Halloween tips plus pedigree cats

CatBreed.mp3

This week, I had a discussion firstly about Halloween, and secondly about pedigree cats, with Declan Meehan on East Coast FM.
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Bed-wetting pets

This week on Ireland AM, I brought Tasha with me. Click here to watch my chat with Aidan.

Tasha is an eight year old female neutered Cavalier King Charles Spaniel She has left a few drops in her bed occasionally in the past few months, but in the past couple of weeks, she has woken up with a drenched blanket in her bed.
Urinary incontinence is very common in older female dogs, especially if they are spayed. There are multiple causes, which include old age, low oestrogen levels and urinary tract infections.
Treatment is highly effective but a diagnosis needs to be made first.
Diagnosis
+ A visit to the vet is important
+ A urine sample provides important information
+ Sometimes xrays and ultrasound are needed

Treatment
+ Daily drops in the food often cure the problem completely
+ Antibiotics are needed as well if infection is present
+ Some dogs also need hormone tablets, or in some cases these may be given instead of the daily drops.
Visit this site for more information about urinary incontinence in pets
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Dog dancing

Richard Curtis from Southampton was visiting Pet Expo in Dublin last week, with Disco, his dancing Portuguese Water dog.
Dogs have featured in Richard’s life for as long as he can remember. His first boyhood pet was a West Highland White Terrier called Nicky, and since the day that Nicky arrived, Richard has scarcely spent a day of his life without the company of dogs.
When Richard was growing up, the hobby of “dog dancing” did not exist. The nearest equivalent was simple dog training. Richard spent much of his youth working with his dogs, training them to the highest possible level. He started by going to dog training classes every week, then he began to go to dog shows from the age of ten onwards. As a teenager, he became aware that Nicky had limitations as a dog doing obedience work, principally because he was a terrier. Terriers – of all breeds – are strong-willed, independent individuals, with larger-than-life characters. They have very appealing personalities, but when it comes to obeying a human instructor, terriers do not excel. Richard did his best with Nicky, and his parents even bought him another Westie a few years later, but it was obvious that a different breed would be needed if he was going to compete at the highest level in the obedience world.

It was not until he was eighteen years old that his parents finally bought the right dog for performance obedience work: a tri-colour Border Collie called Gem. The Collie breed is known for being athletic, intelligent and obedient: it is no accident that most of the winning dogs in obedience and agility competitions are Collies. Richard was now able to compete at a high level. Gem was not the ideal dog – she was quite dominant, and she was easily spooked by loud noises. But she took Richard onto the competitive ladder, and he began to enjoy reaching the upper levels of the dog obedience world.
It was Richard’s next dog that took him towards dog dancing – she was a black and white Border Collie called Sybil. She was exceptionally intelligent, and she kept wanting to do more and more. She learned the standard obedience routines so quickly that she was looking for something else to occupy her mind. She started to throw in improvisations herself, doing little jumps for fun when she was meant to be performing a standard, slow, “walking at heel” routine. This natural exuberance was difficult to control, so Richard decided to do more interesting work with her. This is what led him to begin to do obedience work to music, also known as “dog dancing”. Sybil loved doing the extra twists and turns that were needed for the performance.
The sport of “dog dancing” started with a demonstration of “heelwork to music” that was given at the Crufts Dogs Show in 1992, by a well known dog obedience specialist called Mary Ray. Mary has repeated her performance at Crufts every year since then, with her act being televised by the BBC on the Best in Show night for the past eight years. In 2005, Crufts included heelwork to music as a competitive activity for the first time, and it has now become an accepted part of the dog show landscape.
There are two forms of dog dancing: “heelwork to music” involves the dog walking to heel, staying close to the dog trainer while moving to music. “Canine freestyle”, which is Richard’s speciality, involves synchronized moves by dog and trainer, but without the need for the dog to stay at heel.
Richard and Sybil found success almost at once when he took up Canine Freestyle, winning several competitions. He did routines to well known music, such as Thriller and Mission Impossible, and he also started to give demonstrations at Crufts. The public loved his performances with his dogs, and Richard enjoyed working with his dogs in front of an audience. Soon, Richard ‘s day job as a professional dog groomer began to take second place to his hobby. He found that he was being asked to teach Canine Freestyle by obedience clubs around the UK and abroad. When people asked him for DVD’s of his training sessions, he decided to devote himself full time to promoting and developing Canine Freestyle across globe.
At this stage, Richard needed a new challenge. Most successful “dancing dogs” are Collies, and Richard wanted to prove that his training methods worked in other breeds. Richard had always liked the Portuguese Water dogs, and he wanted what he describes as “a hairy dog with a brain.” Disco was his new chosen partner. When Disco dances, her long hair moves in a wave in time to the music, and the audience loves her. Dancing is a challenge for Disco – she has to keep her attention and focus, doing up to 30 or 40 moves during a three minute piece.
Richard and Disco’s dancing career is going from strength to strength. Richard is now one of the top performers at the highest level at Crufts every year.
Tips
• Any dog can be trained, but some breeds are easier to train than others
• “Dog dancing” is a new sport which is now beginning to be popular world-wide

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Clicker training for dogs

Clicker training is a way of teaching dogs that many of you may have heard of, but what is it exactly? Anne Rogers, a dog trainer who runs her own excellent blog has given me permission to post her useful explanatory guide about the technique.
The article is copied below, and if you want to read more of Anne's stuff, visit her blog here

++++++++++++++++++
Using a Clicker in Dog Training

‘Clicker training’ is often talked about as being a new and easier way to train, however, while it has benefits it is not necessarily ‘new’ or a miracle dog trainer. Clickers can be used in many situations and can help to speed up learning - they are not suitable for every situation so we can use a clicker in your training program or develop a clicker training program for you and your dog.

What is a clicker?

A clicker is a small plastic box with a thin piece of metal inside that when pressed produces a ‘click click’ sound. Clickers are available in different styles from the straight forward model (left) to fancier ones that have a volume adjuster or can be set to produce different sounds.

How is the clicker used in dog training?

When the dog carries out the correct behaviour he gets a click. The sound of the clicker ‘marks’ the exact behaviour that earned the reward. The ‘click’ also acts as a bridge because it lets the dog know that the real reward is on its way.

What is clicker training?

Clicker Training and training with a clicker are considered to be two different methods. Training with a clicker means to simply use a clicker to reward desired behaviour - how you achieve that behaviour is up to you. Clicker Training involves waiting for the dog to offer desired behaviour and using the click to ‘capture’ the behaviour. Sometimes shaping will be used in Clicker Training; this means to set the scene so that the dog is more likely to offer the desired behaviour.

Why does the clicker work?

Once the dog understands what the clicker means the click is used to inform the dog that he has carried out the right behaviour the exact second he did the right thing - even if the dog is a distance away. Rewards work best if delivered with 1 or 2 seconds of the behaviour being rewarded (in fact even delivering a reward 2 seconds later is still only 20% effective). This means that you can speed up learning as the dog is rewarded far more efficiently, even if you can’t give a treat for a few more seconds.
Any sound could be used, you can even you use the word “good” or “yes” in the same way; however realise that a spoken word is not always consistent as you may deliver it in a slightly different tone thus changing the meaning to the dog. When training marine mammals, for example, different whistle tones are used to mark correct behaviour.

Charging Up you Clicker:

This means to teach your dog that ‘click’ means “yummy things are coming my way!”

1. Start working in a quiet, distraction free place. Make sure you have your clicker and plenty of things that your dog likes.
2. Click and give your dog a treat. It doesn’t matter what he is doing, at this stage.
3. Click and treat (C+T) about 6 times and then take a break.

*If your dog is sensitive to sound or seems to be alarmed by the sound of the clicker, start by holding your clicker in your pocket or using a volume adjusting clicker.

4. Repeat step 2. Click and treat about 10 times.
5. Try clicking when the dog is not looking at you. Does he look at you when you click? This is a good sign that means he is beginning to get what the click means.
6. After a few sessions practicing in a low distraction area, move to a slightly more distracting area.

Tips for Training with a Clicker:

• Keep your hands by your side when you click. The clicker is not a remote control - you don’t need to point it at your dog and your hand movements will be the signal that your dog responds to.

• Do not move towards the treat until AFTER you click. Otherwise you train your dog to respond to your hand movements rather than the click.

• ALWAYS reward after a click - no exceptions, even if you click by accident.

• Perfect timing is the key to perfect clicker training (in fact any dog training) - practice your timing.
Put your dog in another room and choose a TV show. Pick a behaviour such as every time no. 8 kicks the ball in a football match or every time your favourite character lifts their left hand - use your imagination! Click each time you see the behaviour being carried out - your time should improve with practice.

• Practice getting your treats out quickly; this is particularly important when you first start using a clicker with your dog. The timing of the delivery of the treat can be relaxed as you progress with training.

• Click as the dog carries out the desired behaviour, not at the end. The click ends the behaviour and if you click at the end the dog is likely to stop in his tracks and come back to you for a treat.

• You only need to click ONCE. If the dog performs really well deliver more treats not more clicks.

• Click whenever you see your dog doing something you like, from training exercises to your dog lying quietly when you watch TV.

• You don’t have to wait to click for the entire behaviour - even if your dog offers a small step in the right direction towards the desired behaviour, you can click that and build from there. Keep raising the goal and guiding the dog towards perfecting the behaviour.

• Click for any voluntary movements even if they are accidental - this will your dog clues as to what you want him to do.

• You don’t have to just use treats with the clicker. You can charge your clicker with your dog’s favourite things such as toys, food, games or treats.

• Never push or force your dog into position, if you have your dog on leash, tie to your belt so that you are not tempted to jerk or pull.

• Keep sessions short and fun.

• If you or your dog is getting frustrated put away the training tools and have a game instead. Come back to clicker training later and review your training strategy.

• If your dog isn’t getting it, it’s not because he is disobeying you. You’re timing may be off, he may not know the exercise well enough yet or he may not be accustomed to working at this distraction level yet.

• Click anytime the dog performs the correct behaviour. They will soon begin offering this behaviour all the time to earn a click. This is when you can introduce a cue word or hand signal.

• For more information get Peggy Tillman’s book “Clicking with Your Dog” for step by step, click by click introduction to clicker training or Melissa C. Alexander’s “Click for Joy” for everything clicker.
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Pets - fireworks phobia - on the radio

The problem pets being frightened of fireworks came up with Declan Meehan on East Coast FM this week

Fireworks.mp3

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Ireland AM - Pets and Halloween

This week on Ireland AM, we discussed the issue of pets and fireworks - a huge problem here in Ireland over the Halloween period. Click here to see the video. And here is the rest of it. Click here for full post

My favourite cat breeds

The Supreme Cat Show is coming up soon - on 22nd November in Birmingham. Cats are remarkable creatures, and the range of breeds is fascinating. Earlier this year, the Daily Telegraph asked me to come up with a list of my own favourite twenty cat breeds - you can see them if you click here
I just have two moggies of my own, but my favourite cat of all time was a cross-bred Burmese called Gladstone. He died three years ago, and I still miss him. He's the cat curled up on the chair in the photo.
I'd love to go to the cat show in Birmingham this year - it's a great opportunity to see the best of the pedigree cat world, and to meet hundreds of fellow cat-enthusiasts. I'll let you know if I manage to get it organised.... Click here for full post

Pet Expo in Dublin this weekend

This week's interview with East Coast FM's Declan Meehan is all about Pet Expo. Click below to listen and click here to visit the Pet Expo website - if you want something fun to do with the family this weekend in Dublin, please come along!

PETEXPO.mp3

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Ireland AM - Pet First Aid

This morning I discussed first aid for pets on Ireland AM. Click here to see it for yourself. I brought a 10 month old Cocker Spaniel called "Moose" into the studio with me - she had a crisis 10 days ago when out playing football with her family. There was a collision, and afterwards she was holding up her right foreleg. The normal vet was closed, so the question was: what should her owner do? Did she need to rush to the vet straight away, or was there something she could do herself?
When it comes to first aid for pets, perhaps the most important thing is to make the right decision: when does a pet need to be rushed to the vet at once, and when can a more relaxed approach be taken.
Urgent situations, where vet needed at once, include:
1) Bloat or gastric torsion
2) Whelping difficulties
3) Serious trauma - road accidents or fights
4) Seizures that don't stop
5) Bleeding from anywhere
6) Breathing difficulties
7) Repeated vomiting
8) Collapse or unconsciousness
9) Obviously broken bones
10) If poison has been taken

Other situations may seem urgent, but can probably wait till the next day.
For example:
1) Lameness with no obvious serious damage
2) Mild coughing
3) A one-off digestive upset
4) Itchy skin
5) Adult dog not eating dinner (more serious if a puppy)
6) Increased thirst

When it comes to first aid being carried out by an owner, this is probably best kept to simple common sense measures such as:
1) Simple bandaging to stop bleeding
e.g. cut pad, cut tip of ear. More difficult than you'd think to bandage an animal. Need to be firmer than most people are used to being to hold them still.
2) Cooling down a dog that has obvious heat stroke
3) General reassurance and calming of an animal that has suffered from trauma

All vets are obligated to provide access to a 24 hour service, so owners can always phone their vet for advice if they are not sure whether help is needed.

An example of a home first aid kit for pets might include:
1) Simple muzzle
2) Bandaging
3) Non-adhesive wound dressing
4) Gauze swabs
5) The vet's phone number

I'm giving a full talk on Pet First Aid at Pet Expo this weekend - at 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. There are lots of other interesting talks happening in the seminar area - e.g. by National Parks and Wildlife Service, Seal Sanctuary, Aquarium experts, and many others.
See www.petexpo.ie for more information about seminar content as well as other stuff.
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Is this long haired dog going bald?

Luke Henry, aged 12, has an from Wicklow Town 18 month old Samoyed, called Angel. Angel used to have a long, fluffy coat, but in the past two weeks, she seems to have started going bald. Samoyeds come from the group of dogs known as “sled-pulling dogs”. They were bred in Siberia by nomadic reindeer herding people. As well as pulling the family possessions along on a sledge, they would have been used to herd reindeer, and they would have slept with the family at night, helping to keep them warm with their thick, dense coats. Samoyeds are good natured, friendly animals.
The wonderful, long, white coat is one of the best features of Samoyeds, and Angel’s coat has looked magnificent since she was very young. It occasionally gets mucky, but a quick brush-out is enough to return it to a clean snow-white appearance. Luke and his family spend a lot of time grooming Angel, and they have always been surprised at the quantity of soft, downy fur that comes out during the daily grooming sessions. Angel has once-monthly anti-flea drops applied to the back of her neck, to make sure that she remains parasite-free.
A few weeks ago, Angel’s coat began to look different. The long white fur began to look bedraggled, especially on her under-side. Her coat began to have a moth-eaten appearance. Could Angel be going bald? Luke and his family booked an appointment with me to find out if Angel was suffering from some type of skin condition.
Angel is an easy dog to examine – she just loves attention of any kind. I examined her carefully all over. Her skin was very healthy, with no red sore areas, and no bald spots. But her coat did look irregular and patchy.
Samoyeds have a very distinct “double layer coat”. Firstly, there is a dense, soft, downy undercoat, close to the skin. This is the insulating layer that is so important in the Samoyed’s land of origin. When you groom a Samoyed, huge wads of these fine, curled hairs gather on the brush, and when you pull them off the brush, they can be scrunched up like a ball of cotton wool. If a Samoyed is not groomed frequently enough, this soft undercoat can easily become matted, which can be impossible to sort out with grooming. A dog with a matted coat sometimes needs to be fully clipped off, down to the skin, using electric clippers. Some other breeds have a similar type of undercoat – Old English Sheepdogs and Shetland Sheepdogs are examples, and they also need frequent thorough grooming to prevent matting. In Angel’s case, this undercoat was in perfect condition – it was obvious that Luke and his family had been putting in plenty of time and effort on the grooming front.
The second coat of a Samoyed, known as the “top coat”, is made up of long, straight, coarse hairs. This layer acts as a water-resistant protective layer, shielding the more porous undercoat from water and muck. The top coat is the coat that is most obvious when you look at a Samoyed – it hides the undercoat beneath it. As I examined Angel, I could see that whereas the topcoat on the upper side of her body looked normal, the top coat on her underside was ragged and irregular. We turned her onto the back on the consult table, and examined her underside. The usual long hairs of her top coat were shorter and had grown less evenly than normal. When I parted her coat, and examined her skin, I could see that new hair was growing in, as it should be. The problem seemed to be a simple one – she was losing a lot of her full-length guard hairs before the new ones had grown in properly. Angle was simply having her first full-on moult.
Dogs tend to shed fur all year round, in small quantities, in a so-called mosaic pattern – little bits here and there all over the body. But once or twice a year, most breeds have a moult, where there is large-scale loss of hair, and the coat is completely replaced. This tends to happen in the spring, when the long, dense winter coat is replaced by a lighter summer coat, and then again in the autumn. There is a huge amount of variation in how dogs moult, even between breeds, but whenever a dog starts to lose fur in the spring or autumn, moulting is often the cause.
There is no cure for moulting, but there are two things that can minimise the problem. Firstly, a high quality diet, including plenty of essential oil supplementation, is very important. Angel has now been changed from a supermarket brand of dried food to a so-called premium brand, available from vets and pet shops, that has been designed specifically to optimize coat condition.
Secondly, thorough, frequent grooming is very important. The Henry family are clearly already doing this, but they are looking again at the implements they are using, and their technique. The best way to learn about grooming is to see a practical demonstration, and the Henrys are planning to visit Pet Expo at the RDS in Dublin next weekend (17th – 19th October) where they will be able to see grooming in action. They may also want to buy some new grooming equipment, and Pet Expo will also have plenty of options to offer them on this front. I know one Samoyed owner who regularly uses five combs and two brushes!

Tips
+ Samoyeds have a very distinct “double coat”
+ Frequent, thorough grooming and a good quality diet are needed to keep the coat in good condition
+ Once or twice a year, moulting can make even the best kept coat look a little bedraggled
For more details about Pet Expo, go to www.petexpo.ie
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Kennel Club response to BBC programme

In this East Coast FM discussion with Declan Meehan, recent developments in the breeding of pedigree dogs are discussed

VETKC.mp3

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Ireland AM - Guinea pig escape artists

Today on TV3, I brought three guinea pigs who are escape artists. Click here to view the clip And here is the rest of it. Click here for full post

Excessive barking

Another TV3 viewer called, asking about how to stop their dogs from barking. There is no quick, easy answer to a barking dog. It's useful to learn more about why dogs bark, and then to think about your own dogs. What is making them bark? How do you respond to their barking? There is an excellent website that has different information sheets about animal health, called www.veterinarypartner.com. Their article on dog barking has much useful information - visit it here. If dogs barking are causing a very serious problem, you do need to visit your vet, or a qualified animal behaviourist to go through the detail of your own situation. Click here for full post

Puppy crate training

I was asked by a TV3 viewer about a pup that was whining at night when left alone. The whole subject of using puppy crates to house puppies is important to understand, so I have copied a few pages of information about this (thanks to Anne Rogers of Pet Central for help with this)

Crate Training:

Crate training is useful for many reasons, not just for toilet training. Your dog is safe while in his crate and what’s more so are your shoes, furniture and anything else your puppy likes to chew or destroy. His crate is his safe den where he can escape during hectic and scary situations.

Your dog can spend short periods of time in his crate and can spend longer periods in his long term confinement area which includes his crate.

Most healthy dogs and puppies prefer not to toilet in their bedding. When choosing a crate for your dog make sure that it fits him snuggly – just enough room to stand up, lie down and turn around. If you have a large breed puppy include a crate divider so the space for your puppy can grow with him.

The type of crate you choose is up to you. Metal crates can be draughty and noisy as the dog moves around. Travel crates such as Vari-Kennels, are ideal as they are secure and easy to clean. Canvas crates are not the best idea for puppies or chewers as they will make short work of the soft panels.

When you go to pick up your puppy bring his crate and allow him to travel in it. Take the crate inside and set it up in its permanent position with suitable bedding inside – the crate should have a number of positions around the house while you are training your puppy, once your dog is housetrained and more reliable you can leave the crate in a more permanent position.


Introducing Puppy to Crate:

• Hide a couple of treats in the bedding in your dog’s crate.
• When he goes into the crate toss another couple of treats to the dog while he is in there. Hold the door closed over while he is eating his treats.
• Continue to feed him treats in the crate for a few minutes.
• When finished, give him a release cue such as “OK” and open the door. Don’t give the puppy any treat once outside the crate – the idea is for him to think treats come when he is in his crate!

• Stuff a Kong toy with something your puppy really likes and show him this tasty treat.
• Put the Kong into the crate and close the door. More than likely your puppy will try to get to the Kong.
• After a few seconds of tantalizing your puppy, say “Crate-Time” and open the door allowing the puppy to start working on the Kong.
• While he is busy, close the door and move away, but keep an eye on the puppy.
• At this stage try not to allow the puppy to become too upset at being left in his crate. When he finishes the Kong, if he is still awake, toss him a couple of treats to reward calm crate behaviour.
• If he fusses, wait from him to settle. Then count to three, toss a couple of treats into him to reward calmness and use your release cue (“OK”) and let him out.

Always make sure your puppy has something to do while in his crate. As he gets better in there, move gradually further away, for gradually longer periods. If your puppy gets upset, go back to the last position and timing that he was comfortable with.

Any time your puppy whines or howls in his crate ignore him and wait for him to settle (Make sure he is not taking longer than two minutes to settle, if so we will have to go back a few steps). When he goes quiet, count to three and reward him with a few treats or the release cue and allow him out.

Before putting your puppy in his crate make sure he has had some exercise and gone to the toilet. Build crate times into your puppy’s daily routine and always give the dog something to work on while in there.

The crate should not be used as a punishment device. If you want to ‘time-out’ your puppy, take a deep breath and lead your puppy to his crate for no more than two minutes to calm down. Before getting him in there, have a couple of treats hidden in his bedding.
DO NOT GIVE OUT TO HIM – if your puppy got into mischief you were not supervising closely enough!

Crates and Night-time:

We are all familiar with the whining that a young puppy does, particularly at night. Get started with a night time routine from the first night – otherwise you may be in for weeks of sleepless nights!

Get your puppy used to the crate during his first day home as described on the last page. Before bed time make sure your puppy has had a toilet break and some gentle game or exercise before putting him in his crate with a stuffed Kong or equally satisfying chew. More than likely your puppy will chew himself to sleep, before he has even finished.

Understand that your puppy is likely to be very distressed at spending his first night alone in a strange place and you should expect him to be upset. Be sympathetic but do not fuss him too much before he goes to bed.

• Despite traditional ideas, one of the best places for your puppy’s crate on his first couple of nights is right next to your bed.
• Keep a little stock of tasty treats beside your bed. Some peanut butter on a spoon or small edible chews are a great idea.
• When he wakes you with whining do not say anything to him. Wait for him to stop, count to three and treat him.
• Speak to him softly while he is quiet.
• Most puppies will soon be off to sleep again comforted to know that you are nearby.

• Be aware that while toilet training you may need to get up a couple of times over night/in early morning to allow the puppy outside to toilet. Do not take the puppy out of the crate if he is crying or fussing – wait for him to settle, count to three and give the release cue (“OK”).

• After a couple of nights most puppies will be sleeping soundly between toilet breaks. You can now move the crate to the end of your bed. If the puppy becomes distressed move him back to your side and repeat.
• Once settling at the end of the bed, move the crate to the bedroom door, then to just outside the open door, then to outside the door until you have gradually moved the crate to the position of your choice.
• If you would prefer your puppy to sleep in your room for the rest of his life – that is fine. However, in order to train the puppy to cope alone carry out this procedure; once trained you can bring your puppy back in to the room.

Crates and Housetraining:

By far the most effective way to housetrain your puppy is to crate train.

When you take your puppy out of his crate bring him to an appropriate toileting area. Once the dog has toileted, then play with him, feed him, walk him etc. FREE TIME IS FOR EMPTY PUPPIES. If you take your puppy inside or end play time immediately after he has toileted he will quickly learn to hold it for as long as possible – you are effectively punishing him for toileting appropriately.

While following the above programs you can be housetraining your puppy at the same time too. Work toilet breaks into your puppy’s daily routine.

• When it is time to take your puppy outside for a toilet break, make sure he is calm before opening the crate door.
• Use your release cue (“OK”) and fasten a leash or house-line to your puppy’s collar or harness.
• Lead your puppy outside to an appropriate, regularly used toileting area.
• Wait there with your puppy and be really boring - this is not a play area but a ‘business’ area! Use the same area all the time – the smell of past eliminations will encourage your puppy to ‘perform’.
• If your puppy does not toilet within a five minutes, take him back inside and put him back in his crate for 5-10 minutes.
• Repeat this procedure until your puppy toilets.
• Verbally praise your puppy calmly while he is going to the toilet. As soon as he finishes (and not before) offer him some treats.
• Once he has toileted play with him, feed him, walk him etc.

• For the first couple of weeks you may need to go to bed late and get up earlier and sometimes in the middle of the night for toilet breaks – always following the same routine.
• The time between breaks can be gradually extended so as to last all night. This is particularly important for young dogs whose bladder and pelvic muscles have to mature so that they can ‘hold it in’. A puppy cannot be considered completely housebroken until at least six months of age, although he may be reliably performing within a couple of weeks of training they still require regular toilet breaks and close supervision.

• There is no reason for you to get rid of the crate once the dog is toilet trained, in fact to do so could cause the dog to revert to peeing in the house.


Crates and Training for Calmness:

• Catch your dog doing the RIGHT thing: when your dog is settled lying in his crate or calmly staring into space – toss him a treat. Do this regularly and very quickly your dog will realise that being calm is much more fun than jumping up or chewing the furniture or chasing the cat or digging the roses or barking at nothing etc. etc.

• From the time you get your puppy routinely confine him to his crate with a tasty chew or stuffed Kong toy. Do not leave the dog there with nothing to do and remember to supervise the dog when not confined. The idea is to informally teach the dog that being alone is ok; chewing and working on an enrichment toy help to relieve dogs of anxiety and frustration too.

• Teaching your dog to go to his crate on cue should never be used as a punisher but a positive experience for your pet and a valuable exercise for you. Play ‘hide n’ seek’ with your dog and his favourite treats by hiding a couple in or under his bedding. Guide your dog to ‘go to bed’ or ‘crate time’ and once he is there and eating the treats, toss him another couple while he is there to keep him on the bed.
Any time your dog goes to his bed himself toss a couple of treats. Very soon your dog will realise that being on the bed is a good place to be. Regularly hide treats or chews there and ask your dog to ‘go to bed’.

Crates and Alone Training:

Get your puppy accustomed to spending time in his crate while working on a chew or stuffed Kong. It is a fact of modern living that dogs must spend periods of time on their own so begin getting your puppy accustomed to this from day one*.

• Put your puppy into his crate with a stuffed Kong.
• Gradually increase the time he spends in his crate and vary the distance you move from the crate over several repetitions.

• Once your dog is settling in his crate after a couple of sessions, put him in there with something really yummy.
• Start preparing to leave home: get your keys, put on your coat, pack a bag etc.
• Once you have got yourself ‘ready’, sit back down and read a book.
• Repeat the exercise but this time go out of the room towards the front door. The next stage is to open the front door but remain inside, then step outside with the door open, then step outside for a two count etc. etc.
• Each time you raise the criteria look out for any distress signs from your puppy. If he fusses, step back inside or to the last step where he was still calm. Wait for your puppy to get back to work on his chew.
• The idea is to desensitise your puppy to all the signs that mean that you will be leaving him while teaching him to cope with being alone for gradually increasing times.
• This routine should become part of your puppy’s daily training routine.


• When you are leaving for real, supply your puppy with plenty of stuffed toys and make sure he has been exercised prior to your departure.
• Before leaving, practice several false departures as per the above training routine before actually leaving.
• Try to work in several departures, for varying times, into your puppy’s training sessions once he can cope with the above training routine.

• When you return to your puppy, do not fuss him or talk to him if he is too excited.
• Wait for him to calm down, give him a release cue (‘OK’) and bring him straight outside to toilet before playing with him.

• If you must leave your puppy for a longer period of time consider adding a long term confinement area that is puppy-proofed.
• Dr Ian Dunbar, in his puppy books, describes how to construct an excellent long term confinement area for your puppy. Using an exercise puppy pen place your puppy’s crate, toys, water bowl inside. You can even construct a turf and grass toileting area in a litter tray within the area so that your puppy can relieve himself.


*Try to minimise the amount of time your puppy/dog spends alone each day. It’s not just about toileting either - remember dogs are not space intensive they are time intensive!
Toilet trained, reliable adult dogs should not be confined to their crate for more than 3 hours at a time. Puppies should get regular toilet breaks depending on how toilet training is going - usually toilet breaks are required every hour or two.

For longer confinements your puppy/dog can be left in his long term confinement area which includes his crate, water bowl, toilet area and toys.

Why not hire a dog walker (professional or a dog-loving neighbour) to visit your dog while left alone or bring your dog to ‘doggie-day care’ for supervised fun and play. There are plenty of options so preparations should be made before the decision to bring a new puppy into the house.

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Ireland AM - World Animal Week

This week, on TV3's Ireland AM, World Animal Week was the subject under discussion. Click on here to see it on TV3's website Click here for full post

Bray Swan Sanctuary

Harriet Ledwidge from Bray, Co Wicklow has recently helped to establish the Bray Swan Sanctuary Volunteer Group to look after the swans in the harbour in my home town of Bray. Swans occupy an unusual niche. They are wild animals, but they are often dependent on humans, and they are not afraid to come close to people who may have food for them. In parks and waterways across the country, feeding the swans is a popular pastime for many people, from children to old age pensioners.
Everyone knows that swans can be dangerous. There are stories about swans breaking human legs if they feel threatened. This reputation means that swans are generally left well alone by people with bad intentions. However last week there was a dreadful incident in a park in Coolock where some young thugs allegedly fed a swan bread containing a lit firework. When the firework exploded, the swan’s lower beak was blown off, and the poor bird had to be euthanased by the DSPCA. This appalling act of cruelty highlights the need for action in two areas. Firstly, Ireland’s cultural attitude to animals needs to be improved so that this type of cruelty becomes unthinkable. And secondly, steps need to be taken to specifically make sure that Ireland’s swans are looked after properly.
How do you change a country’s cultural attitude to animals? This is a long term project, and it involves legislation as well as education. On the legal front, a new animal welfare act is currently being drawn up by the Irish government. This should make it easier for individuals like the swan assailants to be apprehended and prosecuted. Many animal welfare groups are working together to try to ensure that this new act contains the best of modern international practice on animal protection legislation. To find out more, visit the website of Animals In Need of a Voice in Legislation, at www.anvilireland.ie.
Education is the second way that the culture is changed. World Animal Week, which takes place this week, plays a strong role in this process. This is held every year in early October, around the birthday of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, which is today, 4th October.
The World Animal Week publicity campaign is supported nationally by vets and animal welfare groups “Blessings of the Animals” have become a traditional part of the week, with pets gathering outside local churches to take part in ecumenical thanksgiving events.
For vets, visits to local schools are an important part of World Animal Week. Children are the grown-ups of the future, and they are still forming their attitudes to everything around them. If they can be persuaded that animals are valuable, sensitive, living creatures that deserve to be cherished, it is more likely that the Ireland of tomorrow will be more “animal friendly” than it is today.
What about taking specific steps to ensure that Ireland’s swans are properly looked after? This is where Harriet’s plans for a swan sanctuary are important.
The Mute Swan (to use its full name) is one of the largest and heaviest flying birds in the world. It has a scattered distribution in temperate regions of Europe and Asia, and is resident in Ireland throughout the year. Swans are found throughout the country in lowland areas with lakes, ponds, slow-moving rivers, canals, coastal lagoons and other wetland habitats. The Irish population is estimated to be about 21,000 birds.
Although swans are a regular feature of many public parks and places, they are generally just left to get on with their own lives. Harriet had been observing the swans in Bray Harbour for many years, and she knew that they could do with some extra help.
Until the new Bray sewage treatment plant was constructed in the mid-1990s, Bray Harbour was too polluted for swans, but since then, numbers have built up steadily, from around 24 birds in 1996 to up to 160 now.
Harriet could see that whilst the Bray Swans were surviving, their lives could be easily improved by taking some simple measures. After talking to a few people, she set up the Bray Swan Sanctuary volunteer group, with the aim of establishing an official swan sanctuary in Bray Harbour. The group had its first meeting six months ago, and has been busy fund-raising and drawing up a plan of action. Aims include the setting up of notice boards containing information about the swans, descriptions of suitable and contact numbers for assistance with sick or injured swans. There are also plans for a feeding station, where specific “swan food” will be sold to the public, and the provision of litter bins and some landscaping to make sure that the harbour environment is as pleasant as possible for swans and people. Longer term, the provision of a manmade grassy island in the harbour, to give the birds somewhere safe to rest has been discussed. Harriet has been pleased with the support that she has received from other groups and from local government in Bray, and she feels that perhaps in other parts of Ireland, other local people might be inspired to carry out for their own swans. St Francis of Assisi would definitely approve.
The next meeting of the Bray Swan Sanctuary Volunteer Group is at Bray Sailing Club on 15th October at 7.30pm.

Tips for feeding swans
+ Brown or wholemeal bread rather than highly refined white bread
+ Green vegetables, such as the outer leaves of cabbages
+ Wheat or barley grain
+ Very stale bread should be thrown into the water so that it is softened.
+ Avoid giving mouldy bread which could be poisonous

Protecting the swans from hazards
1. Dogs. Unfortunately, some large dogs are allowed to chase the swans and occasionally birds are injured. Visitors are requested to keep their dogs under control.
2. Litter. Drinks cans, broken bottles, etc. are sometimes discarded on the harbour beach, or washed up by the tides, and these can be hazardous to the swans and other birds. Any such items should be removed and disposed of safely.
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My new blog c/o the Daily Telegraph

I have just started a new blog in association with the Daily Telegraph - see http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/peter_wedderburn to read it. For a while, I have been aware that many of the Telegraph readers' queries don't make it into print - maybe they are too long, or maybe the subjects are not quite right for a Saturday morning read....... different reasons. Anyway, the editorial staff have decided that they can be used as a "resource" for an online blog, so from now on, three times a week, I will be posting them to the Telegraph site. It will be interesting to reach a potentially bigger readership.....keep tuning in to find out how it goes!
This blog, of course, will carry on as before, so please don't tune out..... Click here for full post