In this first article, Rachael talks about the safety aspects around the firework season and give some simple, helpful but not always obvious advice on how to keep our animals safe.
In the second article, Rachael gives insight on how our dog’s reactions are often influenced by our reaction and in particular our own body language and eye contact.
Despite a time of profound love and togetherness with my family of people and animals, this has been a very uncomfortable and ‘challenging’ day.
Reviewing the pictures of our Meggie has reminded me of how multi-faceted she was. She took time to play, socialise and contemplate and she had a wonderfully uncomfortable ‘human’ look in her eyes every so often that just made you wonder for a moment … and then she’d present herself for a tickle on the tum and normal service was resumed!
The tears, the wishes for everlasting recovery and health only to be faced with the reality that this was actually how she wanted it to be. For us to be together, for us not to have suffered enduring pain or discomfort or indignity. Just together, in love, supporting each other and … … it’s hard not to just go on. There were so many tears in ours but not in her eyes, I think she was grateful for how it was, being there with her favourite vet, Brendon @ Towerwood in Leeds. He was definitely on her side, helping us come to our inevitable conclusion. She was ready and ever patient with us to become ready ourselves.
Meg was a tough nut, we both and some others have the scars to prove it, but five years ago, we had an ‘encounter’ and I made a promise never to give up on her, none of it was anger it was always in love and it seemed she made the same commitment to me. We reminded ourselves of this lying cuddled up on the floor of the vets earlier today and she reminded me to stay strong and make good my commitment and make the tough decisions we had to make.
Her reputation had gone before her and when Rachael prepared me for our first meeting, I was firmly instructed to sit down, not make eye contact and wait for her to come to me … and, boy, did she come to me! A fine example of unconditional love I have never before experienced, my heart is forever richer. I got her, and she got me.
Oh, Meg, I miss your cheeky face making sure I’d seen your mischievousness and I only hope I can quickly turn the ‘missings’ into ‘rememberings.
On Facebook, Rachael says:
“The words I’ve dreaded writing for many years.
My Meg has gone. The hell raiser puppy grew to be a month short of 14 and lived her life to the full.
She trained me to feed her treats, and I trained her to steal from bins, to run off with the prize, to bark at people until they sat down.
I said “in” and she would just stare at me until I said “out”.
Shopping bags contained monsters and everyone had to be protected from them.
When it was time to leave, she would want to stay. If it was time to stay, she would want to leave.
She brought Tellington TTouch into my life, with Turid Rugaas, raw feeding and Zoopharmacognosy. She put the “Me” into Mekuti and gave me a contented living. But most of all, most of all she put my heart back together.
We are finding the house oh so quiet without her, but do you know what? She’s still here. Close by. Twinkling. Waving her tail like she used to.
Thank you for sharing yourself so generously with us my darling Meggie. I’ll miss stroking that silky head and oh so soft ears if yours and our “interesting” walks is water.
I love you sweetheart.”
Demetri says:
“Sadly, we had to say our final goodbye to our Meg earlier today.
She had got seriously worse over the past few days and hadn’t been putting any weight on for quite a while. Finally, she couldn’t raise herself to walk and the look in her eye to us this morning was telling us she was ready and it was time for us to make our hardest decision.
I wasn’t ready and Rachael probably less so but there was a rapidly growing tumour inside her which gave even us no option even with all the love, pills and potions to hand.
We understood her pain and she in turn understood our pain and she made her passing as kind and loving as anything I’ve ever seen.
She was cheeky and mischievous to the end and was never ‘only a dog’ to anyone that she encountered.
Needless to say we have the smoked salmon, cheese and cava out this evening to remind us to live long to remember her.
The Mekuti Stand at this year’s event is focussing on the Balance Harness with Extra Neck Clip for dog who are sensitive around the head.
We are also featuring our new Affiliate Scheme which helps people who are not in a position to stock Mekuti products but would like to join the many trainers and dog clubs who recommend particularly the harness to stop dogs from pulling and our other products which help to reduce anxiety.
This is particularly important at this time of year with fireworks and all the other exciting bits that happen around Christmas.
see how well behaved our ‘dog’ Fido is in front of the table?
New Year fireworks can be a stressful time for dogs
It isn’t just the sudden noises late at night that cause anxiety, it is also the change in routine and the excitement of the household as New Year approaches.
The Season as a whole takes it’s toll on many things within a household, with irregular people popping in and out and other family members taking extended time off work along with excited children off school throwing boxes and wrapping paper around the place.
Utter chaos!
Well, that’s what it’s like here, I’m sure all readers of this article have perfectly peaceful and meditative home lives where all the people have a wrinkle free, soft outer glow about them just like the Bisto gravy adverts … yeah right, no wonder our companion animals are stressed out!
Anyway, help is possibly at hand with a few of the Mekuti products and techniques that we use with our own animals.
Build a Den
Meg in one of her dens!
Perhaps the most useful thing in a room when there are fireworks or thunder happening is a safe sanctuary. A place where the dog can go and just be with itself, feel safe and comfy. If one isn’t provided, they will probably find one of their own.
Our Meg likes to go under desks, the printer table, tucked away in a corner squashed against a chair and impossible to get to. Often stuck at an odd angle she cannot be reached and any attempt to do so will be me met with snarling or worse. Not pleasant.
So, we have built her a den by using a regular dog crate, made comfy inside with a blanket or two and surrounded on the outside with a duvet and another couple of blankets. The door is left open but the entrance is covered so she can disappear inside to be in the dark whenever she wants to.
OK, she sometimes still whimpers a bit in there but she is at least comfy and has a few personal items of treasure in there secreted away when we haven’t been looking! We don’t go in there only to tidy up occasionally or rescue essential or dangerous items as it is solely her own space.
Mekuti Body Wrap
Mutley lying down curled up with his Body Wrap
The Body Wrap brings the dog’s awareness to itself. It is easy to put on and helps to reduce anxiety and bring about a calming effect almost immediately.
Don’t expect your dog to be too active with a Body Wrap on as they are likely to be very chilled out.
It is important to remember however, that your dog should not be left unattended with the Body Wrap on as it can get caught or snagged on something which would be far from ideal so an ideal alternative for extended use is …
A Dog T-Shirt
Grieving Meg feeling happier and calmer in her T-Shirt
A Dog T-Shirt is really such an invaluable piece of equipment for an unhappy dog. It always pains me to see this picture as she was grieving for her recently lost friend and companion Heidi and really wasn’t into doing very much. On this occasion her T-Shirt helped her to get out and do a bit of roaming around engaging with the outside world again, building up her confidence once more.
T-Shirts work by giving the dog a sort or ‘portable hug’ and help them feel secure. They are perfect for when there are fireworks and thunder around and can help to stop whining, excessive barking, shaking and many other anxiety/stress related symptoms.
At New Year and Bonfire Night we have over the years found the T-Shirt to be part of our essential kit and can be used for extensive periods in the house, on walks and when travelling. We always have a spare T-Shirt and Body Wrap in the car.
Made by Equafleece from 95% Cotton and 5% Spandex, they are stretchy, comfortable and washable. Available in various sizes, the Medium costs £16 and is available to buy on the Mekuti website T-Shirt page.
An alternative to the T-Shirt is …
A HotterDog Jumper
Two staffys sporting their new jumpers.
When it comes to calming and reducing anxiety because of things like fireworks and thunder, these HotterDog Jumpers work in the same way that the T-Shirts do.
Obviously, they are a bit better at helping to keep the dog warm and dry on cold, damp days and snow just brushes off.
Again, we find these really useful especially around Christmas and New Year. They can be worn for extended periods of time both inside and outside. Though they stop our dogs from getting too cold by protecting their core body temperature they don’t get overheated. You might be able to spot that in the top picture of Meg in her den that she is wearing a jumper too.
Also made by Equafleece from a hard wearing man made fleece material, they are easily washed, keep their shape and colour well. Available in four different colours, the Medium costs just £19.75 and can be bought on the Mekuti website dog jumper page.
… and finally
When it’s all going off outside and our dog are being wary they are always looking to us for cues on how to behave. They are very tuned in to our own feelings and anxieties and possibly the most important thing to remember is to avoid eye contact if at all possible. Stay relaxed and as calm as possible whilst enjoying all the things that the Season brings us.
The Scottish Government is having a Consultation to decide what sort of action could be considered around the issue of public safety and dogs.
Some of the proposals include compulsory microchipping and compulsory muzzling in public places, and so on.
There is a link through the BBC website to a more in depth story and discussion, which as usual turns into a bit of a slagging match, but there are also links there to the Consultation Document and a Survey where you can actually take part in the consultation itself.
We have lots of customers in Scotland who like us agree with force-free training methods and it is an opportunity to let your feelings and opinions known to the ‘authorities’.
I suppose the other question is, should we also have a similar consultation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland? Why just is Scotland?
Latest order to be despatched for delivery tomorrow came in at 5:45 this evening on Friday, and with the help of the wonderful Royal Mail 1st Class delivery service will arrive on Saturday. So, happy faces and happy dogs all round!
Online orders from the weekend and on Monday will still be sent out as normal and you never know, they still might arrive in time for Chrimbo.
Watching my beloved Meg get older (13 in November) is one of the tougher things I have to do. At the same point in my other animal’s lives I have established their ‘signal’ for when they are ready to leave and yesterday I asked her The Question.
Meg’s answer was simple; she just wants me there by her side.
Her mobility has been much improved since having McTimoney chiropractic but she’s clearly been bothered by something else. During our communication yesterday she went into a very deep sleep once she’d told me what was on her mind and has been much more her old self since.
What was bothering her? The thought of being left behind during holidays. She wants to come too.
The sense of relief for both of us is huge. Knowing the one you love is happy has more value than value itself.
I love you Meg. You are such a special being in my life; I hope we can make the most if the time we have, whether it’s long or short.
As a sort of bystander, watching Rach and Meg interact is pretty amazing on a number of levels.
For a start, I feel very privileged to have been ‘let in’ because their relationship is so obviously close and longstanding but mainly they do really communicate in a way I am not familiar with.
OK, I talk to Meg (everybody talks to their dog don’t they?) and occasionally I can sort of guess what’s she is willing or not so willing to do but Rachael clearly communicates with Meg, sometimes by herself and sometimes with the assistance of others. Her insights are … err … well, insightful! Not just like you may expect a dog to sometimes gives a different and surprising perspective of what is going on from 18 inches above the ground.
Sometimes I could say it is in a childlike way but that doesn’t demean the validity of her perception because by childlike I mean simple, uncomplicated and sometimes uncomfortably direct! You know, just like on the bus when your kid says, “Look at that fat woman’s funny hat!”
The other thing obvious about their relationship that has elevated me into my own higher level of thinking, is their honesty. Rachael’s post on her FB account shows exactly the sort of honesty I mean – it is open, truthful, necessary and above all else kind.
Her words created an interesting amount of thinking and contributions from some of her friends and even allowed some to also look at their animal relationships in a more open way, especially about, ‘The Question’.
Speaking honestly here … I not quite ready for that Question yet but I know I have people-people and doggy-people around me that will offer me help when I become more ready. At the moment I’m at the stage where I can take pictures that sometimes capture some precious moments, but I do find it difficult to look at them.
Ever patient, our Meg is making it obvious that she’s next in line for the distribution of any leftovers.
She has always been an outside dog but ever since moving to Leeds opportunities for a bit of free roaming are few and far between … there are just too many potentially dangerous distractions and places to get stuck or lost which is a problem with all suburban living.
Here natural state though is as, I suppose, the natural state of all dogs since they first domesticated us humans and got us to feed and tend to them in exchange for a few scraps and the occasional woof at a passing stranger.
Meg’s favourite quote is, “woof”!
For those that don’t know, our Meggie is a springer collie cross (a sprollie) and is the ‘Me’ of Mekuti. She is also the reason why this all started … err … she has ‘issues’! More of that another time.
The Calming Band is for outdoor and indoor use but is particularly useful on holiday when we are in strange and unfamiliar surroundings.
With our Mutley, it helps to reduce excessive barking and stress by making gentle contact around the muzzle without actually restricting any movement, which means he is still able to drink, eat and pant.
It has a noticeable calming effect and is perfect for journeys, on walks or just sitting outside a pub especially when other dogs are around.
It’s most noticeable and really useful effect is stopping him from going ‘into the zone’ where nothing at all gets in and we can’t get his attention.
We also use it with Meg when we get visitors to the house, again it helps her to avoid getting into the zone and helps her calm down much easier with a lot less barking on the way.
Got to be honest, it’s not their most favourite thing in the world and they sometimes try and rub it off so sometimes loosening it a slight amount, a few warm encouraging words and a gentle stroke helps.
The Mekuti Balance Harness with double-ended lead gently and effectively helps your dog to stop pulling so you can enjoy your walks!
The harness is suitable for all breeds and fully adjustable, ensuring a comfortable fit.
You use the lead to alternate and release any tension between the side and back of the harness adjusting the dog’s balance so there is nothing to pull against and the ‘opposition reflex’ is not triggered.
These two points of connection allow effective influence, communication and control of your dog without pressure on the neck, the face or the spine.
Rachael demonstrates how some very easy TTouch moves can help both our dogs and ourselves re-balance towards calmness.
