I want to start out by saying that setbacks or regression are not the end of the world. In fact, I choose to look at them as learning opportunities: - Where did I go wrong? - How can I better communicate my goal with my dog? - Did I move us on/progress too fast? - Have I been consistent? Did you notice a theme with those questions? They all had “I” in them. This is because we, the trainer, the handler/guardian, are responsible for setting our dogs up for success. If something needs addressed 9 times out of 10 if not 9.9 times out 10 it is a failure in communication of some kind with our dogs. Our dogs are very good at telling us and those around us what they have and have not been taught (except for that one thing that one time that they had never done before…). We should listen to our dogs when they tell us there is a gap in their understanding and if we are not sure how to address that please seek out help from a professional. Something else to remember is that each dog is an individual. How each dog learns and what motivates them is just as unique as they are. Some dogs prefer treats only, some prefer toys only, some like both, some like both but are quite particular. Another thing to remember is that some dogs require the steps to be broken down into even smaller steps. It is important to have patience and understand that training is not linear. Training will have ebbs and flows of good days and bad days. If your dog seems to be having an off day in training (or in general) it is important to rule out anything veterinary first. - Did your dog eat like normal? Was their energy the same about eating? Are they drinking more, less or the same amount of water? - What do their gums look like? Are they pink, moist with a capillary refill time (CRT) of less than 2 seconds? - Did your dog have normal bowel movements? - Are they limping or licking an area excessively? - Is there head hanging low? Is their back arched? - Do they seem hesitant to be in a certain position?

This Breed of the Week was requested by @Paul Bunker The Border Collies that we know and love today have been around for more than 130 years through selective breeding but the ancestry of the breed and how they came to be go back much further. The working collie had established itself as a valuable benefit in the border country between Scotland and England. How Border Collies earned their name is quite fascinating. It is said that the word “collie” is an old Gaelic term used in rural areas for anything useful and Border Collies like to work on the border of a herd. That is where their breed title was born. Other sources state that the “border” part of Border Collie is due to the fact that they originate on the border between Scotland and England. Border Collies began their journey in domestication by being shepherd dogs in the medieval times. They had a variety of jobs back then such has drovers (specific type of herding dogs who moved livestock long distances), guard and herding (manage and protect livestock). There is a written documentation by Dr. Corhs from 1557 called the “Treatise of Englishe Dogges” that described the human shepherds and their dogs. Another source for early herding dogs is “The Dogs of Britain” (originally written in Latin) by John Keys, aka Johannes Caius after graduating from Gonville Hall in 1553, of Norwich, England. While there were attempts to have careful and planned breedings there were mishaps between the working collies and countryside strays originally. There is a note that some of the planned breedings were between collies and gundogs and the debate on who contributed to who more was a topic of conversation. It is also believed that Border Collies are descendants of the landrace collies, including the Old Hemp line and other native herding dogs in the region. According to one source the Roman’s dogs and the Viking’s dogs also play a role in the development in the early Border Collie. A breed standard for the Border Collie was established by the International Sheep Dog Society (ISDS) in 1915 which provided clear guidelines on appearance, work capability and temperament. The ISDS, founded in 1906, brought together enthusiasts, breeders and shepherds. Thanks to the ISDS the standard for Border Collies maintaining their ability to work has been preserved. Without them the breed’s working abilities may have been bred out and the breed would exist just for looks.

Part of the reason I am doing weekly posts about a particular breed is not just because it is interesting but also I think it is important to understand what your dog has been bred for (and with). With knowledge comes understanding and lack of knowledge leads to frustration so understanding what a dog’s historical purpose has been could help with understanding how to redirect and satiate your dog to perform a more desired and safe behavior. This is not to say that every dog within the same breed has the same preferences and that just because it is a [insert dog breed here] they will like this over that and that is all there is to it. It is a good starting point but try not to get tunnel vision. I encourage you to learn who your dog is as an individual. Back to topic Something to note is that not every dog displays each step of the predatory motor pattern: - Scent/Scan/Search o Eye/Stalk § Creep · Chase o Grab-bite § Kill-bite · Possess o Dissect § Consume An example of a typical predatory motor pattern for a Border Collie would be as follows: - eye and stalk the stimulus o creep/chase This former part of the predatory motor pattern is more stimulating for the breed due to their historical and present day purpose. The rest of the predatory motor pattern is as follows: - grab-bite o kill-bite § possess · dissect o consume The latter half of the predatory motor pattern is not a typical behavior for the breed as far as killing and consumption. It is possible that a Border Collie without a proper outlet could escalate to killing and consuming. This escalation is not unique to just Border Collies. Another example would be for a Labrador their predatory motor pattern would typically have emphasis on: - scent/scan/search o eyeing the stimulus § then chase with emphasis on: - grab-bite with another emphasis on: - possess then consume Something else to consider is your dog’s personal history and practiced behavior along with what type of training they have had in the past. Which part of the predatory motor pattern has been disciplined? How was it disciplined? How consistent was the discipline?

Recall: a command to cue your dog to return to you. There are various levels to a recall - Kissing noises/happy clapping - typically while squatting to dogs’ level - Patting the couch or bed - Saying their name (this can be said in various tones) - Change of direction - Emergency recall I personally have 3 intentional recalls for my dogs which all have their own cue and meaning. - “come on” means come to my general area (for this I am facing the dog and they are in front of me. I sometimes take a few steps backwards to further cue what I want since this is the weakest one with my dogs.) - “this way” means I am changing direction/going the opposite of you and now I want you to change direction to my new one - “here!” and/or 6 blasts on a whistle means come to my person right away with no hesitation You know you have a good recall when your dog listens to you, and quickly, no matter what is going on. The question is how can you get such a reliable recall - particularly an emergency recall - even in high distractions. First you must find out what your dog absolutely loves more than anything whether it is food or a toy. You can do this via reward selection (which you can find in Imprint Your Detection Dog In 15 Days by @Paul Bunker and in video form on his Skool The Detection Dog Lab) which is typically done with toys but can also be done with food. **It is important to think about doing a reward selection every few months, especially with puppies, since preferences may change over time** Once you have found what your dog loves the most but before you take your dog out for a walk on a long line (doesn’t have to be too long to start) decide what you are going to use as your emergency recall cue! It is important to not jump around from cue to cue to cue trying to figure out what works. Anything will work for your dog as long as they find it productive, reliable and rewarding. Your emergency cue can be “bonsai”, “turtle”, “fireplace”, “tire”, “remote” literally anything.

The Vizsla has multiple names just like the Australian Cattle Dog. They are known as Vizsla (which means pointer), Hungarian pointer or the Magyar Vizsla. This breed has been around for over a thousand years and are considered one of the oldest known hunting dogs. It is thought that the vizsla is a descendant of the eighth-century Hungarian hunting dogs. The vizsla has faced near extinction not once but twice with the first being from the Turkish Occupation (1526-1696) with a more serious decline after the Hungarian Civil War (1848-1849). The breed recovered from a small stock of about 12 true vizslas thanks to Hungarian sportsmen. The second near extinction the vizslas faced was after the two World Wars and Russian Occupation but were saved this time in part thanks to Mrs. Elizabeth Mihalyi. Mrs. Elizabeth escaped Hungary with her family Vizsla named Panni XV and was bred with Betyar from Austria. This breeding established the Panni-Betyar line which is recognized by the AKC as a foundation stock of the breed. Vizslas are known for their exceptional hunting skills, relentless loyalty, and versatility. The breed was highly regarded and treasured by Hungarian nobility. For centuries landowning aristocrats horded the vizsla and preserved their pure blood with more recently the breed is seen as not only a great hunting companion but also one great for families. The vizsla is not only treasured for their physical features but also their ability to adapt to various situations which made them versatile and reliable for tasks beyond hunting. The vizslas were not only tied to nobility and status but they also proved their worth during times of war and conflict. They were used to guard camps, sentinels, deliver messages and be a part of military campaigns. Due to their speed and endurance that allowed them to be able to travel long and difficult terrains the breed was entrusted with carrying important messages across the battlefield to friendly commanders and troops. Even during the hardships of the battlefield the vizsla remained by the side of their soldier companions.