Rescuing, Rehabilitating, Retraining & Rehoming German Shepherds responsibly since 2015
Registered Charity 1188407​
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Basic Obedience
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The most basic 7 commands sit, down, leave, come, no, stay and heel. Obedience training can often be overlooked even though it is the foundation of all training.
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It initially helps form a bond between dogs and their owners and basic obedience should be practiced regularly. Basic obedience gives your dog the freedom to do the things they like to do, like running off lead and coming with you to meet friends and family, while being safe and under control.
If your struggling with this let us help you to ensure you get off to a good start and prevent further problems down the line.
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1-2-1 Training
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Owning a dog is one thing, having a relationship based on trust and friendship is something very different!
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Here at LUOSKO we are committed to helping both dogs and owners enjoy life. We love looking after and training dogs of all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life. We understand that sometimes the dog / owner relationship can become a little fuzzy at times making life very frustrating, time consuming and costly so we are determined to offer an affordable training and advice service without losing the personal touches. This allows you to train when you are available to train and see positive results in a timely manner that both you and your dog enjoy.
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In our eyes NOT one dog, or owner for that matter is the same as the next, therefore it is virtually impossible to set up training programmes for everybody to take part in. For this reason we offer special personalised training packages and 1-2-1 training where we offer a one off assessment, and then training is set at your own pace and timescale.
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Initial assessments are charged at a one off fee. During the Initial meeting you will have our full attention for as long as it takes to ascertain what the issues are and to come up with a schedule for future training, Minimum average session is around 3-4 hours.
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Basic 1-2-1 Training for both dog & owner can take place on or off site, however we always recommend that the first 2 sessions at least are here at our site, if needed (and safe to do so) we can then meet for training off site.
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Our training sessions last for between 1-2 hours and we recommend at least 1 training session per week for a minimum of at least 12 weeks to see positive and sustainable results.
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After your initial assessment its your choice to book up for further training, you will be given recommendations at the meeting. Training can be done as part of a regular training program or as and when you require.
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The major secret to any training / rehabilitation is continuity and consistency!
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Training your dog is the easy part, training you to be consistent is the hard part!
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Behavior Modification
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There are several ways to define behavior, but one of the ways behavior can be defined is the way an animal or human reacts to a particular situation (or stimulus). Behavior Modification, then is the systematic approach to changing behavior.
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In other words, unlike dog obedience training that trains a dog to perform specific actions when requested, ideally behavior modification looks to change a dog’s reaction to situation, a person, a thing, and animal, etc..
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While some behavior modification makes use of obedience training techniques such as teaching a dog to sit or lie down, these taught behaviors are called on as tools in an overall program that hopes to change how the dog thinks, feels and acts.
Lying down and “sit-stay” (where the dog sits when asked and stays seated until given the signal to go) may encourage self-control, deference or relaxation for example in combination with other methods.
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These behaviors can be helpful, but not if we are only focusing on what the dog does, and not what is going on inside, why it happens, when it happens, and what it looks like before the aggression starts. We need to set up our dog up for success.
The danger in focusing only on what the dog does
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1. People solely focus on what the dog is doing and ignore the internal process that needs to be addressed,
such as anxiety components and the dog’s physical responses (i.e. the fight or flight response of the nervous system).
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2. People skip or ignore the two most fundamental aspects in addressing dog aggression:
Avoiding the triggers that cause the aggression.
Foundation training allowing the behavior modification process possible.
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Changing the behavior AND the attitude
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It is important for people to understand that when we try to treat dog aggression, we are looking to change more than simply what the dog does. Because sometimes it is possible to temporarily suppress aggression, but unless you treat the underlying problem, the problem can get worse long term.
We are looking to change the attitude as well so that the dog is no longer anxious. To change that attitude means giving our dogs every chance to succeed. We need to understand how to read the subtle behaviors that are showing our dogs are uncomfortable, and they need to understand exactly what is expected of them – and they need to be able to do it.
You can't expect a child to read a book until they have learned the alphabet.
In many cases people instinctively start giving dogs treats in hopes to change the dog’s attitude without realizing that the dog is simply far too anxious to even enjoy the treat, let alone have a complete change of mind about the thing that is making him aggressive. So while it’s possible to change dog aggression, you can’t really just wing it and figure it as you go. You need to be taught.
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Caution: You can make your dog worse by pushing your dog into more than he is ready for. This is one of the most common mistakes dog owners make. Our 1-2-1 training avoids this and shows you how to set your dog up for success.
Socialisation
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The general problem isn't with socialisation itself, but with many people's understanding of socialisation. Socialisation is vital for proper mental and social development in dogs, and it needs to be offered properly. Mistakes in socialisation, even if intentions are good, can backfire and may even produce an overly shy or overly aggressive dog.
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Ideally good socialisation introduces a puppy or a dog to something new, maybe even challenges the dog a little. Good socialisation is something that provides a positive experience for the dog.
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With young dogs it's all about showing them new things and letting the dog "win" in the challenge presented. But too often people think only of showing the dog new things, without taking care that the dog feels very successful. In fact, sometimes what people intend as helpful socialisation creates more problems than it prevents.
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As an example, consider the well-meaning but potentially dangerous recommendations to "Touch his feet and ears a lot so he gets used to handling," and "Play with his food while he's eating so he learns that is okay." Without specifically making sure that the dog enjoys both the interaction and outcome, these actions can sensitize a dog to handling and food approach.
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Any time a dog is not actively enjoying the socialisation experience (at least by the end—it's okay if he learns to overcome a short challenge), there is the potential for doing more harm than good.
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What if you have an adult dog? Maybe you made some socialisation mistakes, or you inherited a bad socialisation legacy along with the dog. In either case, socialisation experiences aren't as they should be.
Is there hope? Yes, of course there's hope! But mistakes happen in the name of socialisation with grown dogs, too.
We get a lot of requests to socialise dogs, as they just needs to get used to other dogs, in other words "when they see another dog they pull really hard, they bark, they jump, they won't listen…. Sometimes the hair stands up on the back of their neck. So we know he needs socialisation." Sound familiar?
Well indeed yes, that dog needs to learn to be around other dogs. But he's not going to learn well in a group class. A dog with an over-the-top reaction is a dog too aroused to think clearly, process information, and retain knowledge for later. In short, that dog is not going to learn, and we would be wasting your time and money if we took that dog in a group class!
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Not to mention putting other dogs at risk of a bad socialisation experience.
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It's important to start teaching your dog new behaviors while he is still under threshold, so we need to take a few weeks to re-program and practice the basic skills first. Learning happens in a mind that is still engaged.
Basically it's vitally important to start teaching your dog new behaviors while he is still under threshold—and that's not going to be in a room with five other new dogs, however our 1-2-1 Training has you covered.
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If your dog is assessed and has "good manners" around other dogs and you are after interaction with other dogs, not a problem - we have you covered for that too with our beautiful pack gently introduced you will slowly see your dog get to have hours of fun!