7 Jul

What is a dog whisperer and what does a dog whisperer do? How to be a dog whisperer explained

Dog whisperer is a pretty fancy title

Anyone can do Dog Grabbing, or Dog Shouting, or Dog Hitting but Dog Whispering sounds like it’s an innate, spiritually-found skill perhaps offered to a select few by the Sirius God of Dog Stars… maybe. Horse whispering shares the same etherial, almost angelic-sounding grace; it conjures up images of someone modestly dressed, knelt down beside the animal, communicating gently, using some sort of higher plane, or sixth sense to break through the obvious language barrier of two different species. You’d expect them to lay their hand on the horse - or dog - gently and calmly, only for the animal to accept them and strike an everlasting bond with them. Dramatic, peaceful and awe-inspiring. That’s what whispering with animals conjures up for me.

Pinning dogs down, growling at them, flipping them onto their backs, grabbing them, holding them up by their metal collar or shouting at them isn’t really conducive with my feeling of what “whispering” to a dog should look like. Call me old fashioned but I always expected something a little more - well, whispery. So if you have a problem with your dog and you watch or consult a “dog whisperer”, I for one wouldn’t expect them to so much as touch or raise their voice around the dog. And I’d certainly not expect them to bring out gizmos and gadgets that spray air or water at my dog or delivery electric shocks. Maybe Black Beauty had it lucky when she found that young kid who seemed to be able to get the horse to do what she wanted it to do, without any force or physical coercion. Does that exist in the real world? Can we really get animals to do what we’d like them to do, without touching them, causing them any pain or shouting at them?

Yes. Yes we can - and animal professionals do, every day, all over the world. What looks really easy to achieve takes a fair bit of understanding, a lot of practice and a lot of patience, too. Animal training is classically one of those things that falls into the “how hard can it be?” category. When people try something that doesn’t work or perhaps try something that works for a while and then doesn’t (what we animal professionals call extinction), they quickly become frustrated and resort to physical prompting or force. It’s trickier than you think to get a dog to do what you want it to do, however, the basics of “dog whispering” are straightforward enough for any and all dog owners to put into practice.

1. Respect that the dog may not feel like doing what you want it to do: it may be tired, in pain or simply uninterested.

2. Respect that dog’s don’t have to like you all the time - just like humans they like time on their own and may not want to be stroked, cuddled or moved.

3. True dog whispering is about understanding the animal - how do they feel? What are they thinking? How do we communicate with them and they with us? Take a look at this poster to get you started.

4. Understand punishment: what is a punishment anyway? Do we have to hit the dog or electrocute it or scare it? No, we don’t - and we shouldn’t. We can learn that punishment is simply a word given by professionals to mean the opposite of reward. Nothing about the word or its definition (“a stimulus that reduces the immediately precipitating behaviour”) says it has to be nasty or painful - not giving your dog a treat is for many an effective punishment - their very own “extinction”.

5. How can we reward our dogs correctly, in turn showing them that we understand them? What makes your dog tick? What do they really love doing that you can use as a reward to reinforce good behaviour, or behaviour you want to see more of? Is it treats, toys, a game of tug, being chased, a cuddle or the opportunity to sniff?

6. Work with your dog, train your dog or interact with your dog in short bursts of 15 minutes - 30 minutes at a time in order for the time to be effective and efficacious. Don’t over do it: you might have the stamina and the drive and know what the end goal is but the dog, as clever and willing as they appear are still only animals. Be patient.

So, there we go - you, too, can be a dog whisperer! A real dog whisperer, using the power of gentle communication. See how easy it is to start?

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Posted in Jez's advice on anything dog, Jez's top behaviour tips, Jez's top training tips by admin

7 Jul

Should I Get A Collar Or A Harness For My Dog? Dog collars versus dog harnesses, the pros and cons

Pulling on the lead is a very common complaint form dog owners who find it frustrating, not at all enjoyable and very often exhausting if not painful. However, seeing how intensely dogs can pull, often wheezing and coughing while doing so as their trachea is compressed, it must be pretty raw for the dog, too. Such is the power of conditioned responses in animals, such as dogs (“the only way to get this human to get to the park quickly is to literally drag her there!” or “wow! I smell squirrels - this feels uncomfortable on my neck but - squirrels!”).

There are many types of collar and many types of harness - some good but many bad. Few seem to have understood the anatomy of the dog in order to find the most comfortable and safest fit for the harness (taking into consideration the distribution of weight, load and anatomical position of various structures). It is now generally accepted, thankfully, that choke chains are not good but interestingly

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Posted in Jez's advice on anything dog, Research & Studies, Resources for Veterinary Professionals, The National Responsible Dog Owners Campaign by admin

7 Jul

Wolf Cubs Born at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust Review

The fantastic UK Wolf Conservation Trust in Beenham has recently welcomed the birth of three beautiful wolf cubs: Tundra, Tala and Nuka, born to Mai and Motomo.

I’m currently writing a book about environment enrichment so I offered to provide the cubs with some stimulation and enrichment activities in their enclosure. At this age it’s great to encourage natural instincts including play and foraging for food and what better way than to stuff their food in a KONG chew toy?! Well known in the domestic animal setting, KONG is actually used widely in many zoos and captive animal environments, so the awesome people at KONG Company UK sent a box of KONG extreme over to the UK Wolf Conservation Trust.

Here are a few pictures of the cubs enjoying their rabbit meat stuffed into the KONG!

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Posted in Latest news from the dog world by admin

2 Jul

The Children’s Guide to Woofs and Growls

This high-resolution poster can be printed and displayed in your practice or used for internal training. It teaches children how to safely behave around dogs, starring Boogie the Boston Terrier.

As with all of the Vet Resources, feel free to download and distribute freely to your clients. All rights are reserved, so please no selling!

You can download it here.

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Posted in Resources for Veterinary Professionals, The National Responsible Dog Owners Campaign by admin

22 Jun

The Dangerous Dogs Act Debacle - what is The Dangerous Dogs Act Review?

The Dangerous Dogs Act is a UK legislation introduced in 1991 (then reviewed in 1997 by a group of equally Prehistoric, histrionic officials) in response to a number of incidents of serious injury and death as a result of dog attacks. The dogs were identified as being uncontrolled and “aggressive” and the attacks were mainly on children. It is widely believed that the Act was a knee-jerk reaction in response to heavy media attention and public pressure, resulting in widespread public concern over the keeping of the so-called “dangerous” breeds that had been involved in the reported attacks.

This means that dogs classified under the Act as “dangerous” (which include Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro), must be muzzled and kept on a leash in public, registered and insured, neutered, tattooed and microchipped. What a life. The Act also bans the breeding and sale of these dogs. All of this, despite the fact that globally, more dog bites involve Labradors than any other breed and Pit Bull Terriers are an extremely common breed in the USA. Perhaps the “dangerous” Pit Bull Terrier gene couldn’t swim as far as the USA and they were lucky?…

Confusion often arises because the Act covers cross-breeds of the above dogs, being classified as a “type” of dog rather than an actual breed: IE “it was a Fila Brasileiro type dog”. Pit Bulls have a particularly bad name, which is a shame as they, like any dog, can make excellent pets if socialised and trained as a puppy. Equally they, like any dog, can make particularly dangerous companions because of a lack of socialisation, training… and the presence of teeth. The Act defines that there are only 5 types of dangerous dog which should be banned, despite the presence of perfectly normal Pit Bulls in other countries, which I imagine is a little grating for those that have been attacked by other breeds such a Collies.

The problem surrounding the Act is that many dogs are bred, raised and trained to fight and act as status symbols by being aggressive. As a professional dog trainer, I am capable of teaching any dog to behave in an aggressive manner - not that I do: just like humans, dogs will only be pushed so far. As my mentor says: “humans, dogs and horses are the three most commonly abused species in the history of mankind”.

This is key, because what we actually need is not a review of breeds or types but ore action on the prevention of attacks, understanding that it is by training dogs and socialising them early that we can produce dogs that like and get on with dogs and people. The answer is in education.

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Posted in Jez's advice on anything dog, Resources for Veterinary Professionals, The National Responsible Dog Owners Campaign by admin

21 Jun

Predator to Pet wolf workshop at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust Berkshire October 2011

Join the UK Wolf Conservation Trust in Beenham, Berkshire for an exciting and fast-moving workshop, developed in association with Wolf Park of Indiana.

This hands-on workshop will chart the domestication of dogs, from their wild roots to the present day. Topics include:

: Taxonomy of the canids
: Genetic evidence of the relationship between dogs and wolves
: Domestication versus socialisation
…and more!

A walk with an ambassador wolf is included, allowing you to see firsthand the wild ancestor of today’s dogs. You’ll also receive a gift as a memento of the day! It’s a fantastic day out and one I highly recommend; they do a great job in both education and conservation.

Tickets are available to book online here.

The next Predator to Pet Workshop is Saturday 15th October.

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Posted in Latest news from the dog world, Recommended Products by admin

21 Jun

Dog Language

This high-resolution poster can be printed and displayed in your practice or used for internal training. Dogs communicate largely through their use of body language and this poster details what body language to look out for in practice to prevent aggressive behaviour, starring Doody the Chihuahua.

As with all of the Vet Resources, feel free to download and distribute freely to your clients. All rights are reserved, so please no selling!

You can download it here.

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Posted in Resources for Veterinary Professionals by admin

14 Jun

Doggy Do’s and Don’ts

This high-resolution poster can be printed and displayed in your practice or used for internal training. It shows common mistakes veterinary professionals make when approaching a dog and the correct way to interact with your canine clients to use safe and compliant dogs, starring Rafferty the chocolate Labrador.

As with all of the Vet Resources, feel free to download and distribute freely to your clients. All rights are reserved, so please no selling!

You can download it here.

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Posted in Resources for Veterinary Professionals by admin

14 Jun

Perfect Paws in 5 Days with Jean Donaldson DVD Review

Perfect Paws in 5 Days featuring Jean Donaldson is a DVD that aims to teach reliable dog obedience in just 5 days.

With its high production value, clear chapter marking and useful content, Perfect Paws in 5 Days makes for a great dog training DVD on its own but it’s the highly likeable, friendly and extremely knowledgeable host, Jean Donaldson, that really makes this DVD worth its cover price.

Jean Donaldson is an internationally recognised and respected dog trainer, author and founder of The Academy for Dog Trainers. She is a key force in dog training and this DVD shows just how incredibly knowledgable she is. Filmed with owners and their dogs in class scenarios, one on one and also with Jean’s own dog to demonstrate key points, this is one of the finest DVDs in dog training. If you want quick, clear instructions on how to have a better behaved, more obedient dog in just 5 days, Perfect Paws in 5 Days is the answer.

Jean’s clear instructions of how to teach your dog quickly, efficiently and using modern, safe animal training methods are a joy to watch. She has a great pace that makes the entire DVD easy to watch and a uniquely succinct style. Highly recommended.

Priced at £17.95

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Posted in Recommended Products by admin

14 Jun

Vet’s Kitchen Natural Dog Food by Joe Inglis Review

Celebrity vet Joe Inglis (who you might recognise from BBC’s The One Show) has recently launched a new line of dry dog food called Pet’s Kitchen. Each recipe has been designed by Joe himself, using his veterinary understanding of specific ingredients and including high quality, human grade foods, natural glucosamine and chondroitin for healthy joints, natural prebiotics for healthy digestion and omega 3 oils from fish oil for healthy skin, coat and immune system.

I feed all of my dogs on a raw diet but I appreciate that it isn’t convenient or desirable for every dog owner, so I wanted to find the best dry dog food I could. Joe is passionate about feeding natural, high quality foods because in his practice as a vet, he sees what a difference diet can make to a dog’s health and happiness. As a behaviourist I can vouch for this - diet is so relevant to behaviour that finding out what food the dog is eating is one of the first questions I ask my clients. Which is what makes Vet’s Kitchen stand out from the competition. I believe Vet’s Kitchen is the finest dry dog food available on the market today. My dogs, who don’t normally like dry dog food, went crazy for it!

A friend of mine with a 6 month old Labrador cross Springer Spaniel called Rafferty tried the puppy formula and he loved it, too. Here’s what he had to say:

“He definitely liked the food as he devoured it with great gusto, however, despite its more concentrated nature I got the impression he felt a little short changed with the portion sizes! From our point of view we think it is a fantastic idea when space is a premium that you can get more meals from less volume and Jo thought so particularly having lugged around the 15k bags. The packaging stands as a healthier product and having that endorsement from a celebrity vet adds to reassure the consumer of the quality of the product. Don’t know how it compares in terms of pricing but feel it would definitely stand out in the crowd in terms of a new and premium product.”

Rafferty’s owner shared my thoughts on the Vet’s Kitchen range:

1. The sturdy plastic bags are resealable which seals in the freshness. They’re a handy size, too and come in a range of sizes including the industry-standard 1.3kg, 7.5kg and 15kg deal (consisting of 2x 7.5kg bags). The packaging is impressive with clear, jargon-free advice.
2. Vet’s Kitchen is concentrated, so it’s great value costing about 3 times less per day than other dog foods. It works out to be about 70p per day for a 10kg dog in comparison to £3.20 per day for a similar quality wet dog food.
3. We trust it because Joe puts his name, face, experience and registration as a veterinary surgeon to the product.
4. It’s an excellent price, making it very good value for money.

Dry kibble is perfect for training your puppy or adult dog by weighing out their daily ration and then using each piece of kibble as a reward for desired behaviour; you’ll get your dog walking nicely by your side or stop them from pulling in one or two walks. My advice is to never feed your dog in a bowl as it’s a waste of training opportunities. If you have any food left over after your walk or you’re in a rush or sometimes haven’t got time to feed them by hand, put the remainder of their food into a KONG chewtoy perhaps with a little peanut butter or simply on its own. For the best summer treat for your dog, or if they’re a bit of a gobbler, put Vet’s Kitchen into the KONG, seal the small hole with some cheese or peanut butter and add a little water then pop in the freezer. Leave for a few hours or overnight and you have a frozen KONG lolly which your dog will take much longer to lick and chew to get the food out as it defrosts.

Having worked with Joe, I know how much attention he pays to detail and how determined he is to get things right but he’s excelled himself with Vet’s Kitchen. I highly recommend it and suggest you do your dog and your purse a favour and switch to Vet’s Kitchen.

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Posted in Recommended Products by admin