In the past few months, I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of some distressing symptoms exhibited by my 14-year-old dog Otto, by using every one of the three veterinarians that make up our veterinary healthcare team.
Yes, three. Following the precepts described 20 years ago by one of our long-time contributors in “Finding a Balance Between Conventional and Holistic Dog Care,” I have assembled a team to meet all my dogs’ veterinary needs. It’s the only way I’ve been able to access the totality of the care I feel like my dog needs!
Our most local vet is more or less Otto’s primary care doctor. Her clinic is located less than two miles from my home, making it most convenient for picking up Otto’s prescriptions and for routine visits. She’s terrific and her clinic is well-equipped. I can usually get an appointment within about two weeks there. But until recently (and this might be changing as we speak), once the pandemic started, she would see patients only in her clinic without the owners present. Having a conversation about your dog over the phone is better than not having a vet to talk to at all, but it’s not always ideal, so if I feel it’s important to be able to see the doctor examine my dog and be able to point out things and discuss things she observes in that moment, I sometimes use veterinarian number two:
This veterinarian practices in a rural clinic, where in this day of COVID she is happy to see patients with their owners outdoors (weather permitting, and in our climate, this is almost always viable). This vet also offers acupuncture, which we’re using in an effort to reduce some of Otto’s arthritis pain. The down side is that she’s farther away and a little less up-to-speed with the latest diagnostic tools. When my dogs need advanced diagnostics, I go to veterinarian number three:
This veterinarian is board-certified in internal medicine (a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine or DACVIM), and practices at the gigantic 24-hour clinic about a half-hour’s drive from here. She has good lines of communication with our primary-care doctor, and they share tests results quickly and easily so they both know what the other doctor is thinking. This practice has almost all the bells and whistles, and while care at this clinic is expensive, the insurance provider I use has never balked at any of the bills.
These are our three go-to providers, but we’ve used other specialists, too:
I took Otto to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California (Davis) for a dental procedure some years ago. Radiographs taken during a routine dental cleaning found that Otto had two cracked teeth, and the local vet thought they might be candidates for crowns, rather than extractions. Given our good health insurance, I opted for this additional visit to the dental experts at UCD, hoping we could save two of his teeth. Alas, the much more powerful imaging equipment at the university hospital were able to reveal that the damage to the teeth was deeper than previously seen, and the teeth had to be extracted after all.
This experience has led me to conclude that, at least for older dogs with more complicated dental histories, it’s likely best to go to a bigger, better-equipped hospital for even routine dental exams and cleaning; we could have saved Otto from one of those two general anesthesia events had I taken him to UCD for the first of those two exams.
Otto also had surgery at a specialty veterinary hospital for a lesion found on his liver.
I’ve known so many friends whose big dogs died from hemangiosarcoma (a disease that has a decent prognosis only if detected super early), that I have asked for Otto to receive an abdominal ultrasound examination as part of his annual well-dog visit. About six years ago, while conducting the ultrasound, our DACVIM observed a lesion on Otto’s liver, making these annual ultrasound examinations not just a matter of reducing my paranoia, but medically necessary. About three years ago, with the lesion growing, our vet recommended that Otto receive either exploratory surgery or a CT scan to better visualize the lesion, followed by (if at all possible) immediate surgery to remove it if indicated. She referred us to a specialty clinic about 90 minutes away, where we were able to schedule the CT scan and, potentially, time with a surgeon, in the same time slot, so Otto wouldn’t have to undergo general anesthesia twice again.
As it turned out, the CT scan showed that the lesion was quite possibly problematic, so Otto went right into surgery after the imaging. Fortunately, after the mass was sent out to a pathologist, we learned that it was not malignant. We keep his liver under observation, however, as it’s shown signs of further (though thankfully still minor) abnormalities.
The surgeon at that practice – and really, the whole staff – was amazing. Otto had to spend the night before the surgery at the practice, so, on the day he was admitted, I brought along copies of WDJ and a WDJ calendar to show the staff, so they knew they were caring for a celebrity. When I got to visit him post-operatively, I was thrilled to see that they had hung the magazines and calendar on his kennel door, so every person walking by him could see what a superstar he is. If Otto ever needs surgery again, that’s where we’ll go.
I know I’m incredibly lucky to live in an area where I have access to all these gifted professionals. Otto has a better healthcare team than my husband and I do! But I have to say that it’s largely the fortunate choice I made for Otto’s health insurance (discussed recently here*) that has made it possible for me to provide this level of healthcare for Otto.
* Otto is covered by a plan from Nationwide. This is not a blanket recommendation for that company, though it’s been very beneficial for me. For more information about choosing pet health insurance, see this article.
She spent a windy weekend with me – and even got to go for an off-leash hike with some of my other pointy-eared friends. (In this wind, Woody *wishes* he had pointy ears!)
Anyone who knows me knows that I love to make matches between the right humans and the right dog. When a friend asks for help finding a dog, I’ll scour my local shelter, peruse the web pages of my favorite Northern California rescue groups, and pay special attention when I see a post from acquaintances or trainer friends who are trying to help find a home for a certain dog. I love the challenge of making a good match – and the prospect of getting one out of a shelter!
At the same time, I will tell my dog-hungry friend to BE PATIENT, because it’s been my experience that once people make the decision to get a dog, they are often over-eager to bring one home, even when the dog doesn’t feel like the best fit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this scenario: A friend asks for help finding a dog. A week later, I get an email from that friend saying “Never mind! I found one!” and photos of their new dog. And then, a day or two later, I get a phone call from the same friend, saying, “Oh my gosh! I need help! This dog is a lot more than what I was expecting!”
Sometimes, it’s a matter of a fairly good match; it’s just that the person sort of forgot what it was like to have a young untrained dog or puppy (maybe they recently lost an older dog, so it’s been a decade or more since they’ve had to deal with a dog who hasn’t been taught any sort of house rules yet). But more often, I find, the people who adopt quickly, tend to adopt a dog who doesn’t even slightly resemble the criteria for their dream dog that they gave me!
If they are really out of their element or feel a deep mismatch with the dog, I would so much rather that they realize their mistake and return the dog than to keep him or her for months (or even years) – and THEN decide they can’t keep the dog. The older a dog gets, the more difficult it is to find him or her a new home, particularly if he’s not trained. Let him be rehomed while he’s still familiar to the staff of the shelter or rescue who placed him! Give them honest and open feedback about what didn’t work for you, what behaviors you found difficult, so they can try to find him a more suitable placement next time!
Even though I think it’s better to return a mismatched dog sooner than later, even if it takes months (or years, though I hope not!), I think it’s better to try to find a happy home for a dog than to keep one that you don’t enjoy or who doesn’t enjoy you. Spending an unhappy, ill-matched lifetime together doesn’t do the dog or the dog owner any favors. To me, it’s the saddest thing ever to witness a dog who was relegated to a 24/7 outdoor life (or life in a garage, which I’ve seen, too!) because someone – years earlier – couldn’t manage to housetrain them or teach them indoor manners such as refraining from counter-surfing or not jumping all over the furniture.
There is so much stigma about rehoming! People often feel like failures to “give up” on a dog, or to admit they are afraid of the dog, or just don’t feel comfortable with him or her. Others worry that the dog’s prospects will be reduced (or ended) by being returned or rehomed. But if I were a dog, I wouldn’t want to be unloved or untrusted for the rest of my life! I’d rather take my chances of finding an owner who knows more about dogs like me!
One of my trainer friends is trying to find a perfect home for one of her clients’ dogs right now – an adorable little dog who has proven to be a bit reactive when on-leash and beyond the ability of her family to handle appropriately. My friend has fostered the little dog for a few days, to get a complete picture of her leash-reactive behavior, and says the behavior will be easy to modify in the right hands and home; now we just have to find that home.
I was prompted to write this post because I JUST experienced a scenario like the one I described at the beginning. I was keeping my eye peeled for a dog for a friend; she wanted a dog around 25-30 pounds, adult, and calm. Two weeks into her search, she announced she had adopted a 40-pound, 6-month-old, Cattle dog-mix. YIKES! I have to say, the dog was one of the calmest 6-month-old Cattle Dog-mixes who just spent a month in a shelter that I have EVER met (which is what fooled my friend into thinking it might work out) – but she is still an adolescent herding breed.
She’s one of the cutest, calmest adolescent herding-breed dog’s I’ve met, and super affectionate. But still not a great fit for my friend who *really* wants a calmer, older, smaller dog.
Within 24 hours, the dog had terrorized my friend’s cat, refused to pee outside, sneaked a few pee puddles inside, and is showing no signs of having to poop, EVER (so we knew it would come sometime, likely in the night, lol). She chewed some things, knocked over things, and generally acted like who she is. And my friend, who only recently lost a well-behaved 13-year-old dog, was in shock – but fortunately, she realized her mistake quickly and asked me for help. She wanted to know whether the dog’s prospects would be harmed by going back to the shelter (nope!) and whether I thought that was the right decision (yes!).
But coincidentally, I knew a trainer who had recently lost her older dog and was maybe casting about for a new companion. I asked the shelter if I could foster the dog for a few days and make the introduction – and when I did, sparks flew. This beauty is now living her best life in a home of a trainer who recognizes and appreciates her super smarts, joy of learning, and playful zoomies and isn’t put off by her adolescent chewing and digging.
Yay! One dog out of the shelter and into a PERFECT home, and one friend educated about the importance of being patient and waiting for just the right dog to come along. Now if we can just find a spot for the cute little reactive dog…
Many of us animal lovers contribute in some way to animal charities. I donate (admittedly) small amounts of money to my local animal disaster relief organization (the North Valley Animal Disaster Group, which rescues animals from floods and fires and operates emergency shelters for animals who are displaced from these disasters) and to my local animal shelter, the Northwest SPCA. I’m able to contribute more as a volunteer than as a donor, I think – though I do end up spending a not-insignificant amount of money on dog food, toys, chews, and other equipment for the litters of puppies and the occasional adolescent dog that I foster for the shelter.
I also help my local shelter by editing and laying out their newsletter, which they mail out at least once a year (sometimes more). In the newsletters are stories about the shelter’s major accomplishments in the previous year and some of the animals they have helped, as well as requests for donations, both monetary and in the form of dog and cat food, kitty litter, used towels and blankets, and so on. The newsletter gets mailed to all of the shelter’s past donors and to everyone who has ever adopted an animal from the shelter (at least, for those whose addresses are still valid); the response to the newsletter and the self-addressed, stamped envelope tucked inside it is one of the shelter’s most important fund-raising tools.
But not everyone has the time or space or dog-care and -training experience to raise litters of puppies or improve the behavior of an energetic young dog who has never learned to live politely with humans – or to edit newsletters, for that matter. For many people, making a financial contribution to an animal-related charity is a more practical way to make a difference to those charities, and thus, to needy animals somewhere. (And even if everyone had the time to volunteer, animal charities would still need financial donations!)
If you’re interested in making a year-end contribution to an animal-related group, please click this link, which leads to an article we published in the December 2012 issue of WDJ. “Giving to Animal Charities” offers the best information I’ve ever seen about how to make sure your donation dollars are being spent in a manner that will achieve your charitable goals. Do you want your money to help tighten national or state laws about animal cruelty and abuse? Provide animal disaster relief? Support spay/neuter programs? Operate local shelters? Author Barbara Dobbins explains how to determine what your intended charity actually does with contributions; it’s not always what you think it is.
And, if I may, I’d like to share with you the most memorable thing I ever learned in college. In September 1985, there was a massive earthquake centered in Mexico City that caused billions of dollars worth of damage and killed thousands of people. One of my professors was collecting contributions to a disaster-relief organization and he made a short speech about this before our class began. He said, “I know many of you are financially challenged. College is expensive, and many of you work in addition to going to school. But if you have bought a cup of coffee even once this month, you could afford to donate a dollar – and if every one of my students this week did that, we’d collectively be sending more than $1,000 to help people whose homes and livelihoods have been completely destroyed.”
He went on: “I’m putting a donation box in the department office; I won’t know if you make a donation or not. And if you can’t, you can’t. But here is something I have learned: There are always reasons why we don’t feel we have enough money to make charitable contributions. Right now, it’s the cost of your education. When you graduate, you’ll be broke for a while as you get on your feet in a career. Next, you might have a wedding to pay for, or a mortgage, or just car payments that are tough to make. Pretty soon, it might be your own kids you have to help through college. If you don’t get into the habit of helping NOW – even just the tiniest amount – you may grow up to be one of those people who never does help. And that would be sad!”
I’ve thought about that speech many, many times since then. And if San Francisco State University professor Max Kirkeberg is still alive, I’d love for him to know that his speech made a lifelong giver out of me. Even if it’s just a dollar!
If playing with a toy is just as rewarding (or even more so!) than food for your dog, then by all means use playing with a toy as a reward! Nyx wasn't very interested in playing with a ball; it's not a good reinforcer for her.
Coming when called – a “recall” as it’s often known in dog-training circles – is arguably the most important behavior you can teach your dog. It can literally save his life. Imagine your dog gets loose and is heading for danger. When you call him, you want him to turn on a dime and race back to you so fast that it looks like his rear end is on fire and you have the only hose in town!
The trick to teaching a reliable recall is to set up your dog to successfully practice getting it right over and over again. Repetition rules in recall training. Your goal is to create so many successful training repetitions that turning and racing toward you becomes more like a reflex: When he hears the recall word, his body automatically turns toward you and he happily races back to you.
Think about when you first learned to drive a car. In the beginning, you had to concentrate on each individual behavior. Seatbelt on. Foot on the brake, start the car and put it in gear. Check the mirrors. Ease off the clutch or brake and onto the gas, and so on. But today, you probably drive without thinking about each adjustment you make to the pedals or steering wheel.
Similarly, it takes hundreds of successful repetitions to make coming when called a reflexive action for your dog, but don’t worry. Accomplishing that much training is easier than you think.
DOG RECALL TRAINING TECHNIQUES
Step 1: Hold treats within your dog’s smelling/licking range. Give your recall cue and back up as your dog moves toward you to get the treats.
Before you begin, pick a word to be your special dog recall word or cue. If you’ve been using “Come!” with mixed results, start fresh with a new word like, “Here!” or “Quick!” – and once you’ve chosen a cue, consider it sacred during the early months of your training program. Use this cue only when you are training, not for casual moments around the house.
The first step is designed to be simple for the dog, and to introduce the pattern of behavior into your dog’s mind. I do this by enthusiastically luring my dog toward me while quickly backing up about five or six steps and saying his name and special recall word. (“Saber, here!”) With your dog on a regular four- to six-foot leash, move backward as swiftly as your dog will follow, keeping your treats within licking distance.
Step 2: After about five days of practicing Step 1 (at least three to four times a day), continue in the same way, but with the treats behind your back. Practice this daily for at least three weeks before introducing distractions.
Another fun way to do this (and if backing up is unsafe or difficult for you), is to turn and quickly run several steps away, and have a happy party as you feed him treats when he gets to you.
After five or six steps, stop and reward generously. Use lots of tiny treats paired with praise and petting (in a way you know your dog enjoys) for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat this process five times in a row at least three or four times per day. Five repetitions in a row over three or four short training sessions per day gives you 15 to 20 reps per day. And each session takes fewer than five minutes!
After about five days of diligent practice, keep all the steps the same except the part where you hold the treat within licking distance of your dog. We don’t want him to think he has to see the treat in order for the recall word to be rewarding. Conceal the treats in your pocket or treat pouch, but be sure to reward just as generously.
Remember: this is supposed to look and feel easy. Avoid the temptation to try and make it harder for your dog at this early stage. We’re building a strong foundation. Just as a house falls apart without a solid foundation, a recall falls apart in the face of distractions when it lacks a solid foundation.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when training the recall is to practice a handful of times at home and then expect the behavior to hold up away from home and in the face of distractions. We want to adequately train the behavior before we start testing it out!
Recall is a relationship-based behavior
It bears repeating: Recall is a relationship-based behavior. Your dog’s willingness to do it depends entirely on how much he trusts that returning to you will be worth his while. If your dog is ambivalent about his relationship with you, his response to a recall cue is likely to be ambivalent, too. If you are not in the habit of reinforcing your dog for the behaviors you’ve asked him for (or, worse, if you’ve meted out some aversive consequences to him), he may choose to ignore your cues, avoid you, or just take time after hearing your cue to “read the room” – to try to gauge whether you are likely to administer an aversive or a reinforcement.
This isn’t a judgment on any dog who does this; the fact is, it’s natural and normal for dogs to consider the consequences of any options in front of them and to choose whichever option is the most enjoyable (a.k.a., the least aversive). It’s poetic to think our dogs live to please us, but that’s just not true; they consider “What’s in it for me right now?” and do what works best for them. The sooner we accept this fact – and use our intelligence to set up training sessions so that our dog’s most enjoyable choice is to do what we want him to do, the sooner we become good dog trainers!
If you’re having trouble with recall, I urge you to think about your relationship and training style with your dog. The more enjoyable and interesting you are to your dog – and the more you’ve shown him that you can be counted on to provide good things, the more motivated your dog will be to come to you when you call him. In contrast, if you’ve been physically or verbally harsh or scary with him, he’s naturally going to think twice before coming to you. But in any sort of emergency, you don’t want your dog to hesitate to come to you; you want him to know, instantly and unequivocally, that racing to you immediately will result in all the things he likes best: food, fun, praise, attention, and affection.
TAKE IT ON THE ROAD
As your dog starts responding confidently to his recall word at home, practice the behavior while on your daily neighborhood walk. You can back up to step one and have treats at his nose-level for the first few days, especially if he’s distracted by the environment.
If he’s too distracted to focus on your treats, try experimenting with higher-value treats or toys if your dog prefers games like tug. Use very high-value treats – cooked meat, cheese, freeze dried liver, etc. And cut the treats into small pieces, so you can feed a lot of them!
Don’t get too concerned if your dog is so distracted by away-from-home environments that not even high-value treats hold his attention. Some dogs need to take in the environment before working. Maybe they’re genuinely curious, or maybe they’re a little nervous and need to make sure it’s safe. Giving dogs permission to check out their environment – without asking, nagging, or begging them to pay attention – while generously rewarding their choice to interact with us, can help prepare them for whatever training we have in mind. Continue to practice at home – and consider setting up acclimation trials in new locations.
ACCLIMATION TRIAL
To do this, pick a novel location, plant your feet, and let your dog explore to his heart’s content – but only as far as he can reach via the fixed radius of the leash. Don’t pull or tug on the leash; if he’s pulling, just pretend you are a post and simply resist his pulling. And don’t ask your dog for attention; this is his time. However, if he turns and looks at you, as if to say, “Um, are we going to do something?” offer copious praise and feed him a number of tiny, delicious treats, one at a time, so long as you hold his attention.
If you lose his attention, go back to ignoring him as you stand your ground. Relax and commit to standing there for as long as it takes for him to get bored with looking or sniffing within the length of his leash. If after 10 minutes or so, if he’s still fixated on everything/anything other than you, you may need to choose a slightly less fascinating novel location – for example, a big empty parking lot rather than a forested park. Meanwhile, continue your recall training at home and in other areas where your dog can successfully focus on you and your treats.
If you keep his attention, ask for a simple behavior such as “sit” or “down” and reward with a treat. If he stays focused on you, try practicing the the recall exercise.
ADD DISTRACTIONS TO YOUR DOG RECALL TRAINING
Jessie tied a furry tug toy to a post and let Nyx approach and investigate the toy. Nyx is not particularly interested in playing with toys, so this makes a good low-level distraction.
After about three weeks of regular, on-leash foundation training (and remembering not to use the special recall cue outside of these training scenarios), you’ll likely find that your dog is happily running toward you as you call him and move away. Congratulations! You’re building a solid foundation! Keep doing what you’re doing, but now we’re ready to introduce the concept of purposefully turning away from a distraction.
A dog’s ability to turn away from distractions (in favor of running back to you) will make or break the recall. When a dog is off-leash, it’s especially easy to become distracted. We need to teach the dog that coming when called – leaving really interesting stuff behind – is still worth it.
When Jessie brightly and cheerfully uses her recall cue (“Nyx, now!”), Nyx immediately turns and trots toward Jessie (who backs up a few steps before delivering several treats).
If you’ve been diligent with your early recall homework for just three weeks, your dog has already been generously rewarded for quickly running toward you close to 300 times. That gives him a great head start on this next step. To be fair to the dog, please don’t attempt this step before completing three weeks of the early foundation training.
With your dog on a leash, walk him up to a low-level distraction like a familiar bush or tree. Allow him to investigate and as he does, step behind him and go to the end of your leash, keeping it loose. Be ready with treats hidden in your hand behind your back. Happily call his name and his recall word. Be ready for one of two things to happen:
He eagerly whips his head around, leaving the distraction and runs toward you. As this happens, remember to move away from him, giving him the opportunity to chase you for a few steps. Party like a rock star with praise, petting, treats, and general merriment lasting 15 to 20 seconds.
OR . . .
Your dog ignores the recall word and continues investigating the distraction. If this happens, one of two things have probably gone wrong: Either you didn’t practice the earlier steps enough, or you’ve picked a distraction that’s far too distracting!
In this case, use a small squeaky toy (keep a “naked” squeaker in your pocket for this occasion) or make some other unusual or exciting noise (such as a whistle or a verbal squeak) to get your dog’s attention. If he turns back to you, mark the physical action of having turned away from the distraction (with the click of a clicker or a verbal “Yes!” or “Good!”), repeat the recall word and back or run away, getting him to chase you and rewarding him generously after several steps.
However, if he ignores your exciting noise, or you have to make several noises, your training is going off course. You need more repetitions, better rewards, and/or a lower-level distraction.
Revisit Steps 1 and 2, practicing in your house and yard, with at least five repetitions at least three times a day. Practice these distraction set-ups with your dog on-leash (a regular 6-foot leash is best), and be generous with your rewards until your dog is happily and reliably doing a whiplash-type turn in your direction every time you use your recall cue at home.
MAKE YOUR RECALL TRAINING AN EVERYDAY ROUTINE
Dog recall training should be part of your daily routine with your dog. In working with my own dogs, I make a point to call them away from minor distractions at least a few times during every walk.
In addition, I use my dog recall word every time I set down a bowl of food, and any time I find leftover treats in one of my pockets (“Saber, here!) for some simple classical conditioning/pairings of the recall word with wonderful things. He may be right next to me, but when he hears his special word, food magically appears!
Also, in any off-leash situation we’re in, I make a point to call my dog to me several times, just so I can generously reward him and then release him back to his freedom. That way, he’s less likely to think being called means it’s time to leash-up and go home, thus ending the off-leash fun.
Rules of Recall Training
Train with a leash! Set your dog up for success both when training and in life. And if you don’t trust his recall, or local ordinances require it, keep your dog on leash. The best-trained dogs can be led astray by the scent of a critter, many of which are most active at dawn and dusk.
Never call your dog to you for something unpleasant. If you need to do something your dog may consider unpleasant, calmly walk up to him, ask him to sit, feed a treat, attach the leash, feed another treat, and walk him wherever you need to go.
Reward generously. Convince your dog that hearing his recall word is like winning the doggy lottery. Use small, soft, high-value treats that can be broken into many small pieces. A piece of cheese the size of a game die can be pinched into 10 or more small treats. Ten small treats, clearly fed one at a time while you lavish praise and petting in ways your dog enjoys, are better than one large treat. It’s dog math!
Don’t overuse the recall word. My recall word (“Here!”) is reserved for situations where there’s more at risk, either because my dog is off leash, or because there is a situation that might go sideways. If I’m casually walking down the hall and want my dog to follow me, or I’m trying to call him inside, I use a more casual phrase such as, “C’mon… let’s go…” or “C’mon … inside.”
Avoid static recalls. Dogs love to chase stuff. Rather than stand still as you call your dog, scamper away so he gets to chase you.
It’s okay to always use food! For the life of my dog, especially when I choose to let him off-leash somewhere (thus upping his access to distractions), I will always bring treats and reward heavily. This does not mean he’s not well trained; it means I understand I’m asking him to do something challenging and I’m willing to pay well for this, and to maintain the behavior. He doesn’t need to come when called “because I said so.” Try to keep ego out of your training!
LEARN FROM MISTAKES
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you’ll call your dog and his response will look more like “Hold on a sec. I’m busy,” than “Woohoo! That’s the party word! I’m on my way!”
You might be tempted to repeat your recall word, perhaps with an edge of “authority” in your voice – but don’t do it! Instead, try using whatever phrase you use casually around the house (such as “C’mon… let’s go!”) as you clap your hands and run away from your dog, encouraging him to chase you – and, despite the fact that he didn’t come immediately, reward him generously.
Now, think about what was holding his attention – and think about what type of distractions often seem to present the biggest challenge for your dog. His “mistakes” are giving you valuable information! Once you identify what situation, sights, or smells make it difficult for him to “hear” your cues, you can set up training trials to address them.
For example, if squirrels are the Achilles’ heel of your dog’s recall, ask your dog for recalls only when your dog is on leash and first notices the squirrel; if he’s already in full lock-and-load mode, you are setting him up to fail. If scavenging for food is a pastime that challenges his ability to come when called, safely enclose a low-level food item in a secure, vented container so your dog can’t get to it, and practice calling your dog away. Whatever the scenario, make it easy for your dog to be correct and work your way up to more challenging variations only as he demonstrates proficiency in the easier step – meaning, he can successfully recall away from the distraction without needing an additional prompt.
TRAINING VS TESTING
Always remember: Training happens when your dog is on leash. If your dog is off-leash, you’re testing what he knows, not training. The more you train, the better prepared you’ll both be to ace the next test!
Have you seen freezers like this in your local pet supply store and wondered what the deal is with all that frozen food? Has a salesperson tried to convert you to a raw, frozen diet for your dog? If you've answered "yes" to either question, there are things you should know about this diet category so you can choose wisely.
We’ve got some good news and some bad news for dog owners who are interested in feeding raw diets. First, the good news: Some dogs thrive on these diets. Today, there are many companies offering frozen raw dog food – some with many different formulations. The diets have long been available via direct-shipping but are increasingly available in pet supply stores, too.
The bad news: In addition to having the potential to deliver bacterial pathogens to your dog (and household), this segment of the pet food industry seems particularly prone to sloppy nutritional formulation. As a category, the diets tend to be extremely high in fat – high enough to pose a significant danger to dogs with a high risk of pancreatitis.
While many owners credit raw-food diets for their dogs’ vibrant good health, there are specific things you should look for (and look out for) when choosing one of these diets for your dog.
Before we get into specific purchasing recommendations, let’s talk about why people might want to feed a raw diet in the first place.
Common Traits of Frozen Raw Dog Food
Everyone should be clear about the fact that canines evolved eating diets comprised mostly of raw meat (and raw bones, organs, and other tissues from dead animals; wild canids and feral dogs still do).
The credit for popularizing an “evolutionary-style” diet to dogs in recent decades is usually given to Australian veterinarian Dr. Ian Billinghurst. His 1993 book, Give Your Dog a Bone, made a compelling case for the benefits of home-prepared diets for dogs – and specifically, diets that were comprised mostly of raw, meaty bones, supplemented by smaller amounts of organ meat, vegetables, eggs, and so on. Many people who followed his diet-formulation guidelines saw significant and almost immediate improvements in their dogs’ health – and a revolution was underway. Commercial manufacturers of these diets appeared practically overnight.
But every type of food for dogs that’s ever appeared on the market has won a certain number of fans and foes. No matter what type of diet being discussed, divisions develop and owners argue about “what’s best” for dogs.
You’d think that raw-diet advocates might hang together as allies; you’d be wrong. Raw feeders argue about the pros and cons of “whole prey” diets (those that attempt to mimic the proportions of meat, bone, and organs consumed by wolves), grain-containing and grain-free diets, diets that include whole raw bones and those that grind the bones, and diets containing synthetic vitamin and/or mineral sources and those that contain none.
Given these diverging opinions, today, about all that commercial raw, frozen diets tend to have in common is a preponderance of raw meat. If other ingredients are used, they tend to be whole, raw or very lightly processed foods. Certified organic, grass-fed, locally sourced, and/or humanely raised ingredients are more commonly found in this diet category than more conventional segments of the market.
The Truth About Frozen Raw Dog Food
What’s often lost in the arguments among raw-food fans is that no diet works well for all dogs. Just like humans (whose foods dogs have been sharing for quite some time now), what some dogs thrive on makes some dogs decline, and vice versa.
Theoretically, all dogs are equipped to eat like their wild forebears: a partly hunted, partly scavenged diet comprised largely of raw meat and other parts from dead animals. But as a point of realistic fact, raw diets don’t suit all dogs. Some dogs turn up their noses at raw; others are unable to digest uncooked ingredients well. Others may lack the immune-system rigor to defend themselves from chronic exposure to the pathogenic bacteria that’s present in much of the raw meat in the food supply (at least, the raw meat that doesn’t undergo a “kill step” – more about that in a minute).
Nevertheless, products based on some version of an evolutionary-type raw diet are very popular among some dog owners. Those who are committed to feeding a raw diet often cite a long list of benefits of these diets for dogs: better overall health and vigor, fewer allergies and digestive problems, cleaner teeth and fresher breath, nicer coats, improved reproduction in breeding dogs, and greater longevity and soundness.
This is anecdotal evidence, of course; sound, validated, generational studies comparing the health of raw-fed dogs to a population of kibble-fed dogs don’t exist. But it’s undeniable that some dogs do great on these diets! Many raw-food diet proponents stumbled upon this style of feeding their dogs after years of struggling with a dog who failed to thrive on every other type of diet – and there is no convert as dedicated as someone whose dog was sickly and is now well on a new diet.
Bacterial Concerns of Frozen Raw Foods and Solutions
Raw-food diets also have detractors, primarily for one overwhelming reason: the potential for pathogenic organisms in raw animal-source proteins to cause illness in animals and the humans in their household.
There are a number of pathogens that can be present in and/or on meat, including Salmonella spp, Campylobacter spp, Clostridium spp, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus. In more conventional types of pet food, these pathogens are rendered harmless through cooking – unless the heat-based process, whether it be extrusion, baking, or retort (canning) is inadequate. But there are also newer technologies being developed and implemented that can kill pathogens in raw foods without cooking.
Most of the largest, most successful raw-diet companies use one of these cooking-alternative, bacteria “kill-step” technologies, such as irradiation or high-pressure processing (HPP). (For more information about this, see “High Pressure Processing in Raw Dog Food,” WDJ April 2015.)
But a few companies are raw-diet purists; they often explain that they rely on superior sources of animal proteins, strict adherence to good manufacturing practices, and product testing to ensure that their products contain no pathogens.
We’ve seen credible evidence that dogs can (and often do) consume the most commonly found pathogenic bacteria in our meat and poultry supply (Salmonella) without developing illness. But given the state of the nation’s commercial food-processing oversight (not good), and reports of increasing populations and virulence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, our own bias in raw-diet selection would mirror that of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): We recommend buying only those raw-diet products that have been subjected to pasteurization of some kind. This type of food is safely treated with HPP.
Claims of Frozen Raw Food Nutritional Adequacy
Although the popularity of dog food “mixers and toppers” has been increasing, most of these are clearly labeled as just that – “toppers” – a savory topping (some promising nutritional benefits) to add to your dog’s food. With the exception of these clearly identified topper products, in the kibble or canned food aisles, it’s uncommon to find products that are not labeled as “complete and balanced diets.”
However, this is not the case with raw frozen dog food. There are more producers of “intermittent and supplemental” diets in this pet-food category than any other. Nutritionally incomplete products are intended to provide some of the dog’s required nutrition, with the added benefit of proteins, enzymes, and vitamins that have not been reduced or altered by the heat of cooking. Some of these incomplete diets are prominently identified as such, but the labeling on others might be small (or covered with freezer frost!).
Because the incomplete diets may contain nutrients in levels that depart significantly from those required for a “complete and balanced diet,” we recommend avoiding those indicated for “intermittent and supplemental use.” Look for a nutritional completeness claim on each label – even if you plan to feed the product as just part of your dog’s diet. Also, you must make sure that it’s appropriate for your dog’s life stage.
“Adult maintenance” is the least complicated claim. Pay much closer attention if you are feeding a puppy or young (under a year old) dog. The nutrient requirements for “growth” or “all life stages” are one and the same, but be aware that these products must also specify whether they are formulated to meet the nutritional requirements for growth/all life stages including the growth of large-size dogs (expected to be 70 lbs. or larger as an adult) or except for the growth of large-size dogs. Large-breed puppies should be fed diets with less calcium; these would carry the claim, “(This product) has been formulated to meet the nutritional requirements for growth/all life stages including the growth of large-size dogs.”
Proof of Nutritional Adequacy Claims
Look for products from companies that post complete nutrient analyses on their website
By law, the only nutrient levels that are required to appear on a pet food label are its minimum levels of protein and fat and maximum levels of fiber and moisture. These are provided on all food labels in the “guaranteed analysis.”
But “complete and balanced” dog diets must also contain minimum amounts of specific amino acids, linoleic and linolenic fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, and have calcium and phosphorus levels within a certain ratio to each other. Though these nutrient levels are not required to appear on product labels, we recommend that dog owners ascertain that pet food makers are able to produce analyses that confirm the products meet the required nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
At a bare minimum, every pet food maker should be able to send you a complete “typical” nutrient analysis for all of their products. More often than not, the analyses provided show the expected levels of nutrients based on a computer analysis of the product’s formula. Preferably, these are posted on their company websites.
We have a strong preference for foods that have been subjected to laboratory analysis to confirm that their formulations deliver nutrient levels that meet the AAFCO guidelines. This is a significant expense for pet food makers – but it’s also of significant importance for dogs.
Watch Out for High Fat Levels in Frozen Raw Dog Food
We’re not sure why this is so, but the makers of frozen raw dog foods tend to formulate them with excessive amounts of fat. This attribute is not nearly as common with the makers of cooked frozen dog foods, so we’re at a loss to explain it. These diets don’t have to be high-fat.
Here’s a wrench in the works for conscientious dog owners who check the product labels, looking for high fat levels: Remember that the guaranteed analysis on the product label lists the minimum amounts of protein and fat. The product may actually contain much higher levels than what’s listed there. Argh! This is one of the reasons why we insist that you ask companies for their complete nutrient analyses; these should list percentages that are closer to the actual amounts in the product.
At the very least, pay attention to the caloric density of the food – the number of calories per ounce or kilogram – in the products you’re considering. In general, the higher the number, the more fat in the product.
What to Look for in a Raw, Frozen Diet
When selecting a raw, frozen diet for your dog, we suggest that you look for products that have these attributes:
Treatment with a pasteurization or bacterial ”kill step” such as high-pressure processing (preferably) or irradiation.
A nutritional adequacy claim confirming that the product is a complete and balanced diet for dogs. For example, “This product was formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages including growth of large size dogs (70 lbs. or more as an adult).” To reiterate, we do not recommend diets that are intended only for “intermittent or supplemental use.”
Complete nutrient analyses for each product. Ideally, it’s clear that the reports are the results of laboratory analysis of the products, rather than the nutrient levels expected from a software analysis of the product formula.
Fat levels that are not excessive. We recommend products with protein levels that are about twice the levels of fat for most dogs. Foods that contain more fat than protein should be avoided – especially for individuals and breeds that are subject to pancreatitis (for more about this risk, see “Signs of Pancreatitis in Dogs,” July 2021).
Devoted to Raw Dog Food?
If this type of diet has proven to really suit your dog – perhaps he’s had some health issues that have resolved on a raw dog food diet – we’d suggest reading another article with even more details and cautions. See “The State of the Commercial Raw Diet Industry,” WDJ September 2015, for even more in-depth recommendations.
If you’re just trying products from this category – perhaps in an effort to resolve some ongoing health issue for your dog – or using them as part of your dog’s rotational diet, these tips should help ensure you are buying the better products in the category.
As with every change of diet, start slowly and convert your dog to his new diet gradually, watching carefully for any signs of digestive distress (such as vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stool, or lack of appetite). Use particular caution with dogs who are prone to pancreatitis – and retreat to your dog’s former diet if you observe anyof the above-listed signs of dietary intolerance.
Some dogs like to fetch - and some like to run along barking at the fetcher. This kind of loud canine cheerleading can irritate the barkers' companions, as well as your neighbors. It might be fun for a few minutes, but to be considerate - and to prevent your dog from practicing this annoying barking - it might be best to let the fetcher exercise separately without his bark companion.
Photo Credit: Suzanne Marcoux / Dreamstime.com
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Dogs bark for lots of different reasons. Dog barking may be triggered by strong emotional responses such as fear, reactivity, and aggression. These behaviors require significant attention to and modification for the underlying emotions that drive these behaviors.
But one of the most common types of barking happens just because the dog is excited and expresses her excitement in part through excessive vocalization. With these dogs, we can often go straight to working with the barking without having to spend lots of time and effort modifying an underlying behavior.
Why’s My Dog Barking A Lot – All The Excitement?
If your dog’s annoying, excessive barking stems from excitement, I can relate. Sunny, our Pomeranian/Eskimo-mix, is one of these. We had his voice pretty well under control until the arrival of our newest dog, KC, another Australian Kelpie (we already had one, Kai). KC’s energy has rejuvenated Sunny’s barking – and then some.
The first task is to determine what sets off the excitement barking and figure out how to manage the trigger – at least to the best of your ability. While it’s usually fairly simple to identify the trigger (or triggers), the second part – managing your dog’s exposure to the stimuli that make her bark – can be difficult.
Dog Barking Management Options
One stratagem is to simply remove your barky dog from the exciting environment.
When KC and Kai play chase and tackle in the backyard, Sunny runs after them at full speed, barking shrilly. I don’t want to take away all of Sunny’s fun, so I let him chase and bark for a minute or two, then put him in the house so the other two can play in peace.
If your dog gets excited and barks when your kids are playing on the swing set, or friends hollering at the TV during football games, put her elsewhere during those events and let her come out again when the activity subsides.
Another option is to manage the trigger (rather than the barker). If I want Sunny to stay in the backyard, I can otherwise engage KC in playing with a Frisbee, which doesn’t incite Sunny to chase and bark. Similarly, you could take the kids to swing at the park or at their friend’s house, or ask someone else to host football parties, at least until you have modified your dog’s barking behavior.
It can also be helpful to increase your excited dog’s mental and physical exercise, to increase calm and decrease the amount of energy she has available to devote to barking. Structured physical exercise can serve to help improve your dog’s impulse control and is preferred over all-out random crazy exercise. (See “Impulse Control Exercises for High-Energy Dogs,” September 2017 and “Are Canines Cognitive?” October 2017.)
Finally, you may be able to manage in the moment by just feeding your dog very-high-value treats as you move her away from the excitement-causing stimulus. This is not likely to change her behavior in the long run but might get you out of an embarrassing situation.
Please note that “very high value” may vary from one dog to the next, but usually means something moist and meaty or cheesy. My favorite brand of packaged, non-perishable, non-greasy, easy-to-break-into-small-pieces treats are from the Real Meat Treat Company. “Very high value” for most dogs is definitely not some boring, dry, kibble-type treat.
Behavior Modification for Barky Dogs
Once you have identified your dog’s triggers, you can work to desensitive her to them, and to counter-condition her response to them, so that she gradually develops less reactive behavior and more calm feelings about them. Arm yourself with extra-high-value treats and start this work at a great-enough distance to keep her “under threshold”. If she gets aroused, like the dog in this photo, you’ve pushed her too far, too fast. Photo Credit: Sue Feldberg/ Dreamstime.com
There’s nothing wrong with good management; in fact, I have no problem with a dog’s family choosing to manage barking behavior for the dog’s lifetime. It might, however, be nice to not have to manage the barking always and forever. If you are motivated and willing to make the effort, there are some effective ways to modify barking behavior:
Reinforce an alternative behavior. This suggestion entails giving the dog something to do – as opposed to just telling her to not do something else – and when she does the thing we’ve asked, we can give her reinforcement for the new, preferable behavior. Some suggestions for behaviors that make particularly good alternatives to barking include:
Find it. Say, “Find it!” brightly, and toss treats at your feet. This helps your dog shift her focus from “out there” and whatever she was barking at to you and the area near you.
Search. Just like “find it,” but you toss the treats away from you into the grass for your dog to find.
“Go to Your Mat.” Some people may train their dogs to “station” themselves on a mat, bed, or cot, and remain there in any position (stand, sit, or down) until given a cue to move about freely again; others want this behavior to include lying down and relaxing. You can include whatever criteria you want, but the main thing is to give the dog a designated place to go to and await further instructions. (See “Mat Training Tips,” January 2020.)
Settle. This behavior is more than a “down,” though we might start shaping it from that posture. The finished behavior should resemble a calm, completely relaxed dog, one who projects, “I’m going to be here for a while, so I may as well take a short nap,” rather than, “I’m holding a ‘stay,’ but at any moment I’m going to get a release cue and leap to my feet!” When she’s on the mat, reinforce her trained “Settle” behavior to help her learn to remain calm and stay on the mat even when exciting things are happening. (See “Teach Your Dog to Settle Down,” September 2015.)
Touch. This cue asks your dog to touch her nose, a paw, or other body part to a target (such as your outstretched palm, a ball on the end of a pointer, or the lid of a plastic container taped to the wall). Use “Touch” to draw her attention away from whatever she’s barking at, and then engage her in some of her other favorite behaviors. (See “On Target Training,” September 2021.)
Teach a “Quiet” cue. Also known as a “positive interrupt,” your cheerful “Quiet” cue simply invites your dog to cease barking in anticipation of receiving a reinforcer. If you have trained it well, it can work like a charm! (See “Punishment vs. Interruption,” February 2021.)Teaching a “Quiet” cue is simple: Start by reinforcing a very short bit of quiet – “short” as in one second! – and very gradually increase the amount of time you wait before giving your dog another reinforcer. It might help to count to yourself, “One one-thousand, two one-thousand…” If your dog barks as you are working on this, you are increasing the duration of her “quiet” behavior too quickly.This exercise has helped me with the resurgence of barking from our small dog, Sunny, prompted by the addition of another dog to our family. It requires a high rate of reinforcement, but I expect to eventually be able to decrease the rate of treat delivery as we had successfully done in the past to reduce his excitement barking.
Ignore the bark and reinforce quiet. If you are in a situation where you can control the bark-eliciting stimulus, try ignoring your dog’s barking and reinforcing her when she is quiet. Sunny gets excited-barky when we are headed to the back door for a romp in the yard. When he barks, I stop my progress toward the door and turn around. When he stops barking, I say “Quiet, yes!” and drop a treat on the floor, then continue toward the door. If he barks again, we stop again.This, too, was working well for us – until KC arrived on the scene. This protocol does not work well if you aren’t in control of the bark-causing stimulus (say, a neighbor’s dog who won’t stop barking) or if you live in an apartment where your neighbors are likely to complain about any degree of ongoing barking.
Invite your dog away from the trigger. “Walk away” is one of my favorite behaviors to teach. It means to quickly turn away from an object of focus for your dog and move away from it with you. Your dog is probably intensely focused on the stimulus that is inciting her excitement. Your well-trained, happy “walk away” cue will prompt her to do a 180-degree spin away from the stimulus and quickly move away from it with you. (See “How to Teach Your Dog to Just Walk Away,” September 2018.) You can then cue an alternative behavior (such as “Go to Mat,” above) so she doesn’t just return and resume barking.
Counter-conditioning and desensitization (CC&D)
This technique is used to change your dog’s association with a stimulus. While we are usually trying to change a dog’s negative association with a stimulus (whether it’s hat-wearing men, passing skateboards, small children, or anything else) to a positive one, we can also change a very high-excitement positive association to a still-positive but much calmer association. We start CC&D work with the dog’s stimulus at a low intensity (meaning it’s maintained at a distance or held to a low level of movement, for example, asking a friend to stand on a skateboard and move it just a little) and gradually increase the intensity (move the stimulus closer, allow the skateboarder to move a little more) until the dog has the new association with full-intensity presentation of the stimulus.
For the dog who barks non-stop at the child on the swing, you would start your CC&D with no one on the swing, at whatever distance is necessary for the dog to be able to remain calm in the presence of the swing. It’s important to start with the arousal-causing stimulus at a great enough distance from the dog so that she notices it but is not extremely aroused (this is called the threshold distance). As soon as the dog notices the swing, feed a few tiny bits of high-value treats. Pause the treat feeding, let her look at the swing again, and feed again.
This process is repeated until the presence of the swing consistently prompts your dog to look at you with a happy smile and a “Yay! Where’s my treat?” expression. This is a conditioned emotional response (CER) – your dog’s association with swings now means “Yay, treats!” instead of “Get excited!” Take care to keep your dog “under threshold” – happy and calm, and never pushed to the point of excited barking. Next you will gradually add increasing movement of the swing, eventually with a person on it.
Now you get to figure out how to apply the CC&D protocol in other bark-eliciting situations. Far from the pool, feed treats while people swim, then play gently, then do rowdy pool play. In another room, feed treats while friends converse while watching the football game, then get slightly excited, then more excited, and finally engage in Super Bowl-level excitement. You get the idea. And remember – you still have the option of putting your dog back in the house or in another room after you do a round of CC&D so your kids and/or friends can play/roughhouse/be rowdy to their hearts’ content.
How to Stop Your Dog From Barking is Your Choice
You know your dog best, so you choose! You can skillfully manage your dog’s environment to minimize or even eliminate her excitement barking, and/or you can invest in a program of modification along with your management. Either way, eventually, your dog can learn that silence truly is chicken (golden) and peace can be restored to your household.
I was examining a nice-looking harness at a pet products show when the sales representative caught my attention – hook, line, and sinker – by demonstrating the most unique feature I’ve ever seen on a dog harness: buckles that you can fasten and release with just one hand (and your eyes closed!). What is this sorcery?
The Belka harness straps uses magnets to strongly secure, and it’s easy to release when you’re ready to take it off.
Thanks to the magic of embedded magnets in the metal buckles of Curli’s Belka Comfort Harness, these buckles fasten themselves in a flash, lift off just as quickly by pulling a tab, and yet hold the harness on the dog super securely. While I like almost everything else about this harness, these quick-on, quick-off buckles make this a game-changer for anyone whose dog is difficult to dress, or who has difficulty manipulating regular metal or plastic quick-release buckles. (Here is a link to video of the buckles being fastened and unfastened so you can see the magic for yourself.)
The Belka provides two generously sized D-rings for attaching a leash: one at the back of the neck (better for guiding the dog) and one at the back of the harness (for use on a longer leash). It also features a large handle – great for lifting or just holding a dog closely in case of emergency.
The Belka harness doesn’t adjust around the neck, so measure your dog before choosing the size.
This harness comes in five sizes (XS – XL). The Belka slips over the dog’s head and is not adjustable at the neck (to keep the harness light), but it’s tailored nicely; as long as you check both measurements (the dog’s head circumference as well as his girth) on Curli’s online sizing chart, you’ll find it fits beautifully.
My dogs have the same chest size (girth) but Woody’s head and neck are much thicker than Otto’s. While the Large fits Otto well, the XL would have been a better for Woody, whose head measurement almost exceeded the sizing for Large, resulting in a too-snug fit around his shoulders. – Nancy Kerns
Most dog owners are aware of the threat of Lyme disease, which is caused by a pathogenic bacteria carried by ticks. But there are several more tick-borne bacteria that can cause other, equally harmful canine diseases. Preventing ticks from biting your dog is the key to preventing all of them.
Photo Credit: Zhbampton / Dreamstime.com
When we think of tick-borne diseases in dogs, Lyme disease is typically the first thing that pops into our heads. But there are other serious diseases transmitted by ticks that dog owners should be aware of.
Lyme Disease in Dogs
Believe it or not, of all the tick-borne diseases, Lyme is clinically the simplest. It typically causes limited, classic symptoms and is easy to treat. It rarely causes serious disease. The one exception to this is if it gets into the kidneys. This is called Lyme nephritis, and it is always bad.
Lyme disease in dogs is caused by spirochete (spiral-shaped) bacteria called Borrellia burgdorferi and is spread by Ixodes species ticks (such as the deer tick and black-legged tick). The incubation period (time from tick bite to clinical disease) can be as long as two to five months. The organism migrates from the bite sight to the joint capsules.
The blood tests used in veterinary hospitals for detecting Lyme disease are antibody tests (see “Tests for Tick-Borne Diseases”). Today, these are commonly combined with heartworm antibody tests. In addition to the index of suspicion a positive antibody test gives, a diagnosis of Lyme disease requires history of tick exposure, classic clinical signs, and a positive response to treatment.
Some dogs will show mild signs of fever, inappetence, and lethargy, but the classic presentation is lameness with a painful, swollen joint or joints.
The treatment of choice is doxycycline, an oral antibiotic, for four weeks. Response to treatment is rapid, with resolution of signs typically within 24 to 48 hours. The prognosis is excellent, as long as the infection doesn’t get into the kidneys.
Because of the possibility of kidney involvement, and the severity of that scenario, any dog testing positive for Lyme should have a urine specimen checked for protein loss.
Lyme nephritis is thought to be immune mediated in nature. When pathogenic organisms combine with antibodies targeting them, they form substances called immune complexes. These immune complexes damage the kidneys, resulting in proteinuria (excessive protein in the urine) and kidney failure. Aggressive treatment of these patients with antibiotics and immunosuppressive therapy is occasionally successful, but the overall mortality rate with Lyme nephritis is, sadly, very high. Fortunately, the incidence of Lyme nephritis is fairly low compared to the incidence of Lyme-infected dogs overall.
Vaccination for Lyme Disease
Should we be vaccinating dogs against Lyme disease? The canine Lyme vaccination was introduced in 1992, but believe it or not, after all these years, there is still no consensus on this. There are arguments both for and against Lyme vaccination.
Opponents of Lyme vaccination express concerns regarding inconsistent efficacy, duration of immunity, and cost of the vaccine. They point out that vaccination doesn’t negate the need for tick prevention. Because the vast majority of Lyme disease cases in dogs are mild and easily treated, vaccination opponents feel we shouldn’t be subjecting dogs to the inherent risks associated with vaccines in general. They express ongoing concerns as to whether vaccination might actually make Lyme nephritis worse, if the dog were to get it (although, I must add, there is no scientific evidence to support this).
Proponents of Lyme vaccination believe it provides a second layer of protection against Lyme disease and Lyme nephritis should your tick prevention fail. They point out that Lyme vaccines have been around for years and have proven to be no less safe than any other vaccine for dogs. Dogs do not develop a natural immunity after infection so they are always vulnerable to reinfection unless they are vaccinated.
As a practitioner, I recommend every patient have a personalized risk assessment, based on lifestyle and environment. If the dog has zero risk of exposure to ticks, I do not recommend Lyme vaccination. If the dog has risk exposure, I recommend the vaccine, in addition to diligent tick prevention. In my hands, this has been a safe and effective approach to prevention of Lyme disease in dogs.
Anaplasmosis in Dogs
Anaplasmosis is the name of two different clinical syndromes caused by different (but related) bacteria.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria infect white blood cells, causing Canine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis (CGA). Anaplasma platys infect platelets, causing Canine Infectious Cyclic Thrombocytopenia (CICT). Both types of Anaplasma bacteria are carried by the same type of ticks that carry the spirochete bacteria that causes Lyme disease, which means coinfection with anaplasmosis and Lyme is possible.
For either type of anaplasmosis, the incubation period (from tick bite to the dog’s illness) is one to two weeks. Signs associated with both syndromes include fever, lethargy, inappetence, pale mucous membranes, weight loss, lymph node enlargement, and splenic enlargement. Dogs with CGA sometimes present with lameness. Dogs with CICT frequently present with evidence of a bleeding disorder, including bruising, blood in stool or urine, and nose bleeds.
Diagnosis starts with the same screening antibody test that tests for Lyme disease. Again, this only implies exposure. The best definitive test for active anaplasmosis is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, although the cyclic nature of CICT may result in false negatives.
Treatment is doxycycline for at least 14 days. Anaplasmosis is an acute disease, meaning the organism does not stick around after treatment like some of the other tick-borne pathogens. Treatment is usually successful, and the prognosis is good.
Ehrlichiosis in Dogs
Ehrlichia canis and Ehrlichia ewingii are bacterial causes of this ehrlichiosis disease. They are spread by Rhipicephalus sanguineous (brown dog tick) and Amblyomma americanum (the Lone Star tick). The organisms infect circulating white blood cells. The incubation period is one to three weeks.
Acute symptoms of ehrlichiosis in dogs are like those of anaplasmosis: fever, lethargy, inappetence, lymph node enlargement, and splenic enlargement. With time, some dogs develop ocular and nasal discharge and lameness. Occasionally, an infection with Ehrlichia will cause neurologic derangements, such as incoordination and seizures.
A dog who makes it through the acute stage described above without treatment next enters the subclinical stage. During this stage, which can last months to years, the organism hides out in the spleen. The dog usually has no symptoms during this stage and either recovers spontaneously or moves on to the chronic stage where he becomes sick again.
The chronic stage, which carries the worst prognosis, can result in complete bone marrow depletion and secondary immune-mediated conditions resulting in bleeding disorders, ocular issues, and kidney failure.
As with anaplasmosis, the diagnosis of ehrlichiosis involves the point-of-care antibody test, followed by a PCR test. Treatment is doxycycline for 28 days. Acute cases typically respond quickly (one to two days) and carry a good prognosis. Chronic cases are much harder to clear and carry a guarded prognosis. It can take months of treatment, and some never respond. Monitoring involves serial PCR tests, complete blood counts (CBCs), and serum chemistry testing.
Babesiosis in Dogs
As with Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, there are two main bacteria that cause Babesiosis in dogs. Babesia canis is spread by the same tick (the brown dog tick) that spreads Ehrlichia, so coinfections are possible. This bacterium is most prevalent in the southern United States. A large percentage of Greyhounds from Florida test positive for Babesia canis.
Babesia gibsoni is also found in the United States. This one is interesting in that it is transmitted directly from dog to dog, through bite wounds, as opposed to tick bites.
Babesia organisms infect the dog’s circulating red blood cells. The incubation period is one to three weeks. Symptoms are like the other tick-borne disease described above (fever, lethargy, inappetence, lymph node enlargement, splenic enlargement), but the main symptom Babesia causes is anemia, which results in pale or jaundiced (yellow) mucous membranes and weakness.
Babesia cannot be detected in the point-of-care test that screens for the above-mentioned tick-borne diseases. A PCR test is required to detect infection with Babesia.
Fortunately, Babesia has low virulence, meaning it is not hugely aggressive as an infectious disease. Many infected dogs won’t even get sick. The ones who get the sickest are usually vulnerable (young puppies) or compromised (such as dogs who have had their spleens removed).
Asymptomatic, infected dogs are considered carriers, contributing to the spread of Babesia. The carrier state can sometimes evolve to a chronic state, as with Ehrlichia, where the dog becomes clinically ill and can develop secondary immune-mediated disease. These dogs take a long time to get better and sometimes require blood transfusions. The prognosis is guarded.
To make matters worse, treatment is complicated. It’s not our trusty doxycycline. Treatment usually involves an injectable medication called imidocarb diproprionate and/or a long course of multiple antibiotics or hard-to-find antiprotozoals, along with intense supportive care and treatment of secondary immune-mediated diseases. But don’t forget the upside, which is that many dogs infected with Ehrlichia never get sick.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) in Dogs
RMSF is caused by a bacteria called Rickettsia rickettsii. It is spread by Dermacentor species ticks (American dog tick, wood tick), the Lone Star tick, and brown dog tick. It causes acute, serious disease in dogs and humans.
The Rickettsia organism infects endothelial cells (the cells lining blood vessels). The damage to these cells causes systemic vasculitis, resulting in severe, widespread edema and tissue destruction. Fever, malaise, and neurologic signs are common. The incubation period may be as little as two days to as much as two weeks.
RMSF is not included in the point-of-care test that screens for Lyme, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia. PCR tests are unreliable for RMSF, as the organism does not circulate in the dog’s blood. Instead, it adheres to blood vessel linings. The diagnosis is usually made using paired antibody tests, called acute and convalescent samples. A rise in antibody titer, combined with classic symptoms and a favorable response to therapy, is considered diagnostic for RMSF.
Because of the acute severity of this disease, treatment should be started right away, based on the index of suspicion. Doxycycline is again the treatment of choice for this bacterial infection.
The upside to this terrible disease? If caught and treated early, the prognosis is excellent. And the recovered dog often has a lifelong immunity afterward. In contrast, cases that are not caught and treated early typically suffer severe, life-threatening complications with a guarded prognosis.
Tests for Tick-Borne Diseases
There are a number of “point-of-care” or “in-house” and laboratory tests that can be employed to identify microorganisms that can cause disease in our dogs. Your veterinarian may suggest a test for tick-borne diseases as part of your dog’s routine annual examination; the test may be combined with a test for a heartworm infection. If your dog is displaying symptoms of disease that suggest one of the tick-borne diseases, a laboratory test may be recommended.
Antibody tests (also known as serology tests) detect the antibodies that a patient’s immune system produces in response to a disease-causing pathogen. Antibody tests tell us only if the dog has been exposed to the pathogenic organisms and has mounted an immune response against it. It does not confirm or refute active infection. Vets have several combination antibody tests at their disposal, including the Antech Accuplex, Idexx 4Dx (seen at right), and Zoetis Flex4 tests, each of which can detect antibodies to heartworms, Borrellia burgdorferi (the bacteria that causes Lyme disease), Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques detect pathogen-specific DNA from patients’ blood and is the preferred method for detection of several tick-borne bacterial infections during the acute phase of illness. PCR tests don’t work well for detecting the bacteria that causes Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever but can accurately detect Anaplasma, Babesia, and Ehrlichia.
How To Prevent Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs
Keeping ticks off your dog prevents all these diseases, plain and simple. Avoid known heavily tick-infested areas. Keep your lawn mowed short and your landscaping clear. Check for and remove ticks immediately after returning from outdoor excursions. And most importantly, use a reputable tick preventative on your dog. There are many safe and effective tick prevention choices out there, including topical and oral products, or collars.
What To Do if Your Healthy Dog Tests Positive for a Tick-Borne Disease
An annual screening for heartworm disease and tick-borne diseases is recommended for all dogs. This is typically done at your dog’s annual wellness exam with the point-of-care test described above, which tests for heartworm, Lyme, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia.
If your otherwise healthy dog tests positive for Lyme, Anaplasma, or Ehrlichia, don’t panic. Remember these tests imply exposure only, not necessarily infection. I recommend that any dog who tests positive for any tick-borne disease have a complete blood count (CBC), serum chemistry, and urinalysis run. If everything is normal, most veterinary authorities believe treatment is not necessary. Monitor closely for clinical signs. And ramp up your tick prevention!
For Lyme-positive dogs, some veterinarians may recommend a second test called a Quantitative Lyme C6. If the number comes back high, they may recommend treatment. There is no hard and fast rule on this at this time. Some veterinarians may recommend treatment for Ehrlichia-positive dogs, in the spirit of preventing a chronic state. Again, there is no hard and fast rule on this at this time.
If your dog tests positive for Anaplasma or Ehrlichia, and you would like to know for sure whether they are actively infected or not, ask your veterinarian to run a PCR test.
Does that hand signal mean "stay" or "touch"? Your pup can't do both, so make sure these two signals look different enough for your dog!
If you’re frustrated that your pup “doesn’t listen,” I urge you to consider what your dog is actually hearing each day. Take a minute to examine precisely what you’ve been asking and how you’ve been asking for it. You may well find that your dog’s listening skills are not the issue!
Anyone who’s tried to learn a foreign language knows the frustration of hearing the same word used in different ways. “Wait, I thought I knew what that meant, but now I’m not sure.” Sometimes, just as you think you know what to call something, you hear it called something else. “Ugh, nevermind. I thought I was getting this, but I give up.”
Alas, as we humans try to teach dogs our language, we often confuse them – slowing their learning – in just this way. Sometimes it’s because the various people in the dog’s life use different cues, and sometimes it’s because we haven’t thought through what a particular cue really means. Either way, it can result in a dog disengaging in the learning process because it feels like an unwinnable game.
TRICK QUESTION
Here’s a quiz: Which spouse is using the cue “down” correctly?
Dad walks into the living room, sees the dog on the sofa, and says, “Down!”
Mom is walking the dog when a toddler approaches. She says, “Down!” so the dog will lie at the child’s feet for easier petting.
This, of course, is a trick question; they are both wrong, because they haven’t gotten onto the same page about their cues! As a result, their poor dog is set up for confusion.
If you want your dog to have a solid response to “down,” it can’t mean both “remove yourself from that higher level area” and “lie on the floor.” Pick one, and find another word for the other behavior. (The sofa-snoozing cue could be “off,” or the toddler request could be “lay.”)
USE THE EXACT SAME WORDS
The solution is to get everyone in your pup’s orbit using identical word cues. Many frustrated dogs have to try to learn from different family members alternating between the following words:
Sit or sit down
Down or lay or lay down or lie down
Off or down
Stay or wait
Come or here
It doesn’t matter what you choose, it matters that you choose. Have a household meeting (or a meeting with your inconsistent self!) and decide once and for all what to call these behaviors. Then post that list on the fridge as a reminder.
The Problem with 'No'
Often clients tell me they need help because their dog “just doesn’t understand the word no.” Their instinct is to become more punitive (Say it louder! Meaner! Stomp off!) to make the meaning of the word more clear.
What we need to do is give the dog a “Yes!” to do instead. The problem with “No” is that it is a blank space, a vacuum. It’s hard to teach something that doesn’t exist!
The way to move from a day of frustrating “no’s” to one of happy coexistence is to figure out the impulse that drove the behavior that’s bugging you, and teach an alternative “yes” behavior that you like. For example:
If your dog jumps up to greet people, teach her to sit instead. Use a leash to prevent the jump, then reward the heck out of a sit greeting – crouch down and give all that nice physical contact she wanted. She will learn that sitting is the more direct route to her #1 wish.
If your dog begs from the table at dinner, teach him to lie down on his nearby mat instead. Toss a treat over there. Then, every time he steps on that mat during a meal, toss another one in that spot. Once he’s hanging out on the mat a little more, wait until he sits to toss that treat. Progress to tossing treats whenever he’s lying on the mat. Voila! Two weeks later you have a dog who zooms to his mat to lie down the minute your dinner is served. You’ve taught an alternate behavior to begging – one that actually pays off for him.
If your dog digs holes in your yard despite your endless corrections, give her an approved digging spot – a far corner of the yard, perhaps, or a kiddie pool filled with sand. Bury some toys in there. The next time your dog starts to dig up your daffodils, instead of the ultimately useless “no,” just lead her over to the new digging spot and get her going. (Mind you, it may need to be in the shade, because one of the reasons dogs dig is to get to a layer of nice cool dirt.)
Sure, these solutions take some time and effort. That’s frustrating. But, have you ever wondered what it feels like to be a dog – born with very strong instincts to jump, dig, and chew – and to have everyone mad at you all the time for being who you are?
It’s only fair to help your dog get to a “yes.”
DISTINCT DOG HAND SIGNALS
I ask my clients to send me one-minute videos of their training at home, mid-week after our lesson. There’s so much to think about – verbal cue, hand signal, body position, marker timing, treat delivery – that it’s easy to self-sabotage with one little mistake.
If that’s happening, then each day of slightly messed-up practice makes things worse. This week, I had to laugh because one of my favorite clients was asking her puppy to “touch” – while holding up the same hand signal she uses for “stay.” Talk about a puppy dilemma!
We could debate exactly which hand signals are best for different cues, but it comes down to personal choice. What matters most is that you think through what your hands are saying. Your pups are absolutely watching; body language is a more natural communication style for our dogs than our verbal cues, so it pays to be utterly clear and intentional with those motions. And have the whole household rehearse those signals together.
STAY VS. WAIT VS. PLACE
Think you know exactly what “sit” means? It’s not as simple as it sounds. Some people teach that a sit is simply when the dog’s bum hits the ground. But others teach that “sit” means to sit and retain that position until released with an “Okay” (or whatever your chosen release word is). My definitions don’t have to be the same as yours, but we both have to be consistent every single time we work with our own dogs.
That’s harder than it sounds. Perhaps the best example of the potential for confusing fuzziness comes with the family of cues that generally involve limiting movement: stay, wait, and place. Here are my own usages:
STAY. When I say “stay,” it’s like we’re playing that old freeze-tag game: Freeze! Pup should not move. No shifting from a sit to a down, or vice-versa. No inching forward. Head can swivel to watch me, but that’s about it.
PLACE. When I ask a dog to go to her “place,” she can shift positions and move around as much as she wants – as long as she stays on that clearly defined mat. She can inch forward to the edge of that mat, but not step over.
WAIT. My use of wait seems complicated, but dogs get it 100%! Essentially, it’s this: “You’re going to get that thing you want, but you need to hang out calmly for just a second, until you get my signal.” The circumstances (and the thing they want) vary quite a lot. I might mean that I don’t want them jumping into the car yet, or going through the gate yet, or eating their food yet, or grabbing the toy yet. With “wait,” I don’t care what position they’re in, and they can move around a bit. But until I say “Okay!” they can’t go for that one thing we both know they’re thinking about. It sounds vague, but the proof is in the behavior: The dogs get it, so it works.
These three cues illustrate how there can be a lot of similar behaviors that are not actually the same. Are you using these terms interchangeably? Are you using just one of these cues but rewarding as if there are different definitions in different circumstances? If so, I’d suggest that this is why your pup’s response is not yet rock solid!
It sounds nerdy, but truly: Take the time to write out your cues, and think through what they actually mean. Discuss the cues with the household. Then give your pup that nice clear direction, and reward accordingly. You may feel stunned – and a little guilty – when you see how smart your dog suddenly seems!
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Most dogs particularly enjoy the physical therapies of exercise, massage, dry skin brushing, and acupressure, all of which can help stimulate the flow of lymph. But don't discount the nutritional, nutraceutical, high, and energetic contributors to moving lymph.
Photo Credit: Viacheslav Iacobchuk / Dreamstime.com
Most of us appreciate the circulatory system and understand how the heart pumps blood through arteries, veins, and capillaries, but few of us know nearly as much about the lymphatic system. Well, it’s time to catch up! The lymphatic system is essential to health and well-being, so learning how to support this often-overlooked system will help your dog live a longer, more active, and healthier life.
Lymph is a clear or milky fluid that flows through a network of vessels known as lymphatics as well as through lymph nodes, bone marrow, the thymus gland, and the spleen. Lymph contains fats, proteins, and white blood cells called lymphocytes. While often described as the body’s garbage or sanitation system, it also delivers nutrients to muscles and tissues.
The lymphatic system absorbs excess fluid and returns it to the bloodstream, absorbs fat from the digestive tract, transports white blood cells and certain proteins, and produces antibodies or immunoglobulins.
When lymph circulation is impaired because of illness or accidents, health problems develop. The most common lymph-related disorders in dogs include:
Lymphoma or lymphosarcoma (a malignant cancer)
Lymphadenopathy (a lymph node enlargement)
Lymphadenitis (inflammation of the lymph nodes)
Lymphedema (an accumulation of lymph in the soft tissues of one or more legs)
While those conditions require medical diagnosis and treatment, learning how to improve your dog’s lymph circulation can help prevent problems before they occur. Some signs of lymph stagnation include arthritis, painful joints, eye drainage, crusty or itchy skin, dull eyes, lethargy, and frequent infections reflecting low immune function.
Here are 10 approaches you can use at home or with the help of veterinary experts to give your dog’s lymphatic system a tune-up:
1. Exercise is, hands down, the fastest way to improve lymph circulation in dogs. Vigorous exercise stimulates the movement of both blood and lymph, increasing the supply of oxygen to tissues throughout the body and enhancing the removal of toxins from organs and muscles. Deep breathing increases the flow of lymph, which is why the rib cage is considered a major lymphatic pump and one of the reasons why breathing exercises are recommended for humans.
Dogs in motion have no trouble breathing deeply and activating their rib cages, so whatever physical movement your dog can comfortably manage will help. Sedentary dogs are at risk because when lymph becomes stagnant, pathogenic substances, inflammatory markers, and cellular debris can interfere with the immune response. Daily exercise, even at a moderate pace, can improve your dog’s lymph circulation, as can stretching and bowing.
2. Dry skin brushing is an Ayurvedic practice from ancient India that has become popular in alternative and complementary medicine. The lymphatic system is close to the surface of the skin, so moving the lymph doesn’t require the deep pressure used for massaging muscles. In humans, a coarse bristle brush, such as a traditional Japanese bath brush, is moved along the skin in sweeping strokes from the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands toward the heart.
Similarly, daily brushing with a firm-bristle grooming brush can stimulate your dog’s lymph system. Try brushing from the feet toward the heart, and brush gently over the abdomen’s bare skin.
3. Lymphatic massage is another popular lymph-moving technique, and it’s so effective that you may want to become an expert. In her book Canine Massage for the Athlete in Every Dog, C. Sue Furman, Ph.D., describes how to apply effleurage, the most frequently used Swedish massage stroke, to stimulate the flow of lymph.
Effleurage resembles petting, Furman explains, which is why it is referred to as “petting with a purpose.” Glide over the surface of the coat with your open hand, always moving toward the heart, which is how the venous blood flows. “This is why effleurage of the limbs is performed from the knee toward the hip and from the toes toward the knee,” she explains in her book. “This may feel unusual as hands move opposite to the direction that the dog’s hair grows, but it is important to maintain healthy vessels in the circulatory and lymph systems.”
North Carolina veterinarian Roger DeHaan, DVM, an expert on holistic pet care, recommends vigorously rubbing your dog’s right side, over the last three ribs, for 10 to 15 seconds once a day to stimulate the flow of lymph. Again, deep pressure is not required.
For a 10-minute demonstration of lymphatic canine massage using manual manipulation, check out the video by PetMassage founder Jonathan Rudinger at bit.ly/WDJ-dog-lymph-massage. He recommends simple motions such as gently lifting the dog’s legs, turning the neck, and rocking the body, especially for older dogs, those recovering from injuries, and dogs who may not be able to get much outdoor exercise.
A growing number of veterinarians offer acupuncture for their canine patients. This ancient modality has been scientifically proven to increase blood flow and reduce pain. Practitioners believe it can also stimulate lymph movement. Photo Credit: Sylvie Pabion /Dreamstime.com
4. Acupuncture is widely recommended for its stimulating effect on lymph circulation. “When a needle is inserted,” explains Montana veterinary acupuncturist Kelli Ator, DVM, “the initial mechanical stimulation to the cells induces a neurochemical release that causes biochemical and physiological changes through the stimulation of the nervous system. This neurostimulation results in both local and systemic effects resulting in vasodilation, thereby increasing venous and lymphatic return.”
To find a licensed veterinary acupuncturist, visit the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association at AHVMA.org, click on “Find a Vet,” and search for acupuncture. You can also find veterinary acupuncturists through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, IVAS.org.
5. Acupressure is a form of acupuncture but without needles. It uses the same “acupoints” as acupuncture and applies gentle finger pressure to specific points for half a minute or so. Acu-Dog: A Guide to Canine Acupressure by Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis (2011, Tallgrass Publishers, 188 pages) is a good introductory/how-to book about canine acupressure.
6. Red light therapy, also known as Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT), Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), or cold laser therapy, is growing in popularity for both human and canine patients. “Rather than using a mechanical stimulus,” says Dr. Ator, “a laser uses specific light wavelengths to induce a photochemical reaction in the mitochondria when the light photons are absorbed by the cell’s chromophores. The result of this cellular reaction is akin to the chain of events that occurs once the cells are stimulated by acupuncture, whereby the neurochemical process leads to improved circulation, decreased inflammation and edema, and decreased pain.”
Between 1967 and 2009, more than 100 phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials supported by over 1,000 laboratory studies investigated the effectiveness of Low Level Laser Therapy, leading researchers to conclude that further advances will lead to greater acceptance of LLLT in mainstream medicine.
Red light therapy is recommended for the treatment of lymph-related conditions, but the marketplace is confusing. There are so many options – not just lasers but also medical-grade LED lights and infrared red lights – and no clinical trials have been conducted to determine which device might be most effective for which specific conditions in dogs. Veterinary lasers can cost $30,000 or more, outside the means of most dog owners. The best way to try red light therapy may be to work with a veterinary chiropractor or veterinary acupuncturist who offers this therapy.
7. Improving the diet is a sensible strategy because inferior ingredients can interfere with lymph circulation. For dogs, upgrading the diet often means reducing or eliminating corn, soy, and other inexpensive grains while improving the quality of protein. WDJ’s reviews of dry, canned, frozen, freeze-dried, and home-prepared diets can keep you up to date on trends in canine nutrition.
Adding enzyme supplements, prebiotics, probiotics, and other digestive aids can help as well. Beets are known for their ability to help cleanse the liver, and Dr. DeHaan adds beets to food to help the lymph system capture toxins and transport them to the liver for removal. His recommendation for long-term administration calls for adding 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh raw beets per 15 pounds of body weight once a day for five days, letting the body rest for two days, and resuming in a five days on, two days off pattern for as long as desired.
8. Hydration is as important as nutrition when it comes to lymph circulation. Water is the principal ingredient in blood and lymph, so having enough of it helps the body transport oxygen, move infection-fighting white blood cells, and aid digestion.
Unfortunately, water from less-than-perfect sources can introduce contaminants such as prescription drug residues, preservatives, radioactive substances, heavy metals, organic chemicals, parasites, and harmful microorganisms.
Is your water safe to drink? Check with local sources to learn what’s in your tap or well water. You may decide to purchase bottled water (look for well-known brands that document their products’ safety) or purify your tap water with a whole-house, faucet, or counter-top filter, or investigate home water distillers. For options, see “Drinking the Purest Water Possible Is Important to Your Dog’s Health,” March 2002. Improving the quality of your dog’s water can pay important health dividends.
This glycerin-based cleavers tincture is available from iHerb.com
9. Medicinal herbs have been used for centuries to help people and animals maintain their health, and one of the herbs most associated with the lymph system is cleavers (Galium aparine), which is available freshly grown or as a tincture sold in natural markets, herb shops, and online retailers.
According to Mary Wulff and Greg Tilford in their book Herbs for Pets: The Natural Way to Enhance Your Pet’s Life, “Cleavers is used in virtually any condition that is characterized by general or localized swelling or in situations where lymphatic circulation has been impaired by the formation of scar tissue, ulceration, or infection. Although the activities of cleavers are subtle, the herb is believed to increase circulation of lymph in impaired areas of the body through dilation of small, almost cellular-level capillaries.”
A typical starting dose of a glycerin tincture of cleavers for dogs (preferred by many herbalists over alcohol tinctures when feeding animals) is 0.5 to 1.0 milliliter (10 to 20 drops) per 50 pounds of body weight, twice daily. Check labels to be sure your tincture was produced from the fresh (not dried) plant, as recommended by Wulff and Tilford.
Another lymph-friendly herb is calendula (Calendula officinalis), whose cheerful orange and yellow flowers brighten any garden. “Calendula tea or tincture is my favorite herbal treatment for lymph system support,” said Vermont herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in “How to Use Calendula on Dogs,” WDJ April 2008.
Wulff and Tilford recommend adding up to 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh flower petals per 20 pounds of body weight daily to food.
10. Topical application of essential oils can support lymph circulation and immune function. Essential oils are the highly concentrated distilled essences of plants. Colorado aromatherapist Frances Fitzgerald Cleveland, who educates pet owners on the use of essential oils, calls grapefruit her go-to essential oil for the lymph system. She dilutes seven drops of grapefruit essential oil in 5 ml (1 teaspoon) safflower oil and stores the blend in an airtight glass container or in a 5-ml self-dispensing dropper bottle.
“I place a dime-size amount in the palm of my hand,” she says, “rub my hands together, let my dog sniff my hands, and then lightly place my hands on his hind paws and slowly and lightly move my hands up his legs, over his back, to the top of his head. I repeat this same touch from the back of the stomach to his chest, repeat on his sides, and repeat from the front of his paws up to his chin.”
Cleveland calls this treatment “feather massage,” and says her dogs enjoy it. “I use this approach for pain, lethargy, edema in the feet or limbs, sluggish digestion, support while taking pain medications, plus for comfort, insomnia, depression, and recovering from an injury or surgery.” To boost a dog’s immunity or to treat a specific condition, she recommends doing this once per day, and for routine maintenance, one to three times per week.
Recently, I was surprised and happy to receive some photos and a report from one of the families who adopted a puppy from the last litter I fostered for my local shelter. Predictably, their only complaint (if they could be said to complain about an already beloved member of the family) was his voracious appetite for chewing. Even the wood furniture was at risk, they said.
My former foster puppy with his family.
I had to laugh at that. When my dog Woody was a pup, he, too, was drawn to chewing on anything wood – and no, that’s not how he got his name. He was named when he was very small for his fantastic brindled coat, which looked like a gorgeous wood grain. When, a few months later, it developed that he was particularly drawn to chewing on anything made out of wood, it was just a bit of irony.
There are three main reasons why puppies chew:
To explore the world (remember, they don’t have hands to use to pick up things),
Because dogs have evolved as (mostly) carnivores who use their teeth to tear the flesh of prey animals and crack open bones to eat the marrow,
And to relieve what we can only guess is a strange and unrelenting sensation in their gums, caused by the eruption of their many pointy teeth. When puppies are so drawn to chewing, we call this teething, because we’ve observed that human babies, too, seem to experience discomfort from the eruption of teeth.
Usually, all the dog’s adult teeth have erupted by the time he’s 7 months old (though small-breed dogs, with very crowded mouths, sometimes have retained deciduous teeth that need to be removed by a veterinarian). But as dogs continue to mature and grow, their skulls and jaws grow, too, so their teeth continue to shift and settle throughout their first year. The puppy teething experience seems to persist well into the dog’s second year.
Most puppies and adolescent dogs naturally chew. If you pass them an unfamiliar item with a novel texture, chances are they will take it and immediately lie down to give it a bit of a chew. Some dogs prefer hard items, some prefer to chew up soft things. Some are drawn to leather, some like plastic. As I said before, Woody went for wooden items, ranging from a cute wooden dog house that I thought he might enjoy hanging out in when in the yard, to our deck, furniture, and even trees in the yard. The variation in chewing preferences is why we recommend making sure you have a variety of “legal” chew items for pups to explore; once you discover what textures they like to chew on most, you can get more of those things to occupy their time and teeth.
Woody’s dog house bears the marks of his wood chewing preference.
Everyone asks: What are the safest chews to give my puppy? The fact is, depending on their jaw strength and how much unsupervised time they have on their hands, or jaws, nothing is completely safe! Your job is to find items that they like to chew and that they cannot destroy too quickly, and to supervise them closely with these items. Some pups chew only to destroy, and swallow very little of what they are chewing up. Others swallow far too much of what they chew and can end up with intestinal obstructions or perforations (both are very bad things).
Take chew items away (permanently) if your pup can destroy them too quickly; while you always need to supervise, if the pup can’t be safely left with the item for a literal five minutes, with our attention-challenged days, it’s probably not safe enough for him to have at all! The same goes for items that are even remotely close enough to be swallowed whole. I take away chew sticks when they get close to six inches; that’s getting too small for comfort with any but the smallest puppies.
“Six inches?!” you may say. But half the stuff in the pet supply store is that size or less! Yes, I say, and I’m sorry. But I wouldn’t give 90% of what’s in pet supply stores to my puppies to chew.
Toys to chew on are easier to find than the animal-source chews that most dogs and puppies prefer. But animal-sourced chews are also the source of most chewing-related medical emergencies caused by puppies swallowing things they shouldn’t. People love to see dogs chomp up those dried (and brittle) pigs’ ears as if they were potato chips. I don’t! Those dried edges are sharp – and they get swallowed when still hard and sharp. And most rawhide chews or “bully sticks” (dried cattle penises) are sold in small sizes – far too easily swallowed.
Trees were not safe from Woody either.
I like to buy the most enormous chew items I can find, no matter what size the puppy is. In my experience, it’s best to find the largest fresh, raw, meaty bone you can find – something so huge that it’s impossible for your pup to get between his molars and break pieces off of. It’s difficult to find these! You may have to search high and low, asking local butchers if they can procure some for you. (Today, much of the meat supply is shipped to store already butchered and packaged; the shops that still cut up whole animal carcasses in their stores are in short supply.)
Until last year, I had a favorite source for giant, thick rawhide puppy chews – and it’s gone out of business. Rawhide is fraught with problems; it can be processed with toxic chemicals and contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. The one source I had used only American beef hides that were fresh from a slaughterhouse – not already treated hides from a tannery. Since that company went out of business, I’m not using any rawhide products! I haven’t found a safe alternative that I trust yet.
In the meantime, I look for rubbery alternatives that don’t come apart quickly even under the sharpest teeth. I have an Orbee Tuff toy made by Planet Dog that has lasted through at least four litters of foster puppies. The Zogoflex line of toys by West Paw is terrific. Recently, I found a line of natural rubber toys made by Indi Pets that I love.
There are lots of things you can do to direct your puppy and adolescent dog to appropriate chew items, and away from the apple trees and furniture. See these articles for help!
I’ve had a number of older owners book lessons with me lately—more than half a dozen individuals and couples in their 70s and even 80s, all wanting some training help with their new dogs or puppies.
