TRAINING BLOG
 
  Contact Peter on 01392 811727 or 07921 833632 and make a change in your dogs behaviour soon

Best wishes for 2012 to all my former clients and of course potential future clients. Sorry for the lack of blogs on this page for a while, will try to do better this year!! A new website, which will initially run in tandem with this one will be launched soon. Watch this space!

News on Robynne

Some very bad news about Robynne, one of my Rottweiler bitches and quite possibly the foremost character of any dog I have ever owned. Most of my previous clients and their dogs will have met Robynne during their sessions, either as a stooge dog or just in general socialisation.

During the Summer of 2011 Robynne, a previously voracious eater became very fussy with her food. Initially I thought it was a hormonal issue following a season but when it went on for a few weeks, tests by my vet revealed that she had liver disease which was in a fairly advanced stage.
 
There is little that can be done medically for dogs with liver disease and the main hope is to bring about regeneration of the liver by dietary changes. Unfortunately, all efforts have been unsuccessful and this amazing dog is now very much in the last stages of her life. In October 2011 my vet gave her two weeks to live but here we are in 2012 and she is still with us.

She has suffered the onset of a form of dementia, which I understand is the inability of her liver to break down amonia in the blood-stream, so she is not so quick to respond to commands now and she behaves in a very puppy-like manner at times.
 
Her character still shines through and she still loves going out and shows all her old drive and enthusiasm for life. She is now very thin and has to wear a coat to keep out the cold and her eyes are now dull, but as long as she bounds out to the van with the same old enthusiasm I will keep her going.

Handbag Dogs in Welfare

You may recall that back in January 2011, I wrote about the soaring registration figures for these so-called handbag dogs, or fashion accessories and my concerns for future welfare implications. So I wasn't surprised to read in the press this week that major welfare organisations such as Blue Cross and the RSPCA are reporting that large numbers of these poor dogs are now coming into welfare as the fashion trends change.

Many of these poor dogs have had no socialisation whatsoever and some are barely able to walk. Territorial aggression is often a problem with these little dogs, who have had little experience of the real world, outside their owners bag or lap. There is a real onus on breeders to do all they can to thoroughly vet their puppy enquiries to somehow weed these potentially damaging owners out.

Peter Mounsey. Ashclyst Dog Training and Behaviour, Exeter, Devon. January 2012

CELEBRITY 'HANDBAG DOG'
REGISTRATIONS SOAR

I take a keen interest in which dogs head the popularity stakes, as evidenced by the Kennel Club's own puppy registration statistics, as obviously significant trends lead to certain breeds becoming more problematic due to some owners, not all, failing to do their research when acquiring the latest celebrity dog.
 
Of concern to everyone must be the massive rise in these so-called handbag dogs, made more popular by the celebrity culture in this country and for instance Pug registrations have gone up by over 600% in the last ten years.
Registrations of Chihuahua have risen by over 400% in the same period. Miniature Dachshunds have also seen almost a 300% increase in registrations too. Anyone interested in dog welfare will be concerned at the implications for the various rescue organisations and will also worry about puppy farmer involvement. The price of these breeds has rocketed and you can be sure that this will attract the unscrupulous breeders, with breeding stock living in poor conditions and with minimal standards of care. Some of these breeds can be difficult to whelp and again, one wonders how many will get the veterinary care they need at such times.
 
Other interesting stats, show that registrations of Boxers have dropped by almost half since 2001, but the Boxer is the most popular of the working breeds with 5699 registrations. Rottweiler registrations have also more than halved in the same period, down from 5587 to 1,959. Alaskan Malamute registrations have rocketed from 156 to 1232 and Siberian Husky registrations have gone up from 1038 to 2209. Of concern to some will be the rapid increase in popularity of the Dogue de Bordeaux, up from 661 registrations in 2001 to 2841 in 2010 and second behind the Boxer in the most popular working breeds. This is a breed that dog trainers and behaviourists will be seeing plenty of in the coming years, I have no doubt.
 
In the pastoral group, German Shepherd registrations have gone down from 14270 to 10364 and this is obviously still a massively popular breed with the general public. Amongst the Gundogs, the Labrador remains the most popular (and most popular of all breeds) with an increase from 33688 in 2001 to 44099 in 2010. Cocker Spaniels seem to be making a comeback (not that they ever went away) and their registrations have almost doubled to 23744, whilst registrations of Springers have only marginally increased in the same period. The Hungarian Vizsla is also becoming more popular, its registrations almost trebling to 1498.
 
The Whippet continues to increase in popularity with registrations more than doubling in the same period. Of the Terriers, the Staffie has seen a decline in popularity in the last ten years, but there were still 8663 puppies registered in 2010. Westies have seen a halving of their registrations and Border Terriers have seen their registrations double.
 
Obviously, I would endorse the view of the Kennel Club that members of the public looking for a puppy should be very careful about where they acquire it from and wherever possible should go to a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder, if they want to ensure it has been given the best start in life.
 
Peter Mounsey Ashclyst Dog Training and Behaviour Devon January 2011

PUPPY TRAINING CLASSES -
GOOD OR BAD THING?

I was listening to an interview with Robert Alleyne, well known tv dog trainer and behaviourist from Dog Borstal which many of you may have seen. He was talking about his concerns about the increasing problem of dog aggression, whether to other dogs or people. He said that this had now become the number one issue for him as a dog trainer, whereas in the past problems such as separation anxiety had been the most common issues. Totally agree with that - dog aggression is the number one issue for me too.
 
He also made some very interesting comments about a well-known glamorous tv dog trainer and the fact that she had never owned a dog herself, but maybe I will talk about that on another occasion! However, he did go on to talk about various qualification courses for dog trainers and behaviourists to degree standard which he thought was important and yet many of those people have never owned a dog either! Similarly, there are some very experienced dog people who have no knowledge of behavioural theory whatsoever, so clearly a balance somewhere in the middle is the best bet in my opinion.
 
Whilst I always thought that Mick Martin the ex-police dog trainer was the more effective trainer on Dog Borstal, if a little crass in his behaviour, I had to agree with a lot that Robert was saying and he felt that one of the major contributory factors in the rise in dog aggression was the growth in puppy training classes, puppy parties etc. These have become increasingly popular over the years with virtually every vet surgery either running one or recommending one to their clients. I think I am right that even the Kennel Club have been recommending this as the way to go for owners of new puppies. The point is that puppies are not generally well balanced, smaller versions of their adult counterparts. Puppies have generally not learned the rules yet, they need guidance and training in appropriate behaviour around other dogs and in they can give off an unbalanced, over excited energy on their own, let alone when there may be as many as twenty of them in a class!!!
 
It is very easy for a puppy class to get out of hand and of course these classes are only as good as the dog trainer running them. However, even with a good trainer if there are too many puppies, or too many which misbehave then things can quickly become chaotic and of course at this age, if unpleasant things happen to your puppy they can remain with him for the rest of his life. Puppy training is a definite skill and Robert Alleyne hit the nail right on the head in his interview in stating that puppies need training and interaction in all sorts of environments, not just in the local village hall with lots of other misbehaving puppies.
 
I do think this could be one of the causes, but of course there are many others. The increase in media coverage of certain status dogs being one of them. As a dog trainer and behaviourist in Devon, not only am I seeing more of these dogs, but also more Husky's, Malamutes and the like as I said in a previous blog. These dogs aren't aggressive per se, far from it but they are often very difficult to train to a reasonable standard and are not in my opinion a dog for a novice owner.
 
One to one training with an experienced trainer is clearly the most appropriate way to teach your new puppy the boundaries and rules which are going to apply in its daily life. However, I totally agree with Robert Alleyne - if you feel you must attend a class then ask if you can observe the running of the class first, before you take your puppy anywhere near it. If it appears well run and that puppies with problems don't just get stuck in the corner, or even worse out in the entrance hall then you may feel it is ok for you. If you can't go and observe the class first, then I would recommend you don't enrol.
 
Peter Mounsey, Ashclyst Dog Training and Dog Behaviour, Exeter. January 2011

ASSISTANCE DOGS

Talking of good dog trainers, I wonder if any of you have been reading a great series of articles on assistance dogs in the Daily Telegraph.
 
Obviously we have all become familiar with guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs etc but some of the other work carried out by Dogs for the Disabled and others goes fairly unnoticed.
Dogs are being trained to turn lights on and off, opening and closing doors, even bringing food from the fridge! As well as the assistance role, some of the work which dogs are doing in medical science, for instance in detecting heart diseases and cancer is absolutely amazing and it does make you think where this may all end. Are there no limits to what dogs can do?
 
Interestingly, dogs aren't the only animals being used in these roles and there are now trained Capuchin monkeys which live with humans as their helpers, carrying out numerous roles in the home. Their training can take up to seven years, but of course they can then carry out their role for 20-30 years, much longer than a dog.
 
Amazingly, bees are also being used in this assistance work and have been shown to be even more accurate than sniffer dogs in detecting bombs at airports for instance (I kid you not).
They have also been used in illness detection too, although I guess one drawback is that unlike the Capuchin monkey, their lifespan is not so long!
 
Mind you, they can be trained in minutes rather than months or years and I guess they are much cheaper too!!!
 
Peter Mounsey, Ashclyst Dog Training and Dog Behaviour Exeter. January 2011

Get Rid of Breed Specific
Legislation Now, Say Vets

I was interested to read the results of the recent consultation process by Defra on dangerous dogs, which revealed overwhelming support for an overhaul of the 'failed Dangerous Dogs Act 1991'.
 
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) submitted a joint response based on what they termed sound scientific evidence and expert veterinary opinion. The response called for an end to breed-specific legislation which targets dogs based on the way they look, rather than their actions.
 
The BVA and BSAVA were delighted with the summary of the 4,250 responses which revealed that:
 
88% of respondents do not believe that current legislation is effective in protecting the public
71% believe that breed-specific legislation should be repealed
84% are in favour of all dogs being microchipped.
 
Harvey Locke, president of the BVA said, "There is enormous support amongst experts in dog health and welfare for an end to the failed breed-specific legislation. The Coalition Government's programme promised to take action on dangerous dogs and Ministers must now take onboard the strong views from this consultation to implement changes".
 
As a dog trainer and dog behaviourist, who happens to be an ex-Police officer I take a great interest in this issue and have to agree that the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is an example of legislation which was hastily drafted and enacted following a spate of very serious dog aggression incidents in the late 1980's and the escalation in the number of Pit-bull type dogs being seen on the streets of Great Britain.
 
As a Rottweiler owner/breeder, I am a big supporter of the Deed not Breed movement and I know only too well how close my breed came to being placed on the list of prohibited breeds when the DDA was being drafted. Many felt that as a breed we were only one or two incidents away from being placed on the list and there was some tremendous work done at the time by the Rottweiler Breed Council which helped to prevent this happening.
 
Even today, the Police response to a report of a dog biting incident will often be disproportionate if you are the owner of one of the guarding breeds, such as the Rottweiler. As for the media, well we all know that they are only interested in incidents involving certain breeds. For instance, if a Golden Retriever or similar breed commits a serious dog bite, then the media would rarely be interested. If the dog is a Rottweiler, you are almost guaranteed front page coverage and possibly national television news coverage.
 
The lack of knowledge of dog legislation of most Police officers would truly astound many of you and the unfortunate thing is that, once the wheels of justice have been set in motion they are very difficult to stop, even when there is clearly no case to answer. The CPS have been guilty of allowing many cases (not just under the DDA) to go all the way to Crown Court in certain circumstances where a review of the case by someone with a knowledge of the legislation would result in the case being abandoned, without months of worry and heartache to the dog owner.
 
The concern for me is what will the legislators do to replace this failed act and just as importantly, who will enforce it? I deal with dog aggression cases on a regular basis and I know that the breeds involved are right across the spectrum of breeds and are certainly not confined to what the public might perceive as dangerous dogs. I read recently that one Chief Constable had suggested that the more trivial matters such as dog issues be taken off the Police's hands and I would not be at all surprised if that were a majority view of Police Chiefs.
 
Like all public services, the Police are facing significant budget cut-backs and dealing with dog matters may not feature very highly on their list of priorities. I also doubt whether Local Authorities will be all that keen to expand the Dog Warden service without extra funding from central Government. Even if they did, I do wonder which members of society would be targeted by such wardens for offences relating to dogs being out of control and even fouling offences. There has been much anecdotal evidence that some local authority litter wardens tend to deal with the easy targets such as the elderly, rather than perhaps the anti-social 'yob element' who would probably give them a harder time.
 
There is a need for better education, improved dog training and enforcement of whatever legislation is eventually enacted, but I have serious concerns about the overall effect this may have on decent, law-abiding dog owners if it is not thoroughly researched first. The fact that DEFRA have undertaken a major consultation process is positive, but I was alarmed to hear a Metropolitan Police Dog Unit Inspector say that he felt there should be a return to the Dog Licence, because of course this would simply penalise the law-abiding majority, whereas the type of owner whose dogs cause many of the problems we hear about, would simply ignore the requirement.
Peter Mounsey, Ashclyst dog training Devon,
6th December 2010

Ban On Electric Collars Upheld

The Royal Courts of Justice recently upheld the ban on the use of electric shock collars, introduced by the Welsh National Assembly earlier this year. The ban had been challenged by the Electronic Collars Manufacturers Association, but the Appeal court found in favour of the WNA.
 
The Welsh Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones welcomed the judgement. "In Wales, reward-based training and control of animals is acceptable. The use of collars which deliver a shock to a dog or cat is not."
 
The use of electric collars as dog training devices is still legal in the rest of the UK, but I can't see that remaining the case for too much longer. These devices were banned for use by UK Police forces many years ago and one has to say, if the Police don't need them to train highly driven Police dogs, why should dog trainers dealing predominantly with domestic pets need them?
 
I work as a dog trainer in Devon, a predominantly rural county and know that many dog owners use these devices in conjunction with electronic containment fences, where they have large grounds which cannot be adequately fenced. Clearly there must be concerns that where the containment fences are banned, there could well be a knock-on effect with regard to livestock worrying. Time will tell I guess.
 
When I carry out my client consultations, I always point out to my clients that I will not condone the use of electric shock collars and I have to say most of them are relieved to hear it. However, I also call into question the knowledge and practical experience of certain dog trainers who feel that the concept of the human pack-leader is outdated and irrelevant, with their insistence that ignoring the bad and (food) rewarding the good will work in all cases.
 
Having worked with lots of aggressive dogs of all breeds, including the significant guarding breeds, I feel qualified to say that there are many dogs who will push the boundaries at any opportunity and no amount of ignoring will lead to a cessation of the problem behaviour where aggression is concerned. Many of them have no interest in food or toy reward when in this frame of mind. Some of them - and I believe they are significantly less than 1% of all dog aggression cases - are beyond much practical help and should never be allowed off-lead or unmuzzled in a public place. Fortunately, the vast majority of them are suitable for rehabilitation by the use of strong leadership, interruption of inappropriate behaviour and yes, reward where appropriate.
 
Too many of today's so-called dog trainers and behaviourists have very little practical experience in dog ownership or dog training and as with so many professions nowadays, if one has the money to attend one of the many accreditation courses that is often all that is required. This leads to practitioners who are strong on voicing their opinions and theory but weak on demonstrating their own practical skills, often falling well short of their client's expectations when dealing with all but the simplest of cases.
Peter Mounsey, Ashclyst dog training Devon,
5th December 2010

COLD CHILL FOR MALAMUTE BREEDERS?

I read an interesting article in the Sunday Telegraph recently, which discussed the rapid growth in the number of Alaskan Malamute puppies and other so-called wolf-type dogs, which are being bred. Malamute registrations have gone up from just 128 in 2000 to almost 1200 last year, which is a massive rise in anybody's book. Siberian uskys and Inuits are also becoming a much more regular sight in towns and cities across the country.

Contrastingly, some of the traditionally popular breeds such as the Westie, the Yorkshire Terrier and Golden Retriever have seen massive reductions in numbers being registered. This is all a bit worrying as I feel there is a bit of a fashion element to the popularity of the so called Wolf type dogs, due to films/programmes such as Twilight Zone and Eight Below. Bulldog and Pug registrations have also seen massive increases.

The article quotes one Malamute owner who states they are great family pets, (which they can be) but also quotes Anne Nevinson of the Alaskan Malamute Club of the UK, who whilst promoting the breed at the Kennel Club's Discover Dogs exhibition, added one or two words of caution. She says, "They are wonderful pets, but they are not your average pet dog. They are a sled dog and still have all those natural instincts. They are very independent and do need canine company. They are less loyal to their master than other breeds are They also have a very high prey drive, so will hunt. You don't take them to the park and let them run round with other dogs. They can make a good family pet, but you have to have a bit of sense."

And herein lies the problem of course. Not everyone who acquires these large, powerful dogs has the same committment to training, development and social behaviour as knowledgeable enthusiasts. Apparently, the price of a puppy has risen to £1200 in some areas and this will attract the wrong type of person who will breed puppies with little or no knowledge of the breed.

Some of these dogs are living with families who have busy lives and often the amount of time given to exercising the dogs is just not enough. This is when behavioural issues develop and people like me get involved. We see these dogs being allowed to run free in parks, where their owners have little or no control over them. They can have a heightened prey drive and incidents will occur where other dogs can be subject to over-boisterous behaviour or even aggression. Good breeders will always ensure that new owners are properly briefed on what they should and should not be doing with their new puppy as it gets bigger, but not all breeders are so conscientious.

Most of the Malamute, Husky type breeds are not very easy to train and can be extremely difficult to recall off the lead. Indeed, many of the breed-club websites will specifically advise that they should not be allowed off-lead in public, as the proverbial call of the wild will take over. Some owners get lucky and have one which is biddable and can be allowed off lead without a problem. As a rule of thumb though, they generally do their own thing if allowed off-lead and recall is problematic with most. There are some really great breed clubs which organise events which allow the dogs to take part in activities for which they were originally bred ie sledding etc, so if you do have one of these beautiful dogs I would encourage you to join such a club. If you are thinking of getting one, do your research first by reading some of the excellent breed club websites before you decide that this type of dog is for you.

These concerns were reiterated by a spokesperson from the Kennel Club who wish to discourage this fashion trend for this type of dog. "They can make fantastic pets, but they need lots of exercise, interaction and stimulation."

I have already seen several of these dogs in a professional capacity for a variety of problems including dog aggression and dominance issues and unfortunately I can only see this trend continuing if they remain as popular or even moreso than they already are. Rescue organisations will also start to have more of these dogs coming in, unless a responsible approach is taken. Potential puppy buyers need to be realistic as to their ability and availability to give an appropriate level of care, exercise and interaction with this type of dog and breeders have a massive role to play in vetting potential buyers.

Films and tv programmes which portray a particular breed, even in a good light, can be a real problem. They can lead to massive booms in popularity, not always with the right type of person. My breed, the Rottweiler suffered a massive increase in popularity and also notoriety following its portrayal in The Omen film in the late 70's and we have been stuck with the 'Devil Dog' term ever since.

Peter Mounsey, Ashclyst dog training Devon,
15th November 2010.

PUPPY APTITUDE TESTING

Talking of matching the right puppy to the right owner, I often wonder how many breeders particularly of the guarding or sporting breeds, make a very good investment in their puppies futures by having them puppy aptitude tested, or temperament tested.

I know that many do but I suspect that the vast majority don't, which is a real pity. The puppy aptitude test is all about identifying the various drives which each puppy has by a number of calm, non-harsh tests which basically identify the puppy's character strengths and weaknesses. Clearly this will identify the puppy which is possibly more suited to a home where it will have its drives satisfied with a working life or perhaps a life in competitive trials etc and will also identify the puppy which will probably be quite happy being the quiet, chilled-out coach potato!

Most good breeders have their breeding stock xrayed, eye tested and whatever else their particular breed's code of ethics requires, but I think the additional investment in puppy aptitude testing would probably do a lot to reduce the number of puppies who end up either being returned to the breeder or even worse, end up in rescue because they weren't suitable for their new owners in the first place.

Of course, experienced breeders spend a lot of time observing their puppies in the first seven weeks of their lives and can often identify the relevant traits in each individual puppy, but is surprising what an independent puppy aptitude test can tell you. Some breeders of course just present the potential puppy buyer with a choice of any puppy from those which remain unsold and pay little attention to whether or not a particular puppy is way too highly driven for their experience or their domestic circumstances.

With the lifting of quarantine restrictions, many breeders particularly of breeds such as GSD, Rottweiler etc will now travel to Europe with their bitches to put them to a suitable stud-dog. This has its benefits of bringing in new blood-lines but can also lead to problems. Many breeders in Germany and mainland Europe are involved in Schutzhund training with their dogs, which requires a dog to have high levels of drive in certain areas if it is to be successful. These are dogs which require and are used to, lots of stimulus and activity. It stands to reason that these traits will be passed onto their progeny, so therein lies the problem. This is particularly so in the GSD of the 'Germanic type' which are usually highly driven dogs which require a lot of activity to keep them stimulated.

Not every home can provide this which is why one sees quite a lot of hyper GSD these days. Obviously the GSD has always been a 'working' dog (now classified as pastoral by the KC), but in using stock which is so highly driven, the prevalence of similarly driven puppies in a litter is going to increase and therefore the calm, laid-back puppy for the novice owner may be harder to find.

Puppy aptitude testing will certainly be a great aid to grading these puppies according to the experience of their new owners.

Peter Mounsey, Ashclyst dog training Devon,
16th November 2010

FERNE ANIMAL SANCTUARY

I was delighted to be invited to be consultant dog behaviourist for Ferne Animal Sanctuary, Chard, Somerset. Ferne is a chartitable trust dealing with the rehoming of dogs, cats, horses and other animals.
For further details on Ferne please visit their website www.ferneanimalsanctuary.org

Peter Mounsey, Ashclyst dog training Devon, 10th September 2010.

REVIEW OF 2009/10

A busy year in rehabilitating problem dogs of all breeds. Whilst you would expect certain breeds to figure most prominently with problems such as dog aggression, there are other breeds which perhaps you would be surprised to see in the list of dogs which I have dealt with, now over 40 different breeds.
 
The following list shows the wide variety of dogs I have dealt with for problem behaviour such as aggression and other behavioural issues. As a matter of interest, I have placed them in order of the number of dogs in each breed which I have dealt with, most common first, least common last.
 
This is not meant to be seen as a statement on how problematic certain breeds are, because many other factors come into play. Some breeds are numerically more popular than others. Also, in my experience some owners of the smaller breeds are less likely to seek help for their dogs, for instance with aggression issues, than owners of larger breeds. They often don't see their dog's behaviour as a significant problem, when clearly it is.
 
The breeds are:-
 
German Shepherd (Alsatian) - Collie - Labrador - Springer Spaniel - Golden Retriever - Rottweiler - Patterdale and Lakeland Terrier - Dobermann - Jack Russell Terrier - West Highland White Terrier - Greyhound - Boxer - Whippet - Border Terrier - Staffordshire Bull Terrier - Yorkshire Terrier - Hungarian Viszla - Italian Spinnone - Lurcher - Weimeraner - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Labradoodle - Akita - Schnauzer - Miniature Pomeranian - Rhodesian Ridgeback - English Bulldog - English Mastiff - Great Dane - Shitzu - Pointer - Lowchen - Schipperke - British and Northern Inuit - Munsterlander - Briard - Dogue de Bordeaux - Siberian Huskey - Boston Terrier - Lowchen - Schipperke.

 

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