Kylah and JJ in the woods

This photo was taken about 2 1/2 years ago in the autumn before JJ passed away.

We’d all been out for a lovely long walk along by the river.  ’We’ being myself and the 4 dogs (Kylah, Arwen, Vinnie and Blue).  After a lovely stop at the Boot Inn (where I had coffee and they had chips) we were on our way back to the car.

About 10 minutes from the car we caught up with a middle aged (I’d say early fifties) couple with a Jack Russell terrier puppy.

Arwen did her usual thing which was go up and be all friendly and kissy.  The other dogs followed suit.

The man immediately picked up the puppy and held it away from the dogs.  I walked past and quietly said “you’re teaching that dog there’s a problem“.  The man looked at me like I was from Mars.

There was no problem except in the man’s head.  My dogs were fine with this tiny puppy.  It was fine with them.  It looked a bit wide-eyed, but it wasn’t cowering or afraid in any way.  But the more this guy picks the dog up the more he is going to reinforce in that puppy’s head that other dogs = problem.  And the more he picks it up the more it’s going to need picking up – because it’s never going to learn how to socialise properly.  So in a few months he will have created a basket case dog that’s scared of any other dog it meets.  And then he’s going to have to pick it up for the rest of it’s life – or give it some treatment to calm it down.

We went past and the man put the dog down again.  Arwen was desperate to say hello – but every time she want back the woman shooed her off saying “No, No, No“.  And as I went past she said as if to explain “our collie was attacked once and it’s not great with other dogs“.  Well that’s no reason to put your phobia and your collie’s phobia onto your new puppy is it?

Actually we met the collie just before we got in the car.  It didn’t seem to have any problems with my dogs.  In fact it was delighted to meet them.  My point?

The problem is with the owners. People like that will never learn and nor do they want to.  All they do is create problem dogs where there was no problem to start with.

I never stop Arwen from saying hello to anything.  I don’t care how grumpy the dog is – she has to learn.  Yes it can be difficult because you want to be protective, but in the end it just does more harm than good.

So however protective or worried you are for your new puppy – don’t over protect it.  Dogs generally have a way of sorting it out for themselves.  They did it well before we came along remember!

I didn’t use crates when I started out with dogs because I felt they were cruel.  Having the dog penned up in a small space when we were out just didn’t seem right or fair.  Because my own dogs were quick to learn the rules of house-training and weren’t destructive when left, I never thought about using one.

However when I started the rescue work, my foster dogs were unknown quantities.  We had no idea what they would be like on their own.  Some definitely would never have been housetrained.  We also had no idea how they would react to our cats!

We were loaned a giant (wolfhound size) crate by the rescue and started to use it.  It was a godsend.  We did not have to worry about the foster dog, the house or the cats.  The crate avoided house soiling, chewing, cat chasing and gave us time to assess the foster dog before we decided whether it was ok to be left ‘out’.

We did make sure our foster dog wasn’t left in the crate for more than 6 hours.  We also made sure it had access to water and soft bedding so it was comfortable.  The bed was in the same place our dogs slept so it had company at night and during the day, which reduced any separation anxiety.

When we let our foster dogs ‘out’ some of them continued to use the open crate as their bed.  Some of our dogs took turns to use it as well.  It was especially useful when there were fireworks.  We would cover the crate with a blanket and my lurcher Jess would hide in it.

If used properly, dogs come to look on the crate as their safe cosy place.  It’s a place for bed-time and for snoozing in during the day.  It’s also

• a safe haven from anything noisy or troublesome, such as excitable children or fireworks
• great for settling in rescue dogs, and houstraining both them and new puppies
• great for dealing with dogs with separation anxiety who are simply destructive otherwise (or training them out of separation anxiety)
• useful for confining badly injured dogs which must rest and recover.

So I would recommend using a crate now.  I still have a travel crate (a soft mesh one) and a wire mesh one.  The wire one currently is a safe haven for the cat away from Arwen – who just wants to play with her!

Crates must never be used as a punishment.  You should never put a dog in a crate if it’s been naughty.  Reprimand it – yes.  But don’t cage it for hours on end.  Because the dog will learn the crate is an unhappy place and will never willingly go in.

Teach your dog that it’s crate is a safe and happy place and you will have a harminous home.  Have it’s bedding and toys in there.  Make sure it also has access to water – there are bolt on water bowls available online and from many good pet stores. 

Plus you’ll always be able to fly and travel with your pet without it getting stressed to the max. 

Crates can be used in the garage, if that’s where your dog is going to sleep at night and when you are out during the day.  However please remember to have a light on during the day for the dog if there is no natural light. If you are leaving the dog in the garage, make sure it has plenty of proper family and house time as soon as there is someone in – and especially at weekends.

Top tip - Always buy a wire mesh crate which is the biggest one you can fit in.  The giant (wolfhound)size if possible.  This gives your dog maximum space and you don’t waste money on another one as your puppy grows!

Top Tip 2 – Always, always, always teach your dog to see the crate as it’s bed and safe place.  Associate the crate with nice things and never use it as a punishment.

Ettebel Azelouan aka ‘Zel’ at 10 months

This is Zel.

Red – a saluki greyhound lurcher

Meet Red.

This dates from a couple of years ago, but is still relevant.  This story is about a lady who initially adopted 2 ex-racing greyhounds.

The first time around

I met Clara (name changed) just after she had brought her two dogs home from the rescue centre.  She had a beautiful medium sized black and white bitch called Lady and a big black male whose name I never caught.  (That’s because he wasn’t around for long – read on).

Lady was a delight.  Sweet, affectionate, easy.  A great choice for a novice or an experienced dog owner alike.

The black male was a major handful.  Strong, wilful, and dominant with a very high prey drive.  This meant he was on the lookout for anything small and furry including small dogs.  Needed a highly experienced greyhound owner.

Now I could have handled the male.  I’ve had greyhounds for many years.  I’m also strong in body and mind, and have a very loud voice.  My dogs know who is boss. 

But for a greyhound rescue to place this dog with Clara, a softly spoken, unassuming lady who’d never had a greyhound before was ALL wrong!  There was no way she could ever have managed him.  As a first time greyhound owner neither would I.  You need to work up to something as challenging as that over a few years.

Sadly, the black male was returned.  Lady stayed, and remained a delight.

The second time around

But then the same rescue gave this lady a greyhound puppy.  Blue was a total sweetheart, but a typical puppy.  All flying legs and enthusiasm.  So Lady wasn’t very keen on him because he was too bouncy.

Also Clara didn’t really have the time for housetraining and other training  in between her part-time job and the children.  Plus the children didn’t help her with the dogs. So things didn’t go well.

Eventually she put Blue up for sale in the local paper.  When I asked her if the rescue wouldn’t take him back she said no, she got the impression they were overrun and just needed to find homes as quickly as possible.  I had enough dogs then or I’d have had Blue in a heartbeat!

The point

This rescue were so concerned with getting the dogs ‘off their books’ that they weren’t doing their job right.  They were simply offloading their problem and hoping it wouldn’t be someone else’s.

ANY rescue operating this kind of policy should be avoided.  Taking a dog from rescue needs the same kind of lifestyle checks as buying a puppy from a breeder.

Rescue centres which don’t do those checks are heading for problems.  They get a high rate of returns.  Or worse still, people simply abandon the problem (dog) or take it to be put down.

Rescue works brilliantly when it’s done right.  So choose your rescue centre well.  Things to consider:

• Do they ask you lots of questions about you and your lifestyle?
• Do they have a homing form and make extensive notes?
• Do they do home checks?
• Do they have a high or low rate of returns (high is over 10%)?  Do they even KNOW?
• Do they advise what types of dogs will make a good choice?
• Do you feel they are firm, fair and honest?

Top Tip – Choose a rescue centre which takes time with you and pays attention.  If you feel rushed or like they’re not listening, move on.  Good rescues will say ‘we don’t have anything for you now, but we’ll let you know if we do’ even if they’re already bursting at the seams.

Champion Mistweave Making Waves – “Oliver”

Meet Oliver – also known as Champion Mistweave Making Waves.

I’ve tried the nice approach, but it doesn’t work.  I’ve tried giving her a smack but she just looks at me as if to say “Yeah?  And?” then just carries on doing her own thing.  The other dog wasn’t like this at all.  I take her out a couple of times a day but she just doesn’t stop – she’s into everything all the time.  I think we’re going to have to take her to dog training or something.  Gary, UK

This highlights the pitfalls of not thinking about dog training when choosing your dog.

Actually there are two aspects of dog training you must consider.  They kind of go hand in hand:

1. How much time you can spend on training
2. The basic trainability of the dog anyway

Time spent on dog training

Consider how much time you have for general day to day exercise.  Then add time for training on top. 

Some training can be done on your walks.  These include recall (to come when called), fetch, sitting at the kerb before crossing the road, greeting strangers nicely without jumping up and walking with a loose lead.

Time spent training is always well spent.  It’s vital for bonding with your dog.  It also teaches your dog the rules and how to be a good citizen.  But in the early days it does add to your walk time.  Your 30 minute walk plus training can easily become 45 minutes or an hour.

And don’t forget that training is also done at home too.  Indoors or in the garden you should still reinforce what you’ve done on your walks.  Add in some more time for that every day.

If you want a well behaved dog that everyone admires, then you need to spend time on training.  And you need to determine in advance how much time you will (be able to) spend on training. Because…..

The amount of time you can spend influences which dog you can choose.

Dog trainability

All dogs can be trained, but they all need different levels of time.  Some are easy to train.  Half an hour a day for a few months and you’re pretty much done!  Some (like the dog above) are wilful and difficult.  They require more persistence, commitment and consistency.

Easy to train dogs include the Labrador, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Golden Retriever, Belgian Sheepdog (Groenendahl/Turveuren), Brittany Spaniel, and Poodles.

Also some dogs respond to different methods.  If you make sure you know what training methods work, it cuts your  time down AND improves the dog’s trainability.

If you’re using methods which are wrong for that breed, it does the opposite.

A general rule

If you’re a first time dog owner, look for a dog that’s easy to train.  And continue with something relatively easy in the future.  If you only want a pet, then why take on something difficult?  You just want a dog you can walk with, snuggle and have fun with so don’t complicate things!

Once you’ve cut your teeth on your first dog (and its training) you can move on to something more challenging – if you want.  Over time you’ll build your skills and confidence.  You might find dog training fun and rewarding, so with the next dog you can do more. 

As a novice, only start with a more challenging dog if:

• you really have a burning desire to become something in the dog world.  Examples of this include a heelwork to music, obedience or agility champion. 
• you’re willing to commit a lot of time.

Remember that ‘easy to train’ does not necessarily mean ‘intelligent’.  Some very smart dogs are hard to train because they think for themselves and have been bred to work away from humans.

Read up on the different breeds which might fit your enthusiasm for training.  Do as much research as you can.  Dog training should be fun and rewarding.  If you choose a dog that fits the time and energy you have for training, it will be.  And you’ll have a well-mannered dog that everyone admires!

Dog Training is only one aspect

Remember that just because a dog is easy to train does not mean it fits your lifestyle.  There would be no point in getting a Belgian Sheepdog (a working, high exercise breed) if you only have half an hour a day for walks.  But do use dog trainability as part of choosing the right dog for you.

Five dogs in a truck

This photo was taken outside a country pub somewhere in the Cotswolds.

I wondered this too about too with Kylah.  With my rescue dogs, they were already adult so that question didn’t arise.  There seem to be two schools of veterinary advice.

When I asked my vet (UK) they advised that I should let her have her first season but didn’t explain why.  Doing a little digging around it seems that in the UK we believe the first season is an important point in the dog’s development. 

This is because:

• If not allowed to have the season some aspects of maturation (growing up) don’t occur properly.  If bitches are spayed when they are very young they can get a bit “leggy” owing to delayed growth plate closure.
• Bitches spayed before their first season have a higher risk of developing (urinary) incontinence.  This is especially common in Weimeraners, Dobermans, Spaniels, Setters, Old English Sheepdogs and some other traditionally docked breeds
• If a bitch is spayed before her vulva has developed properly she can have problems with urine scalding of the skin when older
• The coats of some dog breeds – particularly Springer Spaniels and Setters - can become thicker and more woolly.

In other countries there seems to advice both ways.  In the USA it seems fairly common to spay before the first season on the grounds that it reduces the risk of ovarian cancers, mammary (teat) cancer, womb infections (pyometra) and of course having unwanted puppies.  However if you spay between the first and second seasons the risk of cancer and infections isn’t much greater.

It depends on each vet as to when they will or won’t spay before a first season.  Talk to them and get their views before deciding.  You  might want to talk to several vets in your area before making a decision.

My bitch has just come into season.  Can she be spayed now?

Technically yes.  However there is much more risk because of the hormones sloshing around in her system, and the enlargement of the uterus (and greater blood concentration there) in preparation for puppies.

Because of the risk, if you can wait until the season has ended, you should do.  It will be more expensive to spay a bitch in season and not all vets will do this.

My bitch has finished her season.  When’s the best time to spay her?

Right in the middle of her cycle.  So ideally 3 months from the end of the season so all the hormones and after affects have completely worn off.  All the organs will have returned to a normal size too.

We are about to go on holiday.  Can seasons be suppressed?

Yes they can.  However talk to your vet first because again not all vets will do this.

It can be possible for a season to be suppressed if you are going away.   This should only be used when absolutely necessary.  Drugs are not a remedy for having seasons and are not a good long-term alternative.  

There are various drugs used, including medroxyprogesterone, delmadinone acetate and proligestone.  There is also an oral progesterone compound approved in the United States, megestrol acetate (Ovaban Rx).   Some vets also use Mibolerone (Cheque Drops Rx).  This is an anabolic steroid, which also has some side effects.   In greyhound racing, testosterone can also be used to suppress seasons in bitches.

Side effects of long term drug use (more than 2 years) to suppress seasons can include 

• increase in size of the vulva and vaginal tissues 
• urinary incontinence,
• aggression,
• greasy skin (seborrhea oleosa)
• increased tear production and
• liver problems.

If you don’t want your dog to have seasons or produce puppies, spaying is a much more cost-effective and healthy option.

Will spaying affect her personality?

No.  The effects of spaying a bitch are not the same as neutering a dog.

In a bitch you are only getting rid of the hormones for mating.  Actually her personality might change MORE during the season than when she is not in season.

Spaying a bitch does not affect her personality.  She will not become fat and lazy or change who she is.  (Becoming fat is about too much food and too little exercise!) It will also not change the breed characteristics such as her hunting, guarding or retrieving abilities. 

I speak from experience here.  I have owned 4 bitches – all spayed after I bought or adopted them.  None of them have been any different afterwards in their personality, weight, eating habits or energy levels.

Help!  My girl’s accidentally been mated!

Contact your vet immediately and ask for treatment (usually a hormone injection) to prevent any pregnancy ‘taking hold’.   To be effective this has to be done as soon as possible.

Hopefully these 5 articles have been helpful to you.  The next one in this series is a quick recap on the benefits of spaying your female.