|
Here is an appeal for help, from
someone who wonders if anyone else has had the same problem: “Since we moved house a couple of years ago our two 7-year old Shih Tzu dogs have decided 6 a.m. is time to rise and start to bark nonstop until one of us gets up. This isn't too bad during the week, since my husband rises around six a.m. anyway, but it is a real pain seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year! “Sometimes it can even be 5 a. m. As soon as someone gets up they shut up. We've had them to a behaviour specialist who told us to ignore them - this doesn't work since they each have the constitution of an ox and have been known to bark non-stop for nearly 2 hours, by which time we are still in bed but nearly on the ceiling!!! It's killing us - we can NEVER have a reasonable night's sleep unless we go to bed around ten.” The person who was first consulted, (let’s call her “Mrs Barker”), and who passed this message on for help from us here in the Diary, wrote that she can’t really help, because: “I think you are asking the wrong person. I have had the same problem. I think they are simply creatures of habit: if you get up at 6 all week they want you up at 6 on weekends. I only had one dog that worried if I wasn't up, the rest didn't care. I found that once I was up he was fine, he didn't then worry if I went back to bed. Where do they sleep, would sleeping in the bedroom help?” To this, our sleepless lady replied, “I daren't try them in the bedroom as they are chewers!!!! Lost a pair of walking shoes two weeks ago at our caravan when I gave them the run of the hallway with our bedroom door open - thought, they'd been quiet! I keep hoping they've grown out of this!” Please can anyone offer any helpful suggestions? These people need a good night’s rest! |
|
Does anyone still travel regularly to
shows by train? Way back in the sixties, lots of people did,
although most of the UK championship shows are nowhere near a
station. One person who did this all the time was the inimitable
Margaret Hoare (Gorseycop). For those who need a little history
lesson, Peggy was a very well-known exhibitor/breeder, best known
for her black/white Champion Dott Of Gorseycop, her Champion
Gorseycop Splendid Summer (owned by Anne Pickburn) and Champion
Gorseycop Turnip Top. Peggy was also a great character. Peggy Hoare was always at the shows bright and early, having made the journey by train. When it was time to pack up and go home, she would sometimes approach one of her fellow exhibitors and ask them if they were travelling by car. If their reply was in the affirmative, she would then ask if they would be kind enough “just to drop her off at the station?” In this way, many of us were persuaded into detours of anything between twenty and fifty miles at the end of a long and tiring day!! This remembrance of the past is called to mind by two “train” stories sent to the Diary recently. Both were from the same owner although they concern different dogs. Also both concern the use of a Sherpa bag to carry a Shih Tzu. (Forgive the ignorance of the Dogsbody, but what IS a Sherpa bag?) First comes the story of the Shih Tzu and the Lager Louts. Her owner took a little bitch to one of the breed club’s Fun Day. This was a couple of years ago. She writes, “I had decided to go on the train with her in a Sherpa Bag.I got on an empty train and put the unzipped Sherpa Bag on the table in front of me. The bitch curled up inside and went to sleep. The train filled up. En route, half a dozen fully-fledged lager louts boarded the train. Four of them sat to the side and two sat opposite. As the train pulled away the chap opposite pulled off the top of his can and lifted it to his mouth – and just at that very moment up popped my Shih Tzu, eyeball to eyeball with him! Well that was it, lager sprayed everywhere and the whole carriage collapsed in gales of laughter! It ended up with one Shih Tzu bitch being passed round the lager louts for “cuddles”. When they got off they all lined up on the platform and I had to hold her up so they could wave goodbye to her.” The second story is about another journey by train, this time with the daughter of the bitch who starred in the previous anecdote. “Once again I had the Sherpa Bag on the train. My little girl was really tired. The Sherpa Bag was on the table, and I had unzipped the end facing the window. She was fast asleep with just her head poking out of the bag with her hair spread out everywhere. Along came the ticket inspector - not normally a problem as I have found that Virgin train ticket inspectors never worry about the dogs. However, on this occasion, as he drew level with my seat the inspector let out a blood curdling scream and threw himself backwards against the opposite seats with a look of sheer terror on his face. As I explained that she was actually quite safe and anyway fast asleep, he very sheepishly said that he had just caught a glimpse of her head with all it's golden hair poking out of the bag and he thought I had a human head in there!” |
|
The Shih Tzu Club held its Spring
Open Show on Sunday 5th May, with Dolly Goodrich judging the dogs
and Dawn Sandrey the bitches. There was an entry of 87 exhibits for
this show, which is quite good for an open show in the UK these
days. Best in Show was won by the Best Bitch, Becquet’s Santosha Rainbow High, (Santosha D’Ya Feel Lucky ex Santosha Red Dawn) with Reserve Best Bitch going to Woodbridge's Champion Bowchild's Siew Fu (Chanikos Hi-n-Mitee ex Bowchild Forever In The Red). Reserve BIS and Best Dog was won by Goodwin’s Chelhama Aquarius, (Chelhama Going For Gold ex Harropine Secret Approval Of Chelhama), with reserve Best Dog going to Ritchie's Laurmerand By Design (Camglia Hereaus Highlight ex Carradarndale Penny Black). Best Puppy in Show went to Stangeland’s Weatsom Swooney Clooney (Weatsom Dressed To Impress ex Weatsom Picabo) and Best Minor Puppy in Show was Ritchie’s Jacquinta Golden Sunrise over Laurmerand (Hiona Augustus At Jacquinta ex Jacquinta Pi-Zazz). |
|
Tonight, I have to write the diary
entry on a very sad note. I am so sorry to have to report that Ken
Robinson (of the Anthrosyl Shih Tzu) died suddenly, last night, in
his sleep. Please send your card of condolence to his wife, Beryl,
and to her family at: 48 Scotch Orchard, Lichfield, Staffs. WS1 6DE. Please could anyone who is going to Birmingham Championship show tomorrow tell those who are not online about this sad news? |
|
Looking back over recent entries in
the diary, I have to report that the news for the people who were
short of sleep is not good. Our consensus of opinion seems to be
that the Shih Tzu is a creature of habit, and that their habits are
hard to break. As one writer says, “Its no help whatsoever to these poor people, but these dogs are creatures of habit. I used to arise early to catch the train and now the dogs wake up, time regardless, summer or winter.” And it’s not just getting up that depends upon habit. In the Dogsbody household, it is time for the first doggy meal of the day at about 12 noon. When, as is done in the UK, the clocks are changed for British Summer Time, the dogs still demand their food at the time which WOULD have been 12 o’clock before the clocks changed! Several people suggested that getting up to deal with the problem of wakeful dogs was best – or at least it is the line of least resistance. As someone said, “when the dogs got me up at 6.00 a.m., I used to make a cup of tea and sit down, at which they all did the same and we all dozed until nearly 9.00 a.m. - me, the big dogs and the pups. It was great, not a sound out of anybody except big Bob snoring!” By the way, I must say that “big Bob” is not the writer of this, but one of his dogs! His message seems to be, if you can’t beat them, join them! And June Saunders, Camglia, says “ I have had Shih Tzu for 30 years, and I personally find you get the problem of the 5 a.m.- 6 a.m. lark with the Oldies! What I do is, I plod downstairs, open the back door with out saying good morning, (to show my displeasure), and go back to bed. Funny - I never hear another sound until I emerge again at 7-30. I put it down to age incontinence in the older dogs. Like people, as they get older every thing takes a bit longer.” These sufferers from lack of sleep did seem to suggest that the problem had arisen since they had moved to a new home. Someone has suggested that something in the new environment is disturbing the dogs at the early hour. If this can be identified, perhaps something can be done about it. Another suggestion is that the Shih Tzu may have been feeling insecure since the move, in which case their “early morning call” is a demand for attention and can only be dealt with by giving them extra love and affection. If, like me, you have neighbours, simply ignoring the barking is simply not an option. What a pity we haven’t been more help. It would have been nice if we could have come up with a foolproof solution, but life is rarely that simple, is it? |
At the Birmingham National Championship
Show yesterday, judge Joe Kirk, the Dog Challenge Certificate was won by
Metcalfe & Forster's Wingates Dangerous Liason (Imp), with Franks’Champion
Hashanah Hot Shot taking the reserve D.C.C. Dangerous Liason won his title on
the day, having taken his first C.C. at Belfast in 2000 (judge, Zena
Thorn-Andrews) and his second from Ken Sinclair at Manchester earlier this year.
Warner's Hashanah Try To Imagine won the Bitch Challenge Certificate, with Best
of Breed, and went on to be shortlisted in the last eight for the Utility Group.
The litter sister of Hotshot, Champion Hashanah Flash Point, won the reserve
B.C.C. Best Puppy in Breed went to Forbes’ Debeaux last Laugh At Ekland.
This was also the third C.C. to be won by "Try To Imagine", which gives her the
title of Champion, so two new champions were made up at this show. Her first CC
was won in 2000, at Birmingham National (judge, Pat Maule, Daltricia) and the
second at the Scottish Kennel Club in the August of 2001, (judge, Glenda Gilkes,
Zeeva). Bred by Judy Franks and owned by Judith Warner,
this pedigree shows her
breeding.
|
It looks as if at last we have a
really constructive suggestion here for the people who were having
trouble getting a good night’s sleep. It comes from Rob and Carol
Stobbs (Sonoma Shih Tzu), who write, “We too have been through the mill with ‘Early Risers’ . . . But . . . we added Blackout Lining to the blinds in their bedroom and it has to be said that the results were impressive. We live in the country and were afraid that our problems were being caused by the Dawn Chorus, but since the addition of this heavy lining we don't seem to be having problems. It worked for us, so perhaps worth considering? “ Thank you, Rob and Carol. This practical suggestion may just be the one that works! |
|
Another comment on the subject of
those noisy Shih Tzu. Gloria Townsin comments, “June (Saunders) is
actually doing exactly the right thing by not speaking to her Shih
Tzu when they are barking. She is behaving as the alpha dog/wolf in
a pack would. Jan Fennellin, in her first book "The Dog Listener",
describes this exactly in her "Reuniting - The Five-Minute Rule"
section. The only thing is - when I return from my "joy of the week"
supermarket trip, my house explodes at the quietest sound of key in
lock and no amount of ignoring has any effect!! I think this could
mean that I am NOT the “alpha” in my dogs eyes - hmmm....I’d better
begin reading again and maybe leave them a copy to digest? And, on another topic, June Saunders herself writes, “Re your piece about Peggy Hoare - what a delightful person she was. I knew her well. Her Champion Gorseytop Turnip was sired by Olive Newsons Champion Dominic of Telota, the same bloodlines as my own, dark/grey/white, nice size, loved his beautiful face and, as with most grey/b/w, a laid back temperament - which you really need on public transport. I don't think the constant yapping that you hear in car parks would go down well in a train or bus. Shih Tzu love those Sherpa bags: I had someone bring a bitch for stud in such a bag and they came by train. When I collected them at the station, I was looking for a fellah with a dog, but there was no sign of one and then, as he got into the car, out popped a little head. I was certainly surprised!” For those who, like poor ignorant Dogsbody, did not know what a “Sherpa bag” was, here is a useful link to a site which explains all. Until I was sent this, I thought it was like a Duffel bag, and had some difficulty imagining how you could transport a dog in it!! |
|
At the Scottish Kennel Club’s
championship show this morning, after several days of delightful
weather, the day turned out cold – or, as it was described to me,
“perishing”! Our breed was judged by Jean Lovely, who awarded the
Dog Challenge Certificate with Best of Breed to Jim Peat’s Tameron
Mr Allure To Kareth (Tameron Mr Paco ex Miss Beautiful of Tameron).
The reserve D.C.C. went to Sue & David Crossley’s Santosha Santorini
(Ch. Santosha Red October ex Santosha Super Model). Champion Hashanah Love Unlimited For Zeeva JW, (Ch. Hashanah Relentless Pursuit ex Hashanah Love At First Sight), owned by Glenda Gilkes, won the Bitch Challenge Certificate and Yvonne Forbes’ puppy bitch, Debeaux Last Laugh At Ekland, (Ch. Cedarhythe Hot Off The Press ex Ekland Hide & Seek At Debeaux), took the reserve B. C. C. with Best Puppy in Breed. Last but not least, Jim and Vikki Grugans' Champion Jardhu The Republican won the Veteran Stakes on the first day. |
|
The latest news from the Scotland is
that at the S.K.C. championship show today, Champion/Irish Champion
Jardhu The Republican won the Veteran Stakes overall. Owned and bred
by Jim and Vikki Grugan, and sired by Bellakerne Dandii Do of Jardhu
ex Huxlor Personality Plus of Jardhu, "Repp" is now nine and a half
years of age and is the current breed record holder. Also from Scotland, we welcome Jim Peat (Kareth) to the pages of the diary. He writes, as so many others have done recently, about the problem of Shih Tzu wanting to get up earlier than their owners - "On the subject of early risers, my little Lharing Pitti Sing has such acute hearing that if I move at all in my bed after 6.00am she starts to bark to get out and doesn't stop not even it would seem for breath. I have her downstairs and there are three doors between my bedroom and where she is, as well as a stairwell and hall and the kitchen, but still the minute I move, I sometimes thinks she hears my eyelids opening, the barking starts. Not a sound when the milkman leaves the milk on the back doorstep, yet as soon as I blink the barking starts. I have tried all the usual tricks keeping the room dark, taking them out later each night but nothing seems to work. Have resigned myself to getting up around 6.00am for the rest of my life, or at least the rest of her life, she is only 10 months so could be getting up early for a very long time." |
|
Well, well, we can’t seem to get away
from the subject of the Shih Tzu who won’t sleep in the early
morning! But Rob and Carol Stobbs of the Sonoma Shih Tzu have come
to the rescue. This time they write, “Oh dear! Poor Jim Peat! Once again, we are all too familiar with this subject, but hopefully we can assist again? Whilst we all appreciate how serious this problem can be for all concerned, there is an amusing anecdote that we will share with fellow sufferers. “As the majority of Exhibitors will be aware, I lost both of my feet during 1999 and this has caused only one long term problem of any consequence. Whilst putting on my prosthesis, I have to push a liner into the main socket so that I can stand up (and, far more importantly, keep my "Leg" on). This process causes a noise, which is not audible to us humans, but guess who hears it instantly? At a range of up to one hundred yards? Yes, "The Git", aka "Oliver"! The barking, yowling and general mayhem that ensued was quite unbelievable – until, in desperation, we left a radio on in their bedroom at very low volume. I'm delighted to report that it has worked. So now, as you know, we have not only Black-Out lined blinds but also our own radio tuned to Classic FM. The choice of program makes no difference, I'm sure, but it is my way of extracting some revenge as I'm sure "The Git" would be more into Virgin Radio or Capital! However, as we seem to be constantly telling him, "It's Good to Want". Hope this helps in some way.” Thanks, Rob, that’s a lovely story. And do you have a photograph of Oliver? I’m sure that after reading this, diary readers will be longing to see him! |
|
SO . . .here he is!
Oliver, alias
"The Git", owned and loved by Carol and Rob - and the reason why the
radio in the Stobbs' household has to be left turned on all night!!
I think he looks sweet myself, and I can't imagine how he came to be
called "The Git"? No, Oliver is a much more suitable name. |
|
We must get on to another topic soon.
Dogsbody has one which, albeit reluctantly, needs to be addressed.
So, to bid farewell for the moment to the subject of early risers in the Shih Tzu world, I’ll hand over to Gloria Townsin of the Redhall Shih Tzu for a final witty comment - How about the words from 'Ole Man River' to sum up the usual morning routine? I find that once my dogs have got me up and running they then retire to bed for some extra shut eye! "Up in the Morning Down on the job Work like the devil for my pay (that's the people bit!) While that (those) lucky ol' son (sons) Got nuttin to do But roll aroun' heaven all day" (and you don't need telling whose bit that is!) |
|
Now I must write about a truly distasteful
subject, if you’ll pardon me for putting it like that! It’s
Coprophagia, or a dog’s habit of eating its own faeces. Yes, this is
indeed a case of “Ugh!” and I would as soon not mention it at all,
were it not for the fact that this is something that does occur and
which distresses many owners. Over the years, I have so often been
asked why this is happening and how to cure it. Neither is that easy
to explain, although as far as a cure is concerned – the only sure
one that I know of is that you have to remove the opportunity. This
means following the offending dog round with a shovel and scooping
up the faeces before he/she can turn to get it! In certain circumstances, eating faeces may be normal for dogs.Bitches with puppies, for example, will do this perhaps to keep the environment round the nest clean. And of course puppies, will eat whatever they come across, including ”poo”. Our problem occurs when a dog seems to have an obsession for eating its own faeces, or that of other dogs, and will eat it every chance he gets. It has been suggested that “this may be caused by nutritional deficiencies possibly due to a lack of certain enzymes in the digestive tract” but I simply cannot subscribe to this theory. Sometimes, experts suggest, a dog will resort to coprophagia because he doesn't have enough to occupy him, or even as a way of getting your attention. He might also do it as a way of establishing his dominance over other pets by removing their scent markers. Would you believe, there is even a site devoted to the subject here and one with sensible advice which Dogsbody would endorse can be found here. If it’s any consolation to you, which I seriously doubt, I learned from the Internet that woodlice, fish and possibly even ostriches are prone to do this too! And, which is what brought this perennial subject to the fore again, someone recently informed Dogsbody that they had read on a vet’s site the following useful cure for coprophagia, “For reasons not yet understood, courgettes can also stop dogs eating their own and other dogs' faeces”. My correspondent added, “Mine are funny, they seem to go through stages, sometimes they don't even try for months and then I get a spate of it. I could do with something that puts them off, it's revolting having to fight them to get to the poo first.” If anyone has any ideas for good preventative measures, please send them for inclusion in the diary. |
|
First job on getting back home –
write up the diary. Oh dear, and to think that I felt the subject of
copographia was almost too delicate to mention! Well, judging from
your e-mails, you most certainly didn’t. I am certainly not going to
describe the experiences you’ve shared with me in detail - suffice
it to say that most of us seem to have had problems of this sort at
one time or another. Just two pieces of constructive advice have come in. First, from Matthew Russell, who writes, “Just to let you know that I have had problems with this, and sometimes still do whenever I introduce a new edition to the Shih Tzu family (which is not very often ). The only thing that I have found that works is '8 in 1 Deter' tablets, which you can get from most large pet shops. You have to give them to all your dogs, not just the 'poo guzzler'. This is because it works by making the poo taste disgusting, and after a few days the dogs give up eating it because it tastes so bad. I hope this is of some use, it has worked in the Matsuba household,” The other suggestion comes from a chap who asks to remain anonymous. OK, Mate, I can quite see why you do! He writes, “ I have found a solution to this problems which always works. I make a paste of really strong curry powder and spread this on the poo in the garden. None of my Shiddies goes back for a second helping.” Words almost fail me! I can only say that here, in the Dogsbody household, the dogs always gather round enthusiastically if we are enjoying an Indian takeaway, and two of them in particular are quite addicted to a Vindaloo! No, I think I’ll try Matthew’s remedy first. Back to the familiar subject of “early risers” and Joan Parker writes to say that her Tibetan Spaniels are just the same. “They always get us up as soon as it is light. They do let us lie in for longer in the winter but from now on they will start barking well before six in the morning. We’ve had this breed for 11 years now, and just accept it as a way of life” |
