We begin this week’s “RUFF TAILS” featuring a beautiful 5-month-old Border Collie named Bailey.
Bailey came to us from one of my co-workers who could no longer care for her. She wasn’t really trained other than house trained, so it has been a huge learning curve for her, as well as me, as she is my first puppy.
Her personality is a mixture of too smart for her own good and a big ole doofus. LOL. She loves everyone and everything but just doesn’t know how to say “hello” very well. We are working on her manners.
She is super sweet and loves belly rubs from everyone. You can read how she is feeling by the looks she gives you and the huffs and puffs when she doesn’t get her way.
She picks up on tricks and commands fast, we said soon she’ll be “reading” books. LOL. In the short time we’ve had her she has tested our patience but also became a huge part of our life. We are hoping that we can help her shine the right way!!!
******************************BONUS FEATURE*******************************
K9 CORNER WITH THE CHIEF
What you need to know about training your dog. Below are a few core values necessary for laying down a foundation of good behaviour.
PATIENCE
This is a virtue in dog training. Patience prevents the handler from getting frustrated, angry and giving up on the dog too soon. If you are impatient this will limit the training levels you may achieve.
CONSISTENCY
This becomes a vital factor in effective dog training. Consistency is paramount in allowing a dog to understand more efficiently what is expected of them. This allows them to understand their actions and consequences. This means you dog can learn with efficiency and without frustration for both dog and handler.
COMPETENCY ACQUISTION
This is the process of dogs acquiring new skills and knowledge through training and experiences. This can be achieved with your dog/dogs; however, we must assess what are the drives of your K9 to achieve this. A full assessment should be conducted to see what works best. This may be food or toy drive. This is essential to see if your K9 has the propensity to do what you are asking them to perform.
REPETITION
This is necessary in how a dog learns a new behaviour. The more you repeat a command and reward daily the faster the new behaviour will be learned. Once in place continue to include this behaviour in your weekly, monthly training to ensure it remains in your training regime.
CONTEXT-SPECIFIC TRAINING
I refer to this as environmental training. Training in the real world. Your training should include real world or contexts in your sessions. Your goal should be to train efficiently and effectively in any environment. Context-specific training requires constant planning and preparation to succeed. It is important to expose your dog/dogs to realistic simulated situations that you will encounter in the real world.
If you keep your training fun and ensure you keep the above mentioned in mind, your success together should be imminent.
Welcome to Doggie Dialogue
When it comes to K9 post-surgical options, it really comes down to what would work best for you, the owner, and the temperament of your K9.
K9’s that have been spayed/neutered will require to wear post-surgical wear. This “wear” will protect your K9 from causing damage to the healing site, should they try to lick/bite the incision area. Not only will this interrupt the healing process, but the wound can collect bacteria and get infected.
We find most of our clients, if they have a smaller K9, they tend to opt for the “onesie”. The onesie’s are made from soft, stretchy material and are more like a body suit. The onesie’s have holes for the legs and tail to pass through. They are designed to allow your dog to go to the bathroom with it on.
However, with the onesie it is important to keep it dry to prevent bacteria from accumulating. We recommend washing the onesie regularly.
The “cone” or Elizabethan collar is one of the most recognize post-op options. Traditionally this collar is designed with hard plastic.
Some dog owners and dogs find this collar to be cumbersome, as they may knock their water bowl or food bowl over. Many dogs tend to bump into the wall with this cone on.
We recommend inspecting the incision site twice daily for any redness, inflammation or discharge. Remember to always follow your veterinarian’s instructions for cleaning and care.
If there is a change in your K9’s habits or personality, please seek out veterinarian advice A.S.A.P.
Comments