Barking. Is it so annoying?

      Barking. What is our attitude towards barking? Of course it depends upon where we live and why we have a dog. If our dog protects the cattle and barks in case of a danger (a wolf is approaching) we treat barking as a useful talent. However, most of us live without any cattle. In a countryside  people are used to various sounds of animals and as a rule do not pay much attention to dog’s barking.  But in a city it is quite another thing. We can not allow our pets to bark as much as they probably would like to.  What to do if your dog is a big barker? 

       Actually  it is rather difficult to make a dog to keep silent  as barking is a natural instinct. My opinion that it is a Sisyphus’s labor  to struggle against what is only natural.

      There are a lot of reasons for barking – protection, anger, joy, invitation to play, etc. Barking is also dependent upon the breed, character of a dog, age, emotional and physical condition  and other reasons.

     One can hardly find a  universal method how to teach a dog not to bark. A lot of trainings can be applied, even a special collar can be used for this purpose.  But still a lot of masters try to stop barking by simply shouting at a dog. 

      It is quite possible to keep this instinct under  control. But for each case of barking  a special method should be selected.

      In this post I’d like to share one of my “anti-barking” experiences.

An enjoyable education of dogs

       It seems everybody who has a dog wants his pet to be well educated and socialized. For this we go to training ground, read publications and see videos about how to train our pets. However, results are not always quite satisfied. Very often a dog who does very well all the exercises “in the class”, do not obey commands while walking. Why? And how to correct this? 

      The trick is that many of us consider a walk with a dog as a relaxing time. I’m afraid it is a delusion. Walking or playing with a dog  it is a proper time to train and teach him or her obedience.  Yes, in some sense you work with your dog constantly.  However, it is not a hard labor, it can be very enjoyable. Just Involve your fantasy and humor J   

How to feed dogs? That is the question!

      How to feed dogs? This is a big question which has no final answer. To be more exact there are a lot of answers. Some masters insist on natural products - meat, riсe, vegetables. Others prefer commercially prepared frozen, dry or canned food. Ones consider that it's better for a dog to eat the same food permanently, others support the idea of a great variety of meals. A lot of publications and internet materials can be found on this dramatic topic (see, for example, http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/dog-nutrition/Dishing-Up-Variety).  

     But the trick is the issue of feeding becomes problematic mostly for advanced dog masters. A great number of ordinary people who have dogs do not think deeply about this matter and feed their pets with what they consider suitable. Very often masters share with their beloved four-legged creatures ice-cream, sweets, sweet cookies, even beer, and many other products that are far from being useful for animals. It's too difficult to refuse to give our dogs what we eat ourselves. Our pets are excellent actors and looked into our eyes as they are starving. It seems as an optimum way out to share with them fruits: apples, peaches, persimmmons, even water melons. However, the individual tastes of our pets shoud be taken into account :-))

To be a decoy in mondioring.

      To work as a decoy in mondioring requires to pass a special test (attestation) and to get a certificate. This test includes various exercises which are used in mondioring championship. There are three levels of competition in mondioring. The third one is the most complicated. Only experienced and most skillfull sportmen with their dogs participate in the third level. It is the dog of the third level which is used in the attestation. 

Mondioring - will it be widely popular?

       Mondioring is an exciting sport which requires well trained participants and their dogs (mostly malinois), as well as decoys or helpers of high professional skills: deep knowledge of dog’s behavior, intensive physical training, reaction and – a good sense of humor.

         Mondioring is a young sport. However, it takes its start in late XIX century when soldiers showed – for getting money -  defense skills of their dogs. Step by step some rules were developed and first competitions were organized.  In different countries – mostly in France, Belgium, Germany – very similar trainings were performed. To harmonize the principles and rules of these trainings, to increase their popularity European mondioring  clubs held a meeting. The new term – mondioring (world ring) – and unified rules emerged as a result of this conference. 

        Today the FCI publicized official rules of mondioring and every year two grand championships and a lot of minor competitions are held. A helper, or decoy (homme assistant – in French) should pass special tests (attestation) for working in mondioring. 

         Mondioring is a rather expensive and time-consuming sport. Will it be widely popular or it will be supported by a limited number of clubs?

What the great art would look without dogs?

       In yesterday's post I wrote about Constant Troyon, a French master of great talent. He worked a lot in the Pays-Bas and picked up the rare skill of Dutch painters to draw animals in movement and express their emotions. The idea to write a few words about Troyon was induced by our recent visit to the Moscow Gallery of the European and American art of the XIX and XX centuries. Actually there is  only one canvas of this painter - "The running dogs". 

       However, it made me remember a lot of pictures where we can find figures of dogs. Why artists refer so often to dogs, while there a lot of other animals who live with us, cats, for example? We can find dogs in a great variety of painted scenes. In the Royal palace as on the Velazquez's canvas, or with children who are dragging a heavy cask of water (Perov). A dog quitely lies with a sleeping girl (Deriy), supports silently boy's tricks (Makovskiy), or follows an old warrior till his final hour (Durer). Images of dogs can strengthen the main idea or atmosphere of the picture: loneliness, quietness, despair or  easiness. Quite often a dog is painted as the only true friend - as for young sons of Edward IV, imprisoned in the Tower (Delaroch). 

       Indeed, dogs are always with us, even in most dramatic moments of our life. May be it would be fair to always  remember about it. 

Dogs & Landscapes

Visiting art galleries and exhibitions do you pay any attention to images of dogs on pictures? Figures of dogs can be found on various kinds of canvases: devoted to ancient myths, battles, on family portraits, landscapes,  etc. Artists painted dogs to express a peaceful and quiet atmosphere or dynamic movement and vivid emotions. Constant Troyon, a painter of great talent, was one of those who knew animals, dogs in particular, and had a rare skill of drawing them.