BOWOW DTC

28/02/2025

Reading body language is an important part of our puppy classes. We look forward to meeting our new intake next week 😍

27/02/2025

Socialisation is not about letting your dog meet as many dogs as possible, it's about giving them the opportunity to explore and experience different situations and to build confidence in this human world that we live in.

This is Koby in Ruth's Pet Behaviour Services excellent socialisation class this morning.

Experiences ticked off this morning - small children (moving and noise), different plant textures, strange noises from drains, looking down from high up, traffic passing and noise, people approaching from the shadows, dogs approaching on and off lead, settling on mat, automatic door opening, polished interior floor, and adventure playground 😃

26/02/2025

Due to continuing demand, we are excited to announce that we will be offering agility courses to non-members this year.

If you have a dog that is over 12 months old and is socialable with other dogs, and has a decent response to name, you would be welcome to join one of our five week beginner courses which are running from April.

The courses will be held on Thursday evenings in our private field off Sandy Lane in Redruth and will cost £75.

Numbers will be limited, to book your place, please send an email to [email protected] and request a booking form.

24/02/2025

Is there a particular reason that makes you want to neuter your dog? This is an excellent post from Ruth, do some research before you rush in, just reading this post may make you think again. It’s not always a bad thing, but it also won’t necessarily resolve the issue/s you are currently experiencing which are pushing you in this direction.

When to castrate male dogs.

There are a huge amount of papers and research available on castration and it’s various
effects including these articles however we must always think of each dog as an individual.
Talk to your veterinary team about the best option for your male dog.

Breed, size, environment and other dogs living closely will affect neutering decisions.

Before we decide to castrate, we need to consider the following

Is the dog skeletally mature?
Can we wait until the dog is 18mths to 2 years?

By waiting this long, we are ensuring the dog is fully mature, growth plates are closed and the dog has hopefully encountered many social experiences of dogs so they aren’t frustrated or excited.

Evidence points towards neutered dogs living a longer and healthier life but this may be flawed due to irresponsible ownership of intact dogs.

Behaviourally we need to consider

Is the dog nervous/anxious?…. In this case we need to build the dogs confidence before castration and the drop in testosterone will likely make any anxious behaviour worse.
Is the dog hu***ng? This is a normal part of development which should be discouraged in a calm way.
Is the dog challenging other dogs? Is it fear or offensive aggression? A behaviourist/trainer can help to decide.
Suprelorin can be used to see if castration would be helpful but it will affect growth plates and a dogs confidence if used too young so read the data sheets.
5. Dogs should not be castrated with big changes going on at home, new baby, building work, moving house etc. The upheaval is too much during a testosterone drop.

6. Castration can improve the behaviour if a dog is excessively scent marking, becoming obsessed and drooling/foaming/licking grass and consequently unable to listen. It will improve recall/pulling on the lead/focus if the scent of a bitch is overpowering. Some dogs are much more highly sexed than others.
7. If the dog barks at other dogs or gets overexcited at times or growls at people occasionally, castration is not the answer, but is often a knee jerk reaction by the owner.

Every male dog should be treated as an individual and considerations of their lifestyle taken into account.
If an owner wants a dog that can go to doggy daycare, then castration is usually expected.
If there are bi***es or other competitive male dogs in the home then castration may be of benefit.

https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=20539&id=8506437&fbclid=IwAR3Pj-8Dp1xaHgtGOeodOWbJGqSAh6ArTv-bRDMacHpQjkbCRdE22wKSHwA

https://nz.virbac.com/files/live/sites/virbac-nz/files/promotions/suprelorin/Suprelorin%20Behavioural%20Consult.pdf

https://www.theveterinarynurse.com/review/article/five-myths-commonly-associated-with-neutering-in-dogs

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273737894_Evaluating_the_benefits_and_risks_of_neutering_dogs_and_cats

https://www.apbc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/APBC-Neutering-Male-Dogs.pdf

18/02/2025

The cold weather today didn't stop everyone from having fun with their puppies in the last session of our current six week puppy course.

It was lovely to see everyone working their puppies confidently with the various equipment - and off lead too 😃

Our next courses are starting on 4th/5th March, do get in touch if you would like to get your puppy off to a great start 😍

11/02/2025

An excellent video of how to deal with an off lead dog, and a reminder to always put your own dog’s welfare first.

08/02/2025

Training really isn't boring! When you have some basic skills, there is no limit to the fun you can have together in training classes.

Video from our Ky Da class this morning 😃

07/02/2025

Do you want to get your puppy off to a great start in life? Below are just a few of the great reviews we have received from puppy owners attending our courses.

We currently have a few places available in our next six week puppy courses starting early next month.

Classes are held in our field shelter and enclosed training area in our private 3 acre field off Sandy Lane in Redruth. Select from either the course starting on Tuesday 4th March at 10.00 or Wednesday 5th March at 11.15. Classes run for approx 45 minutes.

The cost for all six weeks is £72, and includes your own folder with comprehensive handouts each week, covering a wide variety of aspects regarding puppy ownership and training.

To reserve your place, please send an email to [email protected] and request a booking form.
Further info on our club and trainers can be found at www.bowowdtc.co.uk

05/02/2025

Please think carefully before rushing in to welcome a dog into your home. A dog can be a 10 year commitment and beyond.

Sadly in January alone, I’ve had 28 people contact me wanting to rehome their dogs.

The reasons vary widely from dogs being too strong, having behaviour issues, the person not being able to meet their needs, family members allergic or not getting along with the dog… also people splitting up, moving away, people with chronic illness, eviction, low income, owners death, children teasing the dog to the point it’s biting people now, also dogs coming from abroad who are not the same dog as advertised and the foriegn rescue won’t take the dog back.

Some of these are heartbreaking and genuine reasons but mostly I feel more thought and research needs to go into buying a dog in the first place.
DOGS ARE A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY!
I advise people to go online and do breed selector quizzes to see what breed type is best for them.. just google breed selector and get the whole family involved.

Adopt a rescue dog or foster from a local charity to find and discuss with them what is the right dog for you.

Please think about why you want a dog and your abilities.
If it’s a big bouncy breed over 25kg can you hold it on a lead if it pulls?
If you have a bad back or joint problems I would recommend a dog under 10kg

If you don’t have an enclosed garden don’t get a high energy working line breed.

If you have a child that needs a cuddly companion to help keep them calm, then a collie, poodle or working cocker may not be a good choice.

There are so many dogs needing new homes but this last few weeks there are sooo many!

I cannot help with rehoming dogs but I do work with St Francis dogs home in Newquay and there are other amazing local charities that can help.
BUT it usually takes months to rehome a dog, to find the right people in the right environment.

If any of my followers can foster then please please get in touch with local charities as so many dogs need help right now & if you know someone thinking of getting a dog please share this with them.

Here’s my rescue dog Katie, she’s been hard work but she’s awesome

29/01/2025

It really is not OK to let your off lead dog interfere with other dogs when they are on the lead.

A big issue for many walking their dogs on leads (for any one of a number of reasons) can be uncontrolled loose dogs running up to their dogs. Three of the most common reasons are shown in the image - an older dog who may be hurt in an over-enthusiastic and excitable greeting, a dog recovering from illness/injury/surgery, and a dog who is scared - perhaps the victim of a previous dog attack.

There is a misconception that 'good' dogs will love all other dogs and, if in a public area, should be prepared to play and interact with any other dog in the area. The truth is that, just as we are, most dogs are at least a little selective in who they want to interact with. They will show this in their body language which - subtle as it may be to humans - a socially competent dog will be able to read and respect.

The problem is that these 'good' and 'friendly' dogs as their humans perceive them are generally not actually all that socially competent, and don't respect those subtle signals asking for space and to be left alone. They can keep pushing and pushing until the on lead dog (who is not able to avoid them because they are on lead and can't get away) feels they have no choice but to defend themselves. And then it's often the poor on-lead dog who is labelled as 'bad' when they were just trying to get out of the scary situation.

An off lead dog should not be allowed to approach unknown on-lead dogs. If you see your dog approaching an on-lead dog, call your dog back and keep them close by, either by calling them to heel or putting them on the lead. For the sake of everyone's enjoyment of the space you are in, keep your dog under control for the few minutes it takes to give the on-lead dog space, and then carry on.

If your dog cannot be called back from approaching an on-lead dog, they are not ready to be off-lead in a public place. Use a longline while working on strengthening their recall around distractions - for their own safety, as well as that of the other dogs around.

17/01/2025

This is very informative and well worth a read if you are in any doubt about how to go about fixing a problem with your dog. In addition, please don’t assume that neutering your male dog will resolve issues, testosterone is a confidence builder and it can make matters worse.

08/01/2025

The problem with neutering is that you can’t reverse the decision. Chemical castration is one way to keep your options open. There are pros and cons regarding neutering, and some very valid points here regarding the cons.

20/12/2024

Socialisation, i.e. giving our puppies as much exposure as we can to new experiences up to the age of 16 weeks is very important, as it helps them deal with life in our human world in later life.

It is also really important to help them to get it right with basic behaviour when they really want to do the opposite to what we consider acceptable.

Puppies are like a magnet, everyone wants to say hello to them!

Koby is used to being handled, and he has been taught to take treats gently. Both paid dividends today, he was perfectly behaved when people and young children wanted to pet him and one woman couldn't believe how gently he took a treat (one of mine) out of her hand.

Give your puppy the best start in life, sign up to a puppy course. You will not regret it. Our six week courses have limited places and run every two months, we are now taking bookings for the beginning of March. Don't miss out!

19/12/2024

It was our great pleasure to present The Cinnamon Trust with another cheque for £670.00 today.

A big thank you to our members for helping with the donation, to help and support this wonderful charity. 😃

17/12/2024

I’ve spotted someone in the corner 😍. These classes really are excellent for starting your puppy off on their socialisation journey, especially if they can’t go out into the real world due to their age and vaccination status.

Socialisation is so much more than just meeting other dogs. A well socialised puppy will be able to cope with so much more in adult life. We ask a lot of our dogs to fit in with our human world, if you give them the best start possible, it will pay dividends later on. 😃

14/12/2024

A few photos of some of the puppies on their way to completing our Nov-Dec puppy course by working through some new challenges.

Well done to you all, you now have a great foundation to build on as your puppies develop into adulthood. 😃

01/12/2024

Yes, we can see light hearted posts on here, about everyone purchasing a cuddly toy instead of the real thing, if you can't commit to a dog for his/her lifetime. But the reality is real.

Today, I learned that yet another 'teenage' dog, yes a GSD, aged 8 months, is now looking for a new home because their owner 'can't cope'.

DON'T DO IT. DON'T BUY THAT CUTE PUPPY IF YOU CAN'T COMMIT TO IT 24 HOURS A DAY.

It's always the dog's fault, isn't it? Well actually IT ISN'T. It's yours.

27/11/2024

Motivation is a big part of being successful with your training. Not only quantity, but quality too. Toys can also be a great motivator, it is good to switch it up.