Carolyn Menteith DipCABT, KCAI

Breed Specific Learning

Dogs are not wolves…

They have evolved into different breeds and types

in order to succeed in a wide variety of very

different jobs

www.wwuk.org

Clever…?

Stupid….?

Why such diversity?

Canine Predatory Sequence

Eye - stalk - chase - grab-bite - kill-bite - eat

RetrieversEye - stalk - chase - grab-

bite….

Herding dogsEYE - stalk - chase…….

TerriersEye - kill-bite!

It isn’t just the predatory sequence…

Stamina - they don’t just want to do it, they want to do it all the time!

+

We have created dogs who are reactive, fearful or who behave in certain ways - because it suited us

New stuff = potential danger!

What is behaviour…?

Behaviour doesn’t just happen - it is the symptom of an emotion

If a behaviour continues, it is being reinforced emotionally

It is providing the dog with feelings of either pleasure or relief

Dogs only do what works

Positive reinforcement = pleasure = a behaviour that will be repeated!

What will impact on behaviour?

Includes:

• Novelty (place, people, sights, sounds…)

• Stress

• Pain

• Fear

• Frustration

• Inability to succeed

• Triggers…

Triggers are like wine! They add up!!

+ + +

Doesn’t =

It equals

PainBite threshold

Strange place

Strange place

Noise

Trigger stacking

PainNoise

Behaviour maskers

• Tester (either intimidating or good handling skills)

• Lack of interest in resources (breed specific)

• Inappropriate resources (breed specific)

• Learned helplessness/shut-down

• Stoicism (especially if pain present)

Levelling the playing field

• Recognising breed and type (and individual) differences

• Check for pain

• Assess stressors and reduce where possible (these will be individual for each dog as well as BS)

• Give chances to succeed (R+ = pleasure) before any assessment

• Always look for positives as much, if not more, as negatives

• Do NOT push until there is a response (lose-lose)

• Find appropriate rewards for each individual

• Breed specific enrichment - in short and long term to reduce frustration before assessment and provide a ‘base-line’…

• Have at least two different assessments with different testers (or ongoing with different people)

• Test/interact at different times of day and in different locations (triggers are not always obviously apparent to us)

• Consider environment (especially if dog is nervous, stressed, frustrated or shut down) - as behaviour is often very different in a different environment

It is only when we understand why dogs are all different that we can give them the best chance

to succeed in the often challenging world we have brought them into - and expect them to

share with us

“People are always looking for the single magic bullet that will totally change everything. There is no single magic

bullet.” Dr Temple Grandin

In the same way, there is no ‘magic bullet’ that will work for all dogs

And knowing that with dogs, one size doesn’t fit all….

Carolyn Menteith

www.dogtalk.co.uk 2015