Volunteer story: Anja, and vet tips with Dr Ashe

00:10 S1

On Vision Australia Radio, you're listening to the Seeing Eye Dogs Show with me, your host, Harriet Moffat. Today I have two interviews for you. The first is with training dog carer and volunteer in kennels and puppy centre on your Schafer coming to talk to us about her life, caring for dogs in Asking Dogs training program within her own home, and what the dogs get up to in the home environment during their training, as well as her roles looking after the young puppies on site before they join their carers. Then I'm joined by Doctor Ashe Mooney from the Seeing Eye Dogs vet team to talk about cold weather. 

Care for dogs as we are well and truly in winter in parts of this country. I thought it would be a good time to reshare this interview discussing some of the most common cold weather conditions, as well as some vet tips around those. I hope you find them helpful and are staying happy, warm and comfortable with your animal companions. And now let's start the show with our first interview with Anja. Hi, Anja, thank you for joining me on the show today.

01:24 S2

Thanks for having me.

01:25 S1

Could you please start by introducing yourself?

01:28 S2

Yeah, sure. So my name is Anja. I'm in my 30s. I work full time and have two cats. And I've been volunteering with Seeing Eye dogs for about eight months now.

01:39 S1

So you actually have two roles as well? Could you please kind of intro your volunteer roles?

01:45 S2

Yeah. So I started off as an IFT relief or foster carer, uh, because that suited my lifestyle, working full time the best. And then I heard about an opening in puppy block. And I was really keen to get exposure to the younger dogs because I am trying to work my way up to puppy caring. It's not a prerequisite to volunteer in puppy block, but that was sort of my intro. And I'm starting in Puppy Centre as well this week, which will be exciting seeing the little wormies.

02:14 S1

So basically it's like you're working your way back through the ages. It's like you, so you see what they end up as, or roughly, end product is, through to kind of slightly above eight weeks. And then you're probably going to end up, you know, taking a peak at like the 4 or 5 week goals. So yeah, reverse order basically.

02:35 S2

Yeah. I mean they are more difficult the older that they get. I think it's fair to say. And it's nice to learn the ropes in puppy block and just become a bit more natural at enforcing some of the obedience and learning to be consistent. So I find it makes it a little less daunting to sort of think about puppy caring once it's a bit more ingrained in you. And then the babies, I mean, they're just so fun at like 4 to 6 weeks old when they're still, like, learning to walk and they're all dopey. That's just for my own benefit. And mental health.

03:14 S1

I think they're so funny to at that age because they're just it's just complete a lack of coordination a lot of the time. But they I mean, I guess, and you definitely learn interesting different challenges at different ages, like what you're working on at, you know, IFT or info training stage is so different to the you get different challenges at poppy block age.

03:34 S2

Yeah. And you have such a good program where where they're really strict in terms of what the puppies get exposed to, depending on how long they've been in puppy block and how old they are. It's all about easing them into, you know, the kennel and getting exposed to certain materials and textures and sounds. And then you build on that and start walking them sort of outside the center, and you start doing things like getting them used to leash walking. So it's really nice to also learn to do it slow and at the puppies pace. And then some pups need a little longer than others. But yeah, the support is there and the structure is there so that you really can't stuff it up.

04:17 S1

It's a little bit of hand kind of hand-holding at the very start until you get that... confidence behind you guys. I guess it's a bit the same as the puppies. Like, you get supported until you're kind of, You got this? 

04:27 S2

Yeah. That's right. The puppies and and us were sort of leading each other and learning together. But yeah, it's good. It's a good structure and a good program for both of us.

04:39 S1

So, you did kind of say so. You've been involved for about eight months. Thinking back to when you started, what made you decide to get involved with seeing eye dogs?

04:49 S2

I've actually always wanted to do it, but before Covid, my, I feel like workplaces were just far less flexible. And it was not a conversation I was able to have, with previous employers. Luckily for me, my current employer is really big on flexibility, and someone else in the business had already paved the way and had a seeing eye dog, so I didn't have to, you know, start the whole policy process and building approvals. So once I saw that someone else in my company had done it on the like company newsletter or whatever, I immediately submitted my form and went, now is my time. And, yeah, like I said, I wanted to start with the IFT process. It was just the best way for me to also get used to having a dog. 

Having two cats is very different to to having a dog. They just need you a bit more. So I eased in with, actually released Iffed, and had him full time for about six weeks, I think, until he was placed. So that was a good introduction. And then after that, I took on two shifts that were sort of towards the same time. Yeah. Coincidentally, I had swapped my first dog for another dog. Once the first dog was was given to another organisation. And I know one of my trainers was keen to get her dogs out of head office and into a foster home. And I sort of offered to take a second dog for weekend relief. And then unfortunately, the dog had kennel cough, so he was with me full time for two weeks seeing it through. 

And so then I'd had two dogs full time. And it's actually, in my opinion, easier to have two because they play with each other and entertain each other. And I just watch TV and they just do their thing, whereas I feel like one dog needs that one on one a little bit more, and it's nice for the dogs. So I've kind of... just kept the program going with two dogs, and I've constantly had two since November.

07:06 S1

So I suppose, for anyone that's not aware. So the official kind of role title is that kind of training dog carer. What time commitment is that? I guess during the day, that type of thing.

07:17 S2

Yeah. So that was another reason I started with it because I do work full time in an office, um, with sometimes demanding hours, and I do travel for work as well. So on average, you drop off the dogs between 7 and 9 before work, and pick them up anywhere from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. So I find those two time brackets are really good and work really well for me and my hours. And then I can sort of coordinate the pick ups and drop offs as they suit me, whether I'm working from home that day or in the office. And then basically the dogs come home and they're just supposed to rest and enjoy a peaceful, calm, nice home environment so that they're fresh and ready to go the next day for training. 

And then on weekends, I have them full time, so I usually take them for a walk or out to the cafe with me, or if there's sort of any couple of things that... we might want to practice, such as exposure to other dogs or like in the cafe. And then I might make a point of having a little outing or it's just bumming around at home.

08:29 S1

I do actually think, when you talk about, like, the training dog care, especially kind of the evening side of things is so nice because it's not even like you have to kind of go and do a whole bunch of them because the main purpose is resting. So you're just doing chilling.

08:42 S2

The best part of having a dog? Just the companionship and cuddles and yeah, during the day I don't have to worry about entertaining them or walking them. You know, some of the dogs get really used to exercising a lot. I need like an hour or so minimum a day. So if I had my own dog, for example, I'd have to make that time on top of trying to do my own exercise and and do my work and whatnot. So it's nice to almost have dogs that are like a great big cat that just lie around and want to want to love you, and it's just companionship.

09:20 S1

Yeah. My cat is... a little criminal from the streets, like a rescue thing, but she does, she does mischief. So, like, a different type of cat than that one. Like a nice, nice, friendly, relaxed cat. My cat is friendly, but she's... your stereotypical ten year old cat. Kind of sleeps 20 hours a day. That's almost the bottom. That's perfect. So what are your favorite things about volunteering other than probably what you've already mentioned?

09:52 S2

I mean, with the training dog specific, it's like all the benefits of having a dog without, I guess the stress of having your own dog working full time myself, living on my own, and traveling for work, it would be really hard for me to have that sole responsibility. So the best thing about volunteering for me is if I have to travel, you know, the support is there that I can say to them, Look, I can't have a dog for these few days. The support is there for, for training, or yeah... Anything ever happened in terms of emergency, there's always someone there to help you. Whereas, single parenting, for the lack of a better word, yes, is harsh. And yeah, it's it's just a really good way also to meet other people and people that have similar interests and passions. 

I mean, all the volunteers love dogs and love what they do. And that that's really nice to be a part of as well. And then there's the obvious side effect of helping the community. But yeah. Yeah, that's probably what I'm supposed to say. Everyone actually just on a side note, but everyone's like, Oh, do you know anyone with like vision loss? I'm like, not like you don't have personally to the cause necessarily. Yeah.

11:19 S1

Like it doesn't have to be like your brother or sister or, you know, parent or an aunt or uncle that you can just, yeah, you can just do it in the abstract, for the abstract idea of the person that you might be helping, I guess.

11:32 S2

Having said that, it is really nice, because when you have the dogs for, you know, two, three plus months, especially if you have them full time for a while until they find the client, you do get attached. You do start to develop a routine and you start to feel like they're your dog. It is really nice to then hear... how well they get along with their client. And you know, the difference that they will make to that client, that is, that does make it a lot easier to then give them up.

12:03 S1

So looking back on the time that you've had volunteering so far, is there anything... interesting or funny, or kind of memorable that you'd like to share about your experiences?

12:14 S2

I mean, puppy block is always funny. Baby animals just, I don't know, it's just so hard to be upset for those four hours when I'm, when I'm in puppy block. And the dogs make you laugh, too. At home, it's just. I mean... pets in general. I feel like they make such a big difference in your life. Especially like I live on my own. And then with working from home a lot, it gets a bit lonely and it helps to have that entertainment and companionship. But the path that I stood out for me was... that when you have the training dogs at home, you get to see them just be dogs and they get to relax, and just be themselves, so to speak. And you see their little personalities come out and they're all goofy and playful, and sometimes it's easy to forget how talented the dogs are and how different they can be in their harness and they know when to switch it on. 

And because I don't necessarily see that a lot, one of my highlights was the trainer letting me kind of stalk her in the shopping center and watch her train one of the seeing eye dogs that that made it through the program, and it was really fascinating with his little vest on, and he knew that he had to guide his person. He was super dedicated and focused. But like, you know, tail wagging and loving it. So that was a good reminder of what the dogs can do. And that also makes it easier to give them up because they're just, they can make such a big difference to someone as well as being their companion, obviously - instead of just, say, sitting on my sofa.

Yeah, just kind of, Keep this one. And then I saw them work and I'm like, no, you need to, you need to fulfill your destiny.

14:12 S1

You've got the skills now. I guess you you've got to use them, you know? 

14:15 S2

Yeah. And a lot of them want to, like, you know, when my current shifts get picked up, when they hear the van. Sometimes my trainer lives near me. So we share the pickups and drop offs at the moment, which is a bit unique and you might need to cut that out. But when they hear the van pull up in the driveway, they cannot wait. And I've been sick the last couple of weeks, and so they've had a couple of weeks downtime with me, and the trainer was away, and you could really tell that they're missing the engagement and the and the exercise and the training. Some of them just really, really love it.

14:46 S1

And you're like, Oh, yeah, I guess you were born for this. Like your mum was born for this. Your dad was born for this a few generations back. Like, you know, they've the you it's in your blood. It's what you need to do.

14:56 S2

I do feel like sometimes we underestimate our pets. And I think particularly Labradors sometimes can have a bit of a stereotype of wanting to just sleep and laze around and just be kind of a companion dog. But having seen these dogs now, you know, they want to be active, they want to be occupied. So yeah. Tangent.

15:18 S1

So just to kind of finish off, I guess, is there anything else that you'd like to share? Or I guess, would you recommend people get involved?

15:27 S2

Absolutely. I try to rope everyone in. I tell everyone what I do. I mean, sometimes, you know, you, not sometimes people always stop you and they see you with a seeing eye dog, and they naturally assume that I'm a puppy carer. And I explain that I actually foster care and that there's a lot more ways to get involved in volunteer because, you know, depending on on what you do for a living or what role you volunteer with, it's, it can be quite a large time commitment. So I think it's been really good to teach people that there are other opportunities other than just puppy caring. And so many people have said that they are keen to, to get involved. So we'll see if I see them around the tracks. But yeah, like I said, I think it's a really great way to meet new people, get involved in the community, and I suppose have all the benefits of pet companionship and ownership. But with the added benefit of the support and structure behind it.

16:32 S1

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining me on the show, talking about your... two volunteer roles as well as, in itself doing them as well. Thank you. You've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dog Show on Vision Australia Radio. I hope you enjoyed our interview with Anja, talking about the lives of our volunteers, as well as the dogs and puppies that she cares for, are both on site and in her own home. If you'd like to find out about the various volunteer roles that we have, head to our website at sed.visionaustralia.org. Our kennels facility is located in Kensington, Victoria, but in parts of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. We are looking for people to take dogs into their own homes and care for them. So if you're interested in a puppy or dog hearing role, please head to that website and find out more. We'd love to have you on board. 

And now I'm going to be playing an interview with Doctor Ashe Mooney from the Seeing Eye Dogs vet team about cold weather care. So these are some tips on how to keep your dogs happy and healthy in winter, and I hope you enjoy or find them useful. Thank you for listening. Do all dogs or dog breeds require jackets or clothing in the winter? What types of dogs do and which don't?

17:53 S4

So the short answer is no, they don't all require it. You can imagine that dog breeds come from all over the world, and some of them come from places that are very cold, snowy, something like a husky or a malamute. You can just imagine it running through the snow as it is. And they are actually because they've evolved in those situations, they're actually better adapted to not having a coat or anything like that on them, because they're already warm enough with what they naturally have. That won't be the same for something like a whippet or a greyhound, which essentially has very thin fur and very, very minimal body fat. So they get cold very easily. And those kinds of dogs do need to have some sort of coat or warm protection if they are to go outside in colder months.

18:42 S1

So I suppose probably a lot of the listeners of the show and, I mean, and us in general are probably quite interested in breeds like Labs and Goldens. What about them?

18:53 S4

So Labradors and Goldens, I guess the bigger issue is them getting quite wet, because if they get really, really wet with the thickness of the coat, it can cause... some skin infections underneath the surface of the coat on the skin. So you do want to make sure that if they get wet, you dry them off properly. Obviously if they're wet, they'll be it'll be easier to get quite cold. So make sure they're somewhere warm as they're drying off. And do your best to dry them off. I have two golden retrievers myself, and I will often put a little, quite thin rain protection on them. So like a raincoat, essentially. And that's just because they don't tolerate being dried very well. And it takes them about 4 or 5 hours to air dry themselves. So that's just a way that I prevent them from getting sopping wet out in the rain if I take them on a walk. But I would never put like a thick winter for the thermal protection kind of coat on them, because their fur is actually thick enough to keep them warm.

19:58 S1

And that double coated breed is. Or, you know, those two breeds are that they have that double coat. And that's kind of what helps keep them pretty nice and warm.

20:05 S4

Yeah, exactly. So there's an outer coat which kind of serves as like the guard and then an undercoat which serves as the thermal protection, kind of like in birds, how they have down feathers on the inside and then the smooth, sleek feathers on the outside. Dogs are quite similar. Not all dog breeds, but certainly a multiple coated breed, um, would be of that case.

20:28 S1

So are there any kind of... health problems that are more common in winter or colder, colder months? I mean, I say winter, I mean, currently it's April and it's pretty, it's looking pretty wintry, but it's autumn, right? Y

20:40 S4

Yeah. So, there certainly are... a lot of in humans, they report that arthritis pain is much more significant in colder months. And the same can be kind of extrapolated for dogs and cats and other animals. So if they are a bit more elderly, you might notice that they are a bit stiffer in winter months. It takes them a bit longer to get going. Sometimes you have to give them additional pain relief in the colder months because the cold just doesn't agree with the joints very well. So that's kind of the most common thing I see in winter time. The other things that you'll see in cold weather are more related to the fact that it's often raining more. And there's a lot more like puddles on the ground and things like that. So we do see more, like gastro parasites and things like that from Dirty Puddles. 

Sometimes we see a lot more injuries from, like, slipping and falling. You know, if they're running around like crazy in the dog park and there's a ton of water everywhere, they might slip and fall quite easily. Or if you live somewhere that has a lot of ice on the ground, that can also cause some problems. Both with frostbite to the feet, or with another slipping hazards.

21:55 S1

So as the... I suppose in particular kind of nights get colder or inside your house might. Do dogs need, you know, bedding and for example, you know, do they need a raised bed or, you know, what type of considerations would you make... for bedding?

22:12 S4

Yeah. So, I guess I'd start out by saying if you have an outdoor dog, especially if it's, you know, a something like a husky or something that is adapted to cold weather, it's actually better to leave them outdoors year round. That way they moult in a way that allows their coat to adjust to the different temperatures, often with those kinds of breeds of dogs. If you take them in and out and sometimes let them sleep inside, sometimes let them sleep outside, it really messes with their coat and they they can't regulate their temperature as efficiently. So if you decide either have an outdoor only dog or an indoor only dog, that's fine. Just make sure that you stick with it and you're not kind of flip flopping, and you always provide them some sort of shelter from the elements if they are outside. 

Either way, to address your bedding question, some of it depends on the personal preference of the pet. So, you know, some animals don't like certain textures. Regardless of what the vet recommends, your dog might just hate it. And so you have to go a little bit based on what your individual animal likes. Orthopedic beds are great, because they provide a nice soft cushioning. And those are really good for slightly elderly dogs, or dogs that have had... any sort of joint or bone issues in the past. Raised beds can be really good in warmer weather in particular because there's a bit more airflow underneath the dog. And it allows them to cool themselves, whereas in colder weather those might not be as nice because for the same reason, there's more airflow, so they're not able to retain as much heat.

23:48 S1

So we're thinking specifically like kind of trampoline beds, that type of thing.

23:52 S4

Yeah, like trampoline beds. Something that has a lot of airflow. Not if it was, you know, like a raised like a throne or like a human or something like that. Yeah, yeah. And certainly, you know, if you decide to have your animal in your bed with you, that's also a personal choice. And so in terms of the bedding on your bed, it's probably more whatever suited to you. And then your animal kind of accommodates around that.

24:16 S1

And if you have a dog who is at risk of, or kind of has a history of like shredding bedding, is there anything you, you know, need to be aware of or any tips, or do you have any tips to kind of manage that?

24:28 S4

I guess if you have an animal that has a history of shredding bedding, it kind of depends on if they're the kind of animal that just ripped it apart and leaves the debris for you to clean, or if they're the kind of animal that might ingest some of the bedding. If they've ever had an episode where they've ingested something they shouldn't, I would just be more risk averse and say, probably don't provide them with bedding because it's better for them to sleep on the floor than it is for them to have to have a surgery to remove the bed from their stomach. So that's not something that you want to have happen. But if they're the kind of animal or if it's a puppy that's just learning, you know, what is a bed? And they shred it a little bit and then they ignore it... I wouldn't be too fussed. It's just about making sure that they're not actually swallowing it. 

In terms of, you know, whether or not certain material is toxic, you would just have to kind of Google the actual material that the bed is made out of for the most part. Pet shops won't sell you something that is toxic for your animal. But that being said, the legislation doesn't often match the reality of things, so it's always best just do a quick little search to make sure that whatever you purchased is safe. But even if it is a safe material, if your dog ingests it and it physically is too large to digest, then you're still going to have a problem.
Yeah, you can certainly give them a blanket or like a little mat or something to sit on or a rug. Um, you know, even if it's like something cheap from Kmart or something like that, that's fine. 

It is just about supervising them the first time that you provide them with any bedding and the first sign of the fact that they might eat some of it, that's when you need to remove it and intervene and maybe either try a different material. Some dogs will shred one material, but won't shred a different material. Or you might have to do no betting.

26:26 S1

You've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dogs Show on Vision Australia Radio. I hope you enjoyed my interview with Anja talking about  training dog care, as well as volunteering in puppy block and puppy centre and the life of a volunteer. If you'd like to find out about the volunteer roles available in your area, you can head to our website at sed.visionaustralia.org ... We're looking for puppy carers across parts of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, as well as we've got training dog carer vacancies in parts of Queensland and New South Wales Central Coast region. If you'd like to find out about any of our other volunteers, including on site, which are close to our Kensington, Victoria site, you can head to that website for more information as well as information about seeing eye dogs, who we are and what we do. 

Or if you are someone who's blind or has low vision and is looking to find out about getting your own seeing eye dog, there's information about eligibility assessment as well as the kind of whole process of getting a seeing eye dog on that website. And I hope you enjoyed my interview with Doctor Ashe Mooney talking about cold weather care. Remember to keep your dogs nice and happy and healthy, and I hope that you're all staying warm too. Thank you for listening to the Seeing Eye Dogs Show and hope you join us. Same time next week for another episode, or head to your preferred podcast provider for more episodes of this and other Great Vision Australia radio shows on podcast.