by Ron Rutherford

“Be the person your dog thinks you are.” I’ve heard that probably a million times before and to be honest it can get pretty old. It’s true that my dogs think I’m pretty awesome and I know that they are probably the only living creatures on the planet who don’t care when I eat hot wings and then use them for a napkin. All the same, I like that I can hold on to some of my minor faults and still be the best thing since bacon wrapped turkey. Instead of being the person my dogs think I am, I strive to be more like my dogs because of their unique way of approaching the world around them.

Candidness

Regardless of their shortcomings, my dogs never apologize for who they are. They are not overly concerned with their appearances and don’t care if they get to ride in the back of the newest and hottest sports car. They don’t even get embarrassed about going to the bathroom in front of others. They are perfectly comfortable with the way they are and they never judge others. I think that there are times when we all get a little greedy or discontent with what we have already been blessed with. It’s in those moments that I realize I should be more like my dogs.

Thankfulness

Unlike the people in my life including myself, my dogs never take anything for granted. They don’t care if I have hot sauce on my fingers when I pet them. They are just thankful for the opportunity to bond with someone they care about. I have to say that if someone tried to pet me with sticky fingers I would be less than amused; it wouldn’t matter who they were.

Enthusiasm

I can’t remember a single morning that I have woken up and not been greeted by a dog who was ready to seize the day. As soon as I open my eyes my dogs are bright eyed and ready for anything. They never hit the snooze button or complain about what they have to accomplish during the day. The fact that they get to wake up another day is enough for them. I admit that there are days that I don’t want to get out of bed and I hit the snooze button way too many times. It’s on those days that when I finally do get out of bed I have a bad attitude and everything irritates me. I don’t think many people have met a dog who is angry as soon as he wakes up. Instead of dreading my day, I should be more like my dogs and be thankful that I get to wake up to another day.

Forgiveness

My dogs don’t hold grudges. I admit that there has been a time or two where I realized that my dogs were supposed to get fed a couple of hours ago and I was completely out of dog food. They had to wait even longer for me to rush to the store and grab a bag of dog food. When I finally got back from the store and fed them it was as though they had forgotten my negligence. They expressed their gratitude and continued to give me unconditional love. Now if someone had forgotten to feed me I can’t say that I would respond as graciously.Instead of getting uppity when I feel as though I have been neglected, I should take a page from my dogs’ book and learn to forgive and forget.

We should not concern ourselves with trying to be the people our dogs think we are. They are simply accepting us for who we are. We should instead strive to be more like our dogs and learn to accept ourselves and others around us.

About the Author

Ron Rutherford is a writer with a passion for nature and a soft spot for Thai food. His dogs are truly his best friends and his mission is to educate pet owners on dog accessories including dog doors, collars, and chew toys.

Hi there folks, Alfie the SureFlap dog here!

I’ve just heard about this poor little Staffordshire bull terrier cross that was abandoned. She’s being cared for by the Leeds Dogs Trust in Bradford. She suffers from a rare condition affecting the tendons in her front legs, making her walk in a wonky fashion. So she’s been nicknamed Wonky!

Wonky is receiving physiotherapy 30 times a day to improve her legs. Watch her fascinating story below!

Is your dog suffering from a rare condition?

Why not tell me how your dog is getting on by commenting on this blog post!

Some dogs bark to be let out into the garden when it’s time for them to ‘go’. A great way to stop this behaviour is to install a dog door, so that your dog can come and go as he pleases. If your dog has free access to the garden, you may find that he stops barking altogether.

If you have a small dog, you could invest in a SureFlap Microchip Pet Door. We recently launched this product in the UK, and will be rolling it out to the rest of the world in the next few weeks. The SureFlap pet door works with your pet’s microchip or collar mounted tag to give your pet exclusive access to your home, keeping other animals out.

Marion Trew installed a SureFlap Microchip Pet Door for her dog Treacle. She used to bark when she wanted to go outside. Now that she has a pet door, she’s stopped barking, because she can access the garden without having to alert Marion that she needs to go out.

When speaking about the pet door, Marion said: “It has substantially improved my life. I was aware of having to let the dog in and out of the kitchen door multiple times a day and especially in the evening when I was trying to relax.  Now she goes in and out by herself and what I hadn’t realised was how much she barked to be let in and out. Now she doesn’t bark at all and it is wonderful.”

Have you recently installed a pet door?

Has your new pet door put a stop to your dog’s barking? Why not tell us your story by commenting on this blog post!

In a bid to limit the number of stray and lost dogs, and to make it easier to prosecute owners of dangerous dogs, all dogs in England must be microchipped from 6 April 2016. Dog owners that fail to have their pets’ microchipped could face a £500 fine.

However, just having a dog microchipped alone will not stop dogs attacking people. Dog owners must take responsibility of their pet by training them properly to prevent aggressive behaviour.

The new law will also now cover dog attacks that take place on private property, meaning that dog owners will be prosecuted if an incident occurs. Over the last year, over 3,000 postal workers were attacked by dogs, with many incidents occurring on private property. If a burglar or trespasser is attacked though, the dog owner will not be prosecuted.

If a dog gets lost and it has been microchipped, it is more likely to be returned to its owner. Collar and tags, whilst acting as a great visual way to identify your pet, can get lost. A microchip, which is about the size of a grain of rice, cannot get lost as it is implanted underneath the skin of the animal. The procedure is quick and inexpensive.

Getting your dog microchipped isn’t the end of the story. You must ensure that your dog’s microchip details are entered onto a microchipping database and that the details are kept up to date if you move house. You will receive paperwork with your dog’s microchip. Keep this in a safe place so that you can refer to it at a later date.

At SureFlap, we support this new move to make microchipping compulsory in England. If you have a small dog that is microchipped, he can use the new SureFlap Microchip Pet Door for free access to and from the garden. The new pet door has a curfew mode – a timer lock that you can set to lock and unlock at specified times. Currently only available on our UK website, the SureFlap Microchip Pet Door will be available worldwide within the next couple of months.

What do you think?

Do you already have your dog microchipped? Do you agree with this new law? Tell us what you think by commenting on this blog post!

Puppies are creatures of habit so toilet training can be a simple process, so long as you stick to the dos and don’ts.

Do:

• Take your puppy outside at regular intervals
• Use cue words when your puppy goes to the toilet
• Reward them for toileting in the right place
• Always accompany your puppy in the garden so that it learns you will treat it after it has been to the toilet outdoors
• Puppies need to toilet after waking and eating, so be ready to let them out at the appropriate times
• Let your puppy outside at intervals throughout the night when they are very young
• Feed them at regular times so that their toilet routines are regular

Don’t:

• Don’t give your puppy permanent access to the garden, otherwise they won’t make the connection between going outside with toileting
• Don’t punish your puppy when they go to the toilet in the house, or they’ll feel uneasy toileting in front of you
• Don’t give them access to rugs or carpets, or any materials that resemble spongy grass
• Don’t use cue words that sound similar to words of praise, otherwise you might experience some little accidents every time you praise them!

If you want to train your puppy to go to the toilet whilst on a walk, take them out for a walk very early in the morning before they have done their first wee of the day. Stay on the walk until your puppy has been to the toilet. If they don’t manage to go, take them in the garden as soon as you get home so they won’t be tempted to go indoors.

Have you toilet trained a puppy?

Why not share your top tips by commenting on this blog post!

Hi, I’m Alfie, the new SureFlap dog mascot! SureFlap hosted a competition to name me. I was named after a Jack Russell – read all about Alfie’s story here!

To enter the contest, contestants had to submit the name of a dog along with why they think the dog should be chosen. There were five runner-up stories, and one of the stories has really given me something to bark about.

London is a very special dog that has learned to cope with life on two legs after both his front legs had to be amputated. Sadly, he was mistreated by his owners – both his front legs were fractured when he was found.

The Team London Scholarship fund was set up to help pay for London’s operation and rehabilitation. More than enough money was raised, so the fund continues to help raise money for other animals in need of medical attention.

London has now started to get used to using a wheelchair as part of his rehabilitation, which helps him get around easier. He has learnt to walk on two back legs, but his new accessory should make life a little easier for him. I reckon that doggie wheelchair looks like great fun – I wouldn’t mind giving it a try myself!

London was named by animal rescue workers after the London 2012 Olympic Games, and just like the games, his story is a true inspiration.

Has your pet learnt to cope with a disability?

Why not tell me all about it by commenting on this blog post!

Earlier this year, PDSA launched their annual Pet Fit Club. Pet Fit Club finds some of the most overweight pets in Britain and challenges them to lose weight over a six month period.

This year’s winner was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called Jack, fondly referred to as ‘Jumbo Jack’. He weighed a hefty 20.5kg at the first weigh in; 105% over his recommended body weight.

Jack was rehomed earlier in the year, and their new owners were worried that he might not survive. They decided to enter him into the PDSA Pet Fit Club to give him a new lease of life and to raise awareness about pet obesity. They wanted to help encourage other pet owners not to overfeed their pets. Jack lost 31% of his bodyweight to be crowned a Pet Fit Club champion.

Other participants that were highly commended in the Pet Fit Club included Billie the cat and Bobby the rabbit.

Billie had a voracious appetite and after eating his own dinner, he would often help himself to the other cat’s food in the house. Billie was 93% overweight and managed to shed 23% of his bodyweight.

Meanwhile, Bobby the rabbit lost 29% of her bodyweight. It was over a period of years that Bobby gradually put on weight. When her owner noticed that her dewlap, the fold of skin beneath her neck, was getting in the way of her grooming routine, she realised her pet was overweight.

All of the 18 pets that took part in the PDSA Pet Fit Club 2012 lost weight over the six months that they took part. If you are worried that your pet might be overweight, take them to your vet to be weighed. Your vet will be able to advise you on your pet’s dietary requirements and whether they need to be put on a special diet to get their weight in check. Pet obesity is a common, world wide problem that can be easily solved by feeding our pets properly.

Watch this video from PDSA to view all the participants of Pet Fit Club 2012.

Visit Earls Court in London on 10th or 11th November for a fun day out at Discover Dogs! Discover Dogs is aimed at both dog owners and those thinking of getting their first dog. For those planning on getting a dog in the future, there’ll be over 200 breeds at the show to help you decide which breed you might want to own.

Discover Dogs is run by the Kennel Club and is London’s biggest dog event. It started in 1996, and has become a firm date in many a dog lover’s calendar.

Discover Dogs includes the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme, an organisation that promotes responsible dog ownership, the UK Junior Handler of the Year 2012 Final and a series of informative seminars. Seminar topics include improving the relationship you have with your dog and what to look for when buying a puppy.

Tickets for Discover Dogs can be bought online or on the door, and children under 12 go free! For more information about Discover Dogs, visit www.discoverdogs.org.uk.

Image courtesy of @samanthapet on Flickr

There are different ways to train a dog, but clicker training can be a very effective option, as each click sounds exactly the same as the last. There’s little chance of your dog getting confused by its meaning. Using your voice to train your dog can be trickier, as your tone won’t always sound the same to them.

To clicker train your dog, try using the clicker when they do something good. Press the clicker to indicate good behaviour and reward them with a treat after each click. They will begin associate the click with a reward. Using the clicker in conjunction with treats is a more effective way to train your dog than using treats alone, as the clicker is an indicator to them that something good is on the way.

Another way to introduce the clicker is to set some time aside in a quiet room with a bag of treats. Press the clicker a few times and after each click, give your dog a treat. Repeat the process until your dog gets the hang of it.  When he starts looking for a treat after each click you’ll know he’s got the idea. Ensure that your clicker training takes place in a quiet area where there are no other noises that might cause distractions.

Once your dog has got used to the sound of the clicker, start using it to teach your dog some simple commands such as sitting or walking to heel. The act of sitting is a good one to start with as it’s a natural thing for your dog to do. As soon as your dog does exactly what you want him to, press the clicker immediately and reward him with a treat.

Clicker training can be used to improve your dog’s behaviour, or perform certain tricks on demand. Puppies usually get the hand of clicker training quickly, but dogs of any age can respond to clicker training. A clicker is usually a small strip of metal encased in plastic that clicks when pressed and can be picked up cheaply from many pet shops.

Have you tried to clicker train a dog?

If you have, why not tell us about your experience by commenting on this blog post!