PDTE Newsletter July 2020

Founded in 1998

by Turid Rugaas

www.pdte.eu

PDTE

PET DOG TRAINERS OF EUROPE

NEWSLETTER

July 2020

‘Curiosity is the stepping stone to development

and learning to cope with life.’

PDTE President Turid Rugaas

Turid Rugaas Winkie Spiers Karen Webb

Peter Botsch Harriet Alexander Audrey Doornbos

PDTE board

President

Turid Rugaas

turidrug@frisurf.no

Chair

Winkie Spiers

winkie@winkiespiers.com

Secretary

Karen Webb

pdtesecretary@gmail.com

Treasurer

Peter Botsch

pdtetreasurer@gmail.com

Communications & Strategy

Harriet Alexander

petdogtrainersofeurope@gmail.com

Understudy & Editor

Audrey Doornbos

editorpdte@gmail.com

www.pdte.eu

Pet Dog Trainers of Europe

The Pet Dog Trainers of Europe (PDTE) was founded

in 1998 by Norwegian dog expert Turid Rugaas, who

has been at the forefront of canine communication for

many years.

We have members all around the globe, allowing us to

share knowledge, experience and skills. Our members

share a philosophy and approach that honours dogs

and our connection to them.

We oppose methods that cause pain and discomfort or

rob dogs of their natural instincts. We believe understanding

how dogs view the world and communicate

deepens and enhances our relationships with them.

Our members uphold a strict Code of Ethics and are

encouraged to commit to ongoing learning through our

networks and programs.

Our mission

To build an accessible, dynamic community of dog

professionals who promote progressive and ethical

approaches towards dogs and their humans.

Our vision

A world in which dogs are understood, respected and

treated with kindness and empathy.

Next Newsletter will

be published August/

September 2020.

The deadline for submissions

for the next issue is

12 August 2020.

Please send your photos,

articles or ideas you want

to share to:


Photo credits

Cover

Tara - Denise Vrolijk

Centerfold

Douglas - Reidun Johansen

Accompanying articles

Members of PDTE

New email address?

Changes in your personal

data?

Please send an email to:

pdtesecretary@gmail.com

2 PDTE Newsletter July 2020

IN THIS

ISSUE

President’s message

Dear members,

This year is a big year for me, as I can celebrate my 50

years anniversary as a dog trainer. There will not be any

big celebrations, but some strolling down memory lane

and digging out memories how things were way back then.

I started knowing nothing, and the learning curve was steep and

rough from the beginning, and so incredibly interesting and exciting.

We were all like sponges, sucking up little drops of new knowledge,

no matter how small. Things have changed since then, the beginning

and the end of the 50 years can not be compared at all. I am happy

to have travelled that journey, it has given me perspectives, and

made me understand how important it is to keep going on learning,

all the time.

Studies, new technlogy and internet communication have given

people access to so much more than we had in the beginning, and

I envy you all to have so many possibilities within reach. Use it!

Learn from it, and develop! I would have been exstatic if i had those

possibilities in the beginning!

On the other side, when we had to search and struggle to learn

something and be creative in practical training, trying to find new

ways, maybe that was a gift after all. It taught me to not be afraid

of trying, to take chances, find new ways. The only thing that was always

taken care of was the ethical side of it. Never to let the dog feel

bad, the dog’s welfare was the most important in everything we did.

The most important difference I see today is that we actually had

fun. Competitions, the dogs making mistakes in the field search or

missing an obedience exercise, we could laugh, we had fun, it did not

really matter - it was more entertainment than anything else.

If I should wish for something in this anniversary year it would be

to see dog owners actually smile and enjoy themselves when they

do something with their dogs, even taking a walk! Smiling leash and

smiling owner. Enjoy your time together with your dog! Does he

do mistakes? A little stubborn? Is a bit naughty? So what?! Are we

perfect? Take it, even change it if necessary, with a sense of humour.

Your time with your dog is so precious, you never get it back - enjoy

it while you can. And smile !

Turid

President of PDTE

Editor’s message 4

PDTE MEMBERSHIP 4

by Karen Webb, PDTE Secretary

MENTORING PROGRAM 6

About support and encouragement

- learn from the best.

by Sam Walker-Arends

CITY DOGS 8

Living in a rich environment

by Denise Vrolijk

SIT STUDY 13

by Lyubov Elupova

DOG SYMPOSIUM 2020 14

An interview with Jean Dodds

by Audrey Doornbos

HOT DOGS 21

by Dr. Susanne Lautner

A JOURNAL 22

FOR YOUR DOG

by Renee Schaakxs

Breed Study 24

HOW OUR 27

MICROBIOTA AFFECTS

OUR MENTAL HEALTH

by Cristina Gomes Budzinski

NOTES FROM A 28

LOCKDOWN

by Pennie Clayton

Country Corner 30

New Members 32

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

3

Editor’s message

Woooowwww... Careful what you

wish for... Remember the sentence I

wrote in the last issue?

“Don’t hesitate and make my

emailbox explode for the next

issue ;))”

Well, I’ve received so many articles

I can make another full and complete

Newsletter! It will be published

beginning of September.

I had to make a selection of which articles

should be published now, had to notify

the other writers their article will be

published later, and therefore and due

to other PDTE related activities this issue

is published a bit later than planned. But

you’re not hearing me complain!

I’m so happy we have so many members

participating and contributing. I really

hope this is contagious and articles will

keep coming.

Because of all the ongoing uncertainties

around COVID-19, the Events & Education

page is not published in this issue.

Keep an eye out for notifications about

webinars, online educations, etc.

If you find an interesting one, you might

consider sending an email to your CR or

to me. That way we can spread the word

and not solely rely on Facebook, because

not all members are using that.

For the future issiues of the Newsletter

I’m always happy to receive:

• breed studies

• centerfold photos

• case studies

Stay healthy, take care of your lovedones

and enjoy reading!

Audrey Doornbos

Editor PDTE

PDTE MEMBERSHIP

by Karen Webb,

PDTE Membership Secretary

Hello Everyone, I hope you are all keeping safe and well and like me

spending quality time with your own lovely dogs. I know, like me, you can

take pride in what PDTE stands for and our unique Code of Ethics. We have

so many members throughout the world not just Europe, educating and

helping dog guardians for the benefit and well-being of all their dogs.

A hugely important and integral element of PDTE is our membership -

so let’s talk membership!

What are the levels of

membership?

We offer two levels of membership.

Associate Membership

Our Associate Members are fascinated

by and passionate about training and behaviour.

They are actively working with

dogs and committed to improving their

knowledge and skills with continuous

professional development. Entry level

into PDTE. This is achieved by completing

an in-depth on line application form

which is then reviewed by the Board.

Full Membership

Our Full Members champion the PDTE

and have exemplary knowledge and

expertise. They are working with dogs in

a professional capacity, this may be full

time or at the least part time.

Numbers

Today our membership stands at 184

members from 32 countries! Which is

absolutely amazing. We have 5 Honorary

Members, 67 Full Members and also 112

Associate Members.

Honorary Members

An Honorary Member is determined by

the Board. A member who has given an

outstanding contribution to PDTE.

All our members (Honorary, Full and

Associate) are expected to demonstrate

a willingness to learn, and provide

evidence of continual update to their

knowledge. All members must abide by

the Code of Ethics of the PDTE.

How I become a Full Member?

There are two ways in which you may

become a Full Member.

To be considered for Full Membership

you’ll need to demonstrate that:

• you have been an Associate Member

for a minimum of 2 years and you are

working with dogs in a professional

capacity


• you are an active and engaged member

of the PDTE community and you

are committed to Continued Professional

Development (CPD) of at least

40 hours per year.

Examples of CPD may include:

• attending, hosting or teaching courses,

seminars and events online learning

such as webinars or workshops.

• taking part in the PDTE mentoring

program.

• reading relevant books from the PDTE

reading list and elsewhere, connecting

and collaborating with other PDTE

members.

• creating and sharing educational content

such as articles, videos and social

media content.

• providing material for PDTE output

such as the bulletin, newsletter, PDTE

website and PDTE Facebook page; this

information is readily available to all

members on the PDTE website in the

members’ area.

If you wish to apply for Full Membership

then fill in the appropriate form which is

readily available on the website:

www.pdte.eu/join

Once your application is received your

membership level will be reviewed by

the Board.

Alternatively the Board of PDTE may

invite a member to become a Full Member,

where they have shown exceptional

knowledge, understanding and promotion

of humane canine relationships.

Full Members should be working with

dogs full time or at the least part time.

If you are unsure about applying to become

a Full Member and wish to discuss

the matter, then please either contact

myself or any member of the Board or

your Country Representative. We are all

here to help and guide you. This is about

team work and working for the benefit

of all our members.

Many of our members are carrying out

fantastic and innovative work in striving

forward to make the world a better place

for all our dogs.

Absolutely fantastic news since September

of last year we have been delighted

to welcome 14 new Full Members.

If you aspire to be a Full Member then

we would love to hear from you!

Friend of PDTE

We presently have 76 Friends from 20

Countries.

Friend of PDTE is open to anyone who

has an interest or is is passionate about

dogs. Someone, who is not necessarily

working with dogs, but wants to learn

more about their lovely canine friends

and have contact with like minded people

for friendship and guidance.

Many of our Friends are from a wide

range of backgrounds which includes:

dog guardians, rescue organisations

and/or staff members, groomers, dog

walkers, therapists, veterinary professionals

including veterinarians and their

staff as well as dog trainers.

Friend is also recognised as a stepping

stone for some who are at the beginning

of their journey as a dog trainer.

They may be attending one of the many

Educations such as the International Dog

Trainers Education (IDTE), now held in

several countries around the world or

other Educations hosted and taught in

Dog Schools by our PDTE members.

Together with dog trainers who are already

working professionally with dogs,

having attended training with other

organisations.

Many trainers desire to be Associate

Members of PDTE. The Board, when

determining applications for Associate

Member, maintains a strict criteria in

line with our Code of Ethics. Not all

applicants are considered to be at an

appropriate stage in their career to be

offered membership.

However, we actively want to encourage

all applicants in their chosen career.

To guide them and give them a greater

understanding of our Code of Ethics

and philosophy of natural training and

behaviour and giving our dogs choices.

Therefore, they are invited to become a

Friend of PDTE which enables them to

work towards their future goal of Associate

Membership.

We would encourage all our members to

tell your relatives, friends and colleagues

about our amazing organisation. We

have a wealth of knowledge within PDTE

so please do share and encourage others

to join us. They can become a Friend

of PDTE by simply completing the very

short on line application form on the

PDTE website: www.pdte.eu/join

Annual Membership renewals

We are fast approaching annual membership

renewal time. As you are all

hopefully aware, in these unprecedented

times, we have been happy to announce

that membership fees for this coming

annual renewal period (1 September

2020) is voluntary.

Membership renewals will be sent out

as normal in August 2020 and your

subscription payment is a voluntary

contribution. We look forward to your

completed renewal form as this is

an important part of your continued

membership and continued professional

development.

If you have any questions or want any

further information please do contact

me: pdtesecretary@gmail.com

Stay safe and enjoy the rest of summer.

Bye for now,

Karen

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

5

MENTORING PROGRAM

About support and encouragement - learn from the best.

by Sam Walker-Arends - www.samthedogcoach.co.uk

We are lucky to have so many brilliant mentors in the mentorship

scheme. The list currently includes:

• Turid Rugaas

• Winkie Spiers

• Pennie Clayton

• Raili Halme

• Anne Lil Kvam

• Marina Gates Fleming

• Manja Leissner

• Federica Iacozzilli

• Peter Botsch

Hello, my name is Sam and I have recently taken over

the running of the Mentorship Scheme from Steph

Rousseau. I would like to say thank you to Steph for

setting up such a wonderful and important scheme.

I have been learning about dog behaviour for a few years now,

alongside my ‘other job’. For me, I found the learning fascinating

but when it came to thinking how I could make that jump

to taking on clients and setting up my own business, I felt quite

lost. My background was theatre and working with dogs on a

more professional level seemed completely intimidating and

out of my comfort zone.

Luckily, I came across Steph Rousseau after dog sitting for her

and was introduced to the PDTE. Here I found a host of like

minded dog enthusiasts with a message that I could really

invest in. This was at a time when (luckily) the mentorship

scheme was in the process of being set up and immediately I

joined up to be a mentee - it seemed exactly what I had been

looking for to bridge the gap between learning and doing.

Being able to speak to people with a vast amount of skills,

expertise and experience has been key in helping me make

that jump to the next level. What I love best is that you can

really tailor it to yourself. What is your biggest concern at the

moment and what is an area you would love to learn about?

For me it was great to get advice on how to start up a business

but it was also invaluable being able to speak about a whole

range of topics - from ethics and the importance of sniffing to

helping set a plan when I didn’t know how to help a particular

dog and their human.

Most importantly I was able to get some much needed support

and encouragement. I felt that I would always be a fraud until

I knew everything there was to know, but speaking to one

mentor, Winkie Spiers, I was encouraged to start trying to give

it a go and that through meeting people and their dogs I would

continue to learn an enormous amount. It was wonderful

taking on my first few clients and knowing that if I was uncertain

or doubted the way forward that I had a support system of

wonderful dog trainers to be able to work a way forward with.

One word of warning, and something that I learnt, is that you

very much get out of the scheme what you have put in. I have

been guilty in the past of life becoming so hectic that I have not

gotten nearly enough out of the opportunity before the three

month rotation was over - the three months goes very quickly

so if you can possibly soak in as much as you can from your

mentor then I would very much encourage you to do so!

The next rotation will begin in July, please do sign up if you

think it could be of benefit. You don’t need to be new to dog

training - perhaps you feel it would be beneficial to have time

to talk to one of our mentors, brush up on some knowledge or

get some advice. Either way I hope that the scheme can help

you along on your dog training journey.


Yvette Potter - Mentee

Why did you decide to join up to the mentorship

scheme?

I decided to join up to the scheme because I wanted to learn

more from the seasoned knowledgeable members of the PDTE

so that I can evolve more as a trainer and person and pass on

to my dogs to others and also clients.

What did you expect from the scheme?

From the scheme I expected knowledge and networking plus

ways of doing things better for our dogs.

What do you feel have you gained?

I have gained insight and knowledge plus met a lot of extraordinary

people who I have learnt lots from. The ideas that have

been put out and I have gathered I have been able to use on

my own dogs and others and I’m very happy to be able to carry

on with being mentored.

William Lee - Mentee

Why did you decide to join up to the mentorship

scheme?

The very first reason that I wanted to take this mentorship

was a pure curiosity; what made people and their dog look so

peaceful? And what motivated them?

When I started this work 4 years ago, I was told the only way

of training dogs was showing them the superiority of owner so

they can obey, respond directly. I questioned myself and that’s

when I met Anne Lill Kvam. She asked me what does lovely

family look like. Does son listen to his father because of the

fear? Or does he listen to him because of the trust?

And from then, I was very eager to learn how experts of PDTE

think. After I have become part of PDTE, Winkie has suggested

me to take Mentorship for better understanding of PDTE’s

perspective and ethics. And so far, I think that decision was

very wise.

What did you expect from the scheme?

The ideal and practical knowledge of course. One thing that

I have come to realise is in dog training, teaching people is

more important than teaching dog. For all the problems

can easily get worse and be triggered by owner’s mistakes/

misunderstanding.

So I would love to learn how do mentors deal with this matter.

Moreover learning the practical knowledge about dogs will be

absolutely wonderful.

What do you feel have you gained?

I have gained the truth that there are still so many things to

learn and think about. I am trying not to be satisfied or be arrogant

saying “I know about dogs”. And my wonderful mentors

are helping with this and I feel very grateful and privileged.

We are very sorry, but due to

the COVID-19 situation around

the world, The Board of PDTE has

decided that the AGM in Bergen

in September this year must be

cancelled.

There will be difficulties getting

there, with fewer planes, more

expensive travelling and insurance

companies that will not cover costs

in case of illness and accidents.

We do also expect borders not to

be openend everywhere at that time

and many other restrictions.

I am very sad to miss seeing you this

year, but we count on next year with

new possibilities.

I will contact the speakers directly

who have promised to talk in

Bergen, participants already signed

up and those who have paid.

Turid,

On behalf of the Bergen committee

The hotel allows dogs, but

please do not bring them.

CANCELLED

Registration Fees

Check the website.

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

7

CITY DOGS

Living in a rich environment

by Denise Vrolijk

Dogs who live in the city are confronted by stimuli

of all kinds, such as sounds, movements and smells.

As a result, a dog’s emotions can run riot, which is

why stress, nervousness and fear are very common.

How can you supervise your dog in a safe and social

manner amidst city life?

A holistic view, knowledge of a dog’s body language

and ‘good habits’, and an understanding of the ethogram

of the dog will help you on your way.

Research into the behaviour of free-roaming dogs in India 1

and Morocco reveals that dogs naturally prefer calm activities.

For most of the day they are inactive, either sleeping or lying

quietly and looking around. Their activities

largely consist of walking, discovering,

sniffing, standing and running.

Now and then they interact with other

dogs, smelling each other, or they

interact with people, in part because

they receive food from them.

A smaller portion of the day is spent

looking for food by themselves, defecating,

chewing and body care. For an

even smaller portion of the day they

are vocally active: barking, whining and

occasionally growling. 2

Bicycles and cars are an easy barrier when passing other dogs is a bit exiting or scary.


‘Knowledge

of the

language

of dogs is

indispensable

here’

Free choices

These free-roaming dogs are generally

free to decide for themselves how to

spend the day and what they do. Their

ethogram lies close to a dog’s true

nature. How different things are for a

dog who lives in a house, especially one

in a bustling city. For such a dog, people

determine the daily routine, and the

surroundings determine the number of

stimuli that the dog encounters.

The ‘inelastic behaviours’ - sleep, body

care, ingestion and safety 3 - are largely

dictated by people. For free-roaming

dogs, these necessities of life are not always

so obvious. And it is precisely such

basic needs that are so important for a

dog’s survival and wellbeing. For house

dogs, such necessities are not always

provided according to the needs of the

individual animal.

Mature dogs, for example, need 14-18

hours of sleep per 24 hours. Young

dogs and old dogs require even more.

Oftentimes, the food provided does not

offer anything near the variety that dogs

need. Regulating body temperature by

providing various spots to lie (cooler,

warmer, higher, lower, spacious enough)

is just as important. As for a sense of

safety, that sometimes leaves much to

be desired in the city. 4

Holistic vision

A good balance in the necessities of life

(the ‘inelastic behaviours’) is of importance

for the required homeostasis in a

dog’s body, and for preventing unnecessary

tension. Consider the whole dog.

That begins with the breed, or mix of

breeds, and associated behaviour.

Also, keep in mind that dogs can hear,

see and smell better than we can. As a

result, to them an urban environment is

a rich melting pot of movements, sounds

and smells. And that’s where things

sometimes go awry with people’s judge-

Many people walk on the tracks of the tram and the platform,

a lot of different smells are found here.

ment. A dog experiences a busy crossroads in a very different

way than we do.

Take, for instance, traffic lights: if the lights are red and we

stand waiting, we hear the ticking of 72 decibels must less

intensely than dogs do. When the lights turn green, the decibel

level rises to 77. You can imagine that this is far more intense

for dogs. And if a bus, scooter or tram (all 80 decibels) happen

to pass by at the same time, it’s not so odd that the dog might

become agitated at such a busy crossroads. 5

Fear, tension and stress cause the dog to want to move as far

as possible away from those sounds. And that’s not so strange.

Hearing damage can occur in humans at as low as 70 decibels.

If we then look at the necessary homeostasis in the dog’s body,

and their natural ethogram, we often see an imbalance in this

area. This imbalance can cause even more stress.

Good habits

Dogs in the city usually cannot make choices on their own. It is

important, for their own safety, that they are properly supervised

by people, in a way that takes their natural needs into

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

9

consideration. Knowledge of the language of dogs and their

‘good habits’, the set of unwritten rules that govern the behaviour

of dogs in their contact with others, is indispensable here.

If you pass one another very closely on a narrow footpath, or if

you walk your dog past a cargo bike or building container with

a flapping canvas cover, the impact can be very intense for a

dog. By nature, dogs try to avoid conflict and prefer not to walk

directly towards other dogs or objects. After all, that can be interpreted

as an invitation to engage in conflict. That’s why they

always give one another and tense situations a wide berth.

In the city, many dogs are kept on a short leash. This prevents

them from indicating that they want to steer well clear of a

source of tension, and so they are usually guided right past

them. And that does not always happen silently. A bark or a

growl is a way of indicating: “I want to move away. You (person/

dog/obstacle) are too close.” If we look at the dog’s body language,

we see that he has already indicated with many signals

that he would prefer more distance. 6

A dog’s body language

A dog benefits enormously if its owner can read and understand

a dog’s body language and respond appropriately.

So-called ‘calming signals’, which have been researched for

years by the famous Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugaas 7 , can

provide guidance. They allow you to read your dog better and

help him by avoiding tense situations together.

For example, if your dog sits with his back to the direction of

walking, then walk in the direction indicated by the dog. Walk

to the other side of the street, to the median strip, or behind

Denise Vrolijk is a qualified dog behaviour expert and

dog nutrition expert. She is a Full Member of PDTE.

Denise is the author of the book ‘Stadshonden. Leven in

een rijke omgeving’ and she developed the happy families

game ‘Hond in de Stad’, also available in English: ‘City Dogs’.

More information: www.doglivity.com

something, whether it be a car, bus stop,

electrical box, row of bikes or any other

‘obstacle’ to be passed. You can use such

typical city objects as a buffer. Research

has shown that the heartbeat of a dog

drops when such a buffer is used. 8

More subtle signals such as the blinking

of the eyes, or turning the head or

body away, indicate that your dog wants

more space to assess a situation at what

he considers a safer distance. If this

succeeds a number of times without the

dog having to endure fear or tension,

then the dog will have enjoyed stressfree

experiences. And they are needed

in dealing with tense situations. Keep

in mind the limited number of memory

slots that dogs (and people) possess. If

the memory slots are full, then the dog

cannot store any new information and

will not learn to deal with the situation.

Calmness is important, because it allows

the dog to process new impressions. 9,10

Balance

Living with dogs in the city calls for an

understanding of the breed of dog, of

canine language, their good habits, the

way they learn, their memory works, and

the fantastic acuity of their senses. But

offering sufficient space for inelastic behaviours,

such as sleep, ingestion, body

care and safety, is of vital importance.

If the balance is upset in any of these

areas, then the dog lacks a solid basis,

and coping with the bustle of city life will

become more difficult.

Just think of your own response when

you have slept poorly. Sounds and bright

light hit you much harder that they do if

you’re well rested.

This article was first published in the Dutch magazine

‘Onze Hond’ (2020/01) and was translated into English

by Billy Nolan.

The natural ethogram is often imbalanced

too. We do too much or do the

wrong things with the dog. Often, the

balance tips towards physical effort,

while it is mental stimulation, discovery


‘The city

offers

plenty of

space for

discovery’

Pauze and wait for people to pass if the dog

is a bit unsure of the situation.

Look at new abstacles on the sidewalk from a safe distance.

and sniffing that are needed, certainly

when it comes to learning how to cope

with city life.

The city offers so many wonderful places

for that: empty shopping streets after

closing time, empty terraces, parking

spaces on the median strip, streets

opened for roadworks, a neighbour’s

façade garden. These are all places

where a dog can use his nose to discover lots of new things

about his own neighbourhood. 11 Make the most of them. And

provide sufficient rest so that the dog can process all these

new impressions.

If you view in a holistic way the life of your dog in the city, and

your own understanding of your dog, then there is a good

chance that both you and your dog can live in busy surroundings

in a safe and social manner. The city offers plenty of space

and opportunities for discovery.

Sources

1. Majumder, S.S.; Chatterjee, A. and Bahdra, A., ‘A dog’s day with humans-time activity budget of free-ranging dogs in India’, in: Current

Science, 106(6), 2014.

2. Majumder, S.S.; Chatterjee, A. and Bahdra, A., ‘A dog’s day with humans-time activity budget of free-ranging dogs in India’, in: Current

Science, 106(6), 2014, p. 874.

3. Dog Aggression Course, Amber Batson BVetMed. MRCVS, 2018.

4. Dog Aggression Course, Amber Batson BVetMed. MRCVS, 2018.

5. Vrolijk, D., Stadshonden, leven in een rijke omgeving, 2018, p. 54.

6. Vrolijk, D., Stadshonden, leven in een rijke omgeving, 2018, p. 44-45.

7. Rugaas, T., Kalmerende signalen, in gesprek met je dog, 2006 (fourth imprint).

8. At the heart of the walk, Cristina and Aurelién Budzinski, PDTE AGM (Pet Dog Trainers of Europe, Annual General Meeting), 2019.

9. Vrolijk, D., Stadshonden, leven in een rijke omgeving, 2018, p. 30.

10. Unforgettable, Practical applications of making and breaking memories in the dog, Amber Batson BVetMed. MRCVS, 2016.

11. Vrolijk, D., Stadshonden, leven in een rijke omgeving, 2018, p. 56-57.

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

11

SIT STUDY

by Lyubov Elupova

Dear PDTE members,

I would like to invite you to participate in a new wave

of the Sit Study. In this study, inspired by Turid Rugaas,

we are looking at such simple behavior as sit!

We try to find out why and when dogs sit naturally,

and how many times. We will also look at different

groups of dogs - for example: dogs of different age,

with/without mobility issues.

First wave of the study already showed very interesting results

- for example, that older dogs and ones with mobility issues

choose to sit fewer times and less in duration. Now we want to

collect even more data to learn more.

If you would like to participate, please observe your dog sit for

one or two days, and fill in the details in the Sit Study Form

(available in English and Spanish). Please email me to receive

the form: elupovaliubov@gmail.com

The form is really simple to follow so if you would like to invite

your clients/friends to participate, this would be great.

All you need is to be near your dog and have a piece of paper

and chronometer ready to measure time of the sits and write

them down. Please send the filled form back to me at

elupovaliubov@gmail.com.

I am happy to answer any questions you might have over email.

* Deadline – 15 July 2020 *

It’s a great timing for all of us to slow down and observe our

dogs. They are always ready to teach us something new!

Thank you very much in advance! I hope to be able to share the

results of this study soon in a dedicated article or during the

next AGM.

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

13

Standing left to right:

Cristina Budzinski, Jennie Harvey, Mindy

Camponeschi, Cristian M. Von Reitze

Sitting left to right:

Aurélien Budzinski, Turid Rugaas,

Jean Dodds, Chantal Deboel

DOG SYMPOSIUM 2020

An interview with Jean Dodds

by Audrey Doornbos

The 7 th and final edition of the Dog Symposium Oslo was held from 7-8 March 2020. Two days

filled with interesting speakers of which you can find the reports on www.dogsymposium.no

Dr. W. Jean Dodds gave two presentations: Vaccinations and Titer Testing and New Approaches

in Dog Nutrition and afterwards she was so kind to do an interview about these topics.

In the next Newsletter an interview with Jennie Harvey: Snuffle Garden projects in Australia.

Where are you from for all the people who don’t know that yet?

We live in Southern California and we also live in Venice which

is in lockdown right now, because of COVID-19.

And what kind of company do you run in California?

We have a company, a nonprofit charity called Hemopet. We

rescue Greyhounds that are unsuitable for the racing industry;

they would likely be killed otherwise. They are about 4 to 5

years of age when the come to us and leave when they are 5 to

6 to be family companions in homes.

We spay or neuter them first and then they donate a small ‘single’

unit of blood twice a month for no more than 10 months.

We have been doing this for 25 years and we have a waiting list

of people who want to adopt the dogs because Greyhounds

make beautiful pets. We train them with calm, positive encouragement,

using a harnas not a collar!

Is there a specific reason you rescue Greyhounds?

Well… everybody thinks Greyhounds have universal donor

blood, in other words their blood is always compatible, which

is certainly not true. The reason for having Greyhounds is just

because there are so many available! We’re trying to make a

statement about human responsibility for the lives of animals.

These dogs are born and bred to race,

to make money. Now fortunately, or

unfortunately, casinos do that with cards

and stuff so we don’t need the animals

anymore. So what do we do with the

dogs and all the breeding farms that

have them? We have to teach people to

take care of them. Greyhounds are calm

and have good temperament and make

wonderful pets.

It turns out that when you screen them

for infectious diseases that could be

transmitted by blood - like it is in humans

- and the special blood type which

is universal for all dogs, it is only 8% of

the dogs that are available.

The ones that are ‘not suitable’ for

donating blood we send immediately to

the adoption facilities in our community

we work with. The dogs with infectious

diseases will be treated first and then

they go to their forever homes.


So there is caring for them and let’s say ‘using’ them for a good

cause? In which ‘using them’ doesn’t sound very friendly…

Well yes, they are ‘volunteering their time’, in quotation marks,

but in order to do that they have to benefit as well, because if

they’ve donated their blood for a short period of time to save

other dog’s lives they have to have something in return. So we

make sure their life is enriched and they do have good homes,

because they live to be 12 to 14 years of age.

It is a way of contributing to dog welfare…

We hope so! Because we have to have the blood from somewhere

to help other dogs.

Yesterday you talked about vaccinating and we all know there are

two sides in the extremes when it comes to vaccinating. You mentioned

it is not about not vaccinating but vaccinating wisely. Can

you tell us some more about that?

We need to be in the middle of those extremes and vaccinate

appropriately and do it wisely. Part of the problem is that the

information about the benefits and risks of vaccines is totally

misunderstood. Talking to a group of people at the Dog

Symposium who are already aware and totally on board helps

the discussion. They can take the ‘awareness-virus’ - rather

than the coronavirus - and teach the other people that don’t

understand it and maybe getting different messages from their

veterinarian which is quite unfortunate.

Because only 40% of veterinarians worldwide typically follow

all of the guidelines internationally promoted about how to

vaccinate appropriately.

You don’t have to get intimidated by

the town and gown academic mentality.

You can say: ‘Wait a minute, I’ve read

about this, I’m a common sensical person

knowing what is best for my pet’s

well-being.’

What about the ‘standard’ vaccinating

schedule for puppies? They get the first

shot at 6 or 9 weeks and get a booster vaccination

at 12 weeks and then again one at

the age of 1 year. Can you describe, in your

opinion, the best schedule?

Six weeks is too young. The only reason

you would to do that is if you have an

endemic in your particular area of a

specific virus like Parvovirus which is

so common. Than you could give just a

Parvovirus vaccine at 6 weeks, than you

wait untill 9 weeks.

Why do we wait untill 9 weeks?

Because the mother has basically been

over-vaccinated and they have very high

serum antibody titers and it neutralizes

the vaccine. So instead of getting the

beneficial effect you want, you’re getting

all the other stuff in the vaccines: the

tissue culture remnants, the fetal calf

serum, all the other stimulants of the

immune system these babies are too

young to handle properly.

Than you start at 9-10 weeks, depending

on the situation, and give one more

booster at 14-16 weeks. And if there

is a Parvovirus endemic we give one

more Parvovirus vaccine at 18 weeks.

For Rabies it is 20-24 weeks required by

law. And one year later you either give a

booster or you do a titer (antibody) test.

And those guidelines are available for everybody to read right?

Absolutely! They are public documents, updated regularly

every few years but they have no regulatory force, they are

only guidelines. If the veterinary profession - at least a segment

of them - doesn’t want to do anything about it and follow those

guidelines, then we have to educate the consumer to require

it, demand it and if they can’t get satisfaction they need to find

another veterinarian. That’s the bottom line.

Do you give the ‘combo-wombo’ vaccination

at 9 weeks?

Actually no, I believe that a minimum

vaccination protocol is enough. You take

the serious infectious diseases, clinically

expressed where you live and you vaccinate

against those only.

And only if there is an endemic you change

the protocol?

Correct. And it’s the same with leptospirosis.

We don’t vaccinate for that at

all unless there is an endemic of those

particular strains that are present in the

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

15

vaccine, in the community where you live. Leptospirosis is a

reportable disease so you can find out from the veterinary

group in your area or the public health agencies in your area

whether there is an endemic. Are there real leptospirosis

cases? If so, and if the vaccine contains those strains (serovars)

than you would vaccinate for leptospirosis.

In the Netherlands we have the Lepto4 vaccine which contains 4

specific strains, but there is a huge number of strains ‘out there’.

Yes, there are about 200 different serovars but in fact only 7 of

those are clinically important. The ones in the world that are

most clinically important now are not in any of the vaccines!

So giving the vaccination, which is the second most likely to

cause hypersensitivity reactions, doesn’t make any sense. It

gives you a false sense of security also.

W. Jean Dodds, DVM became a veterinarian

in 1964 after graduating from

the Ontario Veterinary College, and

has spent more than five decades as a

clinical research veterinarian.

From 1965 to 1986, she was a member

of many national and international

committees on hematology, animal

models of human disease, veterinary

medicine, and laboratory animal

science. Dr. Dodds was a grantee

of the National Heart, Lung, and

Blood Institute (NIH) and has over

150 research publications.

In the schedule you advise you definitely vaccinate for Parvo

and Distemper, but what about the liver disease caused by the

hepatitis virus?

We only vaccinate for the adenovirus of infectious hepatitis if

there are clinical cases in the area. You can do that by giving the

oral kennel cough and bordetella infection vaccine, as it cross

reacts, so you can protect them with that at the same time.

She started Hemopet in 1986, the first

nonprofit national animal blood bank.

Today, Hemopet’s range of nonprofit

services and educational activities

include:

• providing canine blood components

and related services;

• adopting retired Greyhound blood

donors as companions;

• the Hemolife diagnostic division

focused on hematology and blood

banking, immunology, endocrinology,

nutrition and holistic medicine.

About nutrition. There is a lot of debate nowadays about what to

feed your dog: kibble or raw - home cooked or manufactured, deep

frozen. What are your thoughts about that?

Raw foods are definitely the best in terms of balance and nutrition

bioavailability. The critical thing is: are they safe in the sense

that they’ve been properly prepared if you home cook? And it

has to be balanced. So if you need to get advice from a proper

animal nutritionist - they don’t have to be board certified, they

have to be experienced - make sure that the home formula you

use is balanced properly. And needless to say, don’t keep the raw

meat out under the sunshine or anything unwise like that, as you

wouldn’t for yourself. Be careful when there’s an infant crawling

around in the same area! That infant may not be able to handle

the normal bacterial content of raw foods like the pet can.

Dr. Dodds is also Co-Trustee of the

Rabies Challenge Fund, a nonprofit project

to assess the duration of immunity

and safety of current rabies vaccines

for animals.

Dr. Dodds actively participates in the

American Holistic Veterinary Medical

Association (AHVMA) and the American

Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation.

She co-authored two books with Diana

Laverdure: The Canine Thyroid Epidemic:

Answers You Need for Your Dog, 2011.

The second book, Canine Nutrigenomics:

Foods that Heal Your Dog, was published

in January 2015.


Like Salmonella?

Salmonella, E.coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, those are the four

you hear most about in the raw food debates. If the raw diet is

freeze dried, frozen, dehydrated or subjected to high pressure

pasteurization, it should be perfectly safe.

People honestly believe that kibble, cereal kibble, is sterile but

that is totally ridiculous. You can get anything you want growing

out of kibble as well. It isn’t sterile, just like the food we eat

isn’t sterile. As long as we are healthy, eat the right foods, have

a good immune system you can live and thrive.

And of course keep in mind, normal hygiene precautions like

cleaning the countertop of your kitchen, wash your hands, keep

cutlery separate.

Yes definitely! Wash your hands with hot soapy water. The mechanical

barrier of hygiene is as important as anything else.

Let’s go back to kibble for a second. Scientists and the manufacturers

of pet foods say there is more proof of kibble being better and

more benefical for dogs and safer for human health, considering

all the risks - bacterial infectious diseases - involved in raw diets.

That is not true, kibble is not the best diet, it defenitely isn’t.

It only evolved because of the ease of use for the consumer.

The pet food industry is a huge 22 billion dollar market!

The biggest problem we have is what to do about foods and

nutrition for our vanishing eco-systems and how to protect the

earth from polution and from overuse and overfeeding grains

and the use of fertilizers and pesticides in grains like glyfosfate

for example, it’s terrible. All foods we eat, other than those that

are organic... why are we eating chemical pesticides? Even in

the small amounts; it’s cumulative over time.

We have to worry about the amount of land in the world for

grazing animals. It should be going down because the amount

of methane (‘changes’ to carbon dioxide - CO 2 ) in the earth, in

the air and in the sea is increasing.

So we have look at alternative foodsources to support the

protein needs of the world for animals and people. We have

powdered insects, seaweeds, a variety of different things that

are sources of protein today. Same holds for grains, we need

grains that are not genetically modified in origin.

Because most of the genetically modified grains are exposed

to herbicides and of field source and they are not the kind of

food that we really want to feed our animals or ourselves.

There is a growing awareness of the benefits of giving your dog

supplements like spirulina, seaweeds, fish oils, coconut oil.

Yes, just like turmeric, ginger, yoghurt, all excellent.

At PDTE we talk a lot about giving a dog a choice. If you offer the

dog a few of those supplements will he will pick the ones he needs

or likes at that moment?

Yes, dogs don’t need it all on a daily basis, it’s just about extra

balance. And if the food itself is basically nutritious you are

getting a lot of those supplemental vitamins and minerals they

need in there anyway.

If you want to have the perfect diet for

your dog Hemopet offers a specific test

for that right?

Hemopet has two unique diagnostic

tests. The tests are done on saliva, so the

consumers can collect the saliva samples

themselves and send it in. All you have

to do is fast the dog overnight so you

are not measuring any food residues in

the mouth.

The first one is called Nutriscan and

that’s a food intolerance test with 24

foods. When you look at the derivatives

of those foods it’s actually screening for

112 food ingredients and it determines

which of those foods your animal should

eat or should not eat, so you can design

the diet accordingly.

The second one is called CellBIO and

that is a way of looking at markers of

oxidative stress in the body, cellular oxidative

stress, which tells you if that body

is encountering inflamation, infection or

is pre-dispositioned to obesity or cancer.

When you put that together with the

right diet, you can then give recommendations

for supplements that will reduce

the amount of cellular stress in the body

to allow the body to adapt and heal.

Both tests can be ordered via the website

www.hemopet.org.

What we’ve learned from your presentation

is a lot, but maybe two things stick out.

First, you should not be anti-vaccine and

regarding food and nutrition you must

keep in mind that every dog is an individual

with individual needs.

Each animal or person is an individual

and they become adapted to functional

foods that are based on their genome.

Other than an identical twin there is

nobody else exactely like you are. Within

litters of inbred families there can be

dogs more alike, but there are always

some within that litter that are different.

You have to be able to identify them as

being different.

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

17

“Sharing, networking and cooperating is the true spirit of good dog trainers of the future.

The brochure web site shows exactly what it is about, and gets a gold star from me” - Turid Rugaas

DogBrochures.com

The best web-database brochures

concerning dogs and their wellbeing.

You can :

Download

Print

Distribute

Translate

You can also contribute to this worldwide project by creating your own brochures

and spread them all around to the world ! Or you can translate existing brochures

for everyone’s benefit.

Follow us on facebook so that

you never miss any of the

brochures and their translations

on www.dogbrochures.com

In memory of Gabriela

more information at http://www.turidrugaas.no/gabrielas-way.html

Discover the website

HOT DOGS

by Dr. Susanne Lautner, Veterinarian

Tierschutzqualifizierte Hundetrainerin

In Europe summer is on its way. The temperatures will

rise and the record breaking highs are supposed to

return. Depending on a dogs’ physical condition, this

can be dangerous.

So how do I tell if my dog is overheating?

The first sign is always panting, the more a dog opens its

mouth while doing so, the hotter it is. With rising body temperature

the tongue can turn blue, the dog refuses to go on,

starts to tumble or can even faint. That’s because dogs are less

tolerant to heat than people.

Dogs can’t sweat to cool off, so they have to pant (cooling

evaporation occurs along the nose lining). The longer the dog’s

nose and the leaner the dog, the better this works. This means

overweight dogs overheat faster.

Brachiocephalic breeds (eg. French Bulldog, Pug, etc.) are

especially sensitive to heat, because the have been bred with

extremely short snouts.

A dog’s age, its medical state and how physically fit it is also

play a big role. Dogs over 7 years of age, depending on breed,

very small dogs or young dogs with low stamina often have

more trouble with heat.

Editor, dog and crocodile cooling down on the tiles of the patio floor...

How can I combat overheating?

Seeing as we already control when, where and for

how long our dogs move and exercise, there are a

few simple principles we can easily apply:

Important! Don’t put cold

towels on the dog because hot

air can build up underneath it.

• Walk your dog early in the morning or late in

the evening when its cooler.

• Stay in the shade as much as possible.

• No jogging, cycling or extensive ball-play.

• Always bring water and a bowl for the dog.

• If you can, bring your dog to a pond but don’t

force it to swim! Some dogs are content with

dipping their feet.

• Whenever possible, don’t use a muzzle.

And if you must, use one that is wide enough

so the dog can pant with an opened mouth.

Small muzzles are the number one cause of

overheating in dogs!

• Use a well-fitted harness instead of a collar

that constricts the dogs’ breathing!

• Don’t leave your dog in the car!

• If possible, don’t take your dog in the city, the

asphalt/pavement is very hot for dogs’ feet.

And if none of that helps and my dog still

collapses?

• The most important thing in that situation is to cool the dog

down. If there are more people around, let them do the work

and stay with your dog and comfort it!

• Immediately bring it into the shade or into a cool place.

• Pour cold water on the dog and if possible lay it in a shallow

pool. Cooling it off quickly has no bad side effects. There is a

widespread belief that this can cause a heart attack, which is

extremely unlikely.

• Point a fan at it.

• Avoid more stress!

Once the dog is somewhat stable again, immediately bring it

to a veterinarian!

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

21

A JOURNAL FOR YOUR DOG

by Renee Schaakxs

The Dog Journal is originated from my IDTE course

from Turid Rugaas that I began in 2017 in the

Netherlands. It started as a little notebook where I

scribbled my dogs name on the cover, with a little

drawing of a heart next to it. And it turned out to be

my end work of the course. I got the idea when Turid

told us to make a plan for our dogs. And you can only

make a plan if you know where to begin, can you? How

much sleep does my dog really get? And am I giving

her enough mental stimulation to keep her curious?

You can always keep these things in mind to get an

overview, but I got the urge to write things down. Because

I wanted to know these things more exactly.

I am Renee Schaakxs, 36 years old and living with my small

Munsterlander Froukje in Maastricht. My appreciation for

Turids work began with my very first dog.

When I welcomed Hugo in my life, a rescue dog, a lot of (wanted

or unwanted) tips and advices from everyone around me

came along with him. The first few weeks Hugo was with me, I

tried to keep up with it. I learned him to sit, and even give paw.

But I saw the confusion and fear in his eyes and body language

when I asked him to do these things. I wanted to throw

everything I thought I knew about dogs overboard. Because I

looked at my dog and it wasn’t good. I couldn’t go on like that.

There had to be a better way.

The most common problem in miscommunication

between people and dogs

comes from lack of knowledge of dog

behavior. And knowledge starts with

observing your dog. Just by looking at

him and write down what you see. Having

an open mind, a curious mind, is an

important condition for getting to know

things in life. We think we know so much

about these magical animals, but is it

really true? Aren’t we filling in answers

for them? We are in need of objective

information. The kind of information

you get from counting certain behavior

like peeing or sleeping. Or keeping track

of his heartrate. Counting may sound

silly for some, but it gives you the best

view on reality. You can try to keep these

things in mind without making notes, but

we tend to forget. And that’s why I felt

the need to make a Dog Journal.


The Dog Journal is all about making it a habit for dog owners

to observe their dogs. Every day, 52 weeks in every year. It also

provides a little bit of education.

There are chapters where I explain the basic things about the

dog behavior that we are going to observe. To guide dog owners

through the meaning of this journal and to make it easy

accessible for them.

Colorful photo’s where my dog Froukje takes the leading part

makes it sparkling but handy notebook slash study book.

I also want to inspire through this journal by letting some

quotes of Turid pass by. Quotes that each in its own way are

all-embracing when it comes down to living with your dog in

a respectful way. These were remarks from Turid during my

classes that touched me deeply. By truly undergoing these

sayings, you set off to have a beautiful start by really getting to

know your dog.

THE DOG

JOURNAL

52 WEEKS

WITH YOUR

DOG

Getting a copy of The Dog Journal

If you are interested in a copy of The Dog Journal

(Hondendagboek, 52 weken met je hond) you can order

it from my website:

https://heldenmetsnuiten.com/hondendagboek/

At this point it is only available in Dutch. Currently I

am working to get the Journal translated in English

and French.

Please let me know by sending me an email:

info@heldenmetsnuiten.com if you are interested, so

I can put you on a waiting list.

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

23

BREED STUDY

French Bulldog // Bouledogue Français

• origin

• height

• weight

• coat

• color

• age

• FCI #

France

24 - 35 cm

8 - 14 kg

smooth coat, close, glossy and soft, without undercoat

fawn, brindled or not, with or without white spotting

11 - 13 years

101 - Companion and Toy Dogs

History

Blood sports such as bull-baiting were

outlawed in England in 1835, leaving

these “Bulldogs” unemployed. However,

they had been bred for non-sporting

reasons since at least 1800 and their use

changed from a sporting breed to a companion

breed. To reduce their size, some

Bulldogs were crossed with terriers, ratter

dogs from the “slums” of England. By

1850, the Toy Bulldog had become common

in England. At the same time, lace

workers from Nottingham, displaced by

the Industrial Revolution, began to settle

in France. They brought a variety of dogs

with them, including Miniature Bulldogs.

The dogs became popular in France and

a trade in imported small Bulldogs was

created, with breeders in England sending

over Bulldogs that they considered to

be too small, or with faults such as ears

that stood up. The small Bulldog type

gradually became thought of as a breed,

and received a name, the Bouledogue

Français. The dogs were highly fashionable

and were sought after by society

ladies and Parisian prostitutes alike, as

well as creatives such as artists, writers,

and fashion designers. However, records

were not kept of the breed’s development

as it diverged further away from its

original Bulldog roots. It is believed that

local French ratters (terriers) took part in

French Bulldog breed formation.

General appearance

The French Bulldog resembles a Bulldog

in miniature, except for the large “bat

ears” that are the breed’s trademark feature.

The head is large and square, with

heavy wrinkles rolled above the short

nose. The body beneath the smooth,

brilliant coat is compact and muscular.

Characteristics

In temperament, this breed is brave, loyal,

affectionate and vivacious. Frenchie is

a charmer and excellent companion dog.

Dogs of few words, Frenchies don’t bark

much but their alertness makes them

excellent watchdogs. They happily adapt

to life with singles, couples or families.

French Bulldogs love spending time

together with family and would love to

be near you at all times - allow them

to sleep near you and take part in your

daily activities, your Frenchie would love

to help!

How to share life

Despite being seemingly active dogs,

French Bulldogs would not benefit from

excessive exercise. Any chasing activities

(balls, frisbees) are also not the best

choice as these increase general stress

levels of the dog. Hiking would be too

tiring for these little companions.

Instead, French Bulldogs will be happy to

explore new or enriched environments,

do tracking, treat search and other kinds

of nose work. They are very curious!

Several short walks daily are enough

for French Bulldogs, but be careful not

to walk your Frenchie during too hot

weather – go out in early/late hours

during summer to avoid heat and always

search for shadow. Bring a bottle of

fresh water during walks.

Care - Health

The French bulldog has a single short

coat, which combined with their compromised

breathing system, makes it

impossible for them to regulate their

temperature efficiently.

This means the dog may easily become

cold and will need warm clothing when

out in cold weather. It is imperative that

Frenchies are protected from temperature

extremes at all times, and that

they always have access to fresh water

and shade. It is also recommended that

French Bulldogs have access to air conditioning

to regulate their temperature. In

fact, French Bulldogs and other brachycephalic

breeds have difficulty to cool

their body down starting at +20 °C.

French Bulldogs are often prone to

allergies. Patellar luxation is another

common condition for this breed.


BREED STUDY

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever // Toller

• origin

• height

• weight

• coat

• color

• age

• FCI #

Canada

45 - 51 cm

17 - 23 kg

water repellent double coat with soft dense undercoat

any shade of red, often with white marks

10 - 14 years

312 - Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs

Special feature:

developed to resemble a fox in appearance and behaviour

History

The breed was developed in Nova Scotia,

Canada around the beginning of the

19th century. The toller was originally

referred to as the Little River Duck Dog

before being officially recognized by the

Canadian Kennel Club in 1945 as a pure

bred dog. The toller is a mixture of retrievers,

spaniels, setters, and possibly a

farm collie mix breed, although this has

yet to be confirmed.

General appearance

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is

a medium-sized gundog. It is the smallest

of the retrievers. The Nova Scotia

Duck Tolling Retrievers were developed

to resemble a fox. Foxes are the natural

enemies of ducks, yet many species of

duck will flock to a fox when they see it

onshore. Tollers often have white tail

tips, which aids in the hunter’s ability to

see the dog’s location in the water.

The Toller was bred to retrieve from icy

waters and has an appropriate for this

coat. The legs have webbed feet, which

helps Tollers swim.

Characteristics

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers

are known to be very smart, curious,

outgoing and affectionate dogs. Like

many Gun dogs, Tollers like to be part of

one team with their owner and do joint

activities.

Tollers are named for their ability to

entice or lure waterfowl within gunshot

range, called “tolling”. Duck-hunters

work with this breed at the water’s edge.

They throw a stick or a ball for the dog

to fetch. It scampers along in a highly

conspicuous way, jumping, playing and

leaping, but without barking. It may do

this repeatedly – often disappearing

from sight and then suddenly reappearing.

Its unusual activity and white markings

pique the curiosity of ducks and

geese which swim over to investigate.

When the birds are close, the hunter

calls the dog back to the blind then rises

putting the birds to flight allowing the

hunter a shot. The Toller then retrieves

any downed birds. They are particularly

suited for retrieving in cold water

climates because of their water repellent

double coat.

Some Tollers have a unique sounding

bark known as the “Toller scream”, a

high-pitched howl-like sound.

How to share life

Please keep in mind that as retrievers,

Tollers will take things in their mouth a

lot. Please note it’s a normal behavior!

Make your house dog-safe, move all pre-

cious objects out of your dog’s reach. But

please have toys that Toller can hold –

they’ll need it to calm down sometimes.

Tollers are happiest when they have a

meaningful job to do. Living inside the

house close to family is also very important

for them. Tollers would love to take

part in your daily life and help you with

important tasks – teach your dog to find

and bring you different objects you may

need, they’ll enjoy that.

Despite being great working dogs, Nova

Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever would not

benefit from excessive exercise. Any

chasing activities (balls, frisbees) are also

not the best choice as these increase

general stress levels of the dog. Instead,

Tollers will be happy to explore new or

enriched environments, do tracking,

treat search and other kinds of nose

work. Of course, Tollers will enjoy hunting

with you as they were bred for this.

Care - Health

A good brushing once a week is enough

to keep the coat in good shape. Bathing

should be done on an “as needed” basis.

Tollers are a relatively healthy breed.

Tollers can have eye issues including

progressive retinal atrophy, Collie eye

anomaly and cataracts. Addison’s Disease

and autoimmune thyroiditis have

also been diagnosed in the breed.

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

25

BREED STUDY INFORMATION

A returning topic in the Newsletter. This way we can create a database of PDTE

approved descriptions of breeds.

During Turid Rugaas’ International Dog

Trainer Education all student must write

several breed studies. So we know there

are a lot ‘out there’!

The goal is to have at least two breed

studies in each Newsletter, but let’s be

honest... the more we can submit, the

quicker we can create the database!

You will be able to download them

from the members section on the PDTE

website.

A fixed format is designed in order to fit

on one page.

So please send in your breed studies -

maybe rewrite them a bit so they fit the

format - to: editorpdte@gmail.com

Words 550-590 (no more, no less)

Topics • History

• General appearance

• Characteristics

• How to share life

• Care

Photo • high resolution,

• sideways (landscape)

PDTE

podcast

Honest, in depth conversations

with dog experts

around the globe.

Join hosts Sarina and

Harriet as we explore the

amazing relationship between

dogs and humans

and delve into the canine

point of view.

We’ll go beyond basic

training and help you

deepen your understanding

of your dog.

https://anchor.fm/pdte


HOW OUR

MICROBIOTA

AFFECTS

OUR MENTAL

HEALTH

First of all, why do I talk about

our microbiota and not our dog’s

microbiota? Well, because it works

the same way for us, so while

thinking about our dog’s well

being, let’s also take the learning

for us!

For years now the knowledge about the

microbiome has shot up, we are now

very aware of the importance of having

beneficial bacteria in our gut. In previous

studies, it was established that Alterations

in the microbiota can modulate behaviours

such as social activity, stress, and

anxiety-related responses-that are linked to

diverse neuropsychiatric disorders.

A few months ago, a new study (Chu, C.

& al. The microbiota regulate neuronal

function and fear extinction learning.

Nature - October 2019) discovered the

mechanism by which the microbiota

(bacteria, fungi and parasites) allows

mice to forget their fear. In this study, to

get a sample of mice with fear, scientists

did settle fear in them first. Studies are

used to experiment on mice, rats etc.

but for the anecdote, studies to induce

learnt helplessness actually started in

1970 in dogs.

by Cristina Gomes Budzinski

Dog behaviorist in France and herbal choice selection practitioner

Is it better to hurt rats? Not really, it’s just

cultural, we tend to feel more empathy

for dogs than rats. So even though there

are ethics comities for studies protocol,

we just have to hope that empathy and

consideration for all kind of animals will

develop in the future.

So there were three groups of mice, a

control group, an antibiotic-treated mice

group and a germ-free mice group (born

and raised in a sterile environment).

While the fear of a noise started to

fade way progressively in the control

group, the mice with previous antibiotics

treatment and the germ free mice were

anxious, and still afraid of the noise.

When they restored their microbiota, the

mice managed to forget their fear.

The fear extinction mechanism relies a

lot in the activity of the medial prefrontal

cortex (known for the control of emo-

tions and the reasoning). Thanks to brain

imaging, they saw that mice with a ‘poor’

microbiota had lower cortical activity,

proof that their inability to forget fear

was due to a decrease in brain activity

and reshaping.

As scientists are figuring out the mechanism

that explains how our gut and our

brain communicate, we have to remember

that when we face an anxious dog.

Maybe his gut is unbalanced?

In herbal choice selection (zooopharmacognosy)

we often see anxious dogs

selecting plant material known to help

balance the gut, for example brewer

yeast. This is one more reason to let our

dogs self select what they need (zoopharmacognosy

is complementary to

allopathic medicine, it does not intend to

replace it).

We also have to think of offering our

dogs an appropriate and varied diet

including prebiotics (like fruits and

vegetables). Prebiotics are compounds in

food that induce the growth or activity of

beneficial bacterias.

In conclusion, whether it’s for our dog

or ourselves, we have to keep in mind

that the diet, and lifestyle influence the

brain’s health.

Interesting reading

In the Dog Symposium 2018, Elaine

Stavert did a whole talk about ‘Stress:

The effects of lifestyle on the brain, the

gut, and the brain-gut connection’ and

we have the chance to have the report

available on the website: www.dogsymposium.weebly.com/reports.html

This article of Jean Dodds also explains

things very clearly:

www.hemopet.org/gut-probiotics-pets/

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

27

NOTES FROM

A LOCKDOWN

by Pennie Clayton

I was wondering what to write about that would be

informative and entertaining enough to submit for

the PDTE magazine and I had a few ideas floating

around in my head, but none of them were either very

enlightening or good enough to do an entire article

on. I took a long time to decide that I could share some

thoughts, nuggets and snippets that I have picked up

on since the lockdown, which has been a very strange

episode, as so few of us have been able to continue

with our “normal” lives.

My initial thought for this article involves someone I talked to a

few days ago. I had a phone call from a friend of a friend that

moved up to the north of England a while ago. She is a horse

person that used to run a yard near where I live. I knew her

name but I don’t think I ever met her.

To cut a long story short she wanted some advice on a young

dog she had just taken on. It was one of those long involved

stories and the poor dog had shifted from home to home in

his very short 8 months of life. He is a

Dobermann that has apparently already

had 2 homes and had “failed” his training

to be a security dog.

Apparently he had been trained (I use

this word loosely) by a well known and

regarded training school in the area (no,

I have never heard of it, but then luckily I

don’t live in that area) who had rejected

him several weeks before she took him

on. This experience, not surprisingly, has

left him pretty much as a nervous wreck.

He has been conditioned to jump up at

people and grab their clothes. He doesn’t

do this with every person he meets

(which was puzzling her) but it happens

more often than it doesn’t. He is also very

hungry, takes food whenever he finds


it, and has a number of problems that

his new person wanted to chat with me

about.

We all know the scenario, she wanted

to do her best but was overwhelmed

and wanted to know about training and

classes and how best to help him. I felt

a bit overwhelmed at this point too and

wanted to point her in the right direction

before she reached the point of no

return. I then had a flash of inspiration.

I have to admit at this point that I am

really a horse person who has also some

knowledge of dogs, so I asked her what

she would do if he were a horse.

She thought for a moment and said: “I

would turn him away”. Bingo! That was

the perfect answer.

Sometimes we horse people buy horses

that are overwhelmed and been pushed

to the limit of their endurance and can’t

cope with the normal world. Well intentioned

and empathetic horse people

will in which case often find a field, turn

them out so they can hopefully relax and

become horses again. It also helps them

to acclimatise to new surroundings and

to begin to build a relationship with new

people without putting extra pressure

on them.

I love this analogy for dogs, it wouldn’t

work for most people that have no

knowledge of horses but it is very fitting

for this poor dog and his new person.

If she can start off without making

demands of him, and help him to have a

life where expectations are removed he

will already be in a better place than at

any other point in his short life. This isn’t

the end of the story, of course but I just

thought it made a nice story.

I have some other thoughts too, one

of which concerns a game that seems

to have been all over social media that

concerns a box with holes in that people

shove into their dogs face and then

proceed to poke sausages (or similar)

through and snatch them away from the

dogs before they can get them. I really

don’t understand why people think their

dogs are supposed to entertain them,

or why they can’t stop to think about

why this might be detrimental for their

dogs. In particular at a time when they

are probably not getting good quality sleep and have had their

routines disturbed because of our current situation. There was

even a post on Facebook that I had to step away from about

a greyhound that was snapping at members of the family

when they plumped themselves down next to him on the sofa

throughout the day. There were the normal comments about

him being territorial and/or dominant and that he should be

removed from the sofa immediately.

When I asked her why family members needed to sit on that

sofa the comment was that was the only sofa they had. I then

asked if there were any other places where he could sleep, to

which the reply was that there was nowhere else. I do wonder

sometimes about the intelligence of people and what they

think constitutes a good life for the dogs that live with them.

My last nugget is about pandiculation. I am sure many people

that do yoga are familiar with this term but it is new to me, and

I love it. It is something that our dogs do naturally when they

stand up after sleeping, and what is so interesting about it, is

that the “stretch” goes throughout the whole body.

It is not a static or enforced stretch which can actually damage

muscles and fascia, such as when we isolate our hamstrings

and force a stretch on them, but far more therapeutic and

useful for the body and more notably something that dogs do

with no input from us.

I have been thinking about how many people advise stretches

for dogs, and I am not at all sure that enforced stretches, which

people are often encouraged to do with their dogs are particularly

good for them. This form of stretching is formed through

natural occurring movement and does not isolate or pinpoint

specific muscles or areas of the body.

This is a good definition that I found in an article:

“Pandiculation is the nervous system’s natural way of waking up

the sensory-motor system and preparing for movement. Humans,

along with all vertebrate animals, tend to automatically pandiculate

when we wake up or when we have been sedentary for a while.

If you’ve ever seen a dog or cat arch their back when they get up

from a nap, or watched a baby stretch their arms and legs as they

wake up, you’ve witnessed the pandicular response”.*

For a very long time I have had the expression ringing in my

head that a colleague used to recite with regularity which was

“we should be known as human doings not human beings”.

Which in my opinion really describes our human “condition”.

I hope the lockdown will have given more people more time to

think about the needs of their dogs and the animals that they

share their lives with, but that remains to be seen. I really do

hope it has helped to enrich dogs lives rather than detract the

quality of the time they have spent with us.

* www.yogauonline.com/yoga-anatomy/more-just-stretching-what-pandiculation

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

29

COUNTRY

CORNER

COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES

Jenny Golsby

Susanne Lautner

Manon Pekelharing

Helen Moore

Liz Ott

Hanne Truelsen

Helmi Pesonen

Cristina Gomes-Budzinski

Manja Leißner

Lee Wai Hang Eric

Sindhoor Pangal

Steph Rousseau

Federica Iacozzilli

Natasha Bystrova

Esther Herrera

Audrey Doornbos

Turid D. Sunde

Turid Rugaas

Alja Willenpart

Virginia Millares

Reidun Johansen

Silvia Deimeke

Joeson Hsu

Kirsty Grant

Cristina Gomes-Budzinski

France

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Canada

After 2 months of lockdown, we can now go out without an

attestation and we can go where we want (we’re not allowed

to travel more than 100km thought). During the lockdown we

were limited to one kilometer around the house to walk the

dogs. For some dog owners this period was very difficult, for

example for dogs in an appartement not feeling ok to hear

and feel the neighbours’s presence all day. But for some, it

was beneficial: the family was always around and people in the

street kept their distance and... curved!

Canary Islands

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Hong Kong

India

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Mexico

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

United Kingdom

Manja Leißner

Germany

First of all, I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is

Manja Leißner, and I am the new CR for Germany.

The past few months have seen several short as well as longterm

changes for people sharing their households with pets

in Germany, too. One of the most recent concerns the obligation

to report coronavirus infections in pets. In the future, all

pet owners in Germany may be required to report any pets

that were tested positive for COVID-19 to the authorities. The

German Federal Council will meet to decide on an ordnance

concerning this obligation on 3 July. This measure is intended

to obtain more information about the virus in terms of its

spread and how it is transmitted. Animals apparently are not

as susceptible to the virus as humans. Dogs, for example, are

less likely to be infected. At present, only a small number of

animals have been tested in various countries. There is currently

no evidence that the virus can be transmitted from pets

to humans. To learn more about the occurrence and spread of

the virus, all cases are to be reported in future. This is intended

to support research in order to identify risks at an early stage.

Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner remarked as follows: ‘I want

to emphasise that there is no obligation for pet owners to have

their animals tested! This would only make sense for animals

that genuinely exhibit clinical symptoms.’

Pet owners can contact the veterinary authorities, the public

health services or their veterinarian if their pet has become

infected with the virus.

I wish you all a wonderful summer!

Source: https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/coronavirus/meldepflicht-1761004

Audrey Doornbos

Netherlands

Many people were forced to stay at home due to the outbreak

of the Corona virus. Businesses were closed or people had to

work form home if they could, others suddenly had ‘all the time

in the world’. The need for company and cuddles increased...

It caused an alarming demand for puppies! Different dog

related organisations saw an increase in website visits and

rescues counted more interested people for dog adoption.

Normally, around 150.000 dogs per year find a new home in

the Netherlands, half of them from illegal puppy trade (foreign

and domestic). With this virus roaming around and the

increase of demand for puppies that number is expected to

be higher.

A young family of four (two kids in the age group 4-6!) was

interviewed for the eight o’clock news having their French Bulldog

puppy jumping up and down and biting the owners hands.

It was such a joy to have that little energetic fur ball in the


house... They didn’t expect too much trouble in the near future,

when both the woman and her husband had to go back to

work and the kids back to school. By that time the dog should

be used to staying home alone...

All we can do is continue the work we all do in creating a world

for dogs in which we treat them for who they are: sentient individuals,

who need love and understanding and support in our

busy human world. And educate the public about the natural

behavior of dogs.

In August we will gather at Hundeland and hold a small PDTE

meeting for us Norwegian members since there was nothing in

Bergen this year. Then we can at the same time experience and

hear a bit of Turid’s way through life with dogs.

Alja Willenpart

Slovenia

Turid Dyvesveen Sunde

Norway

As with everyone else, working with dogs has been a little quiet

for some time, but things start to happen as the country opens

up for some activities.

Anne Lill started her Dogtrainer School ‘Nosework’ in May. It

is an exciting education that I am fortunate to attend together

with others who love to work with the dogs’ senses.

We are pleased and proud that one of the PDTE Members,

Beate Bjørnhom, is now Norway’s first graduate at Galen Myotherapy.

Other members of PDTE Norway are doing the same

education and we really appreciate that.

We also have Linn Hauge who has done a great job during the

years by learning a lot about nutrition for dogs. Among many

other things in this field Linn has done, are Pet Food Nutrition

Specialist and Raw Dog Food Nutrition Specialist from DNM

university. Lectures by Jean Dodds and Dr. Conor Brady, Dogs

First, Ireland: What do dogs eat?

Everyone has probably discovered that Turid Rugaas has

opened her Hundeland, and that she has started her studies

and also set up an exhibition at Hundeland in connection with

her celebrating 50 years as dog trainer this year. Here she has

put up pictures that tell the story, exhibition of books that have

been written - magazines published and much more.

The COVID-19 pandemic had the country on lockdown since

mid-march. A side effect of this has been the increase in the

number of people looking to adopt dogs especially in local shelters.

There seem to be two reasons for this. The first is people

suddenly have too much time on their hands, and the second

reason is that due to borders being closed, there are far fewer

(illegally imported) dogs from abroad being adopted at this

time. Many of the people wishing to suddenly adopt dogs are

far from appropriate dog owners, so some shelters decided not

to give dogs up for adoption during this time, to prevent them

going to inappropriate homes. So these shelters remain as full

as ever while others are suddenly almost empty.

Some of our members have used this time to share dog-friendly

ideas for walks and enrichment as well as educate the public

on how all the changes brought about by the pandemic affect

the dogs we share our lives with.

Reidun Johansen

Sweden

Sweden is a country with few PDTE members and we are

spread out from the South of the country where we now have

full Spring to the North where they still have snow on the

ground. What we all have in common is that we are affected

by Corona, but maybe not to the same degree as many other

countries in the world. In Sweden we do not have a “lock

down”, and the restrictions in movement are different. I e

gatherings with over 50 people are not permitted, but primary

schools are still open, as well restaurants and bars, providing

they can avoid crowding customers and only table service is allowed.

Nevertheless, in spite of being permitted to go out there

are not a lot of people in the streets.

In the world of dogs, the Swedish Kennel Club has cancelled

all activities with more than 10 people gathering, and advice

against all travels outside your own neighborhood area. So a

lot of things have changed.

But the weather is lovely so we can take our dogs for long,

sunny walks, and just enjoy the company of our dogs. Some

nose work games, and just sniffing out all the smells of spring.

We have time for more quality time together.

From Sweden we wish all PDTE members a lovely summer,

hoping that things slowly will get back to normal again before

too long.

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

31

WELCOME

and congratulations to our newest

ASSOCIATE

MEMBERS

Michael

Malheiro

• France

My name is Michael Malheiro. I have been a dog

trainer for a year in France and more specifically in the

beautiful Basque Country.

Since I was a child, I always wanted to work with dogs.

At twenty, I had the opportunity to work as a dog handler

to search for explosives. This experience taught me

a lot about how to train a dog to smell and take care of

them in all situations.

After these 5 years, I sought to train myself to better understand

dogs and improve the relationship between

us, dogs and humans. This is why I followed a training

on canine training (in fact, it is mainly human training)

with a positive approach. This training has reinforced

the fact that we humans do not know the communication

of the dog and all its basic needs.

Then I had the opportunity to travel and meet other

trainers including dogs and people, with whom we

shared our working methods.

Animal welfare is a philosophy, not a fashion. As a dog

trainer, I want to distribute it to all dog owners and

those who want to have them.

Jonas Thulin

• Spain

As far back as I can remember there where dogs

around. The first dog I had to my name was Fia, a small

Beagle girl. She was the reason I got into the world of

dog training and psychology. I then lived in Sweden

and it all started with taking puppy classes with the

Swedish Working Dog Club (Svenska Brukshundklubben).

This was in the year of 1984 and those puppy

classes got me hooked. I signed up for an Instructor

course and obtained my certificate in 1986. I studied

dog psychology at the then Swedish State Dog School

(Statens Hundskola) and in 1989 I got the Working Dog

Club Certificate as Teacher for Dog Trainers.

In 1992 I moved to Spain, which took me away from

the world of canine education for some years, but after

a while I joined an animal protection association and

little by little I have moved into the canine education

game again.

I am a founding member of the Happy Galgo Non Profit

Association. An association that supports rescue dog

adopters with adaptation and organising controlled

pack walks. After some time doing this, I came to the

conclusion that I should get back and dedicate myself

to Canine Education professionally. I went to get new

education to catch up, something that never stops, and

launched myself into this adventure.

Through Jonas – Canine Education Centre, I am now

advising on canine behaviour, doing personal home

visits, group socialisation and giving classes and talks in

the Alicante (Spain) area.

I am also on the verge of launching a Podcast in

Spanish where I am talking to other professionals in

the dog world.

Kristina

Hecklinger

• Belgium

I’m Kristina, from the beautiful Black Forest region,

Germany. I love to be there, but mostly I live in

Belgium, where my 2 horses and dog are living. The

journey with my horses over the last 25 years brought

me to the IDTE by Turid Rugaas. This education was a

great match to my life, my experience and the path I

walk on. My horses taught me two important things

where I grounded my vision for the dog training: “Only

a relaxed body and mind can learn in a healthy way”

and “Behind every behavior is a certain reason, where

it is necessary to look into”.

My purpose is not to change the dog’s unique character

(respective horse). Furthermore, it is about finding

the cause of a behavior and not just trying to let the

symptoms disappear. A conscious & respectful way

gives trust to both, human and dog.

My interest is especially the amazing nose of our dogs.

I love to do nosy games with my dog Píka (truffle

detection, Mantrailing, Lost Retrieve, searching things)

but also to teach other dogs and humans how amazing

‘searchers’ and ‘finders’ our dogs are. The nosy games

help the human to understand better their dogs and so

both have a great benefit from it.


Katie

Guastapaglia

• United

Kingdom

Hi, I’m Katie, a dog trainer and Canine Enrichment

Specialist living in the North East of England. I run

Dogwood Adventure Play, an outdoor enriched

environment, with the focus on sensory experiences

and choice. I designed Scentventure, my signature

training system, to help my own nervous and reactive

rescue dog Lao, when I couldn’t find any suitable

classes. I now help other dogs find confidence through

scentwork and adventure. In my previous role as

Campaigns Officer at Dogs Trust I travelled across

the North of England offering training, behaviour,

enrichment, health and legal advice to hundreds of dog

owners every week and developing new campaigns for

responsible dog ownership.

I was introduced to the wonderful world of PDTE

when I discovered Kirsty’s Grant and her inspirational

work at The Dog Nose. I then enrolled on Dr Amber

Batson’s course in Durham where I met many other

PDTE members. Everyone was so nice and their work

so progressive – it was everything I had been trying

to achieve, without realising there was a bunch of

amazing people who had been doing it for years! I felt

I’d found my spiritual home and applied for Associate

membership, not really believing I would be accepted

but delighted when I was.

A strong advocate of rescue dogs, I volunteered at

Battersea Dogs Home before joining the Dogs Trust

team. I work hard to improve the lives of dogs in my

community and believe that reward-based training

and enrichment are key to a strong and long-lasting

relationship.

Marga

Cladera Socias

• Spain

Hi! My name is Marga and I work as a dog trainer after

studying with professionals like Turid Rugaas, Anne Lill

Kvam, Anders Hallgren, Amber Batson, Ken Ramírez,

Grisha Stewart, Jesús Rosales-Ruíz, Carlos Bueren or

Nicolás Planterose. Caring for dogs and training them

to the best of my abilities has always been my calling.

I started attending seminars after adopting a very fearful

dog and have not stopped since then. I am proud to

say that I have shared my life with five small dogs, with

some of them surpassing the 18 years of age (which

still felt way too short!). Together with Luis Souto we

own Talkan, a school where we offer our services to

dog guardians and continued education to dog professionals

with some of the best speakers in the world.

Last January we organized a program with Anne Lill

and we are rescheduling a seminar with Karen Webb

which was originally announced for the coming month

of June. Our family is composed of four kids, five dogs

and a cat. Queen is a 9-year-old Border Collie, Floren

is a Boxer Lab mix, Tadeo (who is 6) is a Papillon mix,

Neska is beautiful 1-year-old Leonberger and the

small Leya just 7-month-old a Yorkshire. As caretaker

and trainer I always pay great attention to dogs’ needs

since most “annoying” behaviors are the result of our

negligence in that regard. During walks I put the emphasis

in ensuring that dogs are comfortable, feel safe

and have plenty of opportunities to explore and make

choices. I advocate in favor of kind and cooperative

methodologies because I am positive of their contribution

to restore and strengthen the bond between dogs

and their caretakers. I feel honored to be back at PDTE.

Thank you all and keep up the good job!

Santos

Salcines

Nazabal

• Spain

I was born in the wonderful year 1973 in Laredo, a

small town on the northern coast of Spain. I have had

dogs since I was a child and felt a strong interest in

wildlife since the first time I saw the TV documentary

series by the Spanish naturalist Félix Rodriguez De La

Fuente at a very young age. ANJANA, a beautiful female

Border Collie who has been accompanying me for

the last 12 years, marked the start of my professional

career with dogs sharing our human environment. The

rest of our life partners today are Lúa, an energetic

8-year-old female Australian Shepherd, Hope a mix

Boxer ,perhaps the most keen on mouth grabbing

in the world! , Deva a small 8-Kg Podenco who is 18

months old and an avid mantrailer, and Whopper a

1-year-old male Labrador whose philosophy of life is

“as unique as difficult to put into human words”.

At the beginning, in 2008, we practiced agility, discdog

and dog tricks in an almost completely self-taught way.

Three years later we founded the AGILITY Laredo Club

aimed at training dogs and their handlers in different

sport disciplines. This step forward was motivated by

the fact that the education prevailing at that time in

Spain was not the most friendly with dogs and, hence,

was at odds with our beliefs. Together with this project

came an evergreen eagerness to train and learn from

those who really cared about the welfare of sport dogs,

what led us to walk ethically sounder educational

pathways. During that time we became also a foster

home for abandoned Border Collies, most of them

originating from shepherds who had discarded them

after labelling them as useless for the assigned job.

I was thus one of the founders of an animal welfare

association called Moonlight Animal Rescue specializing

in saving sheepdogs all over Spain.

Finally, in 2016 we created Sanjana & Dogs, more than

a company, a philosophy of work, relationship and

education aimed at promoting the well-being of dogs

and their human families. Today, together with two colleagues,

we manage DogStar, a dog center located in

Cantabria (Northern Spain) and devoted to work with

abandoned animals in order to rehabilitate them for

future adoption. We also run the Mantrailing Cantabria

School and coordinate the solidarity project Trails for

Hope, dedicated to the rehabilitation of shelter dogs

through scent work and mantrailing.

During all these years I have read tons of relevant

books and attended all the educational programs I

could, either taught by Spanish or foreign trainers,

subject only to the condition that they are respectful

vis-à-vis dogs. My interests include animal welfare,

different therapeutic approaches, alternative therapies

and natural nutrition. I describe myself in a nutshell as

an insatiable student of the dog/human relationship.

July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

33

Marianne

Granlund Sørli

• Norway

My name is Marianne Granlund Sørli.

On April 28 2020 I graduated as dog trainer at

Innlandet Hundesenter (Norway).I have started my

own company and will be working as dog trainer. I am

looking forward to work with dogs!

My main interest is to help dog with problems like

anxiety, phobias and aggression.

We have a dog, a Rottweiler, and she will turn 7 in

October. We’ve had her since she was a puppy.

Ha en fin dag, have a nice day.

Magda

Tobiaszewska

Vandepitte

• Belgium

My name is Magda Tobiaszewska Vandepitte. I’m a

Polish, Belgium-based (Ghent) dog trainer and animal

lover. Half of my life I was raised with dogs. Already as

a child, I was dreaming of working with dogs. But the

future was different from my dreams: I finished my

master of civil engineering. After graduating I moved

to Belgium. For about 5 years I worked in multiple

companies as a civil engineer. To be honest, I never

felt working in this field. I decided to listen to my heart

and to bring my interest in dogs to a professional level.

I started by making some certifications: dog trainer, introduction

to dog behaviour and pet sitter and started

my own company: Maddie’s Dog Academy.

I’m working with all types, breeds and ages of dogs,

but my main focus is on puppies and dogs until 18

months. I wanted to play safely in the beginning and

get more experience instead of pretending that “I can

fix everything”. It’s very easy to pretend a person and

by this, you’re not helping the dogs or even making

the issues worse. In Belgium, a dog trainer is an ‘open’

title. People can just call themself a dog trainer. I

remember, when I was searching for a good school or

trainer for my own puppy, the quality was very low.

I put a lot of attention on teaching puppies in an

effective way, without any stress and on creating a very

good bond and understanding between the dog and

its guardian. I also focus on proper socialisation, which

in my opinion is the base for the happy life of a dog.

My vision is to share my knowledge with people to

make the dog’s life happier and to show how beautiful

relations people can build with their dogs.

Marko Ponder

• Estonia

My story began in the same way as probably many others

- teaching obedience. But the unpleasant methods

that needed to be applied to achieve dog obedience,

especially in more complex cases, made my faith in

obedience as a comprehensive solution fluctuate.

I started looking for alternative ways to train dogs that

would be more enjoyable for them. I participated in

the full year training of the „Nordic Education Center

for Dog Trainers“, as well as in the trainings of Turid

Rugaas, Amber Batson and many others. It was an

eye-opening experience and made me re-evaluate all

my past activities. It wasn’t uncommon for me to realize

how badly I had treated dogs during my trainings - it

hurt and made me cry inside.

What is most unfortunate, that I cannot nullify my

previous activities in the way I have taught dogs.

Now I only use methods what dogs like, I read their

behavior and give them a chance to cope on their own.

Every day I can pleasantly surprise the wisdom of dogs

by giving them the opportunity to express and use their

wisdom. It is very difficult to see dogs and people walking

in the streets on a daily basis who are in complete

conflict with each other. Unfortunately, I can’t reach all

of them, but I try to help as many dogs as I can.

Together with my wife we are running dog school in

Estonia, called „Dog Training Estonia“, promoting only

positive methods. My daily goal is to make people

aware of better ways to teach dogs without violence

and guide people on the path to understanding dogs.

I am happy to be a member of the PDTE and to

contribute even more to the well-being of dogs through

membership.

Congratulations to our newest

Full Members

Diana Hill-Trevor • UK

Patrick Visser • Netherlands

Sarina Kriechbaum-Young • Austria

Laura Dobb • UK

Joeson Hsu • Taiwan

Birgitta Geerlings-Wensveen • Sweden

Samantha Walker-Arends • UK

Beate Bjørnhom • Norway

Linn M. Hauge • Norway


Jette

Jørgensen

• Denmark

My name is Jette Jørgensen, I am 58 years old and

live on an old farm in Zealand Denmark. I live with my

husband and my dog, a 5-year-old Australian Cattle

Dog named Kela. I have been employed in the financial

sector for almost 40 years, but in 2018 I stopped, and I

am currently not working.

In 2015 when I got Kela I was not completely aware

that you need to have more than ordinary knowledge

of dogs to be the owner of a Cattledog.

However, I had read race descriptions and searched

for information on the internet, but what I read did not

deter me. I thought I would do well, after all I had had

two Labradors.

I had to find a place where puppy training was offered

and it should not be where I went for training with my

Labrador’s, it was completely hopeless (there were too

many dogs on the teams. Sometimes there were 20

dogs and we trained for 2 hours, among other things).

Fortunately, I found Snudekompagniet (Hanne Truelsen)

and through this I got to know of Turid Rugaas and

her dog training and behavior education which I have

taken at Snudekompagniet.

Five years ago I started puppy training at Snudekompagniet,

it has changed my life, my view of dogs and

taught me to understand them which I am incredibly

grateful fore. It is the best thing I have done for my

dog and myself. I have learned so much and I use my

knowledge every day. Thanks to Hanne, Turid, Anne Lill

and Els for all they have taught me.

Debbie Ngai

Hiu Fai

• Hong Kong

Hello Everyone, I am Debbie from Hong Kong. It is a

great honour to be in the PDTE family.

At the moment, I have 4 cats (Bao Bao, Chiquita, Bing

Bing and Sai Sai) and 1 dog (Pearl Pearl) as my family

members. My dog Pearl Pearl teaches me a lot and she

is the one who motivates me to learn more about ‘Dog’

(their needs, their emotion, their behaviour etc.) from

the dogs perspective rather than a human perspective.

She has a history of mistreat and abuse before I

adopted her, she was anxious, very low confident and

quite reserved to bond with human. There is only one

goal for me which I wish her to become relax and enjoy

life as a ‘Dog’. Here I come across PDTE workshops and

conferences and force-free training. And I realised the

knowledge about dogs are MUCH wider and deeper

than the way I imagine! Ever since I can not go back.

On the other hand, I am a social worker with counselling

background and an Certified Animal Assisted

Therapist which I have been working with dogs for 12

years. Animal Assisted Intervention is growing around

the world, but unfortunately, yet, animal welfare is

not. People always misread or ignore the signals and

emotional needs of therapy dogs as I observed. One

of my main work is to promote animal welfare value,

knowledge and skills along with the development of

Animal Assisted Intervention in Hong Kong. I do believe

everyone should have intention and ability to listen to

dogs before they work with or live with dogs. And the

essence of human animal bonding is BEING, rather

than DOING, that’s my cats and dogs teach me.

If you just joined PDTE and you are not listed in

the New Associate Members list, maybe your

introduction didn’t come through in time for

this Newsletter or wasn’t received by the PDTE

secretary or PDTE editor in good order.

All new members are asked to write an introduction of

approximately 200-300 words. Make sure you send it digitally

(written text in an email, a word-document, etc.).

Also send a good quality photo of yourself.

If you think your introduction is missing, please send an

email to:

pdtesecretary@gmail.com or


July 2020

PDTE Newsletter

35

W W W . P D T E O N L I N E S U M M I T . C O M

PDTE ONLINE

SUMMIT 2020

This year the PDTE is having its first ever online

summit! Join us for three days of learning and

connection with keynote speakers, live workshops

and fun social activities.

Bookings open soon and the full program will

be announced over the coming weeks.

SAVE THE DATE!

25-27 SEPTEMBER

PDTE Newsletter July 2020

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