Is your dog happy?
We like to think we know if our dogs are happy. They can be well fed and exercised regularly but is that all they need?
The following article ‘Is your dog happy? Ten common misconceptions about dog behaviour‘ from the Conversation (2018)
Does conformation matter?
Much is made about conformation, particularly for show dogs. We all admire sportsmen and women or dancers with perfect posture but does it really matter for good health? Our young dog Louis recently had shoulder surgery and I must admit whilst he is a beautiful looking dog (I am a bit biased) his posture is not great and we are working hard to improve it.
Not a good sit!We have had a lot of dogs over the years. Some with what would be called good conformation and others not so good. They have all had long healthy lives, and I am not really sure what part conformation has played. We could say the same about people too, but if you have a choice, good conformation is desirable, both from an aesthetic point of view but also to allow dogs to realise their ultimate athletic ability with minimal injury or chronic conditions along the way. The following article from “Breeding Better Dogs‘ is a good introduction to desirable traits of structure and movement.
Dog Training Collars
From the time you bring a pup home, it is usual to introduce it to a collar. From fashion accessory to essential training aid dogs all need a good quality collar. As a young stockman 50 years ago, I learnt to make leather working dog ‘drovers collars’, and I still use and make them today although most people probably now prefer synthetic collars.
It is important that your dog gets used to the feeling of wearing a comfortable collar. If you use a different training collar, make sure you replace it with your dogs regular collar after the training session is completed.
Standard Collar: A standard collar typically does up with a buckle or clip and is the best collar for regular every day use. They fit pups and dogs of all sizes and as long as they are properly adjusted they won’t choke. I am personally biased to leather but synthetic collars are cheap, and water proof. Standard collars do not offer much feedback when a dog is walking on a lead, so for very ‘enthusiastic dogs’ that pull badly an alternative training collar might be needed.
Choke or Check Collar: Choker collars often the training collar of choice in previous times, but they are out of fashion currently as they are considered too harsh by many people. Usually made of chain, these collars are made tighten anytime your dog pulls on the lead, but releasing as soon as they stop pulling. When used appropriately they are very effective, but dogs may well revert to pulling when their regular collar is put back on, so instilling general obedience, with regular positive reinforcement should be encouraged.
Martingale Collar: A Martingale collar is a softer form of a choker collar, and so they are more widely used. These collars have a broader band like a regular collar, with a second loop on the collar that will tighten as a dog pulls. This loop allows the collar to tighten but not as much as choke collar or slip lead. It should still be tight enough to get your dogs attention.
Prong collars and shock collars are also used by some professional trainers but, I don’t endorse them. Generally positive reinforcement training methods will give better longer lasting results.
Halti collars and dog harnesses are increasingly popular and we can discuss them in another post.
Dogs can smell stress in humans – Washington Post
In a new study, the dogs Treo, Winnie, Fingal and Soot were able to identify chemical odors people emit when stressed. Read the full Washington Post story here
Cock-a-Doodle?
It seems designer dogs are still the flavour of the month. I love my ‘Stella’ Smithfield Gypsy (below), although I am not sure many Smithy owners think of our dogs as ‘designer’! Doodles on the other hand certainly are. Here is a list of 60+ Poodle derived doodles from the Love your dog blog. Mixed breeds used to be called mongrels (with affection!), but in the 21st century they have become ‘designer dogs’, with price tags to match.
