Mutts Angels

Mutts Angels Are you worried your pet is home alone or not getting enough exercise? Going on holiday? We are local, DBS checked, first aid trained and insured.
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14/11/2024
08/11/2024

I am really tired of the hurtful comments directed at those who have dogs with a fear of fireworks. There are so many accusing dog guardians of neglecting to socialize and train their dog or they are insinuating it is the guardian's response to the fireworks that makes the dog so afraid. This is despite the fact that dogs (and other animals) across the UK are having heart attacks, seizures and strokes, some of which have been fatal. How can a dog guardian's response to fireworks possibly elicit such an extreme reaction to fireworks?

And if this is the cause of such extreme fear, what accounts for the deaths of wildlife and farm animals? Are there people ‘coddling’ them too? Let's not forget dogs in rescue shelters. If it's our response that creates this fear, then why do rescue dogs show extreme anxiety and try to escape their kennels? They are in there alone most of the time. Such heartless comments are baseless since studies show that there are many factors that contribute to noise sensitivity and a fear of fireworks, as seen below.

Genetics

A study involving over 13,700 dogs in Finland discovered that around 32% of dogs had sound sensitivities and 26% were afraid of fireworks. The scientists in this study also identified a genetic predisposition to a fear of fireworks (Salonen, M. 2020) Blackwell et al. (2013) discovered that twelve breeds or breed types were less likely to show fear responses to noises than cross-breeds and their data suggest that some breeds may be predisposed to fear of loud noises, including fireworks.( Linn Mari Storengen, Frode Lingaas 2015.) Thus, your dog may be afraid of fireworks, due to their genetics.

Pain & health conditions

A study showed that dogs that experienced muscle or bone pain were more sensitive to sudden noises, loud noises and different pitches than dogs who were noise-sensitive but didn’t have pain. (Lopes Fagundes 2018) The same study found that the average age of onset for noise sensitivity in dogs differed between groups. In clinical cases (with pain), the average onset of noise sensitivity was 5 years and 7 months.

“Although the average ages of the dogs at presentation were similar, the average age of onset of the problem was nearly 4 years later in the “clinical cases.” This strong theme of an older age of onset suggests that the pain may develop later in life and that owners seek treatment more readily, perhaps because the appearance of the problem is out of character in the subject. The average age of onset within the control population also suggests that the problem does not simply relate to a lack of habituation as a puppy and that other mechanisms need to be considered for many cases.” (Lopes Fagundes 2018)

Other health conditions can also trigger noise phobias. Conditions such as endocrine diseases, cardiopulmonary disease, neurological problems, and cognitive dysfunction, can potentially contribute to or exacerbate behavioural problems including noise fears. (Bowen J. 2008) So both pain and health conditions can cause a fear of fireworks.

Age

Studies show that fearfulness is most common in dogs aged 4-8 years and that noise sensitivity often increases with age., ( Milla Salonen 2020) Another study that supports this shows that the average age of onset of noise phobias developed around 4 years 7 months of age. Dogs progressing through adolescence also go through a second fear period from around 10-12 months of age. At this time of development, dogs can develop new fears and phobias, including noises like fireworks. As a dog reaches their senior years, ill health and conditions such as cognitive dysfunction disorder (dog dementia) can also cause anxiety, fear-related behaviours and noise sensitivities.

Anxiety

Studies show that dogs most fearful of noises also presented with a higher chance of separation-related anxiety and being fearful in novel situations. These dogs also took much longer to decompress after a stressful event compared to dogs less fearful of noises. (Linn Mari Storengen, Frode Lingaas 2015.) It makes sense that if your dog is already struggling with anxiety, that they are more likely to develop noise phobias.

Survival Instinct

“An extreme avoidance response to a loud firework going off unexpectedly nearby, given the salience of this event and its unpredictability for the animal, can be interpreted as adaptive (‘rational’), an argument which has also been applied to extreme fear responses in humans”. (Davey, 1995) From a survival point of view, it is logical for dogs and other animals to respond in fear to explosions. Why wouldn't they? They can't reason that it's harmless.

It should be noted that studies have found that dogs that attend training classes are less likely to be afraid of fireworks however, it is unknown why this would be the case, as exposure to fireworks sounds is not usually part of the curriculum.

Many dogs have been desensitized to fireworks as puppies and have been adequately trained and socialized, and yet they still develop a fear of fireworks. The fact that dogs don’t develop this fear until around the age of 4 proves that often the fear is due to over-exposure, trauma, anxiety or health issues. If it was solely due to a lack of training or due to the dog guardians' response to the fear, we would likely see the phobia developing much earlier in the dog’s life.

Therefore, it is hurtful and completely speculative to blame guardians for a dog’s phobia of fireworks. The real blame rests on the shoulders of those who continue to set off loud fireworks, knowing for well the suffering it causes to dogs, pets, wildlife, and even people. - Holly Leake

Huge thanks to my friends at Canine Principles for their help finding studies on the subject. ❤️🐾

References

Bowen J. Firework Fears and Phobias. UK Vet Companion Anim. 2008;13:59–63. doi: 10.1111/j.2344-3862.2008.tb00529.x. [DOI] [Google Scholar]

Camps T., Amat M., Manteca X. A Review of Medical Conditions and Behavioral Problems in Dogs and Cats. Animals. 2019;9:1133. doi: 10.3390/ani9121133. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar

Lopes Fagundes AL, Hewison L, McPeake KJ, Zulch H, Mills DS. Noise Sensitivities in Dogs: An Exploration of Signs in Dogs with and without Musculoskeletal Pain Using Qualitative Content Analysis. Front Vet Sci. 2018 Feb 13;5:17. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00017. PMID: 29487858; PMCID: PMC5816950.

Linn Mari Storengen, Frode Lingaas 2015. Noise sensitivity in 17 dog breeds: Prevalence, breed risk and correlation with fear in other situations Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Volume 171, October 2015, Pages 152-160 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2015.08.020

Salonen, M., Sulkama, S., Mikkola, S. et al. Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Sci Rep 10, 2962 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z

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29/10/2024
21/09/2024

Sadly and because of the way they are often treated and misunderstood, there are many scared dogs in our communities. When we live or work with dogs who fear things, or even fear us, we have to adopt certain strategies and communicate slightly differently. Supporting a fearful dog is not about forci...

27/08/2024

Behaviour = Communication.

There is a tendency to put behaviour into one of two categories: 'good' or 'bad', labels which move us away from the realisation that we need to understand the 'why' of the behaviour.

The truth is that there is no 'good' or 'bad' behaviour. It is all simply behaviour. It is something that tells us about how the dog feels in that moment.

The 'good' behaviours, the ones we like, generally mean that the dog is happy, relaxed, joyful, excited, and these are occurring in a context that we humans like.

The 'bad' behaviours will see the dog doing things we don't like, such as barking a lot, pulling on the lead, growling, etc. These we can find problematic, and we will often want those behaviours to stop.

The most important thing we can do is look at the situation and try to work out why the behaviour is happening. Is the dog barking and/or growling because something is making them uncomfortable in that situation? Are they pulling on the lead because they haven't really been fully shown how to walk on a loose lead? Are they trying to run away from something that has scared them?

When we can understand the why, we can begin to understand what our dogs need in that situation and, if the behaviour is one that we find difficult and shows that the dog is struggling in a situation, we can find kind and gentle ways to make it easier on both of us.

Love this! Xx
24/08/2024

Love this! Xx

I was a professional dog trainer for years, but it never sat right with me. I was in it for the dogs, you see, and when you train dogs for roles, you have to think just as much about the position they will fill as you do the dog. And I just wanted to think about the dog. That’s why I was there. Th...

I am proud to announce that I am now a professional partner with Pet Remedy and their amazing calming products. Please c...
22/08/2024

I am proud to announce that I am now a professional partner with Pet Remedy and their amazing calming products. Please click this link to receive a fantastic 25% off x

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12/08/2024
13/07/2024

This is me

Meeting and playing with unknown dogs are not important or even beneficial to me.

I’m quite happy to see another dog, I’m quite happy to look at another dog, but playing, engaging with unfamiliar dogs is not something that is important to me.

I’m not keen on other dogs jumping all around me, I’m not keen on interacting with bouncing dogs, especially when I’m on my lead. I’m not keen on other dogs running up to me, invading my space and being approached quite rudely when I’m minding my own business enjoying my sniffing time.

I communicate lifting my ear, my tail starts to rise, I look in the direction that I would like to go, my exit away allows me my space, agency to curve around others because this helps how I feel.

For me, I find busy places quite stressful, it’s not somewhere I particularly like or find enjoyable. It has no benefit to me.

Thankfully my guardian understands this is me. I love space to mooch, sniff and explore, playing with my family and able to use my senses which is more important and beneficial to me.

I have my close doggy friends that understand me, we respect each other’s space and we communicate well with each, feel comfortable around. This is important and beneficial to me.

It must be hard for some dogs I see struggle around others, made to walk past, interact with, even though they really don’t want to, sometimes I see them being told off if they find the situation a little tricky trying communicating their feelings to their guardian, which makes me feel sad.

I’m sure humans have their close friends and family that know them really well, they feel comfortable to communicate, sometimes seeing them hug each other, but surely not all humans like busy overcrowded spaces or communicate, interact and hug everyone they meet and see. Just because we are dogs, we’re really not that different.

Murphy the Border Collie 💙

29/05/2024

.secret.dog.walker

29/05/2024

So much has happened since I last made a meme I just wanted to make one for nostalgia. And isn't it a lovely quote? 🥹

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