Ds’ fun4dogs

21/06/2024

We all love Fridays

15/06/2024

A dogs neck is a very delicate part of their body!

The neck and cervical spine contain the spinal cord, this is where the nerves of the front legs originate. Excessive paw licking is quite often misdiagnosed as allergies when it is in fact pain.

Putting stress on the neck can cause painful disc damage and shoulder problems

A dog has the same number of vertebrae as a giraffe (think about that before choking a dog)

One of the most important structures of the nervous system "The Vagus Nerve" originates at neck level and this controls life essential organs like lung, heart, stomach, and intestinal tract.

The Thyroid gland is located in the neck. If this gets inflamed the immune system trys to remove the inflamed cells.
The destruction of the Thyroid gland cells can lead to hypothyroidism

Increased pressure put on the Jugular vein can cause seizures
Ear and Eye issues are significantly increased

Being je**ed on a lead causes whiplash and bruising.

The epidermis of a dog is only 3-5 cells thick
A humans is 10-15 cells thick

So WHY would anyone want to use a noose ....sorry I mean a slip lead?

A well fitted Y shaped harness is the safest and kindest peice of equipment to use.

05/04/2024

05/04/2024

26/03/2024

It's not just a word, it's about our attitude.

There are 170k words in the English language. Let's teach our dogs what we want them to do without the baggage of this word and attitude.

Same goes for "eh eh, oopsie and tssst"

A cultural change is needed

Edit - for those new to this page, this isn't a discussion forum. I've heard all the excuses/reasons for using "no." I'm not interested in a discussion on why anyone thinks it's ok. I'm inviting you to consider why it's not and how to change it.

I also understand that people won't like that it's not a discussion page, I make no apologies for that.

16/03/2024

after first 30 min practical session.

Dogs pull for many reason but mainly because the reinforcment is infront of the dog, the park people dogs, smells, they learn the feeling of pressure on the body gets them to their desire. The more the dog pulls of course we have to pull against it becomes a tug of war.

Showing the dog that reinforcement is by your side
By food rewards praise sniffing and forward movement will turn this problem around very quick.

No tugging on a slip lead, prong collar, stop start method should ever be used it really isn’t needed.
All this is doing is damaging to your relationship and frustrating and confusing your dog.

02/03/2024

This weekend I became aware that the television show Dogs Behaving Very Badly Australiawas targeting Sydney-based greyhounds to appear on its new season.

The show’s front runner has no qualifications and uses aversive techniques and tools. Aversives have no scientific backing regarding their ability to create lasting change and desired behaviours, conversely, they have been shown to make issues worse and create new issues.

There is a plethora of information regarding aversives, including a statement AGAINST their use by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour. I have linked some in my bio.

‘But I’ve watched the show and didn’t see aversives’

He uses physical force and intimidation of dogs including shouting at them. He exposes dogs to situations far beyond what they can deal with creating flooding which is a total shut down that may be interpreted by an uneducated audience as compliance. He says that comforting dogs reinforces fear.

Aversives just aren’t DogDaddy swinging a dog around by a slip lead, scruffing dog’s necks or throwing small animals at dogs to ‘make them small friendly’ (yep there’s footage of a board and train that specialises in greyhounds doing this) but it can be more insidious and subtle. It is still aversive and it is contrary to everything science knows about dogs.

What to do about things you’re struggling with by yourself?

✅ contact your rescue or breeder for assistance or a referral

✅ if this is not an option, find a QUALIFIED behaviourist (qualified behaviourists will only use positive reinforcement) (a website listing qualifications is linked in my bio)

✅ even if someone is qualified and is telling you things like jerking a leash, talking about dominance or that causing any sort of physical or mental discomfort to your dog (eg putting them in situations where they’re clearly not comfortable) - they are telling you to use aversives on your dog and the best thing that you can do is run.

✅ if you want to access good online training content the social media accounts Dog Training by Kikopup, Zak George and Too Smart Dogs are a good place to start. Understanding Canine Dog Training is a good in person resource for Sydney hounds.

04/10/2023

Benny keeping his best buddy company whilst he’s feeling a little low with his recent diagnosis of diabetes 😔❤️

02/10/2023

Marley happy to be back with his friends after a year off

30/09/2023

“IF I DIE BEFORE MY DOGS”

If I die before my dogs, I would like God to allow me to come back to say goodbye so my dogs know God has called me and I haven't abandoned them. I want them to be in the best hands and to know I'll be waiting for them.

I want to give them one last kiss, one last hug and tell them they're the best thing that ever happened to me.
That it doesn’t matter even we don’t have the same blood coz we are family.

If I die first, give me permission to tell them how much I love them. And when we are finally together again, iwe will never be separated again. 🙏🏻🐕🐈❤

27/09/2023

Over the last few days, I've seen a few posts by a well-known border collie account shared by well-meaning people.

This account has a large following; their posts appear to be sound, experienced advice.

However, the account routinely shares incorrect and potentially damaging information, and I've bit my tongue until today.

In a recent post, they suggest separating yourself from your separation anxious border collie and not returning to them until they stop showing signs of distress. "Crying it out" is a harmful practice denounced by leading experts in separation anxiety. Forcing your dog to experience distress in any context to "help" the dog is outdated at best and abusive in worst-case scenarios.

Waiting for your dog to experience distress, practice their upset and eventually stop will cause a dog to no longer bother reacting in this context, not a dog who is comfortable being alone. In fact, it can make your dog’s anxieties worse.

The page also recommends not allowing your dog to sleep in your bed or follow you around, suggesting this is why your dog may develop separation anxiety in the first place. This is also untrue.

This is true for any breed, and our border collies aren't treated for separation anxiety in different ways.

Regardless of your dog's breed, please ensure you're seeking current and up-to-date information. The internet is a landmine of this level of outdated, harmful information, and while we trainers have been working so hard to get you proper information, it's really buyer beware.

For current advice from industry experts around separation anxiety for any breed, follow:

Believe in Your Dog - Jackie Johnston
Julie Naismith, helping dogs be happy home alone
Alpine Dogs- Saundra Clow
Malena DeMartini

Or look for CSAT and SAPT certified professionals.

25/09/2023

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are lucky enough to be raised right, like this beautiful bully pup here, while others are at the mercy of poor breeders and people that raise and shape them to be unsocial and volatile. This ultimately leads to people getting hurt and killed - which is devastating, and as these incidences make the headlines, the politicians including the PM himself, come out all guns blazing, because they have to do something.
We’ve had the DDA for over 25 years and it has caused nothing but pain and misery for dogs that do not pose a risk and their responsible guardians, while doing nothing for public safety. Having learnt those lessons what does the government decide to do - ban XL bully breed types. Here we go again!
Responsible guardians and dogs that are social and do not pose a risk to the public will be targeted while the people that are breeding and raising these dogs to be a certain way will go underground, just like last time.
Wouldn’t it be great if the PM and the government actually listened to the experts in this field - everyone from the RSPCA to trainers like me who work with these dogs and know what they’re talking about, to find a way forward? While a serious problem needs to be addressed, a ban is not the way to do it and the innocent will be penalized because of the actions of a few. Again, we blame the wrong end of the leash.
So, I guess now every XL bully will have to wear a muzzle out in public - and there are ways to make this as positive an experience as possible - and follow a set of guidelines, which of course the responsible folks will follow and others won’t.
There is no doubt about it that these dogs are big and powerful. They are intelligent, emotional and can be intense when expressing how they feel. They tend to be quick to learn and fast to act as well as being couch potatoes. You need to know what you are doing with any breed of dog you have, and now for all bully guardians, you have no choice because yet again, whether your dog meets the ‘measurements’ or not, you will be targeted.