The Canine Behaviourist

A short piece by Jonathan Leake in last weeks’ Sunday Times regarding short nose (brachiocephalic dogs) gave me cause for optimism.  

Over the centuries, man has bred dogs to be more extreme in their appearance all for the benefit of fashion.  This has been to the detriment of the wellbeing and quality of life for the breeds of dogs effected.

All of these types of dog suffer.  British bulldogs, french bulldogs, pugs and King Charles’ Spaniels to name a few.  There are many more.  ALL of these breeds are beset with health problems caused by ‘breeding’ for a specific look.  In my view, this practice is cruelty, plain and simple.

The dogs that have been bred like this, all have difficulty in breathing, to the point where they cannot function properly - they can’t run, play and swim like other dogs.  They, simply, can’t breath properly and are exhausted by ‘normal’ activities associated with healthy dogs.

The environment secretary, Michael Gove, has drawn up new legislation aimed at dealing with this practice. Breeders’ of these types of dogs will face proscecution if they breed dogs with unhealthy deformities - all of the aforementioned breeds must, surely, fall under the terms of the new legislation.

Of course, ‘lovers’ of these types of afflicted dogs will shout long and hard. Do I have any sympathy for these owners? Of course not!  If they were true animal lovers they would not be perpetuating this barbaric practice by fueling the demand for such dogs.

Jonatan Leakes’ article quotes Gufrun Ravetz, of the British Veterinary Association, who says ‘the new regulations are a significant step forward to crack down on unscrupulous dealers and put a legal duty on breeders to prioritise the genetic health of puppies.’  Well said but, I would go further.  The breeding and ‘future’ ownership of brachiocephalic dogs or, indeed, any breed of dog with conditions bred into them that affects their quality of life should be banned.

I came across a chap with his terrier type dog this morning whilst out with Ziggy. He proceeded to behave, somewhat, oddly with his dog.

As we approached, he turned away from us, shortened the dogs’ lead and made him sit, all the while blocking the dogs’ line of site to us. During our approach he was also constantly feeding his dog treats.

As we reached him, he continued to try to get between his dog and us. Of course, I asked him what he was doing. ‘Stopping my dog looking at your dog’ came the reply. Strange indeed.

He explained that his dog could be a little unpredictable. I asked him to relax and allow his dog to relax a little also - as the dog sat, calmly, I offered him and my dog a treat - duly taken by both dogs.

I have seen this type of behaviour replicated a number of times now. In my opinion, this is a disturbing trend in how to deal with ‘reactive’ dogs.  In fact, it is counter-productive.  Instead of dealing with a behavioural issue, owners are encouraged to take this, rather drastic, avoidance action.  This doesn’t serve the dog well - in fact, this may prevent him from getting over his behaviour issue.

What should be happen is that the dog with reactive issues should be exposed to dogs in a controlled manner - at distance and then ever closer as the dog begins to calm when in proximity of other dogs - desensitisation.

There are always exceptions to the rule. Some dogs are extremely reactive and it can prove very difficult to help them modify their behaviour.  These dogs need to be dealt with very carefully by experienced handlers.

However, the majority of dogs, can be helped with careful desensitisation to the issue that challenges them.  Simply, stopping the dog from experiencing other dogs or situations naturally is a flawed approach.

I met a couple with a very excited dog today.  It reminded me of my time in the Royal Navy.

Way back in 1982, after 9 years, I found myself drafted to my first ship.  This was, of course, en route to the Falklands Islands. 

I had been used to the RN focus on exercises and drills.  Stay with me, I get back to the dog a little later.

During the 7000 mile passage to the war zone, we were exercised and drilled relentlessly. Action stations, crash landing, man overboard, fires, casualties, the list goes on.  At the time, it seemed a pain in the neck. However, there was a serious point to all of this,  By the time, there was any real incident, the exercises had made the ships’ company’s response automatic, second nature. It could be the difference between life and death.

So, you may be wondering, what does this have to do with the owners and their excitable dog? Well, quite a lot, actually.

The owners of this dog, had done some training but, now didn’t bother that much. This is the point, right there. Unlike, the Royal Navy, this couple did not understand the importance of repetition.  Dogs will not retain their training if it is not reinforced by repetition throughout the dogs’ life. This is a fundamental to the approach adopted by the Royal Navy. It is no good just doing some training, maybe repeated a couple of time. It has to be practiced to make it stick.

In Apr 2018 the Times newspaper reported there were 130,000 dogs in UK rescue centres. a staggering number of animal, I think most sane people would agree. 

Perhaps it is time that the rescue centres revised their re-homing policies. I’ve visited some of the bigger charities websites such as the RSPCA and the Dogs Trust - both advise that there is no lower age limit for children.  However, I meet quite a few prospective re-homers that have been advised by these organisations that they do not allow dogs to go to homes with children below a certain age (this varies).

A recent example, that came to my attention, was a friend of mine with a daughter aged around 2 1/2 years. He is very experienced with dogs and clearly knows what he is doing.  Nevertheless, he was turned away from quite a few centres because of his daughters’ age.

I understand the reservations displayed by rescue centres. They re-home and something happens - they find themselves with negative publicity and, possibly, in court. No good for anyone.

 There are many ‘behaviourists’ dotted around the UK.  Rescue centres should, maybe, call upon them to carefully assess dogs for their suitability for re-homing with young children.  This should be supported by a program aimed at helping the re-homing family to understand their dog and to do the right things to integrate it into their family home.

In every vet surgery, pet shop or any store selling pet supplies you will see them.  Hanging in their rows and plastic cases, promising the owner the perfect answer for walking their dogs.

Why, with these leads, you need never fear your dog running off again and, they get to have a good walk on their extending lead.  Fantastic right?

Well...No.

These types of leads are aimed at those owners that are not prepared to put the time in to train their dog properly.

Using these leads prevents a dog from experiencing a free run and a walk, free from the umbilical cord tethering them to their owner. Dogs needs to be able to explore their surrounding, be it woodland, the beach or any other area that allows them to be a dog or, indeed, to socialise properly with their own kind.

Many owners point out to me that their dogs enjoy their walk on these leads and get plenty of socialisation at the same time.  This is delusional.  The ONLY reason these leads are used are for the convenience of the owner, NOT the well-being of the dog.

These types of lead never control the dog, they just can’t run off.  They, in my opinion, represent a danger to other animal and humans; they wrap round arms and legs and cause injuries.

It is the responsibility of owners to make sure their dogs are properly trained in lead walking and recall.

Consider this. You have a young child, maybe 4 or 5 years old. You have a big,open garden that you like to let you’re child play in. He, however, is adventurous so, he likes to go further afield. To stop him straying you decide that you can use technology to help. You fit him with a little collar which, if he strays too far, gives him an electric shock to stop him. Great idea, right? Not cruel at all. By now, you are probably screaming at the screen, asking how could I suggest such a barbaric thing!

Of course, you are right — it is cruel and barbaric. So why then does Michael Gove (the environment minister) think it OK to inflict such cruelty on dogs and cats?

Mind you, Mr Gove has been given the enlightened support of backbenchers such as John Hayes; not to mention luminaries such as Stephen Redgrave (a skilled rower of boats but, probably not an expert in animal behaviour and welfare) — Mr Redgrave uses shock collars on his dog and he points out that they, are clearly, not cruel at all — he has come to this view based on what, exactly?

Animal charities such as the Blue Cross and the RSPCA are, clearly,upset by this decision. The Blue Cross considers that the selling of shock collars, for any purpose, would legitimise their use. However, why should Mr Gove take any notice of these professionals when he can rely on backbenchers and supporters like Mr Redgrave? Perhaps supporters of these cruel devices would like to wear them for a period and experience their effects?

These types of devices fall into the same category as choke and pronged collars. They are the crutches for people who are not prepared to make the effort to ensure they train the’re animals properly and kindly. A lazy and cruel way to control our animals.

Cats hate dogs and dogs hate cats — right? Well, this is not always the case. These, traditional mortal enemies, can actually get along pretty well.

I am often asked about bringing a dog into a home with an existing cat or vice versa. This is a source of concern for many people who would like to have cats and dogs living together.

Recently, I met a family who had two young, fairly large, lively dogs. They lived on a farm with some kittens who were semi-feral and had been expected to live in the barn while earning their keep as ratters.

In this case, the kittens had other ideas, it was far nicer indoors than in the barn. They were now, regularly making themselves at home in the house. One of the dogs showed zero interest in the kittens, the other was unsure of how to react and had chased them a couple times.

The family asked for my help with the situation.

The key to success is to gradually introduce the new pets. Clearly, common sense dictates that the pets should be kept separate whilst not under supervision, certainly while they are getting used to each other.

Your existing pet will already have areas in the house that it considers to be of high value. Suddenly allowing a new addition access to these areas is a recipe for problems. It is important to understand that introducing a new pet, in this case a number of kittens, into a household is a significant change to the social structure in the eyes of your dog.

The dogs were allowed to be in proximity of the cats in a controlled manner. This allowed them to become more relaxed and accepting of the new housemates. This type of thing should be done carefully, under the guidance of a trained behaviourist.

So, don’t be put off from introducing different species to each other, just make sure you do it with professional guidance.

So, you have a dog with problems. Who do you call? Certainly not ghostbusters!

During my studies over the past year, I have met quite a few dog owners with worrying tales to tell of their experiences with dog trainers and behaviourists.

Some of the advice they are given is staggeringly bad, from keeping dogs indoors for weeks at a time or physically punishing them in one way or another or, just being told that they, the ‘professionals’ cannot help their dog.

One, unfortunate, soul has had the experience of three ‘professional’ behaviourists:

One visited and sat in a room, apart from the dog, and gave her opinions to the owner at the cost of over £100, without, ever, evaluating the dog.

Another told the owner to keep her dog ‘quiet’ for a year!

The other took one look, from a car, and told the owner to return the dog to the rescue centre.

Frankly, all of these examples are staggering.

It is not surprising, that with the shoddy advice, that the poor dog has not been helped over the past three years. The poor owner has struggled over this time and continues to do so.

Unfortunately, there are many courses out there all purporting to give people the skills required to be a behaviourist or trainer. Many of these courses are of very low quality. The problem is then made worse by the number of ‘professional bodies’ that impart the veneer of professionalism to people with limited knowledge and skills, making them an extremely poor choice to help dogs and their owners.

Research is vitally important when choosing someone to help you with your dog. Ask your vet for recommendations and then research these people to find out their level of training and experience. Don’t be wowed with fancy certificates and membership of impressive-sounding professional bodies. People who have studied a few courses at level three — providing basic training — are unlikely to possess the depth of knowledge required to deal with the complex behavioural issues that dogs may present.

Any behaviourist worth their salt will refer you to your vet, initially — the vet should be aware of the behaviourist and be prepared to refer you to them. All behaviourists should take a full history of your pet and discuss with you how to progress. They should also be prepared to visit for followup and to observe the dog in the situations were behavioural issues present.

There’s nothing quite like seeing your pooch enjoying himself. Swimming, running, chasing things, jumping; the sheer joy they show when allowed to have fun is fantastic to behold.

Footballers are regularly sidelined through injuries to their cruciate ligaments. One of the hazards of playing football, certainly in the rarified professional level.

It comes as no surprise then that dogs, who have cruciate ligaments in their knees, can suffer similar injuries. Some breeds appear more susceptible than others to this type of injury. Larger breeds such as St Bernard, Newfoundland through to Labradors, Rottweilers commonly suffer with cruciate damage. Of course, many other breeds do too.

Exercise is a factor but other considerations are excessive weight, older dogs ligaments can degenerate and weaken, arthritis and other abnormalities.

It is not unusual for a dog to tear a cruciate when simply walking, as happened to one of my dogs a few years ago. A common cause in active dogs is chasing a frisbee. The act of jumping, often twisting in the air, and landing puts excessive strain on the dog’s knees, often resulting in cruciate damage. This happened to my current dog, Ziggy.

A damaged cruciate ligament is an extremely painful condition for your dog. Occasionally, there may be some improvement over time with conservative treatment which consists of restricting your dogs’s activity. Usually, however, the only real course of action is surgery. This is expensive, ranging from £800 to £3000 and above.

Ziggy recovering for cruciate repair surgery

I, of course, am not suggesting you don’t allow your dog to exercise fully and to have fun. I do, however, suggest that you consider what type of dog you have and what is the appropriate level and types of exercise for them. Certainly, manage their weight and be aware of the factors that might predispose your dog to this very painful, debilitating and expensive injury.

So, you have got a couple of lovely dogs who get on really well together. You’ve got plenty of room so why not get another dog? It seems a great idea. Off you go to the local rescue centre and find the perfect addition to your little band of fur balls. You go through the checks including introducing your pups to the new one at the centre. Everything goes fine, the perfect match!

For the first few days, everything seems OK, the new dog seems to be fitting in well. Then, for no apparent reason, things start to go wrong. The new dog has started to become aggressive with one of the others but, not the other one. He is baring his teeth and looks like he wants to fight with the other dog. You are struggling to understand this. The rescue centre said there where no behavioural problems with the new dog. In fact, they said she got on well with other dogs and was a bit of a cutie.

This is not an uncommon problem. So, what is going on? The first thing to understand is this is nothing to do with lack of socialisation. This is more likely to do status. Dogs are similar to wolves when in groups — there is a strict hierarchy and deference shown to pack members. The new dog may be challenging the status of the other dog it is showing aggression to. Interdog aggression (as demonstrated here) is not common in households with more than one dog. In these situations is is more likely to occur between dogs of the same sex. Often seen in females, but it can happen with males (particularly un-castrated ones).

This is a difficult and dangerous problem. If, for instance, the dog that is the object of the aggression is totally submissive it is entirely possible that the aggressor will move in to kill the other dog. This may sound over dramatic but this can be the case. This is a problem that needs dealing with quickly.

Observing the behaviour of the dogs will help you to understand what is going on. You will see that the aggressor challenges the targeted dog. these challenges may be active such as those over food, toys or seeking attention from the owners — if the challenged dog backs down, the situation usually resolves. Passive aggression involves posturing and staring, for instance. If the other dog does not back down, aggression ensues. Other behaviours may include pushing the targeted dog out the way when going through doors, claiming the other dogs sleeping area and taking the other dogs food, for instance. You get the picture.

In fact, conflict and aggression can result in any context involving deference and hierarchy. Interdog aggression usually becomes apparent when a dog reaches maturity (18 to 24 months old) therefore, it is not uncommon for someone to have two dogs living happily together and then, when one of them reaches maturity, all hell breaks loose.

What to do? First things first. If the dog is female, get it neutered — this will reduce hormonal fluctuations that can be contributing to the problem. If the problem dog is male, get it castrated. A castrated male tends to be calmer and less reactive.

It would be wrong of me to go into too much detail on how to deal with this problem from a behavioural perspective. This will need you to seek help from a ‘qualified’ canine behaviourist. The aim in this situation is to establish a pack order — to do this your behaviourist will consider quite a few factors.

The bottom line is that the aggressor or the targeted dog, depending on the circumstances will need to be reinforced as the, if you like, senior dog in the pack. This means, for instance, it gets fed first, it gets played with first, it get preferential treatment for most things. This will establish it as the top dog, the other dog/s will learn to accept this. It sounds very straightforward. It is, only if the right protocols are put into place and ALL the humans in the household adhere to them.

I am staggered by the number of dog owners I see that think it is acceptable to hit their dogs. (I will not be using any pictures in this post — they will be too upsetting for most caring dog owners).

I would recommend ‘How dogs learn (Burch MR et al, 1999)” as a good starting point for those interested in doing the best for their dogs.

Modern canine behaviourists and trainers adopt positive procedures to train dogs. The other end of the spectrum is the trainer who thinks ‘breaking a dog’ through physical punishment is the best way.

Frankly, I would hope that we have progressed over the past 50 years and, now take the view that physical punishment is purely just cruelty. Most of the incidents of this type of abuse are perpetrated by owners that are angry and, simply, lose it when their dogs does not do what they want. Often, they physically assault there dogs, simply because they can.

Two recent examples I have witnessed whilst out with my rescued deerhound:

a) A woman had two, lively (as is the norm for the breed), springer spaniels. In the space of a couple of minutes, this woman, clearly in a temper tantrum, struck one of the dogs, repeatedly with a leash, whilst shouting at it. Ridiculous and downright cruel.

b) A man, with two dogs behind a low garden wall — a boxer and a staffordshire bull terrier, struck both his dogs with a strap as I approached. From what I could see, their crime was to have just shown a little interest in my approaching dog. The dogs stayed behind the wall as I passed. A glance over my shoulder saw the man again strike the dogs with the strap. Why? I have no idea.

Physical punishment such as the above is simply cruel and ineffective — the dog learns nothing from such abuse, just fear of the owner.

Burch M R et al (1999) describes, in behavioural terms, punishers taking a number of forms:

Time out Withdrawal of attention / time out (separated, for instance: in another room or kept on the lead in a park away from the play of other dogs.

Response cost Removal of toys / removal of play time

Verbal reprimand Aahh!! / NO!! / Stop that!!, etc

Physical punisher Leash correction (jerk on the leash) — considered by many to be reasonable / hit / shove with foot to stop a behaviour / knee in the chest (stop jumping) / pinch collar / shock collar, etc

Natural punisher Bitten by another animal whilst sticking head down a whole, for instance

The issue of physical punishment is, for me, clear. Sometimes the jerking on a leash might be required — but that is it. Any more than that is abuse.

I strongly recommend that, if you really are a dog lover, you do some reading. “How dogs learn” is a reasonable starting point.

A positively well trained dog is a happy dog!

So, we have a bit of a heat wave in the UK. Unfortunately, there are, as usual, many dog owners that do not understand that extreme heat and dogs don’t mix well.

I was at the beautiful North Norfolk Holkham beach at the weekend. The weather was forecast to be fine and hot. So a trip to the sea was in order with Ziggy. A trip not to be taken lightly.

Here’s the thing — dog’s have fur coats. They wear them all the time. They can’t strip down in the heat. They struggle to regulate their temperatures. Therefore, it is up to us to help them.

So, back to Ziggy. We got to the beach early, around 10am — an early start for us humans but very important for Ziggy. We went to the beach and had a couple of hours fun in the water. By midday it was very hot. Time to get back to the air-conditioning of the car, more food and water for us all. Then back home. Yes — a fairly short trip but a very enjoyable one.

What was everyone else doing? Well, clearly, after having a nice lie in and a leisurely trip to the beach, the great unwashed were turning up now the temperature was really getting hot. There were tiny children, countless dogs all swarming to the now boiling beach. The small children were already crabby. It seems that many dog owners are not listening or, are not prepared to adjust how they do things when they have a dog or, a child for that matter.

Dogs can suffer with heatstroke, a potentially fatal condition. Something that is entirely preventable. Some of the signs:

Heavy panting or rapid breathing

Lethargic, drowsy or uncoordinated

Excessive drooling

Glazed eyes

Weakness or seizures

Vomiting

Bloody diarrhoea

Seizures or collapse

How to avoid it:

Never leave the pet in a parked car, even for a few minutes, and break the window if you see an animal trapped in a vehicle who is clearly in trouble.

Walk your dog before the sun comes up in the morning or after sunset and if they are outside in the day make sure they have access to complete shade.

Avoid long car journeys

Stay off hot pavements. As well as burning your dog’s paws, heat rising off concrete and asphalt can overheat smaller breeds.

Limit the walks. Too much physical exertion in hot weather can cause heatstroke.

Make sure your dog has plenty of drinking water to stop them becoming dehydrated and ensure they are drinking it.

Gently hose or sponge them down with cool water to lower their body temperature.

Consider using a rectal thermometer to take your dog’s temperature

If your dog is showing signs of heatstroke, do the following:

The RSPCA say for the best chance of survival, dogs suffering from heatstroke urgently need to have their body temperature lowered gradually.

Move him/her to a shaded/cool area.

Immediately douse the dog with cool (not cold) water, to avoid shock. If possible, you can also use wet towels or place him/her in the breeze of a fan.

Allow the dog to drink small amounts of cool water.

Continue to douse the dog with cool water until his/her breathing starts to settle but never so much that he/she begins to shiver.

Once the dog is cool, take him/her to the nearest vet as a matter of urgency.

Failure to act promptly could result in the dog’s death.

When your dog is in a group of other dogs it is important that you are aware of body language and group dynamics. Things can change quickly.

Here is an example to illustrate my point. While out with Ziggy a couple of days ago, enjoying the river and having fun playing with a young, very good natured Rottweiler bitch, other dogs began to arrive on the scene.

From just two dogs playing, it quickly became five or six. All these dogs were getting along pretty well — playing nicely. The young Rottie was getting on well with the growing gang. Then, another dog joined the fun. This was a young, fairly small, Poodle X. This dog was intact (not castrated) — an important point.

The group dynamic changed quickly. The usual pleasantries seemed to be observed — sniffing of rear ends, etc. The new arrival appeared to be a little pushy and in the face of the other dogs. This wasn’t that obvious to the untrained eye — but, it was there.

The happy Rottie suddenly turned on the smaller male dog, giving chase and snapping at it’s back. It didn’t bite the other dog but, may have done. Of course the owner of the smaller dog was screaming as the Rottie was got under control. The Rottie quickly calmed down. The other dog was removed by the angry owner — offended by the Rottie ‘attacking’ her dog.

So, what caused the fun session to turn sour so quickly?

The ‘guilty’ party here was the Poodle X. He was trying to exert his dominance over the other dogs — not unusual behaviour for an intact male. This, often, does not always lead to problems. However, in this case, the larger Rottie was not impressed and was certainly not going to defer to the Poodle X — net result is that the Rottie turned on the offending dog and asserted her authority. A natural canine response. This does not mean that the Rottie is an aggressive or ‘bad’ dog — she is, simply, responding to the Poodle’s challenge.

Could this outcome have been foreseen and avoided. The simple answer is yes.

By observing the dogs/s it is possible to spot the warning signs. In this case, some of the dogs, including the Rottie, were visibly displaying that they were uncomfortable with the attentions of the Poodle.

Two thing should have been done here: firstly the Poodle’s owner should have moved their dog on or put it on the lead. The Rottie’s owner should have done similar or, at least, put her dog on the lead. I know — this doesn’t seem fair. However, it is better to take your dog out of a situation that may result in it having to respond as the Rottie did. Dogs, if exposed to this sort of situation a few time, can develop a standard response — in this case, showing aggression to other dogs.

I would also recommend, on the advice from your vet, castrating male dogs — this can help prevent these types of problem.

It is quite common to see dogs out with their owners with bright jackets on warning their dog is nervous.

Here’s the thing. No matter how cute you think the dog is and, how much you want to say hello and stroke the dog. STOP. LISTEN to the owner and abide by their wishes. They know their dog — you do not.

These dogs need understanding and our help. Often these dogs will be undergoing a period of behaviour therapy designed to help them with any issues they may have. It is not uncommon for dogs such as these to react badly to approaches from strangers. This is not their fault — it is the fault of the stranger who insists on invading the dog’s space.

The net result can often be the dog snapping, biting or showing other forms of aggression. Do not be fooled by the dog that lies down or even sniffs you with no apparent reaction. This can, simply, be a prelude to the dog reacting in the only way it can — biting or snapping.

Of course, when a dog reacts badly to a stranger, the person often then responds with demands to discipline the dog or keep it away from them. Never mind the fact that they ignored the request of the owner or, indeed, the warning of a high vis jacket declaring this might be a dog with issues.

Dogs, generally, react to many situations, particularly one that they perceive as threatening in one of two ways. They either take flight if they can or, they attack if they can’t escape. This is why a dog on a lead often reacts badly.

These dogs are perceiving a threat that doesn’t exist and are then forced to react, inappropriately to it. While these dogs can be helped, it takes time. To help an owner with such a dog. Stop, listen and do as they ask you. For instance, don’t look directly at the dog, don’t approach it, rather walk calmly and quickly by. Doing these types of thing might deny you the chance of stroking the dog. It can, however, be a significant step to helping the dog overcome it’s fears.

Unfortunately, I still hear far too many stories of dogs being procured by owners using inappropriate sources. These may be back street traders, puppy farms, unlicensed breeders and, indeed pet shops.

It may seem a good idea to buy a puppy from the sources mentioned above. Let me be clear — IT IS NOT. I whole heartedly agree with Catherine Douglas, Lecturer in Animal Science, Newcastle University who published a piece in The Conversation on September 2017 — https://uk.news.yahoo.com/puppy-farmed-dogs-show-worse-150555847.html

The fact that there are many thousands of dogs languishing in the highly stressful environment of rescue centres throughout the UK is a national disgrace.

Why risk spending cash on an unfortunate dog who has been bred, indiscriminately, for the sole reason of making money for the people concerned. To reiterate Catherine, these dogs will most likely be unhealthy (often living for short times), unvaccinated and poorly socialised and developed behaviourally.

Clearly, true animal lovers will take time and research the best dog for them and the best place to source them from.

I would suggest that you should think about rescuing a dog, one that really needs your help and resist the temptation to fixate on a breed. Do not listen to the rubbish talked by people who are ignorant about dogs. A rescue dog can prove less trouble that that cuddly puppy you have you eye on. Yes, they may have some issues that may be a little challenging but, of course, you can get help from a professional if needed.

Resist the temptation to make an expensive mistake that may be emotionally damaging for you family, particularly if your ‘new’ pup is in ill health or has issues that force you to give him up. I know it sounds alarmist but, it is an unfortunate fact that this is often the result off getting a dog the ‘cash and carry’ way.