Secrets of Dog Training

If you live in the UK don't miss this!

New laws are being stealthily introduced by some of your local Councils. You NEED, as a dog owner, to know about this.

Go to this Kennel Club News Item now. On the resulting page you will find details of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 - which came into force on April 6th, 2007 - amongst a raft of detail remember this item. It states that you should provide your dog with 'the ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns'.

Dogs like to run free, that's a normal behaviour pattern!

Next we come to the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 which gives an inordinate number of powers to your local Council. Some of the laws pertaining to cleaning up after your dog are only basic common sense, and every responsible dog owner cleans up anyway... but some powers, in regard to dogs being kept on leads, appear to flout the Animal Welfare Act.

Problems could be ahead!

Find out your local Council's policy... you will find a fine selection of information and assistance on the webpage mentioned above... check it out NOW.

Labels: Council powers, Kennel Club News, new laws

Some dogs can be like most cats [not all, I know of one who will actually sit out in it... then come in sopping wet and where he sits down there is a wet outline from the drips off his coat]... and truly hate getting wet.

We only had to say it was going to rain to one of our Ridgebacks, and he would look up at the sky, shake himself, and head off rapidly for home.

So, if they truly hate the rain... don't force them into long walks getting wet, let them just "do the necessary" and have a longer walk on a fine day!

One more plea... make sure your pets get their chips!

A micro-chip is such a good idea, and will give peace of mind... even though we all hope it will never be needed in reality.

Labels: chips, micro-chips

Bits and Bobs from the new Purina newsletter [quotes]...

"Is your pet overweight?

Last month we launched our Pet Obesity survey and over 6,700 of you replied to make it one of our most comprehensive surveys ever.

The survey reveals that over a third of Britain’s pet owners consider their pets to be overweight. The problem, as always, comes down to the basics: over-eating and lack of exercise. In fact, pet obesity is becoming one of the most important issues facing pet care today.

With our passion for pets, PURINA are committed to solving these issues. If you think your pet’s lifestyle demands fewer calories, why not consider some of the many Weight Control alternatives available across our ranges?"


"Bakers Celebrates 100,000 online members

Very soon, the Bakers website will be celebrating an important milestone: it’s 100,000th registered friend. To mark the occasion, we’re inviting you to take a guess as to when this great threshold will be crossed. Visit the Bakers site, estimate a time and date and, if your guess is one of the five closest, you’ll win a Bakers Hamper worth £100!"



"Gundog Weekend

BETA pet food celebrated the incredible world of gundogs earlier this month with its 6th annual Gundog Weekend at Claydon House in Buckinghamshire. Almost 3000 visitors got the chance to enjoy some amazing displays of skill from expert handlers and enthusiastic amateurs alike, and, despite the chilly weather, the event was a success."

I receive this newsletter from Purina with news and updates on pet foods and pet activities... all these bits and bobs have come from that source. To find out more about Britain’s leading specialist premium complete dry dog food, or sign up for your own copy of the newsletter, just visit them at the following link... Purina.


The new Animal Welfare Law came into effect on the 6th April, 2007.

"This law not only continues to protect animals from direct cruelty, but also confers a duty of care upon ALL animal owners to provide an adequate diet and environment (among several other criteria) for the wellbeing of their pets."

To find out more, visit DEFRA's website... just follow this link... Click Here!

Not only will you find details of the new Animal Welfare Law at the DEFRA website, but there is also lots more of interest, including an extremely useful page on The PET Travel Scheme.

Labels: bits and bobs, DEFRA, PET Travel Scheme

A reminder for UK pet owners - that the PDSA PetCheck bus is touring the country in a bid to try to improve the health of the nation's pets.

Dogs are the main focus, but other popular pets are covered too. Dogs get a free health check which will cover general health - they check teeth, eyes, condition of coat, and weight.

Sadly, last year's PetCheck revealed that obesity in dogs had increased to over a fifth of the dogs checked, and dental problems had also increased dramatically.

If you want to find out further information on the PDSA PetCheck initiative see The PDSA Website

[Spread the word if you are able, it will help so many unfit pets!]

There is much interesting and useful information on the PDSA website - the shops, volunteering, fundraising, online shops - what I found most interesting is that they do a PDSA pet insurance, and it sounds as if it is really comprehensive. A good way to help the PDSA and your pet.


Another brilliant, amusing, and useful website to visit is All about Dogs - don't miss it! This link takes you directly to a list of Dog Charities and Organisations both UK and International - in fact a very comprehensive list!

But, click on any of the other pages which take your fancy, and you'll find lots of doggy facts, plus amusing trivia.

Labels: dog organisations, international organisations, PDSA, pet charities

The first thing to know is that it is a completely natural thing for him/her to do! What they are doing is masking their own scent so that they are better able to hunt undetected! It is a throw back to their wolf days.

Next... you don't want them to do it!?!

If they are 'regular offenders' your best option is to try to break them of the habit by stopping it happening. So keep them on a lead when out walking so that they cannot access any muck. Keep treats in your pocket and if you see any muck in your path keep a tight hand on the lead, and offer a treat to distract them. When they begin to ignore the muck and pay attention to you instead, then you are beginning to make progress.

When they are next let off the lead call them back to you regularly, talk to them in a soft voice, play with them, and give them treats when they obey your commands. You need to be the centre of their attention, they need to want to come back to you because it is fun! The recall is one of the most important things they can learn... both for keeping them away from muck, and other problems, and for the sake of safety.

If this is a new vice for them, then when you see them 'about to' commit the crime - say ah-ah in a loud and extremely harsh voice. Hopefully, this will distract them. Then recall them to you and give them a treat for returning. You will need to be alert to what they are doing at all times.

It is far easier to stop a bad habit from forming than to correct it once formed!

Labels: bad habits, harsh voice, rolling in muck

If you are looking for basic dog training information, look no further than our Archives!

Back in March - Thursday, March 1st, 2007, to be precise - we posted an article which covered the basics to a fault... the title was 'Top 10 Tips on Dog Training'.

The Archives hold some real gems... posts on grooming, treats in training, digging, the 'down', potty/house training, and neutering... to name but a few.

And please DO check out our post on bloat, you really should know what to look for.

[If you are looking for an 'uplifting read' then DO check out the Daffodil principle. You won't regret it!]

I have just made the following post to our Puppy Training Secrets blog... but it is just as important to those of you who are taking on a rescue dog, as they can be so nervous and need specialist help... so don't forget to check out ALL our facilities, including the 'Doggy Blog Clips' which is packed with helpful tips.

"If you are having any training problems - do check out the resources offered in our left-hand margin - they should be able to help with any problem.

Plus, there are many health and training issues which aren't dealt with at Secrets of Dog Training, but which you will find covered at our other blogs [Puppy Training Secrets, Flyball Dogs, and Dog Agility Training - links in margin, as above] so please spend some time searching our ever growing archives. It's bound to be productive!

And always remember... and University studies back this up ... dog owners tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and fewer health problems - both minor and major. Whether it's due to the regular walks or the unconditional love, they don't appear to have any answer as yet!"

Labels: behavioural problems, dog training problems, problems, training problems

If you are having problems, or if you know anyone who is having problems with house training / potty training their dog - I have two sources of help to offer.

Both resources can be accessed via our links in the left-hand side margin.

The one is to 'How to Housetrain any Dog' ... the other is a clipping in our 'Doggy Blog Clips' which was clipped yesterday [May 9th] on the subject of potty training.

What wasn't mentioned in the clip was how to remove the smell of the urine! If your pet has an accident and you clean it up... you also need to remove any residual smell, or your pet will assume that it is OK to go in that exact spot on other occasions.

Your dogs sense of smell is FAR, FAR, superior to yours! So you need to eliminate all of the resultant smell from the area.

Blot up all the wet with paper towels, then clean the area with washing-up liquid and cool water on a cloth. Finally apply a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and cool water, blot, rinse and allow to dry naturally. [If possible test on a hidden area of carpet to check for any carpet discolouration.]

Creating a temporary dog exclusion, or obstruction to the area, is advisable as an added precaution.

Labels: 'doggy blog clips', house training, potty training

Worries about the safety of pet foods...

Link to Newsletter

The link above, and at the bottom of this post is to the actual newsletter, from which the quoted information stems!

If you live in America AND you care about the safety of the pet food which is sold for your pets consumption - please click one of the links, and take the advised actions as soon as possible.

Why not do as the email suggests, and take Action for Pet Food Safety? Do it now, whilst you remember? There have been so many scares and alerts in the media over the past months that confidence is ebbing - and not so slowly!

Now for the quote...

"Pets are part of our families, and millions of American families were shocked by the recent pet food recalls. The deaths of pets from tainted pet food tragically demonstrate the need for greater oversight of this industry. Fortunately, Congress is listening, and you can take action here.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the Pet and Human Food Safety Act on May 1 to provide more oversight and regulation of the food industry. In a remarkable demonstration of how important this issue is, the U.S. Senate approved a Durbin amendment on pet and human food safety on May 2 -- just one day after the bill was introduced -- by a resounding vote of 94 to 0!

You can help make the food supply safer.

TAKE ACTION
Make a short polite phone call to your U.S. Representative and urge support for the DeLauro/Durbin Pet and Human Food Safety Act. Click here to look up your Representative and the phone number.

Making a call is easy. A staff member will take your message and pass it to your legislator. When you call, you can say:

"Hello my name is [your name] and I'm calling from [your town and state] to urge [Representative's name] to support the DeLauro/Durbin Pet and Human Food Safety Act (H.R. 2108/S. 1274). The ongoing pet food recall has revealed that there is very little regulation of the pet food industry. We need to change this to ensure that the food consumers are feeding their pets is wholesome and safe. Thank you."

After you make your call, send a follow up email in support of safer pet food.

Tell your friends how they can help. The more people who contact Congress, the more support this legislation will receive and the better its chances of being quickly passed into law.

Here are some details on what the pet food bill will do:

Help regulate the industry by establishing mandatory processing and ingredient standards and requiring more inspections of pet food processing plants.
Create an early warning system to help identify possible contaminants earlier and penalize companies that don't report possible contamination.
Ensure that any future recalls are conducted quickly by giving the Food and Drug Administration the power to order mandatory recalls of tainted food.
As a Humane Society of the United States supporter, I know I can count on you to take action and help move this important legislation forward. Thank you for all you do on behalf of animals.

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

P.S. This legislation is an important first step toward a safer pet food supply. But in the meantime, be sure your pets are protected. Check our Pet Food Safety Center for the latest information on recalled pet foods.

Link to Newsletter

[You could also use one of the links in our margin, or check out previous posts in the archives, to find recipes for homemade meals and safe alternative health cures and information... you will find information on this blog... plus other and different information and resources on our other blogs at... first Puppy training Secrets, then Flyball Dogs, and last, but not least, Dog Agility Training.]

P.S. - *You will find this post on all our 'Doggy Blogs' today, just to give it as much publicity as possible!

Labels: DeLauro Durbin, DeLauro/Durbin Pet and Human Food Safety Act, Pet and human food safety act, pet food safety

I could just copy the post which I have just made to Dog Agility Training onto this 'Secrets of Dog Training' blog!

BUT I WON'T!

It's better that I just give you the link [as above] and tell you that it's a post which gives us all HOPE!

The dogs on the UnderDog Show just had three weeks of training with professional trainers together with their novice celebrity handlers before they began their careers on the UnderDog Show... what was achieved was truly amazing.

Some of them were mere pups really, others were older, but what shone out during the show was what could be achieved by dogs which had previously experienced many bad things in their lives.

Do have a look at the post [link above] AND check out the two links at the bottom of that post.

Labels: professional trainers, The Underdog Show

If you haven't read my post of Friday, 20th April... then you won't know what the good news is about! But basically it is about the way our basic freedoms are being stolen from us - well, at least in this instance, they didn't succeed!

I have just received an e-mail... the first paragraph of which is included below...

"Good News Travels Fast!
Your activism just saved supplements from being turned into "untested drugs"! Big Pharma will be back, but today, we can do a victory dance!"

Check out Health Freedom USA

The work they do needs more publicity.

All people need to do is sign petitions, write letters, make our political 'servants' do what we want [wow, that'll make a change!]

Of course, donations help. But we all can't afford that... so give what you can - your time!

Labels: health freedom, health freedom usa

How to help save wolves... after all they are just big dogs!

I am not going to post any Secrets of Dog Training today... I'm going to give this blog over to an e-mail I received today from the Defenders org... please read the quote from their e-mail below and then click over, with the link at the bottom, to their website...

"We have just one week left to prevent the slaughter of hundreds of wolves in the Northern Rockies. Unless we stop them, federal officials could eliminate vital protections for these magnificent animals and spark the biggest wolf massacre in the lower 48 state to occur in decades.

Wolves were eliminated from this area in the last century -- trapped, poisoned, hunted and harassed. Their re-introduction to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho in the mid-1990s was a major conservation accomplishment.

Now that achievement is at risk as officials in Idaho and Wyoming gear up to kill hundreds of wolves.

In February, officials in the Bush/Cheney Administration proposed removing gray wolves in the Northern Rockies from the Endangered Species List… and turning over management of wolves to Idaho and Wyoming -- two states more concerned with eliminating wolves than managing them.

Lawmakers and anti-wolf extremists in Idaho and Wyoming have already announced plans to kill hundreds of wolves, putting the gray wolf’s future in the American West at risk.

More than 111,000 Defenders supporters have already taken action. Please help us reach our 200,000 signature goal by May 9th.

Help save wolves.

There are just 8 days remaining in the public comment period on this awful proposal. Please take action now!

PLEASE visit The Defenders Org NOW!

Labels: big dogs, save wolves, secrets of dog training

I just thought it was about time there was a photo of Loki added to my blog!

For those who haven't been reading this [or any of my other 'doggy' blogs] for any length of time... he is a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and a rescue dog, from the RRWT [Rhodesian Ridgeback Welfare Trust - if you want further info about this, just let me know via a comment on the blog]... and he had lead a pretty dreadful life before he came to us.

Mind you he has had a pretty rough trot since we have had him - in the health stakes. Some of his problems, at least, can be traced back to his past ill-treatment.

Along with a delicate stomach he has had to have treatment for cruciate ligament damage to both back legs, thyroid treatment and daily pills, arthritis too because of the leg problems... we are trying a magnetic collar to help with this. Also occasional epileptic fits... which we are hoping will subside without having to resort to drugs... we are again hoping the magnetic collar will help here, plus we are using some drops from PetAlive.com [see link in left-hand margin AND posts on 22nd and 23rd April, 2007] who are ace suppliers, but, more than that, they give wonderfully detailed explanations of problems, what to look for and when to get in touch with your vet... just brilliantly helpful information!

And you can add to the above list... treatment for teeth; and claws which have to be clipped at the vets, as unlike our previous Ridgeback which we had as a pup, he won't let us clip his claws... and they grow to a point at the front as his elbows are 'out' because he was chained as a pup from 4 to 11 months... before he was given over to the RSPCA.

He had got to the stage that he enjoyed all the attention in the waiting room at the vets... but would clamp himself to the floor as soon as the vet opened the door to the consulting room - it was just as if he were super-glued to the floor.

I had to stand over him and lift him up and walk him into the room still over him and holding him up! Everyone there found it most amusing!

Fingers crossed, at the moment, he is only visiting for claw clipping.

Labels: arthritis, cruciate ligaments, magnetic collar, thyroid treatment