Sound affects

I recently took on a retired working labrador. Despite being bombproof to the sound of gunshot, she is petrified of the vacuum cleaner. Any suggestions?

Neil says: This is not as uncommon as you might think. Recent research, carried out for International Dog Day involving 1,000 UK dog owners, showed that 85% said their dog displayed some sort of fear towards household appliances and that in 21% of cases this resulted in excessive chewing, barking or chasing the appliance. Apparently, vacuum cleaners were disliked by 45%, hair dryers by 24%, lawnmowers by 21%, washing machines by 15% and blenders by 13%. Given that your rehomed labrador has probably never been socialised to the sound of a cleaner, it may be easiest simply to remove her from the room when using it, as desensitisation could be a long and stressful process. Alternatively, mimic my wife’s contribution to animal welfare and only use the bloomin’ thing every six months or so.

David says: In the strict legal sense, it isn’t. However, many landowners won’t let you stalk unaccompanied unless you have the qualification. Courses are widely available, and I strongly recommend doing one if you plan to take up stalking.

The of pigeon shooting is crop protection

What better reason not to vacuum than a nervous dog?

Is it a legal requirement to have DSC1 before you can go stalking? Some of my friends say it is. Many landowners require stalkers to have at least DSC1