MARCH 2021, FREE
FREEDOM TO ROAM! Lockdown Roadmap for Dogs announced TOXIC LILIES Cat death
BABY TALK
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Do you
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speak baby babble to your pet?
Photo with thanks to Laura Stanley at Pexels
& MUCH MORE INSIDE
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Cavaliers’ Choices Premium pet products for you & your pet chosen by Sophie Nell and Rufus, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, assisted by Marie.
HATS OFF TO ELDERLY DOGS! Here’s a book that’s certainly worth a look at ‘Old Dogs’ features a heartwarming series of portraits of older dogs by acclaimed artist Sally Muir (also the author of A Dog A Day). This beautiful book captures the greying muzzles of a huge variety of canines, garnered from a social media call-out. Illustrated in oil, charcoal and even potato print, Sally captures the spirit of our best friends with style and grace. Published by Pavilion and priced at £9.99.
GOOD CAUSE ACCESSORIES Wild at Heart Foundation has teamed up with BARC London to launch the BARC x WAHF collection of collars, leads and harnesses for dogs. Each product is available in Wild at Heart Foundation’s coral, blue and yellow stripe. You can also select one with the Foundation’s 'Believe in Dog' tagline. Most importantly, 60% of profits from this collection to the Foundation. To ensure that your dog is both stylish and comfortable, all of the products are made from a soft nylon webbing that is gentle on fur; they also feature quick-release buckles for safety, and are fully adjustable for the perfect fit.
Prices start at £18.00. Visit Barclondon to find out more and choose the perfect feel-good product for your pooch.
Dogs Trust Releases ‘Roadmap Out of Lockdown’ For Dogs
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With the near four-month roadmap to lift us out of lockdown coming into e ect on 8th March, Dogs Trust is urging dog owners not to forget their canine companions and has released a roadmap for rovers to help them adjust as normality resumes. Behaviour problems are easier to prevent than treat, so the
charity is encouraging owners to take steps now to change the tale for their dogs and ensure problems don’t develop as lockdown opens up. Here’s how the roadmap could affect dogs: Stage 1: (from 29th March) Outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed, including gatherings in private gardens
As people start to get outside with friends and family, dogs may struggle with the additional sights, smells and distractions they may not have experienced for a while. So it’s worth brushing up on your dog’s recall skills, loose lead walking, greeting people and picnic etiquette!
Your dog is going to start to see much more than the delivery man! Lots of dogs get nervous and/or excited when they hear the sound of the doorbell and this can make it difficult to welcome guests into your home.
If taking your dog to the nearest dog-friendly pub is on the agenda, it’s important that we teach our dogs how to settle amongst the hustle and bustle. Start now at home whilst there’s fewer distractions. Teaching them how to settle will also come in handy when you stop to chat to friends when out and about, there are children running around or other dogs walking past, as well as helping them cope when alone.
Stage 3: (from 17th May) Two households can mix indoors
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Stage 2: (from 12th April) Outdoor settings like beer gardens open
Stage 4: (from 21st June) All restrictions lifted with many people returning to the o ce
It’s likely many of us who have been working from home will start to return to the office at this point. So it’s important that we teach our dogs to cope with being left alone to prevent separation anxiety developing, as many of them will have had To make things easier and very little contact away from us safer, you can train your dog for for the past year. visitors and teach them to run to a safe space like their bed Rachel Casey, Director of when they hear the doorbell, Canine Behaviour and and quietly wait there until Research, said: “It’s safe to say your visitors are settled. life has not been normal for
many of our dogs for the majority of the past year. They've had less interactions with other dogs, fewer visitors coming into the home and they haven’t spent much time alone since the pandemic began.
Rachel Casey continues: "A big worry for us is what the longterm impact of lockdown will have on dogs’ ability to cope when left home alone. Dogs that
“It’s important to start now to avoid future problems – and it’s easy to do. Just make sure that you factor in time apart
make sure that you factor in time apart from your dog each day to help them be able to cope when alone
“A return to normal could be confusing for our dogs, especially puppies acquired during the pandemic who won’t have had these early life experiences. But the good news is, it’s not too late to prepare your dog for lockdown easing, and to teach them vital skills that they can apply in any situation.” One of the biggest reasons why dogs are handed into Dogs Trust is because of behaviourrelated issues that could have been prevented early on. A rise in problematic behaviours, due to lockdown measures, could mean families have no other option but to give up their dog. The rise in separation anxiety in dogs who haven’t been left alone during the pandemic is a particular concern for the charity.
had separation anxiety before the lockdown are likely to get worse when left again as owners head back to work – but we also expect to see new cases developing, because other dogs, and particularly puppies, have learnt to expect company all day. If they expect us to be about all the time, it will be more difficult for them to cope once we eventually go back to our normal lives and aren’t in the house 24/7.
from your dog each day to help them be able to cope when alone – this could be separated from you by a door or child gate for an hour or two whilst you’re working. “By organising your dog’s day to gradually increasing time apart, as well as play times, exercise, other activity sessions like giving them a food filled toy and quiet times, you can
met or who came to our garden and the same with any dogs. “By the autumn Dog School classes were available again and as Monty was approaching 10 months old, we signed him “It is much easier to prevent up for problems than treat them, and adolescent dogs and their owners can still classes. The we would urge people to visit our Dog School classes or look learn through virtual classes to training was at our advice and videos on different to a our website to help prevent equip themselves with skills they puppy class as these together with can put into practice as problem behaviours from the Dog developing.” School coach, normality resumes we were able To help dog owners prepare to their dogs for a change in immediately focus on the areas “We had originally signed up routine, Dogs Trust’s Dog of training that we felt we for puppy classes at Dog School is continuing to run needed help with. School, however these had to be training classes online while “The classes were really cancelled after the first face-to-face classes have to be beneficial as we understand lockdown was announced. We paused, meaning dogs and their Monty’s behaviour much more. began to receive weekly emails owners can still learn through We have also continued to work from our Dog School coaches, virtual classes to equip together as a family to ensure containing links to video themselves with skills they can our approach is consistent and training sessions, challenges, put into practice as normality we have seen great progress play ideas etc. and we were also resumes. The classes help using techniques that were able to contact the training owners understand their learned, especially when Monty coaches directly with specific dog’s behaviour to avoid is out for walks, where he is concerns we had about common pitfalls that can lead much better at passing other Monty’s behaviour. to problems further down the dogs.” line. “We didn’t have any real For more information and to concerns about One family who have benefited book your dog or puppy onto a Monty’s behaviour initially, but from the training is Annie Dee virtual set of training during the first few months of and her Cocker Spaniel Monty, classes, visit www.dogstrust.org lockdown, we became aware of from Worcestershire. .uk/dogschool. some socialisation issues. As Annie said: “I found out about the first lockdown was Online training videos can also gradually eased, Monty began Dog School after bumping into be found www.dogstrust.org.uk to bark at every ‘new’ person he a lady prior to the first /changethetale/advice lockdown in February 2020,
make sure that your dog is able to settle on their own and help prepare them for the different aspects of ‘normal’ life when we get back to it.
who was walking her very wellbehaved dog at the time. I had only recently got Monty and he was a bouncy, playful pup, so had been considering how I would train him.
RSPCA Issues Lily Poisoning Warning After Cat Dies
The RSPCA has issued a warning to cat owners to highlight how toxic lilies are to cats after a kitten sadly died in Croydon. The RSPCA Croydon, Crystal Palace and District branch were contacted by cat owner Mya last month when her ninemonth-old kitten called Jasper had become poisoned by lilies.
Mya Sweeney, who lives in Croydon, was given a bunch of flowers including roses and lilies as a gift, and had no idea that they could be toxic to cats.
She said: “I don’t know whether Jasper brushed up against them or perhaps ate some of the lilies’ pollen but he started to go off his food for a couple of days.
confirmed that he was suffering from lily poisoning.
“I had no idea they were toxic to cats. I think there needs to be a change in the law which means it should be clearly “Jasper has always been a bit of labelled on the flowers that a fussy eater so I wasn't too they can poison cats.” worried but by the third day he started to become poorly. I took Sadly, Jasper did not pull him to the vets and they did through and Mya has been left some blood tests and the vet devastated by the loss of her pet.
The RSPCA Croydon branch which has helped Mya with the cost of some of Jasper’s vet treatment is now helping the pet owner raise awareness about the dangers lilies can pose. Jacqui Jackson, RSPCA Croydon branch manager, said: “This is a horrible tragedy and really shows why it’s so important to raise awareness of the dangers of lilies, and other household items, and how toxic they can be to our pets. “We would always advise pet owners to check whether products or items they are bringing into their homes could be toxic to their pets as there are many different types of plants found in the home and garden which can be harmful to pets. Many plants including tulips, holly and hyacinths can be toxic to cats and dogs although their toxicity is considered to be low. However, even non-toxic plants may cause some stomach upsets if ingested.
“Lilies are highly toxic to cats and ingestion of any part of the plant or flower can be fatal. Lilies and other toxic plants should always be kept well away from cats or dogs and owners should call their vet immediately if they are concerned that their pet has
ingested any plant or flower.” A typical household has a variety of substances and foods which are capable of causing serious harm to our pets. Some of the most common poisons include: alcohol, antifreeze, aspirin, carbon monoxide, chocolate, drugs and medicines, fertilisers, grapes and raisins/ sultanas, insecticides, lead (mainly from paints or old car Jasper, who sadly died after eating lilies. batteries), metaldehyde (slug bait), mushrooms - twitching and toadstools, onions, other - seizures. plants (such as lilies), rat and other vermin poisons, Different substances can affect weedkillers and xylitol (a animals in different ways. Some sweetener used in chewing gum symptoms can take days to and baking). appear and pet owners should Signs that your pet could have been poisoned vary and can include any of the following: - depression - lack of appetite - vomiting and diarrhea - breathing difficulties and bad breath
contact their vet if they think their pet has eaten something potentially poisonous. For more information on toxic items and products, visit: Veterinary Poisons Information Service.
Do you baby talk your pet?
Do you use a special cutesy baby language to speak to your pet? Well, you’re far from alone. The use of ‘motherese’ - pet directed speech, baby talk, and pet-based slang - is having a moment. Here, the language experts at Babbel helps us understand what it
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According to the UK’s largest online pet marketplace, Pets4Homes, at the peak of
With pet popularity at an all-time high, it’s unsurprising that people are more interested in understanding humananimal bonds. It is with this in mind that the language experts at Babbel are stepping in to explain the phenomenon many of us may have noticed springing up across our social feeds, parks and even our homes: the use of motherese - pet directed speech, baby talk, and petbased slang.
lockdown, over 7 million of us were searching for a new furry companion - creating a 104% increase in demand for puppies alone.
to address babies, small children, and - you guessed it kittens, puppies, bunnies, and all other adorable pets.
Motherese, also known as infant-directed speech, is so What is ‘motherese’ and named because it is most often why do we use it to talk to the international language of our pets? new parents, and that includes pet parents. You have most Do you find yourself going gaga likely heard it in action and over puppies? Do you catch even spoken it yourself. It’s the yourself uttering the words uncontrollable high pitched “goo-goo, ga-ga” and playing way of speaking you might use around with the prosody - the when meeting an irrepressibly patterns, melodies and sounds - bouncy puppy, when you see a of your voice when you see the beautiful baby bunny, or a adorable face of a fluffy kitten? particularly plump puss. It’s If so, whether or not you know often an uncontrollable mix of it consciously, you’re probably sounds, high pitched vocal speaking motherese. This is the tones, simplified words and international language we use cooing.
Pic thanks toGoochie Poochie Grooming
When we take a deeper look, the way we talk to babies and our pets has a lot in common. We will often find ourselves speaking much more slowly and in a more melodic or higher pitch than we would when speaking to another adult. It is thought that humans might naturally adjust their way of talking when they know that the person or animal they’re speaking to doesn’t know their language. However, there is one key difference between infant-directed speech and pet-directed speech: vowel articulation.
In everyday speech, English speakers replace expected
vowels with unstressed ‘schwa vowels’ (the additional vowel sounds other than a, e, i, o, u). When humans are using baby talk, they will often hyperarticulate vowel sounds, resulting in a simplified sounding speech with a reduction in the more complicated ‘schwa’ sounds. However, when talking to pets and animals people don’t tend to hyperarticulate their vowels. This might mean that we only hyperarticulate when there is a chance that whoever we are talking to is likely to respond. Interestingly, the exception to this rule is parrots, and it is thought that we hyperarticulate when speaking to them as they
are likely to respond. Pet Slang From Doug the Pug to Juniper the pet Fox, looking at cute animals on social media has fast become a favourite pastime for many - and has led us to think more deeply about how we communicate with animals. Pet sensations like Stella the dog allow us to see motherese in action, as Stella’s pet parent teaches her to communicate through speech aids.
The pet slang we see on the internet that accompanies petbased influencers is simply an extension of the cutesy language of motherese, as we make up new words and terms to describe the adorable things our pets do.
Scroll through the countless pages on social media dedicated to the cutest and most adorable animals and you will find that dogs no longer have a snout or a nose, it is a snoot, and cats are no longer just cats - they now come in an array of shapes and sizes, including floof, loaf, and smol. It is the influence of internet culture that has popularised a
new sub-sect of motherese into the public lexicon.
MLEM: The onomatopoeic
word used to describe when a dog, cat, or even a reptile sticks its tongue in and out of its Here are just a few of our mouth quickly or to taste the favourites: air. This word simplifies the act of sticking out your tongue into PUPPER: Like doggo, pupper a single syllable, with emphasis is the baby talk for puppy. on the ‘eh’ vowel sound; However, if you want to use it making it a fine example of to describe a fully-grown doggo motherese. who’s particularly smol and cute, you can probably get away SMOL: Smol is used to with it. Just like in many describe the most adorably examples of motherese, the teeny weeny little animals. A emphasis in this word is on the baby bunny, a tiny kitten, a ‘uh’ and ‘ehr’ vowel sounds bouncy puppy, all can only be and it’s an adaptation of a described as smol. By normal word (puppy) that has shortening the word ‘small’ and been made more exciting to placing emphasis on the ‘oh’ listen to through slight tweaks vowel sound, smol is a great to its pronunciation. example of motherese in action.
BLEP: A rare and beautiful
nose is known as a boop. Again, taking an action, simplifying it into a single syllable word with the elongated ‘oo’ vowel sound
DERP: The rather endearing
way we describe how animals thing, if you have ever caught often behave in silly and bizarre your dog or cat poking the tip ways: a derp is an act of strange of their tongue out just or funny behaviour, past its front teeth, you’ve seen a blep in Have you ever seen a dog so often related to confusion. Just like action. Again, by cute you just have to touch it? mlem, derp simplifies simplifying an action an action into a single into a single syllable A sleeping cat that just needs word and focuses on vowel based ‘eh’ sound, the vowel sound we’ve created a vowelits little snoot touched? ‘uh’ (from er). It’s easy based motherese word. to see how this vowelPlus, it’s really fun to at the centre, and applying it to heavy, silly-sounding word is say! our pets is just another way rooted in a motherese way of that pet slang and motherese speaking. come together, especially since BOOP: Have you ever seen a this sound lends itself to a high dog so cute you just have to pitched tone. touch it? A sleeping cat that just needs its little snoot touched? That little tap on the
Barking up the wrong tree! Leading canine behaviourist ADEM FEHMI on problem barking. The domestication of wild canids was originally encouraged in part because of their ability to bark and therefore to alert humans against threats. In the right circumstances, barking is a useful behaviour which dogs have been selectively bred for. Dogs, like crying babies, bark for a reason. Persistent barking, however, can be a nuisance and needs to be controlled. But, in order to stop the behaviour we must first understand why the The following are the predominant dog is barking.
reasons for relentless barking: • Territorial guarding
In order to prevent territorial barking an owner must manage the territory! Don’t allow your dog to sit in windows, charge at the front door or give him or her constant access to the garden. Guarding breeds are more likely to cause a problem with this type of barking but it can happen with any type of dog.
• Alert barking • Barking in order to instigate a human reaction • Anxious barking/howling
Try to control territory using stair gates or a dog crate to restrict the dog’s access and reclaim areas where the dog believes he has control and so barks.
• Boredom
Other tools such as a lead and a radio may be useful for territorial barkers; a lead can be used to block the dog from running at the window, fence or down the garden whilst a radio is the perfect distraction to prevent the dog from noticing sounds which may start a territorial barking episode. Alert barking is completely natural and personally I consider it acceptable as long as the dog realises that once I arrive his job is done - ‘I’ll deal with it now, thank you Fido’. Demanding or instigating barking often suggests the dog has learnt how to move his owner. The dog may become very demanding and can bark in order to make the owner deliver food, attention, play or open a door for example. To prevent this type of barking an owner must demonstrate to the dog that he or she is not going to move at the demanding behaviour even if the barking is extremely high pitched and persistent. This type of barking often happens with the more observant individuals such as working breeds but can happen with all dogs.
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Anxious barking is most commonly associated with separation anxiety, fears and phobias.
Remember dogs like us are social mammals and need company not just a box of toys and lots of treats. I have a In order to stop this type of rule: I never leave my barking the owner has to help two Labradors Yogi the dog understand about the and Penny for more process of being alone and for than four hours - they fearful responses the owner are adult dogs and they must locate the source of fear would be fine for a and set up an action plan longer period of time. often a behaviourist is required. If I am unable to get This will help the dog back to them I will ask understand how to cope with a family member or the fear, which could, for dog walker to pop in. example be a noise, another dog or even an object. Excitement barking is often seen before a walk or on Boredom barking is very an owner’s return. It is often common in kennels and with unintentionally rewarded by dogs that have been left alone owners “get down, I am back” for long periods of time. or “do you want to go for a walk?” To stop this type of Separation anxiety barking an owner must teach happens for a number of the dog that high levels of reasons but in general it’s excitement or energy will not because the owner has not be rewarded. set the dog up to deal with being left alone. Exercise your dog before going out (drain energy and make your walks count) Give him something to do (he must value this something) Set up lots of practice sessions whilst you are in (use stair gates and maybe a dog crate to help you!) Control/manage your personal space (you instigate affection/play)
visitors and even passers by but it does not have to be accepted. By understanding just why your dog is barking and putting in time and effort, perhaps with the help of a behaviourist the situation can be addressed, not only will you be happier but your canine friend will be too.
Working across London and the South East, canine behaviour specialist Adem Fehmi BSc (Hons)FMCFBFBA/FMGODT from Dog-Ease (www.dogease.co.uk) also runs classes in obedience and agility as well as working with gun dogs from his Hertfordshire base. Describing his training methods as practical, plausible and positive, Adem gives over much of his free time to working with rescue Nuisance barking is just that, a dogs as well as visiting hospitals with his own black nuisance, not just to the dog’s Labrador Yogi.
Use taught commands such as down to help you calm the dog and a lead can come in handy in order to stop the dog from winding itself up (dogs find it harder to bark in the down position). Only give the dog attention or a walk once the dog is quiet and relaxed although this requires patience and consistency from the owner.
owners but to neighbours,
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