DOG DAY AFTERNOON

The length of retractable leashes, some of which can extend up to 26 feet, allows dogs to get far enough away from their humans that a situation can quickly turn dangerous. A dog on a retractable leash is often able to run into the middle of the street, for example, or make uninvited contact with other dogs or people. In the above scenario, or one in which your pet is being approached by an aggressive dog, it is nearly impossible to get control of the situation if the need arises. It's much easier to regain control of – or protect -- a dog at the end of a six-foot standard flat leash than it is if he's 20 or so feet away at the end of what amounts to a thin string. The thin cord of a retractable leash can break – especially when a powerful dog is on the other end of it. If a strong, good-sized dog takes off at full speed, the cord can snap. Not only can that put the dog and whatever he may be chasing in danger, but also the cord can snap back and injure the human at the othe

How many times have I heard that? As a reward based trainer I am often asked, “but what do you do when your dog refuses to comply when he clearly knows the command”. I usually reply like this.  There are many reasons why a dog may not comply to a cue that he already knows. Stubbornness, Dominance, and wilfulness are rarely the reasons. Whilst it is clearly very frustrating when your dog “ignores” you, its worth the time, effort and saves your sanity to try and take a step back for a moment and work out what the cause might be. This is often easier said than done in the heat of the moment. Its worth remembering that even though your dog may have learned a behaviour and performed it solidly many times before it doesn’t mean that in certain situations it may not remember what the behaviour is to the cue that you give. Let me liken it to a human example. I walked into a shop last week and was greeted by a woman who smiled and began talking to me like we were old friends. she asked me had

In a recent address at the Vatican, Pope Francis issued a statement that is sure to comfort those of faith who have lost a beloved pet. He stated that all animals go to heaven. "The Holy Scriptures teach us that the realization of this wonderful plan covers all that is around us, and that came out of the thought and the heart of God," Francis was quoted  as saying by the Italian News site Rsapubblica . "Heaven is open to all creatures, and there [they] will be vested with the joy and love of God, without limits." Francis is a known animal lover. He adopted his papal name Francis, in honor of the patron saint of animals, St. Francis of Assisi.  Over his term, the Pope has demonstrated his love of animals. He has given an impromptu blessing to a guide dog of a journalist and also welcomed the dog of a homeless man to celebrate his birthday . Source Blog “Welcome to DogHeirs, where Dogs Are Family. http://www.dogheirs.com . The French Philosopher Renee Des

I recently read an interesting article in ‘Science Direct’ from Applied Animal Behaviour Science which discussed the impact attending training classes had on a companion dogs behaviour. The published report was based studies carried out in Australia in 2006. The report was written by Pauline Charmayane Bennet and Vanessa Ilse Rohlf. Basically what they are saying is that a lot of companion dogs occupy a priviledged life style, living with owners who take care of their every needs and desires. Some going to great lengths to provide the very best for their canine companions. However others are not so fortunate and often find themselves abandoned, killed, given up for adoption, which most ultimately get put to sleep, and the main reason is that they are believed to exhibit behaviour problems. The aims of the study were to investigate the frequency of the problematic experienced by the owners sample and whether these behaviours were associated with demographic variables, involvement in dog

This is an extract from PSYCHOLOGY TODAY It was written by Stanley Coren PhD. called The human-animal bond. What causes conflict between dogs living in the same home? Published on April 22, 2014 by Stanley Coren, Ph.D., F.R.S.C. in Canine Corner My home typically contains two or more dogs, and research has shown that having more than one dog is typical for nearly one third of dog owning households in North America. In a multiple dog home probably one of the most disturbing situations is when there are aggressive incidents between the dogs. These are not only disturbing for the peace and happiness of the humans living there, but it can also be quite dangerous for the dogs and for the people who try to intervene and break up the fight. A scientific report published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association* looked at this issue, specifically assessing the characteristics of the dogs involved and what can be done to help eliminate the problem of fighting a

According to the Kennel Club’s guidance, which is on their ‘Responsibility and Care leaflet.  “No matter how well trained or under control a dog might be, it should never be walked off lead in environmentally unsuitable areas or those that do not permit dogs to be off lead” .  Lets face it, there are people out there that do not like to interact with dogs. I know, weird, but listen. Many people have had frightening encounters with dogs just walking down the street. There are many other reasons why we dog owners should be a bit more appreciative of how other people think. People with mobility limitations, senior citizens, parents with children, people with assistance dogs, other dog owners who’s dogs are maybe reactive or sick, maybe in rehabilitation after surgery. I have a black Lab called Ben who last week just went through some major surgery to remove a Lipoma. Quite a large fatty lump about the size of a grapefruit hanging under his belly. But he is now just recoveri

When you hear behaviourists talk about hierarchy they tend to talk about wolf packs and alpha leaders. What does all that mean though and why do you need to know about it when interacting with your four legged friend. All you want to do is take him for a walk and play fetch. You want to be able to call him and he comes running happily to your side. And when he does something wrong you only have to say “No that’s enough”. So do I need to know anything about hierarchy for that? Well actually yes you do. Let me explain. Now to begin with i’m not going to tell you that your dog is a wolf, because it’s not. Nor is it a small person in a furry coat. But recent research suggests that your dog is a sub species of the grey wolf and the its name was changed in 1993 from Canis Lupis, to Canis Familiaris to reflect that it is a sub species of the grey wolf. Offcourse man has changed the appearance of this sub species over many decades to the many varieties of shapes and sizes of the dog w

When Wally Conron created the Labradoodle he opened up a can of worms. He is reported now as saying he made a mistake. What followed was an explosion of ‘designer’ dogs. From Cockapoo (cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle), a Puggle (a Beagle and a Pug), a Shih Poo ( a Shih tzu and a Poodle) a Goli ( a Golden Retriever and a Collie), and a Jackaroo (a Jack Russell and a Poodle). There are countless more I am sure and no doubt more to follow. But it started me thinking. I rescued a Northern Inuit from Dogs Trust a few years a go. The behaviourist there told me that was her breed description, albeit Northern Inuits are not a recognised breed by the Kennel Club in the UK yet. But it got me thinking, is Northern Inuit the right name for her or should she be called something else in line with the variations above. Northern Inuits were originally cross bred between German Shepherds and Huskies, or German Shepherds and Alaskan Malamutes. the idea was that the breeder wanted something t

We look at celebrities in the media and we think “What Diva’s”. Spoilt rotten. But I bet they didnt start out like that when they were kids. As children they most likely were quite normal. Going to school, playing out in the yard, nice manners, ‘normal’. But they get a bit of fame and before you know it they become demanding, self centred, obnoxious and down right rude. Over the decades I think we have done the exact same thing to dogs. They have become pampered, demanding and yes down right rude in their behaviour. Some to the extreme extent where they bite. But how has this come about? If you ask a lot of owners of dogs today they will tell you their dog understands what they are saying to them. We treat them as our best friends, and sometimes take it personally when they ignore us or quite literally “bite the hands that feeds them”. Most people now live in nice warm houses with central heating. Furniture is less expensive than what it was several decades ago. In the past homes were

MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU. The following extract has been taken from The Dog Business Academy web site. I received this information in an email to me. I think it is of interest to everyone involved in some way with dogs and so I am sharing it with you. In Scotland we have slightly different laws including dog Control Notices. But if you are visiting England, as a lot of us do as we travel to various meetings and events with our dogs, then this will apply to you.  The UK government has announced plans for tougher dog laws after recent high profile dog attacks. These laws will affect you whether you own a dog, working with dogs or have dogs in your care.  It will certainly guide your focus for dog training, either your own or others. Ministers are looking to extend the scope of the law to enable a prosecution to be brought against anyone whose dog injures someone or acts aggressively in a private place, as well as a public place.  Such as a home where

By Jasper Copping For owners of unruly dogs, a short yank on their lead and a stern telling-off can sometimes seem the only way of keeping their wayward pets in line. But a new study claims that such methods of making sure your dog behaves can cause the animal mental trauma and have an impact on its welfare. It found that pets who are trained using such, “aversive” techniques were 15 times more likely to exhibit symptoms of stress than those trained using more “positive” techniques, such as the use of treats for rewards and softer voices. Dogs taught using the latter methods were also found to display greater contentment and enjoy a better relationship with their owners. The research serves as a repudiation of the authoritative style – still used to train many British dogs – popularised in the 1970s by Barbara Woodhouse and now advocated by many modern trainers, such as Cesar Millan, a prominent international expert known as the Dog Whisperer. However, the study has

Choke chains damage dogs, cause pain and can cause behavioural problems. Choke chains have been directly linked to to the following;         Injured ocular blood vessels         Tracheal and oesophageal damage         Severely sprained necks         Cases of fainting         Transient foreleg paralysis         Laryngeal nerve paralysis         Hind leg ataxia If you don’t use a choke chain to stop the pulling then what should you use? You could use a flat collar, harness or head collar. There are many different types in the market and it is important that you choose the right one for your type of dog. You could also train your dog not to pull. By finding a qualified trainer in your area you could attend classes and learn how to train your dog positively without aversive methods how to teach your dog to walk without pulling. There have been many studies onto the effects of correcting your dog using choke chains. “In a retrospective study on spinal pain, injury or changes in dogs conduct

        Yet another child’s life lost as a result of a dog attack. The latest is a baby only days old, attacked in its home by a huge dog, an Alaskan Malamute. This breed was originally bred to pull sleds in the arctic region. The males can grow to just under 40 kilos. The breed are reputed to be fond of people and children making them ideal house dogs. They bond quickly with their owners are intelligent but can sometimes be difficult to train. They are great with children old enough to play with them. So what went wrong? Reading more into the story it turns out this particular dog was ‘acquired’ by it’s owner from someone in a pub. The previous owner was going to have it put down, and the new owner was a dog lover and no doubt thought he was doing the right thing by saving it from being put to sleep. There is no information on why the previous owner was considering having it put down. Was it being ill-treated ? Had it already bitten? Did the new owner get a full history of the animal

So its only 3 weeks till Crufts 2014. The training team at Tahamasa Canine Academy will be heading off on the Thursday for three days of doggie Disney land. If you have never been to the biggest dog show on earth, and you have anything to do with dogs, you really need to make the trip. You will not be disappointed. Over the years we have met some very interesting people at Crufts and no doubt we will reacquaint ourselves with them and meet new friends this year. Its that type of place. Dont be put off by thinking it is just for show dogs. Nothing could be further from the truth. We do not show dogs and we have a fun packed three days there every year. Last year we joined the Kennel Club’s Accredited Instructors Scheme and attended some very interesting lectures which were given by some of the most prominent canine professionals around at the moment. This year we have lined a few more, Developing Agility Instruction & Coaching in a changing sport. Aggression, why we are w

The PDSA produced a well being report in 2012. These are some of the highlights: Dogs have five basic welfare needs;         Environmental         Diet         Behaviour         Companionship         Health Now some interesting stats; 53% of UK households have pets 23% of UK households have dogs (thats 8.5 million dogs) 27% of UK households have cats Obesity is a major concern in canines and the problem is pardon the pun growing. When surveyed, owners revealed that the reasons why they feed their pets treats are as follows; 1% as a result of a TV advertisement 8% said their pet ‘looked’ hungry 9% were guilty of leaving them on their own 14% were because the pet was begging 13% gave their dog a treat because they were having a treat themselves 29% said it made the owner happy to give them a treat 34% admitted treats were part of the daily diet 48% said it made this pet happy 16% never gave their dogs any treats. As for training; 5.3 million dogs have never attend

I spotted this post on Dr Sophia Yin’s blog and thought it might be useful to anyone out there who is thinking of getting a dog. Some of it could apply to picking a puppy as well. Dr Sophia Yin is a renowned Veterinarian and Animal Behaviourist Adopting a Dog: Some Dogs are Easier Than Others Posted On: Sunday, May 19th, 2013 By Dr. Sophia Yin Have you heard this statement from so many people that it seems like it's an epidemic? "We had a Labrador mix when I was a kid and he was perfect. How come our new dog is so much harder? Is it the inbreeding?" Or does the statement go more like this, “We got Lucky from the shelter and she’s so calm. Then we adopted Nero 2 years later as a playmate for her. He’s the same breed and age that she is, but he’s just hyper and crazy! We don’t know what to do with him! The problem here is that while we humans realize that dogs come in more sizes and styles than Versace shoes, we often fail to acknowledge that dogs come with equal