Chuck the Chuckers

How many of you use one of these when you walk your dog?

Every day I see owners using them, totally oblivious to the damage they can do & the issues they can cause to other walkers & their dogs. People pull up in the car park of my local park, and throw open the boot & before the dog has even jumped out they are launching balls in all directions, regardless of other people & dogs in the area. They do not consider their dog at risk of physical injury due to such activity when they haven't been properly warmed up.

As well as the physical injury, there's a risk of obsessive behaviour, especially in herding breeds, which can become fixated on chasing a ball over everything else. The whole walk for them revolves around chasing a ball.

Owners of active/high-drive breeds seem to believe that physical exercise is needed to tire their dogs out. This just isn't the case, whilst all dogs need exercise to keep them physically fit, mental exercise is far more tiring. Hiding a toy, or ball for them to find during their walk, allows the dog to use its natural senses to locate it, rather than running wildly back & forth. As for other owners, having another dog running flat out toward you in pursuit of a ball is worrying. It's also highly dangerous. What if you're walking an old, reactive, nervous dog or puppy in training? How do they feel about another dog racing in their direction? Whilst a game of fetch with your dog is great fun, don't let it become obsessive, dangerous, or a substitute for proper exercise & mental stimulation.

I'm adding links to some excellent articles on the subject

The Veterinary Perspective from the Canine Arthritis Management Team HERE

National Institute for Canine Ethics HERE Theo Stewart - Dog Behaviourist HERE Gina Pink KCAI HERE

Fireworks Season 2023

Fireworks

Firework season will be upon us again before we know it. November 5th is on a Sunday this year, Diwali falls on Sunday, 12 Nov New Year's Eve also falls on a Sunday . Some dogs get really worried by the noise, smells & flashes.... but with a little preparation & effort on your part, it can be a lot easier for them. If you have a puppy, or young dog, with no prior experience of fireworks, you have a blank canvas with which to work. Your dog can be taught that fireworks are a positive, rewarding thing !!! Firstly.....prepare.

Check microchip details & I.D tags are up to date ( if the worst happens & a scared dog escapes they are much easier to reunite) Ensure your dog is walked before dusk, but be alert to possible daytime fireworks. Draw the curtains earlier. Raise the volume on TV's & radios slightly. Pop the heating up a wee bit higher. Feed a meal higher in carbs....it has the effect of us eating a heavy meal & just wanting to snooze. (Sweet potato is ideal for this, boiled & mashed, it's a natural calmer) Try & keep everything as normal as possible. Whenever I have a pup or young dog, at the 1st sound of fireworks I start a training session indoors, loads of treats, lots of praise, doing things the dog knows well (this isn't the time to try & teach a new behaviour) If your dog stops & listens, that's completely normal (Don't forget their hearing is incredibly sensitive) If they want to run off & hide, let them. If they want to go outside & watch, let them, as long as it's safe for them & they are free to come back in (Go outside with them) All dogs react differently !! Older dogs that may have been ok all their lives, can react as they get older. It's because of changes in their hearing. They lose mid-range ability & only hear really high, or really low sounds (Making fireworks & thunderstorms more audible.) START NOW Preparation really is the key to avoiding a stressed pet. The Zylkene website HERE has some excellent, free sound resources, which you can play to accustom your pet to the noise & create a positive association. Zylkene is made from natural ingredients & helps relax pets at times they are finding stressful. An ADAPTIL collar or diffuser is another option, which works the same way. Many people also swear by music to calm their dogs. There are lots of free options online THIS is a good one (tested by my own dogs) If over the counter products aren't working, or your dog has been scared & anxious in previous years, please see your vet as early as possible. By taking the stress away a dog can eventually overcome its fear.

Don't try this at home!!

The media is full of "Celebrity" shows. We see these people decorating homes, making over gardens, upcycling trash into treasure, trading antiques, Cooking (way too many cooking shows) etc. All of the people featured in these shows became household names. But not one of them started at the top. They all had a great foundation & built their knowledge & skill set over the years. Many would have worked long, hard hours & been taught by many & earned qualifications along the way. People get inspired by what they see on these shows, it all looks so easy when a garden makeover is done in an hour-long show, or somebody takes a paintbrush to a chair found in a skip & sells it for £100's. Of course, there's more to it than meets the eye, a few steps may be skipped so it all fits into a 60-minute slot & there's a whole team of people behind the scenes. Deep down the viewers know there's no such thing as a quick fix right? When the show is finished the wallpaper may start peeling in the decorated homes, the plants in the garden may start to droop & the cake that looked so amazing on the cooking show may taste awful. But to the viewing audience, it's all perfect. What's this got to do with Dog Training? Imagine a show where we see a family struggling with their dogs' behaviour. In the next scene, Mister Dog Trainer turns up in his shiny Mr Dog Trainer Wagon, attired in his Mr Dog Trainer attire ( the most impractical clobber you could find, not a pair of waterproof, non-slip boots, dog hair covered fleece or hat to be seen) The Pooch displays all of his absolute worst behaviour ( as if on cue) & Mr Dog Trainer smiles & nods knowingly. In the next scene, Mr Dog Trainer Fixes the Pooches behaviour .....using the word "No" delivered at different pitches. Next & final scene we see our Pooch who is now a reformed character, sat panting, licking his lips, avoiding his owner's gaze & not showing any untoward behaviour. Isn't Mr Dog Trainer wonderful? There's no such thing as a quick fix. In the case of Mr Dog Trainer, we're not dealing with a hastily painted chair, or an ugly garden transformed with some fairy lights & water feature created from an old tyre. We're dealing with a living, breathing creature in need of assessment & diagnosis = why is he' she acting like this? Could there be a medical reason, is it environmental, what's the history? Management = How can we prevent this behaviour from escalating or being triggered. Can medication or veterinary intervention help. All of this info then needs to be imparted to the owner. There's no such thing as a quick fix. Especially where animals are involved. Most Trades People belong to a register, a governing body or society or regulatory body. Unfortunately, the dog training industry is unregulated. Many of us choose to take courses & attend workshops to gain qualifications & further our knowledge. Others may choose to "buy" their way to a title, by registering with a Guild or Society (No proof of experience needed) or taking online courses with no assessment necessary. That's it, with the click of a mouse they are "qualified". So, how do you find a trainer that's honest, knowlegable, reliable & can be trusted? Most trainers advertise, so Google will bring up lots. Look for ones with checkable qualifications Speak to them, ask questions, ask to watch a class before enrolling. Can you communicate easily with them & understand the methods they use. Can they tell you why they use certain methods? Don't go for the best website, most expensive fees or the one that's been on TV! ......if in doubt choose the one covered in mud & dog hair!!!