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Letters
Gun-shy dog problem
I've just been reading the K9 Perspective magazine, which I was very impressed with.
I have a problem with a gun-shy dog, I was wondering if you have covered anything pertaining to this problem in past magazines?
If you have I would appreciate a copy of the article. If not, I wonder if you could help me with this problem?
It is not so easy to sort out this problem. First, did the dog have a nervous mother? If his mum was nervous then he has most probably picked up this behaviour from his mum at a very early age and it will be imprinted and extremely hard to modify. If you know the breed and the Dam is indeed a nervous dog, it would be easier to find a nice family home for the dog and buy another one.
Another reason could be, how have you introduced the gun to your dog? If you just shot the gun in front of the dog without any pre-training you have probably frightened it half to death and now it will always remember the gun as a dangerous thing and will run a mile soon as it sees one. If the dog was only a very young puppy when a gun was shot in front of it, then the fear of guns is probably imprinted and very hard to modify. This dog would also be better off with a family and replaced with another dog rather than spend a lot of time getting him to overcome his fear, if at all, before you can begin the real training.
However, if you have the time and patience and the dog is simply reacting to the shock of the first, unexpected gunshot, some training and TLC should have the desired effect. Have someone hold the dog while you go about 200 meteres away and shoot the gun. At this time the person holding the dog can treat and stroke the dog whenever he is not reacting in a fearful way to the gun. If the dog shows any fear he gets NO attention or he will see this as a reward for being fearful and will think he is supposed to be fearful.
Shoot the gun a few times with a couple of minutes between. When the dog gets used to that, then walk a bit closer and repeat the same method until you are able to shoot the gun right up beside the dog. This will not happen in one day - it may take a few weeks before the dog gets used to the noise 200 metres away and can begin to hear it a little closer.
Another idea that may help is to make a tape of random gunshots.
Shut the dog inside the house every night for at least half an hour and in the same room put on the tape of the gunshots. Start it quietly and over a few weeks increase the volume every time the dog accepts the noise until the sound is at actual shot level. Again, if he acts fearful don't take any notice of him but offer praise when he doesn't act fearful. The night tapes and the actual shots during the day should have the desired effect. Also, while the tapes are on at night sit near the dog with the gun - make use of the time by cleaning the gun. During the tape's loudest phase, act as if you are shooting the gun. Remember, no praise unless the dog ignores the noise.
Good luck with the training - I would love to hear how it turned out so if you have time and it goes well, do recored the progress and send it in.
Attack dogs were crossbreds
On page 12 (issue 6) of the K9 Perspective magazine, you state that a Patea woman was attacked by three Pit Bull Terriers.
Please note: The dogs were crossbred dogs, and do not represent the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. For example, if they were crossed with Labradors, should it not be said that three Labradors crossed the street to attack, therefore making Labradors out to be vicious?
Mis-reporting of crossbred dog attacks as purebred or pedigree animals only serves to fuel Breed Specific Laws (BSL) and Dangerous Dog Acts (DDA's).
These laws do not prevent attacks - only responsible owner-ship will do that.
Point taken Susan, we will watch that angle from now on! You are right in observing that the other half (or more) of the breed of the dogs mentioned could have been anything, and that portion was left out of the original report.
'Uncontrolled crossbred dogs kill woman' would have been a better angle.
Fuchsia berries - are they edible?
I have a large yard and grow a few types of fuchsia in the gardens. I have noticed that my dog waits for the seed pods (fruit) to turn dark red/black and then eats them. She seems to really enjoy them and has not suffered any bad effects so far.
Is it all right for a dog to eat these berries or are they likely to suffer side effects or slight toxicity from them? Should I allow her to nibble at random?
According to information in the NZ Weekend Gardener, fuchsia berries are all edible and tasty, and some people make jam from them, although they do not have as nice a taste as plums or any of the more popular berries.
So just let your dog eat them and she will be perfectly okay. However, if you have a huge number of them ripe at the same time I would assume that like any fruit they could cause diarrhoea if eaten to excess.
Too many apples
My dog loves apples and we have two apple trees in the fenced area where he plays. He eats the windfall apples almost as soon as they fall, but the consequence is a yard littered with piles of runny poo. Any suggestions?
This problem is a reflection of the last one. Dogs love fruit; any fruit in excess gives dogs (as well as people) diarrhoea! There is only one solution I am afraid, and that is to clear all the fallen apples twice daily - in the morning before you let the dogs out to play, and in the evening so you don't have too many to pick up in the morning.
During the day there should not be more than one or two fall and your dog will be okay with up to about three a day, but you may have to pick up another lot around noon if the day is windy or an unusual volume has fallen.
The only other solution would be to transplant the trees if they are not too large.
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