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Dog Dictionary

The Yellow Dog Project

The Yellow Dog Project is a global movement for owners of dogs that need space. The project aims to educate the public as well as dog owners to identify dogs needing space, and to promote appropriate contact of dogs. These dogs are easily identified they will either be wearing a yellow ribbon or have something yellow on their leash.

Yellow Dogs are dogs who need space – they are not necessarily aggressive dogs but more often are dogs who have issues of fear; pain from recent surgery; are a rescue or shelter dog who has not yet had sufficient training or mastered obedience; are in training for work or service; or other reasons specific to the dog.

The Yellow Dog Project is not an excuse to avoid properly training your dog. It is not an admission guilt and it is definitely not a waiver of responsibility.

If you do see a dog with a yellow ribbon on its leash please ensure that you maintain a safe distance and do not approach this dog with your dog. Allow the owner and his dog sufficient time to move out of your way.

You too can help dogs around the world receive the space they need by spreading the word of TheYellow Dog Project.

Warning – Extreme Heat Can Kill Dogs

Despite the repeated warnings it seems that some people fail to understand the dangers associated with exposing dogs to extreme heat, whether that may be from leaving them inside park cars or by stupidly taking them out for walks in 40+ degree heat on searing hot pavements.

Yesterday there was an incident at work whereby a lady left her little dog inside the car. All the customers reported to reception alerting the girls, my supervisor then made an announcement over the loud speaker. One person had seen the lady go across the road to the funeral parlour. So the girls called the funeral parlour and the lady came and rescued her little dog that believe it or not was also wearing a coat. Lucky I wasn’t there I would have probably called the RSPCA or the police or both.

Today the weather is even warmer and yet I have seen several people walk past with their dogs in toe. I felt like running out and yelling “what are you doing?” I wish images like the ones above and below were up on every billboard, splashed across every tv screen, maybe then people would start taking notice. But you know somehow I don’t think even that will help. That feeling of invincibility that most of us have (it won’t happen to me), seems to apply to our dogs as well I think.

Goodbye Indie R.I.P

It is with much sorrow that I write this post. Yesterday I learnt that my beloved friend Indie who I have written about before, sadly had to be put to sleep.

I am still processing and therefore do not have a very clear understanding of exactly what happened to Indie, but from what I am told she developed a swollen uterus (kind of like a prolapsed uterus) that was about to erupt at any moment. Surgery was the only option but the chances of her surviving the surgery and the sheer cost of it left my friend with no other option.

I guess I’m still in shock because I only just saw Indie a week ago when we went on our weekly walk and she seemed happy as ever, excited to see me, no sign of anything being wrong. I’m told that she seemed to go downhill a couple of days before Christmas, and that by Christmas Day she was off her food.

I have since googled prolapsed uterus in dogs, but I’m not convinced this is what killed Indie. I guess I will know more when I catch up with my friend in a couple of days. From what I hear the vet that tended to Indie was not very nice at all, I’m sure ill do a post on this in time but today I just wanted to pay tribute to a special soul who experienced so much pain and suffering in her short life, and yet despite this remained kind and gentle, she had even begun to trust people again. It just doesn’t seem fair really does it?

Goodbye Indie, thank you for your friendship, for your affection. I’ll miss our walks and our time together. I’ll miss the funny grunting noises you use to make and the cute way you would hobble over to me in excitement eager to set off on our walks. Rest In Peace my friend.

A dogs life

At last Melbourne has had some lovely weather and it was wonderful to get outside and bask in the glorious sunshine I’ve included some photos of Dexter at the park enjoying the weather. It really is a dogs life, I’m sure you will agree.

Escape

Escape for me is surrounding myself with animals, their calm demeanor and unconditional love that knows no boundaries is like a balm to my frazzled nerves.

Instantly I can feel the days tension easing away.

Today I’m out walking in the rain along with my new friend Indie that I have written about many times before, something about the way she bounded up to greet me her bottom wiggling in that odd way thanks to her cleft leg. Her face smiling up at me, that big tongue washing over me taking away my sadness my disappointment .

So the rain comes down and we continue to walk in silence , every now and then Indie will stop and look up at me as though she can read my thoughts, I will bend over and rub the top of her head in reassurance, tell her what a good girl she is she will grin through her overbite and then continue walking .

This is our customary walk every Friday at 4pm it is the perfect way to end yet another busy week .

When I am with my animals or any animals for that matter ( Indie is not mine I’m just lucky enough to be able to take her for a walk once a week as help for an old client ) I feel free. They do not expect anything more from me than they give in return which is love and giving love well that’s easy. What’s not easy is fighting with loved ones over the same things day in day out, what’s not easy is realizing that your child will not meet his potential because he just refuses to see how important school is, what’s not easy is trying to juggle everything on your plate and still keep everyone happy.

The rain has started to subside and my walk with Indie is almost over. Escape is only a temporary luxury I’m afraid.

Arthritis in Dogs

It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating Bolts 11th birthday and today we are adjusting to the news that Bolt has arthritis something he will have to live with for the rest of his doggy life.

For those who are not familiar with arthritis, arthritis is painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints, and it not only affects humans but also one in every five adult dogs. It seems to be most common in older dogs especially the medium to larger size ones.

You may begin to notice that your best friend has slowed down a great deal, that he has difficulty getting on and off the furniture, stiffness in his legs especially if he has been lying down for sometime or after a sleep, maybe he no longer enjoys playing games he once loved like fetching the ball.

Arthritis occurs when the cartilage within the joints is worn away and the fluid which lubricates the joints becomes thin and watery causing friction and pain when your dog moves. The joints may also become swollen which adds to the discomfort.

It’s natural for dogs to slow down as they age just as humans do, so you may not think much of it at first but there may come a time as with Bolt that the pain of the arthritis is just so severe that he dare not try and stand up.

It’s hard to see a member of your family in pain, to fear they may be approaching the end of their life. Technically Bolt is not my dog, but he is a member of my family and we all love him very much. Fortunately the medication has kicked in and Bolty is back to his normal self, so we can all heave a mighty sigh of relief.

The good news is that with the proper medication such as anti-inflammatories and pain relief, together with low impact exercise like on leash walking and swimming, a healthy diet and maybe even some supplements such as glucosamine, your friend can enjoy a better quality life for as many years as he or she has left.

Walking is better when you have a dog

With Spring in the air I can’t help but feel sorry for people who don’t have dogs to walk, in this glorious weather. Whenever I see someone walking on their own or running on their own I always feel so lucky to have my loyal trusty friend beside me.

Sure our walks are more like mad dashes from one tree to the next, with the constant stop in between to check Dexters pee mail along the way, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sometimes the children come along as well, which is always extra fun. However as Dexter hates them being in front, if they are walking or riding bikes or scooters this usually means, yep you guessed it, erratic running down the street to keep up or overtake.

Being a Dalmatian cross King Charles Cavalier means Dexter has the speed and craziness of the Dalmatian with the temperament and loving nature of the Cavalier. Essentially he looks like a mini Dalmatian with a fat body and skinny legs.

I would love to be able to walk him off lead, but unfortunately Dexter has absolutely no road sense. If he were a human I’m sure he would be diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). He could not get past the first level of puppy school, it was not for want of trying because he is always so keen to please but he is over zealous and there were just far too many distraction (other dogs, people, dogs) for him to stay focused.

Still we never wanted a robot dog. Funny that’s what my sister and I always say about the kids too. Guess the moral of the story is be careful what you wish for.

Preparing your pets for the arrival of a baby

There seems to be a bit of a baby boom happening at work at the moment. It certainly is an exciting time. It’s almost enough to make me clucky, I say almost because three children are more than enough for me.

What I am being asked more and more though is how my colleagues can prepare their pets for the arrival of the baby.

Pregnancy is an exciting and somewhat scary time, there are many different emotions that parents to be are feeling and experiencing, your pets will undoubtedly pick up on these feelings and nervous energy. You might notice that they may become a bit more subdued or clingy, following you around more so than normal. They may want to snuggle up with you more. They may even begin marking their territory by piddling inside the house.

It is important that in all the excitement your pets are not overlooked. There are lots of things you can do to get your fur kids ready for the arrival of your baby. You should begin desensitising your pet as early as possible. There are many CD’s on the market with baby sounds like crying, cooing, screaming , try playing the CD at different times throughout the day to get your pet especially your dog, familiar to baby sounds this will save you a lot of grief later on when you are trying to get baby to settle, the last thing you want is your dog barking every time the baby cries.

Babies need a lot of stuff they need their own furniture, clothes, nappies, shampoo, wipes, toys well you get the picture. As you acquire things your baby will need make sure you let your pet see and smell these things. But this is also the time to establish your boundaries. If you do not want your cat to sleep in the baby’s cot when your baby arrives, do not let the cat sleep in it or even jump into the cot before the baby arrives. Close the door of the nursery, put netting over the cot or bassinet, make a loud noise to startle the cat If they look like they’re about to jump into the cot, I have even heard of pieces of sticky tape laid inside the cot as being used as a deterrent.

Life with a new baby can be very unpredictable, it will help if you gradually prepare your pet for a less consistent schedule, try varying meal times or walk times .

Afternoon naps are a great way of recharging your battery, start taking occasional afternoon naps this will go a long way in preparing your pet for the change of lifestyle that is coming.

Now is also a good time to think about enlisting the help of a professional dog walker. You may not have the time or the energy in the first few months for walking your dog. A dog walker could be a big help, not only will your dog be happier if it has had a good walk but you too will feel less guilty.

There are kits you can buy to help you with preparing your pet for the arrival of your baby, the most popular kit at the moment is ‘Pregnant paws preparation kit’ which you can buy over the Internet for about $40. The kit includes such things a CD, Bunny Rug, Baby products, and Information /tip sheet.

Every child should grow up with a pet! A bit of planning now will go a long way to ensuring that babies arrival will be a happy time for not just you but your fur kids as well.