Caninecommunication with Julia Collins

Parlez Vous POOCH?!

Blogger andqualified‘DogListener ’ Julia Collins helpsus to considertheneedsof ourcaninechumsthis festive season

ThisChristmas,beforeyou go up to bed(awaiting Santa’svisit), do makesurethat in addition to your stockings beingsecurelyattached to the mantelpiece, thefollowingare safelyand entirely outofcanine reach;grapes,driedfruit,nuts, mince piesandchocolates. These festive itemsrank highlyamongst toxiccanine foodstuffs.*Don’tjustthink toddler height,factor inthe altitude attainabilityofa potentialpet pyramidplus accessories, chairs,tables, piles of presentsandsoon. Holiday timeveterinaryattentiondoes notcomecheapandimagine the shadowa sickly pet wouldcaste over yourcelebrations! On afarlighter no ote, many dogs enjoythe festive season mightily,andit’swell worth giving alittlethought t to how our sensitive andloyalcom mpanions mightcomprehend Christmas.A generalincrease inhustleand bustle accompaniesthearriv val ofinterestingpackages,with plentyto investigateand carefully loginthe caninemind. Daysaremuchshorter and frequentlycoldand wetbut, no matter howbusy youare,don’t stint on your dogwalks.Ifit’s reallyinclement, oneheroic outingcouldsufficewithsome indoor play andattention to replacethe afternoon outing. (SeeOctober/November‘ParlezVous Pooch’). Walksandmeals mean everything to your dog. We set alotofstorebyChristmasand expect ourdogstobehavewell, even faced with arangeofvisitors andactivities.Theleast we can do is lovingly preserve theirroutine with plenty of exerciseanddown time,ifthe houseis noisywith b boisterous visitors. Don ’t let good habits be sabotaged by supposedly wellmeaning guests feeding your dog from the table, encouraging them to sit on furniture (if this is something you don ’t allow) and letting visiting children whip them into a frenzy. In fact, if your dog is used to an adult household, better not to leave them alone with children, no matter how gentle and placid they are (the dog I mean!). Nottoomanyleftovers—a fewbyall means, butcutback on thekibble.Preservehissleeping areaas asanctuary.Meetupwith unfamiliarcaninevisitorsoutside first,theircomingstraightinto thehouseis amistake.Give plenty ofthoughttoa‘strange’ dogactuallystaying over. Don’tbeall over your dog duringtheday andthengoout, leavingthem aloneina silent house.Makesurethey’rewell exercised, fedasappropriate, have fresh water andachance to nipintothe garden before you go.Leave aradio,lightsandthe heating on. *Lookup‘foods toxicfor dogs’,some oftheitemswill surprise you.

Parlez Vous POOCH?!articles are also availableonthe Oracle, an audio informationmagazine for visually impaired listeners, which is part of Wymondhamand Attleborough Talking Newspapers. To access all theTalking Newspaper recordings,goto

www.watn.org.uk

Julia Collins @walksoflifessuffolk www.walksoflife.co.uk