Category: Dog Welfare

Devil Dog or Poetic Justice?

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Most sensible people would dismiss the notion that bull breeds, Rotties and whatever the fashionable bad dog of the moment is are “devil dogs”, but would many realise that it is more than bad handling and breeding that might cause a dog to be a killer?

Last March a Staffie killed its owner by crushing his larynx in front of a BBC documentary crew. The incident wasn’t filmed. An inquest has just been held into the owner’s death where it emerged that the dog had probably ingested crack cocaine.

Drug addicts will stop at nothing to get their fix – just look at the number of smokers desperate to light up as soon as they get off the tube or sucking down as much of their carcinogens as possible before they get to work (whilst forcing anyone passing to partake). A quick internet search will reveal that dogs have been deliberately maimed so that people addicted to Tramadol can get a veterinary prescription. Some feed drugs to their dogs so that they are not discovered if they think that they will be raided. Some think it funny to watch the suffering of their dog as the drugs take hold – this includes people who give their dogs alcohol. Some people discard drugs in public places so that dogs die when they inhale or ingest them. I have personally known of two dogs die horrible deaths in this way.

Behaviourist Patricia McConnell describes in her excellent book The Other End of the Leash how one of the most frightening dogs that she has ever come across behaves when given toys. Yes, that’s not a typo: when given toys. The dog’s terrifying, out of control aggression provoked by objects that should evoke joy was caused by his previous owner force feeding him drugs. His new owner had done everything that she could to rehabilitate him but he was beyond help and had to be euthanised.

Major, the poor dog that killed his owner, will suffer the same fate as his neurological damage is probably far too great to make him safe.

Some may say that his owner received poetic justice, but I can find no poetry in this horrific tale and the hundreds like it. Humans take drugs of their own free will. Dogs never do.

Accessible and Safe – Not Much To Ask

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The ability to exercise dogs in open spaces has come under increasing threat from restrictive by-laws in recent years and several campaigns have sought to protect long-used access. However, in addition, a new threat was brought home to me this weekend when a dog was killed by an event organiser in a local park.

Many parks and open spaces that were run by councils for the general benefit of the public have been privatised and are now run by large companies such as Mitie, Carillion and Amey that have fingers in several pies. There are approximately 27,000 public parks in the UK, although it is difficult to arrive at an exact figure as many councils do not have accurate records and planning guidelines no longer define public parks. Most are owned by local authorities, although there are “royal” parks in London such as Hyde park, Bushey park and Richmond Park that are owned by the crown and run by a government agency. Some parks were deliberately created in the early 19thC in an attempt to prevent Chartists from holding “monster” rallies and some, including the “royal” parks, were hunting grounds. Many parks were created when philanthropists bequeathed them in perpetuity for the benefit of local people. The latter is true of the park where the dog was killed and should be protected by a set of covenants that attempted to restrict building and other uses to ensure that the public would always have free access.

Parks had traditionally been funded by local authorities with support from community groups that volunteer and raise funds. There are approximately 5,000 such organisations across the UK generating about £30M annually. A Heritage Lottery Fund report found that 86% of parks had revenues cut in the three years prior to the study. Almost half of councils are planning to dispose of some of their green spaces with 19% considering outright disposal of parks. Many more are selling off sections of parks for development and/or running multiple, intrusive events, claiming that the revenue generated will fund upkeep.

The park where the dog was killed occupies 186 acres of land and includes Grade II listed buildings and many extraordinary plant and tree specimens. It is a much valued resource for local dog walkers and is one of the few parks in the area not to impose on-lead restrictions. Since it was gifted to the public in 1926, it was run jointly by two local authorities who spent much of the last 35 years or so passing the buck in a perpetual rally that resulted in the buildings going to wrack and ruin, the planting being overgrown and the tress neglected – sometimes dangerously so. Recent lottery funding has seen huge improvements being made to some of the buildings, but staffing levels remain low and some planting has been ripped up to save on maintenance costs. Management of the park will be handed over to a so called “Community Interest” Company (CIC) which, in the council’s own words “provides freedom for the park to operate in a commercial manner”. This has included winning a successful licence to run multiple commercial events including sound systems, alcohol and vehicles all year round and increased the finishing time from 21.00 hrs to 23.00 hrs. Up to 10,000 people would be licensed to attend for the larger events and in total, events are allowed to be held for 28 days every year. This of course does not include the setting up and striking of events which typically occupies several days either side of public access. In spite of 109 written objections and opposition at the hearing, which ran for four hours until nearly midnight, permission was granted in full.

Opposition to the event at the weekend had run for many years as it was clearly seen by many to be breaking the covenants on the use of the park. The original owners had sold off adjacent land after World War I resulting in the park being fringed by housing and local residents were (rightly) worried about the levels of disruption. Permission was however granted and the organisers began to set up for the 2017 last week. The event occupies the old polo grounds and was not segregated from the public during set up. Fencing was erected on the day of the event to prevent revellers from accessing the existing café and the staff member there was in turn prevented from accessing the lavatory which was subsequently damaged. It could be deduced from these actions that the fencing was there primarily to protect revenues rather than people.

Complaints had been made by several park users about the speed at which vehicles were traversing the park. Great care has been taken during the building works to ensure that plant and other vehicles travel within the 5mph limit and plant is accompanied by a supervising pedestrian. No such care was taken by the event organisers and, in spite of being warned by park staff, one of their member ran into a dog. The dog subsequently died of its injuries.

The increasing use of parks for commercial events not only deprives the users for whom it was intended of facilities, it further restricts the ability for dog owners to exercise their dogs in a relaxed environment. Parks, towpaths and pavements are already major hazards for pedestrians and dogs due to illegal and reckless cycling. Even if dogs are safe and segregated, few will want to access parks whilst amplified sound is being blasted out and hordes of people are crowding the spaces.

This should be a spur to all to redouble their efforts to save and preserve open spaces as havens of peace and quiet in an increasingly tumultuous world. A dog should never again been sacrificed to commercial gain just by engaging in natural and essential behaviour.

Cornwall Cool Dog Campaign

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It seems sadly inevitable that on a baking hot bank holiday weekend a woman left three dogs in a hot van from 11.00 hrs – 15.30 hrs. Luckily, attendees at the Newlyn fish festival intervened and saved her dogs from certain death. It remains to be seen whether she will be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, Cornwall Live are running photographic competition to find the coolest dog in Cornwall.

Bear in mind that forcing your dog to wear clothing as shown in many of the images may make them even hotter than they are already.

A Dressing Down

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The current spell of much-needed rainy weather has brought out the usual plethora of people who value their domesticity more than their dogs. So many owners negate the fact that their dogs come ready-equipped with weather-proof coats that it has now become the norm to swathe dogs in raincoats and padded jackets in spite of the temperature. Some of the dogs are also forced to run. The parks always empty when it rains because so many dogs will not be taken out if the sun is not shining, but of the few that did venture out this morning, more than half had raincoats on their (panting) dogs. Some thin-skinned dogs will need protection before and after exercising in really cold weather. Puppies and old dogs are not so good at regulating their temperature and again may need protection as will dogs that are suffering from an illness that has the same effect such as kidney disease. Most do not.

Of course, it isn’t just wet weather that promotes irresponsibility.

It is getting hard to recognise what type of dog is in the park as owners instruct groomers to clip down to the skin so that they do not have to bother grooming their dog or clearing up hairs. The groomers obviously don’t care that they have removed every shred of protection against the sun – why would they – it’s a nice little earner. I looked at the prices of a handful of groomers across the country and they ranged from £25-£70 per dog. I have encountered groomers who have been asked to judge at companion dog shows. If the way that the majority handle dogs in the ring is anything to go by, it must be a miserable experience for the dogs that they groom.

The outer layer of a dog’s skin, the epidermis, is between 3 and 5 cells thick. Human skin, by contrast, it is at least 10 to 15 cells thick. So, when the dog’s skin is exposed by removing the protection of the coat, it is much more prone to mechanical damage and damage from the sun. Humans produce one hair per follicle but dogs produce between 5 and 22 primary and secondary hairs per follicle. Their coat rotates between three growth stages – anagen (new growth), catagen (shedding) and telogen (stasis) – all from one follicle. Cutting dog hair removes the stable coat (telogen) and prevents shedding (catagen), but also prevents new growth (anagen).

Humans have genetically engineered dogs and added a variety of coat types to those that have occurred naturally: smooth, long, flat, curly, wire, corded and hairless. Some dogs have a combination of types including short, medium and long double coats. Some coats come in undetermined length (UDL) and some in predetermined length (PDL). The former just continues to grow until it is cut whereas the latter will growth to a set length and stop. Each type of coat needs to be managed differently.

Cutting long and curly hair may remove protection temporarily but does not cause long-term damage. However, clipping any double coated breed can cause serious permanent damage. Shaving off a double coat can cause alopecia if performed during the “wrong” phase of the natural hair cycle. Hair loss can be permanent or the texture of the coat can change. If coat does grow back it has a harsh texture and cannot return to the correct, protecting double coat. Shaving a double coated dog does not stop shedding. If hair does grow back, it will shed in spikes that are much harder to clean up than natural undercoat or guard hairs.

Clipping a smooth or flat coat results in new growth that is of poorer quality and that does not lie correctly. Clipping a wire coat softens the hair and can cause it to fade. Wire-coated dogs should be hand stripped.

Clean, dry, mat-free hair is a dog’s best protection from the elements. This has to be managed every day, sometimes several times a day. If you do not want to do this, do not get a dog.

Herosim Or Horror?

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I received the latest blogpost from the excellent Jemima Harrison at Pedigree Dogs Exposed today. It links to a video showing a person identified as Jodie Marsh attempting to revive an unconscious bulldog. Apparently, this woman is a “UK media personality, glamour [sic] model and bodybuilder”. Ms Marsh states that this poor dog collapses approximately six times a year – not surprisingly because humans have bred her to have a skull that is too small and squashed to contain her facial tissue which blocks her airway when she is asleep. Humans that buy dogs in this condition perpetuate the misery and legitimise the practice of breeding extreme brachycephalic dogs.

As Jemima notes, Ms Marsh is not even performing CPR correctly. She has also publicly deterred people from seeking corrective surgery for their animals.

Whilst I may have never heard of her, this woman clearly has a public profile and thus may influence more ignorant people to mimic her in buying dogs such as this and in literally mis-treating them when they inevitably fall victim to their misshapen bodies. Apparently some of her fans have hailed her as heroic. What a sad indictment of our society that people find heroism in pummelling a lifeless dog for minutes half a dozen times a year. Yet again, evidence gives lie to the sentiment that we are “a nation of animal lovers”. That would only be true if this had never been possible in the first place. We could even make up for lost time by wielding the power of the Veterinary Surgeons Act and the AWA.

Royal Mail Dog Awareness Week 2017

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Royal Mail workers make deliveries to more than 29 million addresses across the UK. Not all of them come away unscathed.

An average of seven postal workers are attacked by dogs each day. Attacks increase during the school holidays and in the summer months especially when dogs are left unsupervised in gardens, allowed to roam or taken out off lead. Owners who do not keep their dogs under control could be in breach of the Road Traffic Act, The Control of Dogs Order and/or the Dangerous Dogs Act to name but three pieces of legislation. Since 2013, the DDA has covered attacks by dogs that occur on private property. The majority of the dogs reported as stolen have been left unsupervised in gardens, so, it is not just postal workers who are at risk.

2,471 postmen and women were attacked by dogs between April 2016 and April 2017. Some were left with permanent, disabling injuries. 71% of attacks happened in gardens or on the doorstep. No one should work in fear of their safety and no one should be traumatised or injured through preventable causes.

All dogs have the potential to be a danger to postal staff, regardless of their size. What you might perceive as being boisterous and friendly may seem frightening to your postman and even the tiniest of dogs can inflict nasty injuries. Even if your dog’s intentions are benign, your postman should not have to endure being jumped on, scratched or barked at every day. (Neither should anyone else for that matter). Every time that your dog barks at someone delivering letters and they go away, his confidence increases because he has defended his territory from an intruder. (A territorial dog is not protecting you, he is asserting his possession). The next time that you have to open the door to sign for something or receive a parcel, your dog may escalate his defensive aggression and bite.

  • Keep your dog away from the front door every time that visitors call – use a child gate or shut the door
  • Do not allow children to open the door and make sure that they do not allow the dog out if confined
  • Train your dog to lie quietly on a mat when visitors call and reward him for staying there
  • Control your dog’s greeting behaviour and do not allow jumping up, scratching or over-excited barking
  • Control territorial barking – get professional help if necessary
  • Do not leave a dog unattended in a garden and secure the garden so that your dog cannot get out
  • Always put your dog on a lead before you leave the house even if you are putting your dog in the car
  • Fit a secure mail box on the property boundary or a wire receptacle behind the door to contain the mail so that postman cannot get bitten when using the letterbox and to prevent your dog from damaging the mail.

Postal workers’ safety is YOUR responsiblity.

Idiot of the Month Update

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A few months ago I wrote about a rescue dog that was being handled badly.

Owner and dog are still together and, as dogs often do, this lovely girl is muddling through in spite of the way that she is being treated. The owner has shaved her coat off so she now has no protection against the elements and her once-beautiful coat is now growing back as spikes. No doubt the owner is congratulating herself that the dog felt cooler in the recent hot weather and of course, she no longer has a coat that can be groomed.

In common with many rescue dogs, she seems to be enjoying a late-flowering puppyhood and was having a wonderful time romping round with my dog and the others on the lawn. She flung herself at his feet and happily kicked his face as he nuzzled her belly and mouthed her affectionately, growling softly. The other owners looked on in delight, with the exception of the owner of the rescue dog.

She was squirming in horror and covering her eyes as the dogs took it in turns to rough house. “Stop it, stop it: I can’t bear it. I don’t like to see them like this”, she said. I replied tartly that her dog didn’t seem to share her view and was in fact having a whale of a time. Faced with the pressure of other quiescent owners, she backed off and let the dogs have their fill of fun.

What a sad example of a human-dog dyad. Perhaps there is something very wrong in her life that makes her incapable of recognising her dog’s enjoyment. She no longer has the excuse that her dog is old and ill, but she seems hell bent on squeezing the joy out of her glorious young dog and, in the meantime, is oblivious to all the truly wonderful moments that dog ownership can bring.

As ever, it will be the dog that suffers most in the long run.

Mad Englishmen and Dogs

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The Evening Standard reported on Monday that two Labradors died following exercise in 21ºC heat. With temperatures reaching ten degrees higher and more I am horrified to see dogs racing after balls and being left outside shops in full sun and being forced to run. Pads can also burn on hot pavements. If it uncomfortable to keep your hand on pavement for longer than 5 seconds, then it is too hot for your dog’s feet.

Dogs have a core body temperature on average 2 degrees higher than a human and are wearing a fur coat. Dogs do not lose heat as efficiently as humans and can continue to overheat for quite a while after exercise even if they are in a cool area. This is particularly true of young, old, overweight and brachycephalic dogs and dogs with underlying conditions such as heart, liver and kidney problems.

Many owners now clip their dogs which means that they have removed any effective natural protection against the sun (or cold and rain) and the ability to reflect heat.

Signs of heat exhaustion (hyperthermia) start at a temperature around 40ºC-41ºC (104ºF to 106ºF). At this stage and if caught early, dogs can usually make a full recovery but veterinary advice should be sought. A temperature over 42ºC (106ºF) can be fatal: immediate veterinary assistance is needed.

A dog suffering from heatstroke will display several signs that can include:

  • Rapid panting
  • Bright red tongue
  • Red or pale gums
  • Thick, sticky saliva
  • Depression
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Vomiting – sometimes with blood
  • Diarrhoea
  • Clinical shock
  • Coma.

Remove the dog from the hot area immediately and lower his temperature using cool water (tepid water for very small dogs). Increase air movement around him using a fan if possible. Do not cool the dog too quickly. The rectal temperature should be checked every 5 minutes and cooling stopped at 30ºC (103ºF). Dry the dog thoroughly and cover him. Go to your vet as soon as possible as the dog will need to be checked for dehydration or other complications.

Allow free access to water. It may help to put a pinch of salt and sugar in or use a veterinary rehydrating powder. Do not try to force the dog to drink.

Dogs who suffer from heatstroke once have an increased risk of suffering again.

The best remedy is prevention. Do not take your dog out in high heat and humidity and use a cool coat if that is unavoidable. Use a damp towel or cool mat for your dog to lie on at home and keep him in the shade. If you have a brachycephalic dog and/or one with BOAS, keep his weight down and monitor continually in hot weather as well as taking all the usual precautions. Consider surgery to alleviate the problem.

No Room for Complacency

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High-level campylobacter prevalence (>1000cfu/g) among the nine retailers surveyed by the FSA was 5%, compared to 7.8% in January – March 2016. Marks and Spencer, Morrisons and Waitrose had significantly lower levels (2.5% – 2.8%) compared to the average and to smaller retailers and butchers where the average was 16.9%. There was a slight reduction (50% – 48.8%) in chicken skin samples that tested positive for campylobacter at any level compared to the same period last year.

However, there is no room for complacency as 7% of chickens surveyed still tested positive for the highest level of contamination. It is also possible that people feeding raw diets may also buy chicken from smaller outlets, believing it to be healthier and there is no control over the source of raw chickens in commercially prepared diets.

The reduction in the level of campylobacter whilst welcome, does not negate the very real dangers of raw feeding for dogs, not least in respect of other pathogens, inbalance of nutrients in the long-term and the mechanical damage caused by ingesting and excreting bone fragments.

KC Plays Tail End Charlie

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The KC has just published a report entitled What the Kennel Club does for Dog Health

Many dog owners may feel that the title is a bit rich given that canine health would probably not be in such dire straits were it not for the KC’s implementation of closed stud books and perpetuation of breeding for looks.

The Kennel Club has been playing tail end Charlie in the court of public opinion since at least 2008. Its brand is being seen as being increasingly toxic and any efforts that it makes to improve the situation are likely to be doomed to irrelevance in the face of the scale of the problem that is, after all, largely of their own making.

Is it too little too late?

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