Over the 23 years Whole Dog Journal has been published, we’ve discussed pet food recalls due to contamination with Salmonella a number of times. It was in the news again recently, with Midwestern Pet Foods having to recall a number of their foods due to potential contamination with the bacterial menace.
The Salmonella bacteria is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in humans. More than a million humans in the United States will get sick with salmonellosis each year, and about 450 will die from the illness.
Salmonella is found in the intestines of many animals, including pigs and poultry, and it’s spread through their feces. Of course, when these food animals are slaughtered and their intestines are removed, feces can get splashed around and contaminate the meat products that are being processed.
Salmonella can also be spread through irrigation to many food crops. Human food recalls due to Salmonella have involved everything from alfalfa sprouts to cucumbers to apple juice. Dairy products and seafoods have been contaminated, too, presumably by humans who came into contact with the bacteria and didn’t wash their hands properly as they worked with those food products.
But here is an interesting fact: There is a legally allowed percentage of Salmonella contamination in human foods that are meant to be cooked before consumption, such as raw poultry. There are two reasons for this: Salmonella is very hard to eliminate entirely from meat supply, and because cooking renders the bacteria harmless.
Foods that may be eaten raw, such as nuts and lettuce, however, have no “allowable” amounts of Salmonella. Those are zero-tolerance foods. Contrast that with the raw chicken that you buy for your family barbecue; as much as 7.5% of any given lot of raw chicken is allowed to be contaminated with Salmonella without triggering any sort of enforcement action to the producer or retailer, much less a recall.
Now, let’s talk about dog food: Because dog food is not cooked before it’s fed to dogs, and because humans handle it (scooping the food, feeding kibble with our hands, washing bowls, etc.), NO Salmonella is allowed on dog food; it’s also a zero-tolerance product. The irony is that very few dogs actually become sick with Salmonellosis.
This is not to say they don’t become infected; some of them do. But it doesn’t always sicken dogs. And when it does, it may cause a mild and transient case of diarrhea. According to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings, 2007, as reported on the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) website, research has shown that if you test a population of adult dogs and cats who do not have diarrhea, about 0 to 2% will be found to harbor Salmonella, and from 0 to 1% of animals with diarrhea will be found to harbor the bacteria. It would seem that most of the time, this particular pathogenic bacteria is not all that problematic in most dogs.
Some vulnerable individuals may suffer illness, however; you can find cases of dogs who were ill and treated for Salmonella and who recovered – and perhaps, even cases of dogs who did not.
But what you very rarely see, and have not seen in this most recent specific instance of the Salmonella-related recall of a number of foods from Midwestern Pet Foods, are cases of dogs who have been sickened by the recalled foods. As with every Salmonella-related recall that I can personally remember, no dog illnesses or deaths have been reported as linked to the recall.
Representatives of the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will be the first to admit that Salmonella-contaminated food poses more of a threat to human health than canine health, which is one of the reasons that the agency offers instruction on safely handling pet food that nearly none of us dog owners follow. But knowing what you now know about Salmonella and pet food, perhaps we should. Certainly, humans who are immune-compromised would be wise to follow those tips and wash their hands after every exposure to pet food – and, even more helpfully, raw meats.
Drinking from a puddle in a wildlife area, this puppy is at high risk of becoming sick with leptospirosis. The bacteria that cause this illness originate from the urine of infected animals; deer, raccoons, and skunks are common carriers of the bacteria, which can live for weeks or even months in puddles, ponds, and even mud.
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria shed in the urine of infected wildlife. Deer, skunks, and raccoons are the biggest reservoirs, although rodents like mice and rats carry it too. Leptospirosis typically causes severe kidney and liver damage, which can sometimes be fatal. It is a zoonotic disease, which means it infects humans as well.
For all of these reasons, it’s important for dog owners to be aware of this disease, understand how it is spread, know what signs to watch for, and most importantly, learn the best ways to prevent it.
BACTERIAL VILLIAN
The leptospire is a particular type of bacteria called a spirochete. It’s unique from other bacteria in that it cannot be easily cultured in a laboratory, which makes it a challenge for your veterinarian to definitively diagnose your sick dog.
The leptospire multiplies in the kidneys of reservoir hosts, such as deer, skunks, and raccoons. Reservoir hosts are those that have adapted to this organism and therefore do not fall ill with disease; they merely carry the organism and shed it in their urine. The leptospire doesn’t multiply once it’s shed into the environment, but it can survive for weeks or even months in warm, wet conditions. It loves stagnant water, puddles, and muddy soil – this is where you and your dog are most likely to encounter it.
Species who become ill with leptospirosis are called incidental hosts. These include both dogs and humans. The leptospire enters the incidental host through mucous membranes (either when swimming or drinking from mud puddles) or through breaks in the skin (again, either through swimming or just tracking through mud with cuts or open sores).
Once inside a susceptible host, leptospires multiply rapidly in the bloodstream, where they immediately start damaging the lining of blood vessels. This blood vessel injury then leads to organ damage. The kidneys and liver are most commonly affected, but leptospirosis can cause injury to the lungs, eyes, and central nervous system.
RISK FACTORS
The risk to your dog depends on your geographical location, home environment, lifestyle, and time of year.
Leptospirosis is a global disease, most prevalent in areas with high rainfall and warmer climates. In the United States, Hawaii is the biggest hot bed for leptospirosis, but cases have been documented all over the country. Numbers are high on the West Coast, in the upper Midwest, as well as in the Northeast, Southeast, and mid-Atlantic coastal regions. Case numbers in the United States peak in late fall.
Home environments with a high neighborhood wildlife population pose a greater risk, especially if your yard is not fenced to keep larger animals like deer out.
If your lifestyle includes hiking, camping, or walking in parks or wooded areas with your dog, your risk of exposure to leptospirosis is higher. If you live in an urban area with a more sedentary or indoor lifestyle, your risk is much lower, although mice and rats can be carriers.
While a rise in leptospirosis cases in urban areas has been documented, I’m hard pressed to believe that the amount of urine a mouse leaves behind is as significant as that of a deer in terms of exposure. No risk, however, is better than low risk, so rodent control in urban environments is recommended.
SIGNS AND DIAGNOSIS
He’s no search-and-rescue dog (he’s not even looking or smelling in the right directions!), but this photo indicates he’s clearly at risk of exposure to leptospirosis, given the proximity of raccoons and their ability to enter his yard. The raccoon is in a tree now, but it was in his yard just minutes before the picture was taken.
If your dog becomes infected with leptospirosis, the signs can be variable but almost always include lethargy and loss of appetite. Fever, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, and urination are common. Icterus (yellow mucous membranes) frequently occurs when there is liver involvement.
Less common but possible signs include muscle pain, abdominal pain, and inflammatory eye conditions. If the lungs become damaged, difficulty breathing and coughing up blood can occur. Lung involvement, which carries a much graver prognosis, is fortunately not common.
Diagnosing leptospirosis in dogs is challenging. Your veterinarian will use a combination of history, physical exam findings, blood tests, and urinalysis to arrive at an initial index of suspicion for this disease. If it’s high enough, the next step includes submission of blood for a test called a microscopic agglutination test (MAT). This test looks for antibodies against leptospirosis. Sounds simple, right? It’s not!
Several complicating factors make a single MAT insufficient for definitive diagnosis of leptospirosis. First, antibodies are not always identifiable early in the course of a disease. It takes time for the immune system to form antibodies.
The best way to know for sure is to look at paired samples, one taken right away (the acute titer) and one taken two weeks later (the convalescent titer). If this shows a fourfold or greater increase in titer, it is considered diagnostic for leptospirosis. But we can’t wait two weeks to start treatment for leptospirosis! It’s imperative that your dog be started on appropriate antibiotic therapy as early as possible.
To make matters worse, antibiotic therapy may dampen the rise in the antibody titer we use for making a definitive diagnosis. So while it may well be leptospirosis, it might not look like it, based on a lack of rising titer in the paired samples. This is frustrating, but I have learned that as long as the initial index of suspicion is high enough, the patient receives early appropriate therapy, and makes a full recovery, it’s all good. We just won’t be able to say it was definitely leptospirosis in this situation; we can only say it probably was.
Here are two more factors that can confound diagnosis: Vaccinated dogs can still succumb to active infection! And dogs who have been vaccinated for leptospirosis will display vaccine-induced antibodies on a titer test!
This means when a vaccinated dog comes in with signs suggestive of leptospirosis, and has a positive titer on the MAT, there’s no way to differentiate active infection antibodies from vaccine-induced antibodies. Does he have leptospirosis or not? Only time will tell. In the meantime, you can bet I’m treating him for it.
A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which looks for the actual DNA of the leptospire organism and is not affected by vaccination status, is currently available. These tests can identify disease earlier, but their accuracy is still under investigation. This means that if the PCR comes back negative, it would still be prudent to initiate treatment if the veterinarian’s index of suspicion is high.
TREATMENT
While diagnosis can be tricky, treatment is more straightforward. The leptospire organism is not sensitive to many antibiotics, but fortunately it is highly sensitive to a few. This means if your dog gets a swift, accurate diagnosis, and appropriate treatment is started early in the course of the disease, you can usually expect a good outcome; as many as 80% of dogs handled in this manner will make a full recovery.
Appropriate antibiotic therapy is paramount to a successful outcome. Penicillin, or its derivative ampicillin, is usually instituted early, as these drugs eliminate the bacteria from the bloodstream. Doxycycline is typically given for at least two weeks, as this antibiotic helps clear the organism from the kidneys. Anti-emetics (anti-vomiting) and pain medications are administered as needed.
Treatment almost always involves admission to the hospital for several days or longer, depending on the severity of disease. Kidney and liver involvement requires aggressive intravenous fluid therapy and close professional monitoring. Patients with severe kidney failure who fail to respond to intravenous fluid therapy should be referred to a specialty center for dialysis.
Once discharged from the hospital, your dog will require close monitoring for several months, although a good prognosis can be given at this point.
Your veterinarian will advise you on how to safely handle your dog’s urine at home, which includes wearing gloves when cleaning it up. Routine household disinfectants with bleach are effective against this bacteria, so using a yard sprayer and a bleach solution to spray each place where your dog urinates in your yard would be prudent.
If you have other dogs, be sure to ask your vet about proactively treating the others with doxycycline, just in case. I know my dogs drink from, and track through, all the same puddles when we are out and about. If one becomes infected, there’s a good chance the other has been exposed.
PREVENTION
Effective rodent control, indoors and out, is always a good idea. A fenced yard will help keep the larger wildlife reservoirs like deer from urinating where your dog goes out. Other than keeping your dog in a bubble, there is always an environmental risk of exposing your dog to leptospires!
This is where vaccination comes in. The canine leptospirosis vaccines that are currently available all protect against four serovars of the bacteria. While the four serovars in the vaccine are not the only serovars your dog may encounter in the United States – more than 200 different leptospirosis serovars have been identified – they are the most common. Furthermore, the vaccine provides some cross-protection from the other serovars. Even better, there is some evidence that vaccinated dogs who become infected with leptospirosis may experience less severe disease.
I recommend waiting until 12 weeks of age to start the leptospirosis vaccine. The initial series requires two doses, given three weeks apart. Thereafter, an annual booster is given. In locations where veterinarians see a lot of cases, your vet may recommend boostering more frequently than that, perhaps as often as every six to nine months, based on their clinical experience.
ADVERSE EFFECTS?
You may have heard about or had your own negative experiences with the leptospirosis vaccine in the past. As a practicing veterinarian, I can attest to the fact that years ago, this vaccine seemed to cause significantly more, and significantly worse, adverse reactions in dogs than other vaccines. The smaller breeds, especially Pugs and Dachshunds, were definitely over-represented when it came to reactions associated with the leptospirosis vaccine. Breeders of small breed dogs would frequently warn their puppy buyers of the danger of this vaccine and strongly advise against it.
Fortunately, with the markedly improved vaccines in use today, this is no longer the case. Recent studies have shown this vaccine to be no more reactive than any of the other routine canine vaccines.
Vaccination, however, is never without risk, which is why I recommend a disease risk-assessment for each individual dog before deciding which vaccines are appropriate for that dog. Any time you or your dog receives a vaccine, you are accepting a certain amount of risk. Reactions range from mild (just not feeling well for 24 hours) to moderate (hives and/or vomiting and diarrhea) to severe (life-threatening anaphylactic shock). Vaccination can also have delayed reactions that show up weeks later in the form of auto-immune disease.
That’s why, if your dog has minimal or no risk of getting a disease, it might not make sense to expose your dog to the inherent risks associated with vaccination. The current American Animal Hospital Association Vaccination Guidelines support this idea by listing leptospirosis as a “non-core” vaccine, meaning it may not be appropriate for all dogs. Examples of core vaccines, which are recommended for all dogs, include distemper, parvovirus, and rabies.
The bottom line is, don’t be afraid of getting a leptospirosis vaccine for your dog, but do a thoughtful risk assessment, considering your environment and lifestyle, before deciding. If your yard can be accessed by skunks, raccoons, and deer, or you have aheavy wildlife population near your home, your dog’s risk is higher. Dogs who are taken camping or hiking in areas where wildlife is present are also at a higher risk.
Ultimately, whether or not to vaccinate your dog for leptospirosis is up to you. As always, the best advice for you and your dog comes from your veterinarian.
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Most of us dog owners want to preserve and promote our canine friends' quality of life for as long as possible - and, should it come to that, end our friends' suffering sooner than later. Veterinary hospice and palliative care providers are the experts who can help see us through this difficult phase of life with dogs.
In my 13 years as a veterinarian, I’ve worked in emergency and general practice, as a freelance writer, a volunteer with the homeless population and most recently, as a palliative and hospice-care doctor.
While all of these positions were rewarding, working in palliative/hospice care has been deeply life-altering and fulfilling. It’s a gift to make end-of-life care as painless as possible. This includes supporting the patient – and owners – in a pain- and fear-free manner.
Formation of a New Field
Perhaps you didn’t even know that this service existed for dogs. The idea of hospice for pets has been around and in practice since the late 1990s. Alice Villalobos, DVM, was a pioneer in the field, and coined the term “pawspice” to describe veterinary hospice work in 2004. The first International Symposium on Veterinary Hospice Care was held in 2009.
Also in 2009, the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) was founded with the goal of promoting animal end-of-life care education, research, and discussion amongst veterinarians and their clients. IAAHPC remains the driving force in advancing hospice care for pets. In 2016, the IAAHPC began offering a course in this work for veterinary practitioners, the Animal Hospice and Palliative Care Certification Program. You can search for certified practitioners at iaahpc.org.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE SERVICES?
While closely linked, palliative and hospice care are different. Both are concerned with the complex web of emotions and decisions surrounding the care of a beloved companion. This includes considering the social, economic, psychic, and physical demands of care.
They differ in that palliative care seeks to minimize suffering and maximize comfort at any stage of life and with any disease process. In contrast, hospice focuses on patients that are terminally ill and helping with a transition to a peaceful, assisted death.
It may be difficult to know when your dog is ready for palliative care or hospice. In the case of a terminal illness, hospice is best started when definitive options have been tried and failed, if there are no definitive treatments, or if you are not interested in aggressive treatment such as chemotherapy, surgery, and/or radiation.
An example of this is when an inoperable tumor is found and the dog is otherwise stable and relatively healthy. Hospice care includes monitoring the tumor and providing pain relief, comfort measures, and other care as the cancer progresses. When quality of life is declining, a peaceful passing can be planned.
Palliative care is different in that it can be started at any time and continue in conjunction with other treatment from your veterinarian. Osteoarthritis is an excellent case for palliative care. While it is a chronic and progressive condition, it does not cause terminal illness. Palliative treatment will focus on supplements, physical therapy, and pain management.
Veterinarians are starting to offer this concurrently with more definite therapies, but you can also find many mobile services that can come to your house for this care. This is helpful for older animals who are stiff and have trouble with car rides or those who suffer anxiety in a veterinary clinic environment. You can ask your veterinarian for a referral (if the service exists in your area) or often directly contact the hospice vet yourself.
Palliative Care for 17-Year-Old Finn
With a palliative-care plan, 17-year-old Finn is feeling more comfortable – and looks less like an old dog!
Finn is extremely handsome and quite old at 17. He is a mix of Border Collie and Australian Shepherd. To look at him, you would never guess his age – that is, unless you watched him walk up some stairs. Finn has advanced arthritis in his hips and pelvis. As a result, climbing stairs and running can be difficult for him. He still loves to walk and hike with his owners, but as he’s aged, Finn has started slowing down and having longer periods of stiffness after exercise. He also started throwing up and having loose stools and a gurgly stomach occasionally. His veterinarian examined him and conducted diagnostics that included bloodwork and x-rays.
Those x-rays confirmed bone changes consistent with arthritis but also a fuzzy, indistinct area that suggested a tumor in Finn’s abdomen. Finn’s owners discussed these findings with their veterinarian. At Finn’s advanced age, they weren’t interested in extensive diagnostics and treatments, which they feared would be invasive. Finn’s owners called our office and asked for an assessment from our palliative care team.
Finn was a perfect candidate for this care. While his arthritis can be limiting due to the discomfort it causes, and he has intermittent GI upset, his overall quality of life remains good. He eats well and wants to interact with his owners, including going on walks. As a result, we decided together that there were several measures that we could implement to improve his quality of life.
For his arthritis, we started Finn on a low dose of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication to be given daily. While it is tempting to give medication for pain only on a dog’s “bad days,” with chronic conditions such as arthritis, it’s better to keep a patient on this medication daily. We also included gabapentin for further pain control. In addition, Finn was started on Adequan, an injection administered on a tapering schedule that is the only FDA-approved disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug. This means that it modifies the progression of the arthritis. It can be beneficial even in dogs with advanced bone changes.
For his GI disease, since his bloodwork and x-rays did not show a clear cause, we took a symptomatic management approach. I recommended switching Finn to a novel protein diet (meaning one that he had not been exposed to before – in his case, lamb), adding probiotics to his food daily, monitoring his time outdoors to prevent dietary indiscretion, and medicating his nausea symptoms when they arose with Cerenia, a potent anti-emetic.
As of today, Finn is doing very well with his palliative care. He has more energy, less stiffness, and fewer episodes of upset stomach. His owners are very pleased with his progress.
WHAT TO EXPECT
A typical patient in a palliative-care or hospice practice will be seen anywhere from weekly to every few months. We may need to see an arthritis palliative care patient only once every three months or so, whereas a dog with terminal cancer may require weekly check-ins to adjust his medication.
We start by asking for the client to have their pet’s medical records sent to us so we can review detailed information about the dog’s condition, test results, and treatments. Then, in the practice I work for, a client’s initial appointment will be made with one of the veterinarians, who will do a preliminary assessment of the patient. That appointment is about an hour.
During that time, we meet the dog and owners and discuss the client’s goals for treatment. We describe both our palliative-care approach as well as the “nuts and bolts” about how to reach us after hours and what to do in an emergency. We then go over a plan to improve the dog’s quality of life. This plan differs for each patient and for each medical condition.
It is important during that initial visit to be clear about what your goals are in seeking palliative care. As doctors, we strive to provide relief of pain and improved mobility and cognition. But we need to do this within the boundaries of your ability to provide care. Being very clear about goals and limits is extremely helpful for us when caring for your dog.
From there, our clients communicate with us via text, phone, and email. We are available all day, but our clinic does not take emergency calls. This is different with every service, and it is important to know who to contact in case your dog has an after-hours emergency. Here, we refer to our local emergency hospital.
After the initial assessment, if a patient requires ongoing care with subcutaneous fluids, injections, or frequent bloodwork or blood pressure measurements, one of our technicians will take over those appointments, while keeping in contact with the veterinarian on the case.
QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE
As palliative care continues, the team will check in often to ensure that your dog is doing well and your concerns have been addressed. There are several scales that have been developed to help assess quality-of-life concerns, and these can be very useful in forming an objective opinion on your dog’s condition.
The scale that I use the most is the HHHHHMM scale, which was developed in 2004 by a veterinary hospice pioneer, Dr. Alice Villalobos. The acronym stands for hurt, hunger, hydration, hygiene, happiness, mobility, and “more good days than bad.” A score of zero to 10 (10 being ideal) is assigned to each category. A total of more than 35 points represents “acceptable life quality to continue with pet hospice.” The scale is a helpful tool for reducing the blinding emotion of evaluating your dog’s comfort and happiness.
END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS
Once care is no longer providing comfort and quality of life for your dog, your veterinarian will start the difficult discussion of planning your dog’s transition. It is unfortunate, but an unassisted death is rarely smooth and peaceful for animals or humans. As a result, having a plan in place is very important.
Veterinarians can help ease your dog’s passing with pain medications and profound sedation before administering the euthanizing drug. While every practitioner has a preferred protocol, most euthanasia involves an initial medication (injectable or oral) to provide pain relief and relaxation. This is followed by an injection of a solution that slowly “turns off” the central nervous system. This leads to a deep coma followed by death. It’s as if your companion went to sleep. Done properly, it’s as painless and peaceful as possible for such a sad experience. Having a plan in place and discussing the sequence of events with your veterinarian ahead of time will help ensure that it goes smoothly.
Not Just a Job - A Calling
I never imagined I would take on this work; in fact, it seems implausible – ludicrous, even – that I would accept such a position.
You see, in 2017, I found myself facing the decision of whether or not to continue life support on my terminally ill child. He had been in palliative care since birth for a condition that had no cure. As he aged, he became ill and dependent on many medications and a ventilator to sustain his life. When he was 5 months old, he developed serious complications after an illness and was hospitalized. He deteriorated, and my husband and I were faced with a terrible decision – the hardest that I have ever made. It was the guidance of our son’s pediatric palliative care team that helped us let go. Our son died with peace and dignity.
In 2020, a job opportunity – working in a veterinary hospice and palliative-care practice – fell into my lap. Initially, I was repelled by the thought. Why would I want to put myself in a situation where I was reliving the same conversations and decisions that I’d made for my beloved son, with distraught pet owners? It sounded like a particular type of torture.
Despite this, a small voice in my mind insisted that I might excel at this. I listened to that voice and took the chance, diving into the field and learning as much as I could. I quickly fell in love with the work – the animals, of course, but also their deeply caring owners and guardians and the stories that they shared.
Sitting with people in intense grief, guiding them and giving them peace about their decisions has helped heal my heart. It is an honor to be a steward for people and their beloved companions at the end of life.
A dog gets scanned for a microchip at an animal shelter.
I heard a crazy story recently: My son’s neighbors lost their cat. It was an indoor/outdoor cat and just went missing; one imagines the worst. A few weeks later, the owners get a call from a veterinarian in a town about 30 miles away. The vet’s office representative asked, “Are you missing a cat?” They said, “Yes!” The vet staffer asked, “Can you provide proof of ownership?” They said, yes, they can send their adoption agreement from a shelter, their vet records, photos of the cat, and their “lost cat” fliers.
Long story short: The cat was brought into the vet’s office by someone who said they recently got the cat and wanted to have it vaccinated and microchipped. Before implanting a chip, however, the vet did what vets (and shelters, rescues, etc.) are supposed to do and checked the cat to see if it already had a microchip, and lo and behold, it did. Fortunately, the microchip was registered and the phone number was up-to-date. We can probably thank COVID for the fact that the cat was safely in protective custody inside the clinic when these discoveries were made, with the client waiting outside in the parking lot.
As most of us are doing during COVID, the vet called the client on the phone to say, “Hey, this cat already has a microchip, and can you tell us where you got the cat?” When the person couldn’t or wouldn’t answer, the vet told them, “I’m sorry, the cat already has owners who have been looking for their cat.” The way I heard the story, the client stormed out and the rightful owners of the cat were able to recover their friendly kitty later that day.
What are the veterinarian’s legal responsibilities?
This got me wondering, though: What is the veterinarian’s legal responsibility in this case?
It turns out that this is a bit of a grey area.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recognizes that veterinarians routinely recommend that pets be microchipped as a way of proving their identity and ownership – so they are stakeholders, as it were, when it comes to the question of a vet’s responsibility if they check for a microchip and discover that their client is in the possession of a lost or potentially stolen pet. The AVMA has a microchip policy which contains this text:
“A veterinarian is expected to exercise his or her professional judgment on ownership before establishing a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR). In those circumstances that raise suspicion that the presenting person may not actually be the lawful owner of the animal, a veterinarian should ask for documentation of ownership, such as governmental registration, bill of sale, adoption documents, or microchip documentation.”
The veterinarian in the story I heard about my son’s neighbors’ cat did just that, which is great. And the cat’s rightful owners were easily able to prove that not only were they the cat’s owners, they had been actively looking for the cat.
But the AVMA also recognizes that a veterinarian has zero authority to refuse to return an animal brought to them by a client – and a vet who did so may well be sued by the person who brought the pet to them. It’s dicey all around.
As I researched this a bit, I came across multiple accounts of pets who were found to contain two microchips, with different registered owners. What then??
Have you heard a story about unclear ownership of a dog that microchips possibly made more complex, rather than solving?
At 13 1/2 years old, Otto now spends way more time on the couch than he used to. He also has a much heavier coat than he used to grow - and more hair to shed!
My stepdaughter and her son are coming to town for a visit. Hurray for vaccinations! They live in New Jersey, and haven’t been to this coast since her son was a newborn, five years ago. We moved into a “new” house three years ago, and they haven’t seen it yet! So my husband and I have been doing an extra-good job of mowing and our usual spring yard work outside and a deep clean inside – to try to restore a little of that new-house luster. (It was built in the 1950s, but even so, it’s the newest house we’ve ever lived in, and it had been professionally cleaned and painted before we moved in.)
Here’s the thing: In Northern California springtime, the grass grows a few inches a week. We’ve been mowing and weed-whipping and weed-pulling. The mornings are dewy. Add those things together and throw in a dog, and you have grass clippings and muddy feet getting tracked into the house all day. So you think, ok, the floors are the LAST thing we’ll clean.
I’m accustomed to a few red-dirt paw marks on the outside doors, down low. But when foster dog Kiki learned to open this door by jumping up and pawing the handle, the red stains got a lot higher on the door.
I noticed that the doors are still muddy outside from where my little foster dog (still happily ensconced in her new home, hurray!) was in the habit of pawing at them to get let inside. Or let herself inside, once she discovered that the kitchen door has one of those handles that you just have to paw at to open. I wiped all the doors down, noticing with some dismay that our local red dirt has stained the white paint – but the wiping took the mud down a notch, anyway! That is, until Otto got scared by the backfire of a neighbor’s lawn mower and frantically pawed at the same door to get let into the house. No problem – wiping it down again!
In the living room, where the dogs spend most of their time when they are in the house, there is another problem of order. The room needs a really good vacuuming, aaaallll the way into the corners and under the couches, and the book shelves really need to be dusted, too. You should vacuum before you dust – because vacuuming tends to make more dust – but the last thing that needs to be done is vacuuming again, because it’s spring and the hair coming off the dogs is just relentless! The couches, especially, need this. If someone could please invent a self-vacuuming couch, I’ll put in an order now.
This has been going on for days now! I wiped all the windowsills –and turned around to see water drops all over the kitchen windowsill; Woody is in the habit of drinking and then meditatively gazing out the window as the last of the water dribbles from his lips. Washed the floor mats inside the doors – and found a big grassy vomit all over the one inside the kitchen door (the dogs have been eating the spring grass like they were grazing cattle). Back into the wash it has to go. I swear, the dogs have never been so dirty!
Woody has a habit of carrying his last mouthful of water away from the bowl and letting it leak out of his mouth (all over the floor and windowsill) as he gazes out the kitchen window.
Cleaning my car took more time than anything in the house. Usually, I’m the only one driving it; my husband prefers our pickup, even just for errands. And I drive my dogs to our favorite walking spots, at least several times a week – and when I have adolescent foster dogs, daily! So I do tend to let the dog hair and dirt build up in the car; it’s too hard to keep it even kind of clean. After I pulled out all the sheets and blankets that usually cover the seats, it still took me about four hours with a Shop-Vac and towels and hair-rollers to get the car about 90% dog-hair free. And I will NOT allow the dogs back inside the car until our guests leave. We’re doing home-based recreation and exercise for the duration, because that was just way too much work.
Of course, the truth is, I don’t usually notice every single bit of dirt and grass and hair shed by my dogs – and especially after a year of virtually no visitors, I haven’t worried about it too much. Don’t get me wrong, our home is usually quite neat and fairly clean, but there is nothing like having a non-dog-owning guest, especially a non-frequent visitor, for giving you the incentive to do a nice deep clean. I just wish I could put the dogs in little hermetically sealed space suits until the guests arrive.
You may have noticed that the April 2021 cover looked a little more packed with article descriptions than usual. We’ve been tinkering a bit with the editorial mix and bringing some added value to your subscriptions with more authors and more articles in each issue. We’ll keep giving you the sort of in-depth information you count on WDJ to offer, but present you with more tightly focused articles, too.
As a long-time subscriber to the New Yorker, I will be the first to admit I can’t find the time to read all the very long articles they publish, but I can generally give the shorter ones a scan. I save their back issues – particularly the ones that contain articles on topics I really am interested in – but the stack keeps growing, and the clock never seems to offer any extra time to catch up! I don’t want to put the same burden on WDJ readers!
This issue contains articles by new contributors: Eileen Fatcheric, DVM, a veterinary writer, and Jennifer Berg, a certified professional dog trainer.
Dr. Fatcheric, a veterinarian and an avid agility competitor from Syracuse, New York, wrote two articles for us in her debut: one about gabapentin, a pain reliever that’s grown increasingly popular with veterinarians due to its effectiveness, low cost, and lack of side effects; and the second about cleaning your dog’s ears to prevent ear infections. We’re pleased to have Dr. Fatcheric’s clear and concise contributions.
Jennifer Berg’s dog-training business is located in Regina, Saskatchewan, and is called Oberhund. In addition to her group and private dog-training classes, Berg offers consultations on dog-park design. She’s working on an article for our next issue on how owners can reduce conflicts between dogs at dog parks to keep their dogs safe.
I took the photos that accompany Berg’s article in this issue about safely introducing dogs to paddlesports. Since my own two dogs already have a lot of experience in a canoe and on paddleboards, I needed a model. I considered using the 10-month-old mixed-breed dog I am fostering, but she has been with me for less than a week and has been through numerous changes recently (shelter, adoption, return, shelter, and now, my house for fostering). So, instead, I asked my friend Jessie, who owns one of my former foster puppies, 2-year-old Nova; they have modeled for me for other articles. All I can say is, thank goodness we followed all of Berg’s suggestions for introducing Nova to paddleboarding equipment on dry land. As it was, we had some surprises when we got to the water. See Berg’s article if you plan to paddle with your dog this spring or summer.
It’s a funny thing: No matter how badly I want to place a foster dog or foster puppy, no matter how much time and money and trouble they have caused me, the minute they leave to join a new household, the worrying starts.
For the past month, I’ve been fostering a goofy little mixed breed dog with giant ears. I called her Kiki, after the only repeated syllables I could call out loud that she would respond to (no response whatsoever to “Puppy! Baby! Beebee! Bobo! Mama! Taytay! Lala! etc. ). She has been a tiny pain in the butt: Adorable and friendly, housetrained and easy to train, but also a counter-surfer, prone to picking up eyeglasses and gardening gloves and carrying them off to far corners of the property, and of course, our biggest complaint, actually driving my “fun uncle” dog Woody crazy with her desire to play all day long. He’s up for playing some, but her style of play is very bitey/nippy, and his sensitive ears and jowls and lips and, most of all, his good humor, were showing some wear. I was taking a couple hours every day to take Kiki someplace for a super long run alongside my mountain bike, or an off-leash hike, and still, she was pestering the heck out of Woody. For his sake especially, and because it was taking so much of my time to run her every day, I really wanted to get Kiki placed ASAP!
Doesn’t Woody look a little tired?
Through the generous sharing of my “please help me find an adopter for this dog!” posts on Facebook, finally a perfect home appeared last Sunday: A woman who lives on five fully fenced acres in a rural area, is retired, and likes to both jog and ride mountain bikes. Any skepticism I had about a woman older than me riding mountain bikes was shot down when she drove through my gate in a big brand-new pickup truck with a bike rack mounted in the back. Yay! Her sister also lives on the property and has two dogs, so she brought the dogs along and we introduced the dogs, and it totally seemed like they were all going to be able to get along.
After the adopter filled out the adoption agreement from the shelter, I put Kiki in her truck and kissed her nose, fondled those magnificent ears one last time and, of course, burst into tears, waving the truck through the gate too choked up to shout a goodbye.
Kiki and the adopter’s sister’s Border Collie sleeping in the back seat on the way home
The adopter sent me a picture from the road: Kiki sleeping on the back seat of the truck with her sister’s same-age Border Collie. It was all going to be fine!
But then, I sent her a text about a tiny thing I forgot to tell her later that evening, and didn’t get a response. Not the end of the world, but a tiny worry started to grow.
The next morning – still no word. I have to say, I sort of expected another photo – Kiki running around her property, sleeping on her couch or bed, playing with the Border Collie… something! Over coffee, I fretted some more. What is the fencing on the adopter’s property like? Would she call me if Kiki got out and wouldn’t come back to her, or would she be too embarrassed to do so?
I sent the adopter a text: “If I promise not to be a pest, will you send me another pic today?”
No immediate response. Shoot! Come on!
I took her mountain-bike riding several times. She would trot and lope along for five miles, never leaving my back wheel. A terrific biking partner.
I’m only slightly ashamed to admit the next thing I did was pull up a Google Street View of the woman’s address and look at the fencing. It looked good – but oh! Gates! I wonder if Kiki hopped out of the truck when the adopter got out of the truck to open the gates! Shoot! She did that to me more than once (and once locked me out of my car, stepping on the armrest control panel, too). But that was right at my house, and she didn’t try to run away, she just ran into the yard. What would she do at a stranger’s gate, with a stranger calling her?
SHOOT – I should have warned her about how Kiki often tries to jump out of the car when I get out to open my driveway gates. I should have made sure she had a leash on her!
When another 30 minutes ticked by with no text, I escalated. “Alright, I have to admit I am fretting because I forgot to tell you that she would sometimes try to get out of the car behind me when I got out to open my gate. And I imagined her jumping out when you opened your gate. If she is lost, PLEASE don’t be embarrassed but let me know RIGHT AWAY so I can come help look for her! No judgment! I should have told you!”
That bowl, full of kibble and ready to be fed to Woody, was on the table above her. She jumped up and knocked it down with a huge CLANG! She showed absolutely no fear but dug into the chow. Kiki 1, Nancy 0 points for good management.
I know, I was sounding like a crazy person, right? By the time another hour ticked by, though, I was absolutely certain that’s exactly what happened. I was trying to figure out how I was going to get all my work done this week if I had to take all day Monday off, looking for Kiki in a strange town. . . . and then the text with a selfie of Kiki and her adopter arrived. “We’re good!” it said.
Instantly, my worry evaporated. “Okay!” I thought to myself. “She’s just a minimal texter! I won’t worry!”
But you know, I probably will.
I was discussing all this with a friend – someone who has gone on most of those Kiki-tiring hikes and bike rides with me – and she said, “Couldn’t you write up a contract that says the adopter has to send you a photo a day for a few weeks?” Ha! I could – but maybe I will just send them this blog post, instead.
But look: Many, many dogs escape from their new homes in the first week – especially ones like Kiki, who were once picked up as strays and spent time in a shelter. Kiki was also previously adopted twice and returned, and then spent a month with me! If she got loose, where might she try to go? It’s anyone’s guess! Adopters really have to make sure they keep ID on their new dogs at all times, and pay special attention to gates, doors, and even open car windows. Keep them leashed any time you leave the property until you have a great bond and a good recall – and check in with those former foster people!
** Postscript: As I was writing this, Kiki’s adopter sent me about five videos of Kiki playing with the Border Collie, and showing me around her acreage and home. It all looks terrific. I’ll sleep well tonight!
A nice, clean, healthy ear. The ear canal (is where you want to get all the cleaning fluid to go)
As a small-animal veterinarian, I see dogs for “check ears” appointments daily. Ear problems are common in dogs – the basic anatomy of the canine ear and certain breed characteristics are predisposing factors for ear infections – but fortunately, much can be done to overcome these factors and prevent infections.
Ear monitoring and maintenance is important for preventing infections. Ear infections are obviously uncomfortable for your dog. But the problem can get more serious than that. Left untreated, infections cause worsening pain and damage in the ear, including open sores, ulcers, swelling, and bleeding. Over time, this can become so severe that the ear canal becomes completely closed off by scar tissue. The closed-off ear will still be painful and infected – and now virtually impossible to treat. The only recourse in this end-stage situation is surgical ablation (removal) of the entire ear canal.
Untreated ear infections can also result in neurological disorders including head tilt, loss of hearing, balance problems, and facial nerve paralysis. Dogs who shake their heads in pain are prone to aural hematoma, where blood vessels in the pinna (ear flap) rupture from the force of the head-shaking and the pinna fills with blood. This painful complication typically requires surgical intervention or placement of a drainage tube for several weeks.
PROBLEMATIC EAR ANATOMY
The anatomy of the dog’s ear canal makes it the perfect place for bacterial infections to brew. It’s a warm, dark, closed-off space with minimal air flow – like an incubator. Add in a little natural ear wax as a culture medium and you have the perfect environment for microorganisms to grow and multiply.
Breeds with long and/or heavy ears, such as Cocker Spaniels, Springer Spaniels, and Bassett Hounds, have ideal bacterial incubators. Some breeds have a tendency to grow hair from deep in their ear canals, decreasing fresh air flow. Poodles, Schnauzers, and Shih Tzus are great examples of this. It is important in these breeds that the ear hair be gently plucked or extracted to open up the ear canal. Trimming this hair doesn’t help as it leaves the deeper canal still full of hair.
Dogs who are bathed frequently or love to swim can end up with excess moisture in the ear canal. This makes the environment even more inviting to unwelcome microorganisms.
Allergies are a common ailment in dogs. The hallmark of allergies in dogs is normal, healthy looking skin that seems to itch and becomes inflamed. Well, guess what? The ear canals are lined with skin! And allergic inflammation cranks up the heat in the microbial incubator!
There are currently many safe and effective ways to manage allergies in dogs. If your dog suffers from chronic ear infections be sure to ask your veterinarian about the possibility of underlying allergies. You’re probably not going to stop your dog’s recurrent ear infections until his allergies are controlled.
FREQUENT EAR EXAMS
The best way to ensure that your dog enjoys the benefits of clean, comfortable, healthy ears is to be observant and involved. Never ignore the ears.
After you fill your dog’s ear with cleanser, massage the base of his ears as seen here. This helps work the solution into the folds and crevices in the ears, loosening wax and debris.
If you are one of the lucky ones whose dog’s ear canals are always quiet, clean, comfortable, and odor-free, it may not be necessary to flush or cleanse them regularly. For dogs who have recurrent ear infections, I recommend preventative cleansing once a week, for the life of the dog. More often than that, unless directed by your veterinarian, can be irritating to the ear canal.
Cleaning your dog’s ears regularly will help you differentiate between a healthy ear and one tipping toward trouble. When your dog’s ear is normal, the cotton ball or cosmetic pad that you use to clean the ear will display just a hint of beige wax and have no odor. If an infection is brewing, the discharge will likely be heavier, have a different color, and may have a foul odor. These changes are your indication to seek veterinary attention.
If Infection is Suspected....
If you think your dog has an ear infection, make an appointment to see your veterinarian. She will look deep into the ear canals with an otoscope. This helps her assess the situation, rule out ear mites, and ensure the ear drums are intact. She may take a sample to view under the microscope so she knows exactly what types of microorganisms are involved, enabling her to choose the most appropriate treatment for your dog. Last, a nice deep cleaning will be performed before you head home to start treatment.
Treatment is usually topical in the form of drops or ointment. It is important that the medication gets where it needs to be – deep in the ear canal – so make sure you become familiar with exactly where the opening of the canal is.
This opening is where you need to direct the drops or ointment, then massage the base of the ear to facilitate distribution of the topical preparation. Oral medications like antibiotics, anti-fungals, or steroids may be prescribed for severe or difficult-to-resolve cases.
Most veterinarians will suggest a medical progress exam after two weeks of treatment. This is important, as the ears may look better from the outside and your dog may be more comfortable, but the infection may not be fully resolved. In my experience, what seem like chronic, recurring ear infections are quite likely the original infection flaring up again because it never completely resolved. Your veterinarian should confirm full resolution of infection at your followup exam.
CLEANING TIPS
To safely and effectively clean your dog’s ears at home, I recommend using a reputable, commercially prepared solution. My favorite product is Epi-Otic Advanced, by Virbac. I also like Phyto S cleanser by Covetrus.
Whatever you choose, just make sure the solution is solely a cleanser. Some preparations may have steroids or other medicine in them, which are not appropriate for routine cleansing of healthy ears. Ask your veterinarian for a cleanser recommendation.
It’s best to undertake the cleaning process outdoors or in a room with easy-to-clean walls, because the first step I recommend is filling your dog’s ear canals with cleanser – which you will allow them to shake out, splattering the fluid (and, potentially, ear wax) all over. To make the process less alarming to your dog, use a room-temperature solution.
It can be challenging, but the goal is to pour as much liquid into the ear as you can, while preventing your dog from immediately shaking it all out; having a helper that your dog knows and trusts will help with this. If you can restrain your dog from shaking until both ears are filled, he’ll enjoy the next part: Spend about 60 seconds massaging the base of the ears – thumbs on top, fingers squeezing from below.
Sixty seconds is a long time in this busy world, but I assure you it is an important aspect of the process. Most dogs enjoy this part, so it’s all good. Sixty seconds allows the solution time to loosen up any debris that has accumulated deep in the canal, cleanse the skin lining the ear canal, and generally freshen up the environment.
After 60 seconds of massaging, allow your dog to shake his head. This is a natural response to feeling all that liquid in there. The centrifugal force created by the head shaking brings everything from deep in the canal out, where you can safely and easily wipe it away with cotton balls or cotton cosmetic pads.
This protocol allows you to effectively clean all the way down to the ear drum, with no risk of rupturing it. Feel free to use Q-tips to clean the crevices and folds that you can see in the outermost part of the ear canal, but never let the tip of the Q-tip out of your sight.
Excess moisture in the ear canal makes the environment more inviting to unwelcome microorganisms. Keep your dog’s ears as dry as possible. Gently pack the ear canal with cotton before bathing, and flush the ears with a good commercial cleanser after swimming.
If you need a leash to keep your dog in your canoe or kayak or on your paddle board, she's not yet ready for safe paddling. Make sure she is capable of remaining calm and compliant with your cues in the face of the many distractions you may encounter on the water.
Paddlesports have been a popular trend for the past several years, in large part due to the convenience and lowered costs of inflatables, but since the pandemic hit in 2020, the interest has skyrocketed as people seek outdoor recreational activities they can do close to home. Being able to go kayaking with your dog along for a paddle, or on a paddle board makes it even more appealing.
Paddling with a dog on board may look easy, but whether your outing is a success or a debacle depends on how well you understand and prepare for the risks and challenges. Consider these seven tips to help you enjoy the water safely with your dog while kayaking, paddleboarding, and more.
1. Paddle within your abilities
Paddling a canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard can seem simple, and your excitement to get out onto the water with your furry friend could make you underestimate how difficult it can be. Weather and water conditions can quickly change, and you need to know what to do when things go wrong.
Make sure you have sufficient training and experience paddling your craft before you attempt it with a dog. Paddling with a dog on board will require more skill, strength, and stamina than paddling alone.
Depending on the size of your dog, you may have to expend a lot more energy to cope with added weight, wind resistance, sudden weight shifts, and helping your dog back onto the craft. Also, a dog can take your attention away from hazards or cause you to make unplanned stops along difficult shorelines.
2. Paddle within your dog’s abilities
What is the biggest challenge you face with your dog’s behaviors on a paddle craft? I posed this question in a social media group for people who paddle with dogs, and every response related to the dog being overstimulated by the environment or stressed by the experience. Their dogs were not able to relax and settle, and many had difficulty preventing their dogs from jumping into the water to swim, chase wildlife, or meet other paddlers nearby (and join them on their craft). Many dogs did not respond well to instructions, especially coming when called.
Don’t let your desire to bring along your dog interfere with your ability to accurately assess whether your dog will be a good passenger. A distracted dog can endanger himself, you, and others. Additionally, if you or your dog require rescue, these attempts may be hindered if your dog is fearful of, or aggressive toward, strangers.
You will need excellent verbal control of your dog in a high-distraction environment. Are you confident that your dog will be able perform a reliable recall in an environment that includes proximity to wildlife, a body of water, and objects that resemble toys (things floating in the water)? If you require a leash or other training/management tool to control your dog, then she’s not ready to come along on a paddle. (To prepare your dog, or test her preparation, try all the “Dry-Land Training” exercises.)
Is your dog physically capable of balancing on a boat or paddleboard? Your dog will require a fair amount of muscle strength and stamina to balance on the craft and get back on from the water. Water and weather conditions can put an additional strain on your dog.
Will your dog truly enjoy the experience and be able to settle? Stress – even “happy stress” – can make a dog more susceptible to dehydration, hypothermia, heat exhaustion/stroke, and shock, so you want to be skilled in reading your dog’s subtle stress signals to monitor your pet for early signs of distress and discomfort.
3. Learn first aid for dogs
The most obvious risk to your dog is drowning, so it is essential you know how to administer CPR and mouth-to-snout artificial respiration.
Perhaps less apparent but just as dangerous are the risks of dehydration, hypothermia, heat exhaustion/stroke, and shock, particularly for puppies, dogs who are elderly or in poor health, very small dogs, or brachycephalic breeds. You need to know what signs to watch for, how to provide emergency aid, and what not to do, such as cooling a dog too quickly.
4. Be aware of potential water hazards
Common water hazards include sharp debris along shorelines (shells, rocks, glass, fish hooks, etc.), contaminants (pollution, blue green algae), and large rocks, branches, or debris close to the surface. In some areas, the wildlife could be a danger to your dog, and some predators may try to snatch your dog out of the craft.A lesser-known but very real danger is water intoxication/salt water toxicity, especially if your dog likes to drink from bodies of water, bite at the water, or fetch in the water. Ingesting too much water is life-threatening, and the symptoms can be easily misdiagnosed or dismissed with deadly consequences to your dog.
5. Use a dog life jacket
Even if your dog is an excellent swimmer, a well-fitted dog life vest, appropriate for his weight, is essential for your dog’s safety as well your own – because a medium- to large-sized dog struggling to stay afloat can drown a person.
A life vest also provides some protection from the sun, rain, and cold, and it gives you something to grab onto if you need to help your dog back onto the craft. Many dog life vests have a handle on the top for this purpose. Be sure you spend time conditioning your dog to enjoy wearing the dog life vest before you try to use it on the water.
What you decide to bring with you on the craft depends on how long you plan to be out on the water and how far you will be from your vehicle. Be sure to pack the items in a good-quality dry bag. You should have with you a bottle of fresh water for your dog (and a container for your dog to drink from). It is unwise to let your dog drink from the body of water, and a bottle of clean water can also be used to flush debris from a wound.
A dry towel for your dog can also be very useful as protection from the sun or cold, and a wet towel can help in cooling your dog gently (e.g., when treating heat exhaustion/heat stroke).
There may be a high risk of paw-pad injuries from debris along the shore line, so it’s a good idea to bring some self-adhesive bandagefor rudimentary first-aid treatment until you can get your dog to the vet clinic. Dog booties might be an option for your dog, but ensure they do not interfere with your dog’s ability to balance or swim. You should also bring along emergency information such as the address and phone number of the nearest vet clinic and an emergency whistle, just in case.
For longer or more remote paddle trips, you will want to include more pet first-aid items such as (but not limited to):
• Small bottle of sterile saline solution to rinse debris from the eyes or a wound
• Extra bottle of clean water
• Disinfecting wipes
• Dog-safe antihistamine product for allergic reactions
• Peroxide to induce vomiting
• Emergency ration of your dog’s food in case you are stranded or delayed.
Here is our list of 12 items that are first aid kit essentials when traveling and doing activities with your dog.
7. Use a leash (but not on the water)
The shoreline may have sharp rocks, shells, broken glass, fishing hooks, etc., and using a leash to keep your dog near you until you board the craft can help reduce the chances of your dog injuring a paw. A leash may also be useful in emergency situations and unplanned stops, so be sure to bring it even if you don’t think your dog will need it.
Remove your dog’s leash once you are on the water, and safely stow it. A leash can become tangled in equipment and limbs (yours and the dog’s), and it can snag on objects if it drags in the water. Never tether your dog to the paddle craft, you, or any object because your dog could get tangled or dragged under the water and be unable to get loose. If your dog requires a leash to be well behaved on the water, then your dog is not ready yet to come along.
Preparation makes all the difference in the world when it comes to water-based activities with your dog. Practicing the skills that your dog will need on board your vessel (whether it’s a canoe, kayak, or paddleboard) on dry land can help ensure that your dog will enjoy the experience and comply with your instructions while on the water.
PHASE ONE: ENSURE A POSITIVE EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO THE EQUIPMENT
Introduce the paddle craft and related equipment in a low-distraction environment where your dog is very comfortable, such as your living room or backyard.
Merely setting up the paddle craft can make loud noises or knock over objects, so do this when your dog is not nearby to avoid creating a negative emotional response to the paddle craft. Place it on the floor or ground in such a way that it won’t wobble and then let your dog investigate it at his own pace. If your dog is cautious about approaching it, you may want to leave it out for a few days to let your dog habituate to it.
Avoid coaxing or luring a cautious dog near or onto the craft because this might cause the dog to be much closer to the scary thing than he wants to be. It can be helpful to place bits of low-value food around and near the equipment and then let your dog independently choose to approach on his own time.
When your dog consistently approaches the paddle craft in a relaxed, happy manner, you can start to train her to step onto it. Lure the behavior with a piece of food or free-shape it using a clicker or marker word. Remember to be generous with reinforcements at the early stages of teaching a new skill, and split the behavior into small steps that the dog finds very easy to do, for example, moving toward the craft, touching it, two paws on it, then fully onto the craft.
It can be helpful to provide your dog mini breaks every minute or two. A short break allows the nervous system to relax a bit and serves as a test to see if your dog wants to continue to train. Your dog might stop and scratch, disengage briefly to sniff around the room, or exhibit other displacement behaviors. If he does this, it could be an indication that it’s time to modify or end that training session. Resume the session only if your dog wants to continue and is under threshold.
Once your dog happily approaches and steps onto the craft without coaxing or luring, it’s time to try moving the craft slightly. Begin when your dog is off the craft and a distance away, to avoid startling her. Eventually you’ll let her be on the craft while you make it move slightly.
When conditioning a positive emotional response to the craft, it’s important to give your dog the choice to leave the craft at any time. If your dog doesn’t want to stay on or in it, make things easier for her and spend more time on each small step. It might mean that your training sessions have been too long, so be sure to end the practice before your dog begins to lose interest.
PHASE TWO: PRACTICE RELAXATION ON THE CRAFT
If your dog seems more amped up each subsequent training session, adapt the sessions to be less intense. For example, you may want to use lower-value treats, modify your voice and body to convey calm, and incorporate earlier or more frequent breaks.
It can also help if you pair the equipment with something the dog already feels relaxed about, such as massage or resting beside you while you read or watch a movie.
PHASE THREE: TEACH GOOD MANNERS AROUND THE CRAFT
When out on the water, your dog needs to be able to respond well to your verbal instructions, especially Come, Sit/Down (in a preferred place), Stay, Leave It, and On/Off the craft. Training these skills a few feet away from the paddle craft before attempting them while on or in the craft can make the training easier.
It’s imperative to avoid using coercion, corrections, or force while training, because this can create negative associations that could contribute to a fear or dislike of the paddling experience (and the subsequent behavior problems that come along with those negative emotions).
PHASE FOUR: ADD DISTRACTIONS AND BUILD DURATION
Make sure your dog understands and will still respond to the “sit” cue while wearing a life vest – and while sitting on or in a paddle craft while you are holding a paddle.
The remaining steps for dryland training involve gradually adding distractions and duration to simulate what the dog will experience on the water. Each of these elements should be practiced separately before combining them:
• You in or on the craft in various positions
• You holding a paddle and mimicking paddling
• You moving the paddle craft slightly, then with greater intensity
• Toys placed nearby and then rolled past the craft
• Increased duration of skills and distractions
After mastering the dryland training at home, take your craft to a park and later to the shoreline. Keep in mind that when you change the environment, your dog might need to start some of the skills back at a beginning level.
A normal metric would say no to the idea of a baby and four large dogs. But for the author's family, it was perfect. The key is how interested the adults are in making the situation work.
“As soon as Sam is the right age, we’re going to get a dog,” my friend said. According to her research, 5 years old is the magic number. Is five the best age for kids to get a dog? The problem with that enticingly simple rule is that there are plenty of 5-year-olds who are nowhere near ready to share a household safely with a dog – and plenty of 2-year-olds who are. Further, there are teenagers who can either be an incredible asset or a dangerous weak link.
The actual key to successful dog ownership is whether the adults in the household are ready to manage the situation. If they are, then almost any dog/child combination can work. Is the timing right for your family? Here are the five questions to ask yourself:
1. Is at least one adult in the household truly excited about owning a dog? If you’re doing it simply “for the kids,” don’t. For busy parents who didn’t really want a dog in the first place, the relentless nature of canine care quickly becomes overwhelming.
2 Is the dog lover in the family the one who is home and available most? If the canine enthusiast works 70 hours a week but promises to handle the dog care, this is not the time to get a dog. Even very smart dogs cannot be trained to throw up on the rug only when Daddy is home.
3. Who will train the dog? The dog/children combination is deeply rewarding when the dogs are nicely integrated into the household through good management and training – and virtually impossible to cope with when they are not. Will you be able to find the focus and energy necessary to teach a dog the behavior that is crucial to parental sanity and child safety? Will you be ready to problem-solve – “He tore apart Fluffy the bear!” – thinking through solutions incorporating exercise, training, gates for dog-free zones, strategic storage of enticing items, etc.?
4. Who will train the kids?No matter how much you work with a dog, if she is exposed to kids who put pencils in her ears, she will learn to defend herself. You won’t be okay with the result. Training your children – and their friends – how to play kindly and safely with dogs is imperative. Can you commit to that careful oversight?
5. How do you feel about chaos? I know you’re picturing a sleepy puppy snuggling in your child’s lap. Here’s a more helpful visualization exercise: The playdate mommy is on your porch, horrified because she’s just stepped in some poop. You can’t hear her over your sobbing toddler, whose Pop-Tart was stolen by your puppy. As you stand in the doorway apologizing, the puppy slips out, runs through the mud, and jumps up on the playdate mommy’s daughter, who is (was) wearing a lovely dress.
Now I ask you: Are you ready for a dog?
Dogs always bring a certain measure of unpredictable chaos to a home. For our family, that’s been welcome. It’s been a 25-year tapestry of funny, warm chaos. Knowing we can’t have a pristine white couch has been the doorway to a more relaxed lifestyle. The acceptance that a shoe may get chewed has been a reminder not to value possessions too highly. Having animals in our house has taught lessons in rolling with the punches and laughing at mishaps. Not a bad curriculum for your kids, right?
The key is that the adults in the household have to embrace that outlook. So, it comes down to whether the parents are ready for a dog. Are you ready to handle that inevitable muddy-Pop-Tart-disaster of a morning with a little quick action, a lot of laughter, and then some problem-solving? If so – you’re the right age for a dog!
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.
