Hi folks, touched down in London yesterday and and currently enjoying some warm sunshine in England (YES! It CAN happen!!). Jet lag is being held at bay for the moment but it is a sneaky creature so vigilance is needed...

The Advanced Course in Sydney was terrific, and I also did some more filming helping celebrities with dog behaviour problems for TV (2 of a further 6 episodes to be done) so it seems that progress is in the right direction. Keep an eye out for my email with the next clip - as soon as I have it I will send it on. I have a feeling that one will particularly appeal to the ladies as my client was the current Australian Batchelor of the Year, Eamonn Sullivan.

The last time I saw him on TV, it was as the "highlight" of Sydney fashion week, and the camera did a close-up of his... er... trouser furniture. Mind you, it was no different than the attention that Pippa Middleton has received I guess...

After the Sydney course, I caught up with two of the students and I was told about a study done into Aborginal people which concluded that they were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, brought on by their inability to understand the world around them. Sounds familiar?

Fot example, apparently the idea of a mortgage was completely lost on them. Also, their notion of boundaries was based upon tribes, not upon land ownership. The settlers rules made no sense.

We know that the main reason that we see extreme dog behaviour is their inability to understand the world around them AND be the member of the pack responsible as leader for everyone. While we cannot change the former, we can certainly take care of the latter through Dog Listening, so they can relax and trust our decision. We have to earn that trust though, and do it in a way THEY understand. Cheers, Tony Knight

I got some interesting questions in response to my last blog on using diverson tactics for dog behaviour problems and thought I'd answer a couple of them here.

Caron emailed to say.... 

"just read your email and was wondering... my dog Cassey when she was about 6 months old got hold of a dead bird. She wouldn't come to me with it and I wasn't going to chase her so I put a couple of pieces of food treats in a little saucer and walked away. At that point she dropped the bird and went to the saucer and I was able to remove the dead bird, however if your dog is outside off lead you're then not in the same controlled environment, so what advice would you proceed with if the dog gets something that maybe harmful and it has to be removed quickly? Some people don't take food treats with them on a walk as they assume their dog will be ok as it is every other time."

My reply....

Dear Caron, of course in an emergency there should be no hesitation to remove something if no other alternative is available. However, understanding the importance of this to your dog means that next time you can, practice doing something the right way so the dog does not get into an unwanted pattern of behaving.

I would also suggest if the thing in the dog's mouth is not harmful, to call your dog and if it does not come, turn and leave. The dog is more likely to follow the pack than retain the "prize" in its mouth. Getting the dog to come to you is far better than you going to the dog - a fact that was made crystal clear in the last piece of filming I did in Australia last week for Channel 7's Morning Show. I let you know when that piece goes out on TV

Barbara emailed to say...

"We have a lovely but dominant staffordshire bull terrier. He pulls  a lot on the lead and sometimes isn't trustworthy near other dogs. We have tried taking treats out with us to train him. He absolutely loves mints when he is at home you can't have a mint without giving him one, but when we are outside he won't accept any treats of any kind not even his beloved mints. Why is this?

My reply...
Dear Barbara, the reason that the mint does not work outside is that there are too many decisions and distractions outside, and it sounds like, through nobody's fault your dog has assumed the role of decision maker. This happens when we give them mixed signals in everyday life. For example, when you get the mints out indoors, do you call him to you, or is he right there anyway? If you treat him when he come up to you, he has got your attention on his terms, which contributes to the idea that he is the leader. Whenever you get the mints out indoors in the future use this treat to get your dog to come to you. Pulling on the lead is also a clear signal that the dog is in charge, needing to get there first to make the decisions. You can change this quite easily by correctly adopting the Dog Listener principles. When you learn to be the pack leader and convince him, he will listen to you outside.

I hope those answers help.  Cheers. Tony Knight