Chats with my Dog

Lessons from Nature for the New Year...

2011-12-19T15:23:00.003+02:00

My little Hadeda chick did not make it. For two whole weeks he survived (I decided it was a male) in the garden whilst, wonder of wonders, his parents fed him.

Jamie and Jemma were fantastic as they were only allowed out one at a time under strict supervision. Like most city dogs, they missed not being able to view the passing traffic at the gate and the greetings from walkers by.

This was the longest time that a Hadeda chick has ever survived on the ground in my garden. The day he died, he was fine at 9am but by lunch time he was gone. This despite frantic efforts to syringe feed him liquids and food when we saw that he was wilting. We had been working in the garden that morning and afterwards we wondered if this had stressed the chick? Or had it become dehydrated in the heat because its parents would not land while we were outside?

I felt heart broken and guilty about the thought that we may have played a role in the Hadeda's death or that we had not done enough. What's it they say about hind sight...
The parents waited for ages in the trees to see if there was any sign of life from their baby. All those months of effort for nought.
The next day I buried him in the garden.

Nature can be so fragile and we as keepers of the Earth have to be so careful how we tread.

However while the drama of the Hadeda was being played out, another story was unfolding in my garden that tells of resilience and hope in Nature.

Next to my study window, nested in a bush of ivy, are two black-eyed Bulbul chicks. Their parents work tirelessly as they flurry back and forth trying to keep their chirpy offspring happy. A couple of days ago, one of the chicks flew out the nest and perched unsteadily on a bush nearby. The other chick makes tremendous efforts to try and follow but has not been successful so far. I worried that the parents would only focus on the stronger chick but they are dutifully dividing their attention between the two. These Bulbul parents have impressed me enormously with their complete dedication and tireless efforts to raise their young.

But most incredible of all, is the fact that the Hadeda's parents have not given up on bringing new life into the world. They have built a new nest on which one of them is sitting even as I write this post.

Amazing!

Happy Holidays!

Help! Held Hostage by a Hadeda...

2011-11-30T11:44:00.007+02:00

This has happened for the last six years. Whenever it is breeding season, the Hadedas return to one specific tree in my garden and cause havoc. The Hadeda is a large dark brown/gray ibis with glossy greenish purple wings, a long black bill which is uses to eat earthworms, insects, spiders and snails. It has a loud and harsh call, hence the name and is found in Sub Saharan Africa.

The problem is that they build ridiculously tiny and rickety nests hardly able to house one chick let alone more. It is the third chick that is always the problem. As they grow into fledglings, inevitably one falls out before it is able to fly. I always phone Free Me, a bird rescue centre to ask them what to do. Their advice is always the same. Try and replace the chick in the nest or see if the parents will come down and feed it on the ground.

Mission Impossible !
The nest is way too high in the tree and the parents hover uselessly in the branches idiotically unable to work out how to feed the fallen chick.

I have tried my utmost each year to try and save the chick. One year I spent an entire week totally focused on reuniting a chick with its parents. I would put it on my roof in the hopes its parents would come down and feed it. The dumb parents continued to hover around but did nothing useful except keep it company.
Every time I saw the poor chick getting weaker and weaker, I would capture it and feed it mushy dog pellets through a syringe ( advice from Free Me who said if the protein content of the dog food was high this would help nourish the chick ). I'd keep it warm in a box overnight especially as it often rained at night. The next day I would drag out the ladder and return the re-vitalised chick to the roof hoping that the penny would finally drop and its parents would start feeding it themselves.
This continued day after day which was extremely stressful for the chick, its parents and most of all me. Despite my efforts the chick eventually died.

This year it was with relief that I noticed a broken egg on the ground. Only two chicks hatched making the odds of survival better. Unfortunately the second chick died two weeks ago leaving a single chick in the nest. Well, I thought, at least the parents should have no problems raising one offspring and I would have a peaceful November. Oh boy was I wrong!

It's been two days and two nights since the lone chick fell out of the nest into my garden.
Having fallen from Eden onto Earth it was a total innocent, unaware of all the dangers it faced.
The only reason my dogs did not chase it at first was because it was so passive and trusting. But the Hadeda soon learned that dogs are not really friends. The moment it became defensive, my dogs thought game on.

I have decided this time to let nature take its course. What will be, will be.
But in the meantime I have tried to tip the odds in favour of the chick by barricading myself and my dogs in the house. The chick is currently walking around undisturbed in the garden.

Jamie and Jemma are not very happy about this and we are suffering from cabin fever. But I was thrilled this morning to see a parent on the ground with the chick.

Meanwhile all my windows are closed so that Jemma can't do her famous Houdini act and escape outside. I walk around stealthily trying not to bang doors or dishes so as not to frighten the chick. I have even kept curtains strategically closed so the chick will not be startled by our indoor activity.

And so we pray to Mother Nature:
Please keep the chick safe and may it learn to fly very,very,very soon because we are going stir crazy cooped up and afraid to venture out of the house while the Hadeda keeps us under siege.

The Retriever versus the Cyclist...

2011-10-27T13:19:00.003+02:00

I enjoy walking in our local park which is full of trees and water. Come late afternoon it is filled with people walking, children playing, joggers, cyclists and dogs.

Observing the goings on can be very amusing. Having cycled in the past, I know there is nothing that can ruin an enjoyable ride faster than a puncture. What a schlep to fix it! I came across a rather grumpy cyclist on the side of the path with his bike upended in the process of repairing a puncture.

Suddenly a Irish Red Setter dog rushed up to the cyclist and grabbed something lying on the ground next to him. The cyclist immediately got into a fluster and started chasing the Setter around in circles. The Setter was obviously having the time of his life, not so the cyclist.

The Irish Setter is bred to be an all purpose hunting dog, both a pointer and retriever. They are especially good at hunting game birds. But this dog had obviously not being taught to return what he retrieves. Eventually the cyclist gave up the chase and arms akimbo waited with a scowl for the very embarrassed owner who rushed up chastising her dog.

Even she battled to retrieve the unknown object. Eventually it was revealed that the Setter had stolen a very expensive pair of cycling sunglasses. Luckily, being a retriever, this breed usually has a soft mouth, so the sunglasses were undamaged just a bit gob smacked.

But the final straw for the hapless cyclist was when another cyclist flew past on his bike and shouted out " Having a bad day mate?!?"

Moral of the story: Retrievers will retrieve. Just teach them to return items before they are labelled kleptomaniacs.

Dog Colonisation of the Couch...

2011-10-24T12:18:00.007+02:00

In October last year, I wrote that I had finally given up an 18 month battle between me and my beagles over the kingdom of the couch. No matter what I did, nothing could persuade them that the floor was better than a couch.

Behaviourist, Karin Landsberg suggested a truce: one couch (covered) would be allocated to them and the other couch would be mine. One year later we pretty much have reached an understanding. At least I can see that when they venture onto my couch, they look a little bit guilty about encroaching on my territory. A firm word or two (or three) usually rearranges the seating arrangement.

At the recent Beagle Ball, the problem of the colonisation of the coach by dogs came up in conversation and I was surprised to hear a number of owners admit sheepishly or quite openly that they shared couches or chairs with their dogs. Ahem! I was not the only one who had succumbed to colonisation!

However, I have not imposed this rule on visitors. Hasty arrangements are made to ensure my furniture is fur free and the dogs are unceremoniously spirited out of the living room.

But perhaps my most satisfying observation were the pictures sent to me by my beloved brother.
He is not wholly in favour of dogs living inside the house and gets particularly irritated with one of their dogs who profusely sheds white hair all over their home. He has made it very clear that human homes and kennels are two completely separate entities.

But his family has recently acquired a puppy which is a Labrador/Great Dane cross and they have all fallen in love with this pup.

Then I looked more closely at the photos. Rather suspiciously, it looked as if their new pup was sleeping on a couch or a chair of sorts.
Look closely. Is that not the seam of a soft cushion and a comfortable back rest? Is not the colour cream? I have not seen any dog basket that looks quite like this nor is cream the usual practical choice of colour.

Fellow readers, what do you think? Has my brother gone over to the other side? Has this puppy stolen his heart and as a result he has lost his head?
Study the evidence carefully. Your opinion would be most interesting!

Canine athlete Jamie is my Champ...

2011-10-20T13:28:00.008+02:00

Well, the Beagle Ball was a night of surprises (for me at least, probably not for my beagles who knew how hard they had worked this Drag "Hunting" season).

I came home with six certificates and two trophies plus bags of dog food and lots of goodies for both me and Jamie and Jemma.
I must admit that I had trouble not falling over whilst carrying everything back to my car in my stiletto heels (and no, it had nothing to do with anything imbibed!).

But first, congratulations to my little girl Jemma who did very well in improving her ranking from 24th last year to 19th this year. She is way too clever and when she gets tired, she just takes the short cut home. She, unlike Jamie, will always return to the waiting owners thus running almost double the distance.

Jamie just hangs around at the end socialising with the team checking which beagles reach the finish line. Jemma also has a habit, since she is usually in the middle of the bunch, of turning around just before the finish and joining the front runners who are already returning to their owners.

The only way to correct this is to "walk the line" as we say. This means making sure Jemma sees me leaving her behind as I walk up front with the team laying the trail. This technique usually ensures that Jemma actually crosses the line to find me. But it's not always that easy because one has to be very fit to keep up with the hunt master who sets a cracking pace and I have to find people with hands to spare to release both my beagles.

Jamie received a certificate purely for the honour of being amongst the Top Ten beagles and a logo which I must embroider onto his bib to show off his status next season. Then came the drum roll for the announcement of the exact positions of the top ten beagles. As the numbers were called out, I was delighted that Jamie was placed 6th overall, just behind five of the top beagles who have dominated the past couple of seasons.

When it came to the Double Dog teams (two males) Jamie was teamed up with the amazing Roger who was the Top Beagle of the year. They achieved a second position in this category.

I sat back thinking the excitement was over, but there were more surprises in store for Jamie and Jemma's rather befuddled owner. There is a trophy for the Most Improved Beagle since the previous season. Jamie's rise from 21st to 6th position this year earned him this fabulous accolade.

And it was not over yet. There are categories for the Best Junior Beagle, Best Adult Beagle and Best Veteran Beagle. Lo and behold Jamie's name was called out as Best Junior Beagle of the year! Well done my boy because my contribution was only that of taxi driver to the "hunts". Jamie achieved this all on his own.

Of course, Jamie is not sure what the fuss is all about and what these strange looking objects mean. He is blissfully unaware of his achievements only that he had a heck of a lot of fun achieving them!

Beagle Ball Bonanza

2011-10-17T13:39:00.014+02:00

It was not difficult finding ones way to the restaurant where we held our Beagle Ball. Paw print tokens led the way up the stairs where we were greeted with a glass of champagne.

The owners really cleaned up nicely for the formal dress code and I finally got to learn the names of some of the owners whose dogs I knew so well.

There were some really nice touches to the evening where someone had embroidered beagle logos on our white napkins and our place mat was a laminated montage of pictures of our beagles.There were tons of prizes and tons of goodies bags to be given away.

There were so many prizes: best new comer of the season, best achievement at a single hunt, best bib (the pret-a-porter prize), most valued dog (not necessarily the best), best mixed team, best bitch team, best male team, best female and reserve female (second prize) and the same for the males, best junior beagle, best adult beagle, best veteran beagle and the winner of the Top Ten race.

The ultimate prize, Top Beagle in Gauteng, goes to the beagle who has accumulated the most points during the season. This prestigious prize went to Roger who has been in the top ten for three seasons and has finally cracked the n umber one spot. (He was also Jamie's partner in the Dog Double. But more about the outcome of that partnership in my next blog)

No-one went home empty handed that evening and can you believe it, besides eating and drinking sumptuously, most of the time we talked about people and their dogs!
What a great community of laid back, friendly people!

More news about my dogs' achievements in the next blog.

Top Ten beagles battle it out...

2011-09-26T15:30:00.002+02:00

So the big day arrived for the Top Ten Beagle Battle. The sky was clear and a keen wind kept the temperature low (ideal for running ultra distances). Champagne was being served to nervous owners who secretly had high expectations of their dogs. I was advised not to fuss as this might throw Jamie off his game (not too difficult when one is not quite awake at the crack of dawn on a Sunday).

The challenge of this race was that it was ultra long - almost five kilometers. Normally we lay five trails each about a kilometer long. We used a quad bike which dragged the lure (a bag of mackerel) behind it to lay the scent trail. This is a quicker method than our usual method which is on foot. This is to prevent the evaporation of the scent in the rising heat.

After about a half hour, we were given the all clear to line up our dogs at the starting line.
It was strange only having 10 dogs in the pack but when the horn sounded, the start was as chaotic as usual as the dogs sprinted off at full speed. Check out Jamie in the bib marked 91!

This time we were able to track most of their progress across the valley and up the koppies. Those owners with field glasses kept up a running commentary.
The dogs stayed together pretty much for two thirds of the race with the lead changing a couple of times. Then they suddenly lost the scent. Some picked up the scent again but unfortunately began back tracking on the trail, to a chorus of moans and groans from the waiting owners.

A couple of dogs decided not to back track but since they could not pick up the trail, headed as the crow flies back to the owners instead of the finish line. One of them was Jamie.

Only two dogs were left on the trail now - two girls. It looked like it was going to be a repeat of last year's race where only two dogs finished and they were also female (usually the minority sex in the Top Ten). This year it seemed that yet again the girls were showing their stamina and tracking skills.

Unfortunately one of the girls who crossed the finishing line was disqualified for not finishing the final loop of the trail. So the only finisher and this year's winner was Marmalade.

Her owner happens to be the hunt master who was jubilant because this was the first time Marmalade had made the Top Ten. His comment was "because I lay the trail, I worry whether my dog is only following me and not the scent, but she has really proven that she knows what she is doing."

It was a tough race that really sorted out the men from the boys... er... I mean the girls from the boys.

We celebrated with a slap up English breakfast and champagne!

I am really proud of Jamie from climbing up the rankings from 21st out of 50 last year to Top Ten this year. However the lesson to be learnt from the girls is that sometimes the underdog who can't keep up with the leader of the pack, really learns how to follow a scent and keep focused.

(Note to self: Must speak to Santacruzrulz about borrowing a bike; Find out if I can still ride one; Get fit to keep up with beagles.)

All will be revealed when the final results of all the different categories are presented at the Beagle Ball in October.

Canine athlete Jamie has made the Top Ten!

2011-09-14T13:45:00.007+02:00

I nearly fell off my chair today when I received a call from the Beagle Scent Trail/Hunt organiser informing me that Jamie has made it into the category of Top Ten beagles of the 2011 Hunt Season. What an achievement for my boy!

He will be racing in the final on September 25 against the other nine dogs to determine who is the overall winner. This time instead of breaking up the trail into 5 sections, they will be laying out one long trail of between 5-6 kilometres. This is a real test of endurance and ability to truly follow a scent. Many dogs just follow the call of the pack and last year only two dogs out of the Top Ten actually finished the trail.

All credit for Jamie's achievement lies totally with him. He achieved his success with very little support from me.

I know that I did not exercise both him and his sister Jemma enough to get them into tip top peak form. I have not kept my dogs mean and lean. A fellow owner who is a vet has chastised me for the fact that Jamie is a bit overweight. He also started the season after being "bed ridden" for a month after the amputation of his toe. He has had to overcome his fear of the car and motion sickness every time we travelled to the hunt. The only thing I did was to be Jamie and Jemma's taxi driver to the "hunt" venue.

Secondly I have begun experimenting with a new diet this week, not a good time to play around with Jamie's nutrition if he is to compete in the final soon. I will have to get my butt into gear and give him plenty of exercise to get a last burst of training in before the big moment.

Oh my gosh!!!!!!!!

Last Beagle bush "hunt" of the season...

2011-09-12T12:50:00.009+02:00

We had a huge amount of people and at least 40 dogs pitch for the last scent trial of the season. This was a surprise to the organisers considering the number of avid ruby fans in the group who were itching to get back to watch South Africa play Wales in their first match of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. We normally finish the "hunt" at 10.30am after five trials but the rugby game started at 10:20am! So we were given strict instructions that there would be no loitering or lounging about that morning...

It is bitter sweet when the season ends. I will not miss getting up at 5.00am in the freezing dark or the precarious pot hole ridden drive into the bush in my long slung city car. Jamie still gets car sick and still hates the car so the drive is just as hairy for him. But once we get there, Jamie and Jemma are in their element. They adore chasing the ever elusive scent of the mackerel fish trail through the bush veld and the camaraderie of their fellow beagles.

I love having a morning out of the city and seeing the sun rise outdoors (I'm usually fast asleep in bed at that time). It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to hear my dogs' names called out when they cross the finish line of each scent trail.

It has been wonderful to find an activity so vitally important to the welfare of my dogs who live in the boring suburbia of a city. I also worry about what I'm going to do with them in the summer months. Maybe I should look at agility work which I think Jemma will be very good at doing. But I don't think Jamie will take kindly to going through tunnels of any sort, something he refused to do even as a puppy.

Now the results are in and are being calculated. In two weeks time the top 10 beagles will be named (those with the highest points accumulated over the season). This is a huge achievement and a final race is held in September for these dogs to determine who is the overall winner.

Finally, in October, we will be holding a Beagle Ball. This is for the owners only where we all get dressed up to the nines for general prize giving. It is common occurrence that owners do not recognise each other as on "hunt" days we are usually bleary eyed, muffled in beanies, layers of our oldest clothing and covered in dust and soot from the bush veld fires that burn in the area where we "hunt".

There are awards for the best male or female team, the best mixed team, the most consistent dog of the season (not necessarily a winner), and a pret-a-porter prize for the beagle with the most pimped up race bib. Some owners go to extraordinary lengths to create unusual race bibs for their dogs. The only criteria is that it must show the dog's name and number clearly so it can be identified.

So now we wait anxiously to see if Jamie and Jemma have improved since last year and climbed the seeding ladder ...

Dogs and their Best Friends!

2011-09-06T13:18:00.003+02:00

Bickering Beagles and Bedtime...

2011-08-18T13:27:00.003+02:00

My dogs bicker and growl at each other every night over who has the right to sleep where in their bed. I know the warning signs when I hear a low whining growl from Jamie or a loud ear blasting bark from Jemma.

Usually one has hogged all the blankets leaving the other with nothing or one has settled down and gets very irritated by the late arrival of the other who messes up the sleeping arrangements. Otherwise one has taken over the whole bed and will not make room for the other.

Jemma loudly broadcasts her dissatisfaction by rushing around the garden barking madly and waking up all the neighbours. This is usually perfectly timed to coincide with the moment I have chosen to take a relaxing bath. Or she comes and scratches at the bath door disturbing my meditation. I nearly trip over her when I am finally forced to surrender my "me time" and leave the bathroom.

This means that instead of diving under the duvet, all warm and cosy from my hot bath, I have to venture into the cold and sort out the the bickering children. I have to remake the bedding which is often scattered all over the place during the altercation, allocate blankets fairly to each dog and tuck them into bed (literally). They usually settle down after this.

But sometimes someone decides to go for a pee and the bickering starts all over again. By this time I am usually on my way to dream land and my response is "Oh for goodness sake, let them sort it out!". I mean really, how spoilt is that - tucking my beagles into bed every night!
Next I'll be reading them bed time stories.

Dog Rescue...

2011-07-27T17:11:00.011+02:00

A Wonderful Story Told Without Words

The German tourist jumped in and saved the dog.

Upon getting back up on the bridge he checked the dog out and told the owner that, "Zer dog is Ok, and vill be fine."

She asked if he was a vet?

He replied, "Vet? I'm soaked!

Courtesy: http://schnauzerandschnauzer.blogspot.com

Wounded in the line of Dog Duty...

2011-07-13T12:40:00.004+02:00

I remember our canine behaviour lecturer saying that if one wants to work with dogs, a tetanus vaccination is a prerequisite. I found out why this weekend.

I am now learning how to work with adolescent and adult dogs - a whole different ball game from puppies. In these adult classes one gets a real mix of dogs from different backgrounds. Some dogs are well socialised (often owners who attended puppy classes and want to continue keeping their dogs stimulated and challenged through training).
Then there are those dogs that have not been socialised and have now become troublesome teenagers, so their owners want to "fix" the dog's bad behaviour. (Why oh why doesn't everyone who gets a puppy go to puppy socialisation classes? It would save them and their dogs so many headaches.) And finally there are the adopted or rescue dogs who often have problems but little is know about their past. Betty was one such dog.

She was a small mixed breed (with a bit of Staffie) who barked madly and rushed furiously at every dog in the class with bared teeth. During training, my hand accidentally had an encounter with Betty's teeth. It was not deliberate on Betty's part. It was my body part that got in the way. The bite was minor and after applying a plaster, I decided to tackle Betty's problem again.

Betty was obviously in a state of stress. She was interpreting her environment especially the other dogs as a hazard and her natural reaction was to go into hazard avoidance mode. Dogs can choose either to flee, freeze, faint, fidget or fight. Well, Betty was on a leash in a situation she could not escape, so she chose to fight. What appeared as aggression towards other dogs was, in my opinion, Betty actually saying "Hey! I am afraid of you other dogs, so don't come near me or else!!".

Other physical signs of stress are tension in body posture, staring eyes, a tight muzzle, uneven fast panting, lip licking, whining, a very dry mouth or excessive salivating, cold paws and a sudden outbreak of dandruff on the dog's fur. Betty had many of these symptoms.

When a dog is stressed its ability to learn is considerably reduced. So both Betty and her owner were getting extremely frustrated because she was in fear mode and not able to learn anything.

We decided to try some of the basic touches from a method known as Tellington Touch. This works like magic when one wants to calm and build confidence in animals! We used long, gentle, calming strokes along Betty's body, around her hind quarters, tail and her ears where she held tension. We also used touch as a way of praising her because stress often causes a loss of appetite. As a result food no longer works as a motivator or a reward. Every time Betty stopped barking at the other dogs, she got praise the moment she made eye contact with her owner. Focusing on her owner and not the other dogs was the behaviour that was being reinforced.
We then repeated exercises she could easily do like sit, paw and spin and lavishly praised her each time she succeeded. This meant Betty experienced some sense of achievement during the class.

My personal feeling was that the fact that she'd become calmer towards the end of the class was the most important achievement of all. The fact that she was not learning more new tricks like the rest of dogs, was less important. Betty needs to become less stressed and more at ease when exposed to other dogs, people and different situations. Her owners will need a lot of patience to help her achieve this. Hopefully they will hang in there and not give up on Betty.

I was going to ignore the bite. After all it wasn't serious. But since I had never had a tetanus vaccination, one of the instructors advised me not to take any chances. Oh well, if I was going to be working with dogs, it had to be done. So at five o'clock on a Saturday afternoon I schlepped off to the Emergency room of the nearest hospital. Since my case was coded green ( not critical) I had a long wait ahead of me. Whilst sitting in my cubicle I heard some strange stories emanating from the other cubicles. A man fixing his car had dropped the engine on his thumb thoroughly mashing it in the process. In another cubicle a patient was complaining that his gonorrhea symptoms were getting worse...

One and a half hours later, the attending doctor scared the daylights out of me when he began talking about rabies shots ( a series of three) as well as a tetanus shot and antibiotics (A young girl had recently died of rabies and her palm had merely been grazed by the dog).
I assured him that the dog that bit me had been vaccinated and there was no rabies in the area. I would come back for antibiotics if the bite was showing any signs of infection. So we settled on a tetanus vaccination and dressing my hand with antibiotic cream.

The injection was painless, the bite out of my wallet hurt much more.
But hopefully it will be an insurance policy against any pain and aggravation later on.

Beagle in the Bag...

2011-07-11T12:11:00.003+02:00

How we found Bernie's hot button...

2011-06-22T13:32:00.007+02:00

Bernie the beagle started "hunting" with his sister this season. He is so laid back and sweet natured, he could be a basset.
It did not take long for his sister to start finishing trails. Fast and agile, she has been doing really well. However Bernie, for some reason, was not running.

The first thing we tried was for Bernie's Dad to walk ahead with the team laying the trail in the hope that Bernie would follow him. But no go.
So I gave his owners my training programme that I had used to train my own dogs by imitating the "hunt" on a minor scale in the park.

Mom and Dad did this faithfully and were surprised that Bernie was the one who picked up the trail first and led the way ahead of his sister. Yet when it came to the actually "hunt" Bernie would run for a short while but always returned to his Mom and the group of waiting owners.

Now from what I've learnt about canine behaviour, the trick to motivating your dog to do something (a behaviour) is to find out what is their hot button. A useful guideline is researching what your dog was bred to do. For example, collies love to herd things, huskies love to pull things and retrievers love to fetch things. In the case of beagles, theoretically they love to follow scents and being part of the crowd joining in the excitement of the chase.

But the other thing that one learns about canine behaviour is that every dog is an individual. Broad scale solutions do not necessarily work for every dog because they are not all the same. So the question was what was Bernie's real hot button? What would incentivise him to join in the "hunt"?

His Mom and Dad had resigned themselves to the belief that Bernie was just not a runner. But I know that deep down (like any parent) you do want your dog to excel. The truth of the matter is that a lot of people drop out of the hunt when their dogs do not run and finish trails. This is a great pity for these dogs who are missing out on a fabulous outing in the bush that leaves them satisfied, happy and stimulated.

I was determined to get Bernie to run because it would be great for both him and his parents.
I began to get an inkling of what Bernie's hot button might be.

At the last "hunt" Bernie arrived with his Mom but no Dad. I insisted that Mom walk the line with the hunt master who was laying the trail. I also insisted that Bernie and his sister be separated at the start line. I took charge of Bernie and Jamie and someone else took Jemma and Bernie's sister. So Bernie was now with a stranger and no Mom or Dad at the start line.

The first time I released Bernie at the start, he immediately began searching the waiting group of owners for his parents. The second time, I made sure that Bernie had a clear view of his Mom disappearing with the team laying the trail.

Suddenly Bernie became a new dog ( I will never accuse him of being a laid back Basset again).
He howled and nearly pulled my arms out of their sockets in an attempt to follow his Mom. They were laying a particularly complicated and long trail around the valley. Those 20 minutes waiting for the horn to blow for the start of the race felt very long as Bernie tried every trick in the book to escape after his Mom.

I held my breath when Bernie disappeared this time. He has an orange race bib and I anxiously scanned every dog in orange returning to the waiting group. None of them was Bernie.
When the race was over and we walked to the finishing line to hear the results, the smile on the face of Bernie's Mom said it all. Bernie had finished the line ahead of his sister. There he sat looking adoringly at his mother.

So finally we had worked out what was Bernie's hot button. He is an extremely people orientated dog. Nothing motivates him more than being with his loving owners. Using the same tactic, Bernie successfully finished the next trail. His proud Mom phoned Dad long distance to share the news.

I was chuffed that I had played a small role in helping Bernie run. I had also learnt an interesting lesson about the need to find each individual dog's hot button if you want to motivate them to achieve a desired behaviour. Bernie's big reward was finding the people he loved at the end of the trail.
Let's hope Bernie keeps running!

Man's Best Friend...

2011-05-24T10:34:00.003+02:00

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble... At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

He saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. As he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"
"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.
"Of course, sir. Come right in and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
"Can my friend come in too?" the traveler asked gesturing toward his dog.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside leaning against a tree and reading a book."Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."
"How about my friend here?'" the traveler gestured to the dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself. Then he gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree."What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," he answered.
"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"
"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."

(Author unknown)

My dogs nearly died today because of rat poison!

2011-05-19T15:52:00.007+02:00

My adrenalin levels have still not come down. I nearly lost my dogs today due to ignorance on my part and lack of professionalism on the part of a pest control company.

When a strange smell started emanating from behind my stove, I decided to call in the professionals. I was assured that the poison used was legal and safe as far as pets and birds are concerned. I have two owls in my tree and the last thing I want is for them to eat a poisoned rat that would result in their deaths.

The pest experts came and distributed rat poison bricks loosely in my roof, garage and behind my stove where they discovered the source of the smell - a dead rat. They then put the poison bait in my garden hiding a loose pile under a cache of bricks.
HUGE MISTAKE! The professionals should have known better and I found out too late.

Rat poison is safe only if it has been ingested in small amounts by a rat and then eaten by your pet. A greedy rat can eat enough poison to kill 20 rats before he starts to feel sick and if a dog or cat eats that rat, the poison is transferred. The good news is that most rats are not this greedy. The usual patient for secondary poisoning is a pet or predator that depends heavily on rats for food (a barn cat, for example).

However if a pet directly eats rat poison it will die the same way a rat does.
A toxic dosage is a matter of milligrams. My beagles soon scented the rat poison in my garden which apparently tastes delicious in order to entice rodents to eat. They broke down the cache of bricks and swallowed a massive overdose.

Thank God I caught them in the act but not before they had swallowed everything. I phoned my vet and explained what had happened. "Bring your dogs in immediately!" But, I bleated, I thought rat poison was safe for pets? "There is no rat poison that is safe for pets if it has been directly ingested" replied the vet sternly.

The next problem was knowing exactly what the composition of the poison was as this would dictate how to treat my dogs. Luckily I remembered the name of the product but when the vet did a search on the Internet about the product, nothing indicated what the active ingredients were on their website!

There are normally two ways rat poisons will kill - by causing renal failure or internal bleeding due to the anti-coagulation properties of the poison.

Phone calls back and forth between ourselves and the pest control company eventually produced a safety fact sheet two hours after my arrival at the vet. The one my dogs had eaten would have caused internal bleeding. If I had not seen them eating the poison, it is highly likely they would have either died within three days or if caught in time they would have needed ICU treatment, blood transfusions and who knows what kind of damage would have been done to their systems.

Renal failure poisons are far more insidious and difficult to diagnose. This is caused by cholecalciferol poisoning and there is no anti dote for this poisoning.

Poor Jamie and Jemma were immediately forced to vomit (an awful process) until their stomach contents appeared clear of all poison. Jamie was induced to vomit 9 times and Jemma stopped vomiting after 7 times. The vet said I was lucky that I had brought them in so quickly and hopefully very little of the poison had been absorbed into their systems.

The safety fact sheet advised that the treatment was doses of Vitamin K1 which Jamie and Jemma will be getting for the next three weeks.

So what lesson have I learnt? If you want to keep your children, pets and wild life safe from rat poison make sure that it is put in a safe container that is inaccessible to all of the above (except rats). Loose poison is a toxic idea. Make sure that your pest control company knows what it is doing by first educating yourself.

The poison put on the floor of my garage and every grain in my garden that I could find has been removed. My vet advised me to get closed containers that can be locked and attached onto your outside walls or fences well out of reach of children and pets. Even if poison is put in the roof it should be in a safe container as cats may climb up there. If the container should accidentally fall off, make sure that it cannot be chewed open by dogs or pried open by inquisitive children.

So what are the signs of rat poisoning, particularly the one that causes internal bleeding?
Most of the time external bleeding is not obvious and one only notices the pet is weak and/or cold. If one looks at the gums, they are pale. Sometimes bloody urine or stools are evident or nose bleeds may be seen. Signs of bleeding in more than one body location are a good hint that there is a problem with blood coagulation. Be aware of the signs of rat poisoning, particularly if your pet travels with you to places outside the home where poison may be left outside.

What a s****y day! First I set out to kill rats and nearly kill my dogs in the process. My budget is blown because I have a huge vet bill and still have to pay the pest control company!

And I also feel really sorry for the rats because the poisons we use today do not kill them in a humane manner. It's a catch 22 situation because rats do cause enormous damage in our homes and to our possessions. Are rat traps more humane? What do you think?

Whatever you do, protect your dogs at all costs from contact with rat poison!

Flea nightmare!

2011-05-12T14:11:00.000+02:00

Over the past 17 years I have never had a flea problem with my dogs - until about three months ago. The experts say that in Gauteng this is due to the unseasonal weather alternating between cold, rain and hot weather. It never rains this late into autumn. Apparently this has caused a flea epidemic and believe me - the fleas are conquering the world. At first I kept on spraying my dogs with my regular flea and tick deterrent but the fleas just kept on multiplying and multiplying and multiplying.

Not only do they drive your pets crazy but they cause skin problems, can transmit tapeworm and cause "cat scratch disease". You need a product that will kill not only adult fleas but the development of flea eggs. They become larvae then pupae that cling to your carpets, furniture, skirting boards, curtains, clothes, bedding - in fact everywhere.
A single flea lays up to 50 eggs a day and lives for about 100 days. That's 5000 eggs per flea! The larvae emerge from the eggs and become pupae. These are invisible to the naked eye and can remain embedded in your home for up to a year waiting to strike. In a flea invasion only 5% are adults and 95% are eggs lying in wait.

I was advised to wash my dogs bedding in extremely hot water. The first product I used for the house was a powder that I sprinkled all over my carpets and on the dogs' bedding. But this did not produce the desired results. I was treating my dogs every second day and yet the fleas continued to thrive.

Out came the horror stories. One woman took 8 months of continual home and pet treatment to clear up the problem. Another woman had to rip up her carpets and left half her house bare for 6 months because they could not afford to fully re-carpet their home.

I eventually spoke to someone who said that there were no half measures when it came to fleas. It was WAR.

I changed the product I was using on my dogs as it was now obvious that the fleas had become immune to my regular product (which happens when you overdose). I gave them tablets to swallow which cause fleas to become sterile (after they have bitten the poor dog). I also paid a pretty penny for an environmental spray that I used to fumigate my house. I put flea collars into the bag of my vacuum cleaner so that any fleas that landed up there would hopefully die. I also bought a lice comb to groom my dogs' fur to get rid of all that nasty black gunk (a combination of flea eggs and flea poop). You have to be careful about what you comb the eggs onto as they stick to plastic, so rather use paper and syphon the eggs into vinegar or paraffin.

So four months down the road, my dogs are no longer scratching themselves to death. They still need more grooming to be completely egg/flea poop free but they seem to be picking up less fleas from the environment.

Have we WON THE WAR or is this just a truce? The cold weather causes the pupae to become dormant so it is possible that hostilities will resume in spring.
But what a nightmare!
Any other advice on the war on fleas?

All I can say is if you see a single flea on your dog, KILL IT!

Canine athlete good to go...

2011-04-07T13:30:00.002+02:00

We had our first "hunt" of the season last Sunday. It was a warm morning even at 5.00am and when we arrived, there were lots of new faces. With the smell of mackerel drifting in the air, Jamie and Jemma remembered exactly what they had to do.

They both ran well in the first couple of trials with Jamie gaining a second and third place. But they faded in the last few due to the rising temperature and lack of fitness. To celebrate the start of the season we had a fantastic breakfast courtesy of our in house chefs (Pompadom and Roti's owners).

It took me a while to realise that Jamie and Jemma were not among the dogs milling around the sizzling food. I checked every group of dogs and owners particularly where tit bits were being handed out, but no sign of them. Nor were they near the parked cars. After making several circuits, I headed up the hill to a higher vantage point. Surely the smell of fried bacon, eggs and sausage would ensure they would not go missing for long? But nothing.

I was getting desperate and pulled out the red whistle which I blasted long and hard (this did not endear me to the rest of the owners trying to relax and chat). But no reaction. It has been a while since I used the emergency whistle so no doubt Jamie and Jemma have forgotten what it means. After climbing higher and higher and looking 360 degrees, I thought I spotted a flash of the tip of a white tail in the distance. It was them. I don't know what they were doing. Going AWOL, I suppose. I also realised that the wind was blowing in the wrong direction so they had not sniffed breakfast on the breeze.

That day I met Jamie's grand father who is an 8 times winner of the Hunt and his owner told me he had often gone walkabout after the hunt. She would have to wait up to an hour for him to return. So maybe going walkabout is in Jamie's genes. His toe certainly did not seem to bother him (thank goodness).

There was not a peep from Jamie and Jemma for the rest of the day which they spent fast asleep and obviously wiped out. Now that is an end result worth achieving!

Canine athlete definitely out of form...

2011-03-30T14:40:00.007+02:00

It has been a long month. It seems to have taken forever for Jamie's toe to heal. He has put on weight and lost quite a bit of fitness. So has Jemma.

The big problem has been boredom. There is nothing more trying than an active dog that is bored out of its mind while convalescing. The main tip I was given was to keep Jamie chewing. Overwhelm him with chew toys, rawhide, hooves, stuffed kongs and bones.

Bones are of course the cheapest chew toy but they are also controversial. My vet nearly had a fit when I told her I was giving Jamie and Jemma bones to keep them occupied. Probably because she has seen all too often the end result of splintered bones stuck in the intestines of pets.

Those that are pro bones say that they must be BIG bones like knuckle bones, marrow or femur bones. The moment they start to thin or have raggedy edges, throw them away! Some say you must boil your bones as this reduces the growth of bacteria if your dogs like to bury their bones (Now I just chuck them before they get buried). Others say raw bones are better because they are less likely to splinter. Jamie is an "ingester" (tends to swallow whatever he is chewing) whilst Jemma is satisfied with destroying the object of her desire and then walking away. The main message is - be careful, no matter what you give your dogs to chew.

At our last beagle meet at Walkhaven I had to make excuses for why Jamie was looking a bit tubby. It was of course all those marrow bones and lack of exercise. The "Hunt" season starts this weekend. Too late to get them both fit enough. So they will have to toughen up as they run. (Me too!)

Update on Jamie's Op...

2011-03-01T11:54:00.011+02:00

Jamie was very woozy and hopping on three legs when I fetched him late on Friday afternoon at the vet. He had a large, plastic bucket around his head (he looked like a creature from outer space).
The vet said that the operation had gone well. They had removed the nail and the bone underneath it. So part of the last digit on his toe had been amputated. "Amorphous bone growth that had developed on the toe as a result of irritation had also been removed" according to the vet.

List of instructions:

He had to remain as still as possible for 3 days
His pathology report would be available on Tuesday (to see if there was any infection in the bone)
I would need to return to have his dressing replaced every 3 days or so
He would need to wear the collar for 10 days
His stitches would come out in 14 days
He needed to be dosed with painkillers and antibiotics
He would need another x-ray in 3 weeks

Both Jamie and I felt rather overwhelmed as we returned home. The collar scared Jamie stiff (literally). He refused to move. His leg had been covered with a thick dressing and the vet advised that I could remove the collar so long as he did not chew his dressing.

On Friday night and Saturday, Jamie spent most of the day sleeping on the couch. But when I woke up on Sunday, Whoops! Jamie had chewed off all of his dressing and worst of all had probably been licking his wound. So off we rushed to the vet again to have his toe disinfected and a new dressing put on his paw.

Sorry, Jamie but the collar had to go back on. What an awkward piece of apparatus! He has difficulty sleeping. When he feeds I have to make sure the collar fits around his bowl so he can reach his food. I have put water in a wide flat bucket and he drinks by sticking the collar into the water. I can hear his progress around the house by the sounds of banging and scraping as he bumps into doors, furniture, walls. He also vigorously scratches the collar.

Jemma does not know what to make of this alien looking dog. She has been uncharacteristically quiet. Her usual playmate is now Hop-along-Cassidy in a Space Helmet. I will have to take her for walks on her own and leave Jamie behind (poor boy!).

What ado about a toenail! I keep on wondering if I should have taken Jamie to the vet the first time he stubbed his toe. We might have avoided all this aggravation. So the question is: When is a scratch just a harmless scratch? Should you take your dog to the vet for every little thing just in case it can become serious? Or was this just a case of sheer bad luck?

The good news is that the vet does not believe this operation will affect Jamie's ability to run!

The trials and tribulations of a canine athlete...

2011-02-25T11:05:00.004+02:00

One of the biggest fears of every athlete before a competition is injury. Jamie (and his owner) hope to improve his performance during this winter's beagling season. Known as the "Beagle Hunt", a pack of beagles chase scent trails laid out across rough terrain and through the bush. The sooner a beagle crosses the finish line, the higher the number of points he gains. It is very prestigious to be crowned one of the top ten at the end of the season.

But Jamie has been dealt a blow just one month before the season starts. It all started when he stubbed his toe. The injury seemed innocuous enough as he stopped limping after a few days. But he kept re-injuring his toe which would then bleed. I thought that he had broken his toe nail above the quick and was repeatedly bashing it.
I became concerned that the troublesome toe nail would become a real problem once Jamie started hunting because the terrain is very rough and tough on the paws.

So yesterday I took Jamie to the vet thinking that the problem would be easily resolved. My heart dropped when the vet said he needed an x-ray.
The news was not good. A bone had chipped leaving a fleck of bone embedded in his flesh that had to be removed by surgery under a full anesthetic. They also needed to diagnose if there was any infection of the bone or even a carcinoma. It was also highly likely Jamie would lose his nail.

Jamie innocently drove with me to the vet this morning unaware of what lay ahead of him. We arrived at 7.30am. I took him to the sick room where there were several sad looking dogs in post-op recovery, some on drips and monitors. Jamie did not want to stay in his cage where I had to leave him. When I heard that his operation might only be at 12.00pm, I so wished that I had brought his familiar blanket for comfort during the long wait.

So at the moment I am beset by feelings of anxiety.

Jamie is only 2 years old and this is the second time he will have to undergo a full anesthetic ( the first when he was neutered).

What will be the prognosis? After surgery how am I going to ensure that his paw remains clean, dressed and that he doesn't do something stupid that undermines healing? And oh dear, the cost... the cost?

I only hope that this is not going to stop him hunting because he loves it so much!

Still alive and kicking!

2011-02-08T12:49:00.003+02:00

Hi there !
In case you thought Jamie, Jemma and I had disappeared from the planet - we are still here in the physical sense. We did zone out mentally during January, 2011.
But we have now come back to earth with a bump (ouch!).

Jamie and Jemma had a wonderful holiday, got fit, lost weight and are looking sleek and healthy.
Now that they are back in the Big Smoke they are giving me hurt looks. It feels like being back in "prison" after a holiday of unfettered freedom.

I am trying very hard to keep them fit, not overfeed them and psyche myself up for the new Beagle "Hunting" Season which starts in April. They are going to have to remember how to hunt mackerel again.

In the mean time we have Beagle "conventions" once a month at Walkhaven. The idea is to keep the dogs involved in the "hunt" well socialised so that they form a cohesive group once we start the season. It's been fun and we are looking forward to meeting all their mates at the February meet.

In the meantime I am still spending my weekends getting my practical qualification to be an instructor. Hats off to everyone who works in the dog behaviour/instructor business. The really good people have incredible knowledge, skill and experience. They can make a dramatic difference to you and your dog's relationship.
Help is out there if you need it!

Small Dog Syndrome...

2010-11-30T10:39:00.011+02:00

One of our classes had a very small and shy female Maltese Poodle puppy. The first day this little thing just huddled underneath its owner's feet and shivered. It was much smaller than any other puppy in the class. So we encouraged the owner to use Tellington Touch strokes to calm and get her pup used to the new environment, people and other puppies.

The dilemma we faced was where to draw the fine line between molly coddling a puppy but not allowing it to become too overwhelmed and fearful. We observed the puppy became more confident with each class but her owner unwittingly continued to be over protective.

When we felt the dog was showing enough confidence, we asked the owner not to pick up her dog at all for an entire class. She found this incredibly difficult but the little pup actually coped quite well (under the trainer's watchful eye).

It took a lot of persuasion before the Maltese poodle owner eventually stopped picking up her dog during class and allowed her to stand on her own four feet. We explained that by being over protective, she was sending a message to her dog that fearful behaviour was an acceptable way to deal with the world. Her puppy would never learn self confidence this way. In fact what the owner was doing was counter productive. She was not helping her dog become more socialised, less fearful and better able to deal with what it would encounter in future. She had to learn to let go.

During the course this puppy finally reached a stage where it ran around and engaged with other people and puppies.

While doing some research, I came across an article about the "Small Dog Syndrome".

Behavioural problems arise in small dogs when owners, because of the dog's cute little size, allow them to get away with murder! The rule of thumb is that little dogs should not be allowed to behave in a way that one would not accept from any other dog. If you do allow this, it is likely to have a negative effect on the temperament and behaviour of the dog. All dogs should be treated as equals no matter what their size!

There are many small dogs who do not realise that they are small. I remember encountering a miniature Dachshund puppy at a Bed & Breakfast I was staying at on my travels. This little thing fitted into the scoop of my hands and was dwarfed by my beagles. But it had absolutely no fear at all and interacted with my dogs as an equal.
Hmmm.... wonder if he is ruling the B&B now!

Way to go Jamie and Jemma!

2010-11-18T14:22:00.004+02:00

Jamie and Jemma came 21st and 24th out of 50 Beagles according to this year's Beagle Hunt results!

Not bad for "newbeags" who actually only starting finishing scent trails two months into the Hunt's season when they finally understood what to do. We also missed half a month when we were away. So they accumulated their points during 3.5 months out of 6 months. Yup, I'm proud of them!

Last weekend we had a beagle social at Walkhaven ( a park devoted specifically to dogs). The idea is for the beagles to continue to socialise with each other off season. This means that when the new Hunt season starts next winter, the dogs will be thoroughly familiar with each other and this will give the pack cohesion.

There were about 16 beagles there and they had a ball. So we will continue to meet up a least once a month to stay in touch. Nice also for the owners to re-connect and catch up.

The dangers of short term memory loss!

2010-11-18T13:14:00.007+02:00

Ever since my puppies jumped through a burglar proofed window into the bedroom, dragged medication from the side table and scattered tablets all over the garden, I have been vigilant.

I always keep medication locked away in a cupboard and keep the door closed. The windows are kept slightly ajar, never fully open.

The other day, I renewed the prescription. I returned home and placed everything on the bedroom side table reminding myself to put it away as soon as possible. I closed the bedroom door.

It had been a tiring day and I ended up dozing off on my couch only to be woken at about 5.30pm by the ringing telephone. I staggered up in a dazed state to find medication pills scattered all over the carpet.

Heart rate spike!

Jamie and Jemma had chewed three different containers of medicine!

Trying to keep my dogs at bay, I desperately counted every single pill. I had to find out how many were missing.

I established that 3.5 sleeping pills had disappeared. But had they been swallowed by Jamie or Jemma? Neither of them were showing any side effects yet so I decided to feed them at 6.10pm.
Then Jamie began acting strangely almost as if he was hallucinating. Tail between his legs, he began barking at a piece of plastic on the carpet and then at the pink glitter on my sandals and non-existent things in the garden.

By 6.15pm I was on the phone to the vet. They wanted to know details about the make, dosage and ingredients of the pills. Well Jamie or Jemma had destroyed the box. So I had to scrabble through my cupboard to find an old box. Then scrabble through my handbag to find glasses because the print was too small to read.

In the middle of all of this, I was trying to corner Jamie so that I could observe him and describe his symptoms the the veterinary nurse. Thank goodness because I observed him vomiting up his supper and hopefully some of the drug. The nurse said she would consult a vet and get back to me.

When the vet called back, I went through the whole story again. I remember her saying that it takes 40 minutes for a drug to be absorbed and that it was a good sign that Jamie had vomited. She would research the drug and the dosage I assumed he had swallowed. If she felt the situation was dangerous, she would phone me back to bring him in. But if she did not get back to me that meant I was not to worry. In the meantime I was to keep an eye on him.

So what was I supposed to look out for? Well the drug would affect his central nervous system so if he continued vomiting, had diarrhea, became drowsy and disorientated - that meant trouble.

Well, I sat on the edge of my seat waiting for the vet to phone but she did not call back.

Jamie appeared OK for the rest of the evening, but I did check him several times during the night to make sure he was still breathing!

I also discovered that not only had I forgotten to put the drugs away in my cupboard but I had forgotten to close my bedroom door. When I eventually returned the phone call that had woke me up, I had to do quite a bit of explaining.

The moral of the story - If you suffer from short term memory loss, do everything important immediately and make lists all the time. And you can never stop dog proofing your house no matter how old your dogs!

My attack of Separation Anxiety!

2010-11-04T11:57:00.006+02:00

I went to the Berg for a week to celebrate a family event. Unfortunately (like so many places) we were all booked into a non pet-friendly place. I was faced with a dilemma. What was I going to do with my babies for a week?

I did have the option of sending them to a great kennel, but finally decided on a house sitter who would stay overnight and with whom they were very familiar. But she worked during the day. So Jamie and Jemma were going to be home alone for a whole week (at least from 6.30am to 5.30pm).

I remember going on a hike in the Berg (beautiful!) and suddenly having a panic attack about my dogs. What if something went wrong! What if there was an emergency and they had to be rushed to the vet! What if my house sitter discovered this too late! Who would I call to get my dog to a vet asap!

I suddenly realised that I was working myself up into a crazy, negative state over something that might never happen. I spent the rest of the walk thinking positive thoughts about my dogs and trying to calm myself.

When I returned home, all was absolutely fine. My house sitter said that Jamie and Jemma had behaved well (except for stealing her underwear). They seemed none the worse for our week long separation. They say dogs have no concept of time (but I am not sure if that is a proven fact).

But what a relief to know that we can all survive being separated!

The problem with short term memory loss...

2010-10-21T11:35:00.004+02:00

Who would have thought being a Puppy Instructor trainee could be so challenging?

I thought having two puppies was tiring. Try dealing with about 20 puppies all wanting to play non stop. Their owners are still learning how to "recall" their beloved munchkins so when it comes to putting all pups back on their leads, let's just say it gets very noisy. Pups have the attention span of a gnat so getting them to come when called is very challenging especially if they don't yet recognise their own name!

Last Saturday we had three classes in a row. I was meeting everybody for the first time.
Now I am one of those people who when confronted with a big group of people for the first time, have difficulty remembering everyone's name. People are very flattered when you do remember their name but slightly insulted if you don't.

At Puppy School you have to remember each owner's name (and the rest of the family who come to watch), their puppy's name and its sex. If you multiply this by 20, you have at least 60 variables to remember. Not good if you suffer from short term memory loss!

Someone gave me a sneaky tip. Just surreptiously fondle the puppy's underside while talking to the owner and this should give you a good idea of the sex. At least you can get that right while you try to remember his or her name. Last week there was quite a parade of names from Snoekie, Storm, Milaika, Bear, Dube, Zoey, Yusef to Gun. Shew!

Short of writing names on the palm of my hand, I am going to need to get some magic muti to boost my memory cells.

A solution to my Beagle Battle Blues!

2010-10-21T11:15:00.007+02:00

Behaviourist, Karin Landsberg of ThinkingPets sent me this great advice about how to tackle the Battle of the Kingdom of the Couch:

Of course, a compromise can be reached - what about designating one couch with a distinctive cover over it as the 'doggy couch?'. This way, the Beagles can do their thing without all your couches needing covers or constant management.

Easy to teach - if they approach the wrong couch, give a no reward signal, and guide them to the correct couch. Encourage them on to that one, then give a settle cue and let them chill out there. You don't really even need treats as the comfortable lying down will be its own reward.

Thanks Karin for the great advice. Now to implement it!

(P.S. A no-reward signal is not shouting or smacking the perpetrator, but a calm verbal command like uh-uh or if you want to add some South African flavour - sies tog!)

The Battle I have lost...

2010-10-07T14:13:00.005+02:00

There is one battle with my dogs that I have failed to win. That is preventing them thinking that couches are far more comfortable than the floor.

I have spent almost 18 months fighting this battle. I put obstacles on the couches in my lounge with the aim of discouraging Jamie and Jemma from making themselves at home on my furniture, but to no avail.

Now the behaviourists say that to change a dog's behaviour you have to be absolutely consistent and catch them in the act each and every time. I admit this did not always happen. They are very good at taking the gap when your guard is down.
You also have to give them an alternative behaviour like lying on a nice warm blanket in front of the fire or an extra tasty treat for staying on the floor. I tried this but they still preferred the couch.

In fact I tried everything including shouting and shutting them out of the lounge (Shouting is not OK but time-out for very short periods is OK).
But the truth be told it became too exhausting spending every night in constant battle for the kingdom of the couch.

It also showed me how strong the imprinting period is during the first 4 months of a puppy's life.
Jemma was born in a home where all the beagles had a room filled with old couches and comfy chairs on which they slept. So she grew up seeing her elders ensconced in comfort and believes that this is her right in life. Nothing I have done so far has changed her mind and now Jamie thinks if Jemma can do it, so can I.

So 18 months down the line, I have decided if you can't beat them, join them. I have put a protective cover over one of the couches which all three of us share (with me squashed in the middle). The other two couches have their cushions up ended to discourage any deviant behaviour. It does not look pretty and offends my sense of order. But rather that than endless squabbling with my dogs.

I could have opted to permanently shut them out of the lounge altogether. But that defeats the purpose of why I got them in the first place - to enjoy their company.

However I have drawn the line at the bedroom. I know Jemma loves beds, but no one is allowed in there even if it means keeping the door permanently closed day and night. In fact I still have to keep all the doors in my house closed because one little slip and I still find things disappearing and shredded all over the garden.

My Dad sent me an article about keeping fresh air circulating through your home to keep it hygienic and clean as opposed to stale and yuk.

Huh! Wonder if I will ever get to do that?

Insightful comment on "hunting"...

2010-09-15T16:02:00.004+02:00

I thought that I would publish this comment on my blog because I think it is very relevant. I would hate there to be any confusion about my intentions when I take my beagles "hunting".

Hi, I'm a bit confused by your blog ... how can you support / participate in anything associated with a hunt if you are an animal lover as you say in your profile? I'm hoping for some form of clarity here, as I too am a passionate animal lover and a hunt goes against all those values.
September 13, 2010 10:27 AM

I quite agree. I would not participate in a hunt where any live (or dead) animals were involved. Though the organisers call it a "hunt", what the dogs do is follow scent trails that are laid out by dragging a bag filled with tinned pilchards across the ground. This leaves a scent that does not disperse quickly and is easy for the beagles to follow. I am comfortable with this as I know that it is unlikely that my beagles will make a career out of hunting live fish. I just have to be careful about avoiding rubbish dumps (beagle heaven).

Beagles have a strong olfactory sense so this "hunt" challenges that talent. It also exercises the dogs in a way impossible to do by only walking them at the end of a lead. If you go back to all my blog posts related to the "hunts" you will see how and why my interest developed.

As a dog lover, one of my greatest concerns is how to give working dog breeds that are city pets, adequate stimulation and exercise. This is a huge problem as so many of them live in the limited confines of city gardens and apartments. They develop problems because they are bored and under stimulated.

Scent trails or "hunting" is one way of enriching my beagles' lives. They are very active dogs with a highly developed sense of smell (they are used in narcotics detection). They need a lot of exercise and mental stimulation.

This is no easy task and is a constant challenge I face as a Johannesburg city dweller trying to keep my pets happy and content. They have loved been out in the African bush running and following scent trails (albeit mackerel fish) and I have loved been out of smog city under a clear African sky. A win win situation!

Last Hunt of the Season coming up...

2010-08-30T14:04:00.012+02:00

Jamie in yellow (behind) with a friend

Jemma looking pretty in pink.

There is only one more hunt of the season on Sunday 12 September. After that we will miss all the fun enormously. I am still stressing about what we are going to do until the new season starts again next winter.

There is a final competition run at the very end on the season for only the most experienced and fastest beagles called "The Top Ten". They follow a 5 to 7 kilometre long trail non stop. Last year only five beagles finished. This is quite an achievement as the normal trail is about 1 kilometre long but the tough terrain adds to the difficulty. We normally do five of these trails back to back but with a break in between each one for water and rest.

Jemma works much harder than Jamie because she completes the trail and then returns to where the owners are waiting at the start. Jamie (oh sly one!) has learnt to stay at the finish of the trail and wait for all the owners to trickle in. Very clever! So he does not work nearly as hard as Jemma.

In October there will be a Beagle Ball attended by owners who (for a change) get all dressed up and have a swell time. People often don't recognise each other when they are decked out in all their finery. We are used to dressing in very unglamourous, thick protective clothing to keep us warm against the early morning cold and looking bleary eyed and blue in the face because of the 5.00am wake up call.

Trophies and prizes get awarded to the top ten beagles who have won the most points for coming in consistently in top places during the season. I also think it is a reward for all those dedicated owners who have given up so many Sunday morning "lie-ins" so that their beagles could have some fun.

Next year I will be entering Jamie and Jemma as a team because I think they will have a good shot at doing well in the team category. But in the meantime I am going to have to work on my fitness training programme with them during summer. My sporty sister has advised me to get them to build endurance by following me at a trot on a bike in the park. On the in between days she suggest we do sprints around the complex. But first I will have to work on my own fitness to follow this strenuous programme!

It's OK to be sad...

2010-08-19T13:35:00.002+02:00

The community of owners who take their dogs to the Beagle Hunt is very loose, laid back and there is no pressure to do anything but enjoy watching your dogs run. Most of us don't remember every one's names but we do know the names of the beagles (prominently displayed on their bibs).

The Hunt has a blog which keeps everyone in touch with the latest news, how the last hunt went, photos of our dogs competing and the occasional call for a home for a rescue beagle.
But last week one the most well known beagles on the Hunt, Basil, died in a freak accident.
He was a real character, larger than life both figuratively and literally.

There was a burglary at Basil's home. During the ensuing chaos when the security service arrived on the scene, the gate was left open. Basil ran into the road and was run over.

The outpouring of support by the owners was quite amazing! I had tears running down my cheeks as I read the comments. Why did I react that way?
Perhaps it was because I remembered what it was like to lose my own dogs, perhaps it was repressed grief at the memory.

I think we so seldom acknowledge that losing a pet is something important in our lives, something people genuinely grieve about. It is so often brushed aside because of course there are much bigger and harder issues to deal with in life than the loss of a pet.

But here people were acknowledging a pet owner's loss and grief. Everyone wrote a kind testimonial about Basil and each comment was signed with the owner's name and that of their beagle.
It's nice to belong to a community of people that understands that it's OK to be sad when you lose a pet.

Going back to Puppy School without Jamie or Jemma

2010-08-11T15:21:00.002+02:00

When I started writing this blog about me and my dogs, I didn't realise that it would take me into a whole new world. Taking Jamie and Jemma to Puppy School opened a door for me that has taken me off into a whole new direction.
I decided I wanted to learn more.

So last year I spent nine months studying canine behaviour through the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology in the UK. I learnt that the more you know, the more you realise how little you know. I learnt that the world of dog behaviour is surprisingly complex. There are many different schools of thought amongst the academics. And when it comes to the business side of things, it is highly policised and competitive just like most other industries.

But perhaps the most important lesson I learnt is that there are two ends to a leash. There's a dog on one end and a human on the other end. Most of the time canine behaviour is the result of how the human behaves and how much the human really understands their dog.

Everything in life always comes back to Homo sapiens, even canine behaviour!

This year I have embarked on my studies to become a dog trainer starting out as a Puppy Instructor trainee. I wrote my exam last weekend and will embark on several months of practical training during which we are constantly evaluated before we are given the green light as a trainer.

It is interesting to observe that the puppies are always so innocent and delightful. The challenge is usually how to help the humans. Luckily it was not so long ago that I was one of those clumsy, fallible and ignorant owners, so I can empathise with most of them. Though there are a few who, shall we say, present an interesting challenge! But that is a story for another time.

The man with five dogs...

2010-07-19T14:52:00.007+02:00

A little while ago I wrote about the man with four dogs. He now has five dogs.

The story of his latest rescue dog is just as bizarre as the stories of the others.

This dog came from a couple who where going through a divorce. They could not agree as to who would take the dog. So they decided that since neither was prepared to take on the responsibility, the best solution was to euthanize the dog.

I guess if King Solomon had decided to cut the dog in half, unlike the biblical tale where the real mother would rather give up her child that let him die, in this case the dog would have been dead. How incredibly twisted is that!

Two women both claimed to be the mother of a child and brought their case before King Solomon. After some deliberation, King Solomon called for a sword to be brought before him. He declared that there is only one fair solution: the live son must be split in two, each woman receiving half of the child. Upon hearing this terrible verdict, the boy's true mother cried out, "Please, My Lord, give her the live child—do not kill him!" However, the liar, in her bitter jealousy, exclaimed, "It shall be neither mine nor yours—divide it!" Solomon instantly gave the live baby to the real mother, realizing that the true mother's instincts were to protect her child, while the liar revealed that she did not truly love the child.

Some one rescued the dog from its owners, but her flat was too small for a lively beagle.
So now the man with a big heart has five dogs!

Beagle Wonderland

2010-07-19T14:08:00.003+02:00

Beagle Hunts have become a highlight both for me and my beagles. Jemma and Jamie are now successfully completing 90% of the scent "lines". I have been amazed that they are tackling the very tough ones which wind over koppies with very rough, rocky terrain. It is very satisfying hearing the hunt leader read out the names of the dogs that have crossed the finish line and to hear that Jamie and Jemma have made it.

I am also enjoying the walking and talking to all the other owners who come from far and wide for the Hunt. I enjoy passing on tips to those whose beagles do not run immediately (like mine). There are a lucky few whose dogs run first time, but many owners become discouraged when their beagles don't succeed right away. There are several factors that I have learnt have to be taken into account:

Your beagle needs to get used to the idea that it is allowed to leave you and disappear from sight. From a small age we teach them not to get lost, not to leave our side. Now they have to learn that it is OK to do this at a Beagle Hunt.
Most dogs are not used to being in packs (at least 30 dogs) nor to the incredible barking and howling as the experienced dogs bark in excitement at the start line. It can be quite intimidating and takes some getting used to.
They need to learn to run with the pack.
They need to learn to follow a scent trail (a mackerel scent trail). When the going gets hard and the pack breaks up, it is often the dogs that really know how to follow a scent who finish the trail. Many dogs only keep up with the pack because they are fast and fit, but when the pack breaks up, they lose their way.
Your dogs need to be lean and fit. If they are carrying too much weight or have not developed stamina and speed, they get left behind by the pack.
They need to develop callouses on their paw pads. Most of our dogs are used to soft grassy gardens and parks. Now they are expected to race over bush veld and rocky terrain and their paws need to get used to that.

At the moment I have put my beagles on a diet as they need to lose at least a kilogram or two. I also need to work out how to make them fitter and faster. I admit that I do not get my dogs to the park as often as I should because it is suck a "trek" to get there. What I am going to try to do is to increase the intensity of their training by getting them to follow me on a mountain bike.

They currently keep up with my walking speed with ease and spend a lot of time exploring different scents and smells. If I could introduce a bit of "speed training" and encourage them to sprint after my bike, the outing might be a bit more challenging for them.

Anyway that is the long term plan which hopefully will come together when I get a bike! I also have to plan what we are going to do when the Hunt season comes to an end. I will have to find something else to keep them entertained during the summer!

Can you spot number 91 and 92?

2010-07-01T11:41:00.003+02:00

Spot Jamie and Jemma! They are doing well at the Beagle Hunt and their bib numbers are 91 and 92 respectively.

Vuvuzela controversy...

2010-06-23T16:07:00.004+02:00

Yup, even our dogs have been affected by Soccer World Cup fevah! These two are keeping warm in their national colours.

Initially the vuvuzela was a huge point of controversy with wide debate about whether it should be banned at the World Cup stadiums. But half way through the tournament they are now an accepted part of the African experience.

I personally attended a Bafana Bafana match with some trepidation and earplugs at the ready. Instead it was an unforgettable experience. There is nothing quite like the vibrating energy generated by thousands of vuvuzelas. As one of of our players put it "We could feel the wind of your lungs supporting us". In fact it is quite liberating to be able to scream invective at the opposition and the referee knowing that no one can really hear what you say. Otherwise I would have been red carded out of the stadium!

So far it has been a Soccer World Cup of upsets and surprises, despair and elation. At first many (including players) complained that the cacophony was undermining their concentration during the game. Strangely, I have not noticed complaints from the winning teams. There is no doubt in my mind that the vuvuzela has added something different and special to this event. Vuvuzelas are fast becoming a South African national sporting symbol and being exported just as fast around the world. Nor can manufacturers meet the demand fast enough (much of which is from foreign fans). Mark my words, the vuvuzela will start appearing in other stadiums around the globe.

I did have a chuckle when I heard that the the white haired dons of Wimbledon have issued an edict banning the vuvuzela from the tournament. Ah well, Wimbledon would not be Wimbledon if it was not restrained and ever so polite.

My attitude has changed about the vuvuzela complainers. Either put up or shut up! This is Africa, get used to it!

Jamie and Jemma finish their first "line"...

2010-06-10T13:06:00.004+02:00

The temperature was sub zero and the veld white with frost. I had to pry my eyes open with pliers at 5.00am in order to hit the road. The round trip to the Beagle Hunt is about 100 kilometers and my motivation about the whole exercise needed a boost. I had become despondent about the fact that Jemma and Jamie had not yet finished a full scent trail. The whole point of the Beagle Hunt is to get them to run really hard with the pack and use their incredible olfactory sense. But so far they had not achieved this. We might as well walk closer to home at a more civilised hour, I grumbled as we drove in the dark trying to avoid the ubiquitous potholes. I needed Jamie and Jemma to finish a scent trail.

Today they received their new race bibs with their own name and number. Jamie was number 91 and Jemma 92. Now they looked the part, they just needed to act the part.

Nothing happened on the first trail. But the second trail of the day was downhill through short grass. I noticed that for the first time Jamie and Jemma were watching the people laying the trail - a good sign that they were aware something was up. As the horn blew, the pack raced off sticking together because they could see each other and disappeared around a koppie. After about five minutes Jemma and Jamie returned with the rest of the beagles. When everyone was accounted for, we walked to the end of the trail where the judges were waiting to read out the list of beagles that had crossed the finish line. Jamie and Jemma had arrived in second place! I thought this was just too good to be true and double checked with the judges that it was not other beagles with the same name that had finished. "Yes," they confirmed " Number 91 and 92 finished well".
Suddenly the effort of getting up that freezing Sunday morning in the dark was all worth it.

The rest of the trails that day were very tough following a line up and over steep, rocky koppies. Here the pack began to break up and only the most well trained and experienced finished.
So I have realised a couple of things:
Hunting a scent may be instinctive but your beagle still needs to learn how to use that instinct.
Most of the beagles actually just follow the pack or other beagles who know what they are doing.
There are only about 10 to 15 beagles who actually follow the scent and they have learnt this through lots of experience or with the help of training by their owners.
So like everything else, one has to put effort into this sport. Although I had hoped that Jamie and Jemma would do everything naturally while I sat back and drank hot coffee, it is going to take a bit more dedication on my part.

I was chatting to someone who owns a husky and joined a group who go "sledding" i.e. train their huskies to pull a variety of contraptions from go-carts to bicycles. She was also told that this was something her dog would do instinctively. But this was definitely not the case. She said her dog was all over the place so she quit and has returned to walking in the park.

We will see if I can hang in there because there is no doubt Jemma and Jamie love The Hunt.

Vetkoek and Beagles...

2010-05-31T15:20:00.005+02:00

There is nothing quite like a baying beagle ready to hunt the trail!

Ready, set....

GO!

Vetkoek, cheese, savoury mince and a variety of jams for tea after the hunt. Yum!

There were also a lot of hungry beagles tired of sniffing elusive pilchards on the scent trail and hoping the vetkoek was more accessible.

One hundred vetkoeke were devoured by hungry people and beagles alike after the hunt. The catering was courtesy of two chefs who run a cooking school in Johannesburg. However their beagles, tough competitors on the trail, are kept lean and mean. No vetkoek for Poppadom and Roti!

Jemma and Jamie are disappearing for longer periods of time but are yet to finish "a line" (a scent trail).

Each trail is about a kilometre long and over pretty rough terrain. Your beagles need to be fit and healthy to do this sport. I think Jamie (the previously anorexic puppy now greedy beagle) needs to lose a bit of weight!

This weekend I decided to try and do a bit of "home" training to see if it would help Jemma and Jamie get a better idea of what they are supposed to do. I roped in Santacruz and Little Helper as assistants.

Our first attempts were not very successful. I dragged a bag of pilchards a short distance and then hid, but we found that Jemma and Jamie were tracking me by following my scent and not that of the pilchards. When I was down wind from them, they battled to find me.

So we started from scratch. Santacruz persuaded them to watch and follow the bag of pilchards as she pulled it behind her. I slowly disappeared off the scene because my presence was a distraction. Also we needed them to cut the apron strings and realise it was OK to follow a scent trail being set by a stranger.

Eventually Santacruz and Little Helper started playing hide and seek with Jemma and Jamie again. Little Helper, being small and easy to hide, would drag the bag and disappear in the long grass. Each time Jemma and Jamie found her, they received a treat.

Our final conclusion at the end of the exercise was that they were beginning to associate the smell of pilchards in the morning with seeking people... one step closer to understanding the meaning of The Hunt!

I will have to try and get another practise session before the next Hunt. Let's hope it it helps improve their performance!

Thank you Santacruz and Little Helper for your generous time and patience with Jemma and Jamie!

The man with four dogs...

2010-05-19T15:19:00.007+02:00

I met a man at the Beagle Hunt who owned four dogs - three beagles and a basset. Two of his beagles had been rescued. One was from the SPCA, the other from owners who wanted to get rid of their 5 month old puppy. But these dogs' background stories were heartbreaking.

One had been rescued after jumping out of a taxi in Johannesburg. She had a microchip (her original owners must have cared enough to implant one in her as a puppy). The chip was traced to Cape Town but the company that had registered it was now defunct. So the SPCA was unable to find her original owners. Imagine losing your dog and never knowing what her fate was. So check that your microchip in your dog is still traceable!

"She still bears the scars to this day" said her new owner and it was really upsetting to see such a "sad" looking beagle. Beagles are usually so cheerful and friendly by nature. But at least this beagle has finally found a caring home.

His second beagle is now a 13 month old male. The circumstances surrounding how he ended up being re homed were very disconcerting. He was bred by Onderstepoort Veterinary University where they use beagles to educate student vets. They sometimes sell their male puppies to raise funds for the university and these puppies are not cheap nor are they plentiful.

He was bought by a couple who wanted a puppy as a playmate for their 4 and 6 year old children.

Mistake Number 1: A puppy is not a soft toy to be handled by children too young to know what they are doing. This family decided to get rid of their 5 month old puppy because it apparently "bit" one of the children.

Now anyone with half a brain cell knows that puppies are highly active, destructive chewing machines. They chew all the time on anything and everything.

Bite inhibition is learnt by puppies when they interact with their litter mates. If they bite too hard, it hurts and so they learn to play more gently. But we owners remove them while they are still learning and it is up to us to continue their bite inhibition education. That's why puppy school or socialisation is so important. We learn how to teach "cute looking" puppies to grow up into well behaved, happy dogs without destroying their spirit or essential nature. It takes many scratches and bites before your puppy learns that when you squeak "Ow" and ignore them for a while that they must be more gentle while playing with you.

But it takes an adult to teach this and other lessons to your puppy. It's an adult responsibility. How ignorant can you be to think you can hand over the care and education of a small puppy to a small child?

Mistake Number 2: Puppies are usually sold at 2 months. After having the puppy for only three months, the new owners decided "Oh Dear! we've made a mistake. Let's get rid of it". This puppy's most important "imprinting" period, his first 4 months when he learns how to behave through socialisation and habituation, were mismanaged by thoughtless humans. The puppy was very nervous and insecure when he arrived at his next home. Luckily he has been taken on by someone who is patient and understanding.

Perhaps Onderstepoort should vet the people who buy their puppies as stringently as do many of the top breeders?

But while dishing out the onions on this issue, I also have to give Onderstepoort a bouquet. Two of their students came along to observe the beagle hunt. My understanding was that they are looking at possible ways of enriching the lives of the dogs they keep there. It is good to know that Onderstepoort is trying to improve their beagles' quality of life beyond cages and concrete floors.

Huntmaster Scenting the Hounds (with a smelly bag of pilchards)

2010-05-10T16:37:00.002+02:00

Setting the Scent Trail & Blowing the Start Horn (size does not count)

2010-05-10T16:36:00.007+02:00

Beagle Hunt Sequel...

2010-05-10T15:15:00.007+02:00

Unlike most sequel events, Beagle Hunt II turned out to be slightly better than the first event.

Jamie and Jemma got into the swing of the rush of the pack from the start line. But when the pack broke up to search for the scent trail, they lost the plot and returned back to the waiting line of owners.

But this time Jamie and Jemma did disappear for longer in the knee high grass. And they did not seek me out immediately which means that the apron strings are slowly loosening. This needs to happen said the more experienced owners: the realisation that it is OK to leave MABeagle for a while.

Meanwhile I casually asked other owners for more winning tips (I had to be subtle because some owners are quite competitive!). The champions Roti and Poppadom had first been trained at home by playing hide and seek. Dad would make a big fuss and go and hide until Mom eventually let them go to seek out their master. Then on the hunt, Dad made a big fuss of his dogs and made sure they saw him leaving with the party that was laying the scent trail. So they knew that he had gone ahead and had to find him.

Some one else advised me to find a consistent finisher whose pace matched that of your own beagle. Stick your beagle next to the more experienced beagle at the start line in the hopes that they would stay together until the finish.

Fitness definitely plays a role if one wants to keep up with top dogs like Roti and Poppadom who get exercise every day. Their Dad also confided that they had been a bit overweight (typical of beagles) and when they lost a few kilograms, their speed increased. These two cleaned up again winning every heat. So if one is prepared to put the time into training them, your dogs can catch on faster.

Jamie and I broke the rules by crossing the start line before the horn was sounded. I was not concentrating and in the melee he slipped out of my grasp. He would have been disqualified not only for a false start but for distracting the other beagles. But the fact that he was a total non starter got him off the hook. He casually wandered off to the side to lift his leg. He was so busy doing his business that it took him a while to realise that the pack had left him in their dust! Luckily, as a newcomer his race bib does not bear his name yet. So when this happened a second time, I quietly disowned him.

One of the organisers who comes regularly has a beagle called Snoopy. He is yet to finish a heat and yet they still keep coming. That's what I call dedication. For some it is not about winning or even finishing, just having fun. There were a lot of new faces and I saw some bibs with numbers up in the 80's so there are a lot of members. But an average of about 20 to 30 beagles show up regularly. When it gets colder and more difficult to get up in the dark, it will be interesting to see who will hang in there (including yours truly). I think I need to pull finger and try and do some more home training before the next hunt. But there is a whole season of winter months ahead to see what happens.

Next time around they are arranging a "koeksuster" tea after the hunt. This South African sweet sticky treat will go down very well on a cold winter's day after getting up at 5.00am with nothing but a cup of coffee in the stomach!

Things that go bump in the night...

2010-05-03T14:47:00.003+02:00

Jamie is the sweetest dog. I love him to bits but he does have some strange neuroses.
Firstly there is the fact that he still hates the car. This despite an intensive desensitisation programme on my part. It means that every outing is a bit of a chore because it takes ages to get Jamie into the car. (I know he gets car sick but it is pointless giving him anti nausea medication unless the trip is more than a hour in duration.)

Secondly he is afraid of large, strange objects. I think this goes back to his puppy hood. He was frightened by one of those big black garbage bins as it rumbled noisily down a pathway. Ever since then, if Jamie sees anyone carrying something large like a box, suitcase or furniture, he runs in the opposite direction.

Winter has definitely announced its arrival in Gauteng, South Africa. So heaters are becoming a necessity. But bearing in mind that we are about to be hit by huge hikes in our electricity bills, I have trundled out my gas heater and kept the electric heaters in storage. But the gas heater just happens to be big and black.

Jamie has refused to join us in the lounge since this heater made its appearance. Despite treats and endearments, he is unwilling to come very far into the room or he sits close to the door where he can make a quick escape.

Well Jamie might just end up having a chilly winter unless he comes to terms with the strange new object in the lounge. It is going to be the only source of heat this winter!

The Beagle Hunt Gathering...

2010-04-23T16:20:00.001+02:00

Getting used to wearing race bibs...

2010-04-23T16:00:00.003+02:00

Ready to Race...

2010-04-23T15:07:00.001+02:00

Beagle Hunt!

2010-04-23T14:27:00.015+02:00

My dogs were very surprised to woken at 5.00am by me instead of the other way around. Dog bowl, water, coffee, sandwiches and directions in hand, we set off for the country side. The terrain was a mix of hillocks, trees and tall green grass.

Gathered under a cool sky were between 20 to 30 beagles and their owners. Most of us were "newbeags" and not exactly sure what to expect.

We were given instructions by the "hunt" leader about how to handle our beagles before the start of each hunt. Then we set off to the start of the first trail. Each beagle is given a sniff of the bag of pilchards by the hunt leader. He then sets off dragging the bag behind him to create a scent trail. When he reaches the end point, it is communicated back to a team member at the start. A piece of string is the indicator of where to line up your dogs. You have to carefully get their leads off and hold onto their collars until a horn is blown and then the dogs are set loose.

The veteran beagles knew exactly what was about to happen and began excited barking and baying which the "newbeags" found confusing. What was all the excitement about? The owners were warned to keep absolutely quiet and still so as not to distract the beagles from being swept up by the rush from the start line.

The horn blew, I let go of Jemma and Jamie and.........nothing. They sat looking a bit confused at first, rushed off for about 20 metres, then turned back to rejoin the group of owners - a reaction that was typical of most of the "newbeags".

The end of the first scent trail became the beginning of the next trail and we did a total of six trails that day. The owners and beagles left behind would wait until the beagles (who knew what they were doing) reached the finishing line. Then we would walk the shortest route to the end (as the crow flies).

Each dog wears a bib with its name and number so that the judges at the finish know who has crossed the line and award them points. There were two beagles named Roti and Poppadom who were the clear winners each time. Their owner is apparently a chef and they are obviously after the winners title this year. I asked the chef how long it takes for a beagle to learn what to do. He explained that because we spend most of our time training our dogs to stick close to us, not to wander off and to obey a recall, their first hunts are a bit confusing. To suddenly be allowed to go off on their own and leave their owners behind takes a bit of getting used to. Sometimes their pack instinct will kick in but most people have a single beagle, so they have never experienced the call of a baying pack.

One owner of a "newbeag" said that he was going to train his beagle to follow a scent trail by dragging a pilchard bag behind his golf cart! There is no doubt that if you have the time and space, you could train your beagles by yourself. (I must ask the chef what his secret is).

But many owners say that it can take a season or two before your beagle will click (and some never do!). I met the owner of a 10 year old beagle who was too old to run but just came for the fun of the day. And there were two "newbeags" who cracked the trail first time around.

I have a feeling that Jamie may click because though he did not follow the scent trail and stayed with the human/beagle pack, he often disappeared from sight and I would only find him when we arrived at the end point. Jemma on the other hand nearly got lost the first time and headed off in the opposite direction back to the car park. Luckily my red whistle re-orientated her back to me. But after that she tended to keep me in her sights.

But whether your beagle succeeded on the scent trail or not, did not seem hugely important. Everyone (dogs and owners) had loads of fun socialising, sniffing and walking. The mood of the day was very relaxed and enjoyable. And it was wonderful to be out of the city!

All in all it was a great day in the country side. I got more exercise than I bargained for and my beagles less than I expected. But by the time we headed home, Jamie, Jemma and I were all pooped and spent the entire afternoon snoozing. I am really looking forward to next event!

How to exercise your dogs and not kill yourself in the process...

2010-04-10T10:51:00.001+02:00

You may have read my post where I was whining about how difficult it is to truly exercise a working dog in the city. Well I might have found a solution. There is a group of beagle owners who organise a bi-monthly "Beagle Hunt". Before the bunny-huggers squeak in protest, just like I did at the thought of a "blood sport", it is nothing like that.

There are no live animals or blood involved except a very smelly sack of pilchards (dead that is).
These fish are excellent for laying a strong scent trail through the bush and the idea is to tap into the beagles' breed trait of a strong sense of smell and working well together in packs.

There are strict rules about how the "hunt" is run but it is apparently all done with the dog's best interests at heart and is relaxed and fun for owners. It is also out in the countryside!
So the idea is that they follow the scent trail to the finish and are awarded points (if they finish) and the overall winners are announced at a Beagle Ball at the end of the season.

Apparently they don't need to be trained but it can take a while before they catch on. But I have started giving Jamie and Jemma the occasional pilchard as a treat just so they recognise the smell and know that it should lead to something tasty and nice.

What appeals to me is that the owners sit back and wait for their dogs to return. So my dogs are not restricted by my level of fitness. They have several heats and your dogs can do as many as they want. At the end of the morning there is a bit of a social get together with sandwiches and coffee for dogs and owners alike. We will be doing our first hunt soon - so will keep you posted.

I think the concept of creating a relaxed event around what a particular breed of dog enjoys doing and which is also enjoyable for the owner, is great. Another brilliant solution to the problem of how to mentally and physically stimulate your dog!

Why does curiosity only kill cats and not dogs?

2010-04-09T15:12:00.004+02:00

It was only a matter of time before Jemma figured out how to empty the trash can in my kitchen. Now that she knows the trick, no garbage container will ever be safe again in my house.
She loves ones with a pedal that she can paw or lids that she can push open with her nose.

This particular day, I had woken up at 4.30am and staggered to work before sparrows for an exhausting 12 hour shift. I had thrown some marrow bones at the terrible twins to keep them occupied and switched the radio to soothing classical music. But while the Boss Cat is away the dogs did play.

As I crawled home in the thick traffic, all that kept me going was the thought of a hot bath and bed. But when I opened my door, what greeted me was not a pretty sight. A tornado of garbage debris was everywhere. As I picked my way through the smelly, sticky putrid mess, I noticed that Jamie and Jemma looked ominously bloated.

So instead of a hot bath and bed, I had to pull on the rubber gloves and force myself to start the back breaking task of picking up the garbage.

Whenever there is monkey business in my house, the main instigator is usually Jemma. She is far too bright and curious for her own good. She is literally always sticking her nose into my business.
She is often the unlucky recipient of a tongue lashing. Then I feel guilty. But I don't know why because quizzy-lizzy is soon up to her tricks again.

It seems curiosity does indeed only kill cats because my dogs are immune to this fate.

Back to Reality!

2010-03-31T15:17:00.008+02:00

After a whole month of freedom to roam when and where they wanted at our cottage by the sea, Jemma and Jamie found it a real shock returning to city suburbia with walls and boring gardens. Once again they are dependent on me for mental and physical stimulation.

It has been equally traumatic for me. I had to jump on to the roller coaster ride that is 2010 going from 0 to 100 km per hour in a millisecond. I am now juggling life and the ever present guilt of finding the time and energy to take my dogs out.

In the city this is no mean feat. Taking them for a walk on a lead has become an unpleasant option for both of us. They feel reined in and I feel like I'm being drawn and quartered as they pull me in opposite directions. So we prefer a park where we can all do our own thing.

But first you have to find a suitable park, then you have to organise the outing with military precision. Check for dog whistle, poop scoop bags, treats, water, a bowl, collars and leads, a hat, walking shoes, and a cash tip for the car park guard. Then I have to lock up the house and persuade Jamie to get into the car (he is still reluctant to get in this machine that makes him feel car sick).

All of this takes at least half an hour and must be achieved by 3.30pm before peak hour traffic. Sitting bumper to bumper in a Johannesburg traffic jam is not good for the nerves. It is a half hour drive to the big parks where we walk for an hour and another half hour drive back (traffic permitting). So a dog walk is a two and a half hour operation!

When I can't take them, I suffer the consequences. They run around my house and property like banshees possessed. This is usually accompanied by loud, excitable barking which is an additional stressor as I wait for a call from an irritated neighbour. They do not care that this is a dog's version of happy hour. Mind you, even after a walk they are so revved up that they still run around the house like banshees for at least an hour afterwards!

On weekends I have devised a way to compensate for my lack of fitness as I would need to run a marathon before they would eventually tire! I walk for an hour then find myself a spot to sit where there are lots of passing dogs and their owners. Jemma and Jamie keep themselves busy saying hallo to every new comer while I read the Sunday newspaper and drink coffee. Works for me!

This is a dog's life...

2010-03-22T15:13:00.002+02:00

Freedom!

2010-03-15T15:09:00.001+02:00

Four Beagles in a row...

2010-03-08T15:05:00.004+02:00

Wow, I can see the sea!

2010-03-01T15:12:00.002+02:00

My wish for my dogs this festive season...

2009-12-21T08:00:00.000+02:00

It is the festive season and many of you are making a decision about what to do with your pets if you are going on holiday. I am lucky because I can take them with me to a cottage by the sea.

My puppies will be seeing the ocean for the first time. Since there are no fences around the property, they will be free to roam to their heart's content.

This is wonderful for them but a continual source of worry for me. I remember with my previous male beagle that I was unable to go to sleep at night until I heard the reassuring tinkle of his name tags as he returned (often after 10pm). All my dogs have been micro-chipped and carry mutiple tags with numbers and addresses.

I have a feeling that Jemma and Jamie are going to be addicted to wandering.

So my wish for this holiday is that my dogs come home safely every day after lots of doggie fun. I wish that I can finally slough off all the negativity, stress and pressure of 2009. I wish I can spend time on re-balancing myself and my relationship with my dogs who have often been in the firing line of my stressed emotions.

A toast to our tolerant and patient canine friends who put up with all our human crazy crap!

The short lived bliss of a clean carpet...

2009-12-14T12:50:00.003+02:00

A beautiful clean home and puppies are two mutually exlusive things.

I feel like I have been living in a dirty whare house for the past year. In order to puppy proof my home, I have had to remove everything that is tempting for a puppy. This resulted in the removal of everything that created a sense of aesthetics and comfort. Rugs, lamps, ornaments, books, anything with an electronic cable have all gone into storage. My home now functions with the bare necessities.

But worst of all is the state of my carpets. They have collected mud, urine, vomit, debris and other unspeakable things for over a year.

Then after 11 months (and the advent of visitors) I decided to take the plunge and clean my carpets. This is not a cheap operation and I have hesitated in the past knowing that this would be a short term luxury. Clean carpets would not remain clean for very long if my dogs had anything to do with it.

But the cleaner came and the pups were excommunicated from all carpeted areas of the house while the visitors were present. "Oh how nice and clean your house looks!" they commented. Little did they know what effort had been required to get it to that state. This after I had cleaned long neglected areas, hauled some decorations out of storage, carefully barricaded critical areas from potential damage and skilfully hidden those areas irreparably damaged.

It was bliss to feel in control of my environment once again. But this feeling lasted exactly a week.

Once the visitors left, everything was once again fair game for my dogs. For some totally inexplicable reason my dogs, now fully house trained, have already urinated twice on my clean carpets. What are they thinking!!!! Do they find it necessary to re-mark their territory?

When oh when will I have my beautiful clean, comfortable home back again?

Even Oprah found out there are no guarantees ...

2009-12-04T12:04:00.009+02:00

I met a couple walking in the park with a young beagle puppy. They had a rather hair raising story about an encounter with a "backyard" breeder. They had travelled all the way from Kwa Zulu Natal to Gauteng to fetch their first beagle puppy. The breeder appeared well off and had a very nice home but the state of the kennels where the puppies were kept was according to the couple "disgusting". Maybe this should have tipped them off. Nevertheless, they bought the puppy. R20 000 later which included the cost of the puppy, many vet's bills and much trauma, their puppy died. They believed that the breeder had not inoculated the puppy or taken sufficient care to protect it from disease.

They were very careful about their selection of breeder the second time around. And this time it seems they have a happy and healthy puppy. They were very impressed that the breeder often phoned to check up on the pup and find out how he was doing. (Some people find this threatening but I think it is the sign of a caring breeder.) Getting a healthy pup means doing your research about reputable and ethical breeders, being prepared to be on a long waiting list and paying a a lot of money (and even then there are no guarantees!).

The sad thing is that I heard the same story from someone who had adopted two rescue kittens. Their vet bills amounted to R14 000 and they lost one of the kittens to parvo virus in the end.

This also happened to Oprah recently when she adopted two rescue puppies and nearly lost both of them to this horrible virus which lurks in the air and the ground. In both cases one of the rescue animals had the disease and had passed it onto the other. Inoculation against this virus is critical.

You may be very lucky and get a wonderful, well adjusted pet or not so lucky and end up with one which is sickly or has behavioural problems. There are many wonderful people who are prepared to put a lot of money, effort and love into their pets or rehabilitating rescue animals. But there is no compensation for pain, suffering or loss of income if things go wrong.

There are no guarantees which ever route you decide to go to find a pet. Jamie's breeder was very ethical in warning me about the fact that his testicles had not dropped at an early age. She gave me the option of saying no. Of course I did not, but the vet's bill for his neutering operation was far higher than normal because of its level of complication.

So one needs to make a decision with one's eyes wide open because this is a pet you have to commit to (love, time and money) for the next 10 to 15 years.

The other side of the Breeder story...

2009-12-03T11:32:00.000+02:00

I had an interesting chat with two breeders last week when I challenged them about the perception that they only bred for looks in the show ring and championship titles.

They said on the contrary, if you wanted a good show dog, you had to be very aware of temperament and socialisation. A poorly socialised dog with the wrong temperament would be a disaster at a show. So there are breeders out there who are prepared to go the extra mile.

One breeder carefully vets every single potential owner and then encourages them to interact with their pups from as early an age as possible even holding puppy parties for everyone.

When it comes to the accusation that the narrow genetic pool of pedigree breeding had created serious health problems in many breeds, they pointed out that a lot of research is being done into genetics today and problems like hip dysplasia had almost disappeared from certain breeds. They argued that good pedigree breeders are very conscious of genetics, health, temperament, socialisation and habituation especially if they wanted a winning show dog.

But a behaviourist pointed out that these type of breeders are rare. They contribute perhaps 2% to the overall dog population whilst the rest are from random or backyard breeders, pet shops and puppy mills. Then there are the thousand of rescue animals where there is blatant disregard or ignorance about these issues and many are the product of human neglect or cruelty.

It is these dogs that behaviourists and instructors have to deal with on a daily basis.

The frustrations of dog training...

2009-12-01T13:08:00.007+02:00

Things were going really well with training my dog Jamie to adjust to his phobia of cars.
He had stopped shivering (a stress signal) and we went for two rides in the car where he seemed to cope better than before. The last ride was to the vet. All went well on the way there.

Jamie had to have stitches out after his neutering op and he had managed to damage his toe while walking. Unfortunately the vet said he would require another round of anti-inflammatory and antibiotic pills and no major walking for a while. (How am I going to keep sane if my dogs do not have their walk/run as an outlet?)

The journey home was quite hot and long because road works in Johannesburg in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup are causing local motorists an absolute headache.
I arrived home to find that Jamie had been sick all over the back of the car. My worst fear had been realised - a major set back in trying to persuade him that cars are not so bad after all.

So now my vet has said he should take another medication to overcome car sickness! This was one of the first questions I asked about Jamie - whether he may be suffering from car sickness but according to the vet he did not display the normal signs of nausea. Was it the heat or maybe the stress after a visit to the vet or a combination of everything?

I gave the training programme a break for a day or two then started again. Yesterday I thought I would take Jamie and Jemma for a short, slow ride to the shops. The idea is to progress from getting Jamie comfortable in a stationary car to a moving vehicle by starting with small trips and gradually increasing the length of the trip. But soon after we left he refused treats (a sure sign of stress when he refuses to eat) and curled up in a ball. I turned around and went back home after travelling only 100 metres.

I am feeling enormously FRUSTRATED because I am going to have to start with the stationary car exercise all over again. This may prolong the whole behavioural modification process which means he might have to be on tranquillisers longer than I wanted and I may also have to give him anti nausea pills in case he gets car sick!!!!!!

Jamie and the Psychologist...

2009-11-25T06:50:00.004+02:00

This week seems to have been all about Jamie. First, many consultations with his vet about why his operation incisions were taking so long to heal? When was it safe to take him out without risking infection or torn stitches? It was decided to postpone taking out his stitches for an extra week. Yesterday he wounded the flesh between two toes and it's been a bitch trying clean it. I ended up dipping his whole paw into a bowl of antiseptic and then trying to squeeze antibiotic cream into the gap. But what a palaver!

At the same time I am consulting a Canine Behaviourist about his car phobia. She has warned me that the tranquilliser she suggested is not to be messed with. "You can't be arbitrary with this drug. You have to give it to him religiously and its effects will only kick in after 15 days. Do not mess around when you are dealing with brain chemistry," she warned me. This has spurred me on to put every effort into his behavior modification programme because it may be my last chance. I do not want Jamie on this drug for any longer than necessary. Everything she advised me to do is specific to Jamie's individual behaviour so it may not work for other dogs.

I have to avoid anything that triggers the fear he associates with the car - like the dark garage.
I now park outside my front gate with the car doors wide open. I lift Jamie from the house into the car while giving him lots of treats, praise and strokes. I try to make a game of it by placing treats all over. He is now beginning to explore the car rather than sitting in a frozen funk. After a short time in the car, he can jump out and is rewarded with a short walk and lots of sniffing (heaven for a beagle). This process must be repeated several times at a rapid pace.

Hopefully he will begin to realise he is safe in the car and nothing bad will happen to him. What's more it means treats and walks! I am trying to do this twice a day with the last session being rewarded with a walk around our complex park. The Behaviourist has said that I need to do at least 4 sessions before every actual trip he takes in the car.

So far we have had one trip in the car and I was thrilled because he did not shake and tremble (his usual indication that he is very stressed). But I must not do anything to blow it. The slightest negative experience could be a set back! Hopefully he will eventually jump into the car voluntarily and travel will become a stress free experience for all of us. But to make this happen is hard work!

The only problem is Jemma who is "dikbek" or pouting at the moment. We decided that her bouncing enthusiasm in the car, where she literally stomps all over Jamie, does not help him calm down. One would have thought that her exuberance would rub off but in fact the Behaviourist felt it may be too much for an already stressed Jamie.

Despite a large tasty bone to chew and the calming sounds of Classic Radio in the kitchen, Jemma created such a racket that I now let her watch from the gate. She still looks glum but at least she is not howling the house down. She does get included in all the long walks.

While talking to the Behaviourist on the phone Jemma and Jamie began squabbling over a bone. It does not matter how many bones or chew toys are lying around, they always manage to fight over the same object. I had to evict them from the room so that I could hear the conversation. I have started getting used to the fact that these two fight and squabble. The Behaviourist said that resource guarding was very common between dogs and not to get too upset about it. I now realise that it is all bark and no bite, but what a show! A concerned neighbour asked me if my dogs were alright because she described the sound of their fighting as "awe inspiring".

I seem to be forever apologising to neighbours about my dogs' behaviour and assuring them they are going through adolescence and hopefully they will out grow it?

The "Ritalin" generation of dogs...

2009-11-17T14:28:00.006+02:00

You are probably aware of the controversy around the use of the drug Ritalin in children who are deemed to have attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Many believe that thousands of children are incorrectly diagnosed with this disorder when in fact they are just very active. Figures published in 1996 in Forbes magazine showed a fourfold increase in the rate of methylphenidate (Ritalin) consumption between 1989 and 1994, a rise so dramatic that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency asked the United Nations' International Narcotics Control Board to look into the situation. The United Nations released a report in February of 1996 expressing concern over the discovery that 10 percent to 12 percent of all male school children in the United States were taking the drug. I wonder what the figure is world wide today?

Those in favour of Ritalin vigorously support its use, whilst others say that it has become too easy to blame a child's misbehaviour on these illnesses and resort to drugs. In fact there are so many children on this drug, there must be a positive epidemic of inattentive and hyperactive children today.

I believe the same mistake is being made with dogs where the term hyperactive is loosely used without a proper and careful diagnosis by a veterinarian and misapplied to a dog that is simply very active.

I have talked before about the "culture clash" between 21st century city people and dogs bred to be working, active dogs. If dogs are not given appropriate outlets for their energies, just like children, their behaviour is labelled "obnoxious misbehaviour" in the eyes their owners.

There was a time when one only put dogs on a tranquilliser or sedative if they were going to travel. Now it seems that these type of drugs (whether homeopathic or chemical) are becoming the norm. People drop into their vets to collect something to keep their dogs "calm". It is often one of the first options offered to owners who describes their dog as "over the top" and whose behaviour is "impossible". Not that I don't identify with these feelings, believe me I do! I battle daily to cope with two very active beagle puppies and often I do not cope very well at all.

Now, I have just put my dog on a tranquilliser to help him cope with travelling in a car. But it has made me think about how easy it is to go the drug route to solve all our problems. I wonder if the number of "calming drugs" given to dogs is yet another symptom of the way our society deals with stress and anxiety.
Drug the hell out of ourselves, our children and our pets in order to cope!

Jamie all stitched up...

2009-11-10T13:45:00.009+02:00

Poor Jamie! I so wished that his testicles would drop so that he could undergo a normal neutering operation. I waited ten months but nothing appeared and the vets could not feel anything. According to the vet if his testicles remained inside his abdominal cavity there is a greater risk that he could contract cancer. So there was no question about him not undergoing surgery.

So I decided to take him in yesterday as I would like him to be fully recovered before we go on holiday. When I fetched him after his operation, the vet said they had really battled to find his testicles. He has two incisions - one in his groin area and one around the the base of his penis. They looked very painful and he came home drugged up to his eyeballs. That night he looked very unhappy and staggered around before eventually going to bed where I had to pile on the blankets to stop him shivering.

This morning he is looking more alert and even growled at Jemma over the new bones made from ostrich which I have bought them to chew. They are large and will hopefully keep them occupied and away from my furniture and other valuables.

Jamie is on a doze of antibiotics, pain killers and a new tranquilliser which will not only help keep him calm after his op but also eventually help him cope with his phobia about cars.

Jamie still hates getting into a car and will tremble and curl into a ball even though 90% of the time, his destination is the park which he loves. The new drug is designed to reduce his anxiety whilst I retrain him using behaviour modification techniques to adapt to the car. This tranquilliser is also supposed to help a variety of situations such as separation anxiety or compulsive disorders such as lick dermatitis (where a dog will continually lick an area raw).

I must say I am always nervous about new drugs whether for my self or my dogs.

But Jamie had to be neutered for the sake of his health and hopefully this new drug will help him relax in the car so we can go to the park more often without all the drama and trauma!

What dog should Obama have chosen?

2009-11-02T10:49:00.005+02:00

It was interesting listening to Animal Behaviourist Patricia McConnell's answer to this question on NPR Radio in the USA. Everyone knew Barak Obama had promised his daughters they could have a dog if they went to the White House.
This is a question that people often ask me about beagles. Are they active, are they trainable, are they good with children, are they stubborn? I now realise this is an incredibly complicated question because it all depends on the individual dog and the lifestyle of the owner.

As far as President Obama was concerned, McConnell said it was about how trainable a dog would be in an environment like the White House where there is a lot of activity. There is a lot of coming and going not only of people but of the family itself. Firstly she felt that a dog which had a genetic code for emotional stability (not reactive i.e. over reacting to every little thing that happens) was important.

Secondly, it depended on how that dog was raised from when it was in-utero (interesting that she emphasises this) to its early learning, socialisation and habituation during the critical imprinting period of 4 months. She felt it was less about a specific breed but more about individual personality, genetics and early development and learning.

There is no breed where every dog is the same. Choosing the right dog is a about choosing the right individual with the right temperament and the right early development and learning. However it is not all one-sided. Every owner has to be prepared to accomodate the individual behaviour of their dog.

I often get asked whether my beagles are a good breed to have as a dog. I used to say that generally beagles have tolerant, stable temperaments which is why they are the unfortunate target of many experimental laboratories. Now I am more cautious in my answer having seen how temperament can differ within the same breed and even the same litter.

Of course general breed characteristics play an important role. You have to know what drives specific breeds (beagles are bred to be scent hounds and their sense of smell drives a lot of their behaviour). In most dogs, what they were bred to do is a huge indicator of how they will behave.

But I now believe that any dog can be the "right" kind of dog if it has the right temperament for your situation and there is huge effort put into its first four months of life to try and guide its future behaviour. (And according to McConnell how the mother is treated during her pregnancy will also affect the litter. Science has proven this with pregnant humans so why not animals?)

Many people ask "are beagles very active dogs?"

Well, now I believe almost every breed of dog has been bred to be active and there is no way you can "de-activate" a dog. You have to be prepared to give them outlets for their energy in order to have a contented dog. McConnell says that dogs are usually most active in the early morning and late afternoon. There is a rhythm to their life - active, sleepy and active again.

My dogs start getting restless at 3.00pm and from 4.00 to 7.00pm it's mayhem or happy hour depending on my mood. If I do not take them out to burn off fuel during this period, I pay the price. This is several noisy, hectic hours when my neighbours get irritated and I need to boost the volume of my TV if I want to watch my favourite soapie.

When I take them for walks (usually an hour) they are still very busy for some time afterwards. Some one told me this is because the endorphins released by the walk are still buzzing in their systems. I think its also because 1 hour is not really enough. When my dogs refuse to jump into the car at the end of a walk it's because they want more. The day they happily return to the car is the day I will have really emptied their fuel tanks.
By 7.30pm it is usually lights out for my dogs until day light starts to dawn.

So I think the answer to "What breed of dog should I choose?" is that every dog is individual. It's up to you how much work you are prepared to put into your dog not only during its critical first 4 months but for the rest of its life. That's the deal if you want the "right" kind of dog.

Snow White and the poisoned apple

2009-10-29T12:58:00.003+02:00

I have been "underground" for a while. That means snowed under, buried, overwhelmed with work. This is when it becomes challenging to decide what to do to keep two highly active, disruptive and destructive puppies occupied while you are gone.

(You may have noticed that there have been no photos on my site recently. This is because the Twin Terminators desiccated the download cable between my camera and computer and it has yet to be replaced.)

But I digress. I read Jean Donaldson's advice in The Culture Clash about making chew toys more interesting by filling them with yummy things. Then one should hide them in the garden for your pups to find - a kind of treasure hunt for canines.

Well, I filled my one remaining Kong ( a chewable object that you should fill with treats or dog pellets) with bread - not exactly nutritious but the only thing at hand as I had been too busy to shop. Donaldson also recommended making a nest of rags with a treat in the middle. Then tie the whole lot together with several knots for the dog who likes dissecting things (not to be used if you dog tends to swallow unsafe things).

So I cut up one of my T-shirts that had numerous holes in it courtesy of the Twin Terminators and used it to make a package filled with bread. Next I raided the fridge for bags of carrots and apples which I have discovered the pups love.

At 6.00am I flitted around the garden hiding my goodies and dozens of apples and carrots in every bush I could find. You could say my garden looked distinctly vegetarian. I felt like the Easter Bunny on a sugar free diet. (OK, so there is sugar in everything but at least it was not chocolate which is known to be poisonous to dogs and cats!).

However when I proudly explained to my behaviourist what I had done, she laughed and said did I realise that apple seeds are poisonous to dogs? I was unintentionally giving the legendary poisoned red apple to my poor little Snow Whites. The next day I carefully de-cored all my apples before decorating my garden again. When I returned home it was to find the Kong empty, the T-shirt package dissected, all the apples missing and a few chunks of carrot lying around.

I was worried about the extra calories they were consuming but again the experts say that dogs do not have the intestinal enzymes to break down the sheath that surrounds vegetables. And so it comes out just as it goes in ... in undigested chunks. This does not however apply to bread!

Oh yes, the other thing I have learnt is that experts contradict themselves. At puppy school I was told tea tree oil is just the thing for distracting your pups from chewing your household goods as they dislike the scent. Now I have been told tea tree oil is potentially poisonous to dogs and citronella is a much better idea.

You know, sometimes all you can do is the best you can.

On the other hand are we breeding the right dogs?

2009-10-12T17:10:00.003+02:00

If you read "Dogs"' by Coppinger and Coppinger they explore the development of the dog over many, many centuries since the time of the Mesolithic people.

At some stage, people decided that dogs could be useful. With the creation of breeds, the dog was changed into something that pleased humans. We bred sheep dogs to helps us herd animals, sled dogs to pull supplies, retrievers to fetch an edible bird, scent hounds to follow prey, pointers and sight hounds to chase game or hunt down vermin holes and guard dogs to watch over our possessions.

But now we are putting these type of dogs into small gardens and small family units in cities and expect them to adapt to our way of life and repress their breed behaviour. So for me it would be logical to look at whether we are breeding the right kind of dog that can adapt to this kind of lifestyle.

But what do we breed today?
If I look around me, it seems to be all about "looks"; creating a dog with perfect confirmation and form. But they still retain their behavioural genes and that is to be highly active.

Pedigrees are perhaps the most disadvantaged because they are bred from a limited gene pool and have developed reputations as being highly strung dogs with strong breed characteristics. This makes them difficult to handle in a domestic environment. So these dogs are labelled "hyper active".

Are we breeding dogs that can adapt to the 21st century where their overwhelming role is to be "companion" dogs to millions of people living stressful lives in dense, dog unfriendly cities?

There are over 70 million dogs in the USA and most of them are "companion" dogs says American Behaviourist Patricia McConnell. She believes we keep pets because they are one of the few connections or bridges left for us with the natural world.

But changing the behaviour of a dog that was bred to be extremely active is not easy (unless you have trained, socialised and habituated it intensively in its first 4 months to curb its natural behaviour).

So my questions is: should breeders not be changing their focus? Should they not be breeding dogs that have the right behavioural genes to become "companion" dogs? Maybe these dogs would be happier because the fit between them and humans would better?

What do you think?

Should we be allowed to have dogs?

2009-10-08T11:06:00.004+02:00

At the moment I am reading a lot of books on canine behaviour. I am acquiring a lot of knowledge I wish I had known before I got my puppies and not 8 months into their lives. Maybe I would have handled everything better if I had understood their motivation for behaving the way they do and how to handle it. I have been very lucky to have a behaviourist who has given me a lot of guidance.

Jean Donaldson, author of The Culture Clash is very blunt about the issue. She believes that the clash between how dogs naturally behave and humans' lifestyles is often a point of conflict. The resolution is usually at the expense of the dog.

She goes on to say that "if you don't have time for a dog, don't get a dog. There are few guarantees in behaviour but one is surely this: dogs chained out in yards self condition to bark, dig and lunge at passing stimuli. Boredom barking is a symptom of gross under stimulation. What's needed is a radical increase in interesting stuff in the dog's life. Increase training, walks, socialisation, and predatory games."

After reading these books which set the bench mark for how we should be treating our dogs, I wonder how many of us would qualify to own dogs?

At times I have become guilt stricken about my "parenting skills" like so many mothers who constantly question if they are raising their children correctly. Many do but many make mistakes along the way.

I wonder if we are prepared to compromise enough in our own lifestyles when it comes to our pets. Do we teach them to fit into our world while denying them their doggie rights? If we do, is Jean right? The alternative is not to have a pet at all.

How dogs learn by Mary Burch and Jon Bailey states that these are a dog's rights.

Canine Bill of Rights

Dogs have a right to a rich stimulating environment.
Dogs have a right to time and attention from a caring owner
Dogs have a right to effective training procedures; if behaviour problems are to be addressed, a competent person must be involved
Dogs have a right to ongoing veterinary care and assessment for behavioural problems.
Dogs have a right to an ongoing education and the chance to learn new skills

What do you think?

Baby + Puppy = Barking Mad!

2009-09-29T15:19:00.005+02:00

I met a couple in the park with a newly born baby and an 8 month mixed breed puppy.
We got onto the subject of barking.

My beagles are driving me mad because they are wired to be extremely vocal when they play and hunt. Dogs are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. I try to walk them as often as possible but they usually return even more hyped up and more noisy. It's the endorphins still rushing around their system says my behaviourist. They are not only driving me mad but my neighbours as well.

The other night the tone of the barking changed from "play" to a "watch dog" bark in the garden. When I went out to investigate I realised my puppies were barking at a disembodied voice shouting from the other side of the fence:"Shut up! shut up!"
This voice also screams at the hadeda birds in my tree who start squawking at sparrows. Of course now every time my dogs pass that part of the garden they give a bark just in case the barker on the other side of the fence wants to play. I did go to bed that night wondering if I was going to have to uproot my whole lifestyle and move to the country.

Back to the couple in the park who said that since their baby had been born, their puppy had started barking "at ghosts".
Of course his hearing is much sharper than humans so he is probably barking at something and using it as an excuse to get attention from his owners who were now focused on their new child (Negative attention is better than no attention at all).

The young mother, looking pale and stressed, said it was driving her mad because he kept waking the baby just as she had managed to get the child to sleep. On top of this, she was feeling so guilty because her emotional state was driving her to scream or smack him. She felt completely unable to cope with her newborn and her dog's constant barking during the day.

They have adopted an option that I think many stressed, pressurised urban dwellers who can't cope with the clash between the demands of a 21st century life style and the needs of a dog bred to work, are also adopting. Puppy and Adult dog day care. On offer are also services such as Specialised dog/cat day care for animals requiring special medical attention and Exercising where someone will take your dog for a walk for a fee.

Apparently the couple's dog is at day care from 9.00am and picked up at 3.30pm in a state of complete exhaustion. This is how this couple has temporarily solved the dilemma of being unable to cope with the needs of their dog and a baby. But just as you would investigate a day care centre for your child, I would investigate these animal day care services. Make sure your dog is not ending up in a worse situation than at home.

Whew, we really need to know what we are taking on when we decide to have pets. Too often their "normal" behaviour is labeled "misbehaviour" because it just doesn't fit in with our lifestyles.
The challenge is to find the balance between our needs and our dog's needs.

When all hell broke loose...

2009-09-16T14:39:00.007+02:00

A friend of mine who owns Belgium Shepherds and I were sharing stories about food fights between our dogs. She has to supervise feeding time to ensure that her dogs do not eat each other instead of the food. My dog's bowls have to be out of each other's eye sight but even then there is a lot of looking over the shoulder to see if the other dog's bowl of food is better.

According to the author of Dominance: Fact or Fiction, Barry Eaton many behaviourists believe that dominance in our domestic dogs is about access to or control of resources which can result in "resource guarding". He says this is where a dog has something it prizes (food, shelter, toys, its owner's attention or a potential mate) and may show aggressive behaviour to hang on to it at all costs. It's got nothing to do with status but with the uncharitable desire not to share.

For the first time in my life, my dogs had a serious fight which drew blood. It was all over a bone.
The one had discovered a bone in the park and I foolishly let him bring it into the car. It is always difficult to persuade them to go home after a walk, so I thought of the bone as enticement and bribery.
The next thing all hell broke loose. Pure adrenalin and the fact that they had their collars on allowed me to separate them long enough to chuck out the offending bone. A worried owner dashed over to see if we were all still in one piece.

It was a huge shock to me as my previous dogs had never fought. For the first time I really understood what "resource guarding" really meant.

At the risk of sounding anthropomorphic, we humans aren't much different. We are also driven by the desire for access to or control of wealth and sex. This is one of the biggest causes of conflict in society - crime and divorce because we lust after someone's "resources" or "bitch" or "stud".
It also occurred to me that neutering and spaying is not only about preventing unwanted pregnancies. A female dog in heat can literally drive males in the same area crazy with lust.

So I am going to stop worrying myself to death because my puppies won't share. After all when I was a kid, just because my parents told me to share didn't mean I did as I was told.

http://www.petspublications.co.za sells Mine by Jean Donaldson on Resource Guarding

Do not covert worldly goods !

2009-09-07T11:04:00.007+02:00

It's got to a stage when it's no longer funny. It's exhausting being hyper vigilant all the time about one's worldly goods. The other day my handbag was snatched off a table and a very expensive pair of spectacles was destroyed. The bag was so badly mauled, it ended up in the rubbish bin.

Then I woke up this morning to find that I had left the lounge door open over night and my puppies had chewed a huge hole in the armrest of my couch. I went back to bed, pulled the sheets over my head and felt sorry for myself.

A friend of mine is a lawyer. Her most embarrassing moment in a law court was discovering that she was wearing a dress with a hole in it courtesy of her beloved 7 month old puppy.

Puppy also loves shoes, so the whole family regularly replaces shoes with the cheapest they can find. There is no point spending lots of money on things that are not going to last very long.

Like most "parents" you get to a stage when you think that you are the one doing something wrong. Am I not stimulating, exercising, training my puppies enough ?
Then I met a lady in the park who had a 3-year old beagle called Sam. The conversation went something like this:

"How old are your puppies?"
"They're about 7 months" I said.
"Oh Gosh! I remember when Sam was a puppy. He was so destructive!"
"Tell me about it! I am beginning to think it's my fault because I'm not exercising them enough," I confessed.
"Well we used to live on a farm when Sam was a puppy," she said. "Everyday he used to chase through the fields after the truck and when he got home he was exhausted. But he still chewed!"
"Oh nooo..." I said. "When did he stop chewing?"
"At about the age of 3 years."

So I have decided that the lesson I'm being taught by my puppies (and the recession) is that I must not covert worldly goods.
My couch does not love me, but my dogs do.

Running with Dogs...

2009-09-05T15:52:00.008+02:00

My guest blogger's animal focus is usually the wildlife she spots on mountain bike trails. But now she is spending less time on the bike and more time with her dogs in a manner typical of an athlete...
MA Beagle.

Running with Dogs....

Hmmm, that sounds like a way out band or cult movie. But no, its the intricacies of running (with dogs).
I haven't been able to get back on the bike for a whole pile of reasons but mainly, I just don't feel like it. Also, I now prefer to ride my road bike for a change but that group has disintegrated and I will have to attach myself to others soon. Spring is here and I don't want to miss out.

So in the meantime, I am running. Carefully at first as I don't want a re-occurrence of the calf problems that plagued me before the Freedom Challenge. So I have built up oh so slowly. The upside is that the dogs have been able to join me with a slow build up in their fitness too.

I admit they have been under exercised and must be completely bewildered by this change in their fortunes. The problem is always leaving one behind. They just don't get it - "tomorrow is your day". So, after locking one hysterical dog in the house (to be let out once I have left), I head out with the other 35kg of dog muscle raring to go.

Nyx is pretty cool. Essentially a timid dog unless there is a gate between her and the "enemy", she jogs along without tugging on the leash. She's not much interested in the cacophony of dogs barking at us as we run past and is quite ladylike with her ears alert and neat foot action. But every now and then, she stops or swings in a circle to check on me and I have to do some fancy footwork to avoid being tripped up.

But Trinity, oh my. She stares down every dog as we pass, superior in her attitude that she is out there and they are, well, in there. She pulls on the leash until we hit the first hill and only then begins to slow down to a pace I feel comfortable with. I must admit to acting the dead weight to get her to tire sooner. She runs in a straight line with the occasional bound at some dog behind a gate, but a stern "LEAVE!" brings her back on track and we're on the way again.

This week, they have graduated to the 8km route which is interspersed with stretching sessions.But what a treat for them as this route passes the local river and I let them off the leash for a swim. They just radiate joy stretching their legs at speed and lunging in and out of the water. I swear I hear them laughing. Then it is my turn to keep jumping out the way to avoid have water sprayed on me as they shake their coats.

And then its time for the home stretch and the reunion with the dog left behind.
--Posted By Santacruzrulz to Dash For Freedom

The problem with car sick dogs...

2009-09-03T13:34:00.008+02:00

I cannot afford to have a dog that has a phobia about getting in a car. My dogs need to go to parks for exercise, to the vet when they get sick and on holiday.

But Jamie hates my car. I have analysed that this is due to a couple of bad experiences as a puppy when he was stressed, overheated and car sick. A fatal combination which has led to this phobia. I have been told that any one of the above can trigger his resistance to getting in the car.

So how to try and cure the problem. The combined advice I have received is the following:

De-sensitise him to the car slowly.

Use the TTouch elastic bandage on Jamie when he is in the car as this gives him a sense of security (see picture).

Stroke his ears to calm him.

Give him Rescue Remedy before a trip.

In the case of a major trip, give him anti-nausea drugs.

The De-sensitisation process:

Get him to enter the garage without trepidation then leave it.

Let him get used to the exterior of the car.

Let him get used to the car with the doors open.

Try to persuade him to put his paws on the back seat.

Try to persuade him to enter the car and sit.

Persuade him to enter car, close doors then let him out.

Persuade him to enter the car, start the engine without moving and then let him out.

Persuade him enter the car, start the engine, drive out the garage and straight back in.

Persuade him enter the car, go for a short ride and come back home etc. etc. etc...

Well so far it has taken me a week to get him to enter the garage but he is still not enthusiastic about the idea to put it mildly.

Jemma (who loves the car ) and I sit in the back with lots of treats appearing to have lots of fun. If Jamie happens to appear at the door he gets an enthusiastic greeting and a treat. But the smallest mistake such as moving too fast or a noise from outside will send him into retreat. Jemma and I have even fallen asleep in the back of the car.

The De-sensitisation process is going to require GREAT patience and MEGA treats. It could also take a LONG time. So far it has been a matter of one paw forward and three paws back.

The puppy puzzle...

2009-08-28T10:09:00.003+02:00

Dear MA Beagle

Thanks for putting us up over night.
You had warned us that everything chewable had to be put out of puppy reach to prevent further damage to your pristine home.
You hadn't mention their juggling skills and this is why I am still totally mystified by their farewell trick.

Early the next morning I quietly opened my bedroom door to avoid a boisterous welcome and to my surprise, no puppies.
To my even bigger surprise they had left evidence of their incredible juggling skills..... a grey cardboard container for eggs had been torn to tiny shreds and scattered about the carpet, but the six eggs had remained intact !

The carton of eggs was taken off the kitchen table, carried along a tiled floor and down to the bedroom wing, The mystery of how a beagle puppy managed to do this remains.......................

Mystified Mom.

Out of the woods...

2009-08-13T14:56:00.006+02:00

Jemma came home yesterday looking a bit woozy and hang dog. In the evening she began to get the shakes.

So I gave her some gentle Tellington TTouch, particularly on the ears which apparently helps if your dog is in pain or shock. I wrapped her up in a blanket and she settled down.

She has a shaved tummy revealing lots of large freckles and a remarkably small incision so she will not be scarred for life.

Jamie was not quiet sure what to make of it all. He tried barking at her to encourage her to play but she snapped at him to shut up.

The poor chap also had it a bit rough. He gets car sick and

I was not sure whether I would be travelling home with two nauseous dogs vomiting on my car's back seat.

The vet recommended a homeopathic product with cocculus indicus for this problem.

He was also rather stressed at having his scrotum thoroughly probed and prodded for his missing testicles. They are still deep undercover.

However the next day Jemma was much better and ate a hearty breakfast! So hopefully she is on the mend and will soon forget yesterday's events.

Jemma is under the knife...

2009-08-12T13:23:00.003+02:00

Jemma looked unusually subdued at 7.00am when we left for the vet for her sterilisation op.

I was very matter of fact about taking my first female beagle to be spayed but this time I felt a sense of guilt and regret. Both Jemma and I had a very disturbed sleep. I could hear her moving around restlessly at all hours of the night. Did she know something was up or was that my imagination?

She was whisked off to surgery whilst I anxiously asked the vet a whole lot of questions.

How should I prevent her stitches being pulled out or an infection if she played boisterously with Jamie? Would she need pain killers or tranquillisers? The vet was obviously used to dealing with neurotic mothers. She reassured me that Jamie would sense Jemma was off colour and that she would bounce back remarkably quickly. And no she would not need long term pain killers. The brochures advise one to check the incision daily for signs of infection and not bath or allow one's dog to swim for at least ten days.

So Jamie and I will be setting off later today to pick Jemma up. I want the vet to check for any sign of his missing balls (And I hope my baby girl will be OK)!

To breed or not to breed...

2009-08-10T09:00:00.003+02:00

In the beginning I had dreams about breeding cute little puppies. But then I began to learn about some of the hard realities of being a proper breeder. Dog breeding is complex, time consuming, expensive, requires expert knowledge and is not necessarily profitable. It is also full of pit falls.

The most difficult part is the huge anxiety about whether your puppies are going to loving, dedicated and knowledgeable caretakers.

Then I let all the compliments about Jemma's great temperament and what a perfect breeding dog she was, go to my head. Even my breeders (from whom one needs permission to breed with their puppies) encouraged me to think about it.

But she can come into heat anytime between 6 and 8 months. If Jamie as a result of his problem testicles can only be neutered after 9 months, there is a distinct possibilty that an accident might happen. The consequences could be disastrous as one should not breed with a female until she is at least two years old. Otherwise one is endangering her health and even her life. Everything was becoming a bit complicated.

But the truth of the matter is that if I breed, I really want to be a good breeder.

I will need plenty of time, energy, patience, finance and knowledge about how to produce well bred and well behaved puppies. It's not just about genes, its also about understanding the early learning period of pups and how this will influence their future behaviour. I think one has a responsibility to hand over not only a healthy puppy but one that has been well socialised.

So until I am ready and able to do that, breeding is not an option.

Jamie's secret outed. He's got no balls...

2009-08-10T08:30:00.004+02:00

It's that time when all owners with puppies of six months or so have to decide whether to neuter or spay. Unless you are a serious breeder there is really no option. But my fellow puppy mothers are debating about who will be the one to take their precious bundle to the vet and become forever vilified as the person responsible for the loss of vital bits and pieces.

The problem is that Jamie's has no balls to chop off! At least they are still not visible at the very late stage of 6 months. The vet has warned me that the fact that his testicles have not dropped could lead to serious medical complications. His testicles will continue to grow inside the abdominal area and put pressure on his internal organs. So they must be removed in an operation that will be more complicated than a straight forward neutering.

The behaviourist advised me to wait until he was at least 9 months because dogs go through a fearful period between 7 and 8 months. And the vet said that we should wait as long as possible so that his testicles grow bigger and are therefore easier to find during the operation.

Poor old Jamie. There is no alternative. Off with his balls!!

Panic in the Park...

2009-08-03T08:00:00.002+02:00

It was bound to happen - a panic attack in the park.

Jamie was separated from me by a group of dogs and people. Disorientated, he headed off like a bullet in the opposite direction and disappeared from sight. Having been through this before with my previous dogs, I did not panic...yet.

I have been slowly introducing my dogs to different parks graduating from the one at home to bigger and bigger public parks. Today was the first day we were trying out a park with wide open spaces.
Everything had been going well until Jamie spooked.

Various other dog walkers said they thought they'd seen him heading back down the hill. So Jemma and I backtracked whilst I blew the red whistle at regular intervals.

Thank goodness for the red whistle. In my younger days, I could run faster and shout louder. But now there was no way I could keep up with a sprinting beagle. Eventually he must have zoned into the sound of the whistle as I spotted him coming back. We met up at the bottom of the hill and I did a few TTouch movements on his body to calm him. We slowly climbed the hill again.

Eventually the sight of people and other dogs cheered Jamie up and he was back to his usual self running ahead and exploring with zest.

So what are the lessons I learnt?

Always keep your dogs attached to you by a mental elastic band. Use your voice and treats to keep them coming back to you before they range too far and break the elastic band (use the red whistle when they start to go too far).

Sometimes sound is not enough to orientate your dog. It took a while for Jamie to pin point exactly where the sound of the whistle was coming from. So now I am going to use large flapping motions of my arms in association with the whistle so that my dogs can see and hear me (Do not laugh if you see me in your local park blowing a whistle and flapping my arms like a large ungainly bird. There is method in the madness).

It helps to park in the same, safe place every time you go to a park, so that if your dogs do get lost, hopefully they will head for the car.

Your puppies are bound to get lost a couple of times before they learn not to range too far from you. So don't panic!

The Healing Touch...

2009-07-27T12:45:00.006+02:00

Jemma volunteered to be a demo dog for the Tellington TTouch stand at the World of Dogs and Cats show. I became interested in TTouch after witnessing the remarkable effect it had on calming one of my puppies during a visit to the vet. It is a methodology using gentle body work developed by famous animal behaviourist Linda Tellington-Jones. It has a scientifically proven effect on the behaviour and health of animals. TTouch is spear headed in South Africa by Eugenie Chopin. Eugenie explained that various touch techniques can help your animal with a variety of problems

Fear of loud noises and thunder
Jumping Up and Leash pulling
Chewing and Barking
Aggression and Biting
Car sickness
Fear and Shyness
Nervousness and Tension
Fear of Strangers and Hyper Excitability

It apparently helps not only dogs but cats, horses and people including children. If you want to find out more go to http://www.ttouch.co.za/.

Eugenie said Jemma was an great demo dog!

The World of Dogs and Cats...

2009-07-27T11:42:00.007+02:00

Jemma and I visited the recent World of Cats and Dogs show in Johannesburg. She had volunteered to be a demo-dog. Who would believe that so many businesses are involved in the pet industry? Aromatherapy to vacuum cleaners were on show. We met up with some old friends and made some new ones.

Jemma saying hallo to ThinkingPets Trainer Nicole du Plooy who helped train her at Puppy 1 classes. Nicole has now opened her own school in Roodepoort.

ThinkingPets Behaviourist Karin Landsberg having a chat with Jemma. Karin's evaluation was that Jemma was remarkably calm and stable considering the noise, sights and smells bombarding her at this busy show. Karin said I should consider breeding with Jemma because of her good temperament. We consider this a huge compliment coming from such a highly qualified behaviourist.

And then of course there were lots of strangers who just loved meeting Jemma.

Jemma thoroughly enjoyed all the attention if her behaviour in the parking lot was anything to go by. She plonked her bum on the pavement and refused to return to the car. She was having much too much fun!

Invader alert...

2009-07-20T10:57:00.006+02:00

Dear Mom and Dad,
We are really looking forward to your visit but I feel I must warn you about a few things in advance. My home is not the tidy, tranquil place you remember. It has been invaded by a new species canis familiaris.

The house looks as if I am packing for Perth. It has been denuded of anything valuable i.e. anything that can be stolen, chewed and destroyed. In my lounge, the woven wool carpets are in storage. The lamps, cushions, magazines and accessories are piled on the dining room table which is no longer used for dining.

Whatever you do, never leave anything valuable (like the TV remote, a cellphone or a book) on a couch or the coffee table. They will disappear.

Dad, I think it's best you sleep upstairs which will withstand a siege or attack by the invaders. Mom, you will have to remember to always close your bedroom or bathroom door or else your valuables will disappear in the blink of an eye. Neither is it safe to leave your windows wide open. The invaders have learnt that if they can't get in via the door, the next best thing is the window.

I apologise in advance for the state of my garden which looks a bit like a desert wasteland. Also be warned that the invaders use a very clever tactic to overwhelm one. They are over friendly and jump, lick, and tangle themselves around your feet. The best strategy for survival is to freeze, fold your arms and don't make eye contact.

If you change your mind about visiting, I will understand.
Lots of love
MA Beagle

Bonking teenagers...

2009-07-13T11:28:00.000+02:00

Puppies become Juveniles or Adolescents from 10 weeks to 9 months. This is the time when they also discover sex. (No photos in case I get accused of propagating pornography!)

Well Jamie started bonking Jemma from day one. I believe that ignoring this behaviour is the rule of thumb which I do find difficult as Jemma has now taken to bonking my leg.

Now is the time when you start thinking about neutering and spaying. Females usually come into heat anytime from 6 to 8 months which is why it is recommended that you spay at 6 months.

However I am not panicking yet as Jamie practises safe sex. He bonks Jemma's head.

There are times when I fear for the safety of his private parts as Jemma is not unknown to give them a painful nip. He may well lose his manhood well before he is due for the snip!

Jamie cocked his leg for the first time at about four months - a rite of passage I sentimentally thought quite sweet. But other owners bemoan the start of territorial marking when males pee on everything in sight. Jamie has already embarrassed me by peeing on some body's T-shirt which was lying on the ground in the park. I had to grovel and offer to dry clean it. Once again I am paying for my dog's adolescent behaviour!

Centrefold Babe...

2009-07-06T15:36:00.004+02:00

I am not sure how I really feel about beauty pageants, pin up girls and models. There is this perception that trading off one's looks is very airhead. On the other hand if you've got it why not flaunt it!

I have the same mixed feelings about dog shows. If one's intention is to focus on beauty to the detriment of character, temperament and health, it does not work for me on either the human or animal cat walk.

But I have to admit that I am only writing this blog to boast because one of my puppies is a pin up girl! She looks so cute as well (that's my biased opinion). Jemma is the centrefold for the July edition of Animaltalk magazine (She's the one on the right). Being her mother, I am quick to add that not only is she cute but smart and sassy.

No wonder she thinks she has a right to sit on my couch. She's a pin-up Queen.

The red whistle...

2009-06-29T11:00:00.004+02:00

I know that Beagles are bred to be scent hounds and have a reputation for being persistent when on the trail. This is great if you are training them to hunt. Not so great when you are training them to respond to a re-call. I decided to train them using a whistle. It is far more piercing than my voice which needs to penetrate a brain that has shut down all senses except that of smell.

Which is why it is very helpful to know what your dog was bred to do because it will explain a lot about their behaviour.

The other problem is that my dogs are far too friendly. When on the lead I have been trying to train them not to greet strangers by jumping up enthusiastically but to sit and wait for acknowledgement. Easy in theory but difficult in practice when you are restraining two very excited adolescents who think everybody and their dog wants to say hello and play.

Off lead they are positively embarrassing. Their overwhelming enthusiasm has sent one lady squealing in the opposite direction and an irate owner shooing my dogs away while they boisterously tried to persuade her little Fi-Fi to play.

They attach themselves to any party walking past, confident in the belief that they are welcome. And no amount of blowing on my red whistle until I am red in the face will change their minds.

I experienced first hand why it is so important to train your dog to react to a re-call. An electric fence surrounds our complex but every now and then our dogs stray too close and get a shock. When this happened to Jamie during a re-call training session, he was so dis-orientated that he ran all the way home and no amount of calling penetrated his dazed state. If this had happened in a public park he could have easily got lost or worse run over.

I am going to have to use mega treats to get them to respond when I venture out into public parks. I hope to gradually wean them off treats but off lead they are clearly not ready yet!

At home alone...

2009-06-29T10:30:00.001+02:00

When it comes to separation anxiety, I don't know who worries more: Me or my dogs?

In fact the books say that it's often the owners who create separation anxiety problems by making a huge fuss over their dogs when they leave or return. So your dogs pick up on your anxiety.

Before I leave, I safety proof the area my dogs are going to be left in just in case they do something stupid and end up injuring themselves. I leave the radio on playing calming music, plenty of water and their box of toys. Then I slip out quietly without a fuss. But it is always a relief to return to find my dogs and my house all in one piece. But of course don't make a big deal about the fact you're back.

My dogs need to learn to cope with spending time alone because I can't always be there for them. So I was advised to start off with short periods of time alone eventually building up to longer periods. I recently asked my neighbour how my dogs reacted when I left. She said there was a bit of whining but they soon settled down. One way to check up on how they are behaving!

Another tip is never leave their collars on while you're away if they still rumble in the jungle with each other. Apparently some nasty accidents have happened with dogs been strangled by collars that have hooked onto something. It is also important that your dogs have time away from each other because you never know when you might have to leave one behind. I learnt the value of this when I had to rush to the vet and leave one of my pups at home. Both survived unscathed.

So don't stress when you leave the kids home alone. If you have taught them to cope from an early age, they will be OK.

Graduation day...

2009-06-29T09:45:00.010+02:00

Finally after two months of taking the kids to school every week, Jemma and Jamie have graduated from Puppy School 1. They are really going to miss their friends if the level of excitement show every Saturday morning is any measure.

But all is not lost. There is a Puppy School 2!

This is for Juvenile dogs aged between 10 weeks and 9 months. Experts say that during this period many of the characteristics of your breed of dog (what they were originally bred to do) will develop and may need to be managed very carefully. Who said teenage rebellion belonged to the human species only?

So my trainer urged me to continue taking my dogs to school. They need consistent, reinforced training and boundaries to be set. And it will continue to socialise and stimulate my dogs. And even better, trainers will offer advice and a shoulder to cry on when teenage tantrums become too much.

Check out Thinking Pets website for trainers in your area in South Africa.

Why I got a black eye...

2009-06-23T14:14:00.002+02:00

I wish that a had a dramatic war story to tell like I got involved in a road rage altercation, or my secret lover and I had a fight or I crashed off my bicycle going downhill at 80km per hour.

The truth is more mundane. In the middle of the night I heard my puppies breaking something.
Half asleep and disorientated I jumped out of bed and walked into a wall, hence the black eye.

But that is not the end of the trail of devastation. While playing my puppies crashed into one of my glass sliding doors which has now cracked in multiple places (At least it did not shatter letting in the freezing air temperatures). But it will also have to wait to be replaced when the recession recedes.
Suze Orman's prediction that the global economy will only stablise in 2015 does not help.

My last barricade of self defence is to pull my book case across the passage which accesses the bedroom wing (books facing inward of course). Imagine my surprise when I discovered my spectacles, pyjamas, facial wash and a shoe all lying in the garden. How had they spirited themselves through a solid book case and a closed door into my bedroom?

The little buggers had nosed open my window and jumped through the burglar bars into my room and vandalised it! These two are getting way too smart. They may have to go to the circus to earn enough to pay for all the damage. Meanwhile I am walking around with dark glasses in case people think I am a battered victim.

Things I can't live without...

2009-06-22T08:00:00.003+02:00

Where I go, it goes. That's right: tea tree ointment!

Apparently a sharp whiff of tea tree deters your puppies from chewing the object of their desire.

Unfortunately the scent does not last forever. I am constantly re-visiting the same areas over and over again (like my desk legs and the corners of my couches). My sister has suggested I dilute tea tree oil in water and spray it on everything. Maybe it will last longer.

While I dab tea tree ointment on objects, I often find myself dabbing it on bodily injuries like bite marks and scratches. So I don't go anywhere without my tea tree ointment.

Secondly, I always have my accident mop up kit at the ready. I never know when I'm going to need it:

Basin
Rubber gloves
Cleaning cloths or paper
Carpet cleaner
A disinfectant cleaner (must not have ammonia which is a constituent of urine. Dogs go back to the places they've been)
Vinegar (neutralises the smell of urine)
Diluted vinegar spray bottle

Just when I thought it was safe...

2009-06-15T08:00:00.005+02:00

I was rather proud of the progress that my puppies were making with their house training.

It had been several weeks since I had been greeted by a urine stain or turd on my floor in the morning. But I was congratulating myself a bit too soon.

It turns out that my puppies like their home comforts. Out of nowhere it rained one night. And the kitchen floor and passage were a mess! The little buggers were not prepared to go outside and get wet, I fumed.

Well it turns out I was wrong. At the next class everybody was complaining about how their puppies had misbehaved those couple of rainy days. "What did you expect?" asked Wendy.

Puppies learn house training by recognising the feel of the surface that they should be using as their toilet area. So when they feel dry grass, they know its OK. But wet grass has a completely different feel. " You have to start right from the beginning," said Wendy. "Stand in the rain with your umbrella and encourage your puppies to venture out and praise them if they perform."

Luckily that was the end of the rainy season and none of us had to catch pneumonia while training our dogs in the rain. I wonder if we will have the same problem when spring arrives?

How many bowls of soup does it take?

2009-06-05T13:32:00.007+02:00

This was the third time that a bowl of soup had been upended on my carpet. But it is all my own fault. I know that I should be teaching my puppies not to jump up and send the tray flying off my lap.

When they are small and cute, it's difficult not to want to indulge them. But when they leave muddy paw prints on my smart business suit just as I am about to leave for an important meeting, it begins to sink in. This is why trainers go on and on about teaching your puppy not to jump up onto people. The moment they do it you ignore them, cross your arms and avoid eye contact. When all four paws are on the ground you praise and reward them.
And you need to get your visitors to play ball ( I mean co-operate).

A fellow puppy owner was boasting about how they never fussed over their puppy on arriving and leaving home, nor did they encourage jumping up. The result: a puppy that sits, does not jump up and does not whine when they leave the house.

OK, I know the theory and I am trying to put it into practice after learning the hard way.

However their destructive instinct is still going strong. I have heard puppies are most active at dawn and dusk. They definitely get restive around 4.00pm and I know its time to take them for a walk.

But there is not much I am prepared to do about what they are up to at dawn. Every morning I walk bleary eyed down the passage dreading what I will see. This sight greeted me the other morning.

It does not snow often in Africa. They had disemboweled the cushion they sleep on. They also steadily eroded the foam inside the basket itself.

Don't they know there is a recession on? Dog baskets are not that cheap! So I spent the morning washing tons of blankets and towels which will have to do until the recession recedes and my puppies learn to be more responsible!

Jamie's got a crush on a blond...

2009-06-04T13:45:00.003+02:00

Jamie's third set of vaccinations at 14 weeks by a pretty vet had its advantages, though the rabies shot hurt like hell.

"Who is this pretty blond?"

"If my heart rate is a bit high, it's cos I'm in love!"

"You want to give me a jab? Look can't we talk about this first... Get to know each other a little better?

"Get that camera out of my face. This is embarrassing enough!"

Breaking News: Puppies on rampage at Vet...

2009-06-03T15:03:00.018+02:00

Our puppy school is a Eukanuba/Vet sponsored school. One of the classes includes a visit to a vet to learn how to behave properly and give your pup a positive experience at the vet.

But I think Johannesburg Specialist Veterinary centre did not know what had hit it one Saturday morning. Ten puppies ran amok in the waiting room.

This was despite advice from dog trainer Wendy Wilson that we should keep our dogs calm and quiet. The reason for this is that if they start a rumpus with other dogs, this raises their heart rate and blood pressure giving the vet a false reading. I am pretty sure that they way our puppies were behaving (like little hooligans) meant very high heart rates indeed.

Also interaction with other dogs can lead to the transmission of bacteria, viruses or even worse fleas (more about this later)!

The puppies had to practise being weighed on a scale without moving. Nobody won that competition!

Once on the vet's table, it's best to hold your puppy in a cradle position close to your body but loose enough to allow the vet to examine it. Otherwise use slow strokes to keep your pup calm as this body contact is reassuring for your dog as it is poked and prodded (gently of course).

Well I don't know how much of that lesson actually sunk in. But the puppies sure had a great time!

It's really humiliating being outsmarted by a dog!

2009-05-25T12:22:00.010+02:00

It's amazing what puppies absorb in their first weeks. I remember when visiting Jemma's breeder that in the section allocated to dogs and puppies, there were a few couches on which the adult dogs sat.

It was only when Jemma was about 4 months that she began jumping onto my couches. The only reason she had not done it before was because she was too small. But she remembered her parents doing it and was imitating their behaviour. My problem is that for my sake and that of my visitors, I would prefer one place in my lounge to be safe from dog fur. So couch jumping is out. But how to persuade Jemma of that?

A stern "no" and pointing to the ground had no effect, nor did a shove off the couch have any impact. So it was time to consult dog trainer Wendy Wilson again. "The principle is that when the negative action is against yourself, you "punish" by ignoring your dog. Their negative actions result in you not paying them attention. But if the negative action is against something like a couch (the environment) then the environment must "punish" them," explained Wendy.

OK but how does one make the environment "punish" a dog?

She told me to put lots of baking tins, pots and pans on the edge of the couch. When Jemma jumped up, they would make a helluva a racket falling off. Hopefully this would give her a fright and she'd assume the couch had barked at her. Well I tried that, but clever Jemma was suspicious of these obstacles and never made a move.

Now I have three couches. Her solution was to jump onto the other couches. My problem was that I was running out of things to put on the couches. She was even smart enough to see a weak spot in my fortifications. A small opening between the pots and pans allowed her to jump through. And there she sat behind the fortifications with a self satisfied smirk on her face.

So my next move was to make the pots and pans bang by themselves because she was smart enough to avoid them. So I filled a small tin with stones and lobbed it onto the metal collection. The noise succeeded in getting her off the couch.

But if she has worked out that the pots, pans and the couch are separate things, does this mean that I am going to have to store my kitchen utensils on my couches forever? I'm going to have to go back to Wendy.

It's really humiliating being outsmarted by a dog!

Dog's Breath and other nasty things...

2009-05-21T10:22:00.005+02:00

I have promised myself that I will get dog hygiene right this time.
But it’s like a New Year resolution: easy to make but hard to keep.

Clipping the nails of my previous beagles used to be very stressful. They hated it. So at the end of their pedicures, I needed something to calm my nerves. The quick of the nail runs two thirds of the way down, so precision is essential. And it's almost impossible not to draw blood while battling to hold a paw. I have to admit I often paid the vet to do it rather than me.

This is why ThinkingPet trainers emphasise getting pups used to having their paws handled. I was advised to use a small set of nail clippers on my puppies before graduating to the larger dog nail clippers. However my first operation was not completely yelp free. I despaired that I was already instilling aversion behaviour despite the fact no blood was spilt. So I nip only a fraction of a millimetre and I do it when they are in sleepy mode.

Then there are their teeth.
Plaque builds up over time. But taking them to the vet to have it removed is expensive and they have to be sedated. As my old boy aged, the plaque became as hard as cement and had to be literally chiseled off his teeth. The unfortunate thing was that his teeth then became very sensitive and he could only eat soft mushy food. At the moment I use a dog tooth brush that fits on one’s forefinger. I wiggle it around in the pups' mouths so they get used to the feel. But they think it’s just another great toy to chew. Apparently there is a tooth paste that tastes just like liver and encourages dogs to co-operate. We shall see.......
And then there are the ears.
If you have a floppy eared dog, you probably know all about yeast infections. When the climate is damp and the dogs are often in water, eczema and yeast infections are real problems. Jamie is from a dry, high altitude climate and his ears are in good condition but Jemma who is from the coast had "grungy" ears. To cure it, I had to put an ointment in her ears twice a day and clean them out with a special solution. Otherwise she could get a serious infection said the vet sternly.

So good hygiene will save on bills, but it needs a heck of a lot of owner discipline!

A damn good idea or smoking grass?

2009-05-11T11:30:00.000+02:00

I read in my ThinkingPets manual that it can take up to 8 months to house train your dog. (Groan!)

But I have heard a story about a breeder who trains his pups from day one on roll-out lawn.

It's cheap and disposable. So the breeder hands over a fully house trained pup to a very grateful owner. We don't have to spend months re-training our pup so it does not do its business on tiles, carpets, concrete, newspaper or even in its kennel. Apparently pups learn by recognising the feel of grass.

Jemma's breeder tried it on a small scale, creating grass litter trays for her puppies. But she said it was a hit and miss affair.
I have estimated that one metre of roll-out grass costs as much as one newspaper and is far more durable.
Jemma used the litter tray I made a couple of times.

I am using roll-out grass in the section of my garden that I have allocated to the dogs as their toilet area. It is a temporary solution as I will need to plant shade grass there in summer. This is not going to happen until the pups stop eating/digging/ destroying my garden. But in the meantime they have direct access to grass from the house. The roll-out lawn has lasted a surprisingly long time, at least a month. I am only now considering replacing a few sections.

I would be very interested to know if any breeder has used this idea to begin house training puppies. Roll out that grass idea!

Who do ya call?

2009-05-04T15:35:00.007+02:00

If you've got a problem, post a comment and maybe a kind trainer or animal behaviourist will have the answer.

In the dog box!

2009-04-29T15:05:00.005+02:00

Damage Assessment...

2009-04-29T14:01:00.014+02:00

Three curtain drapes, two couches, three cushions, one throw.
Two pairs of long pants, two track suit tops.
Two dresses, one shawl.
Four pairs of sandals.

Two antique dining room table legs.
One book shelf, two desks' legs, skirting boards.
One cell phone charger
One garden

Bad, bad hair days!

2009-04-24T13:28:00.013+02:00

I woke up as sick as a dog. I could hardly lift my head from the pillow. I just managed to stagger to the kitchen, feed the pups and take them outside to do their business. Then I would crash back into my bed.

Later that evening I had to face what I had been avoiding all day. A kitchen floor and passage full of dirty newspaper and dog's business. Just the thought of getting down on my hands and knees to clean it up, made me feel really, really sick.

In desperation I thought "I have to do some damage limitation!" So I decided that I would limit the territory that the pups had access to at night time. This required inspired thinking when it came to setting up road blocks. I rummaged through my garage and attic.

First I dragged a bench into the kitchen which restricted access. I then set up barriers in the passage so that they only had two metres of floor space instead of 15 metres.

All of this, as you can imagine took quite a bit of energy. Then I cleaned the floor, put down fresh newspaper, fed and watered the pups and took them outside for their ritual pee/poop/play time.
Sometime during the mayhem, Jemma slipped inside the kitchen. I returned to find a fresh puddle of urine right next to the up-ended bench. If I did not know better, I feel this was a protest action. Muttering and cursing under my breath, I grabbed my cleaning kit and once again cleaned, disinfected and sprayed the floor with vinegar (neutralises the smell of urine).

I was ready to snap. I was going to bite some body's head off. But then the words of my puppy trainer kept my temper on a leash.

Never raise your hand in anger against your dog. It must always be seen as a symbol of love and caring. Dogs that are beaten and obey out of fear often become dogs that are aggressive, unpredictable and anti-social.
If you are in a bad mood ( stressed, angry, frustrated ) rather leave your dogs in case your emotions spill over causing a negative interaction with them.

So I decided the wise thing to do that night was to walk away. The next day I felt better especially when I saw that my damage limitation barriers had worked. I only had to clean two metres of floor instead of the entire kitchen and passage way. Now the pups had less choice and the garden was becoming their inevitable destination.