Brigg Matters Issue 61 Summer 2021

PUPDATE
By Sarah Parker of The Dog & Running Co.
A useful tip...
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and so to bed...
Dog owners love taking their pups off the beaten path
for some brilliant adventures but have you ever thought
about how you would describe your location to the
emergency services when there are no landmarks to be
seen? You could say, “I’m down the secret track, past the
3rd tree” or more usefully you can use the free ‘What 3
Words’ app!
Used by the emergency services themselves, every 3
metre square in the world has its own unique 3-word
combination. This proved invaluable when we found
someone in need of urgent medical help down a wooded
track recently. For your information, the three words for
the centre of Brigg Market Place are ‘keys.enclosing.
dreams’!
We have had a lot of questions recently about
reactive dogs. Here is a little introduction to what
that means and how you can help if you see one.
Reactive dog-owners are the ones who know the secret
lanes, tracks and places where no one else usually
walks. Walking a reactive dog often takes meticulous
effort and planning, from the time of the walk, the route
taken and even making sure that you have scanned the
area before getting out of the car.
Reactivity is when a dog over-reacts to things in its
environment. These reactions can include: barking,
lunging, and growling. It may stem from the dog’s genetic
make-up or it could be from a lack of social experience, a
particularly scary experience, or a tough start in life.
Owners of reactive dogs quite often have a Plan B for
when they approach a situation. They know their dog
may be challenging and are often working with behaviour
experts to put a training plan in place. There is no
overnight quick-fix for a reactive dog and some never fully
lose their reactivity.
Owners of non-reactive dogs, this is where you come in!
Lucky you, you are every reactive dog-owners dream.
However, as happy and ‘waggy’ as you know your dog is,
an off-lead non-reactive dog trotting over to a reactive onlead
dog can still have stressful consequences so always
check that your dog is back on a lead before approaching
others.
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Even these friendly little pups go back on-lead to
pass another dog.
Even the most reliable dogs can sometimes forget their
recall but, if we see another dog or a group of dogs
approaching in the distance, even with 4 dogs on a group
walk, we recall and get them under control. You never
know how the other dog will react, if it is indeed reactive
or under any kind of training.
To those non-reactive dog owners who do recall
your furry friends, thank you, you’re really making a
difference!
60 Brigg Matters
Brigg Matters
61