Category: opinion

Posted on by

Dogs, cars and windows

Before I go any further I have to say that I too, am guilty of doing all of these things in the past. They are however, actions I won’t repeat.

Picture this, you are driving down the road, it is a nice day so you have the window do in the back so your dog can get some fresh air. He loves sticking his head out in the wind regardless of the weather and is always happy to be on the back seat.

One day you are diving down the road as usual but today something catches the eye of your dog. In a split second he is jumping out of the window and there is not a thing you can do to stop him.

This is not as uncommon as you think. It happens on a regular basis within 50kph speed limits and on the open road. Damage is certain, death is likely.

We recently had a customer experience this very frightening event. Driving at 100kph their dog jumped out of the car window. He was lucky, he suffered a broken pelvis but is alive and will make a full (hopefully) recovery.

Preventing this pain, suffering and expense is easy. Clip your dog in when it is in the car. A car harness is cheap, easy to fit and will stop your dog jumping out of the window and will also prevent it going through the front window in the event of a head on crash. Hardly any dogs survive this.

One of my very pet hates is having a dog on your knee in the front seat, worst of all is when you are the driver. Not only is this very unsafe you are putting your dog’s life at risk every metre your drive.

So keep your dog safe, grab your self a car harness today. Keep everyone in your family safe in the car.

Posted on by

Could you save your pet?

Your pet is in distress and you are the best hope of getting it to the vet alive. Do you know what to do?

You hit an animal with your vehicle or see one hit by someone else. What do you do to help it straight away?

Do you know what you should not have in your garden to prevent poisoning your pet?

Your dog or cat is choking. What do you do?pet first aid

What is normal for your pet?

 

If you can’t answer the above with 100% certainty then you should seriously consider the PET First Aid and Training (NZ) first aid course.

On this course you will learn everything from how to take a pulse to rescue breathing. More importantly you will gain the confidence to use what you are taught to save your pet, or maybe someone else’s.

What you learn will not replace treatment from a vet but will help you get the animal to the vet in a condition that gives it the best possible chance of survival.

Did you know that 1 in 4 animals would have survived an emergency situation had they received correct first aid treatment?

 

Courses are being offered in Invercargill and through out New Zealand. Not only do you get the knowledge including practical experience but you will also receive a full colour manual and poison information sheets to keep. Upon passing the test you will also receive a framed certificate.

 

Have a look at www.petfirstaidandtraining.co.nz for the next course in your area.

 

 

Posted on by

Two people, 2 dogs, not quite enough legs

2 dogs

It is an interesting story. One that many people find romantic, others find it freaky.

Imagine if you can, two young people meet and decide they quite like each other. The relationship grows and they become serious. There is nothing unusual there at the end of the day. The unusual piece comes when they start talking about the pets they own.

It doesn’t take long for them to realise they both own dogs, one more thing in common on top of everything they have already discovered about each other. One of them mentions to the other, in passing, that the dog they own only has three legs. You can imagine the surprise on the faces when the other turns and says “mine too!”

Now if you think that is freaky enough, it gets better.

Once the shock of each having a three legged dog wears off, they starting talking more about the dogs. The big shock comes when they discuss which leg is missing. Yes you guessed it, the dogs are both missing the same leg. Weird eh?

Remember that before these two people met they had no idea they both owned dogs, let alone three legged dogs. No one had told them, not even their friends.

The dogs lost their legs for different reason and at different ages of life but try telling the dogs that they are disabled. They don’t believe you. They live full and happy lives.

Just as having three legs is permanent, so to it appears is their owners’ ‘well balanced’ relationship. Can you imagine the looks and comments they get when walking both dogs together? It certainly makes for an interesting view but proves a number of things. Dogs can live a very happy, fully functioning life with only three legs and amongst other things, some relationships are just meant to be.

Yes it is a bit of a gooey story, but sometimes they just need to be told.

 

Do you have a similar story? Let us know about it in the comments below

Posted on by

More dog park issues

Back on the 27th of December 2014 I wrote about liability at dog parks. The simple fact is we can’t take our dog’s safety for granted. Yes, I know we should be able to but the reality of the situation is we can’t trust any other dog to be friendly, unless we know it well.

Unfortunately there has been another dog on dog attack but this time it resulted in death. I have to say I feel sorry for the wee dog and owner, this should never have happened. Talk about traumatic!

The owner of the attacking dog apparently packed up and left in a hurry. I wonder what they were thinking? Is this the first time the dog has done something like this or has it happened before? If it has happened before, why were they there? And of course, do they care? Will they come forward? The least they can do is come forward with whatever explanation they can offer.

The dead dog’s owner appears to be handling this horrible event well. I’m not sure if I would be so understanding and not on a witch hunt at this point in time. It is very obvious they loved their dog and will miss it very much. The unnecessary nature of their loss just makes it worse.

I like the attitude of the animal control officer, waiting until they get the facts before making public demands and even considering options before jumping straight to euthanasia.  Prosecution on the other hand should be a serious consideration.

In the blog ZoePhee by Lauren Miller she has a great blog post, Never Trust Other Dog Owners! A post well worth reading by every dog owner.

I’m going to do my best to follow the outcome of this story, hopefully it is as good as it could be with everyone doing the right thing.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The dangerous sun & your dog

All too often I am frustrated by people not taking note of the temperature and how it affects their dog. Take today for example, it is 28deg (celcius) with hardly a cloud in the sky and I just saw a woman walking her dog. Now this may not be a problem in some people’s eyes but she was wearing shorts, a singlet top and able to adjust to the temperature. However, the black curly coat retriever doesn’t have that luxury and looked very hot indeed.

Was the owner carrying water? No she wasn’t. How far would they have to walk before the dog needed water to prevent dehydration occurring.

She was wearing shoes, unlike the dog. I felt how hot the footpath was and it was hot enough to make my feet very uncomfortable, verging on burning. I wonder how this was making the dog’s feet feel? Could it be hot enough to burn them? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until the sun had gone down before walking the dog?

 

Then of course the real habit I have major issues with. Leaving your dog in a car on a sunny day causes death on a regular P18 Dog In Car Poster-2basis but it is done everyday. A couple of windows are usually left down slightly, like this makes any real difference. I challenge anyonewho thinks this is an acceptable practice to take the place of their dog on a hot day for just 20 minutes. Have a look at the a chart that shows how the interior temperature of a car is increased at a steady rate until it reaches a level that causes major health implications for the dog, hypothermia and death.

 

I am guilty of doing exactly this in the past. Luckily I never had a problem as most of the time the dogs were only with us in winter. That was before I knew the reality of leaving dogs in cars and how quickly they could die.

It is illegal to break a car window without the owner’s permission and doing so could land you in a whole lot of trouble, even if it was to save a dog’s life. If it was a child I’m guessing it would be a different outcome and you wouldn’t be the one getting prosecuted.

So what do you do if you see a dog in distress due to heat in the car? Try and find the owner, call the SPCA or maybe even the police.

What if you lock your own dog and the keys in the car? Did you know the AA will come out and open the vehicle for free if an animal or child is locked in the car? You don’t even have to be an AA member, that’s how good they are.

 

Think about the temperature before you take your dog with you. It may just be better off left in safety at home.

 

 

This Youtube clips shows vet, Dr Ernie Ward experiencing exactly what a dogs does. It is an eye opener. I encourage you to watch and share it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Dog Park Liability

dogs in park

You take your dog to the local dog park knowing it will happily play with any other dog. And you expect the all of the other dogs at the park to be just as friendly.  But as anyone who has visited a dog park will know, this is not always the case. Some dog owners are less than responsible when it comes to ensuring their dog will play nicely.

And of course, there are always the unexplained and unusual behaviour of a normally trustworthy dog when it seems to form an instant dislike to another dog.

When a fight breaks out and a dog receives an injury, who should accept liability? In my opinion there is a very simple answer to this question and one I know will meet with a moderate amount of opposition from from some dog owners. The person who is liable is you, as the owner of your dog.

My first rule of thumb is simple, if your dog is injured you accept liability and take full responsibility for whatever the outcome is. If your dog needs vet attention this is at your own cost.

There is only one time when this rule does not apply, if the someone knowingly brings an aggressive or disruptive dog into the dog park.

The second rule of thumb is, if you don’t want your dog to be at risk, don’t take your dog into a potential conflict situation, ever. This might be a dog park, your local on or off leash favourite dog walking spot or just around the block where you know you may run into another dog.

Many people say “but my dog is fine, I have trained him very well”. Does this really matter in these situations? No, it doesn’t if the other dog has not been well socialised and trained. How do you know it is friendly with other dogs? You don’t.

Does this mean you should stop going to the dog park? I don’t think it should but you have to be ready to accept whatever happens. The great majority of dogs at the park will be having fun, socialising and generally minding their own business not wanting any trouble at all. It can also be a great time socially for you as well but don’t forget you should be actively supervising your dogs behaviour and watching for potential problems with other dogs.

And don’t forget to pick up the poo.