Guide Dogs - Quip's First Steps

Looking at this little bundle of fluff, all I can think about is how tiny he is and his beautiful big eyes. However, Quip a Golden Retriever x Labrador is no ordinary puppy. One day, he will hopefully take the big step of becoming someone's eyes. Yes, Quip is training to become a guide dog.

When my uncle, Richard, first told he was puppy walking for the Guide Dog Association, I couldn't contain my excitement. Here was my chance to document the first 14 months of training a guide dog and ultimately give both myself and others a glimpse into the life of this very special puppy.

Born on the 13th February 2014, Quip's litter can all identified because their names begin with the letter 'Q'. One of seven, he was the second puppy to be born and as Richard was told, he was the only noisy one out of the litter.

He came to live with Richard at just six weeks old in order to start his early training. Puppy walking is certainly a lot of commitment, but you can tell both Quip and Richard are really enjoying themselves and they have already become firm friends. During this time, it was also important that he did not go on grass verges or grass in parks because he had not had all of his injections. However, Richard was allowed to carry him around as much as possible so that he could experience the great outdoors.

When I visited them on May 11, Quip was about 12 weeks old and had already grown quite a lot. (What made me smile is that his legs and paws still look that bit too big for his little body and he was having lots of fun investigating me, my mum and dad. Just look at those brindle coloured paws!)

When Richard decided to become a puppy walker, he had to apply to the Guide Dog Association and they would decide if he was suitable to take on such an vital task.

Someone from the Association came to his house and went through the various aspects of puppy walking, as well as assessing the house and car. Here, they stress the fact that this puppy is not yours to keep as ultimately he/she will return to the Association to continue the next stage in their training. In Richard's case, the fact that he had owned dogs before really helped and it wasn't long before Quip came into his life.

Quip is such a clever puppy and he has already learnt such a lot considering his age. He can sit and wait, sit, lay down and Richard can tell him to wait, walk away and then call him over. To make sure he doesn't jump up at him when he is called, Richard gets Quip to come round him and then sit on his left hand side. As a rule guide dogs only work on the left and never on the right.

Once a fortnight Richard takes him to a meeting, which all the puppy walkers attend with their puppies. Here they teach the youngsters a number of different commands such as sit, come, leave and walk them on the lead. To test the puppies, hula hoops are placed on the floor and they have to walk over to see if they are relaxed. This is an important part of their training because the puppies must be correctly socialised. They must also be able to walk straight at another dog and pass them with no problems.

In addition, someone from the Association will come round Richard's house and check that Quip is the right weight, is happy and is learning everything correctly. Another important part is to say "busy" when they are going to the toilet. This is so when the the puppies are older, they will go to the toilet on command.

Richard has also taken Quip to Leigh Station so that he can experience getting into the lift and stand on the platform. He is not allowed to take Quip up to the platform when a train is going straight through the station, but Quip took all of this in his stride.

Quip and Richard's story will continue next month, but for more information about Guide Dogs, visit: www.guidedogs.org.uk

National Pet Month - The Little Hamster

They're cute, they're fluffy and and they're small. Yes, I'm talking about the shy and solitary hamster. To round off the end to National Pet Month 2014, I thought the hamster would be the ideal pet to mention.

Their name comes from the German word 'to hoard' which reflects the way that they collect food in their cheek pouches and store it, before they come back to it later on. In the wild it would be too dangerous to stop and eat in the open, which is why they wait until the safety of their home before they eat a treasured treat. What's amazing is that they can store up to half their body weight in these pouches!

There are 24 different species, but five members of this group are kept as pets. All fairly small in size, these include the Syrian, striped dwarf Russian, white dwarf Russian, Roborovski's dwarf hamster and the Chinese hamster.

My friend Gina's hamster Elwood was a Syrian hamster and was roughly two years old. Sometimes we looked after him when she went away and it was always fun to put him in his ball and let him run around the floor. He was pretty quick so we would often have to put cushions near the walls and doors to stop him running into them! 

The Syrian breed was one of the first species of hamster to become a pet and they come in a range of colours, such as black, cinnamon and white, as well as their native golden. They are 6-7 inches high and only weigh 5-7oz. This breed tends to live longer than the other types of domesticated hamster and can live for 2-5 years. 

Unlike the dwarf hamster, it is advisable to keep the Syrian breed alone. They will fight among themselves and shouldn't be kept with other hamsters past five weeks old. Dwarf hamsters can be kept in same sex pairs, but only if they are introduced when they are really young. 

It's also important to take your time and let your hamster get to know you before handling them too much. Younger hamsters will bite when startled and remember they are prey animals. They are always on the lookout for predators, such as owls, that will swoop down and grab them. Therefore, when you start to handle your hamster, always scoop them up from underneath and let them sniff your hands first. This is especially significant if you have dwarf types because they move so quickly. Cup them between your hands too and that way, they will feel more secure.

Hamsters are largely nocturnal and will snooze during the day before becoming more active at night. However, their sleeping patterns has altered due to our daily lives and artificial light, so they will wake up and then settle back down to sleep several times a day. Make sure their exercise wheel doesn't squeak or you'll be in for plenty of sleepless nights, because when they wake up they like to do some vigorous exercise. Even though they only have little legs, they can run up to five miles every night!

They also don't have very good eyesight, but what they lack in sight, they make up for with their ears and nose. Hamsters have great hearing to alert them to danger in the dark and an excellent sense of smell, which enables them to forage for plenty of food. 

As they are rodents, they have very strong front teeth that are perfect for opening nut shells and seed cases. They love to gnaw on anything hard, but make sure you keep an eye on their teeth because these teeth never stop growing. A vet can trim these down, but it means putting them under anesthetic which puts stress on their tiny hearts. Why not put a wooden chew block or provide them with plenty of seeds and nuts to trim these down instead?

Hamsters enjoy eating raw vegetables, but make sure you keep the portions small because too much will give them stomach upsets. They shouldn't be given too many treats as these contain fat and sugar. Food such as chocolate, grapes, oranges, apple seeds and rhubarb are poisonous and will make them ill.

If you're looking for a hamster because you can't commit to looking after another animal, such as a cat or a dog, why not try your local rescue centre? There are plenty of unwanted animals in the world that just want a home and all they need is a second chance.

The Great Outdoors with Man's Best Friend

Dog owners are always told about the benefits of walking their four legged friends and from April 28 - May 5, the Forestry Commission has led a Paws Outdoors campaign with Walk Your Dog Week.

The Kennel Club says that every dog owner has a duty to to make sure that your dog gets at least one walk a day. It's also a great way for both of you to keep healthy and if you have a family it's something everyone can get involved in with minimal cost.

You don't have to be outside for hours on end and although it is not high intensity, walking is good for strengthening muscles and bones and lowering blood pressure.

For the last few years, the PDSA have launched a Pet Fit Club in an effort to help get Britain's pets fit and healthy. They found that one in three dogs and one in four cats is overweight and as well a risk of passing away sooner, our pets have a reduced quality of life. The report also discovered that pets are being fed a range of unhealthy treats by owners, including fast food, crisps, chocolate, biscuits and chips.

Their 2013 fit club winner was Ruby, a Jack Russell. A squarely-built terrier, when she started the PDSA's six month challenge she weighed 9.1kg. The normal weight of this breed ranges from 5-6kg, which made her more than 50% overweight.

Due to her sad start in life as a stray, her new owner overcompensated by feeding her too many snacks and titbits. Thankfully at the end of the challenge, Ruby had slimmed down to just over 6kg, had lost 17cm from her waist and 10cm from her chest, which all gave her a new lease of life.

I walk my friend's dog Penny every Saturday because he is unable to walk her much himself because of his ill health. He also employs a dog walker to take Penny out during the week to ensure that she gets a good amount of exercise.

It's a great excuse to get outside and out in the sunshine (sometimes), especially as my commute to work during the week is quite long. Penny is a Lurcher and while she can be laid back in the house, once outside she is very quick on her feet. She has both speed and stamina and could run for miles if asked. I don't tend to let her off her lead because she is not my dog, but sometimes my friend and I will take a trip to Belfairs Woods and let her off. It's lovely to see her have fun in the woods, especially when she legs it across the field!

Traditionally Lurchers were first-generation crosses of a sight hound with a terrier or a herding dog. but the modern day Lurcher are also bred with each other and are usually Greyhound size. Some have a rough coat, while others (like Penny) are smooth coated. They weigh 27-32kg and are 55-71cm tall. 

It's important to get the right mix of exercise dependent on the age and breed of your dog. Young puppies that have been vaccinated can be taken for a 10-15 minute walk to the park or just down the road. Then as they get older, this can be gradually built up to a longer walk. To make it more exciting, why not train them on the walk to 'sit', 'stay' and 'come' while out and about?

Make sure you don't walk them for too long, even if they are enjoying it, and avoid taking them out for long runs until their bones and joints have matured. This can take from 18 months for the larger breeds like Labradors, German Shepherds and Rottweilers to two years for giant breeds such as Great Danes. If puppies are given too much exercise too soon, this can contribute to bone and joint diseases. 

Adult dogs can have more rigorous forms of exercise, as long as they have no joint or limb problems. Walks can become longer and faster and the more agile breeds can be taken running or on endurance walks.

To make this more exciting, why not start taking agility classes or flyball training at a local club. It's a great way to socalise your dog with others and give your dog a variety of exercise. Labradors or Retrievers are good at retrieving, but are slower than the terrier and collie breeds at agility and flyball. Hound types are good running partners, while bulky dogs like mastiffs are better with slower types of exercise.

As your dog gets older, they tend to have more specific requirements when it comes to exercise. Giant breeds will slow down when they are over the age of six, while for smaller breeds this is around the 10 year marker. Their mobility levels tend to deteriorate and quite a few suffer from arthritis in the joints. In addition, other problems such as heart and breathing problems prevent them from taking too much exercise.

However, it is still important to take their exercise levels into account because older dogs have lower calorie requirements. If not monitored, this can lead to them becoming overweight and so it is worth reducing the amount of food you give them and provide them with food aimed at older dogs because these have fewer calories.

So this Bank Holiday weekend, why not aim to take your dog out on a longer or more exciting walk? The Forestry Commission has some activity sheets for everyday of the week to keep you both fit and healthy. Visit: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/Dog_activity_challenge2014.pdf/$FILE/Dog_activity_challenge2014.pdf