The Darling Dog Company

What does it feel like to be a deaf dog in London?

My dog is now totally deaf, she wasn't born deaf, she was fine, then it was partial deafness and now in the last few months its total and utter deafness. I often spend my time wondering what it is like for her as with the total loss of hearing has come changes in her behaviour, happiness and general wellbeing. I also ponder how hard it is being deaf in London, the busiest of streets, roads, people rushing, dogs everywhere, kids ten to the dozen, there is just so much to deal with for us let alone a dog and a deaf one at that.

Cookie getting a back scratch whilst working with Valentine and I

I've tried doing things like wearing headphones with a song playing which obviously I can hear but to replicate the feeling of having no idea what is going on in the outside world around me. It is quite scary. You can't hear kids on bikes, skateboards, cyclists, other dogs or people approaching you from the side or behind. In short, I felt quite anxious which is why its been no surprise to me that some of her behaviour has switched and in all honesty its been hard work. In addition to a young baby it makes for a lot of preparation and planning when I'm doing things with the dog.

It's why I was really interested to read Gillian Orr's piece in The Independent about what it feels like to be a deaf person and the incredible power a hearing dog has on a deaf individual's life. It makes sense to me, the feeling of exclusion, the disorientation and the lack of interactions are things that I know are having an impact on Cookie dog. And its heart breaking to watch. I have to be her ears for her, her trust in me and my husband is amazing.

You often find that physical reactions happen when emotional things are taking place and this has certainly been the case recently in Cookie's life. With the total deafness came a retraction from her daily life, she didn't want to go out and walk, she didn't want to play outside of our house and she just wanted to sleep in what I call her safe place. I feel its totally different for dogs that have been born deaf, they don't know any differently.

I have to maintain Cookie's trust in me whilst also trying to reinstate things she is struggling with. We are getting there and I think she is coping better and I'm finding ways to try and make it easier for her too. Some people when they meet her think she isn't very interested in them but when you are living in silence it takes more than a pat on the head to make her wiggle! I've invented lots of ways to tell her I'm pleased with her, so yes I am the woman dancing around her dog in a London park that you may have spotted!

Grimmy and Puppy: the story of how a rescue dog met its match!

Throughout life we are taught to not judge a book by its cover. When you are looking for a rescue dog, its what you end up having to do! You are having to make a decision based on its kennel behaviour, its interactions from behind bars or on a lead in the most stressful environment it will probably encounter. And this behaviour either hinders a dog or pushes them forward.

I work with potential owners to find them their forever friend whether it be a puppy or a second hand hound and one of the things most people get frustrated with is the time it takes. We are a society that is used to things instantly, when it comes to sharing your life with a dog, timing is key.

Puppy's first experience of water and swimming

I wanted to give you an example of a situation, a dog and a client who demonstrate all of the above perfectly and will hopefully inspire those of you who are thinking about taking on a rescue dog. I don't generally write about any of my clients who are in the public eye but I feel quite strongly about this one.

I first met Grimmy last year, a few days after having my baby. We were trying to work out about the kind of dog he wanted, he has a busy lifestyle presenting the Radio 1 breakfast show every morning, he is out and about and he has alot of commitments and friends with dogs but was adamant he wanted a rescue dog. Since that meeting it took me around 6 months to find him the right dog. That is a long time and we saw a lot of dogs in that time, never once did he whinge or moan, he paid attention to every dog I introduced him to. But above all I kept saying that you have to go with your gut instinct, it guides you through life I think.

We first met Smarty a couple of days after coming into the Dogs Trust kennels, she had been a stray and not much was known about her. She was nervous, she favoured Aimee (Nick's friend) and I and was unsure about Nick. But something clicked for Grimmy so we left it a week for her to be assessed and waited. The feedback was that she was reactive with other dogs which was an issue as Grimmy lives in London and there are dogs everywhere. She was barking alot, she was lunging, she was vocal and was finding life hard in kennels. In honesty, there were easier looking dogs out there but I knew that if he was prepared to work on her then there was so much potential.

To cut a long story short, we then spent time re visiting her, taking her out, and the Dogs Trust allowed me to test her in situations relative to Nick's lifestyle and she wasn't perfect at all but she showed eagerness to learn and enthusiasm for life. With all of the checks done on Nick  the date was set to bring this little Jack Russell Terrier home to her new life.

We are a couple of months in and I feel like I could burst with pride, for both of them. Grimmy has followed everything I have asked him to do, he has channelled time and effort into this little terrier. He has showered her with love whilst showing her how to react and teaching her what her new life involves. Her coat is shiny, she is lean and loving life. Nick and Puppy (as she is now known) are a shining example of a dog that on paper might not have seemed like the ideal dog but the thing is, you have to take time to get to know a dog and we didn't just judge her on her behaviour in kennels because that isn't fair. We still have work to do but the key to all of it is tackling things slowly and methodically. You need successes to spur you on and the progress she is making is so great to watch.

Recall was top of our list to teach Puppy. Off lead and long grass are her favourites.

There is a saying "you may not change the world but you will surely change the world for that dog you have taken on" and it applies to any dog that you choose to share your life with. Which is why it is worth putting the time, dedication and effort into finding the 'right dog' for you and if you need assistance, you know where to find me.

Relaxing with Thurston. Once reactive to other dogs we have taught her how to behave in a controlled and disciplined way.

It's the 'Kate effect' on Cocker Spaniels

Every now and then I notice an increase in a particular type of dog coming to puppy classes. Since the end of last year it has been all about the Cocker Spaniel. I couldn't figure out why and then after discussing it with a client who owns a lovely working cocker called Lily, she called it the 'Kate effect' and its true.

Kate and William bought their bundle of energy Lupo home in 2012 and the Kennel Club reports a 50% increase in the public searching for Cocker Spaniel puppies on their website in January and February 2013. I do find it amazing that people are so easily swayed as the main reason for selecting a dog should be its ability to suit your lifestyle.

Living in London isn't always quite as easy with the working breeds

Now as anyone who works with dogs will tell you, Cockers are a brilliant breed but and its a big but they need to be with the right family. They are a working breed that is designed to be active and do a job so if you live in a one bed flat and only fancy a half hour stint around the block, you are going to be in big trouble with that dog. I've also had people selecting a working cocker on purpose which again, is great if you know what you are letting yourself in for. But there is a reason why they are often used as a sniffer dog, because they keep going and going and going. My grandfather who was a farmer describes them as the dog that is never satisfied which is true. So if you are an incredibly energetic and busy household who like to be out for hours then this could be the breed for you.

My concern is those who look at the dog on paper and think it looks lovely. Kate and William have access to a team of people for support so like when you are selecting any type of dog whether a puppy or a rescue, look at your life and then at the dog. As the Kennel Club says, working spaniels need a lot of activity and attention and hopefully those who take them on know this.

I do offer free advice on selecting the right dog for you, so do get in touch if you would like any help.

My work with dogs and youth offenders

For a while now I have been working on a pioneering project alongside the Dogs Trust, I have been involved from the very beginning and it is brilliant to see the project going from strength to strength. I work with youth offenders who have community hours to serve and we use those hours to work with Dogs Trust dogs looking for homes, to teach the youths about responsible dog ownership and how to train a dog using positive methods.

The youths achieve a huge amount from the project and so do the dogs. Recently the Youth Justice Board came to make a video about our work and here it is. You will see in it that I am 9 months pregnant, I don't usually look like that!!

 

The art of the growl

Dogs have lots of ways of communicating but the growl is the one that will get a human reaction. I've been to see clients who have chastised their dog for growling, have hit the dog, have rewarded the dog or have just panicked. 

Either way, the dog has learnt something from what it did. Good or bad. Dogs may growl at a person, at a child, at another dog or an object but there is a reason behind it. They don't just do it as a past time or to be difficult! After a while it can become a learnt habit and they don't know how to respond in any other way which is something we also want to avoid.

Some dogs may growl when being approached and feel worried about it

What is worth considering when your dog growls is the who, where, why, what at, location and your reaction. I say this because usually in the heat of the moment, owners forget to write down exactly what happened. And actually whilst its fresh in your mind, its better to jot down some bullet points, it will certainly help me or another behaviourist. 

The main thing to remember with growling is that dogs do it for a reason, it is a warning system. Its a way of saying 'I feel uncomfortable' or 'I'm worried, please back off' but very often dogs get punished for using this really simple system. So they then realise that they need to up their game to get you to listen which is when the nips and the biting can begin. 

Its a very fine line with growling reactions because you don't want to reward or punish the dog. In reality you want to respect what it is trying to tell you and work out a way to calm the dog without putting anyone in danger. It is why the art of growling can be so delicate because your reaction can teach your dog so much. 

A great example is a rescue dog I have been working with in the last couple of weeks. She is under a year old, was used for dog baiting, had her front leg broken and left by the man who owned her. The new owner had to have the leg removed but her association and fear of men is incredibly sad to see. She is totally petrified. When a man walks in she will growl and physically try to run away. Now if we tried to stop her doing the growling and removing herself, she will find another way to convey her message which I would predict would be to start actively approaching men, lunging, biting and then running away. Because her first system didn't work. So whilst the growling isn't ideal, I understand it and what we now need to work on is providing her with other tools, other ways of coping but all of this takes time and patience.

The art of the growl is a very clever one, so when you see or hear it, respect it and try to assess the situation so that when you talk to someone like me, we can help you understand the reasons behind it and how to deal with it safely. 

Bitches & being in Season: Changes in behaviour

A few years ago I was on a course and we were discussing the changes of hormones and when bitches are coming into or are in season. A male trainer piped up that he didn't feel it was relevant to take this into account when dealing with a bitch. The whole room nearly turned on him! As a room full of mostly women, every single female begged to differ. At the moment I have a couple of clients whose bitches have come into the season for the first time and they are asking for advice.

It can be a tricky one as each dog deals with it differently but in my opinion it can change behaviours and it can make your dog react differently. Depending on the dog itself.

I have put some tips below that may help you London dog owners. Its my belief as responsible dog owners living in an busy, crowded urban environment that we should take responsiblity for our own dogs and when they are season that may mean a change in your daily routine. For the protection of your dog and other people's dogs. Some may disagree with me and that's fine if you live in the country with a quiet orchard to walk your dog. In London, we don't!

The reaction you may get when a male sniffs out a female on heat....!

At Home:

You may find that your dog becomes subdued, quiet, barky, reactive, anxious or stays exactly the same. I can't predict but its worth being aware that changes can happen. I can't tell you for sure whether the bitches are in pain but I have witnessed one of my dogs when she was in season, barking at her own bottom whilst sat in bed! The jury is out but its something to bear in mind but not dwell on. Just make sure your dog has a quiet, safe environment like a big bed or crate to retreat to that is out of the way of everyone else. Give them space to do their own thing like sleep if that is all that they want to do.

You may find that your dog has more accidents and seems like they are losing their toilet training. It isn't the case at all but I have had clients whose dogs suffered from diahorrea during their season. If there is ever blood in the stools or it goes on for more than 24hrs then get a vets appointment.

You can also try using things like the DAP plug in diffusers. There doesn't seem to be much evidence either way that they work but if it makes you feel like you are doing something, do it! You may also want to restrict your dog's access in the house to rooms that have floorboards or similar. As when in full swing some bitches can bleed quite a bit, others it is just minimal spotting. So be prepared with the dog friendly floor cleaner and wipes.

If you have other dogs in the home, observe carefully when together. Its crucial to keep entire (uncastrated males) away from your bitch when in season and some other bitches will react badly to a female. Its down to animal instinct I'm afraid so be cautious and careful. Baby gates are a great help if you do have more than one dog in the home.

Out and About:

My personal opinion is that if your dog is up for going out on walks you should still take them but at very quiet times. So ideally very early in the morning and very late at night. They should always be walked on lead and not in busy parks or areas. A dog in season will get male dogs excited and some can smell them far far away! You do not want to be walking your tiny Yorkshire Terrier when a huge Labrador comes hulking over looking for a good time!!

London is a busy place and a bitch in season can be a great drawer for many males. So in my opinion to safeguard your dog and other people's dogs show some consideration and keep outings to a minimum. If you dog is subdued and quiet, you may be better to just entertain her in the garden. Play games and teach her some tricks to pass the time.

Most of all, do not be tempted to let your dog off lead. Depending on where she is in her cycle she may be oblivious to male attention or if she is further along, she may try to flaunt her wares to any passing boy!! If you know what I mean. We are over run with dogs and puppies in rescue so please do think twice about breeding your dog and bringing even more dogs into an overcrowded world.

And here is a link to an article that you may also find interesting it details the exact parts of the cycle in all bitches on heat

Getting Ready for a Baby

Having a child is one of the biggest changes you can ever go through in your life. Or so I'm told as I'm 17 weeks pregnant! One of the things that I am already working on is preparing the dog in my life for the arrival of an interesting little bundle. I am fortunate as my dog Cookie loves children, my niece and nephew have grown up with her in their life and she has adored them. And they her as well as being taught how to respect and behave around her.

My nephew George with my dog Cookie and my cat Eartha. My sister is sat just to the right of the photo. Never leave your dog alone with children, no matter how much you trust them.

However it is still different because Cookie will be living with the baby twenty four hours a day from September onwards. So it may still seem too early to some to be preparing her but I don't agree. Some mothers may notice that as their hormones change so can their dogs behaviour, so far so good in my house. But it is important as an expectant family to be prepared for this with your dogs/s. 

Although I am four months pregnant and we have a long way to go, I have already begun little pieces of work to get Cookie used to some of the things she is going to have to do when the baby is around. One of the things I've been doing a lot of is whenever we are with my family, she is learning to walk alongside the niece/nephews buggy. Don't take for granted that its as easy as it looks. You go from walking your dog just next to you to asking them to walk beautifully next to a large contraption with 4 wheels. It can take time to establish a routine with this and I would suggest starting as early as possible. Go out with your friends and family's pushchairs as soon as you can and start putting some work in to making it an enjoyable experience rather than one that is feared. 

Teaching dogs how to react around equipment and baby is crucial. Dogs are animals and not human, they cannot possibly understand it all unless you teach them.

My dog is deaf, she was tested as totally deaf but sometimes I'm sure she can hear very high pitched noises! If your dog can hear properly you should also think about buying a CD of baby noises - crying, screaming, gurgling and so forth. Its a really great way to get your dog used to the weird and wonderful noises that they are going to be subjected to. If your dog has been living in a nice and peaceful environment with not many disturbances, think how different it will be when a baby comes into the dog's life!

Teach your puppy or dog what toys they can and cannot play with. You cannot afford for possession guarding around a baby!

There are lots of other tasks that you can be doing to prepare your dog, here are just a couple to get you started:

• Don't leave your dogs toys littered around the house, have a set box or drawer where they are kept. To teach your dog that not everything lying on the floor is his. It will also be important to designate an area for toys for the baby, that the dog isn't allowed access to. You could also start with this early on. 
• Bring new items of furniture into the home to get your dog used to them, such as playpens, car seats etc.
• If you don't want your dog on your bed or sofa when the baby arrives then you need to change your routine before the baby arrives. My dog is allowed on the sofa but only on one particular part of it, so she already knows that part of it is out of bounds. Which means that if I want to sit with her and the baby I can but if I want to sit alone but to have her on the sofa, she already has her own area and I can retreat away from her. 
• It can also be worth thinking about introducing a crate as a separate place for your dog to take themselves to. If things get too much, they have their own private place that they can relax and rest in without having to worry about children, noise and being interfered with.

There are many many more things that you can be doing, too many to go through in a blog post. If you would like help with getting ready for the birth of your baby or settling a new baby into the household, do get in touch. 

The Importance of Play for Dogs

Many years ago I used to work as a senior children's researcher, looking at how children's lives have changed, how they interact and one of the topics to investigate was the importance of play. Yesterday I was talking to someone on the phone about their dog and they said it wouldn't play with them, it was a rescue dog. The new owner had only tried the ball and then given up when the dog wasn't interested.

Having the conversation got me thinking back to the days when I worked on this topic with kids, although a different species in my eyes the importance and relevance is exactly the same. Children and dogs use play to learn about the world, to understand the rules and boundaries. If you look at many of the tasks children and dogs do in the early stages its all about improving cognitive behaviour and co-ordination such as grip, hand/paw and eye co-ordination. Then as time progresses its role reversal, testing the boundaries and then there is a lot of running in there, as their curosity and interest in the world means that everything must be done at a really fast pace! Are you seeing the similarities now?

In my eyes, with the work that I do, play has a huge role, in fact I try to make most of my training about play and games. As usually it keeps the dogs interested and motivated. On top of that play is good for us adults, playing with our dogs calms us down, soothes us and makes us happy plus the benefits for your dog. Some dogs have been deprived so do not know how to play or some may have been controlled so tightly that they dare not play. This can be changed but it takes time and patience.

Below I've put a list why in my eyes play is so very crucial for our dogs and I'm not referring to dog on dog play I'm talking about the games and fun they have with us because in my opinion, if a puppy is from a decent breeder with a good mother, much of their dog on dog socialisation will be learnt by the time they arrive with  you at 7/8 weeks. The mother will have taught them when enough is enough, how hard to bite, when to stop and litter mates should have played a role in creating boundaries, role reversal and so forth. So your job as an owner is to continue this play and teach them the ways of the world that they are now going to live in as a dog in a human world.

The benefits of play to your dog:

• It will make your dog happy
• It will build confidence in a nervous dog and maintain confidence in a balanced dog
• As an energy outlet, play is a wonderful way to mentally & physically stimulate your dog
• To learn the rules - i.e. dogs teeth & human skin don't make contact, not to jump up
• As a recall reward
• To make your dog want to be with you and hang out with you, if you are dull and dogs are more fun why would they hang around with you?! Harsh but true I'm afraid.
• As a way to train an exercise or task
• It can be a great motivator. If you do this you get to play this game
• To release stress and anxiety in a dog
• To keep the brain active which is especially important in older dogs
• Balance, co-ordination and life skills such as hunting, fighting etc.
• Because its fun, for everyone involved

The other thing to remember is, don't get caught up on what you 'think' your dog should play with. If you are obsessed with your dog retrieving a ball and it doesn't seem interested, don't worry about it. Move on and find something that they do love playing with. Find out what motivates your dog as every dog is not the same even if they are from the same breed group, there will be similarities but also differences.

Mini Dog Classes for Excitable, Nervous & Aggressive Dogs

Recently I've been trying to come up with ways to help clients who need continual assistance with their dogs but that isn't going to cost the earth, as we are in a recession.  Owners may come to me because their dogs are nervous around other dogs or they are uber excited and want to pounce on each dog they see. Or it could be because they are showing aggression when faced with other dogs.

Below you can see the 3 dogs involved in an over excitable mini class. These 3 dogs find it hard to contain their excitement when they are around other dogs! Here we have them doing some control exercises and learning to focus. Well done Sparkie, Harvey and Pluto.

So I came up with the idea and created 'mini classes' where a maximum of 3 dogs and their owners meet me in the parks for us to work together.

We then use the basis of behavioural adjustment therapy to help the dogs. And depending on the reason why they are there will depend on the format the hour class takes. I've found them to be a really helpful way to build owners confidence slowly and for dogs to learn to trust their owners too.

And here is Kirsten playing with Rocket in the park and we are teaching him to be calm and confident when other dogs are around as he can be nervous aggressive towards them. What you can't see is that just out of shot is Ripley the Afghan standing and watching.

The great thing about the mini classes is that I can tailor them around the dogs whose owners contact me. If you have a dog that you think might benefit then do contact me to discuss the details. 

 

The

Turning Mr Aggressive into Mr Calm using BAT

Often when I meet clients who have a dog with aggression issues they want it solved immediately. Which usually isn't possible, in my view aggression is a symptom of an underlying cause. It is a reaction, a way to show its owners that it really doesn't feel comfortable, or its worried or its scared or just doesn't want a particular behaviour to take place. On some occassions aggression is good, a growl to warn is a brilliant indicator and should be taken notice of and not punished or ignored. On the flip side aggressive displays can start to take over a dog's life if the dog is feeling unbalanced and insecure.

Say hi to Rocket!

Enter Rocket the delectable Bedlington Terrier X Whippet who his owners took on as a rescue. We can't be certain of  his past but they were told his male owner died and then he went into foster. But there wasn't much feedback apart from that. From the word go Rocket was being aggressive on the lead and around other dogs. He would jump, circle, bark, lunge and react whilst totally ignoring his owners. He would find it hard to relax and you could see with his body posture that he wasn't comfortable.

I'm not going to go into huge details of what we did as it would take a while but we moved him onto a secure, comforting harness and a collar with 2 leads to give him and owners lots of control and security. We then started the long process of behaviour adjustment therapy. Working with stooge dogs that were calm and had no interest in him whatsoever. We also had to work on getting his focus on his owners so that he was responding to their commands and letting them deal with the situations. At the beginning all of this was hit and miss, we took a step forward and then one back. But we kept going with our early morning sessions and stooge dogs.

Behaviour adjustment therapy takes time and patience it isn't a quick fix and it isn't something to be undertaken lightly. But in my opinion it is worth perservering with and using.

His owners continued with giving him a really fixed routine for walks and exercise and in the house. So that he started to get some security and boundaries in place that he could relate to and understand. At the same time we had to do some work on him in the car as he didn't enjoy journeys in the car, at all. So you can see, there were a number of things to be working on. Plus add into the equation that they live in fairly central London with dogs a plenty on streets, parks, pubs and so on. We also looked at what made Rocket happy, one of the things his owners wanted to do with him was take him to the pub, this was too much for him. So we had to redress what made Rocket happy and actually for him, being at home would be far more pleasurable and enjoyable.

Fast forward a year and a bit to now and my I am bursting with praise for Kirsten and Richard. They have taken EVERYTHING on board that we started work on and carried every single thing out. Rocket's body posture has changed when he walks, he's not  looking behind constantly, he kind of bounces when he walks now! His focus on Kirsten is fantastic, total and utter dedication. We are starting Rocket on some mini classes I've developed, to try and move him forward once again.

I wanted to highlight Rocket's story as it is a perfect example of a dog that had a big issue that needed and still requires a lot of work and management. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel with hard work and love. He is also a great example of having owners who have taken everything on board and worked non stop with him. Patience is definitely something they have in bucket loads and Rocket is now seeing the benefit of this. On the other end, his security and balance is being restored so this then has an impact on his personality - he is more playful, attentive, focused and happy. So the moral of the story is this, a behaviourist and trainer can help you but as an owner you also need to be 100% committed.