You can still catch me on BBC Essex Radio with Steve Scruton, the programme is on the iplayer until Wednesday at:
On a more serious note last week Sue and her little Jack Russell cross, Millie suffered a dangerous dog attack! Millie spent the afternoon at the Vets and Sue at the doctor! Both Sue and Millie are on the mend now and I will leave it to Sue to fill in some details on her ordeal in a reply here, when she is up to it! I will say that Sue’s quick thinking and coura
Millie and Sue before the attack!
ge, saved her dog’s life, and kept Millie’s faith in Sue. This was proved the very next day when Millie made a brief appearance at class, to check her reaction to new dogs, happily Millie reacted confidently as normal, Sue having demonstrated that she is one tough pack leader!
Teaching dogs to come to call! and photo’s of some new clients!
February 28, 2011
The slide show of photo’s are 3 dogs belonging to Amy, they are one Dachshund called Monty, one mini Dachshund Mikey and a gorgeous Chihuahua called Henry!! In case you haven’t guessed Henry is my favourite 🙂 and Amy now sends me regular photo’s of him!!
The recall subject is not to do with them but I wanted to show you the photo’s 🙂 Amy does seem to have a gift!
I was thinking about recall after Jane had asked on the last blog, as you know I spend a lot of my working day teaching recall and I also have to teach my dogs to be good at coming too! As I walked by the lake last week I could see 2 Mallard ducks some way ahead of us sitting still. The dogs hadn’t noticed them, mostly as they were still, I knew that as we got closer the ducks would take off. What I didn’t want was for Pie and Betty to chase them, I do not let me dogs chase any birds or animals if I can help it to keep their recall strong! I knew that if I had Betty and Pie thinking about me and along with that their brains in gear I would have a chance, I called them both to me, rewarded and continued, I repeated the recall a few times and threw in a few downs on command too. I had a pocket full of tit bits of course, so they were both rewarded generously. As the ducks spotted us and took off I had just called the dogs, both dogs responded to me and did not chase the ducks!!! A big test for Betty, but one that I helped her to resist in every way I could. If she had failed I would not have been upset with her, but I would have known to work a lot harder, as it is I will most likely get complacent and have to work harder later in the year 🙂 but for now we are on track!!!
I have sadly neglected the blog over the last 2 weeks, I have been busy at work but outside of work I have been creating a few little drama’s that have kept me really busy!! I usually keep this to dog training but I feel like sharing today:)
First I crashed my car, I know that no one hits anything in a car on purpose but I was totally stupid! I was in a car park at night, there were some boys playing football and in truth I was looking at them rather than where I was going, concerned that the ball may come my way and with it one of the children, bang I hit the lamp-post, I wasn’t going more than 10/15 miles an hour and you should have seen my poor car:( not good!
Since the holidays I have had 3 colds on the trot, yes 3 just as I was getting over one the next one started! I feel very uncomfortable in my work constantly blowing my nose, and yet that seems to be most of what has been happening since Christmas!
And just to add insult to injury when eating my tea, that I had cooked including the filleted salmon, I got a bone stuck in my throat! I have been eating fish for years and never have I had that happen before, but it was well and truly stuck! I won’t go into details but needless to say I did try to remove the bone! The next morning I was still suffering and rang the nurse, who recommended going to A and E, so off I went. 4 hours later, having had a camera down my throat, the bone was still hiding and I came home! I feel like my year so far has been a comedy of errors! Roll on February:)
In between my personal drama I noticed that spring is on the way and spring makes me smile :), there is a change in the air, the sap is rising, the birds are singing and the ducks are pairing up on the lake. I so love my home, the countryside gives me a constant source of entertainment, yesterday a Fox ran passed as I was getting dressed, a big red chap with black tips to his fur. I ran to another window but couldn’t see him, returned to dressing as he returned along his first path, hot on a scent and he spent a few minutes checking out the possibilities, giving me lots of time to watch him:)
This morning as I crossed the front paddock a Monk Jac deer shot out and ran along the fence, looking for an opening gave me precious moments to study her and to recall Pie and Betty, I was so pleased that Betty responded to me:)
It is very important to me that my dogs do not chase or harass the wild life. At this time of year coming into spring the deer could be pregnant, I would not want my dogs to cause her to abort. It is all too easy to forget that wildlife reproduce and if dogs chase them, there off spring is put in danger. I am not sure how anyone can let a dog think it is okay to chase deer and yet leave sheep alone, and I don’t recommend trying that one.
I am glad to hear some of the puppies at class are also managing to recall and not chase, keep it up!!!
And here are some of the new Puppy’s attending classes!!
Megan, Betty’s sister!
January 7, 2011
Thank you Sue for sending the photo’s of Megan!
Pie the stud!!
January 5, 2011
Well my poor Pie I maligned him, he is a stud!!! Annie came over with little Mel again and he did his duty, with some enthusiasm, though it seemed to take me lifting him on to her back for him to remember how to do it!! Annie was not at all complementary about him, but as she is Pie’s breeder it is all her fault anyway! 🙂 And at the point neither of us thought it was going to happen I told her she could have him back! When I realised that was unlikely I told Pie that if he wasn’t going to use them he could go to the vet for castration! Maybe that is what did the trick:) We will see, hopefully around the 7th March.
Some photo’s of Betty with Mum Gracie and Daddy Pie!
Betty is growing up! And a local dog walking warning!
November 27, 2010
It never ceases to amaze me watching a puppy grow, this week Betty had a day of going off her food, not just her food but treats as well! I know Annie (her breeder) won’t believe me:) she has been such a greedy puppy! The only tummy upset Betty has had is from over eating, which she has always been willing to do! She seems to have a cast iron stomach, never suffering from upsets from the rubbish all puppies eat. It has only lasted one day, Betty is back to normal now! But the day seem to mark a change in her, I wonder if her hormones have started to kick in, as she also seems since to show signs of more grown up behaviour. Last night she sat on my lap for more than an hour having cuddles, the longest she has done that since she would fall asleep on my lap as a baby! I think her first season cannot be too far away now, I am keeping her entire so that I can have some babies one day!
I would add that Betty would have eaten my food on that day, just not dog food, she wasn’t ill! Plus Betty at 7 months has done most of her growing now, which her dip in appetite confirms. In response I have reduced her meals slightly to fit her new appetite. I have seen clients who at this point in their puppies development, believing the puppy has gone off the food being fed, change the diet. Not a good plan as this can lead to the puppy starting to pick and choose what they eat, controlling their owner in this way is a signal that will have a negative affect on the relationship! A puppies appetite reflects how much they need, if fed a well-balanced food, low in salt and additives.
The same day she was off her food was also a bit traumatic for her:) Betty came out to help at the Thursday morning puppy class. We were discussing what to do if your puppy is approached by a scary dog, and I had Betty out to demonstrate how I would protect her, by getting her behind me and stamping my foot and shouting “no” and shooing the dog away. Betty had not seen me do this before and thought I was a bit scary! As we progressed with the class I moved a pole on the ground, as I lobbed it Betty ran under it so that the pole bounced off her head! I hastened to add it was light weight and did not injure her, but she did jump! A few minutes later I managed to tread on her! Poor Betty, what a bad morning! Betty was almost afraid to move for a while, and laid down every time I looked at her! Watching the class doing more fun things soon cheered her up though, I am pleased to say!
The reason we had been talking about unfriendly dogs is that a friend of mine had a very nasty experience with her dog. There is a Staffie that lives in Dunmow that has hospitalised 4 dogs that we know of (in Felstead), and last week her dear boy ended up with 2 wounds one of which is a foot long, and he was on lead! The attack would have killed a smaller dog. The owner jogs in Felstead on a Tuesday and Friday morning, and seems to have the dog off lead and not muzzled to date, despite the dogs history! He goes out early between 6.30 and 7.30am, I would imagine he goes out in Dunmow other mornings possibly. It is a brown Staffie called, Holly and wears a flashing collar . If you see them watch out! He must be reported until he, the owner, gets the message! Dogs that do this should not be allowed to live on and continue to terrorise us! It is not the dogs fault that she has got like this, but it is too late to change now! If you have any more information on this dog, please let me know?
I was conflicted about telling you about this Staffie, my heart goes out to the really responsible Staffie owners out there, especially my clients, who I know would be mortified if their dog even growled at another dog!
Double Doodle trouble at class!
November 5, 2010
Phil and Hilary were the only ones at class this week, due to holidays and Nessa being spayed this week, They both have Labradoodles of similar ages, Phil’s Scruffs is slightly younger at 6 months with Hilary’s Truffle nearly 2 months older! Both puppies are making excellent progress, both live with 3 children in their families and are coping well with them:) as are Phil and Hilary! Phil and Hilary have worked hard and are both determined to have really well-behaved dogs for life! Many thanks to Phil’s wife Yuka for taking these photo’s!
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Me, Phil and Hilary with the double troubles!
Phil and Hilary with their Doodles Scruffs and Truffle!
Betty is 6 months old! oh dear!
November 3, 2010
Betty was 6 months on the 20th of October, it is around this time that puppies move into a new developmental period and it seems Betty has with a bump! It seems almost over night that she has gone from cute and mischievous to a hooligan! More confidence has arrived creating a whole new ball game! All puppies come to this phase, I don’t know why I should be surprised and I had intended to write a blog on this as she hit this age, to warn you all of what was to come:) for me and any of you with pups of the same age.
Betty is braver on walks, her new confidence means that she goes further from me. On days when I am busy and she has less work, she is a little demon, ripping up anything I mistakenly leave lying around:)! Today she hit an all time low, she started having a real “go” at her Daddy Pie, telling him off for going in her crate to take a chew, Pie, bless him, was taking no notice of her!! Betty sounded really aggressive, really horrible, I was soon in the kitchen and hurled a box of tissues at her as well as growling fiercely at her! I could see the look of “oops” followed quickly by concern and she dropped on to her tummy and submitted, and quite rightly! I will not tolerate any anti social behaviour from one of my dogs, and this was the first time Betty has had or needed a real scolding. I was pleased to see her concern at my reaction, at least the terrible age she is at doesn’t also mean that she has no respect for me!
The day did not improve, her toilet training then went out of the window! I am the first to admit if I have been slow to get Betty out to the toilet or if I have been sloppy in making sure she has been. I caught her pooping indoors! Yes, time to be told off for that too! I shooed her outdoors, showing her I was not happy with my tone of voice and serious face. I had a very different puppy for the rest of the evening, a much nicer one:).
Most of my regular readers know that I do not use telling off as a training method, and in fact rarely scold my dogs, but there is a time and place for doing so and the day was right for Betty! Hopefully it will be some time before I have to scold her again!
I wanted to tell you all about it as I know there are several readers of the blog with pups of the same age, we all have a challenging month or two ahead! It is around 6/8 months that our little darlings turn into little hooligans, it feels like they have forgotten all the work of the early weeks. Well they haven’t they just need to learn in a new way at this developmental stage, it can mean going back to the beginning on some exercises, or finding ways of making the exercise simpler so that they can be right again. Being sure not to get into the habit of telling them off too much or this is when the relationship can be spoilt! Managing the puppies time is helpful to avoid trouble, use of the crate to prevent mischief is helpful at times.
With the dark evenings with us now, I will be putting up some ideas for indoor training and amusement for puppies this winter, I am hoping we can share ideas:) so get thinking please? Either mail to me or you can post on the appropriate blog later in the week.
The slide show of Betty and Pie, notice the tea towel Betty is lying on:) stolen, but looking innocent again:)! I tried to catch Pie doing his face trick, not very well but looking cute!
Some great photo’s
October 29, 2010
JJ is so cool!
This is Fiona and Winnie on the left
I love this photo of JJ, he is a great dog, his personality is as big as him! Graham his owner is making a great job of training him, along with help from Mum, Val!
Fiona was a pupil of my instructor and behaviour courses who has gone on the run her own dog training business! Her little dog Winnie is a half-sister of Betty by my Teddy. Winnie is a super star at agility, as you can see from her trophy!!!
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