𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒘𝒔

Carlos: Proofing means making sure your dog stays reliable under distraction. But the real key? Match the proofing to the dog’s ultimate goal. Full Interview: https://t.co/biH9A2Wo4v Podcast Version: https://t.co/X0PIefKzBd

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Mega Hub Pets

@megahubpets

We are passionate&wild about quality dogs |Let's get you that your choice Dog today| Services: Sales, Waybill, Stud and verification services. 07041919016

FurPaws4 retweeted

3 months ago

Dogs are afraid of many things. The fact that they’re afraid doesn’t mean anything negative has transpired, it simply means they’re… afraid. This typically comes from weak genetics, and/or lack of familiarity/exposure. We humans love (and need) a good story. We see a dog’s reactions to things and construct a narrative which makes us feel like saviors/heroes, or grants us attention, or just resolves the tension which arises from an unexplainable/unpleasant reaction… even if this narrative negatively impacts the dogs or owners. Think about who dogs predominantly interact with in shelters, rescues, foster care. It’s rarely men. Along with that, men tend to also have more assertive characteristics (deeper voice, larger physique, less fluid movements, and a more assertive presentation in general). If a dog is unfamiliar with men, and/or has weak nerves, it’s fairly easy to understand why they react to men in the negative fashion they often do. Instead of burdening a dog with the abuse story, and saddling them with all the guilt, permissiveness, and coddling it engenders, how about we create a hero story where we work our dogs through their challenges (however they present) and treat them like creatures who are resilient, capable, and eager to transform—and then watch them grow and flourish through sharing strength, rather than unhelpful weakness? Of course that means prioritizing the dog’s needs over your own, but that’s no issue for someone who professes to truly love dogs… right? Right?

thegooddogsean's tweet photo. Dogs are afraid of many things. The fact that they’re afraid doesn’t mean anything negative has transpired, it simply means they’re… afraid. This typically comes from weak genetics, and/or lack of familiarity/exposure.

We humans love (and need) a good story. We see a dog’s reactions to things and construct a narrative which makes us feel like saviors/heroes, or grants us attention, or just resolves the tension which arises from an unexplainable/unpleasant reaction… even if this narrative negatively impacts the dogs or owners.

Think about who dogs predominantly interact with in shelters, rescues, foster care. It’s rarely men. Along with that, men tend to also have more assertive characteristics (deeper voice, larger physique, less fluid movements, and a more assertive presentation in general). If a dog is unfamiliar with men, and/or has weak nerves, it’s fairly easy to understand why they react to men in the negative fashion they often do.

Instead of burdening a dog with the abuse story, and saddling them with all the guilt, permissiveness, and coddling it engenders, how about we create a hero story where we work our dogs through their challenges (however they present) and treat them like creatures who are resilient, capable, and eager to transform—and then watch them grow and flourish through sharing strength, rather than unhelpful weakness?

Of course that means prioritizing the dog’s needs over your own, but that’s no issue for someone who professes to truly love dogs… right? Right?

FurPaws4 retweeted

Sean O'Shea

@thegooddogsean

4 months ago

One of the very best things an owner can get out of high quality training is a clear insight as to what their dogs are truly capable of. Great trainers can leverage the right tools, training, and mindset to find answers that many owners would otherwise not find on their own. And even though it’s only a piece of the solution—knowing what is and isn’t possible—is an awfully important piece. Once an owner sees what is possible, then it is up to them (with the guidance of their trainer) to become the equal of their goals and challenges with their dog. This almost always includes immense amounts of mental, emotional, and physical effort. Skills have to be learned, new ways of thinking and acting have to be developed, and lifestyle needs to be adjusted. Of course this is a tall order. In the same way that most everyone would love to be in great shape, be financially abundant, and have great relationships with friends and family… these accomplishment all require great effort, great sacrifice, and longterm discipline and commitment. And because we all know how us humans are wired—instant gratification with longterm costs almost always beat out delayed gratification with longterm benefits—we find most humans know precisely what’s needed, but find that cost simply too high to pay. So when we proclaim how much we desire to transform our dogs and their behavior, it’s best, if we want to avoid appearing foolish and hypocritical, that we first examine how much of ourselves and our behavior that we’re truly willing to transform. Said another way, don’t complain about the results you didn’t get from the actions you didn’t take. The results are waiting for you, but only come when you’ve become their equal. ❤️

thegooddogsean's tweet photo. One of the very best things an owner can get out of high quality training is a clear insight as to what their dogs are truly capable of.

Great trainers can leverage the right tools, training, and mindset to find answers that many owners would otherwise not find on their own. And even though it’s only a piece of the solution—knowing what is and isn’t possible—is an awfully important piece.

Once an owner sees what is possible, then it is up to them (with the guidance of their trainer) to become the equal of their goals and challenges with their dog. This almost always includes immense amounts of mental, emotional, and physical effort. Skills have to be learned, new ways of thinking and acting have to be developed, and lifestyle needs to be adjusted.

Of course this is a tall order. In the same way that most everyone would love to be in great shape, be financially abundant, and have great relationships with friends and family… these accomplishment all require great effort, great sacrifice, and longterm discipline and commitment.

And because we all know how us humans are wired—instant gratification with longterm costs almost always beat out delayed gratification with longterm benefits—we find most humans know precisely what’s needed, but find that cost simply too high to pay.

So when we proclaim how much we desire to transform our dogs and their behavior, it’s best, if we want to avoid appearing foolish and hypocritical, that we first examine how much of ourselves and our behavior that we’re truly willing to transform.

Said another way, don’t complain about the results you didn’t get from the actions you didn’t take. The results are waiting for you, but only come when you’ve become their equal. ❤️

𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒘𝒔 @FurPaws4

4 months ago

@MrMekzy_ @Pearlskitchen4 reach out to @being_ade possibly you could get for that price

𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒘𝒔 @FurPaws4

5 months ago

@arojinle1 lots of work behind the scenes

𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒘𝒔 @FurPaws4

5 months ago

@meloadebanks_ @FUNAAB_SUG wow super. Congratulations

𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒘𝒔 @FurPaws4

5 months ago

@being_ade 😭😭😭

FurPaws4 retweeted

Arojinle

@arojinle1

5 months ago

Let's talk about Magawa, the hero rat. Magawa (the animal on these pictures) was an African giant pouched rat, known as òkété ni Yorùbá (the one Daniel Regha erroneously call rabbit). Before I talk about Magawa, let's look at why they began training rats to sniff landmine, when we already had dogs doing the job already. Let me highlight just four. 1. One of the major reasons they started training giant pouched rats for this job is because of their size. Giant pouched rats weigh only about 1–1.5 kg, far too light to trigger most anti-personnel landmines. Dogs, being much heavier (typically 20–40 kg), carry a small but real risk of accidentally detonating a mine, even if rare in practice. 2. In low vegetation areas, rats report fewer false positives, compared to dogs. In thick vegetations, dog perform better. Rats are trained to detect the specific scent of explosives (like TNT) and ignore scrap metal, shards, bullets, or other debris common in old battlefields. A single rat can search an area the size of a tennis court (about 200-250 square meters) in just 20-30 minutes. This same work might take a human with a metal detector 1- 4 days due to investigating every alert. Rats are faster for large-scale, initial survey work in prepared fields. 3. Rats are cheaper to breed, train (about 9 months), feed, and house than dogs. 4. With rats, there's less handler dependency and greater flexibility. Unlike dogs, which often form strong bonds with one handler (loyalty can make switching trainers disruptive), rats don't bond as intensely. This allows them to work easily with multiple handlers without performance drops, and they're less affected by changes in routine or personnel. Now, let's go back to Magawa. He was an extraordinary African giant pouched rat who became world-famous for his work as a landmine detector in Cambodia.Born in November 2013 at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania, where the nonprofit organization APOPO has its breeding and training center since 2000, Magawa was part of their HeroRAT program. These rats are trained to use their keen sense of smell to detect explosives like TNT in landmines, as well as tuberculosis in medical samples, though Magawa specialized in landmine detection. In 2016, at around three years old, Magawa was relocated to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to begin operational work in minefields left over from past conflicts. Over his five-year career from 2016 to 2021, Magawa cleared more than 22.5 hectares of land, detecting 71 landmines and 38 items of unexploded ordnance, totaling over 100 explosive devices. This work directly reduced the risk of injury or death for local communities, allowing people to safely live, farm, and play in previously dangerous areas. Magawa's exceptional performance earned him the title of APOPO's most successful HeroRAT. On September 25, 2020, he was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal (the animal equivalent of the George Cross) for his "lifesaving bravery and devotion to duty." He was the first rat in the award's 77-year history to receive this honor, and the miniature medal was crafted by the jewelers Cleave & Co. In case you're wondering, Cleave & Co. is the same firm that made Meghan Markle's engagement ring. Due to his advancing age, Magawa retired in June 2021, following APOPO's standard protocol for HeroRATs. Before fully stepping back, he mentored 20 newly recruited rats to pass on his skills. In retirement, he enjoyed a relaxed life, snacking on favorites like bananas and peanuts. Magawa passed away peacefully on the night of January 8, 2022, at the age of eight in Cambodia.