Saying Goodbye to Seamus the 7 month old Irish Wolfhound

Message:

This is a very sad day for my clients. One of their Wolfhound puppies accidentally ate some medicine for psoriasis and is now, two days later, suffering from terminal kidney failure along with a host of other horrible physical symptoms. I write this as a caution to others and to ask for your prayers and good thoughts for my clients and their remaining Wolfhound puppy Gaelyn. A visiting relative left a tube of medicine on a table and left the room (can’t begin to imagine how badly he feels). All Seamus did was bite the tube and enough of the medication got into his system to end his life. The doctor thinks it wasn’t more than a tablespoon that was swallowed. Seamus’ sister Gaelyn was caught in the room with Seamus, but so far (say a prayer) she has not shown any symptoms of poisoning. Apparently the medication has high levels of Vitamin D which is what is causing the kidney and other organ failures. I feel just horrible about this. You would have loved this dog. I was having such a great time working with them (my first wolfhounds) and I am going to miss Seamus terribly. Let us all blog, facebook and remind our clients about the dangers of such innocent things like the medications/vitamins that we take every day. We not only want to protect our dogs, but our friends and family from the trauma of being responsible for something like this. Be safe… Christine   Folks, this came to me from one of our Bark Buster trainers today, it’s a very real problem! And you can prevent this kind of stuff from happening, be aware that pups use their mouths to learn and explore their world, they have no idea dangerous and deadly things are out in the world. Please keep you puppy and dog SAFE!

Why Communication is so critical

Communications and Leadership Key
to Controlling Canine Behavior

According to research from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, many of the pets brought to shelters are surrendered because of behavior problems that their owners believe to be permanent. Approximately 70 percent of these animals end up being “put to sleep,” making death from behavior problems the leading cause of pet mortality, ahead of trauma and disease. This means thousands of dogs are euthanized every year – the vast majority unnecessarily.

Many dog owners buy a dog with the intention that he will be a member of the family, only to discover that the dog becomes the de facto head of the household. A dog’s instinctual behavior is to challenge the pack member above him and in turn be challenged by the dog below. Within the mixed human-dog pack, dogs behave the same. This can lead to undesirable behaviors such as charging the door when the doorbell rings, barking, jumping, pulling on the leash and even biting – which are top reasons dogs are mistreated and euthanized.

With more than one of every three households owning a dog in the U.S., thousands of people are looking for help to solve their dog’s behavior problems. Understanding the keys to pack behavior and following a few simple guidelines can help owners establish leadership and begin controlling a dog’s behavior:

• Because dogs crave strong leadership, if they don’t get it from their owners, they’ll try to take charge. That leads to bad behavior such as barking, jumping, aggression and pulling on the leash—each examples of the dog taking charge. The owner needs to win all challenges to demonstrate leadership.

• There are several ways to establish leadership. First, ignore all requests from the dog, such as nudges to be petted or played with. To do so, break eye contact. Then, when the dog has “given up,” call him back to you to be petted or to play. When he responds to you, versus you to him, he sees you as the leader. If he misbehaves, such as chewing on a child’s toy, correct his behavior with a forceful, low-toned growl (“BAH”). As soon as it stops, offer pleasant, high-toned praise. The dog will understand its mistake and respect you as the pack leader.

• In the wild the leader always leads the pack—literally. Establish your leadership by always leading your dog—up and down stairs, through doorways, and especially on walks. Remember, the leader always leads.

Most dog owners simply accept the disruptive or aggressive behavior of their dogs because they think it’s normal or don’t know how to change it. Learning about pack leadership and canine communication is incredibly interesting for most dog-lovers. Gaining a better understanding of the dog psyche strengthens the human-canine connection, and learning how to communicate effectively with your dog in a language it understands – voice control and body language – is a critical step in establishing leadership and control, which can eliminate many behavioral issues. Through effective training, many dogs can be saved from being abandoned or unnecessarily euthanized.

Happy client

Below is the kind of email that makes my heart sing.what could be better then a happy client and their dog!

Hello, Gail — my apologies for taking so long to reply to your emails. Lily is WONDERFUL! I followed your suggestions re separation anxiety and while it took a few months, she no longer cries or barks or claws at the door when I leave. I still get a very enthusiastic welcome when I return, thank heavens. I would miss that!

She still barks at unknown bigger dogs, but the big dogs we see frequently on our walks are no longer a problem. I’m still working on the issue but it happens less and less often. She is very friendly with most of the dogs we see on our strolls around the neighborhood.

My Lily is the ideal dog for me. What a sweetie! She is so easy to live with. I have a long list of people who want her if I decide to get rid of her — fat chance!

Thank you for your help in making Lily so perfect!