The PupSaver works much like a rear-facing car-safety seat for infants, but instead of the back of the seat being a (padded) hard shell, it's full of polyurethane foam that's been sewn into thick bundles. In case of a collision, the dog would be caught like a baseball in a great big catcher's mitt, cushioned between the padded back of the PupSaver and the back of the vehicle's seat. Our test dog Samson weighs 5 lbs and wears the XXS Petite harness.
As we described in our review of car-safety harnesses in the May 2021 issue, even the best products on the market for medium and larger dogs are limited in the amount of comfort and safety they provide – and none of them can accommodate dogs smaller than 11 lbs. Happily, there is a very safe and comfortable car-safety product available for small dogs (those 45 lbs and less): the PupSaver.
The dog is held in place in the middle of the padded seat by a strap that clips to a ring on the front/bottom of the harness – lower than a front-clip walking harness, but not quite between the dog’s front legs. The combination of the harness and the strap provide only part of the protection, however; the shape and padding of the PupSaver, assisted by the shoulder belt, help catch and contain the dog if he’s been thrown by the force of a collision.
For the best way to understand how the seat works, see the crash-test videos on the PupSaver website (pupsaver.com). The website also has links to several videos that show you how to install the seat. We didn’t find the installation to be difficult, but a friend found it more daunting and reported that the video made all the difference.
Like infant safety seats, the PupSaver provides the highest degree of safety when installed in the back seat of a car. Though the car’s seat belts are used whether it is installed in the front or back seat, the PupSaver’s metal j-hooks can be used to additionally secure it with the car’s LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) system in the back seat.
ISSUES OR NON-ISSUES
The owner of our tiny test dog, Samson, anticipated that he would feel constrained by his inability to see over the curved, padded back of the PupSaver, particularly when it was installed in the car’s back seat. In reality, Samson relaxed into the cushioned seat without a fuss. That turned out to be a non-issue, particularly because he could still stand up and see out the side window.
As a mother and grandmother with extensive infant- and toddler-car-seat experience, I was concerned about installing the PupSaver in the front seat; rear-facing infant car seats are never supposed to be installed where an airbag could smash into and displace them, injuring the baby in the seat. But because the PupSaver is soft, not rigid, if an airbag went off, at most it would push the cushioned PupSaver and dog into the car’s seat back. In fact, a number of testimonials on the PupSaver website describe accidents where all the car’ airbags deployed and the dogs were unharmed.
PRICING AND SIZES
The PupSaver seat comes in three sizes: PupSaver Petite (for dogs who weigh 10 lbs or less); PupSaver (for dogs 10 to 30 lbs); and PupSaver 45 (for dogs 35 to 45 pounds). The price varies by size and type of fabric used for the cover, but ranges from $150 to $180.
The PupSaver compatible harnesses are sold separately for $30. They are available in four sizes, ranging from XXS Petite (for dogs who are 5 to 6 lbs) to Medium (for dogs who weigh 30 to 45 lbs).
Does this seem expensive to you? It did to us, too – until we tested the product for the past six months and saw how easy it was to install and use, how much our test dog liked it, and how well it worked. When you add in that fact that small dogs usually live longer than larger dogs (and so you could amortize its cost over a longer time), it seems like a great investment to us.
Widely recognized as useful for treatment of gastrointestinal issues, ongoing research shows probiotics for dogs have the potential to improve overall health and well being. Photo: Kosamtu/Getty Images
If your dog has ever suffered from diarrhea, probiotics have probably been suggested to you by a friend, coworker or your veterinarian. Widely recognized as useful for treatment of gastrointestinal issues, ongoing research shows probiotics have the potential to improve overall health and well being.
The live bacteria in the probiotic adhere to the GI-tract lining, limiting the ability of pathogenic (“bad”) bacteria to adhere and cause disease. The probiotic’s bacteria compete with the pathogenic bacteria for nutrients, again limiting the bad bacteria’s ability to thrive and multiply. Probiotics are thought to improve the integrity of the intestinal barrier, which is what keeps potentially harmful ingested substances from being absorbed.
The GI tract is home to 70% of cells involved in the immune system. These cells are called gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). Probiotics secrete substances that enhance GALT’s ability to modulate immunity. Probiotics ferment nutrients found in fiber and non-absorbable carbohydrates into substances called short-chain fatty acids, which have powerful anti-inflammatory benefits and are a rich source of nutrition for the intestinal epithelium (lining).
Potential uses for probiotics:
Diarrhea – Probiotics are usually added to other specific prescribed treatments depending on cause.
Antibiotics – While on antibiotics for infection, probiotics may prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Allergic dermatitis (atopy) – The immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory effects from probiotics can help control atopy.
Dental disease – Probiotics potentially minimize pathogenic gingival bacteria that produce plaque.
Chronic kidney disease – Azodyl, a probiotic/prebiotic combo, made by Vetoquinol, purportedly lessens the buildup of uremic toxins that makes dogs with chronic kidney disease feel sick.
Recurrent urinary tract infections –The numbers of pathogenic bacteria in the vagina and perivulvar area that predispose female dogs to recurrent UTIs may be reduced by the use of probiotics.
Anxiety — Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplement Calming Care contains one strain of probiotic bacteria, called BL999, that has been shown to have an anxiolytic effect on anxious dogs.
Arthritis – Probiotics have known anti-inflammatory benefits.
Which probiotic to choose?
Because probiotics are considered “nutraceuticals,” not pharmaceuticals, products on shelves are not subject to heavy regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. This means, unfortunately, a marketed product may or may not contain what it says it contains. Choosing a probiotic from a reputable company helps eliminate this concern. Talk with your veterinarian or choose a product that is a member of the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC.org), which verifies its member companies’ products.
Whatever you choose, the package should state “guaranteed analysis” above the ingredient list. The ingredient list should include multiple strains of bacteria with names like Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus. The numbers of organisms should be stated. They are counted in colony forming units or CFUs. While the ideal dose for probiotics is not yet known, veterinary recommendations are that each capsule/daily dose should contain at least 5 billion CFUs. Because they are providing living organisms, there should be an expiration date on the package. If there is no expiration date, the viability of the organisms in the product is suspect.
Probiotics are supplements with the potential to improve your dog’s health and well-being in numerous ways. They do not replace the need to see your veterinarian for appropriate diagnosis and treatment of illness. A big key to success with probiotics is choosing a good-quality product, with adequate numbers and multiple strains of bacteria, from a reputable company. As always, the best recommendations for you and your dog come from your veterinarian.
Allow the dog to sniff the harness and reward him generously when he smells or touches it on his own.
So, that brand new dog car harness came just in time, eh? The night before you head out on a big road trip?
Uh-oh.
I bet you were anticipating feeling less stress in the car because you’re so focused on the fact that your dog will now be safer. Alas, you may find that this is the most disastrous trip ever because your howling wild child is thrashing around in distress!
Oops. It turns out that the ideal time to get any new car restraint equipment is a month before the trip, not the night before.
When you think about it, it’s obvious that there is no reason to assume your dog will be hunky dory with suddenly being strapped into a new device that constricts her movement and feels a bit uncomfortable. Sure, maybe your little genius will understand when you say, “Sweetie, this is to make you safe! It’s because I love you!” and immediately relax in the glow of that idea. More likely, though . . . she’ll be confused about what’s happening, she’ll hate it, and she’ll make her displeasure known in ways that will possibly even make you less safe as you drive!
So. Build in some time. The key to gaining your dog’s buy-in is to take it at your dog’s pace, and sweeten the deal by pairing the new containment plan with something the dog loves — likely in the edible category. Here’s how to get your dog to wear a car harness:
Start with a sniff in your home. Whatever device you’re using, start getting your pup used to the idea of it in your home. Maybe that means while you’re watching TV, you bring over that new harness or crate. There’s a sniff, and a treat. Repeat. Repeat. Create a positive link.
Now add restriction, still in your home. Once pup is happy about the sight/smell of the new device, go a step further: go ahead and pop that harness on — time for cheese! ham! — and then take it right off. Repeat. Repeat. Keep going until the dog stares at that harness, mentally willing you to start that fun new game by putting it on.
Build in duration. Once your dog is mellow about putting the harness, make that feeling last a bit longer. Let her walk around in the harness and give her a bully stick to enjoy at the same time. Repeat a few nights in a row.
Hit the driveway! If pup is fully comfortable with the new equipment, it’s time to try it out in the driveway. Load up with, say, dried fish or turkey, and take pup out to the car. Pop that harness on – treat! – and then take it off. Repeat. Repeat. That’s it for today. Then do it all again the next day.
Try a super short drive with a big finish. Now pup is happy to pop up into the car and get into that harness or that crate, it’s time for a little drive. Ideal scenario: a three-minute drive to your dog’s BFF’s house. Any brief moment of concern in the new equipment is quickly rewarded by the best real-life reward in the arsenal: fun playdate. Repeat. Repeat.
There you go. Your pup now has happy associations of driving while restrained in the car. You didn’t rush it, and create a negative association with that brand new equipment. Instead, because you invested the time, that new stuff signals yummy treats and adventure. You’re ready to hit the road!
Read Next: Wondering Which Dog Car Harness To Buy? Read Our Review
This is the first time Woody ever met a horse. He was only about 10 months old in this photo. He started woofing and growling when he first spotted her from a distance; he was scared! With gentle encouragement, he made his way to the fence. The mare was curious and gentle, and she stood still and gently sniffed and blew her breath at him. Woody got closer and closer, though he was ready to flee at any moment. He finally licked her face and then backed away.
A reader commented on my most recent blog post (about my dog, Woody, coming face-to-face with the first rattlesnake we’ve seen this year). I mentioned that, in general, neither of my dogs is particularly predatory, and the reader asked how I knew that. It’s a good question!
Predatory behavior is natural and normal for dogs, and there are a number of ways it may be expressed. ALL dogs will exhibit some type and amount of predatory behavior but the type and intensity of the behavior that any given dog will express in different situations will depend on a number of factors, breed and the dog’s past experiences chief among them.
When dogs hunt for food, they may use a full “predatory sequence” of behaviors including (progressively, from spotting a prey animal to consuming it): eye (focusing eyesight on the animal); orient (moving toward the prey); stalk; chase; grab/bite; kill/bite; dissect; consume.
Humans have bred dogs in order to take advantage of certain aspects of this sequence. Herding breeds were developed to use the eye, orient, stalk, and chase phases of the predatory sequence – and to specifically exclude dogs who were predisposed to killing animals. Interestingly, some herding breeds who are used predominantly for working sheep (such as the Border Collie) have been developed to stop short of the grab/bite phase or the sequence, whereas breeds who are used predominantly for working cattle on the open range have been developed with more of a willingness to bite – but, of course, again without the temptation to go further than using a bite to convince stubborn or feisty cattle to turn and go where they are being directed. It’s amazing that by using individuals with these behavioral tendencies in a breeding program, the behavior of the majority of the progeny can be predicted along such a very fine slice.
Dogs who are used for hunting, whether for rats and other small vermin (such as many terrier breeds), birds (Labradors, setters, pointers, spaniels) or for lions (such as the Rhodesian Ridgeback), all have been developed by humans to display certain aspects of the predatory sequence.
According to his mixed-breed DNA-test results, Woody is about a third to a half Labrador. I feel that this inheritance accounts for a lot of his behavior. He is a fetching fool; if allowed to do so, he will fetch until he passes out. And when Woody is faced with an animal of a new species (or a new individual of a familiar species, such as chickens or horses) in a structured environment (on-leash, for example), he is friendly and curious. His tail wags and his eyes and body are soft. He doesn’t stiffen and gaze intently at the animal, or try to pull or lunge toward it; he acts a lot like he’s meeting a new person that he thinks he might like. His attention isn’t focused, laser-like, on the animal, but soft and wiggly.
There are a few exceptions, all of which arise in uncontrolled circumstances. If he’s in the yard, and there is a squirrel or a strange cat within view, he will chase it. I think most dogs will do this, more from the fun of the chase than a desire to kill, although, of course, we can’t know what’s in a dog’s brain. If we’re walking off-leash somewhere, and he spots a jackrabbit or a deer – both of which he’s chased a couple of times without heeding my cues for “OFF!” or “HERE!” – he absolutely will at least start to run after them. He’s gotten way better about resisting that temptation, though the success of my recall and cue to “leave it” will depend on how far we’ve already hiked (if he’s already tired, he’s less likely to give chase), whether it’s super hot outside (if it’s blazing hot, he is less likely to give chase), and how close he was to the animal when he spotted it (if it was super close, it’s going to be very tempting to chase).
However, if he were to meet a cat or tame rabbit, squirrel, or deer when he’s on a leash, I know for a fact that he’d be friendly. His desire to chase is all about the fun of the chase.
Here’s a better indication that he’s not very predatory. He once dug up a vole (a mole-like creature) on our property; he LOVES to dig up their tunnels, although it’s clear from this incident that he has no clue WHY he’s digging or WHAT he’s digging for. He is highly attracted to the smell of the animals in the tunnels underground, and will deeply huff the hole and then dig furiously. One day, as I was walking around my property doing various chores, I saw him out in my field digging. A minute later, I looked again and saw him do the same sort of behavior I recently witnessed with the snake: He looked down at his feet, and then slowly swiveled his head and looked deliberately at me, and then slowly looked down again. The look was, “Mom, I’ve got something…but I don’t know what!”
Afraid it was a snake, I ran over to him, yelling “Off!” He obediently took a step backward as I ran toward him – and as I arrived I could see a stunned-looking little vole, laying on its back, with its feet still moving. I think he actually dug it out of the ground with his furious digging; I don’t think he had grabbed it, because it wasn’t wet or bitten. He was plainly mystified by its very presence – strongly drawn to it, but not sure what to do.
I’ll tell you who was certain what to do: my senior dog, Otto, who arrived on the scene a few seconds after I did. Otto took one look at the vole on the ground and immediately grabbed it and shook it. Boom: dead vole. And was he ever proud! “Ha!” he seemed to say. “That’s what you do with that, ya idiot.” Both Woody and I were shocked!
Some months later, I saw that same “Mom, this is weird! Come look!” expression on Woody’s face. When I went to investigate, I found him standing over what I think is a dead baby gopher. Since my property is PLAGUED by these voles and gophers, I celebrated this development at the time, but this was actually the last recorded death of a rodent here. And, to tell you the truth, I don’t know that Woody even was the one who killed it; it didn’t have a wound on it, and it was completely wet and covered with saliva, like he had been licking it. For all I know, he dug up a baby, licked it incessantly, and then it died of exposure from being wet and cold!
Different animals may provoke a different predatory response. Otto came from a shelter with a “rap sheet” of having killed someone’s chickens as a stray adolescent dog, but I was very easily able to dissuade him from his interest in my own chickens, with some simple lessons in “Leave it.” (You can see both his interest, and his willingness to “leave it” in this video I took a couple years ago, when my current chickens were new baby chicks. Look at Woody’s response, as a contrast. His interest seemed very maternal. He wanted to clean the baby chickens’ tiny butts! “But Mom! They need a mother!”)
But even though Otto seemed to know without any hesitation whatsoever how to kill a little rodent, and, indeed, had the strong instinct to do so, he’s never shown the slightest impulse to chase after or grab lizards or snakes. And some dogs definitely do! I have one friend whose dog had, over her lifetime, grabbed and dispatched at least three garter snakes (to her owner’s dismay; garter snakes are both harmless to dogs and a great asset in killing moles, gophers, and voles who destroy home gardens). Perhaps these are behaviors that are also learned, because my friend’s other dog, who came along when snake-killing dog was about four years old, would go nuts if she saw a lizard. If a lizard ran under a planter box or into the crevices of a rock wall, woe to the planter box or rock wall; she would tear them apart trying to get at the lizard.
Over the years, I have witnessed Otto’s lack of interest in the snakes we’ve seen on the trail, but the best evidence of this was when, years ago, I used him as a model for an article we did about snake avoidance training for dogs, and I used a friend’s pet snake as a co-model. The problem on that shoot was trying to get Otto to look at all interested in the snake (so that we could show how to teach him to “leave it” alone). His response ranged from “So what?” to “Can I go now?” He wasn’t afraid or interested. It was like trying to get him to work with rocks.
Though we hoped that Otto would look interested in the snake, for the sake of illustrating an article about teaching a dog to leave snakes alone, he couldn’t care less about the snake. We had to toss treats sort of near the snake to get him to look even mildly interested. If you look carefully, you can see he’s not looking at the snake, he’s looking for the treat we tossed near the snake.
In contrast, when, in each of the three instances he’s seen a rattlesnake on the trail, Woody has given me that same, “Mom? What’s this?” sort of look, and has moved away from the snake either by himself, or easily in response to my “Off!” cue. So I’m not terribly worried when walking either of my dogs off-leash in snake country, although I stay very alert at this time of year and scrupulously watch their reactions to everything they see. In the winter, I can space out a little while we walk; not so at snake times and in snake places.
Here's how to tell if your dog has the hiccups. Photo: iStock / Getty Images Plus/ Iryna Kazlova
Have you ever seen your dog’s body jerk with what appeared to be a hiccup? Yes, dogs can get hiccups. A hiccup is described in medical terms as a myoclonus of the diaphragm. A myoclonus is a sudden shock like contraction of a muscle. The diaphragm is the internal muscle between the chest and abdomen.
What Do Dog Hiccups Sound Like?
Hiccups in dogs look very similar to hiccups in people. There’s a quick jerk or jump of the chest that appears to be involuntary. This is usually repeated several times in a rhythmic pattern. It may be silent, or there may be an audible grunt, squeak or puff of air associated with the hiccup. It has been described as the sound of a drop of water from a leaking faucet. The dog usually appears unperturbed.
Dog hiccups are a are a rite of passage for puppies. Photo: iStock / Getty Images Plus/ monicadoallo
Why Do Dogs Get Hiccups?
Hiccups, in and of themselves, are a benign phenomenon. They are a rite of passage for puppies, one of those super cute things that they outgrow…like puppy breath. Enjoy both while they last!
Are They Ever Something To Worry About?
Adult dogs can also get hiccups, but they are way less common, and possibly less benign. The question becomes, is there something new that is irritating one of the nerves involved in the hiccup pathway. These include the phrenic nerve which passes over the heart, the vagus nerve (which travels up the side of the neck), the cervical spinal cord, and the brainstem.
The medical workup for persistent hiccups in an adult dog starts with a physical exam. Initial diagnostic tests generally include x-rays of the chest and abdomen and baseline blood work. Your veterinarian is looking for things like tumors, heart enlargement, stomach issues, hiatal hernia (an abnormality of the diaphragm), and electrolyte derangements in the blood.
Sometimes gastrointestinal diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and reflux esophagitis can trigger hiccups. If your dog shows any signs associated with these diseases, treatment specific to the underlying disorder should resolve the hiccups as well.
How To Stop Your Dog’s Hiccups
If your hiccuping dog gets a clean bill of health from your veterinarian, there are a few tricks you can try to stop hiccups. Smaller meals more frequently throughout the day, as opposed to fewer, larger meals may help. Distention of the stomach is thought to perhaps tickle the diaphragmatic nerves. Sometimes putting a little sugar on the back of the tongue works. And finally, a finger touch to the back of the throat, similar to what you might do when “pilling” a dog, will sometimes stop hiccups. If all else fails, ask your veterinarian about gabapentin, a neuropathic pain medication which has been used successfully for hiccups in humans.
We didn't see a snake on this walk, which took place earlier in the spring. I didn't take photos of the snake; I was too busy calling Woody back to me and giving him his delicious jackpot.
I have relatives visiting from out of state, and after a two-day drive to get here, they want to stretch their legs on a hike. Since I am not sure how long they will be game to walk, I leave elderly Otto at home, and bring only 5-year-old Woody along with us.
We were maybe 100 yards up the trail, with Woody off-leash ahead of us by about 20 feet, when he stopped, looked at something on the ground in front of him, and looked back at me. I glanced down at whatever he was looking at and – “Woody! Off! Here!” He calmly and immediately stepped back away from the snake and trotted back to me for a jackpot of treats. “YES! What a good boy!”
We were close enough to see three or four “buttons” on the snake’s tail, but the snake never rattled them in alarm. Woody’s calm behavior didn’t upset the snake, and she did what rattlesnakes prefer to do when faced with humans or dogs: She slithered quietly off the trail and into the tall grass, out of sight.
We practice the “Off!” (a.k.a. “Leave it!”) behavior on every walk, and that event was exactly why. I want my dogs’ response to “Off!” to be instantaneous and calm. I want them to have every expectation that when they immediately turn away from whatever they were looking at or smelling when I gave the cue, and return promptly to me, that they will for sure get a treat – and just might get a jackpot. (That’s when they get a handful of treats, delivered one after another. A dog can eat a handful of small treats in about two seconds, but by delivering them one after another after another after another, it drags out the handful into a good 15 or 20 seconds of sustained nomming. It’s way more special than a handful given at once. It takes advantage of the same principle behind the programming of slot machines to let coin jackpots trickle out a bit at a time, instead of dumping all the coins into the tray at once: It seems like more!)
I think this training is essential for every dog who is walked off leash. But I know that I’m lucky; neither of my dogs is particularly predatory. If they were, I couldn’t ever let them walk off-leash in our neck of the woods from May through October, because instead of looking back at me with that, “Hey Mom? What’s this?” expression, I know that some dogs would just dive in and try to grab it, with potentially disastrous results. There are too many snakes around here to walk with a predatory dog off-leash. But even with my non-predatory dogs, the snake on the trail is exactly why we practice and practice some more.
For lots of information about rattlesnakes, their bites, preventing and treating snake bites, and training your dog to leave snakes (and other things) alone, please see all the following:
The other day, I happened to go into a pet supply store that I had never been in before, and was looking at their collection of leashes, toys, treat bags, and, of course, food, when I overheard a conversation between a couple who were in the store with their new puppy. I had crossed paths with them several times, and had smiled at and ogled the puppy each time, but they both had frowns on and were looking only at the products as they walked up and down the food aisles. Finally, they flagged down a store employee. Throwing up her hands, the woman said, “You don’t sell the food that breeder told us to get! We don’t know what to get! It’s too much!”
Unfortunately, I had to go; as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t stay to hear what the store clerk told the couple.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. If you knew nothing – how would you know what to buy, where to start?
Pet supply store or veterinary clinic employees: I’d love to hear from you. How do you advise people who are looking for food and don’t know what to buy?
Dog owners: How did you choose what you feed?
I’ll go first:
I feed my dogs dry foods from three different companies, mostly. I tend to buy similar formulas – a chicken-based, “all life stages” food – from each of the three companies that I am familiar with and feel good about, and I usually switch which company’s product I buy with every single bag. Why chicken? I am not a huge fan of beef or lamb, as dog foods made with these tend to be lower in protein and higher in ash than high-quality chicken-based foods. And I don’t like the smell of fish-based foods – but more importantly, fish-based foods tend to be volatile (they go rancid quickly, especially at our summer temperatures, even indoors).
Dry food is not all they eat, though. I don’t make a big point of it, but if there are healthy leftovers from the family table that I feel like they would enjoy, they get those.
Also, if a dog food company sends me samples of something new, I often feed that to my dogs, whether it’s a canned, frozen, or dehydrated diet. I’m curious to see what different products look and smell like, how the dogs like it (how palatable it is) and how it comes out the other end (how digestible it is).
Neither Otto nor Woody is sensitive to any particular food ingredient, and neither seems to have digestive trouble if there is a spike or a dip in the amount of fat or protein they get. I’m lucky! Nevertheless, I go with the three main foods I feed because they are all in the same approximate ballpark in terms of protein and fat levels. One food has 25% protein and14% fat; the next has 23% protein and 13% fat, and the last has 26% protein and 15% fat. These levels seem to maintain my dogs at a healthy weight, coat, and energy level with a reasonably sized portion.
So, that’s us. I’ll repeat the question:
How did you choose what you feed your dogs? If you advise others about diet, what do you ask them about their dogs? How would you recommend that other people choose their dogs’ foods?
Pam and Dean's dogs are a little lost without Dean. They are making up for it by staying close to Pam.
Just a super-short post today: My family is mourning the sudden loss of my sister’s husband, Dean. Yes, this is the family with three noisy little dogs, who have been Otto’s go-to dog-sitters since they moved to my town about five years ago. Otto loved and is going to miss his time on the sofa with Dean, enjoying hours of TV-watching and distracted petting.
Our hearts break for Dean’s loss, but our grief is nothing compared to my sister’s. She and Dean were a match, 28 years married (no kids) and still passionate about each other.
While all three of her dogs are barky and I find two of them to be whiny and neurotic, always clinging to my sister’s skirts, at the moment, I am just so thankful for their clinginess. She needs all the love (and even the distraction of barking) that they have to offer right now. She reports that they are all very lost, looking for their Dad, and in their confusion, are spending all their time underfoot or, when in bed, under the covers with her. She can’t even roll over without moving their little bodies first; they all want to be touching her right now.
I never anticipated saying this, but at the moment I am grateful that they are so demanding. They BARK when they want food and BARK for play and BARK to go for a walk. These demands will help my sister get out of bed and get outside. I hope she will eat when she feeds them. That’s enough to expect for now.
I spent days at the hospital with Dean and was with him when he passed. When I got home, I needed (and a week later, continue to need) to spend long moments with my face buried in Otto’s grass-scented, scruffy mane, feeling his tail gently wagging. And when yet another kind comment on Dean’s death announcement online makes me start crying again, Woody always seems to notice and gets up to shove his nose under my elbow, insistent with concern.
I don’t know what any of us would do without dog love.
We don't know why the nutritional adequacy statements on the labels of dog foods are always so tiny; it's ridiculous that some of the most important on the label is printed so small. Every owner should know which nutritional adequacy statement appears on the label of the food they buy for their dogs or puppies.
If there is one thing that everyone knows, it’s that you have to start out puppies on puppy food. And then at some point later, maybe when the pup is a year old, you can switch him over to adult food. Right?
Well, no. There’s a bit more to it than that.
Let’s get the easy part sorted out first. Generally speaking, a dog is considered an adult when they reach full size, on average around 1 year of age. Small-breed dogs mature faster and can be considered an adult around 9 to 10 months of age. Large breed dogs mature more slowly; it may take them until 18 months or more to stop growing.
PUPPIES HAVE GREATER NEEDS
Growing puppies have greater nutritional needs than adult dogs. They require more calories per pound of body weight than adults – and they need a diet that contains a higher percentage of fat and protein (including higher amounts of many specific amino acids that contribute to the food’s total protein) than adult dogs. Their needs for calcium, phosphorus, and several other minerals are also higher than the amounts needed by adult dogs.
The legal minimum (and a few maximum) values for the nutrient requirements of puppies and adult dogs are enumerated in tables (called “nutrient profiles”) established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). One column lists the nutrient levels required for the “maintenance” of adult dogs; these are called the “adult maintenance” nutrient profiles. Another column lists the nutrient levels that meet the needs of breeding animals, pregnant or nursing females, and growing puppies. These are called the “growth and reproduction” nutrient profiles.
The phrase “puppy food” isn’t the guarantee of a product’s nutritional adequacy. Rather, it’s the “AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement” that indicates whether the food meets the legal requirements of a “complete and balanced diet” for puppies. If it does, the statement will either say the food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles “for growth” or “for all life stages.” AAFCO now requires that foods also specify whether they are appropriate for large-breed puppies with a statement that uses either “including” or “except for” the growth of large size dogs (70 lbs. or more as an adult).
“ALL” INCLUDES PUPPIES
Remember, there are only two Nutrient Profiles: one for “growth and reproduction” and one for “adult maintenance” (sometimes called just “maintenance”). So what’s this about “all life stages”?
“All life stages” includes growth and reproduction; a food that is so labeled must meet the requirements for puppies. Whether you feed a product that is formulated for “growth” or for “dogs of all life stages” – which, again, is the same thing – you could feed that product from weaning through your dog’s senior years. “Puppy food” may be manufactured with a smaller kibble size, but, nutritionally, it can be fed to a dog of any life stage.
ADULTS ONLY
The Adult Maintenance Nutrient Profiles have lower minimum values for protein and fat, so they usually contain less protein and fat. Protein and fat are the most expensive ingredients in a food, so if the manufacturer can put less of them in a product, they usually do. Less fat also means fewer calories.
You may want to consider switching your dog to a “maintenance” food if he’s both (1) fully grown and (2) overweight or gaining unneeded weight on the same amount of food you’ve always fed. Or, keep feeding an “all life stages” food, and just feed less of it!
Dog parks can be a great place to allow your dog to run, play, socialize with other dogs, and burn off excess energy - but they can also trigger fights, bites, and bad behavior. Photo by Hannah Steinke
Dog parks have never been more popular. They can be good opportunities for your dog to expend excess energy and have fun with other dogs. Unfortunately, as their use increases, so does the concern about dog fights. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do that will dramatically reduce the chances of your dog getting into a serious altercation.
1. Ensure the park has enough space.
Some dogs need a generous amount of space, especially in the context of a dog park where high-intensity play is common and group dynamics are constantly changing as new dogs arrive and others leave. Don’t go to the park when it’s busy – and be prepared to leave early if it starts to get crowded. Avoid congested areas and give more space to dogs who seem stressed or highly aroused, dogs who are playing roughly, and dogs playing with toys.
2. Observe and assess the park conditions.
It’s important to understand that your dog may be at risk merely by being a bystander, so don’t hesitate to change your plan when you get there. It may be disappointing and frustrating if you don’t go in or have to leave early because of other park users, but at least your dog will come home with both ears.
It’s impossible to predict or control the behaviors of other park users – whether they have two legs or four – but you can watch for some indicators to help determine the risk of a dog conflict occurring. Lots of dog poop on the ground can indicate that the park has many users who do not follow rules or are lax in supervising their dogs. Caregivers who are sitting or standing around chatting or using cell phones are likely to be less effective at supervising and intervening before a fight happens.
Before you enter the park, observe the dogs that are there. Dogs who are comfortable have loose and wiggly bodies. Generally speaking, dogs who are uncomfortable either look stiff, perhaps with tails held very high and hackles raised, or look hunched and lowered, with tails tucked (beyond what is typical of the breed). Avoid dogs who relentlessly follow, chase, or hump other dogs despite the other dogs’ attempts to move away.
Other red flags to watch for include dogs excessively chasing or roughhousing, dogs ignoring the calls of their caregivers, and dogs in shock collars. Dogs wearing shock collars experience stress, even when not actively being shocked, and they may be at risk of redirecting their frustration, stress, anxiety, and/or anger toward the nearest bystander.
Not all Dogs Should Go to Dog Parks; Not All Dogs Want to Go
Before setting out for the park, carefully consider if your dog is a good fit. A dog park is not the place for a dog to learn how to socialize with other dogs; there are too many things that cannot be controlled to ensure that the dog has a positive experience. And overwhelming a dog is a sure way to sensitize her further to the proximity of other dogs.
Dog parks are meant for highly social dogs who enjoy the company of all sorts of unfamiliar dogs. A dog who merely tolerates other dogs or is selective about her dog friends might do okay at a dog park – or she may become sensitized to the experience and become less comfortable.
Be aware that senior dogs and young dogs are at a higher risk of dog fights. Some research suggests that adult dogs are more likely to be the aggressor in a dog park conflict and adolescent dogs (particularly males) under 1-year-old are more likely to be the victim.
A dog’s past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, but what about dogs with no previous experience in a dog park, or a newly adopted dog with an unknown or unreliable behavior history? Wait several months to get to know a dog before bringing him to a dog park, even if the rescue assures you that your newly adopted dog is good with other dogs.
Before your dog’s first visit to the dog park, find an opportunity to learn to recognize canine stress signals and appropriate play behaviors, and ensure you have good voice control of your dog in distracting environments. When you are out walking your dog, practice recalls with your dog on a long line.
Joining an on-leash walking group can be a safe option to assess and improve your dog’s emotions and behaviors around other dogs. You may discover you and your dog prefer private playdates with one or two familiar dogs or long-leash sniff ’n’ strolls with or without dog friends.
3. Use caution in the entrance area.
Most dog park conflicts occur within 100 feet of the entrance area, with about half of them within the first 20 feet.
Good dog parks display the park rules; great parks also offer signage that describes appropriate play behaviors and canine stress signals, to help educate dog caregivers who may not know what body language to watch for.
This is a high-risk zone because it’s usually congested with distracted caregivers chatting with others or looking at their phones while their dogs race around the area and mob the new arrivals. Some dog park designs make congestion worse by placing amenities like benches or water fountains in the area. Also, funneling all traffic to one entrance and exit, requiring tired dogs who are leaving to mix with over-excited dogs who are arriving, makes the entrance area a fight waiting to happen.
If possible, use an alternate entrance or exit. If this isn’t an option, do your best to wait until the congestion clears (or come back at a different time). Once through the gate, move quickly away from the entrance area and call your dog to come with you. Refrain from tossing a toy, chatting with someone, or being otherwise distracted until you are at least 100 feet from the entrance.
4. Keep your dog moving along.
Some caregivers simply enter the park and sit or stand there, expecting their dogs to play with unfamiliar or incompatible dogs. It’s better to move farther into the park immediately upon entering and continue to walk throughout the park, allowing your dog the choice to engage with, avoid, or ignore dogs along the way, and encouraging your dog to move along with you if her interactions with other dogs are unruly or uncomfortable.
Many dog professionals who are experienced in managing groups of off-leash dogs believe that conflicts are less likely to occur when groups of dogs are kept moving along rather than remaining in one area.
If you want to chat with someone, it’s likely safer to chat while you walk and keep your attention on your dog. Some dog parks are not well-suited to walking a route, such as “dog runs” or parks without a suitable substrate for walking (such as pea gravel). These types of parks are better for brief playdates with a small group of compatible dog friends or a quick romp when the park is empty.
5. Actively supervise your dog.
Effective supervision involves more than just keeping your eyes on your dog. Just like a supervisor at a school yard during recess, you’ll need to be actively engaged and focused on your dog and the other dogs in the area. A dog park is not the place to use your cell phone or catch up on your reading.
Bring your leash with you and watch for canine stress signals indicating your dog or other dogs are uncomfortable or over threshold. Even too much “happy stress” can lead to dog conflicts, especially when intense play shifts into frustration or “the zoomies” (frenetic random activity periods).
Dogs who are close to threshold will find it difficult to respond to cues, so stay attuned to your dog’s arousal levels and periodically ensure that your dog still responds to your cues. If your dog starts disregarding your recall cue, it may be time to change the activity, move to a different area, or leave the park.
It’s important to recognize inappropriate dog play and to be ready to intervene when you see your dog or other dogs exhibiting behaviors that could lead to conflicts. Just because your dog plays well with familiar dogs doesn’t mean your dog will play well with all dogs. Some dogs have incompatible play styles, and dogs who haven’t had much experience playing with unfamiliar dogs might be too rough when playing with new dogs.
Doing a simple consent test can help determine if the play between dogs is consensual or if you need to intervene: Interrupt the play and let the dog who is smaller, less assertive, or the one being chased choose to resume play or not.
Look closely: There are four dogs (one is tiny) demonstrating a nice distance "stay". They weren't asked for a position, just a stay, so one is in a down, one is standing, and two are sitting. Teaching distance behaviors in a group that contains at least one reliable veteran can help the rest "get it".
Basic good manners training (sit, down, come, etc.) is vitally important to help your canine family member learn how to survive in a world full of humans. However, training shouldn’t stop there; it’s just as important to continue training well beyond the basics.
Our second-level class here at Peaceable Paws is called “Beyond Good Manners,” and after that our students go on to “Super Dog” classes. In these advanced courses, we solidify basic-level skills, generalize them to more real-life applications, and introduce new training challenges for our dog-human teams to master. The addition of these skills improves communication and relationship between dogs and their humans, strengthens the reliability of the dogs’ responses to cues both at home and in public, and helps them to become better canine citizens.
Here are some of our favorite “Beyond” behaviors:
* DISTANCE WORK. In basic training we generally teach our dogs to respond to our cues when they are right in front of us (except for “Come” of course!). As a result, many dogs think “Down,” for example, means “Lie down at my human’s feet.” If they are across the room and we ask them to lie down, they come running over and drop to the floor right in front of us. Ideally, however, we might want “Down” to mean “Drop to the ground wherever you are when I give you the cue to lie down.”
This is surprisingly easy to teach if your dog already has a solid “verbal down” – that is if he lies down quickly when you give the verbal cue without having to use a treat, hand signal, or any additional prompts. If not, go back to square one and work on that! (See “The Allure of the Lure, July 2018.) Here’s how to teach a Distance Down:
1. Start with your dog sitting in front of you. Cue the “Down” (just to warm up), click or use your marker word, and treat.
2. With your dog sitting in front of you, tell her to wait or stay and take a half-step back. Cue the “Down,” then mark, return to her and deliver the treat. If at any time during this protocol your dog doesn’t lie down when you give the cue, return to where she is sitting and prompt, mark, and treat. If she starts to get up to come to you, remind her to wait or stay.
3. Tell her to wait or stay, take a half-step back, and without asking her to “Down,” mark, return, and treat. If you ask her to “Down” every time you step back, she will start to anticipate your cue and will being lying down before you ask her to. She will think you stepping away is the cue to lie down.
4. Gradually increase distance – a full step, two steps, three steps, etc., remembering to intersperse frequent repetitions in which you return without asking her to lie down, until she will lie down on your verbal cue from any distance. Also release her from the wait or stay frequently so she doesn’t have to stay in one place for too long a time without breaks!
You can use the same process for any other cues you want your dog to respond to from a distance. Start with her in front of or next to you, ask her to wait or stay, and gradually increase the distance from which you cue her for the behavior.
You need a mirror or a partner to help you with “blind work”, so you can promptly mark and turn around to give your dog reinforcement when she performs the behavior you cued.
*BLIND WORK. We’re not talking about vision-impaired dogs here, but rather about having your dog respond to cues even if you aren’t looking at each other. Again, you have probably taught your dog to respond to your cues when you are facing each other. But what if your back is turned, or she is facing away from you? What if you are in another room? A well-trained dog will respond to those cues even if you aren’t making eye contact. Here’s how:
1. Have your dog sitting in front of you. Tell her to wait or stay and turn your back to her. Cue her to “Down.” If she lies down, mark, turn around to face her, and feed her a treat. (Since you cannot see if she lies down, you will either need an assistant in front of you who nods or shakes their head to tell you if she did or did not lie down, or you can do it in front of a mirror so you can see if she responded to your cue.) If she does not lie down, turn around, cue again, then mark and treat when she does it.
2. Again, turn around without cueing the down sometimes. As with the Distance Down, intersperse several repetitions in which you turn your back, mark, turn around and treat without cueing the down, so she doesn’t come to think turning your back is the cue to lie down.
3. Repeat Step 1 until she consistently lies down on cue with your back turned. If she seems to be having trouble understanding the concept, try cueing the down from a quarter turn so you are standing sideways to her, and gradually increase the degree of the turn over the course of multiple repetitions until she can do it reliably with your back turned.
4. Now add distance. Combine the Distance Down with the Blind Down for more real-life versatility.
5. Get help. Finally, for an out-of-sight Blind Down, either use a mirror so you can watch your dog, or work with a partner who can tell you if she responds.
Have your dog sit, tell her to wait or stay, and walk out of the room. Then cue her to “Down.” If she does, mark, return, and treat. If she does not, return, cue again, mark, and treat. Then try again. Remember to intersperse lots of “not-down” trials for every “Down” that you cue!
Teaching a combination of the Blind Down and Distance Down also gives you a valuable Emergency Down with which you can stop your dog in her tracks if she is headed toward danger.
* COME PAST DISTRACTIONS. When you have taught your dog to come to you in non-distracting environments, it’s time to up the ante. (See “Rocket Recalls,” September 2012.) You can do this by continuing to practice your Run Away (Let’s Party!) recall while gradually introducing distractions.
You can make it even better by introducing the Premack Principle, in which your dog learns that the way to get permission to investigate something she wants is to come to you first. The Premack Principle says that you can use a higher value/more likely behavior to reinforce a lower value/less likely behavior. This is also called “Grandma’s Law” – you have to eat your vegetables before you can have your dessert.
You can teach this informally in everyday situations. When you are out walking with your dog on leash and you can see that she wants to go investigate something, occasionally (not every time!) happily call her to you, and when she gets to you give a cheerful, “Okay go!” cue and run with her to the object of her attention.
You can also teach her the Premack concept more formally as follows:
1. Have a helper stand in the center of the room. Tell your dog to wait or stay and walk across the room past the person.
2. Cheerfully call your dog and run away from her. When she runs past the helper to get to you, pick up her leash, say “Let’s go see (person’s name)!” and quickly run with her back to the person, who then greets the dog with excitement.
3. Increase the distractions. As she begins to understand that coming to you makes the good stuff accessible, gradually increase the difficulty of distraction – have the helper sit on the floor, lie on the floor, hold treats, puts a plate of food on the floor (with a bowl to cover it if needed).
This extremely useful protocol teaches your dog to come to you in order to “win” the reward of running to play with another dog, going to visit a person with treats, sniffing a tempting pee spot, or chasing a squirrel.
Teaching your dog to go across a room or yard to touch a named item is an advanced task. This type of brain game is great for tiring out a “busy” dog who has too much energy – and who otherwise gets into trouble when she’s lacking enough interaction or stimulation!
* TARGETING TO OBJECTS. In basic training, we teach our dogs to touch their nose to our hand in a behavior known as “targeting.” If your dog loves the “touch” behavior, you can use the hand-target as an alternative to your recall cue, as she must come to you in order to target to (touch) your hand.
You can build on this behavior by teaching her to nose-target to a variety of other objects, which you can then use to send her away from you to an object or location, and as part of your repertoire of cognition games. Here’s how:
1. Start with your dog facing you, standing or sitting, and ask her to “Wait.” Hold the object you want her to touch in your hand and say its designated “name” out loud (Stuffy, Ball, Squeaky, or whatever you want to call it). If she starts to move toward it, tell her to “Wait” again. You want her to not touch it until you give your “Touch” cue.
2. Say “Touch,” and present the item several inches away from her (at first), at nose level or slightly below. When she touches the item, mark and treat. She may hesitate and be a bit confused at first since she was previously accustomed to touching your hand. Make it easy for her to reach and touch the item.
3. Add distance. When she reliably touches the named object with the two-word cue (“Squeaky! Touch!), start presenting it in your hand at a greater distance. Mark and treat every success.
4. Separate yourself from the item. Now place the object on a chair or on the floor, with your hand behind it, and ask for the touch. Mark and treat each successful touch!
5. Increase distance. Gradually move your hand farther away from the object over several repetitions, until she no longer needs your hand there to respond reliably to your “Object! Touch!” cue.
6. Vary the starting point. Gradually move away from the object with your dog and vary your starting point before asking for the touch, until you can send her away from you to touch the object from increasing distances.
7. Vary thelocation of the item. Next, randomly place the object in different locations so you can send her to touch it from various distances at various locations from different starting points.
8. Finally, generalize. Repeat the sequence with different objects at new locations (outdoors, on walks, at friends’ houses, etc.).
For a useful application of this behavior, you can teach her to target to the lid from a cottage cheese or yogurt tub; tape the lid to a wall, send her away from you to touch it, and then cue your Distance Down.
For more cognition games where you can use this behavior, see “Are Canines Cognitive?” October 2017.
* GENERALIZE A “WAIT.” We teach a basic “Wait” behavior using the dog’s food bowl, which instills polite behavior at mealtimes.
But “Wait” has many more useful real-life applications, including “Wait at the door until I tell you that you can go out.” This an important life-saving behavior, as it helps prevent door-darting and keeps your dog safely in your car, even with doors open, until you tell her she can get out. You can do this with your dog sitting or standing – whichever you prefer (I prefer sitting, as they are more “parked” in a sit):
1. At the door, tell your dog “Wait” in a cheerful tone of voice. Reach toward the doorknob but don’t touch it. If your dog starts to move, remind her to wait, then reach again, but not as close to the knob. Mark and treat when she holds that position for the several seconds that it takes to reach for the door and withdraw your hand.
2. Get closer to turning the doorknob. Do multiple repetitions, gradually reaching closer to the knob, marking and treating each time your dog holds the wait, until you can touch and rattle the knob without your dog getting up.
3. Begin to open the door very slightly. If your dog starts to move to go out, remind her to wait and close the door (be sure your dog won’t get caught by the door!). Repeat your “Wait” cue and try opening the door again. Begin opening the door a little bit, then gradually open it more and more. Mark and treat each repetition. Frequently release her from the “Wait” with your release cue (“Free!” “Break,” or whatever) as you do multiple repetitions.
4. Practice until it’s reliable. Continue cueing your dog to wait and opening the door until you’re able to open it completely and your dog reliably waits.
5. Have her wait while you go out and then right back in. Now cue her to “Wait!” while you step outside the door and return.
6. Mix it up. Once she’s able to wait reliably as you walk out the door, sometimes say your release word after you walk out and let her go out with you, sometimes close the door while you are inside with her, and sometimes close the door with her still inside while you are outside. (You can call your release cue through the door when you are outside since you won’t expect her to “Wait” when you are gone and the door closing when you are outside will eventually become an automatic release cue.)
7. Cue your dog to “Wait” every time the door opens. Consistency is the key to helping your dog learn quickly! This behavior will easily generalize to other situations, such as waiting when the car door opens, when she’s getting too far away from you on an off-leash hike, and if you want her to pause when she’s approaching someone or something.
*“TEMPTATION ALLEY.” Our basic “Leave It!” teaches your dog to ignore something in proximity to you, starting with a forbidden treat you place under your foot to prevent her from being able to eat it. In our world, “Leave it!” means she never gets to have that treat, at least not in that location. Once your dog has mastered the basic “Leave It,” she is ready for Temptation Alley, which generalizes the behavior to the real world:
1. Set up the alley of alluring items. Place a half-dozen or so items that your dog likes in a line, about four to six feet apart. The items should range from slightly tempting to seriously alluring – a box, a ball, a stuffed toy, a chew-treat, a piece of chicken, and so on. The goal is to walk alongside the line of items in a parallel path, about four feet away from the items.
2. Start walking parallel to the row of items but don’t let your dog reach any of them. With your dog on leash, start walking along the line, in a parallel path about four feet away from the items. Your leash should be short enough so your dog can’t reach the items. It’s critical to have a good grip and not allow yourself to have “bungee cord arms,” so your dog does not reach and get any of the items. (If she does, she unintentionally has been reinforced for pulling toward something you didn’t want her to have – and she will likely pull harder or more suddenly next time!)
3. As soon as she glances at one of the objects, cheerfully tell her to “Leave it!” I want to emphasize the “cheerful” part of this. We’re not trying to sternly warn the dog or intimidate her; we’re trying to teach her a cue for a specific behavior.
If she looks away from the item, mark the behavior (click or “Yes!”) and give her a treat and keep walking. Repeat for each of the objects she looks at (and away from).
4. If she continues to look at any of the items after your “Leave it!” cue, or tries to pull toward an item, just stop, and, keeping a firm grip on the leash and no stretchy arms, stand still and wait until she eventually looks away; do not repeat your cue, or use any “no reward” markers or admonishments such as “Eh eh!” or “No!” When she looks away from the item, mark, treat and continue with Step 3 until you have passed the whole row of items. Then turn around and do it again.
5. Move closer to the line and repeat. When she will reliably pass all the items, either not looking at them or immediately looking away when you give the cue, you can walk in a line that is closer to the Alley and repeat.
It’s easy to see how useful this behavior is in real life. The aromatic bag of fast-food remains on the sidewalk, the tempting pile of kitty poop in the flower bed, the cookie in the hand of the toddler – the applications are endless! When your dog is a star at Temptation Alley, occasionally use your “Leave It” cue on your walks until she can do it anywhere, anytime, for anything.
For more about teaching your dog to “Leave It,” see “Leaving for Good,” June 2018.
Different things tempt different dogs. Nova walked right by the bowl of food and even the bag of McDonald’s food, but nearly put on the brakes for a favorite toy. The leash never so much as tightened, though, as Jessie was ready with a cheery “Leave it!” cue, followed by a mark (“Yes!”) and a treat.
ADVANCED TRAINING
These are just a few of the many Beyond Good Manners that will serve you and your dog well in daily life. If you’re not already working with one, search out a good, force-free trainer in your community who can help you and your dog have fun as you journey together through a lifetime of learning together.
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