The super-fly team of researchers travelled over all terrains and suffered all weathers to find out whether these animals are making a success of coming back to America. They interview people who are polarised in their reactions to the wolf’s return. The only predator stopping them is human. It is illegal to kill one in Washington state but they are still hunted. Ranchers are ready to kill them to protect their livestock and families. Conversely conservationists document how they are restoring balance to the ecosystem and that the re-colonisation of the Cascade Mountains would only bring benefits such as deer population control.

There is interview footage from an easily detestable rancher set alongside a more tolerant huntsman. The photography is as you would expect – rather beautiful, but charm came from the unexpected treats such as the howling wolves and huskies returning calls to a human and  titbits of knowledge such as how a wolf can smell you from over a mile away.

The core of the conservation argument was how the reintroduction of wolves can actually stabilise an ecosystem. Since the wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone Park in 1995, flora has been reinvigorated where the sheer numbers of deer no longer devastate it. With the flourishing trees and shrubs come songbirds and insects etc encouraging biodiversity.

Although the Lookout pack they were originally looking for had been intentionally and illegally killed by the locals the research team discovered pups much further South than they had imagined so for the time being the story is a positive one for the Grey wolf in that part of North America.

I have to do this on a regular basis, twice a week, so this is what I have in mind:

• Do the treatment before he has his dinner so he associates me with “dinner time”
• Treat first, do treatment and treat after, possibly going for a  little walk afterwards too
• Make sure treats are of high quality
• Invest in a grooming muzzle rather than messing about with a temporary one

“Doggy Days was founded in 2002 by Paula McArthur with the objective of providing a totally unique and comprehensive day care service for dog owners.

Paula was trying to find suitable day care for her own dogs after a change in circumstances and finding it incredibly difficult and so began researching the idea of a creche. After all it works for children so why not for dogs? The response was phenomenal and Doggy Days began to take shape.”

I volunteer every Wednesday to help out the staff in the creche part of the business. All the dogs that come in are indeed very well cared for and the daily numbers range from about 10 up to a very busy 30 on the odd occasion. Many dogs come in as regulars and so you do get to see each dogs personality over a period of time. It is amazing how many people say that their dog behaves differently at home! All the staff members have a hands on knowledge base and some staff have been working professionally with dogs for over 17 years.

Learning and experience for me has included fitting various head collars and harnesses, group walking with multiple dogs, handling overly exuberant dogs and encouraging shy ones. Each visit offers up a new challenge. Mostly the peace is kept by distraction techniques and treats. There are good principles at work in the creche for everyone’s safety including time out cells and separation areas where none of the dogs are ever left unsupervised. Fun includes various toys and agility.

I can safely say I am getting quite the expert with the mop and bucket. There are few opportunities to try out effective training methods one on one as you are often overseeing many dogs at once but after a while you do get a sense of what each animal needs to thrive and get on with others in the environment. Some dogs simply do not get on with other dogs and once recognised the creche works to practice avoidance rather than confrontation management.

Most dogs are very sociable and as the creche has gotten more popular the owner is more at liberty to choose the dogs that fit the best with the other dogs and the environment. It is demanding work to be on constant supervision so most of the staff rarely work more than a 4 hour shift. It pays to keep on your toes in this environment as you never really know what is going to happen from one moment to the next.

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.

Dogs learn all their behaviours by association – whether reward or disciple within 2 seconds of their actions. Complex behaviours are difficult to manage in that you need to recognise the cause and provide a remedy – perhaps in actual fact there are a number of remedies.

The video shows how you can use a variety of tools for behaviour control and why you should limited access to toys for the purposes of training. There are plenty of good tips for training recall and for resolving the increasingly common issue of separation anxiety.

A common sense approach that is easily overlooked is the idea of lessening separation anxiety simply by changing the dog’s expectations of being alone and making sure that the time it spends on its own is built up slowly and gradually.

For me the most unconvincing content in the DVD is the championing of Aboistop. For a barking dog the behaviour may be so self-reinforcing that it will continue regardless of the foul spray which can end up upsetting or even damaging a dog’s natural sense of smell. I felt that the video should have been more restrained in recommending Aboistop due to the problems of dosage and individual responses to it.

I refer to a report on the spray from by Soraya V. Juarbe-Diaz, DVM & Katherine A. Houpt, VMD, PhD, Diplomate ACVB

From the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853

Published in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, May/June 1996,

“Dogs quickly learn not to bark when they wear the collar and can learn just as quickly to bark when it is not fastened around their necks.  Because the motivation for barking may not change, it may be necessary to have the dog always wear the collar or a dummy collar whenever the owner wishes to reduce the barking.  Finally, no device should be recommended without concomitant behavior modification.  Desensitization to the stimuli that elicit barking, collar or head-halter corrections, and consistently delivered verbal reprimands (e.g., a sharp “No bark!” or “Enough!”) when the misbehavior occurs, along with praise whenever the dog remains quiet in the presence of stimuli that normally elicit barking, comprise a more thorough behavior-modification plan for the client.”

Some see the product as a disruptive force rather than a reprimand but to a sensitive dog Citronella can be a severe punishment. We may like the smell of citrus ourselves but to many animals this is abhorrent. For puppies this type of method should definitely be avoided when you can put in place much more sympathetic problem solving techniques. People can misuse these devices for what are perfectly normal dog behaviours and shouldn’t be encouraged to use them without proper investigation as to the root cause of the barking.

That said, I loved the training of the rescue dogs – here we see good examples of positive rewards and the training is not forceful in anyway.

My Labrador charge Jacob is a very well trained boy but his recall is poor when a long way from me. I would like to top up his recall training with food titbits to reinforce my voice control as he has a number of walkers all with different commands for him. He is food orientated so at the moment only the food is bringing him back and not my voice which is better than nothing. If you are able to control the “good stuff” such as food, toys, praise and walks etc. then that is the key to higher rates of obedience and a happier dog no matter what the behaviour you are trying to change.

He espouses rewards based methods to train your dog and even though he maintains that dogs are part of a pack with a strong social hierarchy his training methods are non-confrontational. His view was that it is the owner’s job to make clear his position in the group hierarchy and in turn this would resolve many of the issues described. You should be the top dog, the “alpha”, as in a wolf pack. And even though the dominant pack leader theory has been revised of late, Fisher gives great insights to what the behaviours of the dog are really about and not what you might presume. It is a book about practical advice in everyday situations – a handy guide to have nearby when faced with any number of issues. Some of the shopping items may be outdated but the principles behind the advice seem sound. It was great to discover he was one of the founding members of the APBC.

John Fisher explains your dog’s hard wired instincts so they become easier to comprehend and the book stresses the efforts that should be employed to communicate with our dogs for the best possible outcomes.

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.

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!

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.

She tells personal stories throughout the book whilst trying to explain how her method helped the dogs in question. She obviously loves dogs and had plenty of experience with them. I distictly got the impression, however, that she believes that all the problems we encounter with dogs come from exactly the same place and can be rectified with the same method for all. There was no mention of any alternative reasons for some of the dogs’ behaviours.

Talking to a friend of mine who has a “distubed” spaniel we discussed the merits of her method but my friend simply said that no matter what the book said, or however many trainer/behaviourists she talks to (and there have been a few) her dog will always be aggressive to other dogs as she actually is poorly. Something in her brain, a little like a mental illness, preveents her from being comfortable around other dogs despite years of therapy to counter-act it.

All Jan’s methods are kind and the book is easy to read and for that alone the book will be popular. Jan said that she developed her ‘method’ by studying video footage of wolves. Recent research has debunked a lot of the wolf/dog similarity theory and although a lot of Jan’s practical advice would be useful and beneficial, some of it falters and sounds distinctly old fashioned. All the outcomes are good for her and she makes it all sound simple which of course is rarely the case in reality.