Develop Your Dog

26/08/2024

Learn expert tips and practical advice on how to smoothly introduce a new dog into your household, ensuring a happy and stress-free transition for both your new pet and your family.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been talking to fellow professionals about multi dog households and thought I would share with you some tips on how to approach these introductions based what I learnt when I had a rescue dog come into the household earlier this year. Link in the bio.

https://www.developyourdog.co.uk/introducing-a-new-dog-to-a-multi-dog-household/

13/08/2024

We are taking a well earned break to recharge our batteries for training starting in September. The website has been updated and there are a few places left on a couple of the courses so grab them while you can.

We won't be responding to our emails as quickly as we normally do, so please bear with us as we will once we are back in the office.

Have a cracking summer everyone and look forward to seeing customers new and not so new in September.

13/08/2024

13/08/2024

Very interesting read on yellow labs

For all those with yellow Labradors and anyone with friends who have them.
Very interesting new study on the link between colour and predisposition for CCL rupture.

The more we know about our dogs the more power we have to put into place preventative measures! 🥰

Prevention is always better than cure!

All credit to Laurie Edge-Hughes for sharing this information.

It’s based on the following study:



Lee BT, Baker LA, Momen M, Terhaar H, Binversie EE, Sample SJ, Muir P. Identification of genetic variants associated with anterior cruciate ligament rupture and AKC standard coat color in the Labrador Retriever. BMC Genom Data. 2023 Oct 26;24(1):60.



And here’s the short synopsis:



Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injuries are a common cause of lameness in dogs, particularly in breeds like Labrador Retrievers. Interestingly, recent research has uncovered a potential link between coat color and the risk of CCL rupture. Labrador Retrievers, which come in black, chocolate, and yellow, show different risks for this injury, with yellow Labs being more susceptible.



The study suggests that genetic factors linked to coat color might also influence the likelihood of CCL injuries. Specifically, the MC1R gene, which determines yellow coat color, is involved in inflammatory pathways that could predispose dogs to ligament issues. The researchers used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify genes associated with both CCL injuries and coat color, focusing on a region of chromosome 5 near the MC1R gene. This region showed significant associations with CCL rupture, suggesting a complex interplay between genetic traits that influence both coat color and joint health.

Interestingly, the study also identified several other genes related to bone and cartilage health, inflammation, and gene regulation that may contribute to CCL rupture. These findings highlight the complex genetic landscape behind this common canine injury and open the door for further research into how coat color and other seemingly unrelated traits might influence health outcomes in dogs.



This groundbreaking study not only advances our understanding of CCL injuries in dogs but also provides valuable insights into the genetic factors that could help predict and prevent these injuries. As research continues, we may find more connections between seemingly unrelated traits and disease risk, ultimately improving the health and well-being of our canine companions.

Photo credit Marie Marketing

08/08/2024

A lovely montage of Mondays water workshop and some of the fabulous photos Becky took.

I nearly forget to post these 🙈

Early last week I spent a lovely morning with Develop Your Dog teaching a beginners water retrieval workshop.

It was really interesting watching the process of building the dogs confidence around water and getting into the water.

Thank you to Jill for inviting me along again. These workshops are so much fun to photograph

https://rebeccareedphotography1.shootproof.com/gallery/DevelopYourDog/

05/08/2024

Fabulous morning working on the water again today and privileged to work with fellow professionals 😍🐾

03/08/2024

Just reading this post will be illuminating for some, for others it might lead to wanting to learn more …

Twenty years ago I was an enthusiastic promoter of replacing the term REWARD with the more academic term REINFORCER. Sounded more convincing.

“Give your dog a reward” often meant a pat on the head. Yep, I was around before food was used commonly and effectively.

Lots of anxiety still exists around the use of food in learning. “The dog will mug my hands” or treat bag, or pocket. Nope, not if you pay attention and use your Reward Predicting Stimulus with diligence.
"When can I stop giving treats?" When would you stop saying thank you: that dinner was delicious and I appreciate you cooking it for me.

The way you deliver the reward is more
important than the reward itself.

Do you remember the extras for excellence? A bag of mixed food values (very lacking in evidence of value) and you selected the right treat to match your assessment of the dog’s effort. BIG question whether the dog made a connection between high value for high effort or whether it was just a ride on the wave of unpredictability.

After ploughing my way through the Wolfram Schultz material and delving into the neuroscience of reward systems I now regard the term reinforcer a backward step and simply functional.

Interaction with a dog should be so more than a function. The reward is at the heart of their learning, NOT the behaviour we have be sold on developing. When we focus on the behaviour we lose focus on the reward.

The science based reinforcer promotion was often dumbed down to make it simple and easy to apply. Today we are more devoted to the experience our dogs are having: desire and pleasure. We have learned that anticipation brings alive the drive to learn not the fabled consumption. Gone are the click-and-shove recipes and fast food stuffing.

I get the biggest reward seeing my dogs passionate about their learning. 💥

https://www.learningaboutdogs.com/product/step-up-reward-skills/

NEVER STOP LEARNING BECAUSE LIFE NEVER STOPS TEACHING

29/07/2024

Please check your messages on your phones as in the best interest of your dogs classes have either been postponed or cancelled. Early starting classes are unaffected.

24/07/2024

For a dog who hates being dirty this cleanup job was going to be his biggest yet 🤣

Thank you HectorKirk Gundogs & Sporting and Tempurong Gundogs for a very challenging and technical few days. Loved it.

19/07/2024

If you feel you can meet this dog’s needs or you know someone who can then apply as requested

*Long post* We’re looking for a home for one of our special dogs. Meet 15-month-old, athletic Labrador Zen who’s looking for a specific home (Due to Zen’s needs we can only contact applicants who can clearly demonstrate how they can meet these) 🏡

He displays a high drive and strong work ethic - best suited to a home who do dog sport activities such as scent trials.

He can become bored and display undesirable behaviours such as jumping up and mouthing if he is not sufficiently stimulated mentally.

Zen will take time to adapt to change and needs a patient and considerate rehomer willing to support and work with him to allow him to fully settle into his new home.

We don’t feel he is suited to living in urban environment and would do best in a rural home to enjoy all the benefits the countryside can offer active dogs like him.

Zen has lived with other dogs but can be boisterous in his interactions. He could possibly live with another confident dog providing interactions are managed carefully, ideally a home as the only dog with no children under 13 would be preferable.

His recall is good once a bond is established, and any home must be able to provide safe, daily off lead running opportunities for him.

A great traveller and can be considered for an appropriate home anywhere in the UK, the rehomer will however have to travel to the location he is currently residing in to meet him in the first instance.

Zen’s a sweet dog who has the potential to be a great friend in the right home. If you feel you can offer this home, please complete an application using ‘Zen’ as a keyword in the application and detail how you can meet his needs using the personal statement section 👉 https://bit.ly/3Rl1HJi

[Visual description: Zen, yellow Labrador, is standing in a grassy field looking forwards to camera]

10/07/2024

After the success of our last workshop we have decided to run another aimed at novice dogs who already have a retrieve on land, and now want to progress to retrieving off or over water, deal with steadiness, delivery to hand, and upping the ante for water retrieves. 3 places have already been sold, so grab a place while they are still available. Book on our website at www.developyourdog.co.uk

Photo Credit: rebeccareedphotography.co.uk

09/07/2024

My wonderful friend in Cumbria as made this fabulous video on how to introduce your puppy to grooming - take a look.

05/07/2024

Meet the Gang left to right
Robyn (10), Meg (7), Ezra (3), Wilf (17mths), Kiwi (5mths) and I wonder why I’m knackered 🤣♥️🐾

28/06/2024

Do you have issues with delivering to hand, shaking and dropping or just a dog that gets over stimulated by water?

If you’d like to iron out any problems around your gundog’s water training then why not come and join me for a group session at a local lake where we can take our time working through solutions.

I have a couple of spaces remaining on Monday 29th July so please DM me for more information or head on over to the website where you can book on directly.

26/06/2024

We were thrilled to have a very talented photographer at our recent water workshop. The results speak for themselves. You never know we might be able to persuade Rebecca Reed Photography to come to our next one 🤞. Just waiting for the date to be confirmed.

On Monday I went down a fishing lake near Andover to photograph a gundog water workshop for Develop Your Dog. .

This workshop was so much fun at a stunning venue. The dogs absolutely loved it and all handlers went away with gems of information.

HUGE thank you to Jill for allowing me to come along and photograph this fab group of dogs and handlers, it was a total pleasure.

The photos from the morning are now online at my website

https://rebeccareedphotography1.shootproof.com/DevelopYourDog

Those who were at the workshop - if you would like your entire album of photos pop me a message for a HUGE saving.

25/06/2024

Emergency Cooling of Canine Heat Casualties: critical thinking

There has been lots of information going around on cooling hot dogs, some really good, some really bad!
With some of the new updated information (which isn't actually new) from professionals on the advised best methods of rapid cooling including cold-water immersion for young/healthy dogs, or evaporative cooling for older/unwell dogs there has been the usual comments on this being dangerous even though the available evidence and experience says otherwise.

Comments I've seen in the last 2 weeks include...

"I put cold-water on my dog once because he was overheating and he died, my vet said this was the wrong thing to do as it caused him to go into shock", "never put cold water on a hot dog it causes the blood vessels to constrict and has the opposite effect", "the race vets (leading ones at that) all say this is dangerous and is forbidden at international races".

In dogs, there are various reasons you hear (even from some vets) why you shouldn't use cold water, such as "Shock" or "Cold Water Shock" being the most common from pet owners, trainers, and sport dog owners etc. Cold-water causes peripheral vasoconstriction and slows down cooling being the most common from some vets. And sometimes DIC (a blood clotting disorder) which is caused by the heat damage, NOT cooling.

Let's take the following scenario...

A heatstroking dog arrives at an emergency vet clinic where the team are waiting, upon arrival they immediately begin rapid cooling measures with cold water to bring the dog's temperature down fast, but the dog dies.

Did the dog die because the water used for cooling was too cold and the dog's temperature was dropped too fast?

Some would say yes, but some people tend to lack the ability to critically evaluate a situation and see beyond what is right in front of them, it is extremely unlikely and association does not mean causation, before you come anywhere near that conclusion you have to look a little deeper and ask a few important questions such as...

1. How long was the dog above a critical temperature?
2. How long before the owner realised the dog was in trouble and sought help or began cooling measures?
3. Did the owner apply any active cooling measures before transport? What did they do? How long for?
4. If they did cool did they monitor temperature and stop cooling measures at a safe temp?
5. Is the owner telling the truth? Most vets will agree pet owners don't always tell the truth in these cases for various reasons, guilt, or being judged maybe?
6. Is that particular owner able to critically evaluate the situation?

All these things matter because it is generally well accepted in human and veterinary medicine that it is the length of time above a dangerous temperature that determines the chance of survival, and that temperature is different for different dogs.

Veterinary professionals also talk a lot about evidence based medicine, yet there has only been one study ever that compared the temperature of the water or the use of ice for external cooling in dogs, and it showed that ice water and cold water cooling were the fastest and most effective method of cooling. The concept that ice or cold water causes vasoconstriction and slows the cooling process has never been scientifically validated.

People worry about cooling when their first concern should be that the HEAT is the immediate life threat and you need to get it down to a safe temperature fast, and the earlier you recognise the signs and start cooling measures the better the chance of survival.

Vets generally work in a clinic or hospital, they see patients after the event, when what often determines outcome is what you do in the field at point of injury, it used to be the accepted practice to get to a vet fast, now it's becoming more widely accepted to cool before transport because again it is length of time they are above a critical temperature.

Added to this a lot of what has been taught, and is still being taught in veterinary medicine including first aid is all based on clinical medicine, not field medicine which is a completely different environment and although not always a huge deal clinical medicine doesn't always translate well to the field setting. There is not and has never been any formal training in prehospital care in the veterinary industry, it doesn't exist (unlike human medicine).
However over the last decade or so and mostly in the US there has been a lot of work to establish guidelines and training, with the Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) publishing their best practice recommendations in 2016, Hot Dogs UK refer to these guidelines in their article.

A lot of the k9 field medicine (including heat injury prevention and management) comes down from the military who for obvious reasons have a lot of experience in this area.

To quote one working dog Vet...

“We know with Heat Related Illness fatality rates are high, and what you do in the field makes a difference, not how fast you transport to a vet, you eventually have to get them there, but what you do in the field, how fast you cool those dogs down will make or break the life of your Canine, and we're still seeing too many preventable deaths.”

The bottom line is healthy dogs don't die because they were cooled down, they die because they were too hot for too long, and dogs that have been too hot for too long tend to die no matter how you treat them, so then the cooling process often gets the blame (especially when cold water and rapid cooling are involved) when they were going to die anyway because the damage has already been done.

Those that understand this, that work with working dogs in hot environments, that have treated hundreds of these cases in the field, rapidly cool these dogs as fast as possible with whatever they have available, with cold water if they have it, and they save these dogs when they catch it early.

It's probably a luxury if you have multiple cooling methods to choose from so just use what you have to cool the dog as fast as possible while ideally monitoring temperature which is another important point, you can cool too far if you continue to cool past the point the dog's temperature has reached a safe temperature, and because temperature continues to drop for a short time after you stop active cooling measures (plus re**al temp lags behind core temp during rapid temperature changes) it is advised to stop cooling just above normal resting temp, the exact number varies depending on the source but in the range of 103–104°F (39.5–40°C) re**al temp, monitoring is important and doesn't get much attention, the dog should be continually monitored during transport but most pet owners etc. are probably unlikely to have a thermometer (you should have 1 or 2 in your first aid kit) and in that case you have to rely on the person's ability and experience understanding the signs and reading the dog which is not ideal, but in such a case even 10mins of any rapid cooling method before transport will give the dog a better chance. So cooling too far is another reason cooling methods get the blame.

Added to this it is very difficult to change some people's heat philosophy when these outdated ideas have been around a long time, takes a lot of strength of character for some to admit there might be a better way, but it is going in the right direction, albeit slowly, and because of the hard work of some professionals.

It doesn't matter what you learned from your very experienced breeder, other mushers, what you learned from an expert Vet years ago, or what a Vet learned in Vet school 20 or 30 years ago, things move on, if you are not constantly evaluating what you learn, looking to improve, gain new ideas, move forward, keep learning and improving instead of looking in the past then whatever field you are in you will never improve and be any better than you are at this moment.

Those at the top of their game in any field don't get there by doing the same old thing because "that's the way we've always done it" or "that's what I learned years ago", they're constantly learning, looking for new ideas and ways to improve to be the best they can be and improve outcomes, learning from others, if some people didn't have that mindset we would still be in the dark ages, and there are some good people out there to learn from.

There is a lot of debate and argument in this area making it more complicated than it needs to be when the simple message is...

The key to field treatment is simply to cool the dog down as fast as possible using whatever methods are available!

Further information:

MYTH BUSTING – COOLING HOT DOGS with the UK Veterinary research team
https://heatstroke.dog/2023/07/20/myth-busting-cooling-hot-dogs/?fbclid=IwAR07ChOSq-PTfc-DN_B_aePTMzKGq06I7GGuzw3-QBmskg3MipglcSys2Js

ARE YOU READY TO BEAT THE HEAT? COOLING HOT DOGS – MORE MYTH BUSTING
https://heatstroke.dog/2024/04/12/are-you-ready-to-beat-the-heat-cooling-hot-dogs-more-myth-busting/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1sud0ZKqfM3PF0_xcaQRgdXzmHKfFT5nkuHsZTOq6UYGpjbryDpPmfzbA_aem_RZ7l8lh3RN0PoPvFQMltTA

Royal Veterinary College
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/the-rvc-urges-owners-of-hot-dogs-to-cool-first-transport-second?fbclid=IwAR023ZAXQm_1n9FQwo8aVCP2SZdxdmBhXMgwH-e_m3iaX2OHyK0nujbO_Ws

Cooling methods used in dogs with heat-related illness under UK primary veterinary care 2016-2018
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=108153058936611&id=100092257509484

Rethinking Heat Injury in the SOF Multipurpose Canine:
A Critical Review.
Janice L. Baker, DVM; Paul J. Hollier, DVM; Laura Miller; Ward A. Lacy
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227176693_Rethinking_Heat_Injury_in_the_SOF_Multipurpose_Canine_A_Critical_Review

Heat Injury in Working Dogs Webinar with Dr. Janice Baker
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=108093635609220&id=100092257509484

25/06/2024

‼️Update: all back to normal ‼️

Unfortunately my website is down atm so please do get in touch with me directly if you want to make any enquiries

23/06/2024

Do you have issues with delivering to hand, shaking and dropping or just a dog that gets over stimulated by water?

If you’d like to iron out any problems around your gundog’s training have you considered having a 121 or sharing a lesson with a friend? If so then why not come and join me for a private session at a local lake where we can take our time working through solutions.

I have a couple of slots available on Monday 29th July so please DM me for more information.

17/06/2024

Paid a visit to Aldi after being tipped off by a friend and bought some water dummies in readiness for our next water workshop 💦on 24th June.

Grab yourselves a bargain.🤑. They are great quality too.

14/06/2024

Yesterdays class worked on distractions to heelwork and developing a little bit of self control - well actually a lot of self control! This young lab struggles with managing himself but yesterday he smashed this exercise

The time and effort that goes into heelwork shouldn’t be underestimated neither should how consistent we are. If we can’t identify where we want the dog to be how can they be expected to know !

Through carefully planned exercises we build this essential skill up bit by bit into what we want over time. It’s very achievable with patient consistent practice.

12/06/2024

🤣

11/06/2024

This little spanner came for a 121 last week. Typical of his breed he was a little fire cracker but his owner has done a lot of work on getting a connection.

We chose ground suitable for his needs to work on as it was his first time at the field. Within minutes we had a beautiful attention and matching pace ensuring we didn’t over do each rep. Giving your dog lots of breaks in a training session is so important. Think of it as a coffee break so you can have a bit of down time before doing your next job. 😉

03/06/2024

Bringing home a puppy is a truly wonderful experience but it can also be overwhelming once that initial few days have gone by.

Underestimating the time needed to settle puppies in is often overlooked. With more people working from home these days it can seem tempting to think you can do both, but when that work call comes in and your puppy is hanging off your sleeves refusing to go into its crate what are you going to do ?

With carefully considered plans and taking some time off in those first few week you’ll be able to get some routines established and save yourself a great deal of time and stress.

If you’re struggling at the moment with a young puppy why not consider having a home visit where I can help you get cracking with tried and tested routines, problem prevention and time saving techniques to prevent those puppy blues.

02/06/2024

🚨DATE UPDATE !!🚨

What are the most exciting things you can do with a gundog? One of the common replies is retrieving off water. This is when your dog can very quickly lose its head and steadiness can go out of the window.

On these workshops we will concentrate on teaching your dogs an array of steadiness exercises, no matter if we are teaching confidence swimming or pushing your retrieving skills up to the next level, while of course still having fun. The sessions will be tailored to the groups needs.

To sign up for a space on this day send me a message and let me know if you are interested in a beginners group (AM) or more advanced (PM). The location of the workshop is just outside Andover, there’s a lovely pub nearby if you want a spot of lunch too.

01/06/2024

🚨DATE UPDATE !!🚨

What are the most exciting things you can do with a gundog? One of the common replies is retrieving off water. This is when your dog can very quickly lose its head and steadiness can go out of the window.

On these workshops we will concentrate on teaching your dogs an array of steadiness exercises, no matter if we are teaching confidence swimming or pushing your retrieving skills up to the next level, while of course still having fun. The sessions will be tailored to the groups needs.

To sign up for a space on this day send me a message and let me know if you are interested in a beginners group (AM) or more advanced (PM). The location of the workshop is just outside Andover, there's a lovely pub nearby if you want a spot of lunch too.

30/05/2024

These are before and after photos of Wilf’s rehabilitation program after having been diagnosed with Elbow Dysplasia back in July last year.

With Kirsti’s careful guidance ()we have been working together for 7 months now on building him up to be in the best shape he can be to have a normal life.

It’s been a hard slog with many ups and downs, tears of despair and grief about what his future would look like as you can imagine quite the emotional rollercoaster !🎢

He’s had daily physio routines to teach him to stand in good form so should the worst happen he will be able to automatically engage his core and minimise any fall out from any slips or trips when he’s started hooning around like any normal dog. His favourite occupation is one quite similar to being a thug 🤣 - I suspect making up for lost time whilst crated for so many months.

Looking at the photo today I can hardly believe it’s the same dog. This is down to Kirsti’s expert guidance and me putting in the hours. I am quietly hoping there’s a glimmer of hope we may achieve our dream of doing some gundog work together after all. Fingers crossed 🤞

Watch this space coz we’re going to give it all our best efforts and there’s still work to do. Kirsti hasn’t let me off the hook yet 🤣

25/05/2024

Kiwis Kapers - today we were lucky enough to have a wonderful walk by the edge of the loch, and managed to capture this lovely image of him scampering through the grass.

17/05/2024