Out Woof Hours

25/10/2024

4. Being Proactive About Space

The Scenario: Walking my dogs on a path through a field, we saw up ahead a walker with a Golden Retriever on-lead. They saw us, wrapped the dog’s lead around their hand, assumed a stance and braced for our approach! I deviated from the path with my dogs, giving them a wide berth.

The Problem: The fact that they braced and hung on tight showed that they were completely aware that the Golden would do something toward my dogs – whether it was aggressive or overly friendly and just boisterous is irrelevant. Not everybody has experience with reactive dogs so not everybody will think to do what I did and create the space that dog clearly needed.
Somebody without that knowledge might not have thought twice about continuing toward that dog, because it was right on the footpath and logically SURELY nobody would be that passive about impending doom!

When walking a dog that does need space from other dogs (or people, or bicycles, or anything), it is 100% the handler’s responsibility to accommodate that.

The Solution: The handler of the Golden could very simply have moved off the footpath to put some distance between their dog and the approaching dogs. However, given what they did instead, I suspect it might not have been their dog and/or they were substantially lacking in confidence in handling a large dog. The importance of understanding dogs as individuals to know how they might react to any given situation, learning about basic body language, and practicing handling skills cannot be underestimated when dealing with dogs.

24/10/2024

3. Overtaking Dogs on Narrow Paths

The Scenario: I was walking on a narrow footpath with my dogs off-lead ahead of me. Another walker approached from behind without alerting me, overtook me and walked straight through the middle of my dogs with theirs. My adolescent male was instantly on high alert about the incoming dog, was a little over-enthusiastic in checking it out, which prompted that dog to snap hard at him and then bolt, and my dog chased it.

The Problem: Dogs having complete neutrality among the dogs within their group is absolutely no guarantee that they will remain neutral around any other dogs. There is a small chance that nothing would happen, but there is a big chance that something would. That this particular dog snapped and then bolted showed it was not at all confident and was in a hurry to get out of dodge!
It was very unfair of the owner to put their dog (and mine) in that situation.

The Solution: Pick another route and avoid the group altogether. If the route cannot be deviated from then slow the pace so as not to advance upon the group until open space is reached and there is opportunity to give a wide berth. If there is no flexibility to choose an alternative route or slow down a bit, then call out to the walker ahead and ask if it is ok to get by. Had I been alerted and asked, I would have requested just a minute to recall the adolescent male, pop him back on-lead and then make sure we were out of the way before they passed. It's a small courtesy that goes both ways.

23/10/2024

2. Approaching Dogs Lying Down

The Scenario: My dog is off-lead. He spots another dog approaching and lies down. The handler of the other dog continues to march their dog (on-lead) directly toward my dog. My dog panics because he has history with this particular dog not being very nice to him, has a little bark at them, then recalls to me.

The Problem: Dogs that lie down when they see another dog may do so for any of many reasons. Unless you know that dog extremely well or are well versed in canine body language, it can be difficult to know which of those reasons it is! As such, what happens next if you continue to approach that dog can be really difficult to predict.

So why would a dog lie down when it sees another dog?
• A collie or herding breed might be stalking and anticipating a chase
• A worried dog might be panicking and trying to make itself smaller
• An unsure dog might be buying time to observe the approaching dog and decide how to respond based on the other dog’s energy
• A dog lying down in sphinx position might be prepping for launch!
• A launching dog might be keen to play
• A launching dog might be keen to attack
• A launching dog might be keen to make a swift exit

Problem is, you won’t know which until it happens!

The Solution: If whilst on a walk you encounter a dog in your path lying down, on- or off-lead, stop. Do not continue to approach that dog, especially if it happens in a bottleneck like a field gateway or a road junction. Either move sideways around it or, although inconvenient, turn around and backtrack. The dog lying down possibly has conflicted feelings, or even bad intentions, so it is much kinder to your own dog to just avoid it.

22/10/2024

1: Causing Reactivity Through Training

The worst culprit for this is Look At That (LAT) training.

The Scenario: I am walking my dogs on a public footpath, another dog is approaching, the owner of that dog puts them into a sit to begin the LAT training, the dog watches my dogs closely as we pass, my dog kicks off...

The Problem: Waiting too long for the dog to look back to the handler during LAT training conditions that dog to stare down other dogs. While the dog being trained might be sat quietly and not moving, leading the handler to believe the training is a big success, allowing and encouraging (through mistimed reward) the dog to engage in a hard stare directed at passing dogs is a BIG FAIL. A hard stare is very confrontational and is likely to elicit a response, or, a reaction, from the passing dog – in this case, MY dog! A lack of awareness or care from the handler doing the training put me in a difficult position and created a problem for me.

The owner of the LAT training dog might soon begin to wonder why there are so many reactive dogs passing them on their walk and not understand that their own dog is the cause of it. Eventually, the LAT dog’s experience of other dogs is going to tip into a majority negative because every dog it sees reacts at it (because it is staring at them), so the trained behaviour fosters anticipation of being lunged or barked at which in turn creates reactivity.

The Solution: There is NO need to make a dog sit and look at other dogs pass. If anything, that cements in the dog’s mind that other dogs are a really big deal and must be watched when in reality we want them to think the very opposite! Either the dog should be placed in the sit facing the handler, or just keep moving and act like the other dog does not exist.

To use LAT training in a much better context, take the dog to the edge or the outside of a dog park and use dogs that are engaged in other activities so will not be focussed on the looking dog, rather than using single dogs encountered in a rigid, linear approach.
If the dog being used as a stooge is reacting, a bit of consideration goes a long way.

21/10/2024

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

Having recently completed my diploma in Canine Behaviour, I reflected on how much I have learnt about dogs in the last couple of years through studying the theory, fostering some tricky dogs, training and having my own dogs with behavioural issues. It really brought home that, knowing what I know now, I know how much I didn’t know then!

Over the past few months there have been a few scenarios encountered on walks that definitely could have been handled better just by applying common sense. But unless other owners have had the same experiences or gone out of their way to learn about these things, it isn’t necessarily common sense to them – if they don’t know, they don’t know.

So I thought this week I would write a mini series about these scenarios (starting tomorrow, because I only have four!): what happened, what the problem was, and how it could be better resolved should an owner find themselves in that position again. The first installment will be exploring how LAT training can cause reactivity. Interesting, huh. See you tomorrow!

26/09/2024

Can your dog do nothing?

Doing nothing is a really important skill for a dog to have but one that is not an obvious inclusion in a training plan.
There is an enormous market for food enrichment toys (Kongs, Lickimats, Toppls) and whilst they definitely have their place and are great in many respects, they can actually be problematic and contribute to behavioural problems. Dogs can get hooked on DOING things, and these enrichment toys can represent just another task for the dog to do. Do not mistake occupation for genuine relaxation!

If your dog is hyperactive or has difficulty settling, instead of throwing them a Kong, start working on teaching a settle (the "sit on the dog" method is a good one to get started (and does not involve actually sitting on any dogs!)).

If you think your dog could benefit from this but do not have the time, get in touch!

20/09/2024

Hands up if you’re using thunder as a training opportunity! 🙋

In the last several weeks there have been maybe four or five thunderstorms here. As tempting as it is to watch the lightning and drama from the warm, dry comfort of a window… Don’t! Get out in it.

Dogs will not eat if they are scared and they will not play if they are scared. If you have a dog that is fearful of random loud booming noises coming from the sky (hello Bonfire Night!), at that first flash of lightning, get outside and play with them! Throw the best treats all over the ground, throw their favourite ball, have a round of tuggy, or just run in circles and be really silly with them. The best time to start training for fireworks is yesterday. The second best time is now 🎆

03/08/2024

The theory of rigid hierarchical pack structure - Alpha, Beta, Omega - in dog packs has long been debunked (by the very man who proposed it) and a few different theories have arisen in its place. One of those is the system of functional characters, of which there are nine.

This video shows Atlas, who would be classed as a Defender, a second in command (2IC), watching two youngsters playing. He is clearly getting agitated watching! This is not aggression and it is not jealousy or FOMO. One job afforded to the 2IC is to maintain order in the pack which includes the role of fun police, so these unruly, rowdy kids are really bothering him. If the gates were not in place, he would be barging in and enforcing a Time Out.

One of these youngsters is saluki whippet Isaac who has come to stay for the weekend. As he is only here for a short time, I have decided not to let Atlas fulfil his role as enforcer but have instead supported his needs by stepping in and bringing the energy level down myself. Peace restored. Everybody happy.

Isaac is no ordinary boarder; he is actually available for adoption! Check out his info here: https://dogsfriends.me.uk/df-dogs/isaac/

26/07/2024

Thought of the day: Don’t punish your dog for not doing something immediately; praise them for doing something eventually.

The story: I had my adolescent boy in the park doing a bit of training (we never go to the dog park for socialising, only ever training) when an off-lead dog abruptly approached mine who was on-lead. The other dog is one I have seen around and about - I *think* it is a rescue and I think the man with it has done a lot of work on this dog. Anyway, dog ambushes mine. The man recognised that mine was on-lead and that the interaction was looking very tense and awkward (posturing, tails up). He asked the dog once to move away. The dog did not. Man approached the dogs, I must say, in quite a dominant, almost menacing kind of manner. The other dog moved away pretty quickly then, which was great for my dog, but I continued to watch the interaction. The man’s demeanour was still quite domineering, and the dog cowered from him. The man scolded the dog and put him on lead. I felt for that dog so badly, so much that I shouted over to him “it’s ok, no harm done!”

The dog was punished for not leaving mine the first time he was asked. I do not know the dog’s background, but for a dog that was potentially under-socialised, under-exposed, I do not know its age, potentially adolescent, that was a very difficult situation for it to actually turn its back on and leave. So when it did, that should have been rewarded with SO much praise! Praise, movement, play, the whole shebang.

Whatever it is that is being trained, if the dog does not do it immediately, there’s a reason: they are distracted, they didn’t understand the instruction, they didn’t hear it properly, they really don’t care about you... If it is because of distraction or that something else was more tempting at the time, when they eventually do it = JACKPOT REWARD! Especially recall, which is where so many people go wrong. I LOVE training recall. There are so many ways to improve it, and it’s not simply “be the shiniest, most fun thing to your dog” because let’s face it, we really can’t compete with fox p**p.

04/07/2024

Anyone relate? 😅🐾🐾

19/06/2024

Young rescue GSP Murphy came to stay with OutWoofHours last week.

Murphy has stayed here a couple of times before and has got along absolutely fine with the resident dogs. They are all gundogs (so not particularly guard-y) and are all dog sociable when out and about. However, that does not mean it is okay to just throw them back in together and expect everything to be fine. Murphy’s owners and I re-introduced the dogs on a walk where they did eventually settle into walking nicely together, but there was enough in the behaviour to make me initiate Plan B!

The boys were kept separated in the house and garden at all times, but they were able to interact through the gates and panels set up. The following photographs show some of their evolving body language, notably Atlas’ tail which is thankfully very easy to read. For the first couple of days, the boys stood head-on at the gates, there was a bit of hard-staring going on, and Atlas’ tail was often stiff and high. Mixing the boys in this state would very likely have resulted in a scrap very quickly.

After a couple of days, Atlas’ tail came down but for a short time there was clear preference to wag to the left, which is thought to signify that a dog is not feeling very comfortable or confident. On Day 4 we finally saw a lower and more gentle tail wag, no more fixation and staring through the gate, playing with the other dogs, and the boys even managed to snooze about 1m apart. At this point the chances of a successful mix were much more in our favour so on Day 5, mix they did.

After a couple of little grumbles, they did amazingly well. The success transferred to the garden and eventually to the house, finishing the 8-day board on a high with all dogs sharing the space nicely over the whole weekend, and the boys even initiating play together. Although it was a slight inconvenience to manage them separately for five days, rushing the integration and having to deal with the aftermath of a dog fight would have been far worse than that!

For boarding, daycare and out of hours care enquiries, get in touch at [email protected]

03/05/2024

🎉I am excited to announce, to all 15 followers of this page, that Out Woof Hours is now fully licenced by Wiltshire Council to home board dogs!🎉

In addition to overnight boarding, I can also offer ad-hoc day care and of course, Out (Wo)of Hours care: by the hour, evenings, weekends, bank holidays etc. Various packages are available depending on specific needs, including for those with separation anxiety. I do unfortunately have a few exclusions for safety reasons (namely very small dogs), but otherwise, please get in touch with your requirements! Intros/on-boarding will begin from mid-May.

This has been a long time coming. I had originally planned to pursue a licence last year, however my situation took a turn for the absolute worst and I lost my young dog very suddenly and unexpectedly. Prince, the little Jack Russell foster my last post was about, was adopted very soon after, so my household rapidly reduced from three dogs to one. The quiet was unbearable! In the last year I have had several more fosters in and out, and have welcomed two more permanent dogs in, so things are back to lively and just the way I like them 🐾🐾

14/01/2023

This little Prince is looking for his forever home 🥰
He loves a lie in, loves his cuddles, but also really loves his walkies (and although only weighs 9 or 10kg, knows how to throw every gram!) so would like an active home. People friendly and dog friendly, used to living in a multi-dog household - no issues around food or toys. Not tested with children. Cannot live with cats or small furries. He is working on the barking..! He is a very sweet little dog (and may come with free holiday cover 😉) x
https://dogsfriends.me.uk/portfolio_page/prince-2/

13/12/2022

Kennel cough. There's a lot of it about.

Ordinarily not a cause for too much concern, a kennel cough cough is a dry, hacking cough, often followed by a retch as if the dog is trying to clear their throat.

If your dog has kennel cough and the cough develops into a wet, chesty sounding cough that may be productive, that is not a typical kennel cough cough and needs attention.

This is a development we had on Thursday night, paired with rapid breathing and listlessness. It didn’t come on quickly; it came on immediately, and required urgent treatment from the out of hours vet. By Saturday, hypothermia had set in and making it to Sunday was by no means looking like a safe bet.

Thanks to the incredible teams at Vets Now and Vets 4 Pets, my dog is well on the way to a full recovery.

It is one of the busiest (and most expensive!) times of the year, but do remember to check in with your dog and if anything seems off, don't take the risk, get it checked.

12/11/2022

A little note about the brachy breeds…

For those unfamiliar, brachy, or brachycephalic, breeds are those with typically flat(ter) faces: English bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs, boxers and the like. For the purpose of this post, I am also going to be talking about King Charles spaniels (KCS).

I will be totally upfront and admit freely that I scan for and report adverts on pet homing sites that make false claims, such as one last week advertising their chows as the “best in the world”, or for example that are not even legal, such as one earlier this year advertising an AmStaff for stud. Again, for people who are unfamiliar, the AmStaff, or American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, is covered by Breed Specific Legislation and is classified as a “Pit Bull type”. This dog is a banned breed. So how, I ask you, is it possible that one is being advertised openly for stud?

During lockdown, backyard breeders went bananas cashing in on a surge in demand for puppies. In tandem with that, there has also been a similarly sky-rocketing popularity of exaggerated features. First came the exotic colours: merles, lilacs, champagne, Isabella to name a few.

Then came “the rope”. The rope refers to the thick roll of skin over a bulldog’s nose. The way this is advertised suggests to the prospective, uneducated buyer that having the thick strip of skin over the nose is a highly, highly desirable trait. It is not. It is a visual alarm bell screaming “this dog cannot breathe”.

Next came the “fluffy gene” that miraculously and suddenly appeared in French bulldogs, a breed with a characteristically smooth coat.

The new fad in brachy breeds, is the “pink” pug. Pink is an Instagram marketing ploy for charging phenomenal prices for a dog that is in fact albino. This is an advert I came across today: https://www.pets4homes.co.uk/classifieds/wt3dervy-stunning-prestige-pedigree-pink-black-pug-puppies-southend-on-sea/
That this person is even mentioning breeding rights, is ridiculous. These dogs are albino, so, predisposed to skin cancers and with a high probability of being at least partially blind and partially deaf. I messaged the advertiser (nicely) and said as much. They replied that their dogs are probably better looking than me and that I should get myself a life. Amazing.

As can be seen from the photographs, the dogs also have bulging eyes. This is a common feature in pugs, Chihuahuas and KCS especially. Their eyes don’t bulge because they have large eyes. Their eyes bulge because they have been bred to have small skulls. Literally, their skulls are too small to hold their eyeballs. What people don’t realise is that, as well as eyes, other equipment is the same size as that of a non-brachy dog: their breathing apparatus is regular size, their brains are regular size. So when bad breeding exaggerates a small skull, or flat face, the result is dogs that cannot breathe properly because their airway is squashed, they are at risk of their eyes prolapsing (falling out), and in the case of many KCS, they are prone to chronic migraines because their skull is crushing their brain.

Please, please, PLEASE, if you want a dog belonging to any of these breeds, do your research. Know what is healthy. Do not follow what Instagram says is fashionable, because fashion does not equate to quality and health. Popularity does not reflect welfare. Look in any rescue centre and you will find bulldogs and pugs needing homes. And for those thinking of breeding from your family pet, just don’t!
(Photograph attributed to “Siobhan O” of Pets4homes, 2022)

16/10/2022

One of the best cues my dogs know (by no means the most important or helpful, but definitely one of the best!) is “go sniff”. Dogs are constantly collecting and processing scent, but “go sniff” prompts them to engage full sniffer mode and essentially “switch on” their noses. Sniffer mode can be heard in the video!

They are free to sniff whatever they want, for however long they want (and are even allowed to pull on their leads just a little bit). Sniffing is super stimulating for dogs, which means super exhausting! It might take you twice as long to go half as far as a usual walk, but it’s a different activity that every dog will engage with, and they’ll be just as tired as if they’d been blasting around a park for an hour.

Teaching “go sniff” is also a really useful tool for dogs in training: if you’re caught out at a time you would usually offer a treat or toy, “go sniff” is a seriously good reward for good behaviour!

05/10/2022

Dogs Dangerously Out of Control

We all know which ones these are: the German Shepherd, the staffy, the Rottweiler, on a biting rampage, in a total frenzy, launching into roads and causing a six-car pile-up.

That’s them, right?

WRONG.

If your dog is off-lead and is heading toward a situation that is dangerous, even just less than ideal, or that is likely to put somebody else in a tricky position, and you CANNOT recall your dog or otherwise divert it from that situation, then YOUR dog is the dog dangerously out of control.

We had a repeat yesterday of an all too familiar scenario. Over at the Riverside, just finishing our otherwise lovely and peaceful walk, my dog was on his longline (being an entire male and having an insatiable desire to play with most other dogs, keeping him attached in public open spaces is the responsible thing to do). Heading toward us was an off-lead dog. At this point, we were at the top of a slope; the owner of the other dog was at the bottom. The off-lead dog approached my dog head-on, which put my dog on edge - he has essentially been attacked by off-lead dogs four times already this year who all made a beeline for him, head-on. He sank down into full stalker/defence mode, then dug his heels in and would not move.

The owner of the other dog called his dog’s name. The dog ignored him. He called again. Ignored again. Then the man says, out loud to his dog, “Oh just say hello then”. I called down to the man, “Can it not. My dog really will drag me down the hill.” He smiled. “Oh, just say hello.” Needless to say, the other dog proceeded to approach mine, mine launched at it, the dog ran down the hill, my dog tried to follow, and in doing so took me with him.

“Oh... Sorry…,” said the man.

This is so unacceptable. I do not care how cute and friendly your dog (usually some kind of doodle-poo mix) is. I care about MY dog. If a dog is on a lead and the owner specifically requests that your dog not approach it, you absolutely MUST divert your dog away.

What “Oh just say hello then,” really means, is that that dog has no recall, no manners, no bond, no training. Either put the dog on a lead or a longline, or actually invest some time in the dog, build a bond, and train recall. Not just saying its name and hoping that it knows what you mean, but proper recall.

Your dog might be friendly, but not everything is about you and your dog. Some dogs are not easy, and until you have a dog that is challenging, you will never fully appreciate how much an unplanned interaction can set a dog way back in confidence and subsequent behaviour. The headline will always be “Large, aggressive, unneutered male dog attacks loving family pet,” it will never be the reality which is “Dangerously out of control cockapoo provokes on-lead dog”, and that is not fair.

18/09/2022

I came across this post today and as both a spaniel owner and a foster carer, the message here to stop breeding is a message that I think cannot be emphasised (or shared) enough.
There is serious crisis ahead for UK dogs, so for anyone thinking of adding to their pack, when it comes to "Adopt, don't shop", please, please make UK-based rescues the first port of call.

Here are some sobering August figures for you

We had 105 surrender requests completed and several other requests to take dogs via other rescues and dog wardens and vets . That is nearly 4 dogs a day.

Of these forms the most were for cockers. These cockers were mostly males and mostly under 2 years of age. More than half had issues - guarding ,snapping, biting and dog reactive

We took into foster 64 dogs meaning we couldn't take approx 40 due to the dogs issues being too severe for us to find a foster home for. ie multiple bites causing hospital treatment . We have a small group of fosters willing to take dogs needing rehab from an experienced fosterer. They are all full and have a waiting list.

We took in 7 dogs that had been dumped and came to us via dog wardens. We usually take one or two every couple of months on average. This will continue to rise.

Today so far we have had 2 surrender requests from owners and one from another rescue re 2 young springers aged 2 ish already on their second litters.

We have 62 dogs in long term foster

We have 108 dogs in regular foster either being assessed , on meet and greet stage or awaiting homechecks

Dog ownership in this country is in a huge huge mess. We are one small charity. Multiply these figures by all the rescues covering all breeds and the figures will be heart breaking. And its going to get worse. The cost of living crisis is going to have a huge impact

We are very very fortunate that we have the funds to help these dogs . What we don't have is places for dogs with issues. We have no room for them nor does anyone else.

What is the answer? Stop breeding . Every dog you produce another one or two or more will end up in rescue or die. You think vets don't put to sleep healthy dogs? What else are they supposed to do? They cant take them all in. I see people breeding and asking questions they should have researched before mating their dog not when the pups have arrived. If you are going to breed then make sure they are already reserved. . Make sure they are adding something to a line or helping to protect a vulnerable breed or to help breed out some of the horrendous traits we have bred in to some breeds. Make sure your dog and bitch have health tests relevant to their breed (and no that doesn't mean they are vaccinated and had a 5 minute vet check). Make sure you check out the home you are selling to. If none of these then don't do it. Your bitch doesn't need to have a litter. Your dog being used as a stud will not calm him down. Stop buying dogs from gumtree or free ads or similar. A good breeder does not need to advertise their litters on websites like that. If a breeder doesn't ask you any questions or checks you out then they are just in it for the money. Make sure they have a return to breeder contract. In 3000 dogs we have seen about 10 of these! Do your research. Then do some more.

We are supposed to be a nation of dog lovers. It sure doesn't feel like it at the moment :(

The photo below is of Roo SA2990 when she arrived 10 days ago. She was so scared that she would only look at the wall. She came to us after being signed over to a vets from a breeding hell hole. Aged about 7 so no use to them any more. Multiple litters. Abused and scared. Only good for making money from. She is a different dog now but still has a way to go. She is one of the lucky ones who ended up in a fabulous foster home

23/07/2022

Today we tested out a "Rucksack Walk". Created by Steve Mann of the IMDT, the Rucksack Walk is all about slowing down and engaging your dog. It is very simple: pack a rucksack with four special things: 1) A novel scent, 2) a novel item, 3) a novel taste and 4) a chewie.

With rucksack and dog, take a leisurely stroll to a quiet spot, allowing for lots of sniff stops on the way. Then, sit on the ground and slowly remove the scent item, and calmly and quietly give it all of your interest, acting like it is the most AMAZING thing ever until your dog gets FOMO and can't resist seeing what all of the fuss is about. Let your dog sniff. Return the scent to the rucksack.

Take out the item. Repeat, quietly making out that this is the best item in the world. Let your dog look at it, hold it, sniff it. Return the item slowly to the rucksack. Get the food out. Sniff it yourself, taste it, it's so wonderful! Let your dog sniff it and taste it. Finally, the chewie. Let your dog chew to his heart's content whilst quietly stroking him. Mosey on home, with more sniff stops, and that's the Rucksack Walk!

Obviously it very important to use scents and tastes that are safe for dogs to eat. If you are unsure then err on the side of caution and use something else. For this walk I used 1) ground cinnamon, 2) kitchen tongs (because THEY'RE weird!), and 3) sweet potato and peanut butter biscuits that I baked yesterday. Funnily enough, the dogs were most interested in #3!