Good Dog Works!

01/05/2025

Karen Pryor died today. What a difference she made! Her influence on modern animal training was immense and Don't Shoot the Dog made it accessible to pet owners.
For me, as a young trainer, it was her brief article On Being a Change Maker that informed how I approached helping people move to kinder training methods.
So blessed to have lived during her time.
https://deesdogs.com/documents/becomingachangemaker.pdf

12/12/2024

Always the first question, especially related to a behaviour changes, but any really challenging behaviour.

Plus a relevant tangent in which I talk about birds

11/04/2024

The Daylight Savings Look!

11/03/2024

Tonight!Resilient Puppy Class for pups under 20 weeks starts Wed. Nov 6 at 6:30! First night without the pups. One hr per wk for 4 wks costs 150. with tax. Come Play!

10/31/2024

Deer hunting Season Oct 25 to Dec 7.
Stay on the trail and wear orange!

10/23/2024

A message from Emergency Services Director Evan Hale.

10/08/2024

For those of you waiting.

We got some mews! 🤩

We know everyone has been waiting to hear more about the Tartan Tails Veterinary Hospital in Stellarton. Are you ready?!

The opening to the public will be a little slower than we hoped as we are trying to recruit another veterinarian. This hospital doesn’t only serve the public but shelter pets of the North Nova SPCA and Colchester Shelter SPCA too. 🐾

We are also trying to learn about the needs of the community so we can better serve you and your furry friends.

What does it mean? 🤔

It means we will initially be open for two days during the week to the public, on Monday and Thursday, by appointment only.

We are also starting with spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, and preventive medicine appointments.

And you can now book those appointments online at https://bit.ly/TartanTailsBookOnline. ⬅ When you book, please make sure to choose the nearest location to you.

Or you can contact us at 💌 [email protected] | ☎️ 902-934-1130 | 💻tartantailsvet.ca.

Please note that we don’t have a client waitlist. We will keep you updated as we expand our services.

The entire team at Tartan Tails Veterinary Hospital appreciates your understanding and we’re wagging our tails in excitement to see you in our newest hospital! 🥳

10/04/2024

Always thoughtful, sensitive writing by Patricia McConnell.

Recently I was on Zazie Todd’s brilliant Bark! Fest podcast series, talking about The Education of Will, and trauma in people and dogs. A participant asked an important question, based on having been seriously traumatized herself after her dog was attacked by another: How do you recover from that ...

09/27/2024

Sound like your dog is coughing up a fur ball? It is likely the sound of Canine or Kennel Cough making its annual Fall appearance. Update your Bordatella vaccination!
Here's some things to know;
Canine Cough
Please keep coughing dogs at home until at least a week after the last cough!
Canine Cough is a highly contagious, generally air borne upper respiratory infection which can be caused by bacteria or a virus often compared to the human cold. The most common form of Canine Cough is caused by the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica. The lining of the trachea and bronchi become inflamed and when air passes over them it results in an irritating cough that sounds like gagging or coughing up a hairball.
The Symptoms
Symptoms generally begin 3 - 10 days after exposure. Canine Cough often sounds like your dog has got something caught in the back of his throat and he is trying to cough it up. He may also cough up white frothy foam. The dog is usually quite well (apart from the cough) with a normal temperature and usually engages in normal activities. They seldom lose their appetite. Coughing can become worse on exertion and can continue day and night which can be distressing for the dog's owner.
Complications
Dogs who may have compromised immune systems, puppies and geriatric dogs are more vulnerable to secondary infections. Watch for a raised temperature, lethargy, loss of appetite, eye and nose discharge or coughing up green phlegm as it is possible that a secondary bacterial infection can occur.
Treatment
Uncomplicated cases of canine cough usually resolve themselves without any treatment within 7 - 14 days. For symptomatic relief your vet may prescribe a cough suppressant or short term anti-inflammatory. They may also choose to prescribe antibiotics if the symptoms are severe or to lessen the chance of a secondary bacterial infection.
To aid the recovery of your dog keep them comfortable and reduce any stress. You can remove your dog's collar and use a harness for walks. Encourage him to drink water. Limit exercise.
Prevention
There are vaccines available for canine cough. Specific, non-routine vaccines are also available for Bordetella bronchiseptica. It is important to note that they are not as effective against some strains as others. Some strains are not included in any vaccine; therefore, there is no prevention against them.
Exposure
Your dog may be exposed to Canine Cough while in any social setting including Daycare, dog shows, group dog walks, Veterinary offices, Boarding or Grooming as well as the Dog Park.

09/26/2024

SKUNKED! It's the time of year when little marks like these, in your lawn, are clues that you may have a neighbourhood skunk!
If you or your dog is sprayed; use rubber gloves and mix 2 tsp. dawn dish detergent, 2 pints hydrogen peroxide, 1/2 box baking soda and 1/4c white vinegar. Mix in a bucket, pour on your dog, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, rinse completely off in warm water. Repeat as needed, and keep away from eyes. You may need to reapply flea and tick treatments.
Don't store it in a closed container. May fade dark fur slightly.

09/25/2024

So much more about Terriers!
From Martha Hoffman.
"I learn so much from Terrierman!

His article pointed out what I’d never thought of:
that the dogs work without visual input when underground. And that explains a lot: why the intense focus on location of sounds has been selected for. I had previously thought it was just as simple as pouncing on a hidden rat.

I used to wonder why terrier type breeds and mixes tested so well for what I term “Positive Sound Reactivity”, which has two features:

1) intense curious and focused FEARLESS reaction to high pitched or unusual sounds.

2) the desire to FIND the source of the sound.

And then I realized that the Terrier breeds were selected to be interested in prey sounds, maybe especially rodent sounds.

Many dogs will do a head-tilt behavior when they are listening to a sound. The head tilt allows triangulation using hearing, to locate the exact position of a prey animal.

But many of these dogs stop there. They don’t have the instinct to go search for the sound.

Which is fine, they will still be excellent alerters, they just need to learn to go to the sound source, and then to lead the partner to the sound.

But the urge to SEARCH for the sound means the dog will train effortlessly as far as the alerting part goes.

Whether the prey-aggression and independent temperament gets in the way of pubic access training, is a possibility.
Jack Russells or other terriers, mixed with more companion-type breeds such as Poodles, were usually more successful as all-around Hearing Dogs that could do well in family, public, and alerting work.

English Field Cockers are tuned in to bird sounds, plus have a search instinct. However, even they are so active and hunt-driven that they are often crossed with Poodles to create good Hearing Dog prospects.

Thanks for filling in that blank in my understanding!

PRESSURE IN THE HOLE

When a really experienced and well-balanced dog goes to ground, they do not rush in full of fire and belligerence, but creep in listening. They are not trying to move anything yet -- they are simply trying to locate, and they are trying to get a sense of how much pressure will be required to move whatever is in the hole.

When the dog does locate and opens up to a bay, he will be using his voice -- and probably his voice alone -- to move the quarry to a bolt or a stop-end of the den pipe. While a young and inexperienced dog may rush in with grabbing teeth (and get the muzzle bites to prove it), an older and more useful dog will know the easier way to get the job done.

The quarry in the hole is not the only thing under pressure, of course -- the dog is too. The pressure felt by the terrier is directly proportional to: 1) the amount of experience it has had underground; 2) the size of the hole it is working, and; 3) the mood (and type) of the animal it is facing.

I think this is the proper ranking of the main pressure-builders within a working terrier.

An experienced dog is comfortable underground and knows enough tricks and ways of working that it is pretty confident that it can get the job done no matter what is found down there. An inexperienced dog, however, is not battling the quarry so much as its own adrenaline and anxiety.

Whether the dog is experienced or not, frustration rises and falls in direct proportion to the size of the hole. Even a confident and experienced dog feels pressure and frustration in a very tight hole where it cannot move forward or backward without substantial struggle.

The quarry itself can exert pressure on a dog, of course. Both a raccoon and a possum can make enough noise that they urge caution to both young dog and new digger alike. Groundhog and fox, on the other hand, are less likely to voice their objections than demonstrate them with slashing teeth.

All of this takes place in the pitch black, of course. While a sheep dog can receive visual cues from the sheep, the terrier must rely solely on sound and scent. And while too much pressure on the sheep may result in the flock moving too fast or breaking in two, too much pressure by the terrier may result in a rip to the muzzle that will take weeks to heal.

At the end of a dig, just as you are breaking into the pipe, is when things often go bad when you are working terriers. Emboldened by the presence of light and reinforcements, a terrier that has used his voice alone up to this point, may decided it can now go in and grab.

An experienced terrier will try to grab his quarry by the cheek or ear, since a groundhog, fox, or raccoon gripped by the side of its head cannot easily move to bite back. Not every dog is smart enough, or lucky enough, to get such a good hold, however, which is why a smart terrierman will generally step in and pull his dog as soon as he can in order to save his terrier unnecessary injury.

Bottom line: As it gains experience, a working dog learns to relax a little more and begins to develop a bag of tricks and techniques it can employ to tackle different situations. In both herding dogs and working terriers, an experienced dog learns to stay attuned to the pressure building up on the other side of the field or pipe. There is a fine line between too much pressure and too little, and the very best dogs walk this shifting line with the grace and skill of a ballet dancer.

08/26/2024

From Suzanne Clothier.
"Today's Dog Training Myth of the Day: "Only tell them once!"

What if you ask a dog (whatever age, breed, sex, background, training level) to do something, but there is no response?

Set aside the myth of "only tell them once." Good rule of thumb: if it were a toddler, what would you do? Probably wait a few beats, be sure you had the kid's attention, then ask again.

Just like us, dogs may not be tuned in 100% because they are busy having their own experience of life which may or may not include you at any moment.

If you *do* have the pup's attention, and they did hear you, next step is to consider that they do not understand and/or don't see the point!

I've often asked clients to stand on a chair and sing happy birthday. I've done it while they were trying to take notes. Result: no compliance, and they say usually say, "Sorry - I was focused on taking notes. What did you say?"

If they are paying attention to me but look at me as if I'm crazy, I ask, "Did you understand what I asked? You did? So why aren't you doing it?" Inevitably the answer is, "I don't want to" or "Why would I do that?" It helped them understand how their dogs might be responding.

So give your dogs the courtesy of clear communication, engage attention first, be sure there is understanding, and make it worthwhile for the dog to work with you. Respect, courtesy and taking responsibility for what we are communicating and how we are communicating -- those are all supportive of healthy dog/human relationships.

This does not mean repeating, Sit-sit-sit-sit-sit-sit which is not good communication no matter who you're talking to! 😊

If you want and need response to just one request (and this has great value!), you first have to teach understanding, understand that connection and attention must come first always, then develop the skill, tighten the criteria and make it worthwhile. Then practice!!!"

08/09/2024

From Lorna Winter, "I’m extremely proud to announce that the World’s first diagnostic web app for separation anxiety is now launched!

This app is completely FREE for all to use - just click the link below to access it. No need to download anything from the App Store.

This app has been developed in collaboration with The University of Lincoln Daniel Mills and his team, alongside with Carolyn Menteith and myself, based on the latest research published in 2020 😊

If you are a dog parent and have a dog suffering with a separation related problem, you can use this app to help assess which category of separation related problem your dog has - which will help you and your vet or behaviourist to create a more focused plan to help.

If you are a trainer or behaviourist or vet - you can use this with your clients to help assess which type of separation related problem they have, helping you to build a more focused behaviour modification plan."