Impulse control and frustration tolerance.
Trainers often talk a lot about teaching dogs impulse control and frustration tolerance. So what do we mean and why is it so important?
Impulse control is teaching your dog self control, teaching the concept that calm behaviours result in them getting access to rewards, and immediately acting on all their impulses doesn’t pay. Impulsive dogs are often considered to be poorly behaved by humans, so teaching them to control themselves can make them much nicer to live with. Teaching a good level of impulse control can also be safer for your dog e.g- not rushing through open doors, not eating everything they find ( automatic leave it), not jumping out of vehicles until cued to do so etc. It can also be safer for the handler too, teaching impulse control in the heel position can help to prevent lunging on the lead avoiding injury to handler and dog, teaching dogs not to jump up etc.
People will often train their dogs to wait, stay, leave it etc which is great and really important, and definitely helps with teaching dogs to be less impulsive. However a really important aspect of teaching dogs impulse control is teaching them the concept of controlling themselves without us constantly micro managing them. Lots of training that I do with my dogs is focussed on teaching them this concept, I don’t want to constantly follow them around shouting ‘leave it’ ‘wait’ ‘ etc, I have these cues as a back up and teach them too, but if they can make good choices and control themselves that is much more beneficial to us both and makes for a better behaved and easier to manage dog.
Poor frustration tolerance is also something that humans often perceive to be associated with poor behaviour.
Frustration can be due to various reasons, some dogs become frustrated when they have to wait around such as when their owner stops on a walk etc, some dogs are frustrated when they see something that they want but are unable to get to it. Frustration can be displayed in various ways, barking, whining, lunging, mouthing etc. Training with food without teaching your dog how manage themselves around food can lead to frustration too, and can often be the reason why people decide to not use treats when training their dogs as it can creat arousal and frustration when not used correctly. Teaching your dog to have a good level of frustration tolerance is about teaching them patience, and also teaching them that they can’t always get what they want, and teaching them to be ok with both of these things.
The good news is you can teach your dogs to have better impulse control, and a better tolerance to frustration through training.
@wutheringhounds 💚🦎💚 #springerspaniel #spanielsoftiktok #dogtrainer #hebdenbridge #westyorkshire #calderdale #gundogsoftiktok #impulsecontrol ♬ sonido original – Pandem-On
The Pros and Cons of Long Lines
On the recent webinar that myself and Startrite Dog Training did on connection we discussed the Pros & Cons of long lines. So I thought I’d do a post about it as some people may find it useful.
A long line is a long fixed ( not extendable ) lead. It should be used in conjunction with a harness. It allows your dog more freedom whilst you are training them to be responsive to your cues/commands outside. They are great tools but they have many downsides too, and it’s important to be aware of these should you have to use one or choose to put your dog on one whilst training.
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✅ It is a great tool when teaching recall. Some owners may be worried about letting their dog off the lead straight away, so a long line can provide a safety net and confidence whilst cues are being established and proofed to various distractions.
✅It can be great for preventing unwanted behaviours becoming established in young dogs- chasing behaviours, running over to other dogs and people etc.
✅ They can be used for older dogs who have learnt to bog off as soon as the lead is removed. Disconnecting as soon as the lead is removed is something we really don’t want, especially with working breeds who can learn that the environment is so reinforcing. If a dog has learnt that the environment is fun, a long line may be required to keep them close in order for training to happen. You can’t train a dog that is 3 fields away!
✅ They are great for safety. An out of control dog is not a safe one, so whilst behaviours are established a long lead can be helpful in some cases. A good example of when I used a long line for safety reasons whilst training my own dog…. Newt was frightened of traffic, I wanted to make the traffic less scary but food just wasn’t cutting it. There was a patch of grass near a quiet ish road near me. We went daily and played hunting games on that patch of grass. This built Newts confidence around traffic noises as hunting is her favourite thing to do and I paired the sound of traffic with something she loves. It simply wouldn’t have been safe to do this activity off lead when she was so young.
✅In instances where you cannot manage the environment as well as you’d like, a long line can be useful.
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✅ People can sometimes get complacent when their dog is attached to a long line. We know they are safe and they’re not going anywhere so we might rest on our laurels a bit and not be as engaging and interesting ( people generally try harder when their dog is free!). If you want to work towards a great connection and the end goal of the long line being removed it’s important that you train your dog that is attached to the line in the same manner you would if they were free!
✅ Environmental management is still so important even if your dog is attached to a long lead. As above, if your end goal is to work on getting a great connection and a good response to cues, you still need to work in an environment and around distractions that are conducive to your training goals.
✅ If you don’t manage your environment appropriately this can result in frustration. In a high distraction environment that your dog is not ready for, you will likely get frustration. As discussed in the webinar last night, with these working line gundogs we don’t want to constantly be the person who prevents them from doing the things that their genetics are telling them to do. The long line can work as that barrier that prevents these things if we don’t work at a level that our dogs can manage. This can be relationship damaging, and incredibly frustrating for both your dog, and you. Work with their genetics, not against them!
✅ Dogs can sometimes become what is known as long line savvy. This generally happens when owners sometimes put the long line on and sometimes don’t. Dogs can quickly learn that the same rules don’t apply when they are fully free. When using a long line with your dog it is best to keep the line on and be consistent until you worked through the issues you’re having. Dogs can be weaned off long lines gradually for those that have become savvy, but it prolongs the process compared to a dog that has had consistency.
✅ It can be difficult managing dogs on long lines properly in regards to entanglement and also risk of injury. You can go online and google correct long line management and you will find correct techniques that will minimise risk of injury to yourself or your dog. But it can be hard work having a busy dog that likes to dive into cover, or to train hunting whilst a line is attached, but sometimes the difficulty out weighs the negatives.
The end goal for the vast majority of dogs will be that the line is temporary whilst training is put in place. How long a long line may be required will be individual to each dog, and often depends on their life experiences and previous learning. Long lines are great tools, and are invaluable for management in some cases but there are things to be mindful of if you have to use one, or choose to use one as discussed above.
Canine Enrichment
What do trainers mean when we say canine enrichment?
Canine enrichment is making sure that your dog leads a full and interesting life. Giving them activities to meet their specific needs, mentally, physically and socially. Most dogs will have similar overarching needs, but individual dogs or breed groups can have more specific enrichments needs. This is why breed specific activities, sport and competition exists, to meet those specific needs and scratch those genetic itches, leading to more satisfied and happy dogs.
People often think of the multitude of enrichment toys and equipment that is on the market when they hear canine enrichment, however this is a very small part of what enrichment is. Some of these items ( kongs, lickimats, snuffle mats etc) are useful to support initial training with your dog, for instance crate training etc. Having a dog who values enrichment in the home is useful for if they ever have an injury which restricts them ( or elderly dogs ). It is also useful if you as an owner have an illness and are unable to take your dogs out for a short period. Some dogs with certain behavioural problems may benefit from days where their activities are more sedate and less stress inducing. However, teaching your dog to switch off and not constantly being on the go/constantly being given something to do is very important too. Especially for busy working breeds who may be more likely to struggle to switch off. The use of these items are a nice addition to your dogs life but shouldn’t be used excessively or instead of training, exploring, playing etc.
The main forms of enrichment that I provide my dogs with includes…
🐾Regular training indoors and outdoors. Mentally stimulating them, building our bond, meeting breed specific needs.
🐾 Scent work/ nose work. Dogs noses are amazing and they love to use them. This is one of the best ways to enrich your dogs life. I do scent work in the form of food search’s sometimes indoors sometimes outdoors, searching for scent squirrels/ hunting for toys( active indication). I also train Badger to search for certain odours and passively indicate when he has found them.
🐾Off lead time allowing them to sniff and explore and just be a dog ( training allows this freedom).
🐾Playing with them, having fun together and strengthening the bond.
🐾Exploring new places together.
🐾Partaking in doggy parkour to help build confidence.
🐾Visiting their favourite people or dog friends.
🐾Occasional use of enrichment toys- fed in kongs a few times a week. Lickimats very occasionally usually frozen on a hot day or used to help build positive associations with handling etc.
🐾Long lasting chews a couple of times a week.
Enrichment toys are the least enriching thing in my dogs life, they are a happy extra/ treat for occasional use. I use enrichment more when my dogs are puppies to support behaviours, build confidence and redirect them to do appropriate things, gradually fading how much I use them as they get older. It’s not wrong to regularly use enrichment feeders/toys, how much you decide to use them is down to you and the needs of your individual dog. I guess the post is just to highlight the need to also teach them that they don’t constantly need something to do as this can create problem behaviours. Also that enrichment toys are not a long term replacement for all of what I’ve outlined above.
