In this week’s ManxSPCA column, general Juana Warburton introduces us to Hamish - a new arrival looking for a forever home...

Meet our new arrival - Hamish, an 18 month old blue and tan Lakeland terrier. We’re confident that he won’t be in our kennels for very long because we have a waiting list for smaller dogs, but beneath that cheeky expression there lies quite a complex dog.

Most of Hamish’s behaviours are endearing and he is a very loveable dog. He craves human company, is good with dogs he knows, and he’s super intelligent and playful. These are the traits that can be expected in a Lakeland terrier, a breed that is now considered ‘vulnerable’ by The Kenel Club due to low numbers.

Lakeland terriers originated, as you may expect, in the Lake District and they are one of the earliest recorded terrier breeds dating back to the 1700s. The word ‘terrier’ is a derivation of the Latin word for ‘earth’, and these earth dogs were bred for their ability to ‘go to ground’ when hunting rodents, and for their prey drive. They needed to be able to attack and kill their quarry, rather than simply locate it by barking.

Lakelands were bred not just to kill rodents - they were also raised to hunt foxes and to kill them in their lairs. The Lake District’s rocky terrain made it unsuitable for hunting on horseback and so foxes were pursued on foot, and the terriers developed great stamina as they were required to keep up with the hunt hounds.

It will come as no surprise, then, that Hamish likes to chase cats, and if he ever caught one the outcome would not be a good one for the poor cat. Another breed trait is Hamish’s need for stimulation and outlets for his high levels of energy. When he’s left alone, he becomes anxious and this is the primary reason why his previous owner has asked the ManxSPCA to find him a loving new home.

Hamish’s new owners will need to have the time and patience to address his separation anxiety, and they will need to be physically active and able to match his stamina. Hamish’s mother was a working dog on a farm, and so his blood lines are very close to the Lakeland’s true ‘stamp’.

His previous owner thinks that Hamish had several altercations with other dogs before she got him, possibly farm dogs like collies, and so this makes him reactive to dogs that he doesn’t know. He’s very trainable, though, and careful socialisation with a range of dogs once he’s in his new home should make him more comfortable.

His training should definitely not involve the use of a ‘training collar’ – or ‘electric shock collar’ (ESC) to give its true name. Sadly, these are still legal on the Isle of Man, although they have been banned in Wales for the past 15 years. There is overwhelming evidence that training dogs using reward-based methods is not only better for the animal’s welfare, it also creates longer lasting results.

When fitted the ESC delivers an electric shock via a remote control or an automatic trigger such as a dog’s bark. The theory is that, having received a shock, the dog is more likely to do what is asked.

Research commissioned by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has shown that, perhaps unsurprisingly, many dogs show signs of stress when they are fitted with an ESC. They also show signs of pain, with many yelping when they feel an electric shock.

If you come across a dog wearing an ESC (they are usually quite chunky with a tell-tale box attached) encourage its owner to speak to their vet, or to us, about the efficacy of the ESC as a humane training device. We need to make the use of ESCs morally unacceptable on the Isle of Man.