My Pets: TRAINING

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Training the Dogs of the Wizard of Oz Musical

The real stars of the Australian production of The Wizard of Oz Musical are arguably two Australian Terriers named Trouble and Flick who share the role of Toto, Dorothy’s loyal companion.

Hailing from Seymour in Victoria, these two vivacious siblings caught the eye of experienced dog trainer Luke Hura who needed to train them in under eight weeks for the Brisbane premiere! With a dog training career which started in 1973 and spans over 35 years training many dogs for the film, TV and theatre, Luke immediately saw their potential for the stage because of their ‘beautiful temperaments’, both dogs being clever and confident around other dogs and people.

Having started his dog training career attending the local Dog Obedience school, Luke quickly excelled at all the trials he competed in. However he also grew disheartened witnessing the old-fashioned methods used in the ring and their outcome - creating fearful dogs. He decided to try something different and ventured out on his own: he started training dogs for other people, which was not a very common occupation back then.

Dealing with over 300 dogs of all breeds - each coming with his own set of issues - in a few years certainly taught him the importance of connecting quickly with a new dog. Luke started applying the methods of Hollywood dog trainer Henry East using his book written in 1946!

They say that practice makes perfect...

Fast forward to ten years later and Luke is now applying his well-honed training methods to dogs used in TV shows and movies – he got his big break into the industry with Bouncer from Neighbours!

Luke loves unlocking a dog's potential, like Koko - the star of the film Red Dog - or RSCPA rescue dog Buddy who starred in the musical Annie in 2012. Luke also rescued and trained Meeko, the Maremma who appeared in the movie Oddball.

For the Wizard of Oz, Flick and Trouble had to learn some special tricks including travelling in a ‘flying house’, being carried in a basket by Dorothy as well as some scary encounters with the Wicked Witch of the West!

Luke shares that he had a wonderful time training his leading star Trouble and understudy Flick, drawing on their natural instincts or what he terms ‘working with their energy and minds’ which means using only positive reinforcement methods. These two have a soft spot for rumpsteak, which Luke takes the ‘trouble’ of cooking himself to use as high-value rewards during training.

However ‘dogs will be dogs and some days they may decide to lie down or start grooming at the most inappropriate time!’ says Luke. The trick is to correctly 'read the dogs and anticipate the issues’. ‘Magic does not just happen’, only when you’ve taken the time to establish a real connection with the dog, can you create real magic!

Samantha Dodemaide who plays the lead role of Dorothy also bonded with Trouble, spending a lot of time with the dog off stage and their bond is evident to the audience.

“Last Tuesday night the applause we received after that performance was the loudest I ever got for any dog I trained!” enthuses Luke. In his eyes, Trouble stands out as 'a dog who truly understands what’s happening both on and off the stage.

Trouble stars as Toto (Photo: Brian Geach)

He could be called almost ‘human’ in his interactions with people' explains Luke, greeting daily all members of the cast and crew and jumping on their laps!

Over the weeks, Luke has developed a special connection with Trouble, as with all the animals he’s previously trained. They do have a habit of ending up living with him after the curtain is finally drawn but some will eventually move on to live with friends, however it's always the dog who does the choosing!

Luke concludes ‘I am so grateful to be able to work on a show like this. I love music and entertainment generally but this is star-studded cast of extremely talented people’.

Alongside Trouble and Flick, the cast includes Anthony Warlow as The Wizard and Professor Marvel, Lucy Durack as Glinda the Good Witch, Jemma Rix as the Wicked Witch of the West and Samantha Dodemaide as Dorothy.

The London Palladium Production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz premiered in Brisbane at the Lyric Theatre on November 4 with the final performance on December 3.

The show then travels to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from December 30 followed by the Adelaide season from April 3 and the Regent Theatre in Melbourne from May 15.

As Dorothy discovers ‘there is no place like home’, so it seemed a logical step for the show producers to strike a rewarding partnership with the RSPCA in each state to raise money and awareness for rescue dogs and help them find a new forever home.

Ticket sales from the dress rehearsal in each State will go towards the local RSPCA as a charity fundraiser.

For more details on sessions, please visit www.wizardofozthemusical.com

'Doog the Right Thing' - Centennial Parklands

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Centennial Parklands launches the ‘Doog the Right Thing’ campaign which will reward positive behaviour of both dog owners and their pooches for effective dog control when they visit Centennial Park.

From November 21 until December 19, 2017, good behaviour will be rewarded by Parklands Rangers patrolling Centennial Park with free coffee and doggy treat vouchers to be redeemed from the Centennial Homestead Pantry!

“Over 1.1 million dog walks are made in Centennial Park each year among a range of other community activities and groups.

Like all great parks in the world, we have rules and regulations to benefit visitors and to help us protect the Parks’ plants and animal life,” said Kim Ellis, Executive Director, Botanic Gardens & Centennial Parklands.

“This campaign supports our annual ‘Share the Park’ campaign and positively raises awareness of the Parklands’ rules and regulations and how they can do the right thing when they are physically in the Park.”

Additionally, visitors who post a creative 30-second video to social media showing how they ‘Doog the Right Thing’ in the Park could win an overnight stay at The Rangers’ Residence with their dog.

4 SIMPLE RULES WHEN WALKING A DOG IN CENTENNIAL PARKLANDS

1. Respect the Park by picking up and binning dog poo in one of the 360 bins across the Parklands.

2. Obey on and off leash areas and get to know where they are in Centennial Park.

3. Keep dogs under effective control at all time in line with NSW State Law.

4. Keep dogs off the horse track at all times.

Reinforced by the Eastern Suburbs Dog Training Club, spokesperson Robert Fairhead said: “Our club has had the privilege to train dogs in Centennial Park since 1962. Not all of the visitors in the Park have this much experience so a campaign like 'Doog the Right Thing' is an important reminder for the whole community.”

‘Doog the Right Thing’ runs from Tuesday 21 November to Wednesday 19 December 2017.

BEHAVIOUR BEHAVIOUR AND TRAINING TRAINING

A Puppy for Christmas - What a Great Idea?

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A puppy is for life and not just for Christmas and I could not agree more! Yet, getting a puppy at Christmas time is a great opportunity for both socialisation and settling your puppy in.

WHAT ARE THE PROS & CONS OF GETTING A PUPPY AT CHRISTMAS?

I am also not talking about giving someone a puppy for Christmas as a surprise or buying a puppy on impulse. I am talking about a long awaited puppy who - for no other reason than the mother coming into season at a certain time of year - comes home for Christmas.

Or a family may have decided to adopt a new rescue dog home at this time of the year because they have more time to settle him in. Christmas is the time when everyone is very social and off work so by definition it should be a great time to get a puppy or a rescue dog.

There are also risks during this busy time; one is that we are flooding the puppy by just putting him/her into a situation with a lot of new stimuli but without creating a positive association. An example would be a very busy Christmas lunch with a lot of loud people around scaring the puppy. Another challenge is that some puppy pre-school classes do not run during the Christmas period. So you will need to make sure you get organised beforehand.

If you get a rescue dog, try to give them a few days (depending on the dog) to settle in at home and get used to the new environment and family members. While we are well and truly past the critical socialisation period, there's still a lot you can do to make them feel comfortable.

Do not rush to the dog park! This dog needs to settle in with you and if he is not well socialised with other dogs, rushing to the off leash area is definitely not a good idea.

Get him used to the routine in the new household first, creating a lot of positive association.

Once he feels comfortable at home, take him out for short walks, keeping a close eye on what might scare him. Take a lot of treats with you so you can associate scary stimuli with something positive.

If your dog stops taking treats this is a clear indication that he/she is over threshold and you might want to back off.

Socialisation at a basic level is respondent conditioning – creating an association between two stimuli and in the case of puppy socialisation, hopefully a positive one! For me, socialisation is the process of learning how to navigate and behave in a world that is not made for dogs! It means developing coping mechanism that will work in 2017 and beyond.

Socialisation was less of a topic for trainers and owners 20 to 30 years ago, not because puppies did not need it, but because for the most part dogs did it themselves. It was still common for them to wander the neighbourhood, hang out with other dogs, go through the garbage bins, get into the odd altercation with other dogs or get hit by a car. It was no big deal and not a big problem.

Puppy Chillax (14 weeks) explores dam with Zorba (14 years)

I do not glorify these times, all I am saying is that things have changed and socialisation is paramount for puppies.

We have to socialise them to different kind of humans, moving objects, other puppies, dogs, animals, surfaces, sounds, environments etc. in a positive way.
If you are looking for a check list, this is a great resource from the Pet Professional Guild.

This process has to happen at the puppy’s pace and the puppy needs to be able to make choices. If the puppy backs off and needs more space and time then it is the puppy’s choice. It also has to have a positive outcome. Exposure alone is not enough, neither is habituation!

The assumption that puppies learn to interact appropriately with other dogs by being in the litter with their siblings is plain wrong. Puppies will learn bite inhibition, stalking, playing, rumbling etc but they all look the same and are the same size. This process is habituation and is part of socialisation.

But they also need to learn to interact with puppies of different looks and temperaments. That only happens when playing with unknown puppies before the critical socialisation period closes.

There are some essential life skills your puppy needs to learn when it comes in contact with
other dogs and puppies like being calm in the presence of other puppies.
This means learning how to play appropriately in carefully managed off leash play sessions and short meet and greets.

We should never underestimate the importance of play. All animals including humans learn a lot of their interpersonal skills during play. I am concerned with the new trend in Australian puppy pre-schools that has eliminated play completely. While most owners are able to cover most socialisation aspects, hardly anyone has access to puppies of a similar age.

A puppy pre-school without carefully supervised off leash interaction is a lost opportunity. A good puppy class also provides information on the usual - but for novice puppy owners often unexpected challenges - like house training, bite inhibition, sleeping at night, appropriate interaction with children and proper socialisation.

It shows the owner how to teach the puppies using management and positive reinforcement methods. It also teaches the owners how to train their puppy some basics such as name recognition, pay attention, sit, lie down, come when called and a few tricks.

There is always a certain risk of disease and it needs to be weighed against the risk of inadequate socialisation. Depending on the geographic area, there will be more or less opportunities. In any case the dog park has to be avoided completely. Other areas where there were a lot of dogs should be a no go for puppies too, not only because of the risk of disease but the risk of inappropriate social interaction.

But there are a lot of things that can be done...

HOW DO YOU ENSURE PROPER SOCIALISATION TAKES PLACE?

1) Organise a couple of puppy parties: one with neighbours to come and play with the new puppy, one for friends and one for the extended family. Do not scare the puppy and it is better to have a few people over more often than one big party.

2) Take the puppy to the coffee shop to experience what a lot of people do these days with their dogs, at least in our coffee society in Sydney. If necessary, keep the puppy on your lap.

3) Sit in front of the local emergency department, where the puppy sees crutches, wheel chairs, hears helicopters and ambulances all whilst feeding her breakfast. Pair each experience with something positive (food, toys, play….).

4) Start leaving the puppy alone for very short period of times and start crate training during the night.

5) Take the puppy for short walks in safe places with different surfaces. Cover easy things like grass, roads, dirt and sand first and only gradually introducing stairs, grades, or bridges. A lot can be done in your or your friends’ backyard.

6) Get them used to the sounds of the household (if not already done by the breeder), power and garden tools, cars, trucks, planes. There are both CDs and apps out there that can assist you with this process.

7) Enrol in one or more good puppy classes. Most trainers will enrol in more than on puppy class because they know there is only a very short time for socialisation.

A word on making the puppy sleep in the laundry or any other isolated place: I do not recommend doing this. The puppy has just left her mother, her siblings and everything else they knew. They need to learn to be on their own and will not cope with isolation. Isolating a puppy at that age can create separation anxiety issues later.

Crate train the pup and keep them with you for the first few weeks. In time your puppy will learn to be on their own.

And no, you cannot socialise your puppies later. Once they are past the critical socialisation period (after 12-16 weeks depending on the pup) you have missed it for good!

I also do not think you can ‘over socialise’ a puppy if done properly. But if you do not work at the individual puppy’s pace and confidence levels you might scare her. To scare a puppy during the critical socialisation period can have life long effects and potentially create a fearful dog. But this is called flooding not socialisation.

Do not buy a puppy on impulse and if you do not want the dog don’t get the puppy!

She has been running Goodog Positive Dog Training on the Northern Beaches Sydney for the last nine years, running classes on all levels as well as workshops and agility fun classes.

www.goodog.com.au

BEHAVIOUR BEHAVIOUR AND TRAINING TRAINING

What Your Dog Really Wants...

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Over the last 15,000 years or so we have co-evolved with our canine counterparts. During this time they have done a fantastic job of learning how to understand us, read us and co-exist with us. However, it is an uncomfortable reality that many and even most of us humans do not properly understand or know how to decode or communicate with our dogs.

Understanding how our dogs perceive the world, how they think and feel and what matters most to them is fundamental to our ability to provide for their needs and ensure we have a harmonious healthy relationship.

So, here is an introductory guide to what goes on inside a dog’s brain, behind these big brown eyes we love so much!

HOW DO DOGS PERCEIVE THE WORLD?

#1. Sight

Dogs are predators and scavengers. As such they have very good binocular vision facilitated by their eyes being forward facing on their heads to give an area of overlap for good depth perception and distance detection. As a trade-off though, they do not have great peripheral vision and cannot see anything behind them. They are particularly good at attuning to movement in their visual field.

They are better at seeing in low light than us humans and can navigate confidently at dawn, dusk and even at night.

They have poor colour vision and compared to us are lacking an entire spectrum.

They can only make out blue and yellow hues and cannot see or differentiate anything in the spectrum of green, red or orange.

So, when they can’t find that yellow tennis ball or red Kong on the green grass – this is why! It all looks the same to them!

#2. Hearing

Dogs can hear far better than us people. Generally speaking, it is accepted that they can hear 4 to 5 times more acutely than we can. They can hear a wider frequency of sounds so can detect noises that are inaudible to us at the low and high end of the spectrum.

Of particular importance to remember is that loud sounds – such as thunder or fireworks - can be very confronting, terrifying and even painful to dogs.

#3. Smell

This is where dogs really excel. We cannot even begin to imagine the extent to which they “see” the world through scent.
In fact, they are able to see in the dimension of time with their nose – perceiving things that are no longer present (this is incredible as all other senses detect only what is present in that current moment).

Dogs have a much larger nasal surface area and density of smell receptors than people and a much more advanced brain centre for perceiving and interpreting scent. One study has shown that dogs could still detect a human fingerprint on a pane of glass 6 weeks after it had been left! Phenomenal!

#4. Taste

Dogs have all of the same variety of taste receptors on their tongue that we do namely: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami (the Japanese word for a savoury meaty taste that is stimulated by MSG and other compounds).

Generally dogs have fewer taste buds than people (approx. 1700 compared to 9000) which has led people to conclude they cannot taste as well. However, it can be argued that dogs may be able to taste as well or even better due to the contribution of their far superior sense of smell – we all appreciate how smell and taste are linked!

#5. Touch

Dogs are able to perceive tactile inputs the same as we can and are able to experience sensations from extreme pleasure to severe pain. They have receptors for heat, cold, pressure, balance, movement and different kinds of painful stimuli.

WHAT IS DOG COGNITION?

Cognition refers to all of the conscious and subconscious workings of the brain.

It is inherently very difficult (and sometimes impossible) to accurately observe, measure or appreciate the inner workings of another species’ brain as we can only do so in comparison with ourselves and in ways which are relevant and meaningful to us. There are often huge limitations and flaws to studies which look at dog psychology and intelligence.

This aside, it is generally accepted among experts that dogs have the cognitive and reasoning ability of approximately a young human toddler (around a 2 year old). Specifically, as far as we know, dogs are self-centric and very much “in the moment”. They are more impulsive and less rational than adult people, more driven by emotion but with less ability to recognise and reflect upon their emotions.

Dogs, like children are very “context dependent”, meaning how they think and feel is acutely and mostly dictated by what is happening around them and within them at any one time. Therefore, it is always very important to consider both the external and internal environment of dogs when trying to understand how they are thinking and feeling.

External sensory inputs and things such as presence of stimuli will affect what they think and do. The 3 D’s (distance, duration, distraction) which refer to triggers in the environment need to be considered. Additionally, internal processes will hugely affect their mood and behaviour (temperature, hunger, hormones, pain, itchiness, discomfort, irritation, illness, disease etc).

As far as we can ascertain, dogs are not capable of “theory of mind” which is the ability to project oneself into the mind of another and understand what they are thinking and feeling. Rather, they are only aware of and concerned with how they are thinking and feeling.

We do not believe they are capable of metacognition – the ability to recognise one’s thoughts and thought processes for what they are, reflect upon them and transcend them (to think about our thoughts).

Of fundamental importance to understanding dog psychology and behaviour is recognising they are not moral. Dogs have no concept whatsoever of “right or wrong”, “fair or just”. These are abstract adult human constructs and it would serve us well to remember they do not apply to other species.

Dogs are concerned only with what is “good or bad” in terms of consequences for themselves. They behave simply to obtain good consequences and avoid bad consequences, separate from any greater morality or meaning which we humans may often overlay on reality.

An important implication of this is that dogs are actually not capable of doing anything “wrong” – they do only what works for them and what they deem best in terms of dealing with the situation at hand and getting their needs and wants met. Therefore, it is NEVER appropriate to punish a dog for what we consider a “wrongdoing” – instead we must of course teach them what to do and how to behave in a way which we deem desirable.

WHAT ABOUT DOG EMOTIONALITY?

When it comes to understanding and living with dogs, it is necessary to appreciate what they are and are not capable of feeling. It can be equally as harmful to our relationship to either discredit them the amazing abilities they do have or credit them with extra abilities they do not have. Either mistake can lead to misunderstanding and conflict.

Dogs are certainly capable of feeling:

Anxiety

Fear

Stress

Grief

Apprehension

Frustration

Rage

Suffering

Joy

Excitement

Satisfaction / Contentment

Disappointment

Relief

Dogs are NOT capable of experiencing:

Regret

Guilt

Spite

Vindictiveness

Stubbornness

Self-reflection

SO WHAT DO OUR DOGS REALLY NEED AND WANT?

All dogs are individuals and have different preferences and priorities in terms of what matters most to them. Some are more motivated by food, others by play or exercise, others by social contact and company.

However, there is one thing above all else that I would argue is of most value and importance to all dogs … INFORMATION!

In my opinion, this fundamental concept is the most crucial and useful one a dog owner could ever learn. It shapes how we relate to our dogs and provide them with what they need to survive and thrive in our human world. Information should be considered the most important resource to all dogs – it is in effect, their “currency”.

Think about this scenario for a moment, you are abducted by aliens and find yourself on board an alien spaceship without any other people around. You have to learn by observation and trial and error how to behave in order to keep yourself safe and get what you need and want. You may find something to eat on a bench – but get harshly reprimanded when you take it. You may find a suitable place to relieve yourself, but get aggressively confronted when you do so as this is not where the aliens deem it appropriate for you to pee.

This is similar to the situation our dogs are in when they enter our human homes. This can be an intense and endlessly stress provoking existence for our pups – fumbling their way through as best as they can – all the while with the cognitive and reasoning ability of a toddler.

So, when it comes to interacting with our dogs, the most practically useful, life-saving, stress-relieving and precious commodity we can give them is information.

Dogs need information to work out what is going to happen, whether it is of relevance to them, what to do about it and whether everything is going to be ok. They need information to navigate through our confusing world and keep themselves safe, ensuring they get their wants and needs met.

Dogs are always trying to get more information. If we do not provide it or if we provide conflicting, confusing, unhelpful information, they may develop emotional and behavioural problems as a result as they attempt to obsessively monitor the environment to gather information - this manifests as anxiety and hypervigilance.

They may also provoke the environment to try and obtain more information – this can manifest as a dog being reactive or aggressive as they try and act upon their environment to see what happens and thus elicit some information about whether something constitutes a threat and what they may need to do next.

In light of the above, to give our dogs the best chance of being able to relax and behave in a way we find appropriate we need to always try our best to impart upon them information which is:

#1. Perceivable

* The information must be able to be detected as per their sensory abilities discussed above

#2. Relevant

* The information must be of use to them
** We need to cut the confusion and try to limit the redundant overflow of info we often output – dogs have to filter through a lot of irrelevant stuff from us! Think of all the noises and body language people make when interacting with dogs!

#3. Clear

*We need to be concise, purposeful and direct with what we are saying (verbally or otherwise)

** Ideally the information should be all the dog needs and only what the dog needs in order to decide what to do or how to feel

*** We must never be ambiguous.

#4. Consistent / reliable

* The information needs to always mean the same in the same context and not vary randomly. This way the dog can accurately learn, generalise and make appropriate assumptions based on it. They can then be confident they can obtain a reliable outcome each and every time.

If dogs do not have information which fulfils the above criteria, they are likely to feel very anxious! Anxiety is all about uncertainty. Dogs and people experience anxiety when they are worried about a potential future outcome which could be bad.

If however, dogs know:

What is going to happen
That they can do something about it (they can behave to influence their environment)
What to do about it
That the outcome is going to be good (ie everything is going to be ok)

Then they will feel calm, confident and secure.
Remember, knowledge is power! This applies to dogs and people alike. Having the information you need is a powerful way to combat anxiety!

HOW DO YOU PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE AT HOME?

So, this all makes sense in theory, but how do we help our dogs by giving them good information? You try to implement these simple things:

#1. First arm yourself with information!

Be educated – know how your dog sees the world, thinks and feels as discussed above. This serves the basis of helping him.

#2. Structure your interactions

Consistency and repetition form the basis of learning.

To help dogs know what to do to get their wants and needs met we need to teach them.

This is most easily and simply done with a “sit to speak” protocol: in practice this is just asking the dog to sit and look at you before any interaction (whether it be before getting a pat, a door opened or food).

NB: This is NOT about obedience or making the dog sit for the sake of it – rather this a way to empower dogs by giving them control over their environment. What they learn is that they can communicate with us to get their wants and needs met just by sitting and making eye contact.

#3. Stick to a routine

Following a routine helps dogs know what to expect, they thrive on it!

#4. Cut the confusion

Be mindful of all of the information you are giving off. Try not to dump excesses of information upon dogs – they already have a lot to deal with!

Every movement and noise you make is something your dog has to perceive, process and interpret.

Try to limit all the extra redundant “nonsense” you may feel it instinctive to partake in when interacting with dogs eg high pitched squealing or erratic movements.

Endeavour to be calm, clear and minimal when you speak to them.

Remember they may find non-verbal communication more helpful than verbal.

In summary, dogs spend their lives trying to defer to us for information in order to understand their world, know what to do within it and feel safe and calm. It is up to us as responsible pet owners to be mindful of their needs and try our best to always be a clear, reliable, consistent epicentre of this most precious of their resources – information.

For questions, clarifications or further information, please contact Dr Eleanor Parker of AdelaideVet or leave your comments below.

Dr Eleanor Parker

BSc BVMS (Hons) MANZCVS (Behaviour)

Elle graduated from Murdoch University in 2010. Starting out in emergency and critical care, she quickly found her passion for behaviour and mental health in animals.

Fascinated by this blossoming field, Elle undertook further study through the University of Sydney in 2015 and sat her membership exams in veterinary behaviour in 2016.

Elle's behavioural mantra is "compassion, communication, co-operation, cohabitation" and she brings her great enthusiasm to the AdelaideVet Animal Hospitals team.

BEHAVIOUR BEHAVIOUR AND TRAINING RESCUE TRAINING

Choosing the Right Dog or Puppy

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Finding your next best friend is exciting but it can be daunting to have to choose between a rescue dog and a puppy. Before we start looking for a dog, it is essential to make a fair and honest assessment of our situation and decide if we are really ready for it...

While puppies are too cute, the cute phase is over very quickly and often causes sleepless nights, stains on the Persian rug or much worse the puppy ending up in a shelter. We tend to glorify puppyhood, forgetting that dogs are only puppies for a few months.

So please, make sure that what you really want is a dog and not just the cute puppy!

ARE YOU READY TO COMMIT TO THIS DOG FOR LIFE?

Pointing out the obvious, a "puppy" is a 12 to 15 year commitment and a lot of things can change during this time. Some are out of our control, such as family and relationship breakdowns, death, or sickness to name a few; others are very predictable: moving out, getting married, having a baby, the children are growing up, going overseas, having an extended holiday, changing jobs, moving, again just to name a few.

If you work full time, have a busy lifestyle, three kids under the age of six, a puppy or a rescue dog might not be a good idea? And if you will not allow the dog in the house, don’t get one! Dogs are not garden ornaments... Also, do not get a dog for the children, because the neighbours got one or because you feel for the cute puppy in the window.

Making a frank assessment of what you can give your new dog or puppy is important, too. Are you ready to put in the time for puppy socialisation and ongoing training and will you make her part of the family?

Is owning a dog a right or a privilege? I just read the book Run, Spot, Run: The Ethics of Keeping Pets by Jessica Pierce and it really makes you think twice!

In my opinion, owning a dog is a privilege that comes with a lot of work and a lot of sacrifices.

Forget about sleeping in for a few months or years, forget about going out every night and forget about extended holidays. Before you make a decision ask yourself do you really have the time and commitment it takes to bring up a well adjusted and confident canine citizen? Are you prepared for the challenges of the teenage dog and the heartbreak of living with an older dog?

WHICH DOG IS BEST SUITED TO YOUR FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE?

But let's assume you are ready, then the next question is rescue dog, puppy or puppy educator for guide dogs or a similar organisation.

#1. The case for a Puppy

Start with researching the different breeds: whilst most breeds can make a great companion in the right home, some are more challenging for any owner. If you do not want a challenge then you might want to look for an easy going breed.

Be aware though that there are significant differences within the breed and nurture is as important as nature. Meeting the puppy's parents or at least mum is important.

Make sure you check your dog's exercise requirements. Border Collies as a working breed look stunning but they are often not suitable for an average pet home. Most working dogs need more mental and physical stimulation than a pet home can provide. The same goes for some of the gundogs. A Golden Retriever or a Labrador might be a good choice as a pet, a Vizsla or a German Short-haired Pointer? Maybe a bit less so...

Also consider if the dog comes from a working line or show line as the show lines are often a bit calmer. It is hard to predict the temperament of a cross breed, even the designer breeds, but again meeting mum can give you some ideas.

Another popular choice at the moment are the flat-faced breeds (or brachycephalic breeds), make sure you are aware of the health risks associated with these cute faces.
Some of these dogs struggle to breathe in hot weather or have trouble breathing when lying down. They are often delivered by caesarean section because of their large heads and narrow pelvis.

Go to the dog park and talk to the owners of the dogs you like the look of. What do they say? How does the dog behave? Do you like what you see?

Bringing up a puppy for a Guide Dog or Assistance Dog organisation is a good way of finding out if you are really ready. This arrangement gives you access to ongoing support and if you have any problems, help is nearby. For some it might be attractive to be committed for 12 months only, whilst for others this might be why it is not right for them!

#2. The case for a Rescue Dog

When it comes to rescue dogs there are many reasons to choose a rescue dog:

You save a life and there are many rescue dogs who make perfect pets.
What you see is what you get (at least the looks)
It can be less time consuming.
Senior dogs make great pets.
A lot of rescue dogs have had basic training.
They are screened by some of the rescue organisations.

While I admire the work of rescue organisations there are some dogs who are not suitable for re-homing and responsible rescues will screen for aggression towards humans and other animals.

I am very honest (and yes, I worked in rescue) and in my opinion, dogs who show aggression towards humans should not be re-homed. If a dog shows aggression towards other animals that is a difficult question.

Sometimes there are owners who are ready to take on a dog with these kinds of behaviours but I do not think these dogs are suitable for the ‘average’ dog owner.

In my work as a dog trainer, I have met owners who have taken dogs on without knowing what they got themselves into and regretted it deeply. They also will never adopt again. If dogs who display behaviours that are problematic are put up for adoption, full disclosure is necessary as anything else is unethical. It also brings the entire rescue world in disrepute.

If you're deciding to adopt, check out the different rescue organisations and go and visit their facilities. If you have decided on a specific breed, check out the breed rescues too. You might find a pure bred dog in rescue that might just fit the bill.

Greyhounds for example can make a great pet.

What questions should you ask the Rescue organisation or Foster?

What background information do you have on the dog (breed, age, age surrendered, micro chipped, breeder)?
Did the dog live with a family/single person?
Has the dog been socialised to people, other dogs, noises?
Has the dog been on walks in a ‘normal’ suburban area?
Has the dog been assessed with other dogs?
Has the dog had some basic training – what are his/her skills (sit, lie down, come, tricks…)?

I recommend taking the dog out for a walk in a calm environment to gauge his reaction towards normal low intensity stimuli.

Make sure you get a trail period of at least 3 weeks.
We sometimes talk about the three threes: three days, three weeks, three months. While it might not be exactly three but rescue dogs are often a bit shell shocked for the first few days in a new home and might be rather cautious, after three weeks they will most likely show their normal behaviour and by about three months, they will have settled into your routine.

THINGS TO CONSIDER IF YOU DECIDE TO CHOOSE A PUPPY

If you decided to get a puppy then the only way to make sure you are not supporting a puppy mill is to visit the breeder. I do not say a puppy from a puppy mill cannot make a good dog but her parents will never have a life! Breeding dogs in these situations lead a miserable and abusive life. Dogs in pet shops fall in this category too.

A good indication of a puppy mill environment is when the breeder refuses to let you visit or if they want to meet you half way. You want to meet the mother as this will give you a good indication of what to expect with your puppy. Ideally, you would like to meet the father, too, but they often do not live with the breeder.

You should visit even if the breeder is a registered breeder with Dogs NSW (or other relevant bodies in your country or state). You are looking for a family member, this means you do not want your puppy to be born and raised in a kennel.

Puppies should be born in a home environment and spend at least the first four weeks inside a family home. You want to know what early socialisation and handling has been done.

Puppies should be handled gently from the very first day by the breeder and should have met all different kind of people (including nice children) by the time they leave for their new homes.

They should have been on different surfaces, heard a lot of different noises, met other animals including other species and older well adjusted dogs. They should have basic training: at least, sit and come when called and house training should be well under way.

What questions should you ask the Breeder?

Where were the puppies born?
Who has handled the puppies?
How many people have they met and what kind of people?
Have they met other animals/dogs?
What kind of noises are they used to?
What surfaces have they been on?
What training has been done?

Once the puppy comes home get ready for a busy time. I will leave the details on what to do during the first few weeks for another blog but I will say this: you can train your dog for their entire life but you are on very strict deadlines for socialisation. Make sure you have time to socialise your puppy because you cannot postpone socialisation.

Most of all have fun, enjoy puppyhood and take a lot of pictures! Your puppy will grow up in no time.

Barbara Hodel has been involved in dog training for the last 16 years. She has completed a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services and a Diploma in CBST (Canine Behaviour Science and Technology). She’s also a Delta-accredited instructor since 2007.
She's also the President of the Pet Professional Guild Australia (PPGA).

She has been running Goodog Positive Dog Training on the Northern Beaches Sydney for the last nine years, running classes on all levels as well as workshops and agility fun classes.

www.goodog.com.au