Category Hundeatferd

What is separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety are behaviors that dogs exhibit when left alone. A more accurate term would be separation-related behaviors, as these behaviors occur exclusively or are intensified in the owner's absence. These behaviors can range from barking, whining, and pacing to destructive behaviors, inappropriate elimination, and even self-harm. Your dog is desperately trying to escape a perceived danger - which is being without you.

How to I know if my dog has separation anxiety?

If your dog exhibits any of these behaviors only or primarily when left alone, it is likely they are experiencing separation anxiety.

In separation-related issues, determining whether a dog feels fear or anxiety is difficult, as both trigger similar physiological responses. Luckily, the training method remains the same, focusing on increasing the dog's tolerance for being alone.

Is it my fault that my dog has separation anxiety?

It's common for owners to feel guilty about their dog's separation anxiety. It's crucial to understand that the cause is often multifactorial and not owner related. While genetics, early life experiences, and maternal influences play a role, an owner's actions do not directly cause separation anxiety. Instead of blaming yourself, focus on providing support for your dog and Contact us to get help implementing a training plan.

We will never suggest for you and your dog to train above your dog's threshold. Studies and learning theory tells us that it doesn't really work - It can create more fear and more anxiety without having an impact on your short and long term training objectives.

Aversive training methods, such as punishment or shock collars, are strongly discouraged for separation anxiety. These methods inflict fear and pain, potentially worsening the problem by creating negative associations with being alone as well as affecting your dog's memory, motivation and ability to learn new things.

What is desensitization, and how can it help my dog with separation anxiety?

Desensitization is a gradual process of exposing the dog to a low-intensity version of what it is afraid of - being home alone. By systematically and patiently working through a desensitization training plan that we tailor for your dog, you can help your dog build self-confidence and tolerance for being alone at home, while you can go out with a clear conscience knowing that your dog is fine being at home without you.

- and what can you do about it?

As dog Guardians we always want what's best for our dogs and we wish for them to have the best lives possible. We hope they're fine, we think they're fine - but how can we really know if they're okay?

Unfortunately, it is not always easy to see if our dogs are in distress. They are resilient, adapt to their life situation and are eternal optimists who always makes lemonade out of lemons - that's one of the reasons why we love them so much. Those same traits can also make their lives more difficult. Their ability to adapt can cause them to suppress and hide pain and illness so that it becomes even more difficult for us to detect that they are in pain.

Evolution can also get in the way ofour dogs welfare - it is not very smart for a dog in the wild to show weakness towards either friends or foes. In addition, the body, of both humans and dogs, has a number of mechanisms to try to compensate for injuries or weaknesses, and the brain helps as best it can to block pain signals – e.g. to send out dopamine or other substances that can relieve the pain. Behavior can be changed to adapt to pain, protect oneself, or perform actions that seek to distract oneself from the pain, or trigger dopamine, other hormones or signaling substances that can dampen the pain experience, put very simply.

Behavioural changes

This is often how we discover that our dogs are in pain - that they change their behavior - but unfortunately we don't always understand what we see. We notice that the dog is different but do not know why or what causes the change. Maybe the dog starts growling at the children in the house, snarls or shows aggression, they withdraw or are not as interested in having contact with us anymore, they start biting or licking their paws, or they get tired and rests more, becomes disinterested in playing, and perhaps no longer wants to go out for a walk?

But - they might also continue as before, be just as happy, love to chase after balls and Frisbees and defy their pain, seemingly completely healthy and pain-free until the pain becomes so great that they start to show behavioral changes. How a dog acts, how much pain they tolerate depends on many factors, age, stress level, resilience, bond with owner, degree of optimism in life and much more. There is no conclusive test to establish either IF the dog is in pain or HOW much pain they are in and HOW LONG it has been going on. We have to know what to look for and be detectives.

Many Guardians seek help from dog trainers when their dogs start to show behavioral changes, the focus is usually on getting rid of the unwanted behaviour. We want help to get the dog to stop growling at the children, to stop barking at other dogs we meet on walks (he didn't do that before...) or to get his appetite back - but we often don't realise that the behavior is a symptom - not the actual cause.

A dog trainer will often suggest training methods that can moderate the behavior, or make it stop, but mabey not address the underlying cause. We only achieve that the dog stops telling us what might be bothering them, we teach them that they are not allowed to let vocalize their concerns to us. The behavioral changes are the dog's way of telling us that something is wrong and that they need help. If we take away their voice and dismiss them by training it away, the dog can also become very frustrated in addition to the frustration they already feel because their body feels "wrong" or that they are in pain. Dog training at this point can ironically escalate the behavioral challenges.

So what should we do?

The first thing you can do if you see new behaviors and suspect that something is wrong is to write a journal write about what happens, where it happens, what situation and how often. It can reveal patterns that can help us work out what the behavior is related to – is it situational – is it happening more and more often? Are there any particular objects or people nearby, are there any common denominators? You can check if the dog has had a change in fur quality, has asymmetrical musculature - have they stopped eating chewing bones, or chewing in a strange way? Drinking more/less water than usual? Became afraid of things – sound and light sensitivity? All this may indicate that the dog is not feeling well - and then it is time to take a trip to the Vet's, even if you do not see concrete external signs of injury or pain. Bring the journal with you, it can help the vet with what to look for and even to set a diagnosis. Take note of anything out of the ordinary. Since your dog can't speak, you have to speak for your dog as best you can :-)

Take precautions in the home for the safety of your children, other animals and people, until the behavioral challenges are resolved. This could be the use of baby gates, pens or mesh doors, introducing rules for how the children need to behave around the dog, and teaching your kids the dog's signals to recognize when the dog wants to be left alone and seeks distance. Make ajustments in playtime, walks, activities that may suit your dog better at this point, maybe more low impact, more nosework and more time to rest and recover.

Don't yell at the dog or punish them, show that you understand that something might be going on, and have some patience. Always trust your gut. If you think something is wrong or seems off, it probably is. Even if the Vet doesn't find anything first time around, you know your dog best, don't give up, keep observing, keep making a journal of your observations and thoughts.

It can also be a good idea to contact a dog behaviorist if you want to get to the bottom of the behavioral challenges and help you systemize observations - We can teach you what to look for and give you tools in everyday life that you can safely use with your dog even if there is pain or discomfort . The goal for a behavior consultant is always to work with the Guardians, Veterinarians and possibly other dog professionals to ensure that your dog returns to a safe and comfortable everyday life without pain or discomfort.

Dogs are carnivores ( and omnivores) and need a varied diet to support a long and healthy life. Just like us they are curious and enjoy variation and new experiences.
Always monitor your dog when they are eating. NEVER take the food away from your dog when they eat, this may lead to resource guarding. Make sure that the bowls are placed in such a way that the dog is comfortable standing and eating. Vary the height until you find the height that your dogs seems the most comfortable with. Make sure the dog can stand on a non-slip surface while eating.
Make sure your dog isn't hungry when you're doing learning activities with them. Hungry dog = zero concentration and often increased frustration. To feed a dog its meals from a slow feeder or a LickyMat can increase frustration, especially in puppies and adolescent dogs, but also in adult dogs.

How to easily feed raw and fresh food to your dog

• Meat, fish, vegetables are good. Small amounts of eggs and some grains are okay.
• Feed Meat , chicken, turkey, pork (pork needs cooking).
• Game and beef in variation can be cooked and made into minced meat.
• All Innards are good for your dog - and cheaper too!
• Boiled fish of all kinds and boiled veggies
• Vegetables should not make up more than 10% of a meal - you can feed broccoli, spinach, carrot, sweet potatoes,
  seaweed, beans, pumpkin, blueberries - you can blend the vegetables into a pure and add some spices and herbs ( I add a little
  bit of meat fond that I get from cooking out the frying pan with
  water after I cook some meat. Add it to the purèe to make it extra interesting - you can keep a batch of purèe in the fridge for a few days, or even put it in the freezer if you make a bigger batch.
• Cooked eggs a few times a week (in some countries like Norway it can be served raw since there's no Salmonella in the eggs). Egg whites are best digested when they are cooked.
• Feed little or no grains to your dog, just a few crumbles or leftovers from your own food.

Put all the ingredients in your dogs bowl and feed 2-3 times a day as follows:
Puppies: 3 times a day
Adults = 1-2 times a day

How much food does your dog need?

Puppies: up to 10% of their bodyweight a day reduce slowly as
they grow older
Adult dog: ca 1,5 - 2,5 % of their bodyweight a day
Add some nuts and seeds and herbs if you like - be sure to check first - as some nuts are poisonous to dogs!
You can add some spices for flavour - I like to add a little bit of turmeric to the meat and fish when I cook
meat for my dog, it's great for joint health and also helps reduce inflammation (for humans
as well).
The key is variation - add cartilage and bone like chicken feet, duck neck,
ox tail (for bigger dogs), rabbit ears (with fur if you can) - for small dogs, chicken
neck and feet, and rabbit ears, are an appropriate size. For big dogs - make sure you don't have a dog
that gobbles things, or eats inedible objects that can be unsafe. and no antlers! Ever!
How to feed raw bones to a dog:
https://dogsfirst.ie/raw-faq/how-to-feed-a-dog-bones/

There's a reason why Safety, Curiosity and freedom is our Dog training Caveat and at the core of our business philosophy . All dogs need to explore, experience and learn in a safe environment - just like us humans.

Safety for dogs - What does it take?

We're not listing all the factors needed to make a dog feel safe - but here's a few we think are really important:

• A safe spot to sleep where no one can bother your dog
• Feeling safe about getting the basic needs met like food and water, not worrying about being hungry or thirsty
• Predicatability about the owners state of mind - a dog should be able to predict how you will react in any given situastion, and not worry about being exposed to irradic, uncomfortable behaviours on your part
• Never having to fear that anything the dog does will be punished, verbally or physically (off course you can say no to your dog - just don't be a jerk)
• Stress free everyday living - a dog should not have to be confronted with their fears or triggers on an day to day basis (if your dog is fearful of skateboards, don't go past the skating park), make ajustments when you can
• Felle seen and understood - a dog should feel confident that the owner understand basic dog language and signals, and not feel constant fear or worry because the owner does not understand whaat they're trying to say (don't worry, we can teach you the language)
• A dog should feel safe to say no, and be respected
• Physical safety in everyday life - A dog should be able to feel safe moving on the surfaces in your home and avoid injury and pain (put down rugs to avoid slippery floors, elevate the food bowls, well ajusted harness, ramps and steps to couches and beds)

Curiosity and Freedom - how do we support the dog's needs?

Dogs are curious by nature, and they love to explore when they feel safe to do so, and given the opportunity. Dogs are scavengers and omnivores (omnivores) and need to be able to display these natural behaviours. Norwegiandogtrainer can show you how - but a small tip could be to start by placing some unfamiliar objects on the floor in your livingroom for your dog every day - something they're not familiar with. Let them sniff potty plants, tea bags, the items in your shopping bag - it's exciting to experience and discover new things.

Many dogs lack freedom and autonomy in their lives, they are used to you deciding everything for them and perhaps you use a lot of commands in everyday life? Commands and tricks are not necessarily wrong - but when was the last time your dog was allowed to just be a dog and do something he wanted? Choose right or left, sniff as long as he wanted on a plant you passed by on the walk, not have to wear the rain cover on a short peeing expedition, or choose whether he wanted a chew bone or a licky mat? It is possible to give our dogs more freedom and choices - it just takes a little ajusting of habits. It's great fun watching your dog think hard about something and make a decision - and see how happy he gets when you let him choose. It's just as much fun as any other day on the agility course :-)

Thriving and better cooperation

When we help our dogs n\meet their needs, we also increase the dog's subjective sense of well-being as well as it is stress reducing. Exploration, freedom and choices also build a stronger bond between you and your dog - the more they get the opportunity to choose, and say no - the more likely they are to say yes!

So why is your dog pulling on the leash?

There could be a wide range of reasons to why your dog is pulling on the lead.

• Old habit
• Stress, pain, fearaggression, learned behaviour, disease
• A poorly ajusted harness or other equipment - your dog might be trying to get away from the discomfort of the equipment.
• Your dog doesn't like you, or is worried or afraid of you
• predatory behaviour - females i heath nearby?
• Du bruker flexibånd – Hunden din er desensitivisert da det alltid er motstand på båndet

There's always a reason, dogs just don't do things without a motivation behind it. The problem is - how do we find the reason, and what can we do to solve it?

How do you get your dog to stop pulling?

Det kan være lurt å ta med hunden din til en atferdskonsultasjon, så vi kan hjelpe deg å vurdere hvorfor hunden din trekker i båndet. Som hundeatferdskonsulenter ser vi på hele livssituasjonen til hunden din, ikke bare trekkingen. Det kan være andre biter som må på plass før hunden din er avslappet nok til å kunne lære å gå i løst bånd sammen med deg. Den gode nyheten er at alle hunder kan lære å gå i løs, smilende line – for noen hunder knekkes koden på en uke eller to, mens andre trenger mer tid for å endre en vane de har hatt lenge. Det er jo også to ender av båndet – så du som eier må ofte også gjøre noen endringer på hvordan du går tur med hunden din og kommuniserer gjennom båndet – Det er derfor det heter toveis kommunikasjon:-)

Det er lurt å begynnee treningen innendørs i rolige omgivelser – tren inn en oppmerksomhetslyd hvor målet er å få hunden til å gi deg oppmerksomhet, ikke se på deg eller gjøre noen kommandoer, men bare være klar til å følge deg og lytte til deg. Du bruker vanlige treningsmetoder for å koble lyden med det du vil hunden skal gjøre. “Vis meg oppmerksomhet – lyd – ros/godbit” inntil hunden skjønner hva du vil, deretter bytter du rekkefølge så sekvensen blir lyd- hunden viser deg oppmerksomhet – du roser/godbit” . Når det er spikret fortsetter dere treningen ute og øker vanskelighetsgrad etter hvert. Når hunden gir deg oppmerksomhet (tar opp ørene, snur hodet i din retning, stopper osv) kan du koble på “bytt retning” som du viser med kroppen – du snur deg og går en annen vei, hunden følger etter deg. Etter hvert vil hunden alltid ha et lite øye på deg og være bevisst på hva du driver med og kunne følge deg til og med uten at du gjør lyden eller roser/belønner. Alt du gjør er å bytte retning og gå en annen vei.

Do you still find it hard to make loose leash walking work?

Det kan være utallige årsaker til at du ikke får til å gå med løs line med hunden din. Det er alltid lurt å snakke med en profesjonell trener som kan hjelpe deg og hunden din med å lykkes. We're happy to help.

Noen av de vanligste feilene mange gjør er å være utydelig når dere trener så hunden din ikke skjønner hva du vil, eller at du ikke er konsekvent? Eller at du bytter retning så ofte at hunden lærer at hvis de bare venter litt så kommer du tilbake – for du går bare noen skritt den andre veien. Trener du for ofte eller for sjelden kan det også påvirke resultatet, eller hvis du trener når hunden er opptatt av noe annet. Hvis hunden din har høyt stressnivå eller underliggende sykdommer kan det være vanskelig for deg å lære hunden nye ting.

Walking on a loose leash is NOT the same as heeling!

For at hunden din skal ha det fint på tur er det viktig at turen ikke blir lydighetstrening. Hunden skal ikke “gå fot”. Det er heller ikke kontakttrening hvor hunden din skal gi deg øyenkontakt. Hunder generelt liker ikke å se noen inn i øynene, i hundeverden er det en trussel og svært ubehagelig. Det er nok at hunden ser i din retning, eller viser med kroppsspråk at den følger med på deg. Om du tidligere har trent hunden din til å gå fot og stirre deg inn i øynene på tur, er det noe du bør prøve å avlære. For hundens nakke er det svært smertefullt å gå med hodet vendt sidelengs og oppover for å prøve å se på deg hele tiden. Nakkestivhet kan følge til andre problemer med muskulatur, kompensasjonsskader eller smerter, som kan gi hunden din problemer, og deg veterinærregninger.

Be Patient.

Sometimes it's one step forward and two steps back. Notice and celebrate your wins:-) Follow the recipe and do it correctly and your dog will be loose leash walking like a dream within a month or even weeks. This is off course, depending on no underlying issues that needs to be addressed first. if you suspect something else is going on

If you suspect something else is going on, please reach out to us, and we'll help you and your dog get moving in the right direction.

Have you ever counted the number of times you ask your dog to sit during a random day? When you get up in the morning and put on the harness to go our for a little stroll? Sit. Before breakfast is served? Sit. Maybe a chewbone before you leave the house? Sit. When you come home from work and she welcomes you in the hallway, tail wagging? Sit. You then put the harness on again to go for a little walk before dinner. Sit. You exit the staircase in the building, open the main entrance door downstairs. Sit. You open the door and go outside together.

During your walk you meet a little Yorkie, a good friend of your dog. The Guardian has a snack in her pocket and asks if she can give your dog a little treat? You say: "Yes, but only if she sits first". The owner asks your dog to Sit. She does, she gets a treat. on the way back home you ask your dog to Sit while you take the mail out of the mail box. You go inside, up the stairs. Sit. Take off the harness and enter tthe livingroom. You then go into the kitchen, she follows you - you tell her to go to her Place, and you start to make dinner. You cook sausages, cut off a small piece, ask her to come over and Sit. She does, and gets the treat. She remains there, staring loningly at the counter, stands up, gets a bit closer. You tell her to Sit again, she gets another piece of sausage. After your dinner you make her dinner. Sit. Stay. Stay. She eats it. After a while you go for your afternoon walk, same procedure, harness, Sit. Sit, open door, staircase, Sit, main door, outside. You walk around the block and you meet an acquaintance. you talk for a while, your dog would rather sniff something in the grass and pulls a little. You ask her to Sit.Wait. You go home, you sit on the couch, she want to join you. She gets a little bored after a while, you play together, you toss her favourite toy, she runs and gets it. Sit. Toss. retrieve. Sit.Toss. Retrieve and repeat. You go for an evening stroll. Harness on.Sit down.Door opens. Sit. Exit door, downstairs, Sit. Open main door, exit. Inside the house again it's time to go to bed. You climb into your bed, she sleeps by your side. "She has become a bit stiff in her body and hindlegs", you notice . "She can't always make the jump up to bed, as she used to", you think to yourself and lift her up to bed.

Dere går inn i stuen, hun følger deg inn på kjøkkenet. Du kommandere henne på plassen sin, og begynner på middagen din . Du lager pølser, skjærer av en liten bit og ber henne om å komme bort til deg. Sitt. Hun får godbiten og blir sittende å se lengselsfullt på pølsene på benken. Hun reiser seg og kommer litt nærmere. Du gir henne en pølsebit til. Sitt. Etter middagen din er ferdig lager du middag til henne. Sitt. Vent. Bli. Hun spiser, og dere gjør dere klare til å gå ut på ettermiddagstur, samme rutine som vanlig. Sele. Sitt. Døren, Sitt, ned trappen, Sitt og ut døren.

Dere går rundt kvartalen og møter en du kjenner, dere snakker litt sammen, hunden din vil helst snuse på noe i veikanten og trekker litt i båndet. Sitt. Vent. Dere går hjem, du setter deg i sofaen, hun vil komme opp til deg. Sitt, Fot og Hopp opp. Utover kvelden kjeder hun seg litt, dere leker sammen, du kaster favorittbamsen og hun henter den til deg. Sitt. Kast. Sitt. Kast. Sitt. Kast. Du gjemmer noen godbiter rundt omkring i stuen. Sitt. Let. Kvelden fortsetter. Sitt. hopp opp. Hopp ned. Sitt. Bli . Tannpuss for dere begge, du vasker potene hennes mens hun sitter på gulvet. Kveldstur – Sitt. Du tar på henne selen, åpner døren til leiligheten. Sitt. Dere går ned trappen, ned til utgangsdøren i blokken. Sitt. Du åpner døren og dere går ut sammen.

Vel inne igjen er det på tide å gå til sengs. Du går opp i sengen din, hun får lov å sove sammen med deg. Du syns hun er blitt veldig stiv i kroppen, hun klarer ikke å hoppe opp i sengen selv lenger. Mindre spenst i bakbena og litt kraftløs, tenker du og løfter henne opp i sengen din.

Think through what you and your dog do during a day. Does your dog really need to sit for a treat, for a sausage, for dinner, for meets outside, for harnesses? Many dogs and some breeds more than others 8like greyhounds and long legged dogs and puppies) are uncomfortable sitting both inside, and outside. in combination with slippery floors, it can be strenuous. Add the strain of excessive ball throwing (for some dogs), frisbee, running, fast pace walking - there are many activities that strains the muscles and joins for a dog.

If your dog wants to sit - then let her. If she'd rather stand or lie down, let her. If she prefers standing when you throw the toys, that's great. Sit is often an unnecessary level of administration and adds to the number of commands your dog gets in a day . It can also reduce the dogs sense of self determination while adding extra tention to your joints and muscle.

So how important is it for you that your dog sits? Maybe it's perfectly fine that she does whatever is the most comfortable for her:-)

Your dog probably gets a varied diet that satisfies his physiological and biological needs. Your dog does not need to eat feces to avoid hunger or get the nutrients he needs. Yet you catch him immersed in a nice little sample of a deer poop, or a sheep pop, or maybe even from another dog? Why?

At hunder spiser avføring er helt normalt, selvom vi syns det er ganske ekkelt. Vanligvis spiser hunder ikke avføring fra andre hunder, men de kan inkluderer gjerne avføring fra andre dyr (inkludert mennesker) i sin diett.

I en undersøkelse publisert i 2018 (Butler et.al, 2018), fant de at menneskeavføring utgjorde ca 20 % av dietten til frittgående hunder (free-ranging dogs) i et område i Zimbabwe. Det var et av de viktigste tilskuddet til hundenes diett i tillegg til rester av døde dyr (kjøtt, ben, bruks, skinn osv), og sadza ( en lokal rett av maismel og vann) . Alle hundene som ble studert hadde tilsynelatende god helse, var velfødd og ingen indikasjoner på at dietten gjorde dem syke på noe vis. De fikk i seg nok proteiner og næringsstoffer gjennom kosten.

but how about our domesticated furriends? Why do they eat these unmentionables? Is it even strange for a domesticated dog to eat feces? Some scientists think it's instinctual, others believe that the ancient dogs "self domestication" to some degree was caused by the easy access to human feces around the campsites. From a biological standpoint faecal matter is made up by crude protein and other nutrients that fits well with a dogs nutritional requirements. For our leashed companions here in Norway, human feces is hard to get by, som maybe that's why our domesticated dogs even eat feces from their fellow dogs to try to get nutrients or probiotics or other things they lack in their own diets?

Dogs eating other strange things

Some dogs eat non- edible objects lie socks, cardboard, plastic and whatever they can get their hands on. If your dog eats things like this, it's often something else entirely going on. Stress, pain, disease are all things to look for it a dog starts eating unusual objects . We call the condition Pica syndrome, or an subcategory of Pica . It may be vitamin or mineral deficiencies that triggers it, or some neurological conditions and injuries can also make dogs eat strange things. Both as a redirected behaviour to divert attention away from pain, or as an attempt to handle and decrease stress. We separate between gobblers and shredders in this regard. There are often underlying issues for both behaviours, but they are usually different ones for dogs that swallows objects, and dogs that shreds a lot.

What do you do if your dog eats feces or non-edibles objects?

If your dog eats feces from dogs or other animals, it's usually nothing to worry about. In some cases, if you're really unfortunate, your dog might eat something from an animal that is sick, and need veterinarian care. E.Coli and Giardia can be transmitted through fecal matter. If your dog eats other things like plants or foodstuff when your out walking, remember that some plants are poisonous to dogs, and that a cooked chicken bone could get your dog into some real trouble (bloating, stomach issues, perforated gut etc). It's a good idea to teach your dog "Leave it", or some other command, to help him refrain from eating stuff, if that's his thing. Rolig Hund can help you with that, if this is an issue for you on your daily walks.

Some dogs are more at risk for bloating than others you can book a consultation with rolig hund hos oss for å kartlegge om det er andre bakenforliggende årsaker til at hunden din har et fysisk eller psykologisk behov for å spise merkelige ting, så prøver vi å finne ut av det sammen hvis det er et pågående problem:-)

-Når hunden din prøver å fortelle deg noe hjelper vi deg å forstå

En av de viktigste tingene en atferdskonsulent gjør er å observere. Vi er trent til å lese hundens språk og signaler og forstå hva de prøver å fortelle oss. Ikke bare de åpenbare, synlige signalene, men atferdsendringer, holding, kroppsspråk og vaner som forteller oss noe om hva som foregår. Vi ser på omgivelsene, genetikk, oppvekst, kosthold, turvaner, trening, aktiviteter, søvn, hvile, relasjoner og hvordan hundens liv er organisert fra dag til dag. Det er mange variabler som påvirker hvordan dere har det sammen og hvordan hunden deres har det. Vi ser på triggere, stressorer, ytre endringer i atferd og snakker med deg om det er noen vi kan endre på som kan gi hunden din et enda bedre liv sammen med deg.

Det er alltid en fordel å ta fatt i atferdsutfordringer og evt andre plager hunden din har så snart som mulig. Fysisk og mental tilstand er ofte to sider av samme sak, så det å løse opp ting som er frustrerende for hunden din, kan samtidig redusere stress og forhindre fysiske plager som inflammasjon, tannproblemer, hudproblemer, ørebetennelse, mage og fordøyelsesproblemer og andre tilstander som kan gi hunden din redusert helse på både kort og lang sikt. Atferdsutfordringene kan også skyldes underliggende helseproblemer, og da er det viktig å avdekke det så snart som mulig for at hunden ikke skal ha smerter/ubehag lenger enn nødvendig.

Dessverre ser vi ofte at når klientene våre endelig oppsøker oss har de allerede prøvd en rekke ulike trenere og kurs. Vi er siste utvei, både mennesker og hunder er slitne og begynner å gå tom for både pågangsmot og penger. Vi kan ikke fortelle deg hva du skal gjøre, men oppfordrer deg gjerne til å ikke ha oss aller nederst på listen – det vi gjør er grunnlaget for alt annet som følger. Å begynne med en atferdskonsulent er det beste utgangspunktet for å løse opp i utfordringene -kom til oss først- Løsningen er ofte nærmere enn du tror hvis du lar oss hjelpe deg å finne den.

Når er det lurt å oppsøke en atferdskonsulent?

1. Hvis hunden endrer atferd er det ofte et tegn på at det er noe som plager hunden din.
2. Når hundens atferd påvirker livskvalitetene deres – Å ha en hund som bjeffer mye inne/ute, eller knurrer på barna, hopper på gjestene dine, ødelegger møbler, holder deg våken på natten, har separasjonsangst eller annet, kan være en stor belastning for familie/venner og for hunden din.

Gjennom TV programmer har vi lært at hvis vi trener hunden i lydighet, disiplin, triks og sirkuskunster for å lære den å høre på oss og å gjøre som vi sier. Noen snakker om dominans og Alfa, flokkledere og å sette hunden på plass . Det er mange tilnærminger og teorier om hundetrening, noen er bedre fundamentert i vitenskapen enn andre.

Vår tilnærming er vitenbasert og tar utgangspunkt i hunden som et følende, tenkende vesen med behov utover grunnleggende dyrevelferd som mat, drikke, hvile eller aktivitet . Vi ser på hundens komplekse behov som er ganske like på de vi mennesker har på så mange vis. Når hunden ikke har det bra, vil den prøve å fortelle det til oss så godt den kan – og vi er her for å lytte og avdekke. Når du og atferdskonsulenten deretter jobber med rotårsaken(e), og løser opp i det som virkelig plager hunden din vil den uønskede atferden ofte forsvinne av seg selv, uten at det er behov for videre trening eller atferdsmodifikasjoner.

We can provide you with updates, science based councelling, training tips and follow-up already after the first consultation. If we consider it necessary, we will refer you to, for example, a vet, physiotherapy or other treatment that we suspect might be necessary based on what we see, we are not Vet's - but we do know a lot a bout what's normally at the root of an issue.

Is it like you see on the TV shows?

Hundetrening sånn som vi ofte ser på TV er ofte en type “atferdsmodifisering” som tilsynelatende kan fungere godt på for enkelte atferdsutfordringer. Vi bruker noe som heter operant betinging og assossiert læring for å få hunden din til å gjøre det vi vil (ønsket atferd gir belønning, uønsket atferd gir straff eller negativ forsterkning som f.eks “nei”, eller at vi ignorerer dem). Slik trening vil ofte fungere på overflaten, men kan dekke over det egentlige problemet, og utfordringene hunden din sliter med vil stort sett vende tilbake etter en stund, eller aldri forsvinne helt.

We need to ask ourselves: Why is the dog doing these things? - what's the root cause?-Dogs rarely do anything without a reason. We'll help you uncover what that reason is.

Hvis vi lærer hunden å slutte vise oss atferden sin, demper vi samtidig hundens kommunikasjon. Hvis vi “trener det bort” , kan hunden din få det enda verre, og til og med gi opp – tenk hvis du hadde vondt et sted, men hver gang du prøvde å si det til noen var det noen som klappet deg på hodet, gav deg litt sjokolade, eller bad deg om å være stille, sette deg på en stol eller til og med kjeftet på deg?

How does a dog consultation work?

På konsultasjonen observerer vi hunden din mens vi samtidig snakker med deg og andre familiemedlemmer. Mange eiere blir overrasket over hvor mye av treningen som handler om menneskene i familien og ikke om hunden . Ofte er det vi som må endre oss, og vi som må legge rammene for en ny hverdag for hunden. Det er viktig at alle som bor med hunden er tilstede på konsultasjonen, da alle kan ha ulike relasjoner til hunden, som kan være med å påvirke atferden. Ofte kan du selv løse de utfordringene hunden din har ved hjelp av tiltakene vi foreslår for dere etter endt konsultasjon. Vi anbefaler alltid at dere bestiller en oppfølgingstime etter den første timen for å justere og videreutvikle planen som ble lagt for dere etter den første timen.

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