DOG DAY AFTERNOON

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