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By Jayne, 9th December 2011,

First aid course presented by Emma Foxall RVN. Hosted by Muttamorphosis dog training in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The one day seminar was really informative and it made me wonder why vets don’t hand out pamphlets to all owners who bring in their dogs for treatment or for new puppy owners. The aim of the course was to give owners a guide to first aid for dogs and provide practical instruction for treating minor cuts and ailments. It also gave an insight into potentially problematic conditions that need immediate veterinary care and those that can be managed at home.

Why not just read about First Aid – why pay for a seminar? All learning is best ingested with practical experience and the added bonus of a teacher in the same room means plenty of scope for customisation and specialist questions.

• See real dogs and practice on them for checking vital statistics.
• This is the perfect time to  ask questions of an RVN – usually the only time you speak to these angels is when you are in the vets with your own animal.
• Gain a certificate in dog first aid from registered veterinary nurse. If you are a dog walker or other dog professional this will go a long way to providing proof and comfort for your clients of your dedication and capabilities.

Topics during the day included some very interesting case studies from Emma’s work in practice.  She also bought in photographic evidence of some of the cases which I found occasionally quite distressing but understood that it was necessary for them to be shown. First aid scenarios covered what to do following:

• a road traffic accident
• a dog fight
• possible drowning
• a burn
• an electrocution
• poisoning
• a stick injury
• heatstroke
• frostbite
• a seizure
• choking
• and snake bites to name but a few!

We practiced limb and ear bandaging techniques and viewed up close some of the parasites common in pet dogs (in jars of course!)

It began with how to check out your dogs vital statistics and how you should be aware of what your own dog is like when at the peak of health.  Without knowing these basic numbers you won’t be able to know when they are abnormal.

Here I will replicate the information for the basic vital statistics check:

1. Heart rate 60-120 beats per minute (the bigger the dog the slower the rate)
2. Respiratory rate 10-20 breaths per minute (size is a major factor)
3. Gums should be salmon pink (disregard black pigment)
4. Capillary refill time 2 seconds
5. skin elasticity should return to normal quickly after pinching
6. Examine dog all over for potential problems: ears, eyes& nose for discharge and inflammation; mouth for dental disease; skin for lumps or wounds; paws and nails for splits and wounds; genitals for discharge and inflammation; smell breath.
7. temperature 100.5-102.5 °F (38-39.1 °C): take temperature rectally with digital thermometer (not glass!) by cleaning with alcohol first, then dip in lubricant and insert it slightly to the side to avoid faeces (gives high reading).

Emma’s advice was to make the examination process as pleasant as possible by being gentle and giving plenty of rewards. She stressed that any advice or information given was not a substitute for seeing the vet but being prepared with a basic first aid knowledge can make all the difference in your dog’s immediate comfort and the time it takes for you to get to see the vet.

A highlight of the course is to learn to bandage a dog’s paw. It was quite a lot of fun practicing on both stuffed toys and the real thing. The dogs were of course the stars of the show. So a big thank you to Emma and Sue for putting on the course, supplying refreshments and giving out the all important handbooks to boost our learning and refresh our memories should we ever need to use first aid on our dogs.

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By Jayne, 16th October 2011,

Donna Connelly who trains in the North East kindly invited me to attend part of the heelwork-to-music (HTM) all day workshop and seminar she was hosting at the weekend. Top HTM trainer, two-time Crufts winner, Richard Curtis, was teaching the workshop.

I had heard of HTM before but quite frankly I had all but dismissed it as a rather silly pastime and an activity in which I could never see myself participating. In actual fact I had a bit of an epiphany and learned that a great deal of owner/dog bonding goes on in these sessions that would be hard to create elsewhere given the same time frame.

This was my third observation class in a row and was by far the most varied in terms of dogs of all ages and abilities.  I only managed to catch the last couple of hours of the workshop which was held in a large community hall. Donna explained to me that she had purchased some special rubberised mats specifically for this event which were extremely useful for the dogs’ grip and for keeping the wooden floor clean.

As the name suggests HTM is rather like obedience heelwork done to music although with some extra moves added. It was primarily developed in the UK by Mary Ray in the early 90’s as a means of showing the general public how interesting heelwork can be. The dogs are not always in the conventional heel position. They can also move sideways and backwards and such moves as spins, circles and leg weaving may be added. This has great advantages for training in harmony with the nature of your dog. Whatever their natural inclination is you can take this and use it in a training exercise which benefits both the owner and the dog without having to try and get it to move in a way that is not naturally comfortable.

There is one overarching theme which permeates the HTM workshop for both the dogs and the owners. There is an element which turns what is ostensibly a training exercise into so much more. That key ingredient is fun. Because the owner is having fun and enjoying the moment, the dog responds really well. Whichever way a dog picks up signs, signals, moods and atmospheres, this type of exercise ensures that the dog is keen, happy and motivated. Music breaks down barriers and the informal atmosphere keeps everyone smiling. People begin to laugh at themselves and the dogs’ antics without fear of losing respect from their dog or other owners.

The room was warm when I visited and some of the dogs were so relaxed they were sleeping. The dogs at the session were nearly all adult. At first I was struggling to see the benefit of this type of workshop in the real world but it was so obvious even after just watching for a few minutes. The attention from the dog to the owner was intense; they were working together and having fun. The dogs were moving at their own pace, not a pace set by any specific criteria. The music helped both the dog and the owner to get into a sense of rhythm. I am not sure whether dogs “get” rhythm but humans can very easily relax to music and this is no doubt a large factor contributing to the dogs response.

The trainer talked of competition, props and keeping it simple. I looked it up and Heelwork to Music is a recognised KC sport in which non-pedigree dogs can participate.  This is great news for superb non-pedigrees finding a prestigi0us niche the dog show arena.

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By Jayne, 10th October 2011,

Sue Chambers is a well known local lady who has been training dogs for over 20 years. She is a well-respected dog trainer in the North East region and allowed me to observe one of her training classes for my coursework.

This  beginners’ obedience training class was held in a parish hall. I am always amazed at the versatility of these places and am reminded of the great function they provide for local communities. This particular toom was bedecked with strips of heavy duty black matting laid out in a zebra stripe fashion. This provided an excellent non-slip surface for the dogs to walk up and down in the sense that a normal polished parquet floor can offer a precariously slippery surface for excitable dogs. The “stripes” also provided a visual cue for the dogs and owners to keep a set distance from one another while they were doing the walking exercises. I am not sure whether this was my imagination but they seemed to add a certain structure to the class helping keep the dogs calm and separated.

The owners were lined up at the side of the hall and many dogs had their own little blankets with them which seemed a good idea for both their physical and mental comfort away from home. Spectators were up on the stage accompanied by the Sue’s dog which, incidentally, was impeccably behaved for the entire class; inquisitive, gentle, friendly and obedient – a visible testament to her ability.

First up was a very short lecture on the dangers of a certain plants that are poisonous to dogs. A sample of the plant and a photocopy of the descriptions and effects on a dog were circulated round. I thought this extra information was very useful for the owners to be able to see the plant up close.

Sue addressed the class in a calm voice. At no point did she shout and even when there was a noisy dog she took it away from the stimulus that was making it bark. In this class there was more of a respectful atmosphere as opposed to a fun atmosphere.

There was a mix of breeds and ages, predominantly young dogs including two German shepherds which were the biggest and often the most boisterous. When the practical sesdsion begasn all owners were encouraged to do a basic health check of ears, ears and nose with treats at the ready. A useful check of the dewclaw was added as is often missed when the dog’s other nails are checked.

To keep the class bouncing along questions were posed for dog biscuit prizes such as  “Why do I get your dogs to sit by the side of you?” Real world scenarios were given  such as the dangers of being by the roadside. Sue made a point of singling out a dog to physically demonstate an example of the exercises and behaviour she expected from the dogs and their owners.

There was one dog for me that really stood out as being different to the rest. It was an anxious border collie that needed some different coaching as it simply couldn’t cope at the same rate as the others. I was not allowed to sit next to this dog because of its nervousness. In terms of the dog’s freeze, flight or fight responses, it was already in a corner so it could have shown me some fearful aggression if I sat too close.  I believe it was the right thing to do to make the class inclusive for the anxious dog but it seemed that the dog was so far behind the others in terms of confidence that it needed special attention in simple socialisation and confidence building before any other training was tried. It occurred to me that a trainer in a group session might feel compelled to at least try the days training techniques with this dog because that was what the owner expected and had paid for when in fact it may have been best to leave the dog to simply watch and soak in the proceedings – this is in itself a progression to being more socialised with other dogs and people. The dog was indeed “encouraged” to walk forwards with the coercion of the food but it was plain to see that it did not enjoy the tasks it was asked to perform even when given some praise for doing some of the task. I saw the difficulty in walking the fine line between comforting a nervous dog and showing leadership – was the dog being helped or was its anxiety being reinforced by the owner and the environment? For me it was hard to tell but Sue assured me that the dog was much better this time round compared to last week’s visit.

Sue stressed that hitting dogs was completely unacceptable as a punishment. She did use the lead to refocus the dog in a punitave fashion and collar holding was used to train food refusal but I have seen better results with the leave it command where treats are a reward for leaving the other food alone. Many dogs were unsuccessful with the “leave it” command possibly in part due to all the voices of the owners saying it over and over again in close proximity to one another which seemed to cause some confusion.

Sue encouraged the giving of treats both to encourage the dog as a bribe and also as a reward for when the dog performed “correctly”. This coercive approach can work very effectively but it was interesting and amusing to hear a tale from one lady in the group complaining that her dog behaved beautifully in the class exercises but she could not stop him jumping up on people’s laps for attention no matter how much she shouted at him!

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By Jayne, 3rd October 2011,

Yesterday I met up with Sue McCabe. She let me observe her puppy socialisation class for my course work.

It was the fist “doggie” class I had ever been to and was held in a community hall where about 8 pups (8-16 weeks) were spread out around the class. Most of the dogs were recognisable breeds, the largest of which was a German shepherd and the smallest a poodle/terrier cross. Sue used a loud, strong voice all through the class and this seemed to excite a few dogs sometimes to the point of misbehaving. The loud tone of the class seemed to preclude anyone from raising questions very easily. Despite this, there was a good, friendly atmosphere with both owners and spectators enjoying the proceedings.

The class began with basic health checking such as opening the mouth to look inside, check in the ears and then the nails. All the inspections were followed by treats and praise which meant that the puppy could associate these intrusions with nice things like food. This basic classical conditioning was essentially setting the dog up for getting used to a lifetime of inspections from the owner and the vet. The health inspection was followed by a series of actions that mimicked what the pup may have to get used to a great deal more in later life such as the “collar grab”, “tail pull” and “towel rub” – all counteracted with a treat afterwards. Treats were used primarily so that all the things the owners were doing with the dogs were connected to pleasurable experiences. This seemed a really good way for the pups to get used to what may happen to them in everyday situations with children, strangers and their owners in order for them not to react with a growl or a and biting. Some of the puppies had been fed just before the class so they weren’t responding very well to the treat based exercises! Also the sheer excitement of the class was distracting to some regardless of treat bribes.

The few dogs that were very nervous at first soon got into the swing of the class which was helping them to adjust to other dogs in a safe and contained environment.

The dogs were passed around once for other people to handle and also introduced to every other owner and dog in a controlled way with a few rules thrown in to aid good manners.  The tutor mixed the session up with part lecture, part hands on and part Question and Answer session which got everyone involved at some point. All modern literature extols the benefits of early socialisation in puppies and from this one experience I believe that for all puppies a puppy class is a great way to get a good start in life.

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By Jayne, 14th August 2011,

Newcastle Dog & Cat shelter, open from 1pm till 4pm and I hadn’t banked on this experience being as emotional as it was. I knew it was futile and self-indulgent to feel sorry for the dogs in the shelter but I simply couldn’t stop myself becoming tearful in a very short space of time.

The first time I went I managed to see a few dogs and then had to leave. I was annoyed with myself for getting upset but it was a bit of a shock to hear so many dogs barking loudly in such a concentrated set up and then see them all straining at the bars to get attention.

Because of my not-so-unpredictable response I promised myself to go once a week so that I would be able to get used to the environment and stop getting so emotional. Every time I visit I will make a donation so then I can make a small difference with the time I spend there.

Then, of course, there is the learning side of visiting the shelter. Watching dogs’ behaviour is a chance to practice analysis. For example what do the behaviours of barking, whining, quietness, sitting at the back, standing at the front, jumping around, growling, licking, pacing mean in the kennel environment?

The second time I visited I did better with my emotional build up and managed to  see all the dogs for a few minutes each except for the dogs that withdrew when visitors passed by. This small achievement has spurred me on and through this self-conditioning I hope to turn the experience around so that it becomes less guilt-laden for me and with a more positive interaction with the dogs it should be more beneficial to them too.

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By Jayne, 23rd July 2011,

Luckily for all the dogs at the rugby fields where we walk, Jacob is the mildest mannered lab they could ever wish to meet. He will cheerily try and greet every dog out there with impeccable manners  and just for a few short minutes each time. Whether they respond with fear, fury or friendliness he will remain calm and stoic and possibly a little confused if aggression is forthcoming. And so it was with the wonderful, feisty Sophie (a ginger sort of Weimaraner-Lab cross). Off Jacob trotted to do his usual meet-and-greet and was met with a very low crouch with bum and tail high in the air about 20 yards away. It looked like a play stance to me but it was far from it.

She bounded towards him with loud barking and an imminent attack was well and truly on the cards. Perhaps she was trying to protect her owner? Jacob held fast and motionless as her paws were on him and then a nip to the head and growling. Her owner panicked and tried to get her on the lead. I tried to urge him to leave her as I knew she would calm down straight away with Jacob. In the melée I could then see her tail was well between her legs and so I assumed she was fearful and insecure.  After lots of smelling us and chit chat her owner decided to try her off the leash again and as soon as she was off she was in a much calmer, social state of mind giving Jacob an inquisitive few sniffs. Her tail came back out again.  They were totally fine then and I gave her lots of petting and encouragement when she was in that nice state of mind. I hoped that if I were her owner I would have tried to keep her from getting into that panicky, aggressive state in the first place. But how? Three tips I found to help

• Stay calm in the presence of other dogs.
• Positively interrupt the behaviour as the meeting is imminent – especially that unblinking stare.
• Let your aggressive dog meet calm and balanced dogs for role model situations

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By Jayne, 9th July 2011,

The last but one time I walked Jacob, the black Labrador, he picked up something green, slimy and strangely shaped. Worried that he would eat it and then choke on it or worse still swallow it and have it lodge in his intestines and get challenged about it by his owner as the vets bills come flying in over £1000… I scrambled to his clenched jaws and tried to get it out. He immediately went into play mode and with some reluctance dropped it to the floor with pricked up, expectant ears. Peering more closely at aforementioned object I recognised it as a chewed up ball and gave it a little kick much to Jacob’s delight. He then ran for it (as much as an overweight, arthritic, old dog of 13 can run) , picked it up and kept it in his mouth most of the time for the rest of our walk (thankfully not swallowing) with what can only be described as a happy demeanour. OK I said to myself.  I will buy a ball as a little present for him because he loves them so much and refuses to play with any other object we find on our way round the rugby field like sticks, empty plastic bottles or glue bags (only kidding…he prefers cigarettes).

Yesterday, armed with my new doggy-friend-maker, we went for our usual walk and towards the end when we sometimes have a little rest and he catches his breath (and I pull the matted bits of fur from his coat) , I decided to produce the brand new ball for him to play with. Wow – what a reaction. He beamed up at me and waited for me to throw it with slobbery, wet-nosed expectation and when I threw it for him – not too far because of his arthritis – he leapt in his lumbering way and made a dash for it. Within 5 seconds his teeth went straight through it and the ball was no more.

Disheartening.

I realised, however, it was still sort of throw-able so we did a few rounds of mini retrieval games and then I thought it best we rest. I started pulling at his matted fur again and he chewed on the ball, completely oblivious to me, enraptured in a kind of dog-ecstasy. The ball was now a mess of inch-wide pieces of rubber which he didn’t eat but loved to tear. I scooped up the pieces  to throw away. Jacob jumped up and expected me to carry on with the throwing game but the bits were too small and wet and so he insisted on pinning himself to my leg most of the way home looking at my hand. It took a good ten minutes for him to realise the game was over. I have 4 of these rubbish balls left in my pack and I know each will only last 5 seconds (as a ball that is – 5 minutes as a chewable puzzle). So I have learned that as a retriever Jacob has a “hard mouth” and will crush anything he can when caught. I will go for the heavier rubber type next time so he doesn’t immediately chew through it. Benefits:

• Reduces chewed ball landfill,
• we’ll both have more fun,
• it will save me money,
• prevent a lengthy surgery.

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By Jayne, 14th June 2011,

On Thursday we went to the Blaydon Races to see our better halves run a neat 10k friendly race. My friend brought her dog, Dali, along. She is ultra cute looking and really well behaved untill we settle down and within a short time she gets very territorial and barks at anyone getting too close. It almost seems to be a kind of boredom from her telling her owner that she has had enough and wants to go somewhere else. To keep her from barking and snapping we give her treats to re-direct her and eventually we get up to go. This could be a sort of “reward” in the dogs mind though – a reinforcement that if she gets territorial she will be able to change the scene. I tried to reward her calm behaviour with treats and not her anxious excited behaviour.  It is very difficult to see when this change from happy go lucky to territorial occurs.I couldn’t really figure out any way to stop it but I guess that’s why I’m studying.

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By Jayne, 13th June 2011,

My experience with dogs has always been good bar one. Our first dog was an Alsation (we called her an Alsation in those days) that my dad brought home one day from work. She was thin, nervous, hungry, abandoned and the guys at work used to feed her scraps and call her Judy. My dad was always a bit deaf and mis-heard them telling us her name was Julie. So Julie it was. They were inseparable and totally focussed on my dad so she wasn’t what you could call a loving family dog. Her death hit my dad really hard and his grief lasted a long time.

Our second dog was another abandoned pup – a white boxer. True to form my dad kept up the tradition of basic girl names and we called her Sally. She was fantastic with kids, really well behaved in public spaces (especially pubs) but a bit crazy off leash and we never got a decent recall with her when we were out and about. Again my dad was the focus of her attention but she was much more sociable than Julie. When Sally died we knew dad wouldn’t have any more.

The only other dogs I know are my friends and neighbours’ dogs. I used to regularly walk a neighbour’s husky and have dog-sat a few times for friends. I love meeting all my friends dogs. Because of work commitments we don’t have a dog – but I tell the cat it’s because we prefer cats. And that’s why I volunteered for the Cinnamon Trust. This way I can be around dogs and other pets and do a good deed for the elderly at the same time.

My one bad experience was being pulled through wild nettles by an eager Staffordshire bull terrier when I was about nine. Not recommended.

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By Jayne, 13th June 2011,

I noticed Jacob skipped a little more lightly today  - the effects of the anti-inflammatory from the vet were plain to see. I let him off the lead for a good long roam across the rugby pitch and he started to jog by himself. He doesn’t seem to like open spaces as much as the wooded areas so I re-called him when I was near to the goal posts and he responded well to that.

Being a solid 45 kg he’s not the sprightliest of black labs. Even though Terry, his owner, brushes him to keep him cool in the summer heat I still spent 10 minutes today picking out lumps of matted fur from his hind legs. Because Terry is registered blind I guess it’s easy for him to miss the bits at the sides. Terry is also agoraphobic so he was very thankful for me helping him take Jacob to the vets. At last Jacob is back on his Hills-lite diet so we should be starting to see his weight come down in the next few weeks which in-turn will alleviate the strain on his arthritic back legs.

Last week he suffered in the heat and plonked himself down on the grass and refused to budge until he caught his breath. I tried to give him water from my water bottle and from my hand but he was having none of it. Waiting for him to recover made me late getting back to Terry and I regretted taking him that far from the house. This has made me more mindful of my time keeping while walking him as a service. I am only four walks in to my new helping roll for the Trust but already I have met loads of other dogs and their owners out and about. Because Jacob is an ex-guide dog his manners are impeccable and there is never any trouble. I would say I have been very lucky with my first CT case.