A Pawfect Life

25/08/2023

I've heard it, you've heard it, we have all heard the phrase "it's all about how you raise them."

I've been told so many times that dogs who struggle with reactivity or simply displaying normal breed traits, for eg. Guarding, are dogs who have not been loved enough.

The other common saying is "Dogs become like their people." Another big myth that is just not true.

While HOW you raise your pets is extremely important, raising your dog in an environment with a flood of love will not guarentee you a "perfect" dog who never displays normal dog behaviour.

Nature and nurture are both huge components in making up a dog's personality and being.

Instead of focusing on, "was this dog loved enough" as the reason for a dog displaying normal behaviour, ask yourself "what is this behaviour showing me?" "What is the reason for this behaviour?" If a behaviour is displayed, it usually means that the behaviour has been successful at communicating your pets needs in the past, what need was that behaviour communicating?

This is also why it is extremely important to research the breed you are interested in and finding out if that breed is correct for you. This is also why, if you are wanting a pup from a breeder, you make sure that breeder is doing all the health tests, breeding for temperament and you make sure you meet the parents and find out what behaviour issues they have. If you are planning on rescuing a pup, make sure you find out as much as possible about how their behaviour has been at the rescue and if possible, their history.

Here are some other factors that can influence your dogs behaviour.

24/08/2023

22/08/2023

THE EMOTIONAL LIVES OF STREET DOGS

Ever wondered why most free living or street dogs (dogs that belong to no one) seem to get on with most other animals and people? They don't have separation anxiety or destructive behaviours? They read each other's body language really well and may avoid conflict better than our pets?

This could be due to CHOICE - something that pet dogs don't seem to have much off while sleeping on our King size beds and having plenty of soft toys. It could also be due to sufficient fulfillment of NATURAL BEHAVIOURS which results in emotional fulfillment.

Free living or street dogs have the following choices, which provides need fulfillment and emotional satisfaction:

1. Where and when to sleep
2. What do eat
3. Who to be friends with - humans and dogs
4. What activities to engage in
5. When to play
6. To reproduce or not
7. To not be on a lead and be free to roam
8. To sniff everything and anything
9. To roll in stinky stuff
10. To bark
11. To dig holes
12. To chew stuff
13. To sniff anything and everything

Yes, they may lack the fabulous medical care that we provide our pet dogs, limited access to food and their longevity may be less due to other risks so I'm not romanticizing their lives, but some of them seem happier with less than our captive pet dogs.

So what can we do to enhance the lives of our pet dogs (captive dogs)? I believe in giving my dogs, and those of my clients, more natural behaviours and as many safe CHOICES, in addition to activities that fulfill natural behaviours/genetics, as far as possible:

1. Choices regarding toys
2. Choices regarding activities to engage in
3. Choices regarding snacks
4. Choices as to where to sleep
5. Choices regarding friends
6. Choices to go for walks or not
7. Choices to go in the car or not
8. Choices to be touched or not
9. Choices to engage with guests or not
10. Choices to engage in natural behaviours like sniffing, foraging, hunting, chewing and licking
11. Choices to wear a jersey or not
12. Choices re crate usage
13. Choices to be groomed in emotional and physical safety

I used to feel sorry for the dogs I saw roaming around the international cities that I went on holiday to or the local townships when I didn't know better. But now I realize how happy they all seemed, without being behind gates and walls with material goodies while being subjected to human whims and fancy.

I am not advocating for all pet dogs to be set free as it is too late for that, in addition to being impractical and dangerous, but we can seek ways to enhance and enrich their lives by giving them choices where possible.

What choices do you give your dogs to enhance their lives?

Edit - re procreation, if you keep unsterilized dogs or cats in captivity and don't allow them to fulfill their natural reproductive urges, please consider that this may be cruel. Rather sterilize them at an appropriate age as it's humane and in line with welfare objectives.

20/08/2023

Well this picture just made my day 🥰

The best photo of today ❤🥰😘🐶

20/08/2023

Short, sharp, shiney sessions.

Set them up to succeed &

Always end on a positive

20/08/2023

It has been a very long time since I have had a good rant. I feel I am overdue!!

I have seen a trend increasing in posts popping up on various group pages regarding people searching for their ideal new puppy.

I would say that 75% of the posts start along the following lines “I’m looking for a puppy that looks like this…”. Or I want a smaller/taller/broader/squishier faced version of “insert stock dog picture here”.

Why?

Why is it about LOOKS?

Please please please stop treating dogs (or animals in general) as an accessory to your home.

When looking for the perfect canine fit; what the dog physically looks like should have little to no impact on your decision making.

Instead; please look for things like, amount of exercise and type of exercise you are able to give your dog. Personally; from a purely aesthetic perspective I adore Working Cockers. However; I would never share my home with one. I could never give it all it needs to have a fulfilling and healthy life.

For me to get dogs that thrive on exercise, agility and stretching their mental dexterity, would be unfair and selfish.

There is nothing wrong with appreciating the looks of anything.

It would be highly unlikely to have a successful relationship with Kate Moss if you owned a cake factory and that is all you gave her to eat.

Leaving selfishness aside… please also stop breeding or actively seeking out dogs with extreme LOOKS.

Dogs that originally have robust sturdy frames capable of sustaining and supporting specific working duties (in the days when dogs were chosen to breed from for their characteristics and instinctual ability rather than the funky blue mottled look) should not be reduced to 1/5 of its originally intended size but is still carrying a similar amount of muscle mass.

What do you suppose that is doing to their body?

Please please please…

Assess your lifestyle; be honest with yourself about what you CAN & WILL provide for your pal.

There is no shame in only being able to go for short walks daily.

There IS shame in only being able to offer a dog a 25 mins rushed lead walk a day and getting yourself a Dalmatian.

Being an true animal lover and advocate comes with responsibilities of its own.

Here endeth the rant

11/08/2023

Could not agree more.

Prong collars, e-collars… not only are they a lazy way of “controlling” your dog, they typically reinforce all the things you don’t want reinforced with your dog.

Time. Patience and education… that is how to promote and nuture the most rewarding bond between you and your hound AND to create the best environment for your dogs’ health and well being.

WHY I DON'T CONTROL, WALK OR TRAIN DOGS WITH COLLARS OF ANY KIND AROUND THEIR NECKS AND HEADS

You don't need to agree or disagree with this post, and neither do you need to defend your use of these tools.

What happens to our dogs when we use collars, slip leads, chock collars, prong collars, half chokes, halti or martingale collars on our dogs during a walk when they pull and lunge...?

Impacts:
Lymph ducts and nodes damage
Muscle strain, pain and injuries
Arteries and veins impacts
Higher blood pressure
Spinal cord damage
Nerve damage
Disk damage
Thyroid damage
Larynx damage
Oesophagus damage
Collapsed trachea
Increased reactivity due to negative associations
Pessimistic dogs
Pain
Increased adrenalin and cortisol levels
Break down in the trust relationship with your dog

Try and use a harness - a y-front harness if possible. Stay away from puppy and dog training schools that ask you to bring your dog with any neck device or collar for training. They either don't have the skill and knowledge to train your dog or they are looking for quick fixes 😉

If your dog is lunging and pulling on a walk, please contact a qualified FF pet professional, on www.coape.org or www.capbt.org, who will assess the reasons for your dog's behaviour and work with you to improve this by using a harness. Sometimes your dog's reactivity has nothing to do with a harness or a tool but as a result of an emotional response to a stimulus or it is just a lack of skilled training to walk loose lead.

If your dog is an expert at loose lead walking while on a collar, or can walk without a lead and never be triggered but remains calm and neutral in the face of any stimulus, then this post does not apply to you. This post is about using neck devices to control, discipline, 'tame', train or "dominate' reactive dogs and those that lunge or pull during a walk.

If you defend any part of this post and claim that some of these tools are relevant and important for training some dogs or they are required for human convenience, then you are a balanced trainer. So own it!

Final note - don't be a YANKER. Use a harness 😉








EDIT:

Re head harnesses and gentle leaders - I do not think that they are FORCE-FREE as it hurts and causes discomfort to the sensitive nose and throat of the dog:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/664027960470508/permalink/2088628818010408/?mibextid=Nif5oz
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=327426022767848&id=102240818619704&mibextid=Nif5oz

Please see many studies sent by Marianna Huttonvh speaking to the emotional and physical consequences of aversive training methods:
https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/04/new-literature-review-recommends-reward.html?m=1
https://thesciencedog.com/2014/02/05/the-consequences-of-consequences/
https://thesciencedog.com/2022/03/14/the-eeyore-effect/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7743949/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787817300357

http://www.dogpsychologistoncall.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Choke-collars-study.pdf

https://www.vetplano.com/how-choke-collars-can-do-some-real-damage-to-your-canine-friend/

https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/The-Dangers-of-Training-Collars.pdf

https://www.ahna.net/site/blog-asheville-vet/2020/03/30/alternatives-choke-chains-prong-collars-and-other-aversive-methods

https://www.dogtrainingnation.com/tag/dog-choke-collar-injuries/

📸Bestpawsdogtraining

31/07/2023

It’s official… Full moon tomorrow night. The dogs are already being weird 🤣

30/06/2023

So true

29/04/2023

Finally!

E-collars to be banned in England & Wales from Feb 2024

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2023/9780348247305?fbclid=IwAR0KRCouuwWicv86GDKOt8UrWp_yR5EHcIR2KWg1E4XyrbB_tqv44qhGGFc

These Regulations make provision for the purpose of preventing the use of electronic collars in England.

21/04/2023

Brilliant post from Poe’s Expeditions - Pet Care Services

It may look pretty but it’s best to stay clear

⚠️These golden fields are a common sight in many parts of the country at this time of year, but the colourful plants can be bad news for our canine companions.

Although it may be tempting to place your dog in the mist to take a scenic photo, please avoid doing so!❌

Rapeseed is listed by Dogs Trust as toxic to dogs, especially if ingested.

Dogs can develop gastrointestinal issues if they ingest some of the plant. Essentially, a stomach upset with nausea and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea. There have also been reports of skin reactions which resemble burns that can cause pain and discomfort and require treatment. Thankfully both of these outcomes are rare.

Despite looking very tempting to run through, it’s important to remember that this is a crop and a farmer’s income. Please respect this and stick to the footpaths.

⚠️Be aware of the dangers of this plant. It’s certainly better to be safe than sorry! ‼️