What the Hells Hells Bells

Hells Bells is a 24 hour adventure race organised & run by Geocentrics Outdoor Adventures






The race saw a little walking/jogging, mountain biking, ropes course, abseiling, canyoning/swimming, no sleep & a huge amount of fun.






This was a great shake-out for 3 out of the 4 team members we have for XPD. A 10 day adventure race up in far north Queensland in May 2010

Oh, the person on the left, above is our team captain. That is the look she gives us when we are not paddling hard enough. "Paddle Dog or Ill smash you next time we go for a mountain bike ride!!!"




Once we had reached race HQ, had 2 x egg & bacon rolls, 2 x coffees I was unable to keep my eyes open. Aaaahhhh, that cool, hard, concrete slab right under my feet where I am sitting looks like a great place to sleee....zzzzz

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What is owner compliance and why is it so important

As a professional dog trainer and dog behavior counselor, I can easily determine the best steps to take to get a desired behavior with a dog.  I quickly can visualize the best dog training program and the quickest route to longevity in a behavior.  I know how to utilize great management skills until the desired behavior is achieved and has become a reliable new habit for a dog.  I know what dog behavior is risky, unsafe or detrimental to the well-being of a dog.  I will ensure a dogs success to the best of my ability and will likely see good results quickly and continue the training and spot check throughout a dogs life to keep the behavior strong and reliable. 

In other words, I know how to successfully train dogs, change behavior problems, and have a safe dog. Why then arent all the dogs who have come through classes or private training with me as successful?

One reason is that I have many years under my belt training dogs.  Not just training owners and their dogs, but actual hands on experience working and training individual dogs.  Which means I have good timing. I can see in the future a potential behavior problem so I am pro-active in my training to prevent this problem.  I reinforce quickly and often. 

These are some of the skills that dog parents have to learn.  It takes time, patience, and consistency.  Dogs (and humans for that matter) are learning ALL the time.  There are not training times and non-training times.  Its all training time.  They are always learning.  I repeat, they are always learning.

But the biggest issue I see with the likeliness of a dogs success isnt the timing of their human, but owner compliance. I can train dogs.  But its the owner who is in the drivers seat when it comes to their dogs behavior.  There are many reasons (I can only imagine how many you can come up with) why a dog owner may not actively work with their dog.  But the bottom line is, if a behavior is going to change, the work has to get done. If an owner does not put the effort or time into training or a dog behavior modification program, there will not be change, for the better.  And in most cases, the behavior will actually get WORSE.

It can be very tough raising a puppy or adolescent dog.  It can even be tougher living with a dog with

anxiety or aggression issues.  But there is hope!  When clients are actively working with their dogs on the lessons I give them they are tickled with the results.  Positive training is effective with the right coach.......but you do have to do the work to get the results.  Believe me, if I could waive a magic wand, or show you a quicker route to long term success, I would!  I would be a very rich woman if I had those tools.  And if those tools existed, there would not be dogs in shelters.

So if you are ready to learn how to achieve success in dog training, contact me today.  I offer local services, travel to you across the US and offer phone/email dog training too.

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

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What have I done

I should mention that the two photos used in this post are taken by John Flynn. John is not only an awesome photographer, he also rides a bike! Check out some of his stories
So, about 2 weeks ago when asked how I was feeling about doing the croc trophy, I described it as "I am at the stage of I wish it was tomorrow but I also wish it was still 3 months away!"

Today, as I write a few things in my diary, realising that I fly out at the end of next week I now have the feeling "What the flip have I gotten myself into?"

Then I look back at the many other occasions I have made that same comment.

I committed to completing the 2008 crocodile trophy nearly 9 months ago. There have been so many changes in that time. Many simply falling in behind my croc goals.

With that in mind, I would be a fool if I didnt appreciate all that I have experienced leading up to this event. Its not just about the 9 days of racing for me. It is the entire experience leading upto, during & I am very excited about what is to come once it is completed.

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What is a Healthy Dog Treat

You may have found our website by searching for "healthy dog treats".  But what does that phrase even mean?  Im sure a lot of people have a lot of strong opinions on the subject of healthy dog treats.  So, I will just give you my thoughts and what I consider when feeding Dexter The Dog his dog treats.  I wont review any particular dog treats on this page, but you can visit our dog treat reviews, dog chew bone reviews, dog food and dog mix reviews here and even how to stuff a hollow dog chew.

The very first thing I do when choosing a healthy dog treat for Dexter is look at the ingredients.  Yes, the actual ingredient list, not just the photos on the front of the package which can actually be very deceiving.  Even the "flavor" can be deceiving.  You might be surprised to learn that sometimes when a dog treat says "chicken flavor" they truly mean chicken flavor, and not any real chicken!  So that leads to my first No ingredient.





My top 10 ingredients that should NOT be in dog treats:

1. Flavors of any kind, natural or artificial- No artificial or natural "flavors" of any kind.  If it says "flavor" in the ingredient list, back on the shelf it goes.  Its not real food guys.  And if its not a real food ingredient, it  has no place in my dogs treat, or dog food.
2. Added salt, regular or sea salt- Nope, no reason to add salt in my dogs treat.  Every living creature needs sodium in their diet, but too much can cause problems such as seizures, diarrhea & extra water intake.  A lot of foods have natural occurring sodium, so you do not need extra salt added to treats.
3. Sugar or any kind including high corn fructose, corn syrup or cane sugar- I shouldnt need to tell you this.  If we add sugar or high corn fructose we are truly just adding empty calories.  Not only are these ingredients bad for our dogs health, they will also hop them up & they can become hyperactive. 
4. Sorbitol-A sugar commonly found in berries, but prepared synthetically.
5. By-products or digest- Ewww  I want to make sure my dog receives healthy food not what is left on the floor of some meat manufacturing plant.  Or carcasses from veterinarian practices!  Scary, isnt it?  Again, I want to know what is in that bag of treats.
6. Coloring, artificial or natural- Why?  Why would a pet treat manufacturer put dye or coloring in my dogs treat?  To please the consumers eyes of course.  Especially when we are talking about artificial food coloring.  Artificial anything is a chemical process & has a long list of possible side effects.  And dont be fooled by "natural food coloring".  Natural can be made by things like bugs & rocks!
7. Animal fat or anything "animal" "meat"- What kind of animal or meat?  Again, what the heck is in there anyway?  When I read it, I should have a very clear picture of what it is.
8. Chemical Preservatives - Chemical preservatives of any kind should be avoided.  Healthy does not equate to chemicals.  No BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole), Ethoxyquin, TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone), Propyl Gallate, Propylene glycol, Sodium Nitrite.  BHA, BHT & Ethoxyquin  are banned in human foods.
9. Corn, wheat or soy-A lot of our dog friends are allergic or have a low tolerance to these ingredients.  According to PetCareRX, that excessive soy may contain estrogen that might provide some estrogen-like activity in your dog & contribute to slightly lower thyroid hormone levels.
10. Glycerin, vegetable glycerin or glycerole-Glycerin or glycerole can actually be produced as a by-product of diesel fuel!  It will be unlikely you will know the difference from reading the ingredient list (although vegetable glycerin is plant based, not from fuel).  This is an ingredient in dog treats that helps make a treat soft & sugary.  It is not uncommon for dogs to get a big case of diarrhea from eating treats with this product.  Dexter is one of them.

So what does that leave us?  Well, a lot of things really.  When Dexter gets something to eat, whether organic or wild caught in countries or bodies of water that are known to be clean & environmentally friendly.  No China of course.  So that leads to sourcing of the ingredients.  Read the article on Organic Dog Food to understand a bit more about organic & labeling.

its his dog food or dog treats I want it to be real food.  Things that I can find in real life, not something that is synthetically made, or a by-product of something else.  I personally prefer ingredients that are

After I look at the ingredient list of Dexters potential healthy dog treats, the next thing I want to know is where were the INGREDIENTS SOURCED.  "Made in the USA" only means that the treat was put together in The States, not that the ingredients came from the US.  So, sometimes you have to do a little digging to find this out.  Most dog treat manufacturers that use only US or another safe country (there are other countries with better food regulations than us in the US) for their ingredients will proudly state that either on the bag or on their website.  If not, some digging & contacting may be in order.

Once all this checks out, the next thing I have to decide is what is the purpose of the new healthy dog treat.  Meaning, if Im going to do a lot of dog training using the treat, I want it to be pretty much a single source food item (100% cod, beef, etc).  This allows a few things to occur.  One, the treat will likely have a high-value & keep Dexters attention on me around various distractions.  Two, there wont be "extra stuff" in the treat, so I can actually count the treat (remember, its really meat) as part of his daily calories.

If on the other hand Im just going to have these  healthy treats in our treat cupboard for random snacks I do not mind if the treat has other ingredients besides or instead of meat.  As long as they dont need to keep a high-value & they are not getting dished out like I do when Im training a new behavior.  Even though these treats are "healthy" I still consider them like candy bars.  A little goes a long way.

So there you have it.  This is my starting point when determining if a dog treat is truly healthy for Dexter.  I do buy healthy & organic dog treats for Dexter, but I also make homemade dog treats too!   You can download 5 free dog treat recipes here to give it a whirl.  I hope you enjoyed this post & thank you for taking your dogs health seriously.

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

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GrindinGearz 6 hour What a cracka!

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What a cracka! 


The course was... awesome, fun, scenic, tough, rewarding, climbing, flowing, fast, leg busting, fun, fun, fun...!!!

Some head-down pedalling
(photos https://www.facebook.com/grindingearz)

One of the features to a good race is the attitudes of the organisers and volunteers they recruit. 

Without a doubt, the super attitudes from the course marshalls, to the dudes keeping the HOT showers and toilets really clean all weekend were outstanding!

The camping/track-side area was flat, plentiful & very easily accessed. The raging camp fires are always a very welcome, toe warming, beer drinking, social aspect to an event like this.

Lots of this... (single track bliss)
(photos https://www.facebook.com/grindingearz)

I was very impressed with Andy Fellows victory speech. Andy shared his thoughts about the race and the people that organised it and the people that rode it. Nice work Andy.

The Mount Perry, 6 Hour, Gold Rush, is one very classy event!

Around to the right, then the left, again and again!
(photos https://www.facebook.com/grindingearz)

Three things standout most in my mind during the race:

1. Jay Taylor. A very respectable 2nd to Andy Fellows in the elite mens, coming past me asking how the final lap timings work and if "redbull is good to have on the final lap" My response, "pedal till they say stop and anything that has sugar is perfect for your last lap!"

This was fun after the awesome switch back descent
(photos https://www.facebook.com/grindingearz)

2. All of the very nice congratulations I received from nearly every rider I came across on the trails. Some I knew, some I didnt. T H A N K Y O U. I was very suprised and as I responded each time, sincerley, it means a lot!!!

Lots of beautiful scenery.
(photos https://www.facebook.com/grindingearz)

3. The most outstanding memory is all of the awesome and gutsy efforts I saw on the trails. Being a solo only event there was no place to hide for anyone. I was greatly motivated by the all of the riders I came across on the trails that were quite simply putting their heart into their legs converting it into kms. Freekin awesome!!! If I came passed you on my SS and gave you a pat on the back and told you how well you were riding I sincerly meant it.

Thanks GrindinGearz for putting it on.

It wasnt just the awesome single track that was rewarding.
(photos https://www.facebook.com/grindingearz)

Until next time: Put your heart into your legs and convert it into kms on the track.

dog

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Viewers questions What can i do to keep my dog energetic

Play some games with your dog and make interactive toys.

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What is Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement. I say this word in excess when I tell people how I train dogs and that is because it is very important! So what exactly is it pertaining to dog training?

Well first off, there are two types of reinforcements. Positive and negative.

Negative reinforcement means that the dog will work to avoid something he finds unpleasant

 a few examples of negative reinforcement are

Water squirt to face, raising your voice, citronella spray, shaker can, being ignored, removing a food treat, pinch collar corrections, shock collars, choke chain, losing his play mate, removing toy

(Im going to group dominance rolls, stare downs and all other pack leader forms in here. I dont use them and personally dont think any other trainer should either but it happens.)

On the other end of the line with positive reinforcement the dog works to get something he likes. When you give your dog positive reinforcement after he does a desirable behavior he is more likely to repeat that behavior again.

a few things that could be used as positive reinforcement are
walks, attention, petting, treats, car rides, going outside, playing with their favorite toy, playing with other dogs

All trainers use different pieces of both positive and negative reinforcements in their training styles.
 

Negative reinforcements are imperative for dog training. For instance, if your dog isnt understanding a cue you can simply turn your back and ignore him which is kind of like a refresh so the dog can understand he is not doing correctly what you had asked of him. Ignoring him confuses him and makes the dog have time to take a small break from training. My style of training excludes most of the negative reinforcements that fall under positive punishment.

Now what is positive punishment?
Well, there are also two types of punishment and they BOTH involve negative reinforcements.

Positive punishment involves giving a negative consequence for an undesirable behavior the moment the dog does said undesirable behavior.

Negative punishment is the when you take away something the dog likes the moment he does an undesirable behavior.

To break that down for you, let me take all the examples from the negative reinforcement list and group them into positive punishment and negative punishment categories.

 

Positive Punishment

Water squirt to face, pinch collar correction, shock collar correction, choke chain correction, shaker can, raised voice, pack leader dominance rolls and stare downs etc.

 

Negative punishment

removal of food treat, losing play mate, taking away a toy, ignoring the dog

Earlier I said I exclude *most* of the negative reinforcements that are grouped into positive punishment. By this I am saying there are some times when you have exhausted every other option, you may find that positive punishments are all you have left to try. I dont believe, however, that they are the first things trainers should try when working with dogs.

Let me get into choke and prong collars real quick.
I cringe whenever I walk by people who have no clue what theyre doing when it comes to using prong or choke collars. If you want to use these there is absolutely a right and wrong way of using them, so find someone who can show you the correct way so you are not harming your dog by the use of them. Also they are meant solely for training. Do not let your dog loose with them around the house or yard because they could potentially get caught on something and choke your dog to death. I do know the proper use but how about I give you an alternative instead! If your dog is having problems with training or learning how to walk on a loose leash look into head collars instead! They are a great tool with almost instant results!

Please click here to go to my blog page about head collars  if you would like to learn more.

Pro Tip: If you have a strong "no" cue with your dog you may be able to avoid using positive punishments altogether!

In summary, my training style is based off of Positive reinforcements and Negative Punishments. This training style has proven to be very successful because dogs learn by association! When your doggy is living life earning things he likes by doing good things it keeps you, the owner, happy and also keeps your dog happy! This type of training also builds a very confident dog because they will not live in fear of getting corrective punishments if they do not listen to you. 

 

My biased opinion says if you are looking for a trainer in your area try finding a trainer who bases their techniques off  positive reinforcements so your dog too can live a happy and confident lifestyle!

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Day 1 of 28 Huh what happened

Well, this one is really quick & easy to explain. I fell off the wagon.

So, today was Day 1 of 28 again. A quick hit out this morning. It included 2 mountains, rain, thick fog, a little sunshine, rain, one tosser driver & 198kms later I was home.

My favourite cafe, on the top of Mount Nebo, is closing down for 2 months over June & July. The two owners are traveling overseas. They had a management team organised for the 2 months but this just fell through a few days ago.

No decent excuse to stop for a rest on top of this mountain now :-(

Oh, while I type about my not so important day there are many in SE Queensland & Northern NSW that are getting smashed with a huge amount of flooding due to rain, strong wind damage & to top it off there is a very serious warning of a huge tidal surge that will more than likely cause much more damage & flooding along the coast. Keep safe everyone!

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What did you do on Thursday night

Late night shopping? Not bloody likely! Not for Rach, Mark & I.

The three of us headed out for a xc ride. 71kms & 2300 metres of climbing! My Scott Scale20 was getting the forks serviced in preparation for the up & coming races. The next horse in the stable was the Ventana single speed.

There was some hike-a-bike. We saw two sugar gliders, a few possums, many Tawny Frog Mouthed birds, Rach was a bit of an animal at times & Mark pretended to be a gravel dwelling snake after a dive into the dirt as a result of something catching his front wheel on a fast decent.

Marks Ay Up lights were ripped from his helmet mount, the cable was ripped out of the back of the lights. We picked them up, popped them back into the mount, plugged the cable back in & you wouldnt have know he had just crashed. The lights werent even scratched.

Summary: Get some lights, push your pedals & not a trolley!

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