Ray at work with some of his client’s dogs.
Has your dog chewed your sofa or is constantly running off, only to be found trying to eat the clothing off the neighbour’s washing line?
Well Donegal Daily’s new dog behaviour column will aim to answer all those issues.
The column will be written by the owner of Letterkenny’s K9 Academy, Ray Breslin.
Each week Ray will address a different issue facing dog lovers and dog owners across Donegal.
So what is the K9 Academy?
K9 Academy is Donegal’s first and only Dog Training, Day Care and socialisation centre.
If you’re a pet owner who feels bad leaving your pet behind when you go to work this is a great place for you. Dog Day Cares are popping up all over Ireland and becoming increasingly popular to fit our demanding life styles.
How does this differ to dog kennels?
Ray training some dogs.
Dog Day Care is a place where you can drop your dog off before work and collect them when you are finished. Your dog will socialise, play and exercise with other dogs throughout the day all under the supervision of a Professional Trainer.
Your dog may also benefit from being around a professional trainer and learn some new and good behaviours. Dogs that regularly socialise are less likely to exhibit bad behaviours like reacting to dogs on leads, destroying the house, hyper active or excessive barking.
K9 Academy also offers Dog training, Puppy Classes and Behaviour modification. If you would like to find out more you can visit the website www.K9academy.ie . Visit the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/callK9academy
Or call 0864468313 or Unit 3 Carrygally Business Park, Lismonaghan, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.
This week’s issue……..
Why is my dog destructive when I’m not at home?
Dogs escaping, destroying the house, excessive barking and using the home as a toilet area are just some of the unwanted behaviours owners face when they leave their dog home alone.
So why does your dog do this only when you leave them alone?
There are several reasons why dogs can do these things. The first and most common answer is they do not like being left alone. Dogs are social animals and that is why they have made such loyal pets. Often they get very attached to their owners and can suffer from separation anxiety when we leave.
Through this they can end up chewing the house in what dog trainers call “involuntary chewing”. This is very similar to a human having anxiety and not being able to sit still for too long or biting their nails. Dogs can also lose control of their bladder in stressful situations resulting in having to use the bathroom wherever possible.
There is a simple test you can do to find out if your dog suffers from separation anxiety.
Get up and go into another room and close the door. Did your dog follow you to the other room? Did they wait for you or scratch at the door trying to follow you? If yes then your dog more than likely suffers from separation anxiety. If your dog didn’t follow you and he still is destructive when you leave, he is more than likely just bored.
How can I stop this?
Depending on how severe each case is there are some things you can try at home before consulting a professional.
As dogs love to use their nose we can hide different treats and toys around the house for them to find. I recommend getting a Kong toy for your dog which is a bite proof toy that you can fill with food and your dog will spend hours trying to scrape all the food out. This provides mental stimulation but we must also provide physical stimulation so a long walk before you leave home would really help solve your issues.
It is important to remember if you are going to be gone longer than 4 hours that you cannot expect your dogs to hold their bladder that long or reach the stage of boredom of the things you have provided them to do while you are away.
Ideally you would have someone come over and let them out to do their business or you can get them booked in for day care so they will get to socialise with other dogs and get lots of exercise mental and physical throughout the day.
Meet Ray…….
K9 Academy is run by Ray Breslin who is a Certified and Professional Dog Trainer. Ray has a wealth of experience, education and knowledge in the dog training world. He has trained with some of the top Trainers in Ireland and America. He has competed and titled with his own dogs in competition sports for Obedience, Protection, and Tracking. He has Trained and rehabilitated hundreds of dogs. His training methods are based on motivation which is the same method used to train guide dogs, police dogs and service dogs. He promises success as long as you promise commitment to training.
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