Dog Care & Training

Dogs are truly amazing animals!  If you are a dog owner and you have never really sat and watched your dog then read these tips.  Dogs have their own way of communicating and if you are not aware of how to 'listen' to them you will miss so much of their character.  If you make dogs a part of your life, you will come to know unlimited forgiveness, loyalty, unconditional love, wisdom, intelligence and you might just make the best friend you could ever have.

They will teach you things about life that nothing else can.  They will teach you things about yourself that you never knew.  When you are feeling like the whole world is against you, a big lick on the face or those adoring eyes will pick you up when nothing else can.  It is even thought that they can add years to your life. 

It is why I have five at home!

But take note!  It is also a huge responsibility you should never take lightly.  If you want a dog to be a part of your life and family, you need to be prepared to register them, feed them, exercise them, provide a waterproof kennel if they are to sleep outside, have them regularly vaccinated and physically checked over by a Vet of your choice and above all, respect them, give them quality time and get to know them.  This is time consuming, but the benefits far out weigh the time and expense.

Kerry Beckett
Senior Animal Control Officer

Doggie Did you Knows

1. Both you and your dog need to develop an understanding of one another's feelings and needs. You must act in a way that is meaningful to your dog, learning to communicate through body language and without using your voice.
   
   
2. The sweat glands in a dogs skin produce a secretion which, when broken down by bacteria, produces the typical 'doggy' smell.  The glands in their paws help to keep the pads moist and supple for walking.  Whereas we humans sweat when we're hot, our dogs get rid of unwanted calories by panting and losing heat through their sizeable tongues.
   
   
3. 'Bottom sniffing'… what's the point of sniffing other dog's bottoms?  Dogs possess glands just inside their anal orifice which produce a special secretion.  These smells inform other dogs of the identity and sex of the bottom-owner.
   
   
4. Some experts believe that a dog will only remember things when there is some form of associated exterior 'trigger factor'.  If you are away from your dog for over ten hours, they say, he will no longer pine for you!  We doubt a dog owner will agree with this one.
   
   
5. Dogs usually turn round and round in a tight circle before lying down.  Why?  This behaviour goes back to their ancestors.  Wild dogs and wolves were very aware that ‘beding’ could be hiding a venomous snake or scorpion.  Many of us humans do something similar, automatically, and without thinking, brushing a seat with our hand before sitting down.
   
   
6. Chocolate contains the chemical Theo bromine, which humans can handle well – some very well!  However, it is toxic, even fatal, for dogs.  Smaller breeds are more susceptible than larger dogs, and unsweetened chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate.  Don’t ever give choices to your pet!
   
   
7. Dogs have excellent hearing.  They can detect noises well beyond the range of the human ear and can shut off their inner ear so as to filter out the background din, allowing them to concentrate on specific sounds.  This same skill also enables them to detect and give warning of imminent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions hours or even days before they occur.
   
   
8. A dogs powerful jaw muscles allow him to clamp down with considerable power.  A 20kg (44lb) crossbreed has been found to exert a bit of 165kg (363lb) pressure, whereas the strongest of men, even under special training, can only manage a bite of 73kg (160lb).
   
   
9. Bigger breeds don't live as long as smaller breeds.  Some bigger breeds can reach 12 years of age.  On the other hand, some smaller breeds are still bouncing around at 20!  The oldest dog on record was an Australian Cattle dog that died in 1939 at just over 29 years old.
   
   
10. Animal psychologists consider the Border Collie to be the most intelligent of breeds.  Other high IQ breeds are the Poodle, German Shepherd and Golden Retriever.
    
    
11. A dog’s nose is wet, so it can smell better, not as a health indicator.  The nose is kept moist by the secretions of special calls which are stimulated by any new odours that happen to be floating around in the air.  These odours, in the form of minute particles, dissolve in the secretions and thus are brought into contact with sensory cells that pass on information to the dog's brain for analysis.
    
    
12. The relationship between dog and man goes back many thousands of years.  A 12,000-year-old grave in what is now Israel contains the skeleton of a man with one hand cradling a pup.  When dogs died in Ancient Egypt they were often mummified and buried with their owners or in their own graves.
    
    
13. Only 5 per cent of the dog's retinal cells are cones.  As a result dogs are color blind, seeing only black, white and shades of grey.
    
    
14. Depending upon the breed, our dogs' noses are 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than ours.  In other words, they can pick out one rotten apple in 2 billion barrels!
     
15. Dogs can talk to us and each other with their tails.  A broad tail wag means: "I like you'.  A slight tail wag means: 'I see you looking at me. You like me don't you?'  A tail held up and curved over the back says: 'I'm top dog!'  A tail held down near the hind legs with legs bent slightly inwards is declaring: 'I feel a bit insecure'.

Some suggested reading on Dog Ownership

'The Secret Life of Dogs'
By David Taylor

'All About Your Puppy'
By Cradley Viner

'All About Training Your Dog'
By Alison Hornsby

'The Practical Dog Listener'
By Jan Fennell

'The Dog Listener'
By Jan Fennell

'Dog Training for Dummies'
By Jack and Wendy Volhard

'The Bark Busters Guide to Dog Behaviour and Training'
By Sylivia Wilson