We’re pleased to present to you Whole Dog Journal’s
brand-new website. On the site, you’ll find every article we’ve ever published,
going back to our first issue in 1998. In addition to the articles featured in
the publication, the site includes all of Nancy’s blogs and other content
created exclusively for the web.
Most of the content on the site is free and open to all users. Some content, including our annual food reviews and issue PDFs, are available to paid subscribers only. To subscribe, click here. Whole Dog Journal also sells books and ebooks on topics including nutrition, training, care and health.
If you are a paid subscriber and enjoyed access to all content our old site, you will need to reset your password on the new site. Sign in at the top of the page using your email address and click on reset password.
Registrants to our free email service receive regular emails with useful tips and canine content from Whole Dog Journal. Sign up here.
The site has been reviewed and tested by our staff but there
may still be some unexpected glitches hiding in the site. We ask for your
patience as we correct these errors.
As I explained in a couple blog posts (here), about two months ago my foster puppy Odin, who has been receiving treatment for a nonspecific condition in his left eye, was initially accepted into a study at the U.C. Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital – a study in which his eye would be treated with a promising new medication, already approved in Japan. The medication is intended to treat corneal endothelial cell dystrophy – something that, it appeared, Odin may well have.
To start the process, I brought Odin to an ophthalmology lab at the VMTH for some extensive tests, to get a baseline on the condition of Odin’s healthy eye as well as the problematic one. That’s when we discovered that an injury, not disease, was likely at the core (literally) of his eye troubles.
Using optical coherence tomography, the technicians were able to get images of the interior of Odin’s cornea. They observed that a tear or bubble has formed between the corneal endothelial layer and the next layer upward (outward), the Desemet’s membrane. The doctor who heads the study told me, “Well, the medicine we are testing absolutely won’t hurt, and might possibly help, although this is not what it’s designed to do… And we’ve come this far. It’s up to you, but I am happy to reexamine him if you want to try the medication.”
So, for the past two months, Odin has been receiving four doses a day of the medication under study, as well as two different steroid drops and four doses a day of hypertonic saline ointment. All of the latter medications are intended to reduce his corneal edema.
Sadly, we had our follow-up appointment, and if anything, the tear, or bubble in his eye, is a bit worse.
The doctor was as disappointed as I was, even though she said that we were hoping the medicine might possibly do something that it’s not actually expected to do. It has been shown to reduce intraocular pressure, to reduce corneal thickness, to promote corneal endothelial cell proliferation, and even to enhance corneal wound healing – but the ability to close a separation between the endothelial cell layer and the Desemet’s membrane is not something that has been previously demonstrated. Dang it.
We discussed Odin’s options. Realistically, they include only:
(1) Continuing to administer steroid drops and hypertonic saline daily, to control the corneal edema in an attempt to preserve what little vision he has in that eye (essentially, a fuzzy view whereby he can detect only basic light and dark), and staying vigilant about the condition of his eye, in case excessive edema requires that the eye be surgically removed for his comfort….
Or, (2), just going ahead and surgically removing the eye. This procedure is referred to as enucleation. In this case, this would mean no more pain and no more daily doses of medications many times a day, but obviously, the total loss of vision on one side.
I came home a little bummed out. I was hoping for some signs of progress, something that would encourage us to keep going with this medication. But after the news that the bubble in his eye was worse, not better, I started to feel like it would be best to just go ahead and schedule the enucleation surgery.
Odin gets a few treats after EVERY SINGLE DOSE of medication, so he steps up and takes it like a champ, but it’s obviously not at all enjoyable. The drops are not that bad, but the ointment, especially, is a pain. It is hard to administer without poking him with the tip of the tube once in a while (especially as he quite naturally squints his eye muscles as tightly as possible, while I fight to pull his eyelids apart to get the tube close enough to the eye, instead of all over his eyelashes). It is goopy, and makes the whole area around his eye sticky, and seems to irritate him and sting a bit. How much happier will he be without these many administrations of medication every day? Much, I would think! And he can’t really see out of the eye as it is, anyway! Let’s just get this over with, I thought. But I was sad.
A day later, my phone rang, and I recognized the number as originating from the VMTH (it’s been a long few months of interactions with the vets there!). The doctor who is doing the studies and who has examined Odin said, “Hey, I can’t stop thinking about Odin.”
I laughed. “Aww! Me, either!” I told her. “I’m really sad about his eye. I was really hoping we could do something for it.”
She said, “Well, I was thinking… There is one more thing we could try – but I have to warn you, it might not work, either.” She explained that there is a procedure where the Descemet’s membrane is surgically stripped away, and then the eye is treated with the same medication we were trying before, the one that is undergoing trials for approval in this country. So we’d be looking at a surgery, three weeks in a cone, and continuing the daily medications for up to a year. This approach has been fairly successful; I googled and easily found a human study that utilized the same approach that a 75 percent success rate.
But if it failed, he’d lose the eye, anyway.
So here I am, trying to decide. On one hand:
There are LOTS of perfectly happy, perfectly functional one-eyed dogs out there. We could surgically remove his eye next week and end his many months of daily administration of eye medications. Within three weeks he’d be ready to start finding his forever home. (Yes, I still want to find him a home somewhere else, so I can return to giving Otto more time and attention. But, believe me when I say it is going to have to be a PERFECT home, with someone who has lots of time and love and space for a special little dog.)
On the other hand:
Maybe this surgery and medication regime would work. It would address that bubble, that tear, whatever it is… and he just might recover his full eyesight. I would still be shopping for a home for him, but it would have to be someone within easy striking distance of the UCD VMTH, so he could continue to visit there regularly for follow-up studies. And if I can’t find that person, I could commit to continuing the daily damn drops (and commit my friends, too, who step up and take Odin and administer his medications when I have to travel and to whom I owe much!). But it might fail, and he’d still have to have the eye removed. The odds are good that I would end up keeping Odin after (potentially) many more months of living with him, which (perhaps) Odin would be happy about, but it would definitely come at the expense of more quality time with my old dog, Otto.
What would be “best” for Odin? I think he’d like to be done with eye pain, eye discomfort, and eye medication – and he can’t see much out of it right now, anyway. And there is no way to tell him that maybe, with more pain and time, he might recover his sight in that eye. And contribute to science! Pfft! Would he care about that? Would he be happier with (possibly) two eyes?
As of today, I just don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s a tough decision. Tell me, what would you do?
I’ve always wondered the origin of the practice of pushing a puppy or dog’s bottom to the ground in order to “teach her to sit.” Who was the first person to do this, and why is the action so universally repeated by humans all over the world? And, given its ubiquity, why don’t people try this with kittens or chickens or any other species of animal? Why do people push dogs’ rear ends in an effort to force them to sit?
My guesses are these: People do it because it sometimes works; the dog or puppy learns that to avoid the discomfort of being forced to bend all the joints in their rear ends, they should just sit down. And that once someone has seen anyone else do this with apparent success, they think maybe they will try it, too!
But these are poor guesses, because I’ve shown hundreds of people how to get their puppies or dogs to sit without touching them – and without saying “Sit! Sit! SIT!” – and trainers I know have taught thousands and perhaps even tens of thousands of people, and yet the force-free way hasn’t seemed to have “gone viral” in the same way. Just last night, someone mentioned teaching a puppy to sit by pushing her bottom down to the ground and saying “Sit!”
Facts:
1. Dogs, and even very young puppies, already know how to sit.
2. What people seem to want to do is teach them to “sit on cue.”
3. Physically pushing and bending an uncomprehending friend into a different position while repeating a word they don’t know the meaning of is not the best way to accomplish #2.
As we have explained in many articles in WDJ, it’s incredibly easy to teach a dog or puppy to sit on cue and there are many ways to go about it. You can “capture” the sit (mark/reward every time the dog happens to sit), “lure” her into a sit and mark/reward, or “shape” the sit to look like the precise type of sit you want.
Using force – even just a gentle push on an adorable puppy’s back end – isn’t necessary to teach a dog to perform behaviors on cue. WDJ’s Training Editor, Pat Miller, wrote a nice piece some years ago about training mistakes – and, from my perspective, attempting to teach sit (or any other behavior) in this way is pure folly.
Puppies Sitting Nicely for Food
Here are a bunch of foster pups who learned to sit on cue just from our mealtime routines.
To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid subscriber. Sign in
If you are logged in but cannot access this content, a) your subscription may have expired; b) you may have duplicate accounts (emails) in our system. Please check your account status hereorcontact customer service.
Immediate access to this article and 20+ years of archives.
Recommendations for the best dog food for your dog.
Dry food, homemade diets and recipes, dehydrated and raw options, canned food and more.
Brands, formulations and ingredients all searchable in an easy-to-use, searchable database.
Plus, you’ll receive training and care guidance to keep your dog healthy and happy. You’ll feed with less stress…train with greater success…and know you are giving your dog the care he deserves.
Subscribenow and save 72%! Its like getting 8 issues free!
Myasthenia gravis in dogs is a relatively rare neuromuscular disease in which there is a breakdown in the transmission of signals between nerves and muscles. Dogs with myasthenia gravis exhibit extreme weakness and excessive fatigue. The condition keeps muscles from contracting, causing affected dogs to become weak; severe weakness is the primary symptom of myasthenia gravis in dogs.
Certain dog breeds are predisposed to a congenital (inherited) form of myasthenia gravis, including English Springer Spaniels, Jack Russell Terriers, Smooth Fox Terriers and Smooth-haired Miniature Dachshunds. However, most cases are acquired and not inherited, so all puppies and dogs are at risk.
In most cases, myasthenia gravis is an acquired problem in adult dogs. It is thought to be the result of a defect in the dog’s immune system that causes antibodies to mistake the dog’s muscle receptors as the enemy – essentially attacking them and preventing them from working properly. This keeps the muscles from contracting, causing affected dogs to become weak. Female and male dogs are equally at risk.
iStock / Getty Images Plus/ NORRIE3699
“For some reason, we often see peaks of acquired myasthenia gravis in dogs between the ages of two and four, and then again from nine to 13 years of age. Unfortunately, pet parents may think it is just the signs of aging of their senior dog, and not seek out proper diagnosis, management and treatment,” says W. Jean Dodds, DVM, and founder of Hemopet, the first non-profit national animal bloodbank.
Puppies with congenital myasthenia gravis are typically diagnosed at six to eight weeks of age.
The symptoms of myasthenia gravis in dogs are progressive and can vary greatly from dog to dog. The most common symptom is muscle weakness that worsens with exercise, but improves with rest.
Megaesophagus: A Common Result of Myasthenia Gravis in Dogs
Often the esophagus is affected in dogs with myasthenia gravis; these dogs have trouble swallowing and drinking. When a dog’s esophagus loses its motility due to myasthenia gravis, secondary megaesophagus can occur. Megaesophagus is when the esophageal muscle relaxes so that food and liquids cannot be pushed down into the stomach by normal muscle contraction. In some situations, this condition may cause the dog to aspirate food and water, which can in turn result in aspiration pneumonia.
iStock / Getty Images Plus/ derevetskaira
Because megaesophagus can cause aspiration pneumonia, it is a dangerous symptom. Feeding dogs with megaesophagus can be done safely, but it requires some extra effort. Make sure that your dog’s head is elevated during feeding (and for 10 to 15 minutes afterward). Your veterinarian will work with you in finding the best way to make sure your dog can eat and drink without the risk of regurgitation or aspirating food/water.
Diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis in Dogs
If your dog suffers from muscle weakness, alert your veterinarian at once. The vet will perform a complete physical exam and recommend the best choice of diagnostic testing.
If necessary, your dog will receive treatment specific to his needs. These may include the use of anticholinesterase drugs, which help to improve muscle strength by reducing the attack by antibodies on the dog’s muscle receptors.
Unfortunately, there is no prevention or cure for this disease. Treatment and careful at-home care can help dogs with myasthenia gravis maintain a quality of life for a reasonably long time. The more attention paid to the prevention of aspiration pneumonia, the better the prognosis for your dog.
“Myasthenia Gravis does demand patience and commitment from the pet caregiver,” emphasizes Dr. Dodds. “Remember, it is a progressive condition that does not have a cure, but we can try to slow the progression and side effects with the right supportive care and medications for a longer, quality life.”
Anyone recognize that cute Shepherd-mix on the cover? The dog who is demonstrating solid down-stays for author/trainer Nancy Tucker’s informative article that appears in this issue?
That’s Nova, one of the nine puppies I was fostering for my local shelter last fall, and wrote about for the November 1, 2018 blog. Nova was my favorite of the bunch – very keen to interact with humans, very confident and sassy – and the first to be adopted. She landed in a terrific home, with an active young couple who spend tons of time training, playing, exercising, and educating themselves about dogs. Best of all for me, they live close by, so we often get together to walk our little pack of dogs. After a few months in his role as the patient and always playful “Uncle Woody” to the large litter of Nova and her scrappy siblings, Woody is overjoyed every time he sees Nova and her mom; it means a super-fun hike is in the works!
Nova’s placement is also a win for WDJ, since she’s a smart, well-behaved dog and her mom’s proximity and training acuity means they can model and demonstrate for articles in the magazine – often, I hope! Working with them has definitely been one of the highlights of putting this issue together.
The low-light? I have spent weeks testing these ball-throwing devices, to Woody’s delight. He has gotten to play a lot of fetch and is probably as familiar with their various sounds and operations as I am. But I have to watch Woody with tennis balls – the kind that the ball-throwing machines throw the best. Woody, with his great big head and powerful jaws, can pop and chew up a tennis ball the way a big-league baseball player can chew through an entire pack of gum – fast and loud.
Also, he cannot be trusted around those miniature tennis balls; a couple of years ago, he grabbed one away from a friend’s little dog and swallowed it, quick as a wink. At about 6 p.m. on a Friday night, of course! (Long story short, the emergency veterinarian induced vomiting, and it came up and out as easily – if less enjoyably – than it went down.) Those balls are just too small for him to safely be around, so I have been separately holding the three small balls that came with one of the ball-throwing tools away from the rest, taking them out only when I specifically need to test the small balls.
When it came time to photograph all the ball-throwers, I put everything in my car: all the tools and all the balls I had – and I could find only two of the small balls. Ack! I thought I was managing the situation so well! Of course, we could have just lost one – but just in case he actually did manage to find and swallow it, I’ll be keeping an eagle eye on Woody (his appetite and his poop) for a while (and I threw the other small balls away!).
In a world where our canine companions are often referred to as our “best friends,” it’s a puzzle that so many dog-human communications (or should I say miscommunications?) result in behavior that we perceive as aggression – anything from a freeze (stillness), hard stare, growl, snarl, snap, or bite, all the way to a full-on attack.
If you asked your dog, he would likely say that these behaviors are just varying degrees of canine communication. He might also say, “My human made me do it.”
All these behaviors are natural, normal social expressions – the dog’s attempt to communicate something important. Usually, the mildest of the behaviors that people might recognize as aggressive – say, a soft growl – is not the first sign of a dog’s aggression. A growl is actually well along a continuum of escalating emphasis in canine communication. A dog who is uncomfortable will generally start trying to communicate his discomfort with much more subtle behaviors, such as avoidance, yawns, evasion of eye contact, lowered body posture, pulling ears back, and rolling on his back.
These behaviors are an attempt to resolve a situation without having to resort to serious aggression. Perhaps it’s a claim to a valuable resource: “I don’t want to share my bone!” Maybe it’s an expression of fear: “You’re making me very uncomfortable, please go away!” Maybe the dog is in pain: “That hurts, please stop!”
If the lower-key communications fail to accomplish their purpose, the dog may feel forced to escalate to more forceful or violent action (such as attacking and/or fighting) to get his point across.
Some or all of the mild, avoidant behaviors ordinarily precede the dramatic behaviors that most humans would recognize as aggression – yet most or all of these behaviors typically go completely unnoticed by many humans.
Alternatively, if these signals are ignored or misinterpreted, the human may respond inappropriately (“Oh, you want a tummy rub?”), forcing the dog to increase the intensity of his behavior and eventually escalate to serious aggression. Growling, snarling, snapping, or biting may seem like the “first signs of aggression” to many humans, but most other dogs (or experienced observers of dog behavior) would have recognized many earlier signs.
Why Are Dogs Aggressive?
When dogs display aggressive behaviors, it’s rare for humans to consider whatever the dog was trying to communicate. Instead, the behaviors are just considered unacceptable, threatening, and dangerous. Look at it from their point of view, though. Dogs are expected to just deal with all the situations they are put in (including many that annoy, terrify, or intimidate them) and to just get along with every dog or person they meet (including many that annoy, terrify, or intimidate them), without ever expressing their annoyance, fear, apprehension, or discomfort using their natural, normal canine communication tools.
We give them valuable resources – delicious food, delightful chew objects, comfortable furniture – and tell them not to covet those resources or protect them from someone who may try to take them away. If a dog does attempt to keep something for himself (with a growl or a snarl), he’s often punished. Dogs who try to communicate with normal canine language that they need more space, are annoyed or scared, or would like to keep something for themselves, are often labeled “aggressive.”
Consider this idea for a moment: Dogs are often forced to escalate – from mild growls, a stiff posture, and hard eyes to a lunge and a snap or worse – because we just don’t listen!
Granted, we can’t know for sure exactly what the dog is saying. As the supposedly more intelligent species, though, and with a better understanding of dogs, we can usually extrapolate something pretty close to the dog’s intent. And if we have an idea about what he’s trying to say, we can respond appropriately and take steps that will reduce the intensity of his communication, rather than forcing him to escalate.
The better we humans are at listening to and understanding “Doglish” the more our dogs will be able to communicate in ways that are less threatening to us while still succeeding in getting their needs and wants addressed.
There is no universally agreed-upon scientific list of aggression labels. Various sources offer various names for different types of aggression, and those labels are constantly changing. There are, however, many commonalities. Below are descriptions of some of the most frequently seen presentations of aggression and the dog’s usual motivation for displaying each type.
For the purposes of this general discussion about aggression, I won’t be discussing specific solutions for each situation in which a dog might display aggressive behavior, but rather, the broad strokes of the most effective approach.
If you are challenged by your dog’s aggressive behavior, I strongly urge you to seek the assistance of a qualified force-free behavior professional who can help you create and implement an appropriate behavior management and modification program.
Fear-Related Aggression
This is by far the most commonly seen type of aggression, and one that humans often responds to most inappropriately. Generally, when a dog shows signs of fear and aggression, she is trying to compel those near her to move away; she needs more space to feel safe.
Many humans assume that a dog who is fearful will choose avoidance rather than aggression – and in many cases, that’s a correct assumption. If, however, a fearful dog is trapped, or has been trapped in the past, she may take a “the best defense is a good offense” approach, especially if there is a history of punishment for her agonistic signals. Keep in mind that “trapped” can include being on leash, being followed and cornered when she tries to retreat, or simply feeling confined in a small enough space that she is uncomfortable (such as your living room).
To make matters worse, it’s natural for humans to try to comfort someone who appears afraid – but this is often exactly what the fearful dog does not want, especially from a stranger or from someone who may have punished the dog in the past.
The first thing to do with a dog who seems to be aggressing out of fear is to give the dog a little more room – to put more space between the dog and the suspected fear-inducing stimuli. Then, start putting a counter-conditioning and desensitization plan into place, with the goal of changing how the dog feels about the stimuli.
Pain-Related Aggression
Every animal control officer knows that when you go to pick up an injured dog that has been hit by a car, you muzzle her first, because pain can easily cause even the nicest dog to bite. Dogs who are in pain generally don’t want to be touched and may show signs of aggression in an effort to get people or other animals to leave them alone.
What many owners don’t realize is that even less obvious pain can be significant contributors to a dog’s propensity to bite. Arthritis, spinal problems, sore muscles, gastrointestinal issues – there are numerous “invisible” conditions that can cause or contribute to a dog’s aggressive behavior.
An aging dog with increasing arthritis pain may begin to growl at approaching children because she knows from past experience that they may fall on or try to play roughly with her. “You’re making me very uncomfortable,” she says. “Please don’t come any closer.” A protective parent, outraged that the family dog would growl at the child, physically punishes the dog, adding to her pain as well as her anticipation of punishment when children approach, thus increasing the likelihood of her becoming more aggressive toward children, not less.
A far better solution: Any time you suspect your dog may be experiencing pain – or for any senior dog, or any dog who hasn’t been seen by a veterinarian for a while – arrange a veterinary examination and consultation as soon as possible. Ideally, your veterinarian can diagnose a condition and prescribe medication to alleviate the dog’s pain. Also, if necessary, use some basic management tools (such as baby gates, crates, or locked doors) to protect her from the unwanted, sometimes inappropriate, attentions of children.
Play Aggression
There is a significant difference between aggressive play and play aggression. Aggressive play is normal and acceptable, as long as both dogs are happily participating. This can include growling, biting, wrestling, chasing, body slamming, and more.
When things go wrong, it turns into play aggression. This can happen when one participant becomes uncomfortable with the escalating level of arousal and tries to signal that she wants to tone things down. If the other dog fails to respond to her signals and continues to escalate, she may aggress in self-defense, in an effort to stop the action. While she is often blamed for starting the fight, it is, in fact, the other dog’s fault for failing to respond appropriately to her request to back off the level of arousal.
The first step toward a solution here is to make sure you are pairing compatible playmates, and monitoring the play, giving both dogs a cheerful time-out when arousal levels are escalating to an unhealthy level.
Possession Aggression
My clients are often surprised, but soon nod in agreement, when I tell them that possession aggression, also called resource guarding, is a natural, normal behavior. If you lock your house when you leave, you are resource guarding! It is also an important survival strategy. In the wild, if you don’t protect your valuable resources, you die.
There is a tragically flawed and arrogant belief among some humans that they have the right to take anything away from their dog any time they please. Some misguided trainers even encourage clients to practice taking their dogs’ food bowls away so the dog learns to accept it. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Our dogs should trust that we won’t challenge them for valuable items, and we need to teach our dogs a voluntary “Trade” behavior, so we can safely ask them to voluntarily relinquish something when we need them to do so.
Take time to convince your dog that more good things happen when humans are near their food bowl and other good stuff, rather than teaching her that you are an unpredictable threat.
Predatory Aggression
Although the result can be devastating for the victim of predatory behavior, this is not true aggression – it is simply grocery shopping. Food acquisition behavior involves a different part of the brain and different emotions from true aggression.
It can be a challenging behavior to modify, but it is possible, depending on the intensity of the behavior, and the ability of the owner to manage the dog’s environment to prevent reinforcement for the behavior. The person also must make a commitment to doing the behavior modification work.
Redirected Aggression
This behavior occurs when a dog is highly aroused, but thwarted from addressing the object of her arousal.
Fence-fighting is a classic example. Unable to reach the dog on the other side of the fence, the dog may redirect aggressively in frustration to her own canine companion on her side of the fence, or to her own human, who is attempting to intervene in the barrier conflict. To avoid setting up the conflict situation, management is important. If intervention is needed, do it from a distance, to avoid being the target of a redirection.
Social Aggression
This is today’s term for what used to be called, unfortunately and inappropriately, “dominance aggression,” as a result of a serious misinterpretation of canine behavior. This label applies to situations where there is conflict between the wishes of the dog and her human(s), often where the human attempts to physically manipulate or control the dog (the phrase “manhandling” comes to mind!). A classic example is the dog who growls or snaps when the human tries to pull her off the sofa or bed, or push her into a crate.
As the supposedly more intelligent species, we should be able to get our dogs to want to do what we want them to do, rather than physically force them. Need your dog to get off the sofa? Toss a treat on the floor. Teach her an “off” cue. Teach her to go to her mat on cue. Teach her to target to your hand, or to an “X” on the wall made of blue painter’s tape. There are lots of ways to invite your dog to move where you need her to without using physical force.
Other Types of Aggression in Dogs
This is by no means a complete list of the various aggression labels. Others in common use include protection aggression, maternal aggression, territorial aggression, barrier aggression, and idiopathic aggression. What you call the behavior is, in many ways, less important than how you interpret and deal with it.
If your dog displays aggressive behavior, get help from a qualified force-free behavior professional who can help you create and implement an appropriate behavior management and modification program. Modifying aggressive behavior can be challenging. Your behavior professional will educate, encourage, and coach you, and support you when you’re feeling discouraged.
As stated by a meme that has been making the rounds recently, “Remember, your dog isn’t giving you a hard time – he’s having a hard time.” Stay strong, stay positive, understand and empathize with your dog’s hard times, commit to a behavior modification program, and you will be best able to help her overcome her challenges.
What Are the Most Aggressive Dog Breeds?
Go ahead: Google “aggressive dog breeds” and see what you get. The lists will be all over the place, from wolf hybrids, to the Tosa Inu, to Bull Terriers and German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Boerboels… I could go on and on.
Most of these lists make the mistake of confusing size and strength with aggression. Still, the Schipperke (at just 12 inches and about 15 pounds) is listed on one insurance company blacklist, and I found the Basenji (16 inches and about 24 pounds) on another list. While large, powerful dogs are capable of inflicting greater injuries on a human, there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the listing of any breed as inherently “aggressive.”
For sure, there may be some breeds that are more heavily represented in dog bite, mauling, and fatality statistics. There are a number of reasons for this. Some breeds get listed as “dangerous” a result of just one highly publicized event. After a woman was killed by two Presa Canarios in San Francisco in 2001, the previously little-known breed immediately began appearing on “aggressive dog” lists.
Some breeds are just big and scary-looking. Other breeds are present in greater numbers in the pet-owning population, and thus are more likely to be represented in general bite statistics. Then there is the whole question of breed-identification; these days anything with a big head is likely to be identified in bite statistics as a pit bull-mix, even if it’s a Boxer mix or some other big-headed breed. And even if it’s a Lab/pit-mix, it will still likely be listed as a pit-mix rather than a Lab-mix.
Finally, certain breeds and types of dogs may be more appealing to – and more likely to be adopted or purchased by – people who are drawn to the idea of having an aggressive dog and who therefore elicit and reinforce aggression.
Of course, if a Rottweiler bites you, there’s a good chance you’ll be injured worse than if a Pomeranian bites you, and the big dog will be perceived as more aggressive because he has the potential to inflict more damage. But aggression is about behavior, not size, potential, or breed.
Keep in mind that behavior is always a combination of genetics and environment. A dog representing a breed that has been bred for guarding, placed in an environment that reinforces aggressive behavior, will indeed, become very aggressive. But, placed in an environment that reinforces sociability, he may end up well-socialized and friendly. And a dog who has been deliberately bred for sociability can be placed in an environment that reinforces aggressive behavior and end up very aggressive.
The bottom line is: breeds are not aggressive or friendly, individual dogs are.
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT‑KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor and author of Beware of the Dog: Positive Solutions for Aggressive Behavior in Dogs.
There is quite a long list of dogs who are at a higher-than-average risk of developing Addison’s disease, including Rottweilers, but the condition can afflict a dog of any breed.
Addison’s disease is often called the “great pretender.” The symptoms can be chronic, vague, and masquerade as other illnesses. The initial diagnosis is often missed and only discovered after other diagnostic avenues have been exhausted. In any dog that has waxing and waning signs like decreased appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, or just general “poor doing,” Addison’s should be on the differential diagnosis list. This is especially true in breeds such as Rottweilers, Great Pyrenees, and Portuguese Water Dogs.
Addison’s Disease and the Endocrine System
The medically descriptive name for Addison’s disease is hypoadrenocorticism, referring to inadequate adrenal gland secretion.
The adrenal glands are part of the very complex endocrine system, which is a chemical messenger system that helps regulate and modulate the function of the dog’s organs.
The endocrine system begins in the brain, at the hypothalamic axis. The brain releases chemical signals, which, in turn, start a cascade of other actions. The brain secretes corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), which normally stimulates the adrenal glands to make and release cortisol hormones into the blood.
The small, peanut-shaped adrenal glands are positioned just above the kidneys. They are divided into two areas: the cortex (outside) and the medulla (inside). Each part releases different substances when cued to do so by the ACTH.
The adrenal medulla produces catecholamines, including adrenaline, norepinephrine, and small amounts of dopamine. These hormones are responsible for all the physiological characteristics of the so-called “fight or flight” response.
The adrenal cortex produces a variety of steroidal hormones, including mineralocorticoids (which help maintain electrolyte balance and blood pressure) and glucocorticoids (including cortisol, which helps regulate body metabolism). Without these hormones, all sorts of body functions will go awry.
How Addison’s Disease Develops in Dogs
Addison’s disease occurs when the adrenal glands or brain axis are not functioning properly. It can be divided into two categories: primary and secondary.
In primary Addison’s disease, the problem is the adrenal glands themselves. In the case of 75 to 95 percent of Addisonian dogs, the problem begins when the immune system damages the adrenal glands so that they can no longer release their important hormones In a small subset, only the glucocorticoids are affected. This is called atypical Addison’s.
Secondary hypoadrenocorticism occurs at the level of the brain. Trauma, infection, inflammation, and cancer can all cause abnormalities in the axis. These cases are not common. A much more likely cause of secondary Addison’s disease is when a dog has been given steroids long-term for problems like allergies or autoimmune disease, and the steroids are suddenly withdrawn.
When a dog is given supplemental steroids, the body downregulates its own production of these steroids. When the supplemental steroids are stopped suddenly, the body does not have time to adjust and produce more. This causes a crisis, but it is not permanent. This reaction is why long-term steroids must always be weaned slowly.
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Addison’s Disease in Dogs
The symptoms of Addison’s disease can be insidious and chronic. A dog will have episodes of gastrointestinal upset with or without weight loss. Sometimes weight loss is the only sign, or there are very few symptoms other than occasional listlessness. It is easy for these to go unnoticed.
These vague symptoms are why many dogs are diagnosed only when they experience an Addisonian crisis. In this case, the lack of steroids and/or mineralocorticoids causes an acute, life-threatening collapse with severe electrolyte imbalances, dehydration, and gastrointestinal disease. A dog may seem normal then suddenly start vomiting, experiencing bloody diarrhea, and collapse. This is an emergency. The signs are not specific to Addison’s disease and can represent other conditions such as anaphylaxis or acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis; these conditions, too, call for emergency medical care.
The diagnosis of an Addisonian crisis is made based on clinical signs, history, signalment (age, breed, and sex), a physical exam, and bloodwork. Typical Addison’s disease causes highly characteristic changes found on the dog’s blood tests. Electrolyte changes are present including very elevated blood potassium in conjunction with a low sodium level. A sodium:potassium ratio should be evaluated by your veterinarian. A ratio of less than 27:1 often indicates Addison’s.
Other changes can include low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), mildly elevated kidney values, and a normal white blood cell count in the face of illness. In an ill or stressed dog, the white blood cell count should be elevated, indicating a bodily response. However, in Addisonian patients, this doesn’t occur. It’s important to know that these changes are in typical hypoadrenocorticism, in which both cortisol and mineralocorticoid levels are low.
In atypical Addison’s, only cortisol is involved. Bloodwork may be mostly normal. Electrolytes will not be affected. Sometimes the only change is a low blood sugar and a lack of elevation in white blood cells. This makes recognition and diagnosis a challenge.
The definitive test for both typical and atypical is the ACTH stimulation test. In a patient with Addison’s disease, the glands cannot secrete cortisol and mineralocorticoid because they are not functioning or are atrophied.
The patient must stay at the veterinary clinic for several hours while the test is administered. An initial baseline cortisol level is drawn. This is typically very low in Addisonian patients. The dog is then given an injection of substance that mimics ACTH in an effort to stimulate the adrenal glands; the cortisol levels are checked two hours later.
In a patient with hypoadrenocorticism, the adrenal glands do not respond and the “post-cortisol” level is close to zero, confirming the diagnosis. Note that the blood samples for this test must be sent to an outside laboratory; this is not an in-house test.
Addison’s Disease Treatment for Dogs
Initial treatment will depend on whether a dog is typical or atypical and on the severity of the condition at presentation.
If a dog is diagnosed while stable, initial treatment is with oral steroids, usually prednisone. This is true for both typical (deficiencies in cortisol and mineralocorticoids) and atypical (deficiency of just steroids). Due to the many side effects they can cause, therapeutic steroid dosages should be adjusted over time to the lowest possible dose.
Given as a monthly injection, DOCP is the preferred and most convenient treatment for Addison’s.
If a dog is atypical, steroids are usually sufficient treatment. It is important to note that some dogs who initially present with atypical Addison’s will progress to the more typical disease, eventually requiring the mineralocorticoid supplementation, as well.
There are currently two options for this: an oral supplement (fludrocortisone acetate) and an injectable one (desoxycorticosterone pivalate, better known as DOCP).
Fludrocortisone acetate, the less expensive choice, is given daily. It has both mineralocorticoid activity and some steroid activity, so certain patients can be maintained on fludrocortisone only. However, monitoring is more intense for the first 18 to 24 months, and in some cases, it just doesn’t work well enough. The side effects of the glucocorticoid portion can also be very intense at higher doses (increased drinking, increased urination, panting, weight gain, and restlessness).
The better alternative is DOCP, given as an injection every 25 to 30 days. This is by far the preferred treatment option because of the long duration between injections and how well it works. With veterinary instruction, it can be administered at home. However, DOCP can be very expensive for big dogs. Also, it is intermittently unavailable, so in those cases, fludrocortisone acetate may be chosen as the initial treatment.
The treatment is different for a dog who is diagnosed due to an Addisonian crisis – unfortunately, this is not uncommon. A previously healthy dog may suddenly develop copious vomiting, hemorrhagic diarrhea, shock, and collapse. This is an emergency and requires immediate veterinary attention. Dogs are usually suffering low blood pressure, low blood sugar, and seriously unbalanced electrolyte levels.
Large volumes of intravenous fluids will correct low blood pressure and electrolyte abnormalities. A physiologic dose of a short-acting steroid (Dexamethasone-SP) is given. This will not interfere with necessary testing to confirm the diagnosis (while other, longer acting steroids will). Blood sugar is often low during a crisis and should be treated as well. Dextrose will be added to the fluids.
Patients will be in the hospital anywhere from two to five days, depending on the severity of shock and electrolyte imbalances. Serial bloodwork is performed to monitor sodium and potassium, as well as blood glucose. Electrolytes may be checked as frequently as every four hours in the initial 24- to 48-hour period. Blood pressure is monitored closely. Treating an Addisonian crisis can be costly and stressful, and the prognosis is always guarded.
Monitoring Dogs with Addison’s
Once stable, dogs with hypoadrenocorticism must be monitored closely at home. Symptoms of impending crisis can be as subtle as shaking but also may include vomiting, loose stool, decreased appetite, and weakness. Any time a stressful event occurs and the body naturally requires more cortisol, a dog is at risk for a crisis. Ask your veterinarian for information about increasing steroids in these times.
Serial bloodwork is needed to titrate treatment. This usually includes electrolyte monitoring, as well as periodically checking a full blood panel. Electrolytes are usually checked every three to six months initially; once they have normalized, the tests can be less frequent.
A full metabolic panel is recommended every six months. When a patient is maintaining well on DOCP, the dose is usually sufficient to manage symptoms for the rest of the animal’s life.
A Note About Whipworms
The canine whipworm, Trichuris vulpis, is a nasty parasite that lives in the large intestine. The symptoms of a whipworm infection can be very similar to Addison’s disease and include weight loss, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Further, they can cause the characteristic bloodwork changes of Addison’s, particularly the telltale sodium:potassium ratio.
If you are in an endemic area (ask your veterinarian, or see the informative prevalence maps at capcvet.org/maps), keep your dog on a monthly prevention that protects against whipworms. Sentinel, Trifexis, Interceptor Plus, and Advantage Multi all contain ingredients that treat whipworm infections. Check the label or product insert on your dog’s flea/tick and heartworm preventatives to see if they contain an agent that specifically targets whipworms.
A Pitch for Pet Insurance
Health insurance for dogs is always a good idea, but even more so if your dog is diagnosed with a chronic illness such as Addison’s disease. Since it is such an excellent mimic, it make take several lab tests before the correct diagnosis is made. Even if the diagnosis is made quickly, follow-up testing, medications, and monitoring can quickly add up (no pun intended).
Most pet insurances decline coverage for pre-existing conditions. With a diagnosis of Addison’s disease, it is likely too late to find a company that will pay for diagnostics and treatment. If your dog was insured beforehand, however, insurance can be a literal lifesaver.
As a veterinarian, I wish more owners would consider pet insurance. Making a diagnosis under even the best of circumstances with unlimited funds can be challenging. It is even more so when finances are a major factor. Of all the chronic diseases, Addison’s is one of the most easily treated and managed. Unfortunately, the cost of diagnosing, treating, and monitoring can be a burden, and sometimes hard decisions must be made. “Financial euthanasia” can be especially traumatic for everyone involved.
Dogs with Addison’s disease can be tricky to diagnose, time-consuming, and test-intensive in the initial stages. Pet insurance can alleviate this strain dramatically. In this situation, we all win: the veterinarian, the pet owner, but mostly importantly, the patient!
Addison’s Disease Prognosis
Treatment is lifelong, but the prognosis for Addison’s disease is positive overall. The limiting factor for many dog owners is the cost of repeated laboratory testing in the first 12 to 18 months. DOCP also can be expensive for large dogs. Once the disease is stabilized, however, dogs often enjoy a good quality of life with minimal follow-up testing and less expense.
After nine years in emergency medicine, Catherine Ashe, DVM, now works as a relief veterinarian in Asheville, NC.
GoDogGo’s Fetch Machine was our top pick of ball-launching machines, for its ability to throw a multitude of balls at each “reload,” the clues it gives so the dog is ready for the launch, and the ability to vary the time between throws.
Raise your hand if a bum shoulder keeps you from throwing a ball (or throwing a ball very far) for your dog. Actually, maybe just nod instead; if you’re like me, even raising your hand can hurt your shoulder on some days! If you nodded, you – and especially your fetch-crazy dog – are in luck! There are a number of automatic ball launchers and other tools that can throw your dog’s ball for you with absolutely no shoulder action required.
Whole Dog Journal is reader-supported. If you purchase through links on our site we may earn a commission. Whole Dog Journal does not accept money for its food and product reviews.
Automatic Ball Throwers Tested
We purchased the three most popular automatic ball launcers that will shoot out tennis balls, and have been flinging balls all over town to compare the features of these expensive machines. Your dog can play fetch all by himself with each of these products – that is, after you set one up, turn it on, and have taught him to drop his ball into the hopper that each product has positioned on the top. We tested three big-ticket automatic ball thrower machines:
Each of the products had unique and useful features not shared by the others, so while we definitely developed our own preferences among the toys, you may have different needs and preferences that would make other products rise to the top of your list of favorites. If we were buying just one, however, knowing about the differences ahead of time would have definitely guided our purchase to one of the machines and one of these automatic ball throwers over the others. We will describe each of the products so you can make your own choice!
Automatic Ball Throwers Compared
Our top pick: GoDogGo’s Fetch Machine
The owners of GoDogGo say they invented the very first automatic ball-launching machine in 1999. They have produced and improved the patented GoDogGo Fetch Machine (which appears in the photo above) ever since.
The Fetch Machine model we tested can launch as many as 17 standard-size tennis balls (it can actually hold more, but the company recommends loading it with a maximum of 17, as more balls may cause the chute to jam). It can throw standard-sized tennis balls and mini tennis balls. The Fetch Machine Jr. accommodates only small balls, 1.5 inches to 2.25 inches in diameter. Both machines can be used while plugged into an AC outlet, or powered with six D batteries.
We didn’t test the Jr., but, to the delight of our dogs, the G4 launched balls farther than any of the products we tried.
The machines can be set to launch with a variably timed delay, or to launch when you press a button on a remote control (included with the machine). Neither of the other machines we reviewed have varying launch delays or a remote-controlled launch. Also, this machine is the only one that allows you to load up the bucket/hopper with a bunch of balls.
Whether you use the timed delay or the remote control to launch a ball, the machine takes a few seconds to prepare the launch, and makes a gears-moving noise that helps the dog (and operator!) know exactly when the ball is going to get thrown out. Our test dogs quickly figured it out and started to run as soon as they heard the noise that indicated a launch was imminent.
Playing with a full hopper of balls is a little chaotic but fun, especially if you have multiple dogs running around and you are just encouraging playful exercise. If you want to maintain a nice, clean retrieve, though, you really want to play with just one ball, because even with the longest interval between the timed launches, there are moments when the dog is still bringing back one ball when another is launched. Every time this happened, our test dogs always dropped the ball they were retrieving and went for the most recently launched one – not a big deal for us, but you may not like that.
If you teach your dog to drop a ball into the hopper, he can play fetch by himself. Set the delay time (4, 7, or 15 seconds); then the machine will launch the ball approximately that many seconds after the ball is dropped into the hopper.
GoDogGo Fetch Machine Safety features
GoDogGo’s literature mentions a “safety sensor” – but this is quite different from the feature of the exact same name in PetSafe’s Automatic Ball Launcher.
In the Fetch Machine, the “safety sensor” turns on the motor when a ball is in the chute and ready to be launched; it’s a little lever that gets pressed down when a ball rolls into place on top of it. When no ball is in the chute, the motor turns off.
We’re concerned that this arrangement might pose a potential safety hazard, although it’s a long shot. If, when the machine was turned on, a dog stuck his nose or paw in the empty chute, constantly pressing down on this lever for several long seconds, the motor will engage and the ball-launching mechanism could, conceivably, thwack him on the paw or nose. However, if he only pawed at it, or nosed it for a second or two, the motor would halt each time he lost contact with the lever. This would be much more likely to pose a risk to a curious and unsupervised small child than a dog, so take note: This isn’t for little kids!
The product literature instructs users to encourage their dogs to stand at least five feet from the machine. Balls launch out of the machine at quite an upward angle, however, so the biggest risk of being hit hard by a ball is to tall dogs or humans standing immediately in front of the machine. A small dog who ran in front of the machine several times as it launched was never hit, thanks to that nice upward launch angle. Whew!
GoDogGo sells balls of various sizes, weights, and textures for use with its machines (lightweight balls for indoors, smooth balls for extra bounce). The company warns that its machines should not be used in wet weather, nor should they be used in extremely hot or cold temperatures, for the dog’s health and safety.
Best Automatic Ball Thrower Runner-Up: iFetch Too
The iFetch Too, introduced in 2016, was a much-anticipated follow-up to the original iFetch, which was introduced in 2013, but which launches only small-sized balls. In contrast, the iFetch Too throws small and standard tennis ball-sized balls. Yay for us big-dog people!
iFetch Too
After spending days with the GoDogGo and the PetSafe ball launchers, both of which take a few moments and make noises as they prepare to launch a ball, the quick and quiet launching action of the iFetch actually startled us! When you or your dog drops a ball into the hopper, it almost instantaneously flings the ball out.
The iFetch Too has three distance settings – 10, 25, and 40 feet – and can be set to any of these, or set to cycle through these distances randomly. It’s also the only one of the three machines we tested that has an internal rechargeable battery. Its maker says the iFetch Too will launch a ball about 250 times on a full charge (or, of course, infinitely when plugged in).
The ball-launching mechanism of the iFetch seems like it would pose less of a danger to a curious dog nose or paw than that of the other products. The mechanism – comprised of a spinning plastic wheel on either side of the launch chute – moves only when a ball drops into the loading chute on the top, and only for as long as it takes for the ball to launch. The only way for a curious nose or paw to come into contact with a moving part would be if another dog was putting his nose or paw into the other opening at the exact same time – rather unlikely!
That said, an unwary dog or person who steps in front of the unit when a ball is dropped into the hopper could certainly get immediately smacked by the ball.
If it seems like we have way less to say about this product than the last one, it’s because, especially in contrast to the feature-laden GoDogGo Fetch Machine, the iFetch is an elegantly simple machine.
Our Least Favorite Automatic Ball Thrower: the PetSafe Automatic
There are two adjustment knobs on PetSafe’s Automatic Ball Launcher. One changes the distance of the ball’s launch, supposedly with nine possible settings, from about 8 feet to about 25 feet. One changes the angle of the launch, supposedly with six possible angle settings; these also affect the total distance that the launched ball will travel.
PetSafe’s Automatic Ball Launcher
In our tests, only changes from one end of the angle settings to the other extreme were easy to observe; angle changes from adjusting the in-between settings were too subtle to appreciate. Likewise, small changes in the distance settings did not usually result in appreciable differences in the distance that the ball was launched, though a difference from one extreme to the other in the settings again was noticeable.
On the setting for the shorter distances, as many as three tennis balls can be placed into the hopper at once. However, according to the manual, on the higher distance settings, it’s best to put only one ball in the hopper at a time, as the balls in waiting may be knocked out of the machine by the launch of the first ball.
The Automatic Ball Launcher has several safety features. There is a motion sensor that is meant to prevent a launch when a dog or person is moving within 7 feet directly in front of the machine. However, we noticed that if a dog runs up to the machine and then stands still – as many fetch-addicted dogs are wont to do when waiting for a ball to be thrown – the machine will go ahead and launch.
There is also a safety sensor in the “launch pocket” (the chute that the ball is launched from); it detects if a dog has thrust his nose or paw into the chute in an effort to grab the ball before it is launched and it prevents the launch. Nice!
Another built-in safety feature is a programmed “rest mode,” which is intended to protect a dog from fetching to the point of exhaustion or overheating. The launcher will throw balls for only 15 minutes at a time, and then go into rest mode for 15 minutes before starting again. This can be overridden by a human operator (presumably only with good judgment as to the weather, the dog’s fitness, etc.), but (obviously) not by a dog who is left alone with the toy.
The launcher should not be used in wet conditions or on wet grass. For the dog’s safety, PetSafe also cautions against use in extreme hot or cold.
While the automatic ball launcher has the most safety features, it was the noisiest of the three machines, and launched balls the shortest distance. Lacking either the remote-controlled launch or loading capacity of the Fetch Machine, and without the rechargeable battery and quick, quiet launch of the iFetch, it’s just not as compelling as either competitor.
Low-Tech Ball Launchers
Maybe you don’t need an expensive machine to throw balls for your dog. Perhaps your dog isn’t such a fetch fanatic; you’re just looking for an easier way to launch a few balls.
Our recommendation in this case would be Nerf’s Tennis Ball Blaster. While grasping the trigger/handle of the shotgun-like Blaster, you can lower the opening of the “barrel” over a tennis ball that’s on the ground; this gesture scoops up or rather inserts the ball into the barrel (so you don’t have to pick up a spit-covered ball – but you can also just insert the ball into the end of the barrel with your hand). Then, slide the cocking mechanism on the top of the toy forward and back; the Blaster is then “loaded” and ready to launch when you pull the trigger.
Nerf’s Tennis Ball Blaster
The full-sized Blaster (sometimes described as the “20-inch Blaster”) can shoot either standard-sized tennis balls or the small ones; just be warned that the big Blaster won’t pick up small balls off the ground (this is important only if you have trouble bending over and picking up balls from the ground).
The small-sized Blaster (called the “Tennis Ball Blaster with 3 Reload” on many online sites) comes with three small balls, but costs more than the large one. It picks up and launches only the small-sized balls – great for small dogs, but not safe for medium-sized or larger dogs (due to the risk of choking on or swallowing the small balls).
Not recommended:
One product we wouldn’t bother with is Hyper Pet’s K-9 Kannon. It, too, can be used to pick up standard-sized tennis balls off the ground, and will launch balls of either standard or small size.
Hyper Pet’s K9 Kannon
But, in our opinion, the design is inherently unsafe and difficult to prepare to launch. To ready the Kannon, you draw back on the handle at the rear of the toy, stretching a thick rubber band (which powers the launch) out of the back of the Kannon. This requires a fair bit of strength! And if you are unable to draw it backward to its maximum distance, it won’t launch the ball far.
Worse, when you pull the trigger, the rubber band snaps back into the Kannon, launching the ball and – if you don’t hold the launcher just so – pinching you or whacking you with the handle as it launches the ball. This stretching/releasing of the rubber band outside of the body of the Kannon is just too hazardous to the handler for us to recommend this product.
You may or may not have an interest in showing your dog in a formal obedience competition. But you certainly could use the method described here to teach your dog to perform a flawless and relaxed, comfortable show-ring stay – or just a solid, happy stay that keeps him securely in a safe location for a few minutes.
Before I knew anything about dog training, I viewed the “stay” cue as the start of some sort of battle of the wills. I imagined a human would need to have incredible authority over a dog to convince him to stay put for any amount of time.
After I learned about positive reinforcement training, though, I came to understand that teaching a stay behavior doesn’t need to have anything to do with power and control, and instead is a matter of reinforcement and trust.
A really solid stay is a beautiful thing to observe. A dog is cued to stay, and despite distractions around him, he won’t move from his spot. I am especially impressed when I see a dog looking happy and relaxed while staying put, fully trusting that he’ll be released eventually.
The icing on the cake is that this behavior is actually pretty simple to teach, and as a bonus, it can be a really fun process for both the trainer and her dog.
Once your dog has learned to stay on cue, the behavior can come in handy. In the past week alone, I’ve asked my dog to stay a number of times: When I opened the door for a delivery, when we moved a heavy piece of furniture and didn’t want him underfoot, and when I needed to wipe very hot pasta sauce off the kitchen floor (don’t ask).
Your Dog Should Choose to Stay
When I’m teaching a dog what I want him to do when I ask him to “stay,” I aim to make sure he knows he has a choice in the matter. He can stay, or he can get up and walk away. Yes, that’s right – he can leave if he wants to, right in the middle of a training session. Does this surprise you? Let me explain.
I give my canine students full agency to end a training session whenever they want. They’re never obliged to participate. It’s my job to keep them engaged and interested in what I’m teaching them.
I also set up the environment to make it far more likely that the dog will offer me the behavior I’m looking for, and in turn this will provide me with the opportunity to reinforce that behavior. If I’ve done my job right, the dog I’m teaching won’t be interested in getting up to leave. He’s allowed to – and I won’t stop him if he does – but he won’t want to.
Coercion is completely unnecessary when teaching a stay. When we train using rewards to reinforce behaviors, we make it more likely that our dog will choose to do the behavior we reward. In other words, we greatly increase the odds that he’ll offer that behavior when given the opportunity.
That’s how you end up with a dog who looks relaxed in a stay position, rather than worried, vigilant, restless, or on the verge of standing up and leaving. When I see those worried dogs, I think to myself how simple it would be to turn that situation into one the dog trusts. “You want me to stay here? Sure thing, happy to! Take as long as you need!”
How to Prepare Your Dog to Learn to Stay
Before we get started, make sure you have the prerequisites in place:
A dog who’s had the opportunity to expend some energy. Don’t try to work on this behavior when your dog is bursting at the seams and hasn’t yet been for a walk or had some play time. On the other hand, avoid wearing him out completely before practicing. You want him to be a little spent, but still have enough energy to use his brain.
Food, and lots of it. Cut treats into a very small size, like the size of your pinky fingernail for a large dog, and half that size for a smaller dog. You’ll be using a lot of food and feeding repetitively. That means avoid working immediately after feeding your dog when his tummy’s full, and alternately, avoid working when your dog is really hungry. A hungry dog is far too interested in getting immediate access to the food, and he’ll struggle to relax into the exercise.
A mat, towel, or rug. In the early stages, you’ll be using this item as a target on the floor to help your dog identify where he’s supposed to be. Avoid using your dog’s bed for this exercise. Your dog’s bed should be as free as possible from any rules or requests for behavior, in my opinion.
That’s his sanctuary, his own free space. Grab something else instead.
How to Train Your Dog to Stay: the 3 D’s of Learning to Stay
We’ll split the training exercises into three categories:
Distance – how far you can move away from your dog.
Distraction – what kinds of movements you can make and other environmental distractions you can add to the equation.
Duration – how long your dog can stay put before you release him.
We’ll work each of these categories separately at first. Keeping them separate will make it easier for your dog to be successful. We’ll start with the easiest level in each category, and we’ll gradually make the exercises more difficult as your dog masters each level.
But every time we make things a little harder in one category, we’ll make sure to keep the other two categories at a level your dog already knows really well. For example, when we’re working on increasing the distance between you and your dog, we’ll make sure we keep the other two categories at an easy level. We’ll never increase the distance and the duration and the distraction levels simultaneously. That would just be unfair to your dog and would slow your progress.
Verbal Cues for Teaching Stay
You’ll want a verbal cue or a hand gesture, or maybe both. Personally, I use only a hand gesture with my own dog. It looks a little like a “Stop!” hand gesture: hand positioned vertically, palm facing my dog, and fingers together. It doesn’t matter what gesture you choose, as long as you and all family members are consistent. For example, if I keep my fingers together, but my husband opens his fingers (like he’s flashing the number five), that can be confusing to our dog during the training process.
It’s not necessary to place your hand close to your dog’s face. In fact, that can be intimidating and uncomfortable for him. I keep my elbow somewhat bent and my hand about 12 inches in front of my body.
The standard verbal cue is “Stay,” of course, but you’re welcome to use whatever other word you want. If you choose to teach both a verbal cue and a hand gesture, I suggest you begin teaching only the hand gesture at first. It’s easier for dogs to learn visual cues before verbal ones.
Once your dog understands the visual cue, you can then add your verbal cue to your training sessions by saying it just prior to showing your hand gesture. After many repetitions of saying “Stay” before showing him the hand gesture, he will have associated the two, and you should be able to drop the hand gesture.
Choose a Release Word
Before we get started on teaching your dog to stay on cue, you need to choose what word you’ll use to let him know he’s now free to move around. You can use whatever word you want! In fact, the more unconventional your release word, the less likely your dog will be accidentally released by someone else saying the word, or by you saying the word in regular conversation.
For example, I see lots of people use the word “Okay!” to release their dogs. I think it’s a perfectly fine word to use, except that it can sometimes cause some confusion for the dog when that same word is used in casual conversation while he’s been asked to stay.
Imagine asking your dog to stay, and shortly after, a family member tells you, “I’m just running to store, I’ll be right back.” What is your likely response to that? “Okay!” … and oopsie, you’ve just unintentionally released your dog from his stay.
To release my dog, I say his name followed by “Let’s go!” but that’s just a suggestion. I’ve had clients use funny words like “potato” and “shazam!”
Choose whatever release word you like, as long as it’s unlikely to slip out during a casual conversation. It’s also a great habit to say your dog’s name before giving him your release word. It lets him know that you’re addressing him, that the next thing that comes out of your mouth is something he should pay attention to, and helps eliminate confusion.
The initial cue that Jessie has chosen for Nova’s stay is a closed hand held in front of her body.
Ready, Set, Stay!
The first exercise is incredibly easy:
1. Choose a quiet spot in your home that will allow you to walk a few steps away from your dog and where there are few to no distractions. Grab about 15 small treats.
2. Ask your dog to lie down on a mat, and stand facing him.
3. Show him your hand gesture for “stay” and immediately lean down and place a treat on the floor between your dog’s outstretched front legs, then stand straight again.
4. Repeat this until you’ve gone through all 15 treats.
That’s it. You’re done. It doesn’t seem like much, but you have already begun teaching your dog that lying on a mat and not moving is really kind of fun!
Every time you deliver a treat to reward your dog, place it on the ground between her front legs, where she can eat it without having to shift her position. Delivering it on the ground also keeps her from stretching toward it and standing up.
Getting Your Dog to Stay at a DISTANCE
The next exercise is set up the same way, except now you’ll start moving away from your dog, one step at a time. The lesson you’re teaching your dog is “even though I’m moving, the best thing for you to do now is to stay where you are.”
Once you have your treats in hand, and your dog is lying on his mat, facing you, you will:
1. Show your dog the stay cue and then take a single step backward.
2. Return to your dog, lean down, and place a treat on the floor between your dog’s outstretched front legs. Why on the floor? Because if you deliver the treat to his mouth, you’ll soon notice he will start to stretch his neck and body upward and toward your hand to get the treat. Soon, he’ll be standing!
3. Repeat this single-step exercise five times. You will have gone through five treats.
4. Now show him the hand gesture and then take two steps back.
5. Return to your dog. Lean down and deliver the treat.
6. Repeat this two-step exercise five times. You will have gone through five more treats.
7. Now take three steps backward, return to your dog, and deliver the treat. When you’ve done this five times, you should be out of treats.
Work on increasing the distance between you and your dog during the stay at first. Once your dog’s stay is solid with a bit of distance, reduce the distance and begin to practice stays of greater duration.
Releasing the Stay
It’s time to release your dog from his stay.
1. Stand still and resist the urge to make a gesture with your hands or body. We want the release word to become significant and to not be overshadowed by any movement you might make.
2. Say your dog’s name, followed by a brief pause (so he doesn’t learn to start to rise when he hears his name), then say your release word. For example, “Fido (brief pause), let’s go!”
3. Then, after you’ve finished saying your release word, you can invite your dog to move off of his mat by clapping your hands and moving backward quickly, or clapping your thighs and using a high-pitched playful voice (for example).
4. Praise your dog and play with him for a moment away from his mat. He’s done really well!
5. Soon after your short break, grab some more treats, invite your dog back on the mat, and begin again.This time, try to make it to four steps backward for a few repetitions. If your dog finds this harder and stands up, refer to the trouble-shooting tips below and on the next two pages.
6. If he’s doing well with four steps, resist the urge to go to five steps just yet! Instead, start varying the number of steps you take, always returning to deliver a treat on the floor. Try taking three steps (return and treat), then one step (return and treat), then four steps (return and treat), then two steps (return and treat).
7. When you’re out of treats, stand still and say your release cue, then invite your dog to step off his mat and play with you.
That’s enough for now. Call it a day!
Distance Practice Tips
As you gradually increase the number of steps you take away from your dog, you can begin adding these new elements of difficulty.
Turn Your Back
So far, you’ve been taking steps while moving backward, always facing your dog. Later, when your dog is acing the easier exercises, try turning your back to walk away from your dog instead of stepping backward. Keep it easy at first! If you can take eight steps away from your dog while facing him, try showing him the hand gesture, turning your back, and taking only three steps away before turning back around and returning to him to deliver the treat.
Walk Around a Large Object
Once you’re able to move away from your dog with your back turned to him, try walking around an object that only partially obstructs his view of you before returning to deliver a treat to him. For example, walk around the dining room table (he can still see your legs), or around the island in the kitchen (he can still see the top half of your body).
Disappear from His View Entirely
This one can take some time to work up to. Don’t rush it! When your dog successfully stays on his mat while you walk around an object, try slipping out of his view for just a nano-second. Maybe you can walk away from him in a straight line down a hallway, and after a few steps, slip into a bedroom doorway or behind a corner, and then very quickly reappear. Return to him to deliver a treat between his paws.
Distance Trouble-Shooting Tips
When you’re stepping away from your dog, move quickly. If you move too slowly, your dog might get up and follow you. You want to move at a pace that will assure him that you’re returning immediately to deliver that treat.
Don’t pause between stepping back and returning to your dog. Stay in constant motion. Once you reach the maximum number of steps you want to take during a repetition, immediately return in one fluid motion. Your movement should look like that of a ball being tossed in the air; there is no hesitation before returning.
Be mindful you’re not tossing the treat or letting it drop on the floor from too high up. This might cause it to roll or bounce away from your dog, and he’ll stand to get it. If that does happen, though, let him have it, and invite him back into position on his mat before resuming the practice. It was your mistake, not his.
If your dog stands up when you bend down to deliver a treat, it’s possible that he’s not comfortable with having someone lean over him. Try bending your knees and squatting to avoid leaning over him, or stand a step farther away from him.
If your dog successfully stays on his mat while you take two steps backward, but he gets up and follows you when you try three steps, return to an easier level of the exercise and do a few more repetitions before trying three steps again.
If you have a dog who is used to always training with the use of a clicker and you feel he would do better if you used one for these exercises, you can click to mark the moment just before you begin returning to him. In other words, you would click at your farthest point. But in general, a marker is not necessary when training the stay behavior.
At this point, start to mix it up. Walk around objects, keep your gaze on something other than your dog, turn your back to your dog, and/or briefly step out of his view altogether – so he doesn’t associate the stay cue with only you in front of him and making eye contact.
Steps to Training Your Dog to Stay: DURATION
To add duration to the stay behavior, you can begin to pause before returning to your dog to deliver the treat.
Start with a very short pause at first. Take an easy number of steps away from your dog, pause for two seconds, and return to your dog to deliver a treat. Gradually increase the number of seconds you pause. Don’t move ahead too quickly with this part! Resist jumping from a two-second pause to a 10-second pause, and just as you did with the number of steps in the earlier exercises, vary the length of your pauses.
For example, once you’re able to consistently pause for five seconds before returning to your dog, and your dog is looking nice and relaxed, try varying your next repetitions between five seconds, then three seconds, then one second, then increase to six seconds, then back to two seconds. Keep it variable as you slowly increase the number of seconds.
Don’t forget to practice your dog’s release cue every now and then! Once he’s off the mat, praise him playfully. Then invite him back to his mat for more training and treats.
You might notice that it takes a little more effort to convince him to get up when you release him. That’s great! It means he’s enjoying the stay exercise. It’s fine if he chooses to stay on the mat. A release cue simply means “You can move, now” – not “You have to move now!”
Duration Trouble-Shooting Tips
If your dog appears to become less tolerant of the longer pauses, he might be anticipating that the next pause will always be longer than the last one. That can become frustrating and demotivating. You don’t always need to keep making the exercise more difficult in a linear fashion. Once in a while, throw in an easy repetition or two to keep your dog interested in the game.
Avoid staring at your dog while you pause. He’ll think you’re expecting him to do something, and you might notice him start to offer you behaviors that he knows. Keep facing your dog, but “act casual.” I sometimes look around the room calmly, blinking softly. Or I’ll inspect my fingernails.
Thanks to Jessie Bracey and Nova for demonstrating these exercises.
Steps to Training Your Dog to Stay: DISTRACTION
Distractions need to be introduced gradually into your training. So far, you’ve been working in a quiet environment and all of your movements have been pretty consistent. You have been moving away from your dog and returning to him to give him a treat.
Now you can start to change the game up a bit. Instead of moving in a straight line away from him, you can start moving in a circle around him. But wait! You’ll need to proceed with this exercise the same way you did with the distance exercises: One step at a time.
Once you have your treats in hand, and your dog is lying on his mat, facing you, you will:
1. Show him your hand gesture, and then take a single step a little to the right. Imagine you are beginning to walk a circle around your dog, counter-clockwise.
2. Return to face your dog after that one single step. Lean down and place a treat on the floor between his outstretched front legs.
3. Repeat this single-step-to-the-right exercise five times, showing your hand gesture before each repetition.
4. Now take two steps counter-clockwise.
5. Return to your dog. Lean down and deliver the treat.
6. Repeat this two-step exercise five times.
7. Now take three steps counter-clockwise, return to your dog, and deliver the treat.
8. Once you have successfully done a few repetitions at the halfway mark – i.e., you’ve reached your dog’s tail end – you can then try walking all the way around the dog.
When you’ve successfully done a handful of repetitions in one direction, it’s time to start doing the same exercise, but in the clockwise direction. Again, start with one step at a time. This might feel repetitive, but this type of gradual progress is the best way to get that nice, relaxed response from your dog when you ask him to stay.
Distraction Trouble-Shooting Tips
If your dog stands when you’re walking a full circle around him, step around him more quickly. He might turn and shift his weight to watch you walk. That’s okay. If you’re quick, he won’t have time to stand up. Once you’ve gone around a couple of times, he’ll understand what to expect and he’ll relax into the exercise.
Be mindful of his tail! Sometimes dogs will be quick to stand if we come too close to his tail. I can’t blame them! If you notice this, give his tail end a wider berth. That should help reassure him.
If your dog struggles to stay put, look around for things in the environment that might be making it hard for him. Are there distractions like food or toys on the floor, or another dog close by? Are you working next to a busy area of the house, or maybe next to a door? Is there an appliance nearby that keeps turning on and off noisily?
More Distraction Practice Exercises for Learning Stay
Add Silly Movements
So far, you’ve kept your body movements relatively quiet. Now, begin adding more movements that can serve as a distraction that your dog learns to ignore. For example, after walking a short distance away from your dog, briefly wave your arms around before returning to him immediately to reward him. Or perform a few dance steps, get silly with it! If your dog gets up, tone it down a bit until he understands that he’s still expected to hold the stay. Then you can turn up the silliness quotient again.
Add a Low-Value Toy
Grab a low-value toy or object and hold it behind your back, out of your dog’s view. Stand back a few steps from him, show him your stay gesture, then extend your other arm to the side to show him the object. Quickly hide it behind you again and then deliver a treat to him. Repeat this several times. When your dog does well, you can begin shaking the toy a bit, or even squeaking it just once or twice. Remember to reward your dog after every single successful repetition.
Add a High-Value Toy
Repeat the previous exercise, but with a toy you know your dog really wants.
In the end, teaching a stay behavior is all about rewarding your dog heavily for staying in one place. It’s also about releasing him often during practice so that he learns to trust that he’ll be allowed to move soon enough, which should help him to relax while he waits.
Nancy Tucker, CPDT-KA, is a full-time trainer, behavior consultant, and seminar presenter in Quebec, Canada.
Sometimes, these posts practically write themselves – as when there is some urgent canine news, whether in my life personally, or in the dog world at large. But sometimes, there are so many things competing for my attention, I have a hard time focusing on a single topic.
Should I write about my senior dog Otto, and his recent medical mysteries? His CT scan at the specialty referral hospital and subsequent laparoscopic liver biopsy, and results? He’s recovered nicely from the procedure, and aside from a shaved tummy, you can’t tell there is anything ailing him.
I need to update everyone about Odin, my foster puppy – the last of the “mange puppies.” There isn’t much news about his eye yet, though. It’s been looking better and better, and hasn’t caused him any discomfort for weeks, which is a really good sign. But it’s still mostly blue – filled with edema and scar tissue inside – and we’re only at about day 40 of a 60-day mini-trial of a medicine we’re hoping will help.
https://www.instagram.com/dogsofwholedogjournal/
In the meantime, he and Woody (my three-year-old dog) have been growing thick as thieves. Woody always enjoys hanging out with my foster puppies, but this is the longest that one has been hanging around, and they are super close. Odin sleeps draped all over Woody for warmth and comfort, which leads me to take photos of the cuteness, which I can’t help but post on the Dogs of Whole Dog Journal Instagram page, and then everyone says, “You have to keep him!” I’m considering it, believe me! But I also think of how much fun he would have in his own family. We’ll see.
For the past couple of months, I have been teaching two puppy kindergarten classes, back to back, one night a week, at the training center of my friend Sarah Richardson, The Canine Connection, in Chico, CA. I really want to write about some of the observations I have made about puppies and new puppy owners – the mistakes I see many people make and the great and encouraging things that they do (including signing up for a puppy kindergarten class!).
I also want to write about the training event I went to for my local animal disaster response group, which dealt with small animal emergency shelter management.
And especially, all the things I learned about at the Canine Science Symposium, held at my alma mater, San Francisco State University, last weekend.
But the fact is, I am taking a tiny family vacation at the moment! And though I should have pre-written a post for this week, it took me all day the day before I left to get my three dogs situated at their respective places of dog-sitting, and I am exhausted! Totally in need of a few days OFF! So, if you will excuse me, I will take a short break with my family and dive back into the dog world next week!
Last fall I moved to Portland, Oregon, where marijuana is legal. Though I do not use marijuana, I have become very vigilant to ensure my dogs don’t ever get exposed to it. Marijuana toxicity in dogs is a concern that has been heightened for me after seeing several friends’ dogs require emergency medical treatment for exposure over the last few months. With more communities across the country legalizing marijuana, your dogs may be exposed even if you personally don’t partake, and it’s important to know what to do.
Dr. Tina Wismer, DVM, MS, DABVT, DABT, is the Medical Director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. She explains that dogs do not respond well to tetrahydrocannabinol – THC – which is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological impact.
Dr. Wismer cautions that, “Since [dogs] have a smaller body size and no sense of portion control, a dog can ingest a very large dose of marijuana all at once.” This risk is exacerbated by the prevalence of cannabis-infused food products in marijuana-friendly communities.
Symptoms of Marijuana Toxicity in Dogs
The symptoms of marijuana toxicity will vary based on the dog, but general symptoms in dogs include depression, vomiting, urinary incontinence, ataxia (wobbliness), tremors, stupor, and bradycardia (slow heart rate). However, Dr. Wismer explains about 25% of dogs exposed to cannabis will become stimulated instead of depressed and show agitation and high heart rate. Dogs with severe marijuana toxicity can develop low blood pressure and coma.
How Much Marijuana Will Make A Dog Sick?
Dr. Wismer advises that the size of your dog and the form of marijuana ingested determine how sick they will get. She cautions that cannabis concentrates such as those used in “edibles” are much more concerning than plant material when it comes to dogs, especially if chocolate is involved.
Precautions for Possible Marijuana Exposure
If you live in an area where marijuana is legal, and/or if you or someone in your household chooses to partake in recreational or medicinal use, Dr. Wismer advises the best way to protect your dog from a serious emergency is to, “make sure any product containing marijuana is out of paws’ reach at all times. Products in the form of an edible are especially dangerous as they often contain sugar and chocolate, which is also poisonous to pets.”
Talk about the dangers of marijuana and dogs to any house guests that might stay at your home. Ensure that dog walkers are aware of the risks. And as always, be vigilant about what your dogs are picking up on walks or at parks, as those are situations in which they could encounter discarded joints or other substances.
What to Do if Your Dog Consumes Marijuana
“If you suspect that your pet has ingested marijuana, call your veterinarian immediately,” says Dr. Wismer. She also suggests calling the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) at (888) 426-4435. You will be asked to describe your dog’s symptoms, how much marijuana they ingested (if you know) and your dog’s size and weight to determine if immediate treatment is necessary.
Treating Dogs for Marijuana Toxicity
“If a dog hasn’t consumed a lot, the general treatment is to provide supportive care, including IV fluids to keep them hydrated and help flush the drug out of their system,” Dr. Wismer explains.
In severe cases of marijuana toxicity, veterinarians will provide lipid therapy through an IV. “Fat molecules bind with the THC in the pet’s bloodstream, allowing the body to shed a large quantity of the chemical faster,” says Dr. Wismer.
Most dogs who have been exposed to marijuana will recover with supportive care, though Dr. Wismer cautions there have been a few reported deaths in dogs who ingested concentrated marijuana products.
iStock / Getty Images Plus/ Gwengoat
CBD for Dogs: Isn’t That Weed Too?
Dog treats and supplements containing CBD, or cannabidiol, are becoming increasingly common. Though CBD and THC are both derived from cannabis, CBD does not have any of the mind-altering properties that THC does.
Caroline Coile, PhD, is a writer and canine researcher who penned the book, Cannabis and CBD Science for Dogs. She has not heard of any reported cases of dogs overdosing with CBD products. She explains that CBD is most commonly used with dogs to treat anxiety, arthritis, inflammation and seizures, but has many other potential uses such as for autoimmune disorders, bone fractures, cancer, colitis, nausea and diabetes.
Coile emphasizes how dog owners should not confuse CBD with marijuana (which generally contains both THC and CBD, among many other chemicals), and that CBD does not get a dog high. She also states that CBD is, “probably the biggest breakthrough in a new class of drugs we’ve have in decades.”
On the other hand, Dr. Wismer says, “CBD products should not contain any mind-altering substances. However, we have seen dogs develop the same signs as THC ingestion after ingesting CBD-only products. As these products are not regulated, it could possibly be a quality control issue.”
Regarding the quality control of cannabis products, Dr. Wismer went on to explain that, “In one study looking at human products, 75 products were evaluated to determine the amount of cannabidiol and THC they contained. The results indicated that only 17% of products were accurately labeled, 23% were under-labeled and 60% were over-labeled with respect to THC content.”
If you are going to use CBD products with your dog, a lot of the research will fall to you and your vet to find companies and products that you feel comfortable with.
Unfortunately, there remain some unknowns. “This is certainly an area where more studies are needed to determine what the correct dose of CBD is for certain medical indications (anxiety, pain, etc.),” advises Dr. Wismer.
Sassafras Lowreyis an award-winning author and Certified Trick Dog Instructor. Sassafras’ forthcoming books include Tricks IN THE CITY: For Daring Dogs and the Humans That Love Them, Healing/Heelingand Bedtime Stories for Rescue Dogs: William To The Rescue.
