The practice of tail docking to remove most of the tail to prevent this type of injury in dogs was banned in Britain in 2007, although some exemptions apply for specific breeds of working dog.

Among the 138,212 dogs seen by vets at the 52 practices during the study period, 281 were treated for a tail injury – a rate of 0.23%, adjusted for sampling.

The owners of 224 of these injured dogs, as well as a random sample of 799 owners whose dogs had not been treated for tail injury were sent a questionnaire on dog tail injuries and docking.

Only 97 of the owners whose dogs needed treatment and 227 of those whose dogs had not been injured replied.

But their responses indicated that around one in three tail injuries (36%; 35 cases) had occurred at home as a result of the dog knocking its tail against a wall, kennel wall or other household object.

A further 17.5% (17 cases) were sustained outdoors, while 14.4% (14 cases) were caused by the tail being caught in a door. In 15 (15.5%) other causes were cited; and in 16 (16.5%), the cause was unknown. Almost half of the injuries (44%) were recurrent.

Carnegie's seminal work named the dog as "the greatest winner of friends the world has ever known".

The self-help guru then went on to say:

"Did you ever stop to think that a dog is the only animal that doesn't have to work for a living? A hen has to lay eggs, a cow has to give milk, and a canary has to sing. But a dog makes his living by giving you nothing but love.”

If one of the most illustrious self-help minds of the past century can spot the value of thinking and behaving in line with man's best friend, Ryan O'Meara has taken the concept on to the next level in this book which reveals the hidden secrets behind…

• The dog's unique approach to conflict resolution. (learn to settle disputes favourably and without shedding blood).
• The dog's incredible (world famous) abilities to endear themselves to people and other animals, with a mere wag of a tail. (how to win REAL friends for life).
• How to the dog deploys unique mental techniques to cope with stress, illness and high pressure situations (how to be happier and healthier with positive mental attitude)
• Identifying and understand pack dynamic and prosper (how to get ahead in life, career and become prosperous without hurting people)
• How to survive when the odds are against it. (how to tough out the harshest of times and come out smiling)

Clever Dog examines the pivotal role dogs have played in the evolution of society, countries and culture. Did you know: had it not been for a dog, we may never have even heard about Alexander The Great?

The book is a fresh and innovative study of how man's best friend earned his name and, more importantly, how we can copy him to improve our mood, financial success, survival skills and ability to make more friends than we'd even know what to do with. In short, if you want to learn the secret to why the dog is the most loved animal on the planet, read this book.

Find out more / order the book Clever Dog: Life Lessons from Man's Best Friend by Ryan O'Meara – CLICK HERE. ]]> http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6580/think-like-a-dog-win-at-life-says-new-book/feed/ 0 http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6515/dancing-with-dogs-aka-heelwork-to-music/ http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6515/dancing-with-dogs-aka-heelwork-to-music/#comments Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:00:13 +0000 K9 Magazine Web Editor http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6515/dancing-with-dogs-aka-heelwork-to-music/
Continue Reading »]]> Canine Freestyle and Heelwork To MusicThe ingredients of dogs, music and dance have ensured that it is increasing in popularity at an incredible rate and the real beauty of this sport is that it is suitable for any breed of dog.

Canine Freestyle, also referred to as Heelwork To Music, is a fabulous sport especially for those who love dogs and music.

Music has been used by dog training clubs for many years to help maintain a good rhythmic pace when training for obedience. Mary Ray was one of the first people to present a seminar using music to enhance the obedience and from this Heelwork To Music evolved in this country.

Now officially recognised as a sport by The Kennel Club and growing rapidly in popularity, this new discipline is gaining recognition not only throughout the UK but around the world. The sport incorporates two categories – Heelwork To Music which asks for more precision and close work to the handler and Freestyle which is open to distance work and a greater variety of moves.

The dog and handler teams choreograph performances to their own choice of music, illustrating their training and relationship. This is the only dog discipline where the judge has not ‘set the round’ and this allows the handler to choose a performance to suit them and their dog. This gives all breeds the advantage of showing what they can do at a speed which really suits the team and thus illustrates the dog’s individual conformation and movement. Handlers of any age can participate and with any type a dog, there are no compulsory moves required to be performed in competition, which leaves scope to introduce moves which interpret the music in the best possible way.

No special equipment is necessary although props are allowed to enhance the routine and for incorporating into the performance. It is recommended that you use a CD player rather than a personal CD player as the dog needs to become accustomed to hearing the music. CD is preferable to cassette tapes as they can be instantly restarted at a particular point when creating your choreography and during training sessions.

You can train your dogs at home in a small carpeted area, your garden or maybe in your local park, in fact anywhere that has a safe surface for the dog to work on. At some stage you should try and find a large area for mapping out your display as the competition arenas can be as large as 25 x 20 metres and you should utilise maximum ring space during your routine.

As long as you have a basic level of control of your dog and a degree of patience, then teaching the moves should be quite straightforward. Through experience we have found that some very naughty dogs have become far more biddable through this training as the bond between handler and dog becomes established.

There are some moves which most dogs need to be taught in order to build a flowing routine with audience appeal. The basic moves are spins – both clockwise and anti-clockwise and leg weaves, which once taught will be invaluable to your performance. Each move should be taught slowly until the dog responds to a hand signal and then you can progress to just verbal commands which allow more freedom of expression for the handler.

Jumps can be incorporated and these are many and various as the dog can be taught to jump over different parts of the handler’s body and also the props if being used. Dogs are allowed to work on their hind legs, but this should be carefully monitored and trained very slowly so that the dog’s muscles can develop strength to support itself in this way. Some dogs do not have the necessary conformation for this, however, as no moves are compulsory, do not use hind leg work if in doubt of your dog’s capabilities.

Dogs can easily be taught to crawl, rollover, play bow and give independent paws. Most moves can be worked in different directions and these should be taught separately. It should also be noted that dogs can work on any side of the handler in both categories.

In a Kennel Club Competition there are eight official classes in the two categories (4 HTM and 4 Freestyle). Handlers and dogs new to the sport must enter a Starters class and from there will hopefully progress through Novice to Intermediate and then on to Advanced based on their results. When assessing eligibility to enter a competition, wins in one official category will not count for the other official category. At the discretion of the competition organisers, dogs may be entered in eligible classes in both categories, however, a different routine must be worked. Once a handler has qualified out of a starter class, then future entries with a new dog must be into novice in that category.

When training, it is recommended that you use small amounts of food which are easily swallowed by the dog as reward for correct behaviour. Try not to use food rewards which can crumble to the floor, as this will distract the dog’s attention and food which takes time to chew is not recommended as you will be spending more time waiting for your dog to finish eating rather than moving on to the next part. Slowly lure the dog with treats, training the different moves or positions and stating your chosen command as the dog manages the move. The dog will speed up when the food lure is removed and hand or body signals are taken by the dog as a cue.

You may well need a totally new vocabulary for your “commands” which should remain consistent and not sound similar to another move. This should ensure that your dog is not confused when progressing to verbal cues only.

Please remember that both you and your dog need to carry out warming up exercises in order to avoid unnecessary injury when starting a training session. All athletes warm their muscles before any physical exertion and your dog will become a honed athlete! A cooling down process is also advisable when your training session ends.

Whilst building a good repertoire of moves for your dog, you should start listening out for that special piece of music which you find suits your pace and that of your dog. Be sure that you like the music, as no doubt you will be playing this music many times in the coming months as the routine develops. YES! We did say months as it can take up to five months to choreograph and perfect a good routine.

This is also an excellent time to start thinking of a suitable costume to wear. Costumes are not compulsory; however, they can enhance a routine by depicting the character or theme of the music. Please ensure that you practice with your dog when you are wearing the complete attire as this is an essential part of the training exercise that some people forget.

Most fun days and competitions have to be entered in advance – usually about a month before the date of the event. Fun days can be entered by any dog, however, to enter a Kennel Club Competition all dogs must be registered with the Kennel Club, either as a Pedigree or through the Working and Obedience Register, which will allow crossbreeds and non registered pedigrees to participate once they have reached the age of 12 months.

If you choose to try this sport, you will find a welcoming atmosphere with help and advice available from those who already participate, be it the organisers, competitors, or those just enjoying a super day out at one of the events.

Canine Freestyle GB is a well established National Club with members throughout Great Britain and includes individuals from Belgium, Switzerland and the USA. The Club is run by a group of dog enthusiasts with members who have backgrounds in obedience, agility and working trials who were brought together by their common interest in Canine Freestyle and Heelwork to Music.

The committee and members promote this sport through public performances to entertain and create new interest. They also hold training days for beginners and improvers and organise Kennel Club Licensed Competitions aimed at both newcomers and the more experienced handlers.

Fun Days are a popular way to start as they allow toys and treats in the ring without the pressure of being judged. The committee also liaise with other like-minded organisations and clubs and have recently introduced the new Canine Freestyle GB incentive ‘Passport of Achievement’ in response to their members’ requests for a system which highlights the time and effort taken by the teams. This allows everyone taking part competitively or just for enjoyment to compile a record of achievement and be awarded with a rising scale of ribbons.

K9 Magazine Digital:
This editorial appeared in K9 Magazine Issue 15. To access back issues of K9 Magazine and view our digital articles archive, visit: www.k9magazine.com/join

A good query. So good in fact, we decided to write up a short article explaining the benefits, costs and advantages of understanding the various aspects of a pet insurance policy, with specific emphasis on lifelong pet insurance cover.

K9 Magazine’s article explains:

The costs of veterinary treatment are rising all the time as the science of veterinary medicine advances and it is common for courses of treatment to run into thousands of pounds.  When dogs get older, the chances that they will actually require treatment (and therefore need to claim on the pet insurance policy increases).

Read the article in full: Lifetime pet insurance cover.

PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Elaine Pendlebury, comments: “Losing a pet in any situation is heart breaking. It’s even worse when the loss is the result of a disease which could have been prevented through vaccination.

“Many of these preventable diseases can be very harmful to our pets. For example, over 80 per cent of puppies infected with the distemper virus will die. Some of these diseases can also affect us. Leptospirosis can cause serious diseases in people affecting the liver and kidneys, which again can be fatal.”

In cats, feline leukaemia (FeLV) is now the most common infectious cause of premature death in cats in the UK. It has been estimated that 8 out of 10 cats infected with FeLV will die within three years.

Rabbits don’t fare much better, either. One preventable disease, viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) is a very contagious and almost always fatal viral disease. The virus is very resistant and can remain active for almost four months.  In the acute form, the rabbit usually dies within a day or two after showing the first signs of the disease.

Elaine continues: “The development of many of these diseases is often horrific, and it is distressing for vets, nurses and owners alike to see a pet die when the problem could have been prevented with a simple vaccination.”

Whilst the PDSA are fully behind the call for dog owners to vaccinate, there are some dissenting voices who believe vaccinations are either unnecessary or even harmful.

Catherine O’Driscoll is founder of Canine Health Concern, and author of the book, ‘What Vets Don’t Tell You About Vaccines’.

She says:

“In January 2004, 31 vets went to the extreme lengths of signing a letter, published in Veterinary Times (UK), stating that annual vaccination ‘constitutes fraud by misrepresentation, fraud by silence and theft by deception’.  I called annual vaccination fraud ten years ago, fully aware that, if proven wrong in a court of law, I could be sued.  I wasn’t.

The truth is that we are vaccinating too much.

In 2000, the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents (COBTA) presented their consensus, stating:

When an annual booster vaccination  with a modified live virus (MLV) vaccine (i.e. Distemper , Parvovirus  or Fe Distemper) is given to a previously vaccinated adult  animal – no added protection is provided.  Modified live virus vaccines depend on the replication of the virus for a response. Antibodies from previous vaccines do not allow the new virus to replicate. Antibody titres are not boosted significantly, memory cell populations are not expanded. No additional protection is provided.

There is no scientific data to support label directions for re-administration of MLV vaccines annually.

Vaccines are not harmless. Unnecessary side effects and adverse events can be minimised by avoiding unnecessary vaccinations.

In short: annual vaccination is a waste of time.  Once immune, no added protection is provided by repetition.  Crucially, “vaccines are not harmless”.

COBTA announced that we should vaccinate every three years instead.  But you don’t need to vaccinate your animals every three years, either – because immunity lasts for years or life (RD Schultz, et al).  And every shot comes with risks.

In 1983, Frick and Brooks demonstrated that vaccines trigger conjunctivitis and dermatitis in dogs.

Canine Health Concern’s (CHC’s) vaccine survey, involving over 4,000 dogs, found that 56.9% of all dogs in the survey with conjunctivitis first developed it within three months of a vaccine shot, and 61.2% of dogs with dermatitis first manifested symptoms within this crucial timeframe.  Our premise is that if the vaccine has no bearing on subsequent illness, then only 25% of all illnesses should begin within each three-month period of the year. Most conditions began within a week of the shot.

We also found that 2.7% of all dogs surveyed had colitis, with 56.9% of cases occurring within three months post-vaccination.

The vaccinated group developed significant levels of autoantibodies of fibronectin, laminim, DNA, albumin, Cytochrome C, transferring, cardiolipin, and collagen.  When vaccinated, dogs begin to attack their own biochemistry: they become allergic to themselves.  One finding in the CHC survey, for example, was that 53.7% of dogs with kidney damage first developed the condition within three months of a shot.  In the Purdue study, one of the biochemicals being attacked post vaccination is laminin – and laminin coats kidney cells.

Similarly, autoantibodies to collagen might explain the locomotor conditions recorded against cats and dogs in a veterinary practice record survey conducted by the vet Ilse Pedler.  Vaccine components have also been found in the bones of arthritic patients, and other studies show that vaccines cause arthritis.

We need also to be alarmed that the Purdue study showed that vaccinated dogs develop autoantibodies to their own DNA, indicating that vaccines cause genetic damage.

A high number of behavioural problems were found to arise post-vaccination in the CHC survey: 73.1% of dogs with  short attention spans first developed them within three months;  72.5% developed nervous/worrying dispositions; and 64.9% began to display behavioural problems.

Encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, is an  accepted sequel to vaccination.  The Merck Manual states, “In acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (post infectious encephalitis), demyelination can occur spontaneously, but usually follows a viral infection or inoculation (or very rarely, a bacterial vaccine), suggesting an immunologic cause.”  This points to a connection between vaccine-induced brain inflammation and behavioural problems in both humans and animals.

In America, vets are vaccinating cats in the tail or leg so that they can amputate when cancer appears.  81.1% of dogs reported to have a tumour or growth at vaccine site in the CHC survey first developed it within the three-month post-vaccine period.

These are but some of the studies linking vaccines to life-changing or life-threatening illnesses.  Dr Jean Dodds, an American vet and researcher, has also written a number of scientific papers to correlate MLV vaccines and a rise in immune- and blood-mediated diseases such as cancer, leukaemia, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, thyroid disease, and Addisons.”[/pre_ad]

“If dogs talked, one of them would be president by now. Everybody likes dogs.” ~ Dean Koontz

An interesting analysis of world leaders and power brokers shows that dog ownership is an incredibly common binding trait. Leaders, it would appear, love dogs. And when it comes to leaders, the greatest of them all, it could be argued, was Alexander the Great.

Alexander was 32-years old when he died. In his short time on earth, he conquered most of the known world and has been exalted as one of history's most notable leaders.

Alexander’s conquests laid the foundations for modern civilisation and brought together the continents of Europe and Asia.

It says a deal about Alexander to learn that the revered Roman leader Julius Caesar – at the age of 32 – is said to have fallen to his knees and wept at a statue of Alexander bemoaning his own lack of achievements in comparison – something he was about to put right in the coming years.

But Caesar’s adulation and history as we know it may have been very, very different had it not been for a dog.

For without his beloved canine sidekick, Peritas, Alexander the Great might have been Alexander the Average. When the formidable leader was overwhelmed by the army of Persia’s Darius III, Alexander’s faithful companion is said to have leapt and attacked an elephant that was in the process of leading a charge against his master.

Alexander subsequently survived the onslaught and lived to pursue his now immortal conquests. Western civilisation as we know it could have been altered immeasurably had that dog not risked its own life to save that of its illustrious master. So enamoured with his beloved companion, Alexander named a city after Peritas. So you can see, dogs have been making quite an impression on the human landscape for quite a while now.

Peritas was a Molossian – an ancient breed from which today’s modern Mastiffs descended. The faithful dog followed Alexander throughout his epic conquests and risking its own life in battle with his master was not a one off.

When Alexander was trapped alone on the wrong side of the Mallians fortification, his men were blocked from reaching their leader. Leonnatus, one of Alexander’s loyal officers, who was fighting fiercely for his own survival during the battle heard Peritas howl and bark from behind him, and without looking over his shoulder he shouted “go Peritas ! run to Alexander!” The fearless dog ran through a great gathering of men fighting and leapt into a group of Mallians who had just inflicted a serious javelin wound on Alexander. Peritas took down several men giving Alexander’s own troops the time they needed to reach their leader and prevent him from being killed in battle.

Peritas, however, had not been so lucky. In saving his great master he had been mortally wounded himself.

With his last strength he laid his head on the wounded king’s lap and passed away gazing into the eyes of his master.

If a dog has changed the course of history before, who’s to say they won’t do it again?

It’s important, vitally important, we never forget what our dogs are prepared to do for us as humans. They can and do lay their lives down for ours – we must never fail to recognise their never ending loyalty and we must work to reward the role they have played in our lives for generation after generation.

It is even more ironic to acknowledge that some of the breeds that share a link in history to the great, brave, loyal Molossers of the past are now demonised and derided as ‘devil dogs’ by the misinformed. There are even those who seek to kill dogs based on nothing more than their heritage.

Alexander the Great is prominently depicted in art surrounded by dogs and he evidently had great affection for them, perhaps recognising in them traits that are not so ordinarily associated with the humans who surround themselves with people of great power and influence. A dog shows loyalty not because it believes it will inherit great wealth and power for himself. As such, his motives are largely transparent and free of conditions. Great leaders (and even bad ones) seem to share Alexander’s empathy with canine friends.

Some of the most influential and powerful world leaders have turned to dogs for loyalty and companionship. Who knows what amazing secrets may have been whispered in to the ear of a trusted canine confidant by some of history's most illustrious and notorious leaders.

Find out more about Clever Dog: Life Lessons From Man's Best Friend >>

We will be running more extracts from the book in the coming days so stay tuned! ]]> http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6534/the-influential-dog-extract-from-clever-dog-by-ryan-omeara/feed/ 0 http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/3837/puppy-farm-awareness-day-the-kennel-club-is-in-no-position-to-preach/ http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/3837/puppy-farm-awareness-day-the-kennel-club-is-in-no-position-to-preach/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:01:28 +0000 Ryan O'Meara http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=3837
Continue Reading »]]> Did you know, The Kennel Club have cashed the cheques and endorsed the registrations from high volume breeders (more than 10 litters per year) – the sort of breeders you and I may refer to as puppy farmers? Why does it matter? Well, The Kennel Club, you see, are keen to bring your attention to the plight of puppy farmed dogs and the horrors those pups are subjected to by the commercial dog dealers who produce them. They’re also keen to tell you that the solution lies in the Kennel Club’s very own Accredited Breeder Scheme (convenient, eh?). Tell me, please, in what other walk of life do you get to take (and bank) the money of the very people you are campaigning against and NOT be called a hypocrite for it?Puppy farming in the UK is an horrendous, ugly trade that has been left completely open for the unscrupulous to exploit and profit from for years and years and years. It’s as rife now as it’s ever been.

Puppy farmers breed dogs with the sole aim of lining their pockets. They don’t breed dogs with the sole aim of improving their breed and producing healthy, functional dogs – which should be the ONLY reason to EVER breed a single litter of dogs. Period.

Puppy farmers have been registering their dogs with the Kennel Club. The Kennel Club knows this.

Kennel Club registration, you see, adds ‘value’ and can raise the price a breeder may charge for their stock. It also leads the public in to thinking they are buying quality. That’s why they do it, see. The puppy farmer wants Kennel Club paperwork in order to present a credible façade or, believe you me, they would NOT be spending the extra money on doing it – profit margins are crucial to the commercial dog producers and dealers.

The Kennel Club has acknowledged that high volume breeders use its registry. Take a look:

Dr Sampson advised that Bill Lambert, the Accredited Breeder Scheme advisor, does inspect and completes around 50 visits per year. All breeders (mostly who own multiple breeds) who breed more than 10 litters per year have been visited and some removed from the list.

The above comes from a breed council meeting held just last year. Re-read it if you like.

All breeders – mostly who own multiple breeds – who breed more than 10 litters per year.

Let’s give the quote some context. The above response is cited in the minutes from the meeting in relation to the following:

The question was raised concerning checks on breeders premises and whether any Accredited Breeders had been taken off the list for non compliance.

Now, this is a nice hypothetical for you: If you heard about a breeder producing LESS than 10 litters per year, let’s say, oh I don’t know, maybe NINE litters? Who also owned ‘multiple breeds’ – what would you think they might be labelled as? A ‘high volume’ dog breeder?

Let’s move on. I have another hypothetical question for you.

You run a dog breed registry.

You don’t like puppy farmers. Oh no. You do NOT like puppy farmers. Or, for the benefit of clarity, let’s call them ‘high volume dog breeders’.

You don’t want these high volume dog breeders (OK, puppy farmers! Let’s call them what they are shall we?) to sully the name and reputation of your breed registry.

How do you prevent them from doing this?

A) You impose limits on individual breeders, dictating that  no more than 5 litters may be registered from the same breeder and/or premises in any given year.

B) You also insist that you will not accept a single registration without a veterinary certificate validating the health and condition of the dam along with appropriate breed health screening paperwork.

or

C) You don’t do any of that, but set up a SEPARATE scheme so you can still continue to take registrations from those high volume breeders who don’t health screen their stock…. but can act like you HAVE made a leap of progress by telling people to use your ‘accredited’ breeders instead?

We have an accredited breeder scheme, we have a breed registry – one contains puppy farmers and plenty of breeders that don’t adhere to basic health screening standards and one contains breeders who might be producing 9 litters or more per year but who fall under the category of being ‘accredited’. Both breeders can register their puppies with the Kennel Club. Both get Kennel Club registration paperwork and their registrations are endorsed with the Kennel Club seal of approval and, ultimately, the Kennel Club banks the cheques from both.

So, a simple question:

If you had that kind of a set up and you REALLY wanted to no longer allow a SINGLE puppy farmer to register their puppies with you and sully your name, cause damage by association to the GOOD breeders on your registry and PROFIT from the suffering of commercially bred dogs – why wouldn’t you make this simple move:

SHUT DOWN the registry and ONLY operate the accredited breeder scheme?

Seriously. Why would you not do that?

Yes, there’s a LOT of money in that breed registry. More money, in fact, than pours in to the accredited breeder scheme. But if YOU were going to stand on a soap box and lecture people about the horrors of puppy farming, wouldn’t YOU try to make DAMN sure you weren’t still cashing the cheques from some of the very people whom you are warning the public about? Wouldn’t you feel a bit ‘funny’ wagging your finger at the public preaching about puppy farmers when you’ve got some seriously high volume breeders using your own registry and sending their cash your way?

The Kennel Club have issued a press release today that states:

The Kennel Club and Thepet.net co-founders, TV vet Marc Abraham and social media guru Andrew Seel, want people to know the truth about where badly-bred puppies come from and help them choose a happy and healthy puppy bred by a reputable breeder, rather than a sick or diseased farmed one.

Kennel Club Veterinary Advisor and TV vet, Marc Abraham, said: “I am treating more and more puppies that have come from puppy farms than ever before.

“Puppy buyers often don’t know how to spot the signs of an irresponsible breeder and so continue to unwittingly line the puppy farmers’ pockets, fueling this cruel trade.

“It is imperative that prospective puppy buyers buy from a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder and that they sign the Kennel Club’s petition to get the principles and standards of this Scheme made mandatory for all breeders. These breeders love and care for their puppies, agree to follow certain standards and agree to allow a Kennel Club inspector access to their premises. Here are my top tips for choosing a puppy:

1.      For a pedigree puppy always contact the Kennel Club first for their list of reliable and reputable Kennel Club Accredited Breeders.
2.      Ask to see the puppy’s mother, who should always be with the pups.
3.      Always see the puppy in its breeding environment and ask to look at the kenneling conditions, particularly if they were not raised within the breeder’s house. If you suspect the conditions are not right, then do not buy the puppy.
4.      Be suspicious of any breeder selling more than one or at most two breeds.
5.      Be prepared to be put on a waiting list – a healthy puppy is well-worth waiting for.
6.      Ask if you can return the puppy if things don’t work out. Responsible breeders will always say yes.
7.      Never buy a puppy because you feel like you’re rescuing it. You’ll only be making space available for another poorly pup to fill.
8.      Consider alternatives to buying a pedigree puppy like getting a rescue dog or pup, and remember that every breed of dog has its own breed rescue society.”

People can sign the Kennel Club’s petition, which asks the government to enforce a mandatory set of standards for all breeders, based on those already followed by Kennel Club Accredited Breeders and that put the puppies’ health and welfare first and foremost.

OK.

Some sage words there. No doubt.

But let’s dig, shall we?

Be suspicious of any breeder selling more than one or at most two breeds.

Really?

30 seconds.

30 seconds is all it took me to find Kennel Club Accredited breeders who breed more than two breeds. I did a quick search on the Kennel Club website for Accredited Breeders and within just a few clicks I located accredited breeders who bred more than two different breeds.

So, I’m confused.

I should be “suspicious” of these (accredited) breeders yet….

“It is imperative that prospective puppy buyers buy from a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder”

I must reiterate, it took me less than 30 seconds to find Kennel Club accredited breeders who breed more than two breeds.

And here’s the thing, I have absolutely no qualms whatsoever in accepting that a quality breeder can happen to breed more than two different breeds and a horrendous breeder may produce just one litter in their entire lives. The point is that there is confusion, muddied communication/advice and, ultimately, rampant hypocrisy at play.

How can we be expected to listen to a lecture on the horrors of puppy farming when it is coming from an organisation that accepts the cheques of the very people it is seeking to warn us about?

Most right minded people want puppy farming to become a thing of the past. I am absolutely certain that the Kennel Club would like it that way too. But, fact is, the Kennel Club is running a two tiered system which means they ARE enabling puppy farmers to operate under a veil of implied credibility. If you cash the cheque yet have the means to set the standard rather than take a ‘do as we say, not as we do’ approach, then some questions need to be asked.

But let’s remember this. Let’s focus on it. Let’s draw attention to it. Let’s ask it, out loud:

If the Kennel Club believes in its Accredited Breeder Scheme so much. If the Kennel Club believes ALL breeders should comply to the standards of the Accredited Breeder Scheme, then why don’t they simply do away with their flawed registry and ONLY operate the Accredited Breeder Scheme?

Surely if they want to be taken seriously on an issue like puppy farming and their commitment to eradicating sub standard breeding practices, they could take a giant step toward that goal by NOT allowing those very breeders who they publicly condemn to register their puppies with the Kennel Club and tacitly give those breeders the credibility they so clearly crave?

Let’s wind the clock back to February of this year  when Caroline Kisko of the Kennel Club informed Dog World newspaper that they (The KC) would not insist on operating the standards of the Accredited Breeder Scheme on a wholesale basis across all of the breeders who register puppies with the Kennel Club unless it applied to ‘all dogs’.

The question was put to Ms Kisko that all breeding dogs be subject to compulsory health screening. Here is her (verbatim) response:

Well, that to us is, is one of those things that if everybody joins something like the Accredited Breeders’ Scheme, and I’m not saying it has to be a Kennel Club’s one, but if everybody follows the requirements of something like the breeders’ scheme, then you would have that in the palm of your hand, but we, the Kennel Club is not going to go down that route for every Kennel Club registered dog as long as it’s not a requirement for other dogs, because all that’ll happen is that you’ll have the bar set at one level for Kennel Club registered dogs and the bar set way down low, in other words probably non existent for all the other dogs, and that’s actually completely unfair on both Kennel Club registered dogs and people buying dogs because… ok, you can say, well, that way we’ll know that those are the crème de la crème. What about all the other dogs? Do we not care about how they’re bred? Of course we do, and because of that, the Kennel Club will hold out against this idea that you can set one set of criteria for Kennel Club registered dogs and a different set for other dogs.

This is bizarre thinking.

Imagine if The Telegraph newspaper informed its readers that it would not insist on strict, high quality editorial standards unless all other newspapers agreed to follow exactly the same, over and above those minimum requirements according to the laws of the land? “We’ll only adhere to the same editorial standards as The Beano unless we’re forced to do otherwise”. No. It doesn’t work that way. Why would an organisation not set its own standards as high as it possibly could rather than simply ask to be judged against the lowest common standards expected of every other Tom, Dick and Harry?

By worrying about ‘every other dog’ the Kennel Club continues to allow sub-par breeders to thrive. I believe they know it, too.

The Kennel Club knowingly operates its very own two tier system:

1) The Accredited Breeder scheme – which it implores you to acknowledge as the best, most foolproof method of buying a quality puppy

2) The Kennel Club registry, which contains puppies registered by commercial/high volume breeders (you know, PUPPY FARMERS!).

What lies at the heart of these obvious double standards?

You decide.

But please, focus on the issue of puppy farming and give your full, unequivocal support to Puppy Farm Awareness Day via these superb groups:

• Puppy Love
• Hope UK
• Puppy Alert

I guarantee this: NONE of those organisations are cashing cheques from puppy farmers. They don’t operate double standards and they are in a position to give you sound, clear advice on how you can help to fight the cruel trade of the commercial dog dealers.

In a previous issue of K9 Magazine we looked to the future to see what our dogs will be doing years from now. Which got us thinking, what would the world be like if dogs had never existed at all? Give it a moment or two to settle and this becomes a rather unnerving thought. Aside from the obvious lack of fun in the world, the entire cultural and political history of our planet would be altered.

We have lived with dogs for over 14,000 years. As pets, protectors, farm hands, hunters and transport, but without dogs, the inspiration to change the world, the courage to fight and win battles and the people who made the most difference would have been missing. Read on and be amazed at just how many times the humble dog has lent his paw to the development of the human race.

In a world without dogs…. would we have telephones?

Alexander Bell, long before he decided to add the name Graham into the mix, found fascination with the noises that emanated from the mouth of his family’s pet dogs. He would sit for hours, pressing his hand against the chest and throat of the dogs, whilst encouraging them to bark and growl. It was at this formative juncture in his life that he became obsessive about the relationship between sound and vibrations.

The young inventor moved to Boston, Massachusetts and with the help of a financial backer and his close friend Watson, he started work on developing the idea of the telegraph machine that could send multiple messages.

Still fascinated with the idea of transporting sounds as vibrations, he and Watson abandoned their initial plans and focussed on the idea of the telephone. One hot night in 1875, Bell communicated the following message to Watson via his device. “Watson, come over here, I need you” and the telephone was invented. But had Bell not grew up with pet dogs, would his interest in sound and vibration have been ignited?

In a world without dogs…. would Europeans have colonised the Americas?

Dogs have been endemic on the continents of North America and South America for thousands of years, many dogs had their homes in Indian settlements. But when the conquistadors arrived from Spain, the dogs they brought with them were not mere companions, but warriors. Bloodhounds were employed by the Spaniards to chase and capture any escaping natives as they began the process of colonising the newly found land. It was at this time that the idea of purebred dogs was introduced.

If the invaders had not had their dogs, it is believed that the Indians would have had a greater chance of defending themselves, and thus preventing America from being taken over by Europeans.

In a world without dogs…. would man have walked on the moon in 1969?

On July 21st 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. Eight years prior to this, Russia put Yuri Gagarin into space, making him the first human ever to do so. But this ‘giant leap for mankind’ could not have happened had it not been for Laika, the stray dog from Moscow who holds the title of being the first ever living thing to enter space, having been blasted into orbit on November 2nd 1957 she lead the human race into a new era of space travel.

In a world without dogs… would we all be speaking German?

The Second World War was one of the biggest turning points in the history of mankind. Had Hitler won, no doubt he would have executed all of his plans. This means as a nation we would now all be talking German, provided our Grandparents hadn’t been killed.

Fortunately the allied defeated Hitler, with the Russian forces finally tracking him down in Berlin in 1945. It is often said that it was the harsh Russian winter that won the war, as the Nazis simply couldn’t penetrate the barren waste lands to get at the Russian forces. So if the Nazis, one of the most sophisticated and ruthless armies in history couldn’t get at the Russians, how did the Russians manage to get through to them?

The red army trained and used over 50,000 dogs. A man lost in the middle of a Russian winter would simply perish, a wounded man would perish twice as fast, but the secret weapon that the Russians had up their sleeves, enabled them to locate and rescue many soldiers who would have otherwise died. Meaning that the conditions didn’t deplete their numbers as they travelled across to Germany, whilst the Nazi war machine ground to a halt coming in the opposite direction, leaving Hitler prone to capture.

During one battle, near the town of Duminichi, a German shepherd named Bob, located sixteen wounded men, who had crawled into the trenches. Bob, like all of the Red Army dogs would lay down beside a wounded man offering warmth, until he took some dressing from a medical kit strap on the dog's back.

A team of sled dogs in five weeks, carried 1,239 wounded men from the battlefield and hauled 327 tons of ammunition to where it was needed. White Samoyeds were used to pull Russian soldiers, dressed in white, behind enemy lines. Had the Russians been unable to penetrate their own unforgiving climate and conditions, the war could have taken a very different turn.

In a world without dogs… would we have fresh milk, wine or beer?

Louie Pasteur, the man responsible identifying the link between bacteria and disease, changed the world. Using a rabid dog in his experiments, Pasteur was able to find a cure for Rabies, which lead him to such fame and high regard that a public fund raising exercise enabled him to open the Pasteur Institute, a clinic for the research into infectious diseases. Also at the clinic, the process of pasteurisation for removing bacteria from perishable foods, methods for preserving wine and beer have all been developed.

In a world without dogs…. would we have Velcro?

One day in the summer of 1948, George De Mestral an amateur Swiss mountaineer took his dog for a nature hike. Upon returning, he noticed that his dog was covered in burrs, little plant seeds that stick to anything furry. Rather than combing the dog, he fetched his telescope and examined how the burrs were attaching themselves to his dog’s coat.

Upon realising the burrs had hooks and the fur formed a loop, he began to develop an idea of his own. Following a period of trial and error, the mountaineer turned inventor patented his design which now forms a multi billion dollar industry with over sixty million yards of Velcro produced each year.

Their world without dogs.

K9 Magazine has been finding out how regular dog owners the world over imagine a world without dogs to be.

Allen Parton is synonymous with his loyal, sadly departed, canine sidekick Endal. Endal was given to Allen by Canine Partners, as Allen was confined to a wheelchair after sustaining injuries in the Gulf War. Allen has spoken numerous times about how Endal has changed his life “I'd not have the quality of live these last ten years if there were no dogs in our lives, the psychological benefit of Endal has amazed the medical world!”

Leslie Darney, from Woodbridge, New Jersey, explained how her life would have turned out very differently if dogs hadn’t existed. “My husband passed away in February 2004 after a long illness. I went into a black hole of despair and depression, I was close to suicide and suddenly my life changed. My brother was taken ill, and I was the only person he trusted to care of his beloved Jack Russell. Clearly feeling lost and lonely, Muffin relied on me for comfort. For the first time since my husband’s death, I felt like I had a purpose for living and I dedicated my time to looking after Muffin, with whom I fell in love with. I am now a lot happier and have two Labradors of my own”

Julia James, from Ontario explained how her life would be without dogs. “I met my husband Roy because of my Black Labrador, Charlie. I had been walking Charlie in the woods and he was all muddy. On the way home, I tied him up outside a shop for a second whilst I went in. When I was in there I heard a man’s voice say ‘oh look at that you mucky boy’. I ran out and saw Roy standing there with mud all over his shirt. Charlie had jumped up to say hi to Roy, who was petting him, and he got him filthy. If Charlie hadn’t been so friendly, Roy could have walked right past and I would never have met him”

K9 Magazine Digital:
This editorial appeared in K9 Magazine Issue 15. To read more back issue articles visit the subscription page ]]> http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6517/if-dogs-had-never-existed-how-would-the-world-look-today/feed/ 0 http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6505/free-trial-hills-science-diet-weight-loss-system/ http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6505/free-trial-hills-science-diet-weight-loss-system/#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:41:14 +0000 Jennifer White http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=6505
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With the high costs of vet bills and a need to cherish one’s loved pet, pet insurance is a necessity for many pet owners. Pets can fall ill or become injured at any time and require immediate care and attention. Protecting against the unexpected provides a valued peace of mind for pet owners.

Pet insurance undoubtedly provides cover against the unexpected but also it seems, against the VERY unexpected! Due to the unpredictable nature of animals, sometimes the unimaginable can arise and the trusty pet insurance policy is called upon to save the day.

Here are some examples of some of the strangest recent pet insurance claims to date:

1. Emergency surgery was undergone for a German Shepherd that had the bright idea of ingesting a whole container of gorilla glue. The glue subsequently became a large solid mass inside the dog’s stomach requiring urgent attention. This lucky dog made a full recovery after the operation.

2. A Labrador owner was busy baking while their Retriever was busy eating a wooden spoon that had fallen into the dog’s reach. It was not until an X-ray at the veterinary surgery that the owner discovered what their daft animal had done. By this time, the spoon had split into a collection of smaller pieces and each individual piece needed removing by surgery.

3. A cat ate five fingers made of rubber on a young girl’s Halloween costume that had been left lying on the floor. The rubber fingers made their way to the cat’s stomach where they later had to be surgically removed.

4. An unfortunate dog, through no fault of its own, contracted a virus and developed a rare disease known as Ehrilichiosis. The dog battled through a lengthy treatment program that accrued vet bills in excess of £10,000. This customer was certainly glad to have carried out a pet insurance comparison to find a suitably comprehensive cover.

5. A bulldog had been left at home for an extended period of time and became restless. Something possessed it to (yes really) eat an entire chair made of wood. Alarm bells started ringing when the owner returned home and discovered their chair missing and only a few fragments remaining on the floor. Unsurprisingly they also noticed the dog was in rather a lot of pain. The dog was rushed to the vets for emergency treatment.

6. An owner was playing with his dog by throwing a ball for the dog to retrieve. Rather irresponsibly perhaps of the owner, they were playing dangerously close to a cliff top. The owner accidentally threw a ball over the top of the cliff and the obedient dog jumped right after it. This story did not end well and it is a sad case of when an insurance company pays out upon the unexpected death of a pet.

7. A Labrador Retriever loved chewing on socks but took it too far one day and ate one. The sock made her sick and she vomited the sock back up. However, she later ate it again and had to undergo emergency surgery following an intestinal blockage.

8. A dog, obviously not realising the dangers of taking a drug overdose, consumed an entire packet of ibuprofen. The dog had to be carefully monitored at the vets and placed on a drip for several days before it fully recovered.

9. A dog of the Vallhund breed, notorious for having an aggressive nature (in fact it was once used as a fighting dog by the Vikings), managed to end up hospitalised after being bitten by a rat on the lip.

10. A Labrador Retriever (what is it with these breeds?) ate a sharp pronged fishing hook from a bucket of bait. The rather poorly animal had to be given tranquillisers before the hook was able to be removed.

So it can be seen that animals, usually dogs, are a liability unto themselves and the very un-expected, although quite rare, can happen.

Pet insurance comparison websites provide customers with information on a range of pet insurance products. Different insurers and policies provide different advantages and benefits. For pet owners looking for key things to consider when taking out pet insurance, it might be worth them thinking about how daft their pet is when they execute their pet insurance comparison search! Indeed, owning a Labrador Retriever might well require a different sort of pet insurance comparison to a breed with perhaps a little more common sense!

One thing that may influence the customer’s decision on which pet insurance comparison result to choose, is whether the insurer will allow the vet to bill them directly. Insurance companies that pay vet bills outright (excluding any excess), avoid a very expensive initial outlay on the customer’s part.