We begin this week’s “RUFF TAILS” featuring a beautiful German Shepherd named Zeke.
Zeke is a 9-month-old rescue German Shepherd. He has an adventurous spirit and an infectious energy and loves a good nature walk or playing fetch. His love for us is very apparent with his strong demand for attention and belly rubs at any given moment.
We’re blessed to have found such a great pup and have benefited greatly from Caissie Canine training with our ability to understand Zeke, and effectively communicate corrective behaviour for a harmonious future with our German Shepherd.
K9 CORNER WITH THE CHIEF
To assist you with your training, it is important to understand the subtle ways in which dogs may communicate their stress or ability to be calm. Having an appreciation of these signals will enhance your K9 relationship leading to an elevated pack bond and a calm life together.
Canines can communicate using physical and/or behavioural indicators to identify “calming signals”. It is their way to address high levels of stress. Voice commands maybe understood by canines. However, if you also incorporate body movements, voice tone, eyes and facial expressions, this can be beneficial.
When done correctly this could elevate your training to an advanced level in quick time.
When a K9 is stressed, you may see your K9 yawning, sniffing the ground, avoiding contact or the target source, or freezing. These “calming signals” are consistent to all breeds and size. This behaviour is a universal language.
When you see these behaviours, you can adjust your approach and should be able to problem-solve and advance in any training scenario with a calmer canine. Canines respond better to your physical and behavioural posturing than your verbal commands. They are experts at interpreting the Human Body Language.
“Calming Signals” should not be misconstrued as disobedience or defiance. It is simply a state of anxiety or stress for the canine. If you recognize these calming signals in your K9, you can adjust your training method. This will allow you to calmly communicate with your canine even under high stress situations. It is paramount to always end a training session on a positive note.
Remember every day is a training day.
Welcome to Doggie Dialogue
The reason some dogs have different coloured toenails are due to either aging, genetics, or medical conditions.
For example, with genetics, it is the amount of melanin in the K9’s nails that will determine their colour. K9’s with dark fur or skin may have black nails. White dogs often have clear nails.
Most puppies will have white nails, and as they age their nails will darken.
There are also medical conditions that will change the colour of the toenails. For example, if your K9 has a yeast or fungal infection in the toenails, the skin around the nail maybe swollen, red, and warm. This infection can cause the toenail to turn brown, red, or yellow.
Also, an autoimmune disease, called lupoid onychodystrophy can cause abnormal nails and eventual nail loss.
Nail colour changes are usually not a concern unless accompanied by other symptoms.
Should you notice a sudden or unexplained discolouration, please seek advice from your veterinarian.
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Thank you so much for posting and sharing them