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Dogs like Christmas decorations, too!

06/12/2016 By Karen Wild Leave a Comment

dog training activitiesWhat on earth are us humans doing? Collecting boxes down from the loft and suddenly filling the house with flashing lights and tempting food. And none of it can be sniffed, touched, chewed or swallowed. What a pity for our dogs! They may like decorations, but for all the wrong reasons. It is time to be vigilant and check that your beloved pooch can’t reach the spiky holly or the pretty poinsettia.

A real tree might suddenly appear in the lounge, but it is out of bounds to leg-cocking, so be careful where you arrange those electric lights. Even an artificial one is a sudden and strange intrusion. All those dangling baubles and shiny tinsel and even chocolates hanging down. Make sure you put yours on only the highest boughs and never leave the tree unattended. You would be astounded at the reach of a determined dog. Use shatterproof ornaments, and think about putting the tree up on a coffee table or even behind a fire guard. It is simply not worth the life-threatening issues that might occur if your dog decides any of these things are a tasty snack.

As presents start to arrive, keep them well out of reach, because dogs don’t have handy calendars to tell them it is not Christmas yet. Ask givers if the gifts contain anything edible and again, don’t be afraid to put them up on a table to prevent any spoilers.

We had an interesting incident last year where an unwanted (coconut, much hated in our house) chocolate from an advent calendar rolled off the mantelpiece and into the happily waiting mouth of our little terrier Maisie. It was a traumatic moment for us as we retrieved it. Maisie adores chocolate and, unlike our other dogs, would do anything to earn it. Luckily this was the only incident and she is very small. If she were larger there would need to be no chocolates anywhere. This is not just a training issue (she is very good at being called away) but once they can access it, you have a serious problem. Chocolate is extremely poisonous to dogs, so don’t take the risk, not even once.

Filed Under: Blog, Posts, Tips and Advice, What's New Tagged With: dog training, health, humour, puppy, training, welfare

Do you really need to buy more dog toys?

18/11/2016 By Karen Wild Leave a Comment

zippypaws-house-toy-brunoIt is impossible to miss that Christmas is well and truly underway, in our shops at least. I am always a little bothered by its early arrival but I soon get carried away with the twinkly lights and pretty decorations. I love any celebration where people are ‘officially’ supposed to be nice to one another.

In my new book, ‘Being a Dog’, as well as describing how your dog sees and responds to the world around him, I talk about our human behaviour, where we buy our dogs presents, have parties for them and generally spend a lot of money on things they may or may not need. Christmas shopping is one of those times where we can easily get carried away. What might your dog actually prefer, and does he really need more, or any, toys?

Sometimes I visit a client’s home and they have toy boxes filled with squeaky, furry, fluffy dog playthings but still they report that the dog is not interested in them, preferring shoes, dirty laundry, or the childrens’ toys. Why spend money on more things for the dog that they won’t play with?

Yes, dogs do need their own safe things to enjoy so that they will be less likely to chew up unsafe items. We have great pet shops locally for you to source these. Dogs like novelty, so the new toy you buy will be enjoyable for a while until your dog gets to explore it, but after a while it could be relegated to the toy box graveyard along with all the others. The solution? Take some of the toys away and put them out of reach for a while. You can swap them over after a few weeks and hey presto! A whole set of ‘new’ toys to delight your dog.

The biggest attraction for dog goodies is the scent the item holds, followed by the texture. Dogs generally prefer softer items compared to solid or metal, possibly because they enjoy this texture in their mouths (rabbit-like, perhaps). These items retain any scent more readily, so your shoes, gloves, socks and underwear may be particularly tempting.

To deter them from playing with things you own, you might use a pet-safe bitter-tasting spray on the item, but preferably choose a series of safe-to-chew dog toys that can contain food. This maintains novelty, gives the dog something tasty and interesting to explore.

They could even replace the boring old dog dinner bowl as a fun activity in the gloomy winter months to come.

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Posts, Tips and Advice, What's New Tagged With: dog training, humour, owner training, puppy, training, welfare

Does my dog need a coat?

28/10/2016 By Karen Wild Leave a Comment

walk in snow fresh start Every time the autumn arrives, I notice the temperature changes quite rapidly. Not for us the late summer in autumn that we have enjoyed in the past! This year we are straight down to business, with colder and damper weather leading us into wintertime.

Coats are on sale everywhere, and not just for humans. After the dressing up costumes of Hallowe’en, we now have the winter jumpers and Christmas gear, but also plenty of dog coats available.

‘They already have coats’ I hear you cry. Yes indeed, our dogs are covered in fur. If you compare a Pinscher or Weimaraner to a Border Collie, however, you can see that those coats vary hugely. A light covering of fur is not going to insulate your pooch as much as the heaviest of Golden Retriever fluffiness.

If you decide your dog might be feeling the cold, aim for a rain-protective and padded coat. Ensure that your dog can still move freely in it, as it can be a little overwhelming for them at first. Fleeces are available, with leg ‘sleeves’ that are brilliant for Greyhounds and others that simply do not have nature’s furry coating.

It is only fair that a very young dog gets additional help in keeping warm especially on damp, rainy days. A puppy’s coat is naturally lighter and fluffier, even if their future fur is going to be thick and warm.

In addition we all know that getting older brings aches and pains in colder weather, so your elderly dog, who may have survived happily through all the preceding years, might start to appreciate another layer.

Dog coats can be bought on a budget, or can be very costly. My advice is to start with a slightly less pricey, or second-hand coat or jumper. They are not great quality but I would not want you to spend a lot of money if your dog dislikes it. Once you have spent time accustoming your dog to the new sensation, they will appreciate it, and you can then purchase something a little more high quality, perhaps.

Waterproof coats can be treated fabric rather than noisy, sweaty, crinkly plastic versions, so shop around!

You may currently be complaining as many dogs appear to moult at this time of year, possibly due to the central heating coming on. Nonetheless, keeping their coat in good condition means that whatever fur they do have will help protect them from the cold. Judging by the amount of coat my little dog Pickles is currently shedding, I could probably knit us both a new one.

Filed Under: Blog, Posts, Tips and Advice, What's New Tagged With: dog training, dog walking, equipment, humour, welfare

Pet Portrait Competition!

21/10/2016 By Karen Wild 7 Comments

puppyCOMPETITION TIME!

To celebrate the launch of my book, Being a Dog, we have teamed up with talented artist Karen Green, for an exciting opportunity to win a Pet Portrait of your dog!

As you can see, her skills are incredible. It would make a superb memory of your beautiful pooch, so do enter!

ellieHow to enter:

As this is to celebrate the launch of my book, ‘Being a Dog’ we would like you to say below what ‘Being a Dog’ really means to your pet. Please add your comment below (in 30 words or less) in the format: “My dog loves Being a Dog because…”

We will choose the most appealing answer as our winner by the 5th November and the winner will be announced here on this page, so keep checking back!

About Karen Green, Fine Artist

After graduating from De Montfort University with a 2:1 Bachelor of Arts Degree I became a Fine Artist, painting portraits alongside sea/landscape art.
I love getting lost in the moment when painting and the creative release it gives me. 
I use washes of watercolour when painting pet portraits, capturing the character and personality of the subject. 
My pet portraits are a best described as a “unique gift that last a lifetime at a price you can afford”
Please visit http://www.karenjanegreen.com/portraits-commissions,  telephone 07525251426 or 
email karen35green@yahoo.co.uk for further information
being-a-dog-cover-lo-res

Help celebrate Karen’s new book!

(Competition rules: Use 30 words or less. Longer entries will not be considered. One entry per household. Judges decision is final. Closing date and last entries accepted on 4/11/16. Winner announced on this page on 5/11/16. Winner will be contacted directly by artist Karen Green so please leave a valid email address. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose by this website. Prizes unclaimed by 31/12/16 will be considered invalid.)

Please add your comment below (in 30 words or less) in the format: “My dog loves Being a Dog because…”

Filed Under: Blog, Competition, Posts, What's New Tagged With: celebrity, dog training, fun, puppies, puppy, welfare

Buying a dog online? Know or say NO to “pet deception”

26/06/2016 By Karen Wild Leave a Comment

Pugs are very popular but can have serious health issues. Never buy from an unregistered breeder!

Pugs are very popular but can have serious health issues. Never buy from an unregistered breeder!

This month I saw another case where a young dog bought online was put to sleep with severe behaviour and health problems including severe skin issues, leaving behind a crying family and a seller that gets off scot-free.

Would you buy a sick, dangerous or even illegal animal from an online advert? How would you know? A puppy being swapped for a smart phone, a pit bull advertised illegally for professional dog fighting, illegally imported puppies from Lithuania, are just some of the shocking ads discovered during the research and all caused by a lack of proper regulation of the online pet trade.

Ah, the Internet. We used to disregard it as a new-fangled idea that cost loads of phone bill to access. Now, it replaces swathes of our everyday activity. Shopping is incredibly convenient. You don’t even need a premises for customers, and you can source pretty much anything. Just sit cosily and wait for the delivery.

That’s great when you are buying books, or clothes, but what about shopping for a puppy?

Fluffy and cute? Well, no. Here’s the cold, hard news. International welfare organisation FOUR PAWS has carried out research on 42 classified ad sites across 10 countries world-wide (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, South Africa Switzerland and the UK).

Some online sales sites have as many as 200,000 adverts featuring pets for sale online at any one time, with over 4 million viewers.

Julie Sanders, International Director of Companion Animals Department at FOUR PAWS, tells of a positive move. “As part of the campaign we have developed an online tool which ranks the more commonly used classified ad sites to show the public which sites could be putting them, and indeed the animals, at risk: www.petdeception.org.”

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Special welfare measures have been taken up by some of the sites, helping potential pet parents to choose the better sources. Such measures mean that classified ads sites are:

·       Having to verify sellers identity, so that there is no anonymous selling on the sites for animal sales, to help stop illegal activity

·       Running pre checks of all adverts to remove illegal, misleading or inappropriate adverts before they go live

·       Having mandatory information in the ad on the animal for example important care, health and documentation details to help the buyer make an informed decision when buying a pet

·       Having in place and enforcing a list of animals which are banned from being sold on the site including primates, endangered and wild caught animals, underage animals and pregnant animals to help address animal welfare issues

With all these measures, there are still many lies and stories spun around puppies for sale. Remember my golden rules:

  1. See the Mum and make sure she is the right one. Many puppy farms sell on to agents who pretend their own dog is the mother. I never buy a puppy unless I can see Mum, Dad, Aunties, Uncles, older brothers and sister dogs. How else will I know what this puppy will grow into?
  2. Never buy with cash
  3. Choose local, so that you can return the puppy if there is a problem. Get a receipt of sale. Get a puppy contract (see the Kennel Club details on this).
  4. Never ‘buy from a bucket’ because you feel sorry for the puppies. You are only making room for another. Choose an accredited breeder from the Kennel Club wherever possible.
  5. See the puppies at least twice before making a decision
  6. Expect a good breeder to ask you many many questions about your home. Good breeders will say no to you if they don’t think their pups will be suited.
  7. Remember. It is YOUR CHOICE. All puppies are cute, but they are not all healthy. You will be caught out, as many kind, intelligent, caring people are.

Still not convinced?

Watch this fabulous video from FOUR PAWS to really help, and please share this blog as far and wide as you can. Visit www.petdeception.org to see updates and let potential buyers know about the project. We want to help animals, don’t we? So let’s stop the crooks.

Karen

 

Karen’s new book ‘Being a dog’ is available on PRE-ORDER here!

Being a Dog: The world from your dog’s point of view

Filed Under: Blog, Posts, Tips and Advice, Trainers and Behaviourists, What's New Tagged With: health, problem behaviours, puppy, rescue, welfare

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About Karen

contactkaren-3I’m a full-time U.K. dog trainer and behaviour consultant based in Peterborough with 17 years in the field. My work ranges from class teaching, obedience, flyball, agility and working trials, competition, to running a popular dog display team.
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