‘Fur Baby’ off-leash…’Cujo’ on-leash!

How to prevent your puppy becoming a Passive Aggressive dog.

Your ‘Fur Baby’ off-lease at the park is great, friendly or indifferent to dogs and people…but snip the leash on and ‘Cujo’ is ready to kill!

As your ‘Fur Baby’ lunges, growing at the end of it’s leash, straining to reach the throat of the other dog, you smile apologetically, pull on the leash until the dog’s front legs are off the ground, explaining how friendly your ‘Baby’ usually is and that it’s only protecting its owner!

It’s a misconception however that on-leash aggression is about protecting you, the owner. If that premise were correct then your dog would be protecting you with or without the leash. The more likely reason is that ‘Baby’ is fearful of people and other dogs. A behavior called ‘Passive Aggression’.

And the problem is not that your ‘Fur Baby’ is protecting you but that you have been over protective of your ‘Fur Baby’!

At the base of Passive Aggression is Fear. Your puppy is afraid and shows it with aggressive behavior toward other dogs, people, unfamiliar places and situations. It’s an overreaction to a normal social interaction.

Dogs become fearful of other dogs, people, new places and situations when they are not well socialized and well trained. They lack the confidence to know how to act in social situations because they haven’t been exposed to them during that crucial period of rapid development between 8 and 18 weeks.

Unfortunately this is the time when most owners feel the most protective toward their new puppy and apart from showing the puppy off to family and friends, they don’t let their ‘Fur Baby’ mix or interact with other people or dogs.

While this may promote a strong and loving bond between you and your puppy, it doesn’t educate your ‘Fur Baby’ to become a confident, well-adjusted, well-socialized dog ready to participate in the outside world.

Because of your over protectiveness you the owner, run the risk of creating a dog that could be nervous, aggressive, out of control, destructive and a nuisance to you and everyone else.

To prevent this happening you need to control your own fears. Fear that something is going to happen to your puppy if you let it mix with people and play with other dogs. Fear that your puppy will be hurt or harmed by playing with other puppies.

You can desensitize your fears by choosing people and places where you feel it is safe to take your puppy. Begin in a safe controlled environment such as a Puppy School (most vets run Puppy Schools). Introduce your puppy to your neighbours, invite your friends around regularly, take your puppy with you to the local shops (never leave your puppy in a locked car parked in the sun), find the fenced dog parks in your area.

You and your puppy will enjoy having fun with other dog owners and their ‘Fur Babies’, you’ll meet like-minded people and make new friends and so will your puppy. Your puppy will get an immense thrill seeing another dog approaching especially if it has been home alone all day.

Taking your puppy for a walk in the park and meeting other dogs is the same as you going to your favourite café after work for a coffee!

Hannah Collins.  Your Critter Sitter

When your dog talks to you do you understand what your pet is trying to say? Do you know the difference between an excited bark and a fearful bark? Can you hear the variation between the playful bark from the warning growl that can be the verbal signal of readiness to attack?

It’s a common mistake to assume all barking is a sign of aggression or that all rowdy play and snapping of jaws mean a fight. Dogs like people come in the noisy excitable type and the quiet shy type. Some dogs, and some breeds, are more verbal than others. There are very rowdy dogs that bark excitedly waiting to have the ball thrown and others who sit patiently. Some dog’s rush around barking in dog’s faces wanting to chase and be chased, others sniff the grass and bushes happy to be on their own.

Basic Barks:

• Warning/Alert: The natural alert bark when someone is at the door or when a stranger passes the house or car. A sharp, loud and authoritative bark that says ‘I’m on guard, protecting my property, don’t mess with me!’
• Anxiety: Anxious barking, high-pitched and often accompanied with whining can be an act of self-soothing for many dogs. This type of barking is common for dogs with separation anxiety.
• Playfulness/Excitement: Dogs bark excitedly while playing with people, toys or other dogs, when they’re about to go for a walk or car ride.
• Attention seeking: The insistent bark that says  ‘Hey! Hey! Look at me! Take notice!’
• Boredom: Bored dogs can bark to release excess energy or out of loneness. This bark tends to irritate and be annoying.
• Responding to other Dogs: This is the bark that is often misunderstood for aggression. Dogs on meeting can bark and growl at each other while going through the social act of ‘bottom sniffing’. It’s this growling that can be misunderstood and the dog is dragged away, chastised, the lead yanked.

Listen to your dog, learn what your pet is telling you and take notice. Know the difference between a happy bark and when something is wrong. Be prepared to take action based on your pet’s verbal communication.  Remember sometimes It’s YOU not the dog!

Your Critter Sitter   H & H  Your Pet Professionals

If you have an indoor dog, one that sits on the furniture or sleeps on your bed, you may want to wash your dog weekly or if your dog lives mainly outside you may feel once a month is enough.

You might wash your little dog in the washtub or kitchen sink, a larger dog in the bath or shower. Maybe in warmer weather you organize everything on the lawn and use the garden hose. (There are free standing Dog Wash Tubs for sale online.)

Start by wetting your dog all over, a hand held shower attachment makes this job quick and easy, then apply a professionally formulated pet shampoo like Your Critter Sitter All Purpose Shampoo, remembering your own (human) shampoo is too harsh for your pet’s skin.

Pet shampoos need to be soap free, pH balanced and for most dogs colour and fragrance free. If your dog suffers from skin irritation choose a shampoo that calms and heals like Your Critter Sitter Emu Oil Omega 3 or Manuka Honey & Oatmeal. Don’t pour the shampoo directly onto your dog, soap your hands and start at his head and work backwards along his body, down his legs, right to the end of his tail.

Heather’s grooming tip: use a rubber Curry Comb to lather and rub over your dog’s coat to loosen dirt, hair, and other detritus, untangle knots and stimulate the skin to produce natural oils.

Curry Comb or Brush: A tool made of rubber or plastic with short “teeth” available at all pet stores and online.

Leave the shampoo in a few minutes when using a specially formulated shampoo for sensitive skin or a flea treatment. Then rinse well until the water runs clean and clear.

Cleaning your dog’s ears is an important part of grooming. All dogs need their ears cleaned regularly.  Earwax and debris builds up in the external canal and the canal can become infected. (Signs of an ear infection include odor from the ears, frequent shaking of the head, redness of skin inside ears, excessive scratching at ears, and excessive ear discharge/debris.)

Using an appropriate ear cleaner, you can release wax and debris from the canal and help dry the ear. Dogs can build up wax and debris at a faster rate than people. Look for a quality ear cleaner recommended by your vet or use one part table vinegar to two parts water.

Hold the earflap up and squirt a few drop of the cleanser on the inside flap near the ear opening. Massage the base of your dog’s ear (this is the bottom part near the jaw where cartilage can be felt). You should be able to hear a “smacking sound.” By massaging, you are helping the cleanser to fill the ridges in the canal and loosen ear debris. Eye make-up remover pads are good for cleaning a dog’s ear, put over your finger and put your finger in the ear canal as far as it will go without forcing it. If the ear still seems dirty, you may repeat the process.

Have your dog towels or a chamois ready and before your dog escapes to roll in the garden, give a quick spritz of Your Critter Sitter Cologne.

H & H Your Pet Professionals

So, you take your dog to a Trainer or Puppy School or Dog Behaviourist and you watch and listen actively to everything that is said. You watch the Trainer give her dog a command and you’re impressed with how quickly the dog responds, no fuss, no hesitation, command, action and treat.

It looks easy, simple, straightforward, give the one word command, hold the treat in one hand, lower to the dogs nose, give the one word command and…

Your face goes bright red, you can feel the flush of heat and colour, you want to sink into the ground… Then the ultimate humiliation, the Trainer shows you how it’s done and your dog responds immediately.

You hear, and you understand what the Trainer is saying. You watch and know what to do. You’re clear in your own mind what you want to achieve. You have the treats in your hand, from the Pet Store not the supermarket. But still…

At the end of the hour lesson, which seems to take 2 days, especially when you are the one in front of the class, you are told to go home and practice. And you do… and it all goes wrong. The dog can’t be bothered, there’s not enough time after work, you’re busy on the weekend and…suddenly you are back in the class and the Trainer is pointing at you!

It’s YOU not the dog!

 You know the dog will do what the Trainer asks. And you know you don’t get the same results.

So lets get to the heart of the issue.  When you got the dog what did you want?

• A security alert – your house was broken into and now you want a Watch Dog!
• An emotional cushion – you have some personal issues and coming home to someone who will always love you unconditionally would make life more pleasant!
• Something that needs you – you want to feel needed, appreciated, to have your nurturing, caring side brought out, in ways that you don’t seem to be able in your relationships!
• A warm cuddly body to fill that emotional void – the world can be a dark and lonely place, especially in the evening when the dishes are done!
• Maybe you just wanted a pet like you had in childhood – and this is the second Trainer and you’re thinking of Goggling a Dog Whisperer or Companion Animal Psychic!

Why does the Trainer have more control over your dog than you do? Emotional detachment!  That’s right, the trainer doesn’t look into your dog’s eyes and see anything more than the brown or blue eyes of a canine. While you look into those same eyes and see deep soulful pools of adoring love! The Trainer sees a dog and while you see your ‘Baby’, ‘Your Darling’ is running rings around you and behaving in all the ways you are paying the Trainer to change.

But what is the answer to getting these behaviours changed, the jumping up, the rushing to the door barking whenever the door bell rings, your ability to walk the dog without having your arm ripped out of its socket?

First you need to understand your emotional attachment to the dog and how that affects your ability to set boundaries and control your dog’s behaviour.  Second, be honest with yourself about your reasons for having a dog and what you want from your dog. Thirdly, be realistic about what rules and behaviours you are prepared to set and enforce.

Then just have fun and enjoy!

Your Critter Sitter   Hannah & Heather  Your Pet Professionals

I can’t remember where this conversation took place, in a dog park, on Facebook, queuing for movie tickets; anyway it went something like this;

‘An exaggerated sigh, ‘I’m giving up men!’

A toss of the head and a huff, ‘I know what you mean, thank goodness I’ve got Sammy; I’d rather have him in my bed any night’. Stifled giggles.

I presumed Sammy was a dog and sure enough photos were being cooed over on the mobile. It made me wonder how much expectation there was on our pets today to take the place of human relationships/friendships, a bit like computers and mobiles taking the place of face-to-face conversation.

We talk about our pets in terms of ‘Our Baby’,  ‘Fur-babies’,  ‘Family Members’.  We talk about their ability to understand us, respond to our moods and our feelings. We look deep into their eyes and see our own emotional state reflected, loneliness, happiness, sadness, joy, grief.  We believe they are looking back and seeing into our Soul.

We ask them to take up the role of emotional comforter, to pillow us from the emptiness of rejection, to fill the gap of unfulfilled relationships and friendships, to be our children.  We project our fears and phobias onto them.

We dress them up and buy them treats and trinkets; we compensate them with food and leave them alone for long periods of time. We reduce their needs to our needs and sometimes forget they are ‘different’, they are canine, feline, feathered creatures.  Our humanness and our needs, overshadow their needs, as through our eyes they become human. And their animal needs are lost.

And then in desperation as our dogs behavior becomes destructive, our cat whines and claws the furniture, the bird denudes its body pulling out feathers, we wonder why, wring our hands and call in the Dog Trainer.

Your Critter Sitter, Heather & Hannah, Your Pet Professionals.

Triggered by a general sense that some unspecified harm might come to the pet while they are absent, some owners are reluctant to even leave their pets, unable to take holidays or even leave their home overnight.  Others cope with their feelings by trying to control every outcome that might eventuate, leaving long lists of instructions, pages of carefully prepared detail about the pet’s feeding routine, daily habits and behavior.   With their own overwhelming sense of guilt at abandoning their pet, they endeavor to have the career treat the pet in the same manner they do themselves believing that this will reduce their own sense of guilt and provide a substitute in their absence.   The stronger the emotional attachment to the pet and the more important the relationship the greater the anxiety experienced by the pet owner.

Colleagues, family and friends may view this Separation Anxiety as laughable and irrational and not understand how real and debilitating it is for you, the pet owner.  We as Pet Professionals know and understand your feelings. We know how important it is to find the right career, to trust them with your pet and to know that your pet’s safety is assured.  We know that your pet is more than just a cat, a dog, bird or fish, but an important family member, you’re ‘baby’, and the loss of your pet would be unthinkable and heartbreaking.

In choosing a Pet Sitter trust your instinct and your pet’s behavior.  Make a time for a complimentary ‘Meet and Greet’ where you can meet the Pet Professional in your own home so you can gage your own and your pet ‘s reaction.  Watch to see if the Sitter takes the time to greet your pet and if the Sitter makes the pet feel comfortable. Check how your cat or puppy reacts to the Pet Sitter? Were they relaxed in their present?  Did they respond to the Sitter’s voice and body language? When you asked questions did you feel heard and were your concerns taken seriously? Ask for updated messages and photos during the time you’re away.  While you’re away check in with the Sitter when you feel your anxiety levels rising. Communication with your Pet Sitter is the best way to cope with separation anxiety. And remember to breathe!

Your Critter Sitter, Heather & Hannah, Your Pet Professionals.

Dogs come in all breeds and sizes, and their coats can be just as different, fine and flyaway, coarse and curly, long and shaggy, double or triple coated, so its very important to choose the right tool for your dog’s coat type. Your Critter Sitter uses combs with rotating teeth as the teeth guild through the coat untangling knots without pulling.

While most pets are use to being handled around their body, some need special care is required when combing or brushing around their face where the skin and hair is very sensitive, around their feet which can be ticklish, and especially around their private parts and back-end. A dogs tail can become very knotted and most dogs don’t like to have their tails pulled.

When grooming your dog it’s important to brush more than just the topcoat but to get down into the undercoat. Brush or comb the hair backwards starting at the tail and ending at the ruff/neck. Then again starting at the tail comb the hair back, removing the loose hair from the comb as you work. Hold each leg by the paw and comb the hair back and then forward. Always stop grooming before your dog becomes distressed, is pulling away, whining or barking. Start with a leg each time, then the body, the head. Doing a little each day is better than trying to detangle a knotty dog in one sitting.

Rotating Teeth Combs:Teeth rotate 360 degrees to gently remove knots and tangles.
Slicker Brushes:Slicker brushes have fine wire bristles and are especially useful for removing matting and tangles that other brushes can’t.
Pin Brushes:Wire-pin brushes with round heads are the preferred choice for pets with medium to long hair and those with silky, curly, or woolly coats. Flexible pin brushes are also perfect for pets with thin coats and/or sensitive skin.
Bristle Brushes:Bristles brushes can be used on all coat types and are best used for finishing off coats after other brushes are used. They are excellent for small dogs and dogs with sensitive skin. The pins and bristles help to stimulate the skin and increase the health and vitality of the coat.

We don’t walk these long standing groups on leads, and we don’t rush at fast pace along a footpath, its more a gentle meandering around the edge of a sports ground, along a well trodden river foot path, beside the golf course or through the park. Exercise for these dogs is getting out of the house, smelling the richness of the day and another dog’s  pee trail. Its all about social interaction, having time with other dogs,running without knocking over a table, a vase, or sweeping a coffee mug off the coffee table with a tail.

The Christmas puppies have all reached that stage where they’re eating the socks, pulling the washing off the line, and sometimes still having an ‘oops’ moment and peeing on the floor. They’re bored  and the office hours their human’s work seems more like weeks not hours. We’ve taken on  a number of these dogs recently, some  we walk some spend time in the house with us. They want company and someone to talk to just like we do.  I might not take out my boredom by tearing the lounge cushions to shreds though I did get very house bound when I broke my ankle.

So whats the answer to keeping your dog content and happy. Getting out for a walk is first on our list, running, barking, playing, sniffing, interaction with other dogs is one of the simplest ways to keep you dog from being bored. And you want to be interactive with you dog,  chasing him, throwing a stick or a ball. Dogs love spending time with people and they love getting your attention and your praise.

Alex wasn’t much into dog toys and I envied friends who had chewed soft toys, scraps of blanket, bits of cotton rope, chewed rubber chickens. And then the first puppy came to stay and I had an excuse to buy a dozen toys and a bright basket to keep them in. We fill Kongs with minced chicken and freeze them mmmm what fun the dogs have, spending hours getting all that yummy meat out bit by bit. We also fill them with  dried chicken necks broken up and stuffed in really hard to amuse the dogs for ages. You can use any food really and they just love them. Most dogs will have a game of tug of war with a cotton rope, a long rubber bone, a dead tree branch. The trick is to present a new toy from the toy box each day by rotating a dozen toys over a week. And of course most dogs love a ride in the car. Alex will happily sit in the car for hours on end while we shop, do pet sits, have meetings with new clients or a quick coffee. As long as your dog is included in the family happenings he’ll be happy.

A dog that gets exercise, stimulation and positive attention is less likely to find his own amusement by ripping the feathers out of your favourite lounge cushions.

Esme with a frozen Knog!

When I look back on my childhood as to what our family cats were feed it was raw meat, gravy beef, the same cheap cut of meat that mum stewed up for us with vegetables and if we were lucky dumplings! Yes, we did open tinned food sometimes but it wasn’t the norm. Mum’s cats got raw meat, offal, the occasional beaten egg and the off cuts of fresh fish if dad had a good days fishing.  And those cats lived longer than the cats I feed on the conveniant suppermarket tinned food while my own children were growing up. The life expectance of mum’s cats was early 20′s, my own 15yrs to 18yrs.

The book that changed the way Heather feed her dog Alex a.k.a The Little Brown Dog was ‘Give Your Dog A Bone’ The practical Common sense Way To Feed Dogs For A Long Healthy Life, by Dr. Ian Billinghurst.  Published in 1993 it outlined the problems with cats and dogs diets as view by Billinghurst a vet with many years experience.  He witnessed the decline in pet health, he saw the rise of Pet Food Companies telling us how to feed our cat and dog, how it needed a balanced diet and that could  be achieved simply and easily with commercial dog food.

Dr. Billinghurst went on to produce his own solution to the problem he believed was causing the disease in modern pets by poor nutrition and he called it the Evolutionary Diet.  He now teaches pet owners how to feed their pets using this Evolutionary Diet and has developed philosophies and products based on the same diet that the wild ancestors of dogs and cats ate, muscle meat, bones, cartilage, fat, organ meat, whole raw eggs, fruit and vegetables.  He’s started a BARF movement with books, CD’s, videos, web site and most important education for pet owners.

In line with Your Critter Sitter’s new holistic approach to pet care we want you our clients and readers to understand where our fundament beliefs are coming from, what our beliefs are based on. And on the question of pet health we believe that the start to good nutrition for our companion animals is a basic raw food and bones diet.

     Heather & Hannah