Pet podcast - Pet podcast & blog on Pets.ca

Today we want to talk about ‘walking the talk’.

Whenever I see an animal in need of a home I sidle up to Doug and sweetly flutter my eyelashes at him and beg – ‘but he’s so cute’, or ‘no one else will take her, we have to.’ I Give Doug a ton of credit; he has turned me down on a daily basis for almost 25 years. But from the size of our menagerie he has also said ‘yes’ more times than he would like to admit.

Last May when I was looking for a dog for a client at the local shelter I spied a young (2.5 yr) male Rottie. He wasn’t the right dog for the client, and he looked sick and was very skinny. But he had a special spark in his eye and we have missed having a Rottie in our lives for the last 7 years. I asked to take him out into the yard where he exhibited tons of energy (despite his pointy ribs) and didn’t seem too thrilled about the dogs that were walking past. He was full of himself to say the least - go figure, he hadn’t been trained, socialized or neutered – what would you expect? The staff at the shelter were intimidated by him and didn’t quite know how to handle him. I immediately started to engage him and took charge of his attitude, and right away he paid attention and stopped acting like such a twit. Within minutes he was walking beside me on a loose leash. Long story short, the shelter basically said “if you don’t take this dog we don’t know what‘s going to happen to him”. Well, that was it; I called Doug and had him come right down to meet him. He agreed and we brought him home.

Tsavo (his new name), came home to a pack of dogs, a pride of cats, a flock of birds and a small herd (okay 2) of horses. He was thrilled to be here and we were thrilled to have him. Things went beautifully – he was easy to crate train, it took some effort but we got the vomiting and diarrhea to stop, he started to put on weight, he was great with all of the animals and his new best friend was our littlest Pomeranian. They are too cute to watch play together – the Pom kicks his butt!

About 5 months went by and we thought all was well. But in a short matter of days he attacked 2 of our dogs four times. If we had not pulled him off I don’t know what would have happened. He left them with multiple deep punctures on the neck, and one dog had a huge hematoma on the shoulders that took weeks to go down. Doug felt terrible that we had brought trouble into our home and caused pain to our beloved dogs. He looked at me and asked “Do we really want to keep him? It’s not fair to our other dogs and he is too powerful to take a risk with. What do you want to do?” I felt terrible too but I knew that if WE couldn’t deal with him who could? We are the trainers, we are the ones people come to for help in these situations, and we are other people’s answer to euthanizing their own aggressive dogs. We had to be our own answer too.

We could not take his good attitude for granted anymore. Doug did a lot of work taking him for long walks to stimulate him mentally and physically, but he is always so busy training other people’s dogs that I knew I had to step up to the plate as I had never done before. Because I had begged Doug for this dog - essentially I had brought the trouble home - I committed to making him my project. Our life together was going to be very different; Tsavo was going to be attached to me a lot of the time – working his mind and controlling his emotions. It is always about balancing out a dog’s mental, emotional and physical well being in order to create a well balanced dog. We had to get him to think before he acted, to learn to calm down, to be patient, to learn to back away when he was feeling tense, to learn to check in with us before he made any moves, to remind him that it was not his place to discipline the other dogs, and to help the other dogs regain their trust in him. It had to work – there was too much at stake.

Now that we are on the other side of things I can say it has worked. Most importantly the other dogs are comfortable with him again. He can hold a down stay for hours if needed- even with chaos all around, he does nothing without looking to us for permission, he plays well, he can sit in a line of dogs all crammed against each other as I feed each one raw meat. He is happy again and we are too. Oh, and we use him for our trainings as a distraction, a companion or for introductions.

This was truly a lesson in doing the very work we require of our clients. When your life is all about animals and you are lecturing everyone else on doing a better job it was like holding a mirror up and taking a long look. Our household is chaotic merely for the fact that we have so many different species living together. But in fact (despite the loud parrots) it is actually our own harmonious slice of heaven. We exist in veritable bliss surround by the fur, feathers and four-leggeds we adore. Each new addition can send a ripple effect into the harmony as the family re-adjusts itself to the new member. So work must be done to ensure that the ripple effect is short and not too noticeable. Tsavo brought a tsunami into the house. We had to work fast and hard to cover from its effects. We had to walk the walk we always tell others to walk.

Elizabeth Simpson and her husband Doug have been running Tenderfoot Training in Boulder Colorado for over 30 years. They offer private training,  do telephone consults and have an excellent DVD on their training method and technique.

Pet podcast #53 is our first video podcast with dog trainer and animal behaviourist Sherry Bedard. Effective immediately, Sherry will be helping us put together short videos that offer quick tips to pet owners. This first video (about 5 minutes long) is about teaching your dog how to sit but it also talks about other training concepts like “capturing”.

It’s obvious from the video that Sherry’s dog Hailey knows lots of tricks that she wants to perform for the camera, but this technique works well on dogs with no training at all.

In terms of the occasional yapping in the background…sorry about that, this was shot at the SPCA and controlling the background noise is difficult. Gonna choose a different location next time.

Sherry Bedard is an animal behaviourist and trainer working  in Montreal. She founded Animal instincts school in 2005 and she teaches people how to become dog trainers. She also consults on a 1-to-1 basis with dog owners that are having problems with their dog.  Sherry also teaches canine and feline behavior to students in the adult education program at Vanier College and regularly volunteers her time and expertise at local animal shelters in Montreal.

 

 Teaching your dog how to sit: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From Marko, Admin:
Doug & Elizabeth Simpson from tenderfoottraining.com have decades of experience in dog training and solving canine behavioral problems. Their techniques are based on the mutual  trust, love and respect that dogs and owners have for each other.  They have been contributing experts on Pets.ca for several years and have graciously agreed to contribute to our blog on a regular basis.  This is their FIRST post. Thanks Tenderfoot; you rock!!

Dog Shows - Purebred Dogs - Ethical Breeding Issues

Went to the dog show last weekend – Denver’s Rocky Mtn. Cluster shows – our own version of Westminster, so we attract many dogs who are top in their breed.  I always love to go and just wallow in the incredible assortment of breeds and try to get to know a breed that I normally wouldn’t get a chance to spend much time with.  This year I learned all about the Afghan Hound.  I couldn’t resist walking up to a gorgeous fluffy, brindle 6 mo. puppy.  She had woolly hair sprouting everywhere, but as I looked into the ring I saw dogs with very short hair on their backs and long silky hair down their sides.  I asked the handler about the proper coat for the breed and why the adult coats were so different.  I knew the puppy was in her puppy coat and that would change but the adults in the ring still varied a lot.  She explained that the coat naturally loses the hair along the back and on the face, sometimes even in patterns on the legs.  The rest of the coat should be very silky so the sand would easily fall through and not cause chafing on the skin of the dog during a hunt or afterward.  I asked “Then why was there a big male with a very woolly coat, looking so handsome I might add, even worth showing? His coat would not fit the standard.”  She went on to tell me that some judges like a flashy coat and will choose a dog with a woolly coat that would not allow the dog to do his original job, but still looks great on the dog.

Really? So it’s okay for a judge to determine that the standard isn’t good enough and they have the power to change what is permissible in their ring?  WOW!  I know I sound naive but I am consistently astonished by the lack of integrity in the human animal.  For our own glory we breed dogs who are genetically unsound and justify it in the name of what?  Ego? Money? Fashion? Trends?

What happened to breeding dogs for what they were originally created for, and I am heart stricken by the changes that have occurred over time due to an ‘ideal’ for what’s attractive, showy and sells.  Granted few Afghans are hunting in the desert any more, don’t know many Bulldogs who really mess with bulls these days, and when was the last time a Wolfhound really chased down a wolf?  But I still get rather uptight when I see deep wrinkly faces on pugs – wrinkles that must be wiped every day to prevent bacterial infections. We know that Bulldogs and other brachycephalic dogs can’t handle the heat or shouldn’t get too excited because they can’t cool down fast enough and could perish.  Most large headed dogs can’t even give birth on their own so they have to have a C-section.  There are Cavaliers who have a genetic weakness that results in luxating patellas and Rhodesians who have an inherent, sometimes deadly flaw in the very trait that makes them a Ridgeback. The list is really limitless and just about every breed has a problem, but some of them are so foolish and can be prevented with thoughtful breeding.

If you watch the wonderful PBS special on pure bred dogs we think you would agree.  The British Kennel Club has even threatened the German Shepherd Club to correct their breed’s structural flaws or they will be booted out of the National Club.  They seem ready to duel over the issue.  Yet if you look at a great number of German Shepherds in the world their slanted gait is so exaggerated that the dogs appear crippled.   We had one poor gentleman come to us for training and his dogs  (from a reputable breeder) had such horrible back ends that we didn’t want to ask anything of them for fear they might injure themselves.  It was tragic.

Did you know that of all the hundreds of Pugs in the UK , their genetic makeup basically makes them clones of 50 pugs?  They have been so closely bred that they are all little clones of each other.  The show explains that such a statistic would place them on the endangered species list if they could be listed as such.  Yet there are bucket loads of them.  How have we let this happen?

There was a group of ladies who are involved with showing/breeding Cavaliers and they knew that a grand champion had a serious genetic flaw that it was passing to all of his offspring, yet when they were confronted they became confrontational, or simply walked away refusing to face what they knew was immoral.  I was astounded at their lack of concern for the very breed they said they treasured.  It blows my mind that people in today’s society can still be so out of balance with what is morally correct.

If we really had an attitude of “what is best for the dog’s interest” we would return to breeding structurally sound dogs with sensible traits, great temperaments and genetically potent lines.  The second a fault showed up in a dog it would be spayed/neutered and live the rest of its happy life as a member of a family, not breeding to create more misery for both the animals and the people who fall in love with them… and suffer as they watch their animals suffer.

I still enjoy going to the shows so I can get my fix, but I always go with a bit of trepidation in my heart as people parade their dogs past and I know that they are probably perpetuating the very problem that makes me shudder when a client shows up with the latest ‘fad’ dog who will probably suffer from genetic flaws and cause heartbreak to its family.

Note – We have 5 purebred dogs in our pack of 8.  We have rescued most of them and bought a couple as puppies.  We do not think that purebred dogs should not exist – we believe they should be bred responsibly and with the utmost care for the breed standards and genetic strength.

Tenderfoot out.

Elizabeth Simpson and her husband Doug have been running Tenderfoot Training in Boulder Colorado for over 30 years. They offer private training,  do telephone consults and have an excellent DVD on their training method and technique.

Every month for the past few years, members of the Pets.ca forum take pictures of their pets according to a set theme. This month the photo challenge theme is Love. We already have some amazing pics posted and we are only 10 days into February. If you are lurking on our forum now would be a great time to register for free and post cute pix of your pet(s).

Here are 4 super-cute pix from February’s love theme thus far; Thanks members!!!!

By Macomom - Love is colour blind. It sees no stereotypes.

Tommysmom - Family love

Love4himies - Love is the warmth that only a mother can offer

ancientgirl - Love means, not caring how doofy your best buddy looks.

Your dog is your pride and joy. And you get so much positive feedback about his demeanor from friends, neighbors, and even your vet. He’s been called ‘the perfect dog’. One catch though. Spot, the dog around the corner, makes your ‘perfect pooch’ furious. How can this be? Seems like Spot is the only thing setting your dog back from winning the ‘perfect dog’ prize.

Having the most well behaved dog on the block doesn’t mean that your pet will be well behaved to everyone or everything. After all, you don’t necessarily like everyone you meet do you? So why should your dog love all other dogs? They are after all entitled to ’some’ of their own decisions.

Other factors can certainly play a part in your dog’s aversion to Spot though - such as your dog’s history if adopted from a shelter, if your dog was well socialized, the dominance of the other dog, or even a situation that you may have missed before you got to the scene. If properly identified, you can try to rectify this situation by doing your own research or by getting the help of a professional trainer.

For more information on the reasoning behind these aggressions, follow this link to our pet forum.

Pet podcast #52 features an interview with our dog behavior trainer from Boulder Colorado, Elizabeth Simpson from Tenderfoot Training. In this podcast we discuss the consequences (insecurity, separation anxiety, barking, lunging, running away, destructive behavior etc.) of unintentionally neglecting your dog on different levels. We also discuss how you can correct the common problem behaviors that result from this.

Links mentioned in this podcast:
Tenderfoot Training’s excellent DVD
The American Dog Magazine
Pets.ca photo challenge - December 2009 - Naughty and/or nice

You can download this pet podcast directly by clicking the first link in this post link or listen to it almost immediately, with the embedded player below.

 

 Neglecting your dog unintentionally [26:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

So many choices… so many options. But what to choose as a treat when training your dog? Although most dogs will accept any type of food given to them, a ‘training treat’ is different - it’s got to be something really worth their while. Dogs (just like people) generally work harder when they get ‘bonus’ treats.

There are a variety of pre-packaged treats you can find at your local pet or grocery store that work well as training treats. But there are simple foods at home that can serve as great treats your dog will adore and also be easy on the budget. Because in all honesty, the pre-packaged treats can get pricey. Cheese cut into tiny cubes, frozen blueberries/raspberries, sliced apples, and even pieces of cooked and cut up chicken or salmon work WONDERS.

The sky is the limit when it comes to training treats for your dog. But remember, not all treats will work the same way. Although carrots are great treats, they will always lose out to steak. For more tips and to contribute your own ideas visit our pet forum: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=65418

Your neighbors have asked you time and again to keep your cat away from their property. Hmmm… that certainly sounds like a harsh request, doesn’t it? Well,  if your cat is roaming in your neighbor’s property, and in turn being a burden or causing friction towards other pets and/or people, then the ‘harsh request’ may be required.

There are two type of cats - indoor cats, and outdoor cats. If you are the owner of an indoor cat, then you need not read further (but the rest is interesting, so keep reading!) . If you are the owner of an outdoor cat, remember that you still need to keep an eye on your feline. He/she could get into trouble and it is your responsibility as a pet owner to assure that the trouble isn’t too great. What kind of trouble you ask? Well, many cats like to check out other yards and scratch at fences, hiss at other animals (including your neighbor’s dog trying to take a nap by the back window),  filter through garbage cans etc.

These activities ARE normal for cats, but if you are not vigilant about your cat’s extra curricular activities, this may set your neighbor(s) off. Cats that are too mischievous and cause repeated trouble often have to deal with the municipal authorities (likely from a neighbor’s phone call). Also should your neighbor be able to prove that your cat damaged their property, they have every right to sue you. You the owner of the outdoor cat are legally responsible for its actions outdoors.

Want to read up or on this topic? Visit our pet forum http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=65943

Pet podcast #51 features an interview with our podcasting veterinarian Dr. Lee. In this podcast we discuss most of the important topics that surround vaccinating pet cats. We cover topics like the different types of vaccines (killed, modified live and recombinant), core versus non core vaccines, why indoor cats STILL need vaccines and vaccinations that are no longer recommended.

We LOVE comments so if you want to comment on this podcast you can do so right here in this blog, in the bulletin board, or just email us at pets.ca (a t) gmail dot com but use the correct email formatting. Of course you can also suggest future podcast topics.

Links mentioned in this podcast:
Dr. Lee’s website
Pets.ca photo challenge - November 2009

You can download this pet podcast directly by clicking the first link in this post link or listen to it almost immediately, with the embedded player below.

 

 Vaccinating cats [24:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here is a good composite for your cat’s food: Protein 32%, Fat 18%, Fiber 3%. Sound good right? Well what if you were told that this in the composite from a pair of old leather boots, used motor oil, and a scoop of sawdust? Wow. Not that appealing after all. Especially for our cats.

So what makes a good quality cat food?  Well for starters,  cats (unlike humans and dogs) are carnivores. They absolutely need meat and better cat foods will have real meat as the first ingredient. You want muscle meat rather than by-products, little to no grains, and WATER. Due to this water requirement (ESPECIALLY important during a cat’s senior years) a high quality canned food is better for cats because it has considerably more water. Beware of starches as some companies will use them to substitute for the grain.

There are some great brands out there that offer high quality cat food - the trick is to research these brands, or simply refer to this forum link for great information on quality pet food for your cat.