What are the problems you have with your puppy?

Puppy problems can be hard to tackle, but we don’t necessarily have to solve every problem. At this age, we may feel that we have our finished dog. They are adult-sized and we have had them for a long time. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. We still have work to do, if we want to get the finished dog we dreamed of having.

Hopefully when you read through my questionnaire celebrating six months with your puppy, you thought about what was really great about them? And what was not so great? Did you find yourself realising that there are things you are not entirely happy with? I know I did. Quin is so lovely around the house and when he meets people. He is not so great with other dogs and this is the area that needs thinking about.

Defining the puppy problems

When you think about your dog, what problems spring to mind? The most common puppy problems around the ages of 6-10 months are:

• Excessive barking in the house and garden
• Barking at and chasing cats, squirrels and birds
• Barking at the door/when visitors arrive
• Jumping up
• Pulling on the lead
• Not coming back (recall)
• Reacting to other dogs on walks
• Chasing cars/runners/bikes
• Chewing the furniture/shoes/the house
• Needing too much exercise/being too lively

Sound familiar? These problems are really common! So first of all, recognise that you have a dog and that’s what dogs do? Hopefully, some of these problems are ones you have already tackled, with me. Click the links above to see the posts I have already written about these issues?

Decide what to do

You have recognised your dog’s biggest issues. Now decide what you want to do? You have three choices:

• Do nothing
• Manage it
• Train it away

First of all, don’t underestimate the decision to do nothing. You have a dog. Some things that you find really annoying are just part of who your dog is. You might just need to accept that and cope with it. Barking is the biggest of these types of puppy problems.

Do nothing

Quin barks at lots of things, including animals (especially dogs!) on the TV. It’s hilarious. Most dogs don’t react to the TV, or only look round if a dog barks. Quin leaps up and stares at the screen if a chicken appears! He is very fierce and gets really annoyed if we watch a wildlife programme. Funny boy. We don’t really mind, we just call him to distract him and give him a fuss once he stops barking. It’s fine.

One of the posts I’ve linked to above shows my efforts to stop Aura going berserk when the food processor is switched on. However, it doesn’t really bother us when the dogs all go mad occasionally, so I don’t keep revisiting this training.

Manage it

Barking around the house can be managed relatively easily, by putting the dog away from the source of the stimulation. So when someone comes to the door, put the dog in another room so they don’t get rewarded by the door being answered. You’re pretty unlikely to stop them barking altogether, but at least they are not rewarded for barking.

The most common issues that people choose to manage are pulling on lead and not coming back. People use harnesses with their dogs so that when they pull on lead they don’t strangle themselves. That’s fine if you don’t mind being pulled along. It’s actually useful if you are doing Canicross!

When dogs don’t come straight back to their owners, the owners get scared their dog will get run over, or that they will be attacked by another dog. So they keep them on lead. Some owners don’t even try to let their dogs off lead.

For me personally, I think it’s absolutely tragic if you choose not to tackle either of these issues. In my opinion (humble or otherwise), it is absolutely essential for dogs to walk off lead. Therefore they don’t necessarily need a harness if they don’t walk far on lead, but it’s obviously better if they can walk sensibly. And it’s vital for a dog to be able to wander and sniff, at their own pace.

Train it away

By far the best solution, for you and the dog, is to put in a bit of work to make puppy problems more manageable. WARNING: Some problems are more easily solved than others! Jumping up is a relatively simple problem to solve, whereas reacting to other dogs and not coming back when called are worthy of several blog posts on their own.

Hopefully though, this post has encouraged you to think about the ongoing issues with your problem puppy and make a plan about what you want to fix, what you are able to manage and what you can just ignore? I am working hard with Quin to help him cope with meeting other dogs – more on this in the coming weeks.

Weekly Focus Challenge

What does your dog do that drives you mad?  How are you going to tackle each of their problems?  Make a list of the problems and then decide how you are going to cope with them.

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Dog food – what is best for your dog?

The dog food market is absolutely enormous; it’s worth billions of pounds. So we are all subject to huge commercial pressure to buy certain types of food for our dog. When I was young the choice was between two or three types of tinned meat, plus a biscuit meal to add bulk. Even longer ago, dogs were simply fed scraps and leftovers – dog food didn’t exist.

Today we are bombarded with choice over different types of dog food and we now consider there to be four main ways we can feed our dogs:

• dry complete food, or kibble
• wet tinned food
• home cooked food
• raw food.

There is a huge amount of information available now about what type of dog food is best for your dog. I am not a nutritionist, so I am not going to wade into this argument. I am simply going to highlight a few of the issues and questions around dog food, as I have done previously.

Dog food – fit for your dog

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes! They also live very different lives – from a toy dog, such as a Yorkshire Terrier, living in a city and being carried around, to Border Collie, working sheep in the hills. Clearly the needs of those two animals will be very different. So I think you need to start by examining your dog’s size and shape and considering their level of activity and fitness.

A good starting point with dog food is to talk to the breeder. Responsible breeders will have experience of the breed and what works well for them. That doesn’t mean you have to feed the same food, just that they have tried out different foods and worked out what works for them. As a Kennel Club Assured Breeder, I am required to provide advice about feeding to my puppy owners. I also provide a few days of puppy food and offer a sack of food at a discounted price.

Monitor your dog

When you get your puppy, you need to assess whether the food they have is working for them. Are they too fat, or too thin? Is their level of activity correct for the life they are living? I have seen dogs that are lacking in energy and struggling to enjoy the same walks that my dogs do. Equally, I have seen dogs that are ‘wired’, leaping around all over the house, struggling to settle.

Think about the what you need your dog to do? Hopefully you will keep their routine similar on a day-to-day basis. If you are going to go on a long hike, you need to think about giving your dog a bigger breakfast before you go and perhaps taking a small meal for them to have at lunchtime, while you are in the pub! Of course if you are going to run around with your dog, doing agility for example, you need to feed them early enough so that this is digested. Don’t feed immediately after exercise either.

Quality of poo

Well if you own a dog, you will come face to face with this issue on a daily basis! We have to pick up after our dogs, so we do become invested in what is coming out of them. A dog with an upset stomach is not nice for them or you. Border Collies are notoriously fussy, picky eaters. They certainly don’t eat everything! As a breed, they often have digestive issues and are quite sensitive to different foods. They are by no means the only breed to suffer in this way – poodles are quite sensitive to allergies, which obviously can affect poodle crossbreeds as well.

Tailor-made dog food

For me, I like a nice complete food that is easy to feed. I was recommended to feed Royal Canin when I started breeding and it works for me. That doesn’t mean I feed it indiscriminately to my dogs. Luna has a diabetic version which helps maintains her health really well, despite her diabetes. I obviously feed the younger dogs a version for puppies and junior dogs, while the older dogs have a senior version.

In addition I add extra bits for interest. One of the main criticisms of feeding kibble is that it’s boring. Personally, that is not an issue for me, as I have bran flakes for my breakfast every single day. I like it, it’s easy and I don’t see why I have to have variety for breakfast. Again, the amount of variety your dog wants will vary from one dog to the next.

In my opinion, feeding raw meat to dogs is fraught with difficulties. It’s harder to manage from a hygiene point of view – see the government’s handling guidelines. The reason I don’t routinely feed it to my dogs is because they’re not bothered about it. It’s certainly not their favourite.

I have tried feeding my dogs Aardvark kibble containing insect protein. I love the idea of replacing meat with insects in our food. Again, the dogs weren’t that fussed. So I stick to what they eat, what keeps them the right weight and fitness. I add raw carrot and goat’s milk powder for a bit of extra tastiness. Lucky dogs! Here’s a video of Ounce, fussiest dog ever, picking through different foods.

Weekly Focus Challenge

Are you happy with the weight and condition of your dog?  Do you think they are ‘fit for purpose’?  Do they like their food or do you feel they are not that bothered?  If you have a very hungry dog, you may need to consider something different.  Or if they wolf their food down too quickly, you may want to feed them differently, using a snuffle mat, for example (see boredom fighting).

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

How’s your recall going?

Recall is the hardest ‘skill’ to master when you have a dog – and the most important. I have already talked about calling your puppy several times during the course of writing this blog and elsewhere on this website. But it is so important it is worth revisiting and revising. Having just re-read the last post I wrote about recall, I don’t have much to add. I’m just putting this here to remind you to keep on practising.

Test yourself with these challenges:

• Call your dog 5 times in the house, when you can see them. How quickly do they respond?
• Call your dog 5 times from another room. Do they still come?
• Call your dog 5 times from the garden. If you are inside and they are outside, do they still come back? Or do you normally just wait until they have ‘finished’ being in the garden and come in on their own?
• Call your dog 5 times on your walk. Now what happens?

Why does recall work?

Think about the difference in the way your dog responds to you. What makes your recall successful? What stops your dog from coming back to you? What’s the quickest you can get your dog back to you?

I have previously mentioned having a ‘Pavlovian response‘ to recall and I think this is at the heart of making it work for you and your puppy. What you need to do is create a situation where your dog has a very strong association between you calling their name and them receiving a reward. Once you have that, it is very difficult for the dog to ignore you.

Remember, your dog is not malicious. They don’t spend their time imagining ways to wind you up, or annoy you. Dogs want an easy, happy life. If you feed them tasty treats and play with them, they want to be with you.

Instant recall

How quickly do you need your dog back? Do you absolutely have to have them under control at all times? I urge you to be realistic and manage your expectations with regard to recall. If your dog is having a good old sniff, or has wandered off a bit in the woods to see if a squirrel is there to be chased, please be patient?

If your dog is rushing over to another dog, you need to weigh up the impact of that encounter. When you know that your dog is relaxed and happy meeting other dogs, you don’t need to panic, but you do still need to call them and pay attention to the meeting. If your dog is currently being a bit of a dick when seeing other dogs (like Quin) you need a sharper and more persistent recall. More on that later..

Breed variations in recall

Of course there are very specific breed characteristics that massively affect the quality of a dog’s recall. Border Collies have a strong desire to please, which means they will ‘work’ for a reward. However, they do run fast and far. They also have a keen eye, so if they spot something, they may well shoot off. Fortunately, they are pretty snappy to respond, even when they are heading off.

Other breeds are tricky for different reasons. Hounds and Gundogs are 100% scent driven and when they get a whiff of something interesting, can be extremely hard to turn around. Now that I am doing some scentwork training though, I feel that the smell of cheese, sausage or liver cake will carry quite a distance to a well conditioned dog!

Some dogs, such as Toy breeds, are a bit slower to respond, because they are well, slower to respond. Training them is harder because they are more laid back and less focused. Patience is required! And practice, always.

Let it fail

Nobody’s perfect. Well I’m certainly not. Try to be kind to yourself and your dog? It won’t go perfectly every time, but if you keep practising, it WILL get better. I’ve definitely seen an improvement in Quin’s recall over the past couple of weeks. He was going through a phase of not being that bothered about coming back to me, especially if he was barking at another dog. That is getting better and he really is returning to me now – hurray! But there are still plenty of times when it’s not that great.

Remember the key rules for recall:

• reward
• practice
• reward
• be positive
• reward

Weekly Focus Challenge

Try the recall challenge?  How did you get on?  Think about how much you practice your recall.  Do you need to do more?  Do you remember to take treats with you on your walks?  What do you think you need to do better?

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Reactivity is such a challenge

How do you cope when your dog is reactive to certain situations? Reactivity is the worst problem we have to deal with in our dogs and for some people, very hard to cope with. Many owners sadly feel unable to train their dog past this and that is such a shame. Let’s start with a definition:

“Reactivity is commonly confused with aggression. Dogs that are reactive overreact to certain stimuli or situations. Genetics, lack of socialization, insufficient training to learn self-control, a frightening experience, or a combination of these can cause reactivity, and fear is typically the driving force.”

What are dogs reactive to?

Reactivity results in manic barking and this can be at all sorts of things, including:

• other dogs
• runners
• cyclists
• cars
• people

Remember, there are different types of barking and these are not all reactivity. Reactivity is when a dog is afraid, as described in the definition above. At other times the dog may just be excited! Start by learning about your dog’s different kinds of barking and whether they are really demonstrating reactivity.

How to tackle reactivity

I feel reasonably confident talking about this issue now, having had a dog who was pretty reactive. Quin has been barking very loudly at lots of dogs we have gone past on walks. I’ve found it really hard work to deal with and knowing how to tackle it. I have thought about putting him on lead more, or even buying a basket muzzle for him to wear, in case he went for other dogs. I have decided to work through it. Here are my tips.

Start by staying calm. You will not help your dog by ‘reacting’ yourself. Hopefully, you have a brilliant recall, or your dog is already on lead. Call your dog to get its attention, calmly and quietly. When your dog is focused on you, albeit they may still be looking at the ‘disturbance’, give quiet praise. My friend Kate from the The Canine Hub recommends saying ‘Nice!’ whilst rewarding, as it keeps everything calmer.

That’s it. Calm, focus, distraction. The trick though is to be aware of what may cause a stimulation and a reaction and be ready to tackle it. I’ve come unstuck a few times when the dogs have been running ahead of me and another dog has suddenly appeared round a corner. Not surprisingly, Quin has been a bit wary and has reacted by barking.

Warning: Don’t come near me!

This is what your dog is saying. They are also saying ‘help me!’ Your dog is not sure what is happening and wants you to support them. They are also warning you that something might be a danger and they can easily turn this into a compulsion to guard you. How they learn to cope really does depend on how you tackle it. If you grip your dog’s lead, shout at them to be quiet and drag them away, the dog learns that barking is just what is needed.

One step at a time

Like so many areas of training your dog, reactivity is something best tackled one step at a time. You won’t fix it in one day, but need to persevere. As I said at the start of this post, I could have just put Quin on the lead on walks, or bunged a muzzle on him and dragged him past other dogs.

Instead, I have chosen to work through this problem. Here are some of the steps I have taken:

• practise recall, many times a day
• practise saying ‘nice’ when I have his attention, with gentle stroking
• walk with friends and their dogs, to ensure he has plenty of interaction without reaction
• stop and chat to people when he has reacted to their dog. This has made him calm down and he has been able to wander off, then come back to me for a fuss
• grab hold of him as people are coming towards me and calmly hold him still, stroking and praising – nice!
• pop him on lead or hold his collar whilst going past some people

Result!

In the last few days, as we go towards other dogs, Quin has been able to turn and look at me, then come back for a quick cuddle (and a sweetie!) then go past the other dogs, just like the girls do. Hurray! This is so magical for me, as honestly, a couple of weeks ago he was barking so violently, right in dogs’ faces!

Of course I realise he will bark again – we haven’t stopped it permanently. I am sure I will forget to pay attention and another dog will rush up to him barking, which will set him back a bit. But that’s fine. It’s a work in progress. Other dogs are learning at their own pace. Quin will also have other problem I will need to tackle…

Be kind

It is absolutely infuriating when other dogs rush over to yours and bark in their face. I can completely understand why people become enraged and shout at the other dog owner. ‘Control your dog!’ Please try to be kind though when this happens. If we don’t let our dogs off lead, they can’t learn to behave themselves. And if we don’t try and fix it, it won’t be fixed, will it?

Please don’t shout at the other person or their dog unless they are showing no attempt to recall it? If the other person is making an effort, try to be patient with them? Recall your dog and reward them for being brilliant!

Weekly Focus Challenge

How reactive is your dog?  What do they struggle to cope with? How do you manage this?  Do you think the problem is getting better, or worse?

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Neutering your dog – the pros and cons

Quin tried to hump his Auntie Luna this morning, so this seems likely a timely post! Neutering is not a simple issue and as with so many aspects of dog ownership, it is subject to fashion and cultural context.  When I was growing up, I don’t think neutering in dogs was done routinely; it was more often carried out when a dog was becoming a problem.  Male dogs were often allowed to roam the streets, looking for a mate and puppies were very often produced through a neighbour’s dog appearing in a garden one day.

Of course these things do still happen, but happily we are inching forwards to a culture where responsible dog ownership is becoming more commonplace.  There has been a view that dogs were who were not ‘entire’ would be affected in their personality; that this would be detrimental to their character.  Increasingly, I am of the view that any changes are positive, especially to male dogs.

Most recently, there has been a movement to ‘protect a dog’s rights’; it is illegal to neuter dogs and cats in Norway without good medical reason. However, there is plenty of evidence for good medical reasons.

Freedom to roam

In the past, dog owners who were being responsible would whip their puppy off to the vet’s to be neutered almost as soon as it was brought home.  When I got my first puppy, in 1987, it was expected that he would be castrated at six months, so that his behaviour would remain more manageable.  He still cocked his leg and enjoyed playing around with Sunny when she was in season, but he didn’t hump your leg, (which was good!) and he didn’t try to go off roaming the neighbourhood.

More recently, we are finding that it is good to allow dogs to reach full maturity before they are neutered, both male and female.  If you search online, you will find articles such as this one from the Blue Cross about neutering your dog.  This says that there are a number of health benefits to neutering early, such as reducing the chances of cancers.

However, another article cites the benefits of neutering later:

“When a dog’s testes or ovaries are removed, the production of hormones is interrupted, which affects bone growth. Because the bone growth plates may close earlier in dogs neutered young, orthopaedic problems such as hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament tears may result. Neutered dogs also tend to gain excess weight, further stressing the joints. But neutering does not equal obesity. It’s more difficult to keep neutered dogs in shape, but it can be done.”

Personally, I think it does come down to good management.  If you feel that you will struggle to cope with an unneutered dog, get it done from the age of six months.  You might be able to manage for a while, so you can leave it until the dog has reached maturity, which for collies would be around a year to 18 months.  However, if you can’t be bothered with the hassle, definitely get them neutered.

Coming into season

Elsewhere, I have written about what happens to a bitch coming into season and how to manage this.  If you are prepared for the need to pay attention to your dog every 6-8 months and make sure that they do not come into contact with uncastrated dogs, then you may choose to leave your dog unneutered.

As I said earlier, I had my previous male dog, Buzz castrated at the age of six months.  My first bitch, Rue was done in middle age, having had two litters of pups.  Much safer to have the operation, I thought at the time.  I had planned to have Sunny spayed once she had had her third litter, but I hesitated because I felt that it was a major operation that she did not need to have. 

Neutering – emergency procedures

I wrote about this subject a few years ago, having brought Sunny home from the vet.  She had an emergency spay, aged 12 years, following pyometra, or pyo.

“Pyometra is defined as an infection in the uterus. Pyometra is considered a serious and life threatening condition that must be treated quickly and aggressively.”

Symptoms of Pyometra include: 

• Abdominal distention (from an enlarged uterus)
• Vulvar (vaginal) discharge
• Closed cervix
• Lethargy
• Depression
• Lack of appetite
• Vomiting
• Frequent urination.

Fortunately for us, Sunny’s condition was picked up quickly and surgery was straightforward.  She stayed in overnight for observation, but she recovered remarkably quickly. However, I can’t understate the anxiety I have with all my ‘entire’ girls as they come into season and out again.

Other emergencies and health issues

Sadly, Luna had to have a Caesarian with her last litter and when the vet asked if I wanted her spayed as well, I thought ‘why not’.  I asked if it would make the operation more complicated and he said “No, it will be simpler, as it’s easier to remove everything.”  I then didn’t have to worry about post-op infection in her uterus as it had all been taken out!

Luna made such a great recovery from the operation and really rocked the shirt provided by the vet, which was brilliant compared with the stupid lampshade they usually provide.  She was moving around normally within a day or two and a month today since the op she if fully healed and back to her usual self. 

JB also had to be neutered, following a urine infection that just wouldn’t clear, leading to prostatitis. There are so many issues that can affect a dog’s health, unfortunately.

Quick recoveries

On the strength of that, I decided to go ahead with Aura’s spay.  Aura is more active than Luna, so I thought it might be harder to manage her recovery.  Silly me!  She is younger and fitter than her mum, so was completely better within the week. Amazing. Busy was the same.

Now I don’t have to worry about them being in season when I enter shows and I have less girls to clear up after.  No more worrying about dogs chasing us when we are out – at least with these three.  I am a total convert. And of course now I have another boy, I don’t want a funny family business going on! Quin will still need careful management in future.

In conclusion

In my opinion, the recommendation I give my puppy owners is this: Leave it until they reach maturity, so that their bones have a chance to develop fully and normally.  Then do it!  Stop the production of unwanted dogs and make your life easier.  Then make sure you keep your dog fit and healthy, through exercise and training.

Weekly Focus Challenge

When do you plan to get your dog neutered?  What does your vet think about it?  You should respect their views and experience, whilst being mindful of what is best for your dog and your situation.  You certainly shouldn’t breed from your dog, unless you are a very experienced dog owner, with a good understanding of the issues involved.   

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Socialising on walks

I’ve talked about socialising on a few occasions, but today I am focusing on walking with friends, by meeting up and going on a walk together. I am fortunate to have plenty of ‘dog friends’ these days and I enjoy nothing better than to meet up for a walk and a catch up. This is a different thing from meeting people on a walk and stopping for a chat, or even walking along with someone you see on a walk.

Allowing your dog to meet and spend time around other dogs is such a great thing to do. So many people struggle with socialising their dogs, which stops them from being able to let their dogs off lead and run around.

What difference does it make to your dog?

Well believe it or not, dogs do have friends, just like us. If they see another dog regularly, they can get to know them and build up their confidence in running and playing together. Sometimes it takes a while for dogs to get to know each other, but most dogs like to see the same dogs and have the chance to walk along together.

When I meet up with friends, I find that if we just set off together, the dogs will set off with us. If we have to start on lead, that’s fine, they can walk slightly apart, but moving forward. Then you let them off and away they go!

The main benefits

Dogs on a pack walk will usually be more active, running around more and following each other about. They should also be more engaged, sniffing what the other dogs sniff and of course toileting, or marking where the other dogs have been!

I think it is really important to share your experiences of your dog with like-minded people. The main benefit of going to training classes, in my view, is not just for socialisation for your dog, but for the socialisation for you! In a class situation, it can be tricky to let the dogs socialise properly, as you have a job to do. Walking provides a much better situation for everyone to get along.

Possible problems

There are a few possible problems with socialising on a walk. First of all, the dogs need to meet and get along. As I’ve said, it’s better to just get walking. Standing chatting is when problems are more likely to occur. Move forward and the dogs will get on with it. You might find they don’t seem to interact that much – it’s fine. They are sharing the experience and if you walk together fairly often, they will definitely enjoy being together.

Other problems can occur if one gets a scent and takes the others off with it. You may well find that recall is harder when other dogs are around. The trick with this is to coordinate your efforts. When one of you calls your dog, get the others to also call their dogs. Then it all becomes interesting and exciting for the dogs! If they really aren’t listening, you will all have to try the ‘running away’ tactic.

You will definitely need more treats than usual! Or tastier ones, at least. But don’t be too demanding of your dog? Manage your expectations; they are having fun and don’t need you hassling them all the time! I do recommend calling them in for a treat and a fuss, with if possible a quick second or two on lead and then praise and off they go again.

When you have several young unneutered dogs of the same age and sex, don’t be surprised if they have a bit of a scrap at some point? Usually, they will sort themselves out really quickly, but you may have to intervene. Ideally, they should be the same size, so there won’t be any damage. Just be aware of the dynamic and be ready to interfere if necessary. A loud shout should be enough to break things up.

Oh and keep counting. How many dogs do we have?

Enjoy socialising!

Weekly Focus Challenge

Do you walk with friends and their dogs?  If you don’t have any friends locally, try asking the people you meet on your walks if they would mind if you walk along with them for a while?  Or join a group on social media and see if anyone wants to meet up?

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Can your puppy live with cats?

Cats are lovely (not as nice as dogs, admittedly, but they have their place). I’ve had cats for most of my life and for large chunks of that time they have lived perfectly successfully alongside dogs. It can be a problem though, if your dog pesters the cat, or chases it. So how can we manage this?

Why do dogs chase cats?

I don’t believe it takes a rocket scientist to answer this question does it? Cats are small enough to be ‘prey’. But more importantly, they run away! Well, they might turn into a fierce monster first, becoming as giant as a tiger, but ultimately, if they’re given a bit of a nudge, they usually run. Hurray! So much fun to be had!

Some cats are naturally better at ignoring dogs. Most people will have seen a cat confidently stalk through a group of dogs, casually ignoring them.

Can cats and dogs be friends?

I believe cats and dogs can be friends and that it enhances both their lives (and yours) if you can live together nicely. But is might take some work on your part!

I think the starting point is to assume that any animal you introduce to the house will NOT get on with your other animals. They need time to settle into the environment first, before they are introduced to potentially hostile housemates. So I would always start by keeping dogs and cats well away from each other.

A means to escape

Once you do introduce them, make sure the cat can get to a high place, out of the way. Allow them to go there, where they can safely observe the stupid, annoying dog.

As always, be patient! Take your time and don’t rush. I’ve had rescue dogs in the house with cats and they definitely are more of a challenge! You will need to manage them for longer and be more vigilant.

As usual, you will need to reward your dog for the behaviour you want around your cat. Wait until they look away, or sit down, or come to you and then give a positive ‘Yes!’ and a treat. You could try training your cat of course. Good luck with that :p.

NB: If you want a rescue dog, it is extremely unlikely you will be allowed to have one if you have cats. As I’ve said, it is much more difficult to manage an older dog. It can be done though.

Of course if you are out on a walk and your dog sees a cat, it will almost certainly try and chase it, even if it lives with a cat. You’ll just have to keep working on your recall…

Weekly Focus Challenge

How does your dog react to a cat?  If you have a cat, do they live happily alongside your dog?  How do you manage this?  If you don’t have a cat, what would you do if one came to stay? 

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Holidays with your dogs

In the old days, I rarely took my dogs on holiday. I have been lucky enough to travel abroad to quite a few countries and to have some fabulous holidays. These days things look different. We now enjoy travelling around the UK, which means we can take our dogs on holiday – hurray!

Having said that, I have taken my dogs away, but mainly to stay with family. Over the past few years I have been away with a few of my dogs, staying in hotels and self-catering accommodation. Nowadays I am confident enough to take all five away with me!

What do you need to think about?

There are various websites and groups on social media, advertising ‘really REALLY dog friendly holidays‘. Reading through the posts, the first consideration when booking something seems to be ‘does it have a secure garden?’

First of all, the accommodation needs to be suitable for dogs. Some holiday companies will allow ‘one or two small dogs’, but nowadays there are plenty of ‘proper’ places advertising space for multiple dogs. I think it is perfectly possible to stay in a place for a week and leave it spotless, provided you are equipped to do so. This means taking beds, such as plenty of vetbed, together with throws and towels. If your dog goes on the sofa at home you won’t keep them off it in the holiday place, will you?

A dog friendly area?

Apparently the most dog-friendly town in the UK is Keswick, in the Lake District. It is certainly beautiful. ALL the cafes let you bring dogs into them and there are plenty of fabulous walks. We stayed in a hotel, which was great, except there was NO place to toilet the dogs! So at 10.30pm I had to set off for a five-minute walk up the road to the park. Nightmare.

Lots of people want a beach to walk along, but not all beaches allow dogs, so do check before you go. If you do go on the beach a lot, make sure you wash your dogs off afterwards and dry them thoroughly, as the sand can be a real irritant.

Hiking with your dogs on holiday

If you are going for a hike, make sure you take some water and travel bowl for your dog. Many hills and mountains have streams along the way, but you can’t necessarily count on this. If you are walking across hills, be aware that if there are sheep around, you will need to keep your dog under control.

You might want to take snacks for your dog as well as for yourself. If your dog normally only walks for an hour and you suddenly do a 2-3 hour hike, they will be just as tired as you are. Especially if they are off lead and whizzing about exploring!

What to take away with you

When going on holiday with your dog, you need to be prepared. I keep a list on my phone, ready to help me pack.

Here are some of the items on my list for taking dogs on holiday:

• leads, including a couple of spares
• bowls, including water bowls
• food, measured out into bags
• medication
• beds, towels and throws
• toys, especially chews or bones, if they are going to be left in the car or accommodation
• cleaning kit
• plenty of waterproof and walking clothes and boots

NB: There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

Weekly Focus Challenge

Can you take your puppy away with you?  What would you have to think about?  Where will you go?  Think about what might make it possible.

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Can your dog stop on command?

Being able to stop your dog when it is running away from you, or towards you is extremely useful. However, I am realistic in thinking that this is easy to achieve, especially if you do NOT have a Border Collie!

One of the main reasons people don’t let their dogs off lead is because they are sure that they will ‘run off’. There are many reasons why a dog might run off, including:

• chasing after something, such as a squirrel, deer, rabbit or cat
• chasing a car
• being chased by another dog
• being frightened, usually by a loud bang from a firework, thunder or gunshot
• wandering off due to age and infirmity.

Obviously these reasons are all serious, challenging issues and can result in dogs getting lost. Fortunately, because it is now a legal requirement for breeders to microchip their puppies and for owners to transfer the details into their name, dogs are not lost for long. Once they get to a vet, they can be scanned and returned home.

Can you really stop a dog?

Honestly, not always. Many dogs have a very strong prey drive and will give chase to prey, once it is flushed. Dogs will do what they are bred for and you should not expect anything else. Equally, some dogs are easily spooked and will run off home, or hide in bushes.

I have heard of many stories of dogs running off, scared, only to be found hours later hiding in a bush beside where the car is normally parked. I remember Buzz being scared by a couple of German Shepherds when he was a pup. He ran off, I went home and then had to go off searching. Of course he came home, but obviously not the same way as me!

Worth a try

Despite these challenges, it’s still worth thinking about being able to stop your dog. There are many, less scary situations where it is useful to be able to stop your dog. With several (well OK lots of) dogs, I sometimes find myself on one side of a road, with some of the dogs having crossed over. No cars when they went, but when I turn round to collect the last one, a car is coming. Help! Now I need to stop the others crossing back to me. I would usually stop the car and make sure we were all across, but it’s amazing how easily things like that happen.

Of course you don’t want to wait until you get into difficulties before you try to stop your dog. Give it a go while you are on the walk.

Start small

Wait until your dog is wandering away from you, then call out “Wait!” or “Stop!” See what they do? If they pause, even if they look back at you, say “Yes!” and then go over and give them a treat. Keep trying it and see if you can get a bit of distance, or a bit of speed, or both.

The next step is to try stopping the dog when it is coming towards you. I sometimes find putting my hand up helps to make the dog think about what you want.

Which command to use?

I work on teaching a down command, with distance, from an early age. ‘Down‘ is one of the first things I teach my puppies as it is so useful. I keep on using it until my dog can go down on a verbal command only. Once this is secure, I can add distance. I keep practising this until my dogs drop when I shout down, even when they are running around, either going away or coming towards me.

‘Down’ is probably easier to achieve than ‘wait’ when the dogs stands still, but again, it depends on the breed and their desire to please! Whatever you do, don’t expect a sit. That won’t help. Dogs don’t really like sitting.

Whatever you do, keep practising, keep rewarding and keep engaging with your puppy!

Weekly Focus Challenge

Can you stop your dog?  Try stopping them when they are moving away from you and when they are coming towards you.  Have a go at stopping them when they are just ‘mooching’ rather than running.  Try it before they are looking at something else.  The more you practice and the more you reward, the more likely you are going to be able to stop them when it really matters.  Good luck!

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Teaching your dog to settle

I am reminded of the importance of teaching your dog this, when I see a post on social media along these lines: “Hello everyone, looking for more mind games to keep our boy (16 months) entertained. We walk, play fetch, play ball hockey and do obedience training. He uses lick mats and Kong with frozen food/treats. Any other fun tricks or ‘jobs’? He’s our first Border Collie.” My immediate reaction is “teach him to settle down!”

That’s a bit unkind, so I didn’t say it, but it is definitely something you need to ensure your dog can do. Puppies can be very busy, on the go, around and about, all day every day. If you let them, this can become a ‘lifestyle choice’ and they just keep on going.

Getting started

Please don’t think the only way to settle your dog down is to shut him away? The best way to have your dog be calm and relaxed is to spend time with him, being calm and relaxed. This doesn’t necessarily mean cuddling on the sofa, because not all dogs like to cuddle. Just be with them, not doing anything and not interacting with them.

Some dogs resist encouragement to settle and keep on finding toys to play with, bringing them to you. It’s absolutely fine to play with them for a bit, or for them to play with each other. But they must learn that when you say ‘finished’, it’s time to settle down.

Sleeping or settling

Dogs naturally sleep for around 14 hours per day, puppies for longer. So they should spend a great deal of the day asleep. I used to feel guilty if I had to go out for a few hours, which I rarely do. Then I realised that if they are left in peace, dogs usually just sleep.

If you are struggling to get them to stop, you may need to enforce it. This might mean putting them in a crate or run, at least to start with. You don’t have to leave them alone though, just make sure they have some space. This is essential for young puppies, who need time out, particularly with young children. A tired puppy becomes very bitey!

Training a settle

Just as with any other training, it is possible to teach your dog to settle down. First of all, put them in a down and reward that. This should be at your feet, with you seated. Stroke your dog and talk quietly and calmly to them. You can try pushing them over, so that they lie flat, but only if they tolerate this.

Keep going, bringing them to you, lying them down, talking calmly, saying ‘settle’, until they relax and stop trying to get up and rush off. You can reward with a treat, but really, the reward should be just a bit of fuss.

Playtime!

Of course they are not going to settle all day long! Dogs do have playtime and they do have a ‘crazy half hour’ (or more) where they zoom around the room, bouncing off the furniture. They love to have toys to play with and will engage with you, playing tuggy or fetch. I find that my dogs will do this when we are trying to watch TV. I don’t mind, because I know they are happy and stimulated. For a short time.

Don’t forget though: IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO TIRE OUT A BORDER COLLIE! So yes of course go for a lovely long walk every day, with plenty of time off lead. Spend time training or playing with your dog. Give them tasks to do, or interactive toys. But never, ever expect them to be ‘too tired’. That is NOT a breed characteristic. Lol. Whatever breed of dog you have, the aim is to have a relaxed, happy dog, up for anything, but able to chill out.

Weekly Focus Challenge

How well does your dog settle down?  If they are a Labrador, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about! If they are a small dog who loves to bark at anything and everything, you might find this a bit of a challenge!  Think about when your dog sleeps and when they are relaxed.  What can you do to help them and improve their ability to relax?  Notice how much better they are when they have been given a chance to chill out.  Practice sitting calmly with your dog.  It’s good for you too! 

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.