10 tips for being a good dog parent

In memory of Stevie (2 July 2002 - 24 July 2014)

This year I have been acutely aware of both the joy and sorrow that being a 'dog parent' can bring.  In February, we lost Mina - the hound that started my love affair with dogs and the hound responsible for my change in career.  In June, and completely unexpectedly, we welcomed a young greyhound puppy - Ava - into our home. 6½ weeks later, we said our final goodbyes to Stevie - our beautiful blue greyhound.

Losing two hounds within 6 months of each other has been hard.  It was particularly bittersweet to see Ava bloom whilst Stevie seemed to deteriorate before our eyes - a stark reminder of the relative brevity of our dogs' time with us.

This got me thinking - what if our dogs could tell us how to be a good 'dog parent'? Wouldn't life be simpler then?



So, as a tribute to Stevie this is what I think he would have said about what it takes to be a good dog parent...

Stevie's top 10 tips on being a good 'dog parent'

1.  Allow me to be a dog
I like to stop and sniff the 'pee mail', I might like to dig or chase things, I might like cuddles (or I might not) - provide me with a suitable outlet to do the things that dogs do and don't make me do things I don't like (not all dogs like cuddles).

Remember, I am not trying to dominate you or become a 'pack leader' - I'm just a dog (for heaven's sake, I sniff butts to say 'hello' - definitely not a sign that I want to dominate you and take over the world)!

2.  Remember, you're my 'dog parent'
I form strong social bonds with my 'parents' and will look to you for guidance.  I expect you to keep me safe and away from harm, provide me with a comfortable bed, nice food and physical and mental stimulation and look after me if I'm ill.  In return, you'll receive my love and the chance to see me develop into a well-mannered family pet.

3.  Don't punish me
If I do something 'wrong' - don't punish me.  I may not know your rules and I certainly don't know what's right & what's wrong.  Rather than punish me, think about what you'd like me to do instead and teach me how to do it.  If I jump up at visitors, teach me that sitting every time someone comes to the house, is more rewarding than jumping up. If  I shred the post, install an external mailbox (I used to love to shred post and then my humans installed an external mail box...spoilsports!) and give me other stuff to shred or things to occupy me like a stuffed Kong.

If you punish me, you'll only make me afraid of you and less likely to want to do things with you as you will become scary and unpredictable in my eyes.

4.  A dog's life is short
Our time with you humans is short. Don't hang onto or dwell upon past regrets, live in the now and fill life with positives. Stop to smell the flowers/coffee, read the newspaper (I'm told this is the human equivalent of checking pee-mail). Appreciate life as it happens and treasure your moments with your four-legged companion.


5.  When I'm young

Be patient and kind.  I will have boundless energy and I'll be exploring the world I've arrived in.

Guide me, teach me and show me how you want me to live with you.  Don't keep saying 'no!'  I don't really know what it means (I know some dogs who think their name is no) and just think you like giving me attention.

Find a good puppy class to take me to. Make sure you socialise and habituate me to all the things I'm likely to encounter in life - pair them all with the good stuff (food) and I'll learn that all these new things I encounter, aren't scary at all.

Provide me with safe outlets for my puppy exuberance... I will grow out of it, with your guidance.

6.  Do things with me.
Find out what my breed (or mix of breeds) was originally bred for. Us sighthounds love to chase fast moving objects - you can make things fun for both of us by playing with furry toys.  Play scent games - did I tell you that my nose is amazing and can sniff out things you couldn't imagine? 

Find a good trainer (like my humum) who only uses reward based, force-free training methods.  Join their class - you and me will learn new things together.  Oh, and don't be stingy with the food reinforcers - think of them as my pay for a 'job well done.'

 

Don't think I'm untrainable or stubborn: I can't read and I don't know those words - they simply don't exist in my vocabulary. All dogs are trainable - after all, I learned to live with several cats and I spent most of my early life chasing furry things around a race-track!  I also learned how to sit, would recall and loved scentwork - all things that (books say) greyhounds can't do!

7.  If I'm afraid
Don't let me suffer alone.  My fears may not seem rational to you but contrary to popular belief, reassuring me won't make me more fearful. I hated fireworks and loud noises but they became more bearable when my humum was there.  She provided me with a nice den, calming music and more - she helped make it less scary.

8.  Be patient
It's true, patience is a virtue. If I don't 'get something' first time, I'm not being obstinate  - take the time to teach me.  Just like humans, not all dogs learn at the same rate and we can have 'off' days too.

9.  When I'm old
I'll need more of your patience, love and care.  I may bump into things, toilet in the house, start barking at things that aren't there, stop and stare into space or simply want to sleep more - I'm not being difficult and I may not know that I'm doing all these things.  

Keep a watchful eye on my health and behaviour - if you're worried, take me to the vet.  There are lots of things that can help elderly dogs from nutrition supplements through to exercise like hydrotherapy.

10.  Know when it's time to say goodbye

Let me go with dignity and love.

If you can, be with me at the end and hold my paw or cradle me until I have breathed my last.  Know that I loved you, as you loved me and that, despite your breaking heart, you are doing the ultimate act of love.

And finally...

If your heart can stand it, open it again and allow another dog into your life.  A heart like yours deserves to be filled with the love of many dogs.  Provide them with the love and care you have shown me and when the time comes, we'll all meet again one day over rainbow bridge.

Wordless Woof Wednesday - 29 May 2013

'Greyhound dream-scape'

Wordless Wednesday - The 'Toast Monster' Triptych

Wordless Wednesday - A Trio of Greyhounds

Wordless Wednesday - Best of Friends

Wordless Wednesday - The End of the Search

Stevie finds the reward at the end of the box search

Wordless Wednesday - 30 January 2013

'The eyes have it' - Stevie, Greyhound

You Are What You Eat - Pedigree Feeding Trial Pt I

When it comes to dog food, there is a myriad of choices for owners, matched equally by a  whole host of opinions (depending on who you talk to) on what you should and shouldn't feed.  I'll admit, I've always been pretty sceptical of the big brands - especially those that you can buy in the supermarket.

That scepticism is partly due to the 20+ years I've worked in marketing. Whilst I may not have worked for a major FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) brand, I can't help but have my marketing radar on alert when a new dog food hits the shelves. It's such a competitive market and it's easy to be suckered in by clever advertising and pretty packaging.

In reality, the UK pet food market is dominated by two main companies - Nestlé Purina and Mars Petcare. These two, well known,companies are estimated to command around two thirds of the dog food market and around 80% of the cat food market*.

Pedigree's new 'Vital Protection' food

Some of our most well-known dog foods are either produced or owned by these companies.  Bakers Complete, Winalot, Purina Proplan and BETA are all owned by Nestlé Purina and Royal Canin, James Wellbeloved, Chappie, Cesar and Pedigree are all owned by Mars Petcare.

Then add to this, newer brands (in relative terms) such as Burns, Lily's Kitchen, Bob & Lush, Acana, Orijen, Markus Muehle, Barking Heads, Applaws and not forgetting the BARF (biologically appropriate real/raw food); it's no wonder that many pet owners plump for something they can pick up with the weekly shopping.

Personally, I've never been a huge fan of the brands available in the supermarket. Yes, I may buy the occasional treat but more often than not, I'll make my own treats and I buy the hounds' food direct from the wholesaler.  Mina is intolerant of many foods (you don't want to know what bones or cereal do to her!) so she is on a cereal free kibble, whilst Stevie and Jasper are currently on Autarky (I wish I could afford to feed them a higher end kibble, but unfortunately I can't and a BARF diet isn't practical for us in our current situation).

As part of my university studies, I've been introduced to canine nutrition and next year I'll be studying a whole module on canine nutrition and behaviour.  So, when I was invited to attend the Waltham Pet Centre (where all the research into Mars Petcare and nutrition takes place), I jumped at the chance.  I was eager to see what went on behind the scenes and also ask some questions about pet food - mainly why is there so much cereal in today's foods?

A handy resource for my studies

Despite what I may think of such a global brand as Mars, I couldn't help but be impressed by their facilities and the research that has been published as a result.  It was the scientists at Waltham who, back in 1982, made the discovery about the amino acid, taurine, and its place in the cat's diet. Taurine is an essential amino acid which means that cats cannot synthesize it within their bodies and as such it needs to be provided by their diet.

They've also undertaken some recent research into safe upper limit vitamin A levels with puppies (something that is really of interest to me due to my puppy school classes).  The paper is  Morris,P.J. et al (2012) Safety evaluation of vitamin A in growing dogs. British Journal of Nutrition / FirstView Article / August2012, pp 1-10

What is really handy though, is their pocket book of essential nutrition for cats and dogs (pictured) as it provides a breakdown of what is required in both the diets for both cats and dogs. It will certainly be useful for my uni studies.

One of the outcomes of my visit to Waltham was the opportunity for Stevie to take part in a 3 month feeding trial**. Pedigree has just launched Vital Protection - available as a complete dried or wet food - and the trial involves feeding Stevie a mix of the wet and dry food. I'll blog more about in future posts and will share how the trial is going along with details of what's in the food and other things I learned whilst at Waltham.


*Mintel Cat and dog food, UK, report – March 2010
**Disclosure: I have been provided with  3 months' supply of Vital Protection food by Pedigree  as part of a feeding trial.  I have not been paid for my views and all views expressed are my own.

The Joint Care+ Challenge, Week 2

So, Stevie (and not forgetting Mina & Jasper) are now into week two of the Pedigree Joint Care+ challenge*.  This week the challenge involves seeing what the hounds will do for their Joint Care+ treat.

One thing's for sure - they all seem to know when it's time for their Joint Care+ treat as they come running and soon devour the treats.  Whilst Jasper's trick repertoire mainly consists of looking cute and being goofy, Stevie and Mina have a few more tricks underneath their collars!

The hounds eagerly await their Joint Care+ Treat

Stevie has always loved his food and I'm hoping to capture his down stay with a 'leave it' thrown in for the Joint Care+ treat on his paws.... but the pure deliciousness of the treats has meant that the temptation has proven too much for Stevie and he can't seem to 'leave it' long enough for me to capture it in a picture or by video!

I had managed to get Mina to perform her role out the carpet trick for a treat - but somehow I deleted the video evidence: today is not proving to be my day (but you can see a clip of her doing this in a previous blog post)!  So instead, and taking liberties with the Gilbert O'Sullivan song: Knock Three Times, Mina performed her 'Bark Three Times for a Joint Care+ Treat'. Now, if you read many books about greyhounds, they say that greyhounds seldom bark... well, Mina has never read those books and as you can tell she's more than happy to bark on command!



All 3 of the hounds seem to be doing well on the Joint Care+ Challenge and definitely have added zing in their steps.  They do love the treats and scoff them in a few seconds (or if you're Stevie - in a nano second). They're proving to be a really quick way of delivering the joint helping ingredients of chrondroitin, glucosamine, methionine (amino acid) and omega 3(read more here about the ingredients).

I'm not so sure we'll win this week's Challenge but it sure is fun having a go each week and, more importantly, seeing how the hounds' - especially Stevie - mobility and general zest for life improves.

*Disclosure: I have been provided with 6 weeks' supply of Joint Care+ treats by Pedigree  as part of the Joint Care+ Challenge.  I have not been paid for my views and all views expressed are my own.

Stevie's Joint Care+ Challenge, Week 1 - The Stairs

Over the last year or so Stevie has definitely slowed down and has really started to struggle with the stairs - especially since being diagnosed with arthritis.  Some evenings he has to do several approaches and retreats before he can even attempt going up them.

I hate seeing any of my hounds struggle and whilst I realise that the ageing process is inevitable and that it’s likely to bring health problems, I want to do everything I can to help Stevie.  He has always taken everything in his stride and seeing him struggle with the stairs makes me sad (and realise how much we should treasure the time all our pets are with us).  You can see from the video that he makes several attempts before bounding upstairs.

I’m hoping that the Pedigree Joint Care+ treats will help Stevie with his mobility.  We’re all keeping our fingers and paws crossed that by the end of the challenge Stevie will be able to tackle the stairs like he used to.

*Disclosure: I have been provided with 6 weeks' supply of Joint Care+ treats by Pedigree  as part of the Joint Care+ Challenge.  I have not been paid for my views and all views expressed are my own.

Summer's arrived and there's a spring in Stevie's step

At long last, after the wettest April and June since records began in 1910*, the sun has finally put in an appearance in this week.  As well as generally putting a smile on the face of the great British public (but let’s not mention the effect it has on people’s choice –or lack – of clothing), it seems to have helped put a spring in all the hounds’ steps too.

In the evening, when it’s a bit cooler, I’ve been spending some time playing and training with the hounds in the garden.  I’m not sure whether the sun helps Stevie’s joints, after all he’s only been on the Pedigree Joint Care+ trial** for just under a week, or the fact that he loves his new toys but something’s put a spring in his step.

It’s so nice to see him playing and having fun - especially as yesterday the vet diagnosed him as having arthritis and joint problems-  and we’re keeping fingers and paws crossed that it continues. As the video shows, it seems that Stevie's quite taken with the Kong Air.

*source: Met Office: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2012/wettest-June

**Disclosure: I have been provided with 6 weeks' supply of Joint Care+ treats by Pedigree  as part of the Joint Care+ Challenge.  I have not been paid for my views and all views expressed are my own.

Stevie Goes on Trial with Joint Care+ Treats

Stevie turned 10 at the beginning of July and in the last year or so has definitely started showing signs of his age.  In particular his back legs seem to have stiffened up and sometimes he struggles with stairs.  I find this quite distressing and always worry.  The chances are that it’s just wear and tear and the result of his racing days.

I’ve looked into dietary supplements such as chrondroitin and glucosamine – all of which aim to help with joints – so, I was pleased to be invited to participate in the Pedigree Joint Care+ 6 week trial*.  The trial is exactly what the name suggests - a 6 week trial of the Pedigree Joint Care+ treats. They contain chrondroitin and glucosamine which include green lipped mussel and shrimp shells.

Stevie inspects his Joint Care+ trial pack

Our Joint Care+ trial pack arrived yesterday – a rather nifty yellow rucksack which is embroidered with Stevie’s name and which contained a ball launcher, four balls and 6 weeks’ supply of Joint Care+ treats. 

The timing of the trial couldn’t be better.  We’ve been on a mini break for the last few days and all the hounds joined us.  Whilst Mina and Jasper could manage the internal stairs to the room, Stevie struggled and we had to use the external approach to the room (which involved a slope and about 3 steps).  I noticed that he’s slowed down on walks quite a bit too; he still gets excited at the sight of his lead (think a big blue Zebedee like greyhound) but doesn’t always seem to be up to the walk.

I’ll be recording Stevie’s progress over the 6 weeks and reporting back when I can.  And, just in case you wondered if Mina and Jasper were missing out, they’re not as..they each have a 3 week supply of the Joint Care+ treats!

*Disclosure: I have been provided with 6 weeks' supply of Joint Care+ treats by Pedigree  as part of the Joint Care+ Challenge.  I have not been paid for my views and all views expressed are my own.

A dog walk of rhubarb and cat-astrophes

Most of the time I love village life.  Quiet(ish) roads. Fabulous scenery.  Lots of open space.  Pleasant dog walks and plenty of poo bins! Chatty neighbours and a sense of calm and chance to unwind at the end of a hectic day.

Our village playing field

On other days it can really irritate me.  People who don’t cut their hedges back – making it impossible for me and the hounds to walk on the pavement, without emerging with scratches.  Roaming village dogs – with a tendency to poop wherever they like.  The looney drivers who seem to think the 30 miles speed limit doesn’t apply to them.

Tonight though, I was reminded why village life is great.  At the moment, I’m walking the hounds in two shifts.  Since Mina’s had her toe amputated, and the dressing has only just come off, I’m building up the duration of her walks.  It doesn’t seem fair to take her to the playing field where Stevie and Jasper can run off lead and where she’d have to watch from the side lines.

Shift one of the dog walk duties (Stevie and Jasper) had been completed and Mina and I embarked on shift two.  I thought we’d have a quiet walk – just the two of us – with Mina stopping and sniffing all the pee-mails she’s missed over the last eight weeks…however, I was mistaken, as Tula, our cat, decided to join us!

We’d only just managed to cross the road when I heard the tinkling of Tula’s bell and saw her crossing the road to join us.  I picked her up and crossed the road again and put her in our front garden and then re-crossed the road to start our walk.

Tula takes root in the garden

Who was I kidding?  In a few seconds I heard the unmistakable sound of Tula’s bell coupled with the sound of oncoming traffic.  I tried to call her to me but she was having none of it and was sitting very serenely in the middle of the road, with no intention of moving.  Cue for me to step out into the oncoming traffic in the style of a demented Traffic Cop/Lollipop Lady and put my left hand out to stop the traffic.  My right hand was holding onto Mina’s lead very tightly and once the traffic had stopped, my left hand managed to scoop up Tula.  Heaven knows what it must have looked like to the approaching drivers – a greyhound and cat nose to nose, with a mad woman picking up the cat.

After this escapade Tula was put back in the house and the cat flap locked, so she could not follow us again.  Mina and I set off again to complete the walk, with Mina stopping every 10 steps or so to catch up on the important and aforementioned pee-mails.

Mid-way into our walk we passed Arthur’s house.  Arthur reminds me of my much loved and dearly departed Granddad - he’s in his 80s, lives by himself, grows his own veg and always has time for a chat when we pass by.

Tonight was no exception.  On our way back, Mina and I stopped and had a quick chat (well I chatted, Mina looked up adoringly for a fuss) and before I knew it my spare hand was carrying a bag full of home-grown rhubarb.  All in exchange for a chat and the promise of a small rhubarb crumble as way of thanks.


If only Mina was called Roobarb and Tula was known as Custard – it would have been a real life version of one of my favourite children’s cartoons.

Mina does her best Roobarb impression

Dogs and fireworks

A scary Saturday for Stevie

Fireworks are stressful for many dogs

Before I had dogs I always loved fireworks. The whooshes, fizzes, pops and bangs and glorious technicolour displays plus the smell of gunpowder always evoked childhood memories of bonfire night, eating jacket potatoes around the bonfire, making silly shapes with sparklers and generally having a great time. But not anymore.

Yesterday I was provided with an early reminder of the effects that fireworks can have on our dogs...

We'd spent the afternoon and evening at my Mother in Law's house and just as we were about to leave, at around 9pm, someone started letting off fireworks - the very loud kind that make the windows rattle and dogs howl, cower and shake.

The effect on Stevie was immediate and very distressing to see. The first firework went off while he was snoozing in the lounge. Within a nano-second, his ears pricked up, he stood up and started to shake. His heart was racing and he had nowhere to escape to. We managed to make it to the car between bangs and unfortunately, just as the hounds got into the car a loud bang went off, making poor Stevie even more fearful.  We drove away quickly and left the firework sounds a long way behind us.

Our drive home is a good half hour's drive away, yet Stevie was still shaking when we got home. He immediately ran up stairs to his dog bed, in the quietest corner of the house, and stayed there panting, shaking and with his heart racing.  It took a long time for him to calm down.

Stevie is very fearful of fireworks

It's only the beginning of September and bonfire night is about 8 weeks away.  New Year's Eve is even further off. However, last night's events were a salutary and somewhat timely reminder of what is to come

There are some great web resources to help all of us prepare our dogs for what is now turning into a weekend or even weeks of firework 'celebrations.' 

I've listed a few of my favourite sites below. They're all packed with practical and realistic advice to help us help our dogs, at what is a very stressful time for our pets.

• Dogs and Fireworks is a fantastic site which was established last year by some great friends of mine. It includes a free e-book, packed full of practical advice, and a free MP3 of firework noises.

• David Ryan's website contains some great advice too and David is the current chair of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors

• There's also the Sounds Scary CD which can be used in the weeks running up to bonfire night to help desensitise your dog to firework sounds

So, where does this leave me with Stevie?  Well, I'll definitely be following the advice in the websites I've listed above.  I'll begin with gradually introducing him to the noises of fireworks by using  prerecorded sounds of fireworks. I'll also be using a DAP collar and diffuser, and making sure Stevie has a quiet den that he can escape to and feel safe in.

I certainly won't be letting off any fireworks when the 5th of November arrives. I'll walk all the dogs early, close the curtains, turn the TV up loud and keep the house as calm as possible.

Most of all, I will breathe a huge sigh of relief once the weekend of 5 November is out the way and then take a deep breath to start preparing for New Year's Eve.

Introductions

If you'd asked me back in early 2005 whether I would ever own a dog, the answer would have been "A dog?" "Are you quite mad?"

I've always been a cat person.  Mum liked cats, sister liked cats, Dad tolerated cats and it just followed that I would own cats. In fact, Chivers and Tazzie are my two, now aged, moggies who've been with me through thick and thin and life's ups and downs since 1992.

However, in 2005 this self confessed feline fanatic, found herself becoming a canine convert, with the addition of a lurcher - Mina.

Four years on and the canines outnumber the humans and felines! Stevie - a retired racing greyhound - joined us in April 2008 and in May 2009 we were joined by Jasper, another retired racing greyhound.

I'm now a complete canine convert and have a soft spot for all greyhounds and gazehound breeds - so much so that I now support and spend my free time helping the Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust - http://www.lincolnshiregreyhoundtrust.com/