March | 2009 | Canine Angel"s Blog

People Training For Dogs..The Canine Angel Way

People Training For Dogs – The Canine Angel Way

NEW one day course for the dog owner and not their dogs!

 

An introduction to Dog Psychology – What will you learn on this course?

Dog Whispering– how to talk to your dog without using your voice

How to become an assertive pack leader –overcome all behavioral problems simply, effectively and see instant results!

Feeding your dog the correct diet and nutrition – how this can solve behavioral problems and save you many trips to the vet.

Alternative Therapy – How massage, chiropractic treatments and herbal products can help heal your pets health issues the natural way.

Pet Portraits with Top Photographer – How to capture the perfect picture of your dog that you can treasure always.

 

 

Dates & Venues:   WedMay 20^th 6pm – 9.30pm - The Centre Aum, 834 Yardley Wood Road, Bilsley, B13 0JE

Sun May 24^th 11.30am – 4.30pm – The Equinox Healing Centre, High Street , Wolverhampton, WV1 3PJ

 

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE FOR A LIMITED PERIOD ONLY

£299down to£149!         Bring a friend and they pay £99!

And that’s not all… You will receive a Canine Angel Doggy Bagto take home with you, with the following goodies in.  

Over £100 of vouchers when booking in with any of the services featured in this course.

FREE Work Wonders Book -The natural diet for your carnivore pet by Vet Tom Lonsdale Worth £9.99

Please Note: Do not bring your pet dog along to this course, Nikki will bring along one dog for demonstration purposes. £50 Cash or Cheque deposit required at time of booking. In order to keep costs to a minimal please bring your own packed lunch, light refreshments will be served. One doggy bag per booking. Subject to availability

Contact Nikki today on 0121 4212026 or 0781 4500291 for more details or to book your place on this special course…. http://www.canineangel.co.uk

Canine Angel Tames The Beast!!!

Taming the Beast within..

Canine Angel is a culmination of a life long passion for animal welfare, by fanatical founder Nikki Brown. Qualified in both human a dog psychology, Nikki is truly a fountain of knowledge when it comes to analysing and overcoming the problems and heart aches shared by Dogs and their owners. Nikki has spent a life time gathering experience in Canine behaviour and body language and has an astounding ability to truly understand the mind of a dog. This has provided her with an invaluable insight into how they communicate with those around them.

We often hear shocking and upsetting stories in the news about how dogs can attack children and even kill babies.

Nikki says “It is a very serious matter that needs to be addressed at the source which starts with the owners”.  

Nikki also adds, “I often get asked what’s the difference between a dog psychologist and a dog trainer?” Her answer is simple, “A dog trainer will train the dog to behave in a certain way for rewards, whereas a dog psychologist will train the owners to understand why their dog is behaving in a certain way and address the problem head on.”

Nikki quoted “The work of Canine Angel is extremely important and life saving. When your dog attacks something or someone it usually means a lot of upset in the family and the dog is ordered to be re homed or destroyed. Families can never really get over this experience and yet it could be prevented if they treat the problem earlier enough and get some professional help. “

Having worked with many dog aggression cases, Nikki states that the dogs often become aggressive as a reaction to our behaviour. It’s their way of communicating something is wrong in their pack environment. 

They can t say “hey look I’m having a bad day” so the only way they can tell us something is wrong is to get aggressive and give a warning to bite or actually go ahead and attack.

Nikki says “A dog who bites believes they are the leader of the pack and are trying to control their pack by getting aggressive.  Many owners treat their dogs as human and not as dog , this is when the problems begin.

It is humans that gives their dogs names, personalities and even the breed, where as all a dog knows and cares about is “Am I the leader or am I the follower “

Nikki teaches dog owners how to communicate with their dogs through body language and signals

In workshops within the Birmingham and Bromsgrove area.

The “People Training for Dogs” workshops, where the owners  attend the class not the dogs, Its one day course and It covers everything that a dog owner need’s to know about how to have safe, happy and healthy relationship with mans best friend.

She also teaches how diet can play a huge part in the dog’s behaviour.  

If you would like more information about Canine Angels workshops,  1-2-1 home consultations or  how to become the leader of the pack and communicate with your best friend, then contact The Canine Angel on 0781 4500291 or visit http://www. canineangel.co.uk. 

Meet the Dog Psychologist

Canis lupus familiaris. The Latin name hides so much of our faithful companions and much professed ‘man’s best friend’, otherwise known as ‘dog’. As any dog owner can tell you, sharing our lives with our canine companions does not always go smoothly. From chewing your footwear and socks, scratching walls and carpets, to chasing the postman and other passing dogs, there are many habits that we would prefer our dogs would not have, despite our best efforts.

It is at times like these that we are reminded that, unlike the fabled Dr Doolittle, we cannot talk to the animals. Despite the long time mankind and dogs have spent together (with the first domestication of dogs being thought to have occurred at least around 17,000BC, if not much earlier), we are as different now as we have always been. In spite all of the ‘tricks’ we can teach our dogs, and any shared empathy or understanding we seem to have, dogs cannot speak English (or any other human language for matter), and never will.
It is with this realisation that we are reminded that our only option is for us to learn how to ‘speak dog’. Enter the wondrous world of the dog behaviour professional, those wonderful people who have dedicated great time and effort into studying the body language of dogs and how they ‘think’, in an attempt to help the rest of us to understand our canine other-halves. With an estimated 7.3 million dogs in the UK alone, there is a lot work to do.

It is worth noting at this point the difference between a dog trainer, and a dog psychologist. A dog trainer is an accomplished and skilled person who uses his or her skill to train a dog to comply to standard commands, like ‘sit’, ‘stay’,’ lie down’ etc. At the same time, a trainer seeks to teach the dog’s owner how to control the dog, and above all to do what the owner wants.
By contrast, a dog psychologist uses similar skills, as well as a greater degree of intuition and study of animal body language, to interpret a dog’s behaviour. Through careful handling of both the dog and its owner, this insight is used to teach the owner to both understand and improve the dog’s behaviour.
Many dog trainers and psychologists have earned great respect in the community. Some, like Cesar Millan (who prefers the moniker ‘The Dog Whisperer’) have gained notoriety and fame through working with celebrity dog problems across in the USA, including appearing in his own television series. He is just one of many dog psychologists who attempt to further the better control and care of animals, though compassion and understanding.

Following much of the same philosophy, west midlands-based Nikki Louise Brown, also known as ‘The Canine Angel’, is indeed often considered an angel by those she helps with their dog problems. Although a slender 5’7” thirty –something, she has accumulated a vast understanding of dogs, their behaviour and how to correct undesirable habits. Using body language to determine what your dog is really trying to communicate and feeling, she has an almost uncanny grasp of what your pooch is thinking. Nikki points out the distinction between a dog trainer and a psychologist like herself. “A dog psychologist differs from a dog trainer because dog trainers teach dogs to behave in a certain way. A dog psychologist will try to teach the owners WHY a dog is behaving in a certain way and get the owners to change their behaviour, so the dog in turn changes itself. “

“Nikki became interested in really studying what makes dogs ‘tick’ after a personal tragedy, when she lost her own pet dog Jake, after he ran away and was hit by a car. Her loss was the inspiration she needed to start her on a path she is on today, as a full time dog behaviour advisor – she is on a mission “to help other dog owners understand the mind and the needs of their dogs, so I can help build better relationships with people , their animals and ultimately save more lives.”
After completing a course in dog psychology at the Cumbria-based Canine Behaviour Centre, several years volunteer work in animal rescue homes, and a lifetime’s study of animals and Dogs in particular, she became a full time dog psychologist in 2008.
Nikki is a firm believer in a more modern and compassionate way of training dogs, a far cry from the all the shouting, discipline, and reward and punishment orientated training methods of the past. The popular thinking in dog training circles now is that positive behaviour should be rewarded, and negative behaviour should, where possible, be ignored – or at least corrected with the minimum amount of force and attention. This leads to a faster shaping of a dogs habits, based upon positive experiences, and without any fear or discomfort on the dogs part. By working with animals ‘in their own world’, that is, with body language and using actions that the dog immediately understands, a new level of trust and understanding can be formed with your pet.

Nikki is also a strong adherent in the belief that the energy inside all of us (and in animals like our canine family members) can be manipulated and improved, through what is commonly known as Energy Healing techniques. Nikki explains this concept of healing and helping her canine subjects. “Energy healing therapy is about the transferral of energy from one living species to another. If a dogs energy is unbalanced then it will have health and behavioural issues going on”. A belief in different regions, or ‘chakras’, within the human body and their manipulation is not new, going back at to early Hindu and Buddhist cultures in India, or even earlier. But applying these techniques to animals is comparatively new.

For example, Nikki explains how she uses the technique to help aggressive dogs. “Aggressive dogs usually have an imbalance in the solar plexus energy centre, as this is where fear and fire energy comes from. You may find yourself, that when you are angry or upset, your stomach is usually affected. I use my energy to transform calm energy into the animal, relaxing it and rebalancing their chakras – there are 9 major chakras and hundreds on minor energy points within the body, be that animal or human. Calming positive thought creates positive energy and by laying your hands over the affected or unbalanced animal you can transfer your calm energy to that animal and healing takes place”. Nikki has found that energy healing can help with a number of psychological and physical symptoms in her subjects.

So when might you need the services of a dog psychologist?. Signs that your dog sees itself as the ‘pack leader’ vary, from walking through doors before you, pulling when on the lead, to demanding or stealing food. More extreme behaviours might be fear or aggression around other dogs, people or both. Typically, it usually takes 2- 3 weeks of consistent training to break old habits and form new ones, It can then in my opinion take 4-12 months to really establish a set routine and work through any behavioural issues the dog might have.
Above all, it is important to treat your dog like a dog, as Nikki explains. “The single most important thing to remember is to always remain calm and assertive around your dog. This is how the pack leader would behave naturally. If you are upset, tense or of low or negative energy then you dog will pick this up and respond with different behaviours.”
Most successful communication with dogs occurs through subtle body language, and this is the most important form of communication we have, much more than anything else we can say or do. Following this and other simple rules can lead to a happy and respectful relationship between you and your dog, for years to come.

Nikki teaches dog owners how to communicate with their dogs through body language and signals
In workshops within the Birmingham and Bromsgrove area.

The “People Training for Dogs” workshops, where the owners attend the class not the dogs. The full day course covers everything that a dog owner need’s to know about how to have safe, happy and healthy relationship with mans best friend.
She also teaches how diet can play a huge part in the dog’s behaviour.

If you would like more information about Canine Angels workshops, 1-2-1 home consultations or how to become the leader of the pack and communicate with your best friend, then contact The Canine Angel on 0781 4500291 or visit www. canineangel.co.uk.

June | 2009 | Veterinarian To The World

     Picture this heartwarming image in your mind: A Thanksgiving Day feast with the whole family sitting around a large table overflowing with a bounty of delicious and scrumptious foods. Dad is there at the head of the table reverently preparing to carve the succulent, perfectly-cooked, plump and juicy turkey. Grandma and grandpa are there, as well as brother-in-law Joe and his family from Alabama. And just as this Norman Rockwell-moment is about to reach its blissful conclusion, sweet little Fifi, the family’s slightly obese apricot poodle comes scooching by, in plain sight of everyone, dragging her nasty butt on the dining room carpet.
      Discussing the topic of anal pruritus (Pruritus ani is the medical term for having an itchy butt hole) can be a little bit embarrassing. That having been said, it’s still an important aspect of your pet’s health, and if there is a problem, a visit to your veterinarian is in order. Most of the time, the problem is uneventful; on rare occasions, anal itching can be a sign of potentially life-threatening disease.
      Hands down, the most common problem I see with regards to a dog’s (and occasionally the cat’s) itchy rear end is anal gland disease in all of its various forms. For owners who are not familiar with anal glands, here is a short description. Dogs, cats, and skunks have two structures in their anus called anal glands. And what they are, are scent glands. Located at 4:00 o’clock and 8:00 o’clock within the muscles of the anal sphincter, what is supposed to normally happen is that when the dog poops, as their feces pass through the anus it squishes theses glands which then empty their, pungent, musky-smelling, contents on to the dog’s poop. This glandular secretion represents the dog’s unique smell. It is this smell that other dogs are trying to distinguish when the sniff each other’s butts or crap. The normal condition of anal glands is empty. When anal glands fill up to full capacity, they hurt the dog like a tooth ache!
     This leads to the most common cause of itchy butts: Anal Sac Impaction. With anal sac impaction, FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, the dog’s anal glands don’t empty like they are suppose to. Dogs with impacted anal glands will drag their butts (known as “Scooting”), rub their rear ends against trees and door jams, and generally seem to look back at and appear anxious about their back sides. Sometimes, and quite most commonly, the only symptom the owner notices is their poor dog “just don’t act right”. I get that last symptom a lot! They sometimes will also chew and mutilate their tail heads, crotch, or area around the anus.
     The cure for anal sac impaction is to just have the sacs emptied by your veterinarian. It may be the only time it may need to be done in the dog’s life; it may need to be done monthly. My personal rule-of-thumb is that if the anal sacs have to be emptied (the medical term is expressed) less than monthly, then the owner should consider having the glands removed. Although it is not a bonding experience between you or your pet, I have also taught owners to empty their dog’s anal glands.
     Before I proceed, clients usually ask me what they can do to help prevent impacted anal glands. The answer to this question is that there is NO Answer. The cause has been blamed on everything from being over weight to lack of exercise to the phases of the moon to the Clinton administration. There are a lot of claims to curing this problem, but I’ve found none to work with any reliability.
     Closely related to anal sac impaction is Anal Sacculitis. This is a condition where the anal glands become inflamed and are very often infected. This is a very painful problem for your dog and needs to be attended to medically by your veterinarian. Most of the time they respond well to simple antibiotic therapy. Again, THIS CONDITION MUST BE TREATED. If it isn’t, it can lead to anal gland rupture!. These are pus-filled, draining tracts to the outside skin in the region below the dog’s butt hole.
     Finally, with regards to the various types of anal gland diseases, is Anal Gland Cancer. Known medically as apocrine gland adenocarcinomas, these tumors are a very serious problem that cannot wait to be taken care of. These tumors tend to be quite aggressive and often the outcome is not good. Besides the usual symptoms of itching or scooting, other signs you may see are difficulty in pooping, and in advanced cases, signs of drinking lots of water and peeing.
     Other problems that cause your pet to constantly have itchy butts are bacterial, fungal, or parasitic skin infections (dermatitis) and their very close cousin, skin allergies (I see this a lot!) This problem is sometimes difficult to diagnose precisely. But what I tell my clients is that if the dog or cat is itching all over, licking their feet obsessively, or are constantly shaking their heads and having ear infections, than dermatitis must be included as a possible reason for the pet’s itchy butt.
     Other causes of anal pruritus that are closely related to dermatitis are having worms and fleas. For reasons that have always completely baffled me, having worms is the first reason that owners seem to think of when they see their dog scooting or itching his or her butt. In my experience, as it pertains to itchy rear ends, worms are very uncommon. That having been said, routine worming with a worming product recommended and dispensed by a veterinarian should be part of your pet’s larger overall health care history.
     Fleas, on the other hand, are quite common. For reasons known only to the flea, these pesky little critters love the area around the dog’s anus. Maybe they like the flavor. Treat the pet for fleas, and if the dog stops itching their butt, then that’s likely the problem. My preferred treatment for fleas is a product known as Advantage, or its close cousin, Advantix.
      The other causes of itchy rear ends in dogs and cats are not all that common, but include constipation, bee stings, bug bites, a bone stuck in the butt hole, etc. Sometimes we veterinarians can’t find any obvious problem. Sometimes, it turns out that dogs just like to lick and itch their butts!
Thanks again

October | 2009 | Dogs with Allergies

I had a previous post about Emma’s systemic yeast infection and I thought I would provide a little more information about it. Systemic yeast can  mimic some allergy symptoms, and sometimes your pet will have both. I treated Emma naturally for about two months and her symptoms seem to have cleared up. If your dog is having major issues, I would suggest seeing your veterinarian first since they can prescribe an antifungal antibiotic, and a chlorhexidine shampoo. If you are completely against the use of antibiotics or standard antifungal shampoo, then you can follow this treatment below. I AM NOT a vet! I just prefer to treat my animals naturally if possible. This is what I found and it seemed to work well. First choose your antifungal: Oil of Oregano or Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, the add Glutamine Powder & the Probiotic of your choice. If you’re already giving coconut oil to your dog for other health benefits, you can use it along with the Oil of Oregano.

Oil of Oregano – For small dogs: start with 1 capsule & work up to 2 ( 1 AM/1 PM). For large dogs start with 1 capsule AM & PM & work up to 2 capsules AM & PM. I prefer the NOW Foods brand, and have not had much luck with other brands. You can find this in the natural foods section of your grocery store, at places like the Vitamin Shoppe, or online vitamin stores.

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil - 1 tsp. per 10 lbs, or 1 Tbs. per 30 lbs.  AM & PM: You can find this in the natural food section of your grocery store. I recently stumbled upon it at Wal-Mart too, it located with the cooking oils. Coconut oil is a natural antifungal and helps rid the system of yeast.

L-Glutamine Powder – Dogs 1 – 25 lb: 1/2  500 mg capsule AM & PM

25 – 50 1/2 – 1  500 mg capsule AM & PM

50 – 100 lbs 1 – 2  500 mg capsules AM & PM

L- Glutamine is restorative and reparative to the digestive tract. It’ helps balance and heal the digestive system. It’s also a great immune system booster. It is an amino acid that we produce, but we can benefit from more of it when we’re ill or stressed. When yeast is over abundant in your dog’s system it will eat holes in the digestive tract causing leaky gut syndrome and it results in a very stinky dog. Plus, nutrients from your dog’s food aren’t being absorbed. You can find this at your local vitamin store, the natural food section of your grocery store, and I recently found this at Wal-Mart too.

Probiotics - I don’t have an exact dose for probiotics. Emma is using the probiotics from Animal Essentials and she gets 3/4 tsp per day. Follow the instructions on the package. You can find probiotics at your grocery store, vitamin shop, or Wal-Mart or Target. When we were using capsules, I would give Emma 2 – 4 of them. Probiotics restore the good bacteria in the digestive tract which can be wiped out from overuse of antibiotics. If your dogs is put on an antifungal antibiotic, make sure your put them on a probiotic as well.

I hope this helps you and your pet. It’s a great natural way to restore and balance your dog’s system. Take care and we’ll talk soon.

Andi

Dogs with Allergies

Tags: coconut oil, coconut oil for dogs, coconut oil for yeast, Glutamine, glutamine for dogs, l glutamine, natural yeast treatment for dogs, Probiotics, probiotics for dogs, systemic yeast in dogs, systemic yeast remedy