Dr Jo's blog

Just like home

Today is raining in Sydney. I have nothing against the rain. My garden needs it. My dog loves to roll in puddles of muddy water. It’s just the damp, bedraggled feeling you have during those drizzly walks and the clean up required afterwards. Clean up equals work!

So rain got me thinking… We need some indoor dog facilities. Doggy day cares are a booming business and a great idea for dogs who need company while their owners are at work. But what about when you just want to take your dog somewhere for an hour, to socialise with others, for some exercise and dream on… a coffee for their owners? Is it possible or just my dream?

Recently I revisited an old blog post of mine – Off leash parks and in the time since I wrote this, people have become more vocal about what they want. Time was when dog owners just said give me a place to walk my dog without a lead. Now they are demanding fences, poo bags, fresh water, trees, bush walks and more. Cafes in Sydney are now welcoming dogs, seated outside, of course.

Is it possible to have dogs indoors and still maintain dignity, cleanliness and a civilised canine/human community? We can do it for kids and parents so why not our canine companions? Do you know of any such establishments? What would be in your dream doggy day facility? Do they serve coffee? Give me your thoughts…

How people select the gender of their pets intrigues me. Many people I speak to appear to have a definite preference for one or the other. “Definitely a male.” “Always female.” Overall, we balance the world.

There is no doubt that the gender does make a difference to their personality and to our interaction with our pet (Kurt et al 2009). It also makes a difference to the problems we are likely to encounter. For instance male dogs may exhibit more separation related distress than females (McGreevy & Masters 2009). I don’t think, however, that most people are thinking of potential problem when they choose their dog (although I have to say having a female dog who does not stop at every lamp post is attractive in my opinion )

People often ask me which to choose -male or female – and I generally don’t give them a definitive answer. Most pet owners will choose based on childhood pets and their genders, their partner’s preference, even biases they have for one gender overall. If it’s a second animal of the same species they are acquiring then I advise getting one of the opposite sex, especially if they are close in age and personality type.

Do you have a preference for male or females dogs or cats? Please comment on which and why below.

Kurt, K., Schoberl, I, Bauer, B, Thibeaut A. & Wedl, M. (2009). Dyadic relationships and operational performance of male and female owners and their male dogs. Behavioural Processes [Behav. Processes]. Vol. 81: 383-391.

McGreevy, P. & Masters, M. (2009). Risk factors for separation-related distress and feed-related aggression in dogs: Additional findings from a survey of Australian dog owners. Applied Animal Behavioural Science, 101: 320 – 328.

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We all know Chilli loves mud. If there is any doubt in your mind, please read my previous blog post dog in mud. Little has changed.

Today we went to the park and it was muddy, perhaps muddier than ever. Now I’m all for letting dogs be dogs. Some owners like their dogs to stay squeaky clean. Some dogs like to stay squeaky clean. But not many.

Chilli had a great play session with a dog she met. Click  on the video below to watch.

Chilli plays with friend

As you watch this video you will see Chilli disappear off into the distance. This is her finding a muddy puddle to cool off in. The other dog does not enter… yet.

As Chilli plays with the little dog, she returns to her favourite puddle again and again. The other small dog is obviously wondering what all the fuss is about. Time to join in!

Click the video below to watch.

Chilli introduces friend to mud

Luckily this dog’s owner did not mind.

What’s a little mud?!

How do you let your dog be a dog?

OK – who’s competitive? Does winning a prize make you want to enter competitions? Is it the prize or the thrill of the chase?

I am involved in a competition just now, the prize being pet advice from me. More details here. Radio 2UE and Lickables dog treats have got together to offer a behaviour consult for a dog owner in Sydney.

It’s got me thinking. I could offer more prizes – consults, pet products eg. toys, books. What else? I need you to tell me. What would you like to win? Then I have to start thinking about what you have to do to win (photo comp, essay comp, best tip, worst cat/dog problem)! Suggestions welcome… thanks,

Jo

Thanks to my pets and my son I now have a Roman nose. You can imagine what it looks like – the protruding bump at the top, very distinguished looking on the right face; only my Roman bump is not distinguished, it is red!

I went shopping today to my local Pet Barn. Huge Pro Plan bags of cat food and dog food are low to the ground. Bend the knees and lift. Easy! It’s when it comes to Fancy Feast I struggle. Multi-pack boxes are on the top shelves.

I blame my son. He is doing a science experiment at home for a school assignment. He has chosen to look at cats’ preferences for two flavours of Fancy Feat wet cat food – Salmon versus Turkey Prime Fillet.

Turkey Prime Fillet was the problem. The Salmon Prime Fillet multi-pack was retrieved from the top of the packs on the top shelves, no problem. The Turkey pack was sitting at the bottom of the top shelf, under other multi-packs. When I struggled to grab it, down came all the rest, on to my nose.

Even my dog got a fright! Not sure if it was the tumbling of the Fancy Feast or my hopping around, grabbing my rapidly swelling nose. Chilli dog quickly recovered, though with the enticing smells all around her. I on the other hand wondered if I’d ever be able to smell again.

So would you like to know which flavour cats prefer? Stay tuned, I’ll let you know…

Give me your predictions – Salmon or Turkey???

Fancy Feast Turkey Prime Fillet

Fancy Feast Salmon Prime Fillet

Is my dog a lucky dog or what?! Here we are just walking in the rain. Alone. Chilli and I. Is no one else mad enough to go to the park when it rains? Does you dog like the rain? Does your cat?

“Life’s good. Mum’s home!”

Travel tip: When packing suitcase for your trip, remember to remove your pet!

Is this what my dog is thinking as I return home after a 3 week overseas trip? Or it is just my wishful thinking? What do your pets do when they meet you again after being separated?

I returned home and as I opened the door my dog raced out to meet me, jumped up, wagged her tail furiously, did a mad (typical Terrier mad moment!) dash around my front lawn and leapt up 3 steps and onto me again. Pure and utter expression of joy!

Moving through the house I enountered my 4 cats, one by one, each doing what cats do. My oldest boy Clyde (18yrs) stayed asleep on the sofa. At least he had the courtesy to open one eye. Mew did her smooch rub against me, as she does every day. Ginger stayed hidden until evening, again his normal behaviour. My big Maine Coon boy, Leo, leaped up on the benchtops where his food bowls sat, meowed, demanding to be fed. The cats may have been excited to see me but they sure keep that excitement under control compared to Chilli dog.

As the day progressed, however, the cats began to cling a little more. All 4 tried to sit on my lap and the dog protested that the cats were getting too much attention. Ah – life was back to normal.

What are your experiences of returning home after a break? Did your pets give you the cold shoulder or become super-excited?

My dog surprised me this morning. I know the wonderful things that dogs are capable of, having seen and worked with therapy dogs, assistance dogs and other hardworking canines. My dog is simply a pet dog.

Chilli wakes me up most nights to alert me when my 18 year old cat, Clyde, is in need of attention. Clyde wanders around the house some nights, a little disoriented. When he wanders, Chilli comes to my bedside and paws my arm until I get up. Annoying for me. Useful for Clyde. Nothing obvious in it for Chilli.

This morning I was up bright and early before my alarm went off. As I prepared for the day, Chilli came to me and demanded I follow her across the house (by putting her paw on my leg and then running out of the room and back to me again). Eventually I realised I had to follow. It was simply my alarm clock that had gone off. (I had forgotten to turn it off when I got out of bed.) Chilli was telling me that I had to deal with it. Quickly.

Ok, not earth shattering brilliance. Not a hearing dog in the making. But an amazing ability none the less. Especially when there was little obvious reward for Chilli again. I’m wondering what I’ll wake up to tomorrow.

Have you ever had an experience where a pet has alerted you to a situation that needed your attention?

So I took Chilli dog along to the Purina offices with me today. Not her first visit but her first since she was 8 weeks old. Now she is 1.

This was not the first occasional she has been to work with me. Generally, however, wherever I work there are open spaces, grass, fresh air. Great for work breaks. None of that in a corporate office. Walls, ceilings, lots of surfaces to echo barks! Yes, Chilli barked… and barked.

Within five minutes she acted, typical Terrier style, as if she owned the place. Then, of course she had the right to bark at anyone who walked past her. To calm her down I had brought her dog house (a portable dog kennel) which she likes to snooze in and I can close screens to block her view. In her house, she went, as always enticed by the promise of a treat ball within. Today, however, she could still hear the girls in the petcare advice centre answering calls. Every time one of them said “Hello”, Chilli thought someone new was arriving and started to bark!

We managed to limit the barking by providing her with a Purina Total Care squeaky toy. Great – no more barks. Just squeaks, loud squeaks!

Purina is a pet friendly office. People who work there are welcome to bring their pets along to work. It is illegal, however, in our State to take your dog into food preparation areas – thus no trips to the office cafe. How does one survive a stressful day at the office with your dog without caffeine?

Home now and Chilli dog is exhausted! Next time I bring my quiet cat!

You didn’t think I had perfect pets, did you?!

(More misbehaviour from Chilli)

So you think you have pet problems…

Now’s your chance to come along and discuss them. For now, it’s only for those of you in Sydney or willing to come here (everyone else will get a chance in time I hope, if this one goes well). I have just organised (well my friend Cameron from Family Activities) has organised a new event.

I will be talking at Bankstown Sports Centre on April 20th from 6-9pm. Everything you have ever wanted to know about your pet’s behaviour – come and ask me. When you register you will get a chance to tell me exactly what you’d like to know. It should be fun. I will get to meet lots of you and we can all talk pets together.

More here

You can also let me know here is there is any particular topics you are keen to find out more about.

Look forward to seeing you soon. Please pass on to any mates you think might enjoy it.

Jo

Other events here