Jump to content
BC Boards

Hypersensitivity to Visual Stimuli


Recommended Posts

The calming cap isn't really used in cases where the dog is fearful or panicky as far as i've heard - it's designed more for pure overstimulation. Yes, if an animal is fearful/panicky in a certain situation, dimming vision isn't a real great idea, but if they are reacting to a visual stimulus from a more offensive position or due to "sudden environmental change" the cap may be quite helpful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do EMT's even bother working on dogs? That would be interesting seeing an accident seeing and an EMT doing mouth to snout on some poor injured dog.

 

LJS,

 

I envy you for getting to be a small town boy, but it does have its drawbacks. There is a big world out there, and a lot of innovative people trying to make it a better one for all of us. Yes, EMTs are starting to be trained and equipped to do CPR on pets, particularly in house fires. Being in an accident or fire is traumatic enough without the added stress of losing your pet, as we all learned from Katrina, and humane societies are working with rescue personnel to equip them to do something about it. Read this:

 

Pasadena Fire Department Gives Animals a Fighting Chance

 

Here is a picture of a dog demoing a rescue mask:

 

pooch%20copy.jpg

 

Suspend your disbelief for a bit and think about what else might be possible!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the idea of the calming cap is to freeze the dog where they are. Tucker (who is smart but not sharp) had a towel over his head and he just stood there and was very relaxed with his eyes covered. I think thats the idea of the cap is to immobilize the dog. I think thats how it works.

 

Wrong. Did you read my earplug analogy above?

 

Once again, a calming cap is NOT the same thing as a blindfold. And it surely is not the same thing as ACE. ACE immobilizes the dog while continuing to expose it to the full range of sensory stimuli. The calming cap does the exact opposite. Like earplugs. Ahem.

 

Instead of speculating, why not do a google search for "calming cap" and see what you can learn? Try this:

 

Marin Humane Society’s Trish King develops the Gentle Leader® Calming Cap™

 

BTW, I'm not advocating the calming cap as an alternative to training. It's just a management tool that you can incorporate into your program for eventually eliminating the unwanted behavior.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, you do have car seats for kids - they aren't just laying around on the floor :D And it has been proven that carseats are the safest place for a child to be in an accident. As far as crates for dogs, in an accident you could have flying stuff all over your car (and with a sudden stop at 60 mph, a flying kleenex box has enough force to break your neck). You will be safer without a dog flying at you, and your dog will be safer not being in the position to fly through the car/windshield/open window/etc. Yup, there's still going to be some trauma in the crate or seatbelt, but your dog is not going to be moving nearly as far, and has a greater chance of coming through the accident alive.

 

Made me think of an interesting Q - we bought a new car when we got our BC pup - big enough for her to go in the boot with a dog guard, plus a crate for my JR to go in, also in the boot (to keep them apart really - can do without play fighting in the car!) and have always had it fixed to the floor. we ended up with a bright orange 4x4 :rolleyes:

 

Would it be safer in an accident, for the crate to be fixed to the ground (its got dog lead style clips on the bottom, which are clipped onto rings in the floor intended for securing things to) or would it cause less injury to the dog if the crate was free?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kessie gets too excited in cars, too. She's not scared but hyper, and pants so much that she starts coughing after a few hours. Therefore, she goes in a crate for long drives.

 

What we do on long drives (having no space for proper car crates) is put a normal plastic crate on the backseat, behind the passenger seat, and move the seat backwards so that the crate is snugly wedged in. Then I cover the air slits on the front side with something (towel, for example), and voilà, a ticked-off doggie goes to sleep :rolleyes:.

Maybe that method is an option for you, too?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kessie gets too excited in cars, too. She's not scared but hyper, and pants so much that she starts coughing after a few hours. Therefore, she goes in a crate for long drives.

 

What we do on long drives (having no space for proper car crates) is put a normal plastic crate on the backseat, behind the passenger seat, and move the seat backwards so that the crate is snugly wedged in. Then I cover the air slits on the front side with something (towel, for example), and voilà, a ticked-off doggie goes to sleep :rolleyes:.

Maybe that method is an option for you, too?

 

I'll have to try that. Maybe I can get a small enough crate that he can sleep in but still fit in my backseat! Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest TheRuffMuttGang

I can actually fit a 32" Vari Kennel in the backseat of my Honda the way Sandra described. That being said, I can't do that when I have all of my dogs with me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can actually fit a 32" Vari Kennel in the backseat of my Honda the way Sandra described. That being said, I can't do that when I have all of my dogs with me.

 

I'm amazed you can fit 8 dogs in your car period!! :rolleyes::D

 

I'm still waiting on the video (hint, hint :D ).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lenajo,

I'm not Debbie, but I can say that I have often travelled with all my dogs (6-9) with me. If you have no one at home and no convenient way to have someone come and care for them when you're travelling, then sometimes (or often) you just take all of them along. Many's the sheepdog trial I've travelled to with every one of my dogs in tow....

 

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest TheRuffMuttGang

All of my dogs go to the park at the same time, several times per week. It looks something like this:

 

6crwja0.jpg

 

 

Also, as Julie mentioned, when I travel they all go with me. Now here's the real shocker. Not only can I fit myself and 8 dogs into my Honda Civic...but I can fit myself, my 8 dogs AND my mother into my Honda Civic...oh yeah, and enough crates/expens to house everyone at a flyball tournament for the weekend. Now THAT'S a sight to see. The even better part is when I get them all out one by at at a tournament and someone with one dog walks by and comments on how well-behaved my dogs are because they aren't pulling me over as I get the other dogs out of the car (and yes, I can walk all 8 of them on leash at the same time).

 

BTW, I have the video...just haven't gotten it uploaded on here yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...