More on Fireworks and Noise Fears

Bang Bash Boom

Does your dog have issues with noise? Fireworks, loud traffic, ghost noises (you know – the noises that you don’t hear), crow scarers, thunder etc? Have you just got a puppy or rescue dog and don’t know the answer to these questions? Please read on.

Fireworks fear is probably the noise fear that’s talked about most. And sadly, as ‘that time of year’ comes around, many need to pop into their vets again for some pills. And indeed, that is a sensible thing to do. There are new drugs available now that can help.  So, please do go and chat with your vet now.

However, many folks consider this a permanent problem - something that they need to put up with every year. Perhaps we go on holiday for the week, or send our dogs to a quiet kennel. Again, all good management strategies. 

The thing is, though, that for most dogs fireworks phobias can be fixed. Many have been helped with a simple noise desensitisation programme coupled with the use of some calming aid such as Adaptil (exposing your dog to the same pheromones that they experienced when they were just born).

Perhaps you’ve already tried this and it’s not worked? 

The bad news is that indeed it doesn’t work for some. But, the good news is that it does work for many and also that there are many other calming options: herbal, food supplements, clinical medication and complementary therapies. (Read about calming aids for dogs here.) It’s all about finding the one that works for your pooch. Unfortunately, we don’t know which one will absolutely work – because we can’t stick a needle in our dog’s brains and find out what’s imbalanced. So, we may need to try a few. 

But there’s another problem that’s frequently overlooked. Noise fears and other fears and anxieties and other types of behavioural problem or training issues all serve to exacerbate the intensity of actual fireworks problem. So please think more broadly about what bothers your dog – it may well help with fireworks issues.

What to do now?  Whether you know your dog or puppy is going to have a problem or not - go look at www.pawsability.co.uk - or directly here (My dog is scared of fireworks and bangs - help! ) and click through the fireworks links for help on both fixing and preparing for this year’s fireworks. There you’ll find help and advice on the various calming options, preparing a safe den, safety indoors and out, and general behaviour help too.

Originally published in the Northern Times Sept 2017

Recommended further reading - Toni Shelbourne's book  - Help, my dog is scared of fireworks.

Dogs Anonymous!

Today what’s grabbing my heart strings are the number of people out there with difficult dogs who think they are on their own. I mean, if I had £1 for every time I’d said, “don’t worry, you’re not alone”, I’d be writing for the Majorcan Gazette! Ha-ha, only kidding… you all know how much I love living in Scotland, especially with this summer heat we’ve been having (Oh no.. wait.. that's snow..!!).

Anyway, back to the point. There are about 9 million dogs in the UK.  How many do you think have training difficulties or behaviour problems?

A survey back in 2000 studied the prevalence of dog behaviour issues for dogs rehomed from rescue shelters. They did have a good response rate of 37%, but sadly mostly all of those dogs were reported to have behaviour problems including fearfulness, aggression and excessive barking.

Another more recent North Korean study reported in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour, indicated that 84% of owners reported their dogs to have behaviour problems. We would presume to think that the rate in the UK would be much less. However aggression problems, in particular, appear to be on the rise, with over 7000 hospital admissions for dog bites in England in 2013-14.

It seems difficult to obtain a recent specific percentage figure for the UK. (If you have access to such research, please do email me). However, even if we considered only 10% of dogs to have behaviour problems then that is still very large figure – with lazy arithmetic - about 1 million dog.

So, really, you are not alone.

But back to my main point. Where would you get some support? There are certainly many support groups on Facebook and the likes, and many of them adhere to the modern rewarding and fear free methods of behaviour and training. These can be a great place to start, but, and apologies to those excellent groups, they can sometimes lead to a bewildering range of ideas to choose from. Sadly too, there are support groups out there that share outdated punishment based and emotionally challenging solutions.

Now, there’s another million $ phrase that I hear all the time – “I’ve tried everything”.

Maybe I should start an AA equivalent – Dogs Anonymous! “Hello, my name is John and I have an aggressive dog.” You get the picture.

Well the first step in that direction has led me to set up a series of group workshops, starting with reactive dogs. These small supportive friendly groups start out with a day’s education and are followed up with private or group support for people and for their dogs. And hopefully you’ll make some new friends with whom to share your woes. (For those of you out-with the Highlands / Aberdeenshire, I'd recommend looking up a good behaviourist running similar workshops).

The workshop objectives are to essentially empower you; to help you to believe in the path that you’re taking; to help you to recognize the good advice from the bad that may come your way from on line sources, seemingly new books or popular but sadly out of date TV programs. And, ultimately, to devise your own behaviour modification or training programme.

If you would like the support of new friends, to know more about why not to pin or role your dog, why it doesn’t matter who eats first and whether it’s ok to cuddle them when you come home, then please do have a look at www.pawsability.co.uk/workshop or give me a call.

(Main article first published in the Northern Times, March 2017)

Thinking of Getting a Puppy?

Thinking of getting a puppy? Please think twice.

I’ve said it before, and I’ve said it again, but ‘just to be sure’, here it is again!!

Sadly, puppy farms exist. Sadly poor breeders exist. Sadly people still get puppies for Christmas (yes of course, many work out fine – I hope that’s you). Sadly, many times, instead of bringing happiness, the new wee bundle of fun can turn life upside down -financially and emotionally.

If you’ve just welcomed a new puppy into your home, congratulations! As you may know by now, there are lots of free puppy training help notes on the PawsAbility.co.uk web site, including help for the most common problem such as toilet training, socialisation and puppy biting. Happy reading.

However, if you are thinking of getting a puppy soon and haven’t actually got it yet, then please do read on to make sure that your puppy journey is as happy as possible.

Puppy gifts – please do consider whether this gift is really wanted. So many dogs and puppies are abandoned to rescue centres at this time of year. And according to DogMagazine.net at least one eight week old puppy has already, in the past weeks, been bought, not wanted and abandoned to the dog rescue.

Puppy source – please do your research. Poorly bred puppies from puppy farms and from poor breeders will cost you much more money than the ticket price. It sounds quite unbelievable, but a Kennel Club study found that:

• ·      One third of puppies are bought from disreputable sources including internet sites, newspaper ads and social media.
• ·      Nearly half of these puppies, who haven’t been seen before buying first, fall sick.
• ·      One in five of these puppies cost £500 - £1000 in vet bills in the first 6 months.
• ·      Over one third of people who ended up with a sick puppy bought this way, experienced financial and emotional problems.
• ·      Over one third of these puppies were spur of the moment decisions.
• ·      And these poorly bred puppies are far more likely to suffer from behavioural issues.

So, please plan carefully. It may seem that money is saved at the outset, but it is highly likely to cost you more in the long run.

Is the time right? – please think long and hard about whether this is the right time to get a puppy. Puppies should not be left home alone for more than two hours (this is after they are old enough and have been accustomed to being on their own).  They also need you to be able to spend 1-1 time with them for socialisation, training, and play. Many puppies can take up several hours in your day.

Family – a new puppy will affect the whole family so please do make sure that everyone in the household really, really – I’m gonna say it again – really, really wants a puppy. I know this sounds obvious. But I have worked with many families where it transpired that at least one adult family member was strongly opposed to the new addition.

Four paw families – also, please consider the other pets in your household. How will the addition of a puppy affect your cat? Will your older dog be able to cope with a jumpy, bitey, annoying little puppy? Are the other dogs in your house well enough trained? Do you really need another dog to join the pack?

I know, and I’m sorry that this all sounds so negative. Of course, we love our pets and we do think that we’ve weighed up the pros and cons and are making the right decision. But, sadly, many new puppy purchases just don’t work out. So, if you are about to take that step, it’s not too late to change your mind and do more research – even if you have paid a deposit!

Please think twice, then it’ll be alright (maybe).

I do hope this has helped with your contemplations. There are, of course, more resources on the PawAbility.co.uk web site to help you to choose where and when to get a puppy, or you can email your questions to anna@pawsability.co.uk.

For more information and help, including great web sites on puppy costings and questions to ask your breeder, please look here - Getting a Puppy.

Article originally published in the Northern Times, Dec 2016.

Keep safe and happy with your pet at Xmas

Gosh, it's been a while - I can't really believe I've not posted here for a year!! Surely the dates must be wrong.

Anyway, here's some helpful advice on keeping safe with your pet at xmas.

Are you stressed out by Christmas yet? Well, why not sit down, have a cup of tea and spend just a moment or two thinking on how our dogs or other pets may be affected. Here are a few tips to help to reassure ourselves that they will be safe and happy.

First, let’s consider the now well-known phrase: ‘A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas’. It may seem a perfect time to add a new furry to our family, taking advantage of being off work for a little longer. However, for the most part, this time of year is really busy for us. The best advice is therefore to consider a calmer time in our lives so that we can give our full attention to our new puppy or rescue dog.

Sadly, rescue centres are frequently inundated with abandoned pets at this time of year.  Perhaps it’s worth thinking about the future, before extending your family. Or perhaps you may wish to donate a little to your local rescue centre to help those in unfortunate circumstances.

Next, please consider general safety. During the festive season we may have gifts, decorations and extra food around, all of which can be dangerous for our pets. Dogs and puppies in particular will be very excited with something novel lying on the couch or under the tree, and may well decide to investigate. Whilst presents under the tree do look nice, they may well be too much of a temptation, as may tinsel and other tree decorations. So, please consider how you can keep your tree safe. Perhaps putting a smaller tree on a table would help, or how about a decorative fence around the tree?

Food and treats can also be a hazard. Chocolate, grapes and macadamia nuts (well we may well have them at xmas time) are all poisonous to dogs, along with many other xmas treats. Even feeding your pet some special meal or turkey left overs can upset their digestive systems. Obviously it’s nice to treat our pets, but, just a tiny amount of something safe will feel special for them.  Take care with xmas plants too which are frequently toxic to pets.

Next, it’s worth considering how our change in routine affects our dogs. Can they cope with more visitors? If not, then consider introducing a safe den area in the house for them. Can they cope with being left for longer when you are out at a party? If not, perhaps they would be happier having a friend or neighbour pop in to see them.  But certainly, make sure that you’ve left enough time to give them an extra walk before you go.

And finally, we want to avoid the issue that frequently arises after the holidays. Some dogs who had seemed perfectly happy being left at home whilst you were out at work, can suddenly no longer cope. And, when you return to work, they may bark a lot, toilet in the house or destroy things. It’s a common problem. To avoid this, try to keep their routine similar, and give them a little home alone time.

So, in summary, please try to keep your dogs safe from the food, decorations and presents and aim to keep their routine as consistent as possible.

We hope you have a safe and happy Pawsmas. For more information on dog poisons and keeping your pet safe and happy, please visit Pawsability.co.uk.

Author : Anna Patfield

First published, Northern Times Dec 2016.

Further Reading : More on Xmas by Denise Nuttal 

New year, new dog, new you….

As each New Year comes around most of us promise ourselves that we’re going to make changes in our lives. We will lose weight or get more exercise, or eat more healthily for instance. Sadly, most new years resolutions are broken within a few weeks, I believe.

So how about making a promise with your dog and having a New Years Resolution Dogs Buddy? Here are some win-win ideas.

Weight loss:

Many many dogs are overweight. Unless there are health problems going on then being overweight is a result of too many calories balanced with the amount of exercise taken. So if your dog is overweight, how about setting up a new diet and exercise regime.  You could for instance put 1 spoonful less food in your dogs bowl and add 10 minutes onto their daily walks, or add in an extra brisk walk. This regime obviously hasn’t been scientifically proven, but it seems to make sense to me. You get the added benefit of the extra exercise and you could always join them in eating smaller portions for your meals (if this applies to you Ofcourse). Please always check with your vet before embarking on any significant exercise regime change; it may not be healthy to overly-exercise an overweight dog.

Be happier:

If you’re stressed your dog may well be too. They want you to be happy and content with life just as much as you do. So, have a look at your dog and have a think about what would make them even more happy: more walks, more time outside, more physical exercise; more play time? All of these things can equally benefit us. If you play a new game with your dog, then you’ll get some fun out of that too, and I’m sure you’ll have a laugh in the process. Mental stimulation can also help to improve how your dog feels. I wonder if there are any basic training exercises that could be improved with your dog or perhaps you could look at some tricks, agility or some doggy dancing steps. They’ll all be great fun for you both.

And of course if your dog has some behaviour or training problems, then why not make a new years resolution to get help and get them fixed. That will certainly lead to less stress in both your lives.

Be healthier:

A good diet is also important to give us the best chance at being happy and healthy. So perhaps reviewing and changing your dogs food would help too.

Please note that you should of course always carefully consider whether any changes you make in your dog’s life is appropriate for them. For instance, playing Frisbee with a young dog when they jump up and potentially damage their limbs on landing isn’t going to be good for them. Or, if you’re dog is aggressive with other dogs then taking them to the park more often may not be the right course of action.

If you’d like any help with any behaviour or training problems then please have a look at the Pawsability.co.uk web site or email anna@pawsability.co.uk.

Or why not join us on Facebook.com/Pawsability and share your New Years Dogs Buddy Resolutions. 

Author: Anna Patfield, First Published in the Northern Times, Dec 2014