Recently, I visited one of my favourite coffee shops – a place called The Lock House in Great Haywood.  I go there because they love dogs and their outdoor barn is dog friendly.  Lots of people go there after their dog walks for a coffee, cake or breakfast, and the dogs get free dog biscuits.

On this particular day I went in and the two girls went to say hello to anyone who would give them a fuss.  This time it was a guy with Westies (West Highland White Terriers).   We started up a conversation about dogs and what he said absolutely amazed me:

I love dogs.  I have 4 Westies – 2 youngsters and 2 oldies.  One is 22 years old and the other is 23!  We bought the young ones 5 years ago because we figured the old ones wouldn’t be around for much longer.  But they’re still going strong, which is amazing because I feed them all the wrong things and do the wrong things.  They are practically blind now but still happy and healthy.  I think that’s amazing for a pure bred dog.

This shows how absolutely vital it is to get a good dog breeder for your puppy.

If you are bringing a new puppy home from a dog breeder, then naturally you want this to be the best, friendly and healthiest puppy you can buy.  However there are many breeders around who really aren’t ‘proper’ breeders.

Many ‘breeders’ who advertise in local papers are people who have a couple of pedigree dogs which they have put together so they can sell puppies for profit.  They don’t have a clue about bloodlines, dog health screening, hereditary diseases in dogs, proper exercise or training, and that’s just for starters.

If you buy a puppy from one of these people you’re playing lucky dip.  You might be bringing home a new puppy who is delightful and healthy and will make your life joyful for a very long time.  But you just as easily might buy yourself endless vets bills and an early death.

The same goes for many ‘breeders’ who advertise puppies via general ‘puppies for sale’ internet sites.  These are often even worse – as they are simply puppy farms (puppy mills) that churn out substandard puppies for massive profits.  They care even less about you and the dogs they breed.  All they want is your money.

So if you’re thinking of bringing a new puppy home you deserve a proper breeder.  An ethical breeder.  Someone who breeds dogs for love, not money.  Someone who breeds in health, good temper, solid bones, intelligence and more.

A dog breeder like this will give you every chance of seeing your puppy live to its fullest old age.  You deserve it, and so does your dog.

But how do you find one?

Many people find good dog breeders by word of mouth.  If you have a particular breed of dog in mind, ask people you meet who have that dog.  Go to dog training clubs and ask there.  Owners at dog shows might also help – but beware, some of them are also breeders who will try and persuade you than only they have what you want.

There’s a system and a method to finding the right dog breeder.  One that I use every time I am thinking of bringing home a new puppy.  Mostly I go to rescue centres for my dogs, but occasionally I do need something very specific.  Then I use my very own step by step process which never fails:

• I gather information about breeders from lots of sources.
• I cross-reference it all to see which names stand out for all the right reasons
• I check their details and history and decide which to shortlist
• I call them, visit them, inspect what they do, spend time with their dogs and ask all the right questions
• I assess how well they perform against a standard set of ‘must haves’
• And then I decide which one I like the best

This process has been tested many times over the last 20 years, and it works.

And if you have two breeders in the running, choose the one who beams like the sunshine when they are with their dogs!

So if you are thinking of bringing a new puppy home right now, make sure you get the results you want.  Your chances of getting a happy, healthy puppy can so easily be destroyed if you’re not sure how to go about it.   Instead of worrying, look forward to many wonderful years with your dog, like the man with his glorious old Westies.

Get a step-by-step process to a fabulous dog breeder (and a dog that suits you perfectly) by clicking here now

Arwen has never had a good stomach.  In the last 2 years I have struggled to find a dog food which does not upset her.  We have tried all kind of things.   And just when I thought I was winning she would get horrible sloppy poos again.

What not to feed?

Sometimes it is best to start with what NOT to give a dog with a sensitive stomach.  So this is where I’ll begin.  Common items which cause allergies or digestive upsets in dogs include:

• wheat and wheat gluten (the most common)
• corn (often badly digested)
• eggs
• dairy products – milk, yoghurt, cheese
• beef and pork
• soya

Wheat – the most common link

Over the years I have met many owners who have had problems with their dogs’ digestive system.  In almost all cases these dogs were being fed a wheat based diet.  These owners had gone to the vets , who had prescribed tablets for this, and injections for that, without even considering the dog’s basic food!

The owners had no idea that wheat could be causing the problem, and the vet had never asked about what the dog was eating!   So I wanted to mention this specifically.  Wheat gluten often causes reactions such as:

• Sloppy poos / frequent poos / lots of poo
• Itchy skin and scratching
• Dandruff, flaky and scaly skin, even spotty skin
• Excessive or increased shedding of hair, bald patches
• Lots of wind
• Low energy and low mood

If you look at most commercial dog foods, they will list wheat and cereals as their main ingredients.  If you have a dog with a poor stomach, sloppy poo, or other symptoms listed here, AVOID ALL WHEAT.

Try them with a wheat free, gluten free dry complete dog food.  Foods that are known to be low allergy for dogs include salmon, tuna, chicken, lamb, potato, rice, and grains such as oats and barley.  Only feed wheat gluten free or totally cereal free treats. Make sure you also avoid any wet food with cereals in it (which is many of them!).

But sometimes it is more complicated

However in some cases it simply is a matter of trial and error, like Arwen.  It’s distressing for the dog, and also for you as the owner but it has to be done.  And every time you take a step closer to the solution.

After months of trying different things, I worked out the following:

1. If the oil content is more than 11% it causes ‘the runs’
2. Any wheat causes problems
3. High levels of protein (more than 22%) can cause problems if also coupled with high oil
4. High levels of corn might not be a good thing
5. Arwen might also be intolerant to high levels of rice or oats (as one high quality hypoallergenic food with a lot of rice and oats in didn’t work at all well for her)

So I finally found a diet which seemed to be working.  No wheat, no eggs, no dairy, no rice, rich in salmon.  Moderate protein, moderate fat.  All went well for a month.  And then we had the most almightly stomach upset yet again.  I was at my wits end, and started my usual course of treatment.

What to give a dog for an upset stomach.

If you have a dog who gets repeated upset stomachs, use the bland diet method:

• Feed them absolutely nothing for a whole day (24 hours)
• Start them on a bland diet of cooked rice and cooked chicken (about 75% rice) or cooked rice and no-salt canned tuna
• If your dog will manage yoghurt, mix in a couple of tablespoons of bio-active natural yoghurt – this helps the gut bacteria
• After about 3 days, start mixing in a little soaked dry complete dog food (soaked and mashed to a paste)
• Gradually increase the complete dog food and reduce the rice/chicken or tuna mix
• After about 7-9 days your dog should be back on their usual food

Also, if the upset is really acute – especially if it with sickness as well – get them to the vet for some immediate treatment.  The vet can give you injections to calm the stomach and bowels, and tablets to do the same, which you mix with the dog food.  They will also check if the dog has eaten something which has got stuck.

Herbs can work!

I did all this with Arwen.  However I also went online and ordered a herbal mix for dog stomach upsets.  The mix contains camomile, comfrey, valerian (scullcap), aniseed and mint.  Now THIS was the real turning point!

The day after the herbs were first mixed with her food Arwen passed an almost normal poo!  I have kept her on these herbs ever since so that her stomach remains in good condition.  But more importantly I found out what was really causing the main problem.

Cat poo.

Yes, Arwen was eating cat poo from the garden.  I caught her.  Yuck.

So this gave me a stark choice.  I either had to rehome my old cat Hoolie of 15 years, or rehome Arwen.  So I started the rehoming process for both of them.  Thankfully a lovely young couple saw Hoolie on the internet and took her the very next day.  They are delighted.

So am I, because since that time we have had no more upset stomachs.

So let’s recap quickly:

What to give a dog with an upset stomach? Top Tips

1. If your dog shows the signs of wheat intolerance, switch immediately to a wheat gluten free diet.
2. Choose a wheat gluten free diet without eggs, soya, pork, beef  and dairy products (milk and milk proteins)
3. If you dog has a badly upset stomach, use the bland diet method immediately
4. Take your dog to the vets for some immediate relief (injections/tablets) on top of using the bland diet
5. If your dog has sickness/vomiting as well, go to the vets for examination as they may have swallowed something
6. Check your home for any other things which are just lying around or commonly in use, as these might have caused the upset.

Do not be afraid to tackle the problem, even if it is uncomfortable.  I had to give up my 15 year old cat.  But she is happy in her new home and Arwen is no longer getting upset stomachs.

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Certain dog breeds are more likely to have sensitive stomachs than others.  Whippets and boxers are among them.  So if you are thinking of choosing a dog, start out right. Claim your free Quick Start Guides to choosing your dog by just clicking here

If you’d rather get stuck into choosing your dog without wasting time, click here

And why should you do this?

Because any site, ad or link offering ‘puppies ready for Christmas’ won’t get you the puppy you desire.  It will probably get you a puppy farmed , sickly, badly bred or already dying dog produced in a cage.

No reputable breeder that I know gears their operations to Christmas.  No reputable breeder I know ever sells puppies ready for Christmas.  No reputable breeder I know would ever advertise such puppies on generic ‘dogs for sale’ websites either.

Puppy farmers do ALL of these things and more.  They get away with it because no-one is helping you spot them.  They also get away with it because these websites DO NOT do any checks on the quality of the breeder placing the ad.

I did some mystery shopping.  Consider this response when I asked about checks on people advertising puppies for sale:

Puppyfind.com does not knowingly allow “puppy mills” to advertise on the site. Every seller/breeder goes through an approval process, however, as stated in our Terms of Service policy, we are not able to offer any guarantees that the individuals listing on the site are reputable breeders.

Our approval process consists mainly of checking the breeder’s basic information to ensure they are not fraudulent users. We do not check any breeder references or anything similar to that.

It is important that buyers do ask questions and feel comfortable with whom they are working with. We do offer Buyers Tips which gives buyers several tips on what questions to ask and how to protect themselves when purchasing a puppy.

Most sites like this one do offer brief guidance on checking out potential dog breeders but it usually falls short of what you really need to protect you and your puppy.

Remember also that puppy farmers know and count on the annual bun fight over getting a puppy for Christmas.  They gear their operations to Christmas as this is when they make big money.  They will suppress early or ‘wrong time’ seasons in their breeding bitches so they can make the dogs produce puppies just when the rush is on.

That’s NOT looking after your interests.  Only theirs.

And remember too that ‘the puppy that came for Christmas and stayed forever‘ is a fairytale.  In mosts cases ‘the puppy that came for Christmas’ will be ‘the puppy abandoned in the street or at a rescue centre by New Year‘

If you’re considering rushing off to buy a puppy as a Christmas gift right now, please don’t.  Aside from puppy farmers, there are other good reasons why Christmas is not a good time to bring a puppy into the household.

Whatever you do, make sure you don’t end up like this poor lady who posted on a UK dog forum:

PLEASE PLEASE NO ONE BUY A PUPPY FROM 89 LULLINGSTONE AVENUE IN SWANLEY, KENT. THIS IS A VERY DODGY MAN AND OUR PUPPY HAD DISTEMPER AND HAD TO BE PUT DOWN LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER WE BOUGHT HIM. This has affected my whole family so much emotionally and financially.  Puppylove1984

Please dont get sucked into buying poor quality, puppy farmed ‘puppies ready for Christmas’ because it will cost you dearly in the end.

If you want to know the right time to buy a puppy, the right one to buy and the right breeder to get one from, don’t answer an ad.  Click here instead.

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One which doesn’t drag you out in the cold and wet, if that’s something you hate!

One of the joys of having dogs is they need exercise.  Which is a great way to get out, get fitter, get healthier and meet people.  It is also one of the drawbacks too.

Last night it was blowing almost a gale and raining with it.  Delightful weather for an evening stroll.  Well, my two youngsters think so.  They get what I call ‘cabin fever’ if they don’t get two good walks a day.  (For us a good walk is an hour or more.)  If they don’t get their evening walk they start tearing round the lounge and generally getting in my face until we do go out.

So after a short spell of insistent grinning, tail wagging and being poked with feet, we donned our waterproofs and headed out for an hour’s walk down the canal bank.

The walk itself once we were out was enjoyable because we were wrapped up against the elements.  But getting yourself motivated to go out in bad weather can be difficult.

There is a serious point to this when asking yourself ‘what kind of dog should I get?’. 

Make sure the dog you choose is happy doing the exercise you want to do.

If you hate going for walks on dark nights when it is cold and wet, then your dog should be the same.  There is no point getting a gundog breed and expecting it to prefer curling up in front of the TV on a winter’s evening.  It won’t.  It will go out in any weather and be happy to be out.  Likewise with many of the working dog and terrier breeds.

There are dog breeds which hate wet and cold walks.  Most often these are toy and companion breeds like the Bichon Frise, Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, and Italian Greyhound.  Some of these toy/companion breeds can be difficult to housetrain because they won’t even go in the garden when it’s wet!

Dogs which don’t get the daily exercise they need seem to go one of two ways.

• Destructive, hyperactive and barky – ruining your house, garden and neighbours’ peace and quiet
• Depressed, lazy, fat and prone to disease – increasing your vet bills

And all dogs operate best with a walk in the morning and again in the evening, as these are the times they would hunt when in the wild.

So one of the best answers to ‘what kind of dog should I get?‘ is ‘one which is happy with the exercise time I can give it, and also  ‘likes going for walks in weather I’m happy to walk in‘.

If you start with only that when choosing your dog, you’ll get a lot further to happiness than most people!  But if you want true happiness with your dog, click here.

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Statistically, 50% of all first-time dog owners get it horribly wrong.  Many more experienced dog owners do too. That’s why our rescue centres are overflowing with millions of abandoned, abused and unwanted dogs.

People get swept away with the idea of getting a dog, and how lovely life will be afterwards.  I can’t deny that life with a dog – the  right kind of dog for you – is everything you could imagine and more.  However, if you are all fired up and thinking ‘what kind of dog should I get?‘, there’s one thing you should do before you rush off.

Ask yourself whether you should have a dog at all.

Or at least ask whether you should get a dog right now.  There’s always time to get one in the future.

That’s what happened to one of my recent e-book customers, Nan Sharp.  She bought my e-book with the intention of getting a hypo-allergenic (low-allergy) dog.  Here’s what she had to say:

I did purchase your on-line book, and it helped me, although not in the way I had envisioned.  I was all set to select the non-allergenic dog that would be perfect for me and instead, determined that any dog was not in my future, at least for awhile.After the death of my husband, I moved into a much smaller house, about 3 miles from my prior home and made all sorts of renovations.

While still getting settled, I took a month off to be with my granddaughter, when she had her first child, and have made the 11-1/2 hour trip a couple of times to see my new great granddaughter.  Then, I was talked into teaching 6 yoga classes a week in the retirement community in which I live.  So, you can see why, after reading your book, I decided to put my dog-raising plans on hold, until my life settles down.

Of course, if at age 75, it hasn’t settled, it may never do so!

I’ve printed your book, so that I can return to the information in it, when the time is right.

The contents of your book persuaded me to wait awhile before buying a dog.  Also, the questions that you pose, as well as other avenues of information, changed the type and size of hypo-allergenic dog that I had thought I wanted.  With the start of the new year, I intend to reread your book and make some decisions about adding a pet to my household.  Thank you for all of the pertinent information contained in your book.  Nan Sharp

I can’t tell you how pleased I am with her e-mail.  Nan started by asking herself ‘what kind of dog should I get?’ and with the help of my e-book, decided not to change both the kind of dog and the timing!

Here’s my reply to Nan:

Nan, this is entirely the right outcome!  If the time is not right, then it is better to wait.  I’d rather someone do that than get a dog and then have to rehome it.  Too distressing for everyone.

I know people older than you who still have plenty of umph left and would make an excellent home for a dog. Your life sounds as mad as mine!

I can tell you from personal experience that an older retired greyhound (7 yrs or more) makes a perfect dog for many households and is also tolerable for people with mild to moderate dog allergies.  They’re quiet, easy going, usually good with people and kids, and don’t need vast walks.  There are always lots needing homes, so bear that in mind.  They might look tall but they pack down when asleep!

Best wishes!  Bev

Saving you from getting the wrong dog, or from getting a dog at the wrong time is just as important as getting the right dog into your life.    And the e-book stands the test of time.  The system never fails.  Nan will come back to the e-book in the New Year and I am sure she will find exactly what she is looking for.

Don’t take the risk of going it alone.  If Nan had, she might have made a big mistake, like millions of people who dive in without help.  That help is just a click away and I can tell you that learning the hard way is not something I ever want you to go through.  The price of learning ‘what kind of dog should I get?‘ cost me over £5,000.

If you’d like to know what kind of dog you should get, and always get your perfect dog no matter what your life’s like, just click here now

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12.50pm – Kitten emergency

The cleaner from No11 across the road just turned up on my doorstep holding a tiny kitten she had found in the garden.  This poor little thing is only about 8-10 weeks old (if that).  She has no collar and tag.  She has filthy ears and a terrible cold, possibly cat flu.

Of course I have taken her in.  In half an hour we got to the vets to get her some shots and antibiotics.  Then I will see if there is a cat rescue that can take her, unless Robin asks if I am going to keep her.

At the moment she is quarantined in the conservatory. She is a sweet little thing and very affectionate.  She will make someone a lovely pet.  Kylah and Arwen have already given her lots of kisses and she wasn’t the least bit worried.

Hoolie Cat is not impressed with this supposed new edition to the family!

1.35pm – Call to Cats Protection League

I called one of the local branches of the Cats Protection League and got her registered on the waiting list for a home.  The lady said it could be 2 weeks before they could find her a place in foster care.  Well that’s what life’s like in rescue.  They are always over-run.

2.15pm – At the vets

The vet says she is only 7-8 weeks old, maximum.  Not microchipped and unlikely to have been vaccinated. She has a bad chest infection and ‘might not make it’.  She weighs just 0.8 kgs.

He could not vaccinate her but I gave her the antibiotic drops he prescribed as soon as I got back to the car, then went shopping for emergency kitten supplies.

3.38pm – Home at last

Armed with kitten food, kitten milk, a kitten collar and tag.  I am now going to put up the greyhound sized indoor kennel with soft bedding, food, milk and newspaper to toilet on.  Hopefully I will nurse this little kitten back to health.

I have to keep her separate from my own cat to avoid transferring the infection.

6.42pm – Milk time

She woke up from her sleep and was crying.  I have given her two small syringes of cat milk to try and get fluids into her  This seems to have done the trick as she has gone back to sleep.  I think this little thing is barely weaned.  Later I will try and hand feed her some salmon mashed into kitten food.

Update

‘Kitten’ is now called Dot.  She has been with me nearly 5 weeks and is fully recovered from her ordeal.  She is now weaned, eating well and putting on weight nicely.  She is double the size she was when I took her in.  She loves the dogs and curls up with Arwen if she can’t get on my lap.  She has taken to climbing the curtains and is in that lovely exploring stage where everything is fun.

In the last 2 weeks I have very often been typing with a kitten on my shoulder!

It has taken a lot of care and cost to get her where she is now.  Dot has a place in a local cat rescue on 13th December 2011 so they can find a very special home for this special little girl.

Why you should rescue your pet

It has cost about £200 to keep Dot, but that’s not very much to save a life.  I’ll never get that money back, but that’s not important.  This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the cost of rescuing a sick or injured animal.

Most rescue centres and shelters rely on donations to do their work.  However, the cost of veterinary visits, treatment, neutering and vaccinations is always way more than you pay when you adopt a dog.   A lot of their income is from people who never take a pet, but want to give their support anyway.

The emotional and physical cost of rescuing and caring for an animal is enormous, and this is never paid for.  Our reward is seeing that animal go to a home where it will be loved and cherished for the rest of its life.

When you come to choose a dog, please go to a rescue centre first.  The dogs there are just like Dot – abandoned, mistreated and unloved.  Most of them are good dogs who will enrich your life every bit as much as a pedigree puppy.

If you can’t choose a dog right now, why not make yourself feel good and save a life by just donating a small amount anyway.  The more you give, the more spaces there are and the more dogs can be saved.

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It’s topical because it’s firework season.

In the UK we have an increasing unrestricted use of fireworks all year round.  While I’m not against fireworks (in fact I think they’re brilliant), when I was young that fireworks tended to be reserved for:

• around Bonfire Night, usually 3rd – 6th November depending on how the weekend fell, and
• New Year’s Eve

These days we get fireworks in built up areas from about the end of September through till New Year.  It used to be especially bad in Birmingham.  That’s because it’s a big city, but also because we had the Asian festivals as well as the English ones coming together at the same time.

My lurcher Jess (pictured here) used to be terrified of fireworks.  This is what firework noise used to do to her:

• She used to hide under the coffee table or behind the sofa
• She would try and dig her way into the floor
• She refused to go out for walks
• She would not eat
• She would only go out to toiet when the firework noise had gone

The problem is that she also ‘infected’ the other dogs with her terrors.

Right now, Kylah is the only dog with a noticeable fear of fireworks.  However it isn’t that major.  She will still come out for walks in the evening. Last night because the fireworks were relatively small (in light and noise) once we got to the wasteland area where the rabbits are she lost all interest in the fireworks and was ok to be let off the lead.  Rabbits in the bushes were far more interesting.

A lot of dogs have a huge fear of fireworks.  They don’t like the noise or the lights, they can’t understand where the noise is coming from and they can’t get away from them.

However, even if you have a dog that is terrified of fireworks, there are lots of really simple things you can do to make their life more pleasant.  So here are some quick tips for calming firework fears, from years of living with dogs:

Quick tips for calming firework fears

1. Invest in a plug-in pheromone diffuser such as Adaptil available from the internet, pet shops and your vet.  These emit a ‘happy dog’ pheromone.  You can’t smell it but the dog can and it will calm their nerves.  You plug it in where the dog spends most of its time and should start using it 2 weeks before the fireworks usually start.  They last about 6-8 weeks for each refill.  Use them until the fireworks are gone.
2. A few drops of lavender oil on the dog bed can also be soothing and calming.
3. Don’t act any differently when the fireworks are happening.  Don’t pet or reassure your dog more than usual because that reinforces the notion that there is something to be afraid of.   If they come to you for cuddles let them but just remain as normal as possible. In fact, yawning to show boredom can often help. I know a lady with a whippet who did this and it really worked!
4. Make your dog a ‘den’ to hide in, or let it find its own place naturally.  Put a blanket or cushion where it wants to be.  Let it be in its den and don’t try to force or pull it out. They will come out in their own time. Kylah hides under the lounge coffee table but feels safest on my bed.  So I have covered the bed with an old sheet in case she sneaks up there when I accidentally leave the door open.
5. Put on other background noise.  The TV or radio can distract your dog from the fireworks.
6. Close the windows and close the curtains to keep out the noise and light.  The ‘lightning’ caused by the massive commercial fireworks can be very unsettling for your dog.
7. If you dog really does not want to go for an evening walk, don’t force it.  If you dog does come out, it is best to keep it on a lead all the time.  Small fireworks might not make any impact, but your dog can bolt when those big commercial ones go off .  And then you’ve a lost, fearful dog and who knows where they might end up.
8. If your dog doesn’t want to toilet outside, buy some potty training pads or newspaper.  That way if they do need to go, you should pick up the signs and help them onto the paper quickly.
9. If you have to go out (including to a firework display, because they are wonderful things) try and get a professional dog sitter or friend to be company for your dog
10. Put food down as normal but do not be alarmed if your dog does not eat its evening meal.  They were designed to survive without food for a few days!  However you might want to put the dog food in the fridge to keep it fresh (if wet) or back in the container (if dry) until later when your dog does want it.
11. Don’t let children pester or try and hug the dog if it is worried.  Alarmed dogs can often get aggressive and nip, even though they have been mild mannered before.  They’re just wanting everything to ‘go away!’

If your dog is really frightened by fireworks, go and see your vet.  Sedatives for fireworks should be a last resort, but they do help many dogs every year who otherwise would be very, very unhappy.

Dogs and Fireworks

I found a really good free booklet on dogs and fireworks which covers all my quick tips here and adds a few more thoughts.  Download Dogs and Fireworks here

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Your dog needs to understand you so you can be happy together.  To understand what you mean your dog needs a combination of your body language and commands.

‘Commands‘ are the words you use to tell your dog what you want it to do.  This means just gently and firmly making sure they know what the rules are.  For these commands to be most useful you have to be consistent.  It’s no good you saying one thing one day, and using a different word 5 minutes later.  That’s because Digger will simply get confused and not do anything, or do the wrong thing because he’s trying to work out what you DO want.

To help you get started here are some dog training commands.  Please know that you are free to use or not use any of these words. It’s more important that you use the same word all the time for the same purpose than what word you use.

Useful dog training commands

Off: (Not to be confused with Down). It means “GET OFF”, like.. get off me, the couch, the bed, my kids,

Down: To lie down where ever you point or say.

Enough: Stop whatever you are doing, digging at the blanket, barking, licking…whatever!

Leave it: Leave it alone, don’t touch it, smell it, or take it.

Sit: Put your tush on the floor right now; I won’t say it again.

Don’t even think about it: I am on to you, don’t do it.

Basket / bed : Go to your bed please

Stay: Don’t move from that spot until I release you or give you another command.

Wait: (Not to be confused with Stay) Don’t follow me.

No jump: A warning BEFORE the jump happens.

No bark: A warning BEFORE the barking starts.

Take it: It’s o.k. to pick it up, or even go get it.

Drop it: It’s NOT o.k., spit it out N O W !

Come: Move to me now, face me, sit and stay.

Come on: (Not to be confused with come) Come with me.

In : In the car, in the dog crate, back indoors please

Out : Out of the car, OUT of that puddle!

Walk time : Lets go for a walk together

Heel: Walk directly at my side at the exact same speed.

Yes: YOU DID IT CORRECTLY!   (training)

No: You didn’t do it correctly.    (training)

Good: That pleases me.

Bad: That doesn’t please me.

Goodbye: Go away and leave me alone, (for now).

Easy: Slow down or take it easy, cool your jets.

I’ll be right back: I am returning immediately. You don’t have to follow me (It’s a courtesy that rarely works)

I’ll be back later: I’ll be gone a while. (Another courtesy)

Please feel free to use these words PLUS any more you can think of. Your dog has an incredible vocabulary that just gets bigger the more you use it. What dog doesn’t know “Who wants to go for a ride in the car?” Or “Who wants a cookie?“. I personally had to spell BALL and PIZZA, until they learned how to spell those, too!

About JoAnn

JoAnne Poppie is the owner of Poppie’s Puppies and a dog trainer for over 40 years.  She lives in Orland Park, Illinois, with her miniature Australian Shepherd ‘Asher’, who is going through his naughty stage.  Previously she worked at Pet Smart as a dog trainer but now offers private pet dog and service dog training. Contact JoAnne here

Recommended dog training resources

Training your dog means a happy life together. There are many e-books around on dog training but only a few of them are worth your money.  Handpicked from hundreds are the following:

Secrets to Dog Training By Daniel Stevens – The number 1 online dog training guide used by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide

Dog Training Home Study Course by Ray Coleiro – Covers all the essentials and a good option on slightly lower budget

Doggy Dan’s Online Dog Trainer – A video training series where you can pick and choose what you need from the library.  First month’s membership is just $1.

Dove Cresswell’s Dog Training Online – A nice basic introduction in a 7 video series.

A well-trained dog is a happy dog, so get started today!

I’ve had Vinnie for 6.5 years.  He came to me from The Retired Greyhound Trust as an unfit, scruffy-looking nervous wreck. In just 3 months he was transformed physically into a sleek, fit and healthy boy.  He has never been good with strangers and never will.  But life with Vinnie has been a delight.  He has been the sweetest, gentlest boy you could imagine.  He has never been ill and hardly ever been injured.  He was full of beans and loved every second of the long walks we enjoyed together.

Sadly things have changed.  Vinnie’s life is still good, but time catches us all in the end.  In my experience, the 3 biggest differences living with an older dog are:

1. Health
2. Exercise needs, and
3. Food

1. Health

3 months ago Vinnie developed arthritis.  Or rather the arthritis he had got to the point where he needed medication to keep him mobile and pain-free.  He is slow getting going in the morning but does enjoy his walk with the girls.  Occasionally he trots a bit but that’s about as energetic as he gets.  To help with his arthritis I have to do the following:

• Give him Previcox.  Previcox (Firocoxib) is a recognised veterinary medication for arthritis in dogs. Which means breakfast takes a little longer because I have to crush a pill and put it on his food.  He was taking it in bread and butter but 3 days ago decided he didn’t want that.  Fusspot!  However he never refuses breakfast so the answer was easy.  Put it on breakfast instead!  I add meat or a little something tasty to the food anyway so the pill is properly disguised.
• Add a joint supplement.  I use a horse supplement because it’s cheaper than the dog equivalent.  It contains glucosamine and chondroitin (for joint health), boswellia serrata, rosehip and turmeric (for anti-inflammation and pain relief).  He gets a half teaspoon per day and has been noticeably better since we started it.

Living with the extra time and cost of health conditions is something people never consider.  Fact : Keeping an older dog in good health costs money.  Too many people dump their dogs when they get sick, at a time when the dog needs them the most.

Personally, I love caring for oldies.  They have given me many years of enjoyment and love, so it’s up to me to return this when they really need it.

2. Exercise

Up until about 10 days ago Vinnie came out for our evening walk as well as enjoying the morning stroll.  But then I had several frustrating evenings where he would come out, get to the canal bank, do his business and then turn and head for home!  Or just stop dead in his tracks and refuse to move.  The only way I could get him to come with us was to put him on a lead.  But when I did do that it was obvious he was not enjoying it.

So Vinnie has been retired from the evening walk.  Maybe the fireworks (it’s Hallowe’en) are putting him off.  I suspect the morning walk we do (which has to be long enough for the girls to let off enough steam) is plenty for him, and after that he’s happy to rest.  I hate leaving him, but he seems happy flat out on the sofa with the TV burbling in the background, while the rest of us find rabbits and ducks to run after on the canal bank.

Older dogs need less exercise, which can be a blessing for some of us with busy lives.  But keeping a dog mobile is good for their health, so there is a balance to be struck.  I want to take Vinnie out, but he is telling me in the nicest way that ‘one walk in the morning is  lovely, thanks‘.  To take him out and drag him round when he doesn’t want it would be unkind.

3.  Food

And then there’s his food.  Now that Vinnie is much less active, he needs a lower protein food.  Because he doesn’t race around, he doesn’t need higher protein for muscle maintenance.  That now means I have to feed him a different food to Kylah and Arwen, who are 4.5 years and just 2 years.  It’s the first time I’ve had such a difference in the dogs’ ages, and the first time I’ve had to feed an oldie differently.

However old greyhounds don’t usually get fat.  They lose muscle and get skinnier instead.  Vinnie follows the pattern. So I don’t need a senior food which is low fat and low calorie, because Vinnie is not (and never will be) overweight.  In fact he needs more calories of the right kind! Instead I need a good quality low protein adult food which still has about 10% fat and plenty of easily digested carbohydrates.

It’s worth noting that I have never fed a ‘senior’ food to any of my dogs.  I just feed them less.

You’d therefore think it should cost less to feed an older dog.  Sometimes it does.  However sometimes it costs more because of the joint supplements you need to give.  If you buy a food with the joint supplements included they can be a lot more than normal adult dog food.  So my guess is it works out about the same in the long run.

When you have an older dog, you need to give them good quality food.  It’s more important than ever that they are fed well because that keeps them healthy for as long as possible.

My only problem has been trying to find an ‘oldie’ food and a ‘youngster’ food which have the same basic ingredients.  They forage from each others’ bowls so getting two foods with the same baseline formula will help to avoid stomach upsets.  Well that’s the theory!

With this in mind I am trying out CSJ Canine Feeds Herbie Nuts for Vinnie and CSJ Herbie Rings for Kylah and Arwen (UK only).

More about dog arthritis

My friend Christopher Durin has an excellent blog about dog arthitis.  To learn more about dog arthritis from his blog, click here

Heal your pet at home

Living with an older dog throws up all kinds of health issues and surprises.  There’s no substitute for good veterinary advice and treatment.  But there are things you can do as a dog owner to help keep your dog in great health. That’s why I also recommend an e-book by Dr Andrew Jones.  Click here to find out more.

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