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My motto is 'commitment, firmness and kindness'.
COMMITMENT...because a dog is for life. Before you acquire one, you must be committed to looking after your friend for his or her life.
FIRMNESS...a dog needs to respect you. Be firm and you will have a happier and more enjoyable life together.
KINDNESS...physical punishment will solve no problems, indeed it may cause some. Kindness costs nothing but he promises you the rewards will be great.
Microchips
Responsible pet owners are using microchip to ensure that if their pets are ever lost and turned into the pound they will be returned as quickly as possible. In Spain it is now a legal requirement for dogs, cats and ferrets. Responsible breeders also make use of these tools to assure that the puppies they sell will be identified and appropriate action taken if they are ever lost or, for any reason, turned over to a shelter or pound.
The microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, is inserted between the shoulder blades with a syringe like instrument. It contains no batteries or chemicals and has an active life of about 25 years. The age at which this can be done varies with the size and development of the dog, as a certain amount of muscle tissue is necessary. With larger breeds, it can be done by 7-9 weeks of age, which is when most puppies go to their new homes. All vets now have the capacity to insert microchips.
When scanned, the microchip will reveal a code that is unique to the dog. By consulting the appropriate chip registry database, relevant information - including dog's owner, breeder, emergency contact, even health problems and food requirements - can be obtained. Implanting the chip and registering the information is included in the cost. Dog Clubs often have group microchip discounts.
Advantages of Microchips:
The microchip cannot get lost or stolen like a collar can.
The microchip cannot be worn off or removed like a tattoo.
The microchip can lead to all of the necessary information about the dog (even preferred food), its owners, breeder, emergency contact and information can be changed readily.
Disadvantages of Microchips:
Microchips cannot be detected or read without a scanner and unfortunately, there are still many animal shelters and societies that do not have scanners.
My dog was locked out
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I recently had a call from a lady that had a caller to her house claiming to represent the electric company. Her dog barked and as she open the door the dog ran out. The man pushed the lady into the house, closing the door. Now the dog was outside and the man and lady inside. The lady was robbed and is now a very nervous person.
My advice to pet owners is to always have a leash by the door and when it is a stranger at the door to put the dog on a leash. Still use the stay or place if you can but have it on the leash. In this way if the dog does go through the door the stranger cannot come in and shut the door behind them and also they do not have a strong enough communication from the dog to know whether it is friendly or not. I have told many ladies this one, pet owners who cannot keep their dog on a sit unless it is on a leash. The leash means - training. And the sight of the dog on the leash (which can always be released), is a bigger deterrent than one that is loose and comes out to greet anyone. Most dogs will greet after the initial barking.
My first training with a dog in the home is to sit at the door, to sit in a place and not run through the door. Owners should train their dogs to have good door manners. I always recommend a leash at the door anyway and a place to sit close to it.
I also teach dogs to smile and growl with pleasure on command, this is a perfect deterrent.
If your dog barks at "intruders" i.e. mailman, delivery people.
Try adding a command to "watch ‘em" while the dog barks. Reward her for barking. (these people usually leave anyway, but the dog will assume it shooed them away)
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Let the dog bark a few times then give a NO! command and reward the dog when it ceases barking. After a while you should be able to give the command before the dog barks and then you may begin teaching the "watch ‘em" outside using a decoy person who will beat a hasty retreat as the dog barks at them. Your decoy should not be someone that the dog knows. The retreat will build her confidence as she will have "chased" the bad guy away.
Of course this all sounds easy but it is vital to get your voice and timing right.
A good school will be able to help you with this. Remember though, a bad trainer is worse that an untrained dog.
The Dangers Of Warm Weather
The summer heat can be of danger to pets, in particular to small animals that can die within just 30 minutes in a hot car.
Those particularly at risk of getting heatstroke are small cats and dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs and other small animals.
Many people just do not appreciate how dangerous heat is for small animals.
Even popping into the supermarket for a few minutes could end in tragedy for an animal left in a hot car.
Small animals are very sensitive to heat. They find it very difficult to regulate their body temperature and people need to be aware of the precautions they need to take to protect them.
Dogs and cats also need plenty of ventilation when travelling so car windows should be wound down to provide enough air and they should be given water at regular intervals. Never allow your dog to have it head out of the window as this can cause damage to the eyes.
Sitting in a traffic jam with the sun beating down on the car can have disastrous consequences for your dog. He or she may seem fine but don't forget that however hot you feel they feel even hotter. A metal car can turn into an oven and if they do not have enough ventilation and water they could die before your journey is over.
Never leave a pet in a car unattended. |
