New member of the Family

If you are thinking of adding a new pet to your family, but are not sure of how your existing pet family member will handle it, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, success will only be certain if your dog has a healthy temperament towards other dogs, or if your pet is not too old. It makes it very difficult for your current pet to accept a new dog into his/her territory, which is definitely aggravated by age. Secondly, do not pay the new pet too much attention to the detriment of your existing pet. This will make them jealous and give them reason to attack the new pup as to assert authority or territory. Feed your existing pet first, and his/her usual feeding spot and then feed the new pet, this will prevent competition for food. Try not to treat your pets any different with the acquisition of a new pet, but instead treat them equally, showing the same amount of love and care to both.

Choke Chain Reality

The practice of slamming the dog sideways with a jerk that brought the foreparts clear of the ground and 2-3 feet towards the handler, became popular in the 1970s and resulted in a painful condition known as 'Woodhouse neck' (see below) in his practice. He reports that some of these cases exhibited misalignment of cervical vertebrae on radiographs and that his ophthalmology colleagues had decided views on the relation between compression of the neck caused by the use choke chains, intra-ocular pressure disturbances and damage to the cervical sympathetic nerve chain resulting in Horner's syndrome. He also reports having personally seen a case of 'swollen eyes with petechial scleral haemorrhage and a number of temporarily voiceless dogs caused by the use of choke chains in the training of dogs'. It is never appropriate to recommend to an owner to hang a dog from a choke collar to subdue aggression. If the owner cannot back the dog down, and this may take a fight to the death, they are at risk of being injured (Grobbelaar 2006).

The Importance of a Walk

The mental stimulation a dog receives from a walk is underestimated. Dogs are mentally stimulated when required to use their senses. They get to see different environments, people and other dogs; they get to feel different textures under their feet, which increase dopamine in the body. Dopamine influences the brain's pleasure centre and is responsible for the positive feelings a dog experiences. They get to socialize and hear different noises. The more different environments a dog experiences the more adaptable he becomes. The bonding experience between dog and owner on walks is also often overlooked. If you have more than one dog per household try every now and then to walk just one dog at a time, even if it means they get a shorter walk on that day as to fit all of them in. It gives your dog time to be with you without the normal competitiveness that usually surrounds more than one dog on a walk.

Children and Dogs

All children should be taught to respect other living beings, be they animal or human, even if your household does not contain animals, your children should still be taught the basics. Dogs do not like hugs and kisses. Many dogs tolerate this as they have been exposed to it as puppies but they do not particularly like it. Dogs may feel threatened when hugged. Teach your child to scratch the dog on the chest and shoulders or rub behind the ears from the side. If a strange dog approaches your child, teach them to 'BE A TREE'. Trees are boring and the dog will eventually go away. 'Be a tree' means: stand still, fold your branches (arms) together and look at your roots (feet). Children can even use this technique if their own dog gets to boisterous during play. Dogs are stimulated by movement and sounds. The erratic movements and high pitch sounds that children make can cause some dogs to view them as prey and a chasing or wrestling game can become seriously dangerous.

Unwelcome Greeting

Jumping up is a common behavioural problem with dogs. It is usually invited and encouraged by owners as a greeting ritual, expression of affection and play. When puppies are small they tend to jump up to obtain your attention and interaction, we reinforce this behaviour by touching and talking to them. The puppy then learns that to obtain attention that is what he must do. As the puppy gets older and bigger in size the more of a nuisance it becomes, especially if you have a dog that jumps up on visitors etc. Ignoring the dog will not solve the unwanted behaviour; the dog might actually try harder to get your attention by jumping up more. The best results will be obtained by teaching an alternative behaviour (sit) with rewards and play, rather than focusing on suppressing the unwanted behaviour. Be pre-emptive, before your dog even has the chance to jump up to greet you, ask for a 'sit'. If he complies he can be calmly greeted, if not, withdraw your attention from him by turning away and then ask again for a 'sit’. He’ll learn that jumping up isn’t rewarded, but 'sit' brings him positive interaction and attention.