Hi Everyone.
I have an apology to make. I have always made the statement "blame the deed not the breed" and I was reading through some of the literature for Paws Abilities school - in particular the school rules and I realised that I had included a really stupid rule. The rule states that "all pit bull terriers will be muzzled when on the school grounds - no exceptions". Now I must tell you that I have never enforced that rule unless a dog (of any breed) would present a danger to other dogs or people.
If I am honest - I included the rule in case I needed to muzzle a potentialy dangerous dog. Not thinking (as with me is often the case) that it could ever be an issue.
Anyway it has come to my notice that some individuals perceive that I am anti pitbull, where in fact - nothing is further from the truth! We regularly have the breed in our early puppy education group and our other group lessons and I can state that each dog is evaulated on its own merit just as I would with any dog! I find them a really handsome breed asthetically - love the build and look, and generally have found them to be fun to work with, intellegent and have really had little problems with them in the school environment.Again I reitorate - no more problems than I have had with any other breed!
So please accept my apologies if it appeared that I am anti ANY breed of dog and I am sorry if there was any kind of misunderstanding.
My motto is BLAME THE DEED - NOT THE BREED
I might add that in over 35 years of working with dogs - I have been bitten more times by toy breeds than any of the fighting breeds.
Hope that clears up any feelings that I am anti dog!
Regards
Lou
Monday, February 28, 2011
Having a dog keeps your kids healthy!
Survey Reveals Kids With Dogs Are More Active
Posted by K9 Magazine Web Editor on February 28, 2011 in Dog News
Have you often wondered if having a dog would benefit your families health, getting you outdoors and give you a more active lifestyle? A new study reported today in The Tennessean has the answer! Researchers had 618 kids ranging between the ages of 12-16 years old wear accelerometers for a week to measure their physical activity. Half the families of the kids had dogs and half did not.
The study showed the kids in families with dogs got 32.1 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day, while those without dogs got 29.5 minutes. The difference isn't much, but lead author John R. Sirard of the report said it's big enough to suggest more study be done.
Parents of the teens also wore the lightweight devices, but the difference in activity levels between adults in the two groups was nonexistent, Sirard said, suggesting the kids might have been the ones taking the dogs out. The families were not asked who cared for the dogs.
The study which was undertaken at the University of Minnesota, was one of the first to examine the relationship between adolescents and dogs. Sirard, a professor at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, said the research didn't take into account the size or breed of the dog, the safety of the neighborhoods where the families lived or the level of attachment the kids had to the pets.
It's also possible that more active families were the ones that decided to get dogs in the first place, he said.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Results appear in the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Posted by K9 Magazine Web Editor on February 28, 2011 in Dog News
Have you often wondered if having a dog would benefit your families health, getting you outdoors and give you a more active lifestyle? A new study reported today in The Tennessean has the answer! Researchers had 618 kids ranging between the ages of 12-16 years old wear accelerometers for a week to measure their physical activity. Half the families of the kids had dogs and half did not.
The study showed the kids in families with dogs got 32.1 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day, while those without dogs got 29.5 minutes. The difference isn't much, but lead author John R. Sirard of the report said it's big enough to suggest more study be done.
Parents of the teens also wore the lightweight devices, but the difference in activity levels between adults in the two groups was nonexistent, Sirard said, suggesting the kids might have been the ones taking the dogs out. The families were not asked who cared for the dogs.
The study which was undertaken at the University of Minnesota, was one of the first to examine the relationship between adolescents and dogs. Sirard, a professor at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, said the research didn't take into account the size or breed of the dog, the safety of the neighborhoods where the families lived or the level of attachment the kids had to the pets.
It's also possible that more active families were the ones that decided to get dogs in the first place, he said.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Results appear in the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
PLEASE PRINT THIS - AND TAKE A COPY TO YOUR LOCAL POLICE STATION AND/OR DISTRIBUTE FAR AND WIDE!
Hi Everyone.
People often become very disolusioned with the animal welfare situation in this country. My view is that "the buck stops with each and every individual person". We CAN make a difference, all we need to do is to be a little more proactive.
Having had several conversations with some of our SAPS public servants - I was horrified to find out that most have little or no knowledge of the offences under the Animal Protection Act. So I came up with a PLAN!
If each police station has a copy on their notice board on at the front desk, it would help our officers to do their job. Now I am not expecting the police to become animal cops - Even I am not so naieve to realise that there is some other rather important crime prevention needed in SA. However, as it is an "offence" NOT to report animal abuse - in my humble opinion it then also becomes the SAPS's job to INTERVENE until an animal protection officer or inspector is informed or takes over!
So - if everyone forwards a copy of the Animal Protection Act to their entire mailing list. And everyone prints a copy and puts it up at their local police station - has a friendly chat with the charge office staff - we can make a HUGE difference within the scope of the law!
I have also attached an open letter that I wrote to the policemen of our beautiful country - and hope it does not fall on deaf ears!
So lets all be PRO-ACTIVE, take a stand and start to make a difference!
Cheers for now
Lou
OFFENCES UNDER THE ANIMAL PROTECTION ACT:
NUMBER 71 OF 1962
(Assented to 16 June 1962) (Date of Commencement: December 1962)
The term “animal” means any equine, (horse), bovine (cow or cattle), sheep, goat, pig, fowl, ostrich, dog, cat, or other domestic animal or bird, or any wild animal, wild bird or reptile which is in captivity or under the control of any person.
2. Offences in respect of animals. ---- (1) Any person who -----
a) (Obvious Cruelty) Overloads, overdrives, overrides, ill-treats, neglects, infuriates, torturers or maims, or cruelly beats, kicks, goads, or terrifies any animal; or
b) (Chaining up or confinement) Confines, chains, tethers or secures any animal unnecessarily, or under such conditions, or in such a manner or position, as to cause that animal unnecessary suffering or in any place which affords inadequate space, ventilation, light, protection, or shelter from heat, cold or weather; or
c) (Lack of food and water) Unnecessarily starves or under-feeds, or denies water or food to any animal; or
d) (Poisoning) Lays or exposes any poison or any poisoned fluid or edible matter of infectious agents, except for the destruction of vermin, or marauding domestic animals, or without taking reasonable precautions to prevent injury or disease being caused to animals ; or
e) (Neglect) Being the owner of any animal, deliberately or negligently keeps such animal in a dirty, or parasitic condition, or allows it to become infested with external parasites or fails to render, or procure, veterinary or other medical treatment or attention, whether through disease, injury, delivery of young, (pregnancy or labour) or any other cause, or fails to destroy (provide euthanasia or destroy) or cause to be destroyed, any such animal which is so seriously injured, or diseased or in such a physical condition, that to prolong its life would be cruel, and would cause such animal unnecessary suffering; or
f) (Equipment) Uses on, or attaches to any animal any equipment, appliance or vehicle, which causes, or will cause, injury to such animal, or which is loaded, used or attached in such a manner as will cause such animal to be injured, or to become diseased, or to suffer unnecessarily; or
g) (Hunting) Save for the purpose of training hounds maintained by a duly established and registered vermin club in the destruction of vermin, liberate any animal in such a manner or place as to expose it to immediate attack or danger of attack, by other animals or by wild animals, or baits or provokes any animal or incites any animal to attack another animal; or
h) Liberates any bird in such manner as to expose it to immediate attack, or danger of attack by animals, wild animals or wild birds; or
i) (Transport – including carts etc) Drives or uses any animal which is so diseased, or so injured, or in such physical condition that it is unfit to be driven, or to do any work; or
j) (Trapping) Lays any trap or other device for the purpose of capturing, or destroying, any animal, wild animal or bird, the destruction of which is not proved to be necessary, for the protection of property, or for the prevention of the spread of disease; or
k) Having laid any such trap or other device, fails either himself, or through some competent person, to inspect and clear such trap or device, at least once each day; or
l) Except under the authority of a permit issued by the magistrate of the district concerned, sells a trap, or other device, intended for the capture of any animal, including any wild animal (not being a rodent) or wild bird, to any person who is not a bona fide farmer; or
m) (Road transport) Conveys, carries, confines, secures, restrains or tethers any animal –
(i) under such conditions, or in such a manner or position, or for such a period of time, or over such a distance, as to cause that animal unnecessary suffering; or
(ii) in conditions affording inadequate shelter, light or ventilation, or in which, such animal is excessively exposed to heat, cold, weather, sun, rain, dust, exhaust gas, or noxious fumes; or
(iii) without making adequate provision for suitable food, potable water and rest, for such animal, in circumstances where it is necessary; or
n) (Poisoning) without reasonable cause administers to any animal any poisonous or injurious drug or substance; or
o) ……………….
p) (Abandonment) Being the owner of any animal, deliberately or without reasonable cause or excuse, abandons it, whether permanently or not, in circumstances likely to cause that animal unnecessary suffering; or
q) Causes, procures or assists in the commission or omission of any of the aforesaid acts or, being the owner of any animal permits the commission or omission of any such act; or
r) By wantonly or unreasonably or negligently doing or omitting to do any act or causing or procuring the commission or omission of any act, causes any unnecessary suffering to any animal; or
s) Kills any animal in contravention of a prohibition in terms of a notice published in the Gazette under section (3) three of this section,
Shall, subject to the provisions of this Act and any other law, be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or the imprisonment for a period not exceeding twelve months or to such imprisonment without the option of a fine.
ANIMAL FIGHTS:
1) Any person who -
a) Possess, keeps, imports, buys, sells, trains, breeds or has under his control, an animal for the purpose of fighting any other animal;
b) Baits, or provokes, or incites, any animal to attack another animal, or to proceed with the fighting of another animal,
c) For financial gain or a form of amusement promotes animal fights;
d) Allows any of the acts referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c) to take place on any premises, or place in his possession, or under his charge or control
e) Owns, uses or controls any premises, or place, for the purpose or partly for the purpose, of presenting animal fights on any such premises, or place, or who acts, or assists, in the management of any such premises, or place, or who receives any consideration, for the admission of any person, to any such premises or place; or
f) Is present as a spectator, at any premises, or place, where any of the acts referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c) is taking place, or where preparations are being made for such acts.
Shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exciding two years.
APPEAL TO ALL POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE PROUD OF THEIR PROFESSION:
Recently there have been some horrific cases of animal abuse in the news headlines. The two that immediately come to mind are :- The case where a Sundra man slowly hacked off the head of a young Husky puppy with a petrol chain saw, because it killed his pet bird. And more recently - after a truck carrying over 150 pigs jack-knifed in the Eastern Cape, a frantic mob converged, hacking at living flesh, butchering suffering animals whilst still alive. Please see the attached report.
I have been distributing copies of the offences listed under the Animal Protection Act, to police stations throughout the country – most of which I must state, have been received with enthusiasm from officers.
The public believe that police officers are lazy, corrupt, and uncaring – I DON’T.
I believe that there are a large number of police officers who wear their uniforms with pride, and go out of their way to make a difference. I am asking you to help to make a difference in another avenue of your job. You do not have to agree with the law, or agree with the contents of the Animal Protection Act. That is your right as an individual human being, in a free country. YOU DO NOT EVEN HAVE TO LIKE ANIMALS – but please consider the following:-
If you are cut – you bleed: - So do animals! If you are beaten – you bruise – So do animals!
If you are tortured – you are traumatised – So are animals! If you don’t have shelter in the winter, or shade in the sun– you will feel the cold and the heat, and you will suffer! – So do animals! If you are starved – you will die a painful death – So do animals! Animals feel and experience pain, fear, hunger, thirst and suffering! JUST LIKE US! Therefore, even if you are NOT an animal lover – perhaps you could for one minute, just put yourself in their shoes, and as a thinking, feeling, human being, feel compassion for a creature that cannot speak for itself.
The link between animal abuse, child abuse, abuse against women and especially serial killers has been clearly documented, for many years. Many serial killers started off their sick careers, by torturing and mutilating animals. Eventually these sick people progress to committing the same abuse and torture on people (often defenceless children and woman).
If one thinks that OUR children, wives, brothers, and sisters could, at some time, fall prey to such monsters, it might make us think twice, and then consider the Animal Protection Act.
I am not expecting you to become the “animal police” – that would be foolish. What I am asking is that if, in the course of your duty, you come across abuse, or obvious cruelty, (as listed under the APA) you report it immediately to the relevant SPCA. If there is an obvious emergency such as with the recent pig case – it is your duty to intervene immediately until the animal inspectors are there to take over, and it is your duty, to assist them if, and where necessary. What I am asking you to do is to respect the law, and follow it through.
I am asking you, not only to be concerned with laws for rapists/murderers and robbers, I am asking you to consider all laws, and that includes LAWS THAT PROTECT ANIMALS.
The offences listed under the animal protection act are very simple and very clear – and it must be pointed out that it is an offence not to report contraventions of the Act to the SPCA. It is also an offence for an officer not to intervene in an emergency.
Do not forget that people who abuse animals often also abuse people. This is fact! Standing up for something that is right, gives officers another reason to be proud. I would like YOU to prove the public wrong! Prove that we can be proud of ALL officers! Prove that you are willing to uphold ALL OF THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY. Let all South Africans work together, and make our wonderful country proud of us. Let us not hang our heads in shame because we couldn’t be bothered, or were too busy, or in too much of a hurry to make a difference!
Louise Thompson :
Mobile - 082-890-0905
People often become very disolusioned with the animal welfare situation in this country. My view is that "the buck stops with each and every individual person". We CAN make a difference, all we need to do is to be a little more proactive.
Having had several conversations with some of our SAPS public servants - I was horrified to find out that most have little or no knowledge of the offences under the Animal Protection Act. So I came up with a PLAN!
If each police station has a copy on their notice board on at the front desk, it would help our officers to do their job. Now I am not expecting the police to become animal cops - Even I am not so naieve to realise that there is some other rather important crime prevention needed in SA. However, as it is an "offence" NOT to report animal abuse - in my humble opinion it then also becomes the SAPS's job to INTERVENE until an animal protection officer or inspector is informed or takes over!
So - if everyone forwards a copy of the Animal Protection Act to their entire mailing list. And everyone prints a copy and puts it up at their local police station - has a friendly chat with the charge office staff - we can make a HUGE difference within the scope of the law!
I have also attached an open letter that I wrote to the policemen of our beautiful country - and hope it does not fall on deaf ears!
So lets all be PRO-ACTIVE, take a stand and start to make a difference!
Cheers for now
Lou
OFFENCES UNDER THE ANIMAL PROTECTION ACT:
NUMBER 71 OF 1962
(Assented to 16 June 1962) (Date of Commencement: December 1962)
The term “animal” means any equine, (horse), bovine (cow or cattle), sheep, goat, pig, fowl, ostrich, dog, cat, or other domestic animal or bird, or any wild animal, wild bird or reptile which is in captivity or under the control of any person.
2. Offences in respect of animals. ---- (1) Any person who -----
a) (Obvious Cruelty) Overloads, overdrives, overrides, ill-treats, neglects, infuriates, torturers or maims, or cruelly beats, kicks, goads, or terrifies any animal; or
b) (Chaining up or confinement) Confines, chains, tethers or secures any animal unnecessarily, or under such conditions, or in such a manner or position, as to cause that animal unnecessary suffering or in any place which affords inadequate space, ventilation, light, protection, or shelter from heat, cold or weather; or
c) (Lack of food and water) Unnecessarily starves or under-feeds, or denies water or food to any animal; or
d) (Poisoning) Lays or exposes any poison or any poisoned fluid or edible matter of infectious agents, except for the destruction of vermin, or marauding domestic animals, or without taking reasonable precautions to prevent injury or disease being caused to animals ; or
e) (Neglect) Being the owner of any animal, deliberately or negligently keeps such animal in a dirty, or parasitic condition, or allows it to become infested with external parasites or fails to render, or procure, veterinary or other medical treatment or attention, whether through disease, injury, delivery of young, (pregnancy or labour) or any other cause, or fails to destroy (provide euthanasia or destroy) or cause to be destroyed, any such animal which is so seriously injured, or diseased or in such a physical condition, that to prolong its life would be cruel, and would cause such animal unnecessary suffering; or
f) (Equipment) Uses on, or attaches to any animal any equipment, appliance or vehicle, which causes, or will cause, injury to such animal, or which is loaded, used or attached in such a manner as will cause such animal to be injured, or to become diseased, or to suffer unnecessarily; or
g) (Hunting) Save for the purpose of training hounds maintained by a duly established and registered vermin club in the destruction of vermin, liberate any animal in such a manner or place as to expose it to immediate attack or danger of attack, by other animals or by wild animals, or baits or provokes any animal or incites any animal to attack another animal; or
h) Liberates any bird in such manner as to expose it to immediate attack, or danger of attack by animals, wild animals or wild birds; or
i) (Transport – including carts etc) Drives or uses any animal which is so diseased, or so injured, or in such physical condition that it is unfit to be driven, or to do any work; or
j) (Trapping) Lays any trap or other device for the purpose of capturing, or destroying, any animal, wild animal or bird, the destruction of which is not proved to be necessary, for the protection of property, or for the prevention of the spread of disease; or
k) Having laid any such trap or other device, fails either himself, or through some competent person, to inspect and clear such trap or device, at least once each day; or
l) Except under the authority of a permit issued by the magistrate of the district concerned, sells a trap, or other device, intended for the capture of any animal, including any wild animal (not being a rodent) or wild bird, to any person who is not a bona fide farmer; or
m) (Road transport) Conveys, carries, confines, secures, restrains or tethers any animal –
(i) under such conditions, or in such a manner or position, or for such a period of time, or over such a distance, as to cause that animal unnecessary suffering; or
(ii) in conditions affording inadequate shelter, light or ventilation, or in which, such animal is excessively exposed to heat, cold, weather, sun, rain, dust, exhaust gas, or noxious fumes; or
(iii) without making adequate provision for suitable food, potable water and rest, for such animal, in circumstances where it is necessary; or
n) (Poisoning) without reasonable cause administers to any animal any poisonous or injurious drug or substance; or
o) ……………….
p) (Abandonment) Being the owner of any animal, deliberately or without reasonable cause or excuse, abandons it, whether permanently or not, in circumstances likely to cause that animal unnecessary suffering; or
q) Causes, procures or assists in the commission or omission of any of the aforesaid acts or, being the owner of any animal permits the commission or omission of any such act; or
r) By wantonly or unreasonably or negligently doing or omitting to do any act or causing or procuring the commission or omission of any act, causes any unnecessary suffering to any animal; or
s) Kills any animal in contravention of a prohibition in terms of a notice published in the Gazette under section (3) three of this section,
Shall, subject to the provisions of this Act and any other law, be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or the imprisonment for a period not exceeding twelve months or to such imprisonment without the option of a fine.
ANIMAL FIGHTS:
1) Any person who -
a) Possess, keeps, imports, buys, sells, trains, breeds or has under his control, an animal for the purpose of fighting any other animal;
b) Baits, or provokes, or incites, any animal to attack another animal, or to proceed with the fighting of another animal,
c) For financial gain or a form of amusement promotes animal fights;
d) Allows any of the acts referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c) to take place on any premises, or place in his possession, or under his charge or control
e) Owns, uses or controls any premises, or place, for the purpose or partly for the purpose, of presenting animal fights on any such premises, or place, or who acts, or assists, in the management of any such premises, or place, or who receives any consideration, for the admission of any person, to any such premises or place; or
f) Is present as a spectator, at any premises, or place, where any of the acts referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c) is taking place, or where preparations are being made for such acts.
Shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exciding two years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
APPEAL TO ALL POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE PROUD OF THEIR PROFESSION:
Recently there have been some horrific cases of animal abuse in the news headlines. The two that immediately come to mind are :- The case where a Sundra man slowly hacked off the head of a young Husky puppy with a petrol chain saw, because it killed his pet bird. And more recently - after a truck carrying over 150 pigs jack-knifed in the Eastern Cape, a frantic mob converged, hacking at living flesh, butchering suffering animals whilst still alive. Please see the attached report.
I have been distributing copies of the offences listed under the Animal Protection Act, to police stations throughout the country – most of which I must state, have been received with enthusiasm from officers.
The public believe that police officers are lazy, corrupt, and uncaring – I DON’T.
I believe that there are a large number of police officers who wear their uniforms with pride, and go out of their way to make a difference. I am asking you to help to make a difference in another avenue of your job. You do not have to agree with the law, or agree with the contents of the Animal Protection Act. That is your right as an individual human being, in a free country. YOU DO NOT EVEN HAVE TO LIKE ANIMALS – but please consider the following:-
If you are cut – you bleed: - So do animals! If you are beaten – you bruise – So do animals!
If you are tortured – you are traumatised – So are animals! If you don’t have shelter in the winter, or shade in the sun– you will feel the cold and the heat, and you will suffer! – So do animals! If you are starved – you will die a painful death – So do animals! Animals feel and experience pain, fear, hunger, thirst and suffering! JUST LIKE US! Therefore, even if you are NOT an animal lover – perhaps you could for one minute, just put yourself in their shoes, and as a thinking, feeling, human being, feel compassion for a creature that cannot speak for itself.
The link between animal abuse, child abuse, abuse against women and especially serial killers has been clearly documented, for many years. Many serial killers started off their sick careers, by torturing and mutilating animals. Eventually these sick people progress to committing the same abuse and torture on people (often defenceless children and woman).
If one thinks that OUR children, wives, brothers, and sisters could, at some time, fall prey to such monsters, it might make us think twice, and then consider the Animal Protection Act.
I am not expecting you to become the “animal police” – that would be foolish. What I am asking is that if, in the course of your duty, you come across abuse, or obvious cruelty, (as listed under the APA) you report it immediately to the relevant SPCA. If there is an obvious emergency such as with the recent pig case – it is your duty to intervene immediately until the animal inspectors are there to take over, and it is your duty, to assist them if, and where necessary. What I am asking you to do is to respect the law, and follow it through.
I am asking you, not only to be concerned with laws for rapists/murderers and robbers, I am asking you to consider all laws, and that includes LAWS THAT PROTECT ANIMALS.
The offences listed under the animal protection act are very simple and very clear – and it must be pointed out that it is an offence not to report contraventions of the Act to the SPCA. It is also an offence for an officer not to intervene in an emergency.
Do not forget that people who abuse animals often also abuse people. This is fact! Standing up for something that is right, gives officers another reason to be proud. I would like YOU to prove the public wrong! Prove that we can be proud of ALL officers! Prove that you are willing to uphold ALL OF THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY. Let all South Africans work together, and make our wonderful country proud of us. Let us not hang our heads in shame because we couldn’t be bothered, or were too busy, or in too much of a hurry to make a difference!
Louise Thompson :
Mobile - 082-890-0905
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Are Dogs Pack Animals? By Jean Donaldson.
Are Dogs Pack Animals?
Written by Jean Donaldson
Tuesday, 28 April 2009 09:04
When I first got into dog training, the mantra was “dogs are pack animals.” It was never questioned: dogs were strong bonding animals and fit into human families so well, sometimes to the point of developing bona fide disorders like separation anxiety. And a lot of behavior was deconstructed with social hierarchies in mind. Nobody examined what dogs do when they are not inserted into human families, i.e. are free-ranging. So a while ago I took a look at what is known about feral or semi-feral populations of dogs around the world. It turns out there are many such populations.
During the tenure of dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu, a poorly thought out reconstruction effort in Romania resulted in the demolition of thousands of houses and the relocation of thousands of families into small apartments throughout the country. For family dogs, this meant being turned out onto the street, where they have multiplied and eked out a marginal existence ever since.
A sad situation from every possible angle, the explosion of free-ranging dogs in Romania is an unintended experiment that challenges one of the most taken for granted aphorisms in the dog behavior world: that dogs are “pack animals.” The dogs in Romania have not formed packs. Their associations with one another are brief and casual: a couple of dogs may hang out together temporarily and then part company. Dogs are often drawn together by a scarce resource like a food source or estrous female but once this magnet is gone, they go their separate ways.
This contrasts with wolves who, while a genetically identical species to dogs, live in packs. As explained by University of Minnesota biologist David Mech, each pack is a nuclear family consisting of a breeding pair and their offspring. When the offspring reach maturity around two years of age, they disperse to avoid inbreeding depression and, if they live long enough, mate up and start their own packs.
The social lives of Romanian dogs may be the exception that proves the rule, so it’s necessary to examine all free-ranging populations in order to formulate a stronger hypothesis about dog social behavior.
Significant populations of free-ranging domestic dogs exist in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, India, Mexico, Tasmania (Cook Island Dogs), Hawaii, Bangkok and, in a situation paralleling that of Romania, in Moscow. Pariah dogs on the Indian subcontinent are thought to be the longest-running continuous population of feral dogs - on the order of 14,000 years, nearly as long as archaeological evidence has existed for domestic dogs.
There are cases of dogs buddying up with one or more dogs for days at a time, and dogs being drawn into proximity to each other by food sources, however none of the above populations form packs the way wolves do. Males, in fact, do not participate in the rearing of puppies, which is the foundation of a wolf pack. And, scavenging far outpaces hunting as primary food-acquisition activity, another difference from wolves, who hunt.
By contrast, the accounts regarding the social behavior of Dingoes are much more conflicting. Often the same source will in one paragraph say that Dingoes are primarily loners that only occasionally pack up with a few others to take down a large prey item and later state that Dingoes are pack animals with stable hierarchies, a la Gray Wolf. Recent genetics research has allowed for the teasing out of pure Dingoes from Dingo-dog hybrids most of the time. Interestingly, hybrids are often outwardly indistinguishable from pure Dingoes to an untrained eye. So to be generous, it could be that the disagreement between (and within) sources is partially due to some observations being of mixed ancestry animals and some of pure Dingoes.
A colleague of mine who has made trips to the Cook Islands to provide veterinary care to the feral dog population was struck by two things: the large numbers of short-legged dogs, and the absence of social cohesiveness. She fully expected and looked for packs, having heard and parroted for years, as have I, the party line of “dogs are pack animals.” Again and again, she witnessed what Dunbar has termed “loose, transitory associations” rather than packs.
If we are to support our contention that dogs are pack animals, we will need to account for these many populations where dogs, in the absence of the glue of human confinement and husbandry, simply do their own thing.
Written by Jean Donaldson
Tuesday, 28 April 2009 09:04
When I first got into dog training, the mantra was “dogs are pack animals.” It was never questioned: dogs were strong bonding animals and fit into human families so well, sometimes to the point of developing bona fide disorders like separation anxiety. And a lot of behavior was deconstructed with social hierarchies in mind. Nobody examined what dogs do when they are not inserted into human families, i.e. are free-ranging. So a while ago I took a look at what is known about feral or semi-feral populations of dogs around the world. It turns out there are many such populations.
During the tenure of dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu, a poorly thought out reconstruction effort in Romania resulted in the demolition of thousands of houses and the relocation of thousands of families into small apartments throughout the country. For family dogs, this meant being turned out onto the street, where they have multiplied and eked out a marginal existence ever since.
A sad situation from every possible angle, the explosion of free-ranging dogs in Romania is an unintended experiment that challenges one of the most taken for granted aphorisms in the dog behavior world: that dogs are “pack animals.” The dogs in Romania have not formed packs. Their associations with one another are brief and casual: a couple of dogs may hang out together temporarily and then part company. Dogs are often drawn together by a scarce resource like a food source or estrous female but once this magnet is gone, they go their separate ways.
This contrasts with wolves who, while a genetically identical species to dogs, live in packs. As explained by University of Minnesota biologist David Mech, each pack is a nuclear family consisting of a breeding pair and their offspring. When the offspring reach maturity around two years of age, they disperse to avoid inbreeding depression and, if they live long enough, mate up and start their own packs.
The social lives of Romanian dogs may be the exception that proves the rule, so it’s necessary to examine all free-ranging populations in order to formulate a stronger hypothesis about dog social behavior.
Significant populations of free-ranging domestic dogs exist in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, India, Mexico, Tasmania (Cook Island Dogs), Hawaii, Bangkok and, in a situation paralleling that of Romania, in Moscow. Pariah dogs on the Indian subcontinent are thought to be the longest-running continuous population of feral dogs - on the order of 14,000 years, nearly as long as archaeological evidence has existed for domestic dogs.
There are cases of dogs buddying up with one or more dogs for days at a time, and dogs being drawn into proximity to each other by food sources, however none of the above populations form packs the way wolves do. Males, in fact, do not participate in the rearing of puppies, which is the foundation of a wolf pack. And, scavenging far outpaces hunting as primary food-acquisition activity, another difference from wolves, who hunt.
By contrast, the accounts regarding the social behavior of Dingoes are much more conflicting. Often the same source will in one paragraph say that Dingoes are primarily loners that only occasionally pack up with a few others to take down a large prey item and later state that Dingoes are pack animals with stable hierarchies, a la Gray Wolf. Recent genetics research has allowed for the teasing out of pure Dingoes from Dingo-dog hybrids most of the time. Interestingly, hybrids are often outwardly indistinguishable from pure Dingoes to an untrained eye. So to be generous, it could be that the disagreement between (and within) sources is partially due to some observations being of mixed ancestry animals and some of pure Dingoes.
A colleague of mine who has made trips to the Cook Islands to provide veterinary care to the feral dog population was struck by two things: the large numbers of short-legged dogs, and the absence of social cohesiveness. She fully expected and looked for packs, having heard and parroted for years, as have I, the party line of “dogs are pack animals.” Again and again, she witnessed what Dunbar has termed “loose, transitory associations” rather than packs.
If we are to support our contention that dogs are pack animals, we will need to account for these many populations where dogs, in the absence of the glue of human confinement and husbandry, simply do their own thing.
Friday, February 18, 2011
DOGGIE EASTER EGG HUNT
Hi Everyone
Just a note to see if you are all up for a fun event for Easter?
We are planning a fun doggie Easter egg hunt, with lots of fun and nutritious home made meaty eggs for the dogs to sniff out. There will also be loads of fun people stuff to do as well as people and doggie prizes for each and every entrant!
Date and time will be announced SOON
Hope you will all be able to join us for Easter Fun!
Cheers for now
Lou
Just a note to see if you are all up for a fun event for Easter?
We are planning a fun doggie Easter egg hunt, with lots of fun and nutritious home made meaty eggs for the dogs to sniff out. There will also be loads of fun people stuff to do as well as people and doggie prizes for each and every entrant!
Date and time will be announced SOON
Hope you will all be able to join us for Easter Fun!
Cheers for now
Lou
The Cookie Game - Clicker game to help teach a recall!
Found this fun game in one of my files - author unknown.
This is a fun recall game that both you and the dog will love.
The "up" side is that it is highly rewarding for your dog and fun for the handler!
1.Throw a cookie a few feet away. (make sure the dog sees it!)
2.Tell your dog to "get it."
3.Run away fast!
4.As the dog is coming to you, say "come" (pairing the word with the behavior), then when he gets to you, you click and treat with a jackpot.
Jackpots are given for every come and are fed one cookie at a time.
To a dog, a wad of food is the same as one cookie, so spread them out and keep the dog with you longer!
Be variable in the amount of the jackpots – 5-3-4-8-7- you get the idea.
Add in some play and petting and praise. What a dog "knows" at home, he may not "know" anywhere else. This is because dogs as a species do not generalise the learning of a behavior to all locations unless you have practiced them in all locations. This does not make them stupid, it just makes them dogs.
This is a fun recall game that both you and the dog will love.
The "up" side is that it is highly rewarding for your dog and fun for the handler!
1.Throw a cookie a few feet away. (make sure the dog sees it!)
2.Tell your dog to "get it."
3.Run away fast!
4.As the dog is coming to you, say "come" (pairing the word with the behavior), then when he gets to you, you click and treat with a jackpot.
Jackpots are given for every come and are fed one cookie at a time.
To a dog, a wad of food is the same as one cookie, so spread them out and keep the dog with you longer!
Be variable in the amount of the jackpots – 5-3-4-8-7- you get the idea.
Add in some play and petting and praise. What a dog "knows" at home, he may not "know" anywhere else. This is because dogs as a species do not generalise the learning of a behavior to all locations unless you have practiced them in all locations. This does not make them stupid, it just makes them dogs.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
THANK YOU
Hi Everyone!
I would like to offer a huge bouquet of thanks to everyone who attended our valentine fun afternoon.
You all made it a HUGE success and the dogs had an absolute fabulous time.
Also would like to thank my dedicated instructors who manned each stage of the x-country to ensure the safety of all the dogs - thanks guys you are real stars!
Keep an eye on the local paper - should be some cool pics there. It could be one of you and your dog!
Again thanks to everyone for making the afternoon such fun and such a success!
Cheers for now
Lou
I would like to offer a huge bouquet of thanks to everyone who attended our valentine fun afternoon.
You all made it a HUGE success and the dogs had an absolute fabulous time.
Also would like to thank my dedicated instructors who manned each stage of the x-country to ensure the safety of all the dogs - thanks guys you are real stars!
Keep an eye on the local paper - should be some cool pics there. It could be one of you and your dog!
Again thanks to everyone for making the afternoon such fun and such a success!
Cheers for now
Lou
Friday, February 11, 2011
Be a Good Dog Ambassador
THE DOG OWNERS’ GUIDE TO BEING A GOOD DOG AMBASSADOR
Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer open areas available where you can walk your dog safely off leash. There was a time when it was safe to let your dog off leash most of the time. Nevertheless, with the dramatic increase in modern traffic and the increase in the urban sprawl, there are now few places left for us doggy people to let our dogs run free.
CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG!
Leave the area that you are walking in as clean as possible. Take a couple of plastic packets with you – be considerate of other people and keep South Africa clean! Many parks are currently being closed to our pets! Thoughtless dog owners give the rest of us a bad name. Be a responsible dog owner! Good manners in the park means that you should be
considerate of other park users.
Do not permit your dog to chase children or bikes, or interfere with picnickers. Joggers should also be considered.
Make sure that you teach your dog a reliable “recall” (to come robotically when he is called). Just because your dog comes when he is called at home, does not mean that he will do so amidst distractions! If in doubt, use a long line to give him some freedom, but also to ensure that you have full control and can gently insist on compliance.
WHEN TO USE THE LEASH:
• If you cannot see your dog – he is not under control! It makes sense to call your dog to you when approaching a corner if you can’t see around the bend! When walking in the park, if you see another dog and owner approaching call your dog to you immediately and put him on leash until the other person is out of range.
• Anywhere near a road, even if it appears to be unused. Many dogs (and horses and their riders) are run into by thoughtless drivers each year. Country roads give us a false sense of security and you should be prepared for the unexpected.
• While we encourage puppies to be socialised, this does not mean that your pup should run up to any strange dog that he sees. When your pup sees another dog, call him to you, have a really exciting game and reinforce this with lots of praise and pop him a treat. If the other dog is friendly and the owner is agreeable, you can permit them to greet each other in a sensible manner.
• You should then call your puppy to you and have an even more exciting game ready, a special toy, or the highest value titbit you can provide – at the same time walk or preferably run in the opposite direction (quick movements will excite him) so that when he has finished his reward/game, the other dog is out of sight.
• When on footpaths in rural or country areas, you should be vigilant for both livestock and workers – if apparent, put Fido on leash.
• Care should also be taken if there are growing crops – and do not forget that grass is also a crop! In some areas, it is an offence to allow a dog to be “at large in a field where there is livestock”. This means that the dog does not actually have to be chasing the sheep in the same field. Play it safe and keep him on leash.
• The dog is a natural hunting carnivore – so rather do not give him the opportunity to get into trouble! Remember that if the dog chases the livestock, the farmer has the right to shoot him!
Few people realise that with certain kinds of livestock, like sheep for example, suffer from severe stress even if they have not been physically injured. The trauma of being chased can cause a sheep to die of shock!
• Care should also be taken with regard to wild birds, buck, and any accompanying wildlife.
Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer open areas available where you can walk your dog safely off leash. There was a time when it was safe to let your dog off leash most of the time. Nevertheless, with the dramatic increase in modern traffic and the increase in the urban sprawl, there are now few places left for us doggy people to let our dogs run free.
CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG!
Leave the area that you are walking in as clean as possible. Take a couple of plastic packets with you – be considerate of other people and keep South Africa clean! Many parks are currently being closed to our pets! Thoughtless dog owners give the rest of us a bad name. Be a responsible dog owner! Good manners in the park means that you should be
considerate of other park users.
Do not permit your dog to chase children or bikes, or interfere with picnickers. Joggers should also be considered.
Make sure that you teach your dog a reliable “recall” (to come robotically when he is called). Just because your dog comes when he is called at home, does not mean that he will do so amidst distractions! If in doubt, use a long line to give him some freedom, but also to ensure that you have full control and can gently insist on compliance.
WHEN TO USE THE LEASH:
• If you cannot see your dog – he is not under control! It makes sense to call your dog to you when approaching a corner if you can’t see around the bend! When walking in the park, if you see another dog and owner approaching call your dog to you immediately and put him on leash until the other person is out of range.
• Anywhere near a road, even if it appears to be unused. Many dogs (and horses and their riders) are run into by thoughtless drivers each year. Country roads give us a false sense of security and you should be prepared for the unexpected.
• While we encourage puppies to be socialised, this does not mean that your pup should run up to any strange dog that he sees. When your pup sees another dog, call him to you, have a really exciting game and reinforce this with lots of praise and pop him a treat. If the other dog is friendly and the owner is agreeable, you can permit them to greet each other in a sensible manner.
• You should then call your puppy to you and have an even more exciting game ready, a special toy, or the highest value titbit you can provide – at the same time walk or preferably run in the opposite direction (quick movements will excite him) so that when he has finished his reward/game, the other dog is out of sight.
• When on footpaths in rural or country areas, you should be vigilant for both livestock and workers – if apparent, put Fido on leash.
• Care should also be taken if there are growing crops – and do not forget that grass is also a crop! In some areas, it is an offence to allow a dog to be “at large in a field where there is livestock”. This means that the dog does not actually have to be chasing the sheep in the same field. Play it safe and keep him on leash.
• The dog is a natural hunting carnivore – so rather do not give him the opportunity to get into trouble! Remember that if the dog chases the livestock, the farmer has the right to shoot him!
Few people realise that with certain kinds of livestock, like sheep for example, suffer from severe stress even if they have not been physically injured. The trauma of being chased can cause a sheep to die of shock!
• Care should also be taken with regard to wild birds, buck, and any accompanying wildlife.
Dog Walking Etiquette By Lori Verni
Although to many of us, the “rules” are common sense, there are of course people who either don’t realize or choose not to follow the etiquette of dog walking. In order to clear up any potential confusion, I thought I would take this opportunity to be the “Miss Manners” of the dog world.
For example, when walking your pet in a neighborhood, it is not courteous to allow your dog to walk on people’s front lawns, or urinate on their mail boxes or landscaping. Instead, a more appropriate way to handle your pet is to walk him in the street or on the sidewalk and allow access only to “rough” areas to eliminate. Should your neighborhood not have such an area, it is still inappropriate to allow your pooch to pee on people’s property… keep him to the strip of grass that’s between the sidewalk and street and steer clear of people’s plantings and posts.
Picking up is another issue of concern. Dog walkers, please, don’t even leave your house without a plastic bag for picking up after your pet! And don’t forget to use it! I’ve had three different people tell me recently that they’ve seen people make a great show of pulling out their plastic bag when they see neighbors driving past, only to stuff it back in their pocket once the “coast is clear,” leaving the pile behind anyway.
Have an excited dog? Keep in mind that not everyone may be as much of a dog lover as you are. If a passing person wishes to greet your pet, you will be able to tell, as they will approach you and ask if they may pet your dog. Don’t assume that every man, woman and child wish to pet your pooch as you allow him to drag you over to them and pounce upon them in greeting. Some people are afraid of dogs, or may not be in the mood to be jumped on. Perhaps they’re out for a jog and prefer not to break their stride. Either way it should be their choice to greet or not to greet.
The same holds true for other dogs. True, most people out walking their dog are interested in allowing their pet to socialize with other dogs. But be sure to gauge their interest before approaching. If your dog is barking, most people prefer not to let their dog be the “test” of whether it’s aggression or not. Further, if you have a little dog who barks and may snap, don’t assume it’s okay to allow that just because the other dog is bigger. Having firsthand experience with this, I can assure you that my dog doesn’t enjoy being bitten regardless of the fact that he is 80 pounds and his “attacker” may weigh only twelve.
Last but not least, remember that walking your dog means personally walking your dog on a leash. Numerous readers have contacted me about neighbors who simply “send their dogs out” to do their business, which inevitably ends up on their property for them to clean up. While you may not mind the piles in your yard, your neighbors should not have to worry about it in theirs.
Of course, all of the above rules of dog walking etiquette don’t only apply in your neighborhood. The same courtesies should be followed at parks, shopping centers, the vet’s office or any other place visited by you and your pet. By working together to be responsible pet owners, we can all help keep our neighborhoods and parks a fun place to be without the need for authorities to implement overly-restrictive dog laws. Happy walking!
Lori Verni
For example, when walking your pet in a neighborhood, it is not courteous to allow your dog to walk on people’s front lawns, or urinate on their mail boxes or landscaping. Instead, a more appropriate way to handle your pet is to walk him in the street or on the sidewalk and allow access only to “rough” areas to eliminate. Should your neighborhood not have such an area, it is still inappropriate to allow your pooch to pee on people’s property… keep him to the strip of grass that’s between the sidewalk and street and steer clear of people’s plantings and posts.
Picking up is another issue of concern. Dog walkers, please, don’t even leave your house without a plastic bag for picking up after your pet! And don’t forget to use it! I’ve had three different people tell me recently that they’ve seen people make a great show of pulling out their plastic bag when they see neighbors driving past, only to stuff it back in their pocket once the “coast is clear,” leaving the pile behind anyway.
Have an excited dog? Keep in mind that not everyone may be as much of a dog lover as you are. If a passing person wishes to greet your pet, you will be able to tell, as they will approach you and ask if they may pet your dog. Don’t assume that every man, woman and child wish to pet your pooch as you allow him to drag you over to them and pounce upon them in greeting. Some people are afraid of dogs, or may not be in the mood to be jumped on. Perhaps they’re out for a jog and prefer not to break their stride. Either way it should be their choice to greet or not to greet.
The same holds true for other dogs. True, most people out walking their dog are interested in allowing their pet to socialize with other dogs. But be sure to gauge their interest before approaching. If your dog is barking, most people prefer not to let their dog be the “test” of whether it’s aggression or not. Further, if you have a little dog who barks and may snap, don’t assume it’s okay to allow that just because the other dog is bigger. Having firsthand experience with this, I can assure you that my dog doesn’t enjoy being bitten regardless of the fact that he is 80 pounds and his “attacker” may weigh only twelve.
Last but not least, remember that walking your dog means personally walking your dog on a leash. Numerous readers have contacted me about neighbors who simply “send their dogs out” to do their business, which inevitably ends up on their property for them to clean up. While you may not mind the piles in your yard, your neighbors should not have to worry about it in theirs.
Of course, all of the above rules of dog walking etiquette don’t only apply in your neighborhood. The same courtesies should be followed at parks, shopping centers, the vet’s office or any other place visited by you and your pet. By working together to be responsible pet owners, we can all help keep our neighborhoods and parks a fun place to be without the need for authorities to implement overly-restrictive dog laws. Happy walking!
Lori Verni
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