Advice Page
Are You Thinking of getting a dog?
Where to start
If you're thinking of getting a dog then the following advice should ensure everything goes smoothly.
To start you with you will need to ask yourself some serious questions in relation to what becoming a dog owner entails. For instance...
Do you have the time to exercise a dog for at least thirty to forty minutes twice a day every day, depending on the breed and regardless of the weather?
Do you have the time to carryout training and socialisation?
Do you time for grooming or money for a groomer, for some breeds it may mean learning how to groom as each has different requirements?
Can you afford to feed the dog and any veterinary treatment that may be required?
Consideration will need to be given as to where will your dog go when you go on holiday, although the passport for pets makes taking your dog abroad easier, you may need to think about kennels or a dog sitter ?
Dogs are social animals and do not like being left at home alone all day and this often contributes to behaviour problems. So if you work all day can you take the dog to work or will someone be at home for all or part of the day or can you afford to employ a dog walker ?
For some the answer to the above questions may be no but the desire to own a dog is still there in which case it would be better to wait until you are in a better position or consider volunteering for one of the many canine rescue organisations. Most of these organisations have volunteer dog walkers who walk dogs in their spare time, this is of great value to both the dogs and the organisations and great way of spending time with dogs if you are unable to own one.
Research your breed
Start off by researching the particular breeds that you are interested in, read books about the breed, I can highly recommend the Best of Breed series of books such as the one below on the Rottweiler written by Di McCann. These books are very specific to each breed and contain a great deal of detail and information. They can be obtained from your local Pets At Home store or via Amazon Books.
Speak to the breeders of the particular breeds themselves; each breed can have different requirements in relation to feeding, grooming and exercise. Attending discover dogs run by the kennel club and held at Earls Court in November of each year can be a useful place to start with a wide range of breeds on display.
The link below gives details of the temperaments and the requirements of some of the various breeds available in the UK;
http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/public/breeds/Default.aspx
Find a breeder
The kennel club's accredited breeder scheme can be good place to start. Accredited breeders are inspected by the kennel club to ensure high standards are maintained. A good breeder should interview you about your requirements and your lifestyle; they should allow you to see the pups with the dam (their mother) and will require several visits. Most will provide some insurance cover and after care service and be sure to ask what socialization and training has been done with the pups. Although things may seem perfect at the time don't forget to ask about what will happen if things don't work out and would the breeder be prepared to take the pup back. The pups should look clean and healthy and happy to be handled by people. Avoid those who will only bring a pup out to show you or arrange to meet you somewhere else and avoid buying from pet shops or puppy famers. They are unlikely to offer good advice and their main interest will be profit making and not the health and welfare of the pup. The pup is likely to be of poor breeding and had little socialization both of which can cause problems later in life.
For more information on kennel club accredited breeders please click on the link below;
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/203
The link below is a service run by the Kennel Club that provides details of breeders that have Kennel Club registered puppies available;
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/384
Pedigree dogs and breed health
A lot has been stated in the media and the press recently about the health of breeds that are shown in dogs shows and bred by breeders. The vast majority of breed clubs run breed health schemes many of which recieve funding from the Kennel Clubs Charitable Trust. These schemes ensure that only healthy dogs are bred from and that the incidence of these health problems are greatly reduced and in a lot of cases such as CLAD in Irish Setters and Irish Red and White Setters, eradicated from the breed completely through careful breeding and health screening. However less scrupulous breeders are now advertising dogs that are not Kennel Club registered (KC reg). So be sure to do your research in regard to any health problems that may occur in your chosen breed and when it comes to selecting a dog or a puppy ask the breeder about breed health problems and what screening they carry out. If they can't or won't answer your questions or seem a little vague then choose a dog from a breeder who can.
Further information on the Kennel Clubs work in this area can be found by clicking on the links below;
Rescue dogs
Don't forget many dogs are in rescue both young and old and that the vast majority of breeds also have their own breed rescues for dogs that have fallen on hard times. These organisations can be an ideal option for those who would like to take on an older dog and maybe don't want to go through the young puppy stages. Again the dogs should be in good condition and the rescue organisation should interview you thoroughly to ensure that they match you with the right dog. A good rescue organisation should be able to provide you with information regarding temperament and training in regard to the dog that you choose even if it is a stray. Some rescue organisations also offer free initial insurance cover, free micro chipping and some initial veterinary cover.
For further information on getting a dog and for information on rescue dogs, Rottweiler breed rescue, and other organisations please click on one of the links below:
What to do if things aren't working out with your new dog
If things aren't working out then contact the person from whom you got the dog for advice, or go to a good dog trainer or canine behaviourist. Please don't dump your dog on the streets, a good breeder or rescue organisation will take the dog back if necessary. They won't judge you and you may be able to give them vital information that will help them rehome the dog.
Dogs and children
Dogs and children should always be supervised when in each others company and should never be left alone together. The link below provides useful information for parents and teachers and also includes an interactive game for children, which is useful in teaching children how to interact around dogs. The game also provides a certificate for them to print off and keep.
www.safeandsoundwithdogs.org.uk
EXERCISE YOUR DOG
Lack of exercise can be the cause of many behaviour problems in particular house training, attention seeking and hyperactivity and sufficient exercise can go some way to solving these and other behaviour problems such as Separation anxiety i.e. chewing or barking when left alone. Ideally dogs should be walked at least twice per day; 365 days of the year and depending on breed and age for a minimum of 30 to 40 minutes on each walk.
Unlike humans dogs aren’t fussed about the weather and it doesn’t matter to them if it’s cold, raining or snowing but obviously walking in extremes of weather should be avoided such as during the hotter parts of the day during the summer or during hail storms for instance. Walks should comprise of both on and off lead exercise or if it is not safe to do so exercise on a long line with a harness.
Going out for walk provides your dog with mental stimulation through sniffing and scent marking and dogs should be allowed to do this. Too many owners are in a hurry to get the walk over and done with and it should be remembered that this is your dog’s time. Walking also allows dogs to meet other dogs and experience different situations which both stimulate them mentally and are an important part of early socialisation.
Exercise in itself also allows the dog to burn off excess energy in particular if part of the walk involves fetch and retrieve games with a ball or playing with other dogs. Keeping dogs fit and healthy through exercise prevents obesity which can place stress on the dog’s joints and the dogs heart.
Katmandu Animal Treatment Centre
Katmandu treatment centre in Nepal is making an appeal for unwanted veterinary medicines. The charities main aim is to deal with the local population of street dogs. Any veterinary medicines that are no longer wanted regardless of date can be still put to good use by the charites vets. If you have any such medicines you can send them to KAT trustee Juliette Cunliffe at Humbledee House, West Felton, Oswestry, shropshire SY11 4EN.
Tel; 01691 610906.
Email; juliettedogs@aol.com
For further information on the centre and its work please click on the link below;
www.freedoglistings.co.uk
www.pompeymarkets.com The Rottweiler Owners Trust
Many Rottweiler’s end up being rehomed as a result of inaccurate information in the press and on television, not to mention the public hysteria this inaccurate information creates towards Rottweiler’s and their owners.
Therefore the Rottweiler Owners Trust (ROT) has been set up to promote the good name of the Rottweiler and to defend it against unfair or unjust comments or actions from any quarter by way of a national database of email and phone links.
http://www.rottweilerownerstrust.co.uk
Advice on house training
The basic principles: House training a young dog should be a fairly simple exercise but with an older dog it may take slighter longer. To start with begin by taking the dog outside into the garden or exercise area if you don’t have a garden, first thing in the morning and allow the dog to empty its bowels, this will mean waiting outside with the dog often for sometime but this is an important part of the training to ensure that the dog understands what is required of it and also so that you can be sure that it has emptied its bowels prior to letting it back into the house. As soon as the dog has finished doing this then you should immediately praise the dog both physically and verbally. In the early stages and in particular with young dogs and puppies they should be taken outside after they have been sleeping, playing and after they have been fed. Again this will mean staying outside with the dog to ensure that it has emptied its bowels.
It is important that the dog is walked twice per day. This is not only allows the dog more opportunities to empty its bowels but also gives the dog exercise and mental stimulation both of which are important to its health and general wellbeing. Ideally walking should take place in the morning and again in the evening but in addition to this the dog should be taken outside into the garden or exercise area again just before you go to bed. Be sure to stay outside with the dog to ensure that it has emptied it bowels no matter how long it takes. This is also important in that it will allow the dog one final opportunity to go to the toilet and hopefully prevent any accidents occurring during the night. This part of the training need not go on forever as you will find that once fully house trained most dogs will be happy with that final evening walk and will let you know if they want to go out before you go to bed by waiting at the back door.
Signs to look for: Dogs will generally give off signs that they are about to go to the toilet these are restlessness, pacing around, sniffing the ground and going to the back door to be let out. If you see these signs then take the dog outside and give the dog plenty of verbal and physical praise when the dog goes to the toilet.
What to do if their accidents: Should you come down in the morning or come home after being out and find that the dog has been to the toilet in the house then the dog should be quietly and without any fuss let out into the garden or moved to another room. It is important that the dog is not punished in any way as the dog will not associate the punishment with what is has done, instead it will associate any punishment with you coming downstairs or returning home and will begin to act in a submissive manner which many mistakenly believe is the dog knowing that it has done wrong. Punishment if anything will make matters worse so remain calm at all times. Whilst the dog is in the garden or other room if you don’t have a garden, the mess should be cleaned up with the dog being let back into the area once this has been done.
How to clean up accidents: The mess should be cleaned up using a solution of nine parts warm water to one part biological washing powder. Once the area has dried then depending on the surface it can be wiped over using some surgical spirit. It may be a wise idea to test the area first to prevent any damage being caused. Do not use household cleaning products to clean the area. Most of them contain bleach and it is the ammonia in this that is similar to the ammonia in urine and this can cause the dog to use the area again to go to the toilet in a similar fashion to the way that dogs scent mark when on walks.
Crates: Crates can be a wise investment to prevent many house training and problems with chewing that can occur over night or when the dog is left alone, however they should be used as an aid to house training and not as a method of preventing house training problems. The dog can be shut into the crate over night and should not normally soil this area as dogs will not normally soil dens or sleeping areas. As previously stated the crate should be used as an aid to training only and once the training complete then the crate can continue to be used as a sleeping area but with the doors left open.
Training mats: As a personal choice we prefer not to use training mats as they can encourage the dog to toilet in the house, but training mats can be another aid to house training. These mats are scented and attract the dog to use them. Once the dog has started using them, ensure that you give the dog plenty of verbal and physical praise for doing so and gradually move the training mat towards the back door and then into the garden, but again remember that following the other procedures outlined will be the best way to house train a dog.
When is house training complete: By carrying out the correct procedures the dog should be house trained within a couple of weeks, but use your best judgement on this as each dog is different and do expect the occasional relapse in house training during the initial stages. Once you are no longer having any accidents then the dog can be considered house trained. You should then be able to get away with walking the dog twice per day and letting the dog out into the garden first thing in the morning and after feeding. It is at this stage that you can just let the dog out into the garden and will no longer have to go out their with it.
ONE TO ONE CANINE TRAINING AND BEHAVIOUR
Nr Portsmouth, Hampshire,
United Kingdom
