Training Treacle (4)

Treacle is now free to enter to big wide world, all her vaccinations have taken and now she can mix with the big boys. She really enjoyed her first proper walks as she has boundless energy and was getting bored being restricted to her house and garden. We are very lucky with our location as we have a huge choice of dog walking areas nearby, army training ground, nature reserves, Forestry commission and the Basingstoke Canal (that doesn't go to Basingstoke). It is very important at this early stage to get the balance right so that a puppy gets enough exercise to build muscle and stamina without being exhausted. The more experiences that they can be exposed to the better. Treacle accepts Steve and Caroline as the Alpha pair in her pack and so as they act as calm, consistent and convincing leaders, in times of perceived danger, which could be any new experience that Treacle encounters, if the leaders are not concerned then neither will Treacle be.

Her new experiences this week have been many. She has had walks through army training areas which she thoroughly enjoyed as it has a variety of terrains. Treacle has been able to hide in long grass, bounce through the heather and dig in the sand. We knew that she was truly a Labrador when she discovered the joy of a muddy puddle! At one point when the gang had stopped to play I went on ahead and hid several yards off of the path and stayed silent. When the walk resumed and Treacle approached my location she indicated my presence with no prompting from the humans in the group at all. The nose works.


Amongst her other new experiences Treacle had a trip to the pedestrian precinct doing a bit of window shopping. Again all experiences can be capitalised on. She encountered crowds, babies in pushchairs, older children and of course traffic going there and back. She also attended a barbecue at her house and although she behaved very well amongst the guests she didn't bring a bottle.

Her training can really start now but will proceed at her pace so that there is no stress. Most elements of training can be gently introduced at this stage with the exception of agility as a puppies bones are still soft.

Why Use Amichien Bonding?

This is a question I am often asked "After all" say people "There are so many other training methods, what makes Amichien better?" and of course they are right, there are more methods than you can shake a stick at. There are whistles, clickers, electric collars, collars that spray various substances at the dog, collars that emit noise, chains with spikes that stick in the dogs neck, sticks to 'touch' the dog with and many more gadgets and gizmos. Alongside all these pieces of equipment are the different ways of training, there is the traditional 'make him do it', there is the 'endless repetition until the dog is bored senseless' system and then there is the good old 'walking around in a circle in a church hall with fifteen other dogs' method. This teaches a dog to walk in a circle with other dogs, usually on leaving the hall most dogs revert to their previous behaviour. Do these systems work? Yes, to a greater or lesser degree on some, but not all dogs. Some systems I consider barbaric, they don't train the dog they traumatise him. One thing is constant in the above list, they are all unnatural.
During my years as a Police Dog Handler I worked German Shepherd Dogs, Labradors and Springer Spaniels. I also worked with other Handlers using other breeds such as Belgian Shepherd Dogs (Malinois), Giant Schnauzers, Rottweilers, Weimaraners, Border Collies and Bloodhounds. A large variety of breeds trained in a variety of skills but with one constant factor, they didn't worry about breed differences, as far as they were concerned the only thing that mattered was that they were all dogs. Dogs are descended from Wolves and are pack animals so it became apparent to me that to achieve a really close bond with my dogs I would have to be the pack leader or Alpha male. For this to work I had to be elected leader by the dogs themselves, people who shout and bluster and say "He knows who the Boss is" are only fooling themselves, they're sure as hell not fooling the dog.
Having decided what the problem with traditional training methods was I had to work out the next step which was of course that we had to understand one another. Dogs can always communicate with one another there's no English or French or German language for them. Whatever the breed and wherever they're from all dogs speak Canine. All I had to do now was to become fluent. Another truth then struck me, wolf packs are well organised with a hierarchy that all members understand where every pack member has an important job to do for the survival of the pack, they don't need training aids and gadgets to organise their lives so why do we?
I started off down the path of trying to understand the dynamics of the Wolf pack and how it could be used with domestic dogs, tremendous progress was made and as a result the quality of work and success rate of my dogs increased greatly. It was very pleasing to be Commended by the Chief Constable of Hampshire in 1988. The Citation read 'Commended for consistent good work, tenacity and intelligent application of his Police Dog 'ACCO' during 1988. It was good to be recognised but in fact all I was doing was allowing ACCO to be a dog without confusing the issue. Then as the Alpha I was able to direct and use his natural skills for the benefit of the public.
I then became aware of the work of Jan Fennell 'The Dog Listener' who was working along similar lines although her thoughts and procedures were much more organised than mine. Jan had studied the subject in great depth as well as forming a close association with Monty Roberts 'The Horse Whisperer'. Jan devised a structured system using the dogs own language which she called Amichien Bonding. I was fortunate to be able to travel to Lincolnshireto meet Jan and complete both an initial and advanced Canine Communication course. As a result I now hold an Amichien Certificate in Advanced Canine Communication.
The Amichien Bonding System is not a 'training method' in the normal sense of the words but a holistic, natural, stress free way of communicating with your dog. If used consistently your dog will elect you as leader of his own free will making any subsequent training a pleasure. The use of Amichien Bonding is particularly effective in dealing with behavioural problems such as, Aggression, Nervousness, Obsessive or Destructive Behaviour, Failing to Return When Called, Taking Charge on a Walk, Jumping Up and Persistent Barking. Because you will be talking the dogs language he will modify his behaviour of his own free will.
I use this system BECAUSE IT WORKS I have seen many other methods and have approached them all with an open mind but nothing comes close to Amichien for consistent success. It is not a magic wand, you will have to do your part but the investment in time and effort you expend will be well worth it. My life and the lives of others were often entrusted to my dogs over many years, they never let me down, that's bonding.
For more information visit my website www.robinglover.com

Training Treacle (3)

Treacle went to the Vet last Tuesday to have her final injections and to be micro-chipped. She won't be able to go everywhere until two weeks after the jabs, but she can now mix with dogs that are known to be up to date with their innoculations. So yesterday she came visiting to meet my German Shepherds. She was a bit overawed by my younger dog Jack but in my old chap Gaspode she found an indulgent senior role model who, she quickly learned she could mug without fear of reprisals. She also helped in the garden by finding our stock of flowerpots and distributed them liberally around the garden so that wherever we might be working, if we need a flowerpot we have only to reach out and one will be to hand (bless her).

It is always fascinating to see how quickly puppies grow and pick up new behaviours either good or bad which is why it is so important in these early days to build on the good behaviour and stop the bad. Because Caroline and Steve are using the Amichien Bonding method to raise Treacle and have done so from day one she is a totally relaxed puppy and is making great progress. I was playing a little game in the garden with her (all training is play based) and was really impressed with her searching, she is a natural. This is not to say that she is perfect. Is she ever naughty? Of course, she's a puppy. Has she got a lot to learn? Oh yes. The important thing is that she will be guided along the route to maturity (assuming that a Labrador does ever grow-up) by owners who are in agreement with one another and realise that a dog only knows how to be a dog, she is not a character from a Disney film. Dogs are easy, at this stage they are a clean slate on which you can write anything you like. It's only people that make it complicated.

The next steps are, more socialisation with my dogs as they are part of an extended pack and it is important that they can interact so that we can dog-sit for one another. And then from Tuesday week we can start extending Treacle with some very basic games that involve nose-work which, I'm sure will confirm the natural aptitude she has already displayed.
As always if you want to know more about my methods, visit my web-site www.robinglover.com

Manic Dog Becomes Mellow

When dealing with clients concerned about their dogs behaviour I always stress that the place to learn good manners is in the home. They must address the problem there before taking the dog into the wider world with all the unexpected situations that can occur, which will only increase the stress levels of both owner and dog. To this end I supply my clients with a set of simple guidelines which, if implemented Calmly, Consistently and Convincingly will have a major positive effect on the dogs behaviour. Very often clients will try to cut down on the groundwork needed in an attempt to make progress faster which, in fact, slows down the rate of improvement.
It was therefore very pleasing to hear today from a client whose dog had been incredibly highly stressed and had displayed manic behaviour. Following her consultation with me she had followed the action plan prepared for her dog to the letter. She had contacted me once after the consultation to clarify a couple of small points in the method. As a result of the work put in by the owner and the resultant acceptance of the dog of his proper place in the pack she was able to take him to a large dog 'funday' where not only did he not get involved in a fight, but also competed and took second prize in the veterans class without removing any fingers from the judge. Success is sweet.

Amichien Night Out

On Saturday night the 13th myself and five other Amichien practitioners who all live and work in Southern England met in a rainy Winchester to discuss over some food (and drink) all matter of Canine matters. Our numbers included a Guide Dog Trainer, Gun Dog Trainer, Groomer and Boarding Kennel Owner all of whom use the system of Amichien Bonding in their day to day work with dogs. It is not only used to deal with behaviour problems but to prevent such problems from starting.
The purpose of the evening was both social and business related. We wanted to ensure that we continue to give first class service and back-up to clients and to this end we traded stories of particularly challenging cases and their outcome. We discussed ways to improve our business practices and support for one another. As we usually work alone with our clients on a 1-2-1 basis it is important to have such sessions to keep abreast of trends and developments in the Canine world. This gives us a great source of knowledge and experience to tap into if required.

Training Treacle (2)

Well, she's arrived. I drove Steve and Caroline down to Sussex on the 5th August to collect young Treacle. I didn't need to attend but it allowed me to be nosy and it meant that both Steve and Caroline could concentrate on bonding with Treacle on the way home.

She is a very confident little dog and was not put out at all by her first car journey. When she arrived at her new home she soon checked everything out and settled in. She found her indoor kennel (usually called a crate), and wandered in without any prompting. Treacle of course is still a baby so spends her time either sleeping or running around like a thing possessed. Although her training has not started in earnest she is already responding to her name, coming when recalled and sitting on command. She has also started doing a nice basic retrieve. She wants to please and has a lot of potential, I have very high hopes for her.

Treacle's next milestone is 16th August when she has her second lot of jabs and is then allowed out in the wide world and her education really begins. All of her training will be stress free and play driven. She will learn her place in the human pack by using the system of Amichien Bonding which will mean Happy dog/Happy owners.