Subscribe

The best in health, wellness, and positive training from America’s leading dog experts

Home Blog Page 168

Whole Dog Journal’s 2018 Approved Dry Dog Foods

By
Nancy Kerns
-
1

I was speaking with a friend recently about working on this article. My friend is not just an experienced dog owner and trainer, but also someone who used to work in the pet food industry. We were discussing the fact that once another dog owner learns that you know something about foods, they almost always ask, “So what’s the best dog food?” My friend said, “Yeah, most people want to buy the best foods they can for their dogs – until you tell them what the best foods cost! Then they change the subject!”

You might not think that is funny, but my friend and I laughed for a solid minute, because we have both experienced that exact conversation countless times.

2018 approved dry dog foods list


It’s an inescapable fact that quality dog foods cost money – and the highest quality foods cost a lot of money. You simply cannot sell steaks at hamburger prices. And as much as we may want to buy “the best” food for our dogs, most of us have a number – unique to each of us, based on our financial status, the size and number of dogs we own, and perhaps even our relationship with our dogs – to which we will respond, “No, forget it; that’s too much.”

We’ve never made cost a part of WDJ’s dog food selection criteria, and have barely mentioned it in past reviews, precisely because of the fact that one dog owner’s “No, forget it” price may be another person’s food selection starting point. What you can afford or feel comfortable spending on dog food is a personal matter. But the conversation with my friend made me reconsider this particular elephant in the living room. It occurred to me that perhaps it would be helpful to help people identify the higher-quality foods in any group of identically priced products.

What Is In a Good Dry Dog Food?

In order to recognize a superior product in a group of foods, you have to know what specific attributes indicate quality in a dog food. We look for the following hallmarks of quality:

1. Animal Proteins at the Top of the List

Lots of animal protein at the top of the ingredients list. Ingredients in pet food are listed in order of the weight of that ingredient in the formula, so you want to see a named animal protein or named animal protein meal first on the ingredients list. (“Named” means the species is identified: chicken, beef, lamb, etc. “Meal” means a dry, rendered product made from an identified species.)

2. Named-Species Meat Meal 

When a fresh meat is first on the ingredient list, there should be a named animal-protein meal immediately or closely following the meat. Fresh meat contains a lot of moisture (which is heavy), so if meat is first on the list, it acts like a diluted protein source; while it adds an appealing flavor and aroma to the food, it doesn’t actually contribute that much protein. That’s why another named source of animal protein should appear in the top two or three ingredients.

3. Whole Plant Ingredients

When vegetables, fruits, grains, and/or carbohydrate sources such as potatoes, chickpeas, or sweet potatoes are used, they should be whole. Fresh, unprocessed food ingredients contain nutrients in all their complex glory, with their vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants intact.

4. Organic, Sustainable, “Green” Labelling

Some of us are also looking for products that are made with organic ingredients, and/or humanely raised or sustainably farmed ingredients. It may also be meaningful for some of us to buy from companies who support shelters or rescue, manufacture in “green” plants, participate in recycling and waste reduction programs, and so on.

2018 approved dry dog foods list


Bad Ingredients Found in Dry Dog Food

There are also some things to look out for – undesirable attributes that indicate a lower-quality food:

Meat by-products, poultry by-products, meat by-product meal, and poultry by-product meal

Many of the animal tissues that are defined as animal by-products are nutritious, but may be handled indifferently.

“Generic” fat sources

“Animal fat” can literally be any mixed fat of animal origin. “Poultry” fat is not quite as suspect as “animal fat,” but “chicken fat” or “duck fat” is better (and traceable).

Ingredient splitting

Watch out for a practice commonly called “ingredient splitting,” whereby two or more very similar food “fractions” appear on the ingredients list. Because the ingredients are listed in descending order of their weight, a manufacturer can make it appear that a higher-quality ingredient is represented in the food in a higher amount than it really is. This is accomplished by using several fractions or versions of an ingredient as separate ingredients (i.e., rice, brewer’s rice, rice bran, rice protein meal). If all the iterations of that ingredient were combined or reconstituted, they would outweigh the higher-quality ingredient, pushing it down on the ingredients list.

Plasma and blood

We don’t recommend foods that use animal plasma or blood meal as a protein source.

Added sweeteners

Dogs, like humans, enjoy the taste of sweet foods. Sweeteners effectively persuade many dogs to eat foods comprised mainly of grain fragments (and containing less healthy animal protein and fats).

Other Additives

Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives (such as BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin). The color of the food doesn’t matter to your dog. And it should be flavored well enough with healthy meats and fats to be enticing. Natural preservatives, such as mixed tocopherols, can be used instead.

Compare and Contrast Kibbles

Once you know what traits you are looking for, go compare the products in the price range that works for you. Make sure you use the calculator app on your phone and calculate the price per pound of any food you are considering. Write the numbers down so you can compare prices at different retail outlets; if you are accustomed to buying your dog’s food in a grocery store, you might be surprised to find that you can find foods of a much higher quality at very close to the same price.

For example, Beneful is a brand that’s sold in many grocery and big-box stores. It costs more than many of the foods in the grocery store so you may be patting yourself on the back for buying a better food for your dog. A 12.5-pound bag of its Grain-Free Chicken variety sells for $14.19, or $1.13 per pound. But look at the ingredients (we’ll list just the first 10):

– chicken
– pea starch
– cassava root flour
– chicken by-product meal
– soybean germ meal
– soybean meal
– canola meal
– beef tallow
– dried beet pulp
– poultry and pork digest

This food contains a minimum of 24% protein and 13% fat.

Now, let’s look at the first 10 ingredients of one of the foods on our “approved foods” list (which you can view by clicking the links on this page). We’ll compare it to a product from a company whose average prices are the lowest on our list: Eagle Pack. The Chicken Meal and Pork Meal formula sells for $39.99 for a 30-pound bag ($1.33 per pound).

– chicken meal
– pork meal
– ground brown rice
– dehulled barley
– oatmeal
– rice
– peas
– chicken fat
– brewers dried yeast
– flaxseed

This food contains a minimum of 27% protein and 14% fat.

Yes, there is a 20-cent per pound difference in the prices of these foods; the Beneful is less expensive. But the difference in quality is huge.

It’s nice that Beneful uses chicken meat as its first ingredient, but its next animal protein (chicken by-product meal) is fourth on this list. Because meat contains so much moisture, the chicken doesn’t contribute as much protein to the diet as a meat meal. Beneful props up the protein content in this food with low-quality protein sources: chicken by-product meal, soybean germ meal, and soybean meal.

By the way, we’d call the appearance of those last two ingredients “ingredient splitting.”If you added the weight of the soybean germ meal and the soybean meal, we’d hazard a guess that they would outweigh the chicken by-product meal, meaning they play a far larger role in the food than the chicken by-product meal.

Animal proteins contain more of the amino acids that dogs require than plant proteins, but plant proteins are less expensive – hence their appearance in lower-priced dog foods.

In contrast, Eagle Pack uses two high-quality meat meals as the first and second ingredients; this is where the food is getting most of its protein.

As a fat source, the Beneful food uses beef tallow – widely considered to be a lower-quality fat than the chicken fat used in the Eagle Pack food.

The grains used in the Eagle Pack food are either whole or lightly processed (ground or dehulled). In contrast, the carbohydrate sources in the Beneful product are highly processed (pea starch, cassava root flour, canola meal). All in all, there is a world of difference between the two foods.

Average Dog Food Price Per Pound

In the 2018 Dry Dog Food Review, we’ve listed a number of companies that make good- to great-quality foods. For the first time ever, we’ve ordered the dry dog food companies by the average price of their products so you could compare their features with similarly priced foods.

Here’s how we came up with the figures we used for the average sales price:

We collected prices for kibble from online retailers and from the companies themselves, asking for their suggested retail prices for the largest-sized bags of their foods (the larger the bag, the lower the price per pound). We calculated the price per pound of each variety of food (by dividing the price by the number of pounds of food in the bag). Then we calculated the average price per pound of food for each company, using the figures from each food in each line.

Keep in mind that an average means there are foods that cost more and some that cost less than the average. The company average price per pound will accurately represent those companies whose product lines are priced similarly, but it less accurately represents companies who have widely disparate lines of food.

Consider, for example, the three lines of food that Petcurean sells in the United States. Products from its most expensive line, “Gather,” sell for $4.99 per pound. Its Now Fresh foods sell for an average of $3.21 per pound, and its Go! foods sell for an average of $2.94 per pound. The company average is $3.71 per pound.

Does A Good Dog Food Really Make a Difference?

A difference to your dog’s lifelong health? Yeah, it does. Over the years, Whole Dog Journal has dedicated countless pages to the challenges and essentials of nourishing your dogs. As any long-time reader knows, the pet food industry seeks to maximize its profits, not the health of the animals who depend on it. Do we wish everyone could afford the most expensive dog food in the world, and thus the best quality ingredients? Of course we do, but we also recognize this isn’t the reality we, or our dogs, live in. 

Find brands of kibble with decent ingredient lists which you can afford. Most humans can’t access grass-fed organic meat for themselves, let alone their dogs. The 40+ foods on this list will help you hit your target.

2018 approved dry dog foods list


There may be less obvious differences in the quality of ingredients between products that appear at the top of our “approved foods” list. This is where some of the companies’ intangible factors come into play. At the top end of the price charts, you will see companies who use dog food ingredients that are certified organic, sustainable, and humane; those certifications don’t come without a price. You will also see pet food companies with very good safety records, whose names you probably haven’t heard associated with any recalls. Quality manufacturing and quality control has a price, too.

Again, that’s not to say that we can all afford the price of some of these foods. But when you check to make sure that the foods have many of the traits of a good-quality product and none or few of the traits of low-quality products, you can rest assured that you are in the right ballpark, anyway. All of the foods on our approved foods list, even those at the very bottom of the list when they are ordered by average cost (as we have done) are capable of providing superior nutrition to your dog.

Now, all you have to do is find the ones that suit your individual dog – and that’s no small feat. There are dogs who thrive on low-quality foods and dogs who wilt when fed expensive foods. The problem in the latter case might lie with a certain ingredient, the percentage of fat, or something else. Don’t fret, just try another good-quality food. The great news is that there are plenty to choose from.

2018 approved dry dog foods list


Your Dog’s Behavior: When to Manage, When to Train

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
-
6
Dog behavior modification can help with many of a problem's dog troublesome behaviors.
Photo by Bonnie Anderson

What if I told you that you could improve your dog’s behavior without training him? That you could prevent him from doing many of the behaviors that you don’t like – without any cues or treats or learning curves?

Well, these things are completely possible. You can accomplish these goals through management – the art of controlling your dog’s environment to prevent him from being reinforced for behaviors you don’t want. It’s an incredibly valuable piece of any good training or behavior-modification program. Whether you are looking at a short-term or long-term management solution, the better you are at it, the easier it is for you and your dog to succeed.

In fact, management is the correct answer to most questions that are posed to professional dog trainers that begin, “How do I stop my dog from . . . ” (fill in your dog’s favorite inappropriate behavior here). In many cases, management is necessary while the dog learns a new, more appropriate behavior. In others, management offers a simple long-term solution or replaces unrealistic training expectations.

3 Steps to Modifying a Dog’s Behavioral Habits

I offer my clients a three-step formula for reprogramming or preventing unwanted behaviors; management plays a big role in the formula.

Step #1 – Rephrase the issue: Identify what you want the dog to do instead of what you want him not to do.

Step #2 – Manage: Figure out how to prevent the dog from being rewarded for the unwanted behavior, because behaviors that are rewarded are reinforced; in other words, the dog is more likely to do them again. If you can prevent the dog from being rewarded, he will be less likely to do them again. Believe it or not, this step, the management part, is often the easiest step.

Step #3 – Train: Figure out how to consistently reward your dog for the desired behavior identified in the first step. This may be the hardest part, but it will be easier to accomplish because of your Step #2 efforts.

Here are some examples of how you might use the three-step process for dealing with several behaviors commonly cited by owners as annoying and undesirable.

Examples of When Managing Your Dog is Better Than Training

“How do I stop my dog from jumping up?”

1-Rephrase: “How do I teach my dog to greet people politely, by sitting, or at least by keeping all four feet on the floor?”

2-Manage: Control your dog’s environment to prevent her from being rewarded for jumping up on people. You can use the following tools:

A leash or tether to restrain her as people approach; allow them to feed her a treat and/or pet her only after she sits.

Crate, pen, closed doors, so when you can’t closely supervise her interactions with visitors, you can confine her to a safe area so she can’t practice her jumping-up behavior.

Education. Arm your visitors with information in advance of their first meeting with the dog so they know how to behave appropriately in response to her jumping up.

Exercise, because tired dogs tend to be better-behaved dogs.

3-Train: Consistently reward her for sitting when she greets people. Use “negative punishment” (dog’s behavior makes a good thing go away) by turning away or stepping away when she tries to jump up. (See “Training Your Dog Not to Jump Up,” WDJ December 2009.)

“How do I stop my dog from going potty in the house?”

1-Rephrase: “How do I teach him to go to the bathroom outside?

2-Manage: Prevent him from being rewarded for peeing on the carpet. A full bladder causes discomfort; urinating relieves that discomfort. Urinating on the carpet is more rewarding for an un-housetrained dog than suffering the discomfort of “holding it” until he can go outside. Use the following tools:

Veterinary consultation. You will need a veterinarian to rule out any possibility of a urinary tract infection or gastrointestinal problem.

Frequent trips outside (like, once an hour). Take the dog outside so frequently that his bladder/bowels are never full to the point of discomfort (every hour on the hour, at least at first).

Crate, pen, or tether (use the latter only when you are home). Use these tools during the times when you can’t supervise him closely enough to prevent him from soiling the carpet when you’re not paying attention. Keeping his crate unsoiled is more rewarding to most dogs than relieving even a moderately full bowel or bladder.

Close supervision. When your dog is in the house and not in a crate, pen, or tether, you must pay attention to him. You need to be able to notice when he acts restless (a sign that he has to eliminate) and take him outside quickly, before he has a chance to relieve himself on the carpet.

3-Train: Implement a full housetraining program that includes going outside with him regularly and rewarding him with praise and a treat immediately after he goes to the bathroom in the appropriate toilet spot. (For more about housetraining, see “How to Train Your Dog to Go to the Bathroom Outside,” WDJ June 2013.)

“How do I keep my dog from chewing up my shoes, books, furniture, etc.?”

puppy chewing shoe
1-Rephrase: “How do I get her to chew on her own things and only her own things?”

2-Manage: Prevent her from being rewarded for chewing on inappropriate objects. Things like shoes, books, and furniture have a nice firm-but-giving texture that feels good (is rewarding) to a dog’s teeth and gums, especially to a puppy or young dog who is teething. You have a lot of tools available for managing this behavior:

Picking up and putting away non-chew objects when your dog is in the room.

Removing her from the room when non-chew objects must be left within dog-reach (or putting her in a crate or pen, or on a tether or leash if necessary).

Supervising the dog closely and distracting her from inappropriate objects with offers of appropriate chew items.

Exercising her a lot; tired dogs tend to be well-behaved dogs.

3-Training: Provide her with irresistible objects specifically for chewing, food-stuffed Kongs, and other safe items. If she is given the opportunity to chew only acceptable items, she will eventually develop a strong preference for chewing on these things and your personal possessions will be safe. (See “Dogs and Puppies Chew for a Number of Reasons,” August 2007.)

“How do I stop my dog from chasing joggers (or cats, bikes, livestock, or deer)?”

1-Rephrase: “How do I teach my dog to stay with or return to me in the presence of fast-moving objects?”

2-Manage: Don’t let her have the opportunity to be rewarded for chasing. And don’t have unrealistic training expectations; that is, don’t expect to be able to train a dog who finds “chase” very reinforcing to “not chase” in the absence of containment. This includes most of the herding breeds, terriers, hounds, and sporting breeds. With these dogs especially, use those management tools:

Fences – that is, solid physical fences of sufficient height. These are great tools for thwarting chasing behaviors.

Doors that keep your dog safely confined indoors except when directly supervised can go a long way toward preventing rewards for chasing.

Leashes and long lines are ideal for preventing chase rewards.

Exercise – in this case, on a leash or long line, or in a securely fenced area. Tired dogs tend to be well-behaved dogs. Tired dogs tend to have happy owners.

3-Train: Teach your dog a very reliable recall. Train her to drop to a down at a distance. Teach her a solid “Wait” cue that will pause her in mid-stride, even when she is in chase mode. (See “Training a Fast Reliable Recall,” September 2012.)

“How do I keep my dog from roaming?”

1-Rephrase: “How do I keep my dog safe at home?”

2-Manage: Use appropriate physical means to keep him safely confined at home and make sure he never experiences and reaps the rewards of the “joy” of running loose in the neighborhood.

I occasionally have potential clients call and ask me how to train their dogs to stay on their property without a fence and without a human present. This is an unrealistic training expectation, and I never accept such a training assignment; I don’t believe it can be done safely and humanely. For most, if not all dogs, there are stimuli that are strong enough to induce them to break through the shock of an electric fence collar simple boundary-training program. This is a case where management tools are indispensible:

Solid physical fences of sufficient height. (See “Installing Safe and Affordable Dog Fencing,” May 2009.)

Doors. Keep him safely confined indoors except when directly supervised, to prevent him from being rewarded for roaming.

Leashes and long lines; physical restraint tools are ideal for preventing roaming rewards. (Note: We do not recommend tying or chaining a dog as a routine method of outdoor confinement.)

Neutering. Lowering a dog’s testosterone level can be an effective way of eliminating one very strong motivation for roaming.

Exercise; tired dogs tend to be well-behaved dogs.

3-Train: Teach your dog a very reliable recall. Train him to drop to a down at a distance. Teach him a solid “Wait” cue that will pause him in mid-stride, even when he is in chase mode. And then never leave him outdoors alone, unfenced, and unsupervised.

“How do I make my dog stop stealing food from the table, counter, or coffee table?”

1-Rephrase: “How do I get him to only eat things that are in his bowl or on the floor?”

Dogs are opportunistic eaters by their very nature. They are morally incapable of “stealing” food. A dog in the wild who eats food when and where he finds it is smart – and much more likely to survive than one who passes food by just because it happens to be above eye level.

2-Manage: Clearly, the food that he finds on counters tastes good and is very rewarding. Prevent him from being rewarded for counter-surfing by never leaving food on the counter, or leaving your dog unsupervised in a room with food on a table (even for a minute).

Use the following management tools:

Closed doors. If food must be left out, shut the dog in another room so he can’t have access to it.

Cupboards. Put food away! Never leave it out as an invitation to counter-surf.

Crates, pens, leashes, and tethers; these are all reasonable means of restraint to prevent his access to food you don’t want him to have.

Exercise; tired dogs tend to be well-behaved dogs.

3-Train: Teach him a positive “Leave It!” or “Walk Away!” cue and consistently reward him for ignoring food on the counter and for keeping all four feet on the floor around food-laden counters and tables. Reinforce him generously for lying on his “mat” in food areas, so he learns to offer his “mat” behavior in the presence of food. (See “5 Things to Do the Next Time Your Dog Grabs Your Stuff and Runs,” January 2011, and, “How to Teach Your Dog to Trade,” February 2017.)

We could keep going, but you should be getting the idea by now. Any time you’re faced with a behavior challenge, just apply these three simple steps – rephrase, manage, and train – to design your action plan for managing and/or modifying the inappropriate behavior.

Management Will Simplify Your Life

Then there are those cases where it makes far more sense simply to manage the environment to prevent the behavior from happening, without investing time and energy into the training end.

My all-time favorite management story was the Peaceable Paws client in Carmel, California, who asked me to teach his Australian Shepherd-mix to stop drinking out of the toilet.

I told him that it would be far easier to teach him (the supposedly more intelligent species) to close the toilet lid or shut the bathroom door, than it would be to train the dog not to take advantage of a constantly fresh water source. “In fact,” I told him, “your dog is probably trying to figure out how to train you to stop peeing in his water bowl!” This was one of those cases where it made much more sense to implement a simple management technique than to expend the energy required to train the desired behavior.

He got the message. When I visited the house for our next appointment, the bathroom door was securely closed.

Criticism of the Behavior Management Method

Some dog-training professionals speak poorly of management. Far more times than I care to count I’ve heard trainers say, “Management always fails.” What they mean is, as just one example, if you are relying on baby gates and doors to keep your cat-chasing dog from scaring or hurting your elderly cat, there is a good chance that, at some point, someone will fail to completely close a door or gate.

I cringe every time I hear this. In my world, management is a critically important piece of a successful training program and can also be key to successful long-term living with canine behavior challenges. There are many dogs who have lifelong loving homes thanks in part, at least, to a well-designed and implemented behavior management plan. It worries me to hear anyone discourage dog owners from using management tools and plans.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we forego training altogether. There are many circumstances where we manage behavior until we succeed in training or modifying behavior, and there are times when we choose to manage for the life of the dog.

Management can have a high potential for failure, and whether we choose management as a long-term or just short-term solution depends on two things:

1. The likelihood of management failure
2. The consequences if management does fail

If the likelihood of management failure is low and consequences are minor, then management can be a realistic solution. The higher both factors rise, the more important it is to work to modify your dog’s behavior rather than relying on a lifetime of management.

Likelihood of Management Failure

There are a number of factors that determine likelihood of management failure in any given circumstance. These include:

– Number of humans in the household. The more humans, the greater the chance someone will slip up.

– Children in the household.

– Humans (adult or child) in the home who aren’t committed to the management plan, or worse, who deliberately seek to subvert the management plan.

– Level of activity in the home. The more chaotic the environment, the greater the likelihood of a management “oops.”

– Dog’s determination. The more persistent and determined your dog is to overcome management efforts, the more likely he is to succeed.

Consequences of Behavior Management Failure

If you are managing a counter-surfer and management fails, perhaps you lose the peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich you left on the counter, or worse, the holiday Tofurkey. But if you are managing a dog who doesn’t do well with children, you could end up with a mauled child – or worse.

Download the Full February 2018 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
-
0
  • Time For a Tough Subject: Food Quality and Price
  • WDJ's 2018 Approved Dry Food
  • You Can Manage
  • A Beter Biome
  • How Can You Know What Your Dog Feels?
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 here or contact customer service.

Subscribe

Subscribe to Whole Dog Journal

With your Whole Dog Journal order you’ll get:

  • 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.

Subscribe now and save 72%! Its like getting 8 issues free!

Already Subscribed?

Click Here to Sign In | Forgot your password? | Activate Web Access

Suggested Dog Park Rules

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
-
5

The most successful dog parks have rules – and people who enforce them. Registration and numbered armbands make it easier to identify rule-breakers, which helps with enforcement. Here are seven dog park rules recommended by professional trainer Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA:

1. Dogs must be currently licensed and up-to-date on vaccinations and parasite control.

This means dogs owners should be prepared to show current vaccination papers to authorities who request them, and dogs with obvious parasite infestations (internal and/or external) will be asked to leave the park and allowed to return only with a clean bill of health from a veterinarian.

2. No babies, toddlers, or small children allowed in the dog park.

Communities may set different age limits, but seven is a reasonable minimum age for children. Smaller, younger children are just too vulnerable to injury even from friendly dogs who get excited.

3. Owners must pick up after their dogs.

Always, no excuses, no exceptions. Good parks have well-maintained waste stations and keep poop-bag dispensers well-stocked.

4. No dogs in season.

Female dogs in heat don’t belong in dog parks. Period.

5. No aggressive dogs.

Dog parks are not the appropriate place for owner to try to modify their dogs’ aggressive behavior. Dogs who have demonstrated aggression to dogs or humans should not be allowed to return to the park.

6. Owners must be attentive to their dogs.

Much inappropriate dog park behavior could be avoided if humans were paying attention and intervened before canine behavior escalated out of control.

7. All gear needs to be removed from the dogs.

All gear, except for a collar with a quick-release buckle, should be removed from dogs before they enter the park. Harnesses, choke chains, pinch collars, and head halters pose special risks to the dogs wearing them and any dog who might become entangled in them while playing.

Homemade Dog Food Ingredients: 3 Essential Foods for Dogs

By
Nancy Kerns
-
36
Homemade dog food can offer a better balance of nutrition tailored to your dogs.

Whether you want to try feeding your dog raw food or you’re looking for home-cooked dog food ideas, the components of a good homemade dog food plan are not complicated, but do require diligence and dedication from you – the dog guardian.

Calcium levels in your dog’s diet are important: you can’t feed too little or too much. A balance of nutrients over time is also essential: mixing and matching different types of vegetables and meat over the weeks and years. So how do you make sure your dog’s homemade diet is complete and balanced enough? You need to feed a high variety of foods.

3 Essential Ingredients for Homemade Dog Food:

1. Muscle meat
2. Raw meaty bones and offal (animal organs)
3. Vegetables (leafy, non-starchy)

Whole Dog Journal steers away from providing dog guardians with step-by-step recipes for dog food, raw or cooked. We can share expert dog companions’ personal protocols for feeding their dogs home-prepared, but quickly you will realize not only that the perfect dog food recipe does not exist, but that in order for your dog to receive all necessary nutrients, you really need many recipes that include many different whole food ingredients.

1. Muscle meat

We all know what this is. Chicken, lamb, beef, pork, venison, rabbit – these are the meats you see on commercial pet food labels, and the type of meat humans mostly eat. Fish also falls under this food category: common fish meats to feed dogs include jack mackerel and salmon. Unlike people, there is no limit to the amount of protein a dog should eat; dogs can survive entirely on animal meat if necessary. It does not matter if dogs eat raw meat, either – though there have been cases of dogs getting sick from salmonella or E. coli, this is rare and generally comes down to a preexisting immune deficiency.

2. Raw meaty bones and other animal parts

Here is the trickiest component of homemade dog food. Raw meaty bones refer to a specific type of animal bone that is for eating, not just for chewing (we call these recreational bones). RMBs are fed to dogs unprocessed, with muscle meat and tendons still adhered. They aren’t dried and therefore are not brittle, and usually are big enough not to be swallowed whole. Raw meaty bones are an essential source of calcium for dogs; if for whatever reason your dog can’t handle RMBs, alternatives like ground bones, or ground eggshells, in their food can supply the calcium.

Organ meats like liver, kidney, hearts, and necks are required for home-fed dogs as well. For raw-fed dogs, organs should make up about 10% of their overall diet, which may be a challenge for some dog guardians. Offal meats contain all the rich vitamins and minerals that make your dog glow, but since they aren’t widely eaten (in the United States at least), they aren’t widely available.

3. Vegetables

What veggies should you definitely include in your dog’s diet? There are plenty of vegetables that are good for dogs.

Spinach
Carrots
Peas
Lettuce
All types of squash (pumpkin, zucchini, acorn, butternut)
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Cucumbers
Asparagus

Vegetables and Fruits That Benefit Dogs, But Are Not Essential

Sweet potato
Celery
Kale
Cabbage
Brussels sprouts
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Green beans (when they’re cooked)
Any edible berry
Any kind of melon
Avocado
Apples
Oranges
Pears
Bananas
Pineapple
Lemons and limes

Need more details on vegetables for dogs? Here you go!

Nutritious plant-based food options are plentiful for dogs, but there are a handful of foods dogs should avoid or limit eating:

Onions
Garlic
Nightshades (potatoes, eggplant, peppers)
Grapes and raisins

Do these foods kill every dog who ingests them? No, of course not. Some dogs eat potatoes and bell peppers their whole lives and don’t have any issues. Other dogs get the occasional grape as a treat and they’re fine. Garlic, in small amounts, is actually good for dogs. The problem is that each of these ingredients contains toxins which, if eaten in excess, can make your dog sick, so we do not recommend using them in your home-prepared dog food.

Grains in Homemade Dog Food

Dogs do not need to eat grains for a complete and balanced diet, nor do they need to eat beans and legumes. Grains and beans aren’t bad for dogs, they just aren’t an essential part of the canine diet. As a filling source of protein, these starchy ingredients can be included in your dog’s meals from time to time, but they should not be main ingredients in the homemade diet you design.

New House – How Are the Dogs Handling the Move?

By
Nancy Kerns
-
0

As I described in the editorial in the January issue of WDJ, my husband and I recently bought a new house, about four miles from where we currently live. Before, we were living in the center of a little 1850s Gold Rush-era town; now we live on its outskirts, in a 1950s ranch house on two acres.

In the category of loving the new house are three of the four voting members of the family (me, my husband, 10-year-old mixed-breed Otto and two-year-old pit/Lab Woody; cats and chickens don’t vote).

My husband and I LOVE it. We both have been sleeping like the proverbial logs. I wasn’t aware of how the noises of town have impacted my sleep; I only knew how they impacted my peace during the day. My block has exploded in recent months with new resident barking dogs. When I hear a dog barking all day, I don’t blame the dog; instead, I am filled, bark by bark, with rage at the dog’s owners.  To me it doesn’t sound like “Bark, bark, bark!” It sounds like, “Neglect, cruelty, disrespect!” But enough of that rant.

Also in the category of LOVING the new place: Woody. Two acres provides all the fetching room he needs and allows him to fetch in the morning after potty, and at all sorts of in-between times all day long. He has taken to carrying his ball around the house in hopes that any person walking by a door to the outside will see him and the ball and decide that “Yes, Woody, it’s time for fetch!”

Poor Otto is the lone dissenter. He’s hating the house for two significant reasons: Slippery floors and relentless beeping. 

Otto has long had an issue about slippery floors – and the fact that it’s all in his head means that any physical steps I take to mitigate his fears may or may not actually help. Most of the new house has hardwood floors; the parts that aren’t wood are tile (the entry and eat-in kitchen). Otto has decided that there is no non-slippery surface in the house, and none of the carpet runners I’ve put down for him have changed his mind. Never mind the fact that the hardwood is not all that slippery, and that Woody can walk on the tile without slipping (and can even fetch the ball that he drops and chases to amuse himself without slipping). Otto is certain he’s going to slip, so he starts walking in an exaggerated, shaky-legged, scrambling, “The whole world is icy, I can’t help it, I’m slipping!” sort of gait, which of course makes him slip! Even on the carpet runners!

I’m not going to share a picture of Otto in distress. You’ll hate me. However, I have a few mitigation plans in place: I’ve ordered the sticky stuff to spray on his feet (Firm Grip rosin spray), I’m going to try the balloon-type dog “shoes” (Pawz), and I’m trying to counter-condition the heck out of him, by dropping treats for him all over the house.

Electronic beeps are the other problem. Otto is one of those dogs who goes out of his mind if a smoke detector emits one of those “low battery” chirps. He will start stress-panting and pacing and shaking. And if a smoke alarm goes off, he will paste himself to a door and shake and whine until someone lets him out (and then deals with the alarm and the cause of the smoke – first things first!) The new house, unfortunately, has some sort of alarm system that beeps every time any window or door is opened. And since we’re moving, we’re coming in and out a lot. And since it’s winter, we hate to leave the door wide open between trips. So, beep, beep, beep. It’s a priority to figure out how to disarm the system and get rid of the beeps. But for now, I’ve taken to leaving Otto in my car when we’re going in and out of the house a lot. He’s content to lay or sit in the car for hours, if need be, to avoid the beeps and the floors. Especially because the car has a good view of the ONE thing that both dogs agree is super cool about the new house: Squirrels.

THERE ARE SQUIRRELS IN THE TREES.

Within one week, all I have to do is say, “Guys: Squirrel!” And both dogs rush to a window – yes, even Otto, he forgets the floor thing when it comes to a squirrel alert – to look for the squirrel. And if they are outside, both go on high alert and scan the trees and lawn for the offending squirrel. Forgive me for using squirrel alerts, too, to distract Otto from the floors and the beeps.

One thing you will notice in the picture of my dogs on a squirrel alert: the crappy “fence” in the background, and the road immediately behind. Dog-proof fencing is the next big project. I have over 400 feet of roadside property to fence before I can relax and enjoy the new house completely. Until then, the dogs can’t be left outside for a MINUTE unattended, so that’s next on the agenda, right up there with stopping the beeps. I think that once Otto is free to hunt for squirrels and relax on the deck outside, as he has been accustomed to do at his leisure in our old house – the only house he’s known since we adopted him – the slippery floor thing won’t be such a big deal. At least, I hope. Wish us luck!

The Hazards of Transporting Puppies

By
Nancy Kerns
-
0

I promise to stop talking about my foster puppies soon. Especially since I’m down to just two of them; soon enough, I won’t have anything to say. But today’s adventure made me yearn for the day they will all be gone.

I agreed to transport two puppies to meet with a woman who was adopting one of the pups. She was going to transport the second puppy to the base of the West Coast coordinator of the breed rescue who has sponsored this litter (and their heartworm-positive mom); the pup will catch a ride with yet another volunteer in a few days to her new home in southern California – about a 10-hour drive from my house to the puppy’s new home, all in all.

I have a good-sized crate for pups of this size, but it’s on loan to a friend who transported yet another one of the puppies to a town in the southern bay area. That’s where the pup was transferred to the brother of the adopter; he drove that pup several hours further south to Bakersfield, where he met the adopter, who had driven up from near Phoenix, Arizona! At any rate, I didn’t have the crate that fits in the back of my car.

But I drive a car that has a smallish but deep “way back” area behind the back seat, and the seats are not only tall, but they recline slightly. So if I put puppies in this way-back area, when I recline the seats, the pups are more or less secure back there – at least, all the other puppies I’ve ever transported that way were. I put down two thick, fuzzy mats on top of the sheet that I pretty much always have protecting every dog-accessible surface of my car.

My segment of the transport was about an hour in each direction.

At about the 30-minute point, I detected the unmistakable aroma of fresh puppy vomit. I pulled over.

It looked to me like both puppies had lost their lunch – er, breakfast. But I stopped before both pups were covered in the semi-digested food. I was able to scoot the pups to one side and fold up the top mat, with the vomit safely contained within it. Ha! Good thing I had padded the back area so well! I petted the pups and tried to give them a few words of encouragement. “Not much farther, pups! Hang in there!” I got back in and started driving.

I had only gone a few miles when the odor took another, far worse turn. Someone pooped. Ack! I pulled over again.

As I got out of the car, I could see one puppy in my back seat. Oh my gosh! How did he do that? It was the larger puppy, and he apparently used the folded up vomit mat to gain enough altitude to pull himself over the back seat. At any rate, thank dog, he wasn’t the one who pooped. In fact, he was looking a little like, “I had to climb out of the back, man! There is POOP back there!” He then crawled under the front seat, and rode the rest of the way under there.

I opened the way back and recoiled. Soooo much poop and spread around liberally by the very car-sick puppy, who, in her panic at being left alone in the way-back, within the minute it took me to pull over, had tracked all through the soft poo. I quickly shut the hatch, and walked to the passenger door, which I opened so I could reach the glove compartment. I had brought my dog Woody with me; he wouldn’t make eye contact with me, but had a sort of disgusted look on his face as he steadfastly stared forward through the windshield.

I save extra napkins from fast-food places, and there were a bunch in my glovebox. I grabbed all of them and went back to the rear of the car.

I was able to fold the poop-smeared mat in half, and then used napkin after napkin to wipe the puppy’s paws and rear end (she sat in it at least once). By the time I was done, she still smelled to high heaven, but wasn’t leaving poop on my paper napkins. I folded the mat into a quarter, with all the poopy napkins inside, and hit the road again.

Within two minutes, the carsick pup had climbed over the now-high-stacked mats into the back seat, and then into the front seat of my car. She just wanted some comfort, so I allowed her to crawl into my lap, where she rode the rest of the way to my meeting spot with her head on my chest, drooling – so I had a smelly, wet, drooly shirt-front when I met the nice lady who was going to take the pups the rest of the way.

My first question: “Did you by any chance bring a big crate?”

Thank dog, she did. I donated the one (relatively) clean sheet that I had in the back seat to pad the crate – and in case she needed something, you know, “absorbent” for the next hour’s drive. We chatted for a few minutes, I introduced her to her new pup and the carsick pup, and after a last kiss on the puppy heads (how much worse could it be?) we got the pups situated in the big crate. Then I drove Woody and myself home, with the passenger window halfway down, and Woody’s head hanging out. I would have done the same, if I could have driven like that.

Note to self: Never transport pups for a long drive in a car without a crate again. And perhaps some wet-wipes, a plastic bag or two, and a roll of paper towels.

What was your most memorably disastrous dog transport?

What’s in a name?

By
Nancy Kerns
-
0

The breed rescue I’m fostering for has a policy that they use for naming the dogs in their care: All the dogs rescued in a given year are assigned a name that starts with a certain letter (or, in the case of the letters with few names, a few letters, like X, Y, or Z). In contrast, puppies in a litter (like the ones I have) are assigned names taken from songs from a favorite album. One of the rescue coordinators is a big Jimmy Buffett fan, so all the pups I’m fostering have been given names from a certain Jimmy Buffett record. These are generally temporary names, used just to market the dogs and pups on the rescue website and Facebook page. Most people end up re-naming the dogs once they are adopted.

Re-naming is in order, though, when someone brings home a newly adopted dog who has been assigned a name at random. The families who have adopted the first two of my foster puppies both asked: Is it okay if we change her name? Of course, please do! It’s not like I have spent enough time calling them by their individual Jimmy Buffett-themed names for them to recognize the sound. But it’s not just these families; when dogs in my local shelter have names, people always want to know if they can rename them. Unless it’s an older dog who super obviously recognizes his or her name and responds to it well, I think giving an animal a new name with his or her new home is appropriate – a clean slate!

I was glad to be given a list of temporary names to assign to the puppies, though, because I’m the most unoriginal namer in the world. I usually leave naming to my husband, who can be counted on for good names. When I asked him for a super friendly, happy name for our youngest dog, his first choice was perfect: Woody, after the cowboy in the Toy Story movies. Woody has just the right tone for our goofy, enthusiastic young dog. It would have been nice if it didn’t develop that Woody had a thing for chewing up anything and everything made of wood (an apple tree, a dog house, our deck, wooden picnic benches, our bamboo, etc., etc.) but that was surely a coincidence. It’s been suggested that perhaps a re-naming is in order – but I don’t truly think that will stop Woody’s fondness for chewing wood. That’s fading now, anyway, as he grows comfortable with his adult molars. He hardly ever chews up anything we really care about any more.

What’s your best re-naming story? 

Best Dog Gear of the Year: 2017

By
Nancy Kerns
-
0

When it comes to our own needs, we’re pretty boring shoppers. But send us into a good independent pet supply store, and we might not come out for an hour – with a store employee helping us carry stuff we just had to try out. Hunting for unique, attractive, fun, and/or useful dog gear is so much more satisfying than shopping for anything else! We found many of the following items at pet product trade shows, and the rest in our favorite pet supply stores. We hope you enjoy them as much as our dogs have been!

Bowls of Steel

Lixit Quick-Lock bowl

Providing food and water in the confined space of a kennel or crate is a challenge – especially when the only place for the bowl to be secured is on the door, where the dog is likely to knock it loose. Lixit Animal Care Products, “the largest small animal watering device manufacturer in the world” offers “Bowls of Steel” stainless steel crocks that are designed to address the issues of security and providing ample capacity in a small space.

Lixit’s patented “Quick-Lock” bowl attachment clamp and bracket allows the crock to be easily but securely mounted to any wire crate or kennel door.

Unlike most dog bowls, these are comparatively narrow and deep, which both helps reduce spilling and provides a generous capacity without taking up too much space at the front of the kennel. And just as the name suggests, these super bowls are made with high-quality stainless steel, making them easy to clean (or even sterilize) and eliminating the possibility of the chemical leaching that can occur with plastic or ceramic dishes. The crocks are available in 10-, 20-, and 40-ounce sizes, in pet supply stores and through many online retailers. – Nina Thomas

The “Quick-Lock” Bowl, $12-$17
Lixit Corp
Napa, CA
(800) 358-8254

Eco-Octopus

Everyone knows that puppies like to – have to – sink their teeth into stuffed toys that have a satisfying mouth-feel. Most store-bought toys are made with synthetic fabrics and stuffed with polyester filling. When puppies inevitably chew them up, it’s important to find and pick up all the pieces of polyfill stuffing they’ve pulled out of the toys, so they don’t end up at the veterinary ER requiring surgical de-stuffing, so to speak.

Le Sharma Eco-Octopus

We’re not going to go so far as to say that these stuffed toys, 11 inches long and hand-crafted in Nepal, won’t pose a risk to a pup who chews and pulls them apart; puppies should be supervised with all toys and pieces that are chewed off should always be removed promptly. But we do believe that the hazard posed by swallowing bits of these eco-friendly toys, made entirely of natural boiled wool (with non-toxic dyes), is less than that of swallowing polyester fibers. We’ve picked up a fair bit of puppy poo with bits of wool in it in recent weeks, and none of the poopers have been worse for wear.

Natural wool has a subtle aroma that is bewitching to most puppies and dogs; just wave one of these toys near your pup’s nose and watch his nostrils flare and his interest pique. These toys have never failed to engage even the most toy-naive dogs we’ve met into playing fetch and tug games.

Le Sharma also sells one of our long-time favorites (and former Gear of the Year star), Tuggis – long ropes, about two inches thick, made of the same boiled natural wool. These are available in a variety of lengths, from 20 to 72 inches.

The sale of these fair-trade toys also help Le Sharma’s campaign of caring for street dogs in Kathmandu. Ask for them in your favorite independent pet supply store, or buy from Le Sharma online. – Nancy Kerns

Eco-Octopus, $26
Le Sharma
Euless, TX

Forgiveness Sofa

Have we lost our minds? A $400 dog bed? Well, maybe we have lost our good sense, but of all the innovative, useful products we’ve found in the past year, this is the one that makes us most excited.

The most special thing about this bed is what you can’t see unless you unzip the luxurious cover: the base mattress. It’s made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a tough, flexible plastic that been spun into an airy mesh resembling melted fishing line. There is no fabric in this mattress, just this flexible and springy, yet dense material, five inches thick. A 200-pound human can stand on this bed and not feel the floor; it provides firm yet yielding support.

But the best part is the fact that there is absolutely nowhere in this mattress for dust mites to live or fleas to deposit their eggs. The airy spaces inside the mesh mean it won’t ever absorb odor or heat. To clean the bed, all you have to do is unzip the cover and throw it in the washing machine, and hose off the mattress; it will dry in the sun in minutes. This is a boon for anyone with an incontinent dog.

The Forgiveness Sofa is available with a variety of choices of material. We purchased the “luxury microsuede” cover and have found it to be durable and attractive to all the dogs that come through our office. It comes off easily, washes and dries well, and even goes back on with a minimum of exertion. Replacement covers are available.

The bed comes in three sizes (30″ x 20″; 40″ x 30″; and 54″ x 36″ (shown with WDJ office-dog Otto, above).

Snoozer uses the same LDPE material in thinner (two inches) mattresses in their flat Forgiveness Dog Crate Pads available in four sizes and dozens of fabric choices and colors (all $63-$165, depending on size). The material provides a decent cushion without the polyfill stuffing that seems to tempt so many dogs to chew and unstuff their beds.

But it’s the five-inch-thick Forgiveness mattress that we’re really crazy about. We’ve begged Snoozer to use this five-inch mattress in a flat bed without the bolster (which cannot be washed, somewhat defeating the purpose of this otherwise completely washable bed). Perhaps if we all asked nicely? – N.K.

Forgiveness Sofa, $200-$400
Snoozer Pet Products
Piedmont, SC
(800) 635-9755

SiliDog Dog ID Tags

What’s the number one complaint about dog ID tags? The jingling! Imagine a tag that’s not only silent but also easy to read, colorful, and charitable. Silidog ID tags, made of 100 percent silicone, are all that and more. The company founder and CEO was inspired to create this no-noise tag alternative when his allergic rescue dog would loudly scratch the night away. The product was featured on the entrepreneurial TV show Shark Tank and launched with Kickstarter funds.

Silidog tags come in an array of colors and shapes, so you are sure to find the combination that fits your dog’s personality. And unlike a traditional engraving on colored metal, the tags are guaranteed never to fade. They can be stretched, twisted, and bent, but snap back into their original, highly readable shape. Silitags are up to adventures of any size – from scaling mountain peaks to digging holes in the backyard.

The price includes engraving and shipping and an added bonus: The company gives a portion of every sale to charities that support animal initiatives. – N.T.

Silicon ID Tags, $20
SiliDog
(586) 745-4364

Wigzi Gel Leash

When it comes to leashes, we’re not usually fans of synthetic materials. But we happened to fondle the handle of one of these gel leashes at a trade show – and just couldn’t let go! The handle has an added layer of cushiness for an extremely comfortable grip.

The Wigzi Gel Leash is six feet long, and has an embedded reflective stripe down each side of its entire length. It features an added d-ring near the handle so you can clip on a poop-bag holder or your house keys. It’s made from a synthetic material that’s both flexible and strong, waterproof, and stink-proof. If it gets dirty, simply wash with soap and water and it will look like new again.

The leash comes in four neon colors: pink, yellow, green, and blue.

Wigzi also sells matching gel collars in four sizes (extra small, small, medium, and large, $10 – $14). The collars are adjustable, and have a plastic quick-release buckle and a pleasingly large leash ring (which makes it easier to find the ring and snap a leash onto it). These products come with a two-year warranty.

Given the softness of the material, we wouldn’t recommend these products for dogs who are prone to chewing their leashes.

Wigzi Gel Leashes are available in select pet supply stores (see website for retail locations) and online, including through Amazon.com. – N.T.

Gel Leash, $21
Wigzi, LLC
Arlington, VA
(888) 699-4494

The Great Bowl

“Stay. Good bowl.” That’s the unofficial motto of Ono, a company devoted to bowls that stay put. The secret is a place mat with an integrated bowl; it’s a single, molded piece of silicone that suctions to any smooth surface, holding dog bowls securely in place.

Ono Great Bowl

Dogs absolutely can’t tip, lift, nudge, or paw the bowl out of place, spilling their food or water and scratching the floor, but their humans can easily lift any corner of the mat (breaking the suction) to refill or wash the bowl. The mat can be used with or without the accompanying stainless steel bowl that nests neatly in the silicone base.

Silicone is free of phthalates, BPS, BPS, and PVC. It’s dishwasher-safe and built to last; it doesn’t fade or corrode; nor does it support the growth of fungus, mold, or bacteria.

The bowl is available in two sizes: the “Good Bowl” holds 16 fluid ounces, and the “Great Bowl” holds 32 ounces. Both sizes of bowls are available in single- and double-bowl mats. Single bowls are sold in either charcoal or cool gray; the double-bowls are available in those colors plus mint and coral.

Parents and grandparents of infants and toddlers should take a peek at the company’s offerings for spill-proof kid bowls at ezpzfun.com. – Nancy Kerns

The Great Bowl, $25
Ono
Parker, CO

Side-Release Dog Collar
Tail Wagging Dog Lead

A Tail We Could Wag partners with Mayan artisans in the highlands of Guatemala to create these colorful, beautiful collars and leashes. Company owners Joe and Laurie Ryan purchase the colorful fabrics in Guatemala, helping support the small community of Mayan artisans who create the hand-woven textiles. They then assemble and finish the products in the United States “for uncompromising quality and craftsmanship, delivering durable and colorfast products.”

The bright textiles are stitched onto a strong but soft nylon material. We’ve had some of these collars for years without seeing any separation of the fabric. Only solid brass hardware is used on the collars and leashes, and the leash-rings are of an ample size.

The collars come in four sizes (small, medium, large, and extra large, fitting dogs with necks measuring from 11 to 30 inches) and 26 different patterns, all featuring bright, colorfast designs. A Tail We Could Wag also offers some lovely martingale collars.

The Tail Wagging Dog Lead is six feet long, with a handle loop and a brass snap. It, too, comes in 26 different designs, so you can match or contrast the collars.

The products can be purchased directly from A Tail We Could Wag, or from a number of select pet supply stores; see the company website for a list of stores where the products at available.

A Tail We Could Wag has offered “fun fashion accessories” since 1988. The company takes its name from a poem by W. H. Auden, which contains the line, “in moments of joy, all of us wish we possessed a tail we could wag.” – N.K.

Side-Release Dog Collar and Tail Wagging Dog Lead, $26-$35
A Tail We Could Wag
Eagle, ID (866) 726-9247

Simple Solution Pee Pads

Dogs of any age might need to use so-called puppy pads to preserve their house-training and protect your floors, whether due to an immature bladder, an extraordinarily old one, or a reduced capacity for “holding it” due to medical conditions. And in this day and age, when many of us live in apartments or must be away from home for 10 hours or more, those pads had better be capable of absorbing more than just a single puddle.

Simple Solution Dog Pads has taken pee pads to the next level, offering an ultra-absorbent pad featuring a combination of high-tech solutions. By making the pads thicker (six layers thick) and utilizing their industry-leading technology that converts liquid to gel, these pads can hold up to 10 cups of liquid – that’s more than half a gallon of urine that may otherwise seep into carpets or furniture.

The Simple Solution pads contain an odor-neutralizing material and a substance that causes the pad to turn a teal color to indicate when it’s been used.

Simple Solution offers several types of pads: a training pad (23″ x 24″), an extra-large training pad (28″ x 30″), and an all-day pad (23″ x 24″) with the 10-cup absorbing capacity. The company also sells a training-pad holder.

The products are available directly from simplesolution.com and at specialty pet retailer and independent stores. – N.T.

Simple Solution Pee Pads, $64-$77 for 100
The Bramton Company
Dallas, TX
(800) 272-6336

Clot  It First Aid Kit

While many people possess first aid kits for their fellow humans, having an emergency kit for our canine companions is often overlooked, yet no less important. The ClotIt First-Aid Kit was designed specifically for injuries that may occur to a dog on a walk or run, on the job, or even at home.

Lixit Quick-Lock bowl

0)]

What makes this kit extraordinarily useful is the inclusion of ClotIt non-staining blood-clotting powder. It works by accelerating the body’s natural coagulation cascade by “rapidly absorbing plasma at the wound site, leaving behind platelets and blood cells, to aid in forming a solid clot . . . (which) results in complete clotting in seconds.” The powdered form of ClotIt is versatile; it can be used on anything from a small scratch to a large laceration. In cases of severe bleeding, it can play a significant role in saving a pet’s life during the transit time to a vet.

The ClotIt First Aid Kit also includes: sterile gauze pads, a stretch gauze bandage, cotton-tipped applicators, alcohol prep pads, sting relief pads, triple antibiotic gel, hydrocortisone cream, antiseptic towels, tape, scissors, a slip leash, and tweezers.

While it would be useful to store one of these kits in your car or dog-event go-bag, those of us who hike or work with search-and-rescue (SAR) dogs in rough terrain would do well to slip the bottle of ClotIt powder into a pocket or fanny pack. It would be a huge relief to know you had a fast, simple way to stop any bleeding caused by your dog’s accidental contact with brambles, brush, or barbed wire while out on the trail.

The kit can be purchased in many pet supply stores (check the website for locations) and directly from Protege Biomedical. Refills of ClotIt are also available ($15 for one ounce, or $30 for five ounces). – N.T.

Clot  It First Aid Kit $30
Protege Biomedical
Eden Prairie, MN
(844) 795-5479

Coolaid Cooling Vests

While there is an abundance of clothing options to keep dogs warm, there are drastically fewer options that offer cooling – and during those hot summer months, some cool relief is just what most pooches are panting for. Coolaid Dog cooling vests have your dog covered.

After years of research and development and partnership with Coolcore, Coolaid has developed a highly effective textile proven to decrease body temperature. Most competitor’s materials are laden with chemicals, but Coolaid uses a unique fabric structure that increases wicking, moisture transportation, and regulated evaporation.

To begin the cooling process, simply wet the material, wring out any extra water, and put the vest on your dog. Tests show that the application of the wet vest can provide up to a 30 percent reduction in the dog’s surface temperature.

These vests are all-around sleek, from their increased mobility design, to their color options, to their form-fitting, buckle-free, strap-free profile. They are 100 percent machine washable; just pop them in the wash and line-dry.

The vests come in four sizes (small, medium, large, and extra large; see the size chart on the company website) and four colors (crockery, navy, pink, and red). Cooling blankets (resembling horse blankets, with adjustable chest and belly straps) and bandanas made of the same material are also available.

While summer is still a few months away, these just might be the perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer. – N.T.

Coolaid Cooling Vests, $27-$32
Coolaid Animal Cooling and Recovery
Wickenburg, AZ

The Pros and Cons of Dog Parks

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
-
1
Two dogs running joyfully off-leash.
This is the dog-park dream: Exuberant dogs running and playing with joyous abandon, then coming home with you tired and content. But anyone who has spent much time at a dog park can attest that it’s only sometimes like this; just as often, one can see unhappy, anxious dogs, dogs being targeted by “playground bullies,” and even dog fights.

In recent years, more and more dog training and behavior professionals are speaking out against dog parks – yes, those safely fenced, community-funded spaces where dogs and their humans can get together and have a good time. What’s not to like?

If you ask almost any trainer, she will likely say, “Plenty!” As dog parks have become more common (and, indeed, as dog ownership has been on the rise in the past decade) they have somehow morphed from being something that local dog owners band together and fight to build, to places where few really knowledgeable owners care to take their dogs. It seems everyone has a horror story to tell about “that day at the dog park,” featuring overstimulated dogs running amok, dogs practicing bully behaviors, dog fights, and even dog deaths.

It’s true that all of those horrible things can happen at dog parks, but a lot of good things happen in dog parks, too, especially when they are well-constructed and well-managed, and when park users are smart about bringing appropriate dogs to the park and providing adequate supervision. Dog parks are a lifesaver for the owners of many dogs who need a little extra exercise and outdoor stimulation in order to be able to relax and behave well at home.

So do you take your dog to your local dog park or not? How do you know if you should? Or shouldn’t? Just as with so many other dog training and behavior questions, it depends!

7 Things to Consider About Dog Parks

There are a number of factors that determine whether a dog park is a good choice for your canine companion:

1. How your dog prefers to play.

Does your dog love to play with other dogs? Not all dogs do. Yes, they are a social species; that doesn’t mean they all get along. We humans are also a social species, and we certainly don’t get along with all humans!

If your dog is a confident, social butterfly, she might be a good dog park candidate. If she’s fearful around other dogs, she will be much happier not going to the park. (Consider, too, that her fear will likely deepen with every bad experience.) Some dogs are perfectly content with a small circle of intimate canine friends. Other dogs prefer the company of their human companions over any other canines. Bringing a dog who doesn’t enjoy the company of other dogs into an off-leash playground isn’t fair to your dog or any others who may approach her.

2. Your dog’s play style.

You need some awareness of what sort of play best suits your dog in order to gauge whether a particular park at a particular time of day is likely to provide her with an enjoyable play session or set her up to be traumatized (or traumatize others). Consider what your dog likes to do, and plan accordingly.

For example: Is your dog a fetchaholic? If her preference is to chase balls in a huge open space without being chased or pestered by any other dogs, bringing her to a cramped or crowded park might just set her up to snap at any unwary dog who gets in her way or tries to compete for the ball.

Consider the other typical dog park visitors, too. Does your dog love to play with other rowdy, rough-and-tumble brawlers at the park? That’s great if you can meet up with folks whose dogs enjoy that, too. But if your dog overwhelms other park visitors with his level of energy and arousal, it’s not fair to inflict your dog’s inappropriate play on them. Other dogs (and their owners) will not care that your dog is “just playing” if, while minding their own business, they get bowled over and hurt; they may respond with a dramatic protest and trigger an aggressive retort from the over-aroused roughhouser.

3. How much training your dog has.

To be fair to other park users, and in order to be able to keep your own dog safe, your dog should at least have a dynamite recall so you can call her back to you when you see trouble brewing. A full range of well-trained good manners behaviors is even better!

4. How your local dog park is constructed.

There are dog parks, and then there are dog parks. A well-constructed dog park is several acres or larger, solidly fenced, ideally with amenities that include water, equipment to play on, and varied terrain, such as open fields, creeks, and woods, so dogs have plenty to keep them environmentally engaged, rather than just pestering each other. Parks that are small, overcrowded and boring greatly increase the likelihood of inappropriate canine behavior (fights). Other important park features include separate areas for small and large dogs and double-gated entrances so dogs can’t escape as newcomers arrive.

5. How your local dog park is managed.

Every good dog park needs rules and someone to enforce them.Municipal parks, usually under the auspices of the parks and recreation department, may fall short on management. Rarely is there someone in attendance to deal with conflicts that may arise. City and county dog parks often compete with tennis courts, ball fields, playgrounds, and picnic areas for park staff attention.

Privately owned dog parks are more likely to have staff in attendance to assist in a timely manner with conflict resolution (canine and human) and enforcement of rules. Some parks require registration and issue numbered arm bands that owners must wear while in the park, for more effective reporting and investigation of problems.

6. The way your dog park is maintained.

Dog fights aren’t the only threat to your dog’s safety at a park. Poorly maintained fences and equipment can injure and kill dogs as easily as dog-dog altercations. Grass should be regularly mowed, and needed repairs promptly and routinely made. Make sure your park is getting its fair share of the park-maintenance budget!

7. Your local dog park culture.

This is the human side of things. If most owners are chatting with each other or on cell phones, rather than supervising their dogs’ activities, there are bound to be problems. If owners are oblivious to their dogs’ inappropriate behavior and allow mounting, bullying, and aggression to go uninterrupted, it’s not a healthy place for you and your dog to hang out.

Consider visiting the park on different days and at different times of the day; there may be knowledgeable and more engaged owners gathering at a different time.

Suggested Dog Park Rules
The most successful dog parks have rules – and people who enforce them. Here are some suggested rules for dog parks:

  • Dogs must be currently licensed. This ensures they are also current on rabies vaccination.
  • No babies, toddlers, or small children allowed in the dog park. Communities may set different age limits, but 7 is a reasonable minimum age for children. Smaller, younger children are just too vulnerable to injury even from friendly dogs who get excited.
  • Owners must pick up after their dogs. Always, no excuses, no exceptions. Good parks have well-maintained waste stations and keep poop-bag dispensers well-stocked.
  • No dogs in season. Females in heat don’t belong in dog parks, ever.
  • No aggressive dogs. Dog parks are not the appropriate place for owner to try to modify their dogs’ aggressive behavior. Dogs who have demonstrated aggression to dogs or humans should not be allowed to return to the park.
  • Owners must be attentive to their dogs. Much inappropriate dog park behavior could be avoided if humans were paying attention and intervened before canine behavior escalated out of control.
  • All gear, except for a collar with a quick-release buckle, should be removed from dogs before they enter the park. Harnesses, choke chains, pinch collars, and head halters pose special risks to the dogs wearing them and any dog who might become entangled in them while playing.

Check It Out

If you are confident that your dog is a good dog park candidate, ask some trusted, knowledgeable friends and your favorite canine professionals if they agree. If so, first visit parks in your area without your dog to check out the facilities and culture. Make several trips at various times so you get a real feel for the park and its users. If you like what you see after multiple visits, then you are ready to take your dog for playtime in the park.

Remember to supervise your dog responsibly while you are there, and always be ready to leave if you see things happening that make you or your dog uncomfortable.

DOG PARKS: OVERVIEW

1. Evaluate your dog carefully and honestly before taking her to a dog park.

2. Consider your dog-park choices thoroughly before taking your dog there.

3. Discuss the pros and cons of your area dog parks with your favorite local dog training and behavior professional(s).

4. Consider alternatives to dog parks, such as getting together with other dog owners in your area and creating compatible playgroups that meet in fenced backyards.

How Important is the Digestibility of Dog Food

By
Linda P. Case, MS
-
1
A young woman considers dog food labels looking at its digestibility.
The digestibility of dog food determines how capable your dog is of receiving nutrients. This depends on how the nutrients are combined in the food.

In my 2014 nutrition book Dog Food Logic, I emphasized (some might say harped upon) the need for pet food companies to provide digestibility information to consumers. It is not a difficult value to determine and most pet food companies already conduct feeding trials that measure this (yet keep the results to themselves). As one of the most basic measures of food quality, digestibility provides essential information that can help dog owners to select the best food for their dog.

What is digestibility and why does it matter? Digestibility reflects a food’s ability to deliver essential nutrients to the dog who eats it. This ultimately affects not only defecation quantity and quality (how much your dog poops and how the poop looks and smells), and a dog’s propensity for flatulence (no explanation needed), but more importantly, a dog’s long-term health and wellness. The graphic on this page summarizes how digestibility is measured using feeding trials with dogs.

It’s that last step, “Provide Results to Consumers,” that is glaringly absent from the dog food scene. But, I harp (again).

Onward. There is good news to tell.

Good vs. Poor Digestibility in Dog Food

The term digestibility coefficient refers to the percentage of a food that the dog absorbs into his or her body during the process of digestion. As a rule of thumb, dry dog foods with digestibility values of 75 percent or less will be of very poor quality, those with values between 75 and 82 percent are classified as moderate in quality, and foods with digestibility values that are higher than 82 percent are of high quality. If you see products with 88 percent or more reported digestibility, you have a rock star. (For a more detailed explanation of dog food digestibility, see Dog Food Logic.)

dog food digestibility infographic

The paradox lies in the fact that while many pet food companies routinely measure the digestibility of their products, they are not required to report this information to the people who buy their foods. Most do not provide this information even when it is directly requested. Digestibility matters (a lot), but we cannot judge foods with information that we do not have.

The good news is that two research studies measuring the digestibility of dog foods formulated with different types of protein sources were recently published by a group of animal nutritionists from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark1,2. The first compared the digestibility of dog foods that used three common animal protein meals, and the second compared the use of fresh chicken meat (aka “chicken first”) with poultry meal as protein sources in a dry food. Because all of the protein ingredients that the researchers examined are frequently found in commercial foods, their results may be helpful to dog owners in their quest for a quality food.

Like me, you may be surprised by what they found:

Lamb, Fish, or Poultry Meal?

In the first study, the investigators compared the protein and overall digestibility of three dry (extruded) dog foods that were formulated containing equivalent amounts of either lamb meal, fish meal, or poultry meal1. Because one of the objectives of their work was to determine if mink provide a suitable model for assessing pet food quality, they tested the foods in growing mink, adult mink, and adult dogs.

Results: As a protein source, lamb meal showed significantly lower values for multiple measures of protein quality and essential amino acid content when compared with both poultry meal and fish meal. Even though all three diets were formulated to provide complete and balanced nutrition, the lamb meal diet was found to be deficient in the essential amino acid methionine when digestibility was taken into account.

Although differences between poultry and fish meals were not as dramatic, poultry meal was of lower quality than fish meal. As a protein source in dog food, fish meal had the highest values on almost all quality measures, including digestibility and essential amino acid content. When tested in adult dogs, the protein digestibility values of the three foods were 71.5 for lamb meal, 80.2 for poultry meal, and 87.0 for fish meal.

Overall, this study suggests that, at least for the sources used in this work, the order of protein quality was lamb meal (poor), poultry meal (moderate), and fish meal (high). Additionally, although the reported level of lamb meal in the diet exceeded the minimum methionine requirement for adult dogs, the actual amount of methionine that was available to the dogs (i.e. was digested) was less than their minimum requirement for this nutrient.

Is Fresh Chicken Better?

The team’s second study is groundbreaking. It’s the first to examine whether or not there is a demonstrated benefit to including “fresh” (frozen, actually) chicken in an extruded, dry dog food. This is important because the promotion of “fresh first” on pet food labels is frequently used as a claim for higher protein quality in the product.

The researchers tested the digestibility and amino acid content of fresh, raw chicken (technically referred to as “raw mechanically separated chicken meat”) before processing (cooking) and then again after it was included in a dry dog food to replace about 25 percent of the product’s poultry meal. Because raw meat has been shown to be more digestible than dry rendered protein meals, it was hypothesized that including raw chicken in the dry food would indeed improve the food’s digestibility by several percentage points. (Note: Because mink had been previously shown to be a suitable model for dogs, adult mink were used to test the diets.)

Results: As expected, when tested before processing, the digestibility of raw chicken meat was significantly higher than that of rendered poultry meal (88.2 percent vs. 80.9 percent, respectively). However, when the raw chicken meat replaced 25 percent of the poultry meal in an extruded dry food, the digestibility of the food was not significantly improved (81.3 vs. 80.3, respectively). In addition, the digestibility of several essential amino acids was actually higher in the food containing only poultry meal than in the food that included the raw chicken meat.

Take Away Points

Wow. The results of these two studies contradict several previously accepted (if never actually proven) dog food edicts. These are:

1. Lamb meal is a high-quality protein source for pet foods. Um, apparently not! The first study found that lamb meal was poorly digested (70.5 percent) and provided inadequate levels of the essential amino acid methionine after digestibility was taken into account.

2. All named species meals are superior to “generic” meals. This refers to the general rule of thumb that dog folks should always choose a food that uses a named animal protein source (such as chicken, turkey, salmon, or lamb) over a generic poultry or fish meal. Specifically, choosing lamb over a poultry or fish meal may not get your dog the quality protein you hoped for.

3. The appearance of a fresh animal protein source first on the pet food label means higher quality (more digestible) protein. Nope again – at least in the case of chicken. While the digestibility of fresh chicken meat was higher than that of poultry meal when tested prior to processing, incorporating fresh chicken (as 25 percent of the protein source!) into an extruded food did not improve digestibility or lead to a higher quality product. The researchers speculated that this may have occurred because raw meat ingredients could be more susceptible to damage caused by the heating and drying processes of extrusion than are rendered protein meals.

Regardless of the cause, it appears that “Chicken First” may not be the marketing Holy Grail that pet food companies are promoting it to be.

Up On My Soapbox

This is great information for dog folks to have. Many thanks to this team of researchers, among others (all notably at universities, not from pet food companies) who have been publishing scientific evidence regarding the protein quality, amino acid content, digestibility, and safety of various dog food ingredients and products. We are grateful to them all and hope to see more of these types of studies.

These studies provide needed and essential information, but do not (yet) go so far as to provide us answers to the most important question: “What is the digestibility of the brand of food that I am feeding to my dog?”

I have said this many times before and will say it again:

If pet food manufacturers insist on telling us that their brands of food provide “complete and balanced nutrition” throughout our dogs’ lives, then providing a few very simple measures of the quality of those foods is not too much to ask!

The researchers of these papers agree. Their first paper’s abstract ends, “Furthermore, the study showed that to ensure nutritional adequacy of dog food and to be able to compare protein quality of dog foods, information of amino acid composition, and digestibility is crucial.” (Emphais mine.)

So, pet food manufacturers:Are you listening? Time to step up and provide this information on your labels, websites, or at the very least, in response to direct inquiries. In the meantime, I will continue to report and promote research studies that provide us with the information that we need to choose smart for our dogs.

Cited Studies

1. Tjernsbekk MT, Tauson AH, Matthiesen CF, Ahlostrom O. “Protein and amino acid bioavailability of extruded dog food with protein meals of different quality using growing mink (Neovison vison) as a model.” Journal of Animal Science 2016;
94:3796-3804.

2. Tjernsbekk MT, Tauson AH, Kraugerus OF, Ahlstrom O. “Raw, mechanically separated chicken meat and salmon protein hydrolysate as protein sources in extruded dog food: Effect on protein and amino acid digestibility.” Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 2017; 101:323-331.2.

Linda P. Case is the owner of AutumnGold Consulting & Dog Training Center in Mahomet, Illinois. She is also the author of Dog Food Logic, and writes The Science Dog blog.

The Best Pet Steps for Senior Dogs

By
Lisa Lyle Waggoner
-
2

I feel so fortunate to watch our Australian Shepherd Cody aging into a sensational senior dog. Cody developed serious health issues when he was only two years old. Because of autoimmune issues and now significant arthritis in his front elbows, at 11 years or so, he’s on a pain management regime prescribed by a veterinary specialist. Thankfully, he’s getting along quite well and most days seems to be mostly pain-free.

Recently, though, something happened that caused me to think he could benefit from the use of dog steps. Cody has always enjoyed sleeping on the bed in the guest room at night. Usually, when he first hears us stir, he hops down off the guest bed and jumps into bed with the rest of the family (two humans, another dog, and two cats – yes, a full bed!)

A couple of months ago, his behavior pattern changed. Instead of hearing his paws hit the floor, I heard soft whining. I went to see what was up and found him reticent to jump off the bed. Anyone who has had knee pain understands that stepping down is more painful than stepping up. True for Cody, too, so what to do but pick him up and put him on the floor.

Over the next few weeks there were days when he’d jump down quickly and join us in bed, and other days when he’d whine. Thankfully, I’m still able to lift his 48-pound body, though that repetitive movement over time probably isn’t good for my own body! I decided it was time to consider a set of dog steps that could make it more comfortable for him to move off the bed. Onward with the research!

Pet Stairs Compared

Rating Product Price Sizes Weight/Weight Limit

PET STUDIO RAMPSTEPS
Available online from Overstock.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com, Wayfair.com, and more.		 $190 to $207 (best price for us was from Amazon) Two steps:
26″ L x 17 ½” W x 13″ H

Three steps:
40″ L x 17 ½” W x 19 ½” H

 Weighs: 12 lbs

Weight Limit:
Up to 130 lbs
Can be used as stairs or as a ramp with easy conversion from one to the other. Comes assembled, so time and frustration saving. Light enough to easily move. Folds flat for storage.

PETSFIT WOODEN PET STAIRS
Manufacturer: petsfit.us
Available from: Petsfit.us (two-step only), Amazon, Petsbeddepot.com		 $90 to $180 (best price for us was from Amazon) Two steps:
22″ L x 17″ W x 14″ H

Three steps:
22″ L x 17″ W x 20″ H

 Weighs:
Two steps: 17.6 lbs
Three steps: 22.6 lbs

Weight Limit:
Up to 150 lbs
Assembly is easier with two people. Side rails on the steps may be preferable for some dogs. Light enough to easily move.

PREMIER PET STEPS RAISED PANEL
Manufacturer: Premier Pet Steps
Available online from amazon.com, wayfair.com and petfrenzy.com		 Two steps: $88-$115
Three steps: $125-$167
Four steps: $187-$275 (best price for us was from Wayfair)		 Two steps:
15″ W x 12″ H x 16″ L

Three steps:
15 ½” W x 16″ H x 23″ L

Four steps:
15 ½” W x 23″ H x 27″ L

 Weighs:
Two steps: 17 lbs
Three steps: 27 lbs
Four steps: 38 lbs

Weight Limit:
Up to 300 lbs
All three sizes have options for solid tread (wood), non-slip tread or carpet. No assembly required. Made in the U.S.

SOLID SIDE PET STEPS for Large Dogs
Manufacturer: Help Your Pets
Available from: Help Your Pets		 Three steps: $160
Four steps: $200		 Three steps:
24″ L x 17″ W x 19″ H

Four steps:
33″ L x 17″ W x 25″ H

 Weighs:
Three steps: 35 lbs
Four steps: 45 lbs

Weight Limit:
Up to 250 lbs
No assembly required. Very durable and stable, though quite heavy to move. Fully carpeted, even sides and back. Seven carpet colors available. Non-stick pads available for an additional $15. Company offers wheels and handle if requested. Other models available for small dogs. Made in the U.S.

PET GEAR EASY STEP III, Extra Wide
Manufacturer: Pet Gear, Inc.
Available from Amazon.com, Chewy.com, Petco, Petsmart, Kohls, Wayfair.com, WalMart, Target		 $57 to $115
(best price for us was from Chewy)		 One step:
22″ W x 20″ H x 10″ L

Two steps:
22″ W x 20″ H x 16″ L

Three steps:
25 W” x 20″ H x 23″ L

 Weighs:
One step: 10.5 lbs
Two steps: 10 lbs
Three steps: 14 lbs

Weight Limit:
One step: up to 175 lbs
Two steps: up to 200 lbs
Three steps: up to 200 lbs
Nice wide steps, but rise on the first step difficult for two test dogs. Available in three sizes with removable and washable carpet tread. Rubber grippers on bottom to help secure the steps. Snaps together easily without tools.

Whole Dog Journal‘s Pet Step Rating Criteria

I weighed the following factors when trying to select pet stairs for Cody:

Height: Your criteria may be different than mine based on the size of your dog and the height of your bed. With a wide variety of dog steps available today, finding what you need is unlikely to be a problem. Based on the height of our bed, we needed steps that were in the range of 22 to 27 inches, which, for most manufactured steps, was a three- or four-step model.

Weight: It was important to have a set of steps that could easily be moved for cleaning, vacuuming, and ease in making the bed.

Safety: The steps needed to support a medium to large dog and have a non-slip surface that furry paws could easily negotiate. We also wanted rubber grippers or some other non-slip option on the bottom.

Aesthetics: Although beauty and luxury weren’t essential for me, I did want something that was reasonably attractive and fit with our relaxed, eclectic décor.

Ease of Assembly: I have to admit, I didn’t even think about putting the steps together, so assembly didn’t cross my mind. If that matters to you, I’ve included assembly information for each set of steps.

Cost: This wasn’t really a factor as I wanted the best product available and was willing to pay for it. Spare nothing for the dog! In my experience, bargain prices tend to mean low-quality manufacturing.

The Best (4-Paw) Pet Steps

The two sets of steps that rose to the top did so because all four test subjects (Cody and Willow, our two Australian Shepherds; Trixie, a Jack Russell Terrier; and Zak, a Beagle mix) were able to easily negotiate the steps. They were also light enough to easily move and were aesthetically pleasing.

Top Pick: PetStudio RampStairs


This was my favorite and also gets four paws up from Cody. The RampStairs (available in two and three steps) came fully assembled, so all I needed to do was pop them out of the box, raise the two front legs, and voila! They were ready to use.

The steps easily convert into a ramp, which could be preferable for some dogs. Cody preferred the steps, as he wasn’t easily able to negotiate the ramp and even slipped a little when coming down, although the Jack Russell moved up and down the ramp with ease.

I particularly liked the contemporary look of the RampStairs. The pine frame has a mahogany finish and steps are covered with a sand-colored, easy-to-clean carpet. The fact that the legs of the steps fold down and tuck under (handle and steps lock in place) make it easy to move and store them (they would easily fit under a bed).

#2 Pick: Petsfit Wooden Pet Stairs

Petsfit Wooden Pet Stairs
This lightweight, contemporary looking set comes in two- and three-step options. The Petsfit steps come in either a white or black finish. The wood is medium density fiberboard, so they’re not solid pine; however, they seem quite durable.

The steps have solid sides, which means that when the dog goes up or down, he’s unable to see the drop-off on each side. Some dogs likely find this comforting – like having a railing on stairs for humans.

While the product literature says these are easy to assemble, having a second person on hand to help out was handy: one person to hold the parts together while the other turns the screws. All four of the dogs were able to easily negotiate this set of steps.

#3 Pick: Premier Pet Steps Raised Panel Three-Step Stairs


No assembly required for this set of stable and durable steps made of Appalachian Red Oak. Since this product is solid wood, it’s a bit heavier than our top two picks, though still quite easy to move around.

The company states that the finish is sealed well so that it’s scratch- and water-resistant, and that seemed accurate. You have the choice of a stain-resistant carpet or non-slip marine covering, though I don’t know what that material is made of. I was frustrated that there was no phone number listed on the company’s website and the contact form on the site didn’t work, so I couldn’t confirm the material.

These also come in two- and four-step options. All in all, this is a nice set of steps with a country-style look. Of our four test subject dogs, three negotiated the steps with relative ease.

Next Best Pet Stairs: 3-Paw Runners Up

I had minor issues with these products, but they may suit people and dogs with needs and taste different from mine just fine!

Solid Side Pet Steps for Large Dogs

Solid Side Pet Steps
The manufacturer bills these steps as heavy duty and they certainly are! So much so that they’re difficult to pick up and move around. The website says, “Keep in mind, we build these steps to last a very long time, which makes them heavy, and wheels and a handle may be required.” The company does offer optional wheels and handle if requested. I was able to move them by pushing and pulling, but I needed help to move them to another room. Heavy does mean stable and durable, so if you don’t need to move them often, weight shouldn’t be an issue.

The material used is half-inch cabinet-grade wood, and the steps are covered with olefin carpet (seven carpet colors available), which should wear well and clean easily.

Some dogs might feel more comfortable with the solid sides. The entire set is covered in carpet (except the bottom), so there’s no bare wood to get scratched, and the carpet would provide cushioning should you or your pet bump into it. Three of our four test dogs easily negotiated this set. Ignore the pet articles on the website, though, as the advice is badly outdated.

Pet Gear, Easy Step III, Extra Wide

Pet Gear Easy Step III
This was the first set of steps I looked at online and thought would work well for Cody – but they were his least favorite! While they’re wider than the others we tested, the rise to the first step is higher and neither Cody nor Zak (the Beagle-mix) were comfortable getting up these steps. The step platform, slanted slightly toward the floor, was also problematic for Cody.

I did love the light weight of these steps and was easily able to pick them up with one hand. Assembly was effortless, as the plastic parts snap together easily with no tools needed. The carpet tread is attached with Velcro, so it’s removable and washable, which is a nice feature. The Easy Step also comes in a one- and two-step option.

When Dogs Avoid Their Steps

After all this, interestingly, my search for steps to help Cody was, as yet, unsuccessful. While the Pet Studio RampStairs were his favorite (and mine), and he could negotiate them quite well, he still avoids any step option by either jumping over or beside them. My guess is that he prefers to jump off the bed once rather than amble down three or four steps because each step down causes pain.

When I discussed this with Cody’s veterinary pain specialist, Dr. Tami Shearer of Western Carolina Animal Pain Clinic in Sylva, North Carolina, she said, “In my opinion, jumping down results in repetitive or jarring injury to the forelimbs and cervical spine, so that’s where I see the most need for inclines or steps, for prevention. Most available steps are so short and steep and most ramps are too narrow, too short, and too steep for most larger dogs to comfortably use them.”

If you’re tempted to try steps for your senior dog, I suggest borrowing a set first. However, if you have a young dog who repetitively jumps in and out of a car or SUV, or on and off of a bed, then purchasing a set of steps and training your dog to use them is likely the best way to prevent forelimb problems later in life.

How to Train Your Dog to Negotiate Steps

If your dog has never negotiated any kind of steps, the mere sight of the new set of steps could cause a “What the heck is this thing?” response. Place the steps against a wall in the common living area of your home – somewhere your dog already enjoys spending time with you. You can play games with your dog near the steps, have a fun training session near the steps, let your dog enjoy a stuffed Kong beside them, and even feed meals from a bowl on or near the steps. Do this for a few days until your dog is fully comfortable being near and passing the steps.

I use a clicker as a marker signal, though you can also use a short word such as “Yes!” to mark the behavior, which will then be reinforced with a piece of food.

Place the steps where your dog will need to use them. Get some pea-sized pieces of yummy food that your dog really loves, such as baked chicken or cheese. I like to use a food the dog doesn’t get on a daily basis. Take a piece of food, put it at your dog’s nose and lure him to (not on) the first step, mark, and reinforce. Take another piece of food and toss it slightly away from the steps (you’re resetting the dog to return to the steps). Because you’re sitting or standing near the steps and you just fed him at the step, he’ll likely quickly return to you.

Next, slowly use the food lure (right at your dog’s nose) to lure his front paws up onto the first step. If even one of his paws touches the first step, mark and reinforce. Continue luring until you get both front paws up on the first step. Mark and reinforce. And be sure to praise your dog, too! I like to repeat this step several times until the dog is easily putting two paws up on that first step.

Now help your dog get his back paws up on the step. Dogs don’t always easily learn to use each back foot independently, so take your time. Go as slow as necessary for your dog to feel comfortable and safe.

Once he has two front paws on the first step, take another piece of food and very slowly begin to lure your dog to the second step. As his front paws move up and onto that second step, it will likely cause him to stretch to reach for the food (keep it right at his nose). When he picks up one hind foot, mark and reinforce. When he gets the second hind foot up on the second step, mark and reinforce. Continue slowly luring him up each successive step until he reaches the bed or sofa. Hooray! You’ve successfully tackled the “up”!

Going down can be more challenging for dogs. Again, move at your own dog’s pace. You’re going to repeat the same process of luring, marking, and reinforcing your dog for successful negotiation of each step.

If he bypasses the steps by jumping down and around them, no worries. Just lure him back up the steps, then begin again to lure him down. If you move at his pace, your efforts will likely be met with success. If he bypasses the steps several times in a row, end the training session and start again several hours later or even the next day. Each dog gains confidence at a different pace and there’s no need to rush the process.

For more help training your senior dog to use the pet stairs, read “Training an Older Dog,” by Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA.

Lisa Lyle Waggoner is a CPDT-KA, a CSAT (Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer), a Pat Miller Certified Trainer Level 2, faculty for the Victoria Stilwell Academy of Dog Training and Behavior, a dog*tec Certified Professional Dog Walker, and the founder of Cold Nose College in Murphy, North Carolina.

1...167168169...391Page 168 of 391

Latest Blog

Is your dog suffering from separation anxiety or is it another form of distress.
Blog

Is it Really Separation Anxiety?

Nancy Kerns 4
I have never owned a dog with separation anxiety, thank goodness. The condition is hard on the dog who suffers from the condition and hard on the dog’s caretakers, too, including owners, vets, groomers, pet sitters, and dog walkers. Care must be taken to prevent triggering the dog’s panic at being left alone—in severe cases, even just long enough for the person caring for the dog to use the restroom!
© Belvoir Media Group, LLC. All rights reserved.