, but if you are not, yeah
consider to have a dog that doesn't need
too much, like long walks
(25:37):
or things like that, that I want to
accommodate with your style. Yeah,
exactly. Yeah, you should always be like,
if you want a dog that just sits around,
choose a breed that that likes to do
that. If you want to, like the greyhounds
are such gooda good breed for people that
want an in-between dog. They want a dog
that will go out for a walk but doesn't
care if it doesn't. They're like, yeah,
(25:57):
yeah so because they they were, you know,
originally bred to run just a short
distance and then do nothing. So yeah,
like getting breeds that suit if you want
an active lifestyle, you want to get a
breed that a dog that can keep up with
you. If you want a quieter lifestyle
and just likeTo spend a lot more time
sitting around, then you should choose a
breed that's going to enjoy that or a
(26:19):
type of dog that's going to enjoy that. I
have a question for you. I don't know if
it's a silly question. Yeah, but what
about the paws of the dogs?Do you have to
have any care when you normally walk
dogs for a long?I mean, you do have
to like obviously their feet will like
strengthen over time because they they
adjust to it. But if if you aren't like
(26:41):
building them up gradually, you may have
to do things like, you know, get dogs
like booties for them to keep their their
feet safe. Or you can get like a cream.
It's called Mush's Secret and it's like,
it's kind of like a barrier cream for the
bottom of their paws. SoYeah. So, you
put it before you go for walks with the
dogs?Yeah, yeahI mean, most of them will
(27:02):
adjust with time, but like, you know, if
you're trying to, if you're noticing that
they're, especially depending what you're
on, like if you're walking on a lot of
cement and bitumen, it's going to take
its toll a bit more on their paws, but
compared to soft ground, yeah. Yeah, I
always think like, oh my God, he's
walking too much and I don't want him to
(27:24):
take his paws, but yeah. Yeah, I mean you
do, like it's it's something that you
should keep an eye on 'cause it can
happen, you know, just from
over-exercising where they can wear away
the pads of their pores and then like end
up with like really red sore
pads that that you've got to wait for the
skin to kind of grow back. Also lipolic
creams to keep hydrated the pores as well
(27:45):
may help. Yeah. Yeah And you know,
yeah you can use things like coconut oil
andNatural things that are cheaper for
people to use. Yeah, Yeah exactly. Yeah
So let's say someone pay a lot of money
training their dogs. Yeah And they
they learn all the rules and everything
and they stop training the dog because
(28:08):
all the classes went well and everything
and they start taking the dogs to the dog
park. So how
fast a dog can
unlearn all the things that learn from
that training sessions that had. Yeah,
it can happen pretty quickly. It It
depends how long the behaviour has been a
habit. So if the behaviour has been a
(28:29):
habit for like over six months and it's
going to take a lot longer, if it's only
just started to learn good habits. then
they can learn bad habits really quickly,
especially if the bad habits are more
appealing to the dog. So just like if we
were like going on a healthy eating plan,
we can break that healthy eating plan
quicker when our other options are really
(28:49):
appealing. So if it's something you
really love, that's the temptation. So
that can obviously, you know, depending
how much the dog loves it, can can
depend. If you are going to the dog park
and doing things and you're implementing
the same structure and rules and
expectations and boundaries, then the dog
won't unlearn behaviors. So it's all
around like what we do. If you just start
(29:10):
letting them do whatever they want and
all the rules are gone, they may start
making bad choices and it depends. If
they're like a leader or a follower, if
they're the sort of dog that's a
follower, they're going to copy other
dogs' behavior quicker. So if you're
around dogs that are teaching them bad
habits and they're naturally more of a
follower, they'll learn those bad habits
really quickly. If they're not much of a
(29:31):
follower, then they'll stick to what they
know. So So how do I know if my dog is
a follower?I guess just watch
like when he interacts with you or with
other dogs, like does he look at other
dogs and kind of copy their behavior or
does he go up to them confidently and
initiate what's going to happen?Okay. And
what can I do to support them to
(29:54):
probably not to be a follower?Yeah.
Just trying to teach them like to make
the choices first. doing a lot of
training where you'll like you know kind
of wait for them to make a decision, then
capture and reward it without you
constantly telling them what to do. And
that way, you know you're getting habits
that are long-lasting rather than the dog
(30:14):
will only do it because I'm telling them
to do it and because they get a
reinforcer at the end. The dog's actually
doing it because it's learnt to enjoy the
behavior itself, the new habit itself. So
yeah, just like anything, habits take two
to three months to build and then you
know you canMake a bad habit in in the
same amount of time. Yeah, a good six
months of practice to make sure it's it's
(30:35):
not just still in the learning stages.
Yeah, because I think you have to keep
doing the training, even yourself at
home. Yeah, yeah, to keep the dog like.
well Yeah, exactly. Like just reminders
every now and then. And it should become
part of your lifestyle. Like it should
just become part of your everyday life
that the things that you want your dog to
(30:55):
do, like for example, sitting and waiting
at doorways become normal. The dog never
gets invited through a doorway without
sitting and waiting. And you know, that
that getting your attention is on an
invite. Like if you just make everything
part of your everyday life and schedule,
then it becomes a habit and not just a
trainingthat behavior that the dog's
(31:15):
doing when you're in a training session.
That's wonderful to learn. Thank you so
much, Amy, for being here again. And we
love all this information that you just
shared. Thank you. So we will put
all the information about your business,
about you in the show notes of this
episode so people can learn more and ask
questions if they want. Amazing. Thank
(31:36):
you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much
for tuning into this episode of The
Possum Companion. If you have any further
questions for our experts, feel free to
leave them in the show notes or reach out
to me directly. And if you are a pet
expert who loves to contribute to this
podcast, we will be thrilled to hear from
you. Don't forget to follow us,
(31:58):
and if you enjoyed today's episode, we
will really appreciate a five-star
review. Thanks again, and we will see you
at the next episode.
I think dog parks should be used with
caution because there's a lot of things
that happen in the dog park that that
aren't appropriate. One thing to be aware
of is a lot of people use dog parks
because they haven't trained their dog.
So there's a lot of dogs that don't even
know basic obedience skills or or listen
because it's now fenced so it's safe to
0just let your dog run free. I mean for me 11 00:00:19,1000 --> 00:00:22,480 personally, for my dogs, I prefer taking
(00:22):
them off lead places like the bid.
Welcome to the Pawson Companion, where
petsare part of our family. I'm your
host Joanna Herrera, the founder of
Coco & Bondi. I'm very excited
to interview experts and pet owners
to share their stories and insights so
you can use them to take care of your
(00:43):
0babies. 21 00:00:47,1000 --> 00:00:50,280 Hi Amy, how are you today?I'm good, how
are you?I'm happy to see you again. Yeah,
I'm excited to be back. I have so many
questions aboutlike dog
parts, dog bullying, and we would love to
know a little bit more. So tell me
(01:03):
about dog bullying. What is that?I have
never heard about that. So how can I
understand this a little bit more?Dog
0bullying is a little bit harder for us to 31 00:01:11,1000 --> 00:01:14,400 see because we like we don't...
Do dog body language like body language
is different. So it can be like it can
start really subtle. So it can be that a
dog is just like putting their head on
(01:24):
another dog's shoulders and just
constantly like, you know, doing that or
shoving them or like, you know, side
swiping. Like those things can be done in
normal play as well, but what you've got
to look at is like, is the other dog
withdrawing a little bit?Is it avoiding?
Is it looking the other way?Is it being
overly submissive in this situation?
Is the dog relentless with its play?You
(01:46):
know, the the dog is going up to other
dogs that aren't interested and it just
keeps pushing and pushing or shoving and
the other dogs are clearly showing signs
that they don't want to be there. So it's
it's like, you knowNot much
different to a person not respecting
another person's boundaries, but the dogs
are all doing it through their body
language. The dog's saying, Okay, back
off. I don't like that. I don't like
(02:06):
that. I don't like that. And the dog's
like, No, bad luck, bad luck, bad luck.
I'm going to be your friend. So
yeah, I was telling him that I have my
experience. I got a Jack Russell and he
loves big dogs. So
he loves like jumping into them and play
rough with them, butIt was a
few occasions that I used to go to a dog
(02:28):
park, and it was a big dog.
He used to love that dog because I saw
them playing, but it was there were
points where the dog was jumping on top
of him and just like you know him down.
And I wasn't sure if my dog was happy or
not, or I didn't know what to do. So in
those cases, what what do you suggest to
do?Yeah, so I guess I would try and
(02:50):
see if the other owner will like rectify
that behavior to say, look, you knowYour
dog's getting a bit rough. Do you mind
just grabbing your dog and giving it my
dog a break?If they won't, then you're
probably better off like leaving at that
that point in time. Anything like pinning
down a dog or constantly standing over a
dog is really in in dog language, really
inappropriate. The same as like rushing
(03:11):
up to a dog and like jumping on it.
Instead of having a sniff, like you know
you would have seen in a dog park, the
normal way for dogs to greet each other
is to come up side on, side to side,
sniff each other's sides, walk around
circles, get to know each other, and then
a dog does a play about or does something
like that. But if a dog rushes into
another dog's face and just jumps on it
(03:33):
to play, that's not appropriate, that's
bullying. That's like the
equivalent of a stranger just rushing up
to you and giving you a hug, it's just
not. Not most of us are going to be
comfortable with that. So, yeah, like in
those situations, and I
guess, you know, if you are unsure of the
play, is is this play okay?Is my dog
(03:55):
comfortable or not?Getting the other
dog pulled away. If the dog that
seems like it's unsure is continuing to
come back to that game, then it's not,
unhappy about it. If you grab the other
dog and and that's where, you know, dog
parks are hard because ideally, like in
in daycare, we would grab the other dog's
(04:15):
collar and just wait to see how the other
dog responds. But grabbing a
stranger's dog like that, the the person
might not be comfortable, the dog may not
be okay with having its collar grabbed.
But like, if you can ask the owner, Can
you just grab your dog for a sec?I just
want to see if my dog's comfortable.
Because if that dog feels uncomfortable,
it will take that opportunity to get
(04:37):
away. That, oh, you've restrained that
dog, I'm out of here. If it's like,
actually I just needed a break, then
yeah. So, but normal dog
play should be equal. It should be like,
not just one dog on top of the other all
the time. They could be like both rolling
on the ground, one might go on like a
little bit and then they swap back and
forth. But like a dog just constantly and
(04:59):
a dog being submissive. constantly.
And mostly if it's a bigger dog,
obviously. Yeah And if I'm the dog, if
I'm the owner, the dog owner yeah of
the big dog, what I should do is like
grab my dog and yeah ask them to come.
Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Because a lot of it is
just over arousal and over excitement in
(05:20):
place. So, you know, if you're, if you
think your dog's getting a little bit out
of hand, just grabbing your dog. Giving
it a break, getting it to calm down and
waiting till it's calm before you set it
back off to play again. Because it it's
now when it starts to get into that mode,
it's losing control of its emotions. A
lot of dogs too that bully are doing it
out of fear because they actually lack
(05:41):
confidence and are a little insecure. So
you'll find the dogs that bully the most
are lacking. Confidence and and are
insecure within themselves, so they don't
have their own and that's why they pick
on somebody that's an easy target. So is
there anything do you suggest
to those pet owners that have dogs that
are a little bit pullers doing things
(06:02):
like you know?a bit more monitored
play, so you may need to do little bits
of play and give them breaks in between.
Even considering having them on lead
initially for the play, just making sure
that they're not getting more like
reactive. Some dogs get more frustrated
with the lead. They may need to do some
work on teaching the dog how to
self-settle, how to self-calm, and and
(06:24):
even just building some of the dog's like
inner self-confidence so that it's not
trying to like get fake confidence from
other outlets. So,And, you know, we
see fake confidence in dogs a lot, like,
you know, with dogs that are, and you'll
see it with little dogs that are like
scared and then the owner picks them up
and it gets really aggressive. It gets
(06:44):
the fake confidence that my owner's
holding me I'm safe. I can pretend I'm
tougher than what I am. So, yeah. So,
you know, working on on things that
actually build the dog's own
self-confidence. Yeah. Yeah,
OK. So what do you
think about dog parks?Is Is that
good or not good?Or what are the things
(07:05):
that we have to keep in mind if we
frequent those places?Yeah, so it
it depends on the dog park and it depends
on the dogs and the people. So. I think
dog parks should be used with caution
because there's a lot of things that
happen in the dog park that that aren't
appropriate. One thing to be aware of is
a lot of people use dog parks because
they haven't trained their dog. So
(07:26):
there's a lot of dogs that don't even
know basic obedience skills or listen
because it's now fenced, so it's safe to
just let your dog run free. So you know
they can't recall their dogs, they know
their dog can't get away. For
me personally, for my dogs, I prefer
taking them off lead places like the
beach because we're going to come across
trained and controlled dogs.
(07:49):
You know A lot of people like the idea of
the dog park and it's convenient and it's
a good way to exercise their dog. So if
you do want to be able to do it, things
to be aware of is looking
for if there's a big group of people
and all their dogs know each other, you
might end up getting a little bit of a
pack mentality going because their dogs
are so familiar. they all probably come
(08:10):
at the same time every day or every week
and that that can become really scary for
a new dog going in because they'll like
flock at them and and you knowtreat
them like, be a bit too rude and
and bully them more because it's now a
pack mentality. So being being aware
that that can happen, that you've got
that group of dogs that have like built
(08:31):
up their social circle. So a new dog
coming in as an outsider, you know, it's
like that new person coming into a
friendship group, they might not always
be so okay with it. I never thought
about that. Because you feel like, ohh
that's like, because always dogs are very
welcoming sometimes. When you go to a dog
park,get so excited as well to see a new
(08:52):
dog. Yeah. Yeah So, but it could
happen as well. Yeah. Yeah So yeah, being
careful of that. Making sure you, like
if I was going into a dog park, I would
just do a round on the outside of the
park first and let my dog sniff through
the fence to know that there's no dogs
that are going to be conflict. Because
some dogs will just have conflicts with,
you know, particular dogs and personality
(09:14):
types. Justlike some people do. So
making sure there isn't going to be any
conflicts, or if they are, that the dogs
are walking away and not getting angry
with each other. Watching what the people
are like. Are they watching their dogs?
Are they aware of their dog's behavior?
Are they interacting with their dog?Are
they you know monitoring things that that
are a problem and and dealing with it?Or
are they just sitting there in a group on
(09:36):
the table chatting and just letting the
dogs run wild?You know Are the the dogs'
behavior getting monitored at all and
their play behavior?And then you're going
in being aware, like, even though it kind
of just seems like fun, like, oh,
everyone's excited and all the dogs are
crowding. Overcrowding at the gate can
actually be really intimidating for the
dog coming in. It can be really scary for
(09:58):
a dog walking in and everyone's just
overcrowding it. Trying to, you know, ask
people to call their dog away so your
dog's not walking into that and they're
not like,getting bombarded when they
first come in by 20 dogs sniffing them at
once, you know, like you can get in and
let everyone settle. So like that
overcrowding, it actually does kind of,
it it triggers, it's more likely to
(10:19):
trigger a fight because then you get dogs
getting possessive of the space or
possessive of the dog coming in, the dog
coming in is getting scared. If it warns
the other dogs or it does a normal thing
like a growl because, you know,we as
people panic when a dog growls, then
everyone tells that dog off and it's
getting taught that it has to put up with
being pushed around. So you know
(10:41):
it it is normal for a dog when it's
uncomfortable with another dog's behavior
to do a little growl or a little warning
and turn their head away and other dogs
should listen and back off. umm
Especially if it's something like the
dog's overcrowded by 10 dogs and it's
just said like their way of saying of
growling is saying, Can you just back off
a bit?Yeah. And there is a
(11:03):
lot of, I have seen like there are a few
of them that are like for small dogs and
large dogs. Yeah And I feel that is great
because for small dogs
obviously you you want to try to keep
them safe, not because all the dogs could
be aggressive or because they are too big
and they canhelp your dog. Yeah.
So it's good as well that people realise
(11:25):
that the sizes of the dogs has to be
like according to the to the size of the
of the park, right?Yeah. And I I mean, it
it is, it's really good and I think it's
necessary for safety because there are
things like, you know, some dogs will
have prey drives. So smaller dogs may
look like prey and they, you know,
may like go to to
(11:48):
Yeah, yeahSo, and prey drive is not like
necessary. It's It's not really
aggression. It's just a natural drive
that the dog can't help but obviously not
safe. It does make it hard though,
because as much as the sizes should be
appropriate, like like you said, you've
got a Jack Russell, like they don't have
the mentality of a small dog. They don't
(12:09):
act like a Maltese.
they're not like a couch dog, they're a
hunting dog that was supposed to hunt
with bigger dogs. So they actually prefer
to play with bigger dogs because that
play style suits them better, but it's
not safe. So you kind of have to teach
them to like you know modify their play a
little bit to suit the dogs that are
going to be safe for them to play with.
(12:29):
Because taking a Jack Russell into the
big dog park. Yeah, it would be dangerous
for him because he doesn't have limits.
So he's not as scared of ohh
playing with a big dog while the big dog
could hurt him. Yeah, the Terriers have
no fear. Like they, yeah, yeah they were
bred not to back down to any threat.
(12:50):
I know. This is great when they're this
small. So yeah, like, you know,
if you're going to use a dog park, for
his safety, you are going to have to use
a smaller section, which means you're
going to have to teach him to play a bit
more on the other dog's terms. 'Cause if
he goes in to play with, you know,
a little Chihuahua the way that he would
play with with a,A
(13:12):
big dog that he likes playing with, that
dog's gonna be scared. So he's got to
learn like to sit back and let the other
dog have a little bit more say in in what
they want to do. Because he likes playing
so much that he's going to do that, you
know. He's gonna learn like he'd
rather learn how to adjust his play style
to have fun with dogs thatin their like
(13:33):
you know comfort zone, then to not pay at
all. Yeah And it's funny that sometimes
when you go to dog parks, there are these
type of dogs as well that they go and
they just sit there. Yeah But I have
heard from pet owners that they love the
idea of just going to the park and look
at the dogs. Yeah, yeah some dogs do.
They just like to sit and observe and
there's nothing wrong with that. You know
(13:54):
We have dogs that come to daycare thatYou
know, you think they're not enjoying it
because they just sit there most of the
day, but they actually get so excited to
come in and just watch everyone play.
Like, they just want to observe. I think
it's just the personality. Yeah, yeahSo
what are the sort of things that happen
in the dog park like?
in the dog care. Yeah, Yeah so
(14:16):
like obviously our our daycare is very
structured and controlled so we have
trainers running the daycare and because
a lot of people that come to our daycare
are doing training or work with them, we
we make sure that we keep up with you
know basic obedience, things like sitting
and waiting to go through doorways and
being invited to do things, having to
earn their play so if they can sit and
wait and walk nicely to the play area,
(14:38):
then they can go straight in. Some dogs
can go straight in. Some of themhave to
have some time in an airlock or a crate
or a tether on their own to calm down so
that they learn that they have to be in a
like calm, good frame of mind
before they get to play and interact.
Some of them do have to have afternoon
like nap breaks. And obviously like,
(14:59):
you know, the the dogs all like to get
cuddles from the people that that are
looking after them. We will have toys in
the group. Again, it's it's controlled.
So you know, if we see a dog that like
goes to guard a toy, we'll start teaching
them that they're not allowed to do that.
They have to learn to share and just
like, you know, if they are being a
bully, like teaching them that that's not
(15:19):
allowed as well. So you knowcorrecting
that behavior, sometimes giving them time
out so that they have a chance to settle
down and come back a bit more nicely.
Like a kid being at school. Yeah, Yeah so
you have to learn. It's quite an
abstracted environment. And I guess
that's the thing, like when we talk about
dog parks that you just always have to be
aware the people in there with their
(15:40):
dogs, they don't really understand,
not not many of them fully understand
dogs and dog behavior, so they're not
Doing the wrong thing by the dogs
purposely, they just don't know any
better. So you're always at that risk
that you don't have like any trained
professional that really has like, you
know, spent a lot of time learning to
(16:01):
understand dogs and behavior, monitoring
and regulating that environment. So it
is, you know, it's important. if you're
going to do that, if you're going to take
your dog to a dog park rather than going
to a structured and controlled
organization like like our daycare, that
you need to take some responsibility to
educate yourself so you know what you
should be doing and how you should be
(16:22):
looking out for your own dog. Because at
the end of the day, as much as you don't
want to see anything happen to anyone
else's dogs, your responsibility is your
own dog. Yeah. And also to make sure that
You are obviously taking care of your
dog, but making sure that the dog is not
doing things to... Yeah, well nobody
wants to have a dog that's being
inappropriate. Like, you know, taking
(16:43):
care of your own dog also means taking
responsibility and being accountable for
their inappropriate behaviour. So like
to to go somewhere and just be like, oh,
my dog can do whatever he wants as long
as he's having fun, but nobody's dog can
hurt mine. Like that's that's not fair
either. You know, you gotta make sure...
that you're also telling your dog like,
No, you need to stop that. That's okay.
(17:05):
Yeah. Yeah That's That's a good thing to
do. So what other
places do you recommend like for people
to get dogs, like
to get them to socialise?You were talking
about the beach. Yeah. Yeah So,
I mean, for me, especially with the three
dogs, you know and that's something...
(17:26):
with multiple dogs, again, you know, that
pack mentality, they're a family. Dogs do
naturally live in family
units and and protect. So, it's their
pack is is their family, each other. So,
I do have to just be a little bit aware,
especially having this little guy. He's
pretty good now, but when he was younger,
he used to try and like antagonize other
(17:48):
dogs, but when he he had the big guy
behind him to back him up. So, if he
barked at a dog and he got in trouble,
he's gotone four times the size of him,
standing behind him ready to protect him.
And also, you know, Mavro has like a
couple of working breeds and he's a mixed
guarding breeds mixed in him, so there is
that instinct to
(18:10):
protect if he needs to. So, you know,
things like that are important if you do
have multiple dogs, like being aware that
that will happen. If you like can
train your dog to do a good recall going
places like a beach or a park where it's
maybe not fully fenced, but it's an off
lead area and other like nature
areas, so that there's not so much
pressure on them to have to constantly be
(18:32):
with each other interacting, you know,
they can go off and sniff and they can go
off and do different things as well. So
it, you know, caters for all the dog's
needs. You will notice
like if you compare, like for me, I notice
when I go to the beach and these guys
have a run, most of the dogs we encounter
will like come and sniff and then go back
(18:54):
to their owners. So they're not so
intense with their play and especially,
you know they're they're all getting a
little bit older now. They don't want
that intense play anymore. So having like
a place where it'll just be like, hey,
you know have a sniff and then run off or
a little play and then they disappear
from each other. And rather than the dogs
focusing on playing together, they're
focusing on running around the other
(19:14):
dogs. Working, yeah. I feel that my dog
gets more tired when I take him for walks
or to the beach instead of taking him to
the park. Yeah We realize that when we
take him to the park, he becomes
stressed, like more active and he wants
to bite everything. I'm not sure if that
is a good thing or a bad thing or...
(19:34):
Yeah. Yeah, so I guess what what's
probably happening is what's called over
stimulation. So if a
dog's over stimulated, they're
just like us, like you know when you're
like really, you've got something going
on and you're like just really heightened
for a couple of days because your brain's
like so in overdrive. So it can happen to
dogs as well where we get them so, so
(19:56):
high with their their adrenaline levels
and their cortisol levels that they're
like,not tired. They don't come down from
it because they have just like been at
this high level for so long that it takes
them a while to come down. So, whereas
the beach, he's like in a medium level
where he's having fun but he's not
getting all the way up there and becoming
like super overstimulated. So, yeah,
(20:18):
so that can happen and that's why,
you know, we encourage things like breaks
in our daycare like if we can see a dog's
getting overstimulated because that's
where they can startto practice a lot
more inappropriate behaviour because
they're just feeling so like over the
top excited that they've lost control of
all their emotions. So then they start
(20:38):
doing things like what we call
displacement behaviours, humping other
dogs. They don't do it like for any other
reason than they don't, like they're
confused or they'll fidget or they'll
start guarding toys or getting like
aggressive about spaces because they just
are like so heightened that they don't
know how to handle it anymore. So,That'd
be why you're noticing things like you go
(21:01):
to the beach and he's more tired because
he had enough mental
stimulation without too much. So like too
much is not good as well. Umm And the
same as too much exercise, you know, when
you got an active dog, the
people that are like trying to walk the
dog and run them for two, three hours,
you're building up stamina. It's like us
(21:21):
going, you know, going to the gym, the
first time you go to the gym, you're
tired after 10 minutes, you keep doing
that every day. and then it's half an
hour before you're tired, and then it's
an hour, and then it's two hours, like
our bodies adjust and build up stamina so
we become more fit. The dogs will do the
same. Okay, so in this case,
when you run your dog, is that
appropriate to do?It's fine to
(21:43):
do as long as you are setting,
you should always be setting your dog and
yourself up for success, which means
you're setting your habits to something
that's maintainable and manageable with
your lifestyle. Because you know at the
end of the day, we get dogs to fit into
our lifestyle. You know
None of us are getting a dog to change
(22:05):
our lifestyle to suit the dog. We want a
dog to join our life and be a part of our
life and whatever that looks like to each
individual is going to be different. So
for some people the dog goes everywhere
with them. The dog sleeps on their bed,
the dog's on the couch. As long as
they're not displaying inappropriate
behaviours, that's okay.
But then for some of us, it's a different
you know relationship. So whatever you're
(22:28):
doing, it has to be maintainable
long-term. So if you're going to be
running them for an hour a day and that's
what you want to do, that's the physical
exercise you feel like, I I want to run
for an hour a day, then do it. If you're
doing it because you feel like you have
to tire out your dog, it's not going to
work. So it's not like you're not doing
it on the purpose oftiring them out,
(22:48):
you're doing it on this is the exercise
regime that I want to keep up with. It is
good to to give them some exercise.
I do try and condition dogs to have
like a day off every now and then just in
case like if you were ever sick or hurt
and you couldn't do the exercise that you
normally do, that they don't go crazy. I
don't want to have a dog that can't
behave if it doesn't have half an hour
(23:10):
walk a day. I want a dog that can behave
regardless of what's happening
day-to-day. So if I have a bad dayand say
we didn't get out for our normal daily
walk, they're not like
crazy and uncontrollable. Yeah.
Yeah So, I guess like knowing why you're
doing it, like I'm doing this as part of
their habit but the rest of it is, you
know, general lifestyle and maintenance
(23:31):
and and maintaining, you know, their
mental exercise needs. So, if you're
maintaining that side of things. And I
reckon also, it depends on the the type
of dog because not all the dogs can walk.
Or run for an hour, for example. You
know, if you go and get yourself a French
Bulldog, you should not be running that
dog for an hour because they, with their
short nose and their breathing issues,
(23:52):
like they can't physically cool
themselves down the same as a working
breed dog. So, you know, that's why it it
is good to know like what dog you're
getting and what some of its natural
traits are because a working breed has
different desires and different needs
but,you know, there are some dogs that
can't be exercised for that long and
(24:13):
can't run that long because they weren't
bred to be athletic. And if we're trying
to turn a dog and you know, you could be
causing some really serious health
problems like if somebody had a pug
or a French Bulldog and they wanted to
take it. Or a
sausage dog. Yeah, Yeah so
if they wanted to take some of those
(24:33):
dogs, the sausage dogs can manage a bit
more because likeBut it's
the short nose, like the brachycephaly.
You know, if they wanted to run that dog
for hours and hours, they'd be putting
their dog at risk of heat stroke, even on
a not hot day. So, you know, there's
there's some awareness to to be
cautious of. You know, if you want a dog
(24:54):
that's like more weather resilient, like
obviously him having that those
Australian breeds and that Kelpie, they
they just cope with everything.
Butyou know, that comes with its
downfall too, because having an active
breed means there's a lot of, like
they're easier to train, but they're also
harder to maintain behaviour-wise because
(25:14):
they have different drives, different
desires. And I reckon you need to
also, when you get a dog, think on, okay,
what are the things and activities that
you like?If you are an active person,
it's great for you toto have a dog that
is active, but if you are not, yeah
consider to have a dog that doesn't need
too much, like long walks
(25:37):
or things like that, that I want to
accommodate with your style. Yeah,
exactly. Yeah, you should always be like,
if you want a dog that just sits around,
choose a breed that that likes to do
that. If you want to, like the greyhounds
are such gooda good breed for people that
want an in-between dog. They want a dog
that will go out for a walk but doesn't
care if it doesn't. They're like, yeah,
(25:57):
yeah so because they they were, you know,
originally bred to run just a short
distance and then do nothing. So yeah,
like getting breeds that suit if you want
an active lifestyle, you want to get a
breed that a dog that can keep up with
you. If you want a quieter lifestyle
and just likeTo spend a lot more time
sitting around, then you should choose a
breed that's going to enjoy that or a
(26:19):
type of dog that's going to enjoy that. I
have a question for you. I don't know if
it's a silly question. Yeah, but what
about the paws of the dogs?Do you have to
have any care when you normally walk
dogs for a long?I mean, you do have
to like obviously their feet will like
strengthen over time because they they
adjust to it. But if if you aren't like
(26:41):
building them up gradually, you may have
to do things like, you know, get dogs
like booties for them to keep their their
feet safe. Or you can get like a cream.
It's called Mush's Secret and it's like,
it's kind of like a barrier cream for the
bottom of their paws. SoYeah. So, you
put it before you go for walks with the
dogs?Yeah, yeahI mean, most of them will
(27:02):
adjust with time, but like, you know, if
you're trying to, if you're noticing that
they're, especially depending what you're
on, like if you're walking on a lot of
cement and bitumen, it's going to take
its toll a bit more on their paws, but
compared to soft ground, yeah. Yeah, I
always think like, oh my God, he's
walking too much and I don't want him to
(27:24):
take his paws, but yeah. Yeah, I mean you
do, like it's it's something that you
should keep an eye on 'cause it can
happen, you know, just from
over-exercising where they can wear away
the pads of their pores and then like end
up with like really red sore
pads that that you've got to wait for the
skin to kind of grow back. Also lipolic
creams to keep hydrated the pores as well
(27:45):
may help. Yeah. Yeah And you know,
yeah you can use things like coconut oil
andNatural things that are cheaper for
people to use. Yeah, Yeah exactly. Yeah
So let's say someone pay a lot of money
training their dogs. Yeah And they
they learn all the rules and everything
and they stop training the dog because
(28:08):
all the classes went well and everything
and they start taking the dogs to the dog
park. So how
fast a dog can
unlearn all the things that learn from
that training sessions that had. Yeah,
it can happen pretty quickly. It It
depends how long the behaviour has been a
habit. So if the behaviour has been a
(28:29):
habit for like over six months and it's
going to take a lot longer, if it's only
just started to learn good habits. then
they can learn bad habits really quickly,
especially if the bad habits are more
appealing to the dog. So just like if we
were like going on a healthy eating plan,
we can break that healthy eating plan
quicker when our other options are really
(28:49):
appealing. So if it's something you
really love, that's the temptation. So
that can obviously, you know, depending
how much the dog loves it, can can
depend. If you are going to the dog park
and doing things and you're implementing
the same structure and rules and
expectations and boundaries, then the dog
won't unlearn behaviors. So it's all
around like what we do. If you just start
(29:10):
letting them do whatever they want and
all the rules are gone, they may start
making bad choices and it depends. If
they're like a leader or a follower, if
they're the sort of dog that's a
follower, they're going to copy other
dogs' behavior quicker. So if you're
around dogs that are teaching them bad
habits and they're naturally more of a
follower, they'll learn those bad habits
really quickly. If they're not much of a
(29:31):
follower, then they'll stick to what they
know. So So how do I know if my dog is
a follower?I guess just watch
like when he interacts with you or with
other dogs, like does he look at other
dogs and kind of copy their behavior or
does he go up to them confidently and
initiate what's going to happen?Okay. And
what can I do to support them to
(29:54):
probably not to be a follower?Yeah.
Just trying to teach them like to make
the choices first. doing a lot of
training where you'll like you know kind
of wait for them to make a decision, then
capture and reward it without you
constantly telling them what to do. And
that way, you know you're getting habits
that are long-lasting rather than the dog
(30:14):
will only do it because I'm telling them
to do it and because they get a
reinforcer at the end. The dog's actually
doing it because it's learnt to enjoy the
behavior itself, the new habit itself. So
yeah, just like anything, habits take two
to three months to build and then you
know you canMake a bad habit in in the
same amount of time. Yeah, a good six
months of practice to make sure it's it's
(30:35):
not just still in the learning stages.
Yeah, because I think you have to keep
doing the training, even yourself at
home. Yeah, yeah, to keep the dog like.
well Yeah, exactly. Like just reminders
every now and then. And it should become
part of your lifestyle. Like it should
just become part of your everyday life
that the things that you want your dog to
(30:55):
do, like for example, sitting and waiting
at doorways become normal. The dog never
gets invited through a doorway without
sitting and waiting. And you know, that
that getting your attention is on an
invite. Like if you just make everything
part of your everyday life and schedule,
then it becomes a habit and not just a
trainingthat behavior that the dog's
(31:15):
doing when you're in a training session.
That's wonderful to learn. Thank you so
much, Amy, for being here again. And we
love all this information that you just
shared. Thank you. So we will put
all the information about your business,
about you in the show notes of this
episode so people can learn more and ask
questions if they want. Amazing. Thank
(31:36):
you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much
for tuning into this episode of The
Possum Companion. If you have any further
questions for our experts, feel free to
leave them in the show notes or reach out
to me directly. And if you are a pet
expert who loves to contribute to this
podcast, we will be thrilled to hear from
you. Don't forget to follow us,
(31:58):
and if you enjoyed today's episode, we
will really appreciate a five-star
review. Thanks again, and we will see you
at the next episode.
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