Weds 19th May: Summer saved!

Summer's going home

I had some really happy news today when bull terrier Summer was offered a home as the deadline for moving her drew close.  She's not the first dog with serious dog-aggression issues that still found a home, as I remember we had one at Tai Po in the early days of our time there. Staffie-type Prima was also really bad when it came to other dogs however after adoption all of this behaviour changed, just as our little "Red Dog" poodle Bell changed, so all things are possible.

Tanner is much calmer without his "man bits"

Remembering Prima brings another dog to mind, this one not at all aggressive to anyone, human or otherwise, it's just that Tanner has the same kind of Staffie-type look that Prima had.  He came to us from AFCD and was super-friendly from the start, in fact his "friendliness" as an entire male (meaning not desexed) was the reason for him coming back from his adoptive home.  Now he's had the "snip", as well as calming down naturally after settling at the Tai Po Homing Centre, and he no longer humps everyone as a sign of welcome.  If you would like to give this lovely boy a home, please start by completing the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Ramen stays with his siblings at Tai Po

Dogs that are aggressive towards other dogs are usually that way due to lack of socialisation as puppies, and in fact the isolation of young puppies is the major reason for most adult behaviour issues.  It's very upsetting and frustrating that we still receive so many adoption applications from people who are out all day and would leave a puppy or dog for long hours.  Even if we reject such homes there is always the knowledge that pet shops and breeders will sell to anyone, a very good example being the puppy I wrote about yesterday (who is a golden retriever by the way).   Our HKDR puppies always live in groups so they can grow up in the company of others, for play and comfort while also learning social skills.  Here's Ramen and his friends at Tai Po: https://www.facebook.com/HappyWoofHK/videos/4054837154595201

Other than puppies biting in play, the issue our trainer Cactus receives more messages for help about than any other is new puppies that cry during the night.   If you think about it though, it's perfectly understandable why an animal that is born part of a litter and by nature would always live within a family group, or pack, would be extremely distressed at finding itself alone.  If this was the natural world being in this situation would mean certain death, so a puppy would cry loudly for its mother to come and save it.  Our recommendation to avoid night crying is that puppies sleep in the same room as one of the human family members so both sides can get some sleep.

It's an old-fashioned way of thinking to say that you should never allow a dog to sleep in the bedroom, and it actually makes no sense.  Having a pet sleeping in the bed (or bedroom) can be a great comfort to both children and adults, something I know for myself as I sleep with multiple dogs either next to me or close by.  It's also been proven many times over that far from being unhygienic,  having an animal in the home boosts the immune system so there's more than one reason for letting a dog live as one of the family: 

"Letting children sleep next to their pets can help them get a better night's rest, according to a new study.

Researchers from Concordia University in Montreal analysed 188 people aged 11 to 17 about sleep habits and whether they have pets at home.

About half of children with a pet 'regularly share their bed' with the animal, say the authors, who wanted to find out what impact this has on sleep quality. 

They found that of those involved in the study who 'frequently' shared a bed with their pet dog, cat or rabbit enjoyed a better quality of rest than those who didn't have a furry friend to slumber alongside.

The researchers suggest this may be because children see their pet as a 'close friend' and having it with them could help calm nighttime fears."

Not only that, but there is no better guard than a dog, unless of course it's old or one of those types that would invite a burglar in and ask for a head scratch.  Keeping a dog outside the home as a guard puts it at risk of being distracted while a burglar sneaks in, or even worse being poisoned.  The best bodyguard is one that sleeps close by.