New course!
How to Have A Happy and Sociable Dog
Understanding your best friend
Sheila Harper
1 day course – Friday April 30th 2010 9.30 a.m. (registration) – 5 p.m.
All Saints Church Hall, Church Road
Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 1ED
£55.00 (no handler places)
This one day seminar is a standalone course, but also provides a good basis for those wishing to attend the following two-day practical course “Quality Socialisation”.
Knowing where our dogs fit in to our homes and society, along with what expectations we should have is becoming more and more difficult with the amount of conflicting information available in the press and on popular “quick fix” television programmes. Where people are afraid or uncomfortable, they tend to confront, dominate and control, and their actions and philosophy in turn tend to make us question our gut instincts and feel more insecure about our relationship with our dogs.
It is extremely unsettling for us to hear someone tell us that we have to teach our dog who’s boss for fear of him “taking over”. There is a culture of guilt that suggests that all dogs must have specific exercise, training or socialisation, and that if we don’t give a prescribed amount determined by someone who knows better, we will be a bad owner. Much of this kind of information is full of misconceptions.
Another area to consider is that as owners become more and more aware of society’s unease with dogs, pets are often brought up with little opportunity to socialise naturally and effectively with other dogs or people. Either forced into situations in which they have few skills, or kept isolated from their own species, dogs have a hard time to grow up to be the ideal pet we all have in mind.
So, what do dogs really need? And how much should we be listening to those “who know best” rather than looking at each dog as an individual and reacting to his own specific needs. Perhaps we should put our energy into finding out what dogs themselves can tell us especially as they know far more about dogs than any human! Only by improving our powers of observation will we be better able to empathise and understand, building a good foundation possible towards a strong and trusting relationship with our dogs.
To include:
· Recognising body language - what it means, how and when it is used
· Considering dogs’ daily needs and how to fulfil them
· How much activity should we be giving our dogs and what kind of activity is best for them?
· Observing dog to dog interactions, how to recognise their social skills, and how to give them safe opportunities for improvement
· Strategies for understanding, ideas for reducing conflict and tips to help your dog more easily fit into your home and society
Slides and video footage will feature prominently in the material presented and will provide a basis for discussion.