Dog Lovers Book Club - March 2023

On this first day of Autumn, we're looking forward to cooler nights and the occasional morning lie-in with our dogs and many good books!

With a focus on providing canine enrichment and raising independent resilient dogs, here's our Dog Lovers Book Club selection for March 2023.

CANINE ENRICHMENT FOR THE REAL WORLD
Making It a Part of Your Dog's Daily Life
by Allie Bender, Emily Strong

In the world of dogs, there is now more awareness than ever of the need to provide enrichment, especially in shelters. But what exactly is enrichment? 

The concept is pretty straightforward: learn what your dog's needs are, and then structure an environment and routine that allows the dog to engage in behaviours they find enriching. 

To truly enrich your dog's life, you should offer them opportunities to engage in natural or instinctual behaviours.

Aside from the limitations we have to place on a dog in today's modern, busy world, the biggest constraint to enriching your dog's life is your imagination.

Paperback, 236 pages
Publisher‏:‎ Dogwise Publishing, 23 September 2019

Price: $28.53 from www.amazon.com.au

WONDERDOG
The Science of Dogs and Their Unique Friendship with Humans
by Jules Howard

A celebration of dogs, the scientists who've lived alongside them, and how canines have been key to advancements in science for the betterment of all species.

Almost everywhere there are humans on planet Earth, there are dogs. But what do dogs know and understand of the world? Do their emotions feel like our own? Do they love like we do? What do they think of us?

Since our alliance first began on the hunt and on the farm, our relationship with dogs has evolved considerably. And with domestic dog population rising twenty per cent in the last decade alone, it is a bond that will continue to evolve. In order to gauge where our relationship with dogs goes from here, author and zoologist Jules Howard takes a look at the historical paths we have trod together, and at the many scientists before him who turned their analytic eye on their own four-legged companions.

Charles Darwin and his contemporaries toyed with dog sign language and made special puzzle boxes and elaborate sniff tests using old socks. Later, the same questions drove Pavlov and Pasteur to unspeakable cruelty in their search for knowledge. Since then, leagues of psychologists and animal behaviourists have built upon the study of dogs and their much-improved methods have fetched increasingly important results: dogs have episodic memory similar to ours; they recognise themselves as individuals; and, in addition to their expert sense of smell, dogs' noses can even detect thermal radiation.

With the help of vets, ethologists, neurologists, historians and, naturally, his own dogs, Wonderdog reveals the study of dogs to be key in the advancement of compassion in scientific research, and crucial to making life on Earth better for all species.

Hardcover, 288 pages
Publisher: ‎Pegasus Books, 1st November 2022

Price: $52.25 from www.booktopia.com.au 

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DOG
by Jen & Ryan Tate

Australia has one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world, and during lockdown, many people had the same idea: to adopt or welcome a dog into their lives. Now, there are many new dog owners who need advice and guidance on raising and training their new furry friend.

How to Train Your Dog by Jen and Ryan Tate is your solution. With almost 30 years of experience between them and their own dog-training business, Jen and Ryan are Australia’s most expert animal trainers who help dog owners develop happy and confident pets at any age.

Dog training is a well-studied science, and in their informative book they impart all their practical advice so you can feel prepared, stay in control and enjoy a great relationship with your new dog. It includes:

✔️ Choosing the right breed for you and your lifestyle
✔️ Preparing your home and the first 48 hours with your pup
✔️ House training and basic training
✔️ Socialisation and confidence building
✔️ Play, exercise, tricks and rewards
✔️ Resolving common behavioural issues related to separation anxiety such as barking, digging and chewing
✔️ Tips on how to raise an independent dog to suit your needs
✔️ Ongoing learning and fun for adult dogs

Accessible, well-organised and filled with evidence-based training techniques, this is the perfect handbook for creating a stress-free and enjoyable bond with your puppy or dog and ensuring they live their best life with you.

Trade Paperback, 288 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia, Imprint: Ebury Australia, 16th March 2021

RRP: $32.99. Available from all good book stores and online resellers. Visit www.penguin.com.au

SMALL ANIMAL TOXICOLOGY(2nd Edition)
Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion 
by Lynn R. Hovda, Ahna Brutlag, Robert H. Poppenga, Katherine Peterson (Editors)

This book puts all the information needed to rapidly and accurately manage poisonings in small animal patients at the clinician's fingertips.

✔️ Provides concise, bulleted information focused on the most important facts needed when treating a poisoned cat or dog.

✔️ Carefully organised for ease of use in an emergency, with important toxicants arranged alphabetically within categories.

✔️ Details clinically relevant information on the most common toxicants encountered by small animals.

✔️ Presents a wealth of colour photographs to aid in plant identification.

✔️ Includes 14 new topics to this edition covering cyclosporine A, sleep aids, tacrolimus, bath salts, synthetic marijuana, poisonous lizards, imidacloprid, spring bulbs, and sodium monofluoroacetate etc.

Paperback, 992 pages
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc (US), 22nd April 2016

Price: $133.50 from www.booktopia.com.au

WHIPPETS
The Good, the Bad and the Dog
by Jane Eastoe, Meredith Jensen (Illustrator)

A beautifully illustrated guide to Whippets, forming part of a new series and packed with tips and tricks to keep your furry friends happy.

There are many things to consider when you become a dog owner. How often do I need to walk them? How much training will they need? What is poisonous to my pet? 

This playful book takes a fresh look at the wonderful world of Whippets and explains everything you need to know about this energetic breed while celebrating their gentle personalities. Breed character, reasons to own a Whippet and likes and dislikes are covered along with tips for training, making friends, grooming, sleeping, feeding and playing.

Illustrated by Meredith Jensen and packed full of adorable photographs, dog lovers will adore this playful celebration of Whippets.

Hardcover, 96 pages
Publisher: Batsford Books, 27th February 2023

Price: $19.20 from www.fishpond.com.au

BOOK CLUB – KIDS’ CORNER

MOLLY
The true story of the dog who rescues lost cats
by Colin Butcher

The heartwarming story of the man-and-dog team behind the United Kingdom Pet Detective Agency - how Colin, in need of a new lease on life, rescues Molly the dog, and how Molly in turn rescues many more beloved lost pets.

As a veteran of the Royal Navy and long-time police officer, Colin Butcher was no stranger to dangerous situations. But a career in uniform can wear anyone down, so, in 2003, Colin left the force to start his own private detective agency, specializing in helping reunite people with their missing pets. And yet, despite his hundreds of successes, there were still heartbreaking cases where Colin couldn't find the missing on his own. He knew he needed a partner.

When Colin first met Molly, his friends doubted that she would be up for the job. Where Colin was battle-tested, Molly was young and inexperienced. She was wilful, wayward, and stubborn. But Colin could tell that Molly was unusually charismatic and intelligent. He decided to take a risk and bring on Molly for training.

Yes, Molly is no ordinary deputy, but a black Cocker Spaniel, and this is no ordinary detective agency. Trained by the top canine behavioural experts at Medical Detection Dogs, Molly can find missing cats--who are uniquely skilled at eluding humans--by detecting a unique scent signature, and she has been wildly successful.

The work is not always easy. Molly has faced hardships ranging from a near-fatal snakebite to the challenge of winning over Colin's girlfriend, Sarah. But through it all, Colin and Molly share an enduring love and affection. More than a working relationship, Molly is part of the family. Together, they are the Sherlock and Watson of missing pets.

Paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, 31 January 2023
For Ages: 9 - 12 years

Price: $23.91 from www.amazon.com.au

PUSH-PULL MORNING
Dog-Powered Poems about Matter and Energy
by Lisa Westberg Peters, Serge Bloch (Illustrator)

Introduce children to physics through play, poetry, and a puppy in this joyous celebration of how physics matters in our everyday lives.

This remarkable picture book explores scientific concepts (gravity, magnetism, electricity, friction, etc.) through the story of the relationship between a child and a puppy.

Acclaimed author Lisa Westberg Peters' poems convey concepts in a way that children will remember-often with humour. 

Who could forget the various phases when they're presented in the form of a dog-solid when eating dinner, liquid when pouring herself into her basket, and gas when leaping erratically after a fly? Serge Bloch's whimsical illustrations extend the humour-and the love-in this tale of a child, a dog, and the energy that abounds in their world.

Extensive notes at the end of the book define and explain the physics subjects included in the poems.

Hardcover, 40 pages
Publisher: Wordsong, 21st February 2023
For Ages: 8 - 12 years old

RRP: $38.25 from www.booktopia.com.au

HEDGEHOG THE WONDER DOG
by Dannika Patterson, illustrated by Ross Morgan

Anyone can see that Hedgehog the Wonder Dog is no ordinary dog. Tell her to sit, and she’ll shake a paw; tell her to fetch and she rolls over.

But it’s only kids like Sam who can sense her true superpowers.

A story about the healing powers of wonder dogs and super brave kids.

Hardcover, 32 pages
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing, 1st February 2023
For Ages: 4 - 8 years old

RRP: $26.95 at www.booktopia.com.au

BUSTER FOLLOWS HIS NOSE
by Paula Stevenson, Jenny Hale (Illustrator)

A story demonstrating the loyalty of a blind and faithful old sheepdog named Buster, who is always diligent in his duty of guarding and protecting Tilly, the youngest and most vulnerable member of the family when she becomes lost in the Australian bush.

By following g his nose Buster can easily lead Tilly home, but he can't make her understand what he wants. 

He stays with Tilly and looks after her all through the night, keeping her warm and warning wild dingoes to stay away until the search party of family and friends, alerted by Buster's barking, eventually find them in the early morning mist.

Hardcover, 32 pages
Publisher: Little Pink Dog Books, 18th May 2022
For Ages: 4 - 10 years old

Price: $23.75 from www.booktopia.com.au

REGGIE THE RESCUE DOG
by Gina Dawson, illustrated by Bima Perera

Angus and Elsa have moved houses, and finally they have time and space for a dog! The family adopts a rescue dog to give her a second chance. But do they really know how much work is involved in training and caring for a rescue dog, and winning back her trust?

With every family member pitching in, Reggie slowly changes from a sad and frightened dog to a friendly, well-mannered family member, and one day it's Reggie's turn to rescue someone, making the family proud and happy. 

A beautifully illustrated and heartwarming story, Reggie the Rescue Dog is about responsibility, commitment, making good choices, and enjoying the benefits that wonderful dogs can give us.

Hardcover, 32 pages
Publisher: New Holland Publishers, 21st February 2023
For Ages: 5 - 7 years old

Price: $18.25 at www.booktopia.com.au

CINDERELLA - WITH DOGS!
by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Freya Hartas

A hilarious picture book featuring a dog-loving kingdom and the most fabulous, far-out fairy DOGmother ever!

Here is a Cinderella story like no other. When Cinderella wishes for a fairy godmother, she's not expecting one that barks! And this fairy dogmother has a different agenda. Yes, Cinderella will have a new dress, but made of a cozy dog blanket. 

Yes, they will go to the ball, but they will run there and chase squirrels along the way. There's nothing like a canine companion to get a girl out of the house and her mind off her troubles! 

Yes, indeed, dogs do make everything better - and are a reminder that you don't need "happily ever after" when you have the joy of now. 

Readers will get a kick out of this retelling with its lovable cast of characters and refreshing ending.

Hardcover, 32 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, 7th February 2023
For Ages: 3 - 7 years old

RRP: $38.25 from www.booktopia.com.au

Money Saving Tips for Pet Owners

With the cost of living high on the agenda for many Australian homes, Pet Insurance Australia explores how pet owners can save money and ensure the health and wellbeing of their pets.

“The cost of living is certainly hitting home for many Australians in 2023,” Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia says. “Sadly, some pet owners are unable to care for their pets because of the increase in living costs, with many shelters across Australia seeing an uplift in pets looking for their new forever home.”

When it comes to looking after your pets during these expensive times, there are some simple steps pet owners can take to save money.

“With all companion animals, keeping a close eye on their health is important to prevent large veterinary bills,” Crighton says. 

“Prevention is always better and much cheaper than treatment, particularly for common complaints and disease.”

Keeping up with yearly veterinary check-ups and essentials such as vaccination, worming, and tick & flea programs is necessary. Also, noticing any issues quickly and seeking treatment early can reduce veterinary expenses.

“Pets that suffer from flea allergies are particularly at risk, as a full-blown flea allergy can be much more expensive to treat than your monthly preventative treatments, as too grass seed implantation.”

Taking precautions for your pet’s health can save Australian pet owners thousands. From having a healthy teeth routine to ensuring your pet is at its correct weight can have enormous benefits for the future of your pet and the cost of veterinary care.

Other Pet Care Saving Tips include:

1. Consider feeding your pet a good quality pet-specific pet food. If you are making your pet food, it can be much more costly than one manufactured.

2. Make your own dog / cat toys.

3. Instead of buying entertainment and toys, come up with games and tricks to teach your pet – they are free and will give your pet oodles of entertainment.

4. Be extra diligent with toxic foods and foreign bodies that your pet can ingest.

5. Ensure your pet is at their correct weight and exercised daily.

6. Take care of your pet’s teeth.

7. Check your pet for grass seeds after each walk, and trim the hair around their face and feet to protect against grass seed attachment.

8. “Foreign body ingestion can be very costly,” Crighton warns.

“Ensuring you treat your pet like a child when it comes to eating toxic or harmful items is important. This can be as simple as getting into a good practice of packing up possible dangers efficiently – think fish hooks and chocolate - and always keeping things your pet is not allowed out of reach and out of sight.”

9. Consider taking out a pet insurance policy or signing up for your vet's wellness plan to help you cover your pet's medical costs.

10. Also, encourage family and friends to only consider becoming a pet parent if they can afford a pet for life. Impulse buying companion animals can have horrendous outcomes for the pet and family.

“Cats and dogs can live long and very healthy lives,” Crighton says. “Before buying or adopting a pet, it is important to factor in all the costs associated with pet ownership, particularly researching the desired breed and the possible problems they may encounter throughout their lifetime.”

Related Stories:

Pet Insurance Month: Help with Hefty Vet Bills

How to Stop Nuisance Dog Barking

Barking dogs. It can be enough to drive even the biggest of dog lovers crazy! 

Anyone who has lived with a dog knows that barking is a normal dog behaviour that they should be allowed to do where appropriate but excessive barking can quickly become problematic. Not only for the people in the home but for neighbours too. 

If you google 'barking dogs', the first thing that pops up will often be a variety of ‘anti bark’ devices. While such quick fixes may be tempting it is important to remember that solutions like these represent treatment of the symptom rather than the cause of the behaviour or what some may call a ‘band-aid solution’. 

None of these tools are recommended by the RSPCA [1] or Pet Professional Guild of Australia [2] and they are highly unlikely to produce a long-term change in behaviour. 

Many dog guardians would be hesitant to place something on their dog or around their home that works to suppress behaviour by causing their pet physical or emotional discomfort. But, when the pressures of having a dog who barks excessively are coupled with the presentation of what appears to be a fast cure it is not at all surprising that temptation wins over in some cases.

So, if anti-bark devices are not recommended what is? 

How can you help your dog humanely while also addressing the problem?

The first thing to ask yourself is: 'Why is my dog barking?' 

That may seem a painfully obvious question but you would be surprised how often dog trainers ask clients this and are told ‘everything!’ or ‘nothing!’ or ‘I have no idea...’. 

While these are understandable answers because they usually come from a feeling of frustration, we need to make sure we are able to pinpoint your dog’s trigger for barking if we want to create meaningful, long lasting changes. Bearing in mind that your dog may be barking for different reasons at different times. 

Some of the common ways we may categorise barking are:

✔️ Alert Barking: “I am a dog and I saw a thing!”

✔️ Fearful Barking: “I am worried about what is happening.”

✔️ Connection Seeking: “Hey look at me!” “Let’s play!!” (Previously may have called ‘attention seeking’)

✔️ Separation Anxiety: “Please don’t leave me.” 

(Please note that Separation Anxiety issues are best referred to a vet behaviourist or specialist dog trainer).

One of the best ways to categorise or understand your dog’s trigger or triggers for barking is to do an ABC assessment of the behaviour. In an A-B-C assessment the Antecedent is the event that occurred immediately before the Behaviour. The Consequence is the event that occurred immediately after the Behaviour. In this situation, we are trying to note what has happened immediately before and after your dog has barked to better understand how we can replace their barking behaviour with a more appropriate alternative.

A few examples could be:

A: A friend appears. 

B: Dog barks. 

C: Guardian lets dog off leash to greet friend.

In this situation we could predict that the barking is being reinforced by the access to a friend. Possibly leading the dog to believe that their barking was what caused their leash to be removed.

A: Stranger walks by the front of house. 

B: Dog barks. 

C: Stranger continues walking out of sight.

In this situation we could predict that the barking is being reinforced by the person leaving. The dear dog doesn’t know that the person was going to walk by anyway and may be led to believe that their barking at the stranger is what saved their home and family from certain doom!

A: Possum noises in the roof. 

B: Dog barks. 

C: Possum appears outside window.

In this situation we could predict that for some dogs the sight of / contact with the possum is reinforcing the behaviour of barking OR we could also predict that, for other dogs, the possum vacating the area is reinforcing the behaviour of barking.

Relating your dog’s behaviour to their body language can also be a fantastic way to gain further insight into the function of their behaviour. 

A dog who is moving forward toward the trigger with tense body language may fall into the category of ‘I want this thing to go away’, a dog who is moving towards the trigger with loose or wiggly body language may be hoping to gain contact, or a dog who is moving away from the trigger with tucked body language may be saying they are unsure and would like to get away. 

Understanding your dog’s body language is a critical part of being a good dog guardian. Make sure you learn how to speak dog!

[4] Credit Lili Chin 

Once you have pinpointed your dog’s trigger/s for barking you have the information needed to change it. But, before you start on any training journey it is necessary to ask yourself a few questions:

1) Has my dog had a sudden change in behaviour?

A sudden change in behaviour (be it barking or any other abnormal change in your dog’s behaviour) should warrant a vet check to rule out any illness or injury before anything else. We simply cannot train out a medical condition.

2) Am I truly meeting my dog’s needs?

Think physical, mental, social and emotional needs. It can be a hard pill to swallow when we feel that we are doing our best with our dog and providing them with everything we think they should need. 

But, sometimes it is important to take a step back and really ask yourself these difficult questions. Is your dog getting sufficient exercise? Do they get adequate quality rest? Are they mentally enriched by being provided with breed appropriate challenges and activities? Am I spending real quality time with my dog?

As a trainer, I will never forget the lightbulb moment one of my clients had when she said “I am with Rover all the time but I rarely actually spend time with my dog…” 

In this instance, the client resolved to make sure that they were not simply taking their dog with them everywhere but ensuring that they were actively engaging with their dog doing things that he enjoyed.

3) What do I want my dog to do instead of barking?

Dogs are not great at doing nothing. This is one of the big reasons why we don’t recommend punishment, anti-bark collars or simply shouting NO. Because none of these things tell your dog what to do instead of barking and are likely to be poor long-term solutions. (Plus, there is always the old joke that when you shout at your dog for barking, you are simply barking with your dog!).

Some great options for behaviours to replace barking are:

A: A friend appears. 

B: Dog looks at Guardian. 

C: Guardian lets dog off leash to greet friend.

In this situation we could predict that eye contact is being reinforced by the access to a friend. Hopefully leading the dog to believe that their calm attention was what caused their leash to be removed.

A: Stranger walks by the front of house. 

B: Dog finds Guardian. 

C: Guardian provides high value reward.

In this situation we could predict that running to find a guardian is being reinforced by the presentation of a high value reward. Providing the dog with an alternative and more reinforcing option than barking the house down.

A: Possum noises in the roof. 

B: Dog goes to bed. 

C: Guardian provides high value reward.

In this situation, we could predict that going to a bed, mat or crate area is being reinforced by the presentation of a high value reward. Again, providing the dog with an alternative and more reinforcing option than engaging with the possum.

Environmental management is a cornerstone of good dog training. 

Managing the environment means doing everything you can to prevent your dog’s contact with a trigger outside of training sessions. It simply isn’t possible for you to be ready to train at all times of the day and we know that if the unwanted behaviour is being reinforced as often as the replacement behaviour we are unlikely to see meaningful change.

Doing what you can to physically block your dog’s sight of the road out the front by leaving curtains closed or masking the sounds of the possum with the TV or calming music can help dramatically when starting a training plan! 

In some situations, where the excessive barking can be resolved through environmental management alone and the dog guardian is satisfied with that type of result it can replace the training plan all together. In other cases, managing the environment is an extremely important and often overlooked stepping stone in changing your dog’s behaviour.

Now, it is all well and good to say we would like our dog to do one of the above behaviours in the presence of a huge distraction like a possum or beloved friend. But, it will take some time and persistent training working at a difficulty where your dog can be successful easily before you reach your goal behaviour. 

This is where we often hear clients say “I tried positive reinforcement but it didn’t work”. Let’s be real, if I have a dog who has a history of rehearsing the unwanted behaviour of running to bark at a possum and I stand there saying “Go to Bed” right off the bat… I don’t think it would matter if I had the tastiest BBQ chicken on the planet! The dog would be pretty unlikely to notice me and would simply continue with their previously practiced behaviour.

One of the best ways to begin this type of training is to start with something your dog is already doing (in the sequence of the unwanted behaviour) that is appropriate and then build on that. 

Using the possum example, we may find that the dog hears the possum, stands up, moves towards the source of the noise and then begins to bark until the possum comes down. In this situation I could begin training at the very moment I hear the possum or the very moment I notice my dog’s ears prick to the sound of the possum before the barking begins.

In this early stage of training I wouldn’t be asking my dog to do anything specific, I would simply notice the trigger and begin tossing that high value food on the floor in front of the dog to create the association that when you hear this sound – chicken rains from the sky. This event – event learning is one way to get our foot in the door before our dogs become over stimulated to the point that they cannot listen or focus. 

With enough repetition we should find that we set the expectation of possum sounds = chicken and we should get to a point where the anticipation of chicken causes our dog to look towards us expectantly the moment they hear the critter sounds.

At this point you may start to throw the food towards the dog’s bed! Continuing the training as time goes on watch your dog’s body language:

✔️ Are you seeing a reduction in stiff, tense muscles? 

✔️ Is your dog starting to eat the food in a more relaxed fashion instead of gobbling it up as quick as they can? 

If so, if might be time to ask them for a well-rehearsed, easy behaviour like "Look, Sit" or for some dogs it may be "Go to Bed". If this occurs then you’re well on your way to gradually building that replacement behaviour! 

Just make sure that you don’t stop reinforcing that replacement behaviour until it has become extremely stable and is occurring with utter ease. When that occurs see if you can start to gradually taper down the ratio of reinforcement until you reach a realistic goal.

The solutions outlined above are just some of the ways that we can begin to analyse and resolve a dogs excessive barking.

Excessive barking is something that will take time, consistency and dedication to change especially in the case of a dog who may have a variety of reasons for barking. Outside of situations where environmental management alone may satisfy to resolve excessive barking we must accept that there are no quick fixes! 

Meaningful behaviour change takes patience and many repetitions of reinforcing the replacement behaviour to be successful. If it feels like nothing is working and you’re at your wits' end, seek help from your local force free professional dog trainer.

written by Jess Sandstrom, Howling Success Dog Training & Behaviour (February 2023) for Australian Dog Lover (all right reserved).

References:

[1] https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/should-i-use-an-anti-barking-collar-to-treat-my-dogs-barking-problem/
[2] https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/Statement-on-the-Use-of-Pet-Correction-Devices

[3] https://jhdogtraining.com.au/separation-anxiety/

About the Writer 

Jess Sandstrom from Howling Success Dog Training & Behaviour has been working with dogs professionally since 2012.

Beginning in Rescue she then moved on to complete formal qualifications in Dog Training: Diploma of Canine Behaviour Science and Technology (CASI), Certified Training Partner (Karen Pryor Academy), Statement of Attainment in Dog Training (TAFE), Living and Learning with Animals (Behavior Works). Jess is also a Committee Member for the Pet Professional Guild Australia and member of Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Association of Animal Behaviour Professionals.

Jess believes that by helping her clients create a deep relationship which goes beyond the basic dog/owner dynamic, this benefits not only the team she's working with, but greatly reduces the risk of dogs being surrendered to shelters or abandoned due to behaviour which may be labelled as ‘antisocial’.

She uses science-based, positive reinforcement techniques, allowing both person and dog the space to learn how to communicate with each other without the use of force, and allowing their relationship to flourish. 

For more information, please visit howlingsuccessdogtraining.com

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AI set to revolutionise pet profile writing for rescues

PetRescue launches an innovative AI feature to revolutionise pet profile writing to help save more animals

PetRescue, an animal welfare charity connecting rescue pets with potential adopters via Australia’s largest adoption platform (www.petrescue.com.au), has leveraged Machine Learning (ML) to accelerate the ability for the rescue community to help thousands more pets each year.

Harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the team at PetRescue has introduced a prompt-based feature designed to help write a pet’s profile, helping to relieve workloads and speed up the adoption process.

“Rescue organisations often struggle with limited resources, and writing engaging pet profile content can be a time-consuming task,” explained Patima Tantiprasut, PetRescue Managing Director.

“Entering a few bullet notes of a pet’s personality traits is all that’s needed for the AI Bot to generate a compelling profile in three-quarters of the time it would normally take. It saves pet rescue organisations time to focus on more important things, like rehabilitating the pets in their care and managing adoption enquiries to find good homes for pets.”

The AI feature not only helps rescue organisations save time, but also efficiently creates the draft with editable content for engaging and informative pet profiles that could increase the chances of pets finding homes faster.

"Tasks like creative writing can be time-consuming and stressful, especially for rescue organisations who are already stretched for resources. We want to help make things as easy as possible for the rescue community who are busy helping pets,” said Tantiprasut.

“As powerful as it is, the AI Bot could never replace the task completely because every pet is beautifully unique. But by reducing the time they spend writing pet profiles, rescuers can have more capacity to care for and help more pets, ultimately leading to more pets finding loving homes faster.”

Pilot AI feature released to members for feedback

After training the PetRescue AI Bot to learn how to write pet profiles, it’s since been released as a pilot feature to member rescue organisations with the goal to continue improving and developing its capability with use. PetRescue is inviting feedback from its Australian member rescue community during these early stages and plans to continue evolving the feature further into the future.

“The new feature is already receiving positive reviews from rescue organisations who have praised the simplicity and ease of use of the AI Bot. And as the feature continues to evolve with each use, it is set to become an even more valuable tool,” said Tantiprasut.

PetRescue member Maneki Neko Cat Rescue’s founder Samantha McKernan knows well how challenging and time- consuming it can be to write profiles for cats but understands the crucial role it plays in increasing the homeless felines’ chances of being adopted.

“PetRescue's AI Bot is already making a significant impact and has the potential to save our volunteers so much time,” said McKernan.

“By providing a few key points, the bot generates a compelling profile that engages potential adopters. This frees up volunteers to focus on caring for cats in need. The AI Bot is a game-changer in our mission to support cat welfare and increase adoptions!”

AI Bot or Human?

 

The profile of Barbados the cat was created by PetRescue’s AI Bot for Maneki Neko Cat Rescue using just a few dot points. www.petrescue.com.au/listings/957600

Compare it to Queenie’s pet profile written by humans at Maneki Neko. www.petrescue.com.au/listings/950212

Tantiprasut explained, “For pet profiles, we will keep training the bot to learn to optimise the languages to best describe and bring out the best features for individual pets. Finding the most effective profile formula and including descriptive, emotive language that can increase the connection that a potential adopter can have with the pet to increase the chances of getting adopted.”

"We're excited to keep exploring the possibilities with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Innovations like the AI Bot that can help with time-consuming tasks are going to help transform the way we work, enabling the rescue community to help even more pets in need.”

The new AI Bot feature is just one of the many ways that PetRescue is leveraging the latest in technology to help find a home for every pet.

“We're only just scratching the surface with the technology! There are endless opportunities where it can help multiply capacity and ability to help more people and pets!” said Tantiprasut.

“AI can potentially be able to help adopters show their best sides in their adoption applications as well. The area that we're exploring is being able to analyse the data at scale and identify trends and anomalies. Typically, this takes a lot of time to translate data and insights into fast action.

Understanding the trends, changes, movements and challenges helps us to ensure the work we do can help as many pets as possible.”

About PetRescue

PetRescue is a national animal welfare charity with a vision of a future where every pet is safe, respected and loved. Every day, the not-for-profit organisation delivers free pet search and adoption services to thousands of pet seekers.

Since the PetRescue website launched in 2004, it's been the first connection for more than half a million rescue pets and their new families. PetRescue has also earned the title of ‘Australia’s most visited charity website’ and has grown to become the nation’s largest searchable database of rescue organisations and rescue pets.

MEDIA RELEASE, 27th February 2023