A friend recently had a terrible scare with a dog who ate a homemade cinnamon bun and got hideously ill; it turned out that the glaze on the bun was made with an artificial maple syrup that contained xylitol.
You may have heard that xylitol is toxic to dogs, and that you should never leave sugarless gum or mints that may have xylitol in them anywhere dogs can get them. (This includes in your purse or backpack, in the car, on your bedside table, or anywhere else your dog may have access to.) But are you aware how many MORE foods, medicines, supplements, and oral health products contain xylitol?
Xylitol, also known as “birch sugar” or ”wood sugar” (it’s made from birch and other wood products), is more and more commonly used in products for humans. It’s used in candies and baked goods meant for diabetics, as it sweetens foods in a way that does not cause an increase in a human’s blood glucose or insulin levels. But its use is not always called out as being appropriate for diabetics; increasingly, it’s used in regular baked goods, because it’s heat-stable (it doesn’t caramelize like regular sugar does).
This information is on the website for Go Nuts Co., a manufacturer of craft peanut butter that uses xylitol in some of its peanut butter varieties.
It’s commonly found in:
Toothpastes, mouthwashes, breath mints.
Cough syrup and cough drops.
Children’s and adult chewable vitamins.
Supplements and over-the-counter medications. (One friend noticed it on the label of the melatonin supplement she takes to help her sleep; imagine if she left the bottle on her bedside table and one of her dogs helped themselves to the bottle?)
“Skinny” or low-calorie ice cream.
“Low-calorie” desserts of any kind (cookies, cakes, “energy” bars).
Peanut butters and other nut butters. (This last one is particularly scary, as many people use peanut butter to “stuff” their dogs’ Kong or other food-puzzle toys. Always check the label of nut butters and any other food you use in a Kong, Toppl, or other food-dispensing toy!)
This melatonin supplement from Costco contains xylitol. Of course, no supplement or medicine should ever be left where a dog could reach it, but who would have even thought that xylitol would be in such a supplement?
It also doesn’t take very much xylitol at all to seriously sicken or kill a dog. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, symptoms of xylitol toxicity in a dog include vomiting, followed immediately by symptoms associated with the sudden lowering of your dog’s blood sugar, such as decreased activity, weakness, staggering, incoordination, collapse, and seizures.
In dogs, xylitol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and may result in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas. This rapid release of insulin may result in a rapid and profound decrease in the level of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that can occur within 10 to 60 minutes of eating the xylitol. Untreated, this hypoglycemia can quickly be life-threatening.
The FDA advises: “If you think your dog has eaten xylitol, take him to your vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately. Because hypoglycemia and other serious adverse effects may not occur in some cases for up to 12 to 24 hours, your dog may need to be hospitalized for medical monitoring.”
Many of us carry mints that contain xylitol in our purses or have them in a compartment in our cars – where a left-alone dog can easily sniff them out and consume them.
Prevention is key
The best way to prevent your dog from an accidental poisoning is to not buy products that contain xylitol, so they just are never in your car or house. But if you do have mints, toothpaste, cookies, or anything else in your home that contains xylitol, you must manage its presence in your possession like you would a loaded gun in a house full of toddlers. Keep any item –including toothpaste! – in a closed cabinet where the dog cannot possibly reach, never just on a kitchen or bathroom counter that a dog might be able to jump up and reach. If your dog is not a “counter surfer,” you may tend to be casual about items like toothpaste in the bathroom or mints on the coffee table. But a guest’s dog may be different – and all counter-surfers start somewhere, with some food item. You’d hate for your dog’s first foray into helping himself to some xylitol-containing food or supplement to be his very last meal ever.
I’m thinking today about how communities interact with their local animal control/animal shelters and vice versa, and how shelters can most meaningfully affect the wellbeing of animals in that community.
This has been on my mind as I am fostering a mother dog and seven of her puppies, who all technically belong to a homeless person in my community. The mother was wandering in search of food, and was being repeatedly posted on a local “lost and found pets” page. I offered to foster the family, with the proviso that the mother get spayed and the puppies get turned over to my local shelter (where they would be vaccinated, spayed/neutered, microchipped, and adopted to qualified families), and through a third party, the owner agreed. I’ve got the whole family at my house for a few weeks, until the mom dries up and can have surgery, and the pups are old enough to be adopted.
Of course, I couldn’t do this without the support of my local shelter, the Northwest SPCA in Oroville, CA, who not only agreed to take on the chore of providing all the medical care and adopting out the pups when it’s time, but will provide the spay surgery for the mama, too. It’s a win for the community, as this wasn’t this dog’s first litter in our town; soon, there will be eight fewer potentially reproducing mixed-breed dogs in our community.
Many municipal animal shelters operate under contract to their host city, county, or both, to provide animal control services, such as taking bite reports, catching and holding stray animals (in hopes of reuniting them with their owners), taking custody of pets when their owners die or are indisposed by illness or have been arrested, picking up dead animals, and more. Some shelters are required by their contracts to take in animals that are surrendered by their owners; some don’t take owner-surrendered animals at all; and others take on this responsibility on a volunteer basis, sometimes picking and choosing which animals they will take.
Most shelters also maintain some sort of adoption program for unclaimed stray animals and owner-surrendered animals.
Some shelters invest a lot in community outreach. This often takes the shape of an annual or semi-annual vaccination and/or microchipping clinic, and/or lower-cost or even free spay/neuter services. These services are aimed at increasing the number of licensed, vaccinated, neutered, and microchipped pets in the community, with the long-term goal of reducing strays and unwanted litters.
Then there are the organizations that go the extra mile. Many shelters maintain some sort of account that can be tapped occasionally to pay for some extraordinary veterinary care for an especially needy and especially worthy shelter ward, and they may occasionally ask for donations to that fund. Sometimes, having the money and will to save an animal with extraordinary medical needs and a particularly poignant story is not just an investment in the animal, as well as the community of animal lovers who help support the shelter, but also the staff! It hurts to have to make hard decisions and be faced with overwhelming need every single day, and being able to help a worthy candidate recover and find a forever home, even if the medical bills cost thousands and thousands, helps reduce the pain of not being able to help every single one.
One organization I’m aware of is a paragon of providing services to the animals in their community – but it’s at least partly because they are not a municipal shelter, burdened with animal control services. Downtown Dog Rescue is a nonprofit organization that specifically supports low-income pet owners in under-served communities in Los Angeles County. They do anything they can do to help pets stay with their families. They sometimes build fences for people whose dogs keep getting out and who can’t afford the recovery fees and “dog at large” fines. They frequently give vouchers to homeless and low-income people so they can obtain needed veterinary care for their beloved pets. They maintain a special fund that pays for private euthanasia services at a veterinary clinic when a family has an old or sick animal in need of this service, so the pet doesn’t have to take his or her last breath in the back room of a shelter with strangers.
There isn’t a shelter manager that wouldn’t agree with me about the usefulness of these tactics. The trouble – usually – is funding. Often, shelters are already strapped for funds – they need donations to help cover the work they already do. The shelters or organizations that have the most success are those that have been able to find a social media or marketing manager to relentlessly raise funds, telling the stories about what great things they have been able to do for the community’s animals.
Again, Downtown Dog Rescue is a great example. On a daily basis, they post something on Facebook about what they are doing. They tell stories about the dogs and people they have helped lately. They ask for donations frequently, but they also let people see how they spend the money they receive and provide updates on the dogs they’ve helped. They are one of the few non-local animal welfare groups that regularly inspire me to send them money!
Is there something that your local shelter or animal welfare group does that serves your community in a particularly useful way? Share the story! And if you are aware of how they accomplish their mission, tell us that, too! Maybe another shelter can learn something that they feel they could take on, too.
This is an emergency shelter set up during the recent Monument Fire in Trinity County, California. The county's own shelter had to evacuate due to the fire! Haven Humane Society, a shelter in neighboring Shasta County, California, helped the Trinity County shelter find a vacant storefront (with help from local Realtors) where they could shelter their wards until it was safe to return to Trinity County. I have to say, this looks a lot nicer and more spacious (with more room between crated animals) than the emergency shelters I have volunteered in. Photo credit: Haven Humane Society
Hey, it’s September! Long-time readers know what that means! It’s time for Nancy’s annual reminder to PLEASE habituate your dog (and cats, and other pets!) to being in a crate! Why is September that time? How about for these reasons?
September just seems like the time when the crises pile one on top of the other – the natural disasters stack up. And any natural disaster that affects people, affects people’s pets.
Hurricanes and flooding, wildfire, earthquakes, tornadoes – there really isn’t anywhere in the United States that’s completely safe. Anyone could be fine one day and forced to evacuate their hometown the next. And when people need to evacuate or take shelter somewhere away from home, the safest place for their pets is safely confined in a crate.
So that brings me to my first recommendation: Have enough solid crates in an appropriate size for your dogs and other pets, in good working order, ready and available to you at the drop of a hat.NOT “Oh, I think there is one in the garage” (or barn rafters, or behind the shed). Not the one you brought the puppy home in and she barely fits in there anymore. I am talking about crates that are ready and tested, clean and not missing the parts they need to hold them together. (Although, if you are missing screws or bolts, heavy-duty plastic zip-ties work great for putting crates together fast in an emergency.)
Also, if you have three cats, including one who hates the other two, and two big dogs, you need at least four crates – and will they all fit in your car? With the humans who also need to evacuate if necessary?
Now, you may say, “If it’s a true run-for-your-life emergency, I will just stuff them in any dusty old crate and they will have to cope.” Okay, say you manage well enough in this configuration until you get to safety: Now what? Where will you stay while you are waiting days for the water to subside – or weeks while the wildfires keep your area off-limits to all but emergency personnel? Are you staying with friends or relatives? Will your pets be fine cohabitating with your hosts’ pets? Will you be staying at a hotel? Some may turn you away if you arrive with uncontained cats. If your pets are quiet and calm, and securely contained in crates that are large enough for their comfort, you will be a step ahead in finding a place to stay with them.
If your best plan is staying at a shelter, you may or may not be able to have your pets with you. Emergency shelters for natural-disaster victims vary. The best (in my opinion) will actually provide crates, litter boxes and litter, dishes and dog and cat food, and allow you to keep your pets with you, next to your Red Cross cot.
But in many emergency shelters, pets are not allowed – and if you have no place for them to stay, your dogs and cats will have to stay at an emergency animal shelter, where they will undoubtedly be living in crates. Volunteers will get them out at least twice a day to go potty, three or more times if your area’s disaster has been highly localized, as with a tornado or in an area where only one wildfire is burning. But if you live in one of the fire-stricken areas in northern California right now, you may discover that volunteers are stretched thin – there are multiple large fires that have evacuated millions of acres of land – and so the care for the animals may be minimal at best: your pets will be kept safe and fed, but dogs may have to endure cramped conditions and full bladders, or quite messy conditions in their crates, for longer than you can imagine.
I know: Nobody wants to imagine this. But a disaster is a disaster, and nothing is perfect in a disaster. The only thing that can make a disaster less disastrous is preparation: Having your family, human and nonhuman alike, ready for an evacuation at a moment’s notice. You can get started today – at least in compiling the things that you would need to stay away from your home with your pets for a few weeks, things like crates, food bowls, tethers and extra leashes and harnesses, pee-pads, any medicines they need, and so on. But to truly make them comfortable and secure, you need to practice putting them in the crates and teaching them to be happy in them.
If your dog is seriously crate-phobic, and you live in a disaster prone area (say, Louisiana during hurricane season or the western states during wildfire season), and a hurricane or fire is headed your way, get on the phone now to ask your veterinarian if you could get a prescription for medication that would help keep your dog calm if you had to evacuate. (Note: The October issue has an article that will help you retrain a crate-hating dog.)
This rain-flooded dog park is a protozoal-infection waiting to happen! The feces from just one infected dog anywhere close to that puddle can infect any number of other dogs who happen to run through or drink that water.
Diarrhea isn’t fun for anybody. When your dog gets it – and feeding boiled chicken or hamburger with rice doesn’t make it go away – it’s time to see your veterinarian. There are lots of different causes of dog diarrhea, including dietary indiscretion (also known as eating dumb stuff), viruses, stress, abrupt diet changes, food allergy, inflammatory bowel disease, and of course, intestinal parasites. Of the intestinal parasites, some are worms and some are protozoans.
Protozoans are single-cell microscopic organisms. These organisms are free-living in the environment. When they get inside a host and cause disease, they are considered parasites.
In dogs, the two most common protozoan parasites we see are Coccidia and Giardia. These parasites cause disease in the intestinal tracts of dogs, resulting in diarrhea. Both are contagious and hard to eliminate from the environment. Dog owners should be aware of these diseases, how their dogs may become infected, and what to do about it.
Coccidia in Dogs
There are many different species of Coccidia, also known as Isospora, but only four that infect dogs. Isospora protozoans are species-specific, which means the ones that infect dogs infect only dogs, the ones that infect poultry infect only poultry, and so on. As such, coccidiosis (an infection with Coccidia) in dogs is not a zoonotic disease, which means there is no need to worry about yourself or your family becoming infected, should your dog become infected. And your dog is not going to get infected by being around other species of animals.
How do dogs get Coccidia?
How is it spread? Infected dogs pass oocysts in their stool. Interestingly, these oocysts are not infectious until they spend some time in favorable environmental conditions (temperatures of 70° to 100° F and high humidity) and go through a process called sporulation. Sporulation can occur within hours of the oocysts being passed, and ingesting sporulated oocysts is how your dog becomes infected.
Ingestion doesn’t mean your dog has to eat poop. It can happen when a dog sniffs poop or a poop-contaminated area and then licks his nose! Walking through infected areas and later licking their paws, swallowing flies or other insects that have ingested sporulated oocysts, and eating infected mice are all ways your dog could pick up Coccidia.
Symptoms of Coccidia in Dogs
When this Great Dane and her puppies were surrendered to a shelter, staff members thought the dogs’ extremely low body weight was due to under feeding. After a few days in foster care, though, it was observed that the whole family had persistent diarrhea. Subsequent tests revealed that mother and babies were infected with Giardia and Coccidia. It took two rounds of treatment to clear the infections, but eventually they all thrived.
The most common sign in clinically affected dogs is diarrhea. For some dogs, the parasitic infection is self-limiting, and may not require treatment. These are the ones that get better with the hamburger and rice. For most dogs, however, treatment is required to resolve the diarrhea and eliminate the infection.
Young puppies and stressed, debilitated, or immune-compromised dogs are usually the ones most severely affected. Some dogs with coccidiosis are asymptomatic (don’t show any signs of illness). This is a good reason to have stool samples checked regularly on your dog, so if a Coccidia infection is identified it can be treated before it gets worse. Treatment of oocyst-shedding, asymptomatic dogs also helps minimize environmental contamination and spread of the parasite.
Coccidia Diagnosis
Coccidiosis is diagnosed by a test done on a stool sample called a zinc sulfate fecal floatation with centrifugation, which identifies the oocysts. It’s usually pretty easy to diagnose. There is a chance, however, that symptoms may occur before oocysts are actively being shed. So, if your dog with diarrhea has a negative test, but continues having diarrhea, be sure to submit a second sample for analysis.
Coccidia Treatment
Treatment for coccidiosis in a veterinary clinic setting is typically a prescription medication called sulfadimethoxine (Albon, Zoetis). This medication is “coccidiostatic” – this means it doesn’t kill the protozoa, it just prevents their reproduction, thereby slowing the infection down and giving the dog’s immune system a better chance to clear the organism. Treatment is administered daily for an extended period, typically anywhere from five to 20 days. A fecal test should be repeated one to two weeks after treatment to be sure the infection has cleared.
Coccidiocidal drugs (those that kill Coccidia) are used frequently in horses, poultry, and livestock. Unfortunately, these drugs are not FDA-approved for use in dogs, which is why the coccidiostatic drug, sulfadimethoxine, is most often prescribed.
Veterinarians have the discretion to prescribe medications that are not FDA-approved for dogs (i.e., “off-label” or “extra-label use” of an approved medication). The two coccidiocidal drugs most often prescribed off-label for treatment of Coccidia in dogs are ponazuril (Marquis, Boehringer-Ingelheim) and toltrazuril (Baycox, Bayer). These drugs are typically reserved for use in kennel or shelter situations, where coccidia can run rampant and be virtually impossible to eliminate from the environment.
As for prevention: Immediate removal of feces is the best way to minimize the potential for environmental contamination. When trying to decontaminate an infected environment, mechanical removal of all fecal matter is essential. Scrub surfaces thoroughly to remove any tiny particulate matter. Once all surfaces appear visibly clean, high-heat steam cleaning is recommended; it’s the most effective way to destroy the oocysts, which are resistant to most disinfectants, including bleach.
Giardia in Dogs
The protozoan parasite Giardia shares a lot of characteristics with Coccidia, but there are some important differences.
As far as similarities go, they are both free-living and parasitic. They are both contagious, passed in the feces, spread by fecal-oral route, and difficult to eliminate from the environment. For those reasons they are both highly prevalent in kennel and shelter situations, especially when overcrowding is an issue. They both cause diarrhea in clinically affected dogs. They both cause clinical disease most often in young, debilitated, or immune-compromised dogs. With both organisms, infected dogs can be asymptomatic, and the disease can be self-limiting, requiring no treatment.
Importantly, however, Giardia is considered zoonotic, meaning your infected dog could infect you. Further, Giardia is shed in the form of both cysts and trophozoites (the activated, feeding stage of the Giardia life cycle), both of which are immediately infective in the form they are passed; they do not have to undergo transformation in the environment like Coccidia oocysts do. Dogs typically become infected with Giardia by ingesting fecal-contaminated water, food, or soil.
Giardia Diagnosis
Giardiasis is more difficult to diagnose by zinc sulfate floatation with centrifugation than coccidiosis, as the Giardia cysts are only intermittently shed. For this reason, when using this test, submitting three separate samples from different days is recommended to maximize the likelihood of finding cysts if they’re there.
The most accurate test for Giardia is done with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The ELISA test for Giardia can detect the actual presence of the trophozoites (the activated, feeding stage in the Giardia life cycle) within the intestines.
Giardia in Dogs Treatment
Bathing your dog’s rear end is an important part of treating his Giardia infection, as the cysts and trophozoites that are present in his feces are immediately infective. If he like his anus, he can become reinfected. Photo Credits: Markus Gann / Dreamstime.com
Treatment for giardiasis is geared merely toward resolution of clinical signs, as opposed to total elimination of the organism. Clearing the intestines of this organism can be difficult to impossible. For this reason, routine testing of asymptomatic dogs, while recommended for coccidiosis, is not particularly useful for giardiasis. Any dog with diarrhea, however, should be tested.
Giardia can sometimes be resistant to treatment, which is frustrating both for the pet owner and the veterinarian. Repeat treatments and combining drugs are sometimes required. Initial treatment is usually with an anti-parasitic medication called fenbendazole, daily for five days. If diarrhea persists, I repeat treatment with fenbendazole, in combination with metronidazole, for 10 days. Adding a probiotic is recommended as probiotics boost the gastrointestinal microbiome and local gut immunity, thereby helping the body resolve the diarrhea associated with this infection.
Another important aspect of treating Giardia infections is a bath on the last day of treatment, with extra attention paid to the anal area. Remember, the cysts and trophozoites are infective in the form they are passed. If there are any hanging out on the anus or in the hair around the anus, and your dog licks back there, he will immediately reinfect himself!
Testing after treatment that has resulted in full resolution of clinical signs is generally not recommended, as it is complicated and difficult to interpret. As previously stated, the goal of Giardia treatment is simply resolution of the diarrhea. Many dogs will continue to test positive long after resolution. These dogs do not require re-treatment. Some dogs will remain subclincial carriers forever. Try as you may, you will likely never clear these dogs of the organism.
If a Giardia-positive dog continues to have diarrhea after treatment, testing can be helpful. If this dog still has a positive ELISA test, and you find cysts on the floatation test, Giardia is quite likely to still be the cause of the diarrhea, so re-treatment is indicated. Equally useful in this case would be a negative ELISA test. A negative test means Giardia is not the cause of the persistent diarrhea, and it’s time to look for other problems like inflammatory bowel disease or food allergy.
Preventive measures include immediate disposal of feces, bathing of soiled dogs, and denial of access to potentially contaminated food/water sources. For minimizing the human-health hazard associated with Giardia, good hygiene and frequent hand washing is recommended.
As with Coccidia, deep cleaning with scrubbing of surfaces, followed by steam cleaning is the best way to destroy the cysts. Giardia cysts are slightly more susceptible to disinfectants, particularly ammonium-based compounds. Bleach does not work.
You may have heard at one time about a vaccine for Giardia. It didn’t work, and it is no longer manufactured.
Don’t Despair If Your Dog Has Diarrhea
Any time your dog experiences persistent diarrhea, especially after being in a boarding kennel, dog park, or other area where many dogs have been concentrated, see your veterinarian and be sure to bring a fresh fecal sample with you. If the protozoan parasites Coccidia or Giardia are diagnosed, you and your veterinarian should be able to get your dog feeling better soon.
When teaching your dog to target to the palm of your hand, don't move the hand toward him, but allow and encourage him to move toward your hand. It's best if he's standing (rather than sitting), so he feels freer to move toward the target.
There’s a behavior that we never used to teach in old-fashioned training classes that is now one of my absolute favorites; I can’t wait to introduce my students to “targeting” – teaching their dogs to touch a designated part of their bodies to a specified object or place. It is not only an amazingly useful behavior, but also fun and easy to teach and most dogs love it. I can’t imagine how we ever got along without it!
TEACHING NOSE TARGETING
We usually start with nose targeting, because dogs tend to investigate with their noses, making a “nose touch” an easy behavior to prompt and capture. If you offer the palm of your hand to your dog with your fingers pointed toward the floor, most dogs will stretch forward and sniff it. Mark (click a clicker or use a verbal marker, such as the word “Yes!”) and give your dog a treat, and you’re on your way! If your dog needs a little encouragement, you can rub a bit of a tasty treat on your hand, and when she sniffs it, mark and treat. Most dogs learn to touch the proffered palm within just a few tries.
As with all behaviors we teach, as soon as you can predict that your dog is going to touch your palm with his nose when you offer it, begin using the verbal cue; I use “Touch!” Note that if she already thinks an open palm is the cue to offer her paw to you for a “Shake,” then you can offer a closed fist or two fingers in place of the open palm.
TEACHING TARGETING WITH PAWS OR OTHER BODY PARTS
If you happen to have a dog who is very “pawsy” (likes to use her feet), teaching her to step on a talking button is likely going to be a breeze; she might just smack that button with her paw when you put it on the floor and you can just “capture” this foot targeting, by marking and reinforcing her randomly offered paw at the button.
The training technique known as “shaping” often works best to teach your dog to target with other body parts. To shape a behavior, you mark and reinforce progressively closer approximations of the behavior you actually want.
To shape a dog to touch a talking button with her paw, you would set the button on the floor, and mark and reinforce (feed her a treat) each time she takes a step toward it – or even if she merely moves a front foot! As she begins to realize she’s getting reinforced for foot movement, she’ll start to move her paw on purpose and you’ll be able to shape her to touch her foot to the button, or anything else you have in mind.
If you want her to target with other body parts – say, a shoulder or hip – shape it the same way: Mark and treat any movement with that body part until she’s deliberately moving it, then shape for targeting. (See “Shaping Your Dog’s Behavior,” Feb. 2017.)
COUNTLESS THINGS TO DO WITH A TARGET
Here are just a few of the things you can do with your dog’s targeting behavior:
* USES FOR NOSE TARGETING
Teaching your dog to touch his nose to the end of a target stick enables you to maneuver him (without force or touching him) over or around obstacles. The CLIX Target Stick seen her costs $6 from JeffersPet.com
*Positioning your dog. You can use nose targeting to invite your dog onto the walk-on scale at your veterinary clinic, into your vehicle, through a doorway, out of your path, onto the sofa – the list is endless.
*Teach tricks. Kai, our Kelpie, will leap five feet into the air to target to my hand, and weave through my legs, targeting to a hand on each side as he passes through. I also used a hand target to teach my dog Bonnie to open a picnic basket with her nose.
*Perform household behaviors. Your dog can close or open drawers with her nose and use touch-on/touch-off features of lamps or push-button dial 911 in an emergency.
*Decrease fear. If your dog is worried about something but loves targeting, you can ask her to touch your hand as you move past or away from the aversive object or person. This focuses her attention toward you and helps the emotional part of her brain shift from “Oh, scary person!” to “Yay, targeting!”
*Call your dog to you. If your dog loves targeting but is a little “meh” about her recall cue, try asking her to “Touch!” when you want her to come to you. She has to come to you to touch your palm!
*Move your dog away from you. Teach her to target to a cottage cheese lid, then tape the lid to a wall and ask her to target to it. Gradually send her across the room to her lid-target from farther and farther away.
Polite leash walking. (See “Moving Target,” page 5, for instructions on how to teach this.)
* FOOT TARGETING
Since the popularity of Stella, Bunny and other dogs who have been taught to press buttons to “talk”, it’s possible to buy the buttons from many online sources. Search for “talking buttons for dog.”
*Touching buttons. Your dog can foot-target to talking buttons as part of a fun routine. There are also light buttons that she can turn on and off with a tap of her paw.
*Communication. My Corgi, Lucy, used a paw touch to my foot to signal me she had found an odor (her “alert”) when we were doing scent work. Your dog could touch you with a paw as her cue to ask to go outside, or use her paw (or nose) to ring a bell or a buzzer as her bathroom “ask.”
*Agility. An important skill in the sport of agility is making sure your dog hits the contact zones at the end of obstacles. This is often accomplished by teaching the dog to hind-foot target to the contact zone.
* Targeting with Other Body Parts
*Target an ear toward you or your veterinarian for a physical examination or for an application of ear cleaner or medication.
*Target an open mouth to a metal bar for mouth exam or tooth cleaning (I saw a bear who was taught to do this at the Taronga Zoo in Australia!).
*Target the chin to a rolled-up towel on a chair for cooperative care procedures.
*Target a hip to a target stick to teach a pivot.
These examples just scratch the surface of the versatility and variety of potential applications for targeting. Do you have examples of other targeting behaviors you’ve taught your dog? Please share!
Did you walk into the room, or look up from your book, and notice that the puppy is lying on his bed chewing his own toy, even though no one told him to? Even more impressive: he's ignoring the cat on the chair! Good boy! Give him a warm word, a belly rub, or a treat! It's that easy to get more of this quiet, dog-bed behavior. A key bonus to this kind of training: it takes no planning - and yet is so powerful.
The best training tip out there is so simple it likely slips your mind: Catch your dog doing something right.
We all notice when our dogs take our peanut butter toast from the table, pull crazily on the leash, fly onto the freshly made (and forbidden) guest bed, or jump up on us as we’re trying to carry in the groceries.
But what about the rest of the time? Do we notice when this very same pup is lying calmly by the breakfast table? Or walking sweetly in an unasked-for “heel” by our left knee? Or standing out of the way while we make up that guest bed and bring in the groceries?
Nope. We just ignore those moments.
That’s an enormous mistake – and here’s my guess as to why so many people fail to notice, mark, and reinforce the good stuff throughout the day with, at the very least, some verbal praise such as, “Nice job, Max!” It’s this: Compared to all the “official” training you learn in Good Dog 101 – behaviors such as sit, down, come, stay, go to your bed, etc. – the moments when your dog is just being quietly good seem like . . .nothing.
Hear this: It is not nothing to your dog! The moments when he receives a reinforcer for exhibiting a behavior that you like are the breadcrumbs leading him home. He needs these clues to make sense of the random human rules regarding canine behavior.
Sure, that angry reaction you had to the toast-tasting incident instilled some kind of learning. But true clarity results from discovering what it is that you actually would like to see from him via a sweet pat, a kind word, and/or a tiny treat. If this enjoyable attention comes to him just as he lays down near the table, he learns,“Ah! Everything’s always nice when I do this thing! I’ll do this thing more.”
BEHAVIOR SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
Just try this: Today, focus on seeing and reinforcing all the “good” things you see your dog do – all the behaviors you appreciate from your dog.
She’s making eye contact? Aw, good girl. Talk to her.
You’re on Zoom and she’s just lying still at your feet? Make a point to stroke her in her favorite spot.
A delivery person rang your doorbell and your pup listened when you asked for a sit before opening the front door? That warrants a tossed treat or toy.
It’s obvious to you how you want your dog to act. It is not even a little bit obvious to your dog, in whose natural canine culture it is perfectly appropriate to jump up, grab any available food, mouth everybody, and tear stuff up. Reinforcing the behavior you’d prefer to see your dog display gives him a bright trail to follow.
Though most dogs ordinarily walk and trot with a diagonal gait (front left and rear right legs moving forward at the same time), see dogs habitually use a pacing gait (with the left legs moving as one pair, and the right legs moving as another). In contrast, a dog who suddenly begins using a pacing gait may be altering his movement in an attempt to favor something that hurts. This should be investigated.
Your active dog limping or moving in an unfamiliar way may set off mental alarms. Is it a sprain? A pulled muscle? Maybe an injured ligament or tendon? And what should you do about it?
First, you should know whether the abnormality is an acute or chronic symptom.
An acute injury is one that flares up quickly, within 24 to 48 hours of the incident that caused it. Acute injuries result from sprains, falls, collisions, and other impacts, and they produce sharp sudden pain, tenderness, redness, swelling, skin that feels hot to the touch, and inflammation.
In contrast, chronic injuries are slow to develop, get better and worse, and cause dull pain or soreness over extended periods. The usual causes of chronic injuries are overuse, arthritis, and acute injuries that were never properly treated.
SIGNS OF PAIN IN DOGS
Sometimes an injury is obvious – the dog limping, crying out in pain, or can’t move. But noticing subtle symptoms can help prevent more serious problems, so paying attention your dog’s movement and behavior is time well spent. Pain and stress signals include the following:
Behavior Signs of Dogs in Pain:
Avoiding contact with other dogs (play can cause pain).
Spending less or more time than usual with family or sleeping.
Growling or snapping for no apparent reason.
Avoiding routine activities such as getting into the car, climbing stairs, or jumping onto a bed or sofa.
Suddenly becoming hyperactive, unable to rest quietly, panting heavily, pacing, or chewing a body part.
Ignoring training cues, attempting to leave, sniffing the ground in a distracted manner, shutting down and not moving, offering behaviors other than the ones requested, or offering appeasement gestures such as licking, crouching, pawing, rolling over, yawning, or looking away.
Physical Signs of Dogs in Pain:
Refusing meals or treats.
Eliminating more frequently or vomiting.
No longer sitting straight.
Developing hot spots or other skin/coat changes.
Seeming stiff and sore, favoring one leg or one side of the body, moving differently, or displaying other changes in gait or posture.
Heat in the affected area. (Slowly run your hand over the dog’s body and check for changes of temperature.)
The most common canine injuries are not acute, they’re chronic, says Cathy Davis, DVM, a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, veterinary chiropractor, and veterinary acupuncturist specializing in sports medicine in Helena, Montana. Chronic injuries result from repetitive motion, overuse, and wear and tear. Every dog is a candidate for injury, but those at special risk include overweight dogs, weekend athletes, couch potatoes, dogs with arthritis, older dogs, dogs engaged in search and rescue, and canine athletes (such as dogs competing in flyball, agility, freestyle, disc dog, hunting, field work, dock diving, obedience, weight pulling, dog sledding, and other active sports).
WHAT TO DO FOR A DOG IN PAIN
The No. 1 recommendation for canine injuries is rest. Both obvious injuries and subtle microtears take time to heal, especially if they involve ligaments and tendons, which don’t have a blood supply that carries healing nutrients to the injury site. That’s why it’s important to stop hiking, running, playing, or competing as soon as even minor symptoms arise.
“If your dog is suddenly lame, bleeding, or licking a paw excessively,” says Dr. Davis, “check his nails, paw pads, and fur. Grass awns are often found lodged in the skin between the toes. Cuts, stingers, or foreign bodies often affect the pads, and a torn nail can hurt.”
If the injury is serious, take your dog straight to a veterinary clinic, but for minor injuries or when a clinic visit isn’t possible, take your dog home and keep him quiet. Take notes on the changes you notice, starting with the date and time you first saw the problem and describe your dog’s activities at the time. An accurate history of symptoms and treatments will help your veterinarian or other therapist understand and treat the injury (see “Amantadine: Now for Relief of Chronic Pain,” WDJ August 2022).
To document symptoms, do range-of-motion exercises, such as luring your dog with a treat or toy into a turn to the right or left or raising and lowering his head. Daily massage and gentle touch offer clues, too. Does your dog turn away when you stroke or press her shoulder or hindquarters? Does any area feel unusually warm, hard, stiff, tender, or swollen? Touch is one of the fastest ways to discover inflammation, muscle strains, and other discomforts.
“Many minor and acute muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries respond to rest, ice, and massage,” says Dr. Davis. “Resting your pet involves going out on a leash to toilet, and no walks, hikes, running, jumping, stairs, or playing with other animals. If your pet has not improved or gets worse or shows the same symptoms after a few days, see your veterinarian for a proper diagnosis.”
COLD OR HEAT?
Cold is recommended for acute injuries because it reduces swelling and pain. Injured dogs instinctively seek puddles, ponds, streams, and snowbanks in which to stand or lie.
“Everyone says that a bag of frozen peas makes an effective ice pack,” says Dr. Davis, “but that isn’t true. The peas don’t stay cold long enough to do anything.” Cold therapy products for pets are available at pet supply stores, and medical supply companies sell cold packs for sports injuries. The best cold packs contain a gel that stays malleable when frozen, so they can be molded around a dog’s musculature.
To make your own cold packs, place 2 cups water, ½ cup isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, and 2 tablespoons salt in a self-sealing plastic bag (double-bag to be sure the seal is secure) and freeze.
Because cold restricts circulation and ice left in place for too long can cause complications, wrap any uncovered ice pack with a towel before applying it, remove the pack after 10 to 15 minutes, and wait at least two hours before reapplying. Never apply cold treatments just before exercise, training sessions, or competition.
Heat helps chronic problems like sore muscles, arthritic joints, and old injuries because it stimulates circulation, helps release tight muscles, and alleviates spasms. Heat is not recommended for acute injuries, areas of swelling or inflammation, or for use immediately after exercise.
To make your own warm pack, place 2 cups of raw rice in a sock, tie the sock top, and microwave for 1 minute. The pack will stay hot for 20 minutes. Add a lavender sprig or drop of essential oil for added relaxation. The sock can be reused several times. If you don’t have a microwave, place raw rice on a cookie sheet and preheat the oven to 150°F for 5 to 7 minutes, pour the warm rice into a sock or pouch, check to be sure it’s a safe, comfortable temperature, and apply. Alternatively, pour very warm water on a towel, wring it well, and apply to the area. Reheat as needed.
Never leave a dog unattended when using a warm pack. Always place a towel between the pack and skin to assure proper temperature.
HANDS-ON TECHNIQUES THAT SPEED HEALING
Massage basics are easy to learn, and most dogs enjoy being stroked, kneaded, stretched, and rubbed. Massage helps repair damaged tissue, soothe the patient, restore range of motion, and prevent recurring injuries. Hire a canine massage therapist or learn the fundamentals by reading books or studying videos (see “Dog Massage Instruction,” August 2021.)
Chiropractic adjustments correct the alignment of joints and vertebrae in order to relieve pain, reduce muscle spasms, improve coordination, and enhance overall health (see “Chiropractors for Canines,” March 2008).
Acupuncture can improve or correct musculoskeletal problems such as arthritis, disc disorders, stiffness, and lameness. Acupressure, its close relative, involves activating acupressure points without inserting needles. This can be done with gentle finger pressure or by creating small circles that move the skin clockwise or counterclockwise (see “Truly Healing Touch,” March 2009).
Canine rehabilitation therapists and veterinarians offer a variety of treatments for injuries, including therapeutic exercise, hydrotherapy, shock wave therapy (see “Shock Waves for Arthritis,” May 2008), therapeutic ultrasound, therapeutic laser, PEMF therapy, cryotherapy, orthotics and bracing (see “Canine Knee Injury? Brace Yourself,” December 2020), electrical stimulation, herbal treatments, and energy healing techniques such as Reiki.
Don’t give your dog over-the-counter medication without consulting your veterinarian. “Many human medications may not be tolerated by your pet,” explains Dr. Davis, “or they may cause adverse interactions with your dog’s other medications.”
Even if your dog responds well to pain medication and seems to be fine, continue your veterinarian’s instructions for rest and limited exercise, letting the injury heal completely.
OUNCE OF PREVENTION
It requires attention and effort, but helping your dog avoid injury through preventive measures is time well spent.
One important goal is preventing obesity. “Excess weight leads to excess tension on the tendons, ligaments, and muscles,” says Dr. Davis. “In addition, obesity is an inflammatory condition. Chronic inflammation can lead to degenerative joint disease and a host of other issues throughout the body.” Control your overweight dog’s food intake, reduce her training treats, and prevent family members from giving her extras. Successful canine weight loss is a family affair.
For pets, just like humans, a strong core strength reduces strain on the spine and extremities. A sensible goal is to maintain regular conditioning throughout your dog’s life. “Your dog does not have to be an athlete to train like one,” says Dr. Davis. “There are many online conditioning and sporting groups, and your local kennel club may have recommendations.”
Another preventive strategy is to avoid repeating the same movements over and over. Throwing a tennis ball may be your dog’s favorite activity, but repetition contributes to injury, so alternate ball throwing with activities that involve other movements.
Too-long toenails change the toes’ biomechanics, which affects the alignment and motion of legs and spine, so keep nails trimmed short.
Be sensible about your dog’s schedule. Suddenly switching from couch potato to canine athlete contributes to sprains and strains. Inactive dogs need time and gradually increasing activity to prepare for trail runs, ambitious games of fetch, and other “too much fun” times. And if your dog suffers an injury, be patient. Remember that the passage of time is one of your dog’s best healers.
Using All The Available Tools to Keep Her Dog Together
Laurie Ekanger and her dog, Dash, wearing goggles to protect their eyes during an impending laser treatment.
Dash, a 3-year-old Irish Terrier, was having too much fun last March – and to his owner, Laurie Ekanger in Clancy, Montana, something didn’t look right. He had trouble getting out of the car and climbing steps, was panting more than usual, and wasn’t interested in hiking. Because Dash is usually rambunctious, this was unusual behavior.
Ekanger took Dash to veterinarian Cathy Davis, who uses physical therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture in her veterinary sports-medicine practice in Helena, Montana. To Dr. Davis, Dash looked like a dog with a soft-tissue injury. “Sprains and strains to ligaments, tendons, and muscles are extremely diverse,” Dr. Davis explains, “but all of them involve microscopic tissue tears. The degree of structural involvement is what determines the treatment.”
Dr. Davis watched Dash walk, took videos of him moving to check for subtle movement abnormalities, and examined his muscles, bones, and joints. “If a dog needs a chiropractic adjustment,” she says, “I give one as I’m going through the exam, and if I feel a trigger point, which is a painful, tense area of muscle tissue, I release it. If I feel heat or inflammation, I use a laser to make repairs at the cellular level with light energy. I work on a pulsed electromagnetic bed, so patients receive PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Frequency) treatments as well.” Dr. Davis used a laser on Dash’s left elbow and prescribed a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and a week of rest. Dash recovered and resumed his active lifestyle.
In June, Dash spent four days at a boarding kennel with an open-play environment. “I got daily pictures and reports,” says Ekanger. “He had a wonderful time and bounded into the car when we picked him up. But at home he began to limp, favoring his left paw. Two days of rest took care of that symptom, and he was fine until the day after an agility lesson, when he began to favor and lick his left ankle.” This time, Dr. Davis found mild swelling in Dash’s left ankle, gave him another laser treatment, and prescribed an NSAID and another week of rest. Dash has been running and playing as usual since then.
Is he just sitting funny or is he "scooting?" Big dogs are more capable of relieving over-full anal glands by using their strong tongues and overweight dogs who are unable to lick their anal area have more trouble relieving over-full anal glands and are more likely to "butt scoot" in an effort to relieve the discomfort
Photo Credit: Olha Lysak / Dreamstime.com
When you see a dog “scoot” on his behind, wiping his bum on the rug or lawn, do you think, “Gee, that looks like fun!”? No! The first thing you think is, “Oh dear, he must be uncomfortable!”
Why do dogs scoot? And what can we do to help them?
Most often, when dogs scoot, they are trying to relieve the pressure and discomfort that comes from overly full anal glands.
What’s in a dog’s anal gland sac?
The anal glands are two sacs that sit within the anal sphincter muscle. If you consider the dog’s anus as a clock face, the position of the glands are approximately 4:00 and 8:00.
Observing the fact that dogs routinely sniff each other’s butts when greeting, animal behavior experts speculate that the anal glands play a role in canine socializing. But today, as dogs serve mostly as companions to humans and live in our society, the glands appear to serve no purpose other than to annoy your dog and you!
Some dogs never have any trouble with their anal glands. When these dogs have a bowel movement, the passing stool presses on the anal glands and discharges some of the fluid from the glands, thus keeping the glands in a comfortable, not overfull condition.
What happens when a dog has impacted or full anal glands?
Problems arise when a dog’s anal glands do not achieve any emptying with bowel movements. The gland secretions continue to accumulate with no outlet. When the glands reach an uncomfortable pressure, the dog will scoot along on the ground, trying to relieve the pressure. Many dogs will lick incessantly at the anus with the same goal. When some dogs’ glands are overly full, the owner will periodically smell a foul, sometimes fishy odor emanating from the fluid that leaks from the anal glands.
To make these dogs comfortable, the anal glands must be manually expressed. An anal gland expression is typically provided by your veterinarian, a licensed veterinary technician, or a skilled groomer.
With a gloved and lubricated hand, pressure is applied to the glands, until the secretions are expelled through the ducts that have openings in the anus. This can sometimes be achieved completely externally, depending on the position of the gland and the angle of its duct.
When this is not possible, the index finger is inserted into the rectum, and the gland is squeezed between the index finger internally and the thumb externally. Normal anal gland secretions are liquid to pudding-like consistency and range in color from beige to gray or brown.
How often a dog needs his anal glands expressed varies. Once a month is not uncommon. Owners typically wait until their dog starts scooting again, then schedule anal gland expression. This can get expensive, especially if done with your veterinarian.
How to express your dog’s anal glands at home
If you are up for the challenge, you can ask your veterinarian to teach you how to express anal glands at home yourself. This would save you a lot of time and money. I have taught a few dog owners how to do this over the years. Not surprisingly, most of them keep coming in for anal gland expression. I mean, let’s face it, it’s not a pleasant job!
Check with your vet about symptoms of anal gland problems
It can be uncomfortable to witness your dog’s efforts to deal with the pain of full anal glands, but show some understanding and get her some help as quickly as possible, before her glands get impacted or infected, or burst. Photo Credit: Elnur/ Dreamstime.com
Disease states associated with the anal glands include impaction, infection, abscesses, and tumors. Impacted anal glands get filled with dry, hard material that is difficult to manually express. Sometimes several days of warm sitz baths are necessary to loosen up the impacted material enough to allow expression. For this, partially fill a tub with warm water and have your dog sit with his or her anus submerged for 10 minutes, two to three times daily.
It’s important to express impacted anal glands as these are likely to abscess. Anal gland abscesses occur when the gland gets infected and fills with pus. This condition typically appears as a hot, red, painful swelling next to the anus that breaks open and drains through the skin.
Treatment for an anal gland abscess includes warm sitz baths, oral antibiotics, pain medication, and medical-progress exams with your veterinarian.
Anal gland infections that haven’t been abscessed yet are usually identified during expression. Infected anal gland secretions are often green in color and sometimes bloody. For this condition, your veterinarian will insert a tiny cannula into the anal gland duct, flush the gland with saline and/or an antiseptic, and inject an antibiotic ointment into the gland. Warm sitz baths and oral antibiotics are important for this condition, too.
Anal gland tumors are typically discovered during the process of expressing the anal glands. When found, surgical removal of the affected gland and tumor is recommended. Some anal gland tumors are benign and surgery is curative. Unfortunately, malignant tumors carry a guarded prognosis for long-term survival.
You may ask, why not just have the potentially problematic glands surgically removed? Surgical removal of normal anal glands is generally not recommended. This would be an elective procedure – more for convenience than medical need –and there are risks associated with the procedure, including permanent fecal incontinence.
Try adding high fiber dog food for anal gland problems
The best way to try to help your dog avoid anal gland issues, and to minimize the necessity of manual anal gland expression, is to add fiber to your dog’s diet. The idea is that the increased fiber will bulk up your dog’s bowel movements, making them bigger and thus more likely to put pressure on the anal glands, releasing secretions on their way by.
The easiest ways to add fiber to your dog’s diet is with psyllium powder (like Metamucil) or canned pumpkin. For more information on psyllium powder, check out “Metamucil for Dogs“. For small dogs, appropriate amounts would be ¼ teaspoon (tsp) Metamucil or 1 heaping tsp canned pumpkin per meal; for medium dogs, ½ tsp Metamucil or 1 heaping tablespoon (tbsp) canned pumpkin per meal; and for larger dogs, ¾ tsp Metamucil or 2 heaping tbsp canned pumpkin per meal.
Dietary fiber will help some dogs. For others, keeping up with manual anal gland expression as needed is the only way to keep them comfortable.
My husband (back row, with Boston hat) and eight of his friends from childhood. I am so appreciative of the patience and tolerance they showed Woody, even in the face of his scary behavior.
Last weekend, my husband and I took our nearly 6-year-old dog, Woody, with us on a backpacking trip. We joined eight of his friends, all of whom he’s known since grammar school or high school; they had started a day before us and we joined them at a specific Sierra Nevada lake by prearrangement.
We left behind Otto, who, at nearly 14 years old, is no longer invited to this sort of adventure, to his deep dismay. Otto knew what was going on when the backpacks and sleeping bags and tent were taken out of their storage closet – and he kept putting himself in our paths as we loaded the packs into our car. His heart is willing, but his arthritis says, “Not this time, guy.” (His countenance cheered entirely when I drove him to my sister’s house; he loves staying there, for a few days at least.)
Woody’s agility and confidence in any footing is astounding.
We’ve taken Woody camping only once before that I can remember, about four years ago. It’s strange, because Otto has been camping many times in his lifetime, but for whatever reasons, in the past five years – most of Woody’s lifetime – we have mostly camped in National Parks (where dogs are not allowed on trails) or we camped as part of a long road trip that also involved weather that’s unfriendly to a dog in a car. And this was the first time he has been backpacking with us.
There’s an expression, “To appreciate a light, you have to take it into darkness.” I definitely appreciate some of Woody’s positive attributes more today than I did before last weekend – and am more aware of one thing that we need to work on more.
What Woody does well
This dog’s recall is rock-solid. He can be off-leash at any distance, and even if distracted with something as exciting as a chipmunk chirping from a nearby tree, will turn and RUN toward me at a hint of a whistle.
His “leave-it” behavior is terrific (I use the cue “Off”). Whether I wanted him to stop trying to lick someone on the face around camp, to stay away from some greenish water in a creek, or to ignore the barking dog who was tied to a tree in the campground where we left our car, I could say “Off!” once and he would immediately stop what he was doing and look to me for reinforcement.
His athleticism and agility are astounding. He’s utterly confident in his ability to go anywhere and do anything we’re doing, including scrambling up or down granite rock faces and finding ways around cliffs. Both Otto and my last dog, Rupert, would get whiny and shaky if the footing ever got slippery, but a slip or momentary slide doesn’t seem to bother Woody in the slightest.
Woody’s trust in me is more complete than any other dog I’ve owned. Once, during a day hike to another lake, we found ourselves on a cliff that was too steep for Woody to slide down and too high to allow him to jump off of. I climbed down first and stood on a rock at the cliff base, and asked him to inch to the edge toward me. I was able to pull him into my arms and then pass him to my husband, who lowered him to the ground. He accepted all of this without a fuss or concern about his safety. Most dogs I know would have struggled or tried to leap; he just relaxed and let us help him.
He was a champion with the other dog who was on the trip – a dog about his age whom he had never met before. The dog’s owner warned us that the dog wasn’t always “good” with other dogs, but I have confidence in Woody’s judgment and self-control; he is a better judge of dog behavior than I am! He defused and deflected every bit of slightly aggressive behavior the other dog displayed – and even better, kept up a goofy, playful demeanor that soon got the other dog to play chase games around camp.
We quickly learned that this other dog doesn’t eat much when he’s not at home – but that didn’t mean he wanted anyone else to eat his food. He would guard an area about 30 feet in diameter around his food from Woody. In contrast, my chow-hound has ZERO worries about eating in strange places or eating strange things; he absolutely knew where the other dog’s food was and would calmly go help himself to the food any time the other dog was distracted – and would just as calmly leave the area when the other dog saw what was happening and would come running back to guard whatever Woody had left behind. (Okay, this is kind of a jerk move, but what I appreciated was that as much as he likes food, and was motivated to sneak and steal some whenever it was unattended, he wouldn’t fight about it with the food’s owner.)
Once, on a day hike away from our main camp, a little dog owned by some other backpackers ran up to him in attack mode, snarling and snapping. Woody ducked and dodged and went into super goofball mode, racing about as if the dog had actually just asked him to play “chase me.” The little dog’s owners looked aghast at their little dog’s “attack” on my big pitbull-mix, but I assured them that no harm was done. I so appreciate his skills at defusing other dogs’ reactive behavior.
He sought attention and petting from every person he met, and was equally comfortable with all of them, from the ones who are self-described “dog people” to the ones who maybe don’t like dogs that much. However, this friendly reaction always comes a moment after this next thing….
Taking a day hike over granite to another lake for fishing, we had to help Woody over some steep ledges and a cliff. He accepted the help in a relaxed manner.
What Woody Isn’t Good At
I don’t need bullets for this, because there is really just one thing that Woody needs to work on:
I think he can’t see well; he doesn’t seem to recognize ANYONE at a distance, and his initial behavior at the sight or sound of an approaching human into our camp (or even on the trail) was fearful and defensive. Every time a member of our party left camp, even just for a moment’s relief behind some trees, Woody would growl at them and run toward them with his hair up as they returned. Ay yi yi! Nothing like 70 pounds of an athletic, big-headed dog to come running toward you growling! He even did this a time or two to my husband!
Fortunately, none of our friends was afraid of dogs and all of them quickly trusted that Woody wouldn’t bite them. They would each say “Hey Woody!” as he approached them – and as soon as he was within, you know, biting distance (dog help us) he would instantaneously transform into his usual wiggly, waggy self, as if to say, “OH HI! I thought you were a monster for a moment, but you are a human! How great! I love humans!”
This is a TERRIBLE behavior (the growling, hair-up approach, not the transformation into Mr. Wiggles) and I was and am embarrassed about it.
This isn’t exactly a recent development. It’s been a persistent behavior that I have worked on with Woody ever since it first appeared, when he was an adolescent. I have worked for years to counter-condition his response to the sudden arrival of strangers on our property, and I credit that work for how quickly he converts his initial alarm to a joyful greeting, once he ascertains that the arrival of the human is not a threat. At home, the behavior isn’t really a problem; if my sister or one of my friends walks through my gates and down my driveway toward my office, and he goes running toward them barking with his hair up, they know to just call to him, “Woody, it’s me!” The moment he recognizes their voices, he races off to find a toy with which to try to entice them into play. (And, of course, if it’s an uninvited stranger who comes walking through my gates and onto my property, I’m going to let the vision of Woody bounding toward them barking slow them up for just a moment before I call him back; he’s our first line of security, and they don’t need to know that he will likely jump up and lick them once he knows they are not a threat.)
Exhausted! Woody napped hard in between swims and hiking.
But out in the world, especially off-leash in our camping site in the woods, the behavior appeared as more anti-social than I want my dog to appear. So when I was close to him, I would call him back to me or say “Woody, Off!” (which would also make him come back to me), and he always responded. But there were a number of times that we were separated or I was talking to someone and another person would walk in at the far end of our camping area and I would hear another “WOOF!” followed by “Hey Woody! Good boy!”
I’ll be talking to trainer friends about what I can do to improve this response to the sight of “strangers” – or should I be consulting an optometrist?!
No dog is perfect, but we have a responsibility to the people who come into contact (or near contact) with our dogs to keep them feeling safe, and I still have some work to do on that front with Woody of the Woods.
Some people have ice cream in their freezer, but in the top shelf of the author's freezer door, there are just food-stuffed toys! On the top shelf, we see two hollow marrow bones, stuffed with food and with peanut butter smeared inside, as well as two sizes of food-stuffed Toppls. On the bottom shelf there are red Kongs - the classic, original design - as well as some black ones (meant for extreme chewers) and dark blue Kongs, which are made of radiopaque rubber and available only through veterinary retailers.
Enrichment toys for dogs are popular, and for several good reasons. They can be great boredom busters, helping to channel a dog’s energy into an acceptable activity. They can slow a dog’s habit of eating too quickly, thus helping prevent choking. And research suggests that dogs may prefer working in some way to obtain their food to eating food that’s readily available in a bowl.
One of the oldest enrichment toys on the market is the Kong, first developed in the 1970s when company founder Joe Markham discovered his German Shepherd’s love of a discarded rubber auto part. The original toy that Markham invented is now considered a classic, easily recognized by its original bright red color and hollow beehive shape. Today, Kong toys are available in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes – and there are just about as many ways to stuff a Kong as there are trainers to think them up!
While the Kong Company is a leader in innovating and refining more and more canine toys that can be stuffed with food, many challengers have brought other exciting food-puzzle toys to market. One of our newer favorites is the Toppl, made by West Paw. Its wide opening is more enticing for those dogs who are put off by the more difficult task of getting food out of the Kong.
Whatever toy you use to hold food for your dog to unpack, these tips will help you stuff the most fun and functionality into the toy for your dog to enjoy:
1. Get the right size. I prefer to start my puppies with whatever size they’ll use as adult dogs, to make sure outgrown toys don’t accidentally become choking hazards later on. And, for pups and young dogs,I use food-dispensing toys to feed the entirety of their meals – I only rarely put their food in a bowl. Any bit of time that they are fully engaged in a safe activity is time I can use to do something else!
The goal, then, is to find a toy of just the right size, or a combination of toys of the right sizes, to contain their meal. This takes some experimentation, and depends on the kind of diet you feed (kibble, canned, rehydrated, commercial raw, or home-prepared).
Classic Kongs come in six different sizes, from XS to XXL. Toppl comes in two sizes (small and large); the two sizes can be used as a pair, with the smaller one inserted into the larger one to create an additional challenge (the dog has to separate them before he can start getting the food out).
Here’s an array of healthy and nutritious ingredients ready for stuffing a week’s worth of food-dispensing toys.
2. Teach your dog how to get the food out – and make it easy at first! When first introducing your dog to a food-stuffed Kong, you should make the contents especially tasty and particularly easy for your dog to extract; some dogs lose interest if it’s too difficult to unpack.
Let your dog watch you add a small handful of kibble mixed with some small favorite treats. Excitedly shake the Kong before offering it to your dog. Set the Kong on the ground and gently manipulate it until a few treats fall out. Encourage your dog to interact with the toy and calmly praise his success.
After he understands that moving the toy around can make treats fall out, start adding a smear of peanut butter, creamed cheese, or canned dog food just inside the rim of the toy. Hold the toy for him and manipulate it so that he can reach all the yummy goodness inside with his tongue. Then reload it and put it on the ground for him to try without help.
As long as he’s motivated to work persistently to get the food, you can keep increasing the difficulty of the food-extraction challenge with each food-stuffed toy you offer him. Next, you might pack the toy with wet food or a mix of kibble and something like peanut butter or yogurt; these foods require a combination of licking and tossing or dropping the toy to extract.
Here are some more ways to keep ratcheting up the difficulty of the food-extraction challenge:
If using kibble or other small treats, add a few larger, oddly shaped treats (such as dried beef lung or a large piece of biscuit) that will get in the way of the small treats and require more work to extract the contents.
Tightly pack the contents into the toy. Don’t be afraid to really shove stuff in there! I sometimes use the back end of a butter knife to tightly compact the contents of the toys.
Prepare a number of food-stuffed toys in advance and freeze them for an added challenge and as a cool treat on a hot day. An advantage to freezing is that you can prepare several at once so they’re always on hand when you need one. (Pro Tip: Muffin pans, coffee cups, or ramekins work well to hold Kong toys upside down in the freezer as they set, especially when using liquid contents that might drip.)
Teach your dog to search for treats and toys and then hide the food-stuffed toys somewhere in the house.
Put the food-stuffed toys in a cardboard box or folded-up paper bag and encourage your dog to do whatever it takes to “get the toy!”
3. Be creative and change recipes to retain your dog’s curiosity and interest. Anything that’s safe for a dog to eat can be added to a food-dispensing toy. Kibble, canned dog food, dog treats, fresh fruits and veggies, meats, cheese, yogurt, canned pumpkin, mashed sardines, dry cereal, even select leftovers pulled from the fridge all make great ingredients. (Always introduce new foods in small amounts to help prevent digestive upset.) See the recipes below for some of my dog’s favorite “Kongcoctions.”
4. Make adjustments for dogs who need to count calories or who are on a limited-ingredient diet. If your Westie is watching his waistline, or your Labrador’s diet is limited, stuff their food-dispensing toys with their regular diet, with the addition of perhaps just a few low-calorie treats or tidbits that won’t trigger an allergic reaction.
Here’s a tasty way to increase the appeal of your dog’s usual kibble without adding too many calories: If your dog enjoys peanut butter, whisk a tiny bit into hot water and use the peanut butter water to coat the kibble before stuffing it into the toy.
5. Keep it clean. A quick soak in warm soapy water and an old toothbrush or bottle brush works well to address any remaining food particles stuck inside. Kong and Toppl toys are also safe to wash in the dishwasher (but use the top rack!).
Quick and Easy Food-Stuffed Favorites
These recipes are simple and easily make enough filling for multiple toys. Much like doing my own meal prep before the start of a busy work week, I set aside about 30 minutes to prepare a “flight” of food-stuffed toys for the freezer. Don’t be afraid to get creative; dogs don’t care about strange combinations. Sardines and blueberries? Sure! Chopped apples on a layer of liverwurst? Why not? Have you seen what dogs pull from the trash and eat? Their food palette is on an entirely different planet than ours when it comes to culinary choices.
Peanut Butter Kibble
Dilute one tablespoon of peanut butter with two tablespoons of hot water. Whisk until combined. Add one cup of kibble. Mix until coated and spoon into toys.
Fruit Salad
Chop dog-safe fruits of choice. (We like apples and assorted berries.) Add directly to toys or stir into a mixture of canned pumpkin and plain yogurt.
Something’s Fishy
Drain a tin of sardines (use the ones that are packed in spring water). Shred the fish with a fork. Mix with pumpkin and yogurt. Spoon into toys. Adding kibble to this mix will stretch the sardine mash a little farther. These are best served outdoors; they are stinky!
Reconstituted Dog Food
I don’t use dehydrated dog food for meals, but I do keep some on hand to use as an easy, healthy meal replacement served out of a toy.
Higher-end pet supply stores have found dehydrated or freeze-dried foods to be very popular with dog owners, who report their dogs do very well on these diets.
Freeze-dried or dehydrated dog foods have certain benefits when compared to traditional wet (canned) or dry (kibble) dog foods. Before incorporating these foods into your dog’s diet, it’s important for you to learn more about those benefits, as well as the process for making these foods, including safety measures.
BENEFITS OF FREEZE-DRYING OR DEHYDRATING
The methods used to radically lower the moisture content of rehydrated or freeze-dried foods have the following advantages over baking or extruding the foods at high temperatures:
These methods preserve the food (nearly stopping the biological activity that causes a food to decay) with less damage to the ingredients’ natural enzymes or vitamins than cooking temperatures cause.
This means the meats and other ingredients are, by strict definition, raw. For those who believe in the benefits of raw diets, this is huge. (We’ll discuss those who consider raw foods to be dangerous in a minute.)
When rehydrated, these foods are highly palatable to most dogs. It may be due to the concentration of flavor in freeze-dried food ingredients or their minimal processing. Dogs with poor appetites (like very senior or chronically ill dogs) may accept these foods when nothing else appeals.
As a generalization, the makers of these products are targeting the top end of the market and have an extraordinary commitment to sourcing top-quality ingredients
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FREEZE-DRYING AND OTHER DRYING METHODS
Freeze-dryers expose foods to low temperatures, freezing them relatively quickly, and then to high air pressure. When the pressure inside the freeze-drying chamber is high enough, small heating units are turned on, heating the trays that the food sits on, and causing the frozen water (a solid at that point) in the foods to transform into a gas (water vapor). Pumps pull the vapor out of the chamber while keeping the internal air pressure high.
Like freeze-drying, air-drying can be accomplished at low temperatures, but it takes longer and leaves meats and fats vulnerable to oxidation (spoilage); most foods are dried with temperatures of 140ºF to 180ºF. At these temperatures, the food is actually lightly cooked; the cellular structure (and thus the aroma and taste) of meats, fruits, and vegetables actually changes and the taste and appearance. In contrast, proper freeze-drying doesn’t affect the appearance or taste of foods as much.
The freeze-drying process sounds extreme, but the process actually leaves most foods less damaged than dehydration, which toughens meats and other ingredients.
RAW SAFETY
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 contains zero-tolerance policies for pet foods that test positive for pathogenic bacteria. For this reason, some of the manufacturers of freeze-dried raw foods subject their products to a “kill step” known as high-pressure processing (also known as high-pressure pasteurization, and in either case abbreviated as HPP); they don’t want to risk increased surveillance or recalls from food control officials.
The owners of some other companies, however, believe so strongly in the benefits of raw foods that they refuse to use a kill step. Instead, they rely on the quality of their ingredients and their own food “hazard analysis and critical control points”(HACCP) plans to prevent selling contaminated products. They understand that the FSMA policies are present to protect dogs and their owners, and that today’s human food supply does sometimes contain pathogens – but they also have observed that most healthy dogs can easily digest and benefit from raw foods – even raw foods that may contain some pathogens. (Few healthy dogs have trouble with Salmonella, for example, though Listeria and e. Coli are another story.) And, importantly, they engage and educate their consumers about these facts.
There are food-industry experts who feel strongly that HPP is a very safe technology, and others who worry that it may alter foods on a molecular level. We feel fine about HPP; we’ve been to HPP plants and observed the raw dog food before, during, and after treatment and have confidence that it is not harmed or made unsafe to feed. On the other hand, we respect the right of owners to feed raw foods that have not undergone a kill step – as long as they are informed about the risks to which they are subjecting themselves and their dogs.
Some of the companies utilize a “test and hold” program whereby finished products are tested for pathogens and not released for sale until results indicate the products are uncontaminated. Buying a product from companies that employ a test-and-hold program is a good way to ameliorate fears about a raw and unpasteurized diet.
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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.
