Natalie
Salvador – A Happy Ending
So, nearly a year has passed since Salvador left on a flight destined for his new home in Germany and this week I have recieved some lovely photos from his new owners showing him looking happy and healthy in his new home. He was a super nervous, scared of everything dog that took a long time to start to come out of his shell and there was a lot of work involved with getting him used to his transport cage for the journey and he left improving but by no means a confident dog yet. Looks like he’s getting there now…….
Lanzarote Dog Breeds – Podenco Canario
The Podenco Canario
The Podenco Canario is an ancient breed of dog descended from the hounds used by the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt for hunting. A podenco or Izbizan hound type dog is depicted in hieroglyphics dating from around 3000 B.C.
They are a gentle natured dog even though they are a hunting breed. They live well in a family environment and are very loyal to their owners. They can be wary of strangers but are generally good with other dogs and children. They are naturally a clean dog making them a good house dog and are on the whole quite quiet but they will ‘watchdog’ bark making them good guard dogs.
As a hunting breed, care needs to be taken if there are small animals like rabbits or rodents in the home. These types of small prey are what the podenco canario is bred to hunt. They are of the group of dogs known as the sight hounds which use their vision as opposed to their sense of smell to track prey and for this reason any fast moving small creature can bring out the hunter in them.
They are ideally suited to families with plenty of time to take them out for long walks. They love to run and have immense stamina, and will happily keep up with a long bicycle ride. They can run all day and show no signs of tiring. They can live quite happily in an apartment as they are fairly inactive in the home, but only if they have access to two or three good walks daily. It is best if they have access to a garden but it needs to be secure as podencos can jump garden fences with ease.
They live an average of 12-14 years.
Training the Podenco Canario
The Podenco Canario is an intelligent, loyal and affectionate dog. They are eager to please and with the right training they are a joy to have in the home. They can be very sensitive and nervous and with rough handling can develop fear issues.
Podencos need treating gently and calmly. Any harsh training methods will only create a fearful, untrusting dog. They are very sensitive to human body language and can read our emotions very well. If all the training is undertaken calmly you will see results, if you lose your temper you will lose their trust.
They excel at games based around their hunting abilities, so a good game of fetch is a frequent must with the Podenco. Play is essential as they can get bored easily and a bored Podenco can get into all sorts of mischief!
The biggest training challenge facing any Podenco owner is that of the recall. Once off lead and running they seem to lose their hearing and will not return. This takes plenty of time, patience and practice to achieve but it is possible. Remember that a Podenco is at his happiest when allowed to run at full speed, so it will be a challenge to return him to the lead at first.
To successfully train a Podenco takes patience and consistency. The more time and effort put into training, the better the results. A well trained Podenco makes a beautiful, loyal, family dog.
You can follow the training of Salvador a nervous Podenco Canario here
Care of the Podenco Canario
Grooming is minimal, podencos only need occasional brushing to remove dead hair and massage the skin. They shed an average amount. Their shiny coats can be kept in condition by running over with a rubber glove. The ears also need to be checked occasionally and kept clean and the claws kept short.
Podencos appreciate comfy soft bedding and a special place in the home where they can go and feel secure. They don’t like the cold and like to be nice and warm so if they are to live outside, they need a good shelter.
They have no specific dietary requirements but care should be taken not to overfeed. Podencos should be a slight breed that does not carry any excess fat. They should be on the slender side with ribs and hip bones visible.
As with all dogs, especially in the Lanzarote climate, the Podenco Canario should always have access to clean fresh water.
Sara Newsletter Oct 2010
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Posted in UncategorizedSalvador – On to his new home
So the day has finally come to say goodbye to Salvador. Yesterday was our final practice with the transport cage and all went very well.
He had his final injections and tablets in preparation for the flight.
Today I went to the shelter and took him for a final walk to relax him before giving him the sedative. He went into the cage no problem and I sat with him for a little while to make sure he was completely calm before I gave him the liquid sedative. This took about ten minutes to take effect and I could see him getting sleepy so it was off to the airport. After the usual hanging around in queues, he was finally checked in and then he had to be removed from the cage for it to be x-rayed. We said our final goodbyes and then he was put back in the cage and taken away to be boarded on the plane.
I’m a little sad to see him go, I have been working with him for quite a few months now and have formed quite a bond with him. He is, however, finally getting the chance to live in a family environment and the new family he is going to already have a dog fron the shelter that was nervous like Salvador but is now a happy, playful dog. He sounds like he is going to a very good home.
Good luck Salvador! xx
Salvador – More Cage Training
His training with the transport cage is coming along really well. He is now happy to go in and out of the cage on command and will accept food from me while he is in there. This is crucial as the day he leaves he will need to take a mild sedative to help him on the journey and he must be relaxed when he takes this. If he fights it, it won’t work and he won’t be able to travel. I don’ t think there will be any problem with this as he is now quite used to the cage.
Salvador – Cage training
So, I have been working with Salvador for a couple of weeks now to get him used to the transport cage. I started by introducing him slowly to the sight of the cage, walking him close to it and letting him get used to seeing it. In an ideal world I would have had the cage set up in his kennel for him to investigate in his own time but as he shares a run with three other dogs I would have no way of controlling this.
After a while I started to introduce him to the interior of the cage. This involved me having to actually get in myself and then entice Salvador in (to the great amusement of the Sara staff!). The first couple of sessions we just sat together in the cage so that he could begin to relax in there. I then shortened the time that I spent in the cage with him and he will now stay in the cage and relax on his own.
The next step is to get him to go in and out of the cage by himself.
Salvador – Good News
Good news – Salvador finally has a date for his flight to Germany. He is to leave on the 9th October. I have now been handed the challenge to get him used to the transport cage as he has never been in one before and we don’t want to frighten him, he will need to be in the cage for a long time on the day he travels. I have just under a month to do this, so we should get there by then.
Sara Newsletter Sept 2010
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Breed Differences
Breed Differences
Dog breeds differ enormously to look at. They come in all different sizes and shapes, just compare the giant Great Dane to the tiny Chihuahua. With the different breeds also come different characteristics and abilities.
Most breeds were developed to perform a task of some kind and while not every dog fits its breed description it can provide a good general guide to how that dog may behave.
The breeds fit into a few general categories; hunting dogs, guarding breeds, terriers, hounds, herding dogs and toys.
Each group of dogs has been specifically bred over the years to exaggerate the characteristic that has been required for working. For example the Beagle from the hound group has been bred with short legs (to keep the nose low to the ground), long, floppy ears (to block out distracting sounds), and the stamina and determination to just keep going and not give up when it is on the scent. These traits make for a phenomenal tracking hound but not an easy dog to train. In fact most dog trainers will tell you there’s only one thing harder to train than a Beagle and that’s a Bassett!
We can generalise the temperament of each breed which gives a prospective owner an idea of what his dog will be like. We can also generalise the problems that may be encountered with a breed. For example Collies are well known for developing problems with fixating on anything that moves like light reflections. This is due to the breed being bred to fix sheep with a stare to round them up and move them on. If a working breed like this is not given enough mental and physical stimulation typical breed behaviours can come out, which while they may not be an issue on the farm can become a ‘problem’ for the owners.
Even with a mixed breed dog we can get an idea if we know what breeds make it up. If you take a terrier cross you can base research of that breed on typical terrier behaviours.
For every breed that fits to type there will be someone who tells you that the dog they own does not conform but it is worth doing a little research on any breed that you are interested in so you have an idea of what you can expect.
