Panorama thursday night TV – Medivet
July 23, 2010
If you saw the Panorama programme on Medivet I am sure you were all feeling sick too! I do know some of my clients use practices owned by Medivet, and in many cases, the original private owner is still in charge and the service is great! My thought was that the Vets we saw behaving inappropriately, either with animals or by not supervising their staff enough, would be the same whoever they were working for. With a company as large as Medivet they are bound to get some bad apples!
For me it is a reminder that Vets are not Gods! And we must question everything, even if we have trust in our own Vet, if I don’t understand I ask more questions until I do. If I was ever unhappy with my Vets diagnosis or behaviour I would change Vets. There is nothing like trusting your own instincts in these cases, if it doesn’t feel right then it simply isn’t right!
From a training point of view we can help our animals accept the attention they may need medically, to ensure they never need mishandling! The sounds of the Shar Pei in distress really affected me, as I am sure it would other dog lovers! The poor animal had received major surgery and must have already been in a great deal of pain! We cannot be sure that training would have helped him, but I believe it could have, my guess is that he may well be a dog that would resist handling, good training would have made him more accepting and less resistent and eased his stress.
Owners must not shirk the responsibility of preparing their animals for Veterinary treatment! We must seek a partnership with the Vet and do our part to help the process!
I guess it brings Vet nurses and trainees under the spotlight more, and not before time. Staff training on how to handle a stressed dog is not given enough attention, and little training time is given to animal behaviour. At least not in some of the practices I have known.
I look forward to hearing your comments, thoughts and stories please?
Betty and wheels and being a sheepdog!
July 21, 2010
Betty is mostly Border Collie, which means the herding instinct is strong for her! The first signs of this with Betty, and a lot of puppies, is she is interested in small wheels, things like the wheelie bins, wheelbarrows, vacuum cleaner and the hose reel winding and unwinding!
This innocent behaviour can rapidly turn into larger machines like lawn mowers, bicycles, motor bikes and cars! A very dangerous hobby for any dog!And herding is only found in Collies, many breeds can display this behaviour.
Luckily I know my Collies and I take action as soon as the early signs show themselves. For those that read the blog regularly you already know that where ever possible I want Betty to learn from her environment, as opposed to me constantly nagging her and saying “no”! The action I take when Betty starts chasing the wheel barrow wheel is to keep walking, not go round her, she is small so I don’t want to squash her too much, I walk slowly and deliberately, keeping to my chosen path, it is her job to get out-of-the-way! Rather she gets bumped by the barrow wheel than by a car! I do the same with the wheelie bins and the vacuum cleaner, with the vacuum I do push it at her a bit more deliberately, as it is lighter and hurts less if she isn’t quick enough! I also push the vacuum at her if she goes for the cable, I want her to learn very quickly not to go for electric cable!
I must add I don’t move these tools in a playful way, not too fast, as that may be enticing, but a boring ploddy sort of way! plus when I sweeping or mopping I put her in crate, these tools are just too tempting and she would learn more chase from these, the odd bump would not deter her:)
I was delighted this morning when I vacuumed that Betty did not attempt to chase the vacuum nor attack the cable!! 🙂 A step closer to keeping her safe in life!
Betty
Betty watching and not chasing!
has more than enough outlets for her natural instincts when herding me on a walk :), playing retrieve and other toy based games!
Tye and Kaycie are very clever!!
July 19, 2010
Vikki Stone kindly sent in some photo’s of her Border Collies, and what great ones they are!! Thank you so much Vikki! I love the canoe one best 🙂 And I see that Maggie is doing some advertising in one shot!! 🙂 she gets in everywhere!
“Tye 3yr old black and white border collie and Kaycie 4yr old red and white border collie both are rescue dogs from different backgrounds. Tye came from a family who could not look after him no more and kaycie came from a show breeder where she lived outside with other dogs that started picking on her. now both my dogs take part in fun agility, obedience, flyball,and clicker training at allsorts dog training school. Hope you like the pics. vikki xxx”
Vikki competing at agility
Lovely eyes!
Avril's favourite!! 🙂
Chill out time!
Great photo!
Bee stings, Nessa and Betty!
July 16, 2010
Nessa with a swollen face after her sting 😦
Poor Nessa, another shot of the swelling! 😦
How Nessa looks normally!
As luck would have it we discussed bee stings at class a couple of weeks ago, I was telling the girls how my lawn was covered in clover bringing in the honey bees and Betty was interested in the bees, my philosophy when my dogs pursue bees is to watch them closely, the reality is that puppy’s will go after bee’s and what I want to happen is if they are going to get stung I would like it to happen when I am there, so that if they swell and need treatment I am on hand to help out! Preferably on a weekday morning so that I don’t have to pay an emergency call out fee for the Vet! 🙂
I saw Betty get stung! She didn’t swell up, but now she leaves the bees alone!!! Do ring your Vet for advice if your dog gets stung!
It is always best to let puppy’s learn from life, as they would in the wild, rather than become the bad guy because you are always saying no!
Here is what Sue (Nessa’s Mum) wrote to me:)
“Once again I need to thank you for advice you gave a couple of weeks ago regarding bee stings. Nessa and i were playing ball in the garden this evening when i thought she had been stung on the foot by a bee, she was limping a little and licking her foot but i could see nothing. About half hour later her face started to swell so i gave her piriton as you advised and phoned the vet. They said I’d done the right thing ,to keep an eye on her and her breathing and if worried to take her down there. Anyway a couple of hours later she is fine the swelling is going down and she is chewing on her bone. So once again Avril to the rescue, I think she looks a bit like a shar-pei!”
Betty feeding, cupboards and bowls!
July 13, 2010
Betty catching up on a walk!
I am really chuckling as I think and write this one 🙂 I am constantly amazed by dogs, how quickly they learn whether it is the right of the wrong thing! The brighter and cleverer they are the more likely they are to learn the wrong things too! Really it is amazing that people don’t have worse problems than I see!
Not long after Betty arrived I remember chuckling to Anne (Betty’s breeder) that Betty was throwing her metal feed bowl round the kitchen because she wanted feeding, she does love her food! I do think there were a few occasions when on seeing her I thought “oh I am late feeding her” and did feed her. I was particularly impressed as metal is the hardest material to teach a dog to retrieve, I am not quite sure why anyone would want a dog to retrieve metal, but anyhow it is tricky! I think it was this that delighted me so much and made me respond to Betty’s antics 🙂 at least that is my excuse! Well anything a dog does that firstly we show pleases us, like smiling and laughing and secondly even gets food in return will soon grow! Betty obviously thought I can do better and by last week this behaviour had grown into throwing the bowl around with great gusto, in between throwing her whole body at the kitchen work cupboard doors, and I mean throwing herself too, it was very enthusiastic! I just stopped myself laughing, just, though I laughed inside! Wow I thought this has gone far enough now, this behaviour could become completely ridiculous and very embarrassing for a dog trainer, in fact it is already!! I turned my back and looked out of the window then made myself busy doing jobs, after about 20 minutes, yes 20 whole minutes, Betty gave up that game and laid down, I fed her! The next few meal times I saw similar attempts, though her efforts started to dwindle until today I noticed her sitting in the kitchen near feed time, just watching me:) she was waiting for her food and she had twigged that sitting or lying got the right result! Now I just have to stick to my side of the bargain:) and only feed her when she is giving me this sort of behaviour!
One or two of you have mentioned the mistakes you have made with your puppies, well I have to tell you I haven’t been so aware with my other puppies as I am with Betty, the process of learning is ongoing, Betty is teaching me so much! Each dog I have lived with has taught me more, pushing me to a new level each time.
How clever is she, how clever are all our dogs? They all do the same sort of thing, just start noticing your dogs attempts to train you:), becoming aware of how they train you or how you inadvertently train them!
I am waiting to hear! 🙂
My book, Betty and doorways!
July 12, 2010
Me and Betty and cuddle time!
Betty, silly ears tell me she is teething!
I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying this great weather!! Not quite so great when I am working, but on the whole it is possible to find less exerting exercises for the dogs, while still getting the job of training them done!
I have been a bit neglectful of the blog the last few days as I have been concentrating on putting the finishing touches to my book! At last! I hear many of you say:) I am an organic type of writer, at least this book has been very organic, growing at my pace when I am in the mood:)!
I have not been neglecting the dogs though and Betty’s training is coming along brilliantly, she is so clever, at least so far:), this week I have been noticing some more of those little things I do that I think make my puppies easier, things that I forget to tell my puppy clients as I guess they are instinctive for me, rather than thought out, of it there were thought out it was a long while ago:)!
Dogs and doors
Betty is of that age when if a cupboard door opens she puts her head in for a look, of course she would, the young love to explore! On one occasion she climbed right in the pan cupboard, my reponse is to take little notice 🙂 she soon came out of the pan cupboard:). When she puts her head in I gently press the door closed until she retracts herself, this way she is learning to not put her head in, I do not say anything to her, I do not need a command for not putting her head in the cupboard as she will soon grow out of this phase. She is learning a useful lesson though, to be careful of doors! I do not want her thinking she can rush through any door that opens, some doors will not be so safe, like the car door or a door opening onto a road or public place. By addressing the door thing at this level she will take this experience over to other doors! When I am moving around the house, she is not allowed through doors unless invited, if she does rush through I simply turn round and go back the room we were in, she follows and I go out again without her. I use my feet or the door, in a gentle but determined way to block her when I can, it is good manners for her to be respectful at doorways, so I teach her patiently and persistently to do be respectful and wait until she is invited.
I often see dogs that rush through every door that is opened, often trampling and bashing their owners, it is a very irritating and rude habit that can be changed with a little thoughtful planning! It is in these small ways that we can establish a great deal of respect and attention from our dogs that has repercussions into all areas of life!
Update on Dennis!
July 8, 2010
Dennis and Maggie, performing at Saffron Walden Talent as guests!!
I am sure you wall remember about Dennis competing on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s show, and getting to the last 10 out of 1000 applicants!! Well since then Maggie is inundated with invitations to open shows, fetes and do guest appearances! One of these was at the Saffron Walden Talent contest where Dennis was asked to do a guest spot! How can anyone look at this picture and not see the enjoyment for both dog and handler in dog training, just look at the smiles on both faces!! I cried with joy at the sight of them, I am so proud to have worked with Maggie and to have bred this little dog for her, how lucky is Dennis to get Maggie?!!!!!
Comment from Teresa!
July 8, 2010
Hi Avril,
I just had to let you know how much I have been enjoying the progress of Betty, she is adorable, the daily updates you are giving are brilliant, if I did at sometime in the future be fortunate enough to have a puppy I would feel much more prepared and able to cope from some of the knowledge you have given.
These daily blog’s have made compelling reading and I am alway’s looking in my inbox for the next one to come in, it’s almost like reading a very good book and not being able to put it down so thank you Avril.
I have tried to submit a comment but I keep getting a response which says YOU DID NOT SUCCEED PLEASE TRY AGAIN WITH A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS despite using my email address which is valid, I have to say I am not very good when it comes to IT so it could me doing something silly.
Thanks once again for all the Blog’s keep them coming Avril and well done With best regards Teresa
Thank you for your kind comments Teresa, it is great to get feedback, it encourages me:) I am not sure why you can’t post, but you are not the first one to say this, anyone else having problems? I will get on to WordPress and see if I can find out why and get back to you! I do know that commenting direct from the mail isn’t working, can you try logging on the site and trying again Teresa?
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