Now that the annual two month period that makes up ‘Bonfire Night’ is nearly over we are well into the the run up to Christmas.
Both these periods are very busy ones for me and my fellow Dog Listeners. The phone rings off the hook.
Problems with dogs and fireworks fall into two categories, either the dog is traumatised and afraid or they go into ‘Defence Drive’ and want to face the threat and fight it off. Both of these reactions are incredibly stressful to both dog and owners.
What can ‘Dog Listeners’ do to reduce the effect of the firework season? A huge amount, but it makes it so much easier if you put the measures in place before all the noise starts, rather than wait until your best friend is suffering a nervous reaction. Then, next time the rockets come out your dogs reaction will be, “Am I bovvered?”
The same thing applies at Christmas. You have a house full of people many of whom you haven’t seen since last year. There are excited children and noisy toys. Family arguments, loads of food and even more drink.
Dogs generally don’t celebrate Christmas. All they know is that the pack dynamic has changed. They ask questions “Who are all these people in my den? Why are they so noisy? Why do they all think they can sing? Why do they give one another packets of socks?” And, most important of all “Why, when they leave nuts, sausage rolls and Christmas cake laying about where I can reach it do they then get upset when I throw up in Great Aunt Mary’s handbag? How was I to know that a silly little thing like that would cause her to change her will?”
If you think Christmas is stressful for humans just try being a dog. At least you can get drunk or go to the bathroom with a book to have some ‘time out’. The dog is trapped and at the mercy of a pack of humans who, are all of course, dog experts. They’ll all shout contradictory commands at the dog and think it thick when it does not respond.
So, if you have a dog and expect a hectic household at Christmas I strongly recommend that you prepare in plenty of time. If you think that it might get too much for your dog contact a ‘Qualified’ Dog Listener, preferably me if you live in Southern England, before the problem arises. If you live out of my area I can still assist you by putting you in touch with your nearest ‘Qualified’ Dog Listener. I know that I keep stressing the word qualified but it is for a reason. There are a number of people who give themselves the title when they have no connection with Amichien Bonding at all. I know of one person who uses the title and advocates (and sells) electric shock collars and other cruel and stress inducing equipment. If you’re not sure if someone is genuine go to Jan Fennell’s website and there you will find all fully trained Dog Listeners both in the UK and around the world listed. They are either ‘Recommended Associate Dog Listeners’ like myself, or, ‘Preliminary Dog Listeners’ who are working their way to full accreditation. If they’re not on either list then they’re bogus. If you decide against employing a Dog Listener then at the very least buy a copy of ‘The Dog Listener’ and read it. Do it now so that you can take action early.
Whatever else you do PLEASE DO NOT buy a dog as a present. It will only end in tears. the pup will be removed from it’s Mother and siblings and placed into what will seem like a madhouse to them. They will get under peoples feet, they will not have time to work out where they fit into this new pack, you will not have time to start with house training which in turn inevitably will mean ‘accidents’. The list of problems is endless. If you are being nagged to buy a puppy then wait until spring when people are more relaxed and you can have the outside doors open more often to help with house training. But what can you give at Christmas in place of a puppy? You can give a vitual puppy, a picture of a dog that the recipient can change for a real animal in the Spring. you could also give leads, collars, food and waterbowls as well as a copy of ‘The Seven Ages of Your Dog’ by Jan Fennell which is a brilliant book and covers from birth to death and everything in between.
A couple of bits of advice, if you’re going to book a ‘Dog Listener’ don’t hang about, we tend to get very busy around this time of year when people remember what happened last year. We also have a rush of bookings straight after the festive season with clients wanting to avoid a repetition of the latest ‘stressfest’. If you want to buy any of the books mentioned the simplest way is to go to the links page of my website.
If you give a dog, you’re not giving a present you’re giving a life. Can the recipient deal with that?