I also saw Alfie, a rescued staffie for a follow-up Handle & Train consultation to review his behaviour towards other dogs and his owner's handling. I'm pleased to report that both owner and dog have come on leaps and bounds in the months since our first consultation and I am very proud of them both!
Award for most entertaining dog names of the week have to go to delightful JRT pair, Buddy & Holly! Buddy had a problem with barking excessively but with a short session teaching him that if he remained quiet and attentive to his owner, she would give him lots of positive attention and even treats! This was the way to Buddy's heart and made him forget all about barking! He's got a long way to go to recondition this previously well-learned behaviour but his owner is committed and determined to help him so hopefully this Buddy's voice won't be heard quite so much in the future!
I've also had some queries about diet and it's link to behaviour and I will reiterate here what I say to all of my clients regarding their choice of commercially prepared (dry) diets:
- Look for a food with a meat source (chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, venison, duck etc) and rice as the two top ingredients.
- The word 'derivatives' means the rubbish that the human food processing industry has to reject, i.e. scales, beaks, feet, gristle, fins etc. Reject ANY food that has the word ANYWHERE in its ingredient list.
- Maize, cereals and corn products can be poorly tolerated by dogs. Try to avoid any foods with these products in the ingredient list.
- Avoid any food with added sugar (possibly disguised as 'beet', 'sugar beet', or 'beet pulp', added salt, flavourings, preservatives or colourings.
- Avoid foods with protein in excess of 24% unless your dog is actively working.
In short, start looking at your pet food labels as carefully as you do your children's and make your own informed decision about your friend's diet.
