Seminar! Kids Dogs Pitfalls and Potentials

Join Doggone Safe VP Jennifer Shryock and author Colleen Pelar for a weekend of learning about managing and enhancing the child/dog relationship.

Date: Sept 21-22, 2013
Location: Boston/Cambridge MA

This seminar is for trainers, shelter staff, vets, vet techs, parents and expectant parents.

CEUS: CCPDT 12, IAABC 12

Click here for more details or to register

Download seminar flyer

Seminar Agenda

DAY 1 - SATURDAY: 

TIME: 9-9:30am - WELCOME: JENNIFER SHYROCK & COLLEEN PELAR

TIME: 9:30A-12:00P - WHAT DOGS WISH PEOPLE KNEW

PRESENTER: COLLEEN PELAR

• The “Good Dog Myth”, impossible standard and unrealistic expectations
• No “One size fits all” solution to rough toddler handling of dog
• Tolerance vs Enjoyment: when does kid behavior reach “enough already!”
• Teaching how to supervise and read body language & stress signals
• Setting Rules & Boundaries: what to look for & when to intervene
• Teens can be as tough as Toddlers!

TIME: 1PM-4:15PM - INCLUSION, REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND DOGS IN THE HOME

PRESENTER: JENNIFER SHRYOCK

• Strategies to Decrease Bite Incidents (1:00PM-2:30PM) Learn proactive planning for dog & child safety zones before baby’s arrival; We will go over increase in problems due to unpredictable baby/toddler body movements; Inclusion of dog in daily activities with baby/toddler always requiring SUPERVISION; Learning/teaching canine body language and stress signals; Resident vs family dog; What we know about “inclusion”
• Essential Tips For In Home Consultations (2:45PM-4:15PM)

DAY 2 - SUNDAY: 

TIME: 9-10:15AM CAPTURING THEIR ATTENTION: Activities for Kids

PRESENTERS: Jennifer Shryock & Colleen Pelar

• Kids learn best with active involvement. You’ll learn specific ideas for capturing kids attention and teaching them about dogs, either in private lessons or when teaching a roomful of kids basic safety like “Be a Tree”

TIME: 10:30-12PM – SPATIAL ISSUES: THINGS GET TOO CLOSE

PRESENTER: Jennifer Shryock

• Toddlers & dogs can clash if things get too close and parents miss a signal of discomfort from the dog. You’ll learn about age characteristics and behaviors that often lead to tense moments; Grumble & Growl Zones and how to prevent or handle them; age related behaviors and dog/children interactions; how and when to intervene. You will learn solutions for doing “things” differently & talking to clients without causing fear or shut down.

TIME: 1:00PM-2:30PM – COMMUNITY OUTREACH: SPEAK ABOUT KIDS &  DOGS WHILE PROMOTING YOUR BUSINESS

PRESENTER: Colleen Pelar

• Sharing what you know about kids and dogs can improve safety and understanding. You’ll learn strategies to teach people and promote your business in your community, from fun fairs to library visits to school career days.. Be A Tree; The 3 Steps For Meeting Dog; Pros & Cons of bringing a demo dog; Activities to teach kids about dog body language.

TIME: 2:45P-4:15PM – DOGS & STORKS COMMUNITY EVENT (open to expecting parents in the community)

PRESENTER: Jennifer Shryock

• A live presentation of a Dogs & Storks program. You’ll hear actual questions & answers learn tips to share with clients who want to help prepare their dog for life with a baby!

Read More..

New Study Child Dog Bite Victims Need Ongoing Emotional Support

A recently published study provides evidence that child dog bite victims require ongoing emotional support.

Barbara W. Boat, Cinnamon A. Dixon, Erica Pearl, Lacey Thieken and Sarah E. Bucher. 2012. Pediatric Dog Bite Victims: A Need for a Continuum of Care. Clincal Pediatrics. 51: 473-477.

Abstract: The authors assessed the ongoing needs of 34 pediatric dog bite victims and their families 1 month after receiving care in a pediatric emergency department. More than 70% of the parents noted at least 1 new concerning behavior in their children, and more than 85% of the parents also endorsed concerns about their own reactions. Half of the parents believed that children, in general, might benefit from interventions to help with postbite fears and nearly three quarters felt that families would benefit from education regarding dog bite prevention. The  majority (85%) of the parents believed that additional supportive services could be offered effectively at emergency department or pediatric office/clinic visits. A template for a dog bite information card is presented.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the majority of child dog bite victims and their parents in our study experienced changes in behavior and additional stress in their lives after the incident. Furthermore, these parents expressed a need for additional supportive services and a desire for prevention education related to this topic. Thus, we advocate that child dog bite victims and their parents may benefit from a continuum of care after these injuries and that dog bite prevention education should be an integral part of any child safety discussion with families.

Read the full article

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Do Dogs Need Canine Friends

By Lisa Mason

There are a lot of different opinions about whether a dog needs to have other dogs around them to have a happy life. Some will say that their tiny little dog hasn’t seen another dog since it left its mother. Other pet owners will clutch their small dog protectively when a larger dog approaches. They worry that the small dog will get hurt rough housing around with the bigger canines.

All the while that we humans are holding our small dogs in our arms to keep them out of harm’s way, typically the dog is struggling to get free to go play with the other dog. We keep our dogs indoors and away from other dogs because we fear that another dog may have fleas or some other disease that will infect our dogs. We in fact baby and protect our dogs to the point of making them social outcasts.

Dogs are Members of a Pack

Dogs are social animals.  Let’s not forget that they are descendants of wolves who ran in packs. Let’s not forget that our dog’s ancestors lived in the wild and were quite capable of taking care of themselves. We have domesticated dogs so much over the years that they are now totally dependent on humans for their every need. Dogs used to run in the wild, in packs. The pack leader, or head canine, kept the pack under control and taught the smaller pups how to interact within the pack’s circle.

Today, we have become the pack leader and our dogs look to us for their food, water and everyday needs. Every dog seems to need a human attached to it, or society labels it a stray and it is generally picked up by animal control. Dogs are dependent on humans and we decide if we will allow the dog to socialize with its own kind.

Again, dogs are social animals. They enjoy interacting with people, other dogs and yes, even other species, such as cats and farm animals. But just as we humans relate better to another human, so will a dog relate better to another dog. A dog can form a fast friendship with another dog, or he can take an instant dislike to another dog just like we do with the people we meet.

Let’s look at it this way: what if you spent 24 hours a day in the house with your dog, day in and day out without ever seeing another human. Even though you love your dog and enjoy spending time with him, you would soon be stir crazy. You would be longing for human interaction. You would look out the window and drool when another human walks by, just like your dog does when he sees another dog.

This is not to say that one should open the door and let their dog run wild with other dogs. However, we should remember that dogs need to be around their canine companions just as we need other humans. Dogs learn from each other, dogs play in the same way and dogs form strong friendship bonds with other dogs. Allowing your dog the freedom to choose some canine friends is just good pet parenting.

Top photo by Eddie Van 3000
Bottom photo by Michelle Tribe

Read more articles by Lisa Mason

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A Dog Show We Need to See

Dog shows are all about the romance of dogs -- which is to say they are pretty far from the reality of canine genetics today.

One of the things you will NEVER hear at a dog show is the true history of any breed, or the list of genetic defects that have been exacerbated by closed registries.

And yet what a thing it would be to hear the truth!

What a breath of fresh air it would be to hear:

"The German Shepherd was never much of a herding dog and is never found herding today. A herding German Shepherd -- ha - what a notion! In fact this dog is a relatively new breed, created around 1900. Today the genetic stock of this dog is so racked by chronic hip dysplasia that many lines of German shepherds can barely walk. Anyone with an ounce of sense stays away from show lines today, and imports their dogs from working stock overseas."

The Bull Dog would be properly introduced as:

"A game dog once used to catch stock for altering or slaughter, the bull dog was reduced in stature and mutated by intentionally breeding in achondroplastic dwarfism, which is why the legs on these dogs are so bent they can barely walk. The pressed-in-face means the dogs have chronic breathing problems, while the digestive tract is so wrecked that these dogs pass more gas than a Mexican restaurant. You will learn to light matches with a bull dog!

The heads on these dogs are so enormous that almost all the dogs are born caesarian, and in fact this dog would be extinct within 10 years if it were not for veterinarians helping these little mutants into the world.

Notice that nice little pig tail? That is a source of chronic skin infection, and most of the dogs in the ring today will have their tails completely cut off after they are retired from performance -- a way of making it easier to keep this breed after a show ring career."

Someone really should write a new voice-over sound track for a dog show and see if the BBC or Animal Planet might run it -- it would certainly amaze the public to learn the truth about these dogs, from dachshunds to poodles, from Irish setters to Scottish terriers. And there is certainly no shortage of true dog tales to tell!

• Related:
  ** Rosettes to Ruin: Making & Breaking Dogs in the Show Ring.

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We did not need a tracking dog to find Johns doe

We finally have some venison to feed this human and canine family! Yesterday afternoon John shot a nice mature doe on our property, and it was a perfect shot. She ran 50 yards from the hit site and expired right away. We brought Kunox and did the short track with him. He really liked the doe but showed no sign of possessiveness towards us. Good boy Kunox! 

Then we brought two pups, Volt and Luna, and let them find the doe too. Volt was much more aggressive towards the deer than Luna was, and even though he was fine with us he really did not like Luna to be too close to "his" deer. 

Mielikki got to inspect the doe too.

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Veterinary Bunko About Dog Training

Going to a vet for a behavior issue with a dog is a bit like going to a law mower mechanic for advice on how to shampoo a carpet.

Vets are not the beginning or end all of dogs. Most veterinarians know little or nothing about nutrition, breed-genetics, or dog training.

To put a point on it:  Going to a vet for a behavior issue with a dog is a bit like going to a law mower mechanic for advice on how to shampoo a carpet; if they know anything at all, its just an accident.

All of this by way of introduction to the fact that the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has just put out a publication called "Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines." In that publication they say

More dogs and cats are affected by behavioral problems than any other condition, often resulting in euthanasia, relinquishment of the patient, or chronic suffering.

Yes. Excellent. And what do vets know about it and what are they saying?

And here is where we come to the nonsense.

Under no circumstances should aggression or any condition involving a clinical diagnosis be referred to a trainer for primary treatment. Referral to a dog trainer is appropriate for normal but undesired behaviors (e.g., jumping on people), unruly behaviors (e.g., pulling on leash), and teaching basic manners.

Eh? A dog with "aggression" issues (whatever that is as it is undefined and would likely include all kinds of leash-reactivity, fear, etc.) should never be taken to a dog trainer? Never?? Then, pray tell, who should see this dog other than a vet with a blue solution?

Behavior cases can be complex, often involving public health and safety issues. Board-certified veterinary behaviorists (diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, www.dacvb.org) are specifically trained and qualified to treat clinical behavior problems in companion animals. Referral to a veterinary behaviorist may be recommended in cases involving self-injury, aggression, multiple concurrent behavioral diagnoses, profound phobias, or for patients not responding to conventional treatment despite the primary care veterinarian’s best efforts. Dogs either inflicting deep bites or those injuring immunocompromised individuals should be referred to a specialist. Under no circumstances should aggression or any condition involving a clinical diagnosis be referred to a trainer for primary treatment. Referral to a dog trainer is appropriate for normal but undesired behaviors (e.g., jumping on people), unruly behaviors (e.g., pulling on leash), and teaching basic manners.

So, the ONLY person that can help you with your dog is a certified veterinary behaviorist who is diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists?

Fantastic.

Because, you see, according to the DACVB web site, there are only 66 such people in the entire world.

Let me say it now:  Bunko and bullshit.

This country is full of very good dog trainers using a wide variety of techniques. The notion that there is only one way to train a problem dog, and that you need a Veterinary Behaviorist to do it, is complete nonsense.

If you are a good dog trainer, stop by the local vets and explain what you do and how you do it.

If you are a veterinarian, make it part of your job to learn about dog trainers in your area, and what they can do (being very attentive to what it is your customers actually need, which will vary).

As for the notion that there are  less than 100 people in the world that can deal with a problem dog, lets call "shenanigans" and remember exactly what kind of bunko outfit the American Animal Hospital Association really is.

These are pill-pushers and price-gougers, upcoders, and bill padders. Their modus operandi is to write guidelines for over-prescribing, and then to sell the very prescriptions that they have just suggested.

Grifters gotta grift, and there is a tremendous amount of  grifting in the veterinary business.  Caveat emptor.

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