Remembrance Day 2022

We like to take a walk into town to pay our respects on Remembrance Sunday each year and of course, Polly and Betty come with us. After their many town training sessions over the years, they are well qualified to cope with dense crowds, a military parade and brass bands. They sit politely through the public Service of Remembrance, maintaining the minute's silence at the War Memorial at 11am, before we head off for a nice walk along the river and if we are lucky, a hot sausage butty from the burger bar in the local DIY store's car park where they are permitted their own freshly cooked sausage as a special treat.

It is a big ask for any dog to cope confidently in such a noisy, crowded events but Polly and Betty always make us proud. One of our trainers, lovely Sam Grice of  Dog Behavioural Services, used to train her groups of dog owners on walks through the town. Sam was once a trainer for Guide Dogs for the Blind and so her training was based on being able to walk dogs in all situations, in all places. It has proved invaluable to us over the years and means we are able to take our dogs almost anywhere, safe in the knowledge they understand what is required of them and will cope in challenging public situations with confidence and polite manners.

Needless to say, after the long lead walk into town, a Remembrance Day parade, a religious service AND a long walk backup the road towards home, the girls are usually ready to shake off their leads and their best behaviour! As a thank you to them, we always head back via the park, let them run free and watch with a wry smile as they roll in leaves and muddy puddles to their heart's content!

If you ever have the opportunity to train your dogs in town situations, I would highly recommend getting involved. The skills the dogs master are wide ranging and transfer into so many other situations. Polly and Betty have trained in shopping centre lifts, learned to walk past escalators and automatic doors without fear, dealt with crowded pavements, people reaching out to them and behaving unexpectedly, buggies, wheelchairs, cleaning trolleys, traffic, sirens, buses, trains, zebra crossings, shop doorways, high level bridges, steep stairways ... you name it, they have trained for it and learned to maintain their focus on and take their cues from me. They have even trained to enter the pet shop politely and learned to walk through the store ignoring guinea pigs, tasty treats, interesting toys, smells and other customers... and of course, they have also become well versed in settling politely under a street café table while we enjoy a coffee and a slice of cake! 

Sam's town training really has been worth it's weight in retriever gold and if ever we adopt another golden puppy (yes, we are seriously considering it!) I hope we will be able to sign up with Sam for training again.

Remember, Remember

 

REMEMBER, REMEMBER

There are those who love 'em and those who don't. Either way, there is no mistaking the cacophony of noise associated with fireworks on Guy Fawkes Night! 

These days, as a dog owner, I am torn. Polly absolutely hates 'em and will spend an entire evening fighting fireworks with barking at a decibel designed to match the warzone she percieves beyond her front door. She is ably supported by 'Back-up Betty', who, dutifully barks each time Polly draws breath, providing an unending, ear piercing, doggy resistance to the invisible foe beyond. 

I know of dogs who have become so disabled by fireworks through fear, they are unable to function. A few years ago, I met one such beautiful Golden Retriever boy ... sadly on his last ever walk prior to being taken to the vet to be euthanized.  I had my hands full with grandchildren and dogs, but spoke spoken to his owner to say a quick hello, only to be told his boy had become so fearful of unexpected noises as a result of exposure to firework bangs, that he was unmanageable and had, in a moment of terror, bitten a family member. As that owner saw things, he had no choice but to put his beautiful boy to sleep before Guy Fawkes Night. It broke my heart to see the pain in the owner's eyes and the trust his dog had in him and I wish upon wish, I had the strength to take his lead and lead him away to a peaceful safety .... he still plays on my mind to this day, I will never forget him.

To be anti-fireworks though, is to be a party pooper in the eyes of the undog world and to be honest, I am not anti fireworks, in fact I love them and was brought up celebrating Guy Fawkes annually with my family as a girl. This year I enjoyed my grandchildren's school display, which took place a few miles from my house. I dosed Polly and Betty with a natural stress calming remedy (Dorwest Valerian & Skullcap) for several days prior to Guy Fawkes Night and tucked them up safely at home with 'Classic FM for Pets' on the radio, before heading out.

My wish is that the Government would make a legal requirement so that fireworks could only be used by professional firework experts, at community displays on a limited number of days each year. It makes so much more sense than allowing all and sundry to purchase dangerous fireworks whenever they fancy, to explode in their gardens... or in the case of unruly youths, along the lane behind my house (!) 

A change to the law in the UK would surely help millions of pet owners prepare for what is a terrifying event for most animals and would also provide a great way to raise money for local community groups, schools and the like. The revenue from the little display I attended last week with my family, will be used to support my grandchildren's primary school, which in the current economic climate, will be of great benefit to all the pupils.

To me it is simple, sometimes we need to remember that our favourite traditions may need a little updating... for the greater good.