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Caring is sharing….

Recently there was a video that largely went viral, discussing the risks of raw feeding…. Whilst this is not what this blog is about, it did give me the idea to write a post about the products I believe in and recommend….which just so happens to be a raw food…. So I accept I run the risk of this blog being trolled by those stating that I am bound to go to hell for feeding my dog a chicken wing… it’s a risk I’m willing to take…

It really isn’t the purpose of this blog to be controversial or judgmental, it really isn’t ‘me’…. So I thought I would write a post and take a slightly different take on things, and talk solely of my experiences with two fantastic products, and share them so others can benefit.

Raw feeding vs kibble divides opinions like Moses and the red sea, people standing by their views as though they are religious beliefs. My take on this is somewhat simple…. Do what suits you and your dogs are happy with.

No need to justify it, no need to enter into an argument about it, no need to pass judgment… just do what you are happy with.

Which brings me onto the products that I use and recommend, and the experience I have had with both….

The first is Natural Instinct, a pre-made raw food, from a company based in Surrey.

My experience of Natural Instinct has been from several years of feeding their food, but recently I have been fortunate enough to be sponsored by them. I cannot sing the food’s praises enough, and I have commented on Facebook on how much I rate and believe in this food…. So no surprises there….. I just love the food! I love my dogs reaction to it, the quality of it and the variety. Even Fire, who is a terribly fussy eater, cleans the base of her bowl! That says it all. You can ‘feel’ the difference in my dogs, their muscle tone, coat texture and shine…. I would share a pic of my 8 dogs all waiting for whilst I dish up their latest banquet, salivating at the sight of the little white tubs… Its almost Pavlovian! But I think the image of drooling dogs could be a step too far…

The second product is called Aptus, a joint supplement and rehydration drink from a Finnish company…. I was approached by Aptus to sample their product, and have used it for the last few months…. Again, I cannot sing praises of the results any higher. My two oldest dogs, Thriller and Scooter were both out with injuries all last year, and whist they had gone through extensive rest and rehab, I had resided myself to the fact they both had lasting affects. Since using Aptus joint supplement in their diet, they have both been visibility improved in their mobility and flexibility. Scooter in particular, is a dog that has always been prone to lameness and niggling little things, which has taken a lot of management and awareness…. However he is like a new dog! My Scooter has never been one for doing anything at a pace above a brisk, purposeful walk…. However, he’s been charging round like a spring lamb (when I say charging, if you knew Scoot, you would know the term is largely for dramatic affect….but he is definitely exuberant).

The benefits of both these products on my dogs are literally visible…. HIGHLY recommend!

However the other factor which makes these two products stand out, if the customer service I have received from both companies…. This has been AMAZING!

For some reason, I think that customer services is a lost ‘art’ or so it seems…. With all the methods of communication, available it amazes me that people don’t respond to your emails, enquiries or interest. All anyone wants is a professional service, and having a personal touch is the icing on the cake. Its almost like we have been accustomed to picking up the phone, and being put through to ‘Roger’ from Mumbai… and whilst you curb your over riding yearning to question is ‘Roger’ a traditional Indian name, you filter through the infinite sequence of numbers that you have to select and choose from… Making a simple phone call to your bank, becomes a numerical crystal maze…. Perhaps secretly they are subliminally giving you the lottery numbers for next weeks jackpot?? In which ‘pressing 1 for customer care’ may inspire a bit more attention!

However with both Natural Instinct and Aptus, my experience has been nothing but positive, and what really makes them both stand out, is that they genuinely love dogs….

It’s ironic that these are attributes that I would like to think are paramount for anyone working in an industry especially when producing a product for dogs… but this isn’t always the case.

So take a look, here are links for both products….

https://www.naturalinstinct.com

https://www.aptuspet.co.uk/products/

 

 

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Does it always have to end on a good note?

Whilst teaching one of my regular groups yesterday, the conversation came up of the need to reward their dogs at the end of the session, irrespective of what they had been working on or the relevance of that last reward.

The notion of having to leave your training on a ‘good note’, is something that is often advised and still endorsed.

Where does that expression come from? I remember reading an article written by a world renowned agility competitor who discussed this exact point.

Her comments were really so insightful.

She discussed in this article, that one of the reasons she believed the concept came to fruition, was when training utilised more compulsive methods, and leaving your session on a ‘good note’, was in the hope that your dog wouldn’t necessarily remember the negative aspects of the session so when you next trained them, they would come out with a upbeat attitude to the training. I can definitely see how she drew that conclusion.

However as a trainer/coach and teacher, who uses reinforcement based methodology, I still see this concept coming up. Yet the people that I teach couldn’t be further away from compulsive training, if they tried.

So why do people who subscribe to a reinforcement based system, feel THEY need to end their session on a ‘good note’?

I believe there are several reasons.

A) Dog training is a culture, and whichever sub section of that culture you subscribe to, seems irrelevant. The cultural traditions and norms still run through all facets of the ‘culture’. So ‘ending’ your session is a concept that is cultural.

B) People who gravitate to a reinforcement based system of dog training, largely want to reinforce their dog, or in more simplistic terms, be ‘nice’ to them. So if a session involves challenges or struggles, or some failure and no reinforcement delivered, the moral obligation is to reward the dog at the end, or engineer the dog getting reinforcement. This is regardless of what the dog is learning.

C) Being flippant in their delivery of reinforcement, rather then mindful and strategic. The Bob Baily mantra ‘think plan do, review’, resonates in my mind constantly and allows for mindful and purposeful training with intent, rather then casual practicing or rehearsing.

D) Failing to acknowledge the effective and timely delivery of reinforcement as information. So petting your dog in attempt to pacify them, when they demand bark at you, is actually reinforcing them for exactly the behaviour you want to stop.

Reinforcement based dog training heightens the need to ensure your communication is ultra effective. As a cross over dog trainer, the amount of awareness, thinking and analysis I now have to do in comparison to how I initially trained dogs, is like night and day. Dont get me wrong, I’ve always been a trainer that ‘think, plans and do’s….’ but now I have to be aware of the smallest nuance of behaviour, placement of reinforcement, differential reinforcement, schedules of reinforcement, generalising the smallest detail…. the list is endless. But for me, there in lies the joy. Although it sounds overwhelming, really it isn’t once you have that light switch turned on to this approach to training.

So, the not receiving a reward or the specific reward they may want, isn’t necessarily about being nice or nasty… its information to the dog. And ending your session and the dog not getting his best toy or favourite food, is information to the dog. Or even walking out of a competition ring and asking your dog to do more, isn’t being ‘mean’….it would all depend on your dogs capability, whether their performance was average or better and what schedule of reinforcement they have each behaviour/behaviour chain on.

I am also very much aware of classical conditioning and the power of the dog wanting to play the game, so this concept should again be implemented with thought and consideration.

So next time you want to end your session on a good note, ensure the ‘good note’ is appropriate. Reinforcement builds behaviour…. just ensure the behaviour you are building is the behaviour you want 😉

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Who’d have thought I’d be a blogger…

Well this is a strange one…. my first ever blog! I’m kinda excited about using this platform to talk, write about the conversations that I want to have and find interesting and stimulating….. Primarily this will probably gravitate to dog training….but as as new father, with a gorgeous baby girl… I expect I might write the odd post on nappy rash, weaning and the challenges of teething 😉

So, best I introduce myself…. My name is Kamal Fernandez, in case you haven’t guessed LOL, and I am a full time professional dog trainer… I live in the stunning South of England, in East Sussex and share my life with my gorgeous Girls, my girlfriend Lois and my baby 7month old Neave…. I have 8 dogs, of varying breeds, including border collies, a boxer, a Malinois, a German Spitz and one of those ‘designer’ breed, my little Jack-a-poo… Sugarpuff!

I have been training dogs for 26yrs…. it makes me feel incredibly old to think there are people able to vote, who are younger then that time span! Life just literally whizzes by….

Before I was a dog trainer professionally, I was a Police Officer and did a variety of roles within the Police…

I currently compete in Obedience and Agility, and I am training my Boxer for the sport of IPO.

My passion is most definitely training dogs, and has been an obsession since the day I discovered this weird and wonderful world! I have been blessed to travel the World teaching and lecturing on Dog Training and Behaviour….

Currently my time is divided between my work, which mainly involves being a dog sports Coach. My students have competed at the top level in Obedience, Agility, Working Trials and IPO. I advocate and follow a reinforcement based approach to training dogs.

Additionally, I have been involved in providing Animals for Television and Film…. one of the TV productions I was involved with included the Oxford Scientific Production ‘Dogs Might Fly’, the crazy concept to teach a dog to fly a plane!

This blog will have information, ideas, opinions and possibly some humour….