Sunday, 1 September 2013

Supadog 2013

2013 Supadog Winners - Gary & Millie
Sunday 1st September saw this years annual Supadog competition at Broom Barking Mad Dog Training School. The competition was fierce...fortunately the pooches were not.

The competitors were split into four groups and then rotated through a series of four stations with three games being played at each station. Meg organised a variety of tricky games many of which had the owners dashing about as much as the dogs, we should sleep well tonight! Supadog competition aside, at only £12 entry it was great value for money for two and half hours of fun! Points were awarded based on a handicap system so it didn't matter what level you and your dog were at, you were still in with a chance.

So who won then? Well, huge congratulations go to Gary and Millie with a score that simply blitzed the opposition. Becky and Eddie came an excellent second and third place was shared by Adam and Shadow and Helen and Jess. However, everybody who took part should be proud of their dogs, well done guys and girls.

Thanks to Meg for organising another great event and Lesley, Sharon and Fay for manning the stations assisted by Suzanne. Looking forward to next year already :-)

Position  Handler and Dog  Points Score
1  Gary & Millie  83
2  Becky & Eddie  76
3  Adam & Shadow  72
3  Helen & Jess  72
4  Halima & Alfie  62
4  Rob & Dom  62
4  Wendy & Thor  62
5  Carol & Fern  60
6  Jill & Polo  56
6  Helen & Coco  56
7  Aud & Jaspa  51
8  Richard & Misty  50
9  Aud & Jimmie  42
9  Mick & Monty  42
9  Jane & Daisy  42
10  Liz & Nellie  40
10  Alex & Oscar  40
11  Denise & Holly  32
12  Helen & Robbie  24



Thursday, 1 August 2013

K9 Kids Club - by Kayleigh



I had a great time at K9 Kidz Club.  We did lots of activities, like bean bag race – where you put a bean bag on your head and go over jumps with your dog without it falling off, relay race – where you had to perform tricks with your dog like twist and spin, egg and spoon race holding your dog to heal in and out of cones, recall race and Rock paper Scissors which was my favourite.  Rock paper scissors is where you stand back to back with your dogs in front of you and get them to do sit, down or stand and have to beat the other dog.  Each time you won or your team won you got 5 points. At the end we had the sack race and then our parents had to join in and do the sack race, this was really funny.

Kayleigh, Kahlua and Harley


http://www.barkingmadtraining.co.uk/


Friday, 26 July 2013

Milly Versus The Warts


Milly, my 14 month old Springer Spaniel developed a small lump in the corner of her mouth which over the course of 3 weeks developed into 2 large unsightly lumps that protruded from the corner of her mouth and was surrounded by other small lumps. The vet stated that they were probably warts and that I should leave them unless they interfered with her eating etc.  I took her back to the vets a week later as a couple of the warts had doubled in size and several more smaller lumps had appeared, including on the opposite site of her mouth. The vet suggested that Milly should have a general anaesthesia to perform a biopsy and then to remove the larger warts by surgery. This approach was not only potentially expensive, but was entirely unacceptable to me in terms of stress and discomfort to my dog to address a condition that is easily treated in humans. I therefore decided to research the matter on the internet with a view to applying an alternative course of treatment.

True dog warts are caused by Canine Papillomavirus. Viral dog warts, called papillomas, generally range from skin-color to whitish-yellowish and have a cauliflower-like appearance. Papillomas can appear anywhere on the body of a dog, with the most common areas being the face, muzzle, mouth, genitals, and rectum.
Papillomavirus dog warts most often appear on young puppies and adolescent dogs (up to 2 years of age) who still have developing immune systems. Papillomavirus dog warts are also seen in senior dogs whose immune systems are beginning to decline. The immune system of an adult dog is generally strong enough to fight the virus before warts have a chance to emerge.

After extensive research I decided to treat Milly’s warts with Thuja and Vitamin E oil, and have had fantastic result. There was no clear guidance concerning appropriate dosages, so I finally settled on 30c per day of Thuja and rubbed Vitamin E oil onto the warts 3 times a day. I used the following easily available products.


Milly is now wart free ! I told a friend about the treatment that I had applied to Milly as I knew that his Rottweiler had a large wart on his back which caused it some discomfort. He applied the same treatment and within the space of several weeks the wart had completely gone.

In short, this worked for Milly and my friend’s dog. It is far less expensive, stressful and uncomfortable for your dog than aesthetic, biopsy and surgery.
See photos below which show Milly’s warts at the start of treatment and then 3 weeks later as well as my friend’s Rottweiler photos.

I hope this information helps you ...... Sandra

Milly's warts before treatment

Results after 10 days

Results after 3 weeks

Friends Rottweiler before treatment

7 weeks later

Monday, 22 July 2013

Evening Walk with our 4 Legged Friends


On 17th July, around 80 friends of Barking Mad and of the Forest of Marston Vale ventured out together on a group walk around Millenium Country Park, and what a superb evening it was! The park covers 225 hectares and is a fabulous mix of woodland, grassland, meadow, lakes and wetland habitats criss-crossed by 17 kilometres of traffic free, surfaced cycle paths, grass footpaths and bridle ways. There’s a fantastic surfaced path that takes walkers through the beautiful wetland reserve area as well.



The walkers set out in groups, with the growlers heading off last. Despite maps being given out and the route being well signposted, 2 groups got lost! You know who you are…..Richard, Tom, Michelle. Merica et al!!



Because the weather was so hot, the walk was shortened but was fab nonetheless, with lots of opportunities to catch up with old and new friends and for dog walkers to pick the brains of the Barking Mad Dog Trainers.

The walk was followed by a superb BBQ by the lake and the kids amongst the group got an opportunity to play on the outdoor climbing area.

Walkers paid £5.00 for the event and this money has paid for 5 new trees to be planted at the Forest Centre so a huge thank you to everyone that was involved. The Forest is one of only 12 community forest across the UK and is a registered charity so its a very important facility to support and enjoy.

All the dogs behaved impeccably and we all look forward to being able to do this again very soon. 

For more information:-
www.marstonvale.org/millennium-country-park
www.barkingmadtraining.co.uk/


Saturday, 20 July 2013

Anglian Wolf Society Trip Report

Peyto and Kaya

Club Trip  

On Tuesday, Lesley and some of the gang from Barking Mad in Broom ventured into the depths of the Bedfordshire countryside to visit the Anglian Wolf Society.

The Sanctuary, which started in 1999 supports and raises funds for Wolf conservation and their primary aims are:

-educate and inform the public about wolves
-promote and support wolf conservation
-provide a place where people can study or work with wolves

Their guide for the day was Phil Watson, the society’s founder, who was obviously a wealth of information on all things wolf related and it was great to hear him talk about body language and also to have a real good chat about wolf hybrids as pets, but more on that later!

There are 4 wolves kept at the sanctuary, Chesa and his brother Peyto, and Chesa’s daughters Aiyana and Kaya.

Chesa inspects the guests
The group were met in the car park to be briefed about health and safety and then were walked in 2 groups down to the wolves. As you would expect the handlers were very respectful of their wolves and we were walking into ‘Alpha Male’ Chesa’s territory so they didn’t want to put undue stress on him, particularly if he was unhappy with any member of the group. All was well though, although he kept a very keen eye on Mike at all times, eyeballing him as he went to the toilet!

The wolves are kept in large cages of about 1/2 acre. Chesa lives in one cage with Aiyana and the other 2 live next door!

Peyto and Kaya posing for the cameras
The wolves were born in captivity, with Aiyana and Kaya being born at the sanctuary itself.  Wolves are born paranoidily scared of humans so the cubs are taken away from their parents at 10 days old to be hand reared and they see no other wolves or dogs till they are 3 weeks old so they are accepting of their human carers.  After their 3 weeks, they then get to meet other dogs and play like normal canine pups. When Chesa and Peta first came to the sanctuary themselves as pups they got all the normal imprinting and conditioning training that you’d hope a normal canine pup would get such as being taken to country shows and walks in the park!  Clicker training was also done with all the pups when they were younger. Phil described them as super intelligent and uber quick learners! The problem with wolves is that every February (breeding season), all learning is wiped clear. At 18 months, the territorial genes switch on with a wolf, which means increased territorial marking and aggression.

Aiyana
So, wolf hybrids……. Wolf hybrids have been becoming increasing popular due to movies such as the Twighlight Series, and the question is do they make good pets? Phil's response was a very categoric NO!  When you cross a wolf and a dog, they have hugely unacceptable levels of predatory and territorial instinct, which makes them a difficult and dangerous houseguest. There is also a shyness gene that in many wolf hybrids just will not go away. There are many example of this in the Czech Wolf Dog (approx. 22% wolf), with many cases being reported where the dogs are so debilitatingly shy that they are afraid to leave their homes.

If you get a wolf hybrid that is approx. 12% (F3) wolf, they can be kept as a ‘pet’ but they'd be extremely challenging and would need to be kennelled outside. 6% (F4) would still have all of the territorial and predatory instincts but could be lived with. The question for potential purchasers of these wolf hybrids is can you really guarantee what % of wolf you’re getting and there is no way of measuring it?

Helen with their pet hybrid - maybe 7-12% wolf
The visit should have finished at 12ish but Phil was so interesting to listen to and the wolves so beautiful to watch that the group didn’t want to leave! They stayed and watched the wolves being fed, tripe and chicken was the order of the day! 

Dinner time!
The group finally left at 2.30 and on departure were treated to a display of howling! Awesome is the only way to describe it. There is no doubt that they will be revisiting the Anglian Society again really soon!  

Thursday, 18 July 2013

Waggy Woodlands Dog Walk

Fabulous evening walk last night with friends from Barking Mad and the Forest of Marston Vale. Thank you so much to everyone that joined us. Coming along and paying your £5.00 raised enough money to buy and plant 6 new trees at the centre. :))

Due to the very high temperatures and wide range of dogs from puppies to old codgers we only walked a small portion of this huge site before chilling out at the forest centre for a burger, a drink and a natter. For more details on the Forest of Marston Vale project visit their website http://marstonvale.org/


Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Keeping Your Dog Safe in The Hot Weather


Symptoms of Overheating in Dogs

On a 29-degree celsius day it takes only 10 minutes for the interior of your parked car to climb to 39 degrees. In a half hour, it can reach 49 degrees. And leaving windows partially open doesn't drop the temperature inside the vehicle.
Keep in mind your dog has a higher body temp than you do and she can’t cool down as efficiently as you do, either. Your dog is designed more for insulation from the cold than cooling down in the heat.
You have sweat glands all over your body, but your dog's are confined to her nose and the pads of her feet. A dog that is heating up can only normalize her body temperature through panting, which just doesn't get the job done under extreme conditions. In a very short period of time, an overheated dog can suffer critical damage to her brain, heart, liver and nervous system.
Symptoms of overheating in dogs include:
Heavy pantingElevated body temperature
Excessive thirstWeakness, collapse
Glazed eyesIncreased pulse and heartbeat
Vomiting, bloody diarrheaSeizures
Bright or dark red tongue, gumsExcessive drooling
StaggeringUnconsciousness

Some dogs are at higher risk for heat-related illness than others, including brachycephalic breeds (dogs with flat faces and short noses), older dogs, puppies, dogs that are ill or have a chronic health condition, dogs not used to warm weather, any dog left outside in hot weather, and dogs that are allowed to overexert themselves in the heat.

From Overheating to Heatstroke

If your dog's body temperature gets to 42°C or higher, heatstroke is the result. The cells of the body rapidly start to die. The brain swells, causing seizures. Lack of blood supply to the GI tract causes ulcers. Dehydration leads to irreversible kidney damage. All these catastrophic events take place within a matter of minutes!
In the early stages of a heat-related illness it can be difficult to assess your dog's condition, since it's normal for him to pant when he's warm or while exerting himself.
We can't stress enough how important it is for pet owners to take every precaution to prevent overheating. By the time a dog is exhibiting symptoms of heatstroke, it's often too late to save him.

How to Help an Overheated Dog

If you think your pet or any dog is experiencing heatstroke, you should take immediate action and move him to a cool area, preferably with air conditioning. At a minimum you should move him to a shady spot.
Next, try to determine his condition. If he’s standing, or if he’s at least conscious and panting, offer him small amounts of water to drink and take his temperature if possible.
If his temp is 40ºC or lower, remain with him in a cool environment, watch him carefully and keep offering small drinks of water. A large volume of water all at once might cause him to vomit, which will add to the risk of dehydration. When he seems more comfortable, call your veterinarian for next steps. The vet may want to evaluate your dog even if he seems fully recovered.
If the dog is unable to stand on his own, is unresponsive to your voice, touch or the sight of you, or is having seizures, check for breathing and a heartbeat. At the same time, have someone contact a veterinary hospital (or make the call yourself if you're alone with your pet) to let them know you'll be bringing him in right away. It's important to alert the clinic you're on the way so they can prepare for your arrival.
Begin cooling your dog down by soaking his body with cool water – cool, but not cold. Use a hose, wet towels or any other source of cool water that is available. Take his temperature if possible. Concentrate the cooling water on his head, neck and in the areas underneath the front and back legs. Carefully cool the tongue if possible, but don't let water run into the throat as it could get into the lungs. Never put water in the mouth of a dog that can't swallow on his own. Put a fan on him if possible – it will speed up the cooling process.
After a few minutes, re-check his temperature. If it’s at or below 40ºF, stop the cooling process. Further cooling could lead to blood clotting or a too-low body temperature. Get the dog to a veterinary clinic right away, even if he seems to be recovering.

Tips for Preventing Overheating

Provide plenty of fresh, clean drinking water at all times. If your dog will be outside for any length of time in warm weather, she should have access to complete shade. Periodically encourage her to play in the sprinkler or hose her down with cool water to prevent overheating.
If your dog has a long coat, give her a summer cut. Her fur can be shaved to a one-inch length to make her more comfortable when it’s hot. Just don’t go any shorter than an inch, because her coat protects her from the sun.
Exercise your dog early in the morning or after sunset, during the coolest parts of the day. Don’t overdo exercise or play sessions, regardless of the time of day. And if it gets to be 32°C, your pet should be indoors where it’s cool.
Don’t walk or exercise your dog on hot pavement. Not only can it burn her paws, but the heat rising from concrete or asphalt can quickly overheat an animal that is close to the ground.
And once again, never leave your dog alone in a parked car on a warm day. Leave her where she's cool, hydrated, and waiting in comfort for your return home.

Sunday, 14 July 2013

K9 Kids Event Report by Lia with Jazz



We all had an amazing time at k9 kids today!  The theme was sports day and the 1st activity was a bean bag race where we had to run over jumps and through hoops and then grab our dog and let them do it but instead of a bean bag we used a treat bag! 

We also did relay race where we had to do spin for a bit then twist and then legs. The other great activities we did were a egg and spoon race, recall race, jumping bag race and lots more.  It has been one of the best k9 kids I have ever been to! 

Lia with Jazz

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Free neutering for bull breeds!


The Mayhew Animal Home in London is offering free bull breed neutering. To qualify for the Free Bull breed neutering service, your dog must have the characteristics of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT) or SBT crossbreed. The scheme also incorporates other bull breeds such as the English Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Bull Mastiffs and the Presa Canario.
This unique scheme was initiated by The Mayhew in 2006 to help reduce the chronic overpopulation of these breed types and stem the number of unwanted dogs arriving at rescue centres. The scheme is free to all, but The Mayhew is grateful for any donations that can be made towards the cost of the surgery, thereby enabling them to continue this vital programme.

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Subsidised Neutering


Did you know you can get subsidised dog neutering if you meet certain criteria?


Subsidised neutering is available from Dogs Trust for people on means-tested benefits within certain areas.
The scheme is available to anyone on a means-tested benefit (Income support; Jobseeker’s Allowance; Working tax credit; Housing Benefit; Council Tax Benefit; Pension Credit or a tenant of the NI Housing Executive) in any of the campaign regions; these are the North of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is a list of vets that are taking part in this scheme in each of these regions, and their details are available from the hotline on 0845 606 3036.
If you are on one of the benefits listed you simply take along some proof of your benefit when taking the dog in to be neutered, and the vet will only charge £30 in UK regions or £15 in Northern Ireland; the rest of the cost will be settled by Dogs Trust directly with the vet.
People who are not in receipt of one of these benefits, but are in need of help, need to write Dogs Trust a letter applying for assistance, showing proof of any other benefits they receive so they can decide whether to allow them to use the scheme or not. They consider each case on its own merits and will reply to all letters within a few days. If they can help, the applicant will be sent a letter to show the vet confirming that they are allowed to use the subsidised neutering scheme.
The address to write to is:
Campaigns Department
Dogs Trust
17 Wakley Street
London
EC1V 7RQ

Saturday, 18 May 2013

TD Rally Comes to Broom

Sign up sheet obviously not below but it's in the cabin or call Lesley on 
07740 285 575


Monday, 6 May 2013

Northill Dog Show

Come along and have some fun at the Northill Dog Show on the 18th May, registration from 11:30, judging from 12:00pm. Barking Mad Broom head trainer Lesley will be judging all classes and the club will be running a flyball competition for the the fastest time. Full details below...


Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Bach Flower Remedies for Dogs

In the 12.30 Friday class, we were discussing Bach Flower Remedies for Dogs. Whilst we were all really interested, we had limited experience of its use.  I have detailed below the remedies and the use that it is recommended for in dogs.  It would be great to hear evidence from you guys if any one of them have been used successfully. FB us with the info or leave a comment below!

Administering essences to your dog can be done in several ways.

Given by mouth, the easiest and most obvious way to do this is by putting the drops onto the food. The normal amount of drops would be 8 in the morning meal and 8 in the evening meal. You can add the drops to treats through out the day.

Adolescence

Adolescence in dogs starts around six months and may last up to eighteen months depending on the breed of dog.

Bach flower remedies to help:

Chestnut bud
For impulsiveness, youthful over exuberance and tending not to absorb training lesson.

Vine
For dealing with impulsiveness and rebelliousness

Walnut and Scleranthus
Used for changing hormonal levels as the dog grows, dealing with temperament.


Attention Seekers

There are many common problems related to attention seeking. The remedies will back up any training you are putting into place.

Bach Flower remedies to help:

Heather
This would be helpful for reducing a dogs cloying attention- seeking ways

Willow
If the dog appears resentful and moody

Vine
To help negate the dogs controlling behaviour


Bereavement

An animal can feel the feeling of loss or grief, dogs are also very affected by the grief of humans. A dog does not like it when a pack changes or acts odd.

Bach Flower remedies to help:

Star of Bethlehem
To help dogs recover from the shock of grief and loss

Gorse
To brighten the emotional state when broken hearted or giving up

Sweet Chestnut
To help bring light and upbeat to a darkened mood

Wild Rose
For dogs that have given up on life

Walnut
To give strength and resilience and to help move on


Emergency Situations

Emergency situations might be, being attacked, accident, serve fright, urgent medical treatment.

Bach Flower remedies to help:

Star of Bethlehem
To help dogs recover from the shock of grief and loss

Rescue remedy
The classic combination of 5 flowers to help in emergency situations. Star of Bethlehem, Rock Rose, Cherry Plum, and Impatiens


Fear and Anxiety

Fear and anxiety comes in all shapes and forms. The training basis need to be address however while in training these remedies will work along side.

Bach Flower remedies to help:

Mimulus
This address everyday, ongoing mild fears and panic.

Rock Rose
This is used for extreme fear or terror, used for tremble, cower or just freezing within animals.


Rescue Remedy

The classic combination of 5 flowers to help in emergency situations. Star of Bethlehem, Rock Rose, Cherry Plum, and Impatiens

Star of Bethlehem
To help dogs recover from the shock of grief and loss


Recuperation From an Illness

Bach Flower remedies to help:

Aspen
To help with unconscious fears and feelings

Impatiens
To help with stress and mental tension


Separation Anxiety

Bach Flower remedies to help:

Walnut
This remedy can build up a sense of emotional independence which is needed if he is to feel secure alone.


Source: :http://www.thenaturalpetpantry.co.uk/bach-flower-remedies-for-dogs