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Minggu, 17 April 2016
Dog Days of Fall Back to School Tips
Fall is a time of changing routines as family activities move into high gear. “I receive an increased number of dog bite calls every year during times of change such as vacation and school start up”, says animal behaviour specialist Teresa Lewin. Changes in routine are stressful for dogs. Anxious and upset dogs are more likely to bite and statistics show that most bites to children are caused by a family pet.
Here are some tips to keep the dog from becoming anxious and to keep kids safe:
- Supervise dogs and children at all times!
- During times of transition while everyone is getting ready for school or coming home from school, secure your dog in a calmer setting (such as a crate or gated area) with a safe and engaging chew toy such as a Kong or stuffed bone. Noisy children can get dogs very wound up and excited. This can lead to unintended injury.
- Do some training or play with the dog for a few minutes after the kids have gone to school. The dog can get lonely when all of a sudden the family is gone and he is all alone for the day.
- If the entire family is out for the whole day, try to have a neighbor or dog walker come in at lunch time to play with the dog and take him for a walk.
- After school, bring the dog back into the general area with the kids once everyone is calm. Have each child take a turn take a turn asking the dog to do something (a trick or even just sit) for a treat so that a calm routine is established around coming home time.
- Learn to read dog body language and teach kids too. The Doggone Crazy! board game (see below) is a fun way to learn how dogs communicate their feelings.
- Watch for signs of anxiety such as yawning, lip licking and half moon shape in the white of the eye (pleading look). Intervene and redirect both kids and dog to another activity if you see any of these signs while the kids are interacting with the dog or are playing in the vicinity of the dog.
- Teach kids to respect the dog. If he turns his head away or moves away the kids should leave him alone. Ask the kids questions about the dogs feelings. For example, "What do you think Fido is trying to tell us when he walks away when we try to pet him?"
- Practice basic obedience with your dog for short periods several times a day to keep him out of trouble and to stimulate his mind.
- Take kids and dog for a hike in the woods. A tired dog is a good dog!
Dogs are important family members but it is critical to remember that they are animals and they still have natural dog behaviors and instincts. Dogs do best when they are shown what we want them to do and are rewarded for good behaviour. Dogs like routine and to know what is going to happen next. By planning ahead and providing the opportunity for the dog to be in a low stress situation around kids, everyone is poised for success and trouble free transition to fall routines.
About the Doggone Crazy! board game:
Save 20% until the end of September 2012. Use the discount code FALLGAME when purchasing the Doggone Crazy! board game at the Doggone Safe store (US and Canada only).
Minggu, 10 April 2016
Being smart about those first dog shows
By now, you have figured out that I am all about making sure that dog shows are fun for dogs. Its only fair that if we are going to ask our dogs to participate in a sport with us, that we make sure that they enjoy it. Not only is it the only ethical way to approach it, its also the only realistic way to approach it. If a dog is not having fun, he is generally not going to be competitive. So, whether you are starting out a new puppy or an adult that is new to the show scene, it is critical that you go about it the right way or you risk ruining dog shows for your dog forever, or at least for a long time.
Dogs, like other animals, can experience "single event learning" which means that some experiences, particularly very frightening ones can have a lasting effect. If your dog goes to a dog show and has a very frightening experience or a very stressful or upsetting one, he may associate dog shows with bad things. If we want our dogs to win at dog shows we have to make sure that they have fun at them and that they enjoy showing. We want all their dog show experiences, especially their early ones to be fun and rewarding. It is really critical that your dog doesnt experience any really scary experiences at his or her first few dog shows. It is doubly important if you are working with a puppy under a year old or a very sensitive dog.
Since the first and most important thing to do is to make sure that your dog has fun at dog shows it is up to you to set it up to ensure that this happens. Bring high value treats and toys to dog shows. Realize that the first few times to a dog show can be very overwhelming so its important that you are prepared to set your dog up to have fun and enjoy himself. Bringing toys and treats will help him to associate dog shows with fun things.
Consider going to some shows just to hang out with your dog without entering. A lot of people have a difficult time with this and figure that its a waste of time to go without entering. Not true! Its actually a really good idea to take your dog to a show or two without entering so that he gets used to the sights and sounds that he will be exposed to at a dog shows. Unless you have practiced in a LOT of different environments with a variety of different distractions you have no idea how your dog will react and how well he will be able to perform at a dog show, unless you attend a couple first to see how he does. Dog shows are fun for people but they can be extremely overwhelming to some dogs. Dogs that are easily aroused or shy or timid really need to be desensitized to the dog show environment before being expected to perform reliably at one.
This next recommendation is a really important one and one that a lot of people take very lightly, unfortunately. I recommend that a new show dogs first shows are one day gigs. I would never ever start a puppy at a two day show and I would certainly never take a new show dog or a young show dog to a three or four day cluster. Even with a very well trained and experienced show dog, three or four days is a lot. I have seen many very stable dogs that seem to enjoy dog shows get really burned out on the third or fourth day of a long show weekend. It takes a lot for a dog to work up to being able to cope with that, and in my opinion its simply not fair to expect that from young or inexperienced dogs. So, start them out nice and easy with just one day. If you do enter a four day cluster I recommend you pull the dog if you start to see signs of stress or fatigue.
Finally, please make sure that your dog is ready to attend a dog show before entering him. I cant tell you how many people contact me a week or two before a three or four day dog show because they entered their untrained, unprepared dog and now they are panicked because the show is in a couple of weeks and their dog is not ready. It is unethical in my opinion to enter a dog in a show when they are not prepared for the show ring. Even a stable dog will experience some stress at a dog show, especially their first shows, but if you also have a dog is not trained and has no idea what to do or what is expected and its a recipe for disaster. Its simply not fair to the dog and a great way to teach your dog to dislike dog shows because they view them as overwhelming events where they are confused and dont know what to expect.
So, take your time, plan well and be smart. There will always be another dog show, so if your dog is not ready dont enter yet. If you do enter, take your time to ease your dog in so that they can slowly and honestly get used to the dog show scene so that they learn to love dog shows!
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Dogs, like other animals, can experience "single event learning" which means that some experiences, particularly very frightening ones can have a lasting effect. If your dog goes to a dog show and has a very frightening experience or a very stressful or upsetting one, he may associate dog shows with bad things. If we want our dogs to win at dog shows we have to make sure that they have fun at them and that they enjoy showing. We want all their dog show experiences, especially their early ones to be fun and rewarding. It is really critical that your dog doesnt experience any really scary experiences at his or her first few dog shows. It is doubly important if you are working with a puppy under a year old or a very sensitive dog.
Since the first and most important thing to do is to make sure that your dog has fun at dog shows it is up to you to set it up to ensure that this happens. Bring high value treats and toys to dog shows. Realize that the first few times to a dog show can be very overwhelming so its important that you are prepared to set your dog up to have fun and enjoy himself. Bringing toys and treats will help him to associate dog shows with fun things.
Consider going to some shows just to hang out with your dog without entering. A lot of people have a difficult time with this and figure that its a waste of time to go without entering. Not true! Its actually a really good idea to take your dog to a show or two without entering so that he gets used to the sights and sounds that he will be exposed to at a dog shows. Unless you have practiced in a LOT of different environments with a variety of different distractions you have no idea how your dog will react and how well he will be able to perform at a dog show, unless you attend a couple first to see how he does. Dog shows are fun for people but they can be extremely overwhelming to some dogs. Dogs that are easily aroused or shy or timid really need to be desensitized to the dog show environment before being expected to perform reliably at one.
This next recommendation is a really important one and one that a lot of people take very lightly, unfortunately. I recommend that a new show dogs first shows are one day gigs. I would never ever start a puppy at a two day show and I would certainly never take a new show dog or a young show dog to a three or four day cluster. Even with a very well trained and experienced show dog, three or four days is a lot. I have seen many very stable dogs that seem to enjoy dog shows get really burned out on the third or fourth day of a long show weekend. It takes a lot for a dog to work up to being able to cope with that, and in my opinion its simply not fair to expect that from young or inexperienced dogs. So, start them out nice and easy with just one day. If you do enter a four day cluster I recommend you pull the dog if you start to see signs of stress or fatigue.
Finally, please make sure that your dog is ready to attend a dog show before entering him. I cant tell you how many people contact me a week or two before a three or four day dog show because they entered their untrained, unprepared dog and now they are panicked because the show is in a couple of weeks and their dog is not ready. It is unethical in my opinion to enter a dog in a show when they are not prepared for the show ring. Even a stable dog will experience some stress at a dog show, especially their first shows, but if you also have a dog is not trained and has no idea what to do or what is expected and its a recipe for disaster. Its simply not fair to the dog and a great way to teach your dog to dislike dog shows because they view them as overwhelming events where they are confused and dont know what to expect.
So, take your time, plan well and be smart. There will always be another dog show, so if your dog is not ready dont enter yet. If you do enter, take your time to ease your dog in so that they can slowly and honestly get used to the dog show scene so that they learn to love dog shows!
Rabu, 06 April 2016
Alabama blood tracking dachshund puppies
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| This picture of Tom Munoz was taken at the 2011 UBT Trackfest in Arkansas. Tom is holding Jack (Joeri/Greta son) and Meg (mom to the current puppies). |
Dam of the litter, Meg, is a granddaughter of Agata v Moosbach-Zuzelek, and she was sired by Nicki von Velbert, who was imported from Germany. The pups were sired by eight-year-old Fred (Frederick der Trakker Yergz), a full brother to Gail Bergers Pepper. Freds lines go back to Asko von der Drachenburg, Sabina von Moosbach-Zuzelek, Traelborgs Herbert "Skyder", vom Dornenfeld and Springwoods.
Tom and Jackie Munozs website is at www.alabamadeertracking.com. They can be contacted at deertrackingdog@gmail.com or 256-426-3199. Pups are in Alabama.
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