The Clever Apprentice

The other week,an heroic event came about on little old Hayling Island. There was a 8 metre long whale beached on a mudflat just north of Hayling in the neighboring Langstone Harbour, Hampshire.

Regrettably, the whale had experienced severe dehydration, which meant it was suffering from renal failure, when it became confined on Thursday night.

There was a super saving scheme, where people attempted tirelessly to preserve the whale’s life. There was a time when the team thought that the kind thing to do would be to put the imposing whale to sleep with a lethal injection. But, the whale then drifted out to sea again. Alas, it came back towards the land again and was then beached for a 2nd and ultimate time.

The trained vets decided that the only caring thing to do would be to supply the lethal injection, which they did on Friday morning. They used Immobilon, which was a very fast and lethal strength of anaesthetic.

If the mammal weren’t put to sleep, the experts believe that it would have taken about two further days for the creature to die, during which it would have stayed sick and distressed.

It seemed bizarre that the 6 metric ton mammal, which is usually found about 3000 miles away, finished up here on Hayling Island, but it is another wonderful story that Hayling brings to its history.

There were around a dozen firefighters, police, coastguard personnel as well as members of the Hayling Island harvour lifeboat staff involved in the attempt.

Keeping your dog clean is an important responsibility for every
dog owner. Fido depends on you for general hygiene. Clean ears,
teeth and a coat free from fleas and ticks are all the
conditions you check for a healthy pet. Bath time is a great
time to bond with your dog as well as check his well-being.

A healthy dogs actually don’t need to be washed all that often,
but humans prefer to bathe them so that they smell fresh and
clean and not like…well…dog. Although most dogs don’t like
to be washed, they will appreciate the contact and attention
that they receive from their owners during a bath. It is also a
good time to perform some other necessary “dog maintenance” such
as cleaning the ears, checking for ticks and fleas, and brushing
the teeth. Since many dogs do not like to sit still for any of
these activities, it can be a good idea to do them all at once.

Brushing your Dogs’ Teeth

Brushing your dogs’ teeth is just good dental hygiene. Most vets
recommend that it be done at least twice a week to ensure your
dog maintains healthy teeth and gums. If you’ve have been doing
this, it’s never too late to start. The dog should have its own
toothbrush and special toothpaste designed for dogs. You pick up
everything you need at your favorite pet supply store. Make sure
you brush the back teeth in small circles, the same way you
would your own, and brush up and down the length of the “pointy”
canine teeth. Dog toothpaste is made to have a pleasing taste,
to dogs that is, and this should help make your dog willing to
let you perform this activity. If you cannot brush his teeth,
the next best thing would be to give him teeth cleaning dog
biscuits but brushing is definitely preferred.

Checking for Ticks & Fleas

Ticks are nasty little arachnids (they’re eight-legged creatures
like spiders, and therefore are not insects) that will latch
onto your dog’s skin and feed on his blood supply. They are most
common in wooded areas, but your dog should be checked for them
regularly because they can carry a number of diseases. The best
place to look for these bugs in under the collar or on the dog’s
underbelly, buried in the fur. If you find a tick, be sure to
use tweezers and remove the tick by its head.

Fleas can be found in the same places, under the fur. The
presence of fleas can be betrayed by the sight of their
droppings on the dog’s coat. They look like flecks of pepper.
The fleas themselves can vary in size, from tiny infants to
larger adults, which are about an eighth of an inch long. They
can’t simply be picked off the dog like ticks can, they will
jump before you can catch them. If you do find a flea or their
droppings, you know it’s time to start the dog on a program to
control and eliminate these pests.

Cleaning his Ears

Pet supply stores sell special solutions for cleansing a dog’s
ears. Dogs can easily get ear mites. These small insects live in
the ears and feed of the waxy secretions there. Over time, the
bodies of these short-lived creatures build up and form a black,
dirty substance. Using a cotton swab dipped in a bit of this
solution, gently clean the inner ear. It may be difficult to
hold the dog still for this procedure, but it doesn’t take long.
The result will be clean ears and the avoidance of potential
infection and earaches for your dog.

So you see, the quality time you spend bathing your dog will not
only make him smell great to you but it will make him FEEL
great.

Congratulations on your choice to bring home a West Highland Terrier rescue dog. By electing to adopt one of the rescued Westies, you are giving an older dog a chance to find a loving new home

In many ways, this is simpler than going through the arduous process of training a westie terrier puppy. However, there still are steps you will need to take.

Westies that have found their way into rescue shelters sometimes have special needs, if only an owner who is patient and understanding of the way the dog might grieve for its previous family. People who volunteer keep the dog’s needs foremost, and are choosy about the homes in which they place rescued terriers. Expect an application process, an interview, and probably a home visit before you will be approved to take home a dog.

Westie rescue organizations need funds to pay for food and veterinary care while the dogs are waiting for placement, so most charge an adoption fee to cover these expenses. Additionally, you will be required to have the dog spayed or neutered, if it has not already been.

Many perfectly behaved Westies find their way into rescue. However, the stress of change, long stays in kennels, and grief at the loss of an owner, may make even the best Westie forget some of its good habits. Do not allow your adopted Westie dog to behave badly because you feel sorry for it.

West Highland White Terriers, and all dogs, crave routine. Establish a firm, consistent discipline and habits with new dog from the moment it arrives in your home, just as you would with a puppy. At the very least, you will need to train your Westie into your expectations, and out of his old ones. Do this gradually, to avoid causing even more stress.

Adopted dogs that have been abused or neglected may need continued veterinary care. If you are willing to take on the extra commitment of caring for this kind of dog, you should be prepared for the extra expense and lingering health problems. Find your veterinarian right away, and keep in close contact with him or her.

After your Westie is settled into your home, you may still expect at least one last home visit from the organization that provided your dog. Westie rescuers are determined that the terriers will be well placed. In many cases, you can turn to them for advice that will help make the adoption process a joy for both you and your dog.

(Disclaimer: Any information contained in this site relating to various medical, health and fitness conditions of Westies or other animals and their treatments is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing the health of any animal. You should always consult and check with your own vet or veterinarian.)

I do hope that you have found the article of use to you.

Jeff Cuckson
webmaster@madaboutwesties.com
*********************************
Free Report - Time Limited Offer
” 7 Warning Signs That Could Save

Your Westies Life! Click Here Now!
********************************

One of the key principles of dog training is the principle of “conditioned response.” The idea is that you can set up your dog’s environment in such a way that it learns to abandon its destructive behavior through its own mistakes rather than by your instruction. Below are two common examples of problem dog behaviors and how the princple of “conditioned response” can be used to resolve them.

1. My dog is digging up my yard. How can I stop this destructive behavior? First, you must purchase some chicken wire from your local hardware store and some styptic powder from you local pet store. Before you begin, you must observe your dog’s favorite digging spots and pinpoint them in your mind. Then, you must remove your dog from the yard, and you must not allow it to watch you as you set up its environment. Cut about a 4 by 4 foot section of chicken wire and plant it under the dirt in all the locations where you dog likes to dig. Once you’re finished, release your dog and wait for the conditioned response. More than likely, your dog will go back to the locations where it dug before and proceed to dig as usual. Except now, it’s going to learn a novel lesson. Namely, that digging is going to cause it serious discomfort and pain. Once your dog associates the condition (digging) with the negative response (pain) it will automatically stop its destructive digging habit. There is, however, one drawback to this technique. If you have an aggressive digger, then you should monitor your dog for any cuts or bruises. That’s where the styptic powder comes in. If you notice a cut in your dog’s paws, gently pour the styptic powder on the cut and allow it to cauterize the bleeding. Within a matter of days, you can condition your dog to abandon its destructive digging habit by using the principle of “conditioned response.”

2. My dog chews my furniture, my shoes, and my valuable belongings. What can I do to end this destructive behavior? Go to your local pet store, and purchase a spray bottle of bitter apple. Remove your dog from your house and do not allow it to see you set up its environment. Spray your valuables (i.e. furniture, shoes, and socks) with bitter apple and place them in locations that your dog can easily access. Then allow it to come in and let the trap do the rest. As usual, your dog will go back to its old habit and start to chew its favorite shoe or furniture. But now, it’s going to get a bitter surprise. Your dog will associate the condition (chewing) with the negative response (bad taste) and it will stop its destructive chewing habit. It’s important to remember, however, that all dogs need to chew, so you must repeat this process a second time. Now, you must place your dog’s favorite chew toys next to the items that were sprayed with bitter apple. This time, your dog will be reconditioned to chew its own toys rather than your valuable possessions. Thus, by conditioning your dog, you can positively reinforce a good habit (chewing designated toys) over an undesirable one (chewing your valuable possessions).

As you can see, by applying the principle of “conditioned response” you can teach your dog exactly what you want without ever getting frustrated with the training process.

Armen T. Ghazarians offers advice, information, and articles regarding many aspects of professional dog training for all those who are not professional dog trainers themselves. For more articles like this one, visit his website at www.newdogtrainingsecrets.com .

A Doberman Pinscher owner sent me this question:

“Dear Adam: I loved your book, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!” and your web site, Dogproblems.com.

They have been very helpful.

My biggest training problem right now has to do with potty training. My dog is a 5 month-old Doberman female. About 2 months ago she had a bladder infection, so she started not making it through the night. She would pee in her crate and then whine that she had to go out. We have since taken her to the vet and given her the entire dose of antibiotics and the infection is all cleared up. She makes it through the night fine now, but if we have to lock her in her crate during the day she pees in her crate.

She doesn’t seem to have too much separation anxiety, although I remember reading somewhere that Dobermans are prone to this. We let her outside to do her business and then lock her up a few minutes before we leave and she is quiet during that time. When we get home she is asleep or quiet. We wait a few minutes after getting home during which she is quiet, maybe whines a little, before we let her out. The only problem is that there is a puddle of pee at the bottom of her crate. We leave a few toys for her to chew on while she is in there, but nothing else, no bedding just the plastic of the bottom of the crate. She doesn’t seem to mind laying in it and we usually have to give her a bath when we get home. I’m not sure if I should punish her for this cause I know the timing is WAY off, but it’s getting so frustrating I don’t know what else to do.

I should also mention that we don’t have to be gone for this to happen. If she is locked up because while we are home, she does the same thing. She is generally quiet while she is in there, but after an hour or so she will whine loudly and when we get to her, there is already a puddle.

Thank you for your help. I look forward to implementing your advice.

Sincerely,
Tim

Dear Tim:

When you remove her from the crate after she urinates, be sure to clean the area thoroughly with an enzyme cleaner. This will break down the urine at the molecular level so its scent will be completely gone, not just covered up.

You should also limit her time in the crate to lower the chances of this happening. Only leave her confined when absolutely necessary or when she cannot be supervised. Along with this, it would be helpful to limit her water intake to a strict schedule and when she does drink, take her outside and let her relieve herself after a period of time.

Depending on the dog’s condition (hot and panting versus calm and tired), water will go through their system in anywhere from 20-45 minutes. If you put her in the crate immediately after she urinates outside, she might be less inclined (and able) to use the crate as a bathroom.

About the Author: Adam G. Katz is the author of the book, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider’s Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History.” Get a free copy of his report “Games To Play With Your Dog” when you sign up for his free weekly dog training tips e-zine at:
http://www.dogproblems.com

Source: www.isnare.com