Alison Scott Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist

17/09/2024

I remember that feeling so well. The times I just wanted to walk down the road with Max without him loosing his mind at the sight of a dog across the street. I didn’t want him to interact with the dog, I just wanted him to walk past - why was that so difficult?

Why was the training not working? I was doing what they told me to but nothing changed. What was wrong with him! Is it me? Will I ever have a “normal” dog?

There were days I hated Max. I hated the fact he wasn’t the dog I dreamt of. I hated the way people looked at me when he reacted badly. I hated the constant judgement.

But at what point in the above did I mention how Max felt?

Max just wanted to go on his walk without the fear of another dog “getting him”, he didn’t want to interact with a dog, he just wanted to feel safe in his surroundings.

He wanted to know why I would give up on training methods if he made a mistake, he was confused by what it was I wanted him to do. Would I ever understand he was afraid and not just an angry dog?

I’m sure there were days Max hated me. Why did I keep taking him to scary places, why couldn’t I be happy with just him? What was wrong with him? Would he ever be safe and appreciated?

It’s ok to be frustrated and disappointed when things don’t go as planned. You’re allowed to have emotions, but please don’t forget that your dog has them too. I know how heartbreaking it can be, I get it wholeheartedly. It’s why I do what I do. I want to help you, I want to help your dog. Even when it feels like we’re getting nowhere. My promise to you is to use everything I know to support you, and if I don’t know the answer I’ll learn more.

The path of true love never runs smooth, but let’s enjoy the journey 🐾

04/07/2024

SILVER PAWS SERIES
Part three

Increasing fragility, both physically and emotionally are common as dogs age.

In human medical science an increasing area of attention has been how to retain / improve resilience to help the individual cope better with age related change.
An acronym that has been proposed to consider factors that support resilience, is PURPOSE OF LIFE.

I think there are many parts of this acronym that we can consider in our aging dogs.

P. Purpose in life. We start off with one of the harder concepts to apply 🤣. But I think for our dogs, this is about them still feeling a part of our lives, being appreciated, being able to participate in the activities that have previously brought them joy.

U Unable to manage, leading to increased stress. There are lots of ways we can make life easier for our dogs. From using non slip flooring, to steps on and off of the sofa, being physically supported up and down stairs, feeding softer food or treats … we can look at what our dogs are finding trickier and speak to our vet, a physiotherapist, a behaviourist … and come up with ideas to help.

R Restrictions in mobility. Just because our dog is aging, doesn’t mean we should just accept reducing mobility. Speak to your vet, organise a physio assessment, take a look at Canine Arthritis Management. There are lots of options to maintain mobility. Equally though, try not to equate senior dog welfare with the dog having a similar mobility to earlier life. Silver Paws may be physically weaker, have more discomfort, may tire easier … and they can still have lots of positive experiences with reduced or even no, walks. We ll come back to this in a separate post

P Physical Health. A whole variety of body organs can be less efficient or even diseased as dogs age. Speak to your vet about your dog’s health and aim for regular health checks.

O Optimism. What moments of joy does each day bring to keep both your dog’s and your own outlook on life positive. Again, more on this in a separate post

S Social connections. Elderly dogs may play less. They may not be as social with other dogs or humans as they once were. This doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy time with their favourite individuals. In fact many dogs, due to perceived vulnerability, like more social contact with long standing bonded individuals. It just looks different! It’s sitting together. It’s more gentle stroking / grooming. It might be options to investigate their dog friend’s toys rather than meeting in person.

E Emotion. If a senior dog is increasing in anxiety/ fear or becoming more withdrawn, seek professional help from a vet and / or clinical behaviourist to make sure we are addressing this in the most appropriate way.

O Outward mindset - embracing change. Can we support our dog through this life transition? We can provide more social reassurance, add in mobility/ physical and cognitive appropriate positive experiences. But we should also recognise change is challenging for many elderly individuals. So limit change. Make sure life is predictable, as much as we can.

F Family cohesion. Is everyone on board with how we are supporting our elderly dog? Who in the dog’s family might need more support in coping with this life stage. Caregiver burden. Anxiety about change / loss, are common emotional experiences for human s living with aging pets. Sometimes distancing themselves from the old dog is a coping strategy. Empathising with these feelings is crucial. Another post on caregiver burden will follow.

L. Locus of control. What choices can the aged dog make? Do they feel they are in control of themselves? Do we need to medically support them with elements of this? (Incontinence / needing to toilet more frequently as examples)

I Independent Activities of Daily Living. What can our aged dogs manage by themselves and where do we need to add in more support or environmental modification? Are we providing regular opportunities where they get to do activities they can manage and enjoy for themselves?

F Financial security. Dogs don’t worry about this! But us humans do. Aging dogs can get increasingly expensive. Have we a plan for that? Do we know our own limits and have we considered different cost based options?

E Environment. Enrichment Exercise. Canine Arthritis Management has some excellent resources on considering the safety and comfort of the reduced mobility dog’s environment. Considering enrichment and exercise for aged dogs will be a separate post, as there’s lots of great options and considerations

Trying to find time to pause and reassess many facets of our silver paw’s life can be invaluable to their quality of life. Resources for assessing quality of life will be coming soon.

Aprahamian, I., Woo, J., Vellas, B. and Morley, J.E., 2022. Resilience and successful aging. The Journal of nutrition, health and aging, 26(7), pp.652-656.

04/07/2024

SILVER PAWS SERIES
Part Two

It’s easy to under appreciate how aging increases our vulnerability.

Whether it’s because the aging individual feels more physically weak / fragile.
Perhaps it’s sensory change like failing eyesight or worsening hearing.
Perhaps it’s the development of various bodily pains. Or the recognition/ awareness of cognitive decline - maybe our ability to rationalise or puzzle solve is lessening or our memory capacity reducing.

Aging increases fragility: physical and emotional.

That’s worth being mindful of as we live alongside and hopefully support, older friends and family.

04/07/2024

SILVER PAWS SERIES
Part One

“Growing Old[er] is mandatory, growing up is optional”. Carroll Bryant

In some more medical circles, it has become popular to discuss the “success” of an aging individual.
I m not sure I m on board with terms like “successful ager” as to me it somehow implies failure by the individual who isn’t.

As our pets age we can consider three categories:
- limited / mild physical (including sensory) and cognitive change

- increasing physical OR cognitive change

- increasing physical AND cognitive change

Over this series we ll consider what these may look like in our pets, predominantly dogs and cats.

“Age is but a number” as reportedly said by Joan Collins.

When are our pets considered to be “aged” or “senior” or even “geriatric” (as someone who was labelled a “geriatric mother” when I was pregnant at 40, don’t get me started on the impact of age labels!) ?

This is complicated and something we ll explore more in the series.
As an overly simplistic “rule of thumb” we often consider cats over the age of 10 to be “senior” (affected in part by breed) and dogs, well, in the main, the larger they are, the earlier they are aged/ senior. So a small breed dog like a Jack Russell terrier might not be considered senior until they are 12 or over, however a large breed dog such as Labrador may be considered aged from 8 years. A giant breed (over 45kg as an adult) perhaps from 5 or 6 years of age.

To be honest it’s complicated and we see that in humans too.
I prefer to look at the individual in front of me. To consider their health, their physical comfort or limitations (including sensory changes /abilities) and their cognitive and emotional states as well.

As we age, even from juvenile years into adulthood, our bodies change.
The older we get, the more likely physical including sensory changes away from the “norm” become, alongside cognitive and emotional change too.
It can be for the individual’s “better” and it can be a limitation or even potential source of suffering to that individual.

So first things first, health matters.

This is why regular check ups can be so valuable (whether with vets and/ or physios and/or other trained paraprofessionals)

This “tool kit” produced by BSAVA is a good starting point.
We ll be discussing all sorts of resources within the series.

Feel free to share your interests for information in the comments 😊

https://www.bsavalibrary.com/docserver/fulltext/bsava-petsavers-ageing-canines_booklet.pdf?expires=1716096262&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=E06A3D40AD8ED91FBD48AC2C08632165

28/02/2024

Fantastic resources!!

After many enquiries I’m pleased to say the downloadable version of both my home grooming guide and my co-operative care workbook are now available on my website!

https://woodysholisticgrooming.co.uk/shop

28/02/2024

Certified holistic grooming behaviourist specialising in co-operative care & dog behaviour for grooming; welfare Dog grooming & Grooming education for owners

13/02/2024

If you own a dog and especially a breed with a shorter muzzle and/or flatter face (brachycephalic dogs), please can you take 10 minutes to take part in this survey which will contribute to important research about the health and welfare of all dogs!

Take the survey here:

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

03/01/2024

I am lost for words…something needs to change but this is not the answer 😪😪

01/01/2024

I am relieved to say that my insurance still allows me to work with XL bullies because there are going to be many dogs and their caregivers who may now need extra support!

This is not my usual New Year’s post: Today my heart feels heavy.

From now on, all XL Bully’s lives are restricted to being on a lead & muzzled at all times in public (including the car) or their lives must end.

All owners of any bull-breed dogs taller than 19 inches (females) or 20 inches (males) at the withers will have to decide whether they will also restrict their dog to a lead & muzzle and get them exempted, or whether to risk their dog being identified as an XL Bully Type by a police officer or Dog Legislation Officer who may seize the dog (if in a public space). There are further implications for some people in terms of their housing and being able to cover the cost of vet bills for exempted dogs unable to get pet insurance cover. The guidance is as clear as mud and contradictory in places, making it a confusing and upsetting time for owners of large-breed bully dogs.

I will never downplay the events that have led the government to add XL Bully Types to the list of breeds of Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act. However, I fail to see a) how the difference of 1 inch can determine whether a dog is deemed potentially dangerous or not, b) how a muzzle & lead in public will protect the owners of actually dangerous dogs - and visitors to their home - from attacks, or c) how anyone is protected if a dog escapes from a home or garden that the owner thought was secure. The multiple complex factors contributing to the rise in dog attacks have not been addressed.

Indeed, labelling certain breed types as ‘dangerous’ gives the impression that other breeds of dogs are ‘safe’. All dogs have sharp teeth and claws and the potential to bite, attack or even kill a human, and we need to learn how to reduce the risk of injury from all dogs. Irresponsible people will move onto the next breed of intimidating-looking dog (rumour has it they have already identified which breed has a powerful bite and bigger teeth than the pitbull or XL bully…). We will now also have a load of frustrated and stressed XL bully types getting less physical exercise than they have been used to & having muzzles strapped to their faces, some without having gone through the appropriate training to introduce them - a recipe for an increase in dog bites (perpetuating the ‘statistics’ regarding these dogs).

To the vets and vet practices stating that they will not partake in euthanasia of these dogs, I implore you to consider what will happen to them given they are unable to be rehomed? I understand you have been dealt a depressing hand but I hate the thought of dogs being kept with compromised welfare because their owners are unable to afford, or commit to, the exemption laws - or believe they are unable to fulfil their individual dog’s 5 freedoms, or would be made homeless by keeping an exempted dog.

I am grateful that my insurance still allows me to work with exempted dogs. Please feel free to get in touch if you need my services.

(Image credit unknown)