Cases of arson, murder, ritual killings, kidnappings, drug smuggling and even fraud would to this day be unsolved had it not been for the assistance of the canine and his nose. The world over, law enforcement agencies are relying on their dogs to find that elusive spot of blood or trace of petrol in order to seal a conviction. Here, K9 Magazine takes a look at some of the most remarkable cases and the canines that solved them.

The simple fact when it comes to crime is that criminals will go to any length to hide their wrong doing. Whether it is a drug smuggler concealing his cache in the body work of a car, or a fraudster burning down his business, the police all over the world need to be aware of what they can’t see.

This is why dogs are such an invaluable resource in the fight against crime. They can use their noses to pick up just about any scent we need them too, from a firearm buried in a garden to a thief hiding in the woods.

Peter Downey of Top Dog Security trains detection and patrol dogs for all situations. He explained to K9 Magazine the advantages of having a well trained team of dogs at his disposal.

“A dog’s olfactory senses enable the canine unit to search large areas far quicker, more effectively than any man or machine, therefore making them invaluable against the war on crime.”
On the subject of narcotics detection, Peter explained why he needs two types of dogs to catch people in possession of drugs.

“We use gun dog breeds for this, such as Labradors and Springer Spaniels. We have two ways of using our dogs. Passive detection dogs are trained to locate narcotics concealed on a person without direct contact with that individual. Pro-Active detection dogs are trained to search areas including buildings, vehicles, open spaces, ships, aeroplanes and nightclubs for drugs.”

Top Dog Security also supplies dogs to the police and security industry. On this subject, Peter clarifies just why criminals rarely get away from a trained security dog. “The criminal knows he cannot hide from a dog, he knows he cannot out run a dog, and if he is stupid enough to fight one of our dogs he will be pitting himself against a formidable opponent.”

With such sophisticated crimes as money laundering and exotic animal smuggling becoming more and more of a global problem, the services and functions provided by dogs are becoming more and more diverse as a consequence. Dogs are now trained to be able to detect different currencies, discernable by the inks and the papers used as well as certain breeds of animal that may be subject to illegal importation.

Case 1: August 2001: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In August 2001, the case of missing Philadelphia woman, thirty six year old Kimberly Szumski took an unexpected turn. Unknown to the investigation team, Szumski’s estranged husband had murdered her three months previously. Upon murdering his wife, he shrink wrapped her body in plastic, buried her under some cinder blocks and cemented her into a wall. All of this was done without raising a single eyebrow amongst the team of construction workers he was with at the time, such was the effort put into concealing his doings.

Three months passed and as a course of routine, officers entered the property in order to speak to Szumski’s husband. The building was unfinished yet deserted. This is when the call was put into to obtain the services of Eagle, a mixed breed detection dog operating within the canine solutions international group, an organisation who specialised in training detection dogs. Through over four feet of concrete and shrink wrapped plastic; Eagle detected the decomposing remains of Kimberly Szumski. He alerted the team who pulled down the wall to reveal the body of the missing woman. Her husband was subsequently arrested and charged with first degree murder.

Case 2: January 23: Sydney, Australia.

In the height of the Australian summer, thousands of music lovers descended onto the country’s biggest outdoor concert ‘the big day out’. With complaints about drug use and drug dealing arising from previous concerts, Sydney’s police force were in no mood to tolerate the presence of narcotics in the city.

In a meticulously planned crack down on drug use, Sydney’s police dog handlers approached the venue, Olympic Park, with the intention of singling out the drug using few. Little did they know that thanks to their four legged colleagues, there would be record numbers of arrests with over 355 people found with drugs on them resulting in over 250 arrests.

Case 3: November 2001: Seneca County, New York.
Early in the morning on the 5th November, a fire starts in the home of Eric Parsons which kills his wife and four young children. Witnesses watched in horror as he attempted to save his family from the fire, but Parsons’ heroics were in vain as his wife Cheryl Parsons, 23, and the couple’s children: Erica, 6; David, 4; Eric Jr., 2; and Katelyn, 1 all perished in the blaze.

On first look the fire seemed to an obvious tragic accident, the type usually caused by faulty wires in the home. Only upon bringing in detection dogs to locate the source of the fire, did foul play become a possibility in the minds of the team of investigators. German Shepherd dog Alex signalled at a car parked nearby, belonging to Eric Parsons, before he entered the building, suggesting that there were traces of accelerant on the vehicle. Of course, cars always contain traces of petrol, but when given an opportunity, Alex gave a firm signal that there was presence of an accelerant on the driver’s seat.

Investigator Dale Moone of the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control’s Arson Bureau explained what happened when they entered the house. “Alex indicated he’d found an ignitable liquid accelerant — the only thing he’s trained to find — by putting his nose on it and then sitting. In the case of a burn pattern, he may slide his nose along its length before sitting down.”

A further nine spots of liquid accelerant were found by Alex in the home, on the clothes of Eric Parsons and on the beds of his children. He was convicted of second degree murder and first degree arson on the evidence submitted by Dale Moone.

Case 4. 1977, Buffalo, New York. The birth of the scent Sleeve.

In the winter of 1977, the fatal shooting of a police officer at a hotel inspires officer William Tolhurst to come up with an invention that revolutionises the scent detection process. As part of a large team arriving at the crime scene, officers locate an article that was carrying the scent of the fugitive killer. However, one of the bloodhounds in his eagerness contaminates the scent and renders it useless.

The only evidence the police had that would help them track the killer was now ruined. This problem lead officer Tolhurst to come up with the ‘Scent Sleeve’. A receptacle that not only keeps the scent free from contamination, it also makes the scent portable. The olfactory sensors in the dog’s nose are so strong that a blast of air across the scented item, captured in a receptacle still contains enough of the scent for the dog to be able track down a suspect.

A decade later, Tolhurst developed his theory so that any area that could contain an important scent, such as the location of a fire suspected to be arson, could be swept with his device and stored indefinitely. This meant that if an accelerant was used to start the fire, the scent sleeve could be presented to a dog for identification. Rendering all crime scenes portable meant that the dogs used in scent detection could effectively demonstrate in court as ‘witnesses’ what they do at the crime scene, years after the crime.

William Tolhurst explained the importance of scent to the law enforcement agencies.
“Scent is one piece of evidence that must be present at the scene of a crime. The criminal may walk on a concrete floor and leave no tracks, wear gloves and leave no fingerprints, but unless the entire area has been burned, he still leaves scent.”

Through over four feet of concrete and shrink wrapped plastic; Eagle detected the decomposing remains of Kimberly Szumski

“The criminal knows he cannot hide from a dog, he knows he cannot out run a dog, and if he is stupid enough to fight one of our dogs he will be pitting himself against a formidable opponent.”

The Science Of Scenting

The canine nose has proved invaluable in the fight against all manner of crime, but what does the future hold for scent detection in the criminal field? Greg Moakes is an Atlanta based analytical chemist working under the eminent scholar and researcher Dr. Jiri Janata, on a project to reproduce an artificial sensory detector based on the nose of a dog.
“Anxiety surrounding potential terror attacks is at an all time high. The threat of chemical attack both on the battlefield and in our streets has increased the urgency for the development of a reliable chemical sensor which would alert the user of exposure to toxic compounds in the air.

Toxic chemicals can be detected easily in the laboratory by electrochemical sensors – devices which record a change in electrical signal when a specific chemical lands on the sensor. However, these sensors are designed to detect a particular chemical, such as hydrogen cyanide gas (very nasty). It would be very impractical, however, for a soldier or civilian to carry around a sensor for every toxic chemical they may possibly be exposed to. The Holy Grail in the field of chemical sensing would be a single sensor capable of detecting a large number of toxic gases. To achieve this, we look to nature’s finest chemical sensor, the dog’s nose.

The canine olfactory system is not only extremely sensitive but is also able to distinguish between scents, a skill which enables dogs to be trained in detection of drugs, explosives and cadavers, even when the ‘bounty’ is masked by other scents. This ability to distinguish between many different scents would be a desirable feature of an electronic “e-nose”. Scientists therefore have studied the physiology of a dog’s nose in order to produce successful electronic equivalents to our furry companions.

In a dog’s nose, cells make up an array of chemical sensors. A scent interacts with a particular combination of cells, creating a fingerprint of signals that the brain learns to recognize. The take home message here is that a dog recognizes a smell because it has a certain effect on a group of sensors, not just one sensor. Each time a dog smells something new, the brain remembers that this smelly item excited a particular group of sensors. Over time, the dog’s brain creates a library of the response created by each item the dog sniffs.

Instead of cells, the e-nose uses multiple chemical sensors which are joined together in an array. When a molecule binds to a sensor, its electrical output is changed. An e-nose is trained by exposure to many different chemicals and using software to document which chemical sensors are triggered by each new chemical.
Artificial e-noses have only been commercially available for around 10 years, but the sad truth is that scientific research has a long way to go before these devices are as proficient at distinguishing between chemicals as Fido, so what is the point of even trying?

While Dogs are extremely proficient in the scent tracking which they are currently used for, there are some chemicals for which it is extremely difficult if not highly unethical to train a dog to detect. For example, with nerve agents such as VX gas (see movie: The Rock) a dog has two responses: alive and dead. Despite being inhumane, this gives us no information about concentration or identity of a compound, simply that we should leave the area rather quickly. So therefore it is imperative to design an alternative that can withstand exposure to certain chemicals.”

Psychometric testing is very common amongst recruiters who are trying to establish if a person is well suited to a particular job.

Drives are something which fit into four basic categories for dogs Prey Drive, Pack Drive, Defence Drive (Fight) and Defence Drive (Flight).

Every dog is born with these innate drives but as the dog develops and gets older, their drive levels change. As an owner, your life will be helped if you can measure which drives are the most dominant in your dog’s individual character make up – and we’re here to help you do it. Understanding and recognising the canine drives can help us learn what makes our dogs tick.

When it comes to giving a quiz to you dog you might find they’ll be more inclined to eat the test paper rather than answer the questions so you’re going to have to answer on their behalf!

What Are The Drives:

Prey Drive: The dog’s hunting instincts are governed by their prey drive. Dogs who are excited, really excited, by anything and everything that moves. Dogs who never tire of chasing, chasing, chasing. Dogs who love to chase and who struggle to resist the temptation to run off and pursue anything they can see in motion, no matter how far away – this would indicate a strong prey drive.

High prey drive dogs are usually harder to train, especially in the hands of less experienced owners. However, as dog’s with this nature are so keen to be working, if their code can be cracked and the energy correctly channeled, high prey dogs tend to excel at obedience, working trials and anything which requires large amounts of mental and physical stimulation.

Pack Drive: All dogs are pack animals; some are better at pack life than others though. Dogs with a strong pack drive take their position in the family very seriously. They thrive if pack order is clear; they enjoy their individual role within the pack whether it be as a protector of the pack or being protected by the pack.

Pack dogs don’t want do things which may disturb pack life therefore they are normally very calm, very adaptable, non confrontational and content, family dogs. Pack dogs rarely, if ever, need to be dominated and they are perfectly happy to do as they are told, when they are told in order to keep pack harmony in tact.

Defence Drive (Flight): If you are ever in a position where you are faced with a dog who is barking directly at you and who is clearly not happy at you being in their way, if it so happens that this is a high defence drive dog with a flight instinct then there’s every chance the moment you take strong, confident strides forward, showing no aggression toward the dog but lots of assurance in your own actions, they will probably make a run for it, trying hard to get as far out of your way as possible.

So long as you don’t trap a dog of this nature in a corner, they will nearly always make a break to get as far away from you as they can. They are very nervous of new things; they don’t like anything at all which could even remotely threaten their personal being.

They will almost always bark in a fast, almost panicky fashion when presented with what they consider to be a real threat. If they are trapped or confined they WILL bite, usually very hard very fast and very often and they do it because they are scared for themselves.

This character trait can be diminished by nurturing the dog, not confusing the apparent signs of aggression as the dog being particularly bold (or in fact, particularly aggressive), they must be re-assured regularly and above all there fears should never be used against them. Everyone knows it can be quite amusing to see a dog jump on the sofa when the vacuum cleaner starts up but overstepping the mark with a dog of this nature will greatly enhance the problem for years to come.

Defence Drive (Fight): This is the dog that won’t run when confronted. This is the dog that won’t jump on the sofa when teased with the vacuum cleaner. This is the dog that, when presented with a threat to their personal wellbeing, will attack, will bite (hard) without a second’s thought and will adopt the kill or be killed attitude (not literally) in situations of conflict.

Dogs of this disposition will challenge for pack leadership, they are usually dominant by nature, defensive yes, fearful rarely. Strong ownership is required, curbing a fighting instinct, it could be argued, is a lot tougher than appeasing a flight-type response to confrontational situations. If you own this dog, you MUST win all challenges, you MUST never back down, you MUST be aware that a fun game to you, if he wins, will represent weakness on your behalf and that will be a big problem for you as the dog develops.

If you can be consistent and can read all the tell-tale signs of a high fight-defence drive as well as your own dog’s body language you won’t have a problem. Strong personality, leadership and consistency from you is the key and you will have a dog to be very, very proud of rather than a potentially ticking time bomb.

How To Test Your Dog’s Drives

Here are some personality traits all categorised under their appropriate drive headings. The more yes answers you give for each question will give you an idea of your own dog’s individual drive levels. Give yourself a point for each ‘Yes’ answer you give, below and then add up which category your dog scores highest in.

For example: If you answer yes to 85% of the questions in the prey drive category, your dog clearly displays a strong prey drive instinct and you can assess that against the advice given previously for high prey drive dogs and so on.

Prey Drive
Does Your Dog: Yes No
1. Sniff the ground or air frequently? ____ ____
2. Get excited by moving objects? ____ ____
3. Stalk cats, dogs or other objects? ____ ____
4. Bark in a high pitched voice
when excited (yip)? ____ ____
5. Pounce on his/her toys? ____ ____
6. Steal food from work surfaces or other hidden areas? ____ ____
7. Shake and “KILL” his/her toys ____ ____
8. Rip soft objects apart? ____ ____
9. Gulp down food, never leaving any scraps? ____ ____
10. Like to carry/fetch things? ____ ____
11. Like to dig? ____ ____
12. Bury things?

Pack Drive
Does Your Dog: Yes No
1. Get along with other dogs? ____ ____
2. Get along with people? ____ ____
3. Bark when left alone? ____ ____
4. Urge people to pet them or make lots of effort to snuggle up to people?____ ____
5. Respond positively to verbal praise? ____ ____
6. Like to be groomed, stroked or touched often? ____ ____
7. Make strong eye contact with you? ____ ____
8. Tremble or whine if left in a stay position? ____ ____
9. Follow you like a shadow? ____ ____
10. Play with you or other dogs happily? ____ ____
11. Jump up to greet people, even if he/her has never seen the person before? ____ ____
12. Show a lot of reproductive
behaviour, i.e. mounting other dogs, people etc ____ ____

Defence Drive (Fight)
Does Your Dog: Yes No
1. Investigate strange sounds or objects? ____ ____
2. Love to win at tug of war games? ____ ____
3. Bark or growl in a deep tone, bark with a clear, un panicky tone? ____ ____
4. Guard their territory? ____ ____
5. Guard you? ____ ____
6. Guard his/her food and/or toys? ____ ____
7. Show indifference to being petted? ____ ____
8. Dislike being groomed? ____ ____
9. Bite on lead when being corrected? ____ ____
10. Dominate other dogs? ____ ____
11. Like to fight or challenge even in a playful way? ____ ____
12. Get picked on or even attacked by older dogs than him/her? ____ ____

Defence Drive (Flight)
Does Your Dog: Yes No
1. Run from new situations or show unease? __ __
2. Hide behind you when insecure about anything? __ __
3. Avoid direct confrontations by leaving the area? __ __
4. Run away when being told off or if training is going badly? __ __
5. Crowd you when walking at heel (i.e cling to your legs)? __ __
6. Raise his/her hackles when meeting
someone new or coming up against a strange dog? __ __
7. Avoids direct eye contact with you when you are facing him/her or if left in the stay position?` __ __
8. Crawl on belly or turn upside
down when being told off? __ __
9. Tries to escape if being examined or held by a strange person or even you?__ __
10. Urinates when he/she thinks they have done something wrong or are about to get told off? __ __
11. Urinates during a greeting, even in excitement? __ __
12. Bite or nip when cornered or bark/whine in an uncontrolled, panicky tone? __ __

Now, add up your scores

Prey Drive /12
Pack Drive /12
Defence Drive (Fight) /12
Defence Drive (Flight) /12

We will be publishing a follow up article, explaining more about the drives.

Stay tuned!

This is a 3,200 word article including contribution from pet nutrition professionals and a case study and downloadble report

[private_Premier]Claire Robinson-Davies of Purina pet care explains the importance of life stage diets. “The energy needed to support a dog as it goes through various life stages relates to physical demand and an individual dog’s metabolic rate. Certain life stages – gestation, lactation, growth – as well as hard work require energy above that of an average adult dog. Other life stages, such as the geriatric period, may require less energy.

The nutritional needs of dogs may also change with changes in lifestyle or function. If energy needs decrease in a dog but energy intake does not decrease accordingly, the dog is at risk of becoming overweight and developing health problems. By providing a diet that conforms closely to the requirements of the pet, it is possible to improve health and performance.”

Diet Calculator:

Whichever breed, age, size of dog you have, our diet calculator should help you see if you are giving your dog the right balance of nutrition.

Puppies: The fact that puppies are always growing is the main consideration when feeding. The need for protein, calcium and energy is at it’s highest at this stage in the dog’s life. Since puppies have smaller stomachs, the nutritional quality of their food needs to satisfy the requirements of a growing dog, but be delivered in a smaller quantity. Claire Robinson-Davies explained why the nutritional requirements for a puppy depend on the breed as well as the age.

“Large breeds grow at a slower rate, so less energy in the form of protein and fat is needed to support the slower growth rate, whilst still enabling the dog to reach its full growth potential. Conversely small breeds grow at a faster rate and hence need increased fat and protein levels to support this. Some small breed puppy formulas also contain increased levels of B vitamins to support their high-energy metabolism.”

Sources of essential nutrients for puppies:

Protein: The type of protein your puppy requires is animal based protein rather than plant based protein. Chicken is a rich source of easily digestible protein.

Calcium: Egg is a good source of calcium. This appears in some foods, but can be added at home to other foods as a supplement.

Energy: By energy, we mean fat. Fatty acids to be precise. These can be found in fish and ‘fishmeal’. Not only are fatty acids essential for energy, they will also give your dog a healthy, glossy coat. Chicken oil is another great source of fatty acids and omega 3 fatty acids.

Adult: When your dog is of adult size, you will have entered the realm of what are called maintenance diets. These diets rely on the owner monitoring the needs of the dog and really offer guidance rather than a comprehensive answer to your dog’s dietary needs.

Claire explained why it is important to understand exactly what your dog requires by being familiar with his lifestyle.

“It is the responsibility of the owner to adjust feeding quantities depending on the individual requirements of the pet, taking into account factors such as size and activity levels. Adult small breed formulas have been developed with increased protein and fat to meet the high-energy requirements of small breeds. They also contain increased levels of B vitamins to sustain the high-energy metabolism of small breeds and smaller kibbles to aid chewing.

Adult large breed formulas have reduced energy values and carefully selected types of fat that promote a lean body mass. This is particularly important in large breed dogs, as excess weight can lead to joint damage.”

Sources of essential nutrients for adult dogs- Large Breeds.

B Vitamins: Brown rice is a primary source of B vitamins. It also contains high levels of calcium, fibre and zinc.

Phosphorus: Sea weed is an excellent source of phosphorus. Although it’s presence is rare in a lot of the ‘off the shelf’ pet foods, it is easily obtainable from health shops and can be added to any meal. Remember that your dog is essentially a carnivore though.

Sources of essential nutrients for adult dogs-Small Breeds.

Increased Protein: For a higher balance of protein, brown rice is essential.

Fats: Smaller dogs require more fats than larger dogs. Fish and chicken or chicken oils will provide higher fat levels than found in a large dog formula.

Older dogs.

Less is more when it comes to older dogs as the activity level decreases. Smaller portions in general to prevent weight gain and subsequent joint and ligament damage in large breeds are essential. Fats should give way to protein to preserve skeletal muscle mass. Take into account age related health problems when feeding older dogs too.

Claire Robinson-Davies outlines one of the important changes that need to be made for the senior diet. “Phosphorus levels should be restricted to protect and support the kidneys and liver, whereas vitamin E levels need to be generally increased as their antioxidant properties are beneficial in cell protection and also help boost the immune system.”

Sources of essential nutrients for older dogs.

Vitamin E: Chicken oils are a good source of vitamin E, as is seaweed. But remember, seaweed contains high levels of phosphorus, which we need to reduce.

Protein: Brown rice is a good source of protein, as are many meats. Brown rice or milled rice are also good sources of fibre. Milled rice is easy to digest.

What if my dog is overweight?

Sometimes excessive weight and obesity can culminate in a vicious cycle. Fats are needed to increase energy levels that are essential to exercise, which is essential for weight loss, but if unused, will add to the problem. Reducing portion sizes gradually is a safe option but can take longer to take effect. Lower levels of carbohydrates found in foods such as potatoes will also help weight loss.

I only want to feed my dog a natural diet.

All of the nutrients needed for a balanced, life stage diet are available in a non-processed form. Be prepared to do your research and spend a lot of time preparing your dog’s meals if you are thinking of feeding all natural ingredients in their raw form – or consider an all natural complete food available commercially. Here are some ingredients rich in essential nutrients used in many ‘all natural’ pet foods from ‘Land of Holistic Pets.’

Brown rice is the natural state of rice with the husk removed, it contains calcium, iron, some zinc and the B vitamins thiamine niacin and riboflavin and is renowned for its health giving properties. However, the B group vitamins are all very soluble in water and heavy loss of these vitamins may occur if rice is boiled in excess water or fried at high temperatures , hence the preference for dehydrated rather than extruded. From a Chinese Medicine standpoint Brown rice has a cooling effect on the body, regulates the spleen and stomach, clears heat and helps to provide energy.

Chicken: The Chicken used in Caesar & Luath Holistic Cuisine is from hens which have not been battery reared. It is a highly digestible protein source so small amounts can satisfy the nutritional needs of dogs. Chicken has also a warming effect on the body enriching energy (QI) and blood, while toning the kidneys

Oats: A whole food that has antiseptic properties thus helping to prevent contagious infections – \

Chicken Oil a rich source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty acids

Seaweed -Nutrient dense sea vegetables contain vitamin A, D, E, B1, B2, vitamin C, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, iron, iodine, fiber, sodium and small amounts of protein. Most important is the iodine in seaweed that supports thyroid organ function. The thyroid controls metabolism and specifically protein metabolism.

Sunflower Oil –Cholesterol Free naturally rich in vitamin E, high in polyunsaturated fat.

Chicken Liver – Nutritional nourishment for the liver – organ meats are used regularly by holistic vets to treat specific organs – like with like.

Parsley- A member of the carrot family rich in iron and vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.

What if my dog is a working dog, will I need to change his diet accordingly?

This depends again on breed, level of activity and age. Claire Robinson-Davies explains. “Active/Performance diets are produced for working dogs such as greyhounds or sheepdogs, which require increased levels of calories or nutrients. The product needs to be energy dense as there is a limit to how much a dog can actually eat. They therefore have increased fat and protein levels. Certain vitamins such as the B group, E and C may also be increased to help sustain energy metabolism and also help protect and repair tissue damage.”

My dog is relatively young, but suffers with Arthritis, is a life stage diet appropriate?

You will definitely need to bear the condition in mind when preparing the diet. Omega 3 fish oils are a fantastic supplement for the wellbeing of joints. Canine osteoarthritis is a serious, painful and debilitating disease which can affect a dog at any age and which is often under-diagnosed until it is at a serious stage. At present, Hill’s Prescription j/d formulation is the only clinically proven formulation available which can help prevent canine Osteoarthritis.

Professor Stuart Carmichael, a veterinary surgeon from the University of Glasgow who has treated hundreds cases of canine OA, believes the condition is so prevalent because sadly, owners are unable to recognise the signs of OA and are often unaware that their pet is in pain.

Telltale signals that your pet may be suffering in silence include: limping, difficulty rising, stiffness, decreased activity level, reluctance to play, run or climb stairs, as well as behavioural changes such as aggression or withdrawal. If your dog has demonstrated any of these signs, an appointment for an arthritis screen by your vet is highly recommended.

Controlled weight loss and exercise programmes are usually recommended along with a course of pain-relieving medication. Thankfully further help is at hand, with the introduction of a new dietary supplement designed to alleviate the pain and physical signs of your dog’s OA.

The result of years of research, Prescription Diet Canine j/d from Hill’s Pet Nutrition, is a technologically advanced nutritional supplement containing appropriate levels of nutrients for the management of dogs with arthritis.

Containing the nutrient, EPA, a natural fish oil extract, Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine j/d is beneficial not only for dogs already suffering from OA, but is also suitable for the long-term feeding of adult and senior dogs, to help prevent the development of this disease.

Additionally, as EPA is an effective, natural supplement, the need for drug therapy, and the potential for associated side effects, is also reduced.

The use of fish oil supplements rich in EPA has been a traditional remedy for joint pain in man for decades, and according to Dr Martin Owen, an expert in canine OA, can be of equal benefit to our canine companions.

To achieve a balanced and healthy diet for my dog, is my only option feeding him life stage formulae?

No, it is not your only option. Using the life stage theory as guide can often be helpful, but many people believe that their dog benefits from a more holistic approach. George Burns, owner and founder of ‘Land of holistic pets’ offered his theory as to why a life stage diet is not always necessary. “My mother is 90 years of age and doesn’t need to look for special food for old people.

The key factor of both puppy food and food for older dogs is the protein and fat levels. Higher proteins and fat for puppies, lowering for the junior and then lower again for adult and again lower for older dogs. We must ask the question – What protein and fat levels do we feed ourselves in terms of life stages? Essentially the argument I would take is that all stages should be fed a low to moderate level of fat and protein dependant on age, activity, spayed or neutered (This removes hormone activity so less energy requirements thus less food required). It is important to reinforce the notion that pet owners should take responsibility for their pet’s health by adopting healthy lifestyle and feeding good diet.”

“I decided to launch into holistic cuisine for dogs after many years of studying the health issues associated with many commercially prepared pet foods. I realised that while the holistic approach is widely adopted in the states, it is relatively unheard of in the UK,” said Burns.

“Nutrition is the foundation of good health in any pet. By introducing herbs to a dog’s diet, it is possible to correct any imbalance there may be in their body, which in turn boosts the immune system and can help fight off common symptoms such as itchy skin, eczema, runny eyes, bad breath and loss of energy.

Our Caesar & Luath holistic recipe contains a blend of quality herbs and ingredients that all contribute to promote health and vitality, while allowing the internal organs to function in a more efficient way. Following extensive trials, we discovered that the general condition of dogs on the Caesar & Luath diet improved dramatically.

As toxins were forced from their system, their owners witnessed greater ease of digestion in their dogs as well as clearer eyes and fewer trips to the vet.

The dried food, which is reconstituted from its natural state by simply adding hot water, contains carbohydrates, vegetables, proteins, fats, herbs, vitamins, minerals and seaweed.

It is essential to the animal’s wellbeing that owners take steps to alleviate any ailments their pets may have. The holistic approach to pet care must be welcomed as it is crucial that pet owners have a choice of foods with something to suit their more sensitive pets.”

Generally my dog is in good health, but her coat is rather dull. Is there any way I can alter her diet to improve her coat?

Fatty acids such as those found in fish oil are known to have dramatic effects on the condition of a dog’s coat.

Which nutrients are good for boosting the immune system in older dogs?

A healthy diet overall is possibly the best was to keep the immune system working to its full potential. With common complaints in older dogs such as Arthritis there are specific nutrients for each. E P A, a nutrient found in fish oils is an excellent preventative against the onset of arthritis.

Professor Bruce Caterson of the University of Cardiff who is an expert on the effects of EPA and its nutritional benefits explained. “Studies in our lab have shown that EPA is preferentially incorporated into cartilage cells. This incorporation of EPA helps to reduce inflammatory responses and cartilage degradation in our model test culture systems that mimic cartilage destruction in arthritis. Similarly, other labs have shown that EPA in the canine diet increases an arthritic dog’s activity and general quality of life.

So there you have it. Life stage foods a marketing gimmick? No, not when you consider the level of combined research and product development which goes into creating diets tailored for certain dogs at certain stages of their lives. When you think about it, we humans have always ate life stage food but have only just got accustomed to giving our dogs the same privilege. After all, could you imagine a 21 year old Olympic swimmer existing on a diet of pie and mash? At the same time it might not be entirely healthy for a 40 year old office worker to eat the sort of diet being consumed by 19 stone weight lifter. Our dogs are all different and have many different needs as they get older, more active, less active or simply to maintain a level of good health. As with all good nutrition the best advice is to arm yourself with the facts, do your research, speak to as many experts as you can and try your best to match your dog with the most appropriate diet to suit their age, breed and activity levels.

Case Study.

Liz Smith a 40 years old actress, who developed arthritis just recently. Co-incidentally, so did her dog, Hector, a Scottie. Liz ached when she walked down stairs and Hector was reluctant to go out. He frequently held up his paw to her and she wondered about this as it was not something he had previously done.

Liz had a rare virus a few years ago and took antibiotics, which really depressed her immune system. She has restored herself to good health by following the advice of a naturopath and takes supplements rather than medication. She went back to her naturopath for advice and he suggested she take oily fish 3 times a week as the omega-3 oils contained in oily fish are well-known to improve joint mobility.

At the beginning of this year, Liz took Hector to the vet as he seemed reluctant to go out and rather bad-tempered. The vet said he had probably got arthritis and said she could either put him on medication for life or add omega-3 fish oils to his food. He said she could add omega-3 supplements to his feed but getting the proportions right could be tricky as too much would upset his stomach and too little would be ineffective.

“When the vet first diagnosed Hector’s arthritis I was in shock. I didn’t even know dogs suffered from this disease. My second thought was, oh my poor baby, because I could instantly relate to the pain he must have been feeling,” said Liz.

Fortunately, following an accurate diagnosis, management of the disease and alleviation of the physical stress and associated pain can begin.

Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine j/d is available solely through veterinary clinics. If you think your dog may be suffering from OA, it is important that you male an appointment to visit your vet, who can make a professional assessment and food recommendation.

The was trialling a new formulation of prescription dog food and offered to enrol Hector on the trial. Given her own experience, Liz chose to go for the dog food. She also put support tubing on his paws when they were indoors as she found the support gloves she wore were really good and thought that the same might be true for dogs in that if you support and heat the joint, the pain reduces.

She found that after within a month, Hector was walking much better. He stopped lifting his paw to her, was eager to go out now and his temper had improved so she assumed the pain had gone. She still puts the tubing on his front paws at night as in the hope of preventing the return of arthritis. She has continued to feed him the same dog food and Hector continues to improve.

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K9 Magazine first became aware of the presence of this celebrity puppy farm when an advert arrived via e-mail explaining that theirs was the place to get puppies online. After viewing the website, suspicions amongst the K9 Magazine arose.

The website was advertising an obscenely wide range of breeds and seemed to be targeting their marketing towards people interested in ultra small or ‘tea-cup’ sized dogs. We investigated further and discovered that the company in question was very well prepared for accusations of being a puppy farm. They had a claim on their site stating that all of their dogs were sourced from “responsible breeders”, although there was no evidence to back this up, or indeed any definition of what “responsible” actually meant.

Intrigued and somewhat concerned, we contacted the owner of the business under an assumed name and made an enquiry deliberately designed to make us sound like exactly the sort of dog owner a responsible breeder would stear clear of. We were not comforted by the response we received either. After stating our business as a representative of a fictitious English pop-star who wanted a small, cute dog to help her get press attention in American, were advised not that dogs are a life long commitment and much more than a publicity tool, we were simply asked “how small exactly?”

We maintained contact with the owner of the website and attempted to throw a few warning signs into the equation to gauge her reaction. After stating that the dog would be the property of the record company and is being put down as a marketing cost, the discouragement one would expect from a responsible breeder was absent, instead the owner simply asked for the name of the person who would be collecting the dog.

It is worth pointing out that in American culture, whilst not regarded in particularly high esteem, pet shops that sell dogs are not roundly condemned as they are in this country. It is not considered cruel or irresponsible to buy a dog from a pet store in American, which is why an online store selling a wide range of dogs ordered to size is not considered too much of a warning sign that the puppy mills are being used.

In the UK, the tradition of finding a dog centres around finding a breeder who is knowledgeable and informed about a breed and will only give a dog to a responsible and suitable owner. This is not the case in America, which is part of the reason that many American celebrities have not realised that being associated with and even endorsing this particular online shop.

After exchanging a few e-mails with the owner of the online shop, we made a rather more sinister discovery that grimly surpassed our original suspicions. Prior to setting up as www.puppiesforsalebynet.com the company had been trading as Wizard of Claws.

The previous company had changed their name after it was reported in the American media last year that many customers who had bought dogs from the company had complained that their pets were getting sick soon after being homed. No mention of puppy farming so far, but consistent poor health is a sign that something is not right in the supply chain.

275 people had complained that dogs they bought from Wizard of Claws had got sick, some even complained that their pet had died. Allegations were made of unethical sourcing, a claim which was denied by an unnamed salesperson working for Wizard of Claws.

Following these complaints, the Humane Society of the United States issued legal proceedings against the company for their violation of The Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Despite the suspicion of unethical acquisition of their stock, Wizard of Claws were most widely criticised for charging exorbitant prices for dogs that were regularly failing to meet the expectations of the customers.

Part of the problem faced by those unaware of the practices of such retailers is that they see a celebrity endorsement as a guarantee of ethical sourcing and healthy, happy dogs. But do celebrities really have an obligation to look past the glitzy website and make sure they are not promoting a company that has little consideration for animal welfare?

One high profile dog owner who the website claims as a valued customer is Sharon Osborne. Being English and spending much of her time in the UK, it is surprising that Sharon is not more aware of the warning signs that point to the presence of an ethical supply chain.

Other high profile personalities listed and photographed on the site include American talk show host Montel Williams, Brian Littrell of pop band Backstreet Boys and singer John Secada. With such people posing for pictures on the website, it is difficult for the uneducated dog buyer not to trust the company seeing such high profile endorsements.

The main problem aside from the welfare of the dogs sourced by this company, is the culture of irresponsibility their business practices foster in inexperienced dog owners.

A website that accepts credit card payments for dogs, of which there are hundreds of varying breeds and sizes, offers the dog owner the option to completely negate the rudimentary preparation required in choosing a dog, instead the dog can be selected from a photo on the site which is accompanied by measurements.

At the time of writing, our correspondence with Tina from www.puppiesforsalebynet.com had gone cold. Whether she suspected that we were not genuinely interested in buying a puppy or not, she stopped responding to our e-mails. However, she did say enough in her initial e-mails to indicate where her priorities were.

They can have all of the claims and promises they want on their website, when it comes to the practicalities of selling puppies to people in other countries who won’t be collecting the dog in person, who are obsessed with getting the smallest dog possible, on company expenses and who may want to return the dog if it doesn’t work out, Tina has no problem arranging a sale.

Knowledge and awareness are the only weapons the dog loving community have against puppy farming, but since some of the most well advised and image conscious people on Earth seem quite happy to be associated with this place, the sad conclusion we are lead to make is that there simply isn’t enough awareness to combat the growing problem of puppy farming. Whilst there is demand, ignorance and a glamorous face endorsing places such as www.puppiesforsalebynet.com, the problem is only going to get bigger.

The shop front side of puppy farms often presents a legitimate, credible face. However, the misery and suffering caused in the background can not be overstated. We, the public, have a duty to send puppy farms out of business rather than relying on the government to do it for us. If we all – collectively – step up and ensure that NOBODY is left in uncertain terms what the implications are of buying from a puppy farm, as is the case in any supply and demand market, the suppliers will begin to wilt and die. Whilst demand remains, supply thrives.

We have to ask the question, is it ok to simply buy first, ask questions later? Really? In this day in age?

For those people who ‘didn’t know better’, be they celebrities or ‘ordinary’ folk, it’s time to accept the harsh reality that whilst you continue to hand over cash and reward the puppy farming industry it is you, solely you who are keeping this vile trade alive.

Genetically, the dingo is homogeneous to the pale-footed Asian wolf (canis lupus pallipes), presumed still to exist in certain remote, mountainous regions of Asia. It is believed that he has altered very little from his prehistoric forebears, which were widely distributed throughout Africa.

It is believed further that he came to Australia in a semi-domesticated condition during the last phase of the Ice Age (15,000 B.C.), and that he was in the company of nomadic aborigines who had trekked across the Indonesian archipelago.

[private_Premier]He wandered as far as New Guinea, where he developed into a smaller variety of dingo (which is called New Guinea singing dog because of its opera-like howling at sundown), but he did not make it to Tasmania or Kangaroo Island. It is interesting to note that the singing dog’s diminished size may be the result of selective breeding.

What Do Dingo’s Look Like & How Do They Live?

The average dingo is about 24 inches high, which is somewhat smaller than the Asian wolf, but his legs are longer than the wolf’s. Many other wolf-like characteristics distinguish him from the domesticated dog. For example, his massive skull and his heavy jaws, his powerful masticating muscles and his deadly, razor-sharp teeth all indicate that he has always had to hunt and kill for his living.

His bushy tail, which he carries low between his legs, has the function of disguising his scent or allowing it to be released. This enables him to both hide from his enemies or to announce his whereabouts. He is also like a wolf in that his ears are pricked and situated well forward, and that he always carries his head erect when he runs.

His low brow is characterized by a well-marked stop, indicating that he was once indigenous to a cold climate and that he sprang from a species of wolf other than the one responsible for jackals, coyotes and greyhounds, which have no stop at all.

Triangular in shape, his short-muzzled face has that fierce forward look which is far more typical of the wolf than of canis familiaris. Unlike the average dog, the dingo howls rather than barks – but he can pick up the habit of barking from his domesticated fellows.

In color, the dingo is generally yellowish white, although some are black. His short undercoat is gray. His muzzle is occasionally black and his tail sometimes terminates in a white tip.

Another characteristic which distinguishes the dingo is that he breeds only once a year, whereas the domesticated dog does so in six-month cycles. The dingo mother usually produces litters of six to eight pups. In the wild she builds a type of nest for them, preferably within the shelter of a hollow tree. Because the dingo has interbred freely with the European house dog, pure specimens are comparatively rare today. Nevertheless, dingo characteristics are dominant in the crossbred pup, especially where posture, shape of skull, and habits are concerned.

The dingo has been compared to the pariah or shenzi dog, which is distributed throughout Africa, the Far East, Malaysia and India. Both hunt in packs, for example, but the shenzi is nearly always a scavenger, whereas the dingo is more a hunter than a gleaner. Nor is he as savage as the shenzi, who is sly and elusive like the jackal, with whom he is believed to have intermingled liberally. The shenzi is also different from the dingo in that he carries his tail curled up and is stockier in conformation.

In Africa, the shenzi has developed into two domesticated breeds of dog. One is the Rhodesian ridgeback, which is a cross between shenzi and European breeds; the other is the basenji, which is said to be very little changed from the dog of ancient Egypt.

Left to his own devices, the dingo hunts nocturnally in packs of five to six. Sometimes these packs comprise family units. However, groups consisting of as many as a hundred have been seen from time to time. The dingo shares with the wolf his highly developed territorial sense, which means that he not only defends his own territory, but respects his neighbor’s.

The Domesticated Dingo

He has always lived and bred in the wild, but some of his fellows were domesticated for the hunt as far back as the Paleolithic Age. It is thought that the aborigines reared stolen pups in their settlements.

Apparently, they received more care and affection than did most dogs kept by primitive peoples, who treated them as slaves rather than as companions. Not only did the dingo serve his masters by hunting for them, but he cleared their camps of refuse. In other words, the early aborigine and his dog had a good working relationship. However, by the time the white man came to Australia, the dingo had completely reverted to being a predator and scavenger.

Today, it is generally presumed that the dingo is vicious and untrustworthy, although in his domesticated state he has time and again proven himself friend to man. He is by nature an excellent hunting dog and was invaluable in hunting rabbits when the great extermination movements were underway in Australia.

Perhaps some day man will again make him part of the household. Certainly his superlative characteristics would go a long way towards improving some of the domesticated breeds.[/private_Premier]

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For generations, British dog owners have looked upon the Kennel Club as a source of knowledge, experience and authority. At its core, the Kennel Club is a breed registry. Nothing more, nothing less.

In 2009 though, the organisation stretches into far more than just registering pedigree paperwork. The Kennel Club lends its name to products, pet insurance, affiliate schemes and accreditation programs. The provide guidelines on good practice to breeders and in 2004 they set up the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme. Four years on we ask, is it working?

The Accredited Breeder Scheme (ABS) was set up to enable potential dog owners to ‘buy with confidence’ from Kennel Club approved breeders. By being a Kennel Club approved breeder, one would naturally assume that you’d need to be experienced, have a proven track record for producing healthy dogs of good temperament and at the very least, to be responsible enough to perform all health tests relevant to your breed of choice.

The scheme’s good intentions are one thing, but dig deeper and we find there are some rather worrying issues when it comes to assessing the robustness of the standards required to be accepted onto the scheme.

To be a member of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme (ABS), you don’t even need to have bred a dog at all. You just need to sign up to the scheme, which you can do via the Kennel Club’s website, pay your fee and hope that you’re never suspected of doing anything dodgy.

The ABS was set up in 2004 and has been steadily gathering momentum and members. The emphasis appears to be on recruiting new members, which the Kennel Club claims meets their aims of promoting responsible breeding to as many people as possible. The Kennel Club claims that since the inception of the ABS there is now a benchmark for new dog owners to judge good breeders. Whilst this appears to be a claim that only breeders of high repute are included in the scheme, that is not true.

It is remarkably easy to become an accredited breeder, and this is deliberate. The Kennel Club encourage and defend this ease of accessibility to ensure that nobody is excluded from benefiting from the scheme, but the reality is that the Kennel Club would simply benefit from more people joining the scheme.

Those familiar with the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals will know that responsible breeding would have emphasis placed on breeder responsibility as part and parcel of the UK signing up, but as yet we are one of only a few European nations that haven’t joined up. Turkey, Azerbaijan Bulgaria and the Czech Republic are all members and the UK is notable for its absence.

Supporters of the UK’s membership of the Convention are concerned that schemes such as the ABS are distracting the government, DEFRA in particular, from focusing on our need to sign up to the convention.

Supporters of the Convention have long suspected that it is in the Kennel Club’s interests for the UK not to become members and that there is a conflict of interest between the Convention’s aims and the Kennel Club’s aims, which may have caused the Kennel Club to set up the ABS as a perceived viable and workable alternative to the Convention.

This suspicion is raised when the KC states:

“If we cannot show that we are capable of responsible self-regulation, in a way that will satisfy our doubters, then government will intervene and regulate for us.”

The ABS is used by the Kennel Club to identify and promote the services of dog breeders it deems to be worthy of receiving their endorsement. However, despite appearing to be a sufficient alternative to the Convention, K9 Magazine was alarmed to discover some rather worrying discrepancies between the concept of being a good dog breeder and the requirements for membership of the ABS. The most unusual one being that a person doesn’t need to be a dog owner to gain membership of this scheme.

Not only can someone who isn’t a dog owner become an accredited breeder with the Kennel Club’s seal of approval, but people who have never before bred a litter can also gain membership. The Kennel Club neatly sidestep this gaping chasm of logic by declaring that the scheme is set up to govern and guide any breeder that seeks the support of their organisation. There are myriad other issues with the scheme which are causing concern for many who’d like the government to reconsider its position on us joining the Convention. They include

Elbow scoring is not a requirement for breeders that are accredited, it is merely a recommendation – Meaning that breeders who are not concerned about their dogs passing on genetic defects such as elbow dysplasia are still accredited by the Kennel Club.

Only a small percentage of breeders that are accredited are subject to home inspections – Meaning that the vast majority of accredited breeders are operating outside of the scrutiny of the organisation that is accrediting them.

The scheme was set up quickly as a response to the political agenda surrounding the welfare of dogs – Meaning that the ABS came into existence as a reactive measure for political reasons rather than a pro-active measure for welfare reasons.

How the Accredited Breeder Scheme Works

Breeders can become accredited by sending off payment and an application form which is downloadable from the Kennel Club’s website. Prior to acceptance of an application, the Kennel Club will check the Kennel Club record of the candidate.

The scheme is self governing, with the Kennel Club carrying out home inspections only on the advice of breed club members who consider a scheme member to be inappropriate for membership. According to the Kennel Club, the scheme is not in place to highlight the elite dog breeders, but to set guidelines for breeders to adhere to in order for them to function as good breeders under Kennel Club definitions. The Kennel Club is keen for as many breeders as possible to join the scheme.

The main benefit for breeders that are part of the scheme is that they can advertise themselves as accredited, which in theory gives dog buyers an incentive to use their services, which suggests that commercial interests are the main driving force for dog breeders to sign up and become members of the scheme. Accredited breeder have prioritised access to Kennel Club health and advice literature – meaning that they are given an advantage over non-accredited dog breeders who may also be seeking advice.

We spoke to the Kennel Club’s Press Officer Heidi Ancell, about their motivations for setting up the Accredited Breeder Scheme.

The KC only recommends certain health tests rather than insisting on them. Given the well established importance of health testing, why is the KC not insisting on health checks from the breeders whom the KC are publicly endorsing?

Health screening requirements under the Accredited Breeder Scheme (ABS) are currently restricted to tests where an official Kennel Club scheme is in place and where the results can be independently verified. Fulfilment of requirements is checked automatically at the time of registering a litter bred by an Accredited Breeder, from data stored on our registration database. As we can only record health results of official Kennel Club schemes on this database, we are currently restricted to only using official schemes as ABS Requirements.

Breed specific recommendations are made where there is either no official scheme in place yet or where there may not yet be enough evidence, or research or uptake of screening, to suggest that a problem is significant in a specific breed. We recognise, for example, that some breed clubs run health schemes and play an important role in the promotion of health in a breed. One such example is the Bulldog Breed Council Health Certificate. We make these types of schemes ABS Recommendations to help raise the profile of such schemes. Accredited Breeders are strongly encouraged to follow Recommendations for their chosen breeds.

We are constantly updating and reviewing the list of ABS Requirements and Recommendations. It is likely that once an inherited disease is proven to exist, a test for it has been developed and an official scheme can be adopted, it will then be added to the list of ABS Requirements, after consultation with the relevant breed clubs.

It is quite clear that the Kennel Club are confident that they are doing enough to ensure that the breeders that they endorse through the scheme are acting responsibly. But they are judging breeders by their own, flawed standards. The Kennel Club are yet to accept that their methods of breeding are resulting in poor health and genetic weaknesses throughout many pedigree breeds. By not insisting on every dog that is bred by an ABS breeder being elbow scored, the Kennel Club are ignoring a huge problem.

Why is the Kennel Club so keen to work with DEFRA to ensure that the world of dogs is self-regulated when that self regulation has resulted in so many purebred dog breeds being riddled with genetic health problems due to in-breeding?

KC – We firmly believe that those who understand and are involved with dogs are far better placed to make decisions involving dogs than central governments. One only has to look at the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 often described as the worst piece of legislation to go through the House of Commons, to understand that this is the case. The introduction of the Accredited Breeder Scheme is the first real opportunity that the Kennel Club has had to work with breeders to begin to define basic responsible breeding practices and drive improvements.

The Kennel Club is often criticised for its arrogance and here we may be able to see why. Assuming that they are the best placed people to decide how to breed dogs they are reinforcing the widely held belief by many that there is no alternative to Kennel Club approved methods. By using the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 as an example of the Government’s inadequacy when bringing in dog legislation and policy, they should keep in mind that they initially supported the Act and have only recently back tracked on this position.

Why are only a handful of accredited breeders subject to home inspections? Shouldn’t the Kennel Club ensure that every breeder it accredits is subject to the same scrutiny?

KC – On joining the scheme every member of the Accredited Breeder Scheme agrees to allow a breeder advisor access to visit their premises. It is clearly important that we prioritise certain visits and our initial focus has been on those who are breeding on a more frequent basis. Occasionally we have complaints about an Accredited Breeder and we ensure that these too are dealt with as a matter of urgency. However we also arrange randomly selected visits to ensure that good practices as outlined in the scheme are followed.

In addition to breeder advisor visits, we ask all puppy buyers for feedback and if we don’t receive that feedback we check up on the breeder. The Kennel Club receives hundreds of feedback forms from new puppy buyers each month.

K9 – Again, it appears that the ABS is woefully inadequate at fulfilling its own brief. By only relying on complaints to highlight accredited breeders that fall below the standards set out in the ABS, the Kennel Club are leaving the door open for bad breeders to not only get away with poor breeding practice, but to promote themselves using the Kennel Club’s trusted name. Our research suggests that the best UK breeders do not require or want the accreditation that the ABS provides. Shouldn’t the Kennel Club be striving to be associated with those that are producing healthy, successful dogs rather than simply trying to accredit as many breeders as possible?

It is certainly true that many responsible breeders are probably fulfilling most of the Schemes requirements and will probably not personally benefit from membership of the scheme. But it is important that we attract all responsible breeders into the scheme so that we can identify to the puppy buying public which breeders have declared that they will follow the basic good practice and achieve one of our ultimate aims of forcing irresponsible breeders out of business. We are currently progressing a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging greater numbers of highly experienced breeders into the scheme, some of which are proving remarkably successful. We would also point out that we do in fact have some very high profile breeders on the Scheme, many of whom have been members for some time.

Perhaps one of the main flaws of the ABS is that those that have built their own reputation as good, responsible breeders are often excluded from things such as the ABS because they do not share the Kennel Club’s view of responsible breeding. The scheme appears to set out guidelines which have proven to be unnecessary whilst not including guidelines that many good breeders would consider essential, such as elbow scoring.

It appears that the KC is far more concerned with the volume of breeders registered to the ABS rather than the quality of breeders, making statements about the need for more breeders to become accredited rather than focusing on having less breeders who meet far superior standards. How can the KC justify a policy that looks from the outside as though they are simply trying to impress DEFRA with a figure to show how many breeders are now accredited?

KC – We have not set targets on the number of breeders that we want to attract into joining the Accredited Breeder Scheme and it is certainly about quality not quantity. However we have purposefully made joining the scheme a simple process as we feel it is important that no responsible breeder should be excluded and any breeder can apply. Remaining on the scheme is more challenging of course and only those breeders who continue to comply with the requirements and operate within the spirit of the scheme will endure.

Remaining on the scheme is only going to be challenging for those that are inspected or reported. The ABS as yet has no way of guaranteeing that every scheme member will be subject to the same level of scrutiny and therefore some breeders we have spoken to believe the ABS is serving a negative purpose as many quality breeders have accused it of being a platform to sell puppies by average or sub standard breeders. As a result, they fear that many quality breeders simply don’t want or need accreditation and thus are missing from the scheme all together. What is your response to this?

KC – We have already answered this question in outlining what we are doing to encourage quality breeders onto the scheme, what we have achieved and why we feel this is important. Regarding the supposition that it is being used as a platform to sell substandard puppies I would point out that the aim of the scheme is precisely the opposite and where there is misuse and breeders don’t meet the required standards we have procedures in place to investigate and – where appropriate –remove them from the scheme, as previously outlined.

‘How can the KC accredit a breeder who has never bred a litter of puppies or even owned a dog before, does this not make a mockery of the scheme?”

KC – We check that every applicant does own a dog of the specified breed at the time of applying. If that dog hasn’t had a litter it is – in our view – better that the scheme remains open to both inexperienced as well as the experienced breeders and vital that those new to breeding dogs start out the right way, and embrace good breeding principles from the very beginning. Indeed, those new to breeding have more to learn, and if they start out as they mean to go on then that can only be to everyone’s benefit.

Can you tell our readers how many people have been removed from the scheme directly by the Kennel Club?

We are confident that we have dealt with areas of concern appropriately and will continue to do so. Where possible, we try to work with breeders and encourage improvements as we believe that this is in the long term best interests of the dogs.

Can you put a figure on it?

KC – The Kennel Club takes all complaints seriously and carries out breeder advisor visits to monitor the quality of those who are on the scheme. To date, 49 breeders have been suspended.

Any Accredited Breeder that is suspended can apply to have their suspension removed, if and when the reasons for the suspension have been addressed. A further breeder advisor visit may be necessary to ensure full compliance with the scheme’s requirements.

—

The effort to bring dog breeding into the world of some form of regulation is a worthy one. One that should be applauded and supported. However, it would appear that, as with many good intentions, the proof of the concept is in its implementation and enforcement.

The Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme should be a force for good. But without rigourous enforcement and demanding standards of the very, very highest order, there is a serious risk that bad breeders can be tacitly ‘endorsed’ by affiliation with such a well recognised and trusted ‘brand’ as the Kennel Club. This is undeniable. The general public looks to a scheme bearing the Kennel Club logo and the word ‘accreditation’ and they will put their faith in standards.

One must question whether the puppy buying public is fully aware of how high, or indeed low to give it another slant, the actual standards are to become accredited? It is entirely conceivable that the buyer of a puppy could have more canine experience than the accredited breeder, which seems ludicrous.

Some would argue that something is better than nothing. The danger with this position is that low standards receive high endorsement and as such, the truly top class breeders will opt out.

Why, after all, would a genuinely illustrious breeder who insists on health screening of all of their stock (rather than recommended health screening) need or indeed want to be accredited? Especially if they are being accredited alongside breeders who are not health testing as is their choice if certain tests remain recommended rather than compulsory.

One thing is for sure, dog breeding standards need to be vastly improved if the UK wants to catch up with the progressive nations such as Germany, Finland and many other Scandanavian countries who place far, far greater emphasis on the need to health test breeding stock and efficiently regulate against rogue dog breeders. As it stands, the UK has some catching up to do.

The jury is very much out on whether the Kennel Club’s well intentioned scheme is the answer to our problems. In it’s current format, the evident weaknesses of the scheme would suggest there is still much work to be done.

As the news media has everyone on edge about the latest great health disaster winging its way to wipe us all out. Whether it’s an outbreak of swine flu, avian flu or an epidemic of mad cow disease. Even our own hospitals have come under fire in recent years for playing host to a positively stomach churning array of infections from MRSA to c-dif.

Item published in association with Vet Gazette

With the avian flue outbreak of 2006, People in China were told to kill their poultry in order to keep the virus from spreading. Meanwhile people in the United States watch on in fear that the avian flu will come to their shores. So what exactly is all the hubbub about? After all, every winter millions of people come down with bird flu.

So what about swine flu?

Well to answer the question, we need to examine the wider source: influenza. But if you’re not interested in the whys and the hows, the short answer is yes, they can.

Origin of Influenza

Influenza, the term, came into use around 1504, though it had little to do with the virus. It came from the word: influence. At the time, influence meant: “the ethereal power of the stars acting on men.”

It was basically a supernatural way of explaining the effects of disease on people at the time. During a particularly nasty outbreak of the flu in Europe during 1743, the term was officially attached to the name of the disease. 96 years later, the term was shortened to just: flu.

The flu, itself, is a whole family of viruses called Orthomyxovirids.

They are a diverse family that are commonly found in the guts of birds. The specific type of viruses that infect birds, are called type A flu. It was one of these type A’s that was believed to have infected people a long time ago. Thus giving us, the flu for the first time.

Though the virus that initially infected man, has long since evolved into a variety of human specific strains, the initially origin appears to lay squarely among birds. As such, all human flu bugs could, technically, be called: avian flu.

Pathogens and specificity
Pathogens are viewed as being any living organism that is capable of causing a disease. It is a term that is generally reserved for bacteria, fungi and viruses. Pathogens are usually very specific in who, or what, they infect. This has a lot to do with the way in which they are constructed.

Both bacterial and viral outer structure, consist of a receptor binding proteins. These proteins give the pathogen a certain geometry. This geometry allows the pathogen to attach to complementary receptor sites on the cells of the critter that they are trying to infect. Because of the wide variety of life forms on the planet, each cell type has a different arrangement of receptors.

Most of the time, the pathogen’s geometry will not fit these receptors, and the critter remains immune. Only those unlucky few species, whose cell receptors do fit, are the ones that have to suffer the infection.
Occasionally, though, a new pathogen comes along that has a geometry that is general enough to allow it to latch onto many different species. These are the pathogens that are often the more deadly.
Influenza is one of these general viruses.

It is capable of infecting most bird species. It’s also very good at doing what all life forms do. It evolves. This has allowed it to cross multiple species barriers, and jump from birds, to people, to pigs, cows, and horses. Thus making influenza a very cosmopolitan virus family.

This still doesn’t explain all the worry about this recent outbreak of avian flu though. For that, one must go back in time to 1918, and the Spanish flu.

It was the close of World War I, and the world appeared to be returning back to a more peaceful state. Then, in various parts of the globe, people started coming down with a particularly virulent form of the flu. This was a unique case though. Instead of the very young, and elderly dying, it was affecting young men and women instead.

Usually these are the most immune to the effects of the flu. By the end of 1918, this form of the flu had killed ~50 million people. It was the largest pandemic (worldwide epidemic) in recorded history. So what happened?

Normally when one gets the flu, it is more of a hassle than anything else. This has a lot to do with the fact that the flu types we normally catch, are viruses that have infected us before. They have changed just enough so that they can infect us again, but they still remain recognizable to our immune system. As such, our bodies can keep the virus in check, and then eventually eliminate it.

The 1918 flu, though, was different. It is now largely believed to have been a case where a new flu virus had hopped species. It went from birds to humans, possibly after circulating and hybridizing inside pigs (which can catch both bird and human versions of the flu). This new bug was completely alien to our immune systems and thus, took many completely by surprise.

This is what has many scared about this newest avian flu virus (dubbed: H5N1, for the specific proteins found on it). It has proven to be particularly virulent among birds, and the few cases of it infecting people have many worried that another pandemic is on the rise.
Zoonoses.

Influenza is a type of disease referred to a zoonosis. It means that it can be transmitted from one animal group, to another. Zoonotic diseases used to be further broken up into those that humans catch from other animals (anthropozoonoses) and ones that other animals catch from humans (zooanthroponoses).

Unfortunately, both terms have been misused and confused so much, that neither is particularly favored anymore. Now they are all viewed as zoonotic diseases. In the end this makes the most sense, as human beings are animals anyway. To break things up any further, just seems excessive.

The flu is not the only zoonotic disease that humans get from other animals. Our primate cousins have given us quite a few different diseases including: malaria, hepatitis B, Dengue fever and lymphoma. Of course the most infamous of these zoonotic diseases would probably be HIV.

Though there are those that would like to believe that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus was a genetically engineered weapon that was released among the African populace (they give far too much credit to genetic engineers, who are proud enough to make yeast that can fluoresce), the simian origin of HIV is pretty well established.

HIV has close ties to the simian version: SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus). The big difference between the two, besides their first letters, is that SIV rarely kills the apes it infects. In fact, many apes are capable of carrying viral loads equivalent to those seen in humans with advanced AIDS, yet rarely show any signs of trouble.

This suggests that the host and the pathogen have been doing this for a very long time, and the host’s body has found a way to handle the virus. Humans only recently acquired HIV. As such, our bodies have yet to “learn” how to deal with the threat that this virus poses. Which is one reason why HIV is so very virulent at the moment.

These are just some of the diseases that other animals have given to humans. But what of the reverse? What have we given our animal brethren?

Many of the “classic” diseases that most humans catch, are ones that we are capable of giving to our primate cousins. This includes the flu, measles, chicken pox and tuberculosis.

One particularly nasty disease that we are capable of transmitting is the infamous Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). FMD rarely affects humans, but it does use us as a carrier for it. The disease can hang out in our nasal passages, throat, and on our clothing. It usually infects various forms of livestock (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats). Symptoms usually include fever and prominent sores on the feet and mouth (hence the name). Most infected animals do survive. Only ~5% die from the disease.

The second disease is far more pernicious, and the victims have us to blame. It is the coral disease referred to as: white pox. This disease can kill up to 10 square centimeters of coral a day (~120ft a year). Over the past decade over 90% of Caribbean reef coral (Acropora palmata), have died. The culprit behind it is the little human gut bacterium: Serratia marcescens.

While humans can occasionally fall victim to this bacterium, it usually doesn’t infect us. Instead it lives in our guts and gets expelled in our feces. Improper sewage treatment has resulted in human excrement flowing out into the Caribbean, where the newly released bacterium has infected the local coral.

So remember; the next time you start to feel under the weather, don’t worry about coughing on your dog. Chances are, your canine pal probably won’t get it. Unless, of course, it is the flu – dogs can catch the flu, even swine flu!

Being a Border Collie, one of the most intelligent and mentally agile breeds in the world, Bing has strong herding instincts and loves to work, but he can’t act on those impulses, which makes him visibly upset.

When Bing gets upset, what limited vision he has becomes temporarily removed due to bleeding in his eye. But Bing’s story isn’t one of pity and sadness, he’s got a very dedicated and committed helper who understands his unique needs and struggles. Without the help of his carer Darry, Bing’s life would be one big struggle after the next.

“We saw Bing was looking for a home on a website (many tears rescue), so the first stage was for someone to come out and see if our house was suitable, they only wanted to re-home Bing with a family that had another dog.” Explained Clorissa Paul, Bing’s new owner.

“A few days after the inspection we drove to Llanelli in Wales. We had to take our dog Darry with us to see if he and Bing would get on. My partner and I fell in love with Bing as soon as we saw him. Darry didn’t pay any attention to him, which was good enough for us. Bing was laying outside, asleep in the sun. We all walked over to the little white fluffy puppy but we couldn’t wake him and realised he was one hundred percent deaf. To wake him we have to either shake him quite hard or make a shadow over his face.”

With Darry’s apparent approval, Clorissa was given the go ahead to take Bing home to start his new life. But the relationship between Darry and Bing didn’t blossom immediately.

“When we got home Darry sniffed Bing all over for hours and kept looking at me as if to say ‘what is going on?’ The next day when Darry realized Bing was still here again he looked at me to say ‘when is he going home?’ Two days later Darry was looking for Bing as soon as he woke up. Five days later they were and are still inseparable. Bing was originally in kennels with lots of other dogs and cats, so he was very used to other animals. The first time he saw Darry we could all tell that he loved him. He would follow him everywhere with an expression on his face that said ‘what are we going to do now? What else are you going to show me?’”

Clorissa knew that caring for Bing would bring with a set of unique challenges, but she wasn’t prepared for just how important Darry would be in helping Bing along.

“Darry has helped Bing in more ways than we will ever realise. In our garden we have a patio and grass. Bing had never been on grass before, as his previous garden had no grass just slabs. So obviously when Bing did go to the toilet, he would do it on the patio. But within one day Darry taught him to go on the grass which he has done ever since. Darry has taught Bing how to behave in the kitchen too. For example, he showed Bing to sit when we are making food in the kitchen, because at first Bing would jump up and just try and take any food he could smell. When I call the dogs in from the garden if Bing sees Darry running in he will follow, but if it is dark or he is not looking the right way then obviously Bing is still in the garden and Darry will come in. If that is the case I say to Darry “Go and get Bing, where’s Bing?” and Darry will go back outside, touch Bing and then they both come running in.

A few weeks ago my partner had been shopping and had bought a cooked chicken for himself and the dogs. Bing was outside but Darry was in the kitchen. As soon as my boyfriend got the chicken out and started cutting bits off Darry ran off. We were both very confused as Darry will do anything for chicken and always sits as soon as he can smell it. We watched Darry run into the garden and it was almost as if he said “Bing there is chicken in the kitchen, quick come in” they both ran in as fast as they could and then both sat ready. We could not believe our eyes as we thought Darry would only be too glad Bing wasn’t there as that would mean more chicken for him.”

Darry’s influence on Bing didn’t stop at getting his friend involved in the kitchen. Dogs with severe disabilities are often unable to develop the skills needed for domestic life and in many cases require in depth training in order to complete very simple tasks. In Bing’s case, his training came on the job by watching Darry in action.

“We always thought that when a dog was wet, it would instinctively shake to dry itself but Bing never would. He could be so wet, water would be dripping off him and he would just stand there. But one day when they were out in the garden in the rain, Darry came to the back door with Bing and as normal Darry shook himself. Bing tilted his head and we could see he was thinking and then to our surprise he shook himself a little. Now Bing knows exactly what to do to dry himself. “

Bing’s inability to see and hear makes it difficult for him to interact with new dogs. He cannot pick up on body language, which is the main way dogs communicate, so he often finds himself struggling to make new friends.

“About ninety percent of dogs that see Bing are either frightened of him or want to kill him. He was attacked by another dog the first day I had him. A very irresponsible dog owner did not put their dog on a lead and when they saw it attacking Bing they ran off. I then realised how lucky I was that Darry was not like all the other dogs as he loves Bing so much and now couldn’t be without him. Bing needs another dog to show him dog things and to play dog games. He still wants cuddles but as there are two of us, the dogs can have as much affection as they want. Bing was taken away from his mother and siblings at six weeks old, so he missed out on lots of things which Darry is now teaching him. He needs another dog to hear and see for him when humans try to communicate. Dogs can communicate with each other without sound, so I tell Darry and Darry tells Bing.”

Despite his remarkably positive and happy temperament, Bing faces new challenges every day and it takes a lot of effort from everyone in involved in caring for him to ensure that he is comfortable and safe.

“He has learnt where everything is in the house now, so we try not to move anything unless we absolutely have to. Bing does not like the car, having a lead on him or being walked. Everyday we show him his lead and he gets biscuits and some days we put his lead on him and walk him to the kitchen and that’s it. He feels that wearing a lead means he has no choices and going outside for a walk is too much, too many smells, too much to take in and too much to worry about. When he is calm his eye sight is about ten percent effective, but when he is stressed it is almost like he is totally blind. You can not walk him, steer him in a direction or get through to him. When he gets stressed he sometimes has bleeding behind his eye. The vet’s think he has a blood clotting disorder. When this happens he goes totally blind for about two days. His personality changes. He walks slow, doesn’t join in and just looks sad. We have been told that if he keeps having bleeding behind his eye eventually he will loose his sight forever. We spend all of our time trying to make him calm and relaxed so hopefully he will have his ten percent vision all his life.”

Bing’s physical problems are the result of poor breeding. Whilst Bing manages to make the most of his situation with the help of Darry, it is regrettable that he was born in the state that he was. Clorissa sees the positive side of Bing’s situation, but is very aware that Bing’s problems could have been avoided.

“I have been told by most vets that puppies that are not developed correctly usually don’t survive birth. But if they do the mother will not feed them and they will die. Or the breeders will take the sick puppy to the vets to be euthanized. Bing is a miracle and is lucky to be alive. Some might say ‘is it fair?’ but Bing has a life, a very happy life. He is not suffering and is not in any pain. He doesn’t know that he can’t hear or can’t se, it is all he has ever known. ‘Should Bing have been put down?’ If you know the puppy is not suffering and you can find it a home then fine. But otherwise no, euthanasia would have been best as no animal should ever suffer. ‘Did Bing’s breeders do the right thing by Bing?’ In this case I think they did but they must never breed from the same two dogs again.”

There is no ‘owner’s guide to caring for a blind and deaf pup’, so Clorissa is learning as she goes along. She knows Bing will never see, but with the help of family, friends and Darry, she is finding ways to make Bing happy.

“We buy toys that we know he can see. They either have to be bright in colour or large in size. Being a border collie he loves playing with balls, but spends such a long time trying to find them he often just gives in. We have bought him a ball that changes colour and he can see that like a normal dog. We can roll it and he knows exactly where it is. We have taken him to an eye specialist to see if they could improve Bing’s sight in anyway and sadly they can’t, but at least now we know. There are many more things that Bing needs so we have had a bazaar to raise money for him. He does cost a lot of money, so I will organise more events for him as the last fundraiser generated enough money for a dog trainer. He still needs to go to a hearing specialist, hydrotherapy lessons for his back legs and we need to find a groomer. So if anyone wants to help Bing, he wouldn’t say no.”

Instinct is important to any dog and Bing is no different. His blindness and deafness have forced Bing to adapt, but in many ways his confidence and curiosity belies his limitations.

“The first time we saw Bing I said to his foster carer ‘Are you sure he is deaf and blind?’ I expected him to be very slow and deliberate and not running round like a mad thing. I also never expected him to pull on the lead, again I thought he would walk by my side as he wouldn’t know where he was going. But he pulls like a train. With Bing it is trial and error, he will run and if he runs into something, he picks himself up and thinks ‘ok now I know there is something there.’ We try so hard but we can’t always keep up with him. We obviously don’t want him running into things but can’t always stop him. He is just like any other life loving little dog, sometimes he get cuts and bruises, but not very often. He is very limp and when he does run into something he just ends up in a little heap on the floor, so as yet has never really hurt himself.

He wants to learn and be as normal as Darry. If he could talk he would say ‘I can do it, watch me everyone, see I am a good boy, what’s next to do, what can you teach me now?’ He has a very active brain and from the second he wakes up he runs, he has no idea where, but just runs, wags his tail and says ‘right what have a missed?’”

To find out more about Bing and Darry visit www.bing2007.wetpaint.com

Also featuring…
+ World’s Healthiest Dog
+ What’s Wrong With Dogs?
+ How to Think Like a Dog
+ 7 Best Canine Inventions
+ 12 Tips for Dog Happiness

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As many will have heard in the news recently, the police are deploying the skills of specially trained dogs in the hunt for human remains at a former children’s home on the island of Jersey. Dogs have also been used in the recent high profile searches for missing girl Madeleine McCann and West Yorkshire schoolgirl Shannon Matthews. If you’ve ever wondered how these specialist sniffer dogs are trained or how they go about their work, K9 Magazine spoke with PC David King about what goes into training and working a cadaver dog.

This Article Appeared In K9 Magazine Issue 5 - View A PDF Version Of This Article >>

It is not until you actually own a dog is it that you realise just how strong the canine sense of smell is. I always knew that dogs could find us before we could find them, but as a dry nosed amateur, I did not fully appreciate the extent of their ability until I learned about human remains detection dogs.

For centuries, dogs have assisted members of the Police force with such diverse jobs as detecting explosives, crowd control, detecting narcotics and physically apprehending criminals. But up until relatively recently human remains detection, or cadaver dogs and their human colleagues have been an under represented minority in the field of canine related police work.

The common misconception has been for a while that cadaver dogs do not assist in crime prevention, they only assist in the collection of evidence. Although this is technically true, the life changing capabilities of these remarkable dogs are unequivocally staggering, as I was about to find out.

A chilly, January afternoon in Hutton, Lancashire was the setting and Police Constable David King was my host.  Meeting David, a serving officer since 1981 with over seven years experience with Police dogs, four of which specifically with cadaver dogs, was one of those experiences where all of your preconceptions are blown out of the water.

It was one of those times where someone’s face could be no further from the image conjured up by the preceding telephone conversations, and to add a dash of surrealism, I was to be interviewing a police officer, something which half tempted me to use phrases like ‘for the benefit of the tape’ and ‘interview terminated at fifteen hundred hours’.

I decided not to upon being shown to the room where PC King was waiting for me. You see, David was not the ‘Reg Hollis off the Bill’ type bumbling stereotype his telephone demeanour had suggested, he was in fact a man mountain who’s very presence seemed to command respect from his peers at the station and from anything on four legs within a square mile, add to this the fact that upon shaking his hand I realised that I was about to speak to a very, very strong man. 

I spoke to PC King about many things canine related, including drugs, toys and death. Here is how it unfolded.

K9. How did you arrive at this vocation?

DK. I became a police officer in1981, and went on to serve in various parts of the constabulary. I really enjoyed working in uniform, but after about ten years I decided that I wanted to specialise. I wanted to remain in uniform so I became a Police Dog handler.

K9. So you carry out traditional Police duties as well?

DK. Not anymore. My core task is dog training and instructing the dogs when searching for human remains.

K9. Do you consider yourself a Police officer who works with dogs, or a dog handler who works for the Police?

DK. (laughs.) You’ll get me into trouble with that one. No, the force ethos is that you are Police officers who work with dogs, but the reality for most dog handlers including myself is that you are definitely dog handlers first, who work for the Police.

K9. What is the best breed of dog for this type of work and why?

DK. We tend to use gun dog breeds for most work requiring a specialised dog. This includes cadaver dogs, but they are also excellent for detecting explosives and drugs. The reason for that is that Labradors and Spaniels represent a large portion of all dogs that are bred for work, and as such they tend to have better natural abilities.

K9. Given the sensitive nature of the work, are there any special qualities you look for when selecting dogs to work with?

DK. Ultimately the dogs have to be hard working dogs, that are willing to retrieve. But not special in the respect that we worry what people think about them, that is immaterial to us. It is pretty much the same criteria we require for dogs that search for explosives, we need highly motivated dogs that like to play.

K9. Do you train the dogs to be passive or active? (Passive dogs lay down to signal a find, active dogs dig when they have a find)

DK. My current dog (Missy, an extremely affable Golden Retriever) is trained as an active dog. Her reward when she has a find is food. If I was to train another human remains dog today the reward I would use would be a toy rather than food, simply because of past experiences I have had.

K9. Narcotics dogs are trained with pseudo-narcotics, what do you use to simulate human remains?

DK. Well firstly, we actually use real drugs to train with now. With regards to the human remains training we use a cadaverous pig. A dead pig is the closest you will get to a dead human

K9. What is the protocol when a person is missing feared dead, how do things unfold.

DK. My main job is training, and I do that during the week. The dogs are worth nothing to me if I can’t train them. So searches usually happen at the weekend. Although it sounds insensitive, it is not a matter of urgency, although the Police usually want everything done yesterday

K9. Obviously it is a distressing experience when the dog has a find how do you praise or reward the dog in this situation ?

DK. Although I am concerned about the job that I am doing and what it means to people, and I have feelings myself, I view all searches as training for my dog. You’ve got to be professional. One thing to remember is that the searches are almost always done away from the public eye, to protect the feelings of the people involved. But when Missy does have a find, it is imperative that I remain professional and give her praise in the usual way, which is lots of hand contact and verbal praise when she signals.

K9. Do the dogs pick up on any emotion involved?

DK. As soon as Missy signals a find, I move her away from the respective areas involved and go on to conduct the investigation with her out of the way. That is the only way you can do it.

K9. Your job is one of contrast. You have the pleasure of working with the dogs you have spent a long time training, but you also have to deal with the less than pleasant issue of dead bodies. Does one cancel out the other?

DK. No. Although it is very distressing, the majority of the time I am searching for people who have been murdered. There are also people who have gone missing, and quite a lot of times, I am searching for elderly people who have simply got lost on their own and succumbed to cold or fallen down. I always see it as allowing people who are related to the deceased to have closure. If it is murder, it allows us to continue the investigation, if it is a missing person, it finally allows people to grieve and say that that person is gone. That in itself gives me a degree of pleasure. I am able to let people carry on living their lives, whereas beforehand they would not have been able to do so.

K9. How do switch off from work when you get home?

DK. Again it comes down to experience of being a Police officer. You see a lot of things that upset you, not just death. You have to maintain a degree of distance. You cannot allow yourself to be affected. But then again, the Police force is changing. There have been situations where I have seen something that has caused me a great deal of concern, and the Police are now quite happy to assist with de-briefings and the like, even psychological assistance is commonplace to enable officers to get over something that has traumatised them.

K9. Does the nature of the job have any adverse affects on your life outside of your job?

DK. (emphatically.) No.

K9. What goes through your mind when the dog begins to signal that she has a find?

DK. The initial thought that goes through my mind is ‘Great, I’ve got a find’, Simple as that. Although it is a delicate thing that I’m searching for, I am still a dog handler and I’m getting a result. Which is the reason that I’m there.

After the interview David took me out to meet Missy. She was in a pen at the other end of the row of kennels. One thing I noticed was that every single dog in between David and Missy was deliriously excited by David’s presence. It was like a reverse domino rally as I watched each dog spring up in turn as David walked past them, politely acknowledging their presence.

Missy was as excited as any body else in David’s presence and she soon demonstrated to everyone present exactly how well trained she was. As we walked with her David explained some of the science behind human remains detection.

DK. When a person dies, the body automatically begins decomposing. The rate of decomposition depends on the conditions. If a body is buried it will be slower than if it were in the sun. If it is mummified, the process will be even slower as the covered body will be less susceptible to the decline induced by heat, or the presence of insects.

K9. What is it exactly that the dogs trace?

DK. The decomposing body is liquefied from the inside, by enzymes in the muscle tissue. This causes the body to swell, and give of the gas Hydrogen Sulphide. This what the dog will pick up on. There is H2S, present elsewhere in the atmosphere, which is why we use the pig. So that the gas is not taken in isolation and the dog is more familiar with what it should be seeking.

To the average pet loving reader, already pre-occupied with the plight of the disappearing Polar Bears, Black Rhino and Red Wolves, such an alarming piece of news could set off a panic. However, if we wade through the hyperbole, what shines through an otherwise unenlightening article like a beacon is that this whole story is – perhaps – nothing more than irresponsible spin, encouraging the production of more dogs which are clearly proving to be less than popular with the pet owning public at large. Let us examine.

“There is a pedigree breed for everyone” Said Bill Lambert of the Kennel Club in the article. Conveniently ignoring the whole concept of cross and mixed breed dogs. The agenda on the table here is that the Kennel Club are concerned about the numbers of dogs that are being bred being too low. Whilst every other animal welfare organisation in the country, possibly the world, is pushing for breeders and owners to limit the litters they produce, the Kennel Club is using the national media to encourage people to populate the country with puppies, the breeds of which are already proving to be unpopular.

A case in point is the Otterhound. The Otterhound was extremely useful in the seventeenth century, with its webbed paws, it would sweep majestically through water to hunt otters. Nowadays, we don’t hunt otter, so the breed has become less popular.

Vet Emma Milne, star of the hit TV show Vets in Practice and an outspoken animal welfare campaigner is not fooled by the Kennel Club spin:

“In my opinion the KC should be spending a lot more time and energy trying to improve the health of these breeds rather than merely trying to get numbers through the door. The Otterhound is a classic example. I’m sure when the breed originated it was highly athletic and well-adapted for purpose. As with so many breeds that are no longer needed for a purpose, looks have become more important for selection than health. The Otterhound has the worst hip record of any dog breed scored. Until the KC starts making health testing compulsory and takes a decent stance on pro-active dog health and welfare their wish for more puppies is, quite frankly, offensive.”

But the Kennel Club thinks it would be a good idea to breed more of these dogs and uses a page straight out of the BNP handbook for getting attention. The old “Foreign imports are to blame for eroding something traditional and British”, trick.

The Otterhound is a nice dog, friendly and intelligent with boundless energy and bred for a very specific purpose. But natural dog ownership trends have proved that the breed is not suitable for that many people today. Yet we are expected to agree with the Kennel Club that the right thing to do would be to stimulate an artificial demand for the breed on the grounds that it may become ‘extinct’ if we don’t? What rubbish.

Ever since the domestication of the dog, different breeds have been popular, with spikes and dips in popularity dictated by taste and necessity. Using the language of fear as it applies to entire species and sub-species of wild animals, words such as ‘extinct’ and ‘endangered’ is misguided at best, downright scaremongering at worst.

The aim, clearly, is to grow the numbers of these breeds. But how and why is it the job of anybody but society at large to dictate demand for the type of domestic pets we choose to own? When Disney puts out a film about Dalmatians we see a spike in trend. We see more Dalmatians in rescue centres the year after. Why? Because the sort of Dalmatian breeder/supplier who is prepared to let someone have a cute black and white spotty puppy on the basis that they felt compelled to own one after prompting from the big screen imagery, or the newspapers or magazines or the media in general, is, let’s be honest, not in any way, shape of form a responsible person to be selling dogs. They are capitalising on an trend created artificially by a larger movement.

Artificially creating a demand by playing to the human’s sense of idealistic emotion is not, has not, nor ever will be a responsible message to hit the general public over the head with. Demand can only be met if the supply is there. So let us assume the Kennel Club’s message does hit home and there is a sudden demand for more Otterhounds. Who meets that demand? Do established Otterhound breeders all of a sudden click back into action, dust off the old whelping boxes and get set for the endless stream of well prepared, wel researched army of followers suddenly attracted to their breed? Unlikely. The established, responsible Otterhound breeders are not currently flooding rescue centres with the product of their unwanted offspring. They tend to be supplying dogs to people who have discovered the Otterhound ‘naturally’. And you know who’d be first in the line to capitalise on the increased demand for Otterhound puppies should an artificial interest in the breed be stimulated via the media don’t you? You guess correct reader. It would be the self same breeders/suppliers who cashed in on the Dalmatian’s popularity when Disney pulled the same trick. Or the St Bernard when Beethoven was doing the rounds on the silver screen. We tend to call those people commercial dog dealers. Interested more in cashing in on ‘trends’ for dogs than actually improving or developing a breed.

To encourage more people to own these breeds so that they can justify the act of breeding the dogs in the first place. They are playing on people’s fears by saying the breeds are being driven to extinction by foreign imports.

Emma Milne agrees: “The KC and many lovers of rare breeds of all species use this fear often. Breeds are a totally man-made concept created by in-breeding. Using the word ‘extinct’ conjures up images of the dog species becoming extinct. In fact, on welfare and health grounds it can be argued that some breeds should become extinct because of their appalling conformation and inherited disease.”

With thousands of dogs, pedigree and otherwise, in rescue centres right at this very second, it’s saddening that the organisation that claims to exist for the benefit of dogs, is keen to influence trends. There is no getting away from the fact that by encouraging the demand for breeds who are proven to be less popular already, that demand would have to be met by an increase in supply. Who, after all, is or indeed should be influenced in their dog of choice by a message put out by the media? Don’t we usually condemn that sort of thing?

Over one hundred thousand dogs in rescue centres all over the United Kingdom and the Kennel Club is aiming to stimulate a growth in breeds that have proven themselves to be less and less popular in the first place?

The way in which this ‘message’ this ‘call to arms’ is being put across is most unsavoury.

By saying that people should choose dogs that suit their situation, they are contradicting themselves in the same breath by pushing people toward these ‘rare’ breeds. If the demand does not exist for these breeds naturally, maybe there is a reason?

The ‘resurrection’ of the popularity of the British Bulldog was recently hailed a great success by the American version of the Kennel Club. A once fine dog breed, now reduced to a shadow of its former self in terms of health, functionality and purpose. Yet there are celebrations abound that this one great dog breed is now back in the popularity polls.

According to AKC breed registrations, Bulldogs shot up 62 percent in popularity over the past ten years, and increased five percent over the last year. Why? How? You might ask. Is it because they’re all of a sudden much healthier, living longer, or they have escaped from the debilitating conditions they’ve been afflicted with since they started to hit the tip of a genetic bottleneck? Well, no. Because the French Bulldog is also on the rise. And according to AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson, that can be put down to:

“There must be a thing for that pushed in face – it is cute, and they’re wonderfully fun. Frenchies certainly have a sense of humour,”.

Don’t worry. You DID read that correctly. It’s all about ‘the pushed in face and the sense of humour’. Funny eh?

Emma Milne perhaps doesn’t see it quite such a humorous light:

“Bulldogs are a major cause of concern as far as health goes and can suffer from skin, eye, and skeletal disease to name a few, not to mention the fact that the breed is virtually incapable of giving birth any more. Without veterinary intervention both at the time of birth and throughout life for various deformities this breed would die out within a generation or two”.

In the Independent’s article, a graphic illustrates some of the breeds on the ‘endangered list’. Many will be surprised to see the Greyhound in at number 48. I say surprised because if looking around UK dog shelters has taught me anything, it’s that there is no shortage of Greyhounds looking for new homes. Not quite the same though. You need to be aware of that. The Greyhounds the KC are talking about are ‘different’ to the ones stacked up to the rafters in dog adoption shelters throughout the country.

If nothing else, surely the fact the Greyhound is on the ‘endangered’ list makes a mockery of the whole thing.

Please, do not be in anyway put off by considering any of the breeds appearing on the ‘rare’ list. Make your dog ownership decisions according to your lifestyle, conscience and the fruits of your research. There ARE some fantastic dogs on that list. But please, we urge you, don’t be fooled into owning a ‘rare’ breed because the Kennel Club tells you that if you don’t, you are, by-proxy, contributing to their demise and eventually ‘extinction’ a dog breed cannot become extinct. We (man) created them ourselves in the first place. Saying a dog breed can become extinct is like saying Nylon could become a extinct or Ipods could become extinct or the world’s supply of Bic razors could disappear – we, dog owners, decide on the dogs that are popular and we do it for a whole range of different reasons. We cannot make dog breeds become extinct unless we make the species extinct. And it doesn’t look like that’s something we’ve got planned for the immediate future.