By Nick Jones of Alpha Dog Behaviour


In last month's newsletter, Sarah wrote very elegantly about the start of Spring, how it is a period of rebirth and making the best of opportunities that come our way, and to consider reaching out and creating our own opportunities if we don't have any before us.

As I read this I was struck by the simple yet inescapable truth that Sarah wrote, and how much I agreed with her sentiments. I then thought it would be of interest to see how we could weave the thought of canine ownership into such a theme and hope we might be able to translate these aspirations into our own day-to-day experiences with our dogs. Well I may be at risk of biting off more than I can chew but it's worth a go. So let's look at the joy of spring and how we can make the very best of it alongside our canine companions.

Let's face it; we've had a pretty heavy winter weather-wise!

Most animals recognise the gradual uprising of spirit, freshness and enthusiasm in the spring, and I for one am feeling it as I sit at my desk typing in mid March. Soft puddled sunlight is reminding me that there is an outside world waiting to be explored all over again.

Whilst I work full time helping owners with their dog's behaviour, I am also lucky enough to be self-employed and be able to strike (for the best part) a happy medium between work and play. As a fellow dog owner I just like you have (2) dogs looking at me giving the expression 'Are we going out then?' Once this is done we can all relax. They get down to some serious house mooching, and I can get to work on a job or sort office duties out.

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to come across two lady dog walkers with a pack of about twelve dogs under their care. They were a funny bunch to see, and actually a brilliant thing as I walked the last 500yds with them back to the car park. We discussed Crufts together (it transpires we were both there last Friday albeit for different reasons). She commented on how well behaved my own big dog Max is, and I resisted the temptation to explain my own work and role - I was trying to relax on my walk! Rather like telling someone you're a doctor and they start asking 100 questions in relation to their own health…or so I imagine that's what it's like to be a doctor when out of the surgery!

All of these thoughts bring me back to the fact that it is indeed a time to be out there as much as you can now with your own dogs. The daff's are out, a lot of blossom is at the point of bursting forth too.

I am well aware that many of you work 9-5 and do not have the flexibility that self-employment can bring. The nights are genuinely longer now, and for most light enough long enough to be setting up evening walks after work. It can be hard to break away from the hibernation-like habits that winter can bring, but join me as I too endeavour to get out and about for the benefit of myself and my dogs. It's quite normal to experience these cycles, but I thought I would give you a nudge in case you needed one to reinvigorate and to begin to build strength and stamina. That way we shall be in keeping with the natural rhythm of life, and able to take the opportunities that do come our way as Sarah mentioned last month.

I'd like to encourage you to simply walk with your dog. To enjoy saying 'Hi' to other people as they pass you. Maybe to stop and chat about the weather. I love to talk about the weather, and in my experience so do most other British folk. It actually doesn't matter what it is you talk about, it's simply a common thread for you to connect with another human being. You do that don't you? Stop and talk to strangers? Naturally like anything in life we need to discriminate and make good choices, but most people out there are just like you, they enjoy a natter in the fresh spring air.

But what about dogs Nick! I hear you say. Well of course during these pauses to natter with your fellow human beings your dog will be with you. You dog is the best excuse in the world to interact not just with other people but the greater world about you. If you study them they show you what you might be missing. The Buzzard soaring above your head, the shrew that was watching you approach that has just dashed into cover, an approaching dog and owner on the horizon.

You have a connection to your dog that is strong and deep, you can use this connection to enhance how you experience the beauty of spring about you. Think about how your dog experiences the world about itself. Think about the scents it is likely to detect and how it responds to these. Think about the visual experience your dog has, and how it must all sound to your dog. I believe that in studying life from your dog's own perspective we can place our own life's into a sense of proportion, allowing us to experience the walk and time away from pressures of the office or home by being in that moment.

Have I bitten off too much yet? Maybe so, but the main message I want to leave you with is simply get out with your dog, to enjoy what nature offers us all. Keep it simple, and keep it fun. Remember that a well-exercised dog is a relaxed content dog and in my experience less likely to exhibit behavioural problems or show anxiety.

Nick Jones