Dog Mindfulness

18/12/2023

https://fb.watch/o-sXOsiPIo/?mibextid=2JQ9oc

09/11/2023

As a pet owner this is one of the most important reads I can recommend.

Euthanasia is an extremely emotive topic. QUALITY OF LIFE should be at the top of your list of priorities for your pet.

End-of-life veterinary specialist Dr. Shea Cox talks about how to make the most difficult decision in your pet parenting journey.

https://the-wildest.visitlink.me/Vba-VQ

23/06/2023

Did you know that stress can have an impact on your dog's behavior?

28/02/2023

05/02/2023

FIVE FREEDOMS OF ANIMAL WELFARE.🐾

The 5 freedoms are a set of standards that we, as animal owners, rescuers and caregivers, must understand to ensure the welfare of the animals are provided.

These standards are internationally-recognised and are not just about the things that we want to do for our animals, but also things we must do in order to be a responsible owners.

1️⃣Freedom from hunger and thirst. (food and water)

All animals deserve access to clean water and a well-balanced, nutritious diet. Freedom from hunger and thirst provides for animals most basic needs by allowing that animal to remain in good health and full of vitality.

2️⃣ Freedom from pain, injury & disease. (medical care)

All animals should be entitled to immediate veterinary attention when sick or injured to avoid unnecessary suffering. In certain cases, unneccesary pain and injury can be prevented through vaccinations, deworming and regular vet visits.

3️⃣Freedom from discomfort. (shelter)

All animals should live in an appropriate environment. The conditions and surroundings given to an animal contribute to its overall well-being. By providing an animal with shelter and a comfortable resting area, you are ensuring that the animal remains healthy and happy.

4️⃣Freedom from fear and distress. (love & understanding)

All animals deserve to be happy. Ensuring conditions that avoid unnecessary anxiety and stress will help to provide freedom from mental suffering. While favourable physical conditions are essential, appropriate mental conditions are also important to good animal welfare.

5️⃣Freedom to express normal behaviour. (bark, play, sniff)

All animals should be allowed to express normal behaviours. A normal behaviour is the way an animal acts in its natural environment. Enough space, proper shelter and housing as well as adequate exercise, opportunity to play and the company of the animal's own kind encourages the expression of normal behaviours.

Having a pet is a huge responsibility, so to ensure the happiness and well-being of our beloved companion animals, we must always provide our pets with the five freedoms.

📚Source: Indopetexpo

WE ALSO WISH FREEDOM FOR EVERY WILD ANIMAL!

05/02/2023

When we talk about 'enrichment' it is across the board.All animals need the freedom to express normal behaviour.
Confinement is torture.
Lack of mental stimulation leads to stereotypical behaviours.

Bored, underestimated dogs find ways of relieving stress and are then labelled as bad, destructive and more.
Find easy ways to keep your dog happy through games and activities.

31/12/2022

13/12/2022

Canine Smiles

At first glance this is just as the caption states: White & tan dog looks smitten with the Dane; “the face says it all”.

Scrolling through the 99 comments, every single one is swooning at how adorable the pic is and I don’t blame them, it really, really, looks like that. But it’s not.

Note that the caption is written by the owner & the photo (was almost definitely) sent to the owner by the daycare.

But, the expression on the white & tan Staffy’s face is actually stress:

- Closed mouth with lips pulled back
- Muscle tension at corners of mouth
- Ears back & pressed to the head
- Chin & gaze up toward the Dane

This is an appeasement grin. The dog is saying “please don’t hurt me, I’m not a threat”.

Sometimes you’ll see this type of appeasement grin with the lips drawn back & tight with teeth showing & that REALLY looks like a happy grin, but it’s not.

This dog is stressed/showing active submission

Not that the dog is about to attack as this isn’t an aggressive cue, it’s appeasement, but it’s still a perfect example of how little most people know about dog communication. And if this dogs appeasement cues are ignored for long enough (by the daycare) it’s possible the dog may use different strategies to allieviate stress.

Anthropomorphism means to attribute human characteristics to animals & this is a perfect example.

On a human face this is love/happiness/adoration, and humans want to find commonalities with their dogs. That’s natural & there’s nothing wrong with that. But, we have to remind ourselves that dogs are a different species. With different cognition, emotion (on many levels but not all) & VERY different communication.

There’s lots of research that shows commonalities with humans & we love to read that. But let’s not forget to be curious about, & understand our differences too. Dogs don’t need to be human to be amazing.

Learn about your dog for the amazing species they are. Be even MORE interested in what makes them unique over what makes them similar. Learn their language.

When you can read your dog better, you’ll advocate for them more. And they’ll notice & appreciate it. I promise.

🖤

***

Edited for clarity:

An appeasement grin can be an invitation for interaction, greeting, or play.

But it is an appeasement grin nonetheless which is a type of active submission.

16/11/2022

10 ways you can help your dog express normal dog behaviours

One of the of animals is that they can express normal behaviours. But what does that look like and what can you do?

There’s many things you can do like the 10 things in our list- but the most important thing you can do is to watch and learn your dog’s behaviours! Every dog is an individual and will express their behaviours in their own way.

So, learn who your dog is, what their behaviours mean in different contexts and give them the space to express their natural behaviours!

26/10/2022

ZNSPCA PRESS STATEMENT on the inhumane slaughter of livestock by veterinary officials for the purposes of creating social media content.

10/10/2022

01/10/2022

Be realistic when it comes to training your puppy.
Raising a well mannered, happy dog takes time, commitment, patience and above all kindness and understanding.

25/09/2022

Some fabulous ideas to consider

Landscaping your backyard is a great way to increase your property’s value and give it a more attractive view. You can do a lot with the available space in your garden. Another benefit of having a yard is stimulating your pet’s brains, developing your bond with them, and working on behavior trai...

10/09/2022

I saw a meme posted today, that stuck with me. Not in a good way. The key phrase from it was that "dogs crave discipline and structure." And as your friendly neighborhood ethologist, I am here to tell you: no they don't.

In dog training it's fair to say when people use the word "discipline" what they mean is "punishment." And when they use the word "Structure" what they mean is "to be controlled." And neither of those things are inherently true. Discipline and structure are both a byproduct of our need to control. They are the words and concepts we use to control the world around us, and those whom we are "in charge of."

Dogs actually want: Security (to feel safe, comfortable and secure in their environment.) Relationship (to have engagement with us, a bond and trust in us.) Enrichment (to have their needs met through play, learning, and experience.) Control (to be able to exercise choice in their environment.) (Mangos wants me to note that dogs also crave snacks.)

No animal desires punishment. Behavior is driven by whatever is going to prove most reinforcing at any given time. When we use punishment and force in training it becomes the thing the dog wishes to avoid, so their behavior is driven to seek what alternatives are available out of fear. This is not a healthy learning environment, and the act of seeking to avoid a punishment is not conducive to the brain actually retaining learned information.

The kinds of memes that suggest dogs DESIRE discipline and structure are written as a means to make pet guardians feel more comfortable with force in training. They are 100% designed so that guardians won't question causing harm to their dog because "the dog wants it." The use of the word "Structure" is a euphemism for control. It justifies the micromanagement of a dog's environment so their choices are limited, and learned helplessness is the goal. This is justified because "your dog wants to be controlled." No, he does not. I assure you no living, thinking, feeling being wants to be punished or have no freedom of choice and control in their lives.

05/09/2022

I have 14 dogs at home, just being dogs.

Each and everyone of them past and present including the ledgend that was one of my Bengals cats, Ralph (rescued from Harrods)has taught me many valuable lessons over and over again. Sometimes the same lessons over and over until I fully understood it.

The most important lesson that I have learned is, to let dogs and cats be the species that they were designed to be
“Allow It” not control it.

My dogs let me know if they want to go out for a walk, sniff, run about, mountain adventures! Some want to go out in the rain others wouldn’t step a tiny toe bean outside.

We truly live in harmony together, am I lucky? I don’t believe in luck, we make our own. We have plenty of reasons not to get on, we have multiple siblings living together, we have old dogs, vision impaired dogs, cranky ones, playful ones, energetic ones, unwell ones,
the MI5 dogs, the nanny dogs and the ones that are all that rolled into one in a day.

They all have developed into the most inspiring versions of themselves. They are all constantly evolving, just like me.

I can’t express the deep, connection that I share with each and everyone of them, past and present.

If they could talk to me, I hope they would say: I am allowed to be, me.

With love and gratitude for all that I have been able to experience with my fur family, Em xx

06/08/2022

We have a MASSIVE OVERPOPULATION CRISIS on our hands. This is especially for cats🐈 & dogs🐕, but birds🦜, rabbits🐇 and other animals too. Not just a problem...A CRISIS‼

This is not just an SA problem, but worldwide 🌏. Millions of animals are taken in by shelters and unfortunately, millions are euthanized annually. Euthanization is just a humane way of killing/destroying an animal.

‼❎🏠THERE ARE JUST NOT ENOUGH HOMES for all these animals. I am not even talking about good homes (which is a whole other debate), just homes.

If you have not volunteered in animal welfare, nor read our posts then you might not even begin to grasp the extent so here is a bit of perspective:

👉Statistics show that ONLY 1 IN 10 DOGS BORN find a home. So yes, even if the selfish breeder got homes for all their litters......it means FOR EVERY pup they sold.....9 other dogs (just dogs not even cats or other animals) were killed/destroyed/pts/euthanized. Even for every dog that got adopted, 9 others didn't.
YOU DO THE MATHS!🧮

👉There are a few brave SPCAs or shelters who share their stats on PTS. Let us just take one of them. 11 000 animals came through their doors in a year and only just over 500 were adopted. What do you think happened to the rest? Now there are about 82 SPCAs (give or take one or two) in SA. This one is in an average-sized town, so not even a large city nor a rural one. In one month 800 animals are euthanized at one shelter. Another SPCA got around 36 Jack Russells (this popular dog, any as***le breeds, and one that does not belong in a small yard) in one month!
YOU DO THE MATHS!🧮

Many shelters are scared to share the statistics, but I think it is extremely necessary so that people can wake up and smell the blood on the public's hands!

I will not go in-depth into each problem and solution, but here are the basics:

THE PROBLEM

‼People do not STERILISE their pets. They do not understand the health benefits nor the overpopulation crisis it creates. Even your single dog in your yard can contribute to the problem when another unsterilized animal enters your yard or yours gets out by accident.

‼Irresponsible people let their pets ROAM THE STREETS, yes that includes your cat which should be safe in your yard! You think it is dangerous for your 3-year-old or even older children to be in the streets, but you think it is ok for your pets.

‼BREEDING. In animal welfare, we do not distinguish between backyard breeders or registered breeders. They are ALL PART OF THE PROBLEM, selfishly exploiting animals for financial gain and status. When you support them, you are too! No breeding can be responsible while we have a massive overpopulation crisis.

‼PET SHOPS/animal dealers/brokers who also exploit animals for financial gain. Pet shops do not promote responsible pet ownership as they do not do home checks or sterilization. They encourage IMPULSE BUY and promote the idea that animals are objects and comorbidities.

‼FREE TO "GOOD HOME" ADS. This is usually from those who didn't care enough to sterilize their pets or who just give their pets away due to inconvenience. Darling, you have no clue what a good home looks like! You give this "life" to any Tom, Dick & Harry who can abuse, breed, use them in dog fights, or do whatever with them. There are animal dealers/brokers trained to fool you. Some can even have FB profiles that look like animal lovers. Trailers of puppies reaching borders are a reality.

‼DUMP OR ABANDON (which is a crime by the way). Those that give their unsterilized pets to their house cleaner or garden man or dump them in the streets and rural areas. These people are creating a problem in the rural settlements where people do not even have food for themselves or money to fence off their yards. Then those as***les who move and leave the pets behind.

‼IRRESPONSIBLE OWNERS. This includes those that do not sterilize their pets or let them roam the streets. Those that do not take proper care of their pets. Those that get pets, but can't afford them, so they end up at shelters anyway. Those that hoard animals, including some shelters.

IF THERE ARE LESS ANIMALS THEN LESS CAN FALL INTO THE WRONG HANDS❎🖐 and get abused. There are fates worse than euthanasia.

THE SOLUTION

👉 Large-scale STERILISATION campaigns.

👉EDUCATION (yes even your share of this post)

👉STRICTER LAWS. For keeping your pets in your yard & breeding. Asking people nicely didn't work for decades.

👉ADOPT DON'T SHOP mentality. You save a life from being killed, but also open up space for another one to be helped and you motivate a rescuer to do this just one more day.

A SAD REALITY
The public rarely sees or understands what is really going on. Those in animal welfare are in tears at least once a day. They want to give up multiple times a day. The suffering is heartbreaking and on top of it deciding who lives or dies or having to say no to one animal after your 20th call that day. They get depressed and suicides are very high in this industry. I fear a day when there are too few of them left🙈😿

‼YOU CAN HELP‼
STERILISE, FOSTER, DONATE, ADOPT, EDUCATE.....
WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER, DO BETTER!