Busy Paws Do Happy Dogs Make

Tramp and I had a busy Saturday morning yesterday at Mercato Centrale as we joined in the first session of a doggie camp organized by Busy Paws.

A big thank you to our new friends of Busy Paws and Urban Sports K9 for having invited us! More power to your endeavors! Hopefully, we'll be able to attend future sessions so that Tramp can practice his social skills.

It's always a pleasure to see fellow dog-people organizing events to encourage all dog-owners to engage in various activities with their canines. Indeed, all dogs should be out of the dreadful cage and off the cursed tether!

If you are looking for an introduction into dog training and dog sports do consider joining the camp sessions at Mercato Centrale.

Below are some pictures from the event courtesy of my brother Aries Magpily.

Side note: Tramp as expected was his usual reactive and "barky" self but it was good practice for him to get out and socialize with other canines. If you can believe it, he is actually waaay better behaved now than when I first started working with him in the U.S. (ehhm..defensive much? ;p) Oh but honestly, it's shame on me for not having been able to take him out as often as I should. It seems sometimes I spend more time helping other people train their dogs than training my own. 

For those of you wondering, Tramp is wearing a head collar (not a muzzle). It's designed to give me better control of his head so I can easily redirect him when he starts to fixate on something.

 

More photos HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150917919633211.434908.668528210&type=1

Free Webinar: The Inclusion of Family Dogs for Success by Jennifer Shryock

Just a few weeks following Mother's Day and it being Dog Bite Prevention Week (in the U.S.), I found this appropriate webinar - provided by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers - to share to all the parents out there:

Having a baby in the house doesn't have to mean that your beloved family dog has to be kicked out. If you are a dog-owning parent or are soon to be a parent, this webinar will provide great tips on how to manage having both children and dogs live safely and happily under one roof.

"APDT is pleased to bring you a free webinar that will teach you about the importance of teaching children to be safe around dogs, understanding your dog's body language, and how to build strong and health relationships between kids and dogs. Learn about grumble and growl zones, common mistakes, hazardous situations, and more as well as tips for keeping the entire family happy and safe."

The Inclusion of Family Dogs for Success: Building Dog-Child Bonds.

For Love of the Asong Pinoy

An Asong Pinoy / Aspin

I recently discovered the existence of a project regarding the Asong Pinoy / Aspin whose purpose is, I quote “... to create and protect a purebred strain of dogs that are native to the Philippines, that we call the Native Dog or simply "Aso".”

While the advocacy for the Aspin promoted by the project proponents is indeed admirable, I find myself disturbed by the idea that alongside this advocacy is the promotion of the creation of a Philippine breed of dog. Thus, I felt the need to air some of my thoughts on this matter, as an attempt to provoke some serious thinking and promote an intelligent discussion on the subject.

My argument is partly that definitions need to be clarified, and it is partly to ask: where exactly is this headed? My thinking was that the point of any campaign to promote Aspins, was to celebrate diversity and to liberate oneself from labels and human-defined standards. After all, the Aspin or native dog is by definition not a breed of dog, but a mongrel or mix of many dogs. This leads me to two main things that I find confusing about Aspin-advocacy being promoted alongside Philippine dog breed creation:

Firstly, it seems to me that the project is an attempt to bottle and brand the traits that make the Aspin unique. But isn't variety what makes the Aspin unique in the first place? Therein exists, in my opinion, an obvious oxymoron. From a simplified genetic viewpoint, the development of a breed of Philippine dog interferes with natural selection, which evolved the Aspin to be built for survival, to become resilient and which has allowed him to thrive. Once humans meddle and control breeding and reproduction, what is selected for is not traits necessary for survival, but traits that humans find appealing. The creation of a pedigreed dog whose offspring will look the same over succeeding generations requires a lot of mating between close relatives, which has been known to cause a lot of undesirable traits to surface. The end result is a dog which may look and perform the way humans want, but who is also highly predisposed to specific diseases – something that the Aspin has been able to avoid because of its hodgepodge of genetics. Therefore, if we start to select for genes according to our desires, we risk veering away from what we admire in the Aspin and what he holds over the pedigreed dog.

Secondly, considering how difficult it has been (and still is) for the Aspin, the mongrel or the mutt to win the hearts of the Filipino dog owner, and then looking to the future when this Philippine Dog breed has been established...Well, it seems we would be taking a huge step backwards in the campaign to promote the Aspin, when exclusion and discrimination may once again predominate against dogs labeled impure and without pedigree to certify them as Philippine Dog.

Possibly this project is partly driven by the need to create something that is “Proudly Pinoy” as we oft like to say, and to satisfy the Pinoy fixation for brands and labels. I feel it also links to the idea of dog as a commodity.

I can appreciate the beauty and usefulness of certain breeds, and I can appreciate that selection and breeding for specific traits has been beneficial for human society in many ways. But I fear that this project may cause many to lose sight of what truly needs advocating, that the Aspin - or any dog for that matter - does not need to be judged on pedigree. As is, the Aspin is no less than any other dog, and does not need to conform to any standards. If we are advocates of the Aspin then we are advocates of the Dog in whatever variant form he comes. 

My great fear is that the end result of creating a Philippine dog breed will be that of continued and even greater discrimination against the Aspin than is already presently seen in Philippine society; and my personal opinion is that there is no further need to breed the mutt out of the Aspin. Human-imposed physical standards should never be a requirement before any animal is deemed deserving of our respect, love and care. 

If I have in any way misunderstood the project's intentions, I invite its proponents and followers to comment on the subject and correct any erroneous assumptions or interpretations that I may have made. I reiterate, this article is not written with the intent of attacking the project's proponents, but to promote an intelligent discussion on the subject. It is written for the love of the Aspin, the mutt, the mongrel, the Dog.

Doc Marose has shared her home with pedigreed dogs, mixes, and Aspins. Her current dogs are a labrador-golden retriever cross, and a terrier mix, – one gifted to her, the other adopted. She also shares her home with seven Pusang Pinoys or Philippine domestic short hair cats – all adopted/rescued.


RELEVANT LINKS:

The Philippine Aso Project
Aspin (Philippine Native Dog)
Philippine Animal Welfare Society ASPIN Club
Aspin (Askal) - Wikipedia


Below is an interesting and disturbing documentary about pedigree dogs, specifically those bred for dog shows. NOTE: I recognize that the so-called "Philippine Aso" is probably not going to be bred with the intention of producing a show dog, but I posted this video just to make people aware of what overbreeding and inbreeding can do to a dog.

Part 1 of 6 of a playlist (please find the rest of the videos on Youtube):

A Bite and Torn Pants

Got these courtesy of a Siberian Husky patient today - punctured palm and torn pants. I don't mind the bite so much as I do the torn pants.*Sigh* I loved those pants. But kidding aside... if ever there was a reason for socialization and conditioning your dog for handling, well, this would be it. 

Invest some time in actively getting your dog used to being handled. Both your dog and your vet will love you for it.

For information about FIRST AID for bites read http://vetreflections.blogspot.com/2011/03/common-rabies-and-puppy-bite-related.html

The Importance of Early Puppy Education

Get Your Puppy An Early Education

Puppyhood is the best time to start your dog’s education – that means early training and early socialization. This period marks the peak of learning for dogs and is therefore described as the sensitive period of their behavioral development. During this age, and especially at about 8-12 weeks old, your puppy is like a sponge absorbing and processing all sorts of information which determines the kind of dog he is likely to become in adulthood. An example of this is how easy it is for young puppies to befriend different species of animals if they are exposed to them during this time. Dogs can become great friends with cats, birds, rabbits and all sorts of animals if they are introduced to these animals early on and allowed to regularly socialize with them. Socialization is also important for getting puppies used to being around different kinds of people: men, women, children, teenagers, people of various builds, height and weight, skin color, etc.

Some families who own puppies get lucky and unwittingly socialize their dog without putting any thought into it. In general, well-socialized puppies belong to big families, or families with homes that always have lots of visitors, or to owners that take their puppy on lots of outings. However, not all puppy owners are lucky enough to have such a perfect setup for socialization. For the puppy-owner who would rather not leave things to chance, Puppy Classes are a very proactive way to expose your young dog to a variety of people and experiences, thus setting him up to be a confident adult dog who is not easily frightened or overwhelmed by new places, people or experiences. This is what some trainers refer to as a dog having developed good “bounce-back”, that is, the dog easily recovers from the initial feelings of uncertainty when faced with novel situations.

You want a dog that is confident and has good “bounce-back” because otherwise your dog could become shy, fearful and even aggressive – this can be dangerous for the people that he is around and that need to handle him on a regular basis. Take for instance your regular visit to the vet’s office: a dog that has no confidence for being outdoors or leaving the house will find even a routine check-up to be frightening, which makes the experience stressful for the owner, the dog and even the vet. With just some simple conditioning and training in puppyhood involving lots of treats when being handled and many positive experiences with your vet, you can set your dog up to accept and even love veterinary examinations, eliminating his and your stress for all future veterinary visits.

Another thing to teach your puppy early on is bite inhibition. I have written a more detailed article on the subject of puppy bites which can be found HERE. Basically, you want your puppy to develop a soft mouth – that means that your puppy should learn about regulating his bite force. This is a better thing to teach than simply forbidding or punishing a puppy for nipping. A dog who develops a regulated bite is less likely to inflict serious injury on someone in the event that he does bite out of fear or on instinct to defend himself. This is an especially important lesson for dogs that are around children a lot, because kids move and play with dogs in unpredictable ways and may unintentionally hurt and startle a dog into biting.

Lastly, your puppy needs to learn about where to poop and pee. House soiling is one thing that a lot of owners complain to me about. The odd thing about a lot of Filipino dog owners is that they actually prefer for their dog to do their business in their crates or cages, instead of in a designated spot in the garden or yard, and they wonder why their dog will just hold it while he is inside his place of confinement. But the thing is dogs will on instinct NOT soil where they sleep. Dogs that soil their crates have been forced to do so because they couldn't hold it any longer. Over time crate-soiling becomes a habit. You see this a lot in puppies who have been confined in petshops for very long periods of time. These are often the puppies that can be difficult to potty train because they have lost the aversion for soiling their living areas. Before your puppy gets into the habit of having accidents in his crate and around your home, it is best to give him lots of opportunities during the day to visit his designated potty spot and reward him with treats and praise when he does it in the proper place. Over time, your puppy will develop greater and greater bladder and bowel control so that you'll only have to take him out for his potty business about three times in a day.

To summarize, Puppy Education is IMPORTANT. If you want an awesome dog - a dog that is confident,   behaviorally stable or balanced and trustworthy around family members and around your friends, then give him a solid foundation for his learning and behavioral development by starting his education and training early in life before bad behaviors become habits that will be very hard to break.

For more tips on these and other topics about puppy-raising, early socialization and early training you are invited to join Pet Centrics Puppy Classes. Click HERE for more information and current schedules.