DOG DAY AFTERNOON

If we were to think of our brains as computers we can imagine them receiving and processing data received typically from a keyboard. This data is then analysed and an output is produced either to a screen or a hard copy like a print out. Our brains receive input not through a keyboard but through our senses of which we have five. Touch, taste, hearing, seeing and smell. The sensory data received travels up through our cerebral cortex to our brains which then analyse the input and produce an output which it sends back again.In Stanley Coren’s book “How dogs think” he writes about the Greek philosopher Protagoras who summed up this notion around 450 BC by saying “we are nothing but a bundle of sensations”. Dogs share the same five senses as man. Both man and dog translate the sensory information the same way, but with noticeable differences. The quality of the information received by man and dog is different, and that is what separates us when we compare sensory input. Man has kn...

Behavioural problems are common in dogs from all walks of life. This could be attributed to the fact that more and more dogs are being left at home whilst we are out at work. Or it may be because they are being treated as family members rather than just workers or Pets. In the past a dog with an aggressive problem was more likely to have been destroyed. However in modern times more and more owners are turning to ‘professionals’ to seek help and give the dog a chance to work through the problems before turning to rescue centers or worse putting them to sleep. Problems occur for a variety of different reasons. Each issue can be different because dogs are different, from very simple issues too much more complicated. These problems can manifest themselves for various reasons; Lack of socialisation Boredom Excess energy Owner behaviour Unrealistic owner expectation Breed specific traits Diet Inadequate or incorrect training. Medical conditions or illnesses The ...

THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF NEUTERING.  The most fundamental of all changes that owners make to their dog is to decide whether or not the dog or bitch will breed. Both dogs and bitches are born genetically programmed to reproduce their genes, and thus provide the next generation. Owners may choose to do this by ensuring that the dog is secure within their home and garden so that he cannot go in search of a mate, or that the bitch is confined to the house or exercised on a lead while she is in season twice a year. Or they may decide the safest method of prevention is to have the dog castrated or the bitch spayed. This surgery is permanent and irreversible, and it does have benefits other than preventing unwanted puppies. Male puppies receive a surge of the male hormone testosterone shortly before birth which induces their male outlook on life. As they reach maturity testosterone will again come on stream, and the dog will begin to actively...

Government ministers are planing a reform of the law regarding dangerous dogs in the UK. But how long has the government been trying to tackle this problem? It may surprise you to know that dog law has existed since the Roman times. The ancient Lex Pesolania was probably the first edition of the Dangerous Dog Act., which made owners responsible for any anti social behavior of their dogs. Dogs featured greatly in early Roman lives, often used as weapons of war and kept as pets. In the third century anti social dog behavior was such a big problem that a law was passed to make owners responsible for any injuries suffered or damage caused as a result of a dog attack. According to the late historian and liberal MP John Roby "if a dog was in a square or public road and not tied up in the daytime and did any mischief, the owner was liable". The first fines for anti social dog behavior came about under Alfred the Great. The law dated back to 849 AD, said "If a dog tear trouser...

Recently I turned 53 and became a Grandfather for the first time. Does that mean I am now officially old? Old age affects people in different ways but how does it affect our dogs? It is really difficult to comprehend that as your dog gets older you have to make changes to how you communicate with him. Both my black labs are now nine years old. Ben, the male, has gone through two major operations in his life, which most people tell you add to your years. Mentally and physically they have always been very active. They have always gone to training school and are part of a demonstration team that carry out demonstrations throughout the summer at local agricultural meetings on obedience and fun agility. The club we are with has an agility night once a month which they go to. We have a holiday home in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, were we go twice a month and for all our main holidays. At Berwick they go for even longer walks and swim in the sea, regardless how cold or rough the sea is, wouldn’t ...

In April of 2012 the BBC ran a story on the proposed scheme of compulsory micro chipping of every new born puppy. The idea behind this proposal is so that it makes it easier to trace and prosecute owners of violent dogs. Northern Ireland has already introduced a law on Microchipping this year. At the moment Scotland has no plans, but that may change. There are two voices on this proposal, firstly all the major charities welcome the idea stating that in addition it will be easy to reunite dogs with their owners should they become separated or worse stolen. Well that’s not true is it? If you read July’s issue of Dog’s Today magazine they have done a piece on the subject of micro chipping and in it they highlight a case where a woman ,Faye Moore, had her Pug stolen from the garden a few years back and had been searching frantically for it ever since. To their amazement they were contacted by the micro chip company to be told the dog had turned up somewhere near Somerset . The new owne...