Animal behaviorist, dog trainer

As we head into the hottest time of the year it is important to remember that the high temperatures we experience in this part of the world can have a big effect on our dogs’ health and behaviour. Many dogs will be more lethargic than usual when it comes to walks and training and some may even be less keen on their meals. Here are a few things to remember when caring for your dog:

1. Always make sure there is a constant supply of fresh water for your dog.

2. Exercise and train your dog early in the morning (before 9am) or later in the evening (after 4pm).

3. Do not take your dog for lengthy hikes up the mountain on hot days.

4. Give your dog plenty of opportunity to cool down by swimming or wading in the sea, rock pools or rivers that you have access to on walks.

5. Feed your dog in the shade or in a cool room indoors.

6. Make sure that your dog has cooled down after exercise (about an hour) before you feed him.

7. Be especially careful when walking older dogs, puppies and dogs with respiratory problems on warmer days.

8. Make sure that your dog has plenty of shade if he has to stay outside while you are out during the day.

9. If you have a white dog or a dog with very sparse fur on his nose, check with your vet about pet-sunblock to prevent permanent sun damage.

10. If you believe that your dog is uncomfortably hot, wetting his tummy down with cool water may help him to feel better.

If your dog is in serious distress, please do not hesitate to take him to the vet! Dogs can and do die from heat stroke. Summer can be a great time to enjoy the outdoors with your dog, but please be sensible!

In the “old days” most trainers and clubs only admitted dogs into their classes once they were at least 6 months old. However, the positive methods that are used to train dogs today make it possible for even very young puppies to enjoy and respond enthusiastically to training and most puppy classes allow pups to come to class from ten weeks of age.

Despite the fact that there are so many puppy classes around these days, there is still a fairly large proportion of people who do not think it is necessary to make use of these classes to train or socialise their pups. Some believe that formal training and socialising is unnecessary, while others intend to pursue the matter once their dogs are more mature. Problems with this are as follows:

1. Puppies are like little sponges: they learn constantly, regardless of whether we have a plan to train them or not. The only difference is that when we have no plan, the pup learns things that it shouldn’t or ends up training us instead!
2. Pups are far more receptive to socialising (learning to cope with new people, dogs and experiences) before they are 4 months old. If a puppy has not learned to get on with other dogs at an early age, admitting him to a class full of dogs when he is older can be very difficult.
3. When we train a young puppy we are starting with a fairly blank slate and are able to easily mould the pup’s behaviour. On the other hand, when we begin to train an older dog, the dog is likely to have already picked up bad habits which are often very resistant and take a long time to disappear.

While I am always glad to help people with their older dogs and I always enjoy seeing the wonderful changes which training can bring about in these dogs, I would urge people not to wait when it comes to these matters. Training should be seen as an investment in the dog’s future and not as a cure for a problem that has been allowed to develop. If we teach our puppies what we expect from them right from the start, we will make life easier for them and for ourselves in the long run!

Most dogs love water. Some may take a while to get used to it, but once they do it is generally difficult to keep them out of any body of water that they may come across on a walk. Many owners discourage their dogs from swimming simply because having to deal with a wet and often muddy or sandy dog is not all that much fun when one reaches the car or gets home. However, swimming can be extremely beneficial for dogs for the following reasons:

1. It is another healthy outlet for excess energy
2. It can cool dogs down and refresh them during long walks
3. It is an excellent form of low-impact exercise for dogs with arthritis and other joint problems
4. It can be used to help build up muscle and stretch ligaments after surgery
5. It is a great way for ball or toy-mad dogs to be able to retrieve again and again without the repeated breaking and jarring that would occur on land and that is often detrimental to joints and ligaments

If your dog has had surgery involving the skeletal system, it is an excellent idea to ask your vet about the benefits of hydrotherapy. If it is appropriate, your vet will refer you to a hydro-therapist in your area who will have the proper facilities and training to be able to put together a programme that will assist your dog in recovering from surgery and regaining mobility in the affected area. Hydrotherapy is also excellent for elderly dogs with arthritis, as it helps to prevent muscle wastage and keeps the dogs active and mobile.

A note of caution:
While many people do allow their dogs to swim in their own pools, one must ensure that dogs with access to swimming pools can easily get out of the pool once they are in it. Puppies and elderly dogs are particularly at risk and there are many reported cases of dogs drowning because they could not find the steps or haul themselves over the side. Rather do not allow your dogs to have access to the pool when you are not there to supervise them. Also be aware that not all dogs can swim and that some may take a while to learn to swim properly. Always allow your dog to deal with water at his or her own pace and be ready to jump in and assist if they get into trouble!

With the new draft of the animal by-laws out for comment, many Capetonians are understandably up in arms about the clause specifying that no one may keep a dog that barks for more than six minutes in one hour or three minutes in half an hour. However, as ridiculous and impractical as this clause may be, many suburbs do have far too many dogs that bark incessantly and many owners often ask me how to keep their own dogs’ barking to a minimum.

Here are some tips on how to handle barking in your own home:
1. Make sure your dog has sufficient exercise on a daily basis: If a dog can get rid of excess energy on walks, he will have less energy to bark unnecessarily.
2. Make sure your dog has enough mental stimulation (occupational toys, training and games): Dogs that are bored and frustrated are more likely to bark for no good reason.
3. Make sure your dog has regular social interaction with other dogs and people: Dogs that are under-socialised are more likely to bark out of fear or excitement whenever they see a new dog or person nearby.
4. Give your dog chews to keep his mouth busy: Chewing rawhide, hooves or stuffed Kongs releases tension in the jaws and face muscles which could otherwise lead to barking. Also, a dog that is occupied with something nice to chew is less likely to bark unnecessarily.
5. Keep your dog inside when you go out: Many dogs settle down far better indoors than outside. Most dogs will simply go to their beds and sleep until their owners return. They will generally find less to bark at inside the house. (Most dogs can be left safely inside for up to 5 hours at a time without needing to go to the toilet.)
6. Make sure your dog is not left hungry when you go out: Some dogs will not settle down if they are hungry and will bark for their supper!
7. Let your dog sleep inside the house at night: At night sounds travel much farther than during the day and dogs may hear all sorts of things in the distance to bark at. (Their barking will also be more annoying to neighbours if it occurs in the middle of the night.) I far prefer to keep my dogs indoors with me at night, because I know that they are right there with me if anyone tries to break in!
8. Allow your dog access to you during the day: If you are at home and your dog is in the house with you, he will be far more content and less likely to bark than if he is left outside by himself.
9. If your dog does find something to bark at, go and investigate what it is, thank him for letting you know about it and then call them away and reward him for coming to you. This will help him to settle down far better than simply yelling through the window or out the door!
10. Familiarise your dog with your neighbours: If your dog knows your neighbours he should not bark at them when they come home or work in their gardens etc. Our dogs can see all the comings and goings in our neighbours’ properties, but will only bark if they see someone who does not belong there.

Many of us do want our dogs to bark so that we have some deterrent against criminals in our homes and so that we can be alerted to a potential threat. However, the dog that seldom barks is far more likely to attract attention than the one that barks all the time!

One of the things which I always recommend new puppy owners purchase is a Kong toy. The traditional Kong is a hollow, rounded, pyramid shaped rubber toy which comes in various sizes and is available from vets, vet shops and reputable pet product retailers. While many people say that their dogs just don’t seem interested in Kongs, I have found that the reason for this is due to the fact that people often do not know how to use them: some owners simply take the Kong out of the packaging and give it to the dog as it is, while others occasionally place a few dry pellets in the Kong which fall out in about two seconds of the dog playing with it.

The proper way to use a Kong is to stuff it completely with the dog’s food. In order to do this with dry dog food, the food must be prepared in advance i.e. it must be soaked in water until it is a soft porridge which can be stuffed tightly into the Kong. When a Kong is stuffed in this manner, it requires a lot of time and effort on the part of the dog to “unstuff” it. In order to get all the food out, the dog will not only have to lick and chew the Kong, but will have to learn to roll it around and tip it over with his paws and even drop it repeatedly on the ground to dislodge the contents. (If you have more than one dog you will find it fascinating to see how each one finds different ways to approach the challenge!)

Kongs are excellent “occupational” therapy for dogs, because they use up physical and mental energy which the dog would otherwise be directing elsewhere e.g. digging up the garden, chewing the furniture, barking at the neighbours or chasing the cat! In the same way that we humans like to bite our nails, smoke or eat chocolate to relieve tension, dogs like to chew - thus Kongs are also an excellent way of helping a dog to deal with stress.

Kong Tips:
1. New puppies: Instead of feeding your puppy out of a bowl, feed most of the food (except that which you have reserved for training) from Kongs. In this way your puppy will have less time to chew the furniture and will learn that Kongs are actually more rewarding than table legs!
2. Destructive chewers: Do the same as for young puppies. Keep your dog’s jaws and mind occupied with appropriate chew toys.
3. Seperation anxiety/home alone: Having a Kong to look forward to when you go out helps to relieve the stress which many dogs experience when home alone. (Ian Dunbar had one rescued dog who was always left with a whole basketful of stuffed Kongs until his acute anxiety at being left alone subsided.)
4. Older dogs: Old dogs can learn new tricks. Both my older dogs were introduced to Kongs in their senior years and both learned to love them. With older dogs it is often a good idea to make the first few Kongs easier to unstuff (use some dry pellets which fall out easily) so that they find the Kong rewarding to chew from the start and don’t give up.
5. The real thing: Don’t waste time and money on imitation Kongs. While the real thing may be expensive, if looked after properly it will last the dog’s lifetime. Imitations will fall apart and be eaten!
6. Kong maintenance: Once the dog has unstuffed the Kong and finished playing with it, take it away, wash it and store it out of the sun until next time. Kongs will eventually perish if constantly left out in the rain and sun.
7. Adding interest: If your dog is not mad about its food, insert a piece of biltong or cheese into the middle of the Kong so that he has to eat some of the outer food to get to it. I occasionally cook some chicken, rice and veggies to make a special Kong filler. Just don’t upset your dog’s diet too much. If your dog is a genius at unstuffing Kongs, try freezing the stuffed Kong to make a challenging “Kongsicle”.
8. The right size: Do look at the chart on the Kong packaging to determine which size your dog will need. Too small will mean your dog won’t get anything out of the Kong and too big will make the task too easy.
9. Use the Kong to bond with your dog: My dogs know that when a really tricky bit of food is left in the Kong, I will get it out for them. In this way Kongs can be used to teach dogs to give up their chew toys happily in expectation that something good will happen.

 
So remember, while a Kong may be expensive, it is not just a toy, but also a means to create positive chewing habits and prevent a host of behavioural problems. Definitely a worthwhile investment!

You just have to walk into any vet or pet store today to see the countless adverts asking for homes for pets whose owners are immigrating. There seems to be a never ending stream of people leaving the country and leaving their pets behind. If you ask people why they are not taking their dogs with them the response is usually that it would be unfair to put the animal into quarantine and that it is therefore kinder to leave them behind.

However, over the last year I have heard more stories from those that have made the decision to take their animals with them. In fact, I have had two such dogs in my own classes. In both cases they were rescued dogs that had not even been with the owners for much more than a year at the time, but it was decided that they were important enough to make the effort to bring them along. Both dogs are now out of quarantine and happily settled in their new homes with their owners.

While there are cases where taking a dog overseas and placing him/her in quarantine is not advisable (due to age, illness or behavioural issues), I think the truth of the matter is that many owners just don’t want to make the effort. Investigating the various quarantine options, looking for new accommodation that is dog-friendly and putting aside money to spend on the cost of travel and kennelling for the dog is just too much of an added hassle when one is trying to start a new life in another country.

However, for those of us who would never contemplate leaving our dogs behind, it is good to know that taking them with is possible and need not be completely traumatic for them. Many quarantine kennels are excellent facilities and really do look after their boarding animals very well. Some facilities allow you to visit your dogs regularly and, when more than one dog is involved, most will allow you to kennel your dogs together. (Few people move to a strange country without having first visited it, secured a job and found a home to move into. This is just one more thing that needs to be investigated.) What is more, some countries have shortened their quarantine periods while others have dropped them altogether and only require current vaccination certificates. Make sure you have your facts before you make a decision!

While we worry terribly about the effect that quarantine may have on our dogs, the fact is that most dogs adjust well and bounce back to their usual selves in no time at all once the quarantine period is over. One really needs to look at the big picture: there are simply not enough homes out there for all the dogs being left behind and many end up in welfare kennels or are euthenased. Is a few months of being well-cared for in kennels really so bad in comparison to the fate the dog may meet if he/she is left behind? What are three or six months when a dog has many more years to live happily with his owners after that?

Lastly - most of us don’t decide to leave the country overnight. If you have any idea that such a move may be in the near future, please don’t go out and get a puppy in the meantime!

The photos are of Shiraz (adopted from TEARS) and her owner Lynn happily enjoying their new life in Ireland.

Often those with young dogs that have not been attending classes for very long will approach some of the advanced class dog owners and comment with a fair amount of awe:  “My dog will never be able to do all that! How did you ever get your dog to be so good?” The response they usually get is: “Two  (or three or four) years of hard work!”

This is not to say that teaching a dog basic obedience should take years. In fact, dogs can learn lots of different things very quickly and teaching puppies basic manners will definitely help them to be more of a pleasure to live with as they mature. However, to have a truly reliable dog that is responsive in all situations and can perform complex exercises despite distractions, one must put in a consistent effort over a relatively long period of time.

Since many large breed dogs only mature at about 4 years of age, it should not be surprising that there will be ups and downs in behaviour for the first few years of a dog’s life. Many teenage dogs are a bit of a nightmare and for a while may seem to forget everything they learned as puppies. Unfortunately, this is when most people quickly give up training and declare their dogs beyond help (or the training methods useless).

We live in a world of quick fixes and instant results, but despite what some may claim, training a dog really well takes time and patience. A few weeks of puppy class will not produce a perfect dog! The more time and effort you put in, the more you will get out!

A friend of mine, who usually comes to watch my intermediate class (mostly teenage dogs) take their Canine Good Citizen test, recently watched my advanced class in action for the first time. She commented that as soon as this group came onto the field there was an immediate change in atmosphere: all the owners were very relaxed and the dogs were very focused and calm. There was overall a sense of order and contentment.  She found it quite amazing, considering that she remembered many of the dogs from when they had taken their test as slightly unruly teenagers whose owners  really had to concentrate hard to help their dogs to pass all the exercises! What a difference!

You may wonder why anyone would want to be able to tell their dog when to go to the toilet, but there are actually several benefits to being able to do this:

1. You can ensure that your dog has emptied his bladder before bedtime so that you don’t get woken up in the night to let him out.
2. You can make sure that your dog has relieved himself before you leave him home alone inside the house for several hours.
3. You can make sure your dog takes the opportunity to relieve himself during a pit-stop on a long road trip.
4. You can make sure your dog relieves himself before going to visit at someone else’s home.
5. It will be easier for you to be able to collect a sample for your vet should the need ever arise!

The way to begin teaching this, is to take your dog outside on the lead when you think it is likely that he will need to relieve himself anyway and to repeat some appropriate phrase or word while he is sniffing around looking for a good spot. As soon as your dog “performs” praise him and offer a tasty treat as a reward. If you do this consistently, he will start to connect the dots and will soon realise that he can be rewarded for going to the toilet when you ask him to. Do remember that you must not give the reward if your dog does not “perform”. Rather take him back inside and try again later.

You can start teaching your dog this useful exercise from the time he is a puppy. In fact, if you are following a proper house-training routine you will be able to practise this many times a day and your puppy will learn in no time at all!

It was common many years ago to acquire a puppy when it was about 6 weeks old. However, these days more is known about the benefits that a puppy gains by staying a little longer with its mom and siblings. By playing with its siblings and interacting with its mom, a puppy learns important canine communication skills and bite inhibition (the ability to reduce the force of its jaws during play).

Often when an owner seeks help for a puppy that is chewing them really badly (bruising or breaking skin) or that has little respect for older dogs, the common denominator is that the puppy was removed from its mother before the age of 7 weeks. It is therefore extremely important that puppies remain with their mothers until they are at least 8 weeks old.

You will seldom find a registered breeder trying to home puppies at a younger age, as they usually know better. However, the majority of informal breeders seem to be quite happy to let puppies go as soon as possible, as the numerous adverts for 6 week-old puppies in newspapers and on advertising websites attests to. It is very important that the dog-owning public takes a stance on this issue and begins to refuse to take puppies under the age of 8 weeks.

Occasionally there may be legitimate reasons to home puppies earlier, such as serious illness in the mother dog or if the pups are rejected or orphaned (even in these cases finding a foster mother and keeping the siblings together would be better than early homing). Excuses such as the breeder wanting to go on holiday or finding the pups too much to handle indicate a complete lack of forethought and commitment. If someone wants you to take your puppy home before 8 weeks it means they do not know what they are doing and you are better off getting a puppy elsewhere!

While every owner wants his/her dog to have a vet who is extremely capable when it comes to diagnosing medical problems and treating his/her dog effectively, we sometimes tend to forget what impact our dog’s vet may have on the dog’s emotional/behavioural well-being. When a dog is handled and examined without care and thought, it may develop very negative associations with people in general and may react defensively when anyone approaches to touch it.

Quite often an otherwise brilliant vet may be so pre-occupied with the medical side of things, that he/she may forget just what affect his/her actions and attitude may have on the patient in the long term. All vets also have their preferences and prejudices when it comes to various breeds and may find it hard to keep these hidden when dealing with clients. Some owners then become very anxious when taking their dogs to the vet as they can sense the vet’s “disapproval”. The anxiety of the owner then adds to the stress of the dog.

Besides medical expertise, here are some qualities you should look for in your vet:
1. A caring and kind attitude towards your dog, regardless of your dog’s behaviour or attitude towards the vet.
2. A genuine interest in your dog’s overall well-being and a desire to “make friends” with your dog.
3. A willingness to spend time explaining in great detail exactly what is wrong with your dog and what the various treatment options are.
4. A willingness to listen carefully to your concerns and to make special arrangements to help your dog feel more comfortable during visits.
5. An approachability that allows you to feel comfortable enough to ask questions, express your thoughts and to bother them after hours in an emergency!

 
If you honestly believe that your current vet does not like your dog for whatever reason and you do not feel comfortable enough to talk openly with him/her, find a new vet. There is no reason to settle for a service that you are not completely happy with. For your dog’s sake and yours, find a vet who will make vet visits as positive an experience as possible for you and your dog!

 Unfortunately, Judah has spent quite a large part of his short life visiting vets due to various medical problems. We are very fortunate to have found a veterinary practice where all the staff treat him with such love and care that he has, despite many unpleasant procedures, actually made friends with them!