Pet Haven

That’s the question that many dog owners are considering these days.  The law requires your pooch to be identified with a collar and tag that shows your name and address so there’s no legal reason to do it, so why should you give it any more thought?

Well first of all, you should know that the microchip isn’t like something in your mobile phone or computer.  It’s actually about the size of a grain of rice.  As it’s planted under the surface of the skin it can’t move around and create health issues for your dog, and it’s a quick and relatively painless procedure for your veterinary to carry out.  Costing around £20 it’s not too expensive, especially as it’s a one-off fee, and once the chip is inserted you can move as many times as you want – all that changes is the information that’s held on the national PetLog database. 

Although you benefit from the peace of mind of knowing that if your dog wanders off, as dogs occasionally do, any police station, RSCPA rescue, or even veterinary will only need to scan the dog to find out where you are so that you can be reunited, your dog is the one who benefits most from the microchip.  A collar and ID tag is only good as long as it’s not removed or falls off.  If your dog is lost in a unfamiliar area, and becomes separated from his collar, that makes finding you almost impossible.  Anyone who does pick him up will take him to a dog rescue area where he faces an uncertain future as a stray, no matter how rounded and well fed he looks they won’t keep him forever. If you've paid out for pet insurance and your dog is injured, expensive treatment will not be given unless the vet knows his fees are going to be covered by the vet insurance company.If he has a microchip however, once they scan him (rather like the handheld scanners used at the supermarket) they will find that he does indeed have an owner, will contact you and organize how to get him back to you.  In short, that microchip could save his life.

So if you’ve got the £20, next time your pooch is at the veterinary’s office for his annual booster shot, seriously think about having a microchip inserted at the same time.  You may still keep the collar and tag for “accessories” but at least you’ll know that if he goes missing, it doesn’t matter if his collar is removed or not, the microchip is what will identify him as your dog and hopefully have him back to you within a relatively short period of time.

When you start to train a puppy you there are three main strategies that you need to apply that are similar to ones you would use when teaching toddlers.  These are:

Keep instructions simple

Keep instructions consistent

Keep your patience

With both toddlers and puppies the best instructions use only one word.  This means that the little one can more quickly associate that one word with the action that you require.  As both children and puppies usually want to make you happy, and so carry out your instruction, the more simple it is, the faster they’ll be able to make the connection and so deliver what you require. 

Instructions should be consistent.  If, for example, you are teaching your puppy to sit, then the instruction should always be “sit”.  Don’t confuse the issue by saying “please sit”, or “sit down”.  Even if it sounds as if you’re repeating yourself, keep the word the same.  A simple “sit” said in a controlled voice, as you press lightly onto him so that he’s in a sitting position will get him to realize that when he hears that word, he immediately sits down – thus getting him rewarded and praise.  This shows him that when he heard that word, and did the action, he made you happy and that’s what he wants.  At first it may not work every time, but if he doesn’t sit when you tell him, go back over the exercise with the same word and same controlled voice you first used.  Consistency is the key with both kids and dogs!

Patience is a primary quality that both parents and dog owners need to develop.  If you don’t have it, then you need to fake it!  Practice deep breathing exercises before a training session.  Don’t even think about trying to teach your puppy – or toddler – something if you are already stressed out.  They’ll both pick up on your agitated state and this will affect how they interact with you.  If you approach the training/teaching session calmly it’s much more likely to go well. 

Remember that both youngsters and puppies aim to please.  They want to do well.  They want your positive attention and praise.  If they aren’t getting what you’re trying to teach them, take a look at how you are trying to teach it – it could be something as simple as changing the tone of your voice that’s needed in order to see some degree of success.

Writer: I wrote this as someone believes in the owners responsibility towards their pets, a good owner provides a healthy diet, has bought things like pet insurance to cover medical expensis, and most importantly has trained their animal. The better behaved a dog, the more freedom you can give to that animal.