Devon Dog Behaviour

08/11/2022

Sometimes owners confuse socialising with over-exposure, and make a nervous puppy much worse.

07/10/2022

Common sense read.

https://godt.uk/whats-wrong-with-fur-babies-and-fur-kids-by-ross-mccarthy/

18/09/2022

Robert Alleyne discusses why some owner's may not think of the possible repercussions of their 'friendly' dog running up to other dogs to say hello, but they...

25/08/2022

04/08/2022

Let's talk about dog attacks! ...

It seems there has been a big increase lately in dog attacks on children in the UK and sadly several of these have been fatal. This has got me thinking... what could be the reason for the sudden increase? These are my thoughts:

• An increase of dogs acquired during lockdown and not given the opportunity to socialise properly
•An increase in behaviour related issues in children ( possibly caused by lockdowns)
•An increase in the breeding and owning of bigger and more powerful dogs ( although all dogs have the potential to harm)
•An increase in people who believe disciplining dogs ( or children) is wrong... please remember here that discipline doesn't mean pain/fear ... that IS wrong!

Most dog attacks on children are fear based although some are caused by other factors such as resource guarding and pain.
Dogs and young children do not know instinctively how to behave around each other, therefore, steps must be taken to teach both dogs and children how to interact with each other safely.
I am always reluctant to automatically blame the parents when I hear of a dog attack because I realise sometimes there are other factors present, however, the amount of photos/videos I see with children poking at/sitting on/ crawling over dogs is terrifying! ... There are people out there who think this is acceptable.... cute even!!!.... These are exactly the type of people who should not have dogs ... or probably children 😏🙄.
Do I think a dog that has attacked a child should be put to sleep? Sadly I do yes. Whether or not it was the dog's fault, I believe this is the right thing to do. Do I think these people should be allowed to own dogs again? Absolutely not!

Conclusion:
You cannot expect to welcome an apex predator ( as cute as your dog may be, let's not forget that is essentially what they are) into your home and not have any boundaries . It is the owners responsibility to ensure the dog is well socialised. It is also a parents responsibility to ensure their children know how to behave around dogs.
Dogs and children can have wonderful relationships but get this wrong and it's a disaster waiting to happen!

As always, I welcome your thoughts and opinions. We don't have to agree as long as everyone is respectful of others :)
Becci

03/08/2022

Weʼre raising money to Help fund our efforts to help the most disadvantaged dogs in our area. We focus on those who cannot find the right help elsewhere.. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

16/07/2022

Information about heatstroke in dogs and cats including signs of heatstroke in pets and first aid for heat stroke in pets

16/06/2022

If you can't hold your hand on the hot pavement for longer than five seconds, it is too hot for your dog to walk on. Take your dog for a walk in the early morning and late evening when it is cooler and make sure to pack a water bottle so your dog can drink occasionally. If you are concerned about your pet in the heat, call your vet right away.

25/05/2022

🐩 A new study has revealed a huge demand for designer crossbreed dogs in the UK between 2019 and 2020, believing they are more hypoallergenic, generally healthy, easy to train and good with children, which could be misconceptions based on current evidence. The new study also suggests that this increased demand poses a significant risk to the health and welfare of these designer dogs due to high demand leading to poor breeding and to buyers unintentionally supporting puppy farming and illegal importation of underage puppies.

➡️ Read More: https://rvc.uk.com/designer-dogs-welfare

18/05/2022

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!

The debate will take place on at 4.30pm on 6 June in Westminster Hall, which is the second debating chamber of the House of Commons. Christina Rees MP, a member of the Committee, will open the debate. The debate will be publicly announced later today so I'm writing to let you know in advance.
Last push, if you havent signed or any of your friends and family havent, PLEASE do, if you have please share EVERYWHERE ###
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/603988

18/05/2022

In memory of the wonderful Jimmy.

Weʼre raising money to Help fund our efforts to help the most disadvantaged dogs in our area. We focus on those who cannot find the right help elsewhere.. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

18/04/2022

03/04/2022

(For licensing or usage, contact [email protected])Rosalie is an experienced dog mother. This is her last litter (she just had 4). She wants to enter th...

27/03/2022

A dog can already smell you from a great distance. No need to invade their space.

ANNNDDDD….

Just because a dog approaches to smell you, your pant leg for example, DOES NOT mean it wants you to touch it!

Don’t be rude! They are their own being.

How would you feel if a stranger invaded your space and started groping you?!

Give them space!

09/03/2022

Dogs Off Lead!

I probably rehabilitate about 300 dogs a year in the flesh and about another thousand or so a year come through my online Academy and there's a constant battle that ALL of these people are having that could be drastically reduced very easily...

If your dog does not have perfect recall it should NOT be off lead in public. I don't care if 'he is friendly' or if he has 'small man syndrome' or that you are 'sorry' because you are ruining peoples hard work.

There are people out there in public with their dogs under control that have had severe psychological trauma. I have had dogs that have been ripped to bits as young dogs and it stays with them and subsequently they are terrified of dogs charging up to them.

There are dogs that have physical issues and being barrelled over by a 50kg goof ball could cause them severe injury. There are dogs with cruciate ligament injuries, seizure issues, the list is endless.

If you cannot recall your dog it absolutely should not be off lead in a public place. In fact, by definition you are breaking the law here in the UK. Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act states that a person 'commits an offence if the dog causes reasonable apprehension to a person that they will be injured, whether or not they actually are injured.'

If you want your dog off lead in public just train a reliable recall. It really is not a difficult behaviour! I can have my dogs off lead no issues whatsoever and NOT ruin other people's work so you can too.

Over friendly dogs, aggressive dogs, any type of dog without a recall should not be off lead without prior training. It's dangerous and you are causing huge issues to a huge amount of people that you may not even realise.

Every single day in my Academy another person has had their hard work undone because someone has let their dog go charging over, running behind them with a ball chucker shouting 'it's okay he's friendly.' It's not okay... Invasion of personal space without consent is not okay!

Train your dog!

14/01/2022

The Vet Times - Human behaviour is one of the key drivers behind dog attacks according to a new independent report that finds the data supporting breed standard legislation lacking.
A new report from the University of Middlesex concludes that human behaviour is a key factor in the likelihood of dog bites, and that there is a need for greater knowledge of dog behaviour prior to and during dog ownership.
The study – “Investigation of measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible ownership among dog owners with dog control issues in the UK” – also found that data regarding dog bite incidents was “lacking” and local authorities’ enforcement of current rules was inconsistent.
Given these findings, it is now imperative that the Government uses them to inform an evidence-based ‘deed not breed’ approach to future dog control strategy and moves away from the current breed-specific approach said Dr Gaines RSPCA dog welfare expert.
Full news article on: www.vettimes.co.uk
Pls sign and share the current UK Gov Petition - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/603988 🖋