H&C

“As supporters of Dogs for the Disabled, we were delighted to see the Crufts Friends For Life 2010 competition won by eight year old Sam Daly and his assistance dog Josie. The pair have been together since Spring 2009 when Sam attended a two week training course with his mum at Dogs for the Disabled’s national training centre in Banbury, and was matched with Josie to give Sam the independence he is losing as a result of having a life-limiting disability. This recognition highlighted the charity’s work to a wider audience, and, hearing Sam and his mum describe the huge impact the 2 year-old yellow Labrador has made to their lives, it emphasised the role that volunteer socialisers can make to help each puppy successfully follow in Josie’s footsteps. As for Ruby, I am pleased to say that her season has now finished, and she is fully back into socialising and training exercises. She is quick to learn when in training mode, and equally keen to burn off excess energy when in play mode (today’s picture captures her having just retrieved her Frisbee toy!). I always appreciate the comments that are regularly posted on the Horse & Country TV web site, and, related to Ruby’s season, wanted to reassure readers that every precaution is taken when exercising her. By taking short walks in a fenced and secured field (with the land-owners permission) away from the village and with no public access, I always ensure that Ruby is not exposed to risk, walking her on lead from the car to and from that area. Looking into the future, as well as arranging a visit with our Puppy Co-ordinator, Claire Lush, I am also awaiting confirmation of when Ruby will be brought in to the charity’s kennels for a week of familiarisation. Each dog in Training is based at the on-site kennels unless they do not settle there easily, in which case they ‘lodge’ with one of the charity’s staff. This initial experience will help Ruby acclimatise, and is part of the puppy programme to complete prior to Ruby entering the next stage of training. The timing reminds me that Ruby will only be with us for a few more months, and then she will be taking her next steps to being a fully trained assistance dog like Josie.”

“I have been able to take Ruby on a few training walks now that her paw is healed, and have been working on down-stays and recall from a distance. From the start, I have trained Ruby to respond to whistle and voice to ensure that she is familiar with either method that a future client may be able to use. Overall her recall is instant and excellent, even when she is running about with my own two dogs. Ditto with her down-stay, where she stays focused despite potential distractions around her (including one of our dogs walking up and sniffing her). It was after returning from one of these training walks that I noticed a couple of small spots of blood on the kitchen floor. Of course, given her recent paw injury, the first concern was that Ruby had had another brush with a Blackthorn, but a quick inspection soon confirmed what I had suspected – Ruby’s first season had started! My own two dogs have both been castrated, so, although they are showing more interest in Ruby, they are not a risk to her. But I have to take care to ensure she does not mix with any dogs that are still entire. This means that, for the next three weeks, I will restrict Ruby’s walks and activities to a couple of fields outside the village where there will be no risk of Ruby meeting any other dogs. I will keep working on the recalls and stay commands, as well as enable her to free run in a safe environment with my own dogs.”