Author Archives: albaharden

What is Cynophobia?

Cynophobia is the crippling fear of dogs.  Cynophobia is the Greek word cyno meaning dog & phobia meaning fear.

It can be debilitating, you can lose your mind, have heart-pounding, sweaty palms, feel sick, dizzy, unsafe, and out of control and you simply cannot rationalise it.  I have the same feeling with flying completely irrational as I know it is one of the safest ways to travel but at the same time, I cannot shift the fear.  Some people will admit to this fear, and some will be too embarrassed and bury it so it doesn’t show externally but internally they are feeling all of the above.

Cynophobia affects 1 in 20 people and is rarely talked about.  It is more obviously prevalent in children as they haven’t yet learned the ability to mask their fear.  How often do you see kids hanging onto their mums or dads when out walking, and the parent saying it’s ok he won’t hurt you, look she’s so friendly, it can get very frustrating for any parent!  But in adults a lot of the time you wouldn’t know that they are suffering, however for them meeting a dog still has a silent debilitating effect.  People who do not let on that they are scared often make excuses as to why they can’t go somewhere that a dog could potentially be for example a walk, having a picnic, or going around to a friend’s house who has a dog.  There will be signs!

 

Many Adults will not verbalise that they are scared of dogs in case of ridicule or mocking.  But it is a valid fear for all who suffer and should not be marginalised.

This is a rarely talked about condition.  Some people are scared of all dogs but some people are scared of specific breeds or a type of dogs.  For example, bully breeds have got a name for themselves over the years for being aggressive, Alsatians, large dogs, and Dogs with strong facial features!  My child had a fear of dogs such as Boxers, French bulldogs, Pugs etc.. any dog with a flattened face, regardless of their size.

Cynophobia can be explained and sometimes it can’t! For example, A person who has had a traumatic experience in the past that has been confronted by an aggressive dog, an over playful one or even bitten may develop the fear.  Some people develop cynophobia from a young age from inheriting it from a family member or friend, and some may have seen movies or heard stories that have caused this issue and some have no explanation at all they are just plain scared!   

 

What Can You Do?

So next time you are with someone who is afraid of a dog tell them is OK and if you are someone who is scared of dogs speak freely about this fear and then you are less likely to be put in a situation that you do not want to be in!  It is ok for people to say they are scared of spiders, snakes, sharks, flying, heights etc… so why not dogs! 

Let us all gain a better understanding and be more empathetic to those that do suffer to be able to create a more harmonised living between person and pooch!

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The Sad Old Dog

When you look into an old dog’s eyes, don’t you think they have an immense amount of sadness to them?

Our Dogs are with us for such a short portion of our lives but leave such a huge impact! If we are lucky enough, they will be part of our family for 14+ years but many do not reach this impressive age.  

My dog, my muse, the whole inspiration for WolfeEdu is my old dog Wolf who is fast approaching 14!  I look at him now and see his mortality and know he will only have a short time left with us as his family before he crosses over that rainbow bridge! It may be months, it may be years but we know that the time he has left is certainly shorter than the time he has spent with us already.

It fills me with immense sadness but also a lot of gratitude and love that we have been blessed with such a special dog!  One who has been such hard work at times but has evolved into the most wonderful companion!

The slowing down, the inability to wee with a cocked leg, the husky bark, the spaced out look when woken from his bed after returning home not hearing the door go, the shaky back legs, the greying of the muzzle and coat, the struggling to get up and down the stairs, the cataracts lumps and bumps, that old dog smell!

I often wonder what an old dog is thinking, a lot of the time we know what they want but what do they think?

A person has approximately 48.6 thoughts per minute, surely another sentient being like a dog thinks too , don’t they? 

What are they wondering when they start getting into their wonder years? 

Why can’t I get close to those birds anymore that I once chased and why does everything hurt so much if I try? 

Why is it that I can’t hear that doorbell anymore? 

Why do I wobble and almost fall over when I pee?

My Bark sounds different to what it once was, oh one minute was that me, aarrrgghhh  who was that?!

Why is everything slightly fuzzy it never used to be!

Has the couch got bigger, or have I got smaller why can’t I get on the darn thing anymore without a hoist?

Or do they just get on with life? Accepting old age and living the best possible life they can, loving their human, their family, loving their life, loving the simple things until the day comes when we must say goodbye? 

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Things to Know about feeding your Dog

Are you overwhelmed when searching for the right dog food and do not know what to look for?!

I lived in New Zealand for 12 years and 8 of those 12 years, I was fortunate to absorb a plethora of knowledge around canine nutrition where I advised farmers, dog owners, breeders, trainers etc.. the most suitable food for their dog! Since then, I have gained a Diploma in Canine Nutrition.

Now some of these names will not mean much to a lot of people but just for credential purposes I shall spout of but a few!   I worked alongside companies such as Purina, Masterpet, Royal Canin, Black Hawk (my personal favourite for a dog kibble), Mars, K9, Workdog, Coprice, Superior Chunky, Tux and more! 

 

All saying how wonderful their dog food was, why theirs was better than their competitors! It was my job to match the right dog food to that of the clients and their dog’s needs taking into consideration of their budget, type, breed, age and size, the health of the animal, their daily exercise, & behaviour!

 

I am now living in the UK and OMG there is just an overwhelming amount of choice of what to feed our dogs, it’s mind-blowing the number of different dog foods all claiming to be the best!  

 

Gone are the days of just a handful of choices like beef or chicken Pedigree chum, cracking open a tin and slopping it into a bowl and being done with it!

 

This blog is highlighting our dog’s nutrition and simple tips to provide you with an educated choice on what dog food you should and should not feed your beloved pooch! 

 

Science alert!! The gut is the animal’s second line of defence the skin being the first!  When food enters the stomach, it goes through processes to be able to separate the good nutrition from the bad.  However, if the bad outweighs the good then this can over time lead to some catastrophic health issues for your dog.  The gut is so important in both dogs and humans, what you put in is what you get out.  Bad nutrition can lead to skin disorders, organ failure, lethargy, hyperactivity, hyper and hypo thyroid conditions, weight gain, weight loss and behavioural problems.  

 

These issues can all be addressed by looking at what food is going into your dog first! 

 

(always get veterinary advice should your dog be experiencing any of the above conditions)   

 

What I should be looking for when feeding my dog! Whether you decide to go the route of Raw, Cooked, Dry, Wet, a Mix, feeding once or twice a day, or making your own then there are lots to consider before becoming too rigid in your thoughts.

1st up the Marketing – just because the bag looks fancy and you have seen adverts all over the place, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best food for your dog!  Some companies spend more money on marketing than they do on the actual dog food itself!  The claims are mind-blowing, and the facts can be somewhat different!  It is important to understand what is in your dog food and a lot of the time a lesser amount of ingredients equals better food for your dog.

Homemade vs Commercial – A dog requires 50% Meat (Protein & Fat), 25% Carbohydrate (rice) and 25% Fruit & Vegetables to be able to sustain a healthy life (this may vary in accordance with your dog). However, giving a dog these 3 things alone is not enough.  Dogs also require specific vitamins and minerals to live a healthy life, which when making your own “homemade” dog food can be hard to get right, not to mention time-consuming and can be expensive and not all that sanitary.  Commercial dog foods provide your dog with the ingredients on the back of the bag.  By law, this is what is expected of these dog food companies they have rules and regulations to stick by.

 

Always look for the number of preservatives, artificial colours and flavourings that can be in your dog’s dog food!  Those words that you do not understand can be an indication that nasties have been added to make the food more palatable and appealing and last longer on the shelves!

 

The amount of salt/sodium in most dog foods is adequate for their daily requirements of 0.3mg per day.  However, when you top this up with dog treats and scraps you can quickly go over this recommended daily intake and slowly kidney damage will occur usually unveiling itself in a senior dog.  It is important when feeding your dog that they do not have over the recommended daily intake of salt.  (Please note this is a basic guide some dogs require more and some less. )  

Many dog foods are rendered (sprayed with) with fat and not nice fats, a bi-product of the manufacturing of these foods.  They do this to make the kibble more palatable for the dog and more appealing to the human eye, but it doesn’t mean it is providing them with any extra beneficial nutrition! 

When changing a dog’s food always introduce the new food slowly to avoid stomach issues vomiting and diarrhoea.  Start by adding just a small amount to their existing food and over 5-7 days slowly increase the amount of the new food and decrease the amount of the old one!

New dog foods will not change the condition of your dog overnight, good dog foods suitable to your dog will start to show their value over time.  Your dog’s behaviour may change, and their coat will be shinier, less malting reduced itching, their breath will not smell as much, less defecating as they will be absorbing more of the good nutrients passing out less of the bad, and fewer health conditions, become more balanced in activity, less anxious and many more besides.

You often feed a lot less of the more expensive premium dog foods as they have little to no fillers, therefore, keeping your dog fuller for longer and providing them with all the nutrients, they required to live a better chance of a healthy existence.

 

( Should you be concerned about your dog in any way it is important to contact your veterinarian, a canine nutritionist or your qualified behaviourist ) 

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Why the Domestic Dog should not be treated like a Wild Wolf

There is less than a 1% DNA difference between the domestic dog and its cousin the wolf, so surely, we should treat and train them the same as if we were the Alpha in the pack and replicate the dominant behaviour.

hmmm, let’s look into this further…

The Wolf and the Dog look kind of similar, but their temperament and their environment are hugely different, so treating them the same just does not work!!  

Wolves generally avoid any human contact; they do not require, nor have they evolved into needing human interaction to survive!  However, the domestic dog has evolved to depend on humans to survive and live in a comfortable co-inhabiting style! 

The theory of having a dog and the owner taking on the “alpha wolf role” is ridiculous and will cause behavioural problems, a terrified, anxious, fearful dog that will become submissive, aggressive or both.  

We can learn from the wolf’s behaviour in a pack and whilst we can certainly pick up some training techniques being the untrained alpha and pushing your dog into submission is not one, we should entertain.  Humans are not wolves, and most humans are not wolf biologists so it is crazy to think we can replicate the pack mentality in a domestic environment.  

Many thousands of years ago between 32,000 & 18,000 years, the ancestral wolf was evolving into the domestic pooch that we have today!  Humans realised by having this type of Canis Linnaeus around would provide protection, warmth, and companionship.  In return, the Wolf learnt that he too would receive shelter, warmth, companionship and best of all food! 

So how did it all begin?  Many thousands of years ago humans moved around a lot and with that so did their food and their food scraps.  The Wolves realised by following the camps they would get these scraps and became expert scavengers!  They soon learnt that by being confident and less fearful of men that they would get more food and hunt less.  They became scavengers much like the 21st century suburban Fox!

 

Over the years, the wolf started to evolve and change its outward appearance.  Its snout become shorter, it developed a wider scull and smaller teeth compared to that of the wild wolf as they no longer need these for hunting…

With this their behaviour also changed, there was no need to have a hierarchical pack order, and there was no need to be precious and fight over resources!  Their social behaviours changed, the more sociable the animal, the more food it would receive and the more likely that they would be selected to breed from.   

As time has gone on selective breeding has not only been about temperament, but it has also been about getting the desired outcome from the dog that suits the human need.  We have developed and selectively bred dogs to work which is varied according to the lifestyle, country, demand, the environment etc… whether a German Shepherd Guard Dog, A Border Collie or Australian Cattle Dog Herding Dog, The Husky – Drafting, Bloodhound – Tracking, Labrador — Therapy, Service Dog – Beagle etc… the different dogs were and are selectively bred for a purpose and therefore leading to the array of pedigrees that we have today. 

Unfortunately, now many dogs are not bred for a specific role but bred for the way they look which has caused many different health disorders along with behavioural issues (but that is for another blog)!

In the pack there is a constant hierarchal battle, especially over resources where there is always another wolf wanting to fight its way to the top by asserting its dominance, sometimes it succeeds and sometimes it loses!  In a domestic environment, it’s not about winning or losing it’s about co-existing in a harmonious environment!  Understanding your dog and using positive reinforcement and suitable training.  As an owner, it is your responsibility to learn effective kind training methods to teach your dog in the best possible way and not use archaic outdated methods.  Only then you will have a well-rounded domestic dog and not a fearful submissive wolf!

Dogs and Wolves are separated by thousands of years of evolution.  So are humans and apes, therefore if we treat humans like monkeys and vice versa it just simply wouldn’t work! 

Modern training is a hands-off approach we do not use force, we do not use aggression, we do not use dominance!  We do use positive reinforcement, kind leadership and understanding of our dogs.  

Dogs are extremely sensitive to our cues more so than we are to theirs.  Erno Teglas an infant psychologist studied communicative intent! Live Science continued his discovery in 2008 of how dogs can read our cues by using eye-tracking methods and directive speech.  They understand verbal cues like a pre-verbal infant.  Teglas noted that wolves do not share this astute way of reading humans that the domesticated dog does!

Therefore, the huge flaw that we should be the Alpha, dominating our pet Chihuahua as if he were part of the pack is simply ludicrous, but the same goes for a Rottweiler!  

If you are having behavioural problems with your dog please be a responsible owner and search for a local certified Canine Behaviourist or Dog Trainer, it will make all the difference! 

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11 steps when bringing a puppy home to your young family

Are you thinking of buying a puppy or are waiting for your new bundle of joy to arrive, but do not know how to integrate it into the family?  

This article will give you some tips on how you can keep your little one safe.  It sounds a bit ridiculous when it’s just a harmless puppy, but this puppy will grow into an adolescent dog, a teenager (and we all know what teenagers are like? Unpredictable)! 

By building good solid foundations with your puppy from the moment you bring the little bundle of fluff home it will only serve your dog and your family well in the long run.  

Should you want to find out more details or key tips on training that begins from the moment you pick up the puppy and the first few weeks of life click here and this will take you to an excellent article which will guide you to the best way to train your new puppy with zero knowledge.

But this is about training humans. If we understand how our behaviour impacts a dog then we will have the most incredible K9 companion. 

 

11 Steps when bringing a puppy home to your young family!

Step 1 – Talk to your child before you bring home the puppy, and explain to them about being gentle and the simple commands and hand gestures to use for Sit, Lie Down, & Heal. 3 simple commands that the whole household agrees on.

Step 2 – Explain to your child that a puppy is not a toy and that biting is not OK but he/she will do it to say a short No if this does happen and to walk away.  Do not leave your baby/toddler/child alone with the puppy without supervision.   Both child and puppy need to learn how to be gentle with each other.

Step 3 – Bringing your puppy home – The puppy will be nervous, especially in the first few days.  It is important to keep a calm and relaxed environment, do not allow too many visitors too soon as much as you desperately want to show your puppy off. Keep to the family circle only to build the bonds and get to know one another, however, it is important to bring in outsiders who also interact with your dog so they understand that there is no need for unnecessary protection.

Step 4 – Play with your puppy using games like retrieving, and hunting out objects, Start teaching your puppy to understand the simple commands.  In the early stages get your children to observe until they & you feel that they can confidently use the commands. Avoid rough and tumble games, biting and tug of war. Do not force play – if your child wants to play he/she should invite the puppy over, should the puppy not come then the child should respect that and not force him/her to do so.

Step 5 – Do not feed your puppy at the same time that you eat.  It’s advisable to feed them well after you have finished your meal.  Place your puppy in a crate or on its bed during mealtime to reduce the chance of a dog that begs and stealing food.  

Step 6 – Do not feed your puppy human processed food, dogs are not designed to eat cheese, peanuts, ham, crisps etc… the lines become very blurred between what they can eat and what they can’t, you will encourage, begging, stealing of food, and in some cases food aggression not to mention you are slowly killing your dog with kindness.

 Step 7 – Avoid licking – Dogs & puppies’ mouths are full of germs and invisible pathogens.  Worms and bacterial infections can be transmitted between humans and dogs.  Do not allow licking it is unhygienic and can be dangerous.

Step 8 – Get your children to practice recall with the dog but understand not to overuse the recall as this can backfire – Use a reward system of low salt natural dog treats, carrots (or other dog-friendly vegetables or fruit that your puppy likes), cut up pieces of chicken,  ( cooked to avoid any potential risk to health) etc….

Step 9 –Be clear to the puppy where he/she sleeps.  When the puppy is sleeping tell your children not to disturb them – sleeping time is a precious for their growth and recovery from all their endless hours of playing.  Explain to your child that when your puppy is sleeping and eating leave them well alone.  Always have a sacred place where the dog can take itself away, where it feels safe and secure a place where it is not disturbed. 

Step 10 – Praise – tell your child to praise the puppy, like us humans we thrive on positive reinforcement.  Show your child how to stroke your puppy with a gentle smooth motion with the hair not against it.  

Step 11- Make your child aware that the puppy is not to be sat on, have its ears or tail pulled, eyes poked, or put its hands in its mouth.  To me, this is common sense, but too many adults turn a blind eye and do not see it happening until one day the child does something and the dog snaps causing only a very sad result.  Respect the dog I find asking your child to imagine they were a dog what would they do if someone pulled their ears or sat on them how would it make them feel – every time the answer is the same!

 

If you are an inexperienced dog owner to become the best it is always advisable to contact a trained professional to give both yourself and the puppy the best start which will lead to a harmonious existence together! Be the best leader you can be ask the experts!

 

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The 5 Commands that all Puppies should be Taught from Day 1!

Having a puppy doesn’t have to be hard, but more often than not we make it that way, especially for an inexperienced owner!  

Here you will understand the importance of teaching your puppy 5 simple commands starting from the moment you bring him or her home!  

Puppies are a blank canvas, everything they have learned is by natural teachings by the litter and from their maternal mother in their first few weeks of their lives.  

When you receive your puppy between 8 – 12 weeks everything they have learnt, everything they know, is what its mother and siblings has taught him/her.  Therefore, it is vital not to take a puppy away from its litter prior to 8 – 12 weeks.  

At 8-12 weeks a puppy knows how to be a dog around its canine family, it has no idea of how to integrate into the human world.  We expect them to seamlessly fit into our lives without realising how many hours, days, months, and years of effort and work is needed to be put in. 

 Imagine being given a baby and expecting him/her to walk straight away, to know its 5 times table without going to school or sitting and eating nicely around the dinner table without being shown.  It just wouldn’t happen there would be carnage everywhere!  A puppy is the same principle, it needs to be taught with kindness, love, given clear boundaries and positive reinforcement.

A grown dog has emotions and feeling equivalent to that of a 2 ½ year old child, but we expect so much more from them! 

WolfeEdu firmly believes that we can shape our dogs and if they have unfavourable behavioural traits then it is highly likely to reflect poor training, negative influences & bad experiences etc….  

From jumping up, stealing food, not coming back on command (poor recall), destructive behaviour, barking, whining, biting, separation anxiety, fear, aggression, mental shutdown ohhh the list goes on, we cause it all!!

One thing a dog craves is a leader and that leader is you!  When owning a dog, you instantly take on this challenge whether you like it or not and are therefore responsible for your dog’s behaviour.

If you have a child, as a parent, you naturally become their leader and you take responsibility for their good and bad points!  Now look at your dog from this perspective and you should now feel the responsibility to help educate them into being the best possible dog they can be teaching them all the right things to the best of your ability! 

 If we stay focused on these 5 simple commands in the first 6-12 months then you may just have a happier puppy who will turn into a magnificent, obedient, adolescent dog that others admire.

Yes you will have other challenges, but they will be lessen if you start teaching your pup these 5 commands when you bring him/her home! 

The 5 Commands that all Puppies should be Taught from Day 1

Sit,  Lie Down, Stop, Wait, Come That’s It!

 

  • Sit – This is the one command I think most dog owners use whether it is sitting before they eat their meal, sitting on the pavement at the side of the road ready to cross, or sitting attentively waiting for your next command!  As soon as you get your dog to sit instantly the dog’s eyes are on you, focused and waiting for the next instruction! Such a powerful command! 
  • Lie Down – Lying down normally comes next after your dog has mastered the sit.  Lying down grounds your dog and forms a larger surface area anchor point, your dog is less likely to be reactive and impulsive!  By grounding your dog and being able to stay in this position for a period of time until released will serve you no end!
  • Stop – A visual and verbal command can save you and your dog when he/she is at risk or something unfavourable happening.  STOP if your dog has sighted another dog, bird, deer, small child, cars, any moving object and makes a run for it.  STOP will instantly break their attention from that potential hazardous situation.  

Many people who have sight hounds (examples of sighthounds Lurcher, Greyhound, Afghan, Suluki, Borzoi etc..) have experienced this – Your dog has gone slightly out of the control range, and he sees movement you frantically call them back but there is no point as they are off, there is no stopping them!  If you have a clear stop command this can be the difference from loosing your dog for hours on end (or worse) to stopping them before the event has happened!

  • Wait /Stay – Waiting is extremely hard for any dog and is a potentially life saving command/trick.  Visually and verbally, do not overuse the voice but use concise clear command.  Start with on the lead close training and do not introduce distance until he/she has mastered not breaking the stay.  This will also serve you with dogs who jumps up, runs to the front door barking ferociously every time the doorbell goes and at feeding time! 
  • Come -Recall, how many people cannot exercise their dog safely off the lead? Too many!  How are many people’s dogs never allowed to stretch their legs and explore safely without the constraint of a collar and a lead?  If your dog has a good recall, then many problems are resolved!  Your dog will lead (excuse the pun) a happier life, and so will you as you will have utter control over your dog, always keeping him/her safe!  

 

These 5 simple commands are easy, but it is also easy to become a nag!  DO not desensitize your dog from you voice by using the same command repeatedly without a result and reward, do not use your dog’s name over and over again otherwise they will simply switch off! 

 

Clear concise commands – start small do not go out into a wide-open space and let your dog off the lead and expect him/her to come back!  This will take months of training start in the house, in the garden, on a long training line etc, and once you are comfortable in a secure safe environment for example a dog park or fully fenced field only then should you let your dog off the lead.  Please ensure safety to you, your dog and others in your vicinity are paramount!

 

Always acknowledge and reward good behaviour positive reinforcement is a key training method that is kind and works!

 

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Why Shouldn’t I Let my Dog Lick My Face?

Why You shouldn’t let your dog lick you…

 

Why not!  Because it’s gross, dangerous and can make you very sick!

The types of bacteria that are found in a dog’s mouth are very different to that from the ones in a human’s mouth.  We both have very different mouth flora to keep things balanced according to the types of foods we eat and the potentially harmful pathogens that we are exposed to.  

 

FACT: A dog’s mouth is not cleaner than a human

Dogs don’t brush their teeth! Dogs lick their balls, their penis, their vaginas, their bums, they lick other dogs’ bums, and they eat all sorts of faecal matter, garbage and dead things!  Delightful!

 

If that’s not enough to turn you off the next slobbery kiss then I don’t know what will!

We all carry bacteria in our saliva, it is part of how we keep healthy we need bacteria in our mouths but not all bacteria are safe.  For example, e-coli is often present in dogs’ saliva which isn’t present in humans’ saliva, e-coli is a bacteria found in faeces.

Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Capnocytophaga Canimorsus are all different prokaryotic microorganisms often found in dogs’ and cats’ mouths which do not affect them but can affect humans, especially those who are immunocompromised.

 

Dogs eat shit, it is true whether you think your dog does or not it more than likely does! Whether it is other dogs’ poop, fox poop, horse poop, bird poop, rabbit, cat ohhh yes dogs love a few feline faeces, puppy poop (it’s a natural thing for a bitch to eat their puppies poo to keep them clean) even human poop!  Given the chance, they are quite likely to either go and give it a sniff, take a sneaky lick or lap it up entirely.  A lot of the time you wouldn’t even realise it. 

 

It’s not only bacteria that your dog has in its saliva but parasites and other pathogens too.   Parasites that can be passed onto humans like hookworm, roundworms, tapeworm, and whipworm. Protozoa called Giardia which if you become infected with giardia can make you very sick and although treatable can be a long and arduous process to rid the little blighters from your body!

 

Toxocariasis is an infection between animals and humans caused by the roundworm parasite. If larvae infection is transmitted then it can cause sight loss, coughing, lethargy, abdominal pain, and wheezing.  It is important to immediately consult your doctor should you be experiencing any of the above.  

 

Raw Food Diet.  If you feed your dog a raw food diet then there are much higher chances of your dog having salmonella, campylobacter and other potentially harmful pathogens.  

 

It is important to remember that not everyone likes being licked by dogs! Just because you love the wet lapping of your dog’s tongue on your skin, it is important to be aware that many other people do not!  Often you see babies being licked as they are at the same height as most dogs and easy licking picking!  

 

Licking is a sign of affection but there are other ways that dogs can show how much they love you other than the lick!  

A quick question… Do you lick your dog? Errr I am guessing the answer is more than likely a No.  Therefore surely this shows that it is a one-way affection train purely to make you feel loved, needed, wanted etc…!  

 

It’s a myth that a dog’s saliva has antibacterial properties and will help a human cut to heal!  I was speaking to a nurse and she relayed an account of a patient who she had been treating who developed Sepsis after letting his dog lick a small cut on his hand.  Sadly this man who albeit had a very positive attitude lost his nose, some fingers, his penis and other parts of his body, all for letting a dog lick his wound!  So please don’t do it it’s not worth the risk no matter how small.  

 

I’m sure you wouldn’t kiss another human if you saw them licking their balls, or eating faecal matter so why do we let our dogs lick our faces?!

 

There are so many other ways that a dog can show you affection, that is not a lick and keeps you safe!  You can easily train your dog to stop licking you as a display of affection!  So next time your dog goes to give you a big slobbery kiss remember the above and I can assure you, you won’t be enabling this behaviour for very long! 



The “I Just Adore Dogs” syndrome

How to keep a Child Safe who Loves Dogs


Does your child absolutely adore dogs? Do you worry about how you can keep them safe around dogs that you do not know?

 Do you have a hard time stopping them from running legs and arms flailing in excitement closing in on their next canine victim!?

You can’t even get the word STOP out as they have suddenly turned into the roadrunner and are too far out of earshot, having wrapped their arms around the disgruntled pooch clinging onto them squeezing them like a much-loved lemon, whilst the poor dog is trying to desperately get away?  


It’s lovely isn’t it, that the child has no fear, but… the reality is this can be soooo bloody dangerous!

We teach our kids to not be afraid, to be brave, and to be bold!  That is unless we have experienced something bad ourselves or have an ingrained fear that has already taken residence in our minds.  


So many people do not have the fear of dogs but 1 in 20 do.  This goes to show that 19 out of 20 are much more likely to get bitten in their youth (presuming they like dogs and are uneducated around our K9 friends) than not.  People who are scared of dogs who do not run and scream at the sight of a drooling floppy-eared beast, tend to stay a safe distance away.  So the laws of probability go to show that they do not get in the dog’s space therefore far less likely to get bitten!


We all think we understand these incredible animals, but how can we?!! Most humans don’t understand humans and if you are reading this you are most likely human so this probably applies to you.  How can we think that we can understand a dog when we can’t speak their language!?


I’ve had this issue before! 


I keep my dog on a lead especially around kids, not because he is in the slightest bit interested in kids or that I think he will suddenly savage one and have little Timmy for tea, but because some children have the habit of running up to him, catching him unawares and that’s when accidents can happen.  


I have seen so many kids running after a dog and the parent is either oblivious because they have their nose buried in their phone or are busy talking to a friend.  I get it we can’t keep a vigilant eye on our kids every moment of every day… but if that child runs up to a dog and gets bitten, it’s curtains for the dog, possibly hospital or if they are lucky just a dosing of life long fear for the child!


So how can we combat this, the answer is simple it’s EDUCATION!!  


WolfeEdu firmly believes by educating children from a young age we can stop this.  We can reduce the number of euthanised pets, we can reduce the number of kids who suffer from cynophobia, we can reduce the number of dog bites, and we can minimise the number of parents who must contend with the guilt because they were not aware!


Educating children from a young age stops the fear, but makes them aware of the potential dangers.  This is not a scaremongering tactic!  For example, a Lion tamer does not have/show fear that they will be eaten as they have been educated into handling a Lion and understanding their behaviour!  They know the dangers but are not fearful and that is what WolfeEdu is here to do, to teach kids to respect dogs, how to read their body language, how to share a safe space with a dog, and how to act around dogs when they are in an outdoor environment, how to stroke a dog, how to be a dogs friend without being overbearing or inadvertently cruel, how to understand the signs that a dog gives off before he or she might react!


So if you are interested in finding out more, please feel free to contact me, or review some of the other WolfeEdu blogs below