What you need to know before you get that pup, Run, Rover, run

 Puppies need their mothers until they are at least eight weeks old - dpa

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting a Puppy

A PUPPY is a big commitment, but if you’re ready to take the leap, congratulations! For a whole host of reasons, you should make sure that it doesn’t come from illegal breeders. Animal rights experts have put together a list to help you make sure you’re responsibly adding a new four-legged family member to your household.

> See the mother::

When meeting the breeder, ask to see the puppy’s mother. Does she look healthy? Does she have a teat? Sometimes online sellers will put up a picture of a dog from the same breed, while the actual mother is suffering at a puppy mill elsewhere.

> Look at the offers:

If the person selling the puppy has a large selection of puppies from different breeds and different ages, then you can safely assume that they’re acting only as a middleman.

> Assess the age:

Puppies need their mothers until they are at least eight weeks old. Only then are they old enough to be separated from their mother and their litter. Otherwise, you risk health issues.

> Beware of disinterest:

A responsible breeder wants to make sure that his or her puppies are going to a good home. If they seem uninterested in learning about you as a buyer, it’s a bad sign.

> No pity purchases:

If something seems strange to you, and you have doubts about a seller’s seriousness, don’t buy the dog. Instead, inform the police or a veterinarian authority to get them involved.

> Get it in writing:

Ask for a sales contract when buying the dog. That way, you have important details about the dog and personal data. – dpa

Run, Rover, run

Tips and tricks for training a dog for cross-country running, aka canicross.

 The beauty of canicross is that any dog can take part as long as it is fit and enjoys running - 123rf.com

RUNNING with your dog is a fantastic way to get back to nature, solidify the bond with your dog and to get fit. The canine sport, known as canicross is a sport rapidly growing in popularity.

When you first look to start running with a dog, it can be a lot of information to take in all at once. This beginner’s guide is a one-and-done read to introduce you to the wild world of canicross and give you all the information you need to get started.

Harnesses for running are designed differently  to daily walking harnesses. Tthe pull point is much further back on the harness, meaning the dog can learn into the harness and pull you along

What breeds are good for canicross?

The beauty of canicross is that any dog can take part. Provided they have good physical fitness and enjoy running, any dog can take part – even small dog breeds.

There are some prerequisites to this: the dog in question must be over a year of age and ideally fully grown. This is to prevent any additional unnecessary stress being placed on the joints while the growth plates are still forming.

Equally, your dog must not have any ongoing health issues that may make running uncomfortable for them. Making sure you take your dog for regular health checks with your veterinarian is the best way to ensure the health of your pup.

Generally speaking, gundog breeds such as Labradors, spaniels and beagles are most commonly seen at canicross events. You also very commonly see sled dogs at these events, known for their stamina and pulling ability.

Equipment

Like humans, dogs need their own sports kit for running with their owners. Harnesses for running are designed differently to daily walking harnesses.

The pull point is much further back on the harness, meaning the dog can lean into the harness and pull you along. The dog has a full range of movement in all four of their limbs and this is essential for them to be able to run properly. It is important to properly train your dog to wear their harness, as they need to be completely comfortable in it.

It is not advisable to allow your dog to run in a collar or headcollar, as this can result in unnecessary pressure on their head and neck.

To connect to the harness, many recommend a bungee lead or rope. You want something with some stretch as your dog will be regularly pulling, and any lead with a brittle fabric may snap after a few runs! You may also wish to invest in a belt to carry both you and your dog’s equipment, but also to provide a connection point for the lead so that you can focus on running.

If you are running in areas that do not have smooth, muddy tracks, such as pebbled beaches, hillsides, or even asphalt, you may wish to invest in boots for your dog. This is also important if you live in a colder area; your dog can injure their paws from repeated exposure to the cold ground. It is important to do some work around getting your dog completely comfortable in these as they will need to run in them!

Regardless of where you live, it is important to invest in a paw balm for your dog to sooth their paws after a run. There are many brands available online but we recommend one with shea butter in, as this will help to sooth and moisturise your dogs paws.

A very commonly asked question is: Will running with my dog in a harness encourage my dog to pull? Dogs are very intelligent creatures, and can tell the difference between a harness they wear on their walks and a harness they wear to run in. Using the cues suggested below and the different contexts of the two instances, your dog can learn to pull in one harness but not in the other.

Important cues

When you are looking to teach your dog to run with you, there are several important cues to teach. Although it is not advisable to start running with your dog before they are at least one year old, you can start teaching them their cues as early as you like.

> Forward: Teaching your dog to move forward is an essential part of running with you. Teaching this is easiest if you have a toy that your dog is particularly motivated by. Have your dog in their running kit just in front of you and throw their toy just out of their reach. As they adjust into their harness to chase it, say your chosen cue words (e.g., let’s go!) and allow them to chase after their toy. If they are not toy-motivated, you can have another person call them or throw them a few treats.

> Stop: Equally, getting your dog to stop is an essential part of running. To teach a stop cue, place a broom on the floor and throw a treat over it. As your dog runs back towards you, give them a treat just as they reach the handle. Repeat this several times before adding your chosen word (e.g. Whoa!) just as they reach the broom. You can then start to remove the broom and use your cue word and rewarding for stopping. Once your pup understands the exercise, you can start to practise while in your canicross equipment.

> Directional cues: Being able to teach your dog which way you would like them to go is essential as your dog will be leading the route. If you can, running with an already experienced dog is a great way to teach this, as a green dog will naturally follow an already experienced dog. If you do not have another dog on hand to help, one way to teach is to say the direction (e.g. left! or right!) and then throw a treat in that direction for your dog to go and get. As you play the game more and more, your dog will start to preempt you, learning what these words mean.

> Run past: As with sheepdogs, it is important to have a cue that signals to your dog to ignore distractions, such as other dogs, some smelly poo or a squirrel! Many owners do not teach a separate cue for this behaviour, but instead use their previously taught “leave it!” cue in this context.

Safety tips

When you first start out, it is inadvisable to go very far. You want to work at both your own and your dog’s level of fitness and slowly build this over time.

It is important to never run in extreme weather. When out running with your dog, you often will run in remote locations. Therefore, it is important to never run in extreme weather such as intense winds or thunderstorms. This is even more important in extreme heat, as dogs cannot sweat in the same way we do and will very quickly overheat while running.

We do not advise running with your dog in temperatures much above 80°F (27°C). Beyond that temperature, the asphalt becomes too hot for a dog’s paws and they will need to run on grass. It is best to run with your dog early in the morning as temperatures are between 75°F (24°C) and 80°F (27°C) and the asphalt hasn’t had a chance to heat up yet.

As dogs can overheat easily, it is important to bring water for both you and your dog and offer them water regularly. This is especially true on warmer days, but it is important regardless of weather conditions.

Summary

Running with your dog is a great way to get fit and spend time together. It can be a great way to spend time with your dog exploring the wilder places near you. Canicross can also be a great way to network and to make friends, as there are many wider social events to attend. Do you run with your dog? Are you just starting? Share with us your thoughts on canicross, at lifestyle@thestar.com.my.

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What science says about happy, naughty dogs

 

 

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What science says about happy, naughty dogs

 Bored and lonely dogs may end up barking inappropriately. Photo: 123rf.com

 

Dogs have lived with us for 20,000 to 40,000 years but we’re still having heated discussions about chewing, stealing and messy eating. Thankfully, dog lovers do get to grips with these issues and behavioural science is helping to suss out underlying issues.

The furry thief

Minnie is a sweet little thief. — Molly OoiMinnie is a sweet little thief. — Molly Ooi >>

Molly Ooi who lives in Penang has had a steady procession of rescue animals living with her all her life. Her pets have the run of the house and garden, and are never caged or chained. As such, they have plenty of scope getting into mischief.

“All of our pets have their little habits, but one of the sweetest little thieves has to be Minnie, the Pinscher-mix, ” Ooi recalls.

“Although small, she decided early on that she was queen of the house. She was very good about our things, but anything that landed on the floor, she considered hers. Whenever she came across a dropped rubber, pencil, ruler or other item, she’d quietly pick it up and hide it under her mattress.”

The humans figured out soon enough where their belongings were disappearing to. When conducting mattress searches, just like in the films, they’d lecture the little dog.

“When we’d tell her it was our stuff and she wasn’t to take it, she’d listen and look apologetic. She’d stop a while too. But then she’d very quietly revert to old habits, ” Ooi laughs.

For us, the concept of ownership is clear, and guilt is a response to having done something wrong. For Minnie, ownership was established along the line of "finders keepers". So did she understand what her humans were saying? And do dogs feel guilt?

That apologetic look, flat ears and big eyes, has been the focus of several studies recently, and animal behaviourists now believe that this part of our communication is still misunderstood.

In an elegant study in 2015, Alexandra Horowitz, associate professor of psychology at Barnard College, New York, presented a group of pet dogs with an opportunity to steal treats. Then she videotaped owners either pretending not to know or pretending to scold their dogs.

The dogs reacted with the apologetic look only when the owners were visibly upset. As such, Horowitz suggests that pets don’t feel guilty. However, they do know when we are upset. Also, they learn that the big eyes and flat ears make us smile.

So, in effect, our pets are saying, “You’re upset, and I’ve no idea why, but hey, let me do this so we can smile again.”

The messy eaters

Jolene Tan, Sustainable Lifestyle and Mental Health Advocate living in Klang, has five dogs: Coco, Happy, Marco, Cookie and Butter. The little one, Butter, is a Toy Poodle just six months old.

“Toy Poodles are like children; they play with their food before they eat. Butter takes her food out of the bowl, puts it on the floor and makes a mess. I think she wants to play with it, and maybe she wants attention too.”

Cookie and Butter, messy eaters. Photo: Jolene Tan

Animal behavourists point out that play in wild dogs is significantly different from play in pets. Current theory is that this is partly due to our preference for breeding animals that retain puppy behaviour into adulthood, and partly because dogs are very social and are therefore keen to bond with us, their human families.

An excellent paper by vets John Bradshaw, Anne Pullen and Nicola Rooney at the University of Bristol, England, points out that pet dogs use play in complex ways. Sometimes it’s about prey instinct but more often it’s social. Interestingly, dogs also have pretend-play like little human kids where adult dogs pretend to be puppies and puppies pretend to be adult dogs. Dogs also watch and copy games they see other pets and humans play.

Dogs may play with food out of a predatory hunting instinct or because they are bored.

Interestingly, there is a third possibility. Dogs also learn very quickly how to get attention from their humans. So when clever pups learn that putting their food on the floor has their best human over to look, the doggo sees dinner time as a pawsome bonding opportunity.

Put it into context with the mismatch in communication, and it may be that we humans say, “Oh lord, you are a messy pup” is interpreted by our pets as, “Let’s have a happy time together messing about with meat!”

The destructive chewer

Josephine Lui, a consultant image professional in Selangor, lives with Benji, who is 12 years old. Although Ben is now a beautifully behaved gentleman, he was a super naughty pup with a strong chew instinct.

“I adopted Benji from the SPCA when he was about one year old, ” Lui remembers. “He chewed shoes but also the autogate wire.

<< Benji was a big chewer when he was a pup. — Josephine Lui

“After we had to get it fixed, I put up bricks to conceal the wiring. Five minutes later, Benji had removed the bricks and chewed again.

“I then found a plastic cover that protected the wiring, and he was okay – until we went out. The second we were out of the gate, he chewed off the cover and the wire.

“We had to embed the wiring into the wall, cementing it in. But when friends came, he chewed their shoes. He only chewed the soles, not the top, and one shoe out of each pair – but our guests were not happy. But he’s a dog, right?’

Unfortunately, Benji wasn’t interested in chew toys. So Lui tried training. “Of course, don’t hit or scold, as he won’t understand. He’s a dog and they chew. What I did was watch, and when he chewed something forbidden, I would put him on the leash for an hour.”

It took some months but it worked and adult Benji is a Good Boy.

All dogs chew and they must do so for their physical and mental health. In the wild, adult dogs gnaw on bones for fun and relaxation but also to keep their teeth and gums clean. Likewise, pet adult dogs need a steady supply of bones and dental chews in order to keep them happy and to prevent periodontal disease.

For dogs under two years old, there are three chewing stages. Tiny puppies get their milk teeth when they are two to three weeks old. Their adult teeth grow in when they are about four four months old.

During both times, your pet’s gums hurt and chewing helps relieve the pain. So, it’s really important to have chew toys and bones around 24/7 – just like human babies need their teething rings.

When your puppy is about eight months old, it should have adult teeth. However, over the next 12 months or so, the teeth have to be set firmly into the jawbone. Again, this takes more chewing.

Basically, any young dog is going to chew. A lot. And while you can distract dogs with toys, and put your shoes up high, you can expect some destruction.

Stopping unwanted behaviour

It is not possible to train a dog to be un-doglike. However, below are tips to eliminate undesirable canine behaviour:

Be reasonable. Dogs will chew, shed, drool, bark, run around, and be their canine selves. Also, puppies are like tiny babies. Don’t expect amazing behaviour instantly.

Never punish. Hitting or shouting just makes your pet afraid of you. It’s not just cruel; it’s not useful. Instead, redirect behaviour and reward-wanted behaviour.

For example, your pet will chew, it has to obey its natural instinct and have healthy teeth and gums. So watch your puppy and reward it with praise and petting for chewing of bones and toys. If it takes your shoe, remove the shoe (nicely!) and hand over a chew toy. Then praise. Also remove temptation like autogate wires.

Bored and lonely dogs may end up barking inappropriately. Photo: 123rf.comBored and lonely dogs may end up barking inappropriately. Photo: 123rf.com

Be social. Dogs love company and they need it for their mental health. Bored and lonely dogs will be sad. Extreme loneliness can result in canine mental health issues, and they may end up biting their fur, barking inappropriately, and so on.

Healthy dogs need several hours a day minimum with you, and that time has to be spent bonding. For dogs, quality bonding means going out for a walk together, playing a game, or sitting together and petting. If you have only a few hours a day, get two dogs so they keep each other company.

Adopt Me

Photo: PAWS/Celine ChumPhoto: PAWS/Celine Chum

Jack is one year old, happy, healthy, vaccinated, neutered and flea-free. He is a medium-sized boy, super playful and affectionate. He enjoys walks, games and chilling with people. He is looking for a happy forever home. Interested adopters please contact PAWS Selangor and ask for Jack, Tag No: P539 (120920). Note: Due to the pandemic, please call first and make an appointment. PAWS Selangor, Pilmoor Estate, Subang Airport Road, 47200 Subang, Selangor (phone: 03-7846 1087).

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No dog until neighbours agree

 

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IPOH: The Batu Gajah District Council (MDBG) has become the first in Perak to require dog owners to seek consent from their neighbours if they want a dog licence.

It is now running a trial on this, covering residents who want to get a pet dog for the first time.

“This is to ensure better management of the pets and to ensure there are fewer complaints from the people,” said council president Nurdiana Puaadi, adding that the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council had a similar requirement which had been proven to be successful.

Nurdiana cited cases of a household keeping three dogs but only one was licensed, adding that the MDBG had received numerous complaints about dogs that barked non-stop.

“Once the neighbours give their approval, they cannot complain to us,” said Nurdiana, adding existing dog owners should also get their neighbours’ approval.

“This will also help keep stray dog problems in check,” she said.

The application form states that residents staying at terrace lots need the consent from neighbours from both sides.

Those staying in bungalows, semi-detached and cluster homes need the agreement from neighbours on both sides and at the back. Owners also need to put up a sign to show that they have a dog.

The types of dogs not allowed to be kept include Akita, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Rottweilers are allowed but owners need to produce health reports from the Veterinary Services Department for new applications. Those who have been keeping Rottweilers can renew the licence until the pet dies.

It also states that those living in bungalows, semi-detached or terrace corner lots can keep a maximum of two dogs, while residents in terrace end lots and terrace intermediate lots can only keep one.

Other stipulations include urging owners to keep their dogs clean and healthy and to ensure pets do not disturb neighbours with incessant barking.

Owners must also ensure their dogs do not roam unsupervised and must be muzzled and leashed when they are out. Dogs three years or older found without a licence can be impounded and put down.

Owners can also be fined a maximum of RM2,000 or jailed not more than a year or both if found guilty under any provisions of the Dog Licensing and Dog Breeding House By-laws.

By Ivan Loh The Star

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How to avoid dogs attack you?

Learn to be safe if a dog attacks, says trainer - If a dog is coming at you, not run or turn to fact it - M.Selvamanickaraja

KUALA LUMPUR: The public should learn how to avoid being attacked by dogs following the case of a jogger who died after being mauled by a dog.

Dog trainer M. Selvamanickaraja said the risk of injury could be reduced significantly if you knew what to do when faced with an aggressive dog.

He added that local councils should also conduct awareness programmes for dog owners so they would know how to be responsible for their pets.

“After issuing licences to owners, local councils should brief them on basic things that they should do, such as keeping a proper kennel and securing their house compound so that dogs will not be able to escape,” he said at his house here.

On May 8, a miniature bull terrier cross bit Yip Sun Wah, 74, on the neck and almost tore off his left ear as he was jogging about 1km from his house in Subang Jaya. Yip died on the spot.

Selvamanickaraja, who has been training dogs for 10 years, said banning dog breeds was not the answer as mongrels could also turn aggressive.

He said that not allowing breeds such as the German Shepherd will also deprive people from owning gifted and loyal family dogs.

On what people can do when faced with a vicious dog, Selva­manickaraja said: “When a dog wants to attack you, it thinks of you as prey. You must change the dog’s perception of you as prey.

“If a dog is coming at you, do not run or turn to face it. Remain still and turn to your side, with your hands behind your back.

“Clench your fists as you do not want to leave anything exposed for the dog to bite. By doing this, you are not giving the dog space to attack,” he said.

The dog will become confused and might change its mind about attacking.

“But in its state of confusion, it might try to bite but you must stand firm. At most, it will bite once and then leave,” Selvamanickaraja said.

He said people should only attempt to run away or confront the dog if they were absolutely sure they can escape or defend themselves.

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