Special Events at Wag More Barn
Coming up:
Learning About Border Collies:
Oct 16
with Kay Laurence
Many sports enthusiasts are choosing the multi-talented collie, or sheepdog, to partner them in a variety of activities. From Agility to Freestyle, from Obedience to Tracking, the collies will do their best to enjoy and fully participate in the training and competition.
We employ their inherited talents; such as supreme concentration, athleticism, mental and physical stamina and enthusiasm to learn and tailor these skills to our sport's requirements. In the same package other talents can interfere with the very skills we are trying to develop, such as over arousal, response to uncontrolled activity, using prey behaviours.
This workshop focusses on teaching you about the "whole package" and learning to use ALL their talents to create a balanced partner. A critical part of developing a healthy collie is to teach relaxation and find the "off" switch.
On the day there is an opportunity to work with some of the dogs to explore their particular talents and look at some rehabilitation strategies. Whatever breed we select we can never dismiss or ignore the selective breeding that has captured the characteristics we desire. The inherited behaviours have been fixed, multiplied in strengthened over many hundreds of generations in Border Collies and cannot be tossed away as “inconvenient” just because you do not personally need them.
Breeds that have roots going back of hundreds of years are specialists and you can no more stop a Setter or Spaniel enjoying the air, than stop a collie wanting to control movement.
Suppression of these inherited behaviours can lead to a distortion of their personalities, immeasurable frustration and a lifetime of conflict between you and the dog.
Learning about Border Collies, and the associated working sheepdogs or heading dogs, can help you understand how they are designed, why you have specific behaviours that seem contrary to popular understanding, and why many of the regular training solutions seem ineffective. Using their inherited skills is probably the most reinforcing opportunity they can have. This passion, that often needs no external reinforcer, needs to be channelled towards your chosen activities, not pushed aside. You can use their skills to enhance existing behaviours, remove frustration, and as the perfect reinforcer. No sheep are needed, balls make wonderful substitutes.
Once you let your Border Collie BE a Border Collie, they enjoy life much more, seem more balanced and content within themselves.
Chiropractic Seminar Workshops:
with Dr Emma Fretwell
Basic Canine Remedial Stretches & Exercises
Oct 30 £40
This seminar will give an overview of the skeletal and muscular systems of the dog, giving a revision of dog musculature and movement assessment. We will be able to discuss common problems associated with specific disciplines, remedial exercises and stretches to assist in rehabilitation following these problems, and strengthening work to prevent problems occurring in the future.
Morning:
- Introduction to what we do and why
- Palpation of musculature (dependant on numbers)
- Assessment of physical appearance of dog
- Assessment of movement
- Conclusion of how observations correlate in the movement
- Look at different assessment exercises
Afternoon:
- Discuss common muscular issues of different disciplines, presentation and demonstration. For example,
- Agility – lower back – sub lumbar – flexor
- Obedience – lower back/neck – extensors
- Companion pet – shoulders and neck – concussion,
- Also pelvic limb dysfunction
- Easy exercises and stretches to give to ease issues and create enhanced movement
- Basic warm up, cool down, and massage routine to enhance your dog’s performance.
This is an introduction to the incorporation of simple but effective balancing and strengthening exercises and stretches that can be applied on the candidate’s own dog following their assessment. This will also be studied with dogs brought along for the day.
The fee for the workshop, £40, includes assessment for one dog. Depending on numbers additional dogs can be included, or booked for treatment following the seminar. Book for both seminars (Oct 30 & Nov 28) and save £10.
Advanced Canine Remedial Stretches & Exercises
Nov 28 £40
This seminar will give an in depth view of the skeletal and muscular systems of the dog, giving a revision of dog musculature and movement assessment. We will be able to discuss common problems associated with specific disciplines, remedial exercises and stretches to assist in rehabilitation following these problems, and strengthening work to prevent problems occurring in the future.
Morning:
- Introduction to what we do and why
- Palpation of musculature / in depth review of actions of certain groups
- Assessment of physical appearance of dog
- Assessment of movement
- Conclusion of how observations correlate in the movement
- Look at different assessment exercises
Afternoon:
- Discuss common muscular issues of different disciplines, presentation and demonstration.
- A review of the basic exercises and stretches given in the previous seminar, to give to ease issues and create enhanced movement
- Advanced exercises and stretches for the more supple dogs, and in depth rehabilitation techniques.
- Basic warm up, cool down, and massage routine to enhance your dog’s performance.
This is a follow on to the basic seminar (Oct 30) for the incorporation of more advanced balancing and strengthening exercises and stretches that can be applied on the candidate’s own dog following their assessment. This will also be studied with dogs brought along for the day.
The fee for the workshop, £40, includes assessment for one dog. Depending on numbers additional dogs can be included, or booked for treatment following the seminar. Book for both seminars and save £10.
Regular Clinic at Wagmore
Emma will be available monthly for 30 minute consultations on Wednesday afternoons at Wagmore. The evening class will also follow on with fitness exercises. Please book direct with Emma: 0779 969 2722 www.veterinary-chiropractic.co.uk
Dr Emma Fretwell is a Chiropractor for people, dogs, horses and other animals. Emma has been qualified for 10 years, recently being the second person in UK to gain the advanced certification with the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association. During that time she has run various clinics, including being team adviser to the Endurance horse teams GB, treating both the horse and the rider as one unit. Recently, she has appointed Team Chiropractor for the Kennel Club National teams for Dog Agility and Dog Obedience, which involves travelling with the teams to the European Games and World Games.
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