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Minggu, 12 Oktober 2014

Advice from a trainer What to do if an unfriendly dog approaches mine at the dog park

On Monday, I posted my response to a reader asking what to do if an unfriendly dog approaches her dog while at the park. You can read my response here: What to do if an unfriendly dog approaches ...

With my own pooch not fit for the dog park, though, its not an area I have a whole of experience with. So, I reached out to my favorite local dog trainer, Nicole Herr. She and her husband, Brian, run Herr Pet Training. They have the right knowledge about dog behavior — not all trainers do — and are capable of tackling the toughest of behavior problems. Its all about credibility for me and these two have it.

Without further ado, here is Nicoles response:

The question
“What to do if you are at the dog park with your dog and a “not friendly” dog approaches. I would love to say this never happens when we are out, but there have been a few times that I have been out with my dog and another dog comes up that is a little too aggressive (starts to show aggressive dominance behaviors like mounting). If you had any tips about how to handle while minimizing getting hurt that would be great!”

Great blog post Karen! (Gee, thanks Nicole!!) Youve written sound advice on a very tricky subject and Im going to build on that...

This is the trickiest part of a trip to the dog park ... the other dogs. Its an element you cant control for, so you need to be very alert and aware to your own dogs body language and cues of stress. If your dog begins to look stressed, it is our job as pet parents to step in and manage or remove them from the situation. Many dogs do not handle the dog park environment well. Having even a basic knowledge of canine body language will help you identify what dog-dog communications are occurring, and if your dog will fit well into the environment.

An important note to start: While you are at the park with your dog, dont sit back and read a book. Keep a watchful eye on your dog and stay reasonably close. Seconds matter if an altercation occurs and being a football field away is simply irresponsible.

If I am in the dog park, I am always carrying VERY tasty treats, a loud whistle and a small air horn. The treats can help redirect your dog if necessary and can be used as a lure for others if the need arises. The whistle and air horn are there to serve as an interrupter. They can startle the dogs just long enough for you to step in and diffuse the situation. You should ALWAYS have your leash immediately at-hand as well. Your leash can be used a loop to quickly gain control of your dog when there isnt time to clip onto the collar.

To go back to the original question, I am assuming that you are in the immediate vicinity of your dog when this happens and that your dog is off-leash. If the dog approaches in an offensive and charging manner, take a step between them and give a "HEY!" to startle them. Often, something this simple will stop them or slow them down. At this point a "Please come get your dog" in a nice, loud voice will have the owner coming in for assistance. If the dog continues to approach, use your whistle or air horn if you feel threatened (this will definitely get everyones attention). We are looking to startle them just long enough to intervene and avoid a dog fight.

"He may stand there, looking at you, confused, not quite ready to give up more of his space. Tell him to get lost. Wave him off. If it doesn’t work, stand there and hold your ground until he decides to trot away in a different direction.
If he tries to go around you, body block him. If he takes a step to his left, you take the same step to match him. Claim your space. Claim your dog. "
This is great advice from Karen. (Thanks, Nicole!!)

A few other notes on this subject:
*Stay calm-- Your dog feeds off of your emotions, so remain calm and confident. If you panic, so will they.

*Dont grab for the collar — A dog in a heightened state wont know your hand from the touch of another dog. They may turn and snap at or bite you if you grab at their collar. Use your leash to loop your dog and regain control. If you need to physically remove your dog from another, do not use your hands. At that point, use your legs/shins to shove them, then loop them to regain control.

*Avoid busy times at the park — Simply put, go when its less busy. Or visit during times when the less-than-friendly dogs are not there.

*Report it! — If you see a dog that is a problem, report them to park authorities. If there is no one on-site, make a report to the governing offices. Keeping the park safe is everyones responsibility.

While I enjoy a day at the park with my dog, I highly advocate for trying a good doggie daycare, too. The daycare is a controlled environment, where the dogs have been evaluated for temperament and personality. This keeps the "not so friendly" dogs out, as they generally dont make it past the initial screening process.

Please keep in mind that these are general tips to keep the "not so friendly" dogs at bay. Avoiding them is the first step. If you find yourself encountering them at a park too often, let the authorities know and find a new park. Before I take my dog to a new park I will go by myself to observe and meet some people. Ask questions. Are there times to avoid? Dogs to stay away from? Take the time to find the right place for you and your dog to enjoy.

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Kamis, 04 September 2014

Dogs help in natural disasters They just do

(Australian bushfires are big. Really big. source)

Hey Julie,

What an important topic to raise. Its so important that we stop to consider what animals are experiencing in times of natural disaster and rescue.

It got me thinking about a different kind of natural disaster that struck my local community in February 2009, the series of bushfires (wild fires) that came to be known in Australia as the Black Saturday bushfires.

It was horrible.

One of the formerly forested ridges in the 2009 bushfire zone (source)

Extreme weather conditions, the lay of the land, an unexpected wind change and a series of fires that merged into one enormous front resulted in Australias highest loss of life as a result of a bushfire. The fires were only 15km (9 miles) from my house and had the wind gone in a different direction it could easily have been my similarly bushy home area that was devastated.

There were many, many, many people, pets, other animals and wildlife who were killed, injured and/or displaced by this huge and devastating event.

But Julie, do you know what? Dogs helped. They really did.
In so many special ways.

A search and rescue dog and handler (source)

Volunteer handlers with their search and rescue dogs helped to locate the remains of people who had died trying to defend or take shelter in their homes, enabling identification that would assist with closure for the victims remaining families.

We have evidence about how important the role of dogs and pets can be in our lives. Especially for children. The relationship children form with their pets has been shown to help modulate the effects of traumatic events like natural disasters. So keeping pets with families (or in a safe place that can be visited and where families know they are safe) is an important part of helping people cope in times of disaster.

Just by being present, many dogs were acting as unwitting therapists. Offering the opportunity for calming behaviour - like patting, which has been shown to result in lower blood pressure and heart rate in the person patting the dog - when people really needed it.

One of the most remarkable things that the injured and displaced dogs achieved was acting as a catalyst to community engagement and resilience.

The nearest animal shelter to the area devastated was immediately inundated by displaced large animals, cats, dogs, other small pets and numerous wildlife. You can read their account from page 40 of the article in Animal Sheltering magazine here.

Happy was treated for burns at the shelter & featured in the media (source)

As the shelter had prepared for the possibility of a fire in the region, they were prepared to some degree. However, they found themselves immediately under pressure to find resources to house, feed and reunite hundreds of small and large animals with families who potentially (and very probably) had no homes left to return to. Within two days the shelter was inundated by offers of support from other vet clinics, community members, volunteers and people WANTING TO HELP THE DOGS (oh, OK, and the other animals!).

(source)

A huge network swung into action sourcing and coordinating the donations of cages, blankets, food, etc. etc. from all over the country. This was an incredible feat given many of the shelter staff lived in the affected area or had friends/family affected. It gave the wider community a sense that they were contributing to help in some tangible way (enabling them to COPE on a psychological level with the awful reality) and also helped the affected area feel that people were aware of their situation and there to support them.

So important.

Im pleased to see that your city has similarly been pulling together in the wake of Sandy.

So you see? Dogs help in natural disasters. They really do.

Sam the koala drinking from a volunteer fire fighters bottle

Ill sign off now with a quick return to your point about animals in rescue situations.

I know its not a dog, but this koala (dubbed "Sam") is a really interesting case. Koalas are not usually considered friendly or approachable in the wild. They can hiss and bite and scratch if they are approached and feel threatened.

But this chap offered the entire country watching these horrific events unfold a beautiful moment of hope and wonder. He let a firefighter approach him and drank from his water bottle. An illustration of a positive human-animal connection all forms of media distributed far and wide.

Highly unusual behaviour (as the firefighter acknowledges with some colourful language part way through the video!).

I hope your election day went well over there. I really enjoyed reading your contribution to this piece about Seamus Romneys trip to Canada.

Til next time!

Mia

The region transformed in the 2009 bushfires is regenerating.

Selasa, 26 Agustus 2014

Do You Believe in Dog One year of believing

Happy anniversary Julie!

Can you believe weve been exchanging blog posts about canine science for one year already? In some ways its gone so quickly and in others its hard to remember when we werent. I was going to do a highlights kind of post, but decided its all been so freaking fantastic, that I wouldnt know where to start or stop.

In all ways, its FABULOUS, and I thank you from the bottom of my everything for answering my first blog post with a big, fat YES!

#AAWS2013

I attended the 7th National Workshop for the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy this week. It was a busy few days with lots of learning and networking going on, everywhere you looked.

Stand out things you should know about:

AMRRIC do AMAZING work in rural and remote indigenous communities. You can follow them on Facebook, on YouTube and/or sign up for their newsletter. Check out details of their upcoming conference.

After calls for an independent office for animal welfare in Australia, minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced at AAWS2013 he is creating the role of Inspector General for Animal Welfare & Live Exports. This has been met with mixed reactions from the two main groups (primary production and animal advocacy bodies) involved. As we will be having a federal election very soon in Australia, it will be interesting to see what happens on this front in the coming months. The sceptics suggest, "not much".

Im now taking a weeks break with my family in sunny Queensland - much warmer than my home town right now. I hope you are enjoying your Summer.
What have you been learning at all those conferences?

Thank you once again, for a year of believing in dog with me!

Big hugs,

Mia
© 2013 Mia Cobb

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Rabu, 13 Agustus 2014

DO DOGS GRIEVE

Why do so many humans not understand or acknowledge that non-human animals such as dogs do grieve?

I think, in part it is because many humans do not want to accept that dogs are intelligent and do have emotions. To accept means that you must do the hard work of looking at yourself and re-thinking what you have been taught - you must challenge yourself!

To accept that dogs grieve is a huge exposure for humans. If we accept that dogs grieve we must accept that they feel a range of emotions, that they are intelligent.

It means that perhaps we do not have the right to summarily (without thought) take a dog’s life. It means that the choices we make may have deeper repercussions than some wish to be responsible for. It means you may have to assume/deal with guilt and a whole range of other emotions, whereas previously one may have taken action without a second thought.

For those that do see, the reward is irreplaceable. A whole new world of possibilities and actualities expands your mind, your heart. Dogs do feel grief for the passing of another dog, cat or other animal companion that they loved, for the passing of their human companion. Those who are close to their animal companions know this without doubt.

The more we are open to the intelligence of our companion animals the more we can learn from them. The more we can help them in return for all they do for us.

If you think your dog is suffering from grief and you would like to help him/her, you can read this article

Additional Assistance

If you require additional support and guidance I would be pleased to assist you via my In-Person or On-Line Services…

Dog Obedience Training and Behaviour Modification Services:

In-Person sessions are available via this service
On-Line consultation and sessions are available via this service

Diet, Nutrition Wellness Services:

Unbiased Diet, Nutrition, Product Advice is available via this service
Holistic Diet, Nutrition Wellness Plans are available via this service

Notes:

Please note - this article is for information purposes and is not a substitute for an in-person Session with me. When working with dogs I use many techniques - it is important to note that this article may touch on one or several techniques but not all. I select the technique that I use for a particular dog based on my observations of the dog and an intuitive, instinctive assessment of that dogs and its humans individual requirements. For example when I am working with a dog that is hyper sensitive and very physically reactive I will not use voice or touch. I use a lot of therapeutic touch on some dogs, others require the use of herding techniques and so on. Each and every technique must be combined with:

an understanding of the real intelligence, sensitivity and capability of dogs;
an understanding of how to read a dogs face and a dogs overall body language;
an understanding of the full spectrum of ways that humans communicate and dogs communicate;
understanding and recognition of the individual that is each dog - no two dogs are the same...taking a cookie cutter approach to techniques is not the way to work with a dog;
a complete recognition and understanding of all the elements that feed a behaviour and create an issue:

the vast majority of people can only identify one or two elements...which vastly inhibits the ability to resolve behavior issues;
behaviours do not exist in isolation - there are always many elements that feed a single behaviour, there all always multiple behaviours that create a behavioral issue;

self-restraint and discipline on the part of the human who is directing the dog;
sensitivity, awareness, intuition, instinct and timing on the part of the human who is directing the dog;

to understand, connect with and adapt quickly and effectively to a dogs learning requirements you must be able to employ the same tools a dog uses - acute sensitivity, awareness, instinct, intuition and timing;

kindness, endurance, consideration, patience, persistence, perspective, the ability and know how to let the past go, the ability to set realistic expectations at any one point in time;
the creation of structure, rules, boundaries and limitations for each situation at the macro and micro level;
understanding of all the elements that make up an instruction and direction to a dog...there are multiple steps involved in an instruction - not just one!
absolute honesty - if you cannot be honest with yourself you will not be able to communicate clearly with a dog.

These are just some of the techniques that I teach my clients - it is a holistic, all-encompassing approach. If you are missing any one element of the above mentioned your success rate will be affected to one degree or another in implementing the techniques offered in the article presented above.

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Minggu, 15 Juni 2014

Dogs do talk and we need to listen

The following video is a great example of people not understanding dog communication. She thinks the dog is "Purring"! What do you think?

The vocalization is growling. Growling means either go away from me, I am uncomfortable with this or stop doing that. This combined with the body language and facial expression of the dog shows you it is growling and is NOT a happy sound. He means it. The sad part is that when the dog finally bites her she will think he "snapped" with no warning and for no reason. This poor dog is TRYING his best to communicate here!

Yes some dogs can have happy vocalization sounds in play. Unfortunately this is not one of them.

The other scary part is that she says she is a foster home. I would be very fearful of her qualifications is she cant even recognise growling. Especially in such a large and powerful breed. Do you want her chose which home this dog should go to? I bet she would place him with children who love to hug dogs. Many dogs dislike hugging from strangers. It is obvious that this one is no exception.

I wonder if anyone temperament tested this dog at all before putting him in this foster home. I know its not always the perfect test of a dog but it can be a start for some. This behavior might have come out in a SAFER test.

I feel sorry for this dog. He could end up dead all because someone didnt listen to him. Hopefully he doesnt hurt someone to badly before they figure it out.

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Rabu, 30 April 2014

Getting Your Dog Fixed: It's The Right Thing To Do

Your veterinarian should initiate a discussion about spaying or neutering at the time of your first appointment, months in advance of the actual surgery. If he or she doesn't, then inquire. When the puppy is very young is a good time to start thinking about whether you want to spay or neuter your pet for preventative health care, birth control and to avoid some potentially undesirable behavior.

Many breeders offer pet quality puppies for sale with the stipulation that the dogs be neutered or spayed when they reach the appropriate age. This is the breeder's way of insuring breed improvement, by only allowing high-quality dogs to reproduce. You, of course, think your puppy is absolutely perfect. And it is - for you, and as a pet, but perhaps not as a model for future members of its breed.

Possibly the best reason to have your female spayed while she is young (most veterinarians recommend six months of age) is for its health benefit. Mammary gland cancer is much more common, in an unspayed (intact) female. If your puppy is spayed before her first heat (at six months, for example), her risk of developing breast tumors is substantially reduced. The odds are still in her favor, though diminished, if she is spayed after her first heat. But if you wait until she reaches maturity, say after her second or third heat, the operation will not reduce her risk of breast cancer. This is why it is important to have her spayed early in life.

Other reasons? The surgery itself, complete removal of the uterus and both ovaries, is ordinarily quicker and less hemorrhagic in immature females, so the risk of complications is reduced. Owners are spared the stress of having to confine the female who, when she comes into season, sends out enticing messages to male dogs in the vicinity. Furthermore, because the reproductive organs are gone, spaying eliminates the possibility of unwanted pregnancy as well as the regular heat period when dogs leave blood-tinged stains on carpets and furniture. Lastly, the potential infections, cancers and other problems involving the uterus and/or ovaries are eliminated along with these organs. Diseases of the male reproductive organs related to the presence of male hormones are not unknown, either. Although neutering represents an advantage as far as prevention is concerned, this is not usually the primary reason owners have their dogs castrated.

Most people want their dog to be neutered because they think it helps make him a better pet. This may be true, for the following reasons: Intact male dogs can act aggressively toward other dogs and people because they are trying to protect and control their territory. In the male mind, "territory" may be your property, its toys, females in heat, a bowl of food and so on. This type of behavior is unacceptable to most people and may be strongly influenced by the dog's male hormones. Neutering a dog with aggressive tendencies at an early age may reduce these problems. Castration is also recommended for aggressive older dogs, although its chance for success is less certain.

A neutered dog has less temptation to roam, too, as well as fight. He probably won't embarrass you at important dinner parties by seeking romance with your company's legs. And just as important, he won't contribute to the already burgeoning population of homeless puppies, something we should all be ashamed of.

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