Glasgow Dog Training Club

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Susan

I thought I’d post up this little video produced by Beanie and Biggles obedience training club (Glasgow Dog Training Club). If you look carefully you’ll see that Beanie and Biggles feature quite a few times!

Dog owners that are local to Glasgow will also be interested in an event that the Glasgow Dog Training Club will be hosting in Rouken Glen Park on Saturday 22nd August:

PawsInTheParkFreeEntryPoste

Beanie and Biggles’ flyball club will be doing a demo and a ‘have-a-go’ (highly recommended!). Also, their lure-coursing club will be there letting everyone have a try. I’ll be working at the event, but I’m sure Beanie and Biggles will be having lots of goes with their dad. He’s under strict instructions to take them along to the aromatherapy and tellington touch stalls for a bit of pampering! There will be lots of dog activities to watch and to try. Also stuff for the kids (pony rides, face painting etc) and craft stalls selling lots of lovely hand-crafted items.

Allergy Update

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Susan

I just spotted in the “This Week Last Year” section that it was a year ago that Beanie was diagnosed with atopy (allergies). We were worried at the time that the condition would worsen each year with the dog becoming allergic to more and more things (that’s the norm with atopic dogs) so I thought I’d provide an update.

Beanie was found to be allergic to about 10 different tree, weed and grass pollens. The levels ranged from 250 to about 400 which is pretty low really. She started on immunotherapy in about October of last year and we’re continuing to give her monthly injections at home. Mamy vets advise against testing and treating until a dog is a couple of years old as they will typically develop new allergies over this time and further testing will be required. However, we figured (based upon Paul’s personal experiences with allergies) that when the dog (or person) is itchy it’s more prone to developing new allergies. We wanted it nipped in the bud and fortunately our vet agreed to test at about 9 months old.

It’s been a huge success. Beanie very occasionally has an itchy day, but at worst you’ll see her having a good scratch perhaps half a dozen times a day. Most days she’s itch free. Overall I’d say she scratches less than Biggles. This year she’s had no pyoderma, no rashes and no marks at all on her skin. Her allergy season (Feb – Oct) ends in a couple of months so it’s beginning to look as if we’ve got on top of this early enough to not only stop the condition from worsening, but to virtually eliminate all symptoms. With any luck she’ll be one of the few dogs that can be weaned of the immunotherapy. Although the monthly injections are completely painless and administered at home so it doesn’t matter if she does need them for life.

Back to School

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Susan

Beanie & Biggles’ obedience classes started back up again this week. We don’t want them in the same class as they need plenty of opportunities to develop their independence and to individually build their relationship with us. We’re going to try taking them alternate weeks. It was Beanie’s turn last night.

Her heelwork was perfect – onlead, offlead, fast pace, slow…it made no difference. Beanie trotted along beside me like a little dressage pony with her eyes glued to me the whole time. She didn’t even sniff the floor. And all this without treats!

Her sit-stay, down-stay were perfect. At one point we put all the dogs in a down-stay and the owners left the room. One of the dogs caused a bit of an upset and all the dogs got to their feet….except Beanie. I’d told her to stay so she refused to budge even when a dozen dogs were running around her.

Her only weakness was her stand-wait. Beanie can’t even stand on command. So something for us to work on!

We finished up with some ‘leave’ training and Paul caught a bit on camera: