Jigsaw Dogs

02/08/2024

Wolf puppies being puppies!

31/07/2024

We’ve all seen that joke about giving the cat a pill and how it badly it ends for the human and no pill for the cat.

But what if there was another way? Teaching cooperative care to our cats is certainly doable. It may take a little more care and time but it’s much less traumatic for cat and human.

28/07/2024

Um, yes, we've got a needy dog here!

18/07/2024

Good information! A dog that approaches you is not necessarily asking to be touched or petted. Dogs want to check out who you are first. Unsolicited touching can induce biting in some dogs.

17/07/2024

Your dog’s body language can tell you a lot about how they’re feeling.

13/07/2024

Which dog is safe to approach? Body language can tell you if the dog is happy to interact or not.

Doggone Safe Educational Resources
https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/resource/signs-of-arousal/

11/07/2024

It’s much better to give your dog something to do rather than try and remedy any problem behaviour later.

"Dogs don't understand don't, because don't is a concept. Dogs understand DO. They understand behaviours.

Create a beahviour that you DO want, so that your dog can be right and you're setting him up for reinforcement.

This makes for a much better relationship for you and your dog, and for anybody else who comes in contact with your dog."

- Susan Garett

10/07/2024

Some good thoughts from McRae Sheepdogs.

It’s not about how much you succeed with your dog, it’s about what happens when you don’t...

On days when things don’t go your way, confidence, ego and even your commitment may take a hit.
How you handle those times can make all the difference in being the best partner to your dog.
While for some success comes early and easily, for most, it takes time, hard work, discipline and a lot of mistakes.
For others, it can be even more difficult, coming only after refusing to allow circumstances, setbacks and disappointment be the final story.

Success is a process that is not just about winning, it’s also about progress.
It’s important to be motivated by the accomplishments within your goal and equally important not to fear disappointment, as it provides the road map for what you need to change and improve.
Success has many faces, that show up often, but it’s up to you to recognize and derive the relative sense of fulfillment. It can include:

Understanding and executing the next step in training
Solving a problem (or not creating one by being impatient)
Taking ownership of what you’ve trained (or haven’t)
Being accountable and not blaming your dog
Recognizing when you shouldn’t or should ask more of your dog and yourself
Letting go of ego and expectations
Having a growth mindset
Developing mental fortitude
to name a few.…

In times when success is hard to find, disappointments offer opportunity to spot weaknesses and let go of bad habits.
They are important to acknowledge, and not dispute or hide, as self-awareness is critical for development and becoming better.

You’re the only one that can define what success means for you—
To attain your definition, you’ll likely need to take risks, be uncomfortable, seek help, make sacrifices, have disappointments, learn new skills and be willing to change.
I have many weaknesses that I work on everyday and I’ve found the more I try to improve personally, the better partner and trainer I am for my dog.
macraeway.com

08/07/2024

This is a very good summary of what to look for if you're thinking of getting a puppy or thinking of breeding.

Unfortunately, many people go into breeding unprepared for the cost, time involved, or care of puppies, particularly if something goes wrong. Much of the burden is then placed on welfare groups, rescues, and shelters to look after these puppies, and then des*x them and the mother.

Getting a brand new puppy or thinking about breeding?

Part One - Why is the breeder breeding, and how have they prepared.

I thought I would explain what I do with my puppies and my dogs from a breeding point of view. I'll do a few posts over the next few days

Everyone does things differently but I'm hoping this will create more awareness and understanding and enable puppy buyers to ask questions to breeders.and make better decisions when buying a puppy.

I'm still fairly new to this, this is my 6th litter in the last 15 years

Firstly before I breed, it will be to keep one myself or for another breeder such as with Pebbles litter, I will also already have a list.
Breeding puts your bitch's life at risk, make sure you're fully prepared to take that risk.

Have you got the finances to cover emergencies. Because if you haven't you will definitely be putting your bi***es life at risk. It's currently between £3.5k and £4k for an emergency out of hours C-section.
The worst case scenario is you lose your bitch and the puppies and you're just left with a broken heart and a big vet bill.

If I'm breeding a bitch she must be fully health tested. It can be hard to find a fully tested dog that ticks all the boxes especially in working cockers but there's absolutely no excuse IMO for your bitch to not be tested.

Fully tested is a grey area. For example in cockers from a Kennel Club point of view they recommend
1) DNA tests, FN AMS and PRA.
2) BVA Eye Test and Gonioscopy. The BVA eye test is only valid for 1 year and the Gonioscopy for 3 years as they just look at the eye on that day and things can develop, progress and change.

Many people will view, just DNA or DNA and eyes as fully tested.

However there is a new illness in cockers called Paradoxical Pseudomyotonia (PP) which the Kennel Club haven't added to the list 'yet' but it's available.

My dogs are also Hip and Elbow Scored and have had their patellas checked by an Orthopedic Specialist both awake and under sedation.

For me fully tested includes hips and elbows as there are problems in the breed. Some will argue there is not.
Cockers are stoic and these joint issues often manifest themselves behaviourally as in aggression, hyperactivity, OCD repetitive behaviours and overarousal because putting yourself on an adrenaline rush eases the pain. It's like self medication.
Just looks like a drivey cocker.

What's also important with health testing is the results. Learn what the results mean. What does a DNA, clear carrier and effected mean, what's a good hip score, what do the Gonioscopy grades mean.

I've seen when looking for a Rottie for my stepson that some people advertise as fully health tested and the dogs have failed the tests or have poor results. I only knew this because I checked the results in the Kennel club website and then questioned the breeder, who gave me reasons and excuses that would probably be acceptable to a puppy owner who doesn't really understand it all.
However I walked. My stepson has a fabulous Rottie now, he's beautiful, healthy and has a temperament to die for 🖤

Health testing is not a guarantee your puppy will be healthy but it means the breeder has done their best to be informed about the health status of the parents and attempt to avoid certain problems developing.
For example you may get a puppy that develops hip dysplasia from parents with low scores. However you are statistically less likely to.

It's not all about health testing though as there's welfare, temperament and genetics to consider. Don't just assume if the breeder is health testing they are breeding responsibly. I've met many aggressive puppies from aggressive parents that are fully health tested. It's not just how you raise them.

A puppy will inherit the genes from its parents, these will play a part in its health, its construction, size and build and most importantly its temperament and working ability.

A puppy will inherit behavioural traits from it's parents. Puppy can inherit traits genetically passed down as well as newer learned behaviours. If a bitch is in an impoverished or stressful environment and is scared and defensive because it's not safe or she simply doesn't feel safe. She will, from a survival point of view pass that need to be in defense to stay safe to her puppies in order for them to survive too. Stressed bi***es also pass cortisol through the breast milk to the puppies.

Then there's the breed standard, is this being taken into account, can the parents do the job they were bred to do. People will breed for different reasons such as money, different sports and activities, pets, fancy colours, just because their mates dog down the road is convenient to use. I have bred this litter to keep a puppy to trial. They probably won't make a good pet for long walks in the countryside.

Then there's COI, this is short for the Coefficient of Inbreeding. Kennel Club registered puppies will have a COI.
In working cockers it's average is quite high compared to other breeds, some people will breed to a low COI where parents are as unrelated as possible and some for a higher COI to breed more related dogs and get what is called type. The higher the COI the more risk of doubling up on dodgy genes while doubling up on good or excellent genes.

Moving onto the bi***es welfare, is she sound and solid in temperament, is she matured herself.
Letty is 3 years old. I would never breed a bitch under 2 years old because I just don't know enough about them yet temperament wise and they are often just not mature enough themselves. Letty definitely wasn't ready for a litter at 2. I'd decided not to breed her, however this last year she has flourished and matured on and she's worked a brilliant season. So I made the decision to breed this year. She's been a super mum too.

The hardest part of breeding is to be able to step back and look at your pet you love objectively as breeding stock.

I think all my dogs are incredibly awesome but they are not all breeding stock quality.

I like to ask other experienced people's opinions who I know will be straight with me and not look at my dog through the rose tinted spectacles that I do 🖤

Thought I'd start at the before breeding part. Hope this is helpful

Jane Ardern BSc Hons KCAI WG
*Not checked for typos

04/07/2024

Choice and control are important for us all but even more so for our zoo animals and domestic pets and even livestock.

Like wild conditions, zoo environments can be designed to evoke a diverse repertoire of free operant behavior. In an appropriately enriched environment, animals will have more opportunities to make choices to control a variety of outcomes.

03/07/2024

Perception of the world and how an animal perceives it is part of the understanding of behaviour, as how the world is perceived will affect how the animal behaves. This goes for humans too!

Humans, and dogs (as far as we know), can't see the UV spectrum but some research is now letting us see what animals and insects see in the UV range.

A colorful new video technique lets scientists see the world like birds and bees

01/07/2024

Dog training is an unregulated business. This means someone who just likes dogs could set themselves up as a trainer. Be careful who you choose to interact with you and your dog. Whilst having a well-behaved dog is an ideal we all work towards, how we get there can make a huge difference towards long-term behaviours and behaviour problems. Overall you want to feel confident, optimistic, and supported during a consult and your dog just wants to have fun and enjoy training. Don't be afraid to ask questions of any trainer you approach before, during, and after you've worked with them!

There are no rules or guidelines for who can call themselves a dog trainer.
The amount of issues I see because someone went to a dog trainer that caused a bigger issue is truly alarming.

Loving dogs or having dogs their whole life, being in the military, took a dog class or watched a dog training TV show are actually not training credentials.

30/06/2024

Neutering and spaying your dog is a personal decision but we can also make an informed decision by utilising information from professional resources such as the below videos.

To make a truly informed choice about dog neutering, we must weigh the proven risks against the proven benefits. Scientific facts must be carefully distingui...

20/06/2024

Dogs and toddlers - there are some rules that should be followed!

Let's talk about this photo. It's cute, except it's not. I see a dog who cannot get up without telling the child to get off. How do you think a dog is going to do that?

The 7 Golden Toddler Dog Rules:
#1: If a dog walks away from you, you DO NOT FOLLOW.
#2: Always leave room for the dog to walk away from you.
---that right there is 90+% of dog bites eliminated---
#3: We do not climb on the dog.
#4: We do not grab or pull on the dog.
#5: We do not hit or throw anything at the dog.
#6: We do not touch the dog's food.
#7: We do not go into the dog's kennel.

I promise these are not overly difficult concepts for littles, nor will they rob a kid of their bond with the family dog. It will deepen that bond, while keeping everyone safe.

"Oh, it looks like Moose is walking away from you. She is saying she wants a break. Let's play with this instead!"

"It's Moose's dinner time! Let's give her space to enjoy her yummies."

"That is Moose's room(kennel) and only she is allowed to go in there."

"If Moose wanted a break, could she walk away from you right now? No she really couldn't. Let's move away from the play house. You can keep playing but now she can leave when she wants a break."

In conclusion, ***parent your child or your dog will do it for you, and you will not like how they do it.***

20/06/2024

Just when you thought it was safe, more rain predicted on the weekend.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/nmG7nePMRyJ8C3MV/

05/06/2024

Summary: Researchers are using AI to interpret dog barks, distinguishing between playful and aggressive sounds. By adapting human speech models, they also identify dogs’ age, breed, and s*x. This approach could revolutionize the understanding of animal communication and improve animal care.

Researchers are using AI to interpret dog barks, distinguishing between playful and aggressive sounds.

02/06/2024

A sensible approach to a huge community issue. Well done to Banyule Council for stepping outside the box. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=865644225593977&id=100064452229266

28/05/2024

Our own body language can have a big influence on how a dog reacts to us, other dogs, and the world. If you want to know more register for the webinar!

13/05/2024

Dogs bark! Some say a lot and some not so much but it’s always a means of communication.

11/05/2024

Happy Mother’s Day to all! Whether your kids are four legged and furry or two legged you are appreciated for the care and love you bring to their world!

27/04/2024

Like us, dogs are subject to natural environmental conditions such as the length of day which can influence behaviour. Fascinating!

SPRINGTIME & DOGS: AN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY PERSPECTIVE

Spring is often a long awaited event for many of us after a wet and cold winter. A mere glimpse of daffodil bulbs, and the promise of longer and warmer days can see us cleaning our homes and doing chores we had been putting off for months. For dogs however, a change in seasons can signal multifaceted physiological and behaviour patterns that have been determined from evolutionary biology.

Animal neuro-endocrine systems undergo seasonal shifts. In winter, melatonin activity for example (which is directly related to duration of sunlight exposure) decreases firing of the retinal nerves which trigger hormones for breeding in some species Seasonal breeding is commonly seen due to this, with some groups being assigned as 'short-day breeders’ (eg: sheep , deer and fox ) and long-day breeders ( eg: wolves, horses)
This is also referred to as a 'photoperiod' (an organism’s daily exposure to light) The ancestral control pathway of photoperiodism is thought to have originated before the divergence of mammalian and avian vertebrate lineages in the evolutionary timeline.

However, dogs and other species such as cattle and pigs, are polyestrous, which means they can cycle all year round. Fascinatingly, some exceptions are seen in Basenji and sled dogs who breed photoperiodically.
Dogs are shown to not require a photoperiod to regulate the reproductive cycle ,but their shedding cycles and immune systems are affected by photoperiodic mechanisms.

Most certainly breeding and feeding patterns of other species of both plants and animals affect our dogs’ behaviour seasonally.

Spring brings new and exciting smells from plant and animal activity. Dogs senses typically heighten during this time, and this can mean they get easily immersed or distracted, often manifesting in hunting, amplified olfactory or foraging behaviours depending on the breed and location of the dog. In multi-dog homes this can become challenging if one dog is more prey or scent driven than others, or if all are.

While these fall within perimeters of normal behaviour, dog professionals might get increased enquiries during this time about dogs not recalling , hunting excessively, grass and plant ingesting , not coming inside from the garden, or suddenly becoming fixated by some prey animals. Puppies exposed to the wider world for the first time after their vaccinations can experience sensory overload as well as adolescent dogs who's pre-frontal cortexes are still under development.

Another seasonal affect potentially in pet dogs, who mostly follow human like diurnal sleep patterns, might see an increase in crepuscular activity, like waking at 5.30am or becoming restless around dusk.

Diurnal sleep patterns in pet dogs are hypothesized to be an adaptation to living alongside humans, because variations of nocturnal and crepuscular patterns are observed in most other canids whereas diurnal activity is rarely seen. There are some data to suggest that dogs can benefit from a dark room to achieve sleep efficiency. This might be relevant in the modern environment where open plan light filled rooms are commonly seen.

Spring can therefore quickly become a frustrating time for both dogs and their humans, but recognising the effects of evolutionary biology and making some adjustments can help.

Depending on what is reinforcing for the dog, some ideas for springtime could include providing targeted exploratory enrichment, long line walks to avoid predation or avoiding prey species photoperiodic activity , safe opportunities to dig, scent work or simply some good naps on the sofa together.

Boo Blackhurst CDBC

References:

L. Senger, Phillip 2005, Pathways to Pregnancy and Parturition

Robert Bodiz et al 2019, Sleep in the dog: comparative, behavioral and translational relevance

Brian J. Prendergast 2005, Internalization of seasonal time

Lofts B 1978, Animal Photoperiodism

25/04/2024

Be careful who you leave your dogs with. This is just an awful way to behave from a groomer towards a dog. Thankfully the groomer was filmed and fined.

If you’re struggling with an animal please step back and ask someone else to take over, take a break or ask for help.

https://7news.com.au/news/perth-dog-groomer-fined-for-striking-maltese-x-shih-tzu-during-ordeal-that-shocked-rspca-c-14414282?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR37gqXPDepxqmjGBkgQbbNBCd050RtgvRywcxFNN0f1nIc3Kbb-QGq9-KM_aem_AeAtz_izUQ2HH5CNoSQaFGAE2LLTjU4lI4EWilHjloYw9NByYz7g3t2UxQgA9Npf7SdGg8BROlvtwLuF3UV9kSkj

‘There is no excuse to lash out and hurt a defenceless animal.’

19/04/2024

How long should a training session be? When does fatigue set in? Much sooner than you think!