Judging (TBC)

It’s a Sunday morning and the alarm goes off unusually early. What? Oh, yeah… I get washed, dressed and try to pick a suitable outfit. Once all the animals have been fed, watered and re-settled, I pack wellies, a mac, sunscreen, an umbrella, spare pens, gaffer tape, dog treats and a camera. I get in the car and turn on the sat nav. Time to judge another dog show. I wonder what today will bring?

No matter the destination or which route I choose, it would be a fairly safe bet that I’ll end up in the wrong car park at the wrong entrance and find myself traipsing through deserted streets, paths and fields until I find what I’m looking for; The van; The tent; The organisers and the volunteers.

And without my trusted companions Frankie and Chance, it’s a lonely walk.

Luckily, I only judge for one organisation, The Manchester and Cheshire Dog’s Home, so I know their Events Team well. Very well in some cases as most of the volunteers are family, which comes in handy to a hungry and thirsty judge, as they tend to bring copious amounts of coffee and sandwiches between them.

If I’m arriving early, it’s usually because I’ve volunteered to help the team set-up as well as judge the show. That means a really long day. Anything from an 8-10am start to a 4-6pm finish depending on the event with the show itself running for about 2-3 hours. This is on the weekend. After working full-time as a teacher all week. It’s exhausting. But there are many reasons why we do it.

It’s great working for a charity. You’re there because you want to be, not because you have to be. You can do what you want, when you want. It’s about raising funds and awareness for a charity that you really believe in and being a part of the community.

I have met so many wonderful people at dog shows, like-minded people and otherwise with whom I can talk about dogs. Anything to do with dogs, such as personalities, habits, training, diet, health, toys etc. It’s great to meet someone who hasn’t learnt the best way to train his or her dog to sit or heard about the latest fun toy. It’s about sharing the things we love, in this case, lovely doggies.

It’s also great to meet all of the different dogs. You get shy dogs, bouncy dogs, barky dogs, friendly dogs, jumpy dogs, fluffy dogs, laid-back dogs and licky dogs. I’ve learnt a lot about different types of breeds and canine behaviour from spending time at dog shows. Which has been great for my canine studies, business ideas and writing topics.

When actually judging the show it’s self I have set myself a few little rules which I try to follow although there is no right or wrong way to judge a fun dog show as you are not judging specific breed standards like you would in a standard dog show. It’s important to be friendly and approach each entrant in order to get to know the dog and owner better. I try to ensure that most dogs win something and if that’s not possible then I try to spread the prizes around the different breed types making sure that first time entrants and/or children get the encouragement that they need to continue showing.

Hooch

It is with a heavy heart that I write this blog for the week, as it isn’t about what I was expecting to be writing about at all.

This blog is dedicated to Hooch. Hooch was a five-year-old Dogue-de-Bordeaux who belonged to my neighbour, Mavis.  Mavis and Hooch were always together. Partners in crime prevention; they patrolled our neighbourhood with the ferocity of a hard-core military service.

Every morning and every evening they set off from their house and do the ‘circuit’, Mavis with a trowel and plastic bag in hand in order to clean up after the magnificent beast that was Hooch. Later on they would stand in their front garden, Mavis chatting to her friends and neighbours whilst school children would run up to stroke, pet and hug ‘Hoochie’.

I’ve lived next-door to Hooch and Mavis for about three years. For the first year or so, I lived on my own and Mavis was a diamond. She looked out for me and I always felt safe with big Hooch keeping his beady eyes out. Every morning he would see me off to work and every evening he would be waiting to watch me arrive home. Hooch’s big face would be peering out of the window, over the window ledge; just next to him would be his mistress. Sometimes he would be out on his walk and I would give them a wave as I set off. If Hooch was out and about he would come lumbering over for a stroke and a fuss. He became a part of my daily routine. He is part of the reason that I decided to get a dog myself.

Hooch’s gentle nature but magnificent stature cemented my belief that big dogs are not to be treated as difficult, aggressive or scary. Mavis’ cat Percy would boss Hooch around his own front garden. Percy was a villain. Unfortunately for both Hooch and Mavis, Percy died last week after suffering from bleeding on the brain, which may have lead to a stroke. Hooch was clearly devastated by the loss of his best friend, as was Mavis.

The sight of people crossing the road to avoid Mavis and Hooch still makes me chuckle. You couldn’t get a more placid dog, or a friendlier and more helpful neighbour. That’s not to say that Mavis didn’t have to pull Hooch into line every now and again.

Hooch did have a tendency to become very interested in a certain smell, person, place or animal on his walk and decide on his own alternative route. When this happened to be the middle of the road it became a problem and Mavis would have to yell his name out in a tone and volume that would have struck fear into the hearts of giants. But then Hooch was a giant and he needed to feel the fear in order to be kept safe.

Mavis is a great dog owner. I think that dogs are certainly happier and lead a more fulfilling life when they have clear boundaries, a confident owner, frequent exercise and spend a lot of time by their master’s side.

“All dogs need a calm, confident leader to help make them feel secure. Being a leader is not about dominating your dog and making him submit to you, it is about being a teacher and building his confidence by using positive reinforcement techniques to encourage good behavior” – Victoria Stillwell, Dog Expert, Huffington Post, 17^th May 2012

Hooch was certainly a very happy dog until Percy died. One he’d lost his best friend he started to exhibit symptoms that went beyond grief. He stopped eating, started drinking a lot and urinating more frequently, even having accidents on the carpet which he hadn’t done since he was a puppy.

Mavis took him to the vets where they took bloods and scanned his abdomen. He had to be hospitalised a week after Percy died for a couple of days as he hadn’t eaten and was rapidly loosing weight. He returned looking very weak, sallow and strangely shaven. You could see that he was still in there somewhere but he was exhausted. Beyond tired. We feared that he’s given up. Then Mavis got the news.

Hooch was suffering from Lymphatic Cancer. His lymph glands were swollen and his blood tests showed abnormalities. Treatment options were offered and considered including steroid injections but the prognosis was that Hooch would be unlikely to survive. He was given a few days to live. I couldn’t believe it. I refused to believe it. I wanted the vets to save him but after reading up about the condition online I understood that Hooch was suffering from an illness from which he was highly unlikely to recover and very likely to deteriorate very quickly.

Mavis made the incredibly difficult decision to euthanise. Hooch hadn’t eaten in over a week and he just wasn’t the same dog. I went to say goodbye to him and offer her comfort and support that she was making the right decision.

When I came to the door he almost bounced over the doorstep and I could see him for the dog that he once was. This exertion caused him to have to have to lie down on the cool concrete under his window ledge. His eyes were hauntingly sad. I told him about Rainbow Bridge. I told him to wait there for us. I’d meet see him again.

I told Mavis about my research and we both agreed that putting an animal through chemotherapy would be a cruel thing to do. Treatment would only prolong his life for a short period and his quality of life would be poor. He was sick, tired and weak. Hooch was a very ill dog.

At 6pm on 13^th June 2012 his pain and suffering was ended.

Silence has fallen down on our street. Everyone is in mourning. There is no face peering out of the window, no plodding down the street to the sound of a clanking trowel and the passing children are no longer greeted by the big friendly beast. This morning Mavis vacuumed up dog hair for possibly the last time and I told her about Rainbow Bridge.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.

Author unknown

http://rainbowsbridge.com

Dog Shows

When people love dogs, something funny happens to them…  Suddenly THEIR dog is THE most beautiful, talented, intelligent, friendly, basically THE best dog on the planet. And so they decide to enter it into a dog show to prove to the outside world that this truth is absolute.

The first dog show that I went to was at the RSPCA shelter where I found my lovely dog, Frankie. She was in bad shape when we got her so all I really wanted to do was take her back to the people who nursed her to health and show them how well she was doing, She’d put on weight, was walking better on her sore pads and had developed lots of lovely muscles. When she won 3rd Prettiest Bitch - I was so happy! She had her picture taken and everyone fussed over her. I was the proudest dog owner that ever owned a dog.

From this moment on, I was hooked on dog shows.

Frankie seems to love all of the attention too. She is happy to sit still, walk around, pose, do some tricks, let people pet her and take all of the treats she can get (Including candy floss from one little girl!).

Frankie, is adorable, but she does have a funny looking face which reminds me very much of Shrek. We were inspired to name her Frankie as our nickname for her during the adoption procedure was ‘Frankendog’ due to her misshapen features and lumpy body caused, we think by a car accident of some kind. Also, because Frankie is so strong, muscular and big, people often assume that she is a boy and so she really wouldn’t suit having a feminine name. Even the nicknames we have for her are masculine and mock her unusual stature. So, upon thinking about costumes for the Fairytale theme of the Pink Dog Show 2011 (A fun dog show organised by The Manchester Dogs Home and Barking Barbers as part of the Gay Pride Fringe Festival) I came to the conclusion that we would make the perfect Shrek and Princess Fiona. In the second half of 2011, I had red hair and we had some ladies costumes left over from a medieval party. Everything was fitting into place…

In a moment of madness, after watching a video from the show in 2010 and seeing someone dye their dog pink, I decided to dye Frankie green. I know, I know. In my defence I researched the safest way to do it and settled on using diluted lime green Kool-Aid and a sponge. It worked - maybe a little too well. She was green for weeks afterwards.

On the morning of the show we arrived early to set up the marquees and the sense of excitement began to build. Frankie ran around Sackville Gardens in all her green glory. A young man who was still on his ‘night’ out thought he was seeing things but after talking to everyone and getting equally excited, he decided to go home, sober up, have a shower and come back later to help out. He kept his word. Frankie is very persuasive.

The show itself was spectacular. There was music, singing, a stage, judges, drag queens, a red carpet and cabaret. Within the gardens there were lots of stalls including tombola’s, merchandise, dog beer and cookies. The crowds arrived in droves. We entered Frankie into as many categories as we could but kept a close eye on the Best Costume prize. Pickles, The Manchester Dog’s Home Mascot, ‘Paris Hilton’ and ‘Cruella-De-Ville’ were judging the categories with Marc Abraham ‘The TV Vet’ judging the King and Queen of the Pink Dog Show.

The first category that we entered was Prettiest Bitch and luckily Frankie came 4^th. The girl still had it! Then it was time for the best in costume. Frankie came 2^nd. It was tough competition so this was excellent placing but I was still a bit gutted. 1^st and 2^nd from each category got to enter for King and Queen of the Show though so we gave it a bash.

By this point, Frankie was turning into a regular little celebrity. Everywhere we went, we drew crowds and all I could here was “look, there’s the Shrek dog”. We. Were. Loving it. I was so pleased that everyone liked the outfits and understood the theme straight away. Everyone wanted a picture taken with us and we made it into the local newspaper coverage - hurrah.

As for the Queen of the Show – She only went and won. I was shocked and overjoyed. We were showered with gifts and rosettes. There was a large rosette for me, a small rosette for her and a large pink and blue sash saying Queen of the Pink Dog Show; Plus lots of treats and food for Frankie. We were deliriously happy. I think that nearly a year on I am still the proudest American Bulldog Mom on the planet.

It was fun to be a celebrity for a day or even a celebrity’s handler. It was also insanely addictive.

Since winning the Pink Dog Show we have been to many more fun dog shows and Frankie has picked up some more rosettes. I’ve even made here a padded frame to pin all of her rosettes to in the living room. Ciaran hates it. It’s very tacky. I love it.

Recently, we made her a Jubilee outfit, which she wore for a couple of shows. It went down especially well over the Jubilee weekend and she once again got her picture in the paper.

Try it for yourself. But just be warned that there are a few people out there to take the fun dog show circuit very, very seriously. And you’ll have to beat Frankie.

Judging and Compering a Fun Dog Show at Marple Carnival for The Manchester Dogs Home - Saturday 16th June Registration will be open from 11 am- 1pm, with an entry fee of £1 per dog, per class. Classes are as follows: Dog Most Like Owner; Cutest Puppy; Sweetest OAP; Best Crossbreed; Best Pedigree; Prettiest Bitch; Most Handsome Male.

http://www.marplecarnival.org.uk/carnival-attractions/carnival-attractions-2012.html

http://www.dogshome.net/

Pink Dog Show – Sunday 19^th August 2012

Theme: Dog Olympics

http://www.pinkdogshow.co.uk/

The Dog Blog

Let me introduce myself, my name is Rachel and I’m a 30-year-old media teacher. I live with my partner Ciarán and together we have two dogs and two cats. We also have another cat on long-term foster.

I’ve been asked to start this blog because since getting a dog, I have become somewhat obsessed with them. Most other dog owners will tell you that this is a common occurrence. I’ve taken training classes, grooming classes, behavioural classes, judged dog shows, attended Crufts, joined social groups, turned my dog into a celebrity and regularly volunteer for Manchester Dogs Home. I’ve learnt a lot but I have a lot more to learn and I’m hoping that you will come with me on this journey of ours.

I’ll start with my most recent and challenging of all experiences, dealing with my dog’s fear based aggression. I adopted Chance, a one-year-old Bulloxer from the dog’s home where he had been picked up as a stray. He was weak with malnutrition, appeared to have dodgy hips and a bit of kennel cough. Ciarán pointed him out to me in the kennels; he’d seen him whilst we were working on an event and was excited to show him to me, as it was rare that any American Bulldogs were available. Our other dog, Frankie is an American Bulldog and she has the most amazing personality. Of course, as soon as I saw Chance I begged the staff to let me take him home. That’s what happens when you see the sweetest face in the entire world looking through kennel bars at you. He soon fell desperately ill with kennel cough and had to be hospitalized and so I made him a promise that if he could pull himself through then I would care for him for the rest of his life.

We first noticed that Chance had aggression problems when he wouldn’t accept my Auntie’s Collie Sheba in his house. Fair enough we thought, best to not let Sheba come into ‘his’ space and left it at that. Then he pinned down my Cousin’s Cavalier-King-Charles-Spaniel, Stanford. Very naughty of him, but he didn’t hurt him and I was fussing over Stanford so maybe he was just jealous. Don’t fuss over other dogs. Sorted. Then it was next door’s dog, then a dog in the park, then another one and so on and so on. I was devastated. He was unsafe to be allowed to run off lead, go to other people’s houses or even out in public. He loves people and he loves Frankie and is normally very placid, loving and playful so we couldn’t figure out what was going on with him. We tried basic training practices that we’d learnt such as correct lead walking, reward based commands such as sit, stay, wait and even speak and Chance excelled at this home-schooled obedience training, except when other dogs were around. We tried a muzzle and he practically ripped his own face off trying to get it off which was very distressing to everyone. It made him look like some kind of killer pit-bull type on the rampage (excuse the breed prejudice pun but you know how the general public can be with bull breeds). I thought about selling him or taking him back to the home but knew that this would just be me passing the problem onto someone else and may ultimately lead to him being euthanized. So I pulled myself together, remembered my promise and called a few trainers for some much needed help and advise. I took him to an aggressive dogs class and he was so scared he almost literally peed himself in the middle of the class. Most of the advise I’ve been given over the six-weeks has been great, friendly and supportive with really useful training techniques but none of us could quite handle the over-subscribed classes and confusing, often conflicting advice and instruction. I decided to spend good money on a very reputable canine behaviour course at night school and try and figure this out for myself. The behaviourlist deems him ‘fixable’ in terms of being able to be trained in order to fit into our society full of human rules that don’t really make sense to our canine companions. So, I’ve got books, training classes, equipment, websites, advisors and a canine behaviour class making him their case study and this is the plan:

• Basket Muzzle. Needs to be trained to wear it with food and positive experiences. So far, I can’t even get it to fit his head.

• Two-Lead approach. One for his collar, one for his harness to maximize control. Sorted.

• Teach Chance some more control commands that we can use as correction such as ‘stand-still’, ‘behind-me’, ‘side-of-me’, ‘in-front’ and/or ‘face-me’. So far we have been working on ‘stand’ and it’s taking some getting used to for him but in two-weeks, I think that’s he’ll have cracked it. Getting him to do it when he’s scared though is another matter.

• Use toys as a frustration reliever for Chance. This is working very well and Chance is correcting his own behaviour by distracting himself with his favourite toys.

• Tell Chance that he is a good boy. Remain calm and convey positive, stress relieving words and feelings so he feels calm and not fearful of his doggie encounters.

So, I took him to the park today and it was hard work for the both of us. I tied him up to a tree and sat next to him with his toys, water and Frankie and we tried to relax. Chance had a few wobbles and made a few lunges but his control was still there as he would sit mostly on command and play with his toys whenever he felt threatened. It became harder for him to correct himself or follow commands without being physically moved into a sit as the park filled up with dogs and they came closer and closer to us. He lunged at one dog that came over to see him and snapped at this face, almost biting his lips. I corrected him and checked that the other dog and owner were ok. I thought about going home but the whole point was that he was socialised so decided to stay calm and stay put. I tried to put his muzzle on at this point (probably too late, I know) but it still won’t fit properly and it still freaks him out. The next time a dog came past I was stood talking to someone so didn’t see when he lunged at the dog but I held him down and he didn’t make contact with the dog. I corrected him into a sit and started to calm him down when the owner of the other dog started her verbal attack on us. Apparently his behaviour was unacceptable and I was to apologise for it. I explained that he was in training but she wanted to know why I hadn’t ‘done’ anything to correct his behaviour. I explained that remaining calm was a part of his training to which her friend decided to declare ‘god help him with you as his trainer’.  This is an example of the type of prejudice and abuse that you face on a daily basis when you own an ‘aggressive’ dog.

“Punishing a dog for not obeying a command or for unwanted behaviour without understanding why the behaviour is happening in the first place only serves to make the behaviour worse”

“Positive techniques are much safer when it comes to training aggressive dogs, and they help these dogs change the way they react by showing them that there is another way to feel so that there is no need to aggress”

Victoria Stillwell , Dog Trainer and TV Personality

[Alpha No More, Best Friend’s Magazine, Jan/Feb 2010]

Thankfully I have the support of many trainers and friends who understand dogs and support what I’m trying to do. It doesn’t make it easy though, for either Chance or myself. Accusations and abuse such as that we have experienced today hurts our confidence and belief in our abilities. Can he change his behaviour and/or natural responses? Can I lead him effectively in his training? I’d like to think so but we are going to need support, not condemnation from the general public. So the next time you are walking past a dog on a lead who look a little stressed, do everyone a favour and take a wide berth or speak to the owner calmly and you might just save a dog’s life. I had control. We are working towards a goal. We are not perfect but I had control. Five minutes after this incident, we started to walk home when my bulldog crew of friends greeted us on the path out of the park with open arms, cheers and cuddles over Chance who they’d never met before as he’s normally banned from social spaces. Chance happily let all three all three dogs sniff his rear and owners pet him. They were off to the water park to cool down. One day, we can hopefully join them. This is positive training in practice. Look it up!