04/17/23 Empower Hour! BEAM training

by | EH! Dog training

SUMMARY: This webinar features the incredible trainer Irith Bloom. She shares ways to improve our bond with our pups while also fine-tuning their behavior and improving their health (and BEAM score). One of Irith’s awe-some tips is to pay close attention to your dog’s . These subtle clues will give you tips about your pet’s (BEA)Mood.

Click here for the audio only
Click here for the slides
  • 00:00 Introductions
  • 04:05 Irith introduces her talk
  • 05:00 When animals lack control / stress
  • 12:30 Effects on BEAM
  • 14:30 How to create a choice rich environment
  • 17:00 Choice rich petting
  • 23:25 Choice rich walking
  • 27:00 Self harnessing 
  • 28:00 Giving choices in grooming, vet visits, etc.
  • 31:00 Letting the pet know what’s gonna happen
  • 33:55 Enrichment – letting species be what they are
  • 45:30 Irith’s offerings
  • 46:50 Training a bird example
  • 50:40 Signs of stress in dogs and cats
  • 53:10 How to get the pet through unpleasant procedure
  • 55:30 Different types of walking
  • 57:00 Cooperative care/volunteer blood draw

Takeaways:

? Add choice to your pet’s life wherever you can

Not having control can be very stressful for humans and animals. And we know what stress does to the body: immune system suffers, causes cancer, depression to name a few.

The more control the animal has, the less stress they have. The less stress they have – the higher !

And even better, increased control and choice lead to better behavior!

So the best thing you can do for your pet – increase the choice!

? Create a choice rich environment

There are things you can do at home and this will depend on each animal:

  • create places where your pets can be alone and not bothered (it can improve the bond because they see you respecting their privacy).
  • create places where they get to be among others and feel included.
  • make sure they have a place to sleep safely.

? Wait for consent!

Humans like to touch with their hands. That may not necessarily be the case for pets. Practice consent with your pets (or choice rich petting):

  • Wait for an animal to come to you – you can invite them but then it’s their choice
  • pet gently for 3 seconds in the area than animal offered
  • take your hands away – now you are giving a choice
  • they may walk away, stay nearby without touching or deliberately reach out and touch you
  • only start petting again for the latter, otherwise, no more petting

Waiting for consent improves the bond because the pets see that we respect their choice.

? Enrich their lives

Enrichment is an opportunity for pets to have species appropriate behaviors (scratch, climb, hunt, etc). It’s also an opportunity for control.

It increases optimism, so the brain pathways are set up to expect good thing will happen.

Enrichment can happen in many ways:

  • Nutritional enrichment – food toys, puzzles, hunt for food
  • Occupational enrichment – give them a job. Positive reinforement training. The animal gets to choose whether to participate.
  • Social enrichment – dog play, play with people

To sum it up:

  • listening and giving animals control creates a strong bond
  • add choice wherever you can
  • respect pets’ boundaries
  • listen more than you talk
  • let the non human animals guide you in the relationship to enrich your life