Page 24 • The HERALD • 25th August 2022 v INDEPENDENT, LOCAL AND PROUD v ANIMAL MAGIC Mobile Microchipping Service Friendly and professional service, in the comfort of your own home. Cheaper than your local vet. Call 07727 155219 HELP! MY DOG KEEPS PULLING ON THE LEAD! by Rachel Clark, Peartree Pets Pulling on the lead is one of the most common dog training problems. O en by the time I’m asked for help, it’s been going on for some time, however lead walking is a skill which isn’t easy for your dog to learn. So why is it so hard? • We’re asking them to follow our natural walking pattern and pace not theirs and new motor patterns take time to learn. • e timing of our responses and the way we deliver rewards determine how easily our dogs understand what we’re asking for. Training is a skill that takes practice and practice takes time. • We’re asking for a level of impulse control which might be unrealistic for the age or experience of the dog. • e places we walk are o en the places they feel the least safe. Where you’re most likely to encounter ‘planting’, spinning, lunging, lead biting and galloping • We’re inconsistent, sometimes allowing the dog to pull and at other times deciding we’re training. e e ect of this is to turn lead pulling into a lottery- always worth a go! Very o en lead pulling has more to do with how the dog is feeling then with the amount of training. Won’t a harness teach my dog to pull? Contrary to popular opinion, harnesses don’t teach the dog to pull. Harnesses and collars are just clothes with no magical powers of their own, they just make the dog more or less comfortable. Dogs may seem to pull more in a harness but only because it’s not uncomfortable or painful. Whether you use a harness or a collar, the behaviour of loose lead walking has to be taught by us and the more comfortable the dog is, the greater their ability to concentrate and learn. How do I teach my dog to walk to heel? • Start somewhere quiet and encourage your dog to follow you (think ‘follow my leader’ with a toddler rather than drill sergeant!) • Keep changing direction, rewarding them every few steps • Five minutes is ne to start with, quality is better than quantity • Don’t train when you’re tired, grumpy or in a hurry! De nitely not on the school run! • Use a lead 2 metres or longer. is takes the pressure o , reducing frustration. e lead is for safety not steering! For more tips and advice visit: www.peartreepets. com/trainingtips or contact me at rachel@ peartreepets.com Credit IStock/Zbynek Popisil FORM A QUEUE From Sarah, volunteer for SOS Animales Salobrena Animals at Barry’s Farm in Frost Lane, Hythe have been entertaining local children and adults alike for over 50 years. e donkey, alpacas, goats, chickens, ducks, geese are adored by many. Of course, we can’t forget dear old Maggie the Pig who loves nothing more than a good roll in the mud! But of course, animals take A LOT of looking a er. is care and commitment also comes at a huge nancial cost, with constant food and vet bills to pay it can all add up to a tidy sum. To raise funds for this amazing cause, local animal artist and volunteer Christine Jones has put her creativity and talent to good use, producing a beautiful greetings card suitable for all occasions. On sale at the Herald O ce, Hythe for just £2 each (cash please!) the card features all the animals on the farm and ALL proceeds from the sale of the cards will be going directly to the care of the animals. As a community we can all play a part in helping Barry’s Farm continue and thrive for future generations to enjoy. Form a queue to adopt this gorgeous lad! ings are looking up at last for Ilex, can we get him a family of his own? Ilex is a happy ve year old Bodeguero Pointer who loves people, is very gentle with food and treats and really wants to please when he understands what you want – do you speak Dog? Ilex spent 5 years in Spanish kennels waiting for a family and is now in the UK with a fantastic foster mum who says he hasn’t got a bad bone in his body. Ilex needs a kind, calm family without other dogs or cats, as he found the four-day transport from Spain very distressing and it le him out of sorts. He settled as soon as he was out of kennels with structure from his foster mum, and a rewarding job as chief ball catcher. His foster mum reports that she is so besotted with Ilex that she has more videos of him on her phone than her kids! Some dogs he is ne with, with others he pulls and sounds cross, but Ilex is a lovely dog who just needs time and the right person. Ilex is under SOS Animales Salobrena and currently in Southampton. Contact fosterdogsnow@ gmail.com or call Sarah on 07795 379484. Cards Available to Help Raise Funds for Barry’s Farm
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