Time for a breather

Poppy left the building yesterday afternoon with her owners very happy to see her and she happy to see them! After a discussion about her diet and some suggestions as to how to proceed she was driven away and I have a dog free house for the next couple of weeks and time to catch up on somethings and maybe take a short break!

The business is now a company called lookafteryourdog Ltd or just lookafteryourdog to us! I was advised that this was the right way to go with the business and I have had to navigate through the commercial maze to sort it out! I have been on a steep learning curve since I began this venture a couple of years back and everyday I have to learn or do something new which is great!

I will continue to post my meandering thoughts and hopefully search the web for any interesting information out there!

Cheers Steve

Feeding the dog!

A couple of issues have come up over the past few days in relation to feeding your dog and the problems it can bring! Firstly the idea of leaving food down for your dog to graze on whenever it wants it. This idea generally works and the dogs don`t seem to gorge themselves, eating only what they require but I have a few issues with it myself!

Firstly, feeding your dog is of significant importance to him/her as it is a life essential for them. This gives you the opportunity of being the great provider and showing clear leadership over your dog by your sharing the gift of food with him/her. This can help in dominance issues, insecurity etc.

Secondly, if your dog helps itself, how will you know when the dog is unwell. You may never see it eat, so you would not see it not eating its food. A dog that doesn't want food may be poorly and it can be a clear sign of ill health which you could miss!

The meals are a time you can reward your dog for good behavior and can also be a great training time, using the food to reinforce certain behaviors for reward. So take some of the kibble and ask your dog to sit, stay stand, down etc. and reward it with the food and then a double reward of the bowl!

Your dogs overall health can be gauged by its poop! Horrible I know, but if your dog is solid and healthy then it is a good guide that it is in overall good health. By feeding at set times and maintaining a healthy regime, your dog will have less problems with its poop and will be in good shape, plus its easier to pick up and bag!

My advice, always feed a proper complete dry dog food to an amount that doesn't cause the dog to become loose, whatever that amount may be and to add a few teaspoons or for big dogs a bit more of pilchards or Tuna as a flavour enhancer and added Omega 3 from fish oils. This is cheap to do and allows the biscuit to clean the dogs teeth without being boring, as dry kibble is!

Hope this helps! Cheers Steve

Lovely Poppy

Here she is Poppy the Chiuhauhau all 10 months of her. With her purple harness and red lead I must look a right sight with my little handbag dog! Joking aside though, she is a lovely little lady and I know that there is a syndrome that makes humans love small dogs, but you can see why people make the mistake of turning these pocket dogs into substitute children! They don't answer back and they are always pleased to see you and when they do see you they don't ask for money! Result!


Anyway, every dog has issues of some sort or another and this little lady has a couple. Firstly she whimpered and whined at everything and I mean everything! If she walked she whimpered, if you let her out and she was at the door she whimpered, constantly! Instructions to the family were only to acknowledge her if she was quiet, if she whimpered she was either ignored or shushed!


Within a day or so the whimpering has tailed off to virtually nothing and she is being treated like any other dog that stops with us and you can see the dog coming out in her! She was dominant at her home, dictating the pace like most small dogs do, but if you reverse that behavior and encourage her to follow your leadership, you create a happier less stressed animal that knows and is confident to do things without the baggage of leadership around her shoulders!


When Poppy was playing in the garden she was hesitant to go out at first and constantly barking if she heard a noise. By stopping that behavior and by assuming the leadership role, you can allow your dog to play safe in the knowledge that you will defend and protect it and alert it if you think something needs its attention!


Her other issue is around food, if you are eating then she will mug you and be all over you to try to get something! This is rude and a dog that enters your personal space like that is not respecting you or your personal space and this can lead to dominance issues in certain dogs! My advice and what I have done with Poppy is to enforce the distance around me whilst I eat, which is again another signal to the dog that you are in charge of the resources and you decide when to share them which makes you powerful!


So if you want your dogs respect, go ahead and show it some leadership and see the results!


Cheers Steve

Poppy arriving today!

Poppy the Chiuahauhau is arriving today! At 6`3" I`m a little unsure as to how this will leave my image but heh one of the joys of this business is the diversity of dogs that you get to look after, so bring it on Chiuahauhau!

New Home Boarders / Pet-Sitters

Its been a mad few weeks with customers desperate to have their dogs boarded for their summer holidays and me in the middle of a recruitment campaign to get some extra help to provide a better service! Anyway I think we made it through with three great people and their families to help us look after your dogs!

Welcome to Gail Evans, Terry Pritchard and Sharon Griffiths! You are all chosen as you are people who I know will provide warm loving homes to our customers dogs and judging from the feedback already received; I know I`m going to be happy with you all!

Don't jump

Hi, just a quick post about a common problem that many owners don't see as an issue but can be quite serious, jumping up! Its great fun to have your dog leaping up to get affection and i'm sure it makes us feel loved and wanted, but the problem is when you are 8 years old and 3 feet tall its not such fun!

Bosco gave his usual whole-hearted greeting the other day to the little girl and when a slab of beef with a head the size of a cow stands taller than you and scratches you with his claws, then naturally you may scream out and cry! So its not such a good idea after all as the adults may be OK, but what about the kids, disabled people or the elderly!

My advice, stop it at every opportunity, tell the dog no! Fuss it only with all four legs on the floor and if its excited walk away until it isn't! Just a thought!

Happy training

Steve

Bosco after a morning walk spark out in the sun!

Bosco with other dogs

I thought I'd post this video and show what can be done when the dog is corrected and also has had some energy drained, but this will not always be so as long as the dog has his bits! Bosco here would be bomb-proof if he was castrated and I could train away any sillyness with ease, but its really hard when the hormones are present!

Cheers Steve

Bosco and his big head!

I first saw Bosco the Staffordshire Bull terrier and I could only stare at his extremely large head! A beautiful brindle coloured dog, he is like a slab of beef. You just have to slap (In a nice way!) Staffies like Bosco. They are so solid and powerful, but very easy going and very gentle to people.

Anyway the dog can't be perfect, like there is no perfect human being, but Bosco is 95% perfect except for one thing! Well two actually and they hang down at the back of him! Yes my old touchy subject of non-breeding dogs not being spayed. Bosco has had at least two scraps a day because of it and as a young dog he oozes hormones and attitude when other dogs approach and many of them have a go at him!

Today I have had him in Sutton Park and trained him around a couple of dogs where he puffed up and had a go. Using a long line I corrected him before he went into fight mode and made him be submissive near the other dogs! After that and draining some energy, we walked with Tammy and Foley the Springer and met other dogs and he was fine! But the danglies will always rear there ugly head and he is a ticking time-bomb with either himself or another dog or someone who tries to stop them; getting hurt! My advice CASTRATE him now! No question!

Cheers Steve