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both the rescues i work for are very much into the use of homeopathic remedies and i have seen for myself how well these have worked. listed below are some of the remedies i have come across and worked with and their uses.
this is not intended as info instead of visiting a vet but some cases are managable with the use of these remedies will work along side your vets prescription.there is nothing listed that will harm your pet but do speak to the health store owner about dosing if you are not sure.
rescue remedy is great stuff for a dog tool kit. it contains -
Impatiens for irritability and agitation and pain.
Star of Bethlehem for mental and physical trauma
Rock Rose for terror, panic, hysteria and great fear
Cherry Plum for loss of mental or physical control
Clematis for spaciness, faintness or unconsciousness.
and we use
arnica - healing, for use for anything from bruising to post surgery
hypericum - pain reliever
valerian - calming
mimulas - fear (of things known to the dog ie postie/brooms)
ginger - travel sickness (even a nibble on a gingernut biscuit will help.
all the IRR dogs are treated with homeopathic remedies unless it is absolutly neccesary for the vets intervention with prescription remedies BUT we are guided by a homeopathic vet. always consult your vet if you are unsure about anything.
for those who would like to know a little more about nosodes (homeopathic vaccine) will find loads of useful info with canine health concern of which i'm a member.
http://www.canine-health-concern.org.uk/
recall training with a whistle is fantastic as it keeps all the emotion of your voice out of the equation (such as please hurry and come back i'm due up the school in 20 mins!!)
to start you must condition your dog to the whistle and this is best done off lead around the house.
just blow once quite near and when your dog looks say good dog and reward. after about 2 more blows your dog will start to see the pattern emerging and so you can blow when your dog is in the next room and he will come running back.
after this stage try blowing while in the garden and then blowing to call your dog back in from the garden. all this can be achieved in one morning.
next take your dog out and about. a 6 meter lead would be good for this stage.
keep it simple to start so wait until your dog is just ambling along and then blow and reward, again after about 2 more goes he will see that this is still a good game and then you can start to try it out when he has his head in a bush or anything else that mildly interesting.
another walk like this and you will be ready to take out the big training line. dont blow too many times during a walk otherwise the novelty value will wear a little. just keep it to a few on each walk.
if you use this with these recall training games you should end up with a dog very very keen to come and find you :P
i use all of these and get some very odd looks!! the first is with your dog at the end of the line turn a corner or turn around and walk the other way, when i do this i say nothing and look up at the sky or appear very interested in a leaf then walk back the way i came from.
another is to hide!! just step off the path and hide behind a tree or in some long grass. when i do this i call out 'wheres (dogs name)' until they find you and then give loads of praise ' you found me well done'
with these two excercises your dog will already be starting to watch for what you might do next and so this last game works a treat!!
just turn on your heel and run!! i like to say 'quick quick quick' until they catch up and then give loads of praise and treat them.
you can then join these together with your recall, so dogs name - recall command - and quick quick quick to encourage a fast recall.
in a class situation i love to use 'running back recall' which is another excercise that encourages a faster recall. call your dog and as he nears run back a few steps showing the food treat infront of you. a good saftey tip for running back recall however after making sure your way back is clear always ask for a sit otherwise they get used to bombing up to you and some dont stop in time!!
i've even seen one dog leap into her owners arms she was coming so fast!!!
the best place to start off is around the house and then in the garden.
ask for a sit and clip the lead on, if you get pup used to sitting for the lead on and off again it will stop the fiasco of trying to attach a lead to a bouncy spinning ball of fluff ;D
what sort of dog is your pup?
as its a lot to take in keep your training sessions short and fun, all my dogs are adult now but i still prefer to keep sessions short but the reason i say this in pups is that they have the attention span of an ant!!
before you can leave off you need pups attention so ask for a sit right close to your left leg (where you would like your nice lead work placed). lead off with your left leg - this is a good heel work trick and widely used in competitive obedience by leading with the left when you want your dog to follow but leaving with the right when you want your dog to stay.
so lead off with the left leg with a jolly command i use 'off we go' but you can keep it to 'heel' or even 'walkies' it doesnt matter just always use the same command.
to start your only going to take a few steps forward as its best to do this in stages to really stop the bad habits forming.
so take about four in a straight line. when pup is walking in the correct position offer lots of praise and treat when you come to the end of the first run of steps ask for a sit and remove the lead with a 'well done' or 'good dog'.
it will take a few sessions like this for pup to even figure out what has gone on but its important the penny drops and pup 'gets' that 'if i do this' your happy and i get that yummy treat.
of course pup will have a go at pulling or whizzing around sooner or later and when pup pulls stop dead. you can use your treat to draw a line back to where pup should be and then give your walk command for a few steps. if pup spins around on the lead turn your back and walk the other way, when pup catches up give your walk command.
as pup gets more confident on the lead knowing exactly whats expected then increase your steps and train in different areas around your house.
all of this wont take long at all just so long as you master the basics ready for outside and dont be afraid to go back to the beginning.
the basics to your dog will mean
1, i walk next to that leg and i get praise and treats
2, i pull you stop
and
3, i'm a whizzing fuzzball you walk away from me
to help with socialisation which in turn will help you on walks as a bigger pup to adulthood consider enrolling in puppy socialistaion as this will help you no end in pups later life. pup will be taught how to greet other dogs and what sort of behaviour is expected.
it will also give you a great new area for practising good heel work with your pup as it provides loads of distractions although i would advise a super smelly treat such as liver cake (will put the recipe on a new thread).
dotty x
below are the All Dalmatian Rescue signing sheets.
Deaf dogs, a guide to hand signals
It would be nice if there were a recognised set of hand signals in use for any deaf dog born and living in the UK. Very much like sign for deaf people, but sadly deaf dogs are in the minority and the training of them has to date been very much up to the individual.
I know when I took on my first deaf dog I looked around for someone to help, and found no-one.
So, I thought I would have to go it alone and eight deaf dogs of my own later, and quite a lot rehomed by myself and Jan where together via dogs today magazine who have helped promote our cause no end, we have been able to help, not only people on an individual basis but also dog training clubs and other rescue centres. I am still here and my attitude is that if I can do it we can all do it, all you need is to want to, and with a little help from us if needed you can too.
Having said all that, it is never the less true that it does not matter very much what signals you choose to use, only that you have one and only one for each command, that it is clear and used repetitively and by all those who wish to ‘speak’ to the dog. The trouble would only arise if deaf adults were placed into rehome kennels with out any one having any clue as to how to speak to them.
May be one day we will get a universal signal system, until then we must all do as best we can.
There are and have been many misconceptions about living with a deaf dog, most of these are put about to make it seem very difficult indeed to train one, and to alarm people into thinking, this difficult retarded animal may be untrustworthy, ill tempered, unpredictable and even aggressive, all of which, if you spent your time and done your ground work, will prove to be false to the point of laughable.
The first point to think of is that your dog does not know he is deaf, to him the world as it is has always been and will always been a quiet place filled with sight and smell, of movement, light and vibration.
When people ask you about you and your dog you tell them he is deaf, they will with out fail say “ ah what a shame” and you will then of course go into a lengthy discussion as to how it is not a shame at all, and how wonderful he is, and look what he can do…. Believe me you will find your self being very defensive of your charge, and in doing so, with out knowing it, promoting the deaf dog far and wide, because the person you have just spoken to will, no doubt go on to tell another person about this dog they met that was deaf and understood hand signals. By doing this you are helping to bring to light the fact that deaf dogs can and do lead normal lives, are happy, contented and that above all, they have as much right to live as any other dog.
Does breed matter? Well, if you have a deaf pedigree dog, then you have a deaf dog, true, but you also have one that is going to have breed traits, this would need to be taken into consideration. For example if you have a deaf border collie, it superior intelligence should mean that training is relatively easy, if like me you have deaf Dalmatians ( which have the highest percentage of deafness than any other breed ) you will find the repeats of commands are needed on a greater scale, if you have a deaf bull breed, or a Dane a poodle or spaniel, a westie or a boxer, all breeds I have come across, then it will behave as its breed dictates and this must be taken into account.
If you come across a deaf cross breed, then I would like to think of it as a blank canvas with which to work on, and hopefully if you are lucky, as so many are with cross breeds you will have the best of both worlds.
It may be that you have bought a puppy and found it to be deaf, in which case you are starting from scratch as it were, or maybe you have taken in a deaf dog via a rescue organisation, what ever, I hope that you will find something here to help you.
With regards to older deaf rescue dogs, it may be well to remember that your new dog may have ‘switched off’ ,this is to say, because his previous owners have not learnt to communicate with him, he had in fact given up any hope of any sort of relationship. Sadly this is something I have seen, but its not a problem, all you have to do is think of your new charge, no matter how old he or she may be, as a puppy who knows nothing at all, and so you start from scratch, you will soon find that your dog is happy to find someone to talk to, that they respond quickly.
If in doubt, please feel free to phone me or Jan as we will most likely have had to over come any little hiccoughs or problems before that you may be encountering along the way, so don’t be afraid to ask!
It may be that it takes a little longer for things to fall into place as it were, but you will get all that you require if you persist and go about it the right way, there are a few things to consider, house training may take a little longer, bite inhibition may also take a little longer, not only with young dogs mouthing people or children, remember that if they were hearing they would here a yell of ‘no’ and learn almost instantly that they have over stepped the boundaries, as with other dogs, they may play a little rougher than is acceptable, but they will learn where the boundary is, it will just take a little more time and a little more understanding from you.
Also its more tiring, yes that’s right more tiring. Why? Because you HAVE to get up out of that chair and go to your dog to get his attention to give those commands, the benefit of this…you will be very fit in no time at all!
You will find your self being very careful with the way your dog behaves with people and around other dogs.
In fact anywhere and with anyone should they be on or off the lead, you will go out of your way to ensure that no one can say anything bad about your dog, because as sure as eggs is eggs, if he does some thing wrong, some smart so and so will say ‘well of course, what do expect from a deaf dog’! Don’t give them the chance.
So let us get on with it, so your dog is deaf, but what about his other senses? Well, his eye sight is not only very keen but remember that his peripheral vision extends all the way around him, this has often lead to people saying ‘ are you sure your dog is deaf? When they see him turn as you have spoken. No he can not hear, but what he can do is by sight detect the slightest little change in movement and react to it.
Also he can smell, hence when the biscuit tin is opened in the kitchen, he can not hear it, but believe me he can smell those mouth watering chocolate digestives on the air and in he trots.
‘im sure he heard the biscuit tin? No, but he is far more sensitive than we give him credit for. Also vibration, he can feel even the slightest change, your foot on the floor, a sneeze, a clap a cough your car on the drive way, you may never be able to feel it, but he can, and because he has learned to attune his other senses, which are far keener that ours to start with, to an even better pitch.
These can be put to our advantage. A dog across the other side of the room with its face away from you can with a sharp bang of your foot, be made to look round, then when facing you the signals can be given. A dog out in the garden in the dark can be taught to return to a flash of a torch or by turning an outside light on and off to get his attention. Followed as with all training with a treat for coming in as he can’t hear praise but can feel it by way of cuddles and strokes and big happy faces, but he would appreciate something nice for his tummy too!
You will learn as you spend more time with him that some things are easier for him than others. Body language plays a bit role in any dogs life, but because we rely on vocal commands, we forget that so much of the time our dogs learn to pick out what we are doing or saying by sight. How often have you heard some body say ‘ he knew he had been a bad dog for chewing the moment I walked in’ well yes he did, because the moment you walked in you saw what had happened and your shoulders squared and your jaw tightened and you rose up to your fullest and then you said something…. But he guessed your displeasure by the swiftest sight of you!
So with our deaf dog we need to make good eye contact, forget all that nonsense about don’t look your dog in the eye it’s a challenge, yes it’s a challenge if you are staring hard with menacing body language, but you are not Going to do that, you are looking into his face for expression, yes it will be there and it will change and he is looking into yours to read you and see you.
You will get to the point where your dog will be sitting or lying some way off, you will smile a big smile at him, and he will jump up and rush to you, the friend that you are.
Because of this training needs to be done face to face, not left hand side as most training classes will have you do, although you will be able to command your dog on the left hand side in time. When he has learnt his signals and knows your facial expressions.
Sit
Treat in your right hand and clearly visible hold your palm upwards and raise your hand above and slightly going behind the dogs head.
He will naturally follow the treat and as his head goes back his bottom should go down.
He may step a pace back , if so gently take his collar with the left hand and hold him still, repeat the action and the moment he sits reward him straight away, it must be instant.
Repeat this exercise and you will soon find he will sit every time.
Down
From the sit have your treat visible again. Close to his nose holding out your index finger, move away from him ever so slightly as to draw his nose down and forward, the paws will follow and you should get a down.
This may take a little longer than the sit gentle encouragement may be required from the left hand but under no circumstances should you push him down.
The very last thing you want to make a deaf dog do is shy of your hands. your hands are your tool to teach him, he must accept them and look forward to them being close to him on him and over him.
Stay
Stay is naturally easier to do with either the sit or down. Place your dog in either of these and with your right hand held out in front of you on a rigid arm have your hand stretched open as far as you can.
As you do this say (as with all the commands) the words stay, be firm, in doing so your body will denote that this is a real command.
Take a step back and over time you can move further away but make it short to start with and go back and reward or call to you and reward before your dog has time to fidget and move.
You can take this a stage further and walk in a circle around him and his head will follow, if he looks as though he’s going to break the stay, say the command again and go back round to his front and build it up slowly until you can move freely around him with out him moving.
Over time and with practice you can build this up into an out of room leave.
Deaf dogs can be a little clingy and you may find for a good while that they need the reassurance of having you in sight. If you find this is the case with your dog, accept that it’s a need and do not try to force the separation in these training sessions it will only fluster and upset him. Go slow but sure.
Come
The close recall signal must be done with a treat, remember he has got to want to come to you because you are offering something that is far more worthy of his attention that what ever else he is doing…. Not always as easy as it sounds. Again with palm upwards curl the fingers in wards and open and close your hand quickly, the rapidity will catch his attention, again along with this remember body languages, bend slightly forwards relax your shoulders and smile. Look inviting and fun the moment he comes reward with his treat and lots of praise, big smiles!
Stand
From the sit place your hand fingers tight thumb on top and bent at the wrist so your hand is folded in front of you, slowly draw your hand from the dogs nose forward as he follows your hand his bottom should come up and you will be in the stand, reward straight away.
Leave and no
the no signal is just an out stretched finger and wag from side to side, a very stern face should accompany this, and believe me it is one that is very readily understood, in no time at all your dog will be casting his face your way when he is doing something he knows he shouldn’t be doing just waiting to see that finger.
From the no signal comes the away and leave by pointing either left or right you are telling the dog to not only stop what it is he is doing but to move away from it too.
All of these basic everyday signals should be trained at first in the home, from there out in the garden and from there on a long lead some where like a park or some other open space, they will take time and patience and above all repetition.
Off lead work
Many people with deaf dogs are not confident enough to work them off lead. I am not here to tell you whether to do this or not to do this. All I can say is in my experience all dogs are different, they learn at different levels, some are bolder than others and some timid.
I do not know your dog, I only know mine and its capabilities, and it is for you to do the same. You can do a long distance recall but it takes lots of time, I use an extending lead held at shoulder height like half a scarecrow. Why? Because it’s the sort of shape you will not see any one else doing, it is not a wave it’s a solid block visible from a way off. But, and it is the biggest but of all. This is when the difference arises between deaf and hearing dogs. If he is off the lead he is your responsibility, you may not feel he can be fit and healthy with out a good free run… wrong, that is what the anti deaf brigade will tell you. But he is vulnerable. He cannot hear what is coming up on him or around the corner, he can’t hear the traffic and it moves so fast he may not be aware of its existence.
His health, wellbeing and whole life depends upon you. His safety must come first you prove nothing at all if he runs off and bolts, if he gets lost or even worse dies in a road accident. Its simply not worth it.
If in doubt, if you feel the hairs raise on the back of your neck, listen to your self. Keep him on lead to do so will ensure he is by your side until a ripe old age.
Walking in the street
Of course like every one you want your dog to walk nicely on a loose lead by your side. Left side is the usual place; I would often suggest a halti, not just because it helps to control strong dogs but with a halti on when it is pulled gently the face comes in towards you so making it easier for you to give signals and facial expressions.
With lots of distractions outside it may be a point to when wanting his attention touch him gently on the nose or top of the head I use two taps on the head, this says ‘hey I want to speak to you’ his eyes will look to your face and from there you can signal.
Sitting at the curb? Whether you choose to do a sit and stay or stand and stay its your choice just make sure you stick to what it is you choose to use and any one else who walks your dog.
As with any other dog, when opening doors be that the home or car, teach him that he is not allowed to jump down from the car until you have his lead firmly in your hand and you give the signal to come.
Its is well worth looking around your home and think ‘deaf dog’ install a few bolts on doors (you will be surprised how easy dogs can open doors) make sure gates are kept shut and bolted and make sure EVERYONE who visits your house knows these house rules, if you have children drum it not only into them but even more importantly their friends that you cannot leave doors or gates open ever.
Deaf dogs and small children can get on just as hearing dogs and small children can, your dog will respect your children if your children are taught to respect your dog.
Just one thing to remember, small children often wave their hands about, this can be distracting to your dog who is trying to work out what’s being said to them! Then you will notice that they understand its just gobbledygook and stop looking at it.
One thing that concerns a lot of people is that deaf dogs when startled will lash out. This is not so as I mentioned earlier your dog needs to be comfortable with your hands being on and over him. Your closeness and gentle touch will teach him a great deal if you have to get his attention when he is looking away from you, walk up slowly, stand by his shoulder and gently touch him there, as he looks smile smile smile. When he is resting or sleeping there will come a time when you will have to wake him, to move him or let him know you are going out, again touch him gently.
Give him time to open his eyes and accustom him self to his surroundings.
They are the basic commands that you will need, should you wish to add any thing more, train up to a higher standard as you can go, then go for it, it can be done.
Deaf dogs are not stupid, they are not retarded they are not handicapped, the only problem they have in life, is people and their attitudes towards them.
Go out there and prove them and all their silly fears wrong.
Remember above all that a deaf dog needs touch and love and gentleness, he will I can assure you repay you with his love and loyalty, his trust and devotion like no other hearing dog you have ever lived with.
I thankyou for giving him a place in your home, and remember I am always here to offer any help and advice I can give.
Call me if you have any worries or concerns that’s what I am here for.
Aug 18 2007 09:17 pm
please join http://www.4leggedfriendschat.co.uk u will see a training section and a need dottys help try there :)
Aug 18 2007 10:36 am
I have a 7 month old jack russell/spaniel crossed male pup called Sandy. He gets over exited when he sees people and sometimes wets on the living room carpet but his only other problem is when we are out for a walk he is very heavy and pulls on his lead. I have tried two various harnesses and a choke chain and a halti headcollar. he chewed the one harness while waiting for his castration operation at the vet's in June and he gets out of his halti by pushing the noseband off his nose with his paws. How can I stop him from doing this?
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