Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
7th September 2019
S-autumn
It’s ‘s-autumn’! That time where summer hasn’t quite given up but autumn is muscling in, and we are also now in the first of the ‘ber’ months too.
I’m not quite sure what happened to the earlier part of the year, but then I don’t remember many things these days, and am having to rely on ‘idiot checks’ when I leave anywhere to make sure that I haven’t left anything behind.
Luckily I have remembered that on Friday September 13th I will be joining Terry Walton, Gareth Davies and Reg Moule on a panel for Gardener’s Question Time at 1pm at Cottrell Park Golf Club, St Nicholas, Cardiff.
Proceeds go toward Prostate Cymru and, as always, it promises to be an informative and entertaining afternoon. I hope to see you there – just don’t be offended if I can’t remember who you are!
For tickets and information please email info@prostatecymru or telephone 02920 340029.
Oh My Dog
I spent most of last weekend learning ‘all about the dog’ on a two day course held by Gemma Hodson who owns a company of the same name.
It was enlightening to say the least. As readers will know, my world revolves around Yogi, my terrier-ist and I always have her best interests at heart.
However, despite my best intentions, there were still some things that put me on the ‘bad mother’ step! And that, of course, is the whole point of going on a course like Gemma’s. As she kindly reassured me, “You only know what you know …”
Firstly, I have been using the wrong harness for Yogi – a Halti harness that is promoted as a market leading range of control harnesses. But as such, it has a strap across the dog’s chest, which restricts their natural movement and which can cause muscular problems. The best type of harnesses are the ones that have a V strap that goes between the front legs, and therefore won’t restrict shoulder movement.
It annoys me more than I can tell you (although I’ll have a damn good go), that these things are even on the market when they only create health issues for your dog, but knowledge is power.
I also leave Yogi’s collar on 24/7. It’s a nice collar. I like it, so I thought Yogi would want to keep it on in the same way that I want to wear my favourite pair of boots as much as possible. Wrong. Gemma likens taking a dog’s collar off, to us women taking off our bra at the end of a busy day. Personally, being quite modest in that area, that sort of disrobing has never affected me much but I have heard other women sat it’s an absolute necessity!
If your dog isn’t going out of the house, so doesn’t need a collar and/or information tag on, then take their collar off so they can kick back and relax. It makes paw-fect sense once you’ve heard it.
As a group of humans and dogs, we absorbed a lot last weekend but I have to say Gemma was also incredibly generous with her time advising people, including me, with individual issues with their dog during her lunch break. I learned why Yogi is hyper after a meal, despite eating raw; why eggs are so good for dogs, including the shells; why a soft bed isn’t good for her at the moment and so much more besides.
I can’t tell you how relieved Yogi is that I went!
As always, I think the owners need far more re-training than their dogs (I include myself), as dogs pick up on all of our emotions. Most dog owners are stressed to some degree and their dogs will pick up that tension and stress as well as having to cope with stresses of their own. Sadly, pain is also a major cause of many behavioural problems.
Gemma focuses a lot on the animal’s movement and the clues that it gives to a dog’s mental, physical and emotional state. Once you have stopped your own chimp minds chattering away and actually focus on your dog, it is amazing, and humbling, how many signs your dog will be giving you.
We also touched on T-Touch (pun intended) as a simple method of releasing stress in a dog. Yogi is used to receiving Flow, Bowen and several other types of massage and isn’t shy to come and plonk herself on my lap when she wants some therapy or attention. But since the weekend, I am now consciously taking time (the time I used to spend scrolling through Facebook) each morning and evening to concentrate on her health and well being, be it with free work (another amazing discipline taught by Gemma), massage or just simply watching her behaviour for signs of stress and pain.
It has been a month now since she ruptured her second cruciate ligament and it is slow progress this time. But I guess it is supposed to be, healing is supposed to take time. We are all so rushed and ‘busy’ these days, massaging your dog, or simply observing them, is a great way to slow yourself down too.
Time is the greatest gift you can give to anyone, especially your best friend – expect perhaps a course or consultation with Gemma. More info at www.allaboutthedogtherapy.co.uk.
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