EDUCATING, CAMPAIGNING, INVESTIGATING, PROTECTING

Saturday 31 October 2009

Blackie's 2nd visit to NTU Vet Hospital! Reconstruction in Action!


 

 

Blackie's visit to Dr. Yeh at NTU Hospital yesterday was promising. The Doc who praised how well behaved Blackie was has scheduled a blood test for Blackie next Friday and a Preoperative Computer-Assisted Model Planning on Sunday where they will take computer pictures of his facial and skull structure. If everything goes well Blackie will undergo his first surgery the following week where he will have his front teeth (which are protruding) taken out which will make his bottom jaw retract. Blackie's top snout however is missing almost all of his bone structure, and canines unlike humans can not have this re-constructed; however after the surgery Blackie will have a shorter snout which will allow him to eat and breathe more properly.

The Doc confirmed that Blackie was hit by a heavy object, but can not determine whether it was intentional or accidental because it has been too long since the incident. Blackie's skull was fractured but has healed on its own. Right now Blackie has gained around 2 kgs from approx. 12.5 kgs. Lets hope everything goes well for our brave little one Blackie!


 

Friday 23 October 2009

Operation "Blackie's" Re-habilitation! Donation Details



How to help fund “Blackie’s” re-constructive surgery!


Direct Transfer:

ATM and Bank transfers can be made to:

Bank Code: 822 (Chinatrust)
Acct. No: 347-540207262



Thank you all for your generosity! We will keep everyone updated on the status of Blackie and his medical conditions. Lets hope he has a quick and safe recovery!



Saturday 17 October 2009

Pig Cruelty Case, Owner Given Warning Notice

The Taiwan SPCA was prompted to act on behalf of a three-year-old pig named Cheese kept in unsatisfactory conditions as part of a restaurant display in the Sogo area of Taipei. After speaking to the staff and manager of the establishment on several occasions but with no improvement in the pig's welfare, the case was reported to the Taipei Municipal Institute of Animal Health (TMIAH). Director Peter Yen investigated the case personally after already having other complaints from passersby distraught the pig's plight.

With a new inspector recently transferred from the city's police department, as well as a reporter from the Apple Daily, the TMIAH checked in once more on the undernourished, pacing porcine, and issued the manager of the restaurant with a warning letter to improve the pig's conditions within two weeks or face a fine and confiscation of the animal to the Taiwan SPCA.
The restaurant owner had not been aware that keeping a pig in a confined space with no food or water, company, or dirt to dig in, in all kinds of weather, was cruel, and in fact appeared to be very fond of the restaurant's mascot.

The Taiwan SPCA has provided the TMIAH and restaurant manager with a pig care sheet for reference and will continue to monitor this case.

Click on the title above for the Apple Daily report.

Thursday 8 October 2009

Taiwan's Animal Protection Law Enforced in Cat Torture Case

Click on the blog title to read the full story in the Taipei Times.

Saturday 3 October 2009

Mastering the Walk


Sadly, many dogs are abandoned or relinquished to shelters because they have developed behavioural problems. Often these issues crop up because the owner did not give the dog adequate training and exercise. As mentioned in the previous post, the walk is an extremely important part of caring for a dog and plays a huge part in making sure you have a happy, healthy dog with fewer behavioural problems to overcome. One reason why a dog isn't being walked often enough is that he or she may pull on the leash, making the walk a difficult and unenjoyable task for the person. But don't be fooled into believing that this means the dog has a problem; it's the human who needs to be trained here. Read on to learn how you can lead the walk and have your dog walking beside you like a show dog within minutes.

First of all, you need to make sure you're using the right equipment. Don't use a harness; this device just encourages the dog to get ahead and put all his weight behind pulling you. Instead, get a slip leash (do a Google image search). The pressure is to mimic a dominant dog squeezing the neck with his mouth, and, when done correctly, is a natural and gentle way of letting a dog know he is not in charge. Have it high on the neck as close to the ears as possible. Make sure it's on the right way (with the leash end first running over the top of of the dog's neck and then under - not the other way around). This ensure the leash will loosen when relaxed. 

Before starting to walk, have the dog on your left and relax the leash--you never want a taut leash, as this just creates tension and even aggression. You want to have a calm, assertive, confident attitude and body language, and a positive image in your head of how you want the walk to be - expect the walk to be like that and nothing else (dogs read your mind through your body language very easily).



Wait until the dog is calm and no longer trying to pull you to walk, then give a little tug and start moving forward. Imagine an invisible line that runs left-right in front of you. As soon as the dog passes that line (starts to walk ahead of you) you immediately turn 90 degrees to the right and give a quick, gentle tug to let him know you expect him to follow; he will. (90 degrees is better because you can easily tug him to the side but not so easily backwards.)

He will catch up and try to overtake again. Change direction, again 90 degrees to the right, and give a tug. Do not look at the dog when walking. Shoulders back, head up, focus on where you want to go and on leading the walk. Learn to know where your dog is from the what the leash is doing.


Do this changing-of-direction exercise again and again and you will soon notice that he isn't trying so hard to get ahead. Keep it up. Maintain a happy, calm, positive attitude, and ignore the dog. Act aloof; the dog will respect this and appreciate rewards more later. When you get the hang of it and feel more in control, start cutting him off to the LEFT. He'll fall behind and start anticipating your lead. Do a few more right turns, then left turns, then right turns again. You will notice that the dog starts to anticipate and follow your lead without first needing a tug.


Again, you always want a loose leash—tension in the lead is tension in the leader–follower relationship and also enables him to test his physical strength against yours. Relax your arms. Relax the leash (especially when he meets other dogs—but that's for another note). That's why the tug is so effective; it allows you to control the dog without creating tension or an opportunity to challenge by pulling back.



This whole exercise is a mind game. Dogs need leaders. If the leader isn't you, your dog will take on the role. By constantly showing him that he will always be BESIDE or BEHIND you, he will learn, happily and usually with a sense of relief, that it's his place to follow. The only way you lose this game is to give in. Stay focused on having a perfect walk with you leading a calm, happy dog and that's what will happen (with dog, as in life, what you think will happen will happen, so keeping a positive image in mind is essential).

Your attitude is KEY, so don't get frustrated. If you control yourself, you control the dog. Dogs know that someone who gets angry or who pleads is not a strong leader and they simply will not follow.



You can fix a bad puller in minutes doing this, even a strong one or an old one with a long history of pulling. It works. If it's not working for you, read the instructions again and see where you're going wrong. It's probably that you're watching the dog, tightening the lead, getting frustrated, or imagining it all going wrong—so DON'T!



Do this exercise in a quiet road or park, where you have space to keep turning. Once your dog is walking behind or beside you, you can start to walk in a straight line, but keep using tugs inwards (towards you) or upwards as soon as he starts to stray behind, left, or ahead, or try to sniff the ground or pay attention to anything other than the walk. Don't watch him; feel the direction your wrist is being pulled in and tug back. You are in control. He will like that. Once he accepts your lead, you can GRANT him more freedom, but make sure you take the lead again when needed or when heading home.



If you're walking and he gets a bit too excited again, you have several ways to take control again:



1. Just stop. Don't go anywhere until he's back in a calm state again. Ignore him completely until he is.



2. Do the change-direction exercise a few times until he's back in line.



3. Give a tug up on the lead and make a short, sharp sound to get his attention.



4. Give a touch or make a Tsst! noise to snap him out of it.



5. Push his flank (around his upper thigh/waist area). This is a dog way of asserting oneself. You can use your foot if easier. NEVER HIT—it's a light shove, to put his rear slightly off balance.


When the dog does play up, it's to your benefit, because it gives you another great opportunity to demonstrate that you will no longer allow such behaviour and will take control.

Once your dog is walking nicely behind or beside you, give small treats or praise. Speak in high, soft tones, and rub his side (not the head, which can feel like a threat, or the chest, which gets them excited). Let the dog know when you're happy and you will see more of that behaviour.



Stay calm and assertive, and it'll work like a charm and you'll have an easily controllable dog who is happy that someone else has finally relieved him of that stressful leadership role on the walk.

Leave comments below about how this worked for you. We look forward to reading how your walks are now fun and fulfilling for both you and your dog. 

Happy walking!