THE IMPORTANCE OF DOGGGIE PLAY.........

Many times I meet dog owners in the park who stop their dogs from playing with other dogs because they read the body language wrong and think the dogs are being aggressive.

Dog play is the best way for your pet to socialise and the play fighting and chasing each other gives them stimulus and exercise.  All those bared teeth and pretend growling is just a way of play acting and makes them excited and happy.   One lady asked "how do you know when it won't get out of hand?"  You have to be tuned into your dog's behaviour.  Watch other dogs. If they lie down or show signs of submission,

then its wise to distract your dog and walk away.   Dogs, just as boisterous children,  seldom know their limitations, so it is up to you, the human, to gauge how long you want the game to go on.  Its rather like watching a group of children playing.  Once the dominant one starts biting, fur pulling, body bombing, making growling noises, and the others shy away, thats the time you break up the game.  An over excited, rough game will  inevitably end up in fisticuffs.

If a dog doesn't want to join in a game, it will growl and snap  at the protagonists.  Its not being nasty. Its just a dog's way of saying "Thanks but no thanks!"

The placid, submissive dogs will simply stay down flat or roll over.  Don't tell them off. Its their way of saying "Nah! gerrof! You're no fun."  Too often an owner will tell a dog off for getting irritated and this gives the other dogs the signal to pitch in and bully it.  Some will go for the ruff of the neck to show dominanant alpha behaviour, others will stand by yapping and barking as if to say "Here, I'll hold your coat. Go on hit him.  Go on give him another punch in the mouth. That told him. Yaay!"

A good game, to a dog, is no different than it is for humans.  It's a good mental break, terrific physical activity, and a great stress reliever. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, it's healthy."

Whether chasing a ball, running to burn off energy, or to chase a flock of birds pecking away, quietly minding their own business,  all these activities play a vital  role in helping dogs to burn off pent-up energy. Without that outlet they may show behavioural problems that can range from destructive tendencies to attention-seeking antics. Just as surely as a couch potato would benefit from a trot around the block, a dog prone to chewing the couch or digging up a garden will find a much-needed release  in play and exercise. Often, such physical activities form an important part of resolving behavioural issues. Play is a natural outlet for a dogs' natural behaviours, that they don't often  get an opportunity to express it.

Mind you, some owners are so strict that their poor dogs have been turned into social misfits, because they are not allowed to sniff the bottoms of another dog or even have a little game of tag without being admonished and dragged away.  The dogs that I feel really sorry for are those who are forced to jog behind their owners.

You can see by their longing, doleful looks that they would just love to stop for a second and make friends with other dogs.
                                                     *******
On a subject totally unrelated to dogs except that it was in a park situation!
John Perl Geurtier’s breurken ther pheurteucoppiyeh.  I overheard a lady in the park talking to another. It's what it sounded like she was saying.  Isn't he a trendy fashion designer? Who knows if he has really broken his photocopier. Not that we’re aware of anyway. He probably pays minions to do his photocopying.  My husband translated this phrase when I had written it on a scrap of paper. But saying that sentence over and over again he tells me,  is a great way to practise your Geordie accent. Next Blog:  learning to speak Jamaican.
                                                      *******


                                                                          Warning!
                                                                    Be on your guard! 

That green, muddy puddle that you come across on your walk is poisonous to your dog. Drinking from it will make your dog very sick.
The Veterinary Poisons Information Service have reported a 10-fold increase in calls about the algae. There have been 117 cases of dogs getting poisoned by algae in puddles.  24 of those had to be put down.
The blue-green blooms have been reported in all parts of the country, brought about by the strong sunlight and the extreme hot weather.  It is harmful to humans too (but I must admit I haven't seen any dog owners on their hand and knees, lapping it up).  You probably have pots full of stagnant water that have been sitting in your patio or garden for weeks. Now is a good time to empty them out. You know how dogs prefer drinking grungy water to fresh?                                                                                                            
                                                                                                            
                                                                 Cute but  seriously tone deaf!                                                           

                                                http://biggeekdad.com/2011/02/piano-dog/  


                     It really puts you in your place when your dog can get a hotel room, but you can't.

"I called our favourite hotel but the response was "I'm sorry, sir. We've been booked up for months." With sudden inspiration, I called back.... This time I said, "Hello, this is Shana's human..." and this time the response was, "Oh yes, sir. Come on down. We always have a room for you."
(J. Emmett Black, Jr., on how all the staff at a certain Holiday Inn knew his dog by name, but not him. Crime was reduced whenever Shana stayed there; she's a 120 pound Great Dane.)


Tht's it until the next blog.

DAWN  ("")