As a Dog Listener I like to make a point of highlighting that humans think like dog, and not the other way around.

The last week in Britain is a very good case in point....

To set the scene, I got myself sorted out with the spare duvet on the sofa, and settled down to watch the General Election (a bit sad maybe, but some people I know were standing and I have been known to be a bit of a political animal at times).

Anyway, the hours past, I drifted in and out of consciousness, and as the sun rose, there was David Dimbleby, looking slightly the worse for wear, what with sleep deprivation and overdosing on coffee (at least that's what I hope he was drinking), telling me that nobody was any the wiser as to who had won.

It turns out nobody won, and since then the mood has worsened. The stock market is dropping, people are getting anxious and the next government is no nearer being sorted out.

The point of this rambling is that when there is a gap between leaders, people feel uneasy, or worse. Nature abhors a vacuum, and just like a dog needs to know there is a leader of the pack, so do we.

Unlike us, a dog, upon seeing nobody stepping forward, will take the responsibility upon themselves. Although sometimes we do feel that we could do a better job than our illustrious leaders...

Cheers, Tony Knight

Hi folks, for the fourth morning straight this Dog Listener is wide awake at a ridiculously early hour and so pondering the meaning of life, dogs and dog listening.(what’s the formula for recovery – one day for every hour difference?).

Jet lag is a reminder that although we are able to travel great distances in a relatively short time, our bodies are still working at a natural pace. We may pretend that we are such highly evolved creatures above all others, but that natural side of us is never too far away.

Similarly, I have always thought of winter as only being three months long (optimistically). Using logic, four seasons in twelve months makes sense. Yet as I look out at the frost on the ground, March is frankly letting the side down. My suntan is already starting to slide off for goodness sake…

Once more I am grateful that I was able to follow the geese and fly South for the winter, leaving the cold and dark behind. Have you noticed that when they fly overhead they are laughing at us?

Trees shed leaves, bears hibernate with a home-made cork up their bums (according to QI), squirrels go home and play with their nuts and tortoises are wrapped up in a cardboard box and shoved next to the radiators (childhood memories of Blue Peter are responsible for that last comment).

So if nature understands that winter means shut down, little surprise that human beings find it hard to adjust to continuing the same 9 to 5 working life when our systems are telling us to slow down. Sales of custard shot through the roof last winter in Britain, as people indulged in stodgy rib-sticking puddings to keep warm (and maybe for some comfort).

Which brings me back to pondering the biggest obstacle to getting a great relationship with our dogs - our belief that they think like people. If you found last winter hard, it is proof that we are looking at that relationship the wrong way around. We think like dogs, we are creatures of Nature, a force that sometimes comes into direct conflict with our everyday life.

OK enough talk of winter already, the clocks will be going forward soon enough and no doubt this summer will be brilliant… all three months of it (!) Check out these clips to show how some creatures can thrive in cold conditions, while others… struggle a bit.  Tony Knight

Happy New Year from Tony and my Dog Listener Team. I hope that everything is returning to normal little by little...

I received a fabulous clip recently and I am sharing it with you all, and I dare you not to say "ah"!

As well as being adorable, it highlights one key point that Dog Listeners make about what dogs really want from us as owners. Human beings and dogs are social animals (like the two chaps in the film), and far more important than any amount of exercise, toys or training is CONTACT.

Just spending quality time is highly desirable. If you had the choice of taking your dog out for a long walk in the biting cold and driving rain, or sitting on the floor of your living room cuddled up together and watching your favourite show or reading a book, what would you choose? That's right, and so would your dog!

If you have ever tried to let your dog out to pee and they look back at you as if to say, "You expect me to go out there? Are you crazy?", then you know exactly what I mean. So here's a great new year's resolution that may actually be fun to stick to - have even more contact with your dogs in 2010. Enjoy the clip and keep an eye on www.dog-listener.com for lots of exciting and exclusive offers for dog owners this year.

Best wishes, Tony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno

A quick hello from deepest Ukraine, and once more I see that no matter what part of the world I find myself in, there are still the same issues with dogs.

The relaxed attitude of the stray dogs, asleep in the shade while we tourists puff and pant sightseeing, shows their intelligence.

Contrast that with a conversation I had with a girl in a bar on the first night whose Yorkshire terrier was peeing everywhere in the house and was terrified of the outside world. She told me her vet had recommended castration as a cure.

It seems my work as a dog listener is cut out here too... Now I just have to learn the language!   Tony

The subject of language barriers was really brought home to me recently, and not just knowing the difference between English and its variations around the world (I made a faux pas in a restaurant near Melbourne which I won't go into but it's amazing how a seemingly innocent remark can have completely different connotations - surprised the waitress didn't call the police!)                                  
I have just returned from an exhausting but ultimately very successful week in Switzerland, a beautiful chocolate box picture of a country with just one tiny problem... well four actually. To go from Australia, one enormous country with one official language, to a tiny country that speaks French, German, Italian and their own Swiss-German is a culture shock. If I had been in one of the French-speaking parts I would have been fine, but Bern is not one of them.

My talk took twice as long as normal, as I had to keep stopping to let the interpreter do her thing. She was a very business-minded woman and made sure her language was appropriate (even if mine was not) so when I used the word "scheisse" (one of the few words in German I know, but then again it's always the rude words we learn first), she translated it as "schade" - a bit like when we say "sugar" instead of....... well you understand what I mean. 

The problem people have with dogs is a similar breakdown in communication, and we as Dog Listeners are in effect the interpreters, translating the language of the dog so the owners can understand and more importantly start to communicate effectively. Without my interpreter I guess I would have had to rely on imparting my wisdom in a series of clicks and whistles, as I noticed a few years ago between my French plumber and English builder, who became great friends while working together even though they didn't understand a word each other said. Somehow they muddled along, talking to each other like they were dolphins. With the barrier of language they both instinctively used body language to "chat".

If we forget the idea that dogs think like people and start to read their body language without the human eye, we can only then really start to listen to what dogs are really trying to say.    By the way, "schade" means "shame" apparently.....

I was honoured to be asked to give a talk in Queensland last night as part of a fund-raiser for the Victoria Bush Fire Relief effort, and in particular an organisation called Fun4Paws.  They're putting so much effort into finding foster homes for dogs who cannot remain with their families who have been placed in temporary accommodation after losing their homes in the devastating fires.

One story was particularly touching - a guy who had already lost all his possessions was heartbroken to think that he would also lose his dog. When he was told that thanks to Fun4Paws a place had been found for his pooch only 20 minutes from him he broke down and wept.