ARF 20 year anniversary

Top tips for photographing your rescue dog With the new year upon us and many spending more time at home, perhaps it is time to learn a new skill? Would you like to take better photos of your dog but don’t know where to start? ARF is here to help! Good photography is essential when it comes to getting more attention to animals in need. Think of your dog’s photo as marketing, you are selling a product (getting your foster dog their forever home) so you need to ensure that your images stand out and are shareable on social media! Sophie Gamand has written an incredibly detailed article on this topic – we are going to give you some dot points but we highly recommend that you have a detailed read of her article to get more information.  https://www.sophiegamand.com/photo-tips-for-rescuers?fbclid=IwAR0V7isl4aYLa5aWTNuXWtKmhQkp1BvEfLCPxaumQZYFjw6sqZMtL7TtHqQ Do’s: -        Ensure that you have a nice background. If possible, take your dog somewhere nice to get their photo taken, a yard with lush grass, a flowery bush or even just in front of a clean coloured wall. A positive image sells a positive dog! -        Make sure the dog is calm. Take a moment to make sure your dog is nice and calm before the shoot, let them sniff around and work out their excitement. Try and take photos of your dog in calm environments, during a nap or after a walk – show the range of their personality! -       Adapt your photos to the whole dog. You may have to rotate your camera to get a great photo of your dog's face, or to get all of their body in the shot. Don’t be afraid to experiment and to select the photo that speaks to you, if it speaks

As COVID-19 restrictions ease and many of us return to work, we need to make sure our dogs (who have become very used to our constant company and extra attention) aren’t left to fret and develop possible separation anxiety. It is important to prepare them to be home alone more often and make sure you can spot the signs of an anxious dog so you can care and support them adequately. Symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs may include: Vocalising Destructive behaviour Pacing Weight loss Regression in Toilet Training Here are some great tips to help reduce any possible anxiety in your dog as you prepare to return to the office: Start doing small outings outside the house and leaving your dog at home – get them used to being in their own company with small increased increments of time before you do the 8-hour work day! Don’t make a fuss when you return home for the day – otherwise, your dog will learn to anticipate your arrival home and not be able to settle or be calm until you are back. Only engage with them once they have settled down! As well as a good walk, make sure your dog has adequate mental stimulation. This can include things like Kongs, puzzles, lick mats, new toys and home-alone games! This will help keep them occupied and engaged while you are out. Leave the radio or TV on for noise company Talk to your vet about possible anti-anxiety supplements or pheromones like Adaptil or increased Omega-3! Leave them with a dirty shirt or jumper to cuddle, so they can smell you while they snooze the day away.

Sue and her husband David are just two of our amazing ARF volunteers. Read about their motivations behind helping surrendered dogs find their chance of securing a happy, loving forever home. Before joining ARF, David and I had years of experience working with pedigree dogs at our dog club. We’ve been involved with showing, obedience trials, and both the Demonstration Team and the Dogs as Therapy Team. But we thought we could also offer a home to a dog in need, who for whatever reason needed to find a new forever home. So fostering with ARF became our next step. Having a foster dog is challenging and rewarding. It is just like having your own dog in that you commit to doing the very best for that dog. That involves things like correct nutrition, training, socialisation and general care and welfare. And of course, it is wonderful to watch your foster dog blossom with love, care and attention. One of the great things about being an ARF foster carer is you get to choose the dog which is most suitable for you and your life circumstances at the time. Which means there are sometimes ‘foster fails’. This is when the foster carers decide to keep the foster dog forever. Yes, it happens to many of us! In fact this is one of the reasons ARF is always on the hunt for carers. We had our own foster fail with one of our foster dogs, Paddy. Paddy has changed from a skinny, scared, neglected dog who came from Goulburn Pound into my ‘heart’ dog. This has taken time and patience and it has been wonderful to call on the expertise of ARF Support People and Trainers who are readily available to offer their experience and guidance. It is truly amazing to

When the time of year comes around and the flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing and grass needs mowing more often – so comes hay fever! Much like us humans, our pets can experience hay fever as well, and it's so important for their comfort and health that we know how to identify it and help them through it, as hay fever symptoms in our pets can be incredibly uncomfortable and may need possible medical treatment. What causes hay fever in our pets? The same as us humans, springtime and the weather that comes along with it can trigger hay fever in our pets. The pollen, grasses, and seed spores that growing plants produce get into their air causing irritation to our pet's skin – especially if you have a dog that loves rolling around in the grass! What should you look for when identifying hay fever in your pet? Our pets tend to show a much larger reaction to hay fever in their skin and eyes, rather than their sinuses like us humans - so look out for sores, rashes, or flaky skin that is overly itchy, and your pet is excessively nibbling, rubbing, or scratching at. These rashes or sores are usually more noticeable in places with less fur, like the face, armpits, paws, or belly. The irritation from hay fever can lead to the fur being lost around their itchy spot due to rubbing. It's important to note that not all pets have a noticeable rash or sore, so you should be on the lookout for excessive rubbing or scratching even if the skin seems fine. You may also notice your pet having weepy eyes, sniffling and a runny nose, wheezing, and even ear infections! Interestingly, according to Leticia Fidalgo Buron, vet and technical manager at Webbox,