Mesothelioma In canines
Crate training a dog
Although I'm more involved with and interested in greyhounds, I'm posting articles on my Training Dog Breeds that will help people with all breeds of dogs. Today I'm linking to an article on crate training a dog.
Whith crate training you control a puppy or dog's environment, in order to keep him out of trouble. You have to understand how a puppy dog views the world, and how it effects his behavior. By understanding a dog better, you make the process of house training a dog a lot easier and faster, which in turn makes it a lot more fun and rewarding for both you and your new puppy dog.
Tips on crate training a dog at home
House training a puppy dog doesn't have to be stressful on either you or your puppy. Crate training a dog is as simple as... more
housebreaking puppies |
how to house train a puppy |
puppy crate training |
crate training puppies |
dog crates |
dog potty training |
house train older dog |
training dog breeds
Greyhound Vet on a mission
This article was written by journlist
Floyd Amphlett of the Greyhound Star,
and published in Irelands Greyhound Weekly.
Alessandro Piras: Vet On A Mission
"I remember one dog whose hock just about exploded. It was in a thousand pieces, I have never seen a worse injury. The owner took the dog to Alessandro to have it put to sleep. Alessandro refused to do it. He said: ‘This dog will race again’. The owner looked at me. It was obvious he thought the vet was a complete nutcase."
"After the operation I saw the X-ray. It looked as though someone had pulled out a handful of hair and dropped it on the X-ray plate. There were wires, hundreds of them, all inter weaving.
Sure enough the dog raced again. He wasn’t as fast, but it was the greatest feat of surgery I have ever seen. In my book, Alessandro is the best in the business."
Six times champion trainer John McGee doesn’t shower praise lightly. But he positively beams when describing the work of specialist greyhound vet Dr Alessandro Piras.
Current champion trainer Linda Jones is another Piras fan. She has been known to sedate an injured dog and send it all the way to Northern Ireland to have Piras perform career saving surgery.
By his own admission, no one has done more than those two trainers to bring Piras to widespread attention.
Nick Savva is another outstanding judge with glowing praise for the 40 year old Italian who arrived in Ireland four years ago with a burning desire to enhance the careers of racing greyhounds.
Piras qualified as a vet in Italy in 1989 but then took a two year course in surgery to gain his doctorate.
Still thirsting for knowledge he travelled to the USA to work alongside the USA’s leading greyhound vet Dr John Dee (the Guru to quote Piras) at the Hollywood Animal Hospital in Miami.
He also had a spell with another internationally acknowledged greyhound specialist, the late Dr Mark Bloomberg at the Canine Sports Medicine Centre at the University College of Florida. Piras gained further knowledge on the Continental greyhound racing circuit but realised that to really extend his education, he needed to deal with a greater number of greyhounds.
He duly moved to Newry in Northern Ireland in 1998 and was soon building a formidable reputation. Even now, he continues to expand his knowledge by attending veterinary symposiums around the world. He regularly lectures on orthopedics at the annual Canine Sports Medicine Symposium - part of the North American Veterinary Conference - the biggest meeting of vets in the world.
From what the reader has learned thus far, it is perhaps obvious that Dr Piras is not a man driven on for monetary gain - he could have achieved that back in Italy more than a decade ago. No - this is a man with a love of animals and a hunger to learn and educate others.
He admits that his greatest surprise on his arrival in Ireland was the general ignorance of many greyhound trainers.
He said: "I was shocked at how little some trainers knew - though clearly the level of knowledge varied greatly.
"Some of their ideas about injuries and diet must be a hundred years out of date. It was incredible.
"I kept hearing about traditional ways of doing things. I have always believed that ‘tradition’ is just a way of making the same mistakes over hundreds of years.”
For example. . .
Fractured bones -
"I was appaled at the number of times I heard that a dog had fractured a bone and automatically had to be put to sleep. All bones mend.
"The only cases where a fractured bones need result in a greyhound being put in sleep is for a broken spine - and even then, not in all cases.”
Kidney problems - "I heard all sorts of tales of kidney problems - in many cases the symptoms were clinical signs, in the different stages, of dehydration and water diabetes syndrome; almost certainly brought about by incorrect feeding and improper training.”
Vomiting - "There is absolutely no scientific basis for the vomiting of dogs. If they need to vomit, they eat grass.
"There is a lot of what I call ‘yellow tale’ syndrome in greyhound training. If a dog won the Derby with his tail painted yellow, by the next day half the dogs in training would have their tails painted yellow."
Cramping - "Most greyhounds cramp because of incorrect feeding - often carbohydrate overloading or electrolyte imbalance.”
Feeding - 1 "I was telling trainers three years ago to increase the fat content in their feeds and take care of the electrolyte balance - long before Australian Formula came on the market.
"I also advised trainers to add bananas to the diet. Bananas, with rice, are one of the staple diets in many parts of the world.
"Most athletes include bananas as part of their diet. They also use them on racehorses.
"The reason is the high level of vitamins and the electrolyte potassium plus the right type of carbohydrates and fibres that are beneficial to the gut.
"To begin with, many trainers made fun of me.But gradually,some of the more enlightened ones tried bananas and now by word of mouth many trainers are feeding them.”
Feeding -2 "Why do trainers insist on such a small feed in a morning when the greyhound needs energy. But then when he is to go to sleep, he has an extended stomach.
"I would like to know how many trainers would do a day’s work after one slice of bread.”
Lasers - "I hear of trainers using lasers that are completely ineffective. They don’t shave the dog and the beam wouldn’t even penetrate the fur.
"I often hear that they are giving one treatment per week - what a waste of time
"I am not criticising lasers as a whole. They can be of benefit for things like split webs and other superficial injuries.
"But the majority of lasers used by trainers are simply not powerful enough for more deep seated problems.”
Fractured bones 2 - "Trainers can’t work out why they get so many injuries, particularly metacarpal and metatarsal fractures and hock fractures, when their dogs return to racing.
"So often it is because they have galloped the dogs repeatedly on a straight gallop.
"They then trial the dogs on a track and get fractures at the second bend. This is because there has been incorrect bone remodelling.
"It is the same scenario when a dog arrives in England from Ireland.
"He sits on the bed for a couple of weeks and then is asked to tackle a track that he has not been adapted to run on.
"How often do you hear of dogs breaking hocks in their first or second trial and then they try to claim that the dog must have been injured when they bought it?
"I would always advise trainers to gallop dogs around a bend, starting midway around the bend and gradually extending the run.
"This will gradually build up the strength in the bones and help prevent injury.
"Remember, bone remodelling is an on-going condition - nature’s way of helping a dog to adapt.
"Within about a month without stress, the bones will revert back to normal and that makes them vulnerable - it is called reverse re-modelling."
Track leg - "How many trainers put vaseline on a track leg - but we all know that if you rub vaseline the friction makes it sticky. Shaving gel is a much better idea.”
Ultrasound - "Ultrasound is a very powerful tool but so many trainers use machines without knowing what they are doing.
"I have seen many cases where dogs have been quite badly burned by its incorrect use.
"I have also seen cases where it has caused further bleeding to a muscle injury because it has been used too soon and at an improper setting.”
Faradic therapy - "This has very good benefits for recovery from injury but it needs to be expertly carried out if the condition isn’t to be made worse.
"I would only recommend it to be used by a qualified physiotherapists and vets.”
Swimming - "Swimming can be an aid in helping a dog recover from injury but a greyhound in full training should not be swimming too often.
"It is the wrong type of exercise and can cause further problems.”
Physio - "I believe physiotherapy is very important and the best type is not by machine, but good hands.
"It should be in every trainer’s interests to understand massage and stretching.
"The benefits of physio is that it can reduce the period of injury recovery and help suppleness to help prevent further injury.
"It is also very beneficial after exercise in relieving lactic acid build up."
Muscle injuries - "What happens in most kennels when a greyhound gets a muscle injury?
He gets left on the bed for a month and then re-trialled. How sensible is that?
Okay, the dog may need to be confined, even super-confined for up to three weeks.
"But then he needs to exercise himself. That is natures way.
"The body is like an engine, it needs to be kept ticking over almost all of the time.
"There is one trainer in England who was sometimes criticised for racing her dogs too often.
"But she kept them running. She had an instinctive understanding of how nature worked.
"If I was training, my dogs would never get a complete rest, even if they weren’t racing.
"I would allow them freedom to exercise themselves - which is something that they intuitively understand.”
Galloping - "Apart from galloping dogs on a straight, which I would keep to a minimum, I do not agree with galloping a dog uphill.
"It puts a greater strain on the pelvis than is necessary and can lead to groin injuries.
"Nor do I agree with extended straight gallops - sometimes upto 400m.
"This enables a dog to reach a speed that he would never reach on the track and increases the risk of injury.
"It is unnecessary. The ideal speed to exercise a dog is between walking and trotting.
"Unfortunately, we do not have the perfect type of treadmills to do this so it has to be galloping.
"But you certainly cannot get a greyhound fit just be walking it as some trainers believe.
"You are simply not using many of the correct muscles or stimulating the correct muscle fibres.
"You have to remember that there are different types of muscle fibres. For example a weight lifter and a boxer might both have strong muscles but they react very differently.
"Nor with walking are you extending the cardiovascular system.”
Schooling - "I can understand how many years ago it was acceptable to school young dogs at 12 months of age.
"But the modern greyhound is bigger - perhaps even more so since the introduction of Australian breeding.
"At 12 months of age, the musculo skeletal system and ligaments are not strong enough and properly adapted to the type of exercise.
"So what happens? In Ireland in particular they put the pup who has never seen a track, straight into the traps and hope he qualifies.
"His body is not prepared for the rigours of the bends.
"Is it any surprise that you get so many metacarpal and hock injuries.
"What is so obscene is that it is only done for the sake of a gamble? Can you believe it?
"It I was schooling pups I wouldn’t think of putting them on a track until they are at least 14 months of age and then they would be started gradually from half way around the bend.”
Quack remedies - "I get so irritated by some of the rubbish that I hear about injuries that are just not possible.
"Probably the biggest concerns trapped nerves.
"Please print this clearly - unless the body has an unusual bone growth - it is impossible to get a trapped nerve.
"Nature has designed us all over millions of years and would not allow something so badly designed to take place.
"In almost all cases, supposed ‘trapped nerves’ are actually sore or inflamed tendons and ligaments.
"What happens is that when somebody says they are ‘putting it back’ they are simply massaging an inflamed area.
"Think of it like this. If you wash the car on Sunday, you might have a sore back and shoulder on Monday.
"So what do you do? You massage it with your hands and relieve the pressure of the surrounding muscles which have contracted and are protecting the sore area.
"I also keep hearing of ‘cracked L7’ injuries. This refers to the seventh lumbar vertebrae in the back.
"It is almost impossible to happen and would need X-rays to diagnose. In my career, I have never yet encountered a legitimate L7 or S1 (first sacral vertebrae) injury.
"If they really do exist they are to be proven scientifically”
"I hear of back bones being ‘cemented’ or ‘sclerosed’ as a form of treatment.
"Absolute rubbish. You might cement an extremity - the last joint on the toe for example, but never something as flexible as a spine.”
Despite his success and growing reputation, Alessandro has one burning ambition that he intends to see come to fruition.
He says: "It would be my dream to open a centre of excellence where specialist greyhound vets could get together and pool ideas.
"There has been so much research done that could save the racing careers of so many greyhounds.
"Australia already has such a centre - so does the USA. There are many such places for racehorses including one in Newmarket.
"My greatest wish is to educate people. We could advise young vets in the most modern surgical techniques.
"We could run seminars to help trainers understand injuries, rehabilitation and even nutrition.
"I have great respect for trainers - even those novices who haven’t been training very long.
"There is a great desire to learn and become better at handling their dogs - so far they have had limited opportunities to do so.
"From what I have seen, this education is vital.
"The only thing that is needed is the will of the greyhound authorities to make it happen.”
Vitamins, Minerals and Amino Acids for the Racing Greyhound
Essential Nutrients for Racing Greyhounds
Vitamins and minerals are an essential part of the diet of
any living animal, especially an athlete... and the racing
greyhound a supreme example. If anything a racing greyhound
is more fine-tuned than any Olympic athlete. And like Olympic
athletes, the racing greyhound needs a dietary supplement to
make up for essential vitamins and minerals that are no longer
available in our food chain.
Essential Amino Acids - L-Lucine, Tryptophane, Lyaine,
Methionine, Phenylalanine etc... these are some of the 'building
blocks' that, in their correct combinations, make up proteins.
Amino Acids are essential to life, because protein is the... more
whelping dogs: "Whelping dogs is a fantastic experience for both you and your kids. It is a delight to see the look on their faces as they watch the magic of a wriggling puppy come out of the birth sac%2C crawl over to mum and immediately start suckling%2C just as natural as can be.%0D%0A%0D%0AHowever%2C whelping dogs can also be quite a harrowing experience%2C if you are not prepared for it. To make it as pleasant as possible%2C it is essential you prepare properly. "
training dog breeds: "Training dog breeds obedience gives them direction and teaches them to follow your commands. This leads them to see you as the alpha dog. This is the foundation upon which good behavior is built and learning it makes training dog breeds so much easier. "
dog crates: "Using dog crates for training puppies
Dog crates must be big enough for dogs to turn around in, and lay at full stretch, but not so big that they can go to one end to empty (potty) and the to other end to sleep. Dog crates can be made of any material, (metal, timber or plastic) but should be sturdy enough so the dog can't get out.
"
how to house train a puppy: "how to house train a puppy
How To House Train A Puppy
Learning how to house train a puppy is easy. House training puppies is best done using a dog crate. When your new puppy arrives home, place him straight into his dog crate, with some food and fresh clean water.
After a few hours get your puppy out of his crate. Using the command 'potty' or 'potty time', take him outside to where you want him to empty. He will sniff around a bit, just follow him and when he does his business, praise him, then take him back inside and place him back in his crate. Do this every 2 to 3 hours the first week, and 'presto' you will have learned how to house train a puppy."
housebreaking puppies: "Housebreaking puppies
Housebreaking puppies the easy way. Whilst housebreaking puppies and dogs is not something you think of when choosing your puppy, it becomes a priority when you get your new puppy home. Most people find house breaking a puppy difficult, however with a little planning and understanding, it is easy and fun."
The greyhound is built for speed, with a streamlined, muscular body. The neck is long and arched, the head is fine and long.
They have characteristic rose ears, usually folded flat against the neck when the dog is relaxed. They will prick forward and may stand almost erect when the greyhound is interested in something. The chest is deep, the loin arched and the waist is narrow, giving the dog a very distinctive appearance.
They have a fine short-haired coat, which can be any color from white through fawns, brindles to black, and party colors.
The greyhound has a gentle disposition, even though they are a hunting dog. They make an ideal pet if their size is not an issue. They don't take a lot of looking after... a ½ mile walk in the evening is adequate exercise if they are not overfed. Whilst' they are easily trained to chase, they are not so easily trained to obey 'normal' dog commands, unless their training starts at an early age.
Care must be taken to keep greyhounds on a lead in public, as they tend to lose their footing on manmade surfaces when running, due in main part to their speed. But let them loose in a field or enclosed paddock, and their speed and gracefulness will leave you speechless.
This is what you should do if you are a novice greyhound trainer:
- buy all the book's on Greyhound Training that you can find.
- read all the topics you can find on this website site, on training and feeding racing greyhounds
- befriend the best greyhound trainers you can find in your local area, and offer to help them with trialing, race night handling, feeding, looking after their pups etc.
- and most importantly, "Listen with your ears, not your mouth" you have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
If you want to learn something in a hurry, you should only use your mouth for eating, laughing and asking questions.
>> "Greyhounds are one of the oldest dog breeds known to man with records tracing back over 8,000 years in the form of cave drawings. The pyramids of Egypt contain numerous artifacts and wall drawings of greyhounds in fact they were often buried alongside their masters in the same tomb. Nobody can say for sure how they came to be named greyhounds but the suggestion... more... The Greyhound "
Greyhound racing in Australia
In Australia anyone over 18 can train a greyhound, and race it on any registered track anywhere in the country. Greyhound racing is conducted in every state and meetings are available 7 days a week.
Greyhound racing clubs operate our tracks, unlike America, where the tracks are owned by corporations. Most tracks in Australia conduct only one or two meetings a week, as apposed to the daily or twice daily meetings on American tracks.
Prize money for graded races varies from about $200 for a win on low grade country tracks, up to $4,000 for a win on our top city class tracks. Special events, Stakes races and Group races carry much more prize money. There are probably a dozen races around the country that offer $100,000 to the winner of a Group race.
The largest prize money race in Australia is the Melbourne Cup, a Group 1 Special Event with $500,000 on offer over a series of meetings, culminating in a final offering 1st:$140,000 2nd:$40,000 3rd:$20,000. This year the final is on Thursday evening, the 25th of November.
Anyone with a greyhound that has won at least one race is eligible to enter the Melbourne Cup series of prelude races, and if they win a prelude, they get automatic inclusion into the semi-finals the week before the big race.
The author of this Blog was blessed enough to breed and own a greyhound that raced in the final of the Melbourne Cup, in 1988. Oh what a feeling, I can remember it like it was yesterday...
My home page sitemap
I've been building my dog website Training Dog Breeds for about 4 weeks now. It is based on the theme of training and rearing dogs. My specialty is Greyhounds of course, but I am putting up articles based on general dog care at this stage.
After 18 years of breeding, rearing and training greyhounds on a large scale, I find it quite easy to write articles on dogs... strange huh?
You can see some of my articles at the Training Dog Breeds articles page, which links to about 28 pages of content and articles on dog care.
If you have a question about caring for you dog, just add it to the "comments" link at the bottom of this blog.
A little bit about me (Russell Savige), and Training Dog Breeds, which is my first try at a real website. I'm a 57 year-old Australian, living in Bunyip, a small country town, south-east of Melbourne in Victoria.
I started breeding and training dogs in 1986, when I lived in Gladstone on the Central Queensland coast.
At the time I was operating a large Motel, the Arkana Motor Inn, which was becoming insolvent. There's nothing unusual in that, everyone was becoming insolvent in Gladstone at the time. A good friend of mine, Dave Smith, who was a local copper, gave me a greyhound bitch that was being retired from the racetrack. She had broken her hock the week before. Dave said "she would be good to breed with, because of her race form", and that she "had good blood lines".
I knew zilch about greyhounds. Like most people, I'd had pet dogs in the past, but I knew absolutely nothing about greyhounds. However, I had been to 2 greyhound race-meetings at Rockhampton a few weeks before, and liked what I saw. So being impulsive, I took this greyhound bitch to breed with... her race name was Chrisanna Miss
She came in season shortly after, while her hind leg was still in plaster. I flew her to Victoria to a stud dog, Royal Rumpus, and 9 weeks later she produced 8 beautiful pups. There were 4 males and 4 females in the litter. They were 4 blacks, 2 fawns, a fawn and white and a black and white.
This litter of pups went on to win well over 80 races between them, including 3 Cups races, and placing in some of the best greyhound races in Australia.
And so a passion was born. A passion that saw me, at the age of 40, leave a secure high paying job in a family business, and follow a dream to try and breed the fastest greyhounds in the land.
