Health Topics - Nexgard and Bravecto Flea Treatment Warning

In this latest Health Topic article we examine our experiences of using Nexgard and Brevecto flea treatment and its side effects, and the severe impact it can have on dogs.

We now also have an archive page for our ever-growing library of informative topics covering behavioural, care and health articles. 

https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

NEXGARD AND BRAVECTO FLEA TREATMENT WARNING

Nexgard and Bravecto flea treatments are often prescribed by vets on a routine basis. Usually once a month. We are told that they are safe, and the risk of side effects is minimal. Sadly, this isn’t the truth. When the statistics are quoted, they are based on reported side effects. To be classed as a reported side effect, an official form must be filled in. This is very rarely done as some vets will not link the illness you are presenting your dog to them for and the application of flea treatment. Vets are assured by pharmaceutical companies that these treatments are safe. Veterinary practices are given incentives by pharmaceutical companies to prescribe such treatments.

In reality, the side effects are much more common than we are led to believe. Thankfully, most of these are minor, like vomiting and diarrhoea. Most of them are temporary. However, some of them are more severe and permanent. Some are even fatal. The risk of fatality may be low, but if it happened to your dog, it doesn’t matter if the statistics are one in a million. It would be devastating. So why even take the slightest risk for something that is not even necessary?

The main ingredient in these treatments is Afoxolaner. Afoxolaner belongs to the Isoxazoline group of chemicals. Here is what the FDA says about Isoxazoline.

“Isoxazoline products have been associated with neurologic adverse reactions, including muscle tremors, ataxia, and seizures in some dogs and cats; Although most dogs and cats haven’t had neurologic adverse reactions, seizures may occur in animals without a prior history”.

We have had a couple of dogs relinquished to Welfare because they suffered seizures. Idiopathic epilepsy. They had been given Nexgard flea treatment. I have personally seen dogs stagger about like they were drunk after these treatments were administered. I have been in the vet's waiting room when a rottweiler was brought in on a stretcher after having Nexgard administered. Sadly, I have lost count of the side effects I have personally seen. If the side effects are so minimal, why am I seeing so many?

Most concerning to me is the effect these treatments have on a dog’s temperament. A couple of years back, I started to notice that so many of the dogs coming into Welfare had temperament issues. Young dogs that we would probably never be able to home. I was so concerned that I approached the health coordinator of the breed council. At that point, we couldn’t explain why this was. I then received a phone call from a worried owner of a 7-month-old GSD puppy. He needed to relinquish his puppy, but his vet was insisting he euthanised instead. Obviously, he didn’t want to do this. After a long conversation, we agreed that Welfare would take the puppy and if we felt we couldn’t help him and he needed to be euthanised, we would do it and at least we would know that we had tried everything we could. I asked the owner to forward me his veterinary record, which he did.

The first thing that hit me as I read the notes was that Nexgard had started to be given at 8 weeks of age. The first treatment was given the same day the puppy vaccines were given. This in itself would have been an overload of toxins and I cringed. What really caught my attention though was the last 3 entries on the veterinary record.

“Owner presented dog. Dog was walked around the car park. Dog healthy with no issues. Brought dog into surgery and administered Nexgard”.

The next entry was 2 days later. “Owner presented dog. Dog vomiting and diarrhoea and unable to walk. Diagnosed neurological damage. Advised euthanasia”.

The next entry was 3 days later. “Owner relinquishing dog to a rescue. Strongly advised against this. This dog should be euthanised”.

Thankfully, Arthur came into Welfare, and after being given time to detox and some natural remedies, he could walk again. He still has a slight sway, but this doesn’t hinder his everyday life. The most worrying factor though is his temperament. One minute he is the most loving dog and wants cuddles and loving then out of the blue he will try jumping up to tear the clothes you are wearing. Please note, this isn’t just normal puppy play behaviour that a lot of puppies will do to induce playtime. His eyes change and for those seconds he is doing this, it is like he is in another world. Then as suddenly as he starts, he stops. He is NOT a vicious dog.

Three months prior to Arthur coming into Welfare, we had taken in another 7-month puppy. His owner said the reason was that he has Hip Dysplasia (which he has). Norris appeared to be a loving, cute puppy. The first day Norris was here, I took him for a walk and out of the blue, he jumped up at me and began shredding the coat I wore. This wasn’t a playful gesture. It looked more like something had changed in him. It only lasted seconds but at the end of it, my coat had to be thrown away. He had shredded it that badly. I contacted his owners and they admitted he had done this with them, so this was probably the real reason he was relinquished. Again, Norris is NOT vicious. His eyes change when this is happening.

After seeing Arthur’s veterinary notes, I then checked the vet record for Norris. Nexgard was administered every 4 weeks.

Rodney came into Welfare after a bite incident at 3 years old. His owners were distraught. They didn’t understand how the loving dog they had raised from an 8-week-old puppy had changed almost overnight. He'd also been given Nexgard monthly.

Several other dogs have since been relinquished to Welfare due to behavioural issues. I now ask if any flea treatment has been used. The answer is nearly always Nexgard/Bravecto.

It is so sad that so many dogs are suffering. What's even worse is knowing that it is unnecessary and could be avoided. 

Compounding the issue is the practice of treating dogs for fleas when our dogs do not have them. “Just in case”. Flea treatments DO NOT stop your dog from fleas. The fleas have to be on your dog and bite them, for the toxins in your dog’s blood stream (put there by the flea treatments) to kill them. How many of us take paracetamol every day “in case” we get a headache? Such behaviour would be considered risky and harmful to health. Yet, we put these harmful toxic chemicals in our dogs on a regular basis “just in case”. By all means, if your dog has fleas, then treat them. There are lots of natural deterrents you can use that will help to stop your dog from attracting fleas.

PLEASE DO NOT KEEP PUTTING DANGEROUS TOXINS IN YOUR DOGS BLOODSTREAM REGULARLY WHEN IT IS NOT NEEDED. IF YOUR DOG GETS A FLEA INFESTATION, THEN TREAT THEM BUT PLEASE DO NOT USE NEXGARD/BRAVECTO.

Following on from our own article, this new article from Ultimate Dog provides further information and stats and a useful read on these dangers.

https://ultimatedog.com/%EF%BF%BCnexgard-for-dogs-a-dangerous-gamble/

 

 

 

Elda Enjoying Some Space

Elda has been with us for two weeks today. It’s been slow progress, with only small steps so far, but at least they're in the right direction. We've observed some changes over the last couple of days. 

Although sometimes vocal, she seemed excited when we approached with food (she’s eating well). This morning, after securing the surrounding garden, we opened the door to her run. We didn’t interact, and simply opened it and walked away. We sat and watched Elda come straight out. 

For the first 10 minutes, she explored her new surroundings. Dogs generally enjoy sniffing around, but this was intense. Then, she suddenly burst into a run. At first we feared that something had spooked her, but it appeared she just enjoyed running in such a mad fashion|!💕 

We were careful not to over do it on her first session. The 15-20 minutes allowed was ample. It's good to end on a high note rather than souring the experience for the dog by pushing too hard. I put food parcels in her run, but as she saw me head towards it she raced back in. We’ve not attempted to interact with her yet - that will come when she is ready. But this is still a great moment for her rehabilitation. Well done Elda. We're all very proud of you! 💗

Lawrence's Drive Thru - Chicken Wings to Go

 

There's no time to rest at Lawrence's Drive Thru as the customers are always in a rush. Nor surprisingly. chicken is always a customer favourite.

General Care Topics - Mentally Stimulating Games

Image credit - lewiscollard.com

Our resident behaviour expert Lisa Herd has provided another useful article with a number of suggestions for simple games to keep your dog active and mentally stimulated. Learn more about her work and the services she provides on her website - https://www.dogbehaviourclinic.co.uk/ 

As with many of our published articles they apply to other breeds as well as GSDs. It was originally part of the puppy care series, but tyhese activities can easily include older dogs - especially those who didnj't have the opportuniy to learn them when they were pups.

We also now have an Article Archive which can be found here - https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Mentally Stimulating Games

• Use an old cardboard box with crumpled up paper – just put some of his food in the box and let him forage.
• Using a plastic container with a lid - first use only one box to get him used to the concept of searching in there for a treat, leaving the lid loose so he can nose it off. Then you can gradually make things harder by hiding the box behind a chair while he waits, (great impulse control) or covering the box with a towel, sealing the box, using multiple boxes with only one containing the food or putting the box with treats inside another box. You can do elevated positions and use boxes placed in different rooms.The list is endless, but the idea is to get creative.
• A muffin tray with tiny treats hidden under object such as Kong’s, plastic bottles,squeaky toys, Kong balls, Nyla bones etc is ideal.
• A drawer organiser for cutlery can be loaded with toys and treats to find
• An old towel with tiny treats or toys folded into it to find
• Sprinkles outside
• Snuffle mat time
• Impulse control games such as Wait, while you place down or drop-down treats to the floor
• Wait before putting down a mental stimulation game or his food
• Calm sniffy walks
• You could ask for Wait and quickly hide a ball a little way away. Release him by saying 'find it'. As he learns the game you can make the task more difficult, placing the ball behind things etc, lengthening the time he has to wait and even going into a different room.
• It’s your choice game - Elbow anchored on knee so that the hand does not move(otherwise it becomes a game) Thumb tucked in to avoid nibbling, handful of tiny treats in your closed fist.
  
  
  Your dog will try everything to get your hand open to access the treats. Say nothing and keep your hand still and closed. Only give a treat from the closed hand if the dog backs off. If he moves forward as you open your hand, quickly close it again. Say nothing, and just wait until the dog backs away and stops trying to access the treats. When he stops, begin to open your hand and give one of the treats, quickly closing it again. If he immediately comes forward to take one, close your hand again. Wait until he backs off and stops trying – you are working towards having your hand flat with treats on and your dog not attempting to take one. We could teach Wait, but this is about getting your dog to be a thinking dog, working out how to make the hand open.
• Food chase and hunt - This is the simplest way to introduce nose work. Show the dog a treat then throw it a short distance from you. The dog then has to use his nose to find it. With practice the dog should be able to start to find it in harder situations such as long grass or further away. As soon as the dog finds the food, excitedly call the dog and show them the next piece of food. Then as the dog approaches throw the food and so on.
• Scatter feeding - Anxious dogs that get very excited and jump up, scatter feeding can be useful way of encouraging incompatible behaviours. When arriving home throw a handful of treats on the floor or out in the garden for the dog to search out and keep them busy, diffusing the situation.

GSD Welfare Fund Stickers Available

Large Circle GSD Head

Die Cut Full Logo Sticker

We're pleased to offer a small range of stickers to our supporters and many thanks to Pamela for suggesting them when we revealed our new logo. 

There are three types available:

Small Circle Stickers

• Die cut full logo - a shaped full colour sticker approximately 6 cm in size of the new logo - £2 each
• Large circle GSD head - a large circle with the GSD head from our new logo, approximately 5 cm - £1 each
• Small circle sticker - a smaller version of the large circle GSD head - 50p each

Postage and package is £1 per order for delivery within mainland UK.

Numbers are limited, so make sure to get your orders in quickly - if they prove popular we'll order another batch once this one is sold. To place your order contact me directly via Messenger.

Elda's Progress - A Chimkin in the Hand...

Elda has been with us for 9 days now, and we're still taking it very slowly with her. Any progress we see is from her own initiative. She still barks if I go near, but not as  intensely as when she first arrived. She is taking treats out of my hand now - which is fantastic. This gradual improvement as she gets used to her new and me, is just what we want to see,

Debbie Hill

Chairman of the GSD Welfare Fund

You can help fund Elda's rehabilitation by sponsoring her or our other dogs in our long term care here - https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/p/sponsor-our-dogs.html

Elda Meets Dickie and Elda's Sponsorship Now Available

It was a cautious introduction and we kept plenty of space between them so as not to cause alarm. There's no rush here to force a result. We let Elda gain confidence at her own pace, and become used to being around other dogs.

"Dickie Hill here pupstars and I've been on a very important mission! I've been an assistance dog as part of the new dog, Elda's rehabilitation. Mum knew I would be the best dog for this. Calm under pressure and with my attention not focused on her- my behaviour kept Elda calm. Besides, delicious treats will always be the number  one priority. Until next time everyone! 🐾🐾🐾"

As well as Elda's steady progress so far, we're also pleased to announce that Elda can be now be sponsored directly. Visit our sponsoring page to sponsor her and some of our long term residents now - https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/p/sponsor-our-dogs.html

Attention Bing Users - You can now Donate Rewards to the GSD Welfare Fund

Support the GSD Welfare Fund through Give with Bing

Microsoft Rewards lets you support the GSD Welfare Fund through its Give with Bing program. After signing up and selecting our organisation, you can earn rewards points just for searching the web with Bing. Microsoft then turns those points into cash donations to us.

The program is free--you just need to sign up with a Microsoft account. As of May 2021, Microsoft Rewards has donated more than [$6.5 million] to nonprofits around the world.

Join now https://bing.com/?publ=BINGIP&crea=MY01TS&form=MY01TS&ocid=MY01TS&programname=OrganicAcquisution-Toolkit&cid=826-274076

Dickie's Diary - Four on the Floor

Hello pupsters. It’s Dickie here. I hope you are all getting lots of treats for being  good. My mum told me what a good boy I am this morning. I love being told that - it makes me so excited!   

It was a bit of a strange play time. The sun shone brightly, and spring smelt strong and fresh in the air. Well, that’s not quite true as I'm sure the springs were in my legs. I almost bounced, so full of energy and fun, and I really wanted to start a game with mum. She obviously didn’t feel the same as she didn’t join in. In fact she wanted to know if I'd eaten jumping beans for breakfast. How silly is that?  She knows what I'd eaten for breakfast!  

She then changed her mind, and we started playing a different game. Mum called it "Four on the Floor". We have played it before from time to time, but not as much as we did this morning. Mum is crafty though, as she didn’t tell me the rules. I still wanted to play spring legs, although I soon realised that wasn't how to play this game.

It always worried me when mum didn't respond. It's OK though, as I knew it meant that I needed to use my cleverness and discover what she expected me to do. I soon worked out that when I wasn’t jumping up I got a treat or fuss.  

What not as exciting as playing spring legs, the treats tasted yummy and more than made up for it.  I tried sneaking in the odd jump, but the treats immediately stopped. Such a shame. So I sopped jumping again, and the treats resumed. And before I knew it, mum stopped instructing me and I'd learned the rules. Mum seems to like this game, so I'm sure she'll want to play again. Next time I'll earn more tastiness as I know the rules. It's almost too easy!  

Lots of love Dickie 🐾🐾🐾

Elda's Progress in 'Baby' Steps

Elda continues to make progress at her own pace, and is looking “softer”, but there's still a ways to go. When I say ”progress”, I don't mean that she's running up for a fuss, and I haven’t attempted to touch her. However, she didn’t bark at me this morning as I let her out. 

In fact, she ran by me to get in the run. Until now, she's waited for me to leave  before venturing out. She still does a really sad cry., but also enjoys her enrichment activities. These have to be kept simple as it appears she's never been taught how to interact with them. Lickie mats are obviously easy but I have to put the treats on top of the snuffle mat. If you hide it she doesn’t seem to grasp it. Kongs she gets the bits that are easy access and doesn’t seem to know how to navigate the insides. She loves food so it’s not that she isn’t motivated by it. 

I honestly think it's because she’s so shut down, a not unexpected response to how she's been forced to live for past two years.

 

Use of the clicker, and tossing the treats away gives her the choice to come back. Again we move at her pace, allow her develop her confidence, and how she responds.

This morning I remained outside the run, and she responded well by coming closer to investigate. Being careful not to present my hand, I offered the tube of tasty treats and again responded well by investigating and taking some treats.

The fact that she doesn't advance, but backs away usually means that she should be easier to work with. It’s heartbreaking to see her so confused, and unsure, but it's still early days and we'll get there with baby steps. 

Keep up to date of Elda's progress via these links:

• A Very Special Welcome to Elda
• Elda's First Day
  
• Elda's First Weekend
  
• Elda's Progress in 'Baby' Steps

Debbie Hill

GSD Welfare Fund Chairman

Behavioural Topic - Problem Behaviour?

Lisa Hird's latest article looks at when problem behaviours are actually problems or not, by knowing your dog and examining the context.

Lisa Hird is an experienced and qualified behavioural expert and you can find out more about her services on her website - https://www.dogbehaviourclinic.co.uk/

We now also have an archive for all of our articles which can be found here - https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Problem Behaviour?

I posted up these images on my own personal Facebook page a few years back. The bed was chewed by one of my own senior dogs. Comments that followed were all humorous and in keeping with what I intended. The behaviour was not a problem to me. It is very typical of the way she played - pouncing, digging, ripping, and “shredding and deading!”

She had some typical terrier traits. Terriers, whether they be Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier or any other kind of terrier often enjoy:

• Digging - she dug her bed, our bed, and covers on the sofa
• Barking - yep, she enjoyed barking for sure
• Pouncing, ripping and shredding type play - she always loved pouncing on toys and ripping them to shreds

It occurred to me that we often talk about problem behaviours in dogs, and these form the bulk of my work as a behaviourist. This shredding and deading of a dog bed could be identified as a problem behaviour, and often is!

But who is the behaviour a problem for? It certainly wasn't a problem for her - it is part of her natural behaviour repertoire. She thoroughly enjoyed pulling out the stuffing and slept soundly afterwards! It might well be a problem behaviour for an owner though - dog beds aren't cheap!

So what can we do?

Dogs have various natural behaviours and preventing them from displaying these goes directly against welfare. Does that mean we should let dogs rip up all the dog beds? Not at all. Instead, we must look for alternative ways to direct these natural behaviours:

A dog that digs up flower beds - could have a sandpit or a specific area where he is permitted to dig.

A dog that enjoys ripping up toys - could have a cardboard box to be shredded or a selection of safe stuffed toys purchased from a charity shop.

A dog that scavenges and raids the bin - could have his dinner scattered, hidden around the garden or given in interactive food toys.

It is our responsibility as their owners to understand their needs and their natural behaviours, and provide opportunities that are acceptable to us, while meeting those needs.

The “dead” bed

This is one of the reasons I always talk about enrichment opportunities and using scent games.

In respect of my little one ripping up the bed - well that was my own fault. I knew there was a tiny hole in it and hadn't sewn up the hole. Consequently, she had spotted a tiny bit of white fluff sticking out, so she did what came naturally to her - shredded and deaded it!

Discover other informative and useful articles not only concerning GSDs, but for other breeds here -  https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Elda's First Weekend

 

Saturday and Sunday were spent pretty much the same with me tossing treats into her run every time I passed. Lots of enrichment was kept in her run to help keep her mind and body occupied. Her barking has continued to reduce when she sees me, but instead gives a low, sad cry. 

Elda's body language remains still, quite stiff, and fearful. When released into her run this morning, she gave the “sad cry”, but went straight to her snuffle mat that Auntie Mary sent. She’s continued eating all her meals, her appetite not affected by the change in her circumstances should be a positive sign. Even with all the enrichment I've provided her attention was spent mostly watching what is going on. 

It's still early days, but Elda's doing great. 💖

Keep up to date of Elda's progress via these links:

• A Very Special Welcome to Elda
• Elda's First Day
  
• Elda's First Weekend
  
• Elda's Progress in 'Baby' Steps

Debby Hill

GSD Welfare Fund Chairman

Elda's First Day

Elda’s first day with us went well as could be hoped, considering what she has endured over the past couple of years. She spent most of it in her run which we'd laden with enrichment items like Kongs, wobblers, and a lickie mat, and then went in at bed time. The kennel she's staying in is to the side of the other dogs, so she is not worried by them - she'll have the chance to meet them at her own pace, and when she feels confident and safe in doing so.

Her kennel doesn’t have a big run, but does open to a garden available to her when she's ready. We won’t allow her into the main play area until she's comfortable with me putting a lead on her etc.

To help build trust and familiarity (which can be a long and painstaking process), every time I passed, I tossed chicken in. By the afternoon she'd stopped barking at me, also waited expectantly. She ate all her meals, although they were reduced to allow for the enrichment food fed to her throughout the day.

All in all a positive first day. The video captures her yesterday morning after I let her out. Of course she went straight to her lickie mat! And I made sure to film her from a distance so as not to upset her.Keep up to date of Elda's progress via these links:

• A Very Special Welcome to Elda
• Elda's First Day
  
• Elda's First Weekend
  
• Elda's Progress in 'Baby' Steps

While we haven't set one up for Elda specifically (yet), we do invite our generous supporters to sponsor the dogs in our long term care. If you sponsor one of the listed dogs on the sponsor page then you'll also receive a printed sponsorship pack - see more details here - https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/p/sponsor-our-dogs.html

A Very Special Welcome to Elda

The committee of GSD Welfare Fund are thrilled to welcome this little girl to the Welfare family. She's been in "police custody " for almost 2 years after a bite incident. 

Below I have copied what the defence expert witness wrote about her. When you read it you will understand why we are so thrilled to have her with us. Thank you to the defence expert witness who made it possible for her to join our family. 

We have named her Elda, a name of Germanic origin meaning warrior (it also means Wise Adviser in Anglo Saxon). Your new life starts today sweetheart. Let’s all be thankful she is finally safe and where she needs to be. Once she has settled we will take some nice photos. 

Elda was seized in July 2020 after a second bite incident involving a child. A voluntary order had been made the first time, which the owner subsequently breached. The judge was rightly not pleased with the owner's attitude and ordered that the owner pay substantial compensation. He also received a sentence of 2 years, which was suspended for 2 years. He is also banned for life for having a dog.

The position of the police and the expert they used was that the dog should be destroyed. I have owned and rehabilitated many, many dogs like this, particularly this breed and I believed rehab was appropriate.

The experts had to do a second assessment each last Autumn as agreement could not be reached.

I realised that this dog had not been exercised since seizure. Had no view other than a wall and her kennel was bare of any toy or chew. I raised this with the court and police via a report. The police refused to move the dog to a different kennels. The staff then started interacting with the her and were able to provide daily exercise. This was after a little more than a year of no exercise.

This morning a new report appeared from the prosecution expert who had been back for the third time at the end of March. As this hearing was due today I had no time to properly evaluate this late evidence or go to check again myself.

I attended court and the judge made it clear he wanted to make an order today.

This dog is now going to a breed rescue for rehab. She will wear a lead and muzzle in public and cannot live with children. I look forward to seeing her again in rehab.

Thanks to the rescue for their assistance in offering her help and thanks to my assistant Andy Hoyle for his help at the first assessment.

Keep up to date of Elda's progress via her playlist on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcJKHkODDGk&list=PLbY9KRl9MWIRLW-LWbg21m7KICRw7jVNr&index=1

Dickie's Diary - Slow-Mo Superhero

Hello fellow pupstars. I'm so excited that I can barely run at normal speed. After all these weeks, I have it! Proof that I am destined to be a superhero. If you watch this video carefully you will see that they have to capture the video super slow because I am running super fast - even with the lead trying to hold me back! 

I knew that I had to immediately tell all my friends. Soon I'll be fighting crime! I must prepare for a mission of retrieving the stolen treats, so Dickie 'Faster than Lightning' Hill signing off for now.

What do you think my superhero name should be? And how can I keep my super-identity a secret from mum? She will worry. Tell me your suggestions below and let's make a plan together... 🐾 🦸 🐾

Back Street Breeders

Being in rescue I am always hearing people moan about breeders. People think that if breeders stopped breeding, then there wouldn't be any German Shepherds in rescue and more people would adopt rather than buying a puppy.

Whilst I understand the logic of their thinking, it is not quite that simple. There are a lot of "GOOD" breeders around and those of us that love the breed need them. Being a GSD lover means you want the breed to continue. We don't just want any GSD, we want the parents to be health tested and have good temperaments. Reputable breeders strive to improve their breeding stock. They choose stud dogs that they think will improve their lines and they also take the temperament into account.

GSD Welfare Fund was actually started by a group of GSD breeders and obedience people. In 1975 a GSD bit a child, and the press generated a lot of coverage. Owners that had had their dogs for years but who had children, suddenly wanted to get rid of their loving pet. The fact that their dog had never done anything wrong didn't matter one little bit. There was a lot of scaremongering about "how the GSD can turn any time". Because there was a surge of GSDs needing homes and not enough rescue space in the re-homing centres, some breeders joined together and formed German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund. Many a time in the beginning, this group of GSD breeders/enthusiasts were paying kennel fees from their own pocket, especially our previous Chairman.

Most of the dogs we have come in are not from reputable breeders. Most reputable breeders send their puppies out with a contract stating that in the event the puppy/dog needs re-homing it must be returned to the breeder. I will not lie; we do have dogs come in from breeders who when informed do not want to know or do not want to take the dog back but on the whole most of them will do their best to help with the dog and lots of them even support Welfare.

The majority of the dogs that come in are from what we call "back street breeders". These breeders have a pet German Shepherd and think it will be "fun" to have puppies from her, or they see it as an easy way to make a quick buck. 

This often means that they do not have any of the health tests done therefore giving no thought to the heartache they may cause the puppies' new owner later when the dog develops Hip Dysplasia or some other illness that could have been avoided, if the parents had been health screened. Lots of them do not conform to the breed standard. Many of the dogs being used to breed by these people are pet shop/back street breeders’ dogs themselves. All that matters is the money that they sell the puppies for. When put in a situation of a dog needing to come back to them, they either don't have the space or time to take it or generally just don't want to know. These are the majority of the dogs that find themselves in Welfare.

Of course, there will be times when circumstances prevent a responsible breeder from taking back a puppy they have bred. None of us know what is around the corner, or what circumstances we will find ourselves in tomorrow. We are more than happy to work with these breeders.

The bottom line is that RESPONSIBLE breeders should be applauded. We need them if we want our wonderful breed to continue. I know I do. In fact, I would love a puppy but my heart aches too much for the dogs we have in Welfare so if there is room in my home for another dog, the Welfare dogs take preference, but I don't give up the dream of one day having a fluffy bundle who I haven't got to take months to rehabilitate. Having said that, the love you get back from a rescue that you have had to work with is beyond words. 

What I would like to see is the people buying puppies ONLY buying from responsible breeders. Parents that have been health tested. Parents that the breeder is happy to introduce you to so you can check the temperament. Breeders that take an interest in the puppy's life and not just take the money and wave goodbye. That is when Welfare and other rescues will not be constantly trying to raise funds to help yet another poor GSD.

Dickie's Diary - Meeting Small Hoomans

Hello fellow pupstars! Dickie Hill back again with another of my recent adventures. Whilst walking with mum, we met a lady with a pup. Apparently hooman pups are called 'children'. They have a really interesting scent to them. It makes me want to roll around in it, but also a little bit icky.

The child noticed me and became so excited that my mum stopped and asked if it would be ok to say hello. She explained that we don’t get many child visitors to our house and I need to feel comfortable around children. I realised that mum had spotted another life skill learning opportunity. The big words in that phrase no longer worried me as they once did. I'd learned that being a clever boy usually resulted in delicious treats.

They replied, and stated that they'd love to say hello to me. Who could blame them? My mum told them they could only fuss me if I had “Four on the floor” and that they had to wait for me to go to them. She gave me the cue to say hello and waited for my response. 

Of course I went straight over for a fuss. I think she worries too much but apparently some pups can be a little overwhelmed meeting new people. She forgets that not only am I clever, but also a very brave boy. Naturally I did get a bit excited at one point and so technically all four feet weren't on the floor at the same time. Of course mum noticed straight away and told the two strangers to stop fussing me, 

It seemed a bit unfair to me, but as soon as I settled, the proper attention to me resumed. The lady said she didn’t mind if I jumped up, but my mum explained that when I've grown to a 40 kg dog it won’t be so cute. So I had to learn the correct behaviour now and do so before I grew into a big dog - I think I'm going to be the biggest dog, as well as the fastest. 

After receiving a good fuss my mum called me to her and I ran straight to her. Apparently this was good because I got a treat. We continued our walk and with my mum making the click sound and rewarding me with treats again. Along the way, we encountered We saw a big dog, but I was very brave and just walked past.  

Another cool change is having to wear a  big dog harness when out walking! It's not just any harness though. It has to be a Y neck one with a clip on the chest and one on the back. The Y neck ensures that my movement wouldn't be restricted. While in the pet shop I saw a big boy's collar with studs which looked super cool and I thought would make me look grown up. My mum said that a collar like that could press on important and fragile parts of my neck. It didn't seem so cool after I thought about that.

I'm feeling rather tired now after all that walking, and a superhero needs their  power nap. Lots of love Dickie 🐾🐾🐾

Virtual Easter Egg Hunt Winners

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our first Virtual Easter Egg Hunt we've raised some vital money for the German Shepherd Rescue Fund. With over 90 dogs to care for it is sadly an expensive business so all contributions are valuable.

Congratulations to Natalie Palmer who won the hunt with a perfect score and so the collection of hooman and doggy Easter goodies will be on their way to you soon.

The Bonus Egg

No-one managed to find the bonus egg, which was a sneak peek at our updated logo. The version shown is the standard colour variant, with different version to suit different situations. With no clear winner we randomly drew a winner from the pool of those submitting their hunts and congratulations to John Tandy. He will receive the metal GSD head wall ornament.

Well done to our winners, and thank you all for your support.

Tia's Pupdates - A Triangle Forms

Hello everypawdy. Tia here with another pupdate. It’s been a good morning. I’ve enjoyed some play time and then did some clicker work. Apparently the hooman thinks I need to use my brain.  I have to work out what she wants me to do without her telling me. Simple. 

Maybe I should try it with her, although I don’t hold out much hope it would work. Hoomans are rarely as clever as they think they are.

The problem is that I have a bit of a dilemma going on at the moment. Things were going really well between me and Rodney, but the hooman had to go and upset it all. She moved another dog called Tony into the kennel on the other side of me. Now I am torn between them and don’t know which one to choose. 

Tony is very handsome, extremely very kind and caring, so it'd be all too easy to fall for him. Rodney is also a perfect physical specimen, but more rugged.  He is also a 'treat them mean, keep them keen' sort of guy. And I do rather like a bad boy. It’s  like a  hooman trying to choose between Sean Connery and Brad Pitt.   One possible problem is that Tony will probably find a home quicker than Rodney and me. So if I pick him and then he leaves, then Rodney may not want me then. 

I don’t know which one to choose. Who do you think is best for me?

Anyway, I must dash back to my kennel now. There may be treats waiting, but their scents are also kinda exciting!    Love Tia 🐾🐾🐾

Puppy Care Topics - Calm and Confident Puppies

Expert dog behaviourist Lisa Hird from the Dog Behaviour Clinic has provided this latest Puppy Care Topic concerning how to best ensure that your puppies are as calm and confident as they can be.

To learn more about Lisa's background, experience, qualifications and services visit her website - https://www.dogbehaviourclinic.co.uk/

Calm and Confident Puppies

Socialising

There is a lot of information about how important ‘socialising’ puppies can be. Many puppy books and social media sites encourage new puppy owners to socialise their puppies by exposing them to as many different things, places, people, and dogs as possible in the early weeks of their lives so that they become used to everything they encounter.

Socialising is a vital part of training your puppy to cope with every situation she may need to face as she gets older, but it is the way that you socialise your puppy that really matters. How you approach socialising makes the difference between a calm, confident puppy and an over excitable, or stressed and anxious puppy.

Socialising Rather than Experiencing

A puppy’s first experience of something new needs to Feel Good.

Then the next 10 experiences of that same new thing need to Feel Good.

Only then is it ok for an experience of that new thing to just Feel Ok.

You need AT LEAST 20 good experiences of something before one of those experiences can Feel Bad, otherwise your puppy may develop fear issues.

If your puppy sees something in the house, garden, or street that she is afraid of, you will see some of the following signals:

❖ Lip licking

❖ Yawning

❖ Panting

❖ Drooling

❖ Penis-crowning – the further out it comes, the more stressed he is

❖ Stiff tail

❖ Shaking off shows he has felt stressed and is trying to calm down

❖ Chewing ‘hard’ on a bone or toy

❖ Obsessive sniffing of the ground

THESE SIGNALS MEAN YOUR PUPPY IS UNCOMFORTABLE - YOU NEED TO GIVE THEM DISTANCE FROM WHATEVER IS BOTHERING THEM.

Signs of Stress and Anxiety

Try to be aware of any signals that show your puppy is stressed or anxious, either inside or outside the home. If you see any of the signs, then your pup needs distance from whatever is making him feel uneasy, so take him away, or make sure that he can get away if he feels crowded by somebody at home.

Do not say anything when he needs to move away – try to remember that reassurance will not make him feel any better. Unlike children, puppies are rarely soothed by owners trying to reassure them. The only thing that makes most puppies feel safe is distance from the thing that is bothering them, so create that distance without saying anything.

Once he has enough distance and you can see your puppy feels ok and is calm, praise and treat him. This is a way of making his calmness Feel Good.

It can seem a bit counter-intuitive because it might seem as if you are treating him for moving away. You are waiting until he is calm and can preferably look back at the thing that has upset him.

Calm methods always use Feel Good to reinforce calm reactions. So, we ignore any fear, whining, trembling etc. We just give the puppy what he needs in that situation, which is distance.

By reinforcing a calm reaction with the Feel Good of a treat, your puppy’s brain starts to become programmed to react more and more calmly to things that bother him, building his confidence.

THESE SIGNALS SHOW HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS OR ANXIETY IN THE HOME

❖ Shredding toys or bedding

❖ Chewing furniture

❖ Suckling for a long time on his bed. He’s doing it to self-soothe, which is good, but he needs to self-soothe because he feels stressed.

❖ Pacing

❖ Licking any part of the body obsessively

❖ Repeated scratching of any part of the body

❖ Whining

❖ Panting

❖ Inability to concentrate

If your puppy regularly does any of the above, please let me know so that I can help you work with him to reduce his anxiety levels.

The Fear Period

For many puppies, the world will become quite a frightening place during the first 3 months of their lives. All puppies go through a ‘fear period’ at anything between 5 ½ weeks to about 20 weeks. Even puppies who have previously seemed confident in every situation can suddenly become scared of new things, or even familiar things.

How you react during this fear period will help your puppy become a calm, confident teenage dog:

❖ Stay calm.

❖ Give distance if he wants to move away.

❖ Allow him to approach the scary thing at his own pace.

❖ Reinforce any moves towards it by praising him and giving tiny, tasty treats so that he gets strong Feel Good associations for approaching the scary thing.

❖ Let him move away at any time if he needs to.

❖ Sometimes touching the scary ‘thing’ yourself can help, but make sure he still has room to move away on a loose lead.

❖Try approaching the scary ‘thing’ from different directions once he is comfortable with it.

❖ Try to approach the scary ‘thing’ over a period of several days, repeating the experience until you know that he is completely calm and confident with it.

Meeting New People - Don't Touch Me Signals

❖ Turning her head away or leaning away

❖ Lip licking

❖ Panting with a tongue that is tense, rather than loose and lolling out of her mouth

❖ Yawning

❖Trying to hide behind you/furniture/anything or anyone that makes her feel safe

❖ Drooling (other than for food)

❖Penis-crowning – the further out it comes, the more stressed he is

❖ Stiff tail

❖ Shaking-off shows she’s felt stressed and is trying to calm down

❖ Chewing ‘hard’ on a bone or toy

❖ Obsessive sniffing of the ground or of hands that come towards her

These are the first signs that a puppy gives to say, ‘Please don’t touch me’. If you see these signals, give the puppy a break from people and put him in a confinement pen/den if he is at home. If you are out with him, take him away from whoever is trying to talk to/touch him.

These pens are ideal to allow you to get on with household jobs and not have to worry what your puppy is getting up to. It also helps teach puppies independence. Place puppy toys, water bowl and a bed inside the confinement area so your puppy can amuse himself.

Following the Socialising Code will teach your puppy how to be calm, content, and confident in all areas of his life. If you allow him to approach things at his own pace, use treats and praise to help him Feel Good, and ensure that this is used for every new thing that he encounters, he will trust that you will always keep him safe. There are bound to be things that he finds a bit difficult in his life, but, giving him this strong foundation in the early days and weeks in your care means that he will always feel secure as he grows into an adult dog.

Final Day Enter the Weekend's Virtual Easter Egg

There are over 90 eggs to find and
this image does not count in the hunt!

ENTRY FOR THE VIRTUAL EASTER EGG HUNT IS NOW CLOSED - BEST OF LUCK TO THOSE WHO ENTERED!

Time is swiftly running out to enter this weekend's Virtual Easter Egg Hunt supporting the GSD Welfare Fund. Unfortunately we experienced a technical fault with PayPal yesterday, so people were unable to enter. The issue is now fixed and we're extending the deadline slightly to compensate. The cut-off to enter is now 9am (BST) tomorrow  (Saturday 9th April).

Entry is only £3 and you can enter using the PayPal button below, but hurry - time's running out!.

Find all the hidden eggs and win these
Easter delights ideal for hooman and doggo

The hunt will take place on our blog, and start tomorrow at 10am (BST), and finish at midnight Sunday 11th April. A special page and form will be provided to record your finds and submit your entry. Whoever finds the most wins. In the event of a tie-break, then one of the winning entries will be drawn at random for the prize.

Bonus Egg and Prize

We've received another amazing gift and this can be won via a raffle between those who found the bonus egg. The winner of this draw will receive this amazing metal GSD wall piece.

Please like and share this post to help raise funds for the German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund to rescue vulnerable GSDs and help them enjoy the lives they deserve, and not what they've endured.

Dickie's Diary - Sprinkle Delight

Hello fellow pupstars! Dickie Hill here to tell about this super awesome new game I'm playing. Well, it's not really new because I first played it nearly a month ago, which makes it ages old. It's still good though - in fact it's best of games because you get treats!

It's an easy game too, but so much fun, and mum says it's good for me too. Apparently it helps me develop my brain and work with my senses. I'm not convinced it does make sense, but mum knows best I suppose. Anyway it doesn't matter as it's still great fun, even if it is good for me.

Mum walks about and scatters small, but delicious treats around the garden and I have to find them the fastest. Which I do of course, but it does help that they're extra tasty treats, otherwise, why bother?

That's it for now everyone - there are new scents to sniff, and treats to find. Until next time pupsters! 🦴🦴🦴

Welcome to Lisa & Tony and a push for dogs in long term care

The madness that the pandemic has brought to the world of rescue is showing no sign of easing. We welcomed three more dogs into our family yesterday with several more booked to come in this week! As you all know, we have been on a bit of a mission of late. 

We want to do more than just "rescue" dogs. We want to be proactive instead of just reactive. We are battling to get help and information out there that may just stop a dog having to come into Welfare. This may be advising how to select a responsible breeder, or how to choose a trainer/behaviourist, or the training methods to use and so forth. Many of the dogs coming into Welfare are the results of bad trainers/behaviourists.

Many of the dogs in our care have behaviour issues that inhibit their chance of successful homing. Several have been with us 7 years or more. Obviously, our main aim has to be to rehabilitate these dogs in the hope that they are lucky enough to find their own home one day. Not only is this the best outcome for them, but it also clears space for dogs needing help from us in the future. We are limited at how many dogs we can take into our care.

This has been an ongoing discussion amongst the Welfare committee members for some time as we try to make decisions that will take us down the right path and lead to some solutions. After much thought and discussion, we made the decision to try to centralise our "problem" dogs or dogs that have been here for too long for their own good. By doing this we can then utilise the expertise of our lovely Lisa Hird who has very generously offered to help us with our mission. 

Lisa is one of the best behaviourists in this country. She has written some of the most advanced courses in dog behaviour for colleges etc. and we grabbed her offer of help with all hands. We are hoping that after an assessment from Lisa and a training plan to follow, we can help some of these dogs on their way to finding a place to call home. She will also advise us how best to "show case" the dogs that are continuously over looked. We cannot thank Lisa enough.

 

The weekend saw us starting to put this plan into action, by moving some of the Welfare dogs into appropriately sited kennels.

 

We are also thrilled to welcome Tony into our Welfare family, after he agreed to be an "uncle" to the dogs. Tony has extensive experience with German Shepherds and with rescue dogs. He is a very knowledgeable trainer using positive reinforcement methods, which as you will all know, are the only training methods we use and endorse. It is not about taking the softly softly approach, but about following the science. Welcome Tony and thank you.

When selecting kennels to use, it is so important that they are happy to liaise with us so we can all be on the same page to help the dogs move forward with their progress. It is so much more than just boarding our dogs and we are vey lucky to have some wonderful aunties and uncles for the dogs, on board with us.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff at Connifer Lodge kennels where we have just moved some of our problem dogs from, especially the girls that spent time with our dogs and showed them love.

Ramsay

Amongst the dogs we have relocated is Ramsay who has a police order against him, meaning that he can only go out in public when wearing a muzzle. Ramsay is a lovely boy, the police incident really was just a mis-fortune. A dog came to attack him whilst on lead. The other dog owner came over and tried to get their dog off and got bitten in the process, Ramsay got the blame and his police order. At present he doesn't like wearing a muzzle so this limits his chance of a home. Lisa will start some muzzle habituation work with him. 

Lily

Kerrie

Kerrie and Lily are mother and daughter, victims of a cruelty case. Both of them are understandably very nervous and totally dependant on each other. Lisa's plan is to try to build their confidence, teaching them how to problem solve, thereby making it easier to cope with life for them. They will also learn how to be independent of each other to give them a chance of a finding a loving home.

Ghost

Ghost came in with bite history, so he will need a full assessment so we know if it is safe to home him. We believe part of his problem was a noise phobia (hoover). Lisa will again, start by building confidence and habituating him to noises. 

Poor Ted is a lovely boy but is one of the unfortunate ones who has been overlooked for several years. Lisa will guide us how best to "show case" him.

Ted

We will keep you updated on their progress.

As you can see, there has been so much going on with Welfare behind the scenes, as well as dealing with the daily calls for help. We are proud to say we feel like we are moving forward and addressing the problems we are facing.

 

We thank each and everyone one of ours supporters for your understanding and support. Without you all, we could not progress with our mission to help the many GSD's that need our help 💖