We can work it out…
I hear dog owners frequently say ‘he needs telling’, ‘they will work it out’. This is usually in response to their dog pestering another dog to the point were the other dog reacts with some level of aggression. From a behaviourist’s point of view, this is misguided and displays a lack of understanding of what […]
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again..
Robert the Bruce’s words resonate with me when I think about how we help and train our dogs. Far too many dog owners try a bit and then give up when their pooch isn’t rapidly getting everything right. I, all too often, hear reasons why an owner never lets their dog off the lead for […]
Why I couldn’t stand by and let another owner hit his dog and you shouldn’t either
I have talked about punishing animals before and have made my views plain. I was prompted to return to this subject by an experience while walking with my rescue dog, Ziggy. We were at our favourite spot by the water, chatting with the owner of two elderly labradors, a couple of Ziggy’s buddies. While […]
Huskies do it —why other dogs shouldn’t
I recently looked at a few ‘dog training’ websites and happened upon an American site with an extensive article, written by a horse/dog trainer (an interesting combination. The article was a detailed account of how to train a dog to ‘mush’. ‘Mushing’ means attaching your dog to your bike and getting it to pull you […]
Shock collars — the cruel and lazy way
So, you have a dog, adult or puppy, that is proving challenging to train. It may run off and have poor recall or, it may not respond to commands as you would wish. You are at your wits end, perhaps not have the knowledge or experience to deal with the situation. The next step is, […]
Take the plunge
Dogs and water — a marriage made in heaven? I’ve rescued quite a few dogs — all of which have not been, particularly, bothered about going in the water. All of these dogs came to love being in the swim. I’ll return to how this happened a little later. So, why is having a splash so good for our […]
Who comes first — the Vet or the Behaviourist?
While walking with my dog, Ziggy, I was reminded about the importance of visiting the vet, before the canine behaviourist. We met a lady with two small border collies, both, apparently very friendly. The older dog changed it’s demeanor in a split second, going from relaxed to bared teeth as Ziggy approached. So, an aggressive […]
Raw meat and your dog – a controversial subject
Dogs are descended from wolves, right? So, they should eat what wolves eat in the wild, right? This is the basic tenant believed by those who support a raw diet for their dogs. This is a highly contentious subject and, one that generates strong views. A leading proponent of raw diets for dogs is Dr […]
A lost cause…
Finally, a take home message. When looking for a dog trainer — choose them with care. Ask around, find out what other people think, quiz your trainer about methods, experience and satisfied customers. As for the trainers out there who write dogs of because their skills aren’t up to scratch— ‘shame on you’.
The group dog walk…
So, here we are again at Ziggy’s (you should know who she is by now) favourite woodland and water walk. This is where she gets to meet lots of mutts and people, and — she gets to run in the woods and play in the water — pretty much doggie heaven! After having had a good stomp through the […]