Animal behaviorist, dog trainer

To protect dogs against certain diseases, it is vital that all puppies complete a course of vaccinations at an early age. The current guidelines from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (2010) recommend that pups have 3 core vaccinations against distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus, all of which can be deadly to puppies and adult dogs.

A complicating factor in puppy vaccinations is that puppies born to healthy mothers have a “passive” immunity (maternally derived antibody) against these diseases for possibly the first 6 - 12 weeks of their lives. This means that vaccinations given during this period may not “take”.

To try and ensure the efficacy of vaccinations, many vets are vaccinating slightly later i.e. the puppy only gets its first vaccination at 8 weeks of age. The problem is that without proper testing it is not possible to determine whether maternal antibodies are still functional at this stage and so the recommendation becomes that puppies should not socialize or explore outside the home environment until they have had the second or third vaccination, sometimes as late as 16 weeks.

The very serious problem that results from such late vaccination schedules, is that puppies are unable to attend puppy classes or be taken out into the world to socialize until AFTER the sensitive or critical period for socialization is over (for most breeds this ends at about 14 weeks, but in certain sensitive breeds like German Shepherds, it can end as early as 10 weeks)!

From a behavioural/developmental point of view this can be disastrous as the puppy is less likely to accept new people, dogs and environments once this period is over and may develop nervous/aggressive problems that he or she may never completely overcome.

Until recently most puppies were vaccinated for the first time at around 6 weeks of age, this meant that the second vaccination could be done as early as 9 weeks (each one should be 3-4 weeks apart) and pups could start classes at around 10 weeks of age. WSAVA’s guidelines for vaccinations do mention this problem and admit that it would be acceptable for the 3^rd vaccination to take place at around 14 weeks of age (meaning that the 1^st could be at 6 weeks, the 2^nd at 10 weeks and the 3^rd at 14 weeks).

It is important as a dog owner to discuss these options with your breeder and your vet ahead of time to ensure that a vaccination course is started early enough to enable your puppy to be able to begin socialising while he or she is still receptive to new experiences. Don’t be passive about this important issue, as it really could affect the rest of your dog’s life.

Please note that vaccinations are important. Once the initial puppy course is finished, all dogs must also have a booster 12 months after the final vaccination. The current recommended vaccination schedule for adult dogs is every 3 years. It is irresponsible not to vaccinate - these diseases are all too real and kill many shelter puppies and unvaccinated dogs in disadvantaged areas on a regular basis.

To see the full report from WSAVA’S Vaccination Guideline Group for 2010 please go to http://www.wsava.org/VGG1.htm

Recently I have received several emails about dogs that have gotten lost on walks or that have wandered off from their homes. In many cases the dogs in question were very newly adopted and had not really had a chance to bond with their new owners yet. It seems that a common cause of a dog getting lost is the dog taking fright and running away from something. Here are some suggestions of how to minimize the chances of this happening: 

1. When adopting a new dog from a shelter or a dog from another home or even an adult dog from a breeder, allow the dog time to settle in at your home and with your family before you expect it to cope with the rest of the world as well. The Open Paw dog rehabilitation programme advises that dogs adopted from shelters are not taken out for the first two weeks after they come home. Some of us may feel impatient to get the dog out and start doing things with him or her, but remember that a good start where the dog has the chance to adjust and build up confidence in its new living environment can help the dog to cope better when you do start going out for walks etc.
2. When walking your new dog, keep him or her on the lead until you are sure of their reaction to other dogs, people and strange noises. A dog that is unsure of itself may run off to get away from something it finds scary. Often when the new owner tries to call the dog back, the dog does not know or trust the person well enough yet to respond. If you are concerned that the lead might cause social problems when meeting new people and dogs, leave the dog on a long line so that the dog has the freedom to interact naturally, but you can get the dog back if a problem arises.
3. Don’t leave a new dog out in the garden at night or when you are going to be leaving the home for a while, unless the property is 100% secure and there is no way that the dog can escape. A new dog may be very stressed on its own and may try to escape in order to follow you, to try and find something familiar or just to explore.
4. Fit your dog with a collar and clear name tag with your contact numbers on it immediately. This will allow someone to contact you directly if your dog does get out and they find him. Also make sure that the dog is micro-chipped so that if the collar comes off he can still be identified by a vet or rescue organisation.

Remember that rescued dogs in particular can be nervous of a variety of things and so may be vulnerable to getting frightened, confused and lost. It often takes time for the dog to learn to trust you and to feel comfortable enough to come to you when it is frightened rather than run away. Training using positive reinforcement will help to build confidence and a bond of trust between you and your dog.

While the idea of having a litter of puppies may seem like a lot of fun and many parents think it will be a good learning experience for children, bringing a litter of puppies into the world is not something that should be done lightly. If you are not a professional registered breeder, please consider the following: 

1. There are currently thousands of puppies (and adult dogs) sitting in shelters all over the country waiting for homes. Every puppy that is brought into the world takes a home away from one of these dogs.

 
2. Breeding healthy puppies takes effort and preparation. The parents must be checked for hereditary diseases and the mother and father must be carefully matched in order to produce offspring that are mentally and physically healthy.

 
3. Keeping an intact bitch until she is the correct age to breed can be troublesome as you will have to go through several heat cycles first where you will have to ensure that she does not get pregnant.

 
4. Keeping an intact male dog increases the risks of the dog developing certain hormone-related behavioural problems such as aggression towards other male dogs and urine marking in the home.

 
5. Finding the right homes for puppies is not an easy thing to do. You may have many people who want them, but how many will really look after the pups the way that you would like them to?

 
6. If your dog has any behavioural problems that seem to be related to his or her temperament, this makes them unsuitable for breeding as you are risking passing on undesirable behaviour traits to all the puppies.

 
7. Responsible breeding is costly. Pregnant and lactating bitches require increased amounts of food and special veterinary care, puppies must be de-wormed (usually once a week until they are homed) and vaccinated at least once. Registered litters must also be micro-chipped and registered with the kennel union - all of this costs money and if the litter is a large one the bill will mount up.

 
8. Responsible breeders will not home puppies until they are 8 weeks old. This means that they will be fed solid food for at least two weeks prior to being homed. This is also costly.

 
9. Responsible breeders know how to correctly socialise puppies until they are homed. A good knowledge of early canine development is essential for a good breeder.

 
10. Registered breeders will usually take dogs back if the new owners are not able to keep them or they experience serious problems with them. Would you be able to do this or would you be happy to see a puppy that you had brought into the world end up in a shelter or worse?

It is very common today for people looking for a puppy to search the internet and see what comes up. Free advertising websites like Gum Tree have endless lists of puppies advertised to the general public.

It is quite rare though, for legitimate registered breeders to advertise on such websites. Most registered breeders don’t really have the need to advertise as they have become known in the dog community and so constantly have people phoning them looking for pups.

When you see an advertisement for registered puppies with “excellent bloodlines” on free websites, please do your homework very well and make sure that the breeders are who they say they are. While it is possible that you may have come across a good breeder in such a way, it is unfortunately also possible that you have come across a backyard breeder who is lying to you about the puppies’ parentage or a complete con artist who may request a deposit for the pup and then disappear with your money.

There are even very clever fraudsters out there who actually use the real names and pedigrees of existing dogs (owned by well-known, registered breeders) in order to attract the public to their adds!

Always do the following when checking out your prospective breeder:
1. If you have never heard of the person as a breeder, check with the Kennel Union or contact your local breed club and ask whether they are familiar with this person at all.
2. Insist on visiting the breeder’s home and kennels so that you can see what conditions the puppy is coming from and you can see how the person interacts with his own dogs.
3. Make sure that you get to meet and spend time with the parents of the puppies. This is should give you a good indication of the kind of temperament the puppies are likely to have as they grow up. (You can also check that the parents are in fact the dogs in the advertisement photos!). If the breeder will not allow you to meet the parents, this is a huge warning that something is wrong. Don’t allow the breeder to simply bring the puppy to your home - you will then have no idea what sort of environment the puppy came from and no clue what the parents are really like.
4. Don’t pay a deposit without having first seen the pups and parents on the breeder’s premises (the father may belong to another breeder, so you may have to make two trips). No good breeder would accept a deposit without having met you first and assessed whether you are going to be the right person to take one of his pups into your home.
5. Don’t take home a puppy that is under 7 weeks of age (preferably 8 weeks). Unfortunately many backyard breeders simply lie about the pup’s age, so if you think the puppy looks much younger than it is supposed to be (still very wobbly on its feet and eyes slightly unfocused) it probably is!
6. Make sure that you see the vaccination card (the puppy must have had its first vaccination) and proof of micro-chipping. Registered puppies have to be micro-chipped by the breeder.

You should not have to rescue your dog from its breeder! Please remember that supporting backyard breeders leads to many more animals being produced only to end up in shelters. If the puppies are in poor conditions, report the situation to the SPCA.

While many people enjoy sharing a snack with their dogs, there are many human foods that have been reported as being toxic to dogs and have resulted in severe illness, organ failure and even death in some cases. Below is a list of foods that should not be fed to dogs:

1. Chocolate (and any food that contains caffeine, including tea!) -  Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea and can be toxic to the heart and nervous system.

 
2. Grapes or raisins/sultanas - While the toxic substance for dogs in this fruit has not been identified, there have been very severe cases of “raisin/grape” poisoning in dogs which results in damage to the kidneys.

3. Onions (or anything in the onion family) - These contain sulfoxides and disulfides which can damage red blood cells, causing anaemia. Garlic is less toxic than onions and is often suggested for flavouring dog food and keeping fleas at bay. However, long term consumption of garlic may also be dangerous.

 
4. Macadamia nuts - They contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive system, nervous system and muscle.

 
5. Avocado Pear -All parts of the tree and its fruit contain persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

 
6. Potato peelings, green potatoes and green tomatoes - These contain oxalates which can cause abnormalities with the nervous system, kidneys and digestive tract. Tomato leaves and plants can trigger tremors, seizure and heart arrhythmia.

 
7. Xylitol (artificial sweetener) - This can cause very low blood sugar, which can result in vomiting, weakness and collapse. In high doses it can cause liver failure.

 
8. Mushrooms - These can contain toxins which may affect multiple systems in the body, in some cases resulting in shock and death.

Other foods which should be avoided are:
Fatty foods - too much fatty food can cause pancreatitis. Interestingly, more cases of pancreatitis are reported during the festive season (when we tend to indulge in more fatty foods)!
Raw meat and eggs - these may contain bacteria such as e-coli and salmonella which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.
Cat food - Cat food contains higher protein levels than dog food and can cause kidney problems in dogs when fed on an ongoing basis.

At this time of year in South Africa, temperatures can soar well over the thirty degree mark and there have been days this summer where the temperature has climbed to well over forty degrees in some areas of the Cape. Dogs do suffer in these conditions and there is the very real danger that they may succumb to heat stroke.

The following should be remembered:

1. Never walk your dog in the heat of the day. If you are going to exercise your dog,  do so very early in the morning (before 8am). While some evenings may also be relatively cool, if the day has been a scorching one a dog’ s body may still be under strain from having coped with the day’s heat and exercise may be too much for him at that stage.

2. Take your dog for a swim rather than a walk. Many dogs love swimming and the cold water will help to keep them cool and refreshed.

3. Wet your dog down during the day. If your dog is looking uncomfortably hot, wetting him down with the hose-pipe or providing a “kiddies”
 pool for him to lie in will help to cool him off.

4. Allow your dog inside the house. It is often cooler inside the house, especially if the curtains are closed. Many dogs find relief by lying on tiled floors.

5. Don’t feed your dog when it is still very hot. It is be best to delay the evening meal until the day has cooled down and to avoid feeding your dog outside in the sun.

6. Provide plenty of fresh water and make sure that water is kept in the shade.

7. If your dog is struggling to settle down for the night, place a wet towel over the dog’s body to help cool him down. This really does work very well and in a short time you will find that your dog will settle, his breathing will relax and he will fall asleep!

8. Never leave your dog in a vehicle unsupervised under any circumstances. Dogs can die very easily from being locked in cars where temperatures quickly rise.

9. Exercise your dog cautiously for a while even after hot weather has passed. Your dog may still be recovering from coping with the hot weather and may still be susceptible to heat-stroke.

10. Take your dog to the vet immediately if you notice any change in behaviour. Loss of appetite, trouble settling down (dog paces or keeps getting up and moving from one spot to another), disoriented behaviour and lethargy may all be signs that your dog is in trouble.

The holidays are upon us and many families choose this time to go out and get a new puppy. It may be that the new canine family member is to be a Christmas gift for someone in the family or simply that with everyone on holiday it seems the ideal time to be able to cope with introducing a dog into the home.

But please consider the following:
1. All puppies grow up into big dogs that need lots of attention, care, love and training. Most children are nowhere near capable of caring for an animal properly and should never be given animals as gifts. An animal is a responsibility and not a toy.
2. In the hurry to obtain a puppy during the holidays, you may end up going to a dubious source, like a non-registered breeder or pet shop. I have had several people tell me that they bought puppies from dodgy sources, because they simply did not want to wait a few months for a reputable registered breeder to have a litter! Unscrupulous commercial breeders rely on this kind of attitude to keep them in business.*
3. Most puppy classes are closed during the holidays. This often means that training and socializing are unnecessarily delayed. If you do have a puppy and need help over the holidays, do contact your local puppy trainer and ask if they have any reading material which you could use to get started with training at home until classes resume.
4. Puppies that get used to spending all day with their families during the holidays can find it hard to accept being left alone when everyone goes back to work and school in the New Year. If you and your family are usually out all day and every day, is it really fair to get a dog in the first place? If your puppy will have to get used to spending some time alone in the New Year, start preparing him for this by going out for short times during the holidays as well.
5. If you do want a dog for life and not just for the holidays, please consider getting a puppy or adult from a shelter. If you are not interested in breed specifics, you could give an unfortunate dog a second chance in life.

 
*Many people are quite defensive when asked whether their puppy comes from a registered breeder. They are quick to say that they don’t care about the dog’s pedigree and will love it just as much regardless of its ancestry. But they are missing the point: no-one is saying that the puppy is not as loveable or special because it cost less or cannot prove its lineage, but what does need to be said is that by purchasing the puppy from non-registered breeder, the person is supporting the unscrupulous and profit-motivated production of surplus pet dogs that often end up in shelters. To understand more about the problems with supporting commercial breeders, I would like to recommend the article “Breeders: A Welfare perspective - by Dr Shelagh Hahn (Dr BVSc) . It is very hard-hitting and food for thought.

These days there is endless choice when it comes to what to feed a dog. Here are some things to consider when making that choice:

1. Only feed a brand that has dog-size appropriate foods: Large breed puppies should always be fed food with a lower concentration of fat and calcium than small and medium breed puppies. This prevents bones from growing too quickly and excess weight gain, both of which can be very detrimental to developing joints. Border Collies, the bull breeds and Bassett Hounds should also be placed on Large Breed Puppy and adult foods.
2. Feed age-appropriate foods: Growing puppies need slightly more protein in their diets than adult dogs. Senior dogs (over 7 years) on the other hand need lower protein and salt to avoid placing strain on aging kidneys.
3. Feed a brand of food that has special diets available for health problems: Good dog foods will have diets for sensitive skin, sensitive stomachs, joint problems, kidney problems and weight problems. There are even diets available for “working” dogs that are expending large amounts of energy and for very old dogs whose brain function is impaired. Speak to your vet about these diets if your dog has any health problems.
4. Only feed food that is designed for dogs and not for any other animal: A lot of dog owners also have cats and sometimes people allow their dogs to eat the cats’ food and visa versa. This is problematic as cat food contains higher levels of protein than dog food to suit the cat’s protein requirements. Dogs that eat cat food will be getting too much protein and cats that eat dog food will not get enough. This will lead to long-term health problems which may only be detected once significant damage has been done to organs like the liver and kidneys.

Good quality dog foods will also have the right balance of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Check your labels and make sure you understand what is in the food you are feeding. Artificial colourants, preservatives and flavourants should be avoided.

Often the objection to feeding better quality foods is the increased cost. However, better quality foods are fed in smaller amounts, because they are more digestible and have higher nutritional value. Better quality foods will also keep your dog’s immune system strong and prevent health problems which would result in costly visits to the vet.

Remember to always provide plenty of fresh water for your dog as water is the most vital nutrient of all!

For more information on finding a food that meets your dog’s specific requirements, please visit Hills Pet Nutrition at http://www.hillspet.co.za/

Unfortunately there is no one governing body who overseas the work of behaviourists and trainers in South Africa. As a result anybody can call themselves a “behaviourist” regardless of whether they have any qualifications in the field and there is nothing that can be done about it from a legal point of view.

Because of this, it is vital that dog owners investigate the various people whose services they would like to use to ensure that they are truly dealing with a professional and not with someone who is simply dabbling in the field.

The following questions should be asked:

1. What qualifications does the person have? While many people will tell you that it is experience that counts, there is a lot of information that a behaviourist needs to have in order to truly understand what they are talking about. Knowledge of basic dog physiology, psychology, behavioural patterns and learning theory are vital. Without this deeper understanding, a person can make very serious mistakes when addressing behavioural problems based only on their own limited experience.

 
2. What methods does the person use? While there may be a grain of truth to the statement “Different methods work with different dogs”, the profession is old enough now to have developed and accepted certain mainstream methods and to have rejected others. On the whole, methods that rely on positive training techniques and learning theory are widely accepted to be the most effective and safe for people and dogs. Training that relies heavily on aversives (any punishment from yelling and smacking the dog to the use of shock collars) and primitive “dominance theories” is seen as unhelpful and even dangerous.

 
3. What are you getting for your money? Some so-called behaviourists charge a fortune for their time, spend very little of it with you and leave you with nothing to work with once they have gone. A formal consultation should entail the following: a session where the person spends time with you and your dog in your home environment (1-3 hours, depending on the problem), takes a full history from you and witnesses the problem behaviour if necessary. This should be followed up by a detailed written report containing specific and extensive guidelines on how to tackle the problems. This report is vital, because once the behaviourist has left it is not always easy to remember what they have said and you will need something concrete to guide you as you go forward. All good behaviour courses teach their students how to write these reports.

 
Dog owners also need to be aware that there are all sorts of dog “experts” emerging who don’t even pretend to work along the lines of training or behaviour modification. There are dog whisperers, dog shamans, dog listeners and dog communicators. These people generally approach problems from a “spiritual/energy” angle and believe that they can use energy and mental telepathy to solve behaviour problems. Usually they charge outrageous fees (e.g. R1000 for a telephonic consultation where they don’t even see the dog!) and come up with theories which cannot be proved or disproved.

Never be afraid to ask questions and investigate your options before entrusting your dog’s and your family’s wellbeing to someone.

The method of feeding dogs where a large amount of food is placed in the dog’s bowl and the dog helps himself throughout the day as and when he feels like it is known as “free-feeding”.

 Common reasons that owners give for why they free-feed their dogs are as follows:

1. The dog does not have a good appetite and seldom finishes a meal in one go.
2. The dog is protective of its food and it is hoped that free-feeding will change this i.e. if food is always available there is no need to protect it.
3. The dog knows best how much it needs to eat and will regulate its nutritional intake in an optimum way.
4. The dog may get hungry during the day and so should always have food available.
5. Free-feeding makes dogs more relaxed.

However, most behaviourists and trainers discourage free-feeding for the following reasons:

1. When a dog is able to help itself to food all day long, food has little value for the dog and so loses its “power” as an effective training tool.
2. Many dogs are not very good at regulating their nutritional intake and will overeat and become overweight when food is always available.
3. If a dog picks at food all day long, it is very hard to tell when a dog has lost its appetite altogether. This means that owners often miss one of the most crucial indicators that their dogs may be ill.
4. Dogs are natural scavengers and hunters (i.e. they are used to spending time “working” for their food). When used appropriately, food is therefore a very useful tool for keeping dogs occupied and preventing behavioural problems (e.g. stuffing food into Kongs or using it for training)
5. Food is one of the best ways to create a positive association with humans. If we provide food for our dogs (calling them, getting them to sit and then placing their meal before them) we are teaching them that good and valuable things come from us.

For health and behavioural reasons, I recommend feeding dogs twice a day (morning and evening). If you have concerns about maintaining such regular mealtimes, here are some suggestions:

1. If the dog does not have a good appetite generally, check that you are feeding a good quality dog food and try a few samples of different brands to see which your dog finds more palatable.
2. Add a small spoon of good quality tinned food to dry pellets and mix well to encourage your dog to eat all of its food in one go. (Most owners say that their dogs will eat soft food immediately and only ever leave dry pellets.)
3. If the dog walks away from the bowl after a few minutes and there is still food left, remove the bowl immediately and add leftovers to the next meal or throw them out if they will spoil. Most owners feed too much food rather than too little and the dog may not need the amount it is receiving. If the dog does start to get a bit hungry, he should start to eat better!
4. Some dogs have very little appetite early in the morning. A walk before breakfast will often stimulate the appetite or you could try feeding the first meal at lunch-time.
5. If your dog has food-guarding issues, speak to a behaviourist or trainer about how to address this problem in a positive way. Food-guarding is one of the easiest problems to solve using positive training methods.
6. If you want your dog to be relaxed at home, regular training, exercise and providing occupational toys are a far better means of achieving this than free-feeding.