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.

Walking off lead

Don’t punish your dog with your laziness? That’s harsh, I know. Please ask yourself, why your dog should be sentenced to a life of doing the same boring walks, on lead, because you haven’t bothered to build your confidence and let your dog off lead? Honestly, there is no excuse good enough for me.

Reasons for going off lead

Why should you bother? Simply:

1. It’s more stimulating for the dog – you don’t have to stop every 10 seconds whilst they sniff something
2. Being off lead is far better exercise – your dog will typically travel 3 or 4 times as far as you do, if they are off lead
3. It’s safer – your dog can move away from anything they are not happy about.

I understand, it’s really challenging. And scary, really scary, letting your dog wander about without you being able to immediately control it. Things will definitely go wrong. That’s life. Don’t ruin it for your dog by restricting them their whole life? Here are the excuses and my responses. You may not like them…

My dog will get attacked

Dogs do get frightened. The more you worry, the more likely they are to be afraid, bark and be attacked. Dogs do not necessarily want to play or be friends with every dog they come across. That’s fine. You are there to watch out for them. Call them to you and either hold onto them, pick them up or just get their attention and reward them, as other dogs go past. Or let them look, sniff and wander over. Just observe and pay attention to the interaction. It’s fine.

Ideally, you want the other owner to also be paying attention and understanding what is happening. You can say ‘My dog is friendly’, but that is no good if the other dog is clearly frightened. That’s really annoying! But if your dog barks at another dog and you call him, apologising and getting hold of him, it’s fine. Isn’t it?

I appreciate that small dogs are more vulnerable, but they are also more aggressive and annoying! Your dog may wind up a big dog get eaten! Watching them and calling them away should still work though. When a big dog is off lead and can get away, there isn’t much of a problem. All of this problem can just as easily happen with dogs on lead. In fact, dogs on lead are much more aggressive than those off lead.

My dog is scared of everything

‘Reactivity‘ in dogs is hard to live with. You want to protect your dog from the big scary world and the easiest way to do this is keep them on lead. Ultimately, you may find it too stressful walking a dog that is frightened of other dogs, or bikes, or cars. It is a tragedy if these dogs never go off lead and end up not being walked at all.

You can often fix this problem, with patience and persistence. As the owner of a barking, scared dog, I know that it is really challenging, but I persist in walking him off lead. On some days, I walk where (and when) it is much quieter, so we don’t have to deal with it at all. I’ve also found that walking in woods means the dogs we meet are more laid back and are also off lead, so it is much less of an issue.

My dog will run off

He might. Start by calling your dog at home. Does he come back? Did you reward him? Was there play and excitement from you? Have you practised recall hundreds of times? You should be able to understand your dog and his motivations, so that you know when he might run off.

Lots of people say their dog will come back fine, until there is a distraction, such as another dog, or a squirrel. True, but it’s still possible to get them back, with enthusiasm, rewards and practice. Of course, some dogs get the scent of a squirrel or a deer and are off! They will run for miles, chasing something. Scary! I can’t really comment on what it is like to own a dog like this, but when I go to the woods, there are plenty of Spaniels and Hounds of all shapes and sizes, running around off lead. So it must be possible.

My dog will get lost off lead

Some dogs do get lost. I’ve lost some of mine, over the years. Fortunately, they are required by law to wear a dog tag, with the name, address and phone number of the owner clearly shown. I recommend a flat ‘Indigo‘ tag, instead of a dangly one, although stupid people may not find this. If you have an old dog who does wander, how about a lovely yellow tabard with your number on it?

Fortunately, we are also now required to microchip our dogs, so if they are lost, they will be found and sent home. People are pretty caring. Social media is full of dogs being found and then reunited. It works, hurray.

My dog will get run over

Yes they might. If you walk beside a road and pay no attention to your dog. I have had one of my dogs hit by a car and it was awful. We were crossing a road, with 5 dogs off lead and one (Sunny) went before I was ready and bounced off the wheel of a car. I was lucky, because she suffered no injury at all, although the vets kept her in for observation.

Did this stop me crossing roads with my dogs off lead? No, it did not. I’ll put the youngest on lead for a year or so, but I just pay close attention and manage them. I don’t recommend doing this, but it is possible. I don’t normally walk beside a road with them off lead. You have to do a risk assessment and decide what is right for your dogs.

Generally though, off lead is always better than on lead. If you keep your dog on lead, they are living a poorer life. In my opinion.

Weekly Focus Challenge

Do you let your dog off lead?  What are your reasons for doing or not dong this?  Please, please, please find a way to have a go at this?  Trust your dog?  They will thank you.  If you don’t feel comfortable doing this on your usual walk, why not try a different walk?  Or go to one of the growing number of ‘secure fields’.   

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.

Health testing for better dogs

There is a strong ‘movement’ for people to ‘adopt don’t shop’ for dogs. You are told to get a dog from a rescue centre and not from a dog breeder, or ‘greeder’ as we are often called. I’m revisiting this issue to talk about the value of health testing in dogs.

We do health tests to prevent possible suffering and illness. This is no different from taking our blood pressure, or doing a blood test to check our cholesterol levels. We take preventative medication ourselves, so why wouldn’t we want to do that for our dogs?

Pedigree or crossbreed – which is healthier?

I’ve seen a great deal of anger about the fact that pedigree dogs can have huge health issues. Yes, that’s true. But what you may fail to realise is the just because a dog is a pedigree, that does NOT mean it has been bred responsibly, for better health.

The definition of a pedigree dog is one with two parents of the same breed. Insurance companies call a labradoodle bred from two labradoodle dogs a pedigree. The parents are known to be specific crossbreeds and they are the same. However, that has nothing to do with a pedigree as defined by the Kennel Club. For this organisation, a pedigree is a dog that conforms to the Breed Standard for that breed. Even then, that dog may not be the healthiest it can be. That it’s down to the way it is bred.

Why health test

For me, health testing is part of the process of making sure our dogs are as healthy as possible. I feed the food I believe is best for my dogs. They are exercised the right amount for their age and development. I engage them with training. My dogs are vaccinated every year, to prevent them suffering from common, preventable disease.

If you don’t care about ‘papers’, or where your dog has come from, that’s your choice. Sadly, that means your dog may have started life in a tiny pen, in the dark, in a barn, with little or no human contact. It means your dog may have come from a mother who was repeatedly bred from. Or your dog may have been brought here from another country, either legally or illegally.

A better life?

It’s fantastic if you take on a dog that has had a poor start in life and give it a better life. That’s great, because all animals deserve this, but I believe it’s better to have a dog that has been bred on purpose. This means talking to a breeder, placing an ‘order’ and waiting, hopefully until the puppy you want becomes available. It might take a long time.

Taking a chance

If there are health tests available, why take the chance? I would prefer to have a dog that has been tested? Organisations like the Royal Veterinary College are continuing to do fantastic research into health conditions, adding to the lists of tests that can be done, and the Kennel Club are taking this on board, adding to the list of health test requirements and recommendations.

Continued improvement required

Finally, just a comment about the fact that an obviously unhealthy Bulldog won Best of Breed at Crufts this year, 2022. I challenged the Kennel Club about this and received an interesting response. The Kennel Club say they are continuing to work hard to reduce this type of judgement being made in showing, but that the judge on the day makes their own decisions. They say they are improving breed standards and health testing requirements for the Assured Breeder Scheme, but that not all dogs entering the showing classes have to conform to these standards.

The response I received stated:

“The Kennel Club, as part of the Brachycephalic Working Group Brachycephalic Working Group – Working together to improve the health and welfare of brachycephalic dogs (ukbwg.org.uk), has been working to change perceptions about what should be normal and desirable when looking for flat faced dogs. Changes to entire breeds – inside and outside the show ring – will take time to surface but we urge puppy buyers to see the puppy’s parents to look for more moderate examples of these dogs, and to also look for dogs that have been tested for potential breathing difficulties.”

The Kennel Club say the following about the Assured Breeders scheme: We’re the only organisation accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to certify dog breeders under our Assured Breeders scheme.   The scheme is intended to help direct puppy buyers to breeders who follow best breeding practice and conduct health testing for known inherited health conditions in their breeds.   Find out more about the scheme and how to join.

I have written about health testing many times already, including one of the pupdates from last year’s litter.

Weekly Focus Challenge

What health testing did the parents of your puppy have?  Were these tests required for the breed or breeds?  Do you have copies of the test results?  Did the breeder explain these tests and why they are done? If you have a rescue or crossbreed, try to find out what health tests your dog’s parents could have had?  Be aware of genetic issues and what that might mean for your dog’s health? 

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.

Hoopers or agility?

I have already talked about Hoopers as a dog activity, but I thought I would put a more personal spin on this activity once we had started training Quin. I say ‘we’ because my husband Chris is going to be responsible for this bit of training! He injured his knee a few years ago running Luna in agility and had to retire. Hoopers is great alternative for him to try.

I am indebted once again to Emma from Beancroft Agility, Scentwork and Hoopers, who started teaching Hoopers last year. It’s a great way to get Quin ready for agility, without impacting his joints too early. And who knows? We may decide that Hoopers is more fun anyway!

Getting started

There are four main pieces of equipment in Hoopers: hoops, tunnels, barrels and mats. Once the dog understands the need to look for these items and run over, through or round them, they can really get going! So as with so many aspects of dog training, you start by teaching your dog that these things have ‘value’. In other words: Do this and you get a reward!

It is amazing, watching dogs learn. Especially dogs of different shapes, sizes, breeds and ages. You can teach an old dog to do hoopers. They will still ‘work’ for a reward. Well you will still work for a reward, won’t you? (I’m talking about chocolate.)

You can start by ‘luring’ the dog to go through the hoops or tunnels, but it is much better for the dog to figure out what is required and then get a reward for doing it. This is called ‘shaping‘. You need to set the dog up to succeed, by standing right next to the equipment and look where you want the dog to go, rather than looking at the dog. When the dog moves, you throw the food where they are going. And again.

Progressing hoopers

Once the dog understands that they must look for the equipment, you can start to build up simple sequences. It doesn’t take long for this to happen – a few weeks – but you must be patient and consistent. Keep rewarding!

Hoopers courses are fast and flowing, along smooth lines, with curves rather than sharp turns. It’s about the dog moving easily and with minimal impact. It’s also about you being able to direct your dog from a distance – no running required!

Young and old dogs

Whether or not you do plan to go on to do agility, hoopers is a great way to engage a lively young dog. You need to be able to set them up and move away, so a good wait is essential. Ideally, they should be motivated to play with a toy as well, so that you have plenty of ways to reward. It is exciting! It is a useful way to build fitness and control whilst moving at speed.

For older dogs, it’s a great way to ease them into retirement from agility. Up till now, people retiring old dogs from fully competing to entering an ‘Allsorts’ class. This still involves jumping though, albeit at a lower height. Hoopers uses many of the skills learnt in agility, but without the twists and turns, or the impact. And if you only have an older dog, it’s not really worth going to an agility show for a couple of classes, with no grades, or rewards for places.

Left and right

One of the skills you do need to teach a dog for hoopers (and agility) is left and right. Did you know that dogs know left and right? In order to teach it, I find it helpful to start by telling them ‘left’ or ‘right’ as they come to a turning on a walk. If it’s a route they know and you give the command as they turn, they begin to associate the two things together.

Amazingly, if you practise this often enough, when you shout ‘left’ or ‘right’ your dog will then turn in that direction. You’d better just hope you shouted the correct word! Having a good range of commands will help you work your dog from a distance, which is one of the key aims of this activity. This in turn will really help you when you make the switch to agility. Of course your old agility dog will ace this aspect of hoopers!

Hoopers competitions

Canine Hoopers UK do run competitions, but as the sport has only being going for a few years, these are not widely available. The nice thing about these competitions though is that, unlike in agility, they are quiet affairs, with a great deal of effort being made to help young or reactive dogs.

Hoopers can be seen as ‘a bit tame’, compared with some dog sports, (agility again!) But it is still fun to work with your dog to achieve a range of different goals. There are levels to work through and rewards (rosettes) for doing so. Whatever you do, it will be fun with your dog!

Weekly Focus Challenge

Do you fancy giving hoopers a go?  Why not find out if you have a trainer near you?  Local groups on social media are a great place to ask for recommendations.

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.