A dog is for life....although fostering is wonderful!

With Christmas just around the corner, please spare a thought for all of the dogs stuck in kennels, and the hard-working, dedicated people who are looking after them.

If you can, please donate some money, time or items to your local rescues, to provide these poor dogs with the happy Christmas they deserve.
Even better, if you have a little room for one (or several!) of these bundles of love, please contact your local rescue about fostering a dog over the Christmas period.
Many of the dogs in kennels have never had a cosy, comfortable Christmas, so if you can spare a warm bed by the fire, and some leftover turkey, please open your homes and hearts for these little sweethearts.
I promise you, the love and devotion you will receive from them will be so much more fulfilling than any material thing you may receive.

Thank you, and have a wonderful Christmas

xxxxxx Read More!

Very Brief Update

I have now received my certificate from the IPBC, and so am now a fully qualified member!

Whilst I am elated that I have reached this stage, I am working harder than ever on my Advanced Diploma, which is so far going incredibly well.
I am very excited about what the future may bring. But for now, watch this space! Read More!

Oh dear...Not another one

Offering my advice on the purchase of a puppy has kicked off yet another debate on good old Facebook.

Granted, I was not asked for advice, but the suggestion of "Please be careful, this breed [Japanese Akita] can be dominant, and require lots of patient training," led to a few people taking digs at me and the validity of the course I am studying.
Unfortunately, I can't copy and paste the conversation here, as it has mysteriously vanished, but briefly, it continued something like this:
Them: "It isn't how dogs are bred, it is how they are brought up."
Me: "While this is partly true, studies have shown that genetics play a role in the development of inappropriate behaviour."
Them: "I would like to know where you are studying, because your facts are wrong. Anyone who knows dogs knows that you have to assert yourself by pushing them to the floor, and pinning them down until they submit."
BOOM! There it is. Once again, the influence of a certain TV trainer has reared its ugly head and is putting people at risk of a serious bite.
This misguided individual (aged somewhere around 20) has indeed had dogs, but the one that myself and my father had the opportunity to meet a fair few years ago, decided one day that he didn't like my dad, and actually bit him. It was not bad enough to warrant medical attention, it was more of a "You turned your back on me, so I'm gonna bite you in the butt and run," kind of nip.
Now, this person would only have been young at the time, so would not have been able to understand just how dogs think.
Now, however, as a dog owner, they should have a better understanding of canine behaviour.
But no. Instead of reading a few of the thousands of books available on the subject of behaviour, how it develops etc, such as the wonderfully insightful "Think Dog!" by the late, great John Fisher, this person, and many people like them, continue to just get dog after dog without researching the breed, or knowing how to effectively, and SAFELY, deal with problem behaviours.
The conversation continued, where my education, and my ability to raise dogs was put into question. It was even suggested that I don't even own dogs (let alone large breeds), so how would I know about them?
Well, owning a very strong-willed German Shepherd has certainly pushed my buttons at times, including when he went through his challenging phase. But by remaining calm and patient, and following the advice of the great minds in animal behaviour, (Karen Pryor, Gwen Bailey, etc etc) we came through it with a loving, gentle GSD. He hasn't lost his playfulness or lust for life, he just knows that good behaviour is rewarding, bad is not. I have never had to raise a hand to him, and would never EVER consider doing what is becoming known as an "Alpha Roll."
It is dangerous, ineffective and just plain stupidity. Not only do you risk making the behaviour worse, you put yourself and those around you at significant risk of being badly bitten, or even killed.

We so desperately need for those still living in the dark ages to be re-educated. Otherwise, our rescue centres are just going to continue battling against the inevitable, trying to re-home dogs that have been left with behavioural issues because of uninformed owners.

Thankfully, most rescue centres are very thorough in their questioning of owners, and will not allow the dogs to be homed with just anyone.
Isn't it about time to introduce a compulsory short course in care and behaviour before anyone can take on a dog? Or other animal, for that matter?
Your thoughts? Read More!

Forest of Dean Quiz Sheet

I have uploaded the Forest of Dean Quiz sheet that I ran for the Hounds for Heroes fundraiser, so if you would like to have a go, it's here!

Obviously, the winners have already been drawn, so it's just for a bit of fun!

Click here for the quiz sheet

The answer sheet is below, but don't be a spoilsport!! You aren't allowed to look at them until you've finished the sheet!!

Click here for the answers!!

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Read with interest

I have just had a read of this article on the "Cold Wet Nose" blog, belonging to Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dog's Today magazine.

http://coldwetnose.blogspot.com/2010/06/chc-fires-shots-at-vaccine-industry.html

As the owner of three dogs, I know how expensive the vaccinations can be.
I have my opinions, please let me know yours.
Read More!

Hounds for Heroes Fundraising Success!

On Sunday 27th June, myself and a group of volunteers ran an Afternoon Tea event at the Community Centre in Lydney, in aid of Hounds for Heroes.
And I am pleased to announce that we raised over £300!

As well as offering tea and coffee (with a biscuit of course!), we also had numerous other stalls:
Home-made cakes, scones, and fresh raspberries (very yummy!)
Guess the name of the teddy
Bric-a-brac and books
Beautiful handmade beaded jewellery
Photo-gifts, cards etc,
A tombola
And a raffle.

Prizes in the raffle included vouchers for Vision Photography in Lydney, and Rebecca Cox Photography of Coleford, A voucher for Country Meats in Lydney, a ladies handbag, four free classes at Club Ginger in Lydney, a voucher for The Real Deal Pie and Cake Co. / Coffee Local of Lydney, A scented gift set, a bath gift set, and a tray of cuppa related goodies!

We also ran a Forest of Dean Quiz sheet, which proved incredibly popular. So much so that we extended it to three prizes instead of one! The questions were all cryptic clues that led to the name of a town, village or tourist attraction in the Forest of Dean. I will make it available asap on here so you can have a go. Of course, you won't get a prize, but it is a bit of fun!

Even though we were up against the England football match, we still managed to raise over £300. I'm sure if we had more publicity, we could have raised some more. However, £300 exceeded my goal for the day, so the hard work really did pay off, as every penny raised will be going to Hounds for Heroes for their "Puppies on Parade" appeal.

Now for the thank you's!! (Please bear with me!)
First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone that popped in for a cuppa and a slice of cake on the day, those who brought the quiz sheet, and those who donated their hard-earned money for such a good cause.

I would also like to thank everyone who helped out on the day by running a stall, volunteering their time to help the event succeed, and especially to those who made the delicious cakes!

A special thanks must go to Councillor Bill Osbourne and his wife who, although they were unable to attend on the day, donated home-made scones and jam, fresh eggs, and two large trays of raspberries, which, I can assure you, were heavenly!

I also must thank all of the local businesses who very kindly donated vouchers, essential items, and prizes for the raffle:
Co-op of Lydney,
Tesco of Lydney,
Harry Tuffins of Lydney,
Scott Shoes,
Club Ginger,
Country Meats of Lydney,
Vision Photography,
The Real Deal Pie and Cake Co. / Coffee Local,
Bah Humbug,
Poppies Florist,
and Rebecca Cox Photography.

Once again, a big thank you to all!!

For more information about Hounds for Heroes, please visit:

www.houndsforheroes.com
Read More!

Debating the Dog Trainers

A few months back, I had a friend ask me how to go about becoming a dog trainer. So I launched into a detailed explanation of my research into the subject; academic requirements, practical experience, handling skills and so on. I told them that there is no easy route into dog training, and that they must be prepared to spend a very long time gaining relevant knowledge and experience before they could even consider taking on paying clients. Out of curiosity, I asked what experience they do have. Quick as a flash, they replied "I watch The Dog Whisperer all the time, and have trained my dog with his techniques!"....Oh dear.

I have been a dog person all of my life, but the interest in training has only surfaced in me since acquiring the loving lunatic that inspired this blog. Although I had spent a lot of time around large dogs, especially GSD's, my previous experience was limited to growing up with a Cavalier King Charles, and adopting a highly strung Lhasa Apso (who is still with us, aged 12/13, and still bossing around the large ones - small dog syndrome at its finest!!)
So when I decided to bring another rescue dog in, I was met with a lot of resistance, especially from the large, over-funded company who's name I will not utter.
Initially a little disheartened, I spent hours upon hours researching everything I could about owning a large breed.
Eventually, after a lengthy talk with the National Animal Welfare Trust, I became the owner of Lunik. Upon their advice, I enrolled her into puppy classes with a local trainer. From then on, my passion for dogs was reborn, and I decided to pursue a career with them.
In the beginning, I, like many people, was enthralled by that charismatic character that "Rehabilitates dogs, trains people," and thought that he had a way with dogs that few people do.
However, the more I watched, read and researched, the more the cracks began to show.
I continued to watch the show, (and on occasion, still do) if only to see exactly what he was going to do next. My opinion of the trainer dropped with each show, and the icing on the cake was one aired a few weeks ago, which saw said trainer using an electronic shock collar on a dog that was suffering from severe separation anxiety. One of the first things I learnt when I started studying canine behaviour was that an anxious dog should NEVER be subjected to anything that causes pain, fear, or unnecessary suffering. Not only will this worsen the anxiety, it could cause irreversible damage to the dogs physical and emotional health. Another example of his misguided "treatments" is one that is on as I speak: A St. Bernard puppy, refusing to go up the stairs, is being made to run around the block, then dragged (and I mean that in the most literal sense) up the the stairs with the use of a choke collar.

Many people have joined in the debate about the Dog Whisperer, and like most, I have my own opinions of him. I'm not going to argue that he does seem to have a very high success rate, especially with highly aggressive dogs. But that could be the magic of TV at work. Most of us will never really know just how many failures he suffers.

Currently, CM is being pitted against another TV trainer, "It's me or the dog"'s Victoria Stilwell. Having just spent nearly an hour reading through various dog forums and sites, I have come across the mention of an episode of her show in which she bluntly tells the owners of a Cocker Spaniel that the dog should be put to sleep, after it had bitten a child under the age of 5.
I haven't seen the episode, but I feel I must add something.
Some of the posts were about this episode, and question her ability as a dog trainer, and wonder how someone could suggest putting a dog to sleep.
Unfortunately, this is something that all behaviourists have to be prepared for, even if they never have to actually say the words.
The dog in question, a Cocker Spaniel, is often thought to be an ideal family dog.

Most of the comments I read against VS were written by Americans and / or dog lovers. Those calling her something along the lines of "Stuck up cow" were referring to her no nonsense approach to owners.
She uses positive reinforcement to train the dogs, something which I wholeheartedly agree with. It has worked for two unruly GSD's in my household! However, when it comes to the owners, VS will put it in the simplest terms for them, even if it sounds very harsh. She is often portrayed on the programme as a kind of "headmistress" character, using calm, positive techniques with the naughty dogs, and telling off the owners, who should know better. In one episode, she ends up arguing with one idiot (an American) who refuses to look after one particular dog in the household because it is a foster dog, and he did not agree for it to be there. This meant his partner was left to do all the work, as she did not think it fair to treat one dog different from the next. The argument got rather heated, and so VS walked out, telling him that she cannot train the dogs without his full co-operation.
While I understand that some people may view this as a "temper tantrum", she does, in fact, have a fair and valid point. Working with dogs, especially with those whose behaviour needs modifying, it is important that everyone in the household, and likewise, visitors, must be consistent, otherwise it just won't work. What is the point of one person teaching the dog to stay off the sofa if another person in the house allows the dog to climb all over the furniture?
Unfortunately, too many people treat their dogs as they would treat a child. But they aren't children. The aren't human. They are animals. They need consistency, affection, food, training and exercise. If they don't, they are likely to develop behavioural problems which could easily have been avoided.
Training a dog should be fun and rewarding for animal and human alike. No amount of shouting or physical punishment is going to have any effect other than to create a fearful, possibly aggressive, dog. If it takes telling the owners some home truths, then so be it.

And so the debate rages on. More and more people are turning to the positive, rewarding approach to training, whilst those set in their ways are still using primitive methods such as the "alpha roll." Is their ever going to be an agreement between the two types of trainers? Unfortunately, probably not.
Read More!