Dog Doc: How do you know whether you are ready for a dog?  Practice!

I have just written about going away with your dog, but it’s also important to be able to leave your dogs.  I find it really challenging to get away, but not because I struggle to leave my dogs; I just have too many of them!  Giving someone the opportunity to practice owning a dog for a few days is a great way for me to get away.

One of the key questions I ask when vetting potential puppy owners is about the holidays that people take and the arrangements they make for their dog.  It’s not just about what these arrangements might be as much as the fact they have made plans and thought about it.  Someone I know took on a dog without giving any thought to the fact that they were going to leave the country for months at a time.  The poor thing was then dumped on a family member who did not want it, resulting in it ultimately being returned to rescue (sad emoji).

Leaving your dog with friends

This is my preferred second choice option, after having a house sitter.  I absolutely love being able to leave my dogs with friends and then reciprocate by having theirs to stay.  Guilt free (and I don’t have to pay for the boarding).

I love having other people’s dogs to stay.  I would board other dogs on a regular basis, left to myself.  We have plenty of space and the garden is big enough.  Unfortunately I am not single, and I own five somewhat grumpy collies!  They honestly don’t mind other dogs in the house – I have never, ever had a fight or even a disagreement.  But they don’t love it; they would prefer not to have visitors.

One of the things I love about having other dogs to stay is that you have a chance to experience the joys of different breeds.  I find it completely fascinating, learning about the foibles and features of different breeds.  Equally, it is fascinating to see how my friends find my dogs, particularly those who have not previously experienced the joy of Border Collies!

Enjoy the practice

When you are familiar with a particular breed, you take them for granted and expect all dogs to be like yours.  If you have more than one, you might realise that there are differences between individual dogs.  However, it is not until you have a different breed of dog in your house that you can truly start to see just what different dogs can be like.

10 things I hate about you

For example, Border Collies in particular:

1. Are demanding!  If they think you will engage with them, they will persist.  On and on, over and over.
2. Are clever.  They can figure out your weaknesses and work out how to manipulate you into doing their bidding
3. Have great stamina. They are designed to work on the hills all day, so they can keep going for far longer then you can.
4. Don’t like water much.  OK so that might be a good thing, if you don’t like wet, muddy, smelly dogs, but plenty of people love throwing a ball into the river; Border Collies are not usually that fussed.
5. Are hairy.  They moult, so twice a year, for about 3 (or maybe 6) weeks they leave long silky hairs absolutely everywhere
6. Can be obsessive.  They LOVE to play with a tennis ball.  They don’t just want you to throw it once, but hundreds of times.  They can also become obsessive about watching lights on the ceiling, or squirrels in the garden, or…
7. Are destructive.  If they are left to their own devices, they will find something to do.  This might be chewing the skirting board (Ounce!) or the sofa, or the walls.  They need something to engage their brain, or you will have to leave them somewhere safe.
8. Are neurotic.  If you don’t train them and manage them, they can easily be nervous and reactive.  This means they react to something they perceive to be scary, but then remember that thing FOR EVER and always react to it.
9. Are herding.  Obviously, they are sheepdogs – doh!  But that means that they will try to herd children, or other dogs, or cars, or runners, or rabbits or… Basically if it moves, a Border Collie might try to round it up.
10. Like a cuddle, but only on their terms.  They are not lap dogs, and many Border Collies do not like being cuddled.

Naturally, some of these characteristics can be found in other dogs, but reading endless posts on the Wonderful World of Border Collies these represent the major issues that many people have to cope with in their dogs.  If you have never spent time with a BC, you won’t have experienced their ‘special features’.

Things I love about Border Collies

Just for balance:

• They are intelligent.  You can teach them anything you can think of (and quite a few things you didn’t!)
• They want to do it.  You want to play?  Happy to oblige.  You want to work?  Yes sure.  You want to climb a mountain?  Right there with you.
• BCs are quick and agile.  If you want to do dog sports, they are your dog.
• They are versatile.  Border Collies can do anything.
• They communicate with you.  And right now it’s dinner time, so I will have to hurry up :p
• They are dog shaped.  This means they are generally healthy and happy, in good physical condition.
• Border Collies are beautiful.  Just saying.

That’s enough, I’m getting sentimental about my breed, as usual.  So if you are thinking about getting a dog, why not see if you can look after a friend’s for them while they go away?  Practice makes perfect, so they say.

Ask for help?

You are very welcome to contact me to ask for my advice.  I can help you with a variety of issues and problems around getting a dog and suggestions for tackling training issues.  Go to the What Dog? page for more information on my new service.

Please let me know if you have found this post helpful?

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.  If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

Buying a dog: how can I get the healthiest puppy?

Myth No 1: Crossbreeds are healthier

I was asked recently if I knew any ‘Maltipoo’ breeders.  No.  I don’t know any breeders of crossbreeds.  I suggested they bought a Maltese.  Why does it need to have a bit of ‘poo’ in it?  It seems that everyone is obsessed with having a poodle cross, so that there is no dog hair.  That is great, except that you are still going to have mud, wee, poo (actual poo!) and chewing.  You still need to be 100% committed to having a dog and taking care of a LIVING BEING.

I looked up Maltipoo and found the info page on Pets4homes/maltipoo which I thought was really informative.  It lists the health issues for the ‘breed’ along with whether or not these can be tested for.  Crucially, the site says “Today, there are first generation (f1) Maltipoos, second generation, third and fourth generation Maltipoos, but what are considered the healthiest are first generation dogs“.  How will you know which generation you are getting?  For pedigree dogs, the heritage is known, but crossbreed breeders rarely provide that level of information.

It was interesting to read about the health issues for Maltipoos.  The page lists 13 health issues for Maltese, of which only two can be tested to prevent.  Poodles (toy and miniature) have an additional 23 possible health issues, or which only 4 can be tested to prevent.  Wow, I’d be concerned about this, particularly as some of these issues have serious implications for the quality of life of the dog.

By contrast, the page for Pets4homes/Border Collie, lists 8 health issues, ALL of which have health tests available, other than for epilepsy. This means that you are far less likely to have health issues from a PEDIGREE Border Collie.

Myth No 2: I need to see both parents to know if I am buying a good dog

When you are buying from a responsible breeder, you are unlikely to see both parents.  Most pedigree breeders want to have parents that are unrelated, so they are usually owned by different people.  When you are buying a pedigree dog, you can check the health and parentage of the parents before you go and look at the puppies.  So you will know what they are like.  The Kennel club – mate select lists all the registered pedigree dogs with their health tests for you to check.  In addition, for Border Collies we have the Anadune database which gives us a great deal of information.

If an owner has both parents, they are usually a casual breeder who has just thought it would be ‘fun’ to have some puppies.  Often a crossbreed (see above) and often without bothering about available health tests.

Myth No 3: As long as I take it to the vet when I get it, that will be fine

Yes of course you should definitely get your puppy checked over by a vet when you get it.  But that won’t make it healthy!  The vet can tell you whether your puppy has been well raised and nurtured, from a health point of view.  They can give their expert opinion about whether or not it is from good stock.  It might be possible to identify serious health issues, such as a heart defect.  You might then decide to take the dog back to the breeder, who might then sell it on to some other poor sap.

However, it’s already too late for most health issues.  Again, it’s about having the dog bred from healthy parents – that is the crucial factor in determining long-term health.  Many of the issues that will end up costing you money in the long term cannot be identified by the vet at 8 weeks of age.

“We will still love it, even if it has health issues”

OK, that’s fair enough for you.  But what about the poor dog?  You are sentencing it to a life of pain and suffering, because you couldn’t be bothered to buy it from someone who tried to ensure that it would be as healthy as possible.  Not to mention the stress, anxiety and suffering that you will go through alongside your dog, every time it is ill.  Oh and don’t forget the thousands of pounds you could pay in vet’s bills, especially if the insurers can determine that it was a ‘pre-existing condition’.

Anyway, why would you do that?  Why would you choose to buy a dog, without being sure that it is as healthy as it can be?  After all, you wouldn’t buy a car without knowing it was safe to drive, would you?

Ask for help?

You are very welcome to contact me to ask for my advice.  I can help you with a variety of issues and problems around getting a dog and suggestions for tackling training issues.  Go to the What Dog? page for more information on my new service.

Please let me know if you have found this post helpful?

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.  If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

Going off lead: be brave!

Talking to a friend  recently who has a nervous, rescue girl and I found myself saying “you could let her off lead you know.  She’s not going to go anywhere, you’re her mum”.  How can I be sure?  What if she sees a squirrel?  What if she chases a deer?  Maybe she’ll get scared!  It’s too difficult 🙁

I have to admit, I’m pretty smug and annoying with my girls.  They are off lead for about 98% of our walks and I am completely confident in their obedience.  They come back, they wait when told, they don’t run into the road, blah blah blah.  I’m so lucky.  But then, I do have Border Collies, so it’s really easy.  Hmm…

Start immediately

When I took Ounce out for her very first walk  I let her off the lead.  Scary.  Of course I had already practised her recall many times at home, but even so, it was daunting.

Training the puppy has not been without its moments!  Most memorable was the time when a man came past us, running flat out.  Ounce immediately went haring after him, round the corner in a flash!  Trying desperately not to panic, I stood and called her ‘positively’, (ie not yelling my head off) and just moments later she came tearing back, happy as Larry.

I also remember when my friend got her first puppy from me and I went to visit her.  I guess Nell and Luna were about 4 months old.  We went off for a walk and I was surprised that Nell was on lead.  “Let her off” I urged.  Thankfully she did and never looked back.

Finally, here is a video of when I looked after Charlie Brown, from Aura’s litter.  He is also going out for one of his first walks.  And he’s not even mine!

Why go off lead?

I wrote about this in one of my first ever posts: why go off lead It’s interesting to think how far I have come since I wrote that post; I know so much more about other dogs and how trainable (or not) they might be.  So let’s recap.

Reasons for going off lead

1. more stimulating for the dog
2. better exercise – your dog will typically travel 3 or 4 times as far as you do, if they are off lead
3. safer – your dog can move away from anything they are not happy about

This last point is the key for me and something I often talk about.   When your dog is on lead they are able to pick up exactly how you are feeling. This is partly from your smell and partly from the lead itself.  Any anxiety you have transmits directly down the lead to the dog.  How ironic that the worry you have about your dog can cause the dog to worry about you!

Reasons to keep/have your dog on lead

1. control near danger – mainly roads.  Dogs do absolutely understand the difference between roads and pavements and many dogs happily walk calmly beside you along a road.  BUT there are always squirrels, or moments when their focus shifts.  Cars are big, dangerous objects, so it’s not worth the risk, on the whole.

That’s it.  I honestly can’t think of anything else.  Of course dogs do run off after rabbits etc.  Any dog with a strong prey drive will do this and it is a real challenge waiting for them to come back.  I appreciate that they may be gone for hours and may go a long way.  I don’t know how patient I would be with a dog like this.  But I do know that when I go up to the woods I see many Spaniels and Labradors, all off lead, so it must be possible to manage this?  Let me know if you disagree?

The other main reason dogs are kept on lead is because they ‘don’t like other dogs’.   When they are on lead they have nowhere to go, so of course they won’t want another dog coming into their face.  When they are off lead, they will move away.  They may turn round and tell the other dog to go away, but if they can move, that’s what they will do.

Go on – you can do it!

Practice, practice, practice.  Use a long lead at first, make sure your dogs know their name, then go for it!  Please?

Ask for help?

You are very welcome to contact me to ask for my advice.  I can help you with a variety of issues and problems around getting a dog and suggestions for tackling training issues.  Go to the What Dog? page for more information on my new service.

Please let me know if you have found this post helpful?

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.  If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

When should you get a second dog?

A few months ago I talked about the journey to multiple dogs – How many dogs should you have? but I think it is useful to focus again on the timing of getting a second dog, following a couple of enquiries I have had this week.  Two lovely people have contacted me saying that they have a dog aged 13/14 and are thinking about getting a puppy.  The first person had only ever had one dog and was now considering a second.  This was my reply. 

Bringing in a second dog

It’s such a challenge isn’t it, knowing when is the right time to get another dog.  I look at Sunny, my eldest, who is nearly 12 – she did a couple of agility runs at the weekend (ones designed for old dogs I hasten to add!) but she skipped round so happily.  However, she does run around with the other girls, every day, so is fit as a flea.  I got her when Buzz was 8 and he was thrilled to have a companion; it gave him a new lease of life, definitely.

My previous girl, Rue, was 11 when I got Buzz as a pup and she was less than impressed.  She never interacted with him and just ignored him in the main.  I do know other people whose older dogs regularly ‘have a go’ at their younger ones.  People I know have to keep old and young dogs apart, or muzzled; it can be as bad as that.

“I think what I’m trying to say, in the nicest possible way, is that it’s too late for you and your old girl, in my opinion.  A rescue will come with its own issues, in my experience, which may well upset your girl considerably.  A puppy is just annoying!  If she already has arthritis she won’t want to be bounced on and won’t be up for a game of chase, for example.  You will have two dogs with very different needs and will be really torn with how to manage them.

“I think it is likely you will be wanting to get a puppy in a few years’ time.  Sorry not to be more enthusiastic, I am just thinking of your old girl and what is best for her.”

When you have had two dogs

The second enquiry was from someone who had lost one of her two dogs a few months ago and wanted to get a replacement of him.  When two dogs have grown up together and always had each other it can be upsetting for the remaining dog to be alone.  They are used to the greater activity level of being together and the companionship of each other.

Once again, I would exercise caution.  I think that despite the loss of their companion, an older dog would rather remain on their own with their family than have to cope with a new dog.   Dogs are like people; they are adaptable.  And if the owner is older, then the pace of life is generally slower all round, which suits the dog far better.

The ideal age?

What is the right age to introduce a second dog?  I was always a great believer in small age gaps, so that there is a closer bond and more playtime.  My brothers and I are close in age and there is only 18 months between my sons.

As is so often the case, this theory has not been borne out.  There are three and a half to four years between Sunny and Luna, Luna and Busy, and Busy and Ounce.  Aura is the ‘odd one out’ as she is between Luna and Busy.  My original plan had been to keep a girl from Luna’s second or third litter, but the best laid plans and all that!

Aura is a special girl, but she is demanding!  She was extremely jealous of Busy when I kept her and still struggles to get the attention she thinks she deserves.  My conclusion is that 18 months to 2 years is too small a gap.

Four years now seems about right.  I have lots of friends with various dogs and they seem to agree, on the whole.

Other alternatives to a second dog

There are a couple of alternatives is you want another dog but it’s not quite the right time.  One is to put your dog into doggy day care, or simply to get a dog walker.  That way, they will have regular, prolonged interaction with other dogs.

The second is to use a service like Borrow My Doggy which allows you to lend your dog out to other families, or have other people’s dogs to stay with you. More information about why borrowing a dog might be better than owning one can be found in this article.

Finally, I just want to give a quick mention here to The Cinnamon Trust who do amazing work to support the elderly with their pets.

Remember..

If you are buying a dog, start by looking at the What Dog? page, then contact me?  Part of this service is that I will provide a form for you to fill in.  This acts like a CV, enabling you to demonstrate who you are clearly to other breeders.

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.  If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

When I am scared of dogs

It’s confession time: I am scared of dogs.  Well not ALL dogs, obviously; I adore mine!  Truthfully, I am not really scared of ‘dogs’; I am scared of some of their behaviours.  It has taken me a lifetime to realise this.  I have spent my life around dogs, so I understand their behaviour and communication.  To me, it is obvious when a dog is scared or upset and that can be a scary thing, because dogs have big, sharp teeth and strong jaws.

German Shepherds are my downfall; they are big dogs that are bred to guard their owners.  I have met many GSDs in my life and of course some of them are lovely, but in my experience and humble opinion, they can be nervous and wary.  This makes them ideal guard dogs, because unlike a Labrador for example, who will lick you death, they understand who is a stranger.  They are incredibly protective of what is theirs and are perfectly designed to do the job they are bred for, to guard.

Guard dogs guard – it’s their job

When I was in my late teens my mum went to visit a friend whose German Shepherd had had pups and she took me along with her.  She went into the stable where they were and sat down to get close to the pups.  I tentatively came in behind her.  The bitch got up and moved slowly and stiffly towards me.  I burst into tears and ran away.   She knew I was nervous and I knew she knew.

Justifying it to myself, I think it is OK to be scared of dogs in certain situations.  I would never harass a person, child or adult, into approaching or stroking a dog.

Interactions must be on your own terms and that goes for the dog as well as the person.

Say hello nicely

I’m old enough to be from a generation that was taught that it was polite for children to go up to adults and give them a kiss, if they were an elderly relative or a family friend.  Yuk!  There was nothing more awkward, nor more disgusting than having to approach and make contact with a stranger, especially if they had old, wrinkly skin and thick makeup.  Fortunately nowadays we don’t make children do that.  So why would we do it to our dogs?

Visiting a friend recently, I was standing at the front door, when their young, nervous German Shepherd was ‘brought out to meet me’.  She was barking, being held by the collar and thrust forward towards me.  Needless to say I was NOT going to hold out my hand to stroke the dog!  I backed off and asked that the dog be taken away.

How to introduce a dog to a visitor

When someone comes into my house I always, always shut my dogs away.  I then bring people into the house and ‘settle them in’.  I’m lucky that I have a glass wall, so people can see my dogs and they can see the person.  I can then gauge reactions and assess the way forward.  You can use a stairgate, so that the dog can see you with your visitors, from a safe distance.

When my visitor is relaxed and sitting down with a drink, I ask if I can bring some or all the dogs in.  Sometimes people come in and never meet my dogs – that’s fine.  If the person is OK, then I let them out.  I would expect my dogs to come over and want to say hello to people and visiting dogs.  However, if they didn’t want to, that would be completely fine.  I wouldn’t ever force the issue.  When a visit is nervous, I suggest they offer the dog a treat to encourage them forward.  However, I would never force it until the dog is ready.  When dogs know that the person visiting is a friend of yours, they are more likely to relax.

I do have dog phobic people in the house and I would always wait until they are comfortable and talk through what was going to happen.  When Busy (my therapy dog) meets people she simply goes near them and leans against their legs.  I would always expect my dogs to move away if they felt uncomfortable.  If a child chases round after your dog, don’t be surprised if they turn round and snap in their face.  Well you wouldn’t like someone doing that to you, would you?

Visiting dogs

Keep visiting dogs apart from your dogs until they are settled and have had a sniff around house and garden.  I let the dogs into the garden, so they have the space to move away if they want to.  When my dogs are out on a walk I expect them to ignore other dogs completely – I train them to do this.  If another dog bounces up to them to say hello I expect them to snap at them to say ‘go away’ and I expect the other dog to respect that.  If we are walking with other dogs they will wander around each other and be completely fine.

Basically, it’s about allowing the dog to manage the interaction on its own terms.  I think that is especially true when managing dogs on walks, but that is worthy of another post..

Ask for help?

You are very welcome to contact me to ask for my advice.  I can help you with a variety of issues and problems around getting a dog and suggestions for tackling training issues.  Go to the What Dog? page for more information on my new service.

Please let me know if you have found this post helpful?

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.  If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.