tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68436736635044290522024-02-28T16:31:47.536+00:00Dog BlogMy dogs and other things canineUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-15886950000793490732024-02-08T16:11:00.032+00:002024-02-21T15:50:52.688+00:00Rescue Backup<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7o29wZNDItVlvNxTs3KKxTkUWROZCQ2dncmMgfN_ogrgI8K03Ar4QFAWl-qUCHkcye2DryIEEjQPKUdi4bG0xeGphP2Xkvc-2EkQ7DrhQpjKkYtIG71Y6DUWxz0RmlqeJX7d4hDWy9X0ghxqzHoWHUPymV4HK99nn-KvlkUS4GXULc3WtGhkYYAgkgY/s1024/_0b516781-3e00-4402-b4da-dcfa4a7fba45.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7o29wZNDItVlvNxTs3KKxTkUWROZCQ2dncmMgfN_ogrgI8K03Ar4QFAWl-qUCHkcye2DryIEEjQPKUdi4bG0xeGphP2Xkvc-2EkQ7DrhQpjKkYtIG71Y6DUWxz0RmlqeJX7d4hDWy9X0ghxqzHoWHUPymV4HK99nn-KvlkUS4GXULc3WtGhkYYAgkgY/s320/_0b516781-3e00-4402-b4da-dcfa4a7fba45.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">If you have
adopted a rescue dog you will have probably signed an adoption contract from the
rescue organisation (RO) that included a statement on ‘Rescue Backup’ (RBU).
However, did you truly understand what this meant? </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">RBU implies that the ‘rescue’
(as an organisation) provides ‘support’ (backup) to adopters, but what tends to
be meant by RBU is that in the event of an adopter being unable or willing to
keep a dog, it must be returned to the RO. Essentially, RBU exists to take back
and rehome already adopted dogs, not to support adopters with, for example,
training and behaviour advice. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Some ROs do provide post-adoption
support for settling newly adopted dogs into the home. Some provide adopted
dogs with lifelong/ongoing behavioural support. Most though don’t have the
resources or qualifications to provide anything more than taking back and
rehoming adopted dogs. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this, given the
ambiguity of the term RBU, ROs should always clarify to adopters exactly what they
mean by RBU, and honour this in a reasonable way if an adopter needs to use it.</span></p><p><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Levels
of support</span></span></b></p><p>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In
addition to RBU, large ROs such as <a href="https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/support" target="_blank">Dogs Trust</a> and <a href="https://woodgreen.org.uk/frequently-asked-questions/" target="_blank">Woodgreen</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">clearly state
on their websites that they offer free, professional behavioural support to adopters. This
could be considered RBU ‘Plus’, meaning that the RO will take an adopted dog
back if the adopter’s circumstances change, but will also provide post adoption
support to help adopters settle in their new additions, and support adopters through
any behavioural issues that may arise at a later date to help keep dogs in
their homes (and therefore allay the need to put RBU in action). Even if
adopters understand that RBU means that the RO will take back an adopted if
circumstances change, ROs that state that they provide ‘Full’ RBU may mislead
(perhaps not intentionally) adopters into believing that the level of support offered
is higher than the RO intends or is willing or capable of providing above RBU.
ROs that state ‘Full’ RBU but fail to specify what this includes may give
adopters the impression that training and behavioural support from a suitably
qualified professional is available through the RO for standard scenarios such
as integrating a newly adopted with a resident dog, basic behavioural issues
such as housetraining, and even common problems such as aggression towards
visitors. Some ROs state on their websites that adopters will receive ‘ongoing lifetime
support’, but does this mean ongoing training and/or behavioural support, or
just basic RBU? The wording is vague and ambiguous.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial;">The truth
is that the large majority of small ROs do not offer behavioural support from a
suitably qualified professional in addition to RBU, which is okay, as long as adopters
are not misled into believing that behavioural support is available. If an RO does
not or cannot provide at least a basic level of behavioural support to adopters
– and by this I mean the facility to speak with a qualified behaviour expert affiliated
to the RO – it really should not be claiming ‘full’, ‘lifetime’, ‘ongoing’ or
‘dedicated’ RBU. Flowering RBU with these and other words is undoubtedly a tactic
to make an RO look more responsible and experienced than others, but it is
unnecessary and gives adopters the wrong impression of what is actually being
offered, particularly given that the term RBU itself may be poorly understood by adopters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElTQVoopnFaJLDZMJLn9CNl_JR4bcQUuHoF8qa2eoQR5iWldYfGduSQk9QSdlkuEavOdkHnv6E0vLN311Fmh93ISnLjBmNeRiZuOo3yaDfr_5FC55rwalYFmWaFHKzqsvPvpnWPzaBfs_g1itvDHCvRabJkzD_xtMVBywOmEYX2S2ub_mzB_jOn53gJM/s1024/_dac581ad-186f-4387-81d2-749d87e370cb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElTQVoopnFaJLDZMJLn9CNl_JR4bcQUuHoF8qa2eoQR5iWldYfGduSQk9QSdlkuEavOdkHnv6E0vLN311Fmh93ISnLjBmNeRiZuOo3yaDfr_5FC55rwalYFmWaFHKzqsvPvpnWPzaBfs_g1itvDHCvRabJkzD_xtMVBywOmEYX2S2ub_mzB_jOn53gJM/s320/_dac581ad-186f-4387-81d2-749d87e370cb.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sadly,
sometimes circumstances change in ways that make keeping an adopted dog
impossible – things like having to move into accommodation that doesn’t allow
pets, becoming terminally ill, or dying. Under these circumstances, ROs will
usually honour RBU to take a dog back without too much fuss. However, what if an
adopter requests to return a dog due to a behaviour issue such as disliking a
particular family member, or for reasons that make it difficult to continue to
meet a dog’s needs such as the arrival of a new baby, a relationship break-up, a
change in working hours or unforeseen financial hardship? These types of scenarios are often viewed as poor
reasons for wanting to return a dog because other avenues and solutions may be
available. ‘You wouldn’t just give up your children’ is often a line that gets
spun when adopters reach out for help in social media groups. In terms of ROs honouring their RBU in these situations, for
adopters wanting to a return a dog for a behaviour issue, it is perfectly
reasonable for an RO to ask for a behaviour report on the dog
by a suitably qualified professional, along with evidence that the adopter has
tried to resolve the problem. If the adopter cannot provide this, it is
reasonable for the RO to request that the adopter seeks both veterinary and
behavioural help for the dog first, as any responsible, caring owner would be
expected to do for their animal. For any other reason for returning an adopted
dog, recent photos of the dog and proof that vaccinations and routine
treatments have been kept up to date are not unreasonable RO requests. However, what is
unreasonable is the unprofessional way that some ROs treat adopters who feel that they have no choice but to return a dog, particularly when it involves problem behaviour. Often, adopters have already tried
their best. They have spent money on trainers and behaviourists. They have made
changes to their home. They have sacrificed holidays, family weddings, and
having their friends and grandchildren to visit. Often, these adopters are
stressed, exhausted and feel like they are out of options, but most of all,
they just want what’s best for their dog. What they need is for ROs to be
empathetic and supportive towards their situation, not to be spoken to rudely, interrogated,
blamed, guilt-tripped or threatened. Not all matches work, and sometimes the
best thing for a dog really is to move it to a home more readily suited to its particular
needs.<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">It’s
not a failure on anybody’s part.</span></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Given that
the rescue industry is unregulated and many adoption contracts are not legally
binding (and are therefore unenforceable), what can be done to help adopters understand exactly what levels of support ROs are willing to provide so that there is no
confusion about the help that will be available to them should they need to call on it? Defining and formalising terms would
be a start, and the following are my suggestions:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN-US">RBU – Rescue
Backup</span></b><span lang="EN-US">. The
agreement between the RO and an adopter that an adopted dog must be returned to
the RO if the adopter can no longer keep it. For how long RBU is provided (e.g.
for 3 years, lifetime of the dog, etc.), at what cost and to whom (e.g. fees
such as kenneling, vet exams, etc. and whether these will be paid by the RO or
the adopter), where the dog is to be kept until it can be returned (with the
adopter, the RO, a foster carer or in kennels) and at whose expense, who is
responsible for transporting the dog on its return to the RO, and what (if any) measures
are in place for RBU to be honoured should the RO cease to exist, should be clarified to adopters both prior to signing an
adoption contract and in the adoption contract itself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN-US">PAS –
Post Adoption Support</span></b><span lang="EN-US">.
The RO will provide adopters with advice and/or resources to help settle
adopted dogs into their new homes. What PAS covers (e.g. setting up a safe
space for the dog, house-training advice, collar/harness recommendations, basic
canine body language, dog-child safety, integrating the adopted dog with
resident animals, etc.), how and by whom it is provided, at what cost and to
whom, and for how long it is made available to adopters, should be clarified to
adopters both prior to signing an adoption contract and in the adoption
contract itself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">OBS
– Ongoing Behavioural Support</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">. The RO will provide adopters with ongoing
behavioral advice and/or resources. What OBS covers (e.g. separation distress,
ongoing house-training issues, problems with being handled), how and by whom it
is provided, at what cost and to whom, and for how long it is made available to
adopters, should be clarified to adopters both prior to signing an adoption
contract and in the adoption contract itself.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you have
adopted a dog from a rescue organisation that claims to provide ‘Rescue Backup’ I would
love to hear your answers to the following questions:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Was your adopted/fostered dog rescued in the UK or overseas?</span></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you adopted/fostered an overseas dog, in which country was the rescue organisation that imported your dog based - the dog's country of origin or the UK?</span></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Prior to reading this article, what did you think that RBU meant? </span></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
What did you believe that your adopted/fostered dog’s RBU included?</span></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What did your adopted/fostered dog's RBU actually include?</span></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
Did the rescue organisation use words in addition to RBU such as ‘Full’, ‘Ongoing’ or
‘Lifetime’? </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Do you feel that the rescue organisation was truthful about your dog's health, temperament and needs prior to adoption/fostering?</span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
Have you needed to seek support from the rescue organisation about a health or behaviour issue with your dog?</span></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you did seek support from the rescue organisation about your dog's health or behaviour, was support forthcoming, and how and by whom was it provided?</span></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
Have you needed to return your adopted/fostered dog to the rescue organisation? </span></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If yes, what was the rescue organisation’s response when you contacted them about returning your dog?</span></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
If you did return your dog, how did you find the process? For example, were you
treated courteously by the rescue organisation, did the rescue organisation make the process easy/difficult, etc.</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8Y4lgmaG0ztADsfdhkYaantuftQKdFwcrlRbgR0YNDFWSR2kEeJVBGWXtmFteTXl19b_mpxfuDhh59SAPUy0uZmNVt01IYfGSmUDHBIzrlESmGuH4y45SF-k5uXZK0NWH77q8AE46o4jvfb_EE9sK30_13jXIZCaaLx3y-HA1SGGrYbzRfy7Wy6apjc/s1024/_0ffe1103-10a4-48fb-819c-eac007b27058.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8Y4lgmaG0ztADsfdhkYaantuftQKdFwcrlRbgR0YNDFWSR2kEeJVBGWXtmFteTXl19b_mpxfuDhh59SAPUy0uZmNVt01IYfGSmUDHBIzrlESmGuH4y45SF-k5uXZK0NWH77q8AE46o4jvfb_EE9sK30_13jXIZCaaLx3y-HA1SGGrYbzRfy7Wy6apjc/w200-h200/_0ffe1103-10a4-48fb-819c-eac007b27058.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The purpose
of gathering this information is to explore adopters' and fosterers' experiences of RBU and to use it to look at the possibility of defining and formalising RBU and other levels of support for the benefit of adopters, fosterers, rescue organisations and dogs (and other
animals). </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although this is an informal research project, all answer data will be treated confidentially and in line with data protection principles, and anonymised if used to produce qualitative and/or quantitative findings. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You can either fill out my completely anonymised <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc69eMDKiuM9keuCEenAfq27_cvBtxkYA1MRLx9gtRwqJzBEg/viewform" target="_blank">Rescue Backup survey</a>, or copy/paste the questions into an </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">email and send me your answers and any other comments, experiences or suggestions you have surrounding RBU to: </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">rescuebackup.research@gmail.com<br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The images used to illustrate this article were generated using Bing AI Image Creator.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-82084204201299942982023-10-11T16:57:00.140+01:002023-11-09T11:16:27.729+00:00The American XL Bully Ban ~ Why Genetics Matters<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Unless you
have been living under a rock for the past month or so, you will know that the
American XL Bully is due to be added to the UK’s list of banned dogs by the end
of this year. The issue of Breed Specific Legislation is so divisive, but
ultimately, opinions are neither here nor there. Evidence and facts are the
only things that should matter when decisions about public safety need to be made.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
American XL Bully is a 'natural extension of the American Pit Bull Terrier' (United Kennel Club, 1 July 2013)<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The history
of the American Pit Bull Terrier and therefore the American Bully is two-fold –
the bullbaiting, bearbaiting, horse-shredding, boar-catching, dogfighting
bulldog that has existed since at least the fifteenth century, and the
American variation on the same theme that encompassed various ‘pit fighting’
bulldog type dogs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbDrChGMhVtXwT-S7B3liI2YP2uaLKGKs2VIcdqT2w3jbh4zUDy88RrWma2JgK8XSlU3Eh3gwFteIApaURtflm0Ih0D5TJAe5eBGUwC0F-XeiJepcOkIr-2RxiJsJHH_4YvbDqEpV6XGRkx0J6T1IFa202J5TeFKJO5pElWWcHbBvCtT6xt2jDYJisAI/s880/bullbearboardog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="880" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbDrChGMhVtXwT-S7B3liI2YP2uaLKGKs2VIcdqT2w3jbh4zUDy88RrWma2JgK8XSlU3Eh3gwFteIApaURtflm0Ih0D5TJAe5eBGUwC0F-XeiJepcOkIr-2RxiJsJHH_4YvbDqEpV6XGRkx0J6T1IFa202J5TeFKJO5pElWWcHbBvCtT6xt2jDYJisAI/w640-h422/bullbearboardog.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Some breed
historians claim that during the early nineteenth century, dog fanciers (breeders)
in Great Britain and Ireland</span> began crossing bulldogs and terriers to
produce a fighting dog that combined terrier ‘gameness’ with bulldog strength.
The result was <span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">the ‘Bull and Terrier’,
which immigrants brought to America where it continued to be used as a fighting
dog, and also by farmers as a ‘catch-dog’ for semi-wild cattle and hogs. Other
breed historians contend that no such cross was ever made and that in fact the German
bulldog of the time, the Bullenbeisser (bull-biter), was </span><span style="color: black;">so similar to the modern Pit Bull that it was simply a
matter of selectively breeding the most successful fighters. America’s high
immigration statistics during the mid-late 1800s were fuelled by large numbers
of Irish and German immigrants and so either version of American Pit Bull terrier
heritage could be true. However, regardless of whether originally Bullenbeisser
or ‘Bull and Terrier’ (or both), these dogs became known less for bullbaiting
and more for fighting each other in the coal pits of Staffordshire County,
Virginia, eventually being named Pit Bulldogs, or more simply, Pit Bulls.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The first Pit Bull to be recognised as an American Pit
Bull Terrier was registered with the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 1898 by the
club’s founder, Chauncy Z. Bennett. The dog, Bennett’s Ring, was assigned UKC
registration number 1. With Bennett's Ring being t</span>he first dog of any breed to be registered, one might be forgiven for thinking that recognition of the American Pit Bull Terrier
was Bennett’s reason for founding the UKC. As the popularity of dogfighting
declined during the early part of the twentieth century, Pit Bull
breeders looked for other ways to profit from their dogs. With the rise of new
kennel clubs that catered for the upper-class hobby of show breeding, together
with a bit of re-branding, some Pit Bull breeders began registering their fighting
dogs under different names and in doing so, masked their blood-sporting history.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One of those breeders, John Colby, is attributed to
popularising the American Pit Bull Terrier to the general public as a family
dog. Colby’s ‘Famous Fighting Dogs’ as advertised </span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">in the January 1918 issue of Dog Fancier
Magazine, were famous not for their appearance or family-friendly temperament, but for being the gamest Pit
Bulls – bred to end a fight or die trying. In 1909, Colby’s 2-year-old nephew,
Bert Leadbetter, was killed by one of Colby’s own dogs who grabbed him by the
neck and shook him ‘like a rag’ before dropping ‘its prey’ and snapping ‘at
other portions of the body, inflicting a number of wounds’ (Boston Daily Globe,
3 Feb 1909). A charter member of the Staffordshire Club of America, Colby was instrumental
in backing the forced acceptance of the breed into the registry of the American
Kennel Club in 1936 – an acceptance that was conditional on the name ‘Staffordshire’
to distance the American Pit Bull Terrier from its purpose-bred heritage of
dogfighting. As a standard for the American Staffordshire Terrier breed, the
AKC chose the fighting dog known as Colby’s Primo. As you can see from Colby’s
Primo’s pedigree, he was 100% American Pit Bull Terrier:</span></p></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zMWOGp0uEgk2eaEHbp-uSwQOeDVJjX5et8lZBESBBvzwlBE9QpqkLodmkZz453IT2gWQy2S0G9zFyrynWKhAgEM_zFdF_7vQc8m8M6yXPoYE3ppwYSiHFuM5didVKFG4Jc5mJGEYbQeJSymY23QuRUE35jT6DEyacR15yY5xsAGBgrkjcLaM4p_JCBs/s1330/colysprimopedigreecomplete.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1330" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zMWOGp0uEgk2eaEHbp-uSwQOeDVJjX5et8lZBESBBvzwlBE9QpqkLodmkZz453IT2gWQy2S0G9zFyrynWKhAgEM_zFdF_7vQc8m8M6yXPoYE3ppwYSiHFuM5didVKFG4Jc5mJGEYbQeJSymY23QuRUE35jT6DEyacR15yY5xsAGBgrkjcLaM4p_JCBs/w640-h253/colysprimopedigreecomplete.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Between 1889 and
1941, Colby is reported to have bred over 5,000 dogs and established the record
of producing ‘consecutively winning pitdogs’ (The Registrar for International
Sportsmen, July 1994) or in other words, generations of dog-aggressive, dogfighting,
dog killers. After Colby’s death in 1941, his wife Florence continued his
breeding programme, working ‘closely with the screening process of the American
Pit Bull Terrier into the American Kennel Club under the name Staffordshire’
(The Registrar for International Sportsmen, July 1994). Colby’s breeding
programme undisputedly indicates that a) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">the American Staffordshire Terrier and American
Pit Bull Terrier are the same dog, b) Pit Bulls have a long history of been
selectively bred to win at dogfighting and therefore c) gameness and dog-aggression
are genetic traits. </span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Since the
1930s, Pit Bull clubs have been dedicated to producing slight physical
variations on the pit fighting bulldog to claim new Pit Bull ‘breeds’ of
their own, including the Irish ‘blue nose’ Pit Bull Terrier, Irish ‘red nose’
Pit Bull Terrier, Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier*,
American Bulldog**, Olde English Bulldogge*** and of course, the American Bully.
However, pasting a new label on every slight variation of the American Pit Bull
Terrier does not change the fact that all originate from the same limited gene
pool and retain both the physical and behavioral traits that typify the Pit
Bull as a predator and a fighter. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Breed is the most important
indicator of whether a dog might attack</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">S</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">ince the
beginning of 2021, </span><span style="background: white; color: #1a1a1a;">Pit Bulls
(American Pit Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs and American Bullies) and Pit
Bull mixes have been responsible for 15 (75%) out of the 20 human dog attack
fatalities in the UK where breed was recorded. Eleven of those killings (55%) were
committed by </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">American XL Bullies****. To put this into perspective, the American
Bully is estimated to represent less than 1% of the UK dog population. Accurate
numbers of dog and other animal fatalities by Pit Bulls in the UK are difficult
to come by. However, a peer-reviewed study that used news media articles
spanning 4 years from 2016 to 2020 found that 75% of all dog-on-dog attacks
were committed by Pit Bulls (including Staffordshire Bull Terriers). In the US,
statistics derived from media reports spanning the past 10 years indicate that
of dogs that killed other dogs, 90% were Pit Bulls, of dogs that killed cats,
86% were Pit Bulls, and of dogs that killed other pets/livestock, 77% were Pit
Bulls. Pit Bulls make up 6% of the total US dog population.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the words
of the Pit Bull Federation of South Africa: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: yellow; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-highlight: yellow;">‘</span><span style="background: yellow; color: #050505; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-highlight: yellow; mso-shading: white;">The American Pit Bull
Terrier was bred for purpose and that was for dog fighting.</span><span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-highlight: yellow;"> </span><span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-highlight: yellow;">We
cannot deny our breed's heritage and history. As uncomfortable as these facts make people, we cannot undo centuries of genetic selection and genetic traits that make these dogs what
they are [and] </span><span style="background: yellow; color: #050505; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-highlight: yellow; mso-shading: white;">no amount of
socialisation or love can remove their genetics and their propensity for dog
aggression and animal aggression.’</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It is a
fact of selective breeding that Pit Bulls as a group have an unusually high level of the neurotransmitter L-tyrosine. </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In mouse studies, elevated L-tyrosine has been evidenced to induce </span><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%;">a marked increase in
aggressive behaviour in young</span><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, non-stressed</span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> animals. This is likely due to the three-fold function
of L-tyrosine in increasing the neurotransmitters norepinephrine (increases
anger) and adrenaline (decreases sensitivity to pain), and the pleasure/reward/motivation hormone, dopamine. <span style="color: black;">Slight breed variations cannot
dampen down the fact that American Pit Bull Terriers and their centuries old ancestors
have been selectively bred for violent blood sports with a killing bite, and
continue to be bred that way today for dogfighting in the context of organised criminal activities such as illegal gambling and money laundering. Pit Bulls have been and
continue to be selectively bred for their suppressed behavioural indicators of
rising aggression to give opponents and prey no notice of attack. Unpredictable
aggression is a genetic trait. Fixating on their intended victim and sustaining
an attack (frequently for 15 minutes or longer) for greater success in the fighting
pits is a genetic trait. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Other breed groups have different genetic
traits associated with different working purposes, each of which are usually an
exaggeration of one or more of the prey sequence of behaviours which are:
ORIENT > EYE > STALK > CHASE > GRAB-BITE > KILL-BITE >
DISSECT > CONSUME. Collies are bred to herd – ORIENT > EYE > STALK
> CHASE … and that’s where the sequence stops. A collie that follows through
with GRAB-BITE is not used for working or breeding because farmers don’t want
injured sheep. On the other hand, GRAB-BITE is a desirable trait in heelers and
serves to keep large livestock like cattle moving. Retrievers are bred to bring
downed birds back to the hunter. They must look upwards for incoming birds
(ORIENT > EYE) and memorise where they fall. The picking up of the bird
involves the GRAB-BITE part of the prey sequence, however, a retriever’s
GRAB-BITE must be soft enough to not damage the bird. Even my old Labrador, who
had a five-generation show-lines pedigree, would retrieve with a soft mouth to
hand, often completely unprompted. He had a particular talent for retrieving windfall
soft fruits – apricots were his favourite – and would bring them to me
completely undamaged. Even though he was show-bred, he retained the soft mouth GRAB-BITE
breed trait of a working retriever. In addition to being selectively bred for unpredictable
and increased aggression, the Pit Bull's strong GRAB-BITE and characteristic ‘hold and
shake’ KILL-BITE is vital to its success at dogfighting. In some of
the recent CCTV footage of American XL Bully attacks in the UK, the ORIENT >
EYE > STALK > CHASE parts of the prey sequence of behaviours are also clearly
identifiable, and when the prey is human, it’s a chilling sight.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjqyKHvW_BbeNvmbmQ6a8Ol_rzc1H6LXLrFdv8_hDqje9JcQ9QOFfZGwk_jOebgHy-RPhPoIsOa9wt9vYJkjt9WmgIUxqtr3gCgwVLw33TrdRGe3sTno7pQFK6KmCug6AcrZBFzAleew07XjN7KLGSpOJZFrRcp-38rY3mrKqjEm9ND-8SwhK6kmbxHM/s3000/GENETICS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1550" data-original-width="3000" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjqyKHvW_BbeNvmbmQ6a8Ol_rzc1H6LXLrFdv8_hDqje9JcQ9QOFfZGwk_jOebgHy-RPhPoIsOa9wt9vYJkjt9WmgIUxqtr3gCgwVLw33TrdRGe3sTno7pQFK6KmCug6AcrZBFzAleew07XjN7KLGSpOJZFrRcp-38rY3mrKqjEm9ND-8SwhK6kmbxHM/w640-h330/GENETICS.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Some attacks by Pit Bulls on humans –
particularly their owners – occur without warning, for example, the TikTok
video of the girl kissing her Pit Bull’s face who then turns towards her and a split
second later, bites her face off (the video continues with the girl speaking
after having had extensive plastic surgery). Normally, a dog that dislikes human
proximity to its face will show signs of stress – looking and/or pulling away,
showing whale eye, yawning, panting, lip licking, closed mouth tongue flicks – and
may escalate to growling long before a bite (and despite obvious discomfort,
many, many dogs remain at the pre-growl, pre-aggression/bite stage).</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsldn_3EEdZ5kYlw-L5gDx_yK0s0xRRfAWFKGKFBvQlb5H39tfhI9L3bIzLhQ6HjwYvAQPtxw4ASr6NMt61TvpW45bsk5swUIe8DQC7sU9QnCf-8ZAOMISOloJhLqdBqdmFYkjDbbVQHzO50Dx-8ERloH_hyUdvVbtvrhPucpV6u3kxDXOLskC8S06oUs/s1000/doghugs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="1000" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsldn_3EEdZ5kYlw-L5gDx_yK0s0xRRfAWFKGKFBvQlb5H39tfhI9L3bIzLhQ6HjwYvAQPtxw4ASr6NMt61TvpW45bsk5swUIe8DQC7sU9QnCf-8ZAOMISOloJhLqdBqdmFYkjDbbVQHzO50Dx-8ERloH_hyUdvVbtvrhPucpV6u3kxDXOLskC8S06oUs/w640-h278/doghugs.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">However, with their genetic tendency for
unpredictable aggression, Pit Bulls show none of these signs. Other times, attacks
by Pit Bulls on humans, dogs and other animals occur in the absence of any aversive
stimuli that could trigger unpredictable aggression. Although these attacks are
also without warning, they are often described by victims as being both silent and
targeted. Predatory aggression is silent. Predatory aggression is targeted.
Studies into dogs that kill babies and children point towards attacks being
instigated by atypical predatory motivations as opposed to impulsive, unpredictable,
or any other type of affective aggression. </span><span style="color: #050505; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #050505; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The hypothalamus and aggression<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The hypothalamus plays an important role in
the expression of aggression. Hypothalamus stimulation studies in rats and cats
have evidenced that affective aggression and predatory aggression arise from
distinctly different areas – ventromedial and lateral respectively – which are
associated with punishment (ventromedial) and reward (lateral). Put simply, predatory
aggression is enjoyable. In contrast to affective aggression, which is highly
emotional and associated with intense autonomic activation (fight or flight
stress response to danger), quiet attack occurs in the absence of visible
agitation or sympathetic nervous system activation (no stress response). Additionally,
the lateral hypothalamus is involved in the control of violent intraspecific (same
species) aggression, particularly fighting, via a causal link between
glucocorticoid deficiency resulting from chronic downregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocorticol
(HPA) axis (e.g. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">dysregulation of the HPA axis to continued stress as opposed to
post-stress adjustment)</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> and the elicitation of predatory
aggression. As such, violent intraspecific aggression resulting from lateral
hypothalamus activation is deviant and pathological. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pit Bull attacks on pet dogs may involve the breed
group’s characteristic tendency towards dog aggression. However, many owners
whose dogs have been victims of Pit Bull fatalities and maimings, especially
small dogs, report that these attacks were unprovoked, silent and relentless –
that their dogs were targeted and/or chased down, grabbed, bitten and/or shaken,
and due to their small size had zero chance of fighting back – which speaks
more of </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">predatory attack than of the Pit Bull's characteristic unpredictable aggression</span><span style="font-family: arial;">:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-highlight: yellow; mso-shading: white;">“The owners of a chihuahua that was killed by an XL bully in Cornwall have said that their dog was shaken "like a rag
doll" during the attack.”</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <br /></span><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(Chris Tom Matthews for
Cornwall Live, 9 October 2023).</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Particularly when an attack on a dog involves
multiple Pit Bulls, the dogs remain focused on their prey – they don’t turn on
each other: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-highlight: yellow; mso-ligatures: none;">“</span><span style="background: yellow; color: #050505; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-highlight: yellow; mso-ligatures: none;">Two Staffordshire cross breeds
and an XL Bully set upon the cocker spaniel, with the smaller dog being left
with catastrophic injuries as a result. Shortly after the incident on 3 March
2023, the injured dog had to be put to sleep.”</span><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="color: #050505; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">(Nottinghamshire Police, 9
October 2023).</span><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">However, amongst the many neurobiological
findings of aggression studies, the neurotransmitter norepinephrine inhibits
predatory aggression whilst at the same time, facilitates affective aggression,
particularly fighting. Given that Pit Bulls’ unusually high level of L-tyrosine
increases norepinephrine (increases aggression), this could mean that what may
start out as a quiet, targeted, predatory attack, quickly shifts into affective and/or abnormal aggression when the Pit Bull experiences irritability or frustration at its prey
screaming, struggling to escape or fighting back, or the owner trying to stop
the attack or free/protect their pet: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">“I scooped Monty (Shih Tzu) up into the air as the dog (a large bully
type) smashed into my stomach. Time and time again the dog flew at me, trying to attack Monty, its head often crashing into the wall. Kicking the dog away
earned me a split second to hold Monty aloft, high above the wall, determined to
keep him out of harm’s way. Suddenly our attacker was jumping up at almost head
height before it sank its teeth deep into my arm.”</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">(</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Tom Bryant speaking
to The Mirror, 7 October 2023).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Coupled with the other two effects of high L-tyrosine
– decreased pain and increased pleasure – this may explain why Pit Bull maulings
are characteristically sustained, and why an attacking Pit Bull cannot be
stopped by trying to hurt it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pit Bulls have been selectively bred to be
unpredictably aggressive. Pit Bulls have been selectively bred to be motivated to fight and enjoy doing it (increased dopamine due to high L-tyrosine + aggression triggers dopamine). Together with enhanced predatory aggression at
the GRAB-BITE > KILL-BITE end of the sequence and the capacity to cause catastrophic
injuries due to its tooth/jaw size and pressure, tenacity, and its characteristic ‘hold
and shake’ bite, are what makes Pit Bull attacks so deadly. Behaviours and
characteristics that were functional to dogfighting and bullbaiting are in all
other contexts, pathological. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #1a1a1a;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If it looks
like a Pit Bull, maims like a Pit Bull and kills like a Pit Bull …<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Developed
in the 1990s, the American Bully is claimed to be the result of breeding
American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers (Pit Bull, if not American Pit Bull Terrier) with various bulldog type dogs such as the </span>American
Bulldog (Pit Bull), Olde English Bulldogge (Pit Bull) and English Bulldog (Pit
Bull ancestor). A<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">nalysis of
American Bully pedigrees confirms that every individual dog’s ancestry is
traceable to registered American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire
Terriers. The American Bully is a Pit Bull. The UKC (1 July 2013) state that the American XL Bully is a </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">'natural extension of the American Pit Bull Terrier'.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Therefore, as a '</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">dog of the type known as the pit bull terrier [and/or] </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span>type </span></span><span face="arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">to be bred for fighting or to have the characteristics of a type bred for that purpose' (Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;">Section 1(a)&(c)</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">) and/or </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">a 'natural extension of the American Pit Bull Terrier (UKC, 1 July 2013)</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">,</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> one could argue that it is already banned in the UK. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It was standardised and
recognised as a 'breed' by the American Bully Kennel Club upon its inception in 2004. The European
Bully Kennel Club added it to its breed registry in 2008, and the UKC followed
suit in 2013. Other Kennel Clubs including American and UK have yet to recognise or
accept the American Bully as a purebred dog (i</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">ncidentally, the American Kennel Club does not recognise the American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed either).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Currently,
there are four main types of American Bully. In size order from smallest to
largest these are:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Pocket’ – the shortest and most
compact of the five types standing 40cms (females) and 43cms (males) tall, and
weighing up to 10kgs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Classic’ – same size and physical
features as ‘Standard’ but with a lighter body build.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Standard’ – the original American
Bully. Standing 48cms (females) and 51cms (males) tall and weighing up to 27kgs
(females)/32kgs (males).<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘XL’ – the largest of the five
American Bully types standing 55cms (females) and 60cms (males) tall, and
weighing from 33kgs (5.2 stones) to in excess of 55kgs (8.6 stones). <o:p></o:p></span></span></li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All four American
Bully types follow the general physical characteristics of the ‘Standard’ which
include: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">muscular body<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">heavy bone structure<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">broad chest<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">slightly arched muscular neck<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">prominent skull and cheek muscles<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">wide ‘blocky’ head<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">widely spaced almond-shaped eyes<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">broad, short-medium length muzzle<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">tight skin <o:p></o:p></span></span></li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Additional
variations on the standard include the ‘Micro’, ‘XXL’ and ‘Extreme’ (‘Exotic’),
but </span><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">but these are not recognised by the Bully kennel clubs as
legitimate varieties.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <span lang="EN-US">In terms of behaviour, in its </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">breed standard document for
the American Bully the UKC (2013) states that:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: yellow; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-highlight: yellow;">‘some level of dog
aggression is characteristic of this breed’.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="1000" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0uHKcLLTnM0flJc1aJKJphpotV8Ekon_He1ih0qLdBQuHJ2SD_-AbigTHmKQntPs6d_mkJ4LdRUAY0hDcu9aaPQd0d5bcSBun5oJVhx2mSvbZS9GDb-mCIm4Rk0KQFaNojeQdI2IqOYgJzDzdG1yUr4LjXga9vtWjFi7YLAR9GlUo5u0EyIFzopCW6A/w640-h358/xlbullyfullandcroppedears.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">American XL Bully with full ears (left) and cropped ears (right)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0uHKcLLTnM0flJc1aJKJphpotV8Ekon_He1ih0qLdBQuHJ2SD_-AbigTHmKQntPs6d_mkJ4LdRUAY0hDcu9aaPQd0d5bcSBun5oJVhx2mSvbZS9GDb-mCIm4Rk0KQFaNojeQdI2IqOYgJzDzdG1yUr4LjXga9vtWjFi7YLAR9GlUo5u0EyIFzopCW6A/s1000/xlbullyfullandcroppedears.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">UK American Bully (bloody) bloodlines<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">American Bullies were first imported into the UK in 2015 by breeder,
Noble Welch, who claims to have fought several court cases to overturn rulings
that American Bullies are Pit Bull type dogs already covered by the Dangerous
Dogs Act. Since then, American Bully breeding has reportedly become a multimillion-pound industry, with dogs and semen from certain notorious bloodlines being exported to fanatical breeders all over the world. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">S</span><span style="font-family: arial;">tud dogs are rented for thousands of pounds to anyone who wants to breed and sell XL
Bullies. Research by Bully Watch discovered that 99.7% of American Bully breeders advertising on
Pets4Homes didn't hold the legal requirement of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">a council breeding licence. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The UK’s American Bully breeding industry is completely unregulated and largely illegal.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">According to Bully Watch, every single one of today’s UK American Bullies descend from a small handful of bitches and studs owned by an equally small handful of breeders who were active in the 1990s. The result </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">–</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> low genetic diversity across the board, with the majority of American Bully
pedigrees showing evidence of inbreeding. The pedigrees of some influential progenitors reportedly display extreme inbreeding coefficients of 40% and higher. To put this into perspective, 5% is considered
to be an acceptable coefficient of inbreeding (COI) and purebred dogs should
ideally not exceed a COI of 20%. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At least half of American XL Bullies in the UK are known to descend
from one inbred US dog, UKC registered name UKC’s Most Wanted Kimbo, known by
Bully breeders as ‘Killer Kimbo’, r</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">egistered as an American Staffordshire Terrier despite his UKC verified five generation American Pit Bull Terrier pedigree</span><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. </span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The product of extreme inbreeding
(COI 31.25%), <span style="color: black;">Killer Kimbo is the ancestral granddaddy of generations of violently aggressive dogs that are</span> documented to carry a rage that is abnormal (in
additional to the Pit Bull genetic <span style="background: white; color: #050505;">propensity for dog and animal aggression</span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">), with o</span>ne
of two of his notorious bloodlines being known to have sired animals that have killed
people.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="781" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdafOqajwPmo_WTvYSfqvCHOnOqVhCiPuKTzzmgmIzTgULKEqYCQ2-nuE-qBLAGE3AA0dpOvE0Rz1GO4no8ctC66kERE0ylZdE-SaZElejcTsX7W1tjNVULSbAlEJhz1To8p9LLLZ3aa4qV2aFLwokPnqMhE9IAgRfXaTlknCdKtB2UCZ8YUT9AZrhRr0/w400-h340/killerkimbo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">UKC's Most Wanted Kimbo</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />A brief glance at Kimbo’s pedigree reveals Colby’s American Pit Bull Terrier ancestry in
his paternal lineages (at 23rd generation: Colby’s Galtie (1910)
& Colby’s Nancy (1912); at 24th generation: Colby’s Bunch (1909)
& Colby’s Monkey; at 25th generation: Colby’s Pincher (1896)
& Colby’s Nell; and many, many more). More recently, Kimbo has </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">AKC registered American Staffordshire Terriers (CH Estrella’s Black Bear) from at least the 8th</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> generation. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">His great-grandparents – all with the kennel name prefix Ganghis
Kon and all with the PR distinction mark from the UKC (meaning they have at
least three generations of UKC ancestors) – are American Pit Bull Terriers. His
grandparents (he only has one set because his mother and father are siblings)
are also UKC PR American Pit Bull Terriers. His father, Castro’s Bull23, is a
UKC registered American Pit Bull Terrier. His mother, Castro’s Diva, is registered
as an American Staffordshire Terrier despite being Castro’s Bull23’s full sister and
thus sharing his 100% </span><span style="font-family: arial;">American Pit Bull Terrier pedigree. His notorious son, The Unstoppable Juggernaut, was registered as an American Bully with the Bully Pedex Kennel Club (BPKC #10292). </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Where Kimbo and his progeny deviate from the American Pit Bull Terrier is in their size.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">They do not conform to American Pit Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier breed standards. However, genetically, Kimbo and all other American Bullies are Pit Bulls, if not</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> American Pit Bull Terriers, through and through.</span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
problem with Breed Specific Legislation<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Pit Bulls as ‘</span><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">any dog of the type known as the pit bull terrier’ (Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Section 1(a)</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">) or a </span></span><span face="arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">type appearing 'to be bred for fighting or to have the characteristics of a type bred for that purpose' (Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, Section 1(c))</span> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">have been banned in the UK since 1991. Those who are
against Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) argue that identifying a dog as a Pit Bull type based on how it looks
is discriminatory because a) it risks dogs who are not Pit Bulls being wrongly
identified as such, b) it penalises responsible dog owners whilst doing little to punish irresponsible ones, and c) not all Pit Bulls are dangerous. However, argument
a) could be helped by changing the assessment criteria (which includes assessing a dog's demeanor as well as appearance) to include breed DNA testing as part of type identification. Currently, breed DNA test results are not permissible in court, and there are certainly clarifications that would need to be made in law if breed was to be used to help identify</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> type </span><span style="font-family: arial;">(see 25/10/23 post edit below). H</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">owever, Wisdom Panel, the least expensive of the two main dog breed DNA testing companies, has over 370 breeds on its register including American Pit
Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog and
Staffordshire Bull Terrier, making it a readily available and trusted resource that could be used to add a genetic component to type identification. Breed DNA testing dogs in rescue would also be a quick, easy and inexpensive way to ensure that Pit Bull types and Pit Bull type crosses are not labelled as 'Lab' or 'Boxer' mixes to unsuspecting adopters (particularly common in the US to get rid of them due to breed specific regulations and restrictions placed on Pit Bulls by housing associations and landlords) and Staffordshire Bull Terrier (and other) crosses in the UK. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7tC8AnV3GccnhfXRSmAF2RRoX67o9Q-qHNQQvTYmNVWw9-TP6TgxLU_LZTsOIKdH7M-tf3y-k43pDiF9aeTgLUujkh0F484fS2GZOZUrabnPXuywewa_w_ehyphenhyphenrgRVyFkxeD7LAO42sUbTUl6RUOljPlAsWkac3YXo7C4HEeksdT2na8cHJEXqIKlKNM/s2041/Untitled-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="2041" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7tC8AnV3GccnhfXRSmAF2RRoX67o9Q-qHNQQvTYmNVWw9-TP6TgxLU_LZTsOIKdH7M-tf3y-k43pDiF9aeTgLUujkh0F484fS2GZOZUrabnPXuywewa_w_ehyphenhyphenrgRVyFkxeD7LAO42sUbTUl6RUOljPlAsWkac3YXo7C4HEeksdT2na8cHJEXqIKlKNM/w640-h432/Untitled-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A few of the 'cross breeds' currently available for adoption through Dogs Trust (October 2023).</span><br style="font-family: arial;" /><span style="font-family: arial;">It's doubtful enough that the top three dogs are Staffordshire Bull Terrier crosses,</span><br style="font-family: arial;" /><span style="font-family: arial;">but seriously Dogs Trust, Border Collie cross and Chihuahua cross?</span><br style="font-family: arial;" /><span style="font-family: arial;">Stop lying to adopters about what these dogs are.</span><br style="font-family: arial;" /><span style="font-family: arial;">Stop trying to sidestep the upcoming ban.<br />(see 18/10/23 post edit below for update).</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">The ‘deed not breed’ argument is harder to find favour with because of the genetic predisposition for unpredictable
aggression characteristic of the Pit Bull breed group, and the fact that breed is the most important indicator not only of whether a dog might attack (as opposed to bite), but whether it might kill (the statistics speak for themselves). Is it okay to ignore
genetics and hope that ‘deed’ never occurs, while at the same time risking that
‘deed’ could occur at any time resulting in another person being maimed or losing
their life, and consequently, the Pit Bull also losing its life, not to mention
the additional psychological trauma caused to those having to deal with the aftermath? The answer is no, it isn't okay, because punishing deed only would not have prevented the recent deaths of the eleven victims of American XL Bully attacks. The bottom line is that the purpose of BSL is to protect people from being
injured and killed by dogs belonging to a particular type and of particular breeds that have been deemed too dangerous to live without
restrictions in a civilised, modern society where dogs selectively bred for fighting
and killing simply no longer have a place. Its purpose is not to discriminate
against ‘innocent’ Pit Bulls.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The real problem with BSL though, as with all legislation, is that laws
are made for the law-abiding – criminals will simply ignore them. Dogfighting in
the UK was banned in 1835, yet it has continued illegally since and 'is still
so rife' today (Muttitt, 12 July 2023) with cases reported to be on the rise from an
average of 19 per month in 2019, to 31 per month in 2023. The responsible,
law-abiding American XL Bully owners who want to keep their dogs will apply for
exemption, will neuter and microchip their dogs, will muzzle them and keep them
leashed in public, will take out third-party insurance. The irresponsible ones
will simply ignore the law. Additionally, b</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">anning any Pit Bull 'breed' based on appearance risks opening up
the door for breeders elsewhere in the world to carry on the tradition of
creating slight variations of whatever the Pit Bull breed is to ensure that it continues
to fall outside of BSL type measurements. Therefore, prohibiting the importation of banned dogs and their semen must happen also, and breed DNA testing at customs to ensure that no
more Pit Bulls or Pit Bull crosses pass into the UK would be one way to enforce this </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">regardless of what an individual dog looks like </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">(because Pit Bull breeders are well known for falsifying pedigree paperwork (known as paper hanging) and therefore cannot be trusted to produce genuine breed DNA test results). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">Banning the American XL Bully should help to reduce the number of maulings and fatalities to the general public by dogs whose owners apply for exemption and comply with restrictions. However, it will not necessarily reduce the number of maulings and fatalities of American XL Bully owners. Banning the American XL Bully will make it unappealing for future responsible dog owners to own. But where banning the American XL Bully should have the most impact is in giving law enforcement agencies the power to seize dogs that are suspected to be American XL Bullies belonging to owners who have failed to exempt them (i.e. the irresponsible owners and Pets4Homes breeders who undoubtedly are to blame for the majority of dog attacks, there is a link between ownership/backyard breeding of high-risk dogs and deviant behaviour) and by doing so, protect the wider public from harm. However, the welfare of seized dogs needs to improve dramatically because currently, seized dogs are suffering whilst being kept in kennels waiting for their cases to go to court. There are numerous reports in the media of seized dogs spending months, even years, isolated in small kennels, without exercise, without any form of mental stimulation, being later returned to their owners in poor body condition, severely underweight and with untreated medical conditions. If a member of the public did that to a dog they would be hauled up on animal cruelty charges, but the Police are getting away with it on a daily basis. No dog should be made to suffer, not even 'guilty' Pit Bulls. Using breed DNA testing in addition to identifying suspected Pit Bulls and American XL Bullies on appearance could greatly reduce the time that seized dogs have to spend in kennels, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">regardless of assessment outcome. Additionally, the financial savings to the criminal justice system would be immense. Whether or not you agree with banning the American XL Bully, whether or not you agree with BSL, I hope that for the well-being of any seized dog that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">you will agree that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">the way in which BSL is enforced needs to improve before the American XL Bully ban comes in. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">Before I get shouted at that I'm a Bull breed hater, in the early 90's, I owned a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. He was black brindle in colour, but being the runt of his litter and having a slight overbite, he was considerably cheaper than his siblings. When I and my boyfriend at the time collected him from his breeder, he didn't come with a UK Kennel Club pedigree. Although he was the runt, he was quite long-legged. The breeder was an interesting character. He was built like the proverbial brick-built lavatory, and in addition to breeding Staffordshire Bull Terriers, he bred birds of prey and also kept cockerels. I don't remember much of what he told us about his own dogs but with regards to our pup, he said that we should get him a rolled leather collar because these were better than flat collars in the event that we needed to choke him out to get him 'to release' another dog. He then proceeded to demonstrate how to do this by placing a broom handle through the collar of one of his own dogs and twisting it. Thirty-plus years later and I have met many short and stocky UK Kennel Club breed standard Staffies. I know that our dog was the runt and had a slight overbite, but he didn't look like the breed standard. If anything, in overall appearance he looked more like the American Pit Bull Terriers of the late 1800s. The photo on the left is him at around four/five months old with our other dog, Buffy, a Rottweiler X GSD. In the photo on the right, he's probably around a year old. I split with my boyfriend shortly after </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">– </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">Buffy stayed with me and the Staffy stayed with him </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">– </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">and so I don't know what became of him.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCifFiubkQwSJQxx9uyN3b1AEnfDfkc_vbYIQJ3qqf4zaNYLMek2fyJ_ohqCTNBfnVWPNfg41xCh6J3i_5_tyxZz5Fil3Olpav-t1EyOYmJ-qxFGDgbsO-s4x5MzbDwBumXWtbG1891k04cq5nr2xYr-MAlVKBKErGTY3zBMB_671ZBTy6F5ZRpHTFRnw/s570/fishandbuffy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="570" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCifFiubkQwSJQxx9uyN3b1AEnfDfkc_vbYIQJ3qqf4zaNYLMek2fyJ_ohqCTNBfnVWPNfg41xCh6J3i_5_tyxZz5Fil3Olpav-t1EyOYmJ-qxFGDgbsO-s4x5MzbDwBumXWtbG1891k04cq5nr2xYr-MAlVKBKErGTY3zBMB_671ZBTy6F5ZRpHTFRnw/w640-h308/fishandbuffy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">Whether he was actually a Staffy or was just sold as one, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was included in the Dangerous Dogs Act until 1997*. We were completely oblivious to this at the time (pre-internet, no TV). Additionally, I believed that Staffies had not been bred as fighting dogs. I also believed the Pit Bull myth that Staffies were known as 'nanny dogs'. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_hE8seg6g2rXpQEMzI2fmgKvizX27khjWk1ICkLhd19cpXyppszMhO__ajOetcflw0LXAp8L_1-vLSpX8BhY4g3e8ETo60UzXLT6vfoCS13uWFbtzdah1tdUNhpIj7jG6OqL6iLwEtOj0Gq6e5HK7kNN_OifYw4WOL948TFiCuTbPb5GggOmOrIH-4k/s1000/nannylizard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_hE8seg6g2rXpQEMzI2fmgKvizX27khjWk1ICkLhd19cpXyppszMhO__ajOetcflw0LXAp8L_1-vLSpX8BhY4g3e8ETo60UzXLT6vfoCS13uWFbtzdah1tdUNhpIj7jG6OqL6iLwEtOj0Gq6e5HK7kNN_OifYw4WOL948TFiCuTbPb5GggOmOrIH-4k/w400-h400/nannylizard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Don't believe the myths!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Whilst being naïve and uninformed is no excuse, it serves as a lesson for responsible dog-owners to educate themselves about a breed </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– </span><span style="font-family: arial;">any breed </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– </span><span style="font-family: arial;">before embarking on ownership. Don't just believe what kennel clubs, breeders and shelters say on their websites and adverts about a breed's/dog's temperament and history. Instead, m</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ake like a dog and do some digging of your own. Find out about breed-specific health issues too. For cross breeds and mixed breeds in rescue, look at the dog and decide for yourself</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> what breed or breeds it might be. A month ago, Dogs Trust had numerous American Bullies and American Bully crosses available for adoption. The ones that have yet to be adopted have since been relabeled as Staffordshire Bull Terrier (or other breed, or 'unknown') cross breeds </span><span style="font-family: arial;">(see 25/10/23 post edit below)</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. If you fall in love and decide to adopt, do a breed DNA test . Knowing what breeds a rescue dog is can be really helpful to understanding their behaviour and needs, and Wisdom Panel include genetic health screening for the MDR1 gene mutation (sensitivity to multiple pharmaceutical drugs) at no extra cost. Don't get a dog of a size that you know you will struggle to restrain. If you get a large or heavy dog, buy collars, leads and harnesses that are wide enough and strong enough not to snap, and always have two points of leash control (e.g. collar and harness). Educate your children about canine body language and how to interact safely with dogs. Never leave babies and children alone with a dog </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– not ever, not even for a second</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Make sure that your garden/yard is secure </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– escape-proof for your chosen breed and size, and intruder-proof so that nobody can enter your property unannounced. Keep your dog on a lead around people, traffic, farm animals, cats, wildlife and other on-lead dogs. If you own a Bully breed or choose to do so in the future </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– </span><span style="font-family: arial;">any Bully breed, or any Mastiff breed for that matter (including Rottweiler, Cane Corso, Presa Canario) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">don't be in denial about their capacity to inflict catastrophic injuries to humans and other animals in comparison to smaller, less powerful breeds. Keep your head out of the sand. Don't believe the myths. Accept and t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ake responsibility for your dog's genetic breed traits.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>What to do if a Pit Bull attacks you, another person or your dog</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>You</b> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– A</span><span style="font-family: arial;">s proven with many of the recent deaths and maulings by Pit Bulls, you cannot rely on Pit Bull owners (or anyone else) to help you. Try and stay calm </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– it won't stop the attack, but will help you to think</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. If you have time before the Pit Bull makes contact, find something that you can use as a shield such as a wheelie bin </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– basically get behind something because if nothing else, this will buy you some thinking time</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. If the Pit Bull is biting you, try to stay upright and try to stay still. If the Pit Bull has grabbed hold of a limb, resist the instinct to pull away because this will result in ripping and tearing injuries rather than puncture wounds. Struggling or yelling, or punching or kicking the Pit Bull will make it angrier and bite harder, or progress to its 'hold and shake' kill bite. Assess which parts of your body you have free and do what you can to cut off the Pit Bull's air for the best chance of getting it to release its jaws and not immediately bite you again. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">You want the Pit Bull to pass out.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">If you are dragged to the floor, to be honest, at this point it's unlikely that you will survive a Pit Bull attack unless you have the means to cut off its air, but you could try </span><span style="font-family: arial;">curling up into a tight ball, face down. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">See the dog attack protection aids below. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Another person</b> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– With your help, the other person has a much better chance of surviving the attack. You may or may not get bitten yourself. If the Pit Bull is already biting the person and you have the means and are able to, first secure the dog to something that it cannot free itself from, and then either use something to open its jaws or cut off its air to make it release its grip. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Struggling or yelling, or punching or kicking the Pit Bull will make it angrier and bite harder, or progress to its 'hold and shake' kill bite.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">If you choose to open its jaws, the Pit Bull will likely try and bite again and so before attempting to get it to release, tell the other person to be ready to move away quickly. Be ready to get out the way yourself. If restraining the dog is not an option, find something that you can get between the Pit Bull and the person such as a wheelie bin before attempting to get it to release. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The best way to get a Pit Bull to stop biting is always to cut off its air supply.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">See the dog attack protection aids below. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Your dog</b> – If you have time before the Pit Bull makes contact and your dog is small enough (same applies to children), pick it up and hold it high or even better, get it to safety over a wall or fence. If the Pit Bill is already biting your dog, d</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">o not grab your dog and pull it because this</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"> will turn the attack into tug of war and result in ripping and tearing injuries as opposed to puncture wounds for your dog</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Struggling or yelling, or punching or kicking the Pit Bull will make it angrier and bite harder, or progress to its 'hold and shake' kill bite.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">The only thing you can do at this point is to try and get the Pit Bull to release its bite by either prizing its mouth open or cutting off its air. If you have the means and are able to, secure the Pit Bull to something that is strong enough to keep it restrained before attempting to free your dog from its mouth. When you walk your dog, go prepared </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"> s</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">ee the dog attack protection aids below.</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>UK legal dog attack protection aids </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.police-supplies.co.uk/k917-dog-deterrent-spray" target="_blank">K917 Dog Deterrent Spray</a> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.police-supplies.co.uk/first-strike-k9-dog-deterrent-spray-with-protec-pouch?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsp6pBhCfARIsAD3GZuZhWEq4bt1NwIcr7ChzRl49tD-5XNX0hq1sr6CY-N2HvF74cmZjEBAaAvfVEALw_wcB" target="_blank">First Strike K9 Dog Deterrent Spray</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.farbgel.com/" target="_blank">Farbgel</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Balacoo-Professional-Training-Equipment-Shepherd/dp/B09PQG7SBF/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=break+stick&qid=1697111085&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Balacoo Pitbull Breakstick</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.mdcexports.co.uk/product/tuff-slip-lead/" target="_blank">Steel cable sliplead</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">N.B. The dog attack protection sprays listed above probably won't stop a Pit Bull attacking, but anything that you can utilise in the event of an attack to interfere with a Pit Bull's sight or breathing is always worth a shot. Aim the spray jet directly into the Pit Bull's eyes, nostrils and/or mouth. Breaksticks are used to break up dogfights by inserting the stick behind a biting dog's canines or rear molars and twisting. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: arial;">In reality, insert it hard and as far through any gap left in the Pit Bull's mouth and then twist it as hard and as fast as you can to force its jaws apart. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">However, be ready for further bites if you do manage to get the dog to release its bite while it is still breathing. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">A breakstick can also be used to choke a Pit Bull if it is wearing a collar. Insert the breakstick under the collar at the back of the neck, grip both ends of the breakstick and then twist it round like a two-handed handle to tighten the collar and cut off the dog's air and blood supply to its brain.</span></p></div></div></div><p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">-----------------------------</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">--</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;"><b>Post edit 18/10/2023</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">: On 17 October, a six-stone American XL Bully named Denvor, adopted from Dogs Trust towards the end of September 2023, attacked its 60 year old female owner in her own garden before escaping and running into the carpark of a Primary School. The owner was taken to hospital with multiple injuries. The dog was shot by police. Read the full story </span><a href="https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23861424.xl-bully-attack-brisley-forces-school-evacuation/" style="letter-spacing: -0.133333px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">. Note: this dog was adopted as an American XL Bully days before Dogs Trust relabeled all its other American XL Bullies and American XL Bully crosses as different breeds. Dogs Trust makes no secret of the fact that it doesn't believe that breed influences behaviour, however, its logic is based on research methodologies that can never indicate the possibility that certain breeds are predisposed to unpredictable aggression. An excellent commentary piece by Reed Berowitz that examines a recent and influential </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">but also misinterpreted and misquoted</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">study on breed-related behaviour can be found </span><a href="https://oneresearch.org/2022/05/14/dog-behavior-unrelated-to-breed-study-stirs-controversy-researcher-responds/?fbclid=IwAR1z1eP5KhJymIxzcjQKYQ5VbtB0-mXuLLpq2HqTMvDAejT7jKVv0QSGn04" style="font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">. Just today, Dogs Trust have changed their tune and announced that they will no longer re-home XL Bully-type dogs (story <a href="https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23864468.dogs-trust-stops-rehoming-xl-bully-type-dogs/?fbclid=IwAR3y9oRCLJSxKot6QjRxNeh3ZRKS4VAgVfOz4BUXr44zNHyAWdtwSWpvqQs#" target="_blank">here</a>). Within the last 24 hours, the three supposed 'Staffordshire Bull Terrier' cross breeds and the Chihuahua cross breed in the photo collage above have been removed from its adoption pages. None had 'reserved' on their profiles yesterday and so being adopted is highly unlikely to be the reason that their profiles have disappeared. Proof that Dogs Trust knew that these large Bully cross breed descriptions were a lie? The supposed 'Border Collie' cross breed is still listed. Maybe Dogs Trust missed that one.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;"><b>Post edit 25/10/23</b>: I came across a social media page post today clearly in favour of banning BSL and arguing the lack of science behind it </span><span style="font-family: arial;">–<span style="color: #0f1111;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">that typing based on measurements not breed DNA testing is wrong and inaccurate. The page post contained a shared post from a well-known typed-exempt dog to prove its point. A reply comment accompanied by a screenshot of the typed-exempt dog's Wisdom Panel breed DNA test result stated that the dog had absolutely no Pit Bull in it. The dog's test result was as follows: 37.5% American Bulldog, 25% Staffordshire Bull Terrier, 12.5% Bulldog, 12.5% American Staffordshire Terrier and 12.5% Bullmastiff. The dog is therefore between 12.5% (American Staffordshire Terrier (UK banned Pit Bull type breed)) and 75% Pit Bull (American Bulldog (Pit Bull type but not a UK banned breed) + Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Pit Bull type but not a UK banned breed) + American Staffordshire Terrier (UK banned Pit Bull type breed)). Does this make the dog </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">a Pit Bull type cross and therefore subject to Section 1a and/or 1c of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991? A cross is generally taken to mean a dog with purebred parents of two different breeds ... but Pit Bull is a type, not a breed. However, going by the 50:50 cross breed rule (as in a Labrador/Poodle cross would be 50% Labrador/50% Poodle) it makes sense that a Pit Bull type cross should be any dog that is made up of (at least) 50% Pit Bull type breeds. Supporters of the breed DNA tested typed-exempt dog above are incorrect </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">it does have Pit Bull in it including a banned Pit Bull type breed </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">however, whether the dog is a Pit Bull type cross is open to interpretation. A</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">ccording to UK banned Pit Bull <i>breeds</i> it is not. But according to Pit Bull <i>type</i>, arguably, it is. That it was identified as a Pit Bull type using </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) measurements </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">confirms this and illustrates the close and recent connections between Pit Bull type breeds </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">– that they are largely indistinguishable from one another</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">f breed DNA testing were to be introduced as part of Pit Bull type/cross and/or American XL Bully/cross identification, these descriptors absolutely would need to be clarified in law in terms of breeds and breed percentages. The typed-exempt dog above is a case in point because at 12.5% American Staffordshire Terrier + 37.5% American Bulldog + 12.5% Bulldog, it could actually be viewed as </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">an American Bully cross (62.5%) according to the breed's creation story</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: -0.133333px;"><b>Post edit 31/10/23</b>: It was announced today that American XL Bullies</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> will be banned in Britain from 31 </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">December 2023. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">New laws prohibiting the breed were formally laid in Parliament today under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Anyone who defies the ban will face up to 14 years in prison, could be disqualified from ownership, or their dogs may be euthanised. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Under the same legislation, breeding, selling, advertising, rehoming, abandoning and allowing an American XL Bully to stray will be illegal. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Existing American XL Bullies have been given an amnesty, but from 31 December they must be muzzled and leashed in public. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Owners can also choose to have their dogs euthanised by a vet. F</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">rom 1 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">February 2024 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">it will be illegal to own an American XL Bully unless it is on the Index of Exempted Dogs. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have informed breeders they must stop breeding American XL Bullies as from now, ahead of ownership being a criminal offence.</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 17.12px; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">-----------------------------</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">--</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">* In</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> the UK, the banned
Pit Bull Terrier refers to any type of dog that looks like the </span><span style="color: #040c28;">American Pit Bull Terrier, Irish ‘blue nose’ Pit bull Terrier,
Irish ‘red nose’ Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier or Irish
Staffordshire Bull Terrier. </span>Although historically t<span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">he Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a Pit Bull, in 1997 a coalition of
breeders and animal charities prevailed upon Parliament to exempt the
Staffordshire Bull Terrier from the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act definition of a Pit
Bull. To date, there have been 64 dog attack fatalities since the exemption –
12 (one fifth) of those fatalities were victims of Staffordshire Bull Terriers
(10) and Staffordshire Bull Terrier crosses (4).</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbeMNHi9d8AtVTfwmx__E-TN8OpekHLIe7So1GJ-oNXAdh4QkBejZFKc3prCAvwCOjBCI_kXy7Snty5ZRTRbeyoLCegGgK71smZASj-wQg7X8x-akXnVRnPDmzUGw7Cs7SxJIO5esR9-kG6sj9_oUob94FARrttYYCqboc60vKHFGzG0DaC_KKu5Z3CA/s1000/acacd3db6a8cd9f87f06468aea50a42ea29303c7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1000" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbeMNHi9d8AtVTfwmx__E-TN8OpekHLIe7So1GJ-oNXAdh4QkBejZFKc3prCAvwCOjBCI_kXy7Snty5ZRTRbeyoLCegGgK71smZASj-wQg7X8x-akXnVRnPDmzUGw7Cs7SxJIO5esR9-kG6sj9_oUob94FARrttYYCqboc60vKHFGzG0DaC_KKu5Z3CA/w400-h319/acacd3db6a8cd9f87f06468aea50a42ea29303c7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">UK Kennel Club Staffordshire Bull Terrier</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">** Some argue that the American Bulldog
is not a Pit Bull, others argue that it is. It is said to have descended from
the Old English Bulldog through breeding programmes set up by John D. Johson
and Alan Scott. However, the first dog was registered as the American Pit
Bulldog by Johnson in 1970, who later changed its name to the American Bulldog
to avoid confusing it with American Pit Bull Terriers. The very fact that the
breed initially had ‘Pit Bull’ in its name implies a recent dogfighting and American Pit Bull Terrier history. Neither of the two foundation dogs ‘Dick the Bruiser’ (Johnson’s) or
‘Mack the Masher’ (Scott’s) have any pedigree information to suggest that they
were the progeny of Old English Bulldogs. Both dogs are devoid of pedigrees. However, there are visible
differences between the two lines – Johnson’s dogs were ‘bullier’ looking and
had a slight underbite characteristic of the English Bulldog (it is suggested
that Johnson crossbred one of his early dogs with a Northern English Bulldog),
whilst </span><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Scott’s</span><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> dogs resembled the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Either way, names like ‘Dick the Bruiser’ and ‘Mac the Masher’ (pictured below)
smack of two foundation dogs who were fighting Pit Bulls. </span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iWKkAH5CGVN_RI5flF24am6if4xe1mz9tSE5AAVkaXMsQoUOHOg4FLEV6NTIUX6JIn1l4n5JmPNPnTap9LFuD9Ff0p7juLuKOYRDaov9OHPhqdd2O05FbDT7dPo8dRljN02WcUHf4XdI8fSM19SeSAUsB7AiQgHVyIUGyqnMf92wBsBhM9MhdU4JTU4/s881/macthemasher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="881" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iWKkAH5CGVN_RI5flF24am6if4xe1mz9tSE5AAVkaXMsQoUOHOg4FLEV6NTIUX6JIn1l4n5JmPNPnTap9LFuD9Ff0p7juLuKOYRDaov9OHPhqdd2O05FbDT7dPo8dRljN02WcUHf4XdI8fSM19SeSAUsB7AiQgHVyIUGyqnMf92wBsBhM9MhdU4JTU4/w400-h268/macthemasher.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">*** </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In 1971 a breeding project that used a
linebreeding scheme developed by Dr. Fechimer of Ohio State began to rapidly
achieve a purebred dog, the goal of which was to return the health-compromised
bulldog’s appearance to that of the athletic Old English Bulldog. Said to be a mix </span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">of the English Bulldog, <span class="jpfdse">American Bulldog</span>,
American Pit Bull Terrier and Mastiff, t</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">he result was a dog that matched the
look of the original bullbaiting dog of the mid-1800s. Renamed the Olde English
Bulldogge to differentiate it from the modern English Bulldog, this new breed was
recognised by the UKC in 2014.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">**** In the UK between 5 February 2021 and 4 October 2023, there were 22
human dog attack fatalities involving a total of 27 dogs. For 20 attacks, the
breed of dog was recorded (25 dogs). On a case-by-case basis, one of these
attacks was committed by a banned American Pit Bull Terrier. A further 14
attacks involving 16 dogs were committed by dogs falling under the umbrella
term, Pit Bull. That’s three-quarters of attacks where breed was recorded (15
of 20) that were committed by Pit Bulls, of which 11 (73.3%) were committed by American XL Bullies.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: arial;">References<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Anderson, B. (Spring 1999). Scared of pit bulls? You’d
better be! <i>City Journal</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Barnes, J., Boat, B., Putnam, F., Dates, H. & Mahlman, A. (2006) Ownership of High-Risk ("Vicious") Dogs As a Marker for Deviant Behaviors. <i>Journal of Interpersonal Violence</i>, 21 (12): 1616-1634.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">BBC News (23 January 2023) <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64346415" target="_blank">Inside the world of organised crime and extreme dog breeding</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bini, J., Cohn, S., Acosta, S., McFarland, M., Muir, M.,
Michalek, J. & TRISAT Clinical Trials Group (2011) Mortality, mauling and
maiming by vicious dogs. <i>Annals of Surgery</i>, 253 (4): 791-797.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Boston Daily Globe (3 February 1909) BULL TERRIER KILLS
CHILD. <i>ProQuest Historical Newspapers, Boston Globe (1872-1927)</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bully Pedigrees (2023) <a href="https://bullypedigrees.com/pedigree/?pid=ukcs-mostwanted-kimbo" target="_blank">Pedigree for UK’s Most Wanted Kimbo</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bully Watch (1 August 2023) <a href="https://bullywatch.link/2023/08/01/finding-kimbo/#:~:text=At%20Bully%20Watch%2C%20we%20began,the%20lineage%20of%20numerous%20dogs." target="_blank">Finding Kimbo</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bully Watch UK, Protect Our Pets UK & Campaign for
Evidence-Based Regulation of Dangerous Dogs (August 2023) <i><a href="https://bullywatch.link/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Aug-2023-Breed-Specific-Violence-and-the-American-Bully.pdf" target="_blank">Breed Specific Violence and the American Bully: A Report on the Science and Regulation of Breed and Dog Attack Risk</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Clifton, M. (6 January 2023) <a href="https://www.animals24-7.org/2023/01/06/dogs-killed-62-americans-pit-bulls-killed-41/" target="_blank">Dogs killed 63 Americans
& three Canadians in 2022: pit bulls killed 42</a>. <i>Animals 24-7</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/65/contents" target="_blank">Dangerous Dogs Act 1991</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">D’Ingeo, S., Iarussi, F., De Monte, V., Siniscalchi, M., Minunno,
M. & Quaranta, A. (2021) Emotions and dog bites: Could predatory attacks be
triggered by emotional states? <i>Animals</i>, 11 (2907): 107.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Diver, T. & Buncombe, A. (14 September 2023) <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/14/britains-xl-bullys-descend-one-inbred-pet-us-killer-kimbo/" target="_blank">Half of all XL Bully dogs in Britain descend from ‘Killer Kimbo’</a>. <i>The Telegraph</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://DogsBite.org">DogsBite.org</a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Duffy, D., Hsu, Y. & Serpell, J. (2008) Breed differences
in canine aggression. <i>Applied Animal Behavior Science</i>, 114 (3-4):
441-460.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Game Dog Forum (2005) <a href="https://game-dog.com/threads/paper-hanging.3164/page-5" target="_blank">Paper Hanging!</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">GoPitBull (2010) <a href="https://www.gopitbull.com/threads/what-is-paper-hanging.22375/" target="_blank">What is paper hanging?</a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">GOV.UK (31 October 2023) <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/xl-bully-type-dogs-to-be-banned?fbclid=IwAR2-R4JhyzbR9bJh7eKnn-x-00_1b4XHZx_AARVKYEvVekZMRdWaYVfznmU#" target="_blank">XL Bully type dogs to be banned.</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Haller, J. (2018) The Role of the Lateral Hypothalamus in
Violent Intraspecific Aggression – The Glucocorticoid Deficit Hypothesis. <i>Frontiers
in Systems Neuroscience</i>, 12 (26): 1-18.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Harnarayan, P., Islam, S., Ramsingh, C. & Naraynsingh, V.
(2018) Pit Bull attack causing limb threatening vascular trauma – A case
series. <i>International Journal of Surgery Case Reports</i>, 42: 133-137.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hennessey, M. (2013) Using hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
measures for assessing and reducing the stress of dogs in shelters: A review. <i>Applied
Animal Behaviour Science</i>, 149 (4): 1-12.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lindsay, S. (2000) <i>Handbook of Applied Dog Behaviour and
Training – Volume Three: Adaptation and Learning</i>. Blackwell Publishing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lindsay, S. (2001) <i>Handbook of Applied Dog Behaviour and
Training – Volume Two: Etiology and Assessment of Behavior Problems</i>. Blackwell
Publishing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Matthews, C. (9 October 2023</span>) <a href="https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/xl-bully-kills-chihuahua-falmouth-8817426?fbclid=IwAR0_92ZxUSnLBk5guEteKxRFCshjmgGmyih5fnljpTqkxaEODAfDmGc3YTQ#lnjbbphuxdi6mvuwe1" target="_blank">XL bully kills chihuahua in Falmouth leaving owners heartbroken</a>. <i>CornwallLive</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Montrose, V., Squibb, K., Hazel, S., Kogan, L. & Oxley,
J. (2020) Dog bites dog: The use of news media articles to investigate
dog-on-dog aggression. <i>Journal of Veterinary Behavior</i>, 40: 7-15.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Muttitt, I. (12 July 2023) <a href="https://www.rspca.org.uk/-/news-dog-fighting-on-the-rise-as-favourite-hotspots-revealed#:~:text=London%20has%20been%20revealed%20as,West%20Yorkshire%20(69%20investigations)" target="_blank">Dog fighting on the rise as favourite ‘hotspots’ revealed</a>. <i>RSPCA</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nottinghamshire Police (9 October 2023) </span><span style="background: white; color: #050505; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=706732961488481&set=a.303408431820938" target="_blank">A court has placed strict restrictions on three dangerous dogs that caused the death of another animal on a public park</a>.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pedigree Online (2023) <a href="https://dogs.pedigreeonline.com/castros-bull23-Oxjt4fCf/pedigree" target="_blank">CASTRO’S BULL23 PEDIGREE</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pedigree Online (2023) <a href="https://dogs.pedigreeonline.com/castros-diva-X1lyUad7/pedigree" target="_blank">CASTRO’S DIVA PEDIGREE</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pit Bull Federation of South Africa (21 August 2017)
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2134509080109275&id=1622413151318873" target="_blank">Pit Bull Attacks on Other Animals</a>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ragatz, L., Fremouw, W., Thomas, T. & McCoy, K. (2009) Vicious Dogs: The Antisocial Behaviors and Psychological Characteristics of Owners. <i>Journal of Forensic Sciences</i>, 54 (3): 699-703.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Schilder, M., van der Borg, J. & Vinke, C. (2019)
Intraspecific killing in dogs: Predation behaviour or aggression? A study of
aggressors, victims, possible causes and motivations. <i>Journal of Veterinary
Behavior</i>, 34: 52-59.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Semyonova, A. (2006) <i>Heritability of behavior in the
abnormally aggressive dog</i>. The Carriage House Foundation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Siegel, D. & van Uhm, D. (2021) Illegal dogfighting:
sport or crime? <i>Trends in Organized Crime</i>, 24: 563-580.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Dog Fancier (January 1918) Colby’s Famous Fighting Dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Mirror (7 October 2023) </span><span style="background: white; color: #050505; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/dailymirror/videos/1409844682912641" target="_blank">EXCLUSIVE: Mirror journalist attacked by Bully-type dog on CCTV</a>.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Registrar for International Sportsmen (July 1994)
Dedicated to the American Pit Bull Terrier.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">United Kennel Club (1 July 2013) <a href="https://www.ukcdogs.com/docs/breeds/american-bully-breed.pdf" target="_blank">American Bully: Official UKC Breed Standard</a>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Wisdom Panel (2023) <a href="https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-gb/dog-breeds" target="_blank">Dog Breed Library</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The following websites and social media pages raise awareness of the Pit Bull/American Bully threat to public safety</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: arial; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://bullywatch.link/" target="_blank">BullyWatch</a> (UK website)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://DogsBite.org">DogsBite.org</a> (US website)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/StaffordshireBullTerriersInTheNewsuk" target="_blank">Pitbull Watch UK</a> (facebook)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pitbullattacksandnannydogs" target="_blank">Pitbull Attacks: Most Don't Make The News</a> (facebook)</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-18010315489108013602023-09-23T13:08:00.016+01:002024-02-28T16:31:13.885+00:00What's wrong with dominance?<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYfHaOKTh-60qfw6_eI-_yqoX4_covEoC7fN5CBwz33iGVmPWHXHzR34s-ZFHDgJW5izMRwVtPOumBDBDzbv2wsF5tw-81YJxCwie4dvXhMmFUv4UqHhVqIpB6HJ2P5QDb3TUxP50DWWKyAKrKK-xScXEiWa4XwrIlmHrqaudqPOlhKJDFAe3rz1Jxlo/s3405/020923.01.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2593" data-original-width="3405" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYfHaOKTh-60qfw6_eI-_yqoX4_covEoC7fN5CBwz33iGVmPWHXHzR34s-ZFHDgJW5izMRwVtPOumBDBDzbv2wsF5tw-81YJxCwie4dvXhMmFUv4UqHhVqIpB6HJ2P5QDb3TUxP50DWWKyAKrKK-xScXEiWa4XwrIlmHrqaudqPOlhKJDFAe3rz1Jxlo/w640-h488/020923.01.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Henna & Banjo. Photo credit: Lizi Angel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Having read numerous posts recently on social media dog groups concerning problems between dogs
who live together or who meet regularly for walks or 'play dates', I felt compelled to put together a few words on the topic of dominance. Fast forward several weeks and it turned out to be a lot of words, and so you may want to grab a cuppa before you start reading!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">These dog-on-dog problems included: </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">A larger, younger female dog using
physical intimidation to turf a smaller, older male dog out of his bed at night. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Two neutered female dogs in a mixed sex household of seven. The older bitch was
aggressively intimidating the younger (also newest) one and aggressively play-fighting with her during walks. The owner deemed the behaviour as out of character because she was normally a submissive dog. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Two entire male dogs who, after returning home from time away with their owners, had had several non-injurious fights that appeared
to have been triggered by access points to and within the home. The fights were escalating in intensity to the point that one had started to hide from the other when in the house, but the dogs remained friendly with each other on walks.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">A large, spayed female dog who, during regular dog
walk meet ups stood over smaller dogs whilst growling, snarling and snapping at them, but not biting them. T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he owner described his dog's behaviour as pinning, but not with her mouth.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Two neutered
male dog playmates whose owners wanted them to have ‘sleepovers’, but on trying
this a couple of times the resident dog had discharged aggressive threats towards
his friend, who had reciprocated the behaviour. </span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The owners of all these dogs described
their dogs' aggressive behaviour as dominance, which responders were quick to shout
down with cries of “dominance has been debunked!”.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US">It is true
that using dominance <i>theory</i>, which arose from research that studied the
behaviour of a captive group of unrelated wolves and came to underpin the ‘alpha’
and ‘pack leader’ ideologies of dog-human/human-dog social interaction, is wholly
inappropriate. But in describing social aggression – ritualised intimidation
and threat behaviour intended to eliminate competition from a familiar without harming it – <i>dominance</i>
remains the accepted and correct ethological term in the field of animal
behaviour, whether referring to dogs, humans, birds, fish, or any other social
species. Dominance is one of the four main motivators of social behaviour used
to explain agonistic interactions, the other three being submission, aggression
and fear. There is field-wide agreement among academics about the existence of
a ‘dominance behavioural system’ in <i>all </i>mammals and regarding the
ultimate goal that this system serves, namely, control over social and material
resources</span><span style="background: white; color: #212121;">. </span><span lang="EN-US">When unrelated dogs are forced to share
the same living space in which resources such as food, comfort, attention and
personal space are controlled by us and are therefore at a premium, in terms of
explaining behaviour intended to eliminate competition from a familiar, i.e. ritualised
aggression, i.e. <i>dominance</i>, we shouldn’t dismiss the findings of the
captive wolf research completely. But dogs are not wolves, I hear you cry.
Correct! However, forcing unrelated dogs to live together with limited space
and access to resources is just as much a recipe for the need to eliminate competition
from familiars as forcing unrelated wolves to live in a resource-controlled,
captive environment. It’s unnatural for <i>both</i> species.</span></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeTzc_7N29lLcb4WCcGEk3oCkq1zCoHYP53N4-foBsLRWlHNuZgOcMWA3JMo3F1xHrgpaQtOtdQvyUnezQLjAZL21f7MvD5yTTbeqYIdmaLVOh5Bb2X710ObsFLH3MYZfoQI036omCjgXzjjq9bycee6iVeE452DbNh0IbFIeXKXBEhHQ129dpwKyZko/s750/HighCountryNews.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeTzc_7N29lLcb4WCcGEk3oCkq1zCoHYP53N4-foBsLRWlHNuZgOcMWA3JMo3F1xHrgpaQtOtdQvyUnezQLjAZL21f7MvD5yTTbeqYIdmaLVOh5Bb2X710ObsFLH3MYZfoQI036omCjgXzjjq9bycee6iVeE452DbNh0IbFIeXKXBEhHQ129dpwKyZko/w640-h426/HighCountryNews.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Captive wolves. Photo credit: High Country News</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial;">Wild wolves</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The wild wolf’s
strategy of life is to stay together in family groups (packs) and hunt large
prey for the best chance of survival – a strategy that requires individuals to
maintain peaceful social bonds with one another. This relies largely on
non-confrontational communication and a high level of social self-awareness,
with individual wolves having to coordinate, cooperate and compromise with one
another in order to stay alive and well. For example, to maintain control of
feeding and whelping territories, rather than patrolling fixed boundaries or
fighting, each wolf pack howls to signal its presence within an area. As a
rule, individual wolf packs stay out of one another’s way.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOdwi62mVSvAdKx60er5_XwijKfYXRkIrj_JJNDiMp1dreFG84jVLqmusObjeka1BNIkr2kowVrMpi-NG8VeDW1vqbaM59XsVJhRV61X61Tn04MKij8vqu5bIdPySUQG4RgTzQBkaa-llDlOqeFrVSow9d2GDak5vwtqxzKgN40X6cneW0hzDx1H7Vfw/s1200/EcoWatch.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="1200" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOdwi62mVSvAdKx60er5_XwijKfYXRkIrj_JJNDiMp1dreFG84jVLqmusObjeka1BNIkr2kowVrMpi-NG8VeDW1vqbaM59XsVJhRV61X61Tn04MKij8vqu5bIdPySUQG4RgTzQBkaa-llDlOqeFrVSow9d2GDak5vwtqxzKgN40X6cneW0hzDx1H7Vfw/w640-h494/EcoWatch.webp" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Howling wolves. Photo credit: EcoWatch</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background: white;">Usually, a wild
wolf pack is made up of family members with one, unrelated breeding pair. This
breeding pair take a natural position as head of the pack, which largely
consists of their own offspring. Sometimes, non-family members will be accepted
into a small pack, and when a large pack becomes unsustainable (when the energy
expended on hunting is greater than the energy gained), an individual, and
occasionally a small group of closely bonded individuals, may break away and
form new packs with other, similar individuals or 'splinter' packs. Whatever
the blood-ties though, through the routine of daily life, individual wolves
learn familiarity with one another and create exclusive rituals. Through the
repetition of ritualised behaviour, posturing and play, a social hierarchy is
established and maintained without bloodshed. That’s right – <i>wild</i> wolf packs
have social hierarchies – however, these hierarchies are largely situational. For
example, if a pack dines on moose (large prey) everyone eats at the same time,
but when the meal is a smaller animal, the breeding pair ensure that the
youngest family members eat before their older siblings. How do they do this?
By using dominance – ritualised aggression intended to eliminate competition
from familiars without harming them. Additionally, factors such as temperament
type and blood cortisol levels play a role in determining rank and access to
privileges such as breeding and food within the family group, but t</span>he main takeaway from observational studies of wild wolf packs is
that their social behaviour reliably includes dominant and submissive displays in
four main areas: dominance posturing by the breeding male over all other pack
members, passive submission by the breeding female towards the breeding male,
dominance displays by the breeding pair during food allocation, and active
submission by all but the breeding male as a food-begging/food-gathering
motivator.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwcDNfcaLgXVPMeP0yz_v75a1N4tC_-aVBIfLPl3ZfbNilpwOY9QAMrR688vwTazZGWUqpvcbusOc-6i5NCmekGXRFs8UiJ2xulDbfdIFSs8tAaVfapCElI424asHzHpEpaH3ODQ0Oyj2qcWa8BdDKZOFCzJ-xxK6YnbeY2K_G9nw9Dod6mKFRZPgeZY/s4288/MichealCummingsGettyImages.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4288" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwcDNfcaLgXVPMeP0yz_v75a1N4tC_-aVBIfLPl3ZfbNilpwOY9QAMrR688vwTazZGWUqpvcbusOc-6i5NCmekGXRFs8UiJ2xulDbfdIFSs8tAaVfapCElI424asHzHpEpaH3ODQ0Oyj2qcWa8BdDKZOFCzJ-xxK6YnbeY2K_G9nw9Dod6mKFRZPgeZY/w640-h426/MichealCummingsGettyImages.webp" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Three juvenile wolves displaying active submission towards an adult wolf (right). <br />Photo credit: Michael Cummings/Getty Images</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Domestic dogs</span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Like the wolf, the domestic dog is a genetically
predisposed social animal, but unlike the wolf pack that predominantly consists
of related animals and is solely lupine, dogs have adapted their social
behaviour to live independently yet communally amongst humans and other dogs. The
domestic dog’s strategy of life is to stay near humans for the best chance of
survival. In adopting this strategy, dogs moved away from conspecific family
(pack) living. This applies to companion dogs that are owned and confined, free-ranging
dogs including those that are owned but loose, lost or abandoned stray dogs,
semi-feral Village Dogs, landraces such as the Indian Pariah Dog, street dogs (encompassing
all free-ranging dogs and those born on the street), and to the extent that
they feed off human refuse but avoid people, feral* dogs.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The vast number of Village Dogs (the natural ancestors
of modern dog breeds) around the world that scavenge human rubbish dumps fit
the profile of the domestic dog as a non-pack animal well. Some dogs do
form closely bonded pairs based on mutual affection, but solitary dogs and
bonded pairs space themselves out within the larger canine community and remain
largely separate from one another. Each has its own feeding territory, the
control of which is largely maintained by barking as opposed to patrolling
boundaries or threatening or fighting with close neighbours. In this respect,
Village Dogs echo the way in which wolves maintain their feeding territories –
by voice, rather than force.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGriVlum07GajeohJVmqQCtSNuOjyR3KGT-PeH57CteaWuVRYUTNWdfIkV0HPjF4O8lAwHfGy3FgTK71KKz2u21ZR_2f-DJ3wuV9Lct6cuj24KRotj24TvMTHQNN82oM5WDSwlyP0tYdUiFctTXED9cdI7pYwh75jWYPDtlIh0SdnNU9TFjigcWGdONcw/s612/DZarzycka%20iStock.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGriVlum07GajeohJVmqQCtSNuOjyR3KGT-PeH57CteaWuVRYUTNWdfIkV0HPjF4O8lAwHfGy3FgTK71KKz2u21ZR_2f-DJ3wuV9Lct6cuj24KRotj24TvMTHQNN82oM5WDSwlyP0tYdUiFctTXED9cdI7pYwh75jWYPDtlIh0SdnNU9TFjigcWGdONcw/w640-h426/DZarzycka%20iStock.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Village Dog on a rubbish dump. Photo credit: Dominika Zarzycka</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That's not to say that the domestic dog is not a
hunter because it is, but domestic dogs are facultative, scavenger carnivores
and so as a rule, do not mass together to hunt large prey. Solitary feral dogs
are the exception to this and will occasionally come together to hunt in
groups. Commonly consisting of two males and up to eight females, the larger of
the two males will bark loudly until enough dogs join him. As the group travels
together they stop frequently to test dominance, and a definite order can be
identified during both travelling and feeding. Aggression is rare though, and
when it does occur it is more likely to involve unfamiliar dogs. Feral dog
groups are also short-lived and generally do not last beyond two-and-a-half
weeks.</span></p><p style="background: white;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGPuSr6OiUBFwsUBGTIoXdRxf1qFSwNzTWHkRSfTVXZzK-Kk3f00zHEXOZwZmYuZRsT2LbONxEFxEBOqQbsCk_u9Hjp1cdYUqtZgj5SSsafO2wI3_4OwMnFPZsIKkgu-zn4_cvJHUEPhwAkVl_6b66XsZhE3z5o9EpnOTkTGpBBJLZmtkzSKM90mJa2c/s976/NANDAKUMAR%20M%20N%20BBC.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGPuSr6OiUBFwsUBGTIoXdRxf1qFSwNzTWHkRSfTVXZzK-Kk3f00zHEXOZwZmYuZRsT2LbONxEFxEBOqQbsCk_u9Hjp1cdYUqtZgj5SSsafO2wI3_4OwMnFPZsIKkgu-zn4_cvJHUEPhwAkVl_6b66XsZhE3z5o9EpnOTkTGpBBJLZmtkzSKM90mJa2c/w640-h360/NANDAKUMAR%20M%20N%20BBC.webp" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Feral dog pack hunting. Photo credit: N M Nandakumar/BBC</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The grouping behaviour of stray dogs sits somewhere in
the middle of that of Village Dogs and feral dogs. Stray dog groups tend to be
smaller than those of feral dogs, with males outnumbering females by two or
three to one. Stray dogs also show a high level of plasticity in group
behaviour. This plasticity is reflected in the population densities of stray
dogs, which ranges from 127 to 1304 dogs per km2. Plasticity in group behaviour
leads to group stability. Free-ranging (loose but owned) dogs tend to be
solitary, however, around two-thirds of their interactions with other dogs develop
into temporary groups of between two and five dogs.</span></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Whilst domestic dogs may not be true pack animals, they still
share many identifiable behavioural patterns with wolves, the majority of which
are to do with communication with other dogs. When solitary Village Dogs cross
paths on neutral territory, one of several things may happen. The dogs may
avoid one another, meet briefly and move on, meet and engage in play, or one
dog may use dominance-posturing and/or dominance-fighting and/or aggression to eliminate
competition from the other dog. Dominance – ritualised social aggression – is a
normal and necessary aspect of dog behaviour and communication, just as
ritualised submission (social fear) is its opposite. If one dog shows
submission or flees (i.e. there is no counter-challenge) the ‘winner’ may then
either walk away, see the submitting dog off by chasing it and biting its rump
or anus, continue to 'bully' the submitting dog with ritualised dominance
and/or aggressive threats (e.g. if larger and therefore can easily overpower
the submitting dog), injure it, or kill it. If met with a counter-challenge,
the challenger may submit or flee, or it may stay and fight. If the latter
happens, the outcome is dependent on the physical and psychological strength
and stamina of the individual dogs involved, and what ends the fight may either
be one dog's submission, flight or death.</span></p><p style="background: white;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aF-PDkLxp08PZWvL251Ow_9T-lkZZtTRPawFeHuWKp9oH49yhKcGQNqzwCYgQUGc7ijQijc7M10dTabQZFC_Tm8J6rNaEREdQPT71RY_ZzlI1XaZtzBCJm2eUZdyxu8Ao_JOz52rlcdd67YXiQgWpas7ziFFaV1gUiuvPGHJJW3Xgq91w_TQSHW_E2M/s2500/SAM%20PANTHAKY%20AFP%20via%20Getty%20Images.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="2500" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aF-PDkLxp08PZWvL251Ow_9T-lkZZtTRPawFeHuWKp9oH49yhKcGQNqzwCYgQUGc7ijQijc7M10dTabQZFC_Tm8J6rNaEREdQPT71RY_ZzlI1XaZtzBCJm2eUZdyxu8Ao_JOz52rlcdd67YXiQgWpas7ziFFaV1gUiuvPGHJJW3Xgq91w_TQSHW_E2M/w640-h402/SAM%20PANTHAKY%20AFP%20via%20Getty%20Images.webp" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Two Indian Pariah Dogs (INDogs) in a dominance stand-off over the remains of a calf carcass. <br />In this fleeting snapshot of communication, the dog on the left is more dominant than the dog on the right. <br />Photo credit: Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although Village Dogs, feral dogs and
stray dogs tend to display different group behaviour, this varies between
populations and by location. For example, stray and feral dogs in some Italian
villages have been observed to move about as individuals or
in small groups, whilst at same time belonging to larger groups that defend
shared territories against dogs from other groups. Some individual male dogs in
the small groups remain near their mothers, chasing away intruders that get too
close to her puppies. An observational study of stray dogs in a town in West
Bengal, India, revealed wolf-like behaviour otherwise uncommon in dogs, such as
male dogs regurgitating food for puppies, females coming into heat once a year
instead of twice, monogamous females, and den-sharing and communal rearing of
puppies by more than one female. In another study, feral dogs residing near a
garbage dump in Rome were observed to live in territorial groups of between 25
and 40 dogs, display wolf-like behaviours such as competitive interactions over
food and mating, and in one group, a fixed linear hierarchy among the adults
was clearly identifiable. However, whilst grouping behaviour, group size, and
the presence of wolf-like behaviour varied between the dogs in these studies, ritualised
dominant and submissive behaviours along with within-group
dominance hierarchies were common to all. Within-group conflicts were generally
resolved using ritualised, non-injurious aggression (dominance!) and submission,
whereas non-group members were attacked and sometimes killed (aggression).
Dominance and submission are what enable dogs to cohabit peacefully together
in groups. Dominance and submission are what prevent injuries and death.</span></p><p style="background: white;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Why using dominance theory to explain
human-dog/dog-human interactions is wrong</span></b></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">Due to domestication, dogs have
developed ways of communicating specifically with us – communication that is
not displayed between themselves. For example, through their interaction with
humans, dogs have learnt to give us friendly, open eye-contact by the
bucket-load – something that they don’t do with one another. Dogs have also learnt
to 'smile' at us – a familiar appeasement-greeting behaviour unique to the
dog's interaction with humans. And through studying our faces, dogs have learnt
'left-gaze bias', meaning that they understand that the right-hand side of the
human face displays our emotions more truthfully than the left. Humans and dogs
are the only species on the planet to understand and use left-gaze bias
specifically to read human facial expressions. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">The connection that dogs have with us is remarkable and
unique. Like his early ancestors who scavenged food scraps from human
villagers, today's dog still relies on us for his basic survival, but his
evolved understanding of human, non-verbal language enables him to better
communicate with us and to choose us as his social partner, not his 'pack'. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">Dogs know that we are not dogs, and having chosen to leave
pack-life behind they have spent tens of thousands of years adapting their
social behaviour to proximate life with mankind.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">Dogs
are the ultimate dual-species socialisers.</span></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Based on the
dog's true social inclination and strategy of life being that of the predominantly
solitary, scavenger carnivore that stays near humans for the best chance of
survival, the notion of any dog stepping into the role of pack leader upon
recognising that his human isn’t leader material, is laughable. If we were to
go along with the notion that domestic dogs are pack animals and view our
mixed-species families as packs that need a leader and therefore pack leader
also means pack provider, we should be able to rely on the family dog to lead
us on the daily hunt and scavenge for food. Even if we could keep up with him,
many days we'd end up going hungry, unless we wanted to fully enter into the
spirit of things and eat road-kill, poop and leftovers out of bins (and in
which case we'd get ill and probably die).</span></p><p style="background: white;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFODHUkRGKNl9hLpIFXxNd48ohSEsKuzjIYjPyzRXY5lMX7qgpUifIA2rAM7ERVdU_lLX1XJi9tJ9NFKhikzAI9g6xwrKjNYPq1jlb5wEO5LvViohegl1coMIaQGF4ZXGXt4TlFcoKkT_nf5ms9OKmuAivPWYmS0B8_dRwYjSZ4_jyn8_u4bF-bdFr6w/s1000/Copyright%20(c)%202020%20luiz%20paulo%20machado%20filho%20Shutterstock.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFODHUkRGKNl9hLpIFXxNd48ohSEsKuzjIYjPyzRXY5lMX7qgpUifIA2rAM7ERVdU_lLX1XJi9tJ9NFKhikzAI9g6xwrKjNYPq1jlb5wEO5LvViohegl1coMIaQGF4ZXGXt4TlFcoKkT_nf5ms9OKmuAivPWYmS0B8_dRwYjSZ4_jyn8_u4bF-bdFr6w/w640-h426/Copyright%20(c)%202020%20luiz%20paulo%20machado%20filho%20Shutterstock.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Dog eating garbage. Photo credit: Luiz Paulo Machado Filho/Shutterstock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: arial;">We absolutely should familiarise
ourselves with canine body language, but we need to spend less time trying to
'speak dog' back to them and more time recognising that much of the dog's
social behaviour towards us differs from the social behaviour displayed towards
his own kind. <span lang="EN-US">Dogs do not
view humans as competition for the position of ‘pack leader’. The</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span>dog’s use of social aggression
(dominance) to control space, resources and the movements of others is
self-serving. If we take this kind of behaviour to mean that a dog is being the
'pack leader', switching roles would mean that we would never give our dogs
food or water, never allow them to move, never allow them to be comfortable,
never allow them to 'have' anything – and that would be abuse.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dominance,
submission and social hierarchies</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US">As a self-serving
strategy for gaining and maintaining control over resources such as space,
beds, toys, food and people, some dogs use ritualised aggression – dominance – to
eliminate competition from familiars without injuring them. This is because </span><span style="background: white;">when we force dogs to share the same living space
with each other, personal space, comfort, objects, food and human attention are
often at a premium because they are controlled by us and therefore limited. These
things become a source for competitive behaviour – just like they did for the
captive, unrelated wolves that were forced to live together without access to limitless
resources. It’s important to understand that this kind of forced living
arrangement coupled with limited access to resources is not natural or normal for
<i>either </i>species. When unrelated dogs are forced to share the same living
space and resources, they can and do form pecking orders motivated by dominance
and submission for access to resources – just like the captive wolves did. Different
species, shared behaviour, same result.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white;">Many dog owners and modern-day trainers are happy to accept that dogs are sentient beings. But it’s also as important to accept that dogs are socially intelligent. Social
intelligence is the capacity to understand the actions of oneself and of others.
Social intelligence is learned – it develops from experiencing successes and
failures in social encounters. Research has found that dogs and 2-year-old
children show similar patterns in social intelligence, much more so than
children and one of our closest relatives, chimpanzees. Additionally,
self-report, observational and biological studies into the dominance
behavioural system have found that </span><span style="background: white;">very young
children are aware of their own and others' ability to control material
resources – an ability referred to as ‘resource holding potential’. Given the similarities
in social intelligence between dogs and toddlers, there is good reason to
believe that dogs too are aware of their own and other’s ability to control
material resources. This places ‘resource guarding’ in a different light to
that of the fear-based explanation** when considering dogs who guard resources <i>from
other dogs</i> – that through experience and dominance behavioural system
learning, some dogs are aware that their own ‘resource holding potential’ is greater than that of others.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white;">However … another really important
thing to understand alongside all of this is that although dominance is
associated with social power in the context of eliminating competition from
familiars and controlling their movements, the behavioural attributes of
dominance such as ritualised aggression, intimidation and threat are <i>socially
aversive</i> and thereby decrease the social influence of dominant individuals.
This is another very good reason why using dominance in dog-training is not
only wrong, it’s completely counter-productive because it weakens the
human-canine bond by impeding the dog’s ability to cooperate with us,
particularly when it comes to task-based learning, problem-solving and
consensus thinking (teamwork). </span><span style="background: white;">Over the
past couple of decades there has been a huge shift towards ‘force-free’, ‘dog-centred’
and ‘trauma-informed’ approaches to general dog care, grooming and training –
all of which are grounded in the indisputable fact that dogs experience positive and negative emotions such as
pleasure, joy, pain and distress, and should not be subjected to training and
handling methods that intimidate, frighten or hurt them – approaches that formed
the very basis of my own work with dogs when I started out as a dog behaviour
psychologist nearly twenty years ago. But what is being pulled along with these approaches
by some is the notion that no matter what the social situation might be, all
aggressive and threatening behaviour towards other dogs is fear-based and
there’s no such thing as dominance. This simply is not true and denies dogs
their social intelligence – their conscious awareness of their own and others’
ability to control social and material resources, and consequently their choice
to use ritualised active and/or passive submission (intended to
appease another dog) or ritualised dominance-posturing and/or
dominance-fighting (intended to subordinate another dog without injuring it) to
either avoid or eliminate competition from a familiar when material and social resources
are in limited supply.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: arial;">It is also just as usual for this type
of interaction to not occur, simply because the dogs involved are not
temperamentally competitive, they tend towards submission, they naturally form affectionate
bonds with one another and therefore are not inclined to actively compete for
resources, or individually, they all have strong bonds with their owner who they have learnt meets their primary needs and treats them fairly. A group of any number of dogs that share the same living space may
consist of a mix of bonded pairs and individuals that largely prefer their own
company – something that I have observed many times over in multi-dog
households. Where a social hierarchy between a group of resident dogs does
exist, often it will pretty much take care of itself and is subtle, being
maintained without noticeable enforcement – the dog who moves another from a
sleeping spot by laying down and pawing at it until it moves. However, regardless
of whether or not competition for resources is a factor, when a true social
hierarchy does exist between dogs who share the same household, it will
probably be one of three basic types – despotic, linear or triangular. A
despotic hierarchy sees one dog using dominance to eliminate competition from
all the others, however, it’s the submission of the other dogs to the despot
dog that maintains the hierarchy and keeps it stable. A linear hierarchy sees a
sliding scale of submission, with each dog's submission to the one above’s
dominance maintaining the hierarchy's stability. The third type of hierarchy,
the triangular hierarchy, does not see submission from any dog. Although
referred to as triangular, this hierarchy can involve any number of dogs. A
triangular hierarchy is extremely unstable, with all dogs competing and
fighting for control of resources.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="265" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnOMQFmeTNpctPDpUp9pG2b4gVlNSSOjAclCNQ7hwBWbHAtc7AHygP5ji_eBz5omiZBwG333TwAD56UuBcgjzCRg8HTrjlSec16BW8wKc8GRlRI1b-yiqp7a_vB76sXGNHK7QZKgde678S8yNfswDKUkONn2FqF5YvzvnJsMr-8wIO1sxEjV8yPA8Rvk/w320-h230/Picture1.jpg" width="320" /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Importantly, none of the three hierarchy types involve
a dog as 'alpha’ or ‘pack leader'. Moreover, true hierarchies between dogs are
largely based on submission – not during competition for resources, but during
aggressive play which <span style="background: white;">includes many of the
behavioural components observed in actual fighting but without the intention to
subdue or injure, and/or </span>dominance-fighting <span style="background: white;">intended to subordinate another dog but without injury</span>. Even the
despot who appears to magically command some sort of respect from his
subordinates does so with subtle challenges and threats. The others yield to
him because they are either naturally submissive enough not to challenge him, not
reactive enough to rise to his threats, or submission has become a learned
response due to previous experience (failures), but this is far from the 'calm
submission' that those who ascribe to ‘pack leader’ ideologies would have us
believe. In fact, any animal that is continually forced into behaving
submissively towards another shows permanently high circulating levels of
cortisol, one of the hormones involved in the stress response. This is how the
primary female wolf of the pack ensures that she is the only one who is mated,
by working to keep her female pack mates in a perpetual state of submission
around the time of her yearly season, causing their blood cortisol levels to
rise, which in turn prevents them from ovulating. And this is also why, when I
worked with multi-dog households, that one of my primary focuses was on
dissolving hierarchical relationships between dogs where one or more
individuals were having their movements and lives constantly controlled
(dominated!) by another.</span></span></p><p style="background: white;"><b style="font-family: arial;">Preventing and/or dissolving dominance hierarchies in a multi-dog household</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.75pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 18.75pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When we force dogs to live together, it is our duty to create a harmonious living environment for them, not to allow dominance hierarchies to develop. Even with dogs who appear to get along fine, it is important to be proactive and prevent competition, tension and conflicts. The focus should be on safety, stress r</span><span style="font-family: arial;">eduction, and meeting individual needs:</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.75pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 18.75pt;"></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Body language</b>. Getting to know each dog's body language is essential to understanding their interactions with one another, anticipating their needs, predicting when to intervene or diffuse a situation, and for competition/conflict/dominance hierarchy prevention. Pay close attention to subtle body language signals and use these as opportunities to diffuse and prevent situations from escalating. If the opportunity for early intervention is repeatedly missed or ignored, what was a situational competition/conflict between two dogs may extend to the mere sight of one dog triggering hostile behaviour from the other. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Trigger awareness</b>. Know what might trigger competition/conflict for each dog, for example, doorways, beds, people, toys, space, food. Either manage or remove these triggers to prevent competition/conflict/dominance hierarchy development.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Individual needs</b>. Advocate for each dog according to its own unique needs and boundaries. Play styles and energy levels must complement each other, not be one-sided. Meet the needs of each dog's breed and temperament type by providing appropriate individual support and enrichment. Don't allow elderly dogs or those with pain/health issues to be pestered by puppies and adolescent dogs. Never allow older, weaker or smaller dogs to be bullied (dominated) by younger, stronger or larger dogs. There is a dark side to dogs that people are very reluctant to accept – that some younger/stronger/larger dogs will bully the older/weaker/smaller dogs that they live with, often to the point of injury, and occasionally to the point of death. When injuries occur, the bullying has gone beyond dominance. The situation is as serious as it gets and if it happens once, it will happen again, and so it absolutely must be prevented from being repeated, even if that means keeping the dogs permanently separated. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Safe spaces</b>. Create separate, safe spaces for each dog where they won't be disturbed by the others. This is so important for quality rest and sleep, and therefore emotional and psychological well-being.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Feed separately</b>. Even if dogs appear to be 'happy' eating their main meals or long-lasting treats/chews together with no physical separation, I can absolutely guarantee that it will be creating stress for each dog on some level. Creating physically separate eating areas allows each dog to eat at its own pace and in peace, thereby reducing stress and preventing food-guarding behaviour. Essentially, no-one needs to worry that someone else might try and steal their dinner.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Human-canine bond</b>. Work on your bond with each dog individually. Your bond with each dog needs to 'trump' their bonds with each other. This is essential to the willingness of each dog to listen to and defer to you should a situation arise where you need to diffuse competitive/conflict arousal/interactions. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Multiple beds</b>. Have more dog beds and comfy places to rest than you have dogs. I currently have three dogs. Each has their own bed in a safe, separate space for sleeping at night, but in addition to this they have two sofas, an armchair, a window bed (large enough for two), a wooly hearth rug, and a total of nine other dog beds to choose from (no, we don't live in a mansion, it's a two-bedroom bungalow). </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Pro-social activities</b>. Provide pro-social activities that all dogs can do together, for example, walking together daily, exploring a new piece of ground together, or scattering low value food/treats over a wide, grassy area for everyone to search out together.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Show no favouritism</b>. Dogs do not get jealous, but they do feel envy. Envy is a major contributing factor to the development of competitive arousal and conflict between dogs, which can then lead to dominance-related behaviour between individual dogs in other areas such as play, and over material resources. If one dog has to have something or you need to do something with it while the others are present or aware, particularly if it involves you giving one dog your full attention, make sure that the other dogs are suitably 'compensated'. For example, teeth brushing. Cindy is the first to have her teeth brushed of an evening. Banjo lays down and watches her 'getting something' and so I when I have finished Cindy's teeth, I give him a little lick of the toothpaste. Henna is the least keen to have her teeth brushed and so she's not bothered that Cindy is 'getting something' because a) it's not something that she particularly wants and b) she doesn't see Cindy as competition for my attention as much as she does Banjo. I brush her teeth after Cindy's. Then it's Banjo's turn. Henna is much more bothered that Banjo is 'getting something' because a) I'm giving him attention and b) I use a different toothpaste for his teeth, and so she sits close by and watches. When I have finished brushing Banjo's teeth, I give Henna a little lick of his toothpaste. Giving Banjo a lick of Cindy's toothpaste and Henna a lick of Banjo's toothpaste makes all the difference in this situation because it helps to diffuse any envy that (Henna in particular) might be feeling over what could be viewed as favouring another dog. </span></li></ul><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dominance is self-serving</b></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although pecking orders (based on competing for
resources) and true social hierarchies (based on submission during aggressive
play) often do exist among dogs that share the same living space, it's not a
natural state of being. It's forced. We cause it to happen by bringing individual
dogs together to live in close proximity with one another and by giving premium
value to primary need resources. Just like the captive, unrelated wolf group in
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Schenkel’s original study</span>, captive
unrelated dogs will compete – sometimes aggressively – for control over social
and material resources. This isn’t dominance <i>theory</i> because that relies
on the notion of an ‘alpha’ or ‘pack leader’, but in ethological terms it is
dominant <i>behaviour</i>, which, dogs being a socially intelligent mammalian
species, is motivated by the dominance behavioural system. Although the ability to exert
control over resources such as food or a safe spot to sleep, without bloodshed,
is vital to individual survival, it is self-serving, and so although dominance,
submission and stable social hierarchies are conducive to peaceful group
living, these things do not </span><span style="font-family: arial;">bond individuals together. Bonding develops through mutual affection and cooperation, not competition (this also applies to human-canine bonding).</span></p><p style="background: white;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R7k1Wf0zSnyRWme1_usUuUgzulkjMIfsY7v5q6jiVuaHfG64E9wKcBE6u-gtXJo3Rhc8gccHWUvlyLNqDpc-_7YdkKhMYWwFB0VPokSMZrqmPrsQNQAg3wcdMdSnv73ZwgyXdfIdsFj-t6xvwV9LkuAGNvpDw2Dfu1YhzvOttaDHqxvXaIG9JAo2-x4/s864/279631_1836716971167_326983_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="864" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R7k1Wf0zSnyRWme1_usUuUgzulkjMIfsY7v5q6jiVuaHfG64E9wKcBE6u-gtXJo3Rhc8gccHWUvlyLNqDpc-_7YdkKhMYWwFB0VPokSMZrqmPrsQNQAg3wcdMdSnv73ZwgyXdfIdsFj-t6xvwV9LkuAGNvpDw2Dfu1YhzvOttaDHqxvXaIG9JAo2-x4/w640-h442/279631_1836716971167_326983_o.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Tilly & Beau - a bonded pair of rescue dogs of different sexes, ages, breeds and backgrounds.<br />Photo credit: Lizi Angel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="background: white;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In summary<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.75pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 18.75pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black;">Dominance <i>theory</i> that came to underpin ‘alpha’ and ‘pack leader’ ideologies of dog-human/human-dog social interaction is a pile of crock because dogs are neither trying to control us nor lead us. The use of dominating behaviour (intimidation and threat) in dog training has no place. It shuts dogs down emotionally, damages their confidence and trust in us, and inhibits their ability to cooperate with us and therefore learn. However, as socially intelligent mammals, dogs have a dominance behavioural system that </span><span style="color: black;">evolved <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">in the context both of competition over resources and the need for peaceful group living. <i>D</i></span></span><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">ominance</span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> – as the correct ethological term for one of the four main motivators </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">of social behaviour used to explain agonistic interactions –</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">has not been debunked. Dominant and submissive posturing and behaviour serve to <i>regulate </i>aggression and conflict, whilst generally governing who gets first access to resources. </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">W</span><span style="color: black;">hen unrelated dogs are forced to share the same living space, some individuals may compete for control over resources and pecking orders may arise. Sometimes a true social hierarchy based on dominance and submission during aggressive play may be established. </span><span style="color: black;">It is incorrect to use ‘dominant’ and ‘submissive’ to describe a dog’s personality because dominance and submission are not personality traits. However, when describing a dog’s relationship or interaction with another dog in a given context at a given time, dominant and submissive are the correct ethological terms. Importantly, the ultimate purpose of both dominant and submissive posturing and behaviour is the same – to prevent a threat and/or to change the outcome of a social encounter. If appropriate responses do not occur in <i>either</i> case, i.e. the threat doesn’t go away or increases, the submissive dog is as likely to escalate to <i>aggression</i> as the dominant one. However, </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">whilst dominance serves to eliminate competition for control over social and material resources, it reduces social influence. In contrast, submission, which serves to deflect attack during agonistic interactions, increases social influence. Social influence is the ability to adjust one’s behaviour to meet the demands of a social environment – to conform, to follow, to socialise, to cooperate – and also to lead.<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />What’s wrong with dominance? Nothing, when used to describe: </span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.75pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 18.75pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">one of the four main motivators of social behaviour used to explain agonistic interactions between dogs</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; text-indent: -18pt;"> (the others being aggression, fear and submission) </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">a dog’s relationship or interaction with another dog in a given context at a given time </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">ritualised aggression intended to eliminate competition from another dog over control of social or material resources </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">ritualised aggression during play intended to subdue another dog </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">actual fighting intended to subordinate another dog without injuring it</span></span></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.75pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 18.75pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.75pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 18.75pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Dominance</span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> is real. <i>Dominance</i> is fact. <i>Dominance</i> is science-based. To take this vital element of canine-to-canine communication away from our dogs is to deny them their social intelligence and ability to live together <i>peacefully</i>. Owners should not be shouted down and made to feel wrong for calling their dog’s assertive, confident, non-injurious aggressive behaviour towards other dogs, dominance, by people – many of whom are dog trainers and ‘behaviourists’ – who clearly lack any knowledge of ethology (the study of animal behaviour) and therefore don’t understand what dominance is, and the vital, self-serving and survival function that it plays in agonistic social interactions. Remove dominance and submission and what you are left with is aggression and fear </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">– </span><span style="font-family: arial;">neither of which support peaceful or stable group living. Can you even imagine what that would look like?!</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.75pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 18.75pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If after reading this
article you are still sitting in the dominance-denier camp, or you are on the
fence and need more evidence to convince you that dominance is a real and very
much normal part of canine-to-canine communication and social interaction, please
feel free to read the work of the highly esteemed academic authors in ethology (canine
and otherwise) mentioned below.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><b>Sources<br /></b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b>Abrantes, R. (2010) </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Dog
Language: An Encyclopedia of Canine Behaviour</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. Wakan Tanka Publishers.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Beaver, B. (2009) </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Canine
Behaviour: A Guide for Veterinarians</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. Second Edition. Saunders.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Bekoff, M. (2012) Social Dominance Is Not a
Myth: Wolves, Dogs, and Other Animals. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Psychology Today</i><span style="font-family: arial;">.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Bekoff, M. (2016) Dogs Display Dominance:
Deniers Offer No Credible Debate. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Psychology Today</i><span style="font-family: arial;">.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Cafazzo, S., Valsecchi, P.,
Bonnani, R. & Natoli, E. (2010) Dominance in relation to age, sex, and
competitive contexts in a group of free-ranging domestic dogs. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Behavioural
Ecology</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, 21 (3): 443–455.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Coppinger, R. & Coppinger, L.
(2004) </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behaviour & Evolution</i><span style="font-family: arial;">.
Crosskeys Select Books.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Johnson, S., Leedom, L. & Muhtadie, L. (2012)
The Dominance Behavioural System and Psychopathology: Evidence from
Self-Report, Observational and Biological Studies. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Psychology Bulletin</i><span style="font-family: arial;">,
138 (4): 692–743.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Lindsay, S. (2000) </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Handbook of Applied Dog
Behaviour & Training</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. Volumes I, II & III. Wiley-Blackwell.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />MacLean, L., Herrmann, E., Suchindran, S. &
Hare, B. (2017) Individual differences in cooperative communicative skills
are more similar between dogs and humans than chimpanzees. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Animal
Behaviour</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, 126: 41–51.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Rodriguez-Santiago, M., Nuhrenberg, P., Derry, J.
& Jordan, A. (2020) Behavioural traits that define social dominance are the
same that reduce social influence in a consensus task. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Biological Sciences</i><span style="font-family: arial;">,
</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial;">117 (31): 18566</span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial;">18573.<br /></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial;"><br />Schenkel, R. (1947) </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: arial;">Ausdrucks-Studien an Wölfen: Gefangenschafts-Beobachtungen
[Expression studies in the wolf: captivity-observations]. <em>Behaviour, 1: </em>81–129.<br /></span><span class="text" style="font-family: arial;"><br />Schilder</span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: arial;">, M., </span><span class="text" style="font-family: arial;">Vinke</span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: arial;">, C.
& </span><span class="text" style="font-family: arial;">van
der Borg</span><span class="react-xocs-alternative-link" style="font-family: arial;">, J. (2014) Dominance in domestic dogs
revisited: Useful habit and useful construct? <i>Journal of Veterinary Behavior</i>,
9 (4): 184–191.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Smuts, B. (2010) ‘Domestic Dogs’ in Breed, M. &
Moore, J. (Eds) </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Encyclopedia of Animal Behaviour</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. Elsevier Ltd. 562–567.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Trisko, R. & Smuts, B. (2015) Dominance
relationships in a group of domestic dogs. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Behaviour</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, 152 (5): 677–704.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Van der Borg, J., Schilder, M., Vinke, C. & de
Vries, H. (2015) Dominance in Domestic Dogs: A Quantitative Analysis of Its
Behavioural Measures. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">PLoS ONE</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, 10 (8): 1–18.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Zuroff, D., Fournier, M., Patall, E. &
Leybman M. (2010) Steps toward an evolutionary personality psychology:
Individual differences in the social rank domain. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Canadian Psychology</i><span style="font-family: arial;">,
51(1): 58–66.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />* Feral – a group of animals that have been
together long enough that their innate behaviours, physiology, or anatomy have
changed from the original domesticated version. True feral dog populations are
low (2.5% of the free-ranging population). Feral dogs have a greater flight
distance than free-ranging strays and Village Dogs and usually become very
aggressive when forced to interact with humans.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />** The neurobiology of aggression is a vast
topic (far too huge to go into here as a footnote), but in a ‘related-to-this-article-nutshell’,
emotional or ‘affective’ aggression is linked to escape behaviour, and escape (flight)
is generally prepotent over attack. This is from where the term ‘fear aggression’
sprung. However, ‘fear aggression’ is technically incorrect because a dog
cannot be simultaneously fearful and aggressive. ‘Fear aggression’ would be
pathological and highly abnormal. Fear and aggression simply cannot occur at
the same time. The correct term for affective aggression in response to a
feared or aversive outcome is ‘active defence’. Active defence is used by some
dogs to control (avoid or escape) a feared or aversive outcome. Many forms of
canine aggression directed at humans are motivated by avoidance dynamics
(usually of an aversive or feared outcome) as opposed to ethological causations
such as dominance-related competition. Some dogs will react non-aggressively
and will flee or freeze (passive defence), attacking only as a last resort if
escape is prevented, whereas others may use affective aggression as a learned,
active defence coping strategy. Many dogs who resource guard use active defence
to maintain control of (avoid losing) a resource when the source of social
conflict is a human – this is reflected in the fact that many owners get bitten,
often badly, when trying to remove items from their dogs’ possession because
what is being emotionally expressed by the aggressive dog in this type of scenario is anger/frustration. However, when the
source of social conflict for control over a resource is another dog, dominance
(ritualised aggression intended to eliminate competition from a familiar
without injuring it) is the more likely strategy due to the source of
competition being another dog, the dogs’ dominance behavioural system and social
intelligence, and dominance being essential both to individual survival and peaceful cohabitation with other
dogs.</span></p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"></span><p></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-11583866387803434792023-06-24T17:49:00.009+01:002023-06-24T23:20:15.319+01:00Woof woof ... who goes there?<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Back in 2011, I wrote an a general article about <a href="https://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/08/barking-mad.html?fbclid=IwAR0plc7L4xf_2OX5nFtUrzNfVFJ8Kv_VRtGW1t8X5mhFHOPzleEQcCxTE6g" target="_blank">barking</a> that covered aspects such as why dogs bark, different types of bark and what they mean, and some guidance to help reduce or resolve problematic barking. Having joined various Romanian rescue dog chat groups and forums following our own recent Romanian rescue dog additions, I have been getting to know the problems and struggles experienced by other Romanian rescue dog owners </span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> one of which is habitual barking and/or threatening behaviour towards strangers and familiar visitors to the home that is either slow to respond to training, or doesn't respond at all. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">When I was still working as a dog behaviour psychologist, this was one of the most problematic behaviours I encountered with client dogs. It is called 'extra-familial aggression'. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">If misunderstood or mismanaged, extra-familial aggression has the full potential to land owners in serious trouble if their dog bites a visitor to the home. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZBhpNOfF7iTljQRjX8w1AmRXvikK3TO094KrLNNDiFE-HXolwD0heyhLSnylCd8H4ObmbEWsNV3BppiU7M6NZVwMqF2FVu_Yo_h6lL9gB5ud0PLffG2TicP689P_ckO7uo3LJGLR8uPQLQv5UZcefwgglkW4xQeolo0BPCz8zZWdbwwEeB8aSNo9lsk/s600/depositphotos_9093698-stock-photo-dog-of-breed-rottweiler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZBhpNOfF7iTljQRjX8w1AmRXvikK3TO094KrLNNDiFE-HXolwD0heyhLSnylCd8H4ObmbEWsNV3BppiU7M6NZVwMqF2FVu_Yo_h6lL9gB5ud0PLffG2TicP689P_ckO7uo3LJGLR8uPQLQv5UZcefwgglkW4xQeolo0BPCz8zZWdbwwEeB8aSNo9lsk/s16000/depositphotos_9093698-stock-photo-dog-of-breed-rottweiler.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As with other specific (as opposed to general) behaviours, I produced my own handout for clients so that they could understand the psychology behind the behaviour. Fast forward to 2023, and what I find concerning is that extra-familial aggression and its (often) precursor 'watchdog behaviour' don't appear to be part of today's dog behaviourists' vocabularies. Certainly I have yet to see another dog behaviourist use these terms when commenting on 'barking/lunging at visitors to the home when they get up to move/leave' type posts. I have also heard the behaviour in one dog that had stacked up a four-bite history </span><span style="font-family: arial;">– </span><span style="font-family: arial;">two of which landed the owner's (different) guests in hospital </span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> being incorrectly identified by an (otherwise) experienced dog behaviourist as separation-related. Maybe extra-familial aggression isn't covered in today's canine psychology courses. Maybe it's because the term 'reactivity' has become the preferred buzzword for pretty much anything shouty and threatening, including aggression. I'm only guessing. But in any case, I hope that this article might help to address the apparent gap in understanding. The following is adapted from my 2010 'Watchdog and Extra-Familial Aggression' handout:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>WATCHDOG BEHAVIOUR</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Alarm barking and threat barking are normal and useful when expressed appropriately. Indeed, most dog owners welcome some alarm barking and household protection as an added benefit of dog ownership. However, ‘watchdog behaviour’ more often than not has very little to do with protecting or defending a dog's territory or people, rather it is ‘auto-protective’ in nature and can be likened to a ‘who goes there – friend or foe’ reaction.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Normally, social novelty such as strangers and familiar visitors evokes excitement and ‘approach-avoidance conflict’ in dogs causing them to bark, followed by friendly resolution and approach, social investigation, and the initiation of reward-seeking behaviour. It is highly unlikely that watchdog behaviour in a well-socialised, well-trained dog will generate a further shift in auto-protective arousal that sets off reactive, impulsive and difficult to control alarm and threat behaviours if understood and handled appropriately, e.g. not punishing the dog for barking but instead using distraction in conjunction with teaching the dog ‘quiet’ for barking in the garden, working on a highly rewarding recall to use when the dog is taken by surprise by a stranger when out walking, or in the case of watchdog barking when visitors come to the house, using barriers such as pens and stairgates to initially keep dogs and visitors apart, giving the dog time and space to adjust to the change in social dynamic and become less aroused, and owners the opportunity to use positive association training such as ‘Look At That’ (LAT) so that visitors and guests are viewed as a good thing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>EXTRA-FAMILIAL AGGRESSION</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Watchdog behaviour becomes a problem when the normal, familiar pattern of friendly proactive and pro-social behaviour is disrupted, causing auto-protective arousal to escalate into earnest aggression. When watchdog behaviour shifts in this way, it is known as ‘extra-familial aggression'. Instead of merely hesitating and barking (ritualising) before approaching and initiating pro-social introductory and exploratory behaviour, the extra-familial aggressor shifts instantly from alarm-arousal evoked by the sudden presence of a stranger or familiar visitor, to a confrontational orientation, transforming that person into an object for the discharge of aggressive tensions and threats.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">These reactive, extra-familial aggressors fall into two camps – those with a ‘flexible (habituating) watchdog script’ and those with a ‘rigid (non-habituating) watchdog script’:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>FLEXIBLE WATCHDOG SCRIPT </b></span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><b style="font-family: arial;"> </b><span style="font-family: arial;">Most extra-familial aggressors fall into the ‘flexible watchdog script’ camp, warming up slowly to strangers and familiar visitors, accepting their approach and contact with tolerance, and finally initiating and maintaining friendly behaviour for the entire duration of that interaction.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>RIGID WATCHDOG SCRIPT </b></span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><b style="font-family: arial;"> </b><span style="font-family: arial;">Extra-familial aggressors with a ‘rigid watchdog script’ may resist a stranger’s or visitor’s approach and remain persistently on guard, even after repeated uneventful meetings or visits. Those with rigid watchdog scripts present a serious problem. These dogs clearly recognise and distinguish ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’, and whilst they may appear to warm up to visitors and even accept food and other rewards representing friendly intent, they will suddenly become aggressively aroused and threaten to bite the person as they get up, move towards the owner, or attack them from behind when they walk away or leave the house. It is essential to understand that such aggressive behaviour in response to an upturn of activity and sudden change appear to implicate a sympathovagal mechanism and may be related to rapid shifts in autonomic arousal, meaning that the behaviour is involuntary and not under the dog’s conscious control. It cannot be resolved with training. Some rigid watchdog script extra-familial aggressors may display few (if any) obvious threats and attack silently.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Normal watchdog behaviour may escalate into extra-familial aggression in the presence of ongoing events and noise that provoke excessive alarm and threat barking, particularly those that the dog can’t make a visual connection to, for example, building noise and associated comings and goings from a neighbouring property. The effect of stress on the body is cumulative. Socially dense situations, under-stimulation, over-stimulation, confusing or conflicting communication and lack of quality rest and sleep as well as repeated watchdog barking behaviour causes stress hormone levels to rise and remain high, which has the effect over time of lowering emotional tolerance and impulse thresholds. Before long, a shift in behaviour occurs, with what used to be alarm barking or silent tolerance towards visitors giving way to extra-familial aggression.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Watchdogs who bark and threaten will usually follow a flexible watchdog script. Occasionally a dog is unbalanced sufficiently for a rigid watchdog script to occur, which is usually the point at which an owner will label the dog’s behaviour as being ‘out of character’.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Extra-familial aggressors that fall into the rigid watchdog script camp require life-long supervision, control and appropriate restraint to avoid future attacks when exposed to unfamiliar visitors and familiar outsiders. If an extra-familial aggressor has in the past truly followed a flexible watchdog script, re-habituation may be possible with an intensive, reward-based behaviour modification programme involving impulse control training combined with efforts to reduce the dog’s daily stress, moderate daily exercise, daily play, posture facilitated relaxation training and if appropriate, dietary change or supplementation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Any dog of any breed can show normal watchdog behaviour. Equally, there are many, many individual dogs that don’t display watchdog behaviour at all. However, I have found that the incidence of extra-familial aggression with a rigid watchdog script is higher in high-energy, high-drive working breeds such as livestock guardians, collies and terriers. If I have described your dog here </span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> if you believe that it fits the description of 'extra-familial aggressor with a rigid-watchdog script' </span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> please keep it safety away from ALL visitors to the home.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz2OHgE63OCSzbM-yNnjkZ2Un2xp7W2C-TbeU4l7ni4AbBjvEzo2ajDGK284jB9ntaW-vCi2w0vXgG_vOZB-fanlR0CtTt05jpex6M4kffTcZUc8KRTIArIVODjIduzkMrVUQZ2JC7qjE7Zj26wMdtf5VTO9a1wWI-mXLX1_oDVAEDQUDh_178pA0ksU/s493/EFAdog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="493" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz2OHgE63OCSzbM-yNnjkZ2Un2xp7W2C-TbeU4l7ni4AbBjvEzo2ajDGK284jB9ntaW-vCi2w0vXgG_vOZB-fanlR0CtTt05jpex6M4kffTcZUc8KRTIArIVODjIduzkMrVUQZ2JC7qjE7Zj26wMdtf5VTO9a1wWI-mXLX1_oDVAEDQUDh_178pA0ksU/s16000/EFAdog.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><br /> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-41527731749169315982023-05-02T20:56:00.018+01:002023-10-25T14:17:37.345+01:00Making sense of breed DNA tests for small Romanian street dogs<span style="font-family: arial;">It’s getting on for thirteen years ago that I received the results of <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-lies-beneath-dna-breed-testing-for.html" target="_blank">Tilly’s breed DNA</a> test from Wisdom Panel. Testing has improved since then in a number of ways with 350+ genetically identifiable breeds compared to 175, additional testing for genetic traits such as coat colour and muzzle length, plus 200+ genetic health conditions. Tilly’s and Cindy’s breed DNA results weren’t too surprising – as Irish rescue dogs they were unlikely to have many breeds in their make-up and certainly no unusual or rare breeds. Tilly was ½ Jack Russell terrier, ¼ smooth collie and ¼ mixed terrier breeds, and Cindy is ¾ Pomeranian + ¼ Yorkshire terrier.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DKR2IITUx-hSCU3poOHW-EnZNS1Uf3tRoW1JLa_3AXFsm067S5ZAk7ktDurl59sttAIpbsHRtTDBFSWKXtODtd5DDJbLppOJtrrc3b34bY15mH7hC__L2-v1PKL54tzvFljREtbZ4Ebd8meNHUGenoDiv2PdxtIrdAMCD9yk-Ce4n4NIhWcv8gxT/s2522/tillcindna.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="2522" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DKR2IITUx-hSCU3poOHW-EnZNS1Uf3tRoW1JLa_3AXFsm067S5ZAk7ktDurl59sttAIpbsHRtTDBFSWKXtODtd5DDJbLppOJtrrc3b34bY15mH7hC__L2-v1PKL54tzvFljREtbZ4Ebd8meNHUGenoDiv2PdxtIrdAMCD9yk-Ce4n4NIhWcv8gxT/w640-h182/tillcindna.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">By comparison, Banjo’s and Henna’s breed ancestries comprise short strands of identifiable breed DNA from multiple modern breeds - I say modern, because this is key to understanding why they are the mixes that they are purported to be.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDeN948m98tfP017Ekg04G3kGLXc6aRgaIMbJOhRacLOBX8EWtEEDtvhaSscgJ6PxK4O61jgeW6dx6PQ75yKIpbhgkCkYLqVOz5NjYUBUU6j179fjkkhY_a9egVdACx0EipTG-nyB6A0Rye8AouwD0c-9zd9tPMktzpIBMu-VLux8YsyUy2i84nOX/s3530/BothDNA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="3530" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDeN948m98tfP017Ekg04G3kGLXc6aRgaIMbJOhRacLOBX8EWtEEDtvhaSscgJ6PxK4O61jgeW6dx6PQ75yKIpbhgkCkYLqVOz5NjYUBUU6j179fjkkhY_a9egVdACx0EipTG-nyB6A0Rye8AouwD0c-9zd9tPMktzpIBMu-VLux8YsyUy2i84nOX/w640-h296/BothDNA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">Despite looking very different, Banjo and Henna have ten breeds in common. Both share Pekinese, Shih Tzu and Segugio Italiano, which are considered to be ancient breeds (albeit by modern standards). They also share Chihuahua, Japanese Chin, Pomeranian, Pug, Dachshund, German Shepherd Dog and Estrela Mountain Dog. Each dog also has a rare and ancient hairless breed in their makeup – Banjo has 4% Peruvian Inca Orchid, and Henna, 3% Xoloitzcuintli. Some of these breeds can be grouped together by known historical origin, for example, Pekinese, Shih Tzu, Japanese Chin, Pug, Lhasa Apso (Henna) and Tibetan Spaniel (Banjo) are Chinese. American Eskimo Dog (Banjo) and Pomeranian are descended from the German Spitz. Segugio Italiano and Maltese (Henna) are actually Phoenician in origin.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">Judging by social media posts, a lot of owners of small Romanian rescue dogs are of the opinion that breed DNA tests are inaccurate because testing companies don’t have Romanian dog breeds on their databases. This is incorrect because </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Wisdom Panel now include three of the </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">four dog breeds native to Romania – Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog, Bucovina Shepherd Dog and Romanian Raven Shepherd </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">– with only </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">the </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">Carpathian Shepherd Dog yet to be sequenced</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">. In any case, all four are large breeds standing upwards of 28 inches tall and weighing up to 90 kgs. They are often identifiable in large Romanian rescue dogs such as these ones:</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfDyu0itl245J8BfIzMfbyn1OeoGQl1mQ6GufQMyNGew6C5qYXxMGdizIEfOfK0iX6F6sA17zK31gcsWe2by9JI6A166cMKAPRJ6IopsQZ_LgJ0dIXKScrcWaFCOW7rU8tSz3-Ttn46C0dYdt9mopJB7ePBaLEQkcc-370z0o2TkolX7domnDNGtT/s1256/romsheps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="1256" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfDyu0itl245J8BfIzMfbyn1OeoGQl1mQ6GufQMyNGew6C5qYXxMGdizIEfOfK0iX6F6sA17zK31gcsWe2by9JI6A166cMKAPRJ6IopsQZ_LgJ0dIXKScrcWaFCOW7rU8tSz3-Ttn46C0dYdt9mopJB7ePBaLEQkcc-370z0o2TkolX7domnDNGtT/w640-h174/romsheps.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Some medium sized Romanian rescue dogs may carry some Romanian shepherd dog DNA, however, like Banjo and Henna, many Romanian rescue dogs look nothing like these huge Romanian shepherd breeds and are small in size – often no more than 12 inches high and 10 kgs in weight. Many are born and survive on the street – they (and their ancestors) have never belonged to anyone or been purposely bred to look or behave in a certain way. Essentially, they are street dogs whose recent ancestors were free-breeding, free-roaming village dogs, and whose ancient ancestors were small <a href="http://www.caninemind.co.uk/wolf.html" target="_blank">Asiatic (Eurasian) wolves</a> most likely domesticated through a process of natural selection and local genetic adaptations. Research suggests that the earliest Neolithic European dogs that lived 7,000 years ago were a mix of two of the five major dog ancestry lineages – the Karelian and Levantine branches.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnwd0iG87pv-pKVk2mHcGriqtnZMU6l85u3GHzAwOhrNFnCLwY-_InYCql2dWLd2ez_l_oLDrX6n06SaVx4xuJV_bKuPK1HQlrwQIz-uftE7rEoB7DdxfJNCQUH0DbK57KZ6jjLLrUnD4QiH3itmmUmrRPAiH3PTEZt4GFzcdF3Cfaepz6RSs9869/s900/admixure%20graph.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnwd0iG87pv-pKVk2mHcGriqtnZMU6l85u3GHzAwOhrNFnCLwY-_InYCql2dWLd2ez_l_oLDrX6n06SaVx4xuJV_bKuPK1HQlrwQIz-uftE7rEoB7DdxfJNCQUH0DbK57KZ6jjLLrUnD4QiH3itmmUmrRPAiH3PTEZt4GFzcdF3Cfaepz6RSs9869/s320/admixure%20graph.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>This European ancestry has since dispersed globally, with small pockets of precolonial ancestry surviving in today’s European Village Dogs and a handful of pure breeds. European Village Dog DNA therefore precedes the 400+ artificially selected European dog breeds that we know today, along with numerous breeds considered to be native to countries beyond Europe, for example, China and Mexico. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">Another complaint from owners of small Romanian rescue dogs is that breed DNA tests are pointless because of the frequent recurrence of Chihuahua, which crops up in every result ranging from 12-24%. Peruvian Inca Orchid and Segugio Italiano are also commonly recurring breeds. However, given that modern lineages of European street dogs share an ancient ancestry, this is unsurprising. In terms of maternal ancestry, there are four universal subclades: A1, B1, C1 & C2. A1 is the most common maternal lineage among Western dogs and remained in European Village Dogs for many millennia. B1 is the second most common maternal lineage in dog breeds of European origin and among European Village Dogs that carry the ‘old world’ DNA of European originated Chihuahua, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Shih Tzu, Pekinese and Poodle to name but a few. B1 is not common in non-European village dog populations or purebred dogs that originate outside of Europe, for example, South American Chihuahuas and Peruvian Inca Orchids are haplogroup C1. So of course today's Romanian street dogs will carry distinct Chihuahua DNA, because this 'old world' DNA is detectable due to the existence of modern pure breed DNA to test it against. It’s not a single randy Chihuahua merrily sewing his oats in as many bitches as possible. It's the original strand of 'old world' European Village Dog DNA from which pre-colonial, European Chihuahuas descended. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">The dog breed DNA testing company, Embark, actually has European Village Dog (and also Eastern European Village Dog) on its breed reference panel, and for dogs that Embark identifies as such it goes on to identify the strands of DNA that the dog’s ancestors may have contributed to, for example, Pekinese, Danish-Swedish Farm Dog and German Shepherd Dog. Therefore, although Wisdom Panel's breed reference list does not include village dogs of European origin, going by the ‘breeds’ in both Banjo’s and Henna’s test results, it is more than reasonable to conclude that they are in fact European (or Eastern European) Village Dogs because they have the characteristic short strands of DNA that match particular, modern purebred dogs associated with European Village Dog DNA. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">Some owners of small Romanian street dogs of a similar look to Banjo insist that they are Kokonis. However, Kokoni is a Greek (allegedly, ancient Greek) dog breed of unknown heritage that has only recently been established as a standardised breed by the Greek Kennel Club. It is</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"> popular in Greece and to some extent, Cyprus, but not other countries. <br />Kokoni means 'small dog' in Greek.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHncW5uOfib6_4VJCzJ6s5uHwUa3f_D_gQ0dzYKICSMSQabexvZprCOU5_syfUkPT1MNHuW8qU9FzaV2fgfvMRx2be5hQfzxIRARYnsM1fR0IKKSvS_7K8ce_dw4ugvA-qJInUdywH0eFYC0oRXEXryt9ZR4a3bBN9OLoPWeT_G1e0TCkK93PtO2f-/s534/6145.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="534" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHncW5uOfib6_4VJCzJ6s5uHwUa3f_D_gQ0dzYKICSMSQabexvZprCOU5_syfUkPT1MNHuW8qU9FzaV2fgfvMRx2be5hQfzxIRARYnsM1fR0IKKSvS_7K8ce_dw4ugvA-qJInUdywH0eFYC0oRXEXryt9ZR4a3bBN9OLoPWeT_G1e0TCkK93PtO2f-/w320-h240/6145.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kokoni</td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>Embark and Wisdom Panel do not have Kokoni on their breed lists because (as far as I'm aware after an exhaustive search of breed DNA testing companies) it doesn't exist as a unique breed DNA signature. If anything, small Romanian street dogs are 'Caine mic', which means small dog in Romanian. They may look similar to Kokoni because, being European, they may share a similar ancient genetic ancestry (identifiable today as Chihuahua, Pekinese, Shih Tzu, etc., DNA), but as village dogs from different regions of Europe, each will have different, unique regional and local genetic adaptations. If you look closely and critically, you will see differences. For one, Kokoni breed standard calls for straight front legs – not the breed-defining chondrodysplasia (the stumpy ‘Queen Anne’ legs) typical of many small Romanian street dogs. The Kokoni muzzle is longer and the chest wider than many similar-looking Romanian street dogs. The Kokoni tail is longer with a short-haired section at the base, is more richly plumed and is carried in a semi-circle over the back, not the shorter, more tightly curled and characteristically twisted tail of many ‘Caine mics’. </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">In the absence of DNA breed evidence for Kokoni, it denies small fluffy Romanian street dogs their own unique heritage to label them as such based purely on perceived looks, as the similarities in Banjo's and Henna's test results and the differences in their outward appearances help to illustrate ...</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YebGFkc6naxAcZNU1joCObFwy5ERrYsxoQ55ebiqPtlXxm2b-UgsmRuj3uHpdeZupXd7KICX71f6ofPu8M-RHRgEv9oCRP7fKfr-SIjpeRYdKLtCJAZnxZ6K30rtuaULILZSN3F46xh5cYMv5KWgFp_OJ-Kj7Nj6FuFwIZ9mKFZEKoCpqOFFWvkF/s1842/socktug.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="1842" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YebGFkc6naxAcZNU1joCObFwy5ERrYsxoQ55ebiqPtlXxm2b-UgsmRuj3uHpdeZupXd7KICX71f6ofPu8M-RHRgEv9oCRP7fKfr-SIjpeRYdKLtCJAZnxZ6K30rtuaULILZSN3F46xh5cYMv5KWgFp_OJ-Kj7Nj6FuFwIZ9mKFZEKoCpqOFFWvkF/w640-h345/socktug.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Sources: <br /><br />American Kennel Club Dog Breeds <a href="https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/">https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/</a> <br /><br />Bergstrom et al (2020) Origins and Genetic Legacy of Prehistoric Dogs. Science, 370 (6516): 557-564. <a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/research-reports/prehistoric-dog-dna-sheds-light-on-11000-years-of-canine-evolution">https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/research-reports/prehistoric-dog-dna-sheds-light-on-11000-years-of-canine-evolution</a> <br /><br />Embark Vet European Village Dog <a href="https://embarkvet.com/resources/dog-breeds/european-village-dog/">https://embarkvet.com/resources/dog-breeds/european-village-dog/</a> <br /><br />Greek Kennel Club <a href="http://www.koe.gr/index.php/el/greekbreeds/kokoni">http://www.koe.gr/index.php/el/greekbreeds/kokoni</a> <br /><br />Shannon et al (2015) Genetic structure in village dogs reveals a Central Asian domestication origin. <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1516215112">https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1516215112</a> <br /><br />Talenti et al (2018) Studies of modern Italian dog populations reveal multiple patterns for domestic breed evolution. Ecology and Evolution, 8 (5): 2911-2925. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5838073/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5838073/</a> <br /><br />Wisdom Panel Dog Breeds <a href="https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-gb/dog-breeds">https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-gb/dog-breeds</a></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-88196128577656976492023-04-13T19:03:00.026+01:002023-07-02T10:18:05.118+01:00They're all the same<p></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsO-xNOgag2_ban3zKEHA1kC56OmIvQu1iKHn5NoDdv-AJ1dPa78IH_zZGfVI5zxjS3ZwpBrzmlwBQw4oICA45R-vfesn4SwYCd89mny6qoVJsyQpI42UUy_j8SuYZAbJj4TdE41L-HnaMXoCDSB-g_fVMV0uAnwTuE_wcmdG5n2ey0bNSdPxncxBA/s1497/001.120822.01.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1497" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsO-xNOgag2_ban3zKEHA1kC56OmIvQu1iKHn5NoDdv-AJ1dPa78IH_zZGfVI5zxjS3ZwpBrzmlwBQw4oICA45R-vfesn4SwYCd89mny6qoVJsyQpI42UUy_j8SuYZAbJj4TdE41L-HnaMXoCDSB-g_fVMV0uAnwTuE_wcmdG5n2ey0bNSdPxncxBA/s320/001.120822.01.JPG" width="299" /></a></div><br />After losing our beloved Labrador Beau at the end of last summer at the grand old age of fourteen, I began searching for another rescue dog to join our family. I had already decided that Beau would be my last big dog. Having suffered with sacroiliac joint problems all my life and more recently, a dislocated bicep tendon along with various other 'limb' issues, I’m not as physically capable as I was fifteen years ago. Simple everyday tasks like wiping Beau’s paws had become a total killer – not the bending down so much but rather supporting the weight of a big dog with one hand whilst being bent double – and so the search was on for a small dog. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">However, by December, two things had become apparent: 1) UK rescues were (mostly) full of big dogs, and 2) suitable homes for any available small dogs had to be dog-free. Even Many Tears Animal Rescue, from where we adopted Cindy and a resident dog is a requirement for many adoptions, had no suitable dogs for rehoming in our area. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqo2NnxKxq8trujdgGwU4Wt-DXtxDp3byeatCXJK5wIPiU0--F4ABq0rRWHX13utLGeL58SRhHUnTesExUEy71paZGDJ5nTu5BVFoJI2e2vfyD0v_J0uqDY6MkWc7cybg1cYxNlBALYblntp6OwUn-zf7c2TfULm7nVmMdjIz3GcC71qwv7ATIXGr/s1323/cyrus.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="1323" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqo2NnxKxq8trujdgGwU4Wt-DXtxDp3byeatCXJK5wIPiU0--F4ABq0rRWHX13utLGeL58SRhHUnTesExUEy71paZGDJ5nTu5BVFoJI2e2vfyD0v_J0uqDY6MkWc7cybg1cYxNlBALYblntp6OwUn-zf7c2TfULm7nVmMdjIz3GcC71qwv7ATIXGr/s320/cyrus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Then I stumbled across a facebook post about a small, dog-friendly dog in foster in Norfolk. The post didn’t give many details, only that he had been found beside a pile of rubbish. I messaged the rescue only to be told that he had already been adopted, but that they had lots of other dogs looking for homes and suggested that I consider one in particular – named Rhubarb – who was similar in size and looks to the one in Norfolk. So I took a look at his photos and details, and it was then that I realised that the rescue specialised in rehoming Romanian street dogs. I could basically have my pick of dozens of small dogs, all of whom could be rehomed with a resident dog. I hadn’t set out to adopt a Romanian street dog though, and having heard various stories of people handing over money for dogs to what turned out to be fake rescue shelters, I did some research. The rescue organisation seemed legit, had founded a long-standing spay/neuter programme in Romania, and had numerous testimonials from happy adopters on their website and adopters’ facebook group. I also found out that a friend had adopted a dog from them four years ago. Things were looking good. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuItgvNqTu-wvbW6Y81ohWlzzXML1s9nLM-desWbOmrb0ipPgkie6mUVz26I5W6-ug74gk4r3erH7t0LVRKsyvI4H0yJFX8ZEdqIGF7eKgPZ967RtYWK5Atm9GEbS9j2EmyYXiLhYHVVsc8JOAqvtKX3F5-YcvSoPciZf4fn7DXDWMmuwQICGfZqu7/s3709/270323.02.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3709" data-original-width="2781" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuItgvNqTu-wvbW6Y81ohWlzzXML1s9nLM-desWbOmrb0ipPgkie6mUVz26I5W6-ug74gk4r3erH7t0LVRKsyvI4H0yJFX8ZEdqIGF7eKgPZ967RtYWK5Atm9GEbS9j2EmyYXiLhYHVVsc8JOAqvtKX3F5-YcvSoPciZf4fn7DXDWMmuwQICGfZqu7/s320/270323.02.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>My primary concern with adopting any new dog wherever it was from was that it had to be a good match for Cindy who is incredibly gentle and good-natured. She is twelve now and has always and absolutely avoided confrontation. She likes other dogs, is always happy to greet and walk with her doggy pals and will happily share her space with them, but it’s very rare that she will play with another dog – she gets overwhelmed by that kind of social interaction quite quickly, which opens her up to being bullied. I wasn’t fussed about breed, looks, age or sex, only that temperament had to be the right fit. Rhubarb had been found in a public kill shelter but had been in safe rescue at a large farm kennels since December. This is how the rescue operated – taking what it judged to be suitable dogs for rehoming from public kill shelters and placing them in one of two safe rescue locations in Romania – either the farm kennels or a large free-run shelter. There were around 130 available dogs listed on the rescue’s website. After reading all their bios, which (as expected) were very brief due to lack of history, I had a short-list of eight dogs (including Rhubarb) who I thought might be potential good matches for Cindy. Because the bios were so brief though, I then did some more detective work – trawling through the rescue’s social media pages for any other information about these dogs. I found little pieces of video footage of several of the dogs on my short-list and two in particular stood out as not being completely terrified – Rhubarb, and a little female dog named Henna. Both dogs were in rescue at the farm kennels but were in different pens, with each pen housing around a dozen, similarly sized dogs. Both dogs appeared to be super-friendly towards the kennel staff and weren’t at all shy in coming forward for affection. They also showed a lot of active-submissive behaviour both towards people (jumping up, licking, pawing) and the other dogs (licking, nudging) that they were kennelled with. This was good, and meant that both dogs had the potential to quickly adapt to life as pets. Both dogs’ ages had been guessed at between 2 and 3 years, which was also good because I didn’t want a puppy. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET9o9vsV_964uligG_ZoYO4n_hCeq9bBSoarAaW7yMa6pUA7wd8MpcprDnHuoRP6788717bZhfHoeLswTuBNzFzj5YRiGjuH3MCZCHQSWN0itkftDq7K_BHcdpRTdZpww7TVbekYS8LqWJTfTGz5hMr-A7wzxZPVg3bCowDbSQyM6354Cr-U6fnMx/s870/BandH.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="870" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET9o9vsV_964uligG_ZoYO4n_hCeq9bBSoarAaW7yMa6pUA7wd8MpcprDnHuoRP6788717bZhfHoeLswTuBNzFzj5YRiGjuH3MCZCHQSWN0itkftDq7K_BHcdpRTdZpww7TVbekYS8LqWJTfTGz5hMr-A7wzxZPVg3bCowDbSQyM6354Cr-U6fnMx/s320/BandH.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Rhubarb was ginger and fluffy. Henna was fawn-coloured and short-coated. It was hard to choose between them but I eventually decided on Henna, and the rescue confirmed that she too would be a good match for Cindy. Described as ‘sweet-natured and great with other dogs’, she had been at the farm kennels for almost a year, certainly due in part to the suspension of the commercial importation of dogs originating from Eastern Europe between mid-March and the end of October 2022, but possibly due also to her not being as cute and fluffy as some of the other dogs that had been rescued and adopted both prior to and post importation suspension. I filled out a pre-adoption questionnaire and sent video clips of our house and garden to the rescue for our virtual home-check. Our adoption application was accepted! I signed the adoption form on 8th January, paid a deposit, and was given a transport run date of 23rd January. After months of searching, we would finally be welcoming a new dog into the family! As the first week of waiting ticked by, I kept thinking about Rhubarb. Although he’d had quite a bit of interest, he was still available for adoption. I asked if we could adopt him too, and was told yes, we could! It was too late for him to travel with Henna because the DEFRA paperwork wouldn’t be processed in time, and so his transportation date was set for 31st January. Both dogs had already been spayed/neutered and would be double micro-chipped (one to me, one to the rescue), fully vaccinated against rabies, parvovirus, distemper and leptospirosis, worm and flea treated, and with negative tests for Babesia, Brucella, heartworm and the five tick-borne diseases. The transportation runs would take 3-4 days and each dog would be delivered to my doorstep. The adoption process was quick and easy, and I received good communication from the rescue volunteers throughout, including a pre-adoption phone-call, and dedicated transport run chat groups on facebook for each dog. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I’m not new to settling in rescue dogs, but because the overwhelming speel from those involved in rehoming overseas street dogs is that they are ‘different’ to UK dogs, I followed the rescue’s advice to the letter. I did everything that I could to prepare for their arrival. I set up two pens in the conservatory so that each dog had a safe, quiet space to retreat to that was away from foot-traffic, but close to the garden for ease of house-training and near enough to the rest of the house for them to get used to the sounds of kitchen appliances, the TV and doorbell. I bought collars, slip-leads, beds, bowls, and stocked up on chicken and rice. Thinking (as I always do) about each dog’s individual psychological needs, I made a cardboard kennel and filled it with straw for Henna. Straw as bedding was all that she had known for the past year, and I hoped that by giving her a little piece of the familiar, it would help her to feel more settled, more quickly. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sSRlnMgVOWAN54-y6VzozkjliurqxA71loC4NHBHTbJBaKL493rUZmedOC1Jsr0FhjVn4MCl9XwizmuWgQ9LrnFECX_KiONEaxG0DqucxfIWM4vkNnxV98yvIS5go0Chi7QR63-Skj8hGqXvT_51Keq2IwkpftMNMsgi37i0A7tla0eShbDdP_u_/s1529/250123.01.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="1371" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sSRlnMgVOWAN54-y6VzozkjliurqxA71loC4NHBHTbJBaKL493rUZmedOC1Jsr0FhjVn4MCl9XwizmuWgQ9LrnFECX_KiONEaxG0DqucxfIWM4vkNnxV98yvIS5go0Chi7QR63-Skj8hGqXvT_51Keq2IwkpftMNMsgi37i0A7tla0eShbDdP_u_/s320/250123.01.JPG" width="287" /></a></div>Henna arrived at 9.30pm on 25th January. I gave her slip-lead to the transport driver, then she (along with her paperwork) was placed directly into my arms and our photo taken for the rescue as proof of her arrival. As I carried her down our driveway, she licked my face and her tail was wagging – she was clearly bewildered, but wanting to appease rather than break free. I took her inside the house and into her pen, put her collar on, gave her some food which she ate with gusto and a waggy tail, and then sat on the floor with her while she buried herself into my lap. She then had the choice of a comfy cushiony crate bed or the straw box bed, and bless her, she chose the straw. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">With only a week to go until Rhubarb’s arrival, the pressure was on to settle Henna in as quickly and smoothly as possible whilst still doing everything at her pace and keeping her world small to prevent emotional overwhelm (or trigger stacking as dog trainers now call it). Routine is so important during the early days of settling in any dog – if they can predict what will happen in their day, they naturally develop their own sense of security as the days go by.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhnnzpySGOPmwtFiJ74fj-Q_yehuN00sKJMWVIiuM32yinYuboys_whDVhPkhAvALdNAjWGmbTg6iVyZyBoyTus149xH5Tqnm9xggc5M2z4jj3GqrYT34K4Hc0BP4Ab80--KmwIwdMROD8s9v3x4jyiJF-QnQRTzmHZ8HfiOY-2dQJSecG0K9HM0w/s3009/260123.04.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2206" data-original-width="3009" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhnnzpySGOPmwtFiJ74fj-Q_yehuN00sKJMWVIiuM32yinYuboys_whDVhPkhAvALdNAjWGmbTg6iVyZyBoyTus149xH5Tqnm9xggc5M2z4jj3GqrYT34K4Hc0BP4Ab80--KmwIwdMROD8s9v3x4jyiJF-QnQRTzmHZ8HfiOY-2dQJSecG0K9HM0w/s320/260123.04.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>By morning, she had decided that the cushiony crate bed was more comfortable than straw, but I’m convinced that providing her with the straw to start with lessened the shock for her of being plunged into an alien environment with unfamiliar people, and allowed her to feel safe during her first few crucial hours with us. Outwardly, she didn’t appear to be too stressed by her sudden life-change. She showed nothing but friendliness and lots of active-submissive behaviour towards myself and my husband, however, her behaviour towards Cindy was the polar opposite to this. I did exactly as the rescue advised and used barriers (pen and stairgates) to keep them separate and to enable slow introductions. I have integrated many newcomers with resident dogs over the years. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Normally it would be the resident dog that had a hard time accepting the newcomer, although I had never experienced this myself. With Henna, it was the other way around. She turned into a dog possessed every time Cindy appeared – hackles up, growling, screaming, barking and charging at the pen bars – and Cindy didn’t even have to be near her, merely in sight of her. Out of all the potential issues that could have arisen, a ‘sweet-natured and great with other dogs’ dog not accepting gentle little old Cindy was not something that I had anticipated, nor had it </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">been suggested </span><span style="font-family: arial;">by the rescue organisation </span><span style="font-family: arial;">that this scenario was likely to happen (which I now know from hearing other adopters' stories, it's a pretty common occurrence). Forewarned would have been forearmed and would have lessened my stress knowing that this was a common issue and things would get better, but it would seem that on the whole, rescue organisations don't tell adopters that their new arrival may lose it at the sight of the resident dog. If they did, they would probably have fewer applications. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The week or so that followed was incredibly stressful. I barely slept. I lost 4lbs in weight. To make things worse I had sustained a bite on the finger from a green-fanged tube web spider that had caused a severe reaction and was immensely swollen and painful (no superpowers unfortunately), which I’m sure was addling my brain and ability to think rationally. I contacted the rescue out of desperation and to make sure, given that everyone harps on about these dogs being ‘different’ to UK dogs, that a) I was doing everything right, and b) to ask if there was anything ‘Romanian rescue dog specific’ that I could be doing to help things along. From professional experience, the worst fights – sometimes to the death – occur between spayed female dogs, and whilst ‘giving them time’ is all very well, when one dog is old and frail and the other, young and strong, the potential for the oldie to get seriously hurt is very real even after a considerable amount of time has passed. It was possible that the active-submission that Henna had shown towards the other dogs that she was housed with at the farm kennels was a numbers thing </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">– that within a large group of dogs she appeases and pacifies (sweet and great with other dogs) because anything else might get her injured or killed, but when faced with only one small dog, she chooses to compete aggressively for attention and resources. Had I made a bad judgement about her appeasement behaviour in the farm kennels? What if I couldn't resolve this? With the prospect of Cindy's last few years being made miserable through daily dealings with a dog in the home that wouldn't accept her, and Henna's life becoming one of permanent barriers and competitive stress, I prepared myself emotionally for potential defeat and having Henna as a foster placement until a more suitable home could be found for her.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Each rescue volunteer had their own idea of how to handle the situation. One pushed pack theory and that ‘scraps are normal’. One suggested removing Henna from the room when she kicked off so that she learnt her place. One offered a stream of '3-3-3' memes and to continue doing what I was already doing, which was to keep them apart and feed them separately, but to also reinforce Cindy’s position above Henna (i.e. always feed/give Cindy treats before Henna, etc). However, given that forcing a social hierarchy or letting dogs ‘sort it out themselves’ can in many instances increase competitiveness, I wasn’t seeing much change in Henna’s behaviour by doing this, and Cindy was starting to show signs of stress at Henna’s outbursts. I did try removing Henna when she kicked off (once only and to follow different suggested advice) but as expected for a dog that tends towards active-submission she kicked off even more and got barrier frustration. Quite clearly this was not the way to handle the issue. I even wondered whether Cindy’s pricked ears were part of the problem – that to Henna, Cindy looked like she was threatening her all the time. I contacted the rescue again – again asking if there was anything ‘Romanian rescue dog specific’ that I could be doing. This time I was met with 'time to think about getting a behaviourist in' but also ‘they’re all the same’. Wait … what? Romanian dogs are <u>not</u> different to UK dogs? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This was somewhat of a game-changer because it gave me the freedom to handle things my way and how I would have advised a client with <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/08/fighting-talk.html" target="_blank">a similar issue</a>. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I started doing short sessions of positive association training with them </span><span style="font-family: arial;">–</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">throwing Henna a food treat every time Cindy appeared, and with Henna in her pen or separated from Cindy by a stairgate, doing alternate name/treat training with them both. As well as Henna learning her name, this helped to highlight what the issue had been all along – that Henna clearly saw Cindy as competition for me and my attention and she wanted her to f*** off – and so with the freedom of ‘they’re all the same’ and the focus on decreasing competitive behaviour, I began sitting on the floor next to the stairgate on Henna’s side rather than Cindy's side for our positive association training sessions. She would do her best to climb over me and wriggle herself between me and the stairgate to block Cindy, but I gently pushed her off each time and continued to do so until she stayed sitting or lying on the other side of my legs, and then I reinforced both her physical position and calm behaviour with food. If there is one thing I know for absolute certainly with dogs that tend towards active-submissive behaviour, it’s that removal of attention creates frustration and anxiety. Additionally, any physical handling or restraint must be done confidently but gently and calmly for the best chance of encouraging voluntary, pro-social behaviour. Even though we had only known one another for a little over a week, Henna was already learning that certain behaviours weren't going to get her what she wanted, whilst at the same time remaining desperate to not lose my attention and therefore stay receptive to learning what she could do instead. This was </span><a href="http://www.caninemind.co.uk/bond.html" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">human-canine bond</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> formation and balancing in action, and finally we began to make some progress. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6TCnR3W2ocuI-8GrXjef5isEq9Qa18BPNAmVjV1PGZYmEczNHgV8BPtWYBjOkoL1xCloJB8ad05ou0zJxfT2vo-AHoNKLq4OkZFmbGrBG0apkJJGyJEi4uCAms03QmkbUAyB_gym4xUfLf5KwNSYWZcYQkEWWeuWuAUMhIcykz8PZ7plBucX_Dkb/s3000/IMG_1407%20(2).JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2891" data-original-width="3000" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6TCnR3W2ocuI-8GrXjef5isEq9Qa18BPNAmVjV1PGZYmEczNHgV8BPtWYBjOkoL1xCloJB8ad05ou0zJxfT2vo-AHoNKLq4OkZFmbGrBG0apkJJGyJEi4uCAms03QmkbUAyB_gym4xUfLf5KwNSYWZcYQkEWWeuWuAUMhIcykz8PZ7plBucX_Dkb/w200-h193/IMG_1407%20(2).JPG" width="200" /></a></div>She became less hackly towards Cindy. She would still stiffen up when she saw her, but she had stopped shouting at her. I decided to move things on a step and with Henna on-lead and Cindy free to roam, I took them into the garden together and scattered some food titbits around for them to snuffle out together </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">– sniffing being a calming behaviour that dogs often use to avoid confrontation. By this time, Rhubarb, now renamed Banjo, had arrived, and so poor Henna had yet another dog to compete against. Her chosen tactic with him was to try and control his movements and actively and aggressively defend doorways, toys and beds, but by this time she was responding to tone of voice and so I was able to nip this behaviour in the bud quite quickly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_MTJ8LrT1EP_sLYZlObMapgrSvFqMBo4_pY8c2Y7NlbR5mVK5GOpW7iBfj8BCcoOz2yMDHR0HiwOFMCIzbIZF3-C42BlBqHA7wwifrpcNFhbUO7JPNtPNO219kCWx3uVj48R_NjxCDcq1yhDeLDu4uFW-nDyYKe5HfjKeyq4jrIdaLmvB915dRUL/s2840/160223.01.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2784" data-original-width="2840" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_MTJ8LrT1EP_sLYZlObMapgrSvFqMBo4_pY8c2Y7NlbR5mVK5GOpW7iBfj8BCcoOz2yMDHR0HiwOFMCIzbIZF3-C42BlBqHA7wwifrpcNFhbUO7JPNtPNO219kCWx3uVj48R_NjxCDcq1yhDeLDu4uFW-nDyYKe5HfjKeyq4jrIdaLmvB915dRUL/w200-h196/160223.01.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Having Banjo around worked in our favour too because him and Cindy hit it off straight away and were hanging out together within view of Henna, which allowed her to observe how I interacted with them and what they needed to do in order to secure my attention. Like Henna, Banjo tends towards active-submission, but without the shouty aggressiveness towards Cindy when competing for fuss, and so although he was bit of a handful initially, his behaviour wasn’t potentially injurious to Cindy and therefore comparatively easier to manage.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A couple more weeks passed by. Exhausting weeks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UikQ5MZbaX0I5qmiwuPQhXsyxI-9axCgeG3zZkiyVkTWSL65vExtMFHncahad6u035j45Q1OUXNLutZujva7mPOUDfrCTZB3bFtzkCZ2s4ddxMUAwZiSjelp-I5CgKyRx0Eo6E2yxliIzPyRPV0Qvp9APpkn9qaVubxRs_yOvD9Um9yG7l8UIoXm/s1672/060223.04.01.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="1254" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UikQ5MZbaX0I5qmiwuPQhXsyxI-9axCgeG3zZkiyVkTWSL65vExtMFHncahad6u035j45Q1OUXNLutZujva7mPOUDfrCTZB3bFtzkCZ2s4ddxMUAwZiSjelp-I5CgKyRx0Eo6E2yxliIzPyRPV0Qvp9APpkn9qaVubxRs_yOvD9Um9yG7l8UIoXm/w150-h200/060223.04.01.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>Henna was doing well with her lead-training and so I started taking her for short walks, which she really enjoyed and showed none of the ‘reactive’ behaviour towards people and dogs that adopters of Romanian street dogs so frequently report. I did daily ‘treat snuffling’ sessions in the garden with all three dogs – Henna on lead still, and Cindy and Banjo free to roam. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">By the end of the third week of February, Henna had softened towards Cindy outside enough for me to try her off lead in the garden. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kjRf_-jeuR2y32dUBtJ3XSY_gWs7Wj9zVj8ZxG_pWI6A4BgP9Y5X4UBHzGJ8JXXiqafpH4O3kTUBk47dOVFj5nj_ZRbAhlzpL9xRDyBn3bctAwQJX3Gc89_IWo0HTV31-3ttXJf2EV0EAgERn9M1yLKbcVGdB0_Dq9a9Bzw5mTJH8-NMkkl7FKkF/s3768/210223.03.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2665" data-original-width="3768" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kjRf_-jeuR2y32dUBtJ3XSY_gWs7Wj9zVj8ZxG_pWI6A4BgP9Y5X4UBHzGJ8JXXiqafpH4O3kTUBk47dOVFj5nj_ZRbAhlzpL9xRDyBn3bctAwQJX3Gc89_IWo0HTV31-3ttXJf2EV0EAgERn9M1yLKbcVGdB0_Dq9a9Bzw5mTJH8-NMkkl7FKkF/w200-h141/210223.03.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I also worked on integrating her with Cindy in the house with the use of a short house-lead. Some sessions went well, others ended up with Henna growling at Cindy – once when Cindy was asleep in her bed and so as unthreatening as she possibly could have been as far as being competition for my attention goes – and so these sessions were swiftly ended without any fuss by removing Henna to her pen, but importantly, not socially excluding her completely.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_FhTWNNdnA98H9JEFvSLg4mWFGYDAGgGANcUpMZpOn1GC39STsTkXZUWolp9fjdyVpwPXXskk9RNvkOg7FyFRARlAHInExTlYZCEA7zd45y8z4O5UY7tvE9DOWuK76d2thpw7UslYLT1mpO90syRi-lXMjb5fYIAYDijswH0eztEIz4Imug3zYOB/s2785/010323.04.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2785" data-original-width="2172" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_FhTWNNdnA98H9JEFvSLg4mWFGYDAGgGANcUpMZpOn1GC39STsTkXZUWolp9fjdyVpwPXXskk9RNvkOg7FyFRARlAHInExTlYZCEA7zd45y8z4O5UY7tvE9DOWuK76d2thpw7UslYLT1mpO90syRi-lXMjb5fYIAYDijswH0eztEIz4Imug3zYOB/s320/010323.04.JPG" width="250" /></a></div>Towards the end of the fourth week of February, I started walking both girls together, and by the beginning of March, I felt that I could trust Henna enough to be off lead around Cindy in the conservatory, kitchen and my office. The living room was still off-limits though as far as roaming free went unless under close supervision. By the 4th of March, Banjo had been with us for four weeks, and Henna, five and a half weeks. Until now, they had been in their pens in the conservatory during the evenings to give everyone a break from one another and the day’s continuous stream of social interaction, but as Henna had continued to soften towards Cindy in the house and become less concerned about competing against her for my attention – even seemingly being genuinely happy to see her on a couple of occasions first thing in the morning – I decided to give having them all in the living room for a couple of hours in the evening a try. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And that’s pretty much how it’s been since. Henna and Banjo still go into their pens at certain times of the day – at mealtimes, when visitors first come into the house, and to sleep at night. It wasn’t my plan to keep the pens up long-term, but they hold such importance as the dogs’ safe spaces that it’s too early to think about removing them just yet. I can’t stress enough how valuable they have been with regards to making the settling in period, establishing a routine, enabling independence support and social down-time, integrating Henna with Cindy, managing the little space that we have in our two-bedroom bungalow and ensuring that everyone sleeps soundly and deeply at night, easier. It does mean that I have lost my art room and so a garage conversion is now on the cards to replace it, but that’s a small price to pay for contented and astonishingly well-adjusted dogs in such a short space of time. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG8DOtI1Zelt5Uh-2VHAYrRl4Mei31hKxYWbCDH3__Jhvda-P6jAhuiPFweVqjMDJskW_bGZo2L9-wzoGWoazZZHlRyC74Pw1totYWV0DzUaIxcAA0dbFeecSWPGaD9NKXCfLzzaNOj9D5g0bie4SuKSJ6_ga0q1j0nG0MIZ12DfBYYLFxBJYb6O_/s4032/130323.01.01.01.01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG8DOtI1Zelt5Uh-2VHAYrRl4Mei31hKxYWbCDH3__Jhvda-P6jAhuiPFweVqjMDJskW_bGZo2L9-wzoGWoazZZHlRyC74Pw1totYWV0DzUaIxcAA0dbFeecSWPGaD9NKXCfLzzaNOj9D5g0bie4SuKSJ6_ga0q1j0nG0MIZ12DfBYYLFxBJYb6O_/s320/130323.01.01.01.01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Above all though, no one gets special treatment beyond their individual needs. All dogs are equal in our house. There is no hierarchy between them – pack theory is well and truly dead. Instead, I use their natural willingness to defer to me along with their tendency to compete with one another and ‘fear of missing out’ to shape the behaviours that I want to see, in a ‘whoever’s bum hits the floor first gets the first treat’ kind of way. This has transferred nicely to beyond the house on walks, with all three dogs either generally ignoring or showing a normal level of interest in what could so easily spark reactive behaviour, such as other on-lead dogs barking and lunging, cats, birds and cyclists.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXP1fTjHp86atI9EmugtllFFg1wsKLyXtIXaMCUJsqJYeKHn4YW242aHUXdc81Ukqx2VouqoCGWV95iTra2G1idEEb-SgLrwiITseJ_KaBRimqqDFKUtwGm3NFJ4r4LiWdFcUWd4PngiN0_-31dqCVaawvJI0VdkYyXP29lGsOUZlJefio7LL2AzE/s2751/200323.01.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2751" data-original-width="2751" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXP1fTjHp86atI9EmugtllFFg1wsKLyXtIXaMCUJsqJYeKHn4YW242aHUXdc81Ukqx2VouqoCGWV95iTra2G1idEEb-SgLrwiITseJ_KaBRimqqDFKUtwGm3NFJ4r4LiWdFcUWd4PngiN0_-31dqCVaawvJI0VdkYyXP29lGsOUZlJefio7LL2AzE/s320/200323.01.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In the house, we have two rules – 1) no biting, and 2) no fighting. I let them jump up and lick my face. They are allowed to sit in my lap and lay on the sofa. It gives me enormous pleasure to watch Henna and Banjo zoom about the living room using the furniture as a parkour course. From the streets of Romania, to kill shelter, to safe rescue in farm kennels with 800 other ‘nobody’s dogs’, to life in a home in the UK as the pets that they always should have been, their life has changed beyond all recognition in the space of two months. With walking three dogs I am of course now getting the obligatory ‘you’ve got your hands full there!’ line, but also ‘gosh, they’re well-behaved aren’t they!’ and ‘oh what happy little dogs!’. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Yes. Yes they are.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There is of course an awful lot more that has gone on, and is still going on, behind the scenes. I initially had to heavily referee Henna and Banjo's play. They both play very roughly, and it took a while before Henna relaxed enough to enjoy playing with him. She needed to learn that she could rely on me to step in when things got too much for her rather than having to sort it out herself, and Banjo needed to learn some impulse control. Their play is pretty equal now as far as 'who wins' and has become highly ritualised. Play is an aspect of their behaviour that may be different from that of many UK dogs. It's 'more' – more noisy, more fast, more frantic – but that could also be due to them both tending towards C-type <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/09/take-canine-mind-temperament-test.html" target="_blank">temperament</a> traits when under pressure. They both have a high prey drive, but no higher than my previous Irish rescue dog, Tilly. Henna developed <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/10/pleeeeease-dont-leave-me.html" target="_blank">separation distress</a> from me within the first couple of days. This was to be expected as any rescue dog no matter what country it's from has the potential to bond very quickly with its new owner. She showed her distress by barking, howling and fighting the bars of her pen, which is typical of C-type temperament separation distress behaviour. We overcame this fairly quickly though with carefully planned departures and dedicated training, and as she naturally grew more secure in herself and her new home. Banjo came with his own set of issues – he was skin and bone, had an unwell tummy due to the heaviest worm burden I have ever seen in a dog, an umbilical hernia, and a terribly matted coat – but he's in much better physical condition now thanks to several doses of Panacur, lots of nutritious food, and learning to love being groomed.<br /><br />Getting two rescue dogs at the same time has been incredibly hard work, but that's not because they are 'Rommies'. And it has in many ways made things easier. Being around the same age and size, they can entertain themselves quite happily when I need to be getting on with other things. Cindy can be as involved as she wants to be, and on the whole she does want to be, which is lovely to see especially after the initial worry that Henna's anti-social behaviour towards her caused. Importantly, they all walk together each day </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">and, taking into consideration Cindy's age and that she's considerably more delicate that Henna and Banjo, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I make sure that I provide other things that they can all do together, even if that's just ripping up some paper ...</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzm1nGU3rBD3BqsXDHDE8zYfZ6LW9hZULjZUzNzj7W_nCIdBZs2EcNm_lAudngY4dkuOz3hXvdENSfdPB3VMA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><p></p></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-26513411753974956772018-03-14T14:14:00.000+00:002018-03-22T09:35:06.250+00:00Knowledge is power ~ what I learned as a result of Tilly's cancer that could help other dog-owners to make more informed choices for their best friends.<div class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">On
Saturday 10th February, I had to make the decision that every
dedicated dog owner dreads. Although I'd had a couple of months to
prepare myself for it, I wasn't ready, and to add insult to injury it
didn't happen how I'd planned it; how I'd wanted it to happen. I know
that it wasn't what Tilly wanted either, but within the realms of the
limited choices laid out before us at the time, it was the only
decision that wouldn't have involved prolonged or unnecessary
suffering for her. However, the point of this post isn't to discuss
the right time to say goodbye to a beloved canine companion, nor how
to cope with the devastating loss. It's about imparting the knowledge
that I gained throughout the last eight months or so of Tilly's life,
which might just help other dog-owners to make better, more informed
choices for their best friends.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlxBaTyxzKy_pwwcf21vCQSZcnIOmJJZog0P0DQns8Jdvxoq6NriOuJTIGUzHj_EX3AecWefs_fHm40HPe_v4-4Pxo41R3fEgamCvX0DODZj6KgjcHhTpZk9qp05aW0eaUAfQlwPTDHM/s1600/070118.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlxBaTyxzKy_pwwcf21vCQSZcnIOmJJZog0P0DQns8Jdvxoq6NriOuJTIGUzHj_EX3AecWefs_fHm40HPe_v4-4Pxo41R3fEgamCvX0DODZj6KgjcHhTpZk9qp05aW0eaUAfQlwPTDHM/s400/070118.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">Although
Tilly was officially diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma on 3rd
January 2018, her symptoms had preceded this by about seven months.
In June 2017, she developed a slight, intermittent tremor whilst
resting; mostly in her hind legs, but sometimes the rest of her body
would tense up for a couple of seconds and then release, as though
she was shivering from cold. I filmed a couple of these episodes and
took the clips and her along to the vet who advised, despite my
concern that it might be abdominal pain, that it was probably nerve
degeneration due to her age. Then, during July and August, she
started vomiting – infrequently at first, maybe once every two to
three weeks, and only during the early hours of the morning on an
empty stomach. Another trip to the vet in September brought another
'nothing to worry about', but by November, the early morning vomiting
had increased to a couple of times a week. I was 100% certain that
she didn't have a gastro-intestinal blockage, and dietary changes had
brought no improvement. The vet we saw mid-November time didn't seem
overly concerned that she was vomiting a couple of times a week, or
that her tremor had worsened, but I knew that something was seriously
wrong. She had never been a 'sicky' dog. In fact, throughout her
entire life with us prior to summer 2017, she hadn't vomited once.
The first few times that it happened, she seemed genuinely surprised.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">I
wasn't happy that her symptoms kept being dismissed as 'due to age' and 'nothing to
worry about' and asked for blood tests. Although these returned a
supposedly clear result, during the first week of December she
vomitted four times. We returned to the surgery and saw a different
vet, who had recently seen another, very similar case. The vet had
performed exploratory surgery, removed a benign tumour from the
pyloric area of the dog's stomach, and the dog had made a full
recovery. However, I wasn't prepared to put Tilly under the knife on
the off-chance that the outcome would be the same. Instead, I opted
for an ultrasound scan referral, and a week or so later, my worst
fears were confirmed – a highly suspicious mass, approximately 6cm
by 2cm, situated within the lining of the inner curvature of the
gastric fundus.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1MlZMXs5hNXSOr6AwOBPH7sWZ4L89PCh__EUMMBRLLEaAPPZmMxINNsK_a9uBS1jxczLcX1SA_zonwaePTRCiA3krg7ikwsPc2O4y5IWYX3-fnXssVCdVCuvJFxmv46MfGpQi4RE9K8/s1600/Tilly+Angel++Abnormal+Area+in+the+Gastric+Fundus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1099" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1MlZMXs5hNXSOr6AwOBPH7sWZ4L89PCh__EUMMBRLLEaAPPZmMxINNsK_a9uBS1jxczLcX1SA_zonwaePTRCiA3krg7ikwsPc2O4y5IWYX3-fnXssVCdVCuvJFxmv46MfGpQi4RE9K8/s400/Tilly+Angel++Abnormal+Area+in+the+Gastric+Fundus.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">In
the midst of that awful moment, I knew that I had made the right
choice with the ultrasound referral, because had I opted for
exploratory surgery at my veterinary practice, it would have
undoubtedly ended with Tilly having to be put to sleep on the
operating table. And despite the vomiting, she still seemed bright,
happy, and interested in living. I asked the ultrasonographer whether
blood tests could indicate a cancer diagnosis, but was told no. I
later discovered, through my own online research, that there is a
blood test indicator for cancer – the </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte
Ratio (NLR)</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">
– and if this had been common knowledge in general veterinary
practice, maybe, just maybe, Tilly's cancer could have been diagnosed
early enough for surgery to have been a viable option. The same could
also be said about her 'shivering' episodes. However, at the time, we
were where we were.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">The
ultrasonographer recommended referral to a veterinary hospital that
could offer us a combined soft tissue surgery and oncology
appointment, and a fortnight later, a squashed cell preparation and
endoscopic biopies provided a definitive diagnosis: gastric
adenocarcinoma – a highly aggressive cancer that is unresponsive to
chemotherapy, and due to a combination of tumour location and size,
removal and resection to prolong life with any degree of quality was
no longer an option. Prognosis with palliative care was 1-2 months.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gswlxYRGtwonNb0qdlDVkvgFV6nr8xGKZT2dMBXXooagowlevOs8-0jG6ESXezDYXk8cMPz79oExM8u9ap7UTJX79uYEJQUlwiCoge1-6eohWThHHj4Lx7uX4gK7x75RsklLK0-gmYU/s1600/070118.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="1000" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gswlxYRGtwonNb0qdlDVkvgFV6nr8xGKZT2dMBXXooagowlevOs8-0jG6ESXezDYXk8cMPz79oExM8u9ap7UTJX79uYEJQUlwiCoge1-6eohWThHHj4Lx7uX4gK7x75RsklLK0-gmYU/s400/070118.02.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">Between
the ultrasound and soft tissue/oncology appointments, I was able to
reduce the frequency of her vomiting with Ranitidine (an antacid) and
Metoclopramide (an anti-emetic). She seemed brighter, and she was eating well. But the
diagnosis also threw a spanner in the works in the form of Tramadol.
In recent years, Tramadol has become the 'go to' pain relief drug for
dogs suffering a variety of types of pain, from arthritis to cancer.
For carcinoma cancers, it is recommended that Tramadol is given
alongside meloxicam.Tilly had had meloxicam in the form of Loxicom
some years previously and for an extended period of time, so I was
fairly confident that this wouldn't cause her any issues. However,
she didn't seem to be doing well on Tramadol. Her vomiting increased
again, and she seemed to be in more pain, not less. It would have
been easy to put this down to the cancer worsening her symptoms, but
a small amount of online digging unearthed some interesting
research-based facts about Tramadol and dogs; the main one being that
dogs do not possess the necessary receptors for Tramadol to work as a
painkiller. Furthermore, the drug still has to be metabolised by the
liver, and dogs, as humans, may suffer nasty side effects including
nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I stopped the Tramadol. After a
couple of days she seemed much brighter, more coordinated, and
noticeably more comfortable; and I felt mortified that I had been
giving her something, albeit on veterinary advice, that had not only
been making her ill and causing her pain, but had been giving her
liver yet another set of chemicals to deal with. The Ranitidine also
seemed to have begun to correlate with vomiting episodes, so I
stopped this too. During December it had worked well to reduce her
stomach acid production, but I felt that it had served its purpose
for the time-being. I continued to give her Loxicom and
Metoclopramide, and for a few weeks she seemed
to be doing better. We also tried <a href="http://www.emmahedderson.co.uk/" target="_blank">veterinary acupuncture</a> to see if it
would reduce the frequency of her vomiting, which it did seem to do
on a short-term basis as she always had at least one vomit-free day
post treatment. She continued to eat well – even regaining the
weight that she had lost during December. Her vomiting was occuring
only when her stomach was empty, and she was still enjoying fuss,
walks, and barking at the postman.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">It
was on the 9th of February that she took a turn for the worse and her
vomiting suddenly spiralled out of control. Although she still
managed not to throw up any food, she refused to eat from lunchtime
onwards, and despite continuing to drink, she was becoming
dehydrated. That night, she slept in my arms for what I knew would be
the last time. Come the morning, the whites of her eyes were showing
the faintest yellow tinge, and her blood pressure had dropped. I made
the call, but despite being assured previously that whenever the time
came, day or night, a practice vet would be available to her put to
sleep at home, I was told that a home visit was not possible until
Tuesday, which was three days away. However, if I could get her to
the surgery by close of business at 12.30pm, a vet would do it there.
I felt angry and cheated, but I couldn't allow my girl to suffer. I
told her what was going to happen and we got a taxi to the surgery so
that I didn't have to drive. She literally clung to me for the entire
journey – her claws gripping my legs as she lay across my lap. She
never laid across my lap. I knew what to expect when we got there –
I've had other dogs put to sleep – but what I didn't need to hear
from the vet was that he had to use twice the anaesthetic for a dog
of Tilly's size, and that she was a strong little dog; a fighter. Not
only did this add to the pain of letting her go, it added doubt to my
decision to put her to sleep. Over a month on, the 'what ifs' are
still haunting me.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">And
so, to the point of this post – knowledge. Whilst I do not advocate
going against veterinary advice, I do encourage dog-owners to
question it – particularly if it could cause, or appears to be
causing, a dog more harm than good. Veterinary professionals aren't
always up-to-date with the latest research, and importantly, no vet
will ever know your dog as well as you do.<b> </b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><b>Hind-leg
tremor and/or shivering, as though cold</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">.
I know now that Tilly's tremoring was not due to age-related nerve
degeneration, and that my initial, gut feeling that it was abdominal
discomfort, was correct. I know this because lowering her stomach
acid production with Ranitidine eased it considerably. Gastric
adenocarcinoma causes ulceration of the stomach lining. When the
stomach is empty, stomach acid and/or bile reflux will cause
irritation and burning. If your dog is shivering on and off as though
cold but is clearly not cold – particularly if this occurs a few
hours after eating or whilst resting – it could be an indictation
of abdominal discomfort; not necessarily of cancer, but of some kind
of upper gastro-intestinal tract irritiation such as heartburn, acid
reflux, gastritis or pancreatitis, that warrants further
investigation. The same goes for early morning vomiting, known as
bilious vomiting syndrome. This occurs on an empty stomach as a
result of bile refluxing into the stomach and causing irritation.
Despite being suggested as a fairly common, benign affliction in
older dogs, it could be an indication that something more sinister is
going on, and shouldn't be dismissed as being due to age.<b> </b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><b>Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte
Ratio (NLR)</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">
(Uribe-Querol and Rosales, 2015)</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">.
It is true that there aren't any blood tests that will diagnose
cancer in dogs; however, research suggests that the
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte
Ratio (NLR) may serve as a prognostic factor for cancer.
Extrapolation of Tilly's blood results from November produces an </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">NLR
of 5:1</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">
– this is the ratio that has been found to indicate cancer. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">The NLR
cannot be used to specify cancer type, rather, it is a biomarker for
various tumors including some lung cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma,
nasopharyngeal carcinoma, colorectal cancer, melanoma, breast cancer
and gastric cancer. My advice is to always ask for a copy of your
dog's blood results, even if your vet tells you that everything is
nomal. A full blood count will specify the levels of neutrophils
(NEU) and lymphocytes (LYM) in your dog's blood. If NEU is five times
higher than LYM, this may indicate that your dog has cancer, and in
which case, depending on your dog's symptoms, the early use of
non-invasive diagnostic techniques such as ultrasound, MRI and x-rays
may be able to detect where this is, and perhaps buy your dog some
valuable time in getting it diagnosed and treated.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><b>Tramadol</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">.
It doesn't work as a painkiller in dogs (Budsberg et al, 2018).
Tramadol is an opioid-like drug, but unlike true opioid drugs that
act as mu-opioid receptor agonists, the analgesic effect of Tramadol
is due to the drug's metabolites blocking M1 opioid receptors only (Minami
et al, 2015). Whilst humans and cats have M1 receptors, dogs do not.
Dogs are still subject to the serotonin and norepinephrine effects of
Tramadol, which cause mild sedation; however, sedation is not pain
relief. Effective painkillers for dogs, particularly when
opiate-based pain relief is required, include morphine patches if a
dog cannot take oral medication or is already suffering with
abdominal discomfort or liver disease, and Pardale-V – a
non-prescription analgesic that contains codeine, which has been
specifically formulated for dogs. I wasn't aware that morphine
patches existed for dogs until the end of Tilly's life, by which time
it was too late. Given the terminal nature and symptoms of her
illness, I feel that we should have been offered this option much
sooner. Tilly had a reasonable-to-good quality of life right up until
the end, but if we had been able to use morphine patches instead of
oral pain relief, I believe that her quality of life would have been
further improved.<b> </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><b>Meloxicam
– Metacam vs Loxicom</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">.
Meloxicam is a NSAID medication – a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drug. More specifically, it is a COX-2 inhibitor, which has been
shown to slow the growth of adenocarcinoma tumours. Meloxicam is the
active ingredient in both Metacam and Loxicom, but the two
medications are not the same in other respects. The difference is in
the excipients – substances that are formulated alongside the
active ingredient of a medication, and are included for the purposes
of long-term stabilization and other factors, such as palatability.
I'm sure that most dog owners are aware that a substance called
xylitol, a sweetener often used in chewing gum, is highly toxic to
dogs. What I'm also certain of is that most dog owners are unaware
that Metacam – the brand of meloxicam favoured by the majority of
vets and prescribed for a wide range of inflammatory conditions –
contains xylitol. Loxicom on the other hand, does not. I realise that
the amount of xylitol in Metacam is probably small, but why include
it in a medication formulated for use in dogs when there are plenty
of other, dog-safe sweeteners available? I don't know whether the
xylitol content of Metacam poses a health-risk to dogs who take it on
a longterm basis, but what I do know is that based on ingredients,
Loxicom appears to be the safer option.<b> </b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><b>Euthanasia
– advice for vets for dealing with clients</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">.
Please don't say that a dog needed more anaesthetic than would
normally be required to end its life. It is a totally unnecessary thing
to tell someone. It's also unprofessional. It provides zero comfort
to the newly bereaved and worse, it may cause a client to further
question what has certainly been an impossibly difficult decision to make. What
a client needs to hear is that their dog seems ready to go, and if
you have to use more anaesthetic than normal, keep that information to yourself.
And unless you truly offer an unconditional, any time 'at home'
euthanasia service, please don't mislead clients into thinking that
this is an option.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">If
this blogpost has given the impression that I'm unhappy with the
treatment that we received from the veterinary professionals involved
in Tilly's care, this was not my intention. Everyone that we came
into contact with was kind and caring, and I truly believe that they
all had Tilly's best interests at heart. However, it was a lack of
knowledge about the presentation of abdominal discomfort and gastric
adenocarcinoma, NLR as a progostic factor for cancer, and the
(in)effectiveness of Tramadol as a painkiller, that steered the
course of Tilly's treatment along a particular path. This path could
have been different. The possibility exists that had her symptoms
been viewed differently and taken more seriously, and had the cancer
been detected early enough, she may still be with us ... and so, if any
of the knowledge that I have gained during the course of Tilly's
illness enables just one dog and owner to have more time together,
then something good will have come out of our experience.</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In loving memory of my beautiful,
brave Tillybean.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>References</b><span lang="en"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">Budsberg,
S., Torres, B., Kleine, S., Sandberg, G. and Berjeski, A. (2018) Lack
of effectiveness of tramadol hydrochloride for the treatment of pain
and joint dysfunction in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><i>Journal
of the American Veterinary Medical Association</i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">,
252: 427-432.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">Minami,
K., Sudo, Y., Miyano, K., Murphy, R. and Uezono, Y. (2015) µ-Opioid
receptor activation by tramadol and O-desmethyltramadol (M1). </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><i>Journal
of Anaethesia</i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">,
29 (3): 475-479.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">Uribe-Querol,
E. and Rosales, C. (2015) Neutrophils in Cancer: Two Sides of the
Same Coin. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><i>Journal
of Immunology Research.</i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bibliography</b> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">European
Drugs Encyclopedia</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-16598062050571670982012-01-11T15:16:00.008+00:002012-02-09T11:35:58.993+00:00Feeding for health and longevity: Raw vs. kibble vs. calories<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In May last year I changed the dogs' teatime meal to a commercially prepared, 'ready-made' raw food diet. At the time and for a long time beforehand, I believed that raw was the best way to feed a dog, but six months down the line, the diet wasn't working out well for Tilly. I had to stop and re-evaluate my thoughts about raw feeding being the healthy option, and question what the domestic dog's 'species-appropriate' diet really should be. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Dogs are carnivores, there is no doubting this, but carnivores fall into different types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are true or ‘obligate carnivores’ – animals that </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN;">depend solely on the nutrients found in animal matter for their survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While they may consume small amounts of plant matter, they lack the physiology required for the efficient digestion of plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All felids including the domestic cat are obligate carnivores, requiring a diet consisting of primarily animal flesh, bones and organs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Dogs and other canids are ‘facultative carnivores’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Facultative’ means contingent, optional, or not required</strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> – in other words, while the primary diet of dogs is meat, dogs are actually capable of surviving without it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Studies of the wolves of Yellowstone National Park in the USA reveal that even when prey animals are in plentiful supply, on average, the wolves only eat fresh prey every 2-3 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can drop to only a few times per month during the winter, with the rest of the diet being made up of carrion (sometimes only frozen hide and bones) and whatever pickable, edible vegetation happens to be available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the wild, wolves don’t eat much, not even much of their primary food – fresh, raw prey – and they will go for days without eating anything at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Dogs are also scavenger carnivores</strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">, meaning that although the meat that they would naturally consume may well be raw, it may not necessarily be fresh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decomposing flesh of carrion is in essence partly digested, with bacteria having already done some of the ‘eating’.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTO32aiwoL0_06wWhkL6zE2o4Z6YaEJSLwAzeoJ3jRLYZvzZkDcjVOdfg2YbLw5F_l2mHWXs_BkybAKjr0H8Hw9SobKS9CMIc4pbWxUOqQu74ysCoUhhZoOREcbU5oGVWwLQXPNekjIFk/s1600/canine+evolutionary+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTO32aiwoL0_06wWhkL6zE2o4Z6YaEJSLwAzeoJ3jRLYZvzZkDcjVOdfg2YbLw5F_l2mHWXs_BkybAKjr0H8Hw9SobKS9CMIc4pbWxUOqQu74ysCoUhhZoOREcbU5oGVWwLQXPNekjIFk/s320/canine+evolutionary+tree.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Being a carnivore, the dog’s dentition is geared towards a diet of flesh and bone</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; letter-spacing: 0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Each side of an adult dog's upper jaw has 3 incisor teeth, 1 large canine tooth, 4 premolars and 2 molar teeth, and the lower jaw has 3 incisors, 1 canine tooth, 4 premolar and 3 molar teeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>The number and types of teeth reflect those of a ‘mesocarnivore’</strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The earliest Carnivora family of <i>Miacidae</i>, of which Miacis, the earliest known ancestor of the domestic dog was a member, were mesocarnivores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Modern day mesocarnivores include wolves, coyotes, f</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">oxes, civets and skunks, as well as dogs. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Beyond the teeth, the dog’s gastro-intestinal system is that of a carnivore</strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN;">being </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">much shorter in proportion and in comparison with the GI tracts of herbivores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;">The overall length of the canine GI tract (from mouth to anus) is about 5 times the dog’s total body length, whereas </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">the length of the herbivorous equine GI tract is about 15 times the horse’s total body length.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The human GI tract is 10 times longer than the length of the body.</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="st1"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; letter-spacing: 0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><strong>The natural diet of a mesocarnivore would ideally consist of 50-70% animal and 30-50% plant matter</strong></span></span><span class="st1"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; letter-spacing: 0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="st1"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; letter-spacing: 0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In comparison, the diet of ‘hypercarnivores’ (e.g. cats, eagles, sharks, salmon) consists of more than 70% animal, and that of ‘hyopcarnivores’ (e.g. Black bear, raccoon) less than 30% animal. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN;">While virtually all animals display omnivorous feeding behaviour according to conditions such as food supply, etc, animals generally prefer one class of food or another, for which their digestive processes are optimised accordingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The classification ‘omnivore’ refers to the adaptations and main food source of a species in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main food source of an omnivore is variety in itself – pigs for example are true omnivores – but a plant-eating carnivore or a meat-eating herbivore is neither individually nor as a whole species omnivorous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may surprise you to learn that </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">humans</span> are not omnivores either, and neither are we carnivores or herbivores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like all of our primate ‘cousins’ we actually belong to a class of plant-eaters called ‘frugivores’, or fruit-eaters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as carnivores can and do eat plant matter, frugivores (also herbivores, nectarivores, florivores and granivores) can and do eat meat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>The dog is a facultative carnivore, a scavenger carnivore and a mesocarnivore, NOT an omnivore</strong><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Being a mesocarnivore, the dog’s diet would ideally consist of 30-50% plant matter</strong><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, but unlike herbivores, dogs lack the bacteria in their gut that produce the enzyme ‘cellulase’ and therefore the ability to break down cellulose – </span><span class="st1"><span style="font-family: Georgia; letter-spacing: 0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">the major component in the rigid cell walls in plants.</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Certainly, when some cellulose-rich foods are fed, they are still intact and recognisable within the dog’s faeces, for example, sweetcorn kernels, and grass (as anyone who has had the displeasure of removing grass-dangley-poops from their dog’s bottom will know).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For herbivores, the result of the digestion of cellulose is glucose, which is how they obtain their energy. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Dogs also lack </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN;">the salivary enzyme ‘amylase’ needed to digest starchy plant matter found in cereals, grains and fibrous vegetables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coupled with the fact that dogs also lack grinding molars, the lack of salivary amylase </span>is often used to uphold the theory that dogs are carnivores and therefore should not be fed plant matter at all, however, grinding molars and amylase are not needed for the digestion of ‘softer’ plant material composed mainly of water and simple sugars, such as fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is also often omitted in the ‘Prey Model’ of feeding is that <strong>although dogs lack salivary amylase, amylase is produced in the pancreas, so the digestion of starch-rich plant matter is possible once this has passed into the dog’s small intestine</strong><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN;">.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Contrary to popular belief, wolves do not eat the stomach contents of large, herbivorous prey animals</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stomach acid is highly corrosive and would burn the mouth and oesophagus if eaten (and also corrode tooth enamel).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally, wolves will eat the stomach wall of large herbivorous prey animals, but only after shaking out the stomach contents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stomach contents of smaller prey animals such as rabbits, mice and birds is eaten, but only as a result of the entire animal being consumed – claws, fur, beak, feathers and all.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3d4OERJnpPg8GQR15I5OBpYWD0Nin7iuQ3K68hu3v1NKi8DZ6Dip_Hl91i-6t16o0eTsU_OsZxwK_CX_aanVN8Rn8O02ryCQ7nN4dzn9ncsZhtGFgX211lOPr-dDD5GWYXE6vnMNE_BY/s1600/arabianwolflyingsharjah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3d4OERJnpPg8GQR15I5OBpYWD0Nin7iuQ3K68hu3v1NKi8DZ6Dip_Hl91i-6t16o0eTsU_OsZxwK_CX_aanVN8Rn8O02ryCQ7nN4dzn9ncsZhtGFgX211lOPr-dDD5GWYXE6vnMNE_BY/s320/arabianwolflyingsharjah.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><div style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">So … based on the domestic dog’s carnivore types (facultative, scavenger and mesocarnivore) </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">and given its likely evolutionary route and self-domestication from the small Asiatic (Arabian) wolf</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">, it could be concluded that t</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">he most ideal, most natural, most appropriate doggy diet ideally should consist of 50-70% small, raw, whole prey (flesh, bones, organs, fur, feathers, etc) including mammals, birds (and their eggs), reptiles and invertebrates such as worms and insects, and scavenged carrion (this could include fish and large animals), and a 30-50% mix of the stomach/intestinal contents of small herbivorous and omnivorous prey (e.g. rabbits, squirrels, mice, birds), ripe fruits and berries and various other ‘pickable’ plants and botanicals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the latest DNA evidence suggests that the dog began to branch away from the wolf between 100,000 and 135,000 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also know that around 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice-age, dogs became the domesticated canines that we know and love today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this time, and particularly so during the past 3,000 years of intentional, selective breeding, numerous anatomical and behavioural changes have taken place as a direct result of the domestic dog’s strategy of life, to stay near humans for the best chance of survival (which includes eating our food).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The dog has not been a wolf for many thousands of years, and numerous</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"> features of the dog’s anatomy including skull, teeth, skeleton and GI tract differ significantly from those of wolves both of the past, and of the present.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means that according to </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">the domestic dog’s strategy of life – to stay near humans for the best chance of survival – the 50-70% animal part of the ‘dog as mesocarnivore’ diet should also include table scraps such as cooked meat and dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese, etc) and the non-animal part, raw, cooked and partially cooked vegetables, cereals and grains, as well as a smorgasbord of excreted poop from humans and the local domestic and wild animal populations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>This gives a whole new perspective on ‘natural feeding’</b>, and one that implies that popular raw diet formulae such as Prey Model, Natural Raw Diet, Raw Meaty Bones and BARF (Bones and Raw Food, Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) are all flawed in some way or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">What to feed is a personal choice that we make for our dogs based on what we believe to be the best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>There is no scientific research to support the claimed, nutritional benefits of raw feeding, only anecdotes and testimonials</strong>,<strong> </strong>however, there is scientific evidence to the contrary both in nutritional analysis studies of raw food diets for dogs and in veterinary case studies of cats and adult dogs and puppies fed various raw diet formulae.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly in six months of feeding a commercially prepared, 'ready made' raw food diet to my dogs, both of whom were in great, general health to begin with anyway, I have seen no obvious beneficial health changes but instead the opposite, when throughout October and November Tilly began to suffer worsening, nightly abdominal discomfort that upon switching her back to her breakfast kibble (Acana) for her teatime meal, ceased completely. Wanting to ensure that she was back to good health I had her blood tested, and although symptom-free at the time of these tests, she tested positive for pancreatitis. Two months on since stopping the raw food and her blood lipase level is still double the norm, but I'm hoping that this will continue to drop now that I have switched her onto a bland, low-fat wet food (Chappie). I am very thankful that my dogs sleep next to my bed, otherwise I would be none-the-wiser to her nightly discomfort and the seriousness of what was developing. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I am also thankful that I am not so far up my own bottom not to be able to change my long-held belief that raw just has to best, or to delude myself that Tilly's symptoms of digestive upset after 6 months of raw feeding must either be normal, or due to something other than the food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>However, I have seen the apparent health benefits of raw feeding in a client dog</b> who had a multitude of infected tick bites on its head that despite several months of antibiotic treatment had failed to clear up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After only four days on a raw food diet, the tick bites were no longer infected, and a fortnight later there was no evidence that the bites had ever been there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think that this was coincidence and I do think that the healing was directly connected to nutrition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Protein is needed for cell development and repair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amino acids are critical to life and have many functions in metabolism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some protein sources contain higher levels of certain amino acids than do others, and some protein sources contain a broader range of amino acids than do others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cooking alters the molecular structure of protein, which may make assimilation difficult, and the cheaper commercial kibbles use lower quality protein sources in their formulae.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before switching to a raw food diet the dog was being fed what I consider to be a low quality kibble (high in cereal, low in meat, and a minimum level of vitamin D).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that the raw food gave him a much needed protein and vitamin D super-boost, which finally enabled his body to repair the damage, and quickly too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the raw feeding anecdotes are along similar lines – "dog with chronic illness gets well when fed a raw food diet".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <strong>Maybe</strong></span><strong> it would be more appropriate to use raw feeding as medicine for dogs, not as the primary diet, and like any course of medicine to stop giving it once the illness has been cured.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">And perhaps there is nothing wrong with long-term raw feeding if the nutrition truly is balanced, complete, and doesn't contain excessive amounts of fat, however,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <strong>l</strong></span><strong>aboratory analyses of five raw diets including two that are commercially produced have shown up nutritional shortfalls in a wide range of minerals </strong>including iron, zinc, potassium, manganese, calcium and phosphorous, as well as vitamin E, and nutritional excesses including vitamin D and magnesium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly, whether homemade, canned or kibbled, there is nothing wrong with feeding a cooked diet that is nutritionally balanced and complete (according to AAFCO) and includes a small proportion of cereal or grain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But whatever the diet, quality of the ingredients is important, and by quality I mean ‘additive free’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many raw-fed dogs are fed fatty, domestically raised animals that have been pumped full antibiotics, hormones and vaccines, and while raw animal flesh, bone and organs are worthy of inclusion into the dog’s diet, feeding fatty, ‘adulterated’ raw meat really is not the healthy option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeding a raw diet that does not consist of between 30-50% digestible plant matter is, in my opinion, not dog-appropriate, and the practise of supplementing a raw or home-cooked diet with probiotic bacteria, digestive enzymes and/or vitamin/mineral/amino-acid rich ‘super-foods’ when the nutritional content of the diet itself has not been thoroughly analysed, is questionable both in benefit and ‘appropriateness’.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Adding supplements also suggests that the dog can’t get enough nutrition from a raw-food diet</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Ah but …’ say many raw-feeders, ‘… in the wild, dogs and wolves would eat all of the carcass, so the nutrition would be balanced and complete.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So disregarding the fact that dogs are not wolves and have not been living ‘in the wild’ for a very long time, let me get this right – the eating of the ‘non-meat’ parts of a raw carcass makes a meal balanced and complete, but commercially produced pet foods that may contain these ‘derivative’ parts (e.g. hair, hooves, feathers, beaks, sinews, tracheae, guts, eyes, snouts, bum-holes, etc) should be avoided like the plague because they are inferior, junk ingredients?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>he fact is that predators will selectively eat for nutritional value, for the best balance of protein, fat and other nutrients, but this has nothing to do with eating an entire carcass, it has to do with having a much, much wider menu from which to self-select. <strong>Self-selection as well as a huge variety of different foods is what today's feeding practices lack, regardless of whether or not the food given is raw or whole</strong>. The dog's choice of what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat it, is limited. We decide for them. The dog's natural feeding practice is 'buffet-style', but we take away this choice to feed naturally. We prohibit the dog's natural inclination to self-select for balanced nutrition. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>I’m not suggesting that all kibbles are nutritionally 'complete'</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may be complete as per AAFCO standards and balanced in the nutritients that they actually contain as in there are no excesses or no deficiencies of those ingredients, but some may be lacking in certain vitamins, protein amino-acids and nutrients essential for optimum health simply because there is no legal requirement for pet food manufacturers to include them, or they are included at minimum levels that aren’t sufficient for some dogs to remain in gleaming health (e.g. those with digestion or assimilation problems or chronic illness).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But at least the commercial kibbles aren’t pretending to be something that they are not, and supplementing a commercial kibble diet with a weekly portion of oily fish, the occasional whole, raw egg, a raw, lean, meaty lamb rib (as a meal replacement), a carrot, a broccoli stalk, a handful of blueberries or a few mg of ‘super-greens’ now and again is more likely to enhance overall nutrition than unbalance it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incidentally, <strong>the past and present feeding practices of captive wolves show that they live longer and remain healthier when fed commercial dog food</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No word of a lie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the leading specialists in wolf husbandry and medicine, feeding commercial dog food, not raw prey, is the recommended practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To provide enrichment for the wolves and bait for husbandry purposes raw meat and bones are fed, but not as the main diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">But whatever diet choice we make for our dogs, whether that be raw or cooked, commercially produced or home prepared, fresh on the bone, canned, pouched or kibbled, expensive or cheap, one thing is absolutely certain - <b>overfeeding reduces lifespan</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overfeeding is perhaps the biggest error that pet owners make – even those who feed to manufacturers’ recommended guidelines and according to ‘ideal’ breed weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than 60 years of scientific research shows us that <b>calorie restriction is the only nutritional intervention that consistently extends the lifespan of animals</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, in a controlled study of 48 Labradors, feeding 25% less food than the calorie requirement for ideal body weight saw an average lifespan increase of around 2 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, compared to the control dogs who were fed to maintain ‘ideal’ body weight, the food restricted dogs weighed less, had lower body fat content, lower serum triglycerides, triiodothyronine, insulin and glucose concentrations, and the onset of the signs of chronic disease was delayed.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Calculating the ideal daily energy requirement for a dog is a little complicated, but not difficult</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, we need to know the dog’s ‘ideal’ weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The standard guideline is to be able to easily feel the ribs beneath the coat, see a definite waist when viewed from above, and an abdominal tuck when viewed from the side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also need to know the Metabolic Energy value (kcal/kg) of the food that we feed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This information is usually easy to find on the packet label of commercially produced, complete kibbles and some canned and pouched foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final piece of information that we need to calculate daily energy requirement is the dog’s age, sexual status and activity level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tilly’s ‘ideal’ weight by eye and feel is around 14 kg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is between 5 and 7 years old, spayed, and typically active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBF45GK_E7xof1sbvfSqNcHBuKE80dRgPk1vXmM0H7Uoc-981x2kHytV61Nn0-5oRYxblwIpUauuvZJEXfo6bL6PWQ9FFV_IUIbGamdu2oeEsloFTaIoYF5CYgs2_hr3kmmsYeDp38mE/s1600/tilly+dog+food+calculator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBF45GK_E7xof1sbvfSqNcHBuKE80dRgPk1vXmM0H7Uoc-981x2kHytV61Nn0-5oRYxblwIpUauuvZJEXfo6bL6PWQ9FFV_IUIbGamdu2oeEsloFTaIoYF5CYgs2_hr3kmmsYeDp38mE/s320/tilly+dog+food+calculator.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia;">According to the dog food calculator (picture left), this gives me two category choices – ‘typical’ and ‘senior, neutered, inactive’. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">She is neutered, but she is neither senior nor inactive, so ‘typical’ more accurately describes her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I feed her Chappie original canned, which has a Metabolic Energy value of 850 kcal/kg. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The resulting calculation is that she requires 796 calories per day and I should be feeding her 940 grams of Chappie per day, however, to follow the 25% food restriction diet to increase lifespan, a further calculation is needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>To calculate 25% of 796, we need to divide 796 by 100 (7.96) and then multiply this by 25 (199).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gives a reduced daily calorie intake of 597 (796 – 199).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We know that 940 grams contains 796 calories, so to reduce this by 25% we divide 940 grams by 100, which gives 9.4 grams (1% of 940 grams), and then multiply 9.4 grams by 25 to give 235 grams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 940</span> grams minus 235 grams is 705 grams. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So actually, Tilly requires 705 grams of Chappie per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MugJyh3-s9b9ZluZKfRaMaxgZMQhS_Xa-38G4EJrW8k7ZQZuqSZi93W9JWJ-ajfOrTUXC23H3Fexu21NpGIgXgygb3vdkn4eysSxPyCdLHD0-rgXUtF2pnBltQaTWpLTfdhXq63xTIk/s1600/ribs+visible+Beau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MugJyh3-s9b9ZluZKfRaMaxgZMQhS_Xa-38G4EJrW8k7ZQZuqSZi93W9JWJ-ajfOrTUXC23H3Fexu21NpGIgXgygb3vdkn4eysSxPyCdLHD0-rgXUtF2pnBltQaTWpLTfdhXq63xTIk/s320/ribs+visible+Beau.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Beau’s ‘ideal’ weight by eye and feel is 32 kg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s 3 years old, neutered, and very lazy, so even though he’s a young dog, I place him in the ‘senior, neutered, inactive’ category.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I feed him Acana Grasslands kibble, which has a Metabolic Energy value of 3750 kcal/kg. </span>According to the dog food calculator, this works out at 1211 calories and 320 grams of Acana Grasslands per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To feed for increased lifespan, this is reduced to 908 calories and 240 grams of Acana Grasslands per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I went by Acana’s daily recommendation for an inactive, 32 kg dog, I would be feeding him 320 grams per day – 80 grams more than is needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beau’s ‘feeding for increased lifespan’ weight is around 31 kg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeding for increased lifespan drops the ‘ideal’ weight by 1 kilo – that’s a whole kilo of excess fat! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Visually, the difference in my dogs between ‘ideal’ and ‘increased lifespan’ weights is that the ribcage is more defined, with the outline of the last three ribs visible beneath the coat (picture right).</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>It is much, much harder to calculate how much raw food to feed because meats, vegetables, plants, etc, differ greatly in their individual Metabolic Energy values</strong>.<strong> </strong></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The general guide to feeding raw food is around 2% of the dog’s ideal body weight per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Tilly this works out at 300 grams per day in which to pack 796 calories (her ‘ideal’ weight calorie count).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To feed for increased lifespan, we need to reduce the calories to 597, but to feed for variety, the quantity of food fed per day will fluctuate greatly in order to provide the correct calorie count per meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, there are around 85 calories in 100 g of raw tripe, which means that an all tripe day for Tilly weighs in at 705 g, but if fed according to the 2% rule would provide her with a meagre 238 calories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raw lamb ribs are around 284 kcal per 100g, so an all lamb rib day for Tilly weighs in at 210 g, but feeding lamb ribs according to the 2% rule would provide her with 796 calories (and a huge quantity of fat).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the Metabolic Energy values of different foods is so inconsistent, realistically, the best way to feed a raw food or home-cooked diet is by calorie content, not by weight, whilst trying to keep the overall quantity of the meal at around 2% of the dog’s bodyweight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That way, meals that combine meat, bone, offal, fish, egg, dairy and veg, fruit, grain, cereal, herbs based on the mesocarnivore 50-70:30-50 animal:plant ratio of the human-food-eating domestic dog could be made without overloading or starving the body with such wildly fluctuating daily calorie intakes and meal weights, although the ratios per meal would need to differ from dog to dog to accommodate individual calorie needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>But calories are only a part of the story</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if increased lifespan calorie counts for an individual dog can be achieved at around 2% of bodyweight per meal formula per day, the levels of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals will continue to remain inconsistent across each meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could have three possible outcomes:</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><ol><li><span style="font-family: Georgia;">over time the inconsistencies balance themselves out</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;">over time the inconsistencies saturate the body’s organs and tissues with excess waste (toxaemia)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;">over time the inconsistencies leave the body deficient in some way (malnourishment) </span></li>
</ol></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">It’s tricky enough even with all the right information to get the long-term balance right with a home-prepared diet, and while it may be safe to assume that the producers of commercial ‘complete’ raw food diets have taken care of this for us, the full nutritional content with nutrient levels, along with Metabolic Energy values, are unavailable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some list the % values for moisture, protein, fat, ash and fibre. Some also list vitamin, mineral and amino-acid content, but none list the levels of these nutrients and so do not provide enough information to know for sure that according to the 2% rule (or thereabouts) the food contains a complete <u>and</u> balanced compliment of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If feeding only one meal variety that contains just one meat source (e.g. chicken only) and the same vegetable/fruit/‘other’ combination and meat:plant ratio as other meal varieties, this WILL give rise to nutritional deficiency or excess over time, unless the formula has been adjusted accordingly for balance (which to my knowledge, none have).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even feeding a range of meal varieties is no guarantee of balance because they each tend to be made to the same meat:plant ratio and the same combination of 'plant', with the type of meat being the only element that changes.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>My own journey into raw feeding has turned out to be nothing more than a detour</b>, and even though I truly believed that raw was the best way to feed my dogs and to some extent still do, somewhat of a learning curve too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m neither for raw nor against it, but until the commercial, ready-made raw food diet producers can supply complete <u>and</u> balanced nutrition along with full analyses and Metabolic Energy values of their meals and they can achieve this with a fat content of 4% or lower, I will continue to feed Chappie (Tilly) and Acana (Beau) as the primary diet – with the occasional added extra (fish fillet, handful of blueberries, chunk of apple, etc) for variety and to boost basic nutrition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I want my dogs to remain healthy and to live as long as possible, and the scientific evidence shows that reducing the daily calories of a commercially produced, complete and balanced kibble by 25% allows for an average increased lifespan of two years. Quality and appropriateness of ingredients is important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Complete and balanced nutrition is also important – but ultimately, it’s reducing the calories that counts in the longevity stakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><b>Less really does mean more – more years, and better health for longer</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">.................................................................................................................................................................... </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Bibliography & Resources</span></u></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">L. David Mech and Luigi Boitani.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Canine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Bonnie V. Beaver.</span><br />
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<b>The domestic dog: Its evolution, behaviour and interactions with people.</b><br />
<b></b>J Serpell.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dog Food Calculator</span></strong></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Mike Sagman.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Dog Food Advisor: Saving Good Dogs from Bad Food.</span><br />
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<b>Nutritional analysis of 5 types of “Raw Food Diets.” </b></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">L. Freeman, K. Michel.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_138566216"></span><span id="goog_138566217"></span><br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><a href="http://avmajournals.avma.org/toc/javma/218/5"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2001;218(5):705.</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_180348557"></span><span id="goog_180348558"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Raw%20food%20diets%20in%20companion%20animals:%20A%20critical%20review."><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Raw food diets in companion animals: A critical review.</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Daniel P. Schlesinger, Daniel J. Joffe.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_180348564"></span><span id="goog_180348565"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_180348569"></span><span id="goog_180348570" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.avma.org/avmacollections/obesity_dogs/javma_220_9_1315.pdf">Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs.</a></span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Richard D. Kealy, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">P</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">h</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">D</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; Dennis F. Lawler, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">DVM</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; Joan M. Ballam, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">MS</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; Sandra L. Mantz; Darryl N. Biery, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">DVM</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">DACVR</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; Elizabeth H. Greeley, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">P</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">h</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">D</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; George Lust, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">P</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">h</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">D</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; Mariangela Segre, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">DS</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">c</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; Gail K. Smith, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">DVM</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">P</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">h</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">D</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">DACVS</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; Howard D. Stowe, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">DVM</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">P</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">h</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">D.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/raw-meat-and-bone-diets-for-dogs-its-enough-to-make-you-barf/"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Science-based medicine ~ “Raw Meat and Bone Diets for Dogs: It’s Enough to Make You BARF”.</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Dr Brennan McKenzie, MA, VMD.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110192942.htm"><strong>Predators Hunt for a Balanced Diet</strong></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Science Daily</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.....................................................................................................................................................................</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Tilly update, 10th February</strong> ~ Re-test for cPL has confirmed that finally, this has decreased to a normal level again. The bad news is that proximal inflammation/damage to her small intestine as a result of the pancreatitis has left her with a folate (vitamin B9) deficiency, so I am working to increase this via dietary supplementation. I will be re-testing cPL and folate levels again in a month's time to see whether we have continued, normal cPL, and an increase in folate.</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-82818377572668255982012-01-07T13:31:00.000+00:002012-01-07T13:31:19.279+00:00Nail trimming can be fun!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Nail trimming is an incredibly stressful experience for many dogs and their owners, but it doesn't have to be that way. It is completely possible to train a dog to accept having its nails trimmed or filed, and if </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">done correctly it can take as little as 5 minutes to completely desensitise the dog to the experience, however, handler timing is of the utmost importance and in my experience, most people's timing is too poor to bring about an effective and lasting result. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Another way to keep on top of the task of nail trimming is to clip just one sliver from just one nail per day, which if carried out with confidence can be over and done with before the dog even realises its nail has been trimmed. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lots of walking on concrete or tarmac helps to keep the nails short, but even though I do around 20 minutes of brisk walking/jogging on pavements with my dogs every day, this isn't quite enough to keep their nails at the perfect length, so they still need some extra attention every so often. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The method that I use is the most fun way to trim nails. It requires no clippers, no file, no treats, is completely 'hands-off' and 100% effective. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Are you dying to know what I do? </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Okay then, I'll tell you ...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We play 10 minutes of fetch along the concrete path in the garden. That's it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's the result ...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3NS_y1ehhS7e6oBqoR4UDhsgriD1TtGJ9uknMW5GN0VfWxD8aYy7EivuQCvFja90L4hHrxQ5mTUY1_1TXtd-vw3OmZK7WFtCaqTpBRPa5sgDSgxkjG-6veaKJ7InHgBnC95Jdgx0WDA/s1600/nails1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3NS_y1ehhS7e6oBqoR4UDhsgriD1TtGJ9uknMW5GN0VfWxD8aYy7EivuQCvFja90L4hHrxQ5mTUY1_1TXtd-vw3OmZK7WFtCaqTpBRPa5sgDSgxkjG-6veaKJ7InHgBnC95Jdgx0WDA/s400/nails1.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">... Tilly's nails, perfectly filed. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Throw the fetch-toy so that your dog has to turn to run and fetch it from alternate sides ~ this ensure that the hind nails wear evenly. If your dog is a really frantic fetcher, throw the ball and make her wait, before releasing her to fetch it ~ that way she'll be facing in the right direction and won't need to turn, so she won't wear the hind nails down quicker than the fore nails. Certainly with Tilly, her hind nails stay pretty short anyway, so it's the nails of her front paws that need a bit of an extra trim now and again. If you don't have a concrete path or similar area at home, use a concrete or tarmac footpath or cycle path instead (not right next to a road, obviously!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">For dogs with joint problems this method may not be suitable, but for fit and healthy dogs that need a pedicure just once in a while, it really is the most fun that a nail-trim can be. It gets a big 'paws up' from my two anyway! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-81044758848273353122011-11-23T12:33:00.004+00:002016-01-19T14:32:15.310+00:00Head-collars<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A standard 6-foot leash and flat collar is universally accepted as the norm for walking and training dogs, but for large or powerful dogs, such basic equipment offers the handler very little in the way of effective restraint or ease of control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With pet stores stocking a huge range of leads, collars and other equipment that claim to resolve unruly on-leash behaviour, deciding what to choose for the best is a confusing and daunting prospect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As well being an effective tool for the facilitation of training of desirable behaviour, training equipment should not cause the dog physical or emotional distress when used as the design intends, and so with manufacturers using words like ‘gentle’, ‘natural’, ‘kind’, ‘comfort’ and ‘easy’ to describe their products, it’s reasonable to assume that these training aids are humane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Head-collars are a popular choice to control various on-leash behaviours, from plain old pulling to aggression, but in my experience of speaking with clients and watching dogs being walked, I have yet to meet a single dog that appears to enjoy wearing the type of head-collar known as a ‘muzzle-clamping head-collar’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Muzzle-clampers include the Halti, Gentle Leader, Cannycollar and GenCon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs are just miserable wearing these, and many learn to fear the sight of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is because muzzle-clamping head-collars, as the name suggests, are designed to tighten around the dog’s muzzle and head in some way, which the manufacturers describe as producing ‘calming pressure’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, because all of these popular head-collar brands when under tension fit so tightly around the dog’s head, the ‘calming pressure’ that the manufacturer told you about is actually felt as pain, which is why, for the dog whose only crime is to pull on the leash, these head-collars work to stop pulling behaviour ~ dog pulls, feels pain around its head, backs off, leash goes slack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ‘learning theory’ terminology for this training sequence is ‘positive punishment’ (+P) followed by ‘negative reinforcement’ (-R), and when wearing the head-collar the dog learns that in order to avoid pain, it needs to not move too far away from its handler’s side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to painful pressure, muzzle-clamping head-collars can make nervous dogs and those who experience frustration on-leash feel even more trapped than they do already, which can exacerbate fear, active-defence behaviour and aggression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know this, because I have worked with and rehabilitated such dogs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If we look at the dog’s natural reflexes, it is a fact of physiology that dogs move INTO physical pressure, not away from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moving INTO pressure is why dogs pull against a taught leash, pull away when we try and hug them close, and generally resist being pushed and pulled about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is due to the ‘opposition reflex’ (thigmotaxis, stereotaxis) whereby physical force applied to a dog in one direction elicits thigmotaxic reflexes that cause the dog to increase its efforts in the opposite direction to the force applied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs also move into pressure when they are stressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They lean against walls and push themselves into corners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This provides feedback to the brain to calm the body down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why anxiety wraps and ‘thundershirts’ are effective at reducing fear ~ the consistent, gentle pressure all over the dog’s body continually feeds back to the brain and so regulates the stress response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as dogs naturally move into pressure, moving away from pain is also a reflexive behaviour, and this is why dogs are so uncomfortable wearing muzzle-clamping head-collars ~ leash tightens, dog feels pain around its head, dog moves away from pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it really was ‘calming pressure’, the dog would pull into the head-collar, not draw away from it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The manufacturer of one of these muzzle-clamping head-collars claims that the reason why dogs do not pull when wearing their brand of head-collar is because the pressure from the strap behind the ears causes the dog to move back into it, so essentially, the dog continually ‘pulls backwards’ and so walks forwards on a loose leash. However, this manufacturer also says that to achieve this, the correct fit requires the noseband to be loose and the headband to sit snugly just behind the ears, which actually is impossible. The noseband HAS to be tight in order for the headband to fit snugly. It is impossible for the noseband to be loose and the headband be tight. It is impossible for the noseband to be loose and the headband remain in the correct position behind the dog’ ears. In fact in order to get the headband to fit snugly and remain in the correct position, the noseband has to be so tight that the dog’s mouth is completely clamped shut, and the noseband drawn back along the muzzle so far that it rides up into the dog’s eyes. The picture left shows a Boxer wearing one of these head-collars, incorrectly fitted, despite this being the manufacturers own picture! The noseband does indeed have some slack in it, but as you can see the headband is sitting half way down the dog’s neck, several inches from its ears. The first time that this dog swipes at the head-collar noseband with a paw, it will slide straight off its face.<br />
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Other common claims by manufacturers of muzzle-clamping head-collars is that the pressure of the noseband mimics the ‘calming’ action of the dominant, parent dog’s jaws around its subordinate, youngster’s muzzle, and that the pressure of the headband and noseband correspond with natural acupressure points on the dog’s head and face. It is true that a wild wolf mother uses the ‘muzzle-grasp’ as a way to elicit passive submission from her very young cubs, but even if all dog-puppies learnt and understood this piece of dominance language (which many do not), it would naturally be an ‘on-off’ grasp, not a sustained grasp, so the continual ‘grasp’ of a muzzle-clamping head-collar is in fact most unnatural (bearing in mind that the noseband of at least one of the popular brands has to be a tight fit in order for the head-collar to remain on the dog’s face). It is also true that acupressure points exist along the dog’s muzzle-flaps and around the ears that when massaged, do produce a calming effect, but what I see are dogs who are far from ‘calm’ when wearing muzzle-clamping head-collars. I see many who are very shut down, sometimes to the point of being unable to move at all, whilst others simply are avoiding the pain of pulling. And then there are those who face-scrape, and twist and thrash about. I have yet to see a dog looking relaxed because the head-collar is massaging its acupressure points. <br />
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To some extent, the sensation of a band around the muzzle can help to regulate emotional arousal by sending feedback via touch receptors to the limbic system, the emotional control centre of the brain (the mouth is directly connected to the limbic system), but the noseband has to be nonrestrictive and bring gentle awareness to the mouth area with a light touch (not painful pressure) such as that from the elasticated 'calming band'. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This effect is lost though when a dog’s defence mechanisms kick-in and kick-back against the restraint and feeling of being trapped when the noseband is too tight, or when it applies enough force to close the dog’s mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So although muzzle-clamping head-collars are marketed as ‘gentle’, ‘kind’ and ‘natural’, I consider them to be highly aversive as training tools go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why I neither use nor recommend their use under any circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They clearly cause distress to the dog even when fitted and used correctly, never mind incorrectly, and for the dog who twists and flips and thrashes about whilst wearing one there is always the potential for it to do serious damage to its neck. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">However, not all head-collars are bad news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason why a head-collar can be a good choice for walking an unruly dog is the control over the dog’s head that a head-collar provides ~ control the head, and the body follows ~ but we can effectively control animals much larger and considerably more powerful than even the biggest dog with ‘non-muzzle-clamping’ or ‘fixed action’ type head-collars, i.e. those that do not clamp the animal’s mouth shut and tighten around head when the animal pulls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There simply is no need to use a head-collar that tightens around a dog’s head, causing pain and adding to the anxiety or frustration that a leash-reactive dog is already under.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I recommend and use to train large and powerful dogs that display over-emotional behaviour on-leash is a non-muzzle-clamping, fixed-action head-collar, in combination with a neck collar and double-ended, 6’ leash. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First, the head-collar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>'Dogmatic', and George Grayson’s 'Dogalter' (available at B&M stores)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, </span>are non-muzzle-clamping, fixed-action head-collars with the point of control beneath the dog’s chin:</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Dogalter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These brands of head-collars do not tighten around the dog’s face but instead provide a non-clamping, secure fit, and allow the handler to gently and effectively turn the dog’s head away from whatever is causing it to over-react without causing the dog to feel pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs who have previously been made to wear Haltis, Gentle Leaders and the like, seem to have no problem accepting and wearing a non-muzzle-clamping head-collar ~ no turning tail and hiding at the sight of it, no scraping faces along the ground, no thrashing and twisting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even dogs who have never worn any type of head-collar before can be desensitised to wearing a fixed-action head-collar in a matter of minutes, with no backsliding after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs seem to like wearing these head-collars, which suggests to me that their design and use does not cause physical or emotional distress.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Next, the collar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A flat, buckle collar is fine to use to walk the dog who rarely pulls on the leash, but for hardened pullers or those who lunge, all that forward motion is concentrated into a single pressure point, encouraging the dog to pull harder and potentially causing damage to the windpipe (picture right).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For hardened pullers and lungers, my neck collar of choice is the ‘limited-action slip-collar’ (also referred to as martingale-style collar).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately and incorrectly, this design has also picked up the names ‘half-check’ and ‘half-choke’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Checking’ or ‘choking’ the dog was never the collar’s intended use, and it should never, ever be used in this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When fitted correctly, the limited-action slip-collar remains loose around the dog’s neck when the leash is slack, and when the leash tightens, is designed to apply consistent, non-choking, even pressure all the way around the dog’s neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The collar cannot continue to tighten because the action is limited to the correct fit of the collar, i.e. precisely the circumference of the dog’s neck, so when the sliding part of the collar is drawn up, that’s it, the collar fits snugly around the dog’s neck with no further tightening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has three benefits ~ 1. The dog cannot back out of the collar, 2. The pressure is not concentrated into a single point so the power of the opposition reflex is diminished, and 3. Using the leash to apply ‘pulsating pressure’ by alternately closing and releasing the collar, stimulates receptors along the inner walls of the carotid sinuses (major blood vessels situated either side of the dog’s windpipe) that send a signal to the brain to lower heart-rate and blood-pressure, which naturally helps to de-arouse the dog and therefore help him to control his emotions:</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-6s1wRnexuKxOLpLk5T-py6yFIwiQCV0v-9qgSKI6AwI2QiHikTh42YtVCpNrnyKnesLJr4griO6-X7w7ML_pyqch3mKPukLCfeD4HO7FNdrKYf0O3v4PKanKmfjqUHq7Yh94Knj5fE/s1600/collar+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-6s1wRnexuKxOLpLk5T-py6yFIwiQCV0v-9qgSKI6AwI2QiHikTh42YtVCpNrnyKnesLJr4griO6-X7w7ML_pyqch3mKPukLCfeD4HO7FNdrKYf0O3v4PKanKmfjqUHq7Yh94Knj5fE/s320/collar+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTR9k3UPQkEfDGkxBsrHwg1fop06zip6WG_O_HPWvO5T0CpevGNRzi_bYQ0I6uEqDPZTO91KsdBCTYv1PR7ztQ5i_5GS2ds6SBNM9JgE9iFngRPWoFZPlEyej7T4Wl4L6xg1w1zYTZbY/s320/collar+3.jpg" width="320" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The closing and releasing of the collar should be just that ~ absolutely NO yanking, snapping, popping or jerking. The collar should never be used to 'check' or 'correct' behaviour, but rather to apply light, pulsating on-off pressure when the dog is aroused and needs physical help to calm down. If when you close and release the collar you end up 'rocking' your dog back and forth, you are being too heavy handed. Your dog should not visibly move when you are working the collar. I do not recommend all-chain limited-action slip-collars under any circumstances. The main part of the collar should be made of webbing or soft leather of an appropriate width for the size of the dog. The sliding part can be chain, as this part of the collar is only ever in contact with the dog's neck when the collar is loose. When tightened, only the webbing/leather section is in contact with the dog's neck. Limited-action slip-collars also come as an all-webbing version, with the sliding part as well as the main part of the collar being made of webbing. Finally, the leash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The double-ended leash has a trigger hook at each end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When used in conjunction with a fixed-action head-collar and a limited-action slip-collar, the larger of the two trigger hooks is attached to the slip-collar sliding ring, and the smaller trigger hook to the head-collar control ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gives the handler two points of control, and allows for the slip-collar and head-collar to be used independently of one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the time the dog will trot along with barely any tension on either end of the leash because the design of both head-collar and slip-collar allows for the feeling of free movement, but when needed, the dog’s head can be turned towards the handler by applying finger-tip pressure to the head-collar end of the leash, and the stress-reducing action of the slip-collar can be activated by applying pulsing pressure with the collar end of the leash.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhB8cmaDZ4VthIcvgSgigAqpJSCTIBoJ9_O5KVh1KQL6jE5bu1UWJjIu9tx3j_MPGmlHOJ3oF7qKsquW3fnrNJ0n2bG7D5WpUk3xEz_i0gJ1M1TxXP8HC3aBmsaqmiMmTtvLmRMpZUH0/s1600/collar+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhB8cmaDZ4VthIcvgSgigAqpJSCTIBoJ9_O5KVh1KQL6jE5bu1UWJjIu9tx3j_MPGmlHOJ3oF7qKsquW3fnrNJ0n2bG7D5WpUk3xEz_i0gJ1M1TxXP8HC3aBmsaqmiMmTtvLmRMpZUH0/s320/collar+9.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am 5’3” tall and weigh a little under 60kgs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I work with dogs, often large and powerful ones, who display a range of potentially dangerous on-leash behaviour issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have used the fixed-action head-collar/limited-action slip-collar/leash combo for training Rottweilers, Mastiffs and Great Danes with complete control every time, and with no stress to the dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s equally important is that my clients can see that their dogs are so much more relaxed in a non-muzzle-clamping head-collar, and feeling in control themselves with the head-collar/slip-collar/leash combo, perhaps for the first time in years, they are able at last to start enjoying walks with their dogs and finally get down to the business of safely and successfully resolving their dogs’ various on-leash issues.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a dog learns to be less emotional and engage in alternative, acceptable on-leash behaviour, the leash can be attached to the collar alone, while the head-collar is still worn to provide backup control for potentially tricky, beyond-handler-control situations when the small trigger hook can be unclipped from the leash and attached to the head-collar ring in seconds, allowing the handler to remain in control and so deal effectively with the situation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of course it’s not the head-collar/slip-collar/leash combo itself that resolves on-leash behaviour issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good on-leash behaviour comes through providing a dog with the right training, and that’s where the guidance of an experienced dog professional comes in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the head-collar/slip-collar/leash combo does provide is a truly gentle and effective way of handling a powerful dog, and puts the dog’s owner back in control, both physically and emotionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not so much a case of ‘control the head and the body will follow’ but rather ‘relax the brain and the body will relax also’ ~ handler’s and dog’s!</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-27182407589300020152011-11-11T16:56:00.001+00:002011-11-12T10:40:07.613+00:00Behaviour problem trends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was wondering the other day whether dog-dog aggression cases are on the rise as it seems that I have been dealing with this problem a lot more of late. It has also felt like I've seen more rescue dogs lately too, so I took a look back over my case-load from the past three years. The results do indeed confirm my thoughts, with my rescue dog cases having increased from 33% in 2009 through to 42% in 2011, and % dog-dog aggression problems with rescue dogs having also steadily risen. The other noticable trend is an increase in general training being requested for non-rescue dogs (i.e. those owned by the same owner from puppyhood).</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have broken down my case-load into five types of problem: SDS (separation distress syndrome), dog-dog aggression, dog-human aggression, fears & phobias, and general training. General training includes basic obedience training (e.g. stay, recall, leash-training), general de-stressing, overcoming hyper-arousal, compulsive behaviour and handling problems, teaching acceptable greeting behaviour (e.g. for dogs who jump up, mouth, etc), house-training, etc. Although the other four problem types may have included behaviours such as barking, destructive behaviour, house-soiling, etc, these are symptoms of each problem type, not the problem itself.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<a name='more'></a>Here's some pretty pie charts to demonstrate:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj0qOjM9P5bdk8IegzgVDjj5-_HEyhxiNPJN6Bv7AUv92OdwMTjj11pGRiBvxpvoqCIWxLOBwo3CiUpLvOkGN9SPN9Epbf_rAzefssvv4phiLqh80lXhV7jK8EZSlbjJvYtQ2KwyTexk/s1600/2009+rescue+non-rescue+%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj0qOjM9P5bdk8IegzgVDjj5-_HEyhxiNPJN6Bv7AUv92OdwMTjj11pGRiBvxpvoqCIWxLOBwo3CiUpLvOkGN9SPN9Epbf_rAzefssvv4phiLqh80lXhV7jK8EZSlbjJvYtQ2KwyTexk/s400/2009+rescue+non-rescue+%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjdUUYdJBA4xHlG6dbc8kSAAFH8sGAVrd8gEByKSLGlYyIfIU37e-ZGn70YUw0uV5hLtuRzZKfwEstH9SUDXtKpCR_5tRRjy1YZ_iNdT-YFjnSWsc28ujQopQIs73PVOaE-4vqQv-c1E/s1600/Rescue+dogs+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjdUUYdJBA4xHlG6dbc8kSAAFH8sGAVrd8gEByKSLGlYyIfIU37e-ZGn70YUw0uV5hLtuRzZKfwEstH9SUDXtKpCR_5tRRjy1YZ_iNdT-YFjnSWsc28ujQopQIs73PVOaE-4vqQv-c1E/s400/Rescue+dogs+2009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMaTEqZe7MErjaiYEAzv7yFtyRaYuvIurcwKFWOo4bJPU9RxzKWXcQ3Yrr4kh_AHAHat6rkMdoJvv6UOEEkVLLG2AoMq1kg4Hr_RupLLdmzbhmUBEqs5jFkjzgNpVaRDV_RcqRo-qSnw/s1600/Non-rescue+dogs+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMaTEqZe7MErjaiYEAzv7yFtyRaYuvIurcwKFWOo4bJPU9RxzKWXcQ3Yrr4kh_AHAHat6rkMdoJvv6UOEEkVLLG2AoMq1kg4Hr_RupLLdmzbhmUBEqs5jFkjzgNpVaRDV_RcqRo-qSnw/s400/Non-rescue+dogs+2009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjoBSYVTt96CVhzK9wd0O2kPpcIcVjTMUpireNxz8GqI1lpaJNFT_ce4UXFk6rGfqkBVb4T77BeBVmlSf3JQTu4bISTlT4N0Imv7hhJs7eWrFhfe8fBclW7fCoqz1BDKLJcB_fWiMfjA/s1600/2010+rescue+non-rescue+%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjoBSYVTt96CVhzK9wd0O2kPpcIcVjTMUpireNxz8GqI1lpaJNFT_ce4UXFk6rGfqkBVb4T77BeBVmlSf3JQTu4bISTlT4N0Imv7hhJs7eWrFhfe8fBclW7fCoqz1BDKLJcB_fWiMfjA/s400/2010+rescue+non-rescue+%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VLFP1Y25C2JPILAdL_PBB26KMGX4OQCJxU9Ex98DvIqD2vgHt4fHu4hFLvk_Bjg3ZbDkLEct8TnfmHHpBgMtbeWewXKxBzd-m-dDTTJ6NV4DvKBUgPSZyR1qyylu9g9nTeytn9b62Fc/s1600/Rescue+dogs+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VLFP1Y25C2JPILAdL_PBB26KMGX4OQCJxU9Ex98DvIqD2vgHt4fHu4hFLvk_Bjg3ZbDkLEct8TnfmHHpBgMtbeWewXKxBzd-m-dDTTJ6NV4DvKBUgPSZyR1qyylu9g9nTeytn9b62Fc/s400/Rescue+dogs+2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHVT4JQWho1_yBKWWwxk8BokGvczwbjt7f0c7UvfrzixxO_Fe7hJTx2H3elpIi3WbVd_WtwJkW7fcYZ6qKgs4lu98wW7BS9dHqfE5jTlWSufwHB2Zynm4bQynFdQPesYJID_PxTfuTh0/s1600/Non-rescue+dogs+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHVT4JQWho1_yBKWWwxk8BokGvczwbjt7f0c7UvfrzixxO_Fe7hJTx2H3elpIi3WbVd_WtwJkW7fcYZ6qKgs4lu98wW7BS9dHqfE5jTlWSufwHB2Zynm4bQynFdQPesYJID_PxTfuTh0/s400/Non-rescue+dogs+2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4VopgaH7_kuwJbvAth0CoZH4_lKdUvtQ-ayLIz6onojPIyRqmm67tssXPPIIaNk6VZAMVVKM2rv50VyK1WOkP3ZIHZn11SjYsRq5sSvaqxbe4W1nHks7f4Nal840OWHb85fRITdiaNk/s400/Rescue+dogs+2011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSU0rGCvaRyG9SUxwHau0WAW3zP1ntlOtAE7Wc_VojKhRz89VykpBxhC6wc0x7FalDC3yLsEIzP91vv_QvdalVyATBXrWrKl2261CcdUPvGuYhEukIKAKATweINSL_0-8TngXF5K8uivQ/s1600/Non-rescue+dogs+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSU0rGCvaRyG9SUxwHau0WAW3zP1ntlOtAE7Wc_VojKhRz89VykpBxhC6wc0x7FalDC3yLsEIzP91vv_QvdalVyATBXrWrKl2261CcdUPvGuYhEukIKAKATweINSL_0-8TngXF5K8uivQ/s400/Non-rescue+dogs+2011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well ... it's interesting to me anyway. What's also interesting ~ or rather, concerning ~ is that bar two, all non-rescue dogs and puppies that came under the 'general training' category had already attended local, general obedience type training classes prior to their owners seeking my help! </span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-35900648815710810812011-10-21T19:56:00.010+01:002015-03-05T14:40:52.661+00:00Pleeeeease don't leave me!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEGzz4DXPfSE6N7f4TFFfK32LSetjsdYZhr7HQKC0LWa45AsA4_5EktuZxVJ71r1uUVqL7AII_L1c2cNiDAXdy_InA7oVQvcq8WkyhlVBHce5QWo-zXuQOVQCqlPud0DGpV4whAHGlao/s1600/040911.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEGzz4DXPfSE6N7f4TFFfK32LSetjsdYZhr7HQKC0LWa45AsA4_5EktuZxVJ71r1uUVqL7AII_L1c2cNiDAXdy_InA7oVQvcq8WkyhlVBHce5QWo-zXuQOVQCqlPud0DGpV4whAHGlao/s200/040911.04.jpg" height="150" rda="true" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's normal for our dogs to want to be close to us and know where we are. They depend on us for everything, not just food, water and shelter, but company too. Domestication has seen the dog's natural social partner change from canine to human, and so it's no wonder that most dogs experience some degree of agitation and confusion when we leave them home alone. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For some dogs, separation is truly unbearable and highly distressing. The underlying emotion responsible for separation-induced behaviour is panic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Panic is one of the emotions</span> involved in the dog’s social drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Most separation-induced behaviours occur within the first 10 minutes of the owner leaving the house, with general agitation and stress having already been building for some time beforehand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It is incorrect to call it ‘separation anxiety’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anxiety is a fear-based emotion and has its root in defence drive, not social drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The correct term for separation-induced behaviour is ‘separation distress syndrome’ (SDS) and is defined by the presence of two or more of the following behaviours: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Excessive attachment (clingy behaviour).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pre-departure restlessness – pacing, over-activity.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Aggression towards owner leaving. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Vocalisations – agitated barking, howling, whining.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Destructive behaviours – barrier frustration (escape behaviour) evident by aggressive scratching and biting directed at doors, windows, etc, also chewing (often items belonging to owner, furniture, anything other than own chew toys), shredding, digging, and self-injurious/self-mutilation behaviour rooted in excessive grooming (biting, chewing paws, etc).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Physiological behaviours – hyper-salivation, panting, trembling.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">House-soiling – peeing and pooping only when owner leaves.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Separation-induced anorexia.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Psychogenic vomiting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Searching out items of owner’s clothing or belongings.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Excessive greeting behaviour.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are a number of reasons why some dogs develop SDS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sensitisation to social isolation or never having any experience of being left are two possible factors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shelter dogs may have had a similar problem before their previous owners gave them up, or maybe the actual experience of abandonment predisposes some dogs to quickly form dependent attachments to their new owners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly, statistics show that dogs with SDS are 3 times more likely to have come from an animal shelter than are dogs with other behaviour problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are also more likely to be female, of mixed breed, and have been a stray.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Genetic predisposition and </span><a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/09/take-canine-mind-temperament-test.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">temperament type</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> may also be involved with some dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>C-type dogs may display sustained distress as a result of loss and frustration, tending towards barking persistently and scratching aggressively at doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>S-type dogs rarely show any distress upon separation, but if agitation is evident, these dogs can be easily distracted and quickly comforted with a food-filled toy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M-type dogs are often highly distressed at separation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>P-types tend to be more restrained in their distress response but may become progressively distressed by longer separation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>S- and C-types tend to bark more than whine, whereas P- and M-types whine more than they bark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>S- and C-types appear to respond better to food, whereas P- and M-types appear to derive more comfort from owner-scented clothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Some dogs have a greater dependency on people and therefore have a tendency to limit their own success by relying only on the presence of people in order to feel secure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this respect, failure by these dogs to remain with the people on whom they rely for their survival may play a big part in the development of SDS, so prone or predisposed dogs need to be able to rely on other, predictable events in order to feel secure and confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such dogs really need routine and structure in order to feel secure, and confidence-building </span><a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/leadership-what-does-it-mean.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">leadership</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> goes a long way towards allowing a naturally dependent dog to feel successful and therefore able to rely on itself when the owner is absent.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">SDS has nothing to do with a dog thinking or feeling that it needs to keep the pack together because its owner is a ‘weak leader’ and obviously not up to the job, or because it thinks its owner is a ‘puppy’ that needs to be kept close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prone, pre-disposed or dependent dogs simply cannot cope with being abandoned because their entire coping strategy is built around remaining close to the people who provide for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly these dogs need </span><a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/leadership-what-does-it-mean.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">leadership</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> – not the sort of pseudo-leadership that involves the owner pretending to be some kind of uninterested and aloof, two-legged, person-shaped ‘pack leader’ – but </span><a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/leadership-what-does-it-mean.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">leadership</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> that allows a sense of independence and security to develop, with which comes a more confident and relaxed attitude towards separation and being alone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It’s important to identify whether behaviours are separation-induced or opportunistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Videoing the dog is an essential first step, to see the extent and intensity of the behaviours and when they occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As dogs with SDS will show a combination of behaviours, if the main behaviour is barking, establish whether it is prolonged or sporadic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If prolonged, is it accompanied by pacing, whining, staring at the front door, is it rhythmic (compulsive)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– if so, it’s SDS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it’s sporadic with no other noticeable behaviours and on the whole the dog seems able to settle, the barking is much more likely to be in response to noises, either from neighbours or from outside activity, so not separation-related.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If behaviours are opportunistic in nature as opposed to being separation-induced, so if dog seems relaxed when the owner leaves and once gone, chooses to have some destructive fun ripping up a sofa cushion or going on a fridge or bin raid, or if the behaviours happen well after the owner has left the house or only happen if the dog is left for a second time in the same day, increasing the dog’s daily exercise (physical and psychological), modifying the home environment to reduce the likelihood of opportunistic and destructive behaviours from happening, providing activity toys, using taste aversion if necessary and teaching ‘leave’, should work to dramatically decrease or even cease these behaviours.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If a dog is suffering with SDS, I use the following plan on which to base its behaviour therapy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“ALONE TIME”</span></span></b></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">A</span>lternative activities</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These should provide acceptable outlets for behaviour as well as forming a positive association with the owner’s departure – food dispenser toys such as </span><a href="http://www.caninemind.co.uk/kong.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Kongs</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and </span><a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-bowls-are-boring-cue-tilly.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dog Pyramids</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, chew toys, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Association must first be made in a ‘safe place’, e.g. dog’s bed, while the owner is present, to create a rewarding and successful association with the activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many dogs with SDS won’t eat while the owner is absent, so for these dogs to engage with food when alone, the activity has to hold some previously conditioned, positive association.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giving a dog a frozen stuffed Kong without first doing the groundwork will not work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">L</span>eadership</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free), reward-based training, ‘can do’ behaviours, bringing all attention, affection and interaction under owner guidance so that the dog learns to make successful, predictable choices that have a positive, reliable outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/leadership-what-does-it-mean.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Leadership</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> builds self-confidence and therefore independence.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">O</span>wner odour</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once-worn item of clothing (e.g. t-shirt), slept on blanket/towel, as a ‘security blanket’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs with P- and M-type temperaments respond particularly well to this.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">N</span>utrition</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Casein, oleic acid, serotonin, chewing, omega 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See my </span><a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/07/mood-food.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mood Food</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> article for further information.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">E</span>xercise</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daily aerobic exercise to release energy, daily moderate exercise to enhance brain chemistry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Providing exercise before leaving a dog home alone also provides opportunity for the dog to toilet.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">T</span>raining</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Graduated departures, new leaving routine/ritual that creates a positive association with the owner’s departure, ‘stay’ training (very important, dog learns that ‘stay’ means ‘if I stay here my owner will return’).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">I</span>dentify triggers</b>. Keys, clothes, bags, shoes, rituals, sounds, etc, can all be triggers for separation-induced behaviour and must be identified and changed and/or desensitised/counter-conditioned.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">M</span>ask outside noises</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leave a radio/CD on moderate volume to mask outside noises that may trigger nervous barking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will also provide some background noise in an otherwise silent environment – homes are never really silent when we are in them and some dogs may well associate some level of noise with us being present.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">E</span>nvironmental modification</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remove valuables, clear worktops, bolt cupboards, use taste aversion on furniture, doors, etc (this has to be previously primed), provide comfort, limit space (e.g. stair gates, crate), turn phone ringer off, draw curtains/blinds, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with using food, if using a crate to confine a dog, a positive association with confinement and remaining in the crate has to made before the dog is left alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the groundwork is not put into confinement training, an even bigger problem can be created with the SDS, barrier-frustration-suffering dog trying to break out the crate (as it would doors or windows).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This carries a huge risk of the dog injuring itself in the process.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Even dogs who don’t show full-blown SDS can benefit from some of the elements of the ‘ALONE TIME’ plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many dogs at best only tolerate being alone, and it’s these dogs for whom a sudden change in owner working hours can trigger separation-type behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should never be assumed that just because a dog doesn’t bark excessively or rip up the house, it is happy to be left alone, and helping any dog to relax and enjoy being alone is therefore always desirable. It is quality of life that matters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Please note that ‘ALONE TIME’ is only an OUTLINE plan for SDS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you think that your dog is suffering from SDS, particularly if the behaviours are excessive and injurious, my advice to you is to enlist the help of a reputable dog professional who fully understands the psychology behind separation-induced behaviour and who is equipped with the training knowledge necessary for behaviour therapy to be effective – not someone who thinks that your dog is trying to control your movements by assuming the role of ‘pack leader’ because you haven’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs with SDS don’t need us to be 'assertive', ‘pack leaders’ or ‘alphas’, but they do need us to provide </span><a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/leadership-what-does-it-mean.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">leadership</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and a predictable, reward-based departure routine in order to remove the helplessness from their natural dependency upon us and so rebalance, enhance and strengthen the <a href="http://www.caninemind.co.uk/bond.html"><span style="color: blue;">human-dog bond</span></a>.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-86635844242532632072011-10-13T20:33:00.012+01:002024-01-05T10:44:09.163+00:00What's in a wag?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Why do dogs wag their tails has to be one of the most frequently asked behaviour questions. The short answer is that tail wagging is a form of communication. I’m sure that most of us think that we are able to recognise and differentiate between a ‘happy wag’ and a ‘nervous wag’, but there’s more to wagging than immediately meets the eye.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<strong>WAG MECHANICS</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhS6kTOo9RrimI7G2g9nMzPS4Hb2PCorMJrcNohHxYpNuwEMIrnnc92zLLO4LJbD-1En-j6ibZ1-Rm6u5t6SYE235AfScNrcV-2fnt1nvpI_0SyZo-xoYXN_SycXxtDSSLzbVC0WN1WA/s1600/wag+anatomy+1.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhS6kTOo9RrimI7G2g9nMzPS4Hb2PCorMJrcNohHxYpNuwEMIrnnc92zLLO4LJbD-1En-j6ibZ1-Rm6u5t6SYE235AfScNrcV-2fnt1nvpI_0SyZo-xoYXN_SycXxtDSSLzbVC0WN1WA/s400/wag+anatomy+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A continuation of the dog’s spine that extends beyond the body, the tail is comprised of a highly mobile string of between 6 and 23 bones (caudal vertebrae).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What makes the tail move are the caudal muscles, which lie over the bones of the lower back (lumbar vertebrae and sacrum) and insert into the tail bones exclusively. These muscles are attached to the tail bones by tendons, and along with musculature associated with the rectum, anus and pelvic diaphragm, are served by 4 to 7 pairs of nerves. All this makes the tail capable of finely graded movements in all directions and along the entire length of the tail, with the caudal muscles being responsible for making the tail wag. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The caudal muscles are composed of ‘sarcomeres’ (contractile segments into which a fibril of striated muscle is divided). When the dog’s brain stimulates the spinal nerves, signals from those nerves cause the release and absorption of sodium and potassium in the caudal muscles. This causes the sarcomeres to slide together, and the vibrations from these sliding contractions travel along the tail, which begins to wag.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>WAG THIS WAY</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
Just as our facial expressions indicate how we are feeling, the dog’s response to emotive stimuli is conveyed in the wag of its tail through something called ‘tail bias’, or the degree to which the tail is wagged to the right or to the left. This asymmetry of tail wagging was highlighted in a study by Giorgio Vallortigara, a neuroscientist at the University of Trieste in Italy, and two veterinarians, Angelo Quaranta and Marcello Siniscalchi, at the University of Bari, also in Italy. The study, published in the March 2007 edition of ‘Current Biology’, looked at the tail wags of 30 pet dogs in response to four different sets of social stimuli – the dog’s owner, a stranger, a cat, and an aggressive, unfamiliar dog. What they observed was that the dogs’ tails wagged to a greater degree to the right of their rumps on seeing their owners, the stranger and the cat, and a greater degree to the left when they saw the aggressive dog. The result was not so much a surprise, but a conformation that like us and many other animals including birds, fish, frogs and insects, dogs have ‘brain asymmetry’ when it comes to emotions, with the muscles in the right side of the tail reflecting a positive emotional state and the muscles in the left side reflecting a negative emotional state.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rP0BWFIxGrYejJtizw9gYGkyMwT54kXFg3Y1KwvfMWP388NkhOxHB5sUygWhaivrPuSKtyoXkXLogdBtim-2gBo84DuTnMe7qtGk9iF-XLS406hfmBBAK3G5dclCeY3AMof4muOPHrc/s1600/wag+anatomy+11.jpg" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rP0BWFIxGrYejJtizw9gYGkyMwT54kXFg3Y1KwvfMWP388NkhOxHB5sUygWhaivrPuSKtyoXkXLogdBtim-2gBo84DuTnMe7qtGk9iF-XLS406hfmBBAK3G5dclCeY3AMof4muOPHrc/s320/wag+anatomy+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The brain is comprised of two hemispheres. The left hemisphere specializes in behaviours involving what the scientists refer to as ‘approach and energy enrichment’. This means that in humans, the left hemisphere is associated with positive feelings like love, attachment, safety and calm. The left hemisphere is also associated with certain physiological markers such a slow heart and breathing rate, eating and relaxing. The left brain hemisphere controls the right side of the body. Birds generally seek food with their right eye, honeybees learn better when using their right antenna, frogs generally flick their tongues to the right to catch insects, and the muscles of the right side of the human face reflect happiness. With the tail wag experiment dogs, when shown something that they were attracted to, including a benign, approachable cat, their tails wagged more to the right. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The right hemisphere deals with behaviours involving ‘withdrawal and energy expenditure’, such as fleeing. These behaviours are associated with negative feelings like hate, loneliness, danger, and anxiety. Physiological markers of the right hemisphere include a rapid heart and breathing rate, shutdown of the digestive system and vigilance. The right brain controls the left side of the body. Birds generally keep a look out for predators with their left eye, frogs are more likely to jump away if approached on the left, male chameleons display more aggression when looking at another chameleon with their left eye, and the muscles of the left side of the human face reflect sadness. When shown something that elicited a withdrawal response, the dogs wagged their tails to the left.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Although the dog’s tail is at the body’s midline, the nerves and muscles that control the wag of the tail are not central – the tail has musculature on either side, meaning that the ‘left wag’ muscles are controlled by the dog’s right brain hemisphere, and the ‘right wag’ muscles are controlled by the left brain hemisphere. The muscles on either side of the tail therefore reflect the registering of emotions like fear and happiness – when a dog feels a positive response towards something or someone, his tail wags more to the right side of his body, and when he feels a negative response, his tail wagging is biased to the left.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RQFFOo5U9QfcycMHkPG1CcfRZ9c3g2rZSmz2cVcg9mNtqmaJ_0aDmzIMw6r4IUnx9cAD96TtnIXZIe3yoja5LhuHhhM-qBtGj3evfFyNatJl9bzRzvxC2yOKHRItS1mORwgny8M5pGA/s1600/wag+anatomy+10.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RQFFOo5U9QfcycMHkPG1CcfRZ9c3g2rZSmz2cVcg9mNtqmaJ_0aDmzIMw6r4IUnx9cAD96TtnIXZIe3yoja5LhuHhhM-qBtGj3evfFyNatJl9bzRzvxC2yOKHRItS1mORwgny8M5pGA/s400/wag+anatomy+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">This tail wagging asymmetry may also extend to postural asymmetry in the form of lateral flexion of the spine, but because of the way that the tail wagging experiment was carried out, no obvious body asymmetry could be observed, however, Tilly and Beau’s greeting behaviour towards me certainly suggests this, as both flex their bodies to the right in an extension of a right tail wag bias. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It’s likely that brain asymmetry is also reflected in other areas of canine body language such as scratching, which is a displacement behaviour often engaged in when a dog is under pressure or feels agitated. Again, my own observations when working with clients’ dogs suggests that pretty much every time a dog engages in this behaviour, it’s the left hind leg that does the scratching, indicating that the dog is experiencing uncomfortable, negative emotions. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Perhaps I need to design my own experiment to explore these other brain asymmetric behaviours!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/liziangel/waganatomygif4.gif" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" mda="true" src="http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/liziangel/waganatomygif4.gif" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So this brings me back to what makes a wag happy or nervous – is it tail position? How much of the tail is wagging? Wag speed? While these aspects play a part in determining confidence levels and the intensity of the dog’s energy, primarily it has to do with tail bias – if the dog is happy, its tail will wag more towards the right of its rump, if it is not happy, towards the left. A low wagging tail, if the bias is towards the right, indicates a submissive but positive state of mind (not nervousness). And beware the higher wagging tail if the bias is towards the left, because this indicates a less inhibited but negative state of mind, not happiness!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Read about Vallortigara, Quaranta and Siniscalchi's study on 'Asymmetric tail wagging responses by dogs to different emotive stimuli' <a href="http://dericbownds.net/uploaded_images/vallortigara.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>.</span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-6326829729463845302011-10-08T12:49:00.002+01:002011-10-09T00:04:30.515+01:00Spirulina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-Vi9uYLWw9EauCNwSQ3BcSExL0T9R4Es6IUz9I7GQzy5AJKztrz5GkIzxl2co8VLJr0cmOD1k0NPsICS7x3Qqmlgi-UT4ldLA8owFDjck_5t1__zsKM6BSlywPUJEkBYiP2sfxu4ykM/s1600/spirlina_resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-Vi9uYLWw9EauCNwSQ3BcSExL0T9R4Es6IUz9I7GQzy5AJKztrz5GkIzxl2co8VLJr0cmOD1k0NPsICS7x3Qqmlgi-UT4ldLA8owFDjck_5t1__zsKM6BSlywPUJEkBYiP2sfxu4ykM/s320/spirlina_resize.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Spirulina is pretty amazing stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the first life-forms on the planet, this microscopic, blue-green algae has been around for over 3.6 billion years. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">During its lifetime, it has survived various climate changes and catastrophic events that have wracked Earth including meteorite bombardments, thousands of years of hurricane force winds, ultra-violet radiation, global glaciation and ice-ages, and major extinction events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The first photosynthetic life-form, Spirulina turned sunlight into energy and filled the Earth’s atmosphere with the oxygen needed in order for</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> higher life forms to start evolving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As well as producing life-giving oxygen, the cellular makeup of spirulina contained everything that life needed to grow and evolve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a very real sense, we owe our lives to spirulina. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Humans have been eating Spirulina since prehistory, and today, this tiny aquatic plant is widely regarded as the worlds greatest 'super food' – its long, thin, spiraling threads consisting of up to 70% protein (dry weight), the elements of which consist of 18 types of amino acids, vitamins A, C, E, K, B (1, 2, 3, 6, 12), various minerals, enzymes, anti-oxidants, and phytonutrients including essential fatty acids, polysaccharides, and sulfo-lipids</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span>and chlorophyll and carotenoids, which give Spirulina its dark green</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> colour</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has green credentials too, producing more protein per acre than any other food source on the planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blue</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> colour</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> in Spirulina comes from</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> phytonutrient</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> called ‘</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">phycocyanin</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">’, which in one study was shown to inhibit cancer-colony formation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other studies suggest that Spirulina enhances enzyme activity at cell nucleus level, and helps to repair the copying errors that can occur during DNA synthesis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has anti-inflammatory properties and supports the immune system, raising the levels of three cytokines, generating new blood cells, enhancing bone marrow, stem cell and macrophage activity, inhibiting viral replication, stimulating T-helper cell activity, and producing ‘T-memory cells’ that last longer in the bloodstream than T-helper cells and so provide long-term</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> defence</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> against infection.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">So what’s all this got to do with dogs I hear you ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, this is a dog</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> blog</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, not an algae</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> blog</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisewrlgW727tdANV1ED68JR2e5LmD11jkISgmyd5n_qHVUXuIGVLrNrO1D9t3KGhZebParZlv864aTB2AzuhQZWwwf_CCi6-QOTrMhPMLZIGYpOh0koOXsr3RXn6tc7D9INM6L862pEPo/s1600/030511.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisewrlgW727tdANV1ED68JR2e5LmD11jkISgmyd5n_qHVUXuIGVLrNrO1D9t3KGhZebParZlv864aTB2AzuhQZWwwf_CCi6-QOTrMhPMLZIGYpOh0koOXsr3RXn6tc7D9INM6L862pEPo/s320/030511.06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Well, it’s because of Tilly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier this year, she began to nibble her left fore-claw and eventually, x-rays confirmed that she had osteomyelitis (infection of the bone) in that toe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Osteomyelitis is a notoriously difficult condition to treat and by all (human) accounts, very painful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During May, my vet put her on a 4-week course of the antibiotic ‘Antirobe’ (specifically prescribed for osteomyelitis as well as deep-wound and dental infections).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This reduced the nibbling considerably, but once the course was finished, the nibbling increased again to pre-treatment levels. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Amputation of the toe was an option and guaranteed to get rid of the infection, but my vet would do this only if the condition of the toe was seriously affecting Tilly’s quality of life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Osteomyelitis does not just clear up of its own accord and so in the meantime, the only available conventional treatment option consisted of another long-term course of antibiotics, and pain relief from NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), but given that long-term (and often short-term) use of NSAIDs can cause serious organ damage, I really did not want go down this route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We were stuck between a rock and a hard place and it was incredibly difficult to know what to do for the best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have given the go-ahead for amputation regardless of whether it was ‘seriously affecting her quality of life’ as this appeared to be the inevitable solution anyway, and getting it over with sooner rather than later would save her from suffering unnecessarily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how to measure ‘seriously affecting quality of life’?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was clear that it bothered her a lot – she was chewing and nibbling at the toe at least 3 times an hour during the day and it was waking her (and me) up at night too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was beginning to spend a ridiculous amount of time keeping my eye on her to try to prevent her from nibbling, and when my vigilance slipped, sounding like a broken record telling her to leave it alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was both distracting and distressing, for her and for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s my special girlie who came from a heart-breaking background of abuse and neglect, and it saddened me greatly to know that she was uncomfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">During July and August, it was bothering her more so than ever before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every few days I gave the area around the claw a good old clear out of the build up of bits of dead skin and ‘crystalline hard stuff’ (not sure what this was!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For topical treatment we tried neem oil, but as she loves the taste, it didn’t work as a ‘no-nibble’ and for all its anti-bacterial/fungal/inflammatory claims, it didn’t seem to deliver any improvement to the toe’s condition at all, although it mat well have kept any secondary, external infections at bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly, aloe vera gel squeezed directly from a freshly cut leaf gave no obvious improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So then I tried propolis, which is supposed to taste so bad that it is </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">notoriously difficult to get dogs to eat it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not Tilly, she loved the taste, but while it didn’t work directly to stop her from nibbling the toe, it did appear to bring </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">a few hours of relative relief from the need to nibble once applied and soaked in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For it’s anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and bone ‘smoothing’ properties I was also giving her rosehip powder, but as with the topical treatments, this didn’t appear to bring any obvious or lasting improvement. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMj39n76TQvqCYRBxVfl69dvMi1Q5Xd9mmE0Y29o-e86SwMw8uaRdi2FEqewpRKjKiNfaWVSF2mhGQ3hczC47a7HoxGeoSY2OtM9zwBy5hw_GANUD-_9uXlzENaJ2NarEGPiW7JRalZMs/s1600/spirulina2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMj39n76TQvqCYRBxVfl69dvMi1Q5Xd9mmE0Y29o-e86SwMw8uaRdi2FEqewpRKjKiNfaWVSF2mhGQ3hczC47a7HoxGeoSY2OtM9zwBy5hw_GANUD-_9uXlzENaJ2NarEGPiW7JRalZMs/s200/spirulina2.jpg" width="187" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway … back to the amazing stuff that is Spirulina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier in the year and pre-osteomyelitis, we attended an Applied Zoopharmacognosy course where Tilly enthusiastically self-selected Spirulina. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There was no mention on the course about Spirulina being anything other than highly nutritious, a good immune system supporter, and a very popular selection choice for the majority of dogs regardless of state of health.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So on a hunch, I bought a huge tub of organic Spirulina powder and started by allowing Tilly to take as much as she wanted, which turned out to be just over 4 full teaspoons for the first week, and then gradually, day-by-day she began to take less. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkwxO_yJJfQ0QuRnW2LLoP0rVsEMtzioY3HDZVlfsRqAJFKWuWuxjCkPLzTyZmx2HWsiuRJpSxprrznVmRLKrMXhv8I4XRoJJ9XSZ9_fcL05r6hheKgdJPpFcJ-zHUdc-4VtvNSi-eGk/s1600/spirulina1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkwxO_yJJfQ0QuRnW2LLoP0rVsEMtzioY3HDZVlfsRqAJFKWuWuxjCkPLzTyZmx2HWsiuRJpSxprrznVmRLKrMXhv8I4XRoJJ9XSZ9_fcL05r6hheKgdJPpFcJ-zHUdc-4VtvNSi-eGk/s320/spirulina1.jpg" width="251" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">She’s currently taking about ½ a teaspoon a day, and for the past 3 weeks, NO TOE NIBBLING AT ALL! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I have since come across this piece of information about Spirulina:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">(Spirulina) alleviates any general fluids dyscrasia (abnormal or pathological condition) within the bone tissue or skeletal structure that leads to conditions involving osteomalacia (skeletal deformities), osteomyelitis (infectious pathogenic bone disorders), osteoporosis (brittle bone conditions) or spinal degeneration, and eliminates any form of cachexia (state of malnourishment and general debility) throughout the bone tissue or marrow and skeletal system.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly, the same source suggests bee pollen for bone conditions, so it would appear that we were on the right track with topically treating the area with propolis.</span> </span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><br />
So having gone from constant nibbling to no nibbling at all within just a few weeks, it would appear that after 5 months, Tilly’s ‘naughty toe’ has finally healed and we have actually beaten osteomyelitis – not with antibiotics, NSAIDs or amputation, but with a 3.6 billion year old algae.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazing.<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><br />
Read more about Spirulina’s physiological action and therapeutic uses here: <a href="http://www.alternativescentral.com/phf12a-spirulina.htm"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.alternativescentral.com/phf12a-spirulina.htm</span></a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Learn more about Applied Zoopharmacognosy here: <a href="http://www.rose-therapy.co.uk/id38.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.rose-therapy.co.uk/id38.html</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Please note that osteomyelitis is an acute or chronic infection of the bone, and although Spirulina appears to have successfully treated the condition in Tilly’s toe, this article is not meant to be taken as a substitute for conventional veterinary advice and treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please also note that Spirulina is not the same blue-green algae that occasionally blooms in ponds and lakes in the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This blue-green algae, called </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Cyanobacteria, is poisonous and should never be eaten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spirulina on the other hand carries no known contraindications or toxicity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-80075516086933155472011-10-04T10:08:00.002+01:002011-10-20T20:39:41.106+01:00Thundershirts are go!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Remember remember the 5th of November ... it's only a month away, but if previous years are anything to go by, the fireworks will be starting any time now. If you have a firework-phobic dog, now is the time to ensure that you are prepared! See my last year's blogpost <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/09/fireworks-how-to-help-your-dog-cope.html"><span style="color: blue;">Fireworks ~ How to help your dog cope</span></a> for lots of useful tips and advice to not only get the firework-phobic dog through the fireworks season, but to ensure that there are no knock-on effects over the course of the winter. Every year around January/February time I take calls from owners with dogs who have developed what is essentially agoraphobia due to extreme noise sensitivity triggered by the fireworks in November. This of course can be prevented by reducing the dog's fear levels during the fireworks season itself.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">As well as following my own advice for Tilly, I have bought her a 'Thundershirt' for this year. As you can see, she looks suitably relaxed in it!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AMgQlxyFaytt4J1i2q_YB6uI4bLBad_V_RJNPiIs_AYY15Kg4wViQ0xq2UOBZTdTajoxmFBhhoRm-dmSPxN-fkvYVwuKEyR00rYt6Y8gFJI4K2p_Ta-Wrd4fkvmXNHQlJ-p2HXDBEaY/s1600/041011.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AMgQlxyFaytt4J1i2q_YB6uI4bLBad_V_RJNPiIs_AYY15Kg4wViQ0xq2UOBZTdTajoxmFBhhoRm-dmSPxN-fkvYVwuKEyR00rYt6Y8gFJI4K2p_Ta-Wrd4fkvmXNHQlJ-p2HXDBEaY/s640/041011.01.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-5362924816371499452011-09-19T17:35:00.005+01:002011-09-19T18:55:31.826+01:00Cheesy Marmite stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdvDz9fcKsXqbf6r7tsL7x1WhJ7Dy8h1kiL_fPmPuS8arMXTb4vnH_u8LMRv6eNqAMHEd4rsQD5gcRdbYunDucDRv0cs-laiLMQ7IJP7Vb26J1m6nhq4Dmpr40thRquSCDqi81-SIgOQ/s1600/190911.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdvDz9fcKsXqbf6r7tsL7x1WhJ7Dy8h1kiL_fPmPuS8arMXTb4vnH_u8LMRv6eNqAMHEd4rsQD5gcRdbYunDucDRv0cs-laiLMQ7IJP7Vb26J1m6nhq4Dmpr40thRquSCDqi81-SIgOQ/s400/190911.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">My maiden name before I married was 'Baker', and so to live up to family tradition, I like to create a new recipe once in a while, usually a dessert of some kind, but today's offering is a doggy treat! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">'Cheesy Marmite stars' are made with potato flour, making these tasty, crunchy biscuits a nutritious treat for gluten-intolerant dogs, and suitable for dogs whose owners choose to feed them a cereal/grain-free diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can buy potato flour from health food stores (e.g. Holland & Barrett).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Ingredients (makes about 120-140 biscuits)</strong>:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">250g potato flour</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">50mls cold water</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 generous teaspoons of Marmite</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">50g finely grated mature Cheddar cheese</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 large free range egg</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><br />
<strong>Method</strong>:<br />
</strong><strong></strong> </span><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-weight: normal;"><br />
Preheat over to175C and line a large baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix together flour and grated cheese in a large bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a jug, beat together water, </span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Marmite</span><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-weight: normal;"> and egg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add </span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Marmite</span><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-weight: normal;"> mixture to the cheese/flour and mix to a stiff dough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may need to add a little more water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have never used potato flour before, if you add too much water the dough will resemble silly putty and be too runny to roll out, so add any extra water a tiny bit at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do end up with silly putty, add a little more flour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once your dough is at handling consistency (it may be a bit sticky, but this is okay), place onto a floured board and roll out to around ¼ - ½ cm thick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using a small (3 – 4 cm wide) star-shaped biscuit cutter, cut out one star at a time, placing each on the baking tray before cutting the next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason for this is that potato flour dough doesn’t hold its moisture very well, and if you cut and leave each biscuit in-</span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">situ</span><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-weight: normal;"> with the intention to place them all on the tray once you’ve finished cutting, they will have stuck to the board (trust me, I’ve made this mistake!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake near the top of the oven for 30 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-weight: normal;">And don’t just save them for the dogs – if you're a Marmite lover like me, they make a tasty savoury snack for humans too!</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-28927433904492949512011-09-16T13:07:00.006+01:002011-09-20T09:44:41.203+01:00Jumping, fetching and running about.<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I filmed our training session on the paddock yesterday – just for fun and with no intention to blog about it, but also, as I have learned from filming training sessions in the past, it’s a great way to see why a dog won’t do this or that or appears confused by what is being asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being able to watch yourself train with your dog is a real eye-opener, and I can guarantee that 100% of training mistakes are due to handler error – this handler included.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is, that once you’ve got over the embarrassment of seeing yourself on film (I still have a problem with this, I’ll never be a TV celebrity ‘dog expert’) you can start to learn from these errors, rectify where you are going wrong, and get it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me, this can truly be revolutionary, and if you’ve not had the benefit of a dog professional’s analytical eye upon you, learning to be your own critic is essential to your role and progress as an owner/handler.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">These days I have learned to recognise immediately where I go wrong and I take that extra couple of seconds thinking time to avoid mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t make any glaring training mistakes yesterday, but I did walk into a jump (ouch) and a while later, tripped over Beau who was minding his own business truffling for treats in the grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To save myself unnecessary embarrassment I’ve left these ‘You’ve Been Framed’ moments on the cutting room floor, and the video is made up of the ‘best bits’ of our session – not the perfect bits, I’m a pet dog trainer, I don’t train to competition standard in any discipline, I simply want to see happy, responsive dogs enjoying what they are doing. So this 5-minute film is a mix of agility, obedience and retrieving, and when I watched it back this morning it struck me just how much my dogs have had to learn in order to achieve all this – and that’s the reason for this article, to let you know that there are no short-cuts, just lots of learning from mistakes, and that it takes time, patience, knowledge and effort to make things look easy. So <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I hope that you enjoy watching our little session, and that the explanations for each clip provide some insight into how we did it:</span></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Beau agility</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> (0.05 – 0.46).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commands used: ‘close’, ‘over’, ‘this way’, ‘tunnel’, ‘tyre’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use ‘close’ as we start off, Beau is always a reluctant starter but gets into it once he’s moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use ‘over’ for the jumps, and as the tyre is his favourite and along that left side he has a tendency to carry on through the tyre unless I direct him with a ‘this way’ in order to send him over the central jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tilly likes to be involved too and will chase us about with her ball, hoping for a throw!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Tilly retrieving</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> (0.47 – 1.09).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commands used: ‘sit’, ‘wait’, ‘go fetch’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tilly loves to retrieve – I would go as far to say that she lives for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it took a while to get her so keen, and we did it in stages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So for Tilly to learn to retrieve a ball, I had to first get her interested in chasing a ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tried a variety of types of balls and toys, and eventually she showed interest in small, latex squeaky balls – chasing after them, grabbing them, and then lying down to kill them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then had to teach her to ‘drop’ by going up to her and swapping the ball for a treat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had already learnt ‘come’ but this proved to be a problem as once she was away with the ball, if I recalled her she left the ball and then came to me for treat, so I had to work out how to maintain her prey drive for long enough for her to keep the ball in her mouth for the return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d already done a bit of agility, so I set up a low jump in the garden, threw the ball just the other side of the jump and then sent her over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first few times, she grabbed the ball and then lay down with the ball in her mouth on the other side of the jump, but then one time, with a bit of encouragement and with her focus on the jump, she jumped back over, ball still in mouth, I told her ‘drop’ and then immediately threw the ball back at her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s when it clicked for her – if I bring the ball back, I get to chase it again!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From then on, we made rapid progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no requirement to tell her to ‘drop’ any more – in fact she practically throws the ball back at me – and there’s no need to swap the ball for treats as she retrieves for the ball alone now, every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s not even interested in treats when retrieving – even if I present her with even the tastiest morsel, all she wants is the ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sitting and waiting for a retrieve is challenging for her, but she’s good at because the retrieve serves to reinforce the wait. In training, this is called the ‘Premack Principle’ or more commonly, ‘grandma’s law’ – if you do this totally unrewarding thing first, you get to do this amazing thing after, or in other words, if you finish your greens you get to eat pudding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gradually, finishing your greens (or in Tilly’s case, sitting and waiting) not only becomes a means to an end, but as a behaviour, it grows in strength and will want to be repeated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once Tilly has waited for a retrieve, I always follow this by throwing the ball again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Tilly retrieving</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> (1.10 – 1.27).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commands used: Tilly – ‘sit’, ‘wait’, ‘go', fetch’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beau – ‘leave’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Beau seems oblivious to what’s going on around him when I’m training with Tilly, he’s actually paying attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I send Tilly to retrieve, he’ll often run in too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I’ve hidden the ball or she’s not seen where it’s landed and she has to search for it, he’ll sometimes run in and find it straight away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this clip, he runs in – at the point where he veers off to the left (1.19) I’m telling him to ‘leave’.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Beau retrieving</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> (1.28 – 2.12).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commands used: ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘go fetch’, ‘come’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beau is somewhat of an unenthusiastic retriever and it takes a lot to keep him interested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tilly provides competition, which helps, but whereas Tilly will work fast and for the ball alone, what suits Beau is a retrieve to hand in exchange for a treat or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the time he comes straight back with the ball, albeit at his own sweet pace, but he can lose interest half way and so sometimes I need to recall him as he’s making his way back to me to keep him going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, I know he’s had enough and so once he’s returned with the ball and we’ve done our ball-treat swap, I let him have the ball back so that he can take it off and lie down and have a little play on his own for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no point in pushing him once he’s reached his limit and as it’s taken a while to get him this interested in retrieving, I’m not about to put unnecessary pressure on him and risk him shutting me out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this clip, I use the ‘watch me’ command as I approach Beau after placing the ball near the fence, just to hold his attention while I move around to his right side and open a clear path for him to retrieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This helps to keep him place as I’m cueing him up to ‘go fetch’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By applying gentle pressure to his chest with the back of my left forearm, I engage the ‘opposition reflex’ whereby he naturally pushes forwards into my arm, so that when I eventually release him, he’s already moving forward and so moves faster towards the ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this clip, Tilly cuts across his return and he veers off to the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point he’s lost the drive to return to me with the ball so I have to recall him (‘come’) before he loses interest in returning to me with the ball. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Beau retrieving</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> (2.13 – 2.59).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commands used:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘watch me’, ‘go fetch’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this clip, I throw the ball into the tunnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Beau is in a sit-stay, Tilly tracks down the paddock over the cavaletti poles to the tunnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beau decides to return to me via the tunnel and so flushes Tilly out, who decides to beat him on the return and get in a sneaky throw while he’s still on his way back to me!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Tilly retrieving</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> (3.00 – 3.40).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commands used:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tilly – ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘watch me’, ‘go', 'fetch’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beau – ‘leave’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use the ‘watch me’ command sooner with Tilly because she is so keen to retrieve and I don’t want her to break her sit-stay until I send her away. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beau is watching from the sidelines all along and again, I need to tell him to ‘leave’ (3.29).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Beau retrieving</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> (3.41 – 4.04).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commands used:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘sit’, ‘wait’, ‘go fetch’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this clip, I set Beau up so that he can’t see where the ball is going to land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He still hears it land, but I’m covering his eyes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once he’s found the ball, he decides to return, unprompted, through the tyre, his favourite piece of agility equipment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Tandem retrieve!</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> (4.05 – 4.56).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commands used:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘watch me’, ‘wait’, ‘go fetch’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tell Tilly to ‘wait’ as I’m walking back from placing the balls near the fence and hold Beau’s attention with a ‘watch me’ – interestingly though, although my eye contact is with Beau, Tilly is also watching me as she waits for me to send her in for the retrieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beau almost breaks his stay as Tilly runs down the paddock because I take a step forward, which he takes as a signal to move forward, but I realise my mistake and a sharp ‘wait’ holds him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tilly gets in a couple of quick-fire retrieves while Beau, making his way back up the paddock, drops the ball on route but then makes up for it by returning, unprompted, over the jump.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">If you're wondering what the accompanying earworm-like track is by the way, it's the 12" remix of 'Stone Fox Chase' by Area Code 615 – the original theme music for The Old Grey Whistle Test (oops, showing my age ... ! )</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NBXGP2fmt-Zo99ZghFhrHzKYPGMfhu9jZ2nzeSW3zOGJ9RD0Esip0N9H9rUO3Blpe9soz9fPK8SKZ6TTFfAvMomAPRdGFitlEK16mxsh3DK1pBCbWt7os4y2Wm3FlMhwXadMSN-3jMI/s1600/030710.007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NBXGP2fmt-Zo99ZghFhrHzKYPGMfhu9jZ2nzeSW3zOGJ9RD0Esip0N9H9rUO3Blpe9soz9fPK8SKZ6TTFfAvMomAPRdGFitlEK16mxsh3DK1pBCbWt7os4y2Wm3FlMhwXadMSN-3jMI/s400/030710.007.jpg" width="321" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beau, making himself useful as an agility obstacle!</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">You may also be interested to read my <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/dog-agility-its-not-just-collie-thing.html">agility</a> and <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/02/article-search-and-retrieve.html">search & retrieve</a> articles.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-36232356250818634272011-09-09T12:59:00.008+01:002011-11-26T16:53:07.362+00:00Take the Canine Mind Temperament Test<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Before I work with a dog, I spend a couple of hours on the phone talking to the dog’s owner and noting down its case history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I start by asking the owner for some very basic and standard information – contact details, vet details, dog’s medical history and the like – and then we spend some time discussing the main behaviour problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then ask the owner another series of questions, and as we start to go through them I often detect an air of ‘why is she asking me this?’ from the other end of the phone-line. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that point I explain that although the questions may not seem to bear any relevance to the problem itself, the answers will enable me to gain an insight into the dog’s general temperament.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Temperament is an important factor in working out how best to resolve a behaviour issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Temperament determines how an individual dog responds to the world, and so provides me with a predictable foundation on which to base a dog’s behaviour therapy and training plan.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Take the Canine Mind Temperament Test! </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Which set of the following temperament traits best describes your dog?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN-OXQOzaF8KyNo-A5-ieSZS-NB05Fz0XccUVsY_tdeYIE7mNdwe92IV_Xo9wB6SBCeH8jd_AkUJ5w4uTydAGZLzlgBJ_LRG6IwTCkGXScdISAtkzkcnCOwrUhyphenhyphenKnLdypcHDXZrIsJk8/s1600/123.11months32.7.5X10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN-OXQOzaF8KyNo-A5-ieSZS-NB05Fz0XccUVsY_tdeYIE7mNdwe92IV_Xo9wB6SBCeH8jd_AkUJ5w4uTydAGZLzlgBJ_LRG6IwTCkGXScdISAtkzkcnCOwrUhyphenhyphenKnLdypcHDXZrIsJk8/s200/123.11months32.7.5X10.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">Set 1:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Friendly and bold</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lively </span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Responsive</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Focused</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Takes an ‘approach and explore’ attitude to novelty</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Enthusiastically plays fetch and tug</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">May be startled by sudden noise or movement but recovers and adapts</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Will tolerate close contact and petting when eating and will allow food items to be removed without objection</span></span></div></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodB1UZrnfnRjEjw5DnV_701ESdA1_Z6XAEmqpSBWmRwyLqFghuTR1uNO8fq3TGQoYvSsRgvjkpiWh3LATpZalnbMTD04Alfj4Lxe0DGpjD-C440Sh0If6QxofIqpAg8DmOXOsQnyqLt4/s1600/Buffy+on+Dorwinion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodB1UZrnfnRjEjw5DnV_701ESdA1_Z6XAEmqpSBWmRwyLqFghuTR1uNO8fq3TGQoYvSsRgvjkpiWh3LATpZalnbMTD04Alfj4Lxe0DGpjD-C440Sh0If6QxofIqpAg8DmOXOsQnyqLt4/s200/Buffy+on+Dorwinion.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Set 2:</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Friendly but passive</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Controlled</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Calm</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Quiet</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Takes a considered approach to novelty</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Willingness to fetch and tug but lacks enthusiasm</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Not easily startled by sudden noise or movement</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Will tolerate close contact and petting when eating and allows food items to be removed without objection </span></span></div></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-x4kNuw1nTfaG7GpNHNrr0yg2Hpe92dRMBV6N0GgMTASx3pmzcgGi2JWFwax7-gB-HkIb88tTX8bpuoHiIGZ-UChhMXoJMfAXkXRcqVQ7falXwNp2TKogFaabCnVdNPfHD5B38Nv9Gs/s1600/040911.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-x4kNuw1nTfaG7GpNHNrr0yg2Hpe92dRMBV6N0GgMTASx3pmzcgGi2JWFwax7-gB-HkIb88tTX8bpuoHiIGZ-UChhMXoJMfAXkXRcqVQ7falXwNp2TKogFaabCnVdNPfHD5B38Nv9Gs/s200/040911.04.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Set 3:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anxious</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Inhibited</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Helpless</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: "Wingdings 2"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Shy</span></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Wingdings 2"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lacks the ability to problem solve and avoids novelty</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ignores toys, half-heartedly chases a ball but then walks away, won’t take hold of a tug-toy</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Takes flight or freezes when startled and shows lingering signs of fear, may become defensive if cornered</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Moves away from food items when approached and allows their removal without objection</span></span></div></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEuGYl2DjbRqnIsPkz1eauD8nqIKQGsS0tLE0fJl4RnD5lG1_fAsgps_Rnq_RqLqowkwG6wQxWbViJYqB8xyGC0jXoTcu5X7xlsz-XvmfwSM462_00LdmN3HZvwFaLdqe1saArYc-tOY/s1600/110611.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEuGYl2DjbRqnIsPkz1eauD8nqIKQGsS0tLE0fJl4RnD5lG1_fAsgps_Rnq_RqLqowkwG6wQxWbViJYqB8xyGC0jXoTcu5X7xlsz-XvmfwSM462_00LdmN3HZvwFaLdqe1saArYc-tOY/s200/110611.01.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Set 4:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Excitable </span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Touch sensitive</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Impulsive</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Reactive</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Irritable</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Demanding</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Does not habituate to change and novelty</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Intolerant of restraint</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Possessive of toys, all take and no give</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tendency to bark when startled and may lash out</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When eating will stiffen up and/or threaten anyone who approaches or attempts to remove food items </span></span></div></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If set 1 best describes your dog, he shows traits of stability and extroversion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>His temperament type is sanguine – ‘<strong>S-type</strong>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If set 2 best describes your dog, he shows traits of stability and introversion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>His temperament type is phlegmatic – ‘<strong>P-type</strong>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If set 3 best describes your dog, he shows traits of instability and introversion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>His temperament type is melancholic – ‘<strong>M-type</strong>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If set 4 best describes your dog, he shows traits of instability and extroversion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>His temperament type is choleric – ‘<strong>C-type</strong>’.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">(NB ~ I have used 'he' and 'his' only for descriptive purpose, replace with 'her' and 'she' if your dog is female!) </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></h1><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>S-type</strong> ~ It is uncommon for owners of S-type dogs to call me with a problem unless the owner is not devoting enough time to exercise or providing the dog with social, environmental and breed-specific enrichment and basic training – in other words, the dog is bored and seeking stimulating and rewarding activity (what we see as destructive and hyperactive behaviour).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally S-type dogs can be overly-sensitive to sudden noise or movement, but with the right training approach and their otherwise stable temperament, this threshold can be raised.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>P-type ~ </strong></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is very rare for owners of P-type dogs to call me with a problem unless the owner’s circumstances have changed and the dog is experiencing longer periods of separation than it is previously used to.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></h1><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>M-type</strong> ~ Fear, anxiety, nervousness, separation and compulsive behaviour issues are common with M-types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around a third of the dogs that I am called on to help with are M-types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></h1><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>C-type</strong> ~ Without a doubt, the C-type dog presents more potential for problems than the other temperament types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C-types have low stress and emotional tolerance thresholds, making them extremely sensitive to social and environmental stress that involve loss, novelty, change, aversion, threat and punishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excitability, frustration, impulsivity and aggression issues are common with C-types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around two-thirds of the dogs that I am called on to help with are C-types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often refer to them as my ‘training school drop-outs’ because many have already passed through the doors of at least one training school where inappropriate handling and training methods have done nothing to resolve the ‘bad’ behaviour (or have made it worse), or the owner has been asked to leave the class because of the dog’s persistent barking.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zoETRBmEmpJkr9JDzIFB14zaNYPfxCDM8R69S3fGw_BaW74s5Eflj_pEzZ8Q8BVpinGirY8bxkqjvnll_XLzeFOAGnbsQbNmiaZxT1h6Gq7Bsh22jiWlmV18HSeJAKKvKW8pT26i_a0/s1600/040911.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zoETRBmEmpJkr9JDzIFB14zaNYPfxCDM8R69S3fGw_BaW74s5Eflj_pEzZ8Q8BVpinGirY8bxkqjvnll_XLzeFOAGnbsQbNmiaZxT1h6Gq7Bsh22jiWlmV18HSeJAKKvKW8pT26i_a0/s200/040911.02.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are of course degrees of temperament traits and expressions of behaviour, but ultimately it’s a dog’s temperament that determines how he reacts to the world around him, and in turn, how the world reacts towards him shapes his temperament. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If introverted dogs are mismanaged they can become progressively unstable and move towards M-type traits, however, under the influence of stability-enhancing training activities, introverted dogs can learn to cope more effectively with social encounters and their environment and make the shift towards P-type traits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Systematic desensitisation and counter-conditioning techniques should be used to overcome fear and nervousness issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When resolving M-type separation behaviour, it will initially be owner scent, not a food-stuffed activity-toy, that allows the dog to cope with being left alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An M-type dog will never become extroverted, and there may be situations that the introverted dog who tends towards instability, will find stressful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Respecting an introverted dog’s social limits is therefore important if the development of M-type traits are to be discouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If extroverted dogs are mismanaged – particularly if they are subjected to threats and punishment for intrusive, impulsive and excessive behaviours – they may become progressively unstable in the direction of C-type traits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C-types are prone to panic-evoked aggression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C-types react negatively to punishment – they do not learn from negative consequences and therefore require highly structured, reward-based training activities aimed at reducing social conflict and tension, alongside management strategies that minimise the provocation of reactive behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This approach helps the C-type to learn to control impulses and delay gratification (waiting for the good stuff), which in time helps to make the gradual shift towards S-type traits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rehabilitating and training a C-type dog is hard work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C-types need a lot of exercise and focused attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dietary changes may be necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Training is often an around-the-clock affair – it’s exhausting, and can at times be frustrating, but as handlers of C-types, we simply have to keep our cool and positively focus our training efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many C-types end up in rescue or worse, are put to sleep, because they are misunderstood and mishandled.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MjliQwo9qgW3YRBot16yNUr_Z7rCm-gET8PPzC-HW-6H2yL05EfC0QamV58t_P0W1ZT1w8PUs84gAjUgd1WiVLUAQCTqtq_sM-VW767UlPLNfgAOXB3ZNmLhGBFWpWXfIoZAcTiW8VI/s1600/110810.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MjliQwo9qgW3YRBot16yNUr_Z7rCm-gET8PPzC-HW-6H2yL05EfC0QamV58t_P0W1ZT1w8PUs84gAjUgd1WiVLUAQCTqtq_sM-VW767UlPLNfgAOXB3ZNmLhGBFWpWXfIoZAcTiW8VI/s200/110810.01.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Because the brain is malleable, because all dogs, whatever their temperament type, have the same underlying instincts and emotional command systems, under the right social, environmental and training conditions, desirable temperament traits can be encouraged and learned. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With the right approach, the instabilities of M- and C-type temperaments can be overcome to varying degrees, with an observable move towards the stable traits of S- and P-type dogs. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">M-type dogs can grow in confidence and become more relaxed – they can even learn to retrieve with the enthusiasm of an S-type – and C-type dogs can learn tolerance and impulse-control through reward-based training methods.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Your dog’s behaviour is an expression of his temperament traits, and understanding his temperament type is key to how you can influence and shape his behaviour ... for the better.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-91364769079383006852011-08-27T00:24:00.022+01:002011-08-30T13:40:12.457+01:00Fighting talk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fighting between dogs who share the same household isn’t a behaviour problem that I help dog owners with on a daily basis, but it is an issue that I receive many calls about that do not result in bookings for 1-2-1 behaviour consultations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suspect that this is because when I tell people how much effort may be involved in resolving the problem, they have second thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> More often than not, t</span>he response is "we’ll think about it" – and then I never hear from them again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’m not sure what people expect me to tell them when they call – maybe that I have a magic wand that I can wave about and make the problem go away, or that I can show them one simple technique to stop the aggression and prevent it from ever coming back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth is that resident dog-dog aggression is often a serious and complex behaviour issue, which requires a dedicated and concerted effort from owners in order to resolve the problem, often requiring changes to be made to the home environment, daily routines and personal habits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I think that t</span>he route to resolution is just too much work for some people to want to take on.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a>Aggression between dogs who share the same household frequently results in more serious injuries than does aggression between dogs who do not live together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Research shows that the on the whole, aggressive outbursts between resident dogs are usually the result of a progression of events and are initiated by the youngest and most recently obtained member of the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is particularly so when the dogs are of the same sex, and statistically, the incidence of fighting between resident females is higher than between resident males, with fighting between spayed females being more common and injurious than between entire females.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may be due to the effect that the removal of the female reproductive hormones has on the activity and production of other hormones such as arginine vasopressin (AVP), serotonin and thyroxin, whose levels in the brain can directly influence aggressive arousal in response to competition or threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fighting between entire females is commonly due to fluctuating hormone levels during the few weeks of the reproductively receptive time of a bitch’s season or ‘heat’, when resident bitches may compete for breeding rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the bitches are not in season, there is often no tension between them at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With male dogs who share the same household, hormone activity may play a part too, with the production and activity of testosterone, AVP, serotonin and thyroxin being possible contributors to aggressive arousal under the influence of threat or competition for resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stress, and in particular circulating levels of the hormone, cortisol, also plays a big part in the regulation of emotional thresholds and tolerance towards social competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBvkobmbAcrXrxsBulIIOBUBa2lwRgTCPE-doAfyWmJQS9BDYXy-rdPcdYQK2tc3hxXty6jwx949NGVPiDkuR2qho0A_60driE6Xs16FnVSJtiKYCCj6V222vRkQ2DluTCfShdX0yDIw/s1600/tylertrigger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBvkobmbAcrXrxsBulIIOBUBa2lwRgTCPE-doAfyWmJQS9BDYXy-rdPcdYQK2tc3hxXty6jwx949NGVPiDkuR2qho0A_60driE6Xs16FnVSJtiKYCCj6V222vRkQ2DluTCfShdX0yDIw/s320/tylertrigger2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hormonal influences aside, there are three basic forms of aggressive interaction between dogs who share the same living space:</span></span></div><ol><li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Aggressive play</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Includes many of the behavioural components observed in actual fighting, but without the intention to subdue or injure.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Actual dominance fighting</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intended to subordinate an opponent but without injury.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Overt and damaging fighting</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intended both to subdue and injure an opponent.</span></span></div></li>
</ol><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All three forms of fighting are involved in the establishment and maintenance of relative social dominance between dogs who share the same living space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free-roaming feral and semi-feral dogs on the other hand do not form hierarchical relations with one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The establishment of dominance hierarchies only occurs between captive dogs who are forced to share the same home territory with one another and when space and other resources are limited and controlled, but that said, most dogs who live together establish remarkably stable relationships, and the majority test and maintain the status quo through play.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The two dogs in the above-left picture look like they are about to kill one another, </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">but when looked at again in context (below-right), you can see that there is much more going on than at first glance, and that </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">this frightening display of ‘weaponry’ is actually a mix of play aggression and friendly competition for a ‘resource’ (i.e. the ball) …</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErFN8YYhwBwRofHZvTLRdZuuh9fGQAK5SZZFVfTs_ntyaNRvf1Ws7JnsmwP6FlGbjz5Csbgou39VigW8zxc0r2M3qVrefmcg2GuvsUibM1agWrFRsUi_wM0GAsRvD0bg3DYtX1ATaRpo/s1600/tylertrigger1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErFN8YYhwBwRofHZvTLRdZuuh9fGQAK5SZZFVfTs_ntyaNRvf1Ws7JnsmwP6FlGbjz5Csbgou39VigW8zxc0r2M3qVrefmcg2GuvsUibM1agWrFRsUi_wM0GAsRvD0bg3DYtX1ATaRpo/s320/tylertrigger1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The dogs’ body language and facial expressions say it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dog on the left is leaning his body backwards – if he were more serious about his intentions, he would be leaning forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dog on the right seems relaxed about his brother's ‘threat’ and remains lying down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note that both dogs are avoiding direct eye contact too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Although playful competition around resources may always exist between these two boys, because both naturally tend towards ‘bluffing’, it is highly unlikely that this kind of behaviour will escalate into a problem. It's important though to be able to recognise the difference between what is normal and harmless play behaviour, and aggressive behaviour that could develop into a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The causes for frequent or injurious aggression between resident dogs are complicated and varied, and to a certain degree, speculative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it is difficult to make a clear distinction between offensive fighting and other forms of aggression such as the dog who tends towards self-protective, defensive aggression when in a tight spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes the fights are clearly one-sided, with one dog being the instigator and attacker, and the other, the unfortunate ‘victim’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Access points such as doorways and stairwells, and sudden changes in social dynamic such as the moment a person enters or leaves a room, are common triggers for fights because these relate directly to the control of movement, space and the enforcement of social dominance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Fighting between resident dogs rarely occurs when the owner is absent, which suggests that the presence of the owner is a primary trigger for resident dog-dog aggression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Owner ‘interference’ in the form of favouring the ‘underdog’ appears to play a huge part in de-stabilising dominance relations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are several theoretical reasons as to why this should happen but none make total sense to me, so in my opinion, allowing fights to occur but then breaking them up before they are allowed to run their natural course in combination with favouring either dog simply increases the competition between the dogs for owner attention and affection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Increasing competition narrows the relative social status between the dogs, which in turn drives the need to establish social dominance, causing aggression to escalate and hostilities to remain at the ready, with the potential for a fight breaking out at any time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all this in mind, the resolution lies directly with the owner – not as a dominator, side-taker, referee, or a resource to be competed for, but as the driving force behind a fundamental shift in the relationship between the dogs, and each dog's relationship with the owner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
BREAKING UP FIGHTS ON HOME TERRITORY</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Trying to break up a fight by grabbing dogs with your hands or getting between them is a dangerous activity and runs a very real risk of getting bitten by accident or by redirection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your close proximity may even cause the dogs to increase their efforts to overthrow one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly, hitting, kicking or causing pain to the dogs in other ways will likely sustain or increase aggressive arousal, not diminish it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preventing fights is always preferable to breaking them up and with spot on management this is 100% doable, but in case a fight does break out and needs to be stopped, there are a number of ways to prepare for and go about it:</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUfVPx_u58BWSQQg7IyXZC0fezIV1zGfyHQxYC667XpGMzwoF5uqIVY2RA1xXAIz2-8DAC2X7dUZ9eXoiSNlvtZkc3SpRzJYTbScPNqbzXzqchyZDtt2MWnmY2oavnzQe1qaG9UubrzY/s1600/38952_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUfVPx_u58BWSQQg7IyXZC0fezIV1zGfyHQxYC667XpGMzwoF5uqIVY2RA1xXAIz2-8DAC2X7dUZ9eXoiSNlvtZkc3SpRzJYTbScPNqbzXzqchyZDtt2MWnmY2oavnzQe1qaG9UubrzY/s200/38952_large.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A water-filled soda siphon in every room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a fight breaks out, a few rapid squirts INTO the attacker’s mouth can be enough to cause it to let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never use the siphon to ‘prevent’ a fight from occurring.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A bath towel or blanket in every room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a fight breaks out, take the towel or blanket and throw it over the dogs’ heads before separating them.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Blasting an air-horn or safety whistle, or banging a saucepan or metal tea-tray close to the dogs’ heads can be enough to startle the dogs and cause them to let go of one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only use this method if both dogs do not normally show fear of loud or sudden noises – the idea is to invoke the startle reflex and to interrupt the dogs, not to terrify them.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lifting the hind legs/rear end of the attacker until it lets go of the other dog, who will then usually crawl away.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Both dogs wear a trailing lead at all times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is by far the easiest way to separate two dogs, particularly if you are on your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there are two people, each lead can be taken up by hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are on your own, take up the end of one lead and move/pull the dogs until you can tie-off the lead to something secure and solid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take up the end of the other lead and pull steadily – no jerking – until the dogs release their hold on one another.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If one dog is holding the other in a suffocation bite (around the throat) or by the back of the neck, slide a sturdy pole (e.g. a walking cane or broom handle) between the collar of the biting dog and the back of its neck and with the collar resting at the centre of the pole, use the pole as a two-ended handle to twist the collar until it tightens sufficiently to cause the dog to pass out and so release its jaws.</span></span></div></li>
</ul><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I recently read an article on how to solve resident dog-dog aggression that recommended the use of Gentle Leader headcollars to control the dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> PLEASE DO NOT DO</span> THIS!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Gentle Leader is a muzzle-clamping headcollar that when pulled (or when the dog pulls) clamps the dog’s jaws shut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If either dog is already biting the other, any attempt to pull the biting dog away will result in him being unable to release his hold on the other dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you absolutely have to use a headcollar to control either dog (i.e. if they are large, powerful dogs), you must ensure that it is a fixed-action, non-muzzle-clamping type, e.g. the noseband DOES NOT TIGHTEN around the dogs muzzle when the headcollar is used to turn the dog’s head towards you, and provides plenty of room for the dog to freely open its jaws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not recommend or advocate the use of muzzle-clamping headcollars such as Gentle Leader, Halti, Gencon, Canny Collar at any time or for any purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There simply is no need, when non-muzzle-clamping headcollars are readily available, e.g. Dogmatic, or the Pets at Home own brand (see below ...)</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEe5HH5dduMrDxBNQuPVsarul66-WND96CmCmkKsuBsncpIZmht-CxJpaJH-qVWoZ4tIv9WcgKFGiIEl4-r-6gruC6JgRPNMarWNRzm1LKTnEnLRM1mDElunERccHcqq2mwWvF4VklJpc/s1600/PAH+headcollar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEe5HH5dduMrDxBNQuPVsarul66-WND96CmCmkKsuBsncpIZmht-CxJpaJH-qVWoZ4tIv9WcgKFGiIEl4-r-6gruC6JgRPNMarWNRzm1LKTnEnLRM1mDElunERccHcqq2mwWvF4VklJpc/s640/PAH+headcollar.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">In the above picture, Beau is wearing the Pets at Home 'control headcollar'. As you can see, the noseband provides plenty of room for him to open his mouth, and there are no moving parts to the headcollar. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
RESOLVING RESIDENT DOG-DOG AGGRESSION</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="postbody"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The goal of behaviour therapy should be to take control and prevent fights, not to referee or direct the ongoing drama and tension between the dogs – the idea being to end conflict, not to explore dominance and pack theories</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">The focus therefore for resolving resident dog-dog aggression should not be about reinforcing relative dominant/subordinate status between the dogs or refereeing the dogs’ social interactions, but on conflict-prevention, reward-based impulse control and social tolerance training, and the dogs’ owner</span><span class="postbody"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"> becoming a source of social control and order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The human influence over each dog's behaviour must be stronger than the dogs’ influence over one another's behaviour, and this can be achieved by way of instigating and reinforcing positive, non-competitive social interactions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By changing the relationship dynamic, strong leader-follower relationship pairs are encouraged between each dog and the owner, as opposed to the reactive dog-dog dynamic where the owner, access points, mealtimes, resting areas, visitors, etc, are primary sources for conflict and competitive arousal.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">General stress reduction is also important. Correct diet and exercise, mental stimulation, massage, quality rest and sleep, and complimentary therapies such as flower essences, herbal remedies and acupuncture, are all areas that can bring overall benefit to the dogs' well-being and so help to lower tension in the home.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="postbody"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="postbody"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">CONFLICT PREVENTION</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All triggers must be identified and steps taken to ensure that the dogs are unable to make threatening or aggressive contact with one another in the presence of those triggers:</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you coming home is a trigger, ensure that the dogs are separated either in crates or different rooms before you leave them alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon your return, greet each dog separately before bringing the dogs together (trailing leads for safety if necessary) for a few minutes of impulse control and social tolerance training to reinforce your position as the source of social order.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If the arrival of visitors is a trigger, change the dogs’ focus to something else, e.g. the expectation of a food tit-bit, in order to prevent them from becoming excited and emotional, and to create an alternative and positive/rewarding association with the change in social dynamic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maintain social order and keep the dogs apart with basic obedience commands such as ‘back’ and ‘wait’.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If doorways are a trigger, allowing one dog access (on a first come, first serve basis, you do not decide who goes first) whilst requiring the other dog to ‘wait’ (in return for a food tit-bit if necessary) will help to prevent conflict and competitive arousal.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If mealtimes are a trigger, separate the dogs while their food is being prepared and when feeding them but do not exclude either or both of them – use child/stair gates, leash and tether the dogs away from one another, or put the dogs in crates to keep them apart.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If beds, sofas/chairs or other favoured resting places are a trigger, if one in particular, either remove it or block the dogs’ access to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ensure that both/all dogs have somewhere comfortable to rest and that there is plenty of space between resting areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not place resting areas near other potential triggers for conflict/competition, e.g. next to water bowls, doorways/stairwells, kitchen food preparation area, ‘your’ chair, etc.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">If other resources such as chews, bones and toys are a trigger, remove them and only give them to the dogs under close supervision – with both dogs leashed and tethered away from one another if necessary, but in the same room, and with you present. Alternatively, if you cannot supervise the dogs, separate them into different rooms if they are to have chews, bones or toys.</span></div></li>
</ul><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYZmoOGr-ze_ZXz1xQiomaBOOy4i75O0TXmivbG_jMXZanKOwIh0HtRuNR5CYda-uDnZQFn5wm_Bcu3D4jEzTBqNNqsMnIpslcMwahfyqelbPLXY6YLTfKGsPZ1Z9kK3FqzGMKrgabUA/s1600/1011_DogGates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYZmoOGr-ze_ZXz1xQiomaBOOy4i75O0TXmivbG_jMXZanKOwIh0HtRuNR5CYda-uDnZQFn5wm_Bcu3D4jEzTBqNNqsMnIpslcMwahfyqelbPLXY6YLTfKGsPZ1Z9kK3FqzGMKrgabUA/s1600/1011_DogGates.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Creating physical barriers throughout the home territory to keep the dogs apart when owner attention and supervision cannot be fully engaged is an important aspect of fight prevention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doors, gates and crates can all be utilised when needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Muzzle-training both dogs and having one or both muzzled when they are together is an often over-looked management tool – it won’t necessarily prevent a fight from breaking out, but if you cannot be certain of the dogs’ behaviour in any given trigger situation, it will at least prevent bite injuries. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Muzzling the dogs is not a substitute for training, and training must take place alongside muzzling. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Even though the dogs cannot bite one another whilst wearing muzzles, the emphasis should still remain on conflict prevention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The muzzle is merely a safeguard against injuries – and if your management is spot on, injuries shouldn’t have the potential to occur. </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjQDIRX3YyJevxL4pdW58VV3mX-pPrlhHKnyKVVxS4U7jx1fXn7UVA7vBwa4xY7meLK1fT0e0AZliJvDt5fS_n4J62R9WBz626wertHJlK6xEK7bgHlVgaAFpNCgTLoxo2vS88e2ZC18/s1600/924-906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjQDIRX3YyJevxL4pdW58VV3mX-pPrlhHKnyKVVxS4U7jx1fXn7UVA7vBwa4xY7meLK1fT0e0AZliJvDt5fS_n4J62R9WBz626wertHJlK6xEK7bgHlVgaAFpNCgTLoxo2vS88e2ZC18/s200/924-906.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I prefer fabric muzzles as these are more comfortable for the dog to wear than are basket-type muzzles. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The nylon Mikki muzzle (pictured right) is a good choice as it allows the dog just enough room to pant and drink (and to be fed treats during training) and comes in a range of sizes to fit long and short-nosed breeds.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are thinking about muzzling you dog for any reason, you must desensitise him to the muzzle before making him wear it in a potentially stressful situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As all dogs have the potential to bite, training any dog to wear a muzzle is good practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
IMPULSE CONTROL AND SOCIAL TOLERANCE TRAINING</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Encouraging impulse control and social tolerance through reward-based training is a pivotal part of behaviour therapy when treating any aggression problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intensive ‘wait’ training and delaying of gratification builds a desire around waiting and taking turns to obtain attention, affection, and other rewards by way of following rules and owner direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working both dogs together (under restraint or restricted movement if necessary and for safety) focusing on simple reward-based obedience training, for example, instructing one dog to wait/sit/down at a distance while the other dog receives friendly interaction (fuss, praise, play with a toy), and so long as the waiting dog controls the impulse to move, tossing it food tit-bits (eating allows for the release of oxytocin, the ‘bonding’ hormone) before swapping positions (owner moves, dogs stay in place) and repeating the activity with the other dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The focus of this area of training is to create impulse control (waiting and taking turns), social tolerance (of the other dog receiving owner attention), positive association with the other dog receiving owner attention (via food tit-bits), and to teach the dogs to yield to the owner’s control of space, movement and social interactions at all times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The impulse control aspect of training also enforces strong dominant-subordinate relationships between each dog and the owner, which diminishes the dogs’ need to enforce social dominance over one another.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO7Glm2Tbc6zmIV1G6RtNdcoO6S3qlcFtPDwexB7Mt3RYShL17SGvxg3I9IWDNp4gUEDP6RJv0QCFdRXXD5D406c3EVFNag7NajQs9Zreawr7Tl7MxCiaVkU2CqhbQNrROkN-Xe2tn7g/s1600/040611.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO7Glm2Tbc6zmIV1G6RtNdcoO6S3qlcFtPDwexB7Mt3RYShL17SGvxg3I9IWDNp4gUEDP6RJv0QCFdRXXD5D406c3EVFNag7NajQs9Zreawr7Tl7MxCiaVkU2CqhbQNrROkN-Xe2tn7g/s200/040611.01.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Recreational activities are also important in the creation and maintenance of harmonious relations between resident dogs.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Outside of the home and away from sources of competition and conflict, many resident aggressors get along without so much as a sideways snarl at one another.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Non-competitive activities that both dogs can enjoy together in the presence of the owner should therefore be encouraged, for example, foraging for treats, walking or jogging with the owner, exploring a new piece of ground together, etc. </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION AND TRAINING</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zCmRv4xYzugj6SZjQPuJONSjdYiYOPX2Oviukob372d9HPg96Bz7MrT0KMKVn6P-1JnLJ2F6-QmRbe8JmraVvWfCYDOEpRMO8qoBv7HnCGm1qpnKnKtwVc7qFaXTC4FpriQIOpQFKqs/s1600/120709+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zCmRv4xYzugj6SZjQPuJONSjdYiYOPX2Oviukob372d9HPg96Bz7MrT0KMKVn6P-1JnLJ2F6-QmRbe8JmraVvWfCYDOEpRMO8qoBv7HnCGm1qpnKnKtwVc7qFaXTC4FpriQIOpQFKqs/s200/120709+001.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Allowing each dog to individually engage in activities that utilise their particular strengths and interests can also be helpful in reducing resident dog-dog aggression on a number of levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Activities such as <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/dog-agility-its-not-just-collie-thing.html">agility</a>, working trials and canny-cross can provide valuable exercise, mental stimulation, beneficial neuro-hormone activity in the brain and purposeful focus, as well as relieving pent-up tension and energies, and utilising the leader-follower dimension of the human-canine bond. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Activities that utilise the prey sequence of behaviours such as herding and <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/02/article-search-and-retrieve.html">retrieval and scent work</a> fulfil the dog on a fundamental and instinctive level.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
DIET</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Diet is also an important area to consider when treating any aggression issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeding a natural, species-appropriate <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/05/raw-convenience.html">raw diet</a> is always preferable over feeding a processed diet, but if you choose to feed a processed diet, pick a non-cereal/grain based formula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Avoid foods that contain artificial additives, in particular artificial colours (Bakers Complete and Pedigree Large Breed kibbles to name but two).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Including omega 3 every day, and if not feeding a lamb or turkey based raw food diet, the inclusion of a tryptophan supplement such as Canovel/Catovel Calmdown will boost serotonin levels in the brain, which makes for a calmer, less impulsive, more relaxed and tolerant dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information on how diet can be used to affect behaviour, see my <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/07/mood-food.html">Mood Food</a> article.</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">....................................................................................................................................................................</span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My advice, if you have an existing resident dog-dog aggression issue, is to employ the help of a reputable dog behaviour psychologist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He or she will likely refer you back to your vet in order for the dog to have an external physical examination to check for pain (eyes, ears, teeth, joints, etc) and to carry out a complete blood count, chemistry panels and urinalysis to check for possible medical causes and hormone/chemical imbalances for your dog’s aggressive behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your dog behaviour psychologist should then visit you in your home to assess the dogs in their normal environment, and to discuss with you the problem in depth before advising you on the best way to control your dogs’ movement around the home and how to manage trigger situations, and demonstrating with your dogs the basics of reward-based impulse control and social tolerance training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He or she should then provide you with a behaviour modification and training plan that is uniquely tailored to your individual situation and your dogs, and backed by ongoing support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Be prepared for the expense that may be involved if veterinary treatment is required, if repeat visits from your dog behaviour psychologist are needed and equipment needs to be bought, and if dietary changes are necessary. Be prepared for the time that you will need to find for training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be prepared to make some simple modifications to your home by way of dog gates, crates and tie-out points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be prepared to change how you interact with your dogs – n<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">o taking sides, no favouritism when both are together. </span>Be prepared to put in whatever effort is needed to reach a resolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no magic wand. No simple technique. But there is a very important key – you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-21481602996433134202011-08-24T11:15:00.020+01:002011-12-16T13:10:02.029+00:00Barking mad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDOz9NpCOvYD7iQyJdkYXUmkWByhP5pMXQim10xw_v6jm20j6FJzAsZh3rzxegkH-L40aCbWVLQZHUIj9GqY7m7yitYBAOMdHOkv6qMe-mjHmenP8A6Mvuf1iJLdrRYBjZa8N-L0vHpY/s1600/barkingdog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDOz9NpCOvYD7iQyJdkYXUmkWByhP5pMXQim10xw_v6jm20j6FJzAsZh3rzxegkH-L40aCbWVLQZHUIj9GqY7m7yitYBAOMdHOkv6qMe-mjHmenP8A6Mvuf1iJLdrRYBjZa8N-L0vHpY/s200/barkingdog1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I was pondering the other day how when I take a call from a potential client about a problem they are having with their dog, they often describe the dog’s behaviour in a particular way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>They tell me about the problem, and then go on to say, “but she’s SUCH a good girl the rest of the time … and she NEVER barks.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6o2TjvlMtavhp0YDwIhGTrrDNIZSEJ6QY62wJeTwphyphenhyphenOTMN89c3mUB8o8ok25i1TKQizsPQka9yq0a2C02IZuFBN88W9BqqUb8npszayop_eMRABPtGBHHHwQpnOfJ267IANHaEXtt4/s1600/imagesCA5LTVST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6o2TjvlMtavhp0YDwIhGTrrDNIZSEJ6QY62wJeTwphyphenhyphenOTMN89c3mUB8o8ok25i1TKQizsPQka9yq0a2C02IZuFBN88W9BqqUb8npszayop_eMRABPtGBHHHwQpnOfJ267IANHaEXtt4/s1600/imagesCA5LTVST.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So if a dog never barks, this is considered to be ‘good behaviour’, but replace ‘dog’ with ‘child’ and ‘barks’ with ‘speaks’, and suddenly we have a major communication problem on our hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time to call in the doctors, medical experts, psychology specialists and do tests to find out why there is no speaking. </span>We celebrate our children’s first vocal utterings, melt the first time that they say ‘mummy’, smile when we listen to them playing and shouting and laughing with their friends, but when a dog barks, we get annoyed and want them to shut up or better still, never bark at all – except of course when we want them to warn us that someone is trying to burgle the house.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It’s a sad fact of our modern-day age that a barking dog is considered to be a noise nuisance and socially unacceptable, particularly in the light of the opinion of some scientists who say that our faithful friends have spent the past 10,000 years or so developing a repertoire of different barks solely for our benefit.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Bless their paws.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The real fact is that barking is a human problem, not a canine one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs bark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are supposed to bark – that’s what dogs do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barking is normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barking is good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barking is COMMUNICATION.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But barking can become excessive, and it can be anti-social when it happens at 2 o’clock in the morning, however, we shouldn’t view it as ‘bad behaviour’, as something that needs to be punished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead we need to understand the reasons why our dogs bark and know what to do to influence their behaviour in order to bring excessive or anti-social barking under control.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzZHWiPvrHcT8YhkSJTAkSfdGAPRd5bvXeYQOsX-h0phqM1H0y6Rsic7ZdVRqht6k3KHRTJpAP04IldLDv59yoxre65Z67Yy4pJf018RCHONj9vatti3FCFOB3E0Fzynoa5TApP9zlh8/s1600/laryngealparalysispic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzZHWiPvrHcT8YhkSJTAkSfdGAPRd5bvXeYQOsX-h0phqM1H0y6Rsic7ZdVRqht6k3KHRTJpAP04IldLDv59yoxre65Z67Yy4pJf018RCHONj9vatti3FCFOB3E0Fzynoa5TApP9zlh8/s200/laryngealparalysispic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Dogs bark in exactly the same way as we shout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Air is rapidly expelled from the lungs via contraction of the diaphragm, passes through the trachea and larynx, causing the vocal cords to vibrate and the rush of air to be emitted as an audible sound from the dog’s mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Just as we can control the volume and pitch of our voices by widening or narrowing the space between our vocal cords, in the same way a dog can control the force and pitch of its bark, and make other sounds such as whining, howling, baying, growling, screeching and yodelling.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">There are six main reasons why dogs bark, and for each of those reasons, the bark is different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s my attempt at ‘translation’:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Alarm-Alert Bark</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Used to alert others to a particular situation or when taken by surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pitch is normally fairly high, the tone urgent, and barks are short and largely singular with definite pauses, e.g. “Hey! What! Who! Hey!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes an alarm bark may change into an excited greeting, e.g. “Hey!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s-Jim!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s-Jim!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone … IT’S-JIIIIM!”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tilly’s alarm-alert bark is very distinctive, and she only uses it when someone familiar arrives on or near the property – friends, our immediate neighbours, and even the postman.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Warning Bark</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Used to increase social distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pitch is normally low, the tone threatening, and barks are successive and more rapid than the alarm bark and may be interspersed with growls, e.g. “I saaaaiiid … Back-off!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back-OFF!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BACK-OFF!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BACK-OFF-PAL!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BACK-OFF-PAL!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BACK-OFF-PAL-I-MEAN-IT!”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">3)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Play Bark</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Used during play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally a mix of pitches with tones of excitement and goading and may include growls – “Hey! Wanna PLAY?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanna play!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C’mon … LET'S PLAY!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">4)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Command Bark</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Used to command another’s attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pitch varies from dog to dog but normally remains fairly consistent with a demanding tone, e.g. “OI … YOU … YES … YOU!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">5)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Need Bark</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Used to decrease social distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pitch is normally high with a desperate tone, may include whining, yipping and howling, e.g. “Come-back … please-come-back … please-oh-pleeeeeeeeeease … come back … come-back-please … please-come-back”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">6)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Displacement-Compulsive Bark</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Displacement behaviours are performed to ‘displace’ an un-resolvable emotional state, e.g. frustration, anxiety, excitement, social conflict or boredom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compulsive behaviours are both signs of stress and stress-relieving in nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both types of behaviour function as a way of releasing what would otherwise be pent-up energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the displacement-compulsive bark, the pitch and tone varies from dog to dog but it is always rhythmic and repetitive in nature, for example, a 'one bark per second' or a “BARK, BARK, BARK (pause) BARK, BARK, BARK (pause) BARK, BARK, BARK (pause) ...” style pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The barks that tend to become problematic are the alarm-alert bark, and the command and need barks, both of which can turn displacement-compulsive if the underlying stressor is not removed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excessive barking in the car when travelling is usually an extension of the alarm-alert bark – adrenalised and triggered by lots of fast moving stuff whizzing past the windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This goes for dogs that bark in response to sights and sounds when at home – police sirens, car alarms, kids playing, people passing by on the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The need bark can continue for hours without a break – a common symptom of a dog suffering from separation distress syndrome (SDS).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read a very sad story recently of a Bulldog, who during his stay in boarding kennels while his owners were on holiday, barked himself to death, eventually suffocating because his larynx was so inflamed from barking almost continually for an entire week.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So what can be done to prevent barking from becoming excessive, or to resolve it when it has reached problem levels?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In my professional experience, so-called ‘anti-bark’ collars are, on the whole, ineffective at stopping barking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never used one nor advocate their use, but I know that largely they are ineffective because by the time many of my clients call me with a barking problem, they have already tried an anti-bark collar, and in many instances, made their dog’s barking worse through its use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> B</span>ecause barking often occurs due to a panic or fear-inducing stressor of some kind, when an out-of-the-blue spray of citronella under the chin or worse still, an electric shock, is added to this, all that happens is that the dog becomes more stressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw one case last year of a dog whose owner had used an anti-bark collar to try and stop her dog’s barking and while it did work to stop the noise, it also sent the dog into a downward spiral of stress and by the time I saw her, the problem wasn’t barking, it was that the dog was literally tearing the hair from its paws and flanks every time she was left on her own.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The best way to resolve a barking problem is not to focus on the barking itself, but to look at the broader picture – to resolve the underlying cause for the barking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZ1yh4S458bwJkuXRJ2SQmjp3SscaAYEG8L0XmvE8bFeQG6NQHAPSjIzy5jJzXtngtOA4UwjeuAFP0e7BH68yLtP9_13l-nI9ALH47KqN3DzNFEyPgGblvXnh0pRE8lcdghWXx57Mq-0/s1600/250711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZ1yh4S458bwJkuXRJ2SQmjp3SscaAYEG8L0XmvE8bFeQG6NQHAPSjIzy5jJzXtngtOA4UwjeuAFP0e7BH68yLtP9_13l-nI9ALH47KqN3DzNFEyPgGblvXnh0pRE8lcdghWXx57Mq-0/s320/250711.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Q.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is barking when left alone, is it because he can see and hear things beyond the house (alarm-alert bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: black;">A.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remove his view of the street by drawing blinds or curtains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Restrict his movement within the house by confining him to an area away from ‘busy’ windows or doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leave a radio or CD playing on normal volume to help mask sounds coming from outside or neighbouring properties.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is barking when left alone, is it because she is under-stimulated and needs more exercise, mental challenge or company (command bark, displacement-compulsive bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: black;">A.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always exercise your dog for at least 30 minutes before leaving her on her own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leave her with activity toys (e.g. a filled <a href="http://www.caninemind.co.uk/kong.html">Kong</a>) and chews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have to leave her for more than 4 hours a day, employ the services of a pet sitter, dog walker or doggy day-care.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is barking when left alone, is it because he is suffering from SDS (need bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: black;">A.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SDS is a complex behaviour issue and the solution often requires a many-pronged approach, and is dependent on the underlying cause of the separation behaviours (e.g. it could be that the human-canine bond is out of balance, or that the dog’s temperament or background predisposes it to separation distress).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is suffering from SDS it will likely be displaying at least one other SDS-related behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enlisting the help of a reputable dog behaviour psychologist is strongly advisable in order to reach a lasting resolution that does not further damage the dog’s mental health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is barking in the car, is it in response to what she can see whizzing past the windows (alarm-alert bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u23vLsBMmxw2X7ZnFZ8hxpc36R984TgXgPpRQI0s5bOl0AlCBQnWwpHEyDJyufNgnG2W7UruPeqw67ZqUgCA5Oh5nO6mC1I40x2q9b5EuTMgmeiTFR0x21J5YX6NbRkmT0q_QfKCLqs/s1600/imagesCATXEBQ4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u23vLsBMmxw2X7ZnFZ8hxpc36R984TgXgPpRQI0s5bOl0AlCBQnWwpHEyDJyufNgnG2W7UruPeqw67ZqUgCA5Oh5nO6mC1I40x2q9b5EuTMgmeiTFR0x21J5YX6NbRkmT0q_QfKCLqs/s1600/imagesCATXEBQ4.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: black;">A.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Place the dog in a travel crate and cover the sides with a blanket or fit black-out blinds to the car windows and between the front and back seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you choose the latter option, with the curtain between the front and back seats open, when your dog barks, pull the blind/curtain to obscure the dog’s view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it is quiet, open the curtain a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So long as the dog doesn’t bark, the curtain can remain open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it barks, close it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a two-person training job – do not operate the curtain if you are driving!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, you may be able to remove the blinds altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you use this technique, it is also advisable to teach the dog the ‘QUIET’ command too.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is barking in the car, it is in response to people or dogs that walk near the car when parked (warning bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: black;">A.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s unlikely that anyone will jack or steal your car, however, as territorial behaviour it can become out of control and if the dog does escape from the car while it is barking, it may well follow through with a bite to the passer-by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not advocate leaving dogs in the car on their own under any circumstances, but if you do this, secure the dog in a covered travel crate instead of allowing it to climb all over the seats and get defensive and stressed every time anyone strays near.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NEVER EVER LEAVE A DOG IN A VEHICLE DURING WARM OR HOT WEATHER!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are also in the car when parked when the dog barks at passers-by, you could use some classical conditioning (Pavlov’s dog style) and present the dog with a food tit-bit every time it spots a person or other dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way, a positive association is made with passing people and dogs, and the dog no longer feels the need to warn them away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is barking in the garden, is it because of noise from neighbouring properties or in response to other dogs barking (alarm-alert barking)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: black;">A.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working on your dog’s recall is important, also the ‘QUIET’ command.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To teach the ‘QUIET’ command, first you must allow the dog to bark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When there is a natural pause in the barking, with the dog facing you, say it’s name to get it to look at you and then say ‘QUIET’ whilst giving some kind of hand signal – either a finger against your lips or crossing and un-crossing your hands in front of you (like you were doing a chest-expansion type exercise).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the dog to understand what ‘QUIET’ means, it has to be making no noise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, you will be able to use the ‘QUIET’ command when your dog is barking, as a cut-off cue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good idea to spend time outside in the garden with your dog, playing and training with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will help to integrate many of the every day sounds that cause the dog to alarm-alert bark into his normal garden environment, making him more relaxed outside and less likely to bark.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVKqm-veON9yN_7jZdp20I-XY1f0rLFbAUmi8yUTAfh0wB5Bo4qWGiWn6ZiTVvICjuThaSpnKyLpZ-WTyaxXk79HlmrJogYvL00FPoK2iNf9xnw__uVW3H24vtTpxF7n3XYrKV9hzdLU/s1600/200148851-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVKqm-veON9yN_7jZdp20I-XY1f0rLFbAUmi8yUTAfh0wB5Bo4qWGiWn6ZiTVvICjuThaSpnKyLpZ-WTyaxXk79HlmrJogYvL00FPoK2iNf9xnw__uVW3H24vtTpxF7n3XYrKV9hzdLU/s320/200148851-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is barking in the garden, is it in response to people and dogs passing by the fence or gate (warning barking)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: black;">A.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the barking only occurs at certain times of the day, e.g. if your garden is next to a school route, restrict the dog’s access to the garden during those times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your fence or gate is open-style (e.g. picket-style or chain-link) consider adding a screen (e.g. willow, bamboo) to obscure the dog’s view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work on your dog’s recall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use classical conditioning with food tit-bits to change the dog’s association with dogs and people who pass by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the problem is extreme (bearing in mind that the barking is reflective of territorial activity) please enlist the help of a reputable dog behaviour psychologist who can provide you with a suitable desensitisation/counter-conditioning plan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is barking at you when you are trying to sit and watch the TV of an evening, is it because you are not providing her with enough attention, comfort or stimulation (command bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>A.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set your programme to record and take 15 minutes to do some training with her or have a game with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let her up on the sofa for a snuggle, or if you are a ‘no dogs on furniture’ type, make sure that she has a comfy bed that you can place on the floor next to your sofa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Provide her with an activity or chew-type toy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsiUG379UEnwZNsowLtW-ue20JbhoGK2Wf1PesBeJAdHWHlDzwlzQ2uiX3Y8pJ55U1j_hL7KhfmIkE6RgbKeN52PB5mhKvcqhlKkVn61T-Hkv0hZQQUZJRSJ0-XZIg6CsinrQ6RRWKl8/s1600/j0422257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsiUG379UEnwZNsowLtW-ue20JbhoGK2Wf1PesBeJAdHWHlDzwlzQ2uiX3Y8pJ55U1j_hL7KhfmIkE6RgbKeN52PB5mhKvcqhlKkVn61T-Hkv0hZQQUZJRSJ0-XZIg6CsinrQ6RRWKl8/s200/j0422257.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is barking at you, is it because he needs you help (command bark) – perhaps he needs you to open the door so he can go pee, it’s past his teatime or his water bowl is empty, or his toy is stuck under the sofa?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>A.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ensure that all his basic needs are taken care of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t be late with his supper, make sure that his water bowl is always full, make sure that he gets out to pee once in a while, look under furniture for lost toys!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is your dog barking when someone rings the doorbell (alarm-alert bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>A.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some alarm-alert barking when the doorbell rings is normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the dog continues on and reaches an excessive level, teach the dog the ‘QUIET’ command.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8ipFi33MmUda3SLfQxk6FllQnVfxfp2K4X08mLRFvs5bdv4ILnTXuk9d3hubUKqSxDCUbTOr8OnJWlJS-ddixzqgWka9MBGTiiaczYioLPoYVgNI-DuyMMMQ9Tvh2rKkVBIpDJbx9gw/s1600/dog_barking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8ipFi33MmUda3SLfQxk6FllQnVfxfp2K4X08mLRFvs5bdv4ILnTXuk9d3hubUKqSxDCUbTOr8OnJWlJS-ddixzqgWka9MBGTiiaczYioLPoYVgNI-DuyMMMQ9Tvh2rKkVBIpDJbx9gw/s320/dog_barking.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is your dog barking when unfamiliar people or dogs get too close when out on a walk (warning bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>A.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The close proximity of strangers and dogs are causing your dog to become defensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many potential causes for defensive barking – it may have its route in your dog being possessive of you, a lack of socialisation, a past experience that frightened the dog, or simply that the dog is unconfident about having its personal space invaded by strangers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog only barks at strangers and other dogs when it is on-lead, the fact that it cannot move away (because its movement is restricted by the lead) will amplify its defensive reaction (just as warning barking is a defensive tactic, so is running away).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Defensive behaviour on-lead is a stress reaction, and probably the problem that I deal with most, often after various techniques and methods to resolve the behaviour have been tried by the dog’s owner and proved to be unsuccessful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is showing defensive behaviour towards unfamiliar people and dogs when out on a walk, please enlist the help of a reputable dog behaviour psychologist who can provide you with a suitable desensitisation and counter-conditioning plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is your dog’s barking a displacement behaviour for frustration, excitement or boredom, e.g. if you stop and chat to someone for too long out on a walk (command/displacement-compulsive bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>A.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the trigger for the stress can be removed, remove it (problem solved).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the trigger cannot be removed, changing the association with the trigger to a positive one is one approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Providing the dog with an alternative behaviour is another approach, as is instructing the dog to do something else, e.g. ‘SIT’, ‘DOWN’, ‘WATCH ME’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teaching the dog the ‘QUIET’ command.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teaching the dog tolerance and impulse control can also be helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came across a case of a Beagle some years ago now that became excited and then cataleptic when presented with its food, and used the displacement-compulsive bark to prevent itself from collapsing while it ate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes this type of barking is a solution in itself and in this particular case, necessary for the dog to survive (if it didn’t bark, it didn’t eat).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For displacement-compulsive barking problems, I recommend enlisting the help of a reputable dog behaviour psychologist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is your dog’s barking a displacement behaviour for anxiety, e.g. if you tether and leave him outside a shop (need/displacement-compulsive)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Not that you should be leaving your dog outside of a shop in any case, many dogs get stolen from outside of shops.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>A.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with the command/displacement-compulsive bark, if the trigger for the stress can be removed, remove it (problem solved).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the trigger cannot be removed, changing the association with the trigger to a positive one is one approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Providing the dog with an alternative behaviour is another approach, as is instructing the dog to do something else, e.g. ‘SIT’, ‘DOWN’, ‘WATCH ME’, ‘STAY’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teaching the dog the ‘QUIET’ command.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brushing up on your <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/leadership-what-does-it-mean.html">leadership</a> skills to increase the dog’s confidence (therefore reducing anxiety).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several years ago I assisted a colleague with a seemingly odd and inconsistent case of a Golden retriever who barked compulsively when left outside a particular shop, but not every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I eventually worked out that the cause for the dog’s barking was a rotary sign further along the pavement that spun in windy weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it wasn’t windy and the sign wasn’t spinning, the dog didn’t bark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The solution was simple – on windy days, she left the dog at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For displacement-compulsive barking problems, I recommend enlisting the help of a reputable dog behaviour psychologist.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeNuNJ9JGe9g7_sN1Xzakgss8QtSv2iPZQWCrefjPq2H3PBAJ_E-G2ilF7U7WQPGAF9uP2v1hFWVkb4za1dnf7R46KG3lr2qltXhVpjeK-B5ZDhgaVTe_Zr4FOorUq1ArAv4B5EE0DTk/s1600/henry-vacuum-cleaner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeNuNJ9JGe9g7_sN1Xzakgss8QtSv2iPZQWCrefjPq2H3PBAJ_E-G2ilF7U7WQPGAF9uP2v1hFWVkb4za1dnf7R46KG3lr2qltXhVpjeK-B5ZDhgaVTe_Zr4FOorUq1ArAv4B5EE0DTk/s200/henry-vacuum-cleaner.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is your dog barking at the vacuum cleaner (warning bark)?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>A.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a common reason for barking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the dog’s point of view, the vacuum cleaner is an animate and noisy creature that you appear to wrestle with every time you unleash it from its cupboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs who tend towards noise sensitivity often display fearful or defensive behaviour towards the sound of an electric motor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Changing the dog’s association with the vacuum cleaner is the best way forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the short term, ensuring that the dog is not in the same room as you are vacuuming and can engage in a rewarding distraction (e.g. a food-filled <a href="http://www.caninemind.co.uk/kong.html">Kong</a>) will usually stop him barking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some dogs, this is enough for them to make a positive association with the vacuum cleaner and no further action is needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For others, a suitable step-by-step desensitisation and counter-conditioning plan is required.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">If you have tried and failed to remedy vacuum cleaner barking, please enlist the help of a reputable dog behaviour psychologist because it is an issue that is resolvable with the right approach and training.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Q.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is your dog barking during the night?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>A.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he needs to pee or poop, he is probably command barking, although there may be a desperation about his tone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must get up and let him outside to relieve himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this becomes a regular occurrence, it may be that he has a UTI or GI infection, that he is drinking a lot of water late in the evening, that he is being fed too much, or that his food is creating a lot of waste (some grain and cereal based foods produce a monumental amount of poop).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting him checked by the vet, adjusting or changing his food and/or mealtimes, ensuring that he drinking sufficiently during the day and restricting his water intake after 9pm, giving him ample opportunity to pee and poop last thing before bedtime (e.g. give him the opportunity to pee/poop at about 6pm, but don’t keep letting him outside during the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let him outside again at 11pm), are all possible solutions to the need to pee or poop during the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Another cause for a dog to bark during the night is because of a separation issue (need bark).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some dogs it doesn’t take much to trigger separation barking – a fright during the night, a stay in kennels whilst the owner is on holiday, a major change in the social set-up of the household (e.g. a spouse or grown-up child moving out), a change in owner working hours, or moving house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many rescue dogs will separation bark until they are fully settled into their new home, as will puppies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is really important to realise that just because a dog is need-barking, it does not mean that it is being ‘needy’ or ‘attention-seeking’ – if you were suddenly taken from all that was previously familiar and safe to you and put into a new place with strangers of a different species and then left to fend for yourself in an unfamiliar, dark room overnight, I expect that you would feel pretty lonely and bewildered too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you would be needing right then is friendly company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not advocate ignoring a need-barking dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ignoring barking in any case is often ineffective as a resolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I suggest for the need-barking dog is to remove it from its nightly isolation, either by way of the owner ‘camping’ downstairs for a week or so until the dog feels safe and secure in its surroundings and then leaving the dog with a once-worn item of the owner’s clothing at night for a couple of weeks, or having the dog sleep in or near the bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vast majority of dogs and puppies adjust to their new home given time – quite quickly too when an owner is empathetic to their social needs – and having them sleep near you absolutely does not create a separation problem later down the line, so long as you work on your bond with the dog in other areas (<a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2010/08/leadership-what-does-it-mean.html">leadership</a>) to keep it balanced, and ensure that the dog can on the whole predict what is going to happen in its everyday life and when it is to be left alone for periods during the day (routine, rituals, consistency).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Whatever the reason for a dog’s barking to become excessive or out of control, the barking is merely an expression of the dog’s state of mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excessive barking is a symptom of an underlying problem, not the problem itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Punishing a dog for barking does not have the dog’s psychological welfare at heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The solution lies in the answer to why the dog is barking, and as any dog will tell you, it’s important to bark up the right tree.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUK6JS02dydsYMvi0cPXfR7A6VH0aji-aGLoMgPssUNvMc3BA6hIA-HqYu8hkL4ygu7PRpu3MqSciPAsUJsoLoI25p_vFrFi3oH2vOsWWf3_Zo-C98HMbK92XkiV8RoQ7u-gmWo2LY43o/s1600/dog-barking-up-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUK6JS02dydsYMvi0cPXfR7A6VH0aji-aGLoMgPssUNvMc3BA6hIA-HqYu8hkL4ygu7PRpu3MqSciPAsUJsoLoI25p_vFrFi3oH2vOsWWf3_Zo-C98HMbK92XkiV8RoQ7u-gmWo2LY43o/s640/dog-barking-up-tree.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Please note that training methods and techniques employed incorrectly may make a dog's behaviour worse. If your dog is not responding favourably to your training efforts, please seek advice and guidance from a reputable canine professional.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-58553635793695029042011-08-12T19:34:00.004+01:002011-08-30T13:54:39.401+01:00Birthday Beau<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Usually with </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">rescue dogs it's complete guesswork as to how old they might be. 'Gotcha Days' replace birthdays to mark the dog's adoption date, and how long dog and owner have been together. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We rehomed Beau privately from a local family who had had him since a pup so his birthday and age was known, and although he does have a 'Gotcha Day' (29th September 2009), I choose to mark his birthday instead. And by chance, me and Tilly did meet him as a pup when co-hosting a puppy party at our local vets ~ not that I suppose he remembers this!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So Happy 3rd Birthday beautiful Beau ... enjoy your cake!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-66304927861970391322011-08-04T17:57:00.025+01:002011-09-21T09:41:40.206+01:00Castration ~ Effects on male dog health and behaviour<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Owners of entire or ‘intact’ male dogs that exhibit any number of behaviour problems are frequently told by dog-owning friends, dog trainers, breeders and vets to have their dogs castrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Castration is the removal of the testicles (testes), rendering reproduction impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neutering is also a term commonly used for the castration of male dogs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxj5EYEnqZuMUD-HHivmyP54Rdyqzv5VR91MpVVq70f5vMl9Mk3KuGO_pNPPA1jmSs-Oubry9wafBFsKmNywiY1c12m8IZ9SWwSRvVm2qD2tFZ9DqDzeSJ81X2CZgEgkzcOrA33IeiDy8/s1600/two_plums_desktop_wallpaper_90821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxj5EYEnqZuMUD-HHivmyP54Rdyqzv5VR91MpVVq70f5vMl9Mk3KuGO_pNPPA1jmSs-Oubry9wafBFsKmNywiY1c12m8IZ9SWwSRvVm2qD2tFZ9DqDzeSJ81X2CZgEgkzcOrA33IeiDy8/s200/two_plums_desktop_wallpaper_90821.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Castration is considered to be a routine surgery, but the procedure is not without risk. As with other surgeries, there is the risk of reaction to anaesthesia, excessive bleeding, bruising and infection. Occasionally </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hear the sad story of an unfortunate dog who, unbeknown to his owners and vet prior to castration surgery, had a blood-clotting disorder and died as a result of the procedure. On the whole</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> though, for healthy dogs, the prognosis of castration surgery itself is very good, h</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">owever, medically, castration has only a handful of plus-points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Removal of the testes eliminates the very small risk (<1%) of death from testicular cancer, and reduces the risk of perianal fissures and non-cancerous prostate disorders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s it – no other known health benefits.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On the medical, negative side, castration carries a number of heath risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More and more vets and dog trainers are recommending that male dogs, regardless of whether a behaviour or health related problem actually exists, are castrated at around 6 months of age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This in itself carries a serious risk to long-term health because if removal of the testes is done before 1 year of age, this significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) – a common cancer in medium-large breed dogs with a poor prognosis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless of the age at which castration is carried out, removal of the testes quadruples the small risk (<0.6%) of prostate cancer, triples the risk of hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid function) and obesity, doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract cancers, increases the risk of cardiac haemangiosarcoma (cancer of the heart) by a factor of 1.6, and increases the risk of orthopaedic (bone) disorders, adverse reactions to vaccinations, and progressive geriatric cognitive impairment (senility).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, with the number of health cons associated with castration (including the actual surgery risks) far outweighing and exceeding the health pros, castration as a preventative for future health problems is a highly questionable practice, particularly so for immature male dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously if a dog actually has a testes-related medical problem, castration may be the best option, but it shouldn’t be viewed as some kind of preventative ‘cure all’ for otherwise healthy dogs, because it’s not.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfl7i7vwZQF0pU-YqsW5O4lboi4C8GyeXtwboXeSku5yYtmyjqJUtIO36bNt3HIC5gS5RmS7AgOAaNb4610AflER7ybBrvDYSdwobPbZI85QlNZrtYiEXKvTjAeNdtJ74qPymlCPA3JGk/s1600/Endocrine_organs_of_dog_labelled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfl7i7vwZQF0pU-YqsW5O4lboi4C8GyeXtwboXeSku5yYtmyjqJUtIO36bNt3HIC5gS5RmS7AgOAaNb4610AflER7ybBrvDYSdwobPbZI85QlNZrtYiEXKvTjAeNdtJ74qPymlCPA3JGk/s320/Endocrine_organs_of_dog_labelled.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The testes themselves are glands, and part of the endocrine system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The endocrine system is a collection of glands and organs situated throughout the body that produce and secrete various hormones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The secreted hormones are carried in the bloodstream to target organs and cells, where they exert an effect of some kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some hormones affect and regulate just a single organ, while others affect many cells throughout the body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Broadly speaking, hormones regulate cell metabolism, change or maintain enzyme activity in receptor cells, and control growth, development, metabolic rate, sexual rhythms and reproduction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So by using hormones as chemical messengers, the endocrine system regulates numerous bodily functions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A dog’s testicles perform two major functions – the production of sperm, and the production of the hormone, testosterone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The role of sperm is clear to all who know how puppies are made, but the role of testosterone is less so, and often misunderstood too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For a male dog, the story of testosterone starts in the womb when his brain is organised by a surge of testosterone just prior to and after birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This neural organisation becomes most evident at puberty, when at between 6 and 8 months another surge of testosterone occurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under the influence of this surge, the dog starts to ‘fill-out’ as his muscles develop and define, and the emergence of ‘sexually dimorphic’ behaviours associated with maleness are seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sexually dimorphic behaviours are <span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt;">urine marking, roaming and inter-male aggression due to the scents/appearances of in-season bitches, and actual mating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The appearance and expression of the these behaviours is variable, with maternal stress appearing to influence foetal changes associated with androgenisation – how ‘male’ a male dog may turn out to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Testosterone and its metabolites interact with various neuropeptides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In terms of the expression of male characteristics, it’s testosterone’s interaction with another hormone, arginine vasopressin – AVP for short – that is most important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the male behaviours mentioned above, the production of AVP is also sexually dimorphic, with male animals producing more AVP than female animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the presence of testosterone, AVP is the driver for urine marking and inter-male aggression – behaviour that is aimed at repelling or removing sexual competition – whereas testosterone is the driver for roaming and for mating.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoKbLCVqMUhuY_hqvKv0wWkAUPJp2LFfWx3Q1A4tYIMfTvVdzmAReFW6PB9pWuIvorSt5L_GU-VNCV7eaeMpu27BSCk2S2m0CcazQYyuRJP_xJqufGt0Ah9qh9H1CltYDKw5RIk0LcSY/s1600/dog-pee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoKbLCVqMUhuY_hqvKv0wWkAUPJp2LFfWx3Q1A4tYIMfTvVdzmAReFW6PB9pWuIvorSt5L_GU-VNCV7eaeMpu27BSCk2S2m0CcazQYyuRJP_xJqufGt0Ah9qh9H1CltYDKw5RIk0LcSY/s320/dog-pee.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On the behaviour side, castration only affects sexually dimorphic behaviours, so to recap, that’s <span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt;">urine marking, roaming and inter-male aggression due to the scents/appearances of in-season bitches, and actual mating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Castration does not <em>directly</em> affect mounting, humping or pelvic thrusting behaviour, which can continue excessively and at pre-castration levels indefinitely.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mating aside, which can actually take up to 2.5 years to cease, castration is most effective in decreasing roaming behaviour, which rapidly declines in 44% of dogs and gradually declines in another 50%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Urine marking rapidly declines in 30% of dogs and gradually declines in another 20%. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Inter-male aggression rapidly declines in 38% of dogs and gradually declines in another 25%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">So for 37% of dogs, castration has no beneficial effect on inter-male aggression at all, and</span><span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> in a (as yet undefined) percentage of those dogs, the incidences of inter-male and other types of aggression (e.g. territorial, defensive, possessive) can either increase, or in some dogs can appear out of the blue, where prior to castration the dog showed no aggression at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is because when the </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">production of testosterone is interfered with, if this also coincides with or causes an individual dog's HPA circuit chemistry to change and emotional tolerance thresholds to become lowered for whatever reason – this could be due to naturally high levels of AVP, low levels of serotonin (there is a close interaction between AVP, testosterone and serotonin in the regulation of agonistic behaviour), stress, pre-frontal deficits, temperament type, reactive coping style (as opposed to adaptive coping style), etc – the regulating effect on the hypothalamus – the aggression 'centre' of the brain – is lost, and this can give rise to all manner of defensive and threat behaviour such as dog-dog aggression regardless of the sex or sexual status of other dogs, territorial aggression, extra-familial aggression and resource guarding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the 63% of dogs for whom castration does work to decrease inter-male aggression, perhaps either the removal of testosterone doesn’t adversely disrupt the rest of the dog’s individual brain chemistry, or naturally low AVP and/or high serotonin levels are present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For these dogs, the effect on AVP-driven inter-male aggression is very direct – any AVP in that part of the brain simply becomes ‘inactive’ in the absence of testosterone. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRT8EYLj9JeYFux_VdElrCbhCRLuuBprGqZUBzE5J2FBAZjil6PuhjEoO-_-v0mHOkquTJe6Y4XcZ_YvdOCLYBngyzj4zoibgXsw_KbzVT_yTe6QSHiIc6lHDyUE1msEHzvQar0hdmVI/s1600/1238041915-dogs%252520jump%252520fenceWEBSITE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRT8EYLj9JeYFux_VdElrCbhCRLuuBprGqZUBzE5J2FBAZjil6PuhjEoO-_-v0mHOkquTJe6Y4XcZ_YvdOCLYBngyzj4zoibgXsw_KbzVT_yTe6QSHiIc6lHDyUE1msEHzvQar0hdmVI/s320/1238041915-dogs%252520jump%252520fenceWEBSITE.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Will castration stop my dog from escaping from the garden or running off?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">If the reason for escaping or running off is the scent of an in-season bitch, there is a 94% overall chance that these behaviours will decrease as a result of castration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is escaping because he is bored, because he is seeking stimulation, because your property fencing has dog-sized holes in it, because he is running off after other dogs because he wants to play, because he is chasing wild-life, because you have not trained him well enough in recall, then no, castration is not the answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The solution lies in increasing your dog’s exercise, enriching his environment, giving him more of your attention so that he has no requirement to seek stimulation elsewhere, mending or raising your fences, and training and proofing his recall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although castration for roaming behaviour has a high success rate, the removal of testosterone may give rise to other behaviour issues (see <b>Will castration stop my dog from being aggressive towards other dogs?</b>).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOVTwVWOPwZXk-HhdtlsxtCgY-zuBg9XR10m8JhRsZDNgv6cAICZgGfvxNjrKSfZjvgJ7kNsZ2jO1Hz5DjxpatID5qashr42EPS-sN7ZomhtXeAFUKGtoj8wj28VVbtnSh-Nv4GJnu8Q/s1600/95dogurinating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOVTwVWOPwZXk-HhdtlsxtCgY-zuBg9XR10m8JhRsZDNgv6cAICZgGfvxNjrKSfZjvgJ7kNsZ2jO1Hz5DjxpatID5qashr42EPS-sN7ZomhtXeAFUKGtoj8wj28VVbtnSh-Nv4GJnu8Q/s320/95dogurinating.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Will castration stop my dog from peeing every 5 seconds when we’re out for a walk?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">If the reason for your dog’s peeing up every blade of grass is because he is trying to repel sexual competition, there is a 50% overall chance that this behaviour will decrease as a result of castration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is constantly marking because he is stressed, anxious, insecure, has a UTI or prostate infection, or because it’s a habit, then no, castration is not the answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The solution lies in getting your dog less stressed on a walk, working to keep his attention on you, taking him to the vet to check for health problems, or walking him on the other side of you or further away from the urine marks of other dogs that are constantly coming into his path on lampposts, trees, walls and bushes.</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Will castration stop my dog from peeing inside the house?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Again, if the reason for your dog’s marking behaviour is because he is trying to repel sexual competition, there is a 50% overall chance that this behaviour will decrease as a result of castration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contributing factors to repellent urine marking could include owning other male dogs, having other dogs regularly visit your home, or the presence of in-season bitches in your local area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is marking objects inside the house because he is stressed, anxious, insecure, has a UTI or prostate infection, because it’s a habit, because he is territory marking, because he is not fully house-trained, because you are not scrupulous in your cleaning, then no, castration is not the answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The solution lies in getting your dog less stressed at home, increasing his trust in you, taking him to the vet to check for health problems, maybe limiting his access to certain objects and areas, going back to basics with house-training, and cleaning up properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even for a persistent, repellent urine-marking problem, proper cleaning in itself can solve this if every last trace of urine is removed, so scrupulous cleaning using an enzyme-based cleaner should always be the first approach (along with checking for health problems).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UiLZbbZM8JxSR41ssa3ISQ6plRvYtSeJPByPwFWPa61_Te0X7ehY0FO9UgWmGrfjzXO_zT8Vz8z6tBo16c4L_-PBa2SpH_feKKEjA4ZxynH47nF6nDZWt9haDxoHxxeeC-xN5TTEItQ/s1600/cutcaster-photo-800985268-happy-dog-on-sofa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UiLZbbZM8JxSR41ssa3ISQ6plRvYtSeJPByPwFWPa61_Te0X7ehY0FO9UgWmGrfjzXO_zT8Vz8z6tBo16c4L_-PBa2SpH_feKKEjA4ZxynH47nF6nDZWt9haDxoHxxeeC-xN5TTEItQ/s200/cutcaster-photo-800985268-happy-dog-on-sofa.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Will castration stop my dog humping? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Although humping behaviour is liberated from the sexual system, it is not sexually dimorphic or driven by testosterone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some owners do report a reduction in their dogs’ humping after castration, but this is probably because the removal of testosterone lowers the dog’s sensitivity and excitement to the sexy smells of bitches and so the associated energy and frustration that being unable to fulfil his urge to mate is also removed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Increasing a dog’s exercise, not allowing him access to humping ‘accessories’ such as cushions, and if his humping is compulsive or triggered by social change or stress, providing an alternative activity (e.g. a stuffed Kong), can all help to reduce and often eliminate humping behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Will castration stop my dog from being aggressive towards other dogs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
If the reason for your dog’s aggression is to remove sexual competition, there is a 63% overall chance that this behaviour will decrease as a result of castration. If your dog’s aggression towards other dogs is indiscriminate (includes neutered males and entire and spayed females), is towards people (familiar or unfamiliar), other animals, occurs when touched, disturbed, displaced or punished, or is defensive, unpredictable or possessive in nature (toys, food, you, etc) then no, castration is not the answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aggression problems of any kind are often complex and should always be evaluated properly by someone with a sound knowledge of aggressive behaviour before a decision as drastic as putting a dog under the surgical knife is made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bearing in mind that it’s AVP along with other factors such as environment, genetics, and other neurohormone activity (e.g. MAOA) in different parts of the brain, not testosterone, that drives aggression, castrating any dog, regardless of whether or not it shows inter-male aggression, can give rise to or increase aggressive behaviour in other areas.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">If your dog is displaying inter-male aggression, before you decide to get him castrated, consider giving serotonin therapy a try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Serotonin therapy is only really effective if a dog is entire, as the therapeutic benefits of serotonergic agents for the treatment of inter-male aggression and fighting appear to be facilitated by the presence of circulating testosterone. There is a close interaction between AVP, testosterone and serotonin in the regulation of agonistic behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Providing moderate, daily exercise (e.g. 30-40 minutes of brisk lead walking per day) increases serotonergic activity in the brain, and increasing your dog’s dietary levels of serotonin’s protein amino-acid precursor, tryptophan, either via supplementation (e.g. Canovel Calmdown) or food, can help enormously (see my <a href="http://liziangel.blogspot.com/2011/07/mood-food.html">Mood Food</a> article).</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The effectiveness of increasing dietary tryptophan depends on whether the dog is able to process the tryptophan properly, and how many free serotonin receptors are normally available and their whereabouts within the brain, so if a change isn’t seen within a couple of months, consider the drug therapy option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular, the SSRI drug, fluoxitine, inhibits gender-related aggression by antagonising the action of AVP in the hypothalamus via serotonin receptors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With regards to serotonin drug therapy, your vet will need to be willing to give this a try and, because fluoxitine is not a veterinary 'first choice’ SSRI drug in the UK, before being prescribed fluoxitine your dog may have to take a course of another SSRI drug such as Clomicalm, which will probably make his behaviour worse, simply because it does not provide the same chemical action within the brain as fluoxitine. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Interestingly, a 2004 experiment into AVP in humans saw test subjects given a nasal dose of AVP and when shown pictures of neutral facial expressions, show a significant change in the activity of the corrugator muscle in the brow (which is involved in the expression of anger) suggesting that AVP mediates an aggressive bias in response to neutral and ambiguous facial expressions – no reason why this couldn't be the same for dogs with high AVP, particularly those who show impulsive-type aggression towards other dogs who are seemingly 'minding their own business'.</span><span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Basically, changing brain chemistry changes behaviour – it's just a question of hitting on the correct balance and delivery. If AVP can be suppressed, aggressive behaviour will dramatically decrease, and I'm sure that every year, there are many dogs with seemingly unsolvable aggression problems that are put to sleep unnecessarily because of a lack of this kind of knowledge.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdV4fOKxVqJsl82VReTkLfdA0fPR7qio_9vMTAJBIwDtZO7GGJMjiJ8UM2mNf4yod0zKpe5-QDGBsx8tLpEYY3wCJcIfvFBbHlzmbiwGO-R86L5TnE-nRO9MosaWD05OumuLZD8C5gAk/s1600/spcaposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdV4fOKxVqJsl82VReTkLfdA0fPR7qio_9vMTAJBIwDtZO7GGJMjiJ8UM2mNf4yod0zKpe5-QDGBsx8tLpEYY3wCJcIfvFBbHlzmbiwGO-R86L5TnE-nRO9MosaWD05OumuLZD8C5gAk/s200/spcaposter.jpg" t$="true" width="107" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So in conclusion, please think long and hard before getting your dog castrated. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Consider the health risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider the behavioural implications. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If your dog is just generally a bit growly, hyper or distracted, ramp up your training efforts, increase or change his exercise, alter his diet, and make sure that you are channelling his energy constructively and appropriately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Testosterone gets blamed for far too much ‘bad’ behaviour, when in fact its effects are extremely specific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really, the only viable reason for castration is to cure an existing, testes-related medical condition, and for persistent, adult roamers – the ones who could escape from Fort Knox in the blink of an eye or who constantly seek out in-season bitches on walks – it may be the best option all round, taking into account the risks of a loose dog getting injured or killed, or causing an accident – of the traffic, and the making of puppies kind.</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">....................................................................................................................................................................</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Stats and figures sourced from:</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div><ul><li><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Canine Behaviour: A Guide for Veterinarians by Bonnie V. Beaver, MS, DVM, Dipl ACVB</span></div></li>
<li><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf">http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf</a></span></div></li>
</ul></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-11226231020548469562011-08-03T21:14:00.008+01:002011-08-07T22:59:23.090+01:00What lies beneath ~ DNA breed testing for mixed breed dogs<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">If you own a ‘Heinz’ or a ‘Bitsa’ of unknown ancestry, I expect that like me you’ve spent many hours wondering what breeds your dog is made of. Tilly was described as a Labrador-cross by LRRSE who rescued her from Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As she’s entirely black, this was an obvious assumption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1p-wGhHP3kBX6j5tJ2-xN5p6LAWpwsCRH4xvZrAC8i-FKrKFPpoPv2TjCnfti8VRfigKVhfudHp7Cs7ywg0m0QnNmBq3j21u7lHErVgHL3iZ__5_AmqL6uhYWLjImcUkP21GbMzHKhdA/s1600/005.070608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1p-wGhHP3kBX6j5tJ2-xN5p6LAWpwsCRH4xvZrAC8i-FKrKFPpoPv2TjCnfti8VRfigKVhfudHp7Cs7ywg0m0QnNmBq3j21u7lHErVgHL3iZ__5_AmqL6uhYWLjImcUkP21GbMzHKhdA/s640/005.070608.JPG" t$="true" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tilly, a couple of months after I adopted her 3 years ago.</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Certain aspects of her behaviour are good indicators that the ‘cross’ part of her make-up is largely terrier, but for some time now, the Labrador part I have had my doubts about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a name='more'></a>I did a communication for a client dog earlier this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He looks exactly like a black Labrador, however, the first thing that he said to me in a rather insistent tone was, “Everybody thinks that I’m a Labrador, but I’m not.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is precisely the kind of information that requires me to put aside any preconceptions that I may hold about an animal, trust that what the animal is telling me is true, and faithfully relay the information to the animal’s owner no matter how inaccurate it may seem at face-value and regardless of how rubbish an Animal Communicator the owner might think I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On learning that her dog had told me that he wasn’t a Labrador, she got him DNA breed tested. The result was that he has zero Labrador in his make-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a result for Animal Communication too!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">For a couple of months, I considered whether or not to get Tilly DNA breed tested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The test from Wisdom Panel <a href="http://www.wisdompanel.co.uk/"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.wisdompanel.co.uk/</span></a> isn’t cheap at £59.99, but eventually, curiosity got the better of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought the cheek swab kit, and following the instructions to the letter collected the required cheek cell samples from a rather bemused Tilly before her breakfast one morning, and then sent the swabs off to the lab to be tested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was three weeks ago, and today, I got the results!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFGStLTmeV-n9Va-cs3GL3FhYCxDATFSRkRSWJ14LyvUVHZqpwMbiQX1m5a2q7rVltYVuqX_ZY187xDHvj93kBbqLj00TX9GjkoBky5SszjxAgR1V5aetew_MAPjlNHvvvNv2n4_TiOE/s1600/Breed+Report+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFGStLTmeV-n9Va-cs3GL3FhYCxDATFSRkRSWJ14LyvUVHZqpwMbiQX1m5a2q7rVltYVuqX_ZY187xDHvj93kBbqLj00TX9GjkoBky5SszjxAgR1V5aetew_MAPjlNHvvvNv2n4_TiOE/s640/Breed+Report+blog.jpg" t$="true" width="522" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
Tilly is ½ Jack Russell Terrier, ¼ Collie, and ¼ - who knows - but definitely not Labrador. For the 'mix' part, Wisdom Panel identified the 5 next best breed matches that appeared in the analysis of Tilly's DNA, with one or more of these breeds being possible contributors to the genetic make-up of her mixed breed ancestors. Listed by the relative strength of each result those breeds are Border terrier, Lakeland terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten terrier, Dogue de Bordeaux and Dandy Dinmont terrier.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So for all those times that I shook my head and said that I wouldn’t choose to own the potential double-trouble-ness of a collie X terrier, I take it all back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wouldn’t be without my little collie X terrier for the world ...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweoOeGIofV3YLaO9S09EJ5yviCKyu8TndNqFehemD-Jr0usG907_5e7YPof-HpCwUKngioPXJgNZvVALjWo9HCurget63gTPTujwJ4CecCak7ltXb5jgAg3CELrcZ6bGHMh33Xc8_pIY/s1600/150711.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweoOeGIofV3YLaO9S09EJ5yviCKyu8TndNqFehemD-Jr0usG907_5e7YPof-HpCwUKngioPXJgNZvVALjWo9HCurget63gTPTujwJ4CecCak7ltXb5jgAg3CELrcZ6bGHMh33Xc8_pIY/s640/150711.02.jpg" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-30883617875648713242011-07-23T11:27:00.005+01:002011-08-07T22:53:01.651+01:00How do I stop my dog from ...<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Training a dog to stop an undesirable behaviour can be hard work and time-consuming, particularly so for behaviours that are enjoyable, are well-established habits, or are stress reactions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I uphold the view that a dog’s home, including the garden, yard and car, should be the ultimate haven – a safe environment that holds no nasty surprises or areas of tension between dog and owner – and as such, the use of aversive training tools and techniques to stop undesirable behaviours in the home is not something that I subscribe to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> However, m</span>any unacceptable or potentially dangerous behaviours can be easily resolved via a bit of management on our part – not with training tools or techniques, but simply by preventing the dog from doing the behaviour in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Preventing unacceptable, habitual behaviours also plays a vital part in the training of alternative behaviours, if indeed an alternative behaviour needs to be trained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But sometimes, there is no need to train an alternative behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, all that is required is to go with the obvious solution and leave it at that, provided of course that the dog is clearly having its needs met in other areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The obvious solution is not a cop out, and more often than not comes with a 100% guarantee of immediate success!</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The following are my top 10, genuine questions from clients that I get asked on a regular basis, along with my answers ...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4zhcBMnujrXrDE17PkjwgxQ6D3sz3CpkPJ1zeVM4PscC602ZMIg9HsLVpRxEClp1wxke4bPUPezFPGSFzmcSFGe9AC9Bji8VP1vpM6K7f0b9Nn4DBJOKHFuF8fLnn7bEjm-xZrfU-qg/s1600/toiletdog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4zhcBMnujrXrDE17PkjwgxQ6D3sz3CpkPJ1zeVM4PscC602ZMIg9HsLVpRxEClp1wxke4bPUPezFPGSFzmcSFGe9AC9Bji8VP1vpM6K7f0b9Nn4DBJOKHFuF8fLnn7bEjm-xZrfU-qg/s200/toiletdog.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Q. How do I stop my dog from drinking out of the toilet?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A. Close the toilet lid.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Q. How do I stop my dog from getting on my bed when I’m not at home?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A. Shut the bedroom door.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Q. How do I stop my dog from raiding the kitchen garbage bin when I’m not at home?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A. Move the bin into another room or a cupboard that the dog cannot get into, or outside.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JNDtgWmJyjRw0M6X-z_NFW7N53wAIsbfh_35zyqcHLxAGvNc1g1bjwPVKO9_-aT4At6PfXmo1bnlPC28jl4HlPwHE_Qp_Pe3Ot538sqPKj6I9V7LHW6GnBpuJuTBHcAYD1Gl-_VE_po/s1600/cloverboot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JNDtgWmJyjRw0M6X-z_NFW7N53wAIsbfh_35zyqcHLxAGvNc1g1bjwPVKO9_-aT4At6PfXmo1bnlPC28jl4HlPwHE_Qp_Pe3Ot538sqPKj6I9V7LHW6GnBpuJuTBHcAYD1Gl-_VE_po/s200/cloverboot.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Q. How do I stop my dog from chewing up my stuff?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A. Don't leave your stuff within reach of your dog's teeth.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Q. How do I stop my dog from barking at dogs/people/traffic when travelling in the car?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A. Restrict its view by using black-out blinds at the windows, or cover its crate with a blanket.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Q. How do I stop my dog from pilfering food from the kitchen counter?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A. Don’t leave food unattended there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Q. How do I stop my dog from shredding the mail?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A. Fit a letterbox mail basket.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
Q. How do I stop my dog from stealing my dirty underwear?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A. Don’t leave dirty underwear lying around – pick it up and put it in the laundry basket or washing machine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Q. How do I stop my dog from attacking the vacuum cleaner?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">A. Shut the dog out of the room that you are vacuuming.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Q. How do I stop my dog from jumping the fence?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A. Move or prevent access to anything near the fence on which the dog is gaining a leg-up. If the fence is low, raise the height.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the fence is already high (6ft) fit a roller bar to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The picture (above right) shows a US made fence-top roller bar, but for wooden fences, a simple roller bar could be made using straight lengths of plumbing pipe and wardrobe hanging-rail and wall fittings. However, if your dog is jumping over a 6ft fence you have a very determined escape artist on your hands, and in which case, another obvious solution is to not leave the dog unattended outside, or to use a suitable tether. </span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
All of these solutions fall under the banner of ‘environmental modification’ – making alterations to the dog’s everyday environment in order to change behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some clients say to me “But how will he learn not to do it?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer is as obvious as the solution – he doesn’t need to learn not to do it if ‘it’ isn’t there to tempt him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the dog can still be taught the ‘LEAVE’ command for use around food or objects that aren’t his, or the ‘QUIET’ command to bring his barking under control, or be desensitised to the vacuum cleaner – or at least be provided with some degree of positive association with vacuuming, e.g. a stuffed Kong to chew on in another room – but there’s just no need to expend a ton of negatively charged energy trying to stop him from drinking out of the toilet bowl when there is such a simple and obvious solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And leaving you with that thought, I close the lid on this post.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843673663504429052.post-72329852454853391442011-07-12T22:26:00.012+01:002018-03-27T16:59:43.020+01:00Mood Food<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">The right nutrition can play an important role in helping to resolve certain behaviour issues. On the outside, even a dog fed on the lowest quality ‘complete’ dry food can look the picture of good physical heath, but a cold wet nose and glossy coat aren’t necessarily indicators of good mental health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very often, problems such as fear, aggression, compulsive behaviour and separation distress can all be improved through changing or adding something to the diet.<br /><br />Using food to influence mood can speed up and enhance the training process too – think about it, if the brain’s neuro-chemistry is out of whack, what chance does training alone stand to change behaviour for the better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the body, the brain needs the correct nutrition in order to function well.<br /><br /></span></span><b><u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">PROTEINS</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><b>Tryptophan</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>ryptophan is the dietary, protein amino-acid pre-cursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, commonly known as the ‘mood-enhancing hormone’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="postbody"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Serotonin and another brain hormone, dopamine, work in balance in the brain, but are often out of balance in all of us to some extent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whereas dopamine is the ‘excitatory’ neurotransmitter responsible for desire and addiction (and strangely, also aversion), serotonin is the mood enhancing, emotion balancing neurotransmitter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="postbody"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Compulsive behaviour, anxiety and aggression are common symptoms of low serotonin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excitability and impulsive behaviour are common symptoms of high dopamine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Increasing serotonin levels in the brain has a positive effect on mood, counters the effects of high dopamine, and stabilises emotional response. Serotonin is also important for the control of sleep cycles and in the neurochemistry of stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="postbody"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Dietary sources of tryptophan include lamb and turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeding a diet high in lamb or turkey will therefore provide a high level of dietary tryptophan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tryptophan is a valuable dietary addition for dogs with compulsive behaviour (including acral lick granuloma), anxiety, aggression, excitability or impulse control issues, and separation distress syndrome (see below). </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><b><br />Casein</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The digestion of casein, a phosphoprotein found in milk products, produces peptides called casomorphins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Casomorphins release naturally occurring opioids that are absorbed into the bloodstream and have a relaxing, mildly sedative effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Milk powder and cottage cheese in particular contain high levels of casein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For baby mammals, mother’s milk is naturally high in casein with the percentage depending on species and time of lactation – mid-lactation, casein accounts for around <span lang="EN" style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">85% of the proteins in cows milk, 75% of the proteins in canine milk, and 50% of the proteins in human milk.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Casein is a useful dietary addition for dogs with fear and anxiety issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Dogs with separation-distress-syndrome (SDS) often have a decreased availability of naturally occurring opioids and serotonin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opioids help to reduce separation-distress behaviours associated with care-seeking, particularly distress vocalizations (e.g. barking, whining).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>FATS</u></b></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><b>Essential Fatty Acids</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essential fatty acids or ‘EFAs’, commonly known as the omega oils, are necessary for healthy brain and nervous system function.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best source of the EFAs EPA and DHA (omega 3), and GLA (omega 6) and the non-essential fatty acid OA (omega 9) is oily fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Although commercial pet food manufacturers are not legally required to include EFAs in dog food, many are now doing so as the benefits of EFAs are becoming common knowledge, however, in pet food manufactured using high temperatures and extrusion, the inclusion of EFAs boils down to a superficial selling factor, because excessive heat and processing denatures or destroys EFAs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Because the body cannot make EFAs from other fats, EFAs are an important dietary addition for all dogs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Including into the diet a portion of oily fish such as sardine, mackerel, herring or pilchard a couple of times a week can help maintain a good level of EFAs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">If using a fish oil supplement, ensure that it is ‘EPA’ fish oil, not cod liver oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EPA fish oil comes from the body of the fish and is not the same as cod liver oil, which, if given regularly or excessively, can cause a toxic excess of vitamins A, E and D.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><b>Olive oil</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Olive oil is a rich source of oleic acid (OA), the nutritional precursor of oleamide, a psychoactive lipid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oleamide appears to play a significant role in sleep induction and the modulation of serotonergic neurotransmission.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Olive oil can be a useful dietary addition for dogs with fear and anxiety issues, including separation distress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The olive oil must be ‘cold-pressed’, usually indicated on the bottle by the statement ‘manufactured by mechanical means’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with excessive heat in pet food production, this is because processing olive oil with heat destroys much of its beneficial properties.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>CARBOHYDRATES</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The body converts carbohydrate into glucose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The digestion of glucose, as well as providing energy in the form of calories, invokes an insulin release, and when carbohydrates are fed alongside a high-quality protein source that is rich in naturally occurring tryptophan (lamb, turkey) this helps to give the tryptophan a ‘priority pass’ to the brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The insulin does this by binding up some of the other protein amino-acids in the blood stream making more blood-brain transport molecules available on which the circulating tryptophan can hitch a ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Simple carbohydrate sources such as those found in sweet potato, butternut squash, berries, fruits (not red or white grapes, raisins or sultanas – these are all toxic to dogs) and raw honey are useful additions for dogs requiring a diet high in tryptophan. </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">As well as glucose for energy, vegetables, fruits and berries provide a valuable source of various vitamins, anti-oxidants, minerals and trace elements.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Complex carbohydrates (cereals and grains) on the other hand can contribute to excessive energy levels resulting in hyperactive and stimulation seeking behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could be due to the diet consisting of large quantities of complex carbohydrates (not biologically appropriate for dogs), a complex carbohydrate source that has a particularly high calorific value (e.g. oats), or a complex carbohydrate source that causes an allergy or intolerance (e.g. wheat, maize or soya).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A diet high in complex carbohydrates can also lead to unhealthy weight-gain and diabetes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>VITAMINS</u></b></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;">Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and need to be replaced regularly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vitamins that have the most influence on behaviour are the B-complex group of vitamins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;">The B-complex group of vitamins are water-soluble and as well as playing an important role in cell metabolism, B vitamins are implicated in emotional and mental well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>B vitamins are found in varying levels and quantities in meat, however, because B vitamins are heat sensitive, they are largely destroyed by food manufacturing processes that use high temperatures and extrusion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;"><b>Vitamin B1 (thiamine)</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamin B1 helps to maintain the peripheral nervous system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamins B1 deficiency can give rise to restlessness and irritability.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;"><b>Vitamin B3 (niacin)</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Amongst other things, Vitamin B3 is needed in the manufacture of stress-hormones. </span>Vitamin B3 deficiency can give rise to fear, depression and impaired cognitive function. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal;"><b>Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)</b></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "georgia";">.</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamin B5 helps to support nervous system and brain functions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamin B5 deficiency is implicated in depression, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;"><b>Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamin B6 is needed in the manufacture of serotonin, melatonin and dopamine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamin B6 deficiency </span><span style="font-family: "georgia";">can give rise to all manner of psychological disturbances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamin B6 is the most heat sensitive of the B vitamins and is destroyed at a temperature of 85 degrees Centigrade. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal;"><b>Vitamin B12 (cobalamine)</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamin B12 is vital for nervous system health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamin B12 deficiency can give rise to brain damage and neurological disorders, and can be a causal factor of aggressive behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia";">An insufficient level of B6 will disrupt the absorption of B12, as will the medical condition, pernicious anaemia.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Raw lamb meat provides an excellent source of all B vitamins and manganese (see below).</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>MINERALS</u></b></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Minerals and trace elements are important to mental health and emotional stability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The three with the most influence over behaviour are calcium, magnesium and manganese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;"><b>Calcium</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depletion of calcium affects the central nervous system, and low levels of calcium cause nervousness and irritability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These days, calcium deficiency is very rare in dogs and for those fed on any ‘complete’ formula there is no need to supplement with extra calcium, however, owners who feed a home-cooked or raw diet that does not include bone need to ensure that calcium is being supplied at a sufficient level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;"><b>Magnesium</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Magnesium deficiency can result in impaired cognitive function, anxiety, nervousness, and unpredictable behaviour (as well as a variety of physical problems). </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;">Stress contributes to magnesium depletion within the body, and an imbalance of gut flora directly affects magnesium absorption. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;">Spinach is a good source of magnesium (and calcium).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;"><b>Manganese</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Manganese is needed for effective utilisation of the B-complex vitamins (see above) and vitamin C, and in the production of the hormone, thyroxin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A low level of thyroxin can cause lethargy and irritable aggression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with magnesium, intestinal gut flora needs to be balanced for manganese to be absorbed effectively. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><b><u>CHEWING</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Although not food, hard chewing (e.g. of bones or nylon chew toys) invokes an insulin release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">As with the digestion of simple carbohydrates, this insulin release will provide any circulating tryptophan better access to the transport molecules that move protein amino-acids across the blood-brain barrier into the brain.</span><br />
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Feeding raw meaty bones such as lamb ribs as a meal is the ideal way to provide a dog with a healthy dose of chewing.<br />
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For dogs fed on kibble and soft diets, providing a nylon chew after meals can work well too, and many kibble-fed dogs have a natural desire to chew after they have eaten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Ultimately, changing behaviour for the better is all about changing what is going on in the dog's brain - improving mood, emotional response and the ability to learn and retain training - and just as a cold wet nose and glossy coat provide a picture of good physical health, a well-behaved and emotionally balanced dog reflects good mental health. Feed for the brain, as well as for the body! </span></div>
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