Happy Buddha Dog Training LLC

25/01/2025

25/01/2025

https://www.desertwillow.org/

​It is the mission of Desert Willow Ranch & Rescue, a registered 501c3, to protect, rehabilitate, and advocate for animals in need, and to build a humane community and sanctuary that promotes compassion and education and seeks to strengthen the human-animal bond.​ 

25/01/2025

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/volunteer-at-desert-willow/

It doesn't take acres of land or thousands of dollars to get involved and help! All it takes is heart and passion and a little time. You can do it! We always need help and the animals LOVE companionship. Consider donating your time and love or manual labor to help with the cleaning and feeding.

24/01/2025

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/how-to-socialize-a-dog-reactive-dog/

Dogs who have issues with other dogs can learn to be calm around other dogs – and maybe even make dog friends.

24/01/2025

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/behavior/dog-socialization-unleash-canine-confidence/?sc=WIR20250124-SocializingYourPuppy&st=email&MailingID=3461&utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Dog%20Socialization%3A%20Unleash%20Canine%20Confidence&utm_campaign=WIR20250124-SocializingYourPuppy

Recognizing the signs of a poorly socialized dog early on means more time to train healthy behaviors when around other dogs and people.

23/01/2025

Several nations have also banned shock devices.

The United States, on the other hand, has very weak animal welfare laws. There are even cases where dogs have died at the hands of “trainers”.

As always, be your dog’s best advocate.

IN WHICH COUNTRIES ARE PRONG (AKA PINCH) COLLARS ILLEGAL?

Following is a comprehensive list of countries where prong collars (also known as pinch collars) are either banned or highly regulated, along with relevant references:

1. Germany

Ban: Prong collars are banned in Germany under the Animal Protection Act (Tierschutzgesetz). The law prohibits the use of tools that cause unnecessary pain or suffering to animals.
Reference: Animal Protection Act (Tierschutzgesetz)

2. Denmark

Ban: Prong collars are banned in Denmark under the Danish Animal Welfare Act (Dyreværnsloven), which restricts harmful devices for training animals.
Reference: Danish Animal Welfare Act (Dyreværnsloven)

3. Sweden

Ban: Sweden prohibits the use of prong collars through the Swedish Animal Welfare Act (Djurskyddslag), which restricts the use of aversive training tools.
Reference: Swedish Animal Welfare Act (Djurskyddslag)

4. Austria

Ban: In Austria, prong collars are prohibited under the Animal Protection Act (Tierschutzgesetz), which forbids the use of harmful devices for training.
Reference: Austrian Animal Protection Act (Tierschutzgesetz)

5. Switzerland

Ban: Prong collars are banned under the Swiss Federal Act on the Protection of Animals, which prohibits the use of devices that cause pain or distress to animals.
Reference: Swiss Federal Act on the Protection of Animals

6. Norway

Ban: Norway has restrictions on the use of prong collars under the Norwegian Animal Welfare Act, which aims to prevent animal cruelty and unnecessary suffering.
Reference: Norwegian Animal Welfare Act

7. Finland

Ban: Finland bans the use of prong collars as part of its Animal Welfare Act, with guidelines that discourage the use of harmful training tools.
Reference: Finnish Animal Welfare Act

8. United Kingdom

Partial Ban: In the UK, prong collars are not banned nationwide but their use is restricted under the Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill and the Pet Animals Act, which can be interpreted to include prong collars in the category of harmful equipment. Some local authorities impose fines for their use, and there’s a strong public consensus against them.
Reference: UK Animal Welfare Act 2006

9. Netherlands

Ban: Prong collars are banned in the Netherlands under the Dutch Animal Welfare Act, which prohibits any tools that cause physical harm or psychological distress to animals.
Reference: Dutch Animal Welfare Act

10. New Zealand

Ban: Prong collars are prohibited in New Zealand under the Animal Welfare Act, as part of broader legislation against devices that cause pain or suffering to animals.
Reference: New Zealand Animal Welfare Act 1999

11. Australia (Some States and Territories)

Ban: While not a nationwide ban, some Australian states and territories have implemented legislation that bans prong collars, including in Victoria and South Australia. The Australian Capital Territory has also enforced restrictions on their use.
Reference: Australian Animal Welfare Standards

12. Luxembourg

Ban: Luxembourg prohibits the use of prong collars under the Animal Welfare Law, which aligns with European Union animal protection directives.
Reference: Luxembourg Animal Welfare Law

13. Finland

Ban: Finland enforces a ban on prong collars under its Animal Welfare Act to ensure animal welfare and promote humane training practices.
Reference: Finnish Animal Welfare Act

14. Belgium
Ban: Belgium also prohibits prong collars under its Animal Welfare Act, part of the country's broader effort to protect animals from harmful practices.
Reference: Belgian Animal Welfare Act

15. New Zealand
In New Zealand, prong collars are illegal. The Animal Welfare Act 1999 prohibits the use of devices that cause pain or suffering to animals, and prong collars are considered aversive tools that can cause harm.
Reference: Animal Welfare Act 1999 clearly outlines regulations for the welfare of animals, and the use of prong collars would fall under the category of prohibited devices that cause harm.

16. Portugal: No specific ban, but laws align with EU standards discouraging harmful devices.

17. South Africa: Prong collars are not explicitly banned, but could fall under cruelty laws depending on usage.

18. Quebec: Legal, but highly controversial and subject to evolving regulations.

19. Italy: Prong collars are not explicitly banned, but discouraged under EU regulations.

Summary:

These bans typically stem from the belief that prong collars can cause pain, fear, and distress to dogs, and that there are more humane, positive methods for training pets. Many of these countries favor training methods that rely on reward-based systems rather than punitive equipment.

If you live in one of these countries and have any updates to the information above, please reply in the comments below.

Thank you,

Cindy Ludwig, M.A., B.S., R.N., KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA
Owner, Canine Connection LLC
Willard, Missouri

23/01/2025

https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/indoor-exercises-for-dogs?utm_source=NewsletterSubscribers&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_source_platform=petmd_newsletter&lid=helrpyrioh2d

Dogs can become easily bored when the temperature is extreme or the weather becomes poor, leaving them indoors. What can you do to help your pup stay healthy? Dr. Jamie Lovejoy discusses 10 indoor exercises for your dog to try when they're stuck inside.

23/01/2025

Baby it's COLD out there!
Record cold temperatures have made it hard to enjoy outdoor adventures. Be safe and limit time outside especially for short coated dogs. Also, salts and other ice melts hurt paws, try to avoid salted or chemically treated walkways and always clean and warm paws when you get back inside.

22/01/2025

https://www.facebook.com/100064589503656/posts/pfbid0cJrptsg243vHkPkQABb2FnCWKHRuWB86A6Qb9dEyEEsh2VHGEWVrGg5M2C5nQQwzl/

22/01/2025

https://historyfacts.com/arts-culture/fact/john-steinbecks-dog-ate-the-first-draft-of-of-mice-and-men/

By the spring of 1936, life was clearly on the upswing for John Steinbeck. As described in Jay Parini’s biography, the commercial success of his 1935 novel Tortilla Flat had produced newfound financial comfort for the author and his wife, Carol, and with it they were building a new home in an isol...

22/01/2025

https://www.facebook.com/100063651878908/posts/pfbid06hCo1nUtLXLs2ocP5c7LLM4xp2uMQJnV1iGNKFUKLYDmqD6UFn4SHXkEySwJZQsol/

Pain and Behaviour ⚠️

Let’s talk about why there is such a strong correlation between dogs in pain and behavioural problems 🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐

As I have talked about before, many of our dogs suffer from “Silent pain” - their natural instinct is to hide pain, to carry on, to pretend all is ok (bless).

When it gets to the stage where a dog is showing physical signs of chronic pain, this pain is usually well established and has been ramping up for a long time.

Chronic pain will often initially manifest as changes to behaviour before any clinical signs appear as the dog tries to cope with what he/she is feeling.

I see many dogs in my clinic that have been referred to a behaviourist for problem behaviour involving a wide range of issues including reactivity, anxiety, resource guarding, repetitive or obsessive behaviours, sensitivity to new things like noise or traffic or hyper-vigilance.

Before working to address their behaviour the first thing to do with these dogs is to be sure that pain is not the cause or at least a contributing factor.

We know that up to around 80% of behaviour cases can be pain related - that’s massive 😱

However, chronic pain is notoriously difficult to assess and issues causing such pain often won’t show on up on an X-ray.

To add to the complexities, studies have shown that when owners are asked if they think their dog is in pain they will generally focus on changes to movement and have difficulty associating behavioural changes with pain in their dogs.

A common phrase I hear from owners is that …if it hurt, their dog wouldn’t do it……….this is simply not true‼️

Dogs will often still be performing activities they are highly motivated to do such as play, run, chase, jump etc. despite having underlying pain.

The only changes that may happen might be to their general behaviour or demeanour. This may include subtle things like restlessness, excessive sniffing, licking, yawning, air licking, scratching or frequent body stretching or shaking or it could be the more obvious changes like aggression or reactivity.

So why do these dogs have these behavioural changes ❓❓❓

At a very basic level- dogs do not have the ability to distinguish between acute pain that may kill them and chronic pain that won’t. They therefore assume that the pain they feel is dangerous and as a result can feel constantly under threat.

They live in this heightened state of stress until we take that pain away .

We know that heightened stress levels results in reduced serotonin and increased levels of cortisol.

Cortisol is the primary stress hormone and increased levels can be linked to such as hyperactivity, reactivity, compulsive behaviors, and increased aggression. Serotonin is the hormone that helps regulate emotional responses. A reduction of serotonin has been linked to aggressive behaviour in dogs. These stressed dogs have increased levels of fear and anxiety which in turn makes them more nervous and reactive 😣

Sadly, we can’t teach our dogs to not see pain as a constant threat like we can with people.
As a human physiotherapist when patients come to see me with chronic pain, I can reassure them and I can tell them their pain won’t kill them.

We don’t have this ability with dogs so the only option we have is to take their pain away .

The right medication and treatment can do this.

Adressing the pain can then lead to improvements in problem behaviours as the dog starts to relax, the cortisol levels drop and the serotonin levels increase 😃

We can then work on what caused the pain in the first place .

📣 So please please always consider pain as a potential cause for your dogs behaviour and seek the advice of your vet or physiotherapist 📣📣

Thanks for reading - please share to spread awareness and just to finish- a picture of my beautiful arthritic girl living her best life 💕💕

22/01/2025

21/01/2025

https://www.kristibenson.com/blog/2019/11/4/good-alternatives-to-e-fencing-dog-training-experts-weigh-in?fbclid=IwY2xjawH8v6RleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUmIK3Cjaju1S_wPAY3ctgrQ0XPJjXve_Kpd_xr5sJteSTmii5V-g1qP6g_aem_QZ72xqEajMJdJ2OtP08-cw

In many places, physical fences are prohibited, or property owners have certain constraints they must work within when it comes to fencing. This leaves those of us who have canine family members in a bit of a quandary: how can we keep our dogs safely contained? Electronic fences can seem to be a g

21/01/2025

https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/pet-owners/pets-and-their-people/pets-and-their-people-blog/your-brain-is-hardwired-to-generalize-fearand-so-is-your-dogs/

This story is an illustration of something Kristina Spaulding, Pd.D., CAAB explained so clearly in her blog on The Development of Fear, published on April 1,