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Dogs and horses

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It was hot today, so Ziggy, Sue (my long suffering wife) and I went to a favourite river walk for some fun this morning.

We had spent some time walking along and playing in the river, when we returned to a spot for one last session in the water. By now, there were quite a few owners and their dogs enjoying the sun and the water. As is usual for me, I waded into the river with Ziggy and threw her balls for her. The other dogs got involved in the fun and another owner waded in to take part in throwing the balls and various toys for the pooches.

So far, so good. Everyone, humans and dogs were getting along well and enjoying the water. I glanced to the opposite bank of the river and saw a horse and rider enter the water, they headed straight towards the dogs in the water, closely followed by 7 or 8 other horses and riders. Now, horses can, easily get spooked by dogs and vice versa. Therefore, I was staggered by the behaviour of these riders.

Following the lead rider, they just, simply walked through the group of excited, barking dogs, paying no attention to them, whatsoever. Fortunately, none of the horses reacted to the lively dogs, some barking around there legs. The dog owners managed to get there dogs under control.

I was dumbfounded by the ignorance, arrogance and lack of regard for anyone else displayed by these horse riders. Imagine if a horse had been spooked by a dog and thrown a rider of causing injury. Who would be held accountable? Well, of course, the horse riders would have blamed the owner of the dog. This, potentially, dangerous situation could have, easily, been avoided. The lead rider, had simply needed to call across the river, alerting the dog owners of their intentions. The dog owners would then have had time to get their dogs on leads and made way. Obviously, these riders thought this, simply, courtesy was not needed.

The point here is that all users of open spaces should pay, due attention to the safety of people and their animals. Luckily, on this occasion, nobody got hurt.

 

 

 

 

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Shouting at your dog is unhelpful…

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Shouting at your dog is unhelpful

I was out with Ziggy today at a local park. As usual there were quite a few dogs out and about with their owners, having fun.

We were approaching a lady who was shouting, angrily and aggressively at her dog. The dog was paying no attention whatsoever.  I observed the picture for a few minutes – it was clear that the owner was exasperated by her recalcitrant puppy. I noted that she laughed, somewhat embarrassed, occasionally.  As she crossed my path, I stopped and had a chat with her.

She was a nice lady, just frustrated by, what she saw, as her naughty pup. The dog was quite elderly. I, gently explained that shouting at her dog was not going to encourage it to come to her. I demonstrated by gently calling the dog and encouraging to come to me. It, duly, did and was very happy to respond to a friendly voice. Off she went gain, and I encouraged the owner to follow my example; she did and, surprise, surprise, her pup came back with enthusiasm.

This dog had always been obedient and had good recall. The owner was baffled why she had turned into this ‘ naughty’ dog. After a little more discussion, the behaviour had deteriorated after the dog, that had been almost blind, had cataracts removed, thus restoring the dog’s sight.

I explained that, the new ‘naughty’ behaviour was probably due to her dog now, being able to see the world again and, it had a natural enthusiasm to investigate all it could, again.

All that was required here was, to work, a little, on the dog’s recall and to do it calmly and regularly. It was clear that this dog was not going to respond to aggressive shouting from it’s owner.

I would point out, that this lady was not aggressive or a bad dog owner. She was, simply frustrated by her dog’s change in behaviour.

The take home message is, to remain calm and to resist ‘sounding’ aggressive with our dogs. They will respond to a kind, calm approach form someone who is calm. They will not respond to, apparently, aggressive tones in an owners voice. Also, stop to think why your dog may have changed and to adjust your approach to deal with it.

 

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Reward or bribery?

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Using rewards in dog training is an established and effective method for training dogs. However, if used incorrectly it can be counter-productive.

I am seeing an increasing number of videos on Facebook and Youtube showing treats being used in the wrong way by ‘dog trainers.’ These videos show the trainer, or handler, constantly feeding treats to the dog, thereby encouraging it to do what is required. This, of course, is then taken to be the standard for many owners who experience this ‘training.’ In fact, this is ‘bribing’ a dog to do what is asked of it. This ‘method’ demonstrates a, fundamental, lack of understanding of why a dog does something, from a behavioural perspective.

The point of using treats is to REWARD the dog for a job well done. This is done AFTER the dog does whatever is required. Focusing the dog with a continuous supply of treats will not result in the dog learning the new skill or behaviour. As soon as the treat is removed from the equation, most dogs will, simply, not comply. This is bribery – not recommended.

An effective method is to keep a treat out of sight, ask the dog to perform what is required – when it does so, it is immediately rewarded with the treat.  This then goes onto an intermittent reward – the dog, sometimes gets a treat, other times it gets just praise.  This is rewarding a behaviour not bribing the dog to do something.

Adopting the approach outlined above, is much more effective in helping a dog learn and retain its training.

 

 

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Expert advice? Confused owners…

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Expert advice? Confused owners…

Advice from, so-called professionals, can be confusing for dog owners.

I was chatting with a chap who had re-homed a dog from a farm.  The first time I met him with his new canine charge, the dog was off-lead and romping around with other dogs.

The next time I met them, things had changed. The dog was now on a long lead and was not being let off, at all. My interest was peaked. He told me that the dog had poor recall.  He had been to a ‘trainer’ who had advised him, because the dog had run free on a farm, to keep the dog, permanently, on the lead and, away from other dogs.

The advice given to this chap astounded me.  Instead of the ‘trainer’ teaching the dog recall, his ‘professional’ opinion was to not socialize this young dog and, to not make any effort to train it properly.

Unfortunately, the dogs’ owner was, now not interested in an alternative view.  Therefore, this dog was now doomed to being kept on the lead.

The bottom line – take care about who you take advise from.  There are many ‘trainers’ and ‘behaviourists’ that have limited qualifications, and are happy to give out poor advice.  Do not be fooled by the fact that an individual is a member of multiple organisations and, has been involved with dogs for many years.  These are not guarantees for the best advice about what is best for you and your dog.

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Out of control?…

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Out of control?

Dog fighting - out of control dogs - owner responsibility

So, you are walking your dog, she is off lead playing with other dogs and, generally, having a good time.  Suddenly, another dog appears on the scene and bites your dog.  Your dog responds with some aggression, understandably.  The other owner, demands you control your vicious dog, ignoring the fact that they’re dog was the aggressor and cause of the problem.

This is a common problem.  Many dog owners have seen this type of thing. I was chatting to another dog owner recently, he had experienced a similar situation; his dog was attacked and bitten and had reacted by grabbing hold of the offending mutt – not biting him. The angry owner picked up her, offending dog, stormed off and reported the incident to the police. Of course, she neglected to mention, her dog had caused the incident.

The net result of this was that the chap whose dog had been attacked and bitten was visited by the police. They seemed unwilling to accept this owners explanation and tried to have him sign a form agreeing his dog was aggressive, to his credit he refused to do so.

Unfortunately, this incident has led the owner, whose dog was attacked, to keep her on the lead in the exercise field where she was attacked and, has done for the past year.  The owner of the offending dog, still lets her dog run riot.

So, we have a situation here were the dog who had been attacked and it’s owner has changed their behaviour to accommodate an irresponsible dog owner.  The net result is now that the dog who had been attacked is denied the chance to socialise with other dogs.  In my opinion, this is not on.  I recommended to this owner that he lets his dog of lead again and allows it to enjoy life and socialise with other dogs. Of course, keeping an eye out for the idiot owner and her dog.

The take home message here is that incidents do happen. However, if you and your dog have done nothing wrong, do not allow yourself to be bullied into behaviour that directly effects the quality of life for your dog and yourself.

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Cold concerns

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Cold can kill

I was prompted to write this after finding a dog loose in a lane. I know this dog, so returned it to it’s house – the gate had been left open.  A knock on the door elicited no response.

This dog is often in the garden when I walk by with my pup, I usually stop, have a chat and give her a little biscuit. So far, so good.

However, this morning the outside temperature (without wind chill) is -5C.  That, is cold.  Prolonged exposure to these kinds of temperature will result in hypothermia, both for humans and dogs.  Stating the obvious – hypothermia kills.

Now, this dog spends quite a bit of time in the garden, she is in good condition so no real problems there.  However, it is NOT acceptable to keep doing the same things with a dog, irrespective of changing conditions. Regardless as to whether this dog has some sort of shelter to retreat to – it is, clearly, wrong to expose a dog in this way.   Some temperature guidelines can be found here –  https://www.gopetplan.com/blogpost/cold-weather-and-dogs

The bottom line here, is use common sense and be aware of the potential problems changing condition present to your dog. Be responsible and take the right steps to care for your dog.

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Stressed dog owners

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We seem be be living in an, increasingly, stressful world. We worry about what people are saying on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media outlet. We worry about what people think about us in any circumstances throughout the day.

When considering dog owners, I see more and more people out with their dogs showing quite marked levels of stress and worry. Of course, this state has a direct impact on the’re dogs and their quality of life.

Dog owners are worried that a dog barks too much, is too boisterous, tugs on the lead, etc. The net result is that an outing with the dog is another source of stress to these owners. Dogs are kept away from people and other dogs. Owners keep dogs on lead and, continually rebuke them for the smallest misdemeanor in their eyes.

I think there is a need to help owners relax. They need to be able to enjoy going out with their dogs and allow their dogs to be dogs.

I am developing a course with my wife (First in The Q) aimed at helping people live happily with their dogs. It would be of interest to see what people think. Click on the image below to vote in my poll. Do you think a course would help?

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Give a dog a chance…

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Once again, I find myself having to talk about owners not doing the best thing for the dogs in their charge.

A couple approached the group of dogs I was with, socializing with Ziggy (my pooch).  The approaching dog was a Setter on a 9 foot, or so, lead.  The owner was, continually, yanking hard on the lead and admonishing her dog.  She was, clearly, irritated by her dog. The crime this dog was guilty of? Well, it, simply, just wanted to meet the other dogs and people. It wasn’t pulling, uncontrollably, it was just a little excited.

I, politely, encouraged the owner to allow her dog to interact with the group. She did, to a point but, still kept yanking on the poor dog’s lead.  As it happens, I was advising a lady on using a suitable training lead to prevent her dogs pulling on the lead.  The new arrival, sort of listened but, it was clear that she wasn’t open to any advise. Her poor dog was getting the brunt of her irritation.

She had had this dog from a pup and it was now 2 years old.  So, the behaviour demonstrated by the owner had been going on for some time.  She said that she regularly took the dog to a trainer. Yet, two years in and her dog couldn’t walk on the lead without pulling.  Perhaps, time for a new trainer?

Unfortunately, any words from me were falling on closed ears here.

When we take on a dog, it is our responsibility to train them in the behaviours we desire. Walking without pulling on the lead is one of them. Skills such as these are not difficult to train, however, it requires effort from the owner.  Sometimes, these skills may take a little longer teach with certain dogs.  It serves no purpose, whatsoever, if the owner becomes angry with the dog – something, this, particular, owner clearly was.

Allowing a dog to continue with a behaviour for long periods will make it harder, but not impossible, to sort out at a later stage.  Clearly, if something you are doing isn’t working, STOP doing it and try something different. Showing anger and aggression to your dog is NEVER a good idea.  So, again, owners have to take responsibility and find, appropriate, ways to help the dogs in their charge.

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Taking responsibility

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‘I don’t understand. My dog is really friendly. Why did that dog try to attack my dog?’  I’m sure, we have all heard similar comments from dog owners. I met a chap with his lively Labrador yesterday.  He used similar phrases to describe an interaction with another owner.  But first, picture a common situation.

His  was a lively dog, friendly, enthusiastic and just wanted to play with every dog she sees. Yes, I know, these dogs are seen everywhere, running free and having a great time. So far, so good.

Today, this lively girl rushed up to Ziggy (my dog) and bounced around her, excitedly, getting ‘in her face.’ Both dogs were off lead. I monitored Ziggy’s response; in this case, she was fairly relaxed so, no action was required from the humans.

This, happy picture wasn’t the case a few days ago when the lively lab rushed up to a dog on the lead with a female owner, with her male partner nearby. This time, the dog on the lead reacted aggressively and lunged towards the lab. The owners, equally, reacted with some aggression, shouting and demanding that the lab should be put on the lead.

The lab owner, was incensed. After all, it was the other dog that was aggressive – NOT his, ‘friendly’ pup. Who’s right and who’s wrong? What should have happened?

The first issue is the dog on the lead. The approaching owner has no idea why the dog is on the lead. It might be fearful, aggressive or, perhaps, is recovering from injury. Whatever, the reason it is important to understand that a dog, on a lead, can react differently to one of the lead. If they cannot escape (flee) a situation that bothers them, the next strategy is, often to show aggression (fight or flight).

The owner with the approaching, of lead, dog, needs to think about the picture in front of him. It is not, acceptable, to adopt the approach that your dog, because it is friendly and just wants to make friends and play, will be well received by the dog on the lead. It may go against the grain, but if you can’t control you’re excitable dog, you must put it on the lead. This will prevent any unfortunate incidents as described above.

Not, only will you be keeping you’re dog out of trouble and away from the risk of injury, you will be helping the other dog and, helping it by not forcing it into a behavioural response that is undesirable.

The message to take away is that you must assume responsibility for the behaviour of you’re dog and, ensure you keep it from bothering other dog walkers and, to keep it away from, potential problems.

 

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Understanding the needs of rescue dogs

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There are thousands of, unfortunate, dogs that need re-homing throughout the U.K.  Many organisations put up dogs for rescue; many are destined to remain in rescue centres for long periods of time.

This is a question that troubles me. I wonder, WHY is this the case?  Rescue dogs are of particular interest to me.  I believe, they are often misunderstood, often resulting in difficulty in finding these dogs new homes. People are, simple, put of.

Visit any number of dog re-homing sites and you will see comments such as ‘not good with cats’ or ‘doesn’t get along with other dogs’ or ‘ must be only animal in home.’  Now, of course, there might be situations where this type of comment is true.  However, many times the opposite is the case.

I have, personally, re-homed ‘difficult’ dogs that were at ‘the last chance saloon.’ Often these dogs had, apparently, serious issues. However, with care, understanding and advice – these ‘difficult dogs’ lived long and happy lives and, overcame most of their issues.

Working with these ‘difficult dogs’ is what prompted me to train as a canine behaviourist. I had always thought I knew a lot about dogs. Well, I was wrong. Through properly studying canine behaviour I came to realize that my lack of knowledge had made it harder than is should have been to help some of the dogs in my charge.

Dogs that find themselves needing new homes, usually through no fault of their own, can’t speak up for themselves and let us ‘humans’ know what troubles them.  It is, therefore, incumbent on us to try to understand each and every rescued dog that needs our help.

I would urge, those, kind people, who wish to help a dog, NOT to be put of by descriptions on websites. Visit these dogs, take advice and ask questions. If you can, ask the advice of a canine behaviourist who, may be able to help you and your, potential, new canine addition to your family. Remember, introducing a new dog to your home needs careful thought and, needs to be done in the right way. It can be a challenge, but, believe me, it is one worth your time.

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