A warning growl is a dog's cry for help. It's your dog's way of telling you he can't tolerate a situation - as if he's saying, "I can't handle this, please get me out of here!" Instead of making things worse, heed the warning. Help your dog out of the situation that's causing him discomfort, and take behavior modification steps to help him become more comfortable with the stressor.
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In my family, thanksgiving was always the big annual holiday. We always had the usual family, friends, and food, but also lots of extended family – which includes dogs – and lots of dog-walks in the day and music at night.
Happily, my sisters and I have carried on the tradition. My sister Susan has driven over from Colorado – no small feat – and dinner itself is being hosted by our other sister Pamela, who moved with her husband and their dogs to my town about a year and a half ago when her husband retired.
Sue is a little sad; she’s brought her (adult) daughter’s little long-haired Chihuahua, Riot, who is heading to a new home. Her daughter, like so many young adults, adopted the dog in her last year in college, but hasn’t found the time to properly care for and exercise the cute little dog while working to support herself “in the real world.” The inevitable house-training and problem barking ensued, and my niece actually had to move twice because her roommates were unhappy with the dog. She started leaving the dog more and more with my sister, who likes dogs but does not actually want to own one. My sister has felt sorry for Riot, but also resentful of being “stuck” with her so much, and pressed her daughter to rehome Riot, for Riot’s sake.
The last time my sister visited here, we had breakfast with a friend of mine, who told Sue she knew someone who was looking for just the right little dog to join her family. Many months later, after innumerable texts, photos, and yesterday, an in-person interview, Riot is going to live in a new home here in my town, with a super nice older couple who live on a large piece of property where they farm oranges with their extended family. After all the time she’s spent with Riot, my sister is sad to see the dog leave, but she’s glad the cute little dog will have a more consistent, solid family with people who are always home and who LOVE dogs.
No one could love dogs more than my other sister, Pam. She and her husband have three: Daisy, a little rescue Jack Russell Terrier-mix; Dinah, one of my former fosters, a Chihuahua/Dachshund-mix; and Bo, a scruffy Schnauzer-mix. Last year, writing a blog post, I mentioned that Bo was about 10 years old. Some months ago, Bo’s original owner came to my sister’s house for dinner and to visit the dog, whom she left with my sister about four or five years ago, when her life was in turmoil. Pam was telling her about a series of small strokes that Bo had suffered; each one leaves him a little less sharp, but he’s still eating well, pottying outside appropriately, and going for (slow) walks with the “pack” each day. Pam said, “He’s still doing good for a 10-year-old dog!” The former owner said, “Pam, he’s 16!” She recounted the math: She got the dog as a puppy for her son’s 10th birthday, and that son is 26 now… Well, Bo is getting a lot more respect now.
Out of respect to Pam’s much-more-senior-than-we-knew-dog, my own dogs (9-year-old Otto and 1-year-old Woody) and my guest dogs who will be in town will spend the actual Thanksgiving dinner-time at my house, or my office/house. My son is coming with his hound, Cole, and Woody will be overjoyed to have the chance to play fast and rough with his . . . cousin? uncle? I won’t try to describe that dog relationship in human terms; I’m no good at genealogy, ha ha.
Also hanging out at my house, but not for much longer, is Rosie, the five-month-old presumed Shepherd-mix, whom I’ve been working with daily for a few weeks, getting her ready for life with my sister-in-law and her 7-year-old daughter, Ava. Rosie is going to be Ava’s first “own” dog, and I’m going to have to hand it to myself on making a great match.
I spotted Rosie in my local shelter’s kennels, and snapped her up the day she became available for adoption. She’s super friendly, happy to meet any dog or person with a wag, confident without being over-bold, and doesn’t seem to have any odd fears or phobias. She’s been in the accelerated class and learning fast what she may and may not chew on, and where she may and may not potty, and getting straight A’s. She walks more nicely on a leash than my dogs – perhaps because I’ve been working her more on the skill than I do with my dogs, hmmmm. She actually looks like a nice little obedience dog, walking smartly at my side looking up at me for clues as to when to stop and plop fast down into a sit. She spent six days with Ava and her mom when I was traveling for a conference, and bonded quickly with them. When I picked her up again when I got back, for more training, Ava’s mom texted me and said how much they missed her, immediately. They are taking her home for good the day after Thanksgiving, and I know she’s going to help that family feel a little more joyful, a little fuller, in the absence of my brother and his dog (both of who passed two years ago).
A rescue Boxer, also named Rosie, is one of our guest dogs; she belongs to my husband’s brother and his wife, who will join us for a few days of feasting and hiking with dogs. During one of last Thanksgiving’s hikes, my sister-in-law took a great photo of their Rosie and my Otto, and submitted it to a Boxer rescue group for their annual fundraising calendar. Otto and Rosie are the September 2017 dogs! http://www.zazzle.com/beautiful_boxers_2017_calendar-158195861511460764
I’m hoping for more great photos from this year’s hikes.
Joining us at the table on Thanksgiving day will be my friend Leonora and her husband. Leonora owns Samson, Woody’s tiny best friend, as well as two senior dogs. My friends and Samson will join us on our Thanksgiving day hike, but the seniors’ hiking days are over, alas. We’ll save them some turkey, instead. Leonora is currently fostering two adorable pit-mix puppies, about 7 weeks old now, for our local shelter.
Also fostering puppies for our shelter is my new friend Mary, who posted an ad on a neighborhood site a couple months ago looking for a playmate for her 1-year-old pit-mix dog, Izzy, and found me. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, she’ll have to tell me in a few weeks. On one hand, we’ve been taking lots of great hikes together with all of our dogs (she also owns a tiny Chihuahua/terrier-mix), but on the other hand, there’s this: When she asked me if there is anything she can ever help with at the shelter, I promptly set her up with a litter of five Lab-mix puppies, about 5 or 6 weeks old, to foster until they are old enough to be spayed/neutered and adopted. For now, she’s enjoying the wealth of puppy breath, and the puppy poop has not yet overwhelmed her, so I don’t think she’ll be shooting daggers at me across my sister’s Thanksgiving table.
I’ll be toting my camera on our walks, and visiting all the foster pups. I hope you all get out for a nice walk with your dogs, too! I’ll make a post on the WDJ Facebook page, and ask you to upload your Thanksgiving Day dog-walk photos there. Then we can all share how thankful we are to share our lives with dogs!
One of the things I goofed on was giving one dog her pills in the presence of another dog. I was dog-sitting my friend’s two Chihuahuas: 10-pound S’Mores, who needs blood pressure medication and a diuretic, and Samson, who weighed less than four pounds and was about six months old at the time. S’Mores spit out one of her pills, and Samson dived for it, swallowing it faster than I could grab him.
I had to call their veterinarian – who is also MY veterinarian – and confess to my mistake, and ask if there was something I should do; make Samson vomit, perhaps?
Thank goodness, the vet thought the dose was low enough that the one pill wouldn’t cause Samson any harm. But I started using a baby gate to make sure that only the dog who was supposed to receive the pill was in the room, until it was clear the pill had gone down the chute, so to speak.
I also confessed my error to my friend. She told me that it was indeed a challenge at her house, because she also has a third dog, Lena, who receives a strong pain medication each day, and who is a master at spitting pills out.
My friend knows her dogs well, and is careful, but she wasn’t using the “baby gate” technique I used after my mishap – though she is now.
Last Saturday morning, she was giving her two elderly dogs their meds, when 75-pound Lena spit out her Tramadol pill, and four-pound Samson dived for it and gobbled it down. My friend said she couldn’t believe how fast he was. Just as quickly, she called our local emergency veterinary clinic, and asked what she should do. The receptionist asked what the medicine was, what the dose was, and how much Samson weighs, and put her on hold for a minute. Then she came back and said that the veterinarian on call said she should bring Samson in, immediately. Mind you, the emergency clinic is a good 30 minutes away. And the closest clinic wouldn’t open for another 30 minutes.
After my mishap just days before with Woody (who swallowed a too-small ball), my friend had just bought a new bottle of hydrogen peroxide to keep on hand for emergencies like this. She asked the ER receptionist, “Should I make him vomit up the pill first? I have hydrogen peroxide.” But the receptionist told her no, she should just bring Samson to the vet, fast.
My friend said she told the receptionist she was at least a half hour from being able to get Samson to any vet; surely she should make him vomit first? And the receptionist told her, “No, it’s risky.”
My friend called me on speaker as she was hurriedly dressing, telling me all that had transpired. I jumped on my laptop and started Googling; was there a reason she shouldn’t make Samson vomit up a Tramadol pill? I was aware that there are certain things that you should not make a dog vomit – anything caustic, for example, or petroleum-based substances. I couldn’t find any reason that vomiting up the medication would be contraindicated, but neither I nor Google are veterinarians, so…
She drove Samson to the local vet, arriving a few minutes before they opened, and started banging on the door. Thankfully, they opened the door and the vet saw Samson before he had a chance to put on his white coat. He asked, “Did you make him vomit?” She said, “No! The emergency clinic told me not to!”
He said, “Well, that’s what we are going to do!” He whisked Samson into the back, and gave him an oral dose of hydrogen peroxide – not the injectable morphine-based medication that the ER gave Woody days before, to make him vomit up the ball. Within minutes, Samson vomited up the medication, but given the time elapsed (about 40 minutes at that point), the pill was dissolved. Given the high dosage of the pill, the veterinarian also recommended giving Samson some activated charcoal, to help absorb the medication and prevent it from being absorbed in his bloodstream, and subcutaneous fluids, to help dilute the effects of the medication and push it through his excretory system as quickly as possible (pee it out).
Long story short: Samson is fine. My friend’s bill:
$56 office visit. $25 for inducing vomiting. $15 for charcoal. $25 for the fluids. A bargain, compared to Woody’s visit for (sort of) the same thing (throw up what you shouldn’t have swallowed!).
My friend was annoyed with herself (as I was with myself, days earlier!) for failing to control the situation – and for not yet pulling the trigger on veterinary insurance for Samson. She and her husband had been discussing the cost just that morning, and the event stiffened her resolve to fit it into their budget.
Last week, I was stressed with too many demands on my time, and trying to finish the December issue in time to travel to Florida for a dog trainer’s conference (Pet Professional Guild, http://petprofessionalguild.com/). But Woody (my adolescent dog) and even Otto, my 9-year-old solid (canine) citizen, were both telling me they needed a run. So, instead of taking them out for an hours-long hike, as I prefer to do, I headed for a school field I know, to throw a ball for them for a while, instead.
A friend called a little while before I left and asked if I was walking that evening. When I told her my alternative plan, she asked if she could meet me with her dogs. Sure, why not?
I brought a Chuckit and a Chuckit Glow ball. Woody strongly prefers tennis balls, but he’s developed a bad habit of chomping on them so hard that he splits them open within minutes, and then they don’t fly far. He hasn’t been able to tear or chew these rubbery balls, and the fact that they glow in the dark means I can run him at night and still find the ball if it takes a crazy bounce.
My friend got to the field at the same time I did, and unloaded her two dogs. The larger dog is not particularly interested in fetch games, but her little terrier/Chihuahua-mix is. For the first time ever since we’ve met, my friend brought a small tennis-style ball for her little dog to chase, and a tennis racket with which to hit it. My brain registered this fact, and I said to myself, “Oh crap. I’ve got to keep Woody away from that little ball.”
Given that the field belongs to an elementary school, I was distracted by watching the three dogs in my care, and my friend’s two, to make sure that none of them pooped out of our sight or attention; it’s simply not acceptable for dog poo to go unnoticed and un-picked-up on a school field.
I was also trying to throw Woody’s ball in the opposite direction than my friend was throwing the small ball for her dog. But twice, my distractible dog was returning to me with his big ball in his mouth when my friend hit the small tennis ball for her dog, and Woody just dropped his ball and ran in pursuit of the little one. And at almost this same moment each time, one of our dogs squatted and pooped. I ran in pursuit of the poop, but I was forming a sentence to call out to my friend. “Hey!” I was just about to say, “This isn’t a good idea; Woody is going to choke on that ball!”
I got as far as “Hey!” And Woody promptly swallowed that ball. We had been on the field for about four minutes.
The good news was, he didn’t choke!
I thought I had better go home immediately and investigate. How big, exactly, was the ball he swallowed? Could he pass it through his system? If I gave him some hydrogen peroxide to make him vomit the ball back up, could he choke on it then?
I asked my friend to investigate the package of balls she had at home. What were the ball’s dimensions? The answer came back: the ball was 1.65 inches in diameter.
I called the emergency veterinary clinic, and discussed the matter with the receptionist. He, too, was concerned about the likelihood of Woody choking on the ball as it came back up. I dropped off my other dogs at home, and headed for the clinic so I could consult with a veterinarian, not just the receptionist.
It was a fairly busy night at the clinic, so I had time to do some googling in the waiting room. I found one veterinarian’s site that helpfully said that a medium-sized dog could easily vomit up anything that was 1.5 inches in diameter or smaller, but that anything bigger might require surgery or endoscopy to retrieve. Oy! How exasperating!
Also exasperating: Two weeks ago, while watching this exuberant young dog fly through the air and contort himself in crazily athletic maneuvers while fetching, I decided I really better buy pet health insurance for him. I just can see him pulling and ACL or hurting his back. I chose an insurance company and a plan, and sent them money for a year’s worth of coverage. The company responded quickly, and sent me a letter of acceptance, indicating that coverage would commence . . . three days from the day I was sitting there in the veterinary ER waiting room. ARGH!
When Woody and I finally got into an examination room, and a veterinarian finally came in – so much for the fetch session being faster than a hike! – we conferred about our options:
1: We wait and see if he vomits the ball on his own. (I rejected this plan right away. I was leaving town in three days for almost a week. With my luck, he’d vomit and choke while I was gone. No way.)
2: We make him vomit that night at the clinic with the vet standing by, ready to deal with a potential blockage if the ball gets caught in his throat on its way back up.
3: We give him general anesthesia, and use an endoscope to remove the ball from his stomach. The starting cost: $1,500. Ouch.
4: Surgery. I didn’t even ask about the cost of that.
I chose option #2. It wasn’t just the money. He swallowed that ball so easily, I just thought it would come back up fairly easily, too. After I made the choice, the veterinarian told me she thought this was the option she would take if it was her dog; she had confidence that even if the ball got stuck, that she and the other veterinary staff on duty would be able to get it out.
She also said that because Woody hadn’t eaten since that morning, she would feed him a can of wet food first, so there would be some soft mass helping push the ball out of his stomach.
The vet took Woody into the back, and I went out to the lobby to plug in my dying phone and pace.
It didn’t take even 10 minutes. Apparently, vets don’t use peroxide like we do; they use an injection (a $100 injection, lol) to induce vomiting. He vomited three times, and the ball was in the second batch.
Then they gave him an injection of an anti-nausea drug, to stop the vomiting, “so he doesn’t splatter your car on the way home.” That shot was $80!
I shouldn’t grouse about the money; I’m so happy to have a great 24-hour clinic not far away, and happy it turned out just fine for Woody. It was simply a costly lesson in “If you see something, say something . . . FAST!” I had a bad feeling about that little ball, but didn’t act on it quickly enough. That’s just one more mistake I’ve made with a dog that I never will again! And I hope that none of you who are reading this will make this mistake, either!
My close friends know that I have been looking for the perfect dog for my dog-crazy seven-year-old niece Ava and her mom for some time – and that this is in contrast to my usual stance in opposition to the whole concept of the “perfect” dog.
I don’t believe that dogs should be expected to come into a home that may not meet their needs very well and yet not cause a single ripple in the fabric (literal and figurative) of that home, any more than one would expect a new baby or adopted child or even an elderly relative to fit in seamlessly to a new home. In my view, adjustments and accommodations should be made on all sides, with respect for all the parties’ needs considered, in order to make the relationships and living situation work for everyone. So, for example, when you bring home a Border Collie or German Shepherd Dog, you’d better accept – nay, embrace - the exercise and mental stimulation needs of that dog, if you want him to be happy, and you can be happy with him. At a minimum, you will likely have to carve out a significant chunk of time in your day to devote to physical and mental exercise for the dog, and you may well have to do some problem-solving if it turns out that the dog develops problem behavior/s, such as separation anxiety, counter-surfing, urine marking, barking, chewing, over-excitement with guests, etc., etc.
I know all that – I preach all that! And I still want a perfect dog for my sister-in-law and niece. They have just been through so much in the past two years: My brother’s diagnosis, too-brief fight with cancer, and death. The death of my brother’s dog, Hannah, who had been a loving guardian of and companion to little Ava for her entire life, a few months prior to my brother’s death. Having to move Ava’s grandfather, who is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease, out of their home and into a care facility. I just don’t want to add any burden to Ava’s mom’s already heavy load of responsibilities, though we both want Ava to have a dog. She’s crazy about dogs.
Ava loved my Chihuahua-mix, Tito, and he liked her, too, but only for short-term visits. After a few days at Ava’s home, the senior dog would get cranky and snappy – probably due to his perennially sore back. He’s never liked anyone picking him up, and was just as apt to snarl as wag if someone petted him. A long-term placement there wasn’t fair to either of them.
So I’ve been looking for a dog, not too big (Ava and her mom are both petite!) nor too small (so it could engage in active romping play with an active, outdoor-loving girl); not too old to be playful, nor so young that it knew nothing about living in a home. The most important attribute, in my mind, is a general affection for and interest in kids. This dog-loving girl needs a girl-loving dog!
I’m hoping I’ve found the right candidate (in my local shelter, of course!). She meets nearly all of my criteria, save one important bit: she’s too young, only about 4 months old, so she’s going to stay with me for a while for some training and socializing.
Woody could not be happier. He just turned a year old, but still has lots of puppy energy and need for a lot of stimulation. He’s been thrilled to have someone to romp, roll, chew, and wrestle with. He’s shared my home (and home office) with dozens of foster puppies since I fostered his litter last December, though I took a break from all that after the 11 pups from the Great Dane litter all went to their (forever, I hope) homes in July. Having this pup here has been like an early Christmas for him.
Otto, on the other hand, is looking pretty glum about this turn of events. I think he figured he only recently got Woody civilized – Woody was starting to behave like a respectable grownup dog – and now that’s all coming undone. Idiocy reigns again (in Otto’s mind), in the form of puppies bumping into him or, worse, running over the top of him when they are playing; puppies racing past him to get the ball that he was fetching in a more dignified manner; puppies splashing into water he was delicately lapping, etc. Rude, rude, rude, and disorderly. Not Otto’s cup of tea.
My husband is in the same camp. Woody only recently stopped deconstruction of his doghouse, and it looks like our apple tree, which Woody had been chewing the bark from, might live after all. And yet, a new set of puppy tooth-marks have appeared on the bench my husband built on our deck back when Otto was an adolescent. We’re going backward in his mind, too.
It’s impossible to explain it to Otto, but my husband understands: It’s only temporary, and we’re doing this for Ava. She and the pup met last weekend, and it looked like mutual love and attraction instantly. This pup is affectionate and playful, sweet and smart, and though she’s just as mouthy as all pups are at this baby-tooth-shedding stage, she’s got a nice soft mouth. She’s doing great with house-training, crate-training, and lessons in basic manners. Ava’s mom is busy getting references for a dog daycare and/or a dog walker, and I’m making inroads into finding a trainer they can work with in their town. In another few weeks, we’ll deliver her to Ava, and I might spend a night or two to get housetraining in theirhouse initiated, and get them all settled in together. I can’t wait.
A few weeks ago, I spent a couple days in the San Francisco Bay area. I had a dog-food related meeting with some pet supply store representatives, and was taking photos for articles and our annual calendar. I brought my adolescent pit-mix, Woody, and stayed at the home of a friend. On my last night there, my son and his dog came over and joined us for dinner (my son is good friends with my friend’s twin sons). After dinner, we took both of our dogs for a walk around the quiet suburban neighborhood. It was around 11 p.m., a beautiful warm night. We were walking in the middle of the dead-end street, with both of our dogs off-leash, when my son’s dog suddenly darted into some bushes, and then, almost as quickly, ran back out, sneezing. And then the skunk smell hit us like a cloud of tear gas.
Going shopping for a couple of quarts of peroxide at 11 o’clock at night is not fun – and it just makes bathing the dog outdoors even later. It was well after midnight by the time Cole was mostly odor-free, and we (Cole, my son, my friends, and me) were all tired, and we all had to get up early to work the next day.
Peroxide is one of those things that every dog owner should have on a shelf somewhere. The recipe for the absolute best anti-skunk-spray remedy is a mix of a quart of fresh hydrogen peroxide (the regular 3% kind), a quarter-cup of baking soda, and a small squirt of dishwashing liquid. You have to mix it fresh in a bowl or bucket; it can’t be stored. But as long as you don’t wet the dog with anything else first, it completely neutralizes the “thiols” in the skunk spray – the substance that stinks. But you must NOT wet the dog with water (or tomato juice, or anything else) first; it’s the chemical reaction between the fresh skunk spray and the formula that eliminates the stink. If you alter the chemistry, it doesn’t work nearly as well.
Take care not to get this in the dog’s eyes, as it stings. Wash the dog with shampoo (or at least rinse him with water) afterward, and you will be amazed; the smell will be gone. And as long as you had the peroxide on hand ahead of time, you won’t have had to put your stinky, greasy dog in your car or home while you went to buy the peroxide, and he won’t have had the chance to rub the smell all over your upholstery.
Having peroxide on hand is also a great idea in case you just discovered your dog ate something he shouldn’t have. Again, time is of the essence. Having to send someone to the store might cause enough of a delay to contraindicate the induction of vomiting. (See “How to Make Your Dog Throw Up,” WDJ January 2014, for complete directions.)
Speaking of dietary indiscretions, having plain canned pumpkin on hand at all times is another good idea. On another trip to the Bay area and after a trip to the beach with my son and his dog, my pup Woody pooped a small sand castle, with a great deal of discomfort (as you can imagine). It seemed he swallowed a lot of sand while playing with and fetching tennis balls at the beach, which gave him a significant tummy ache and a reluctance to defecate for a day or two. Feeding him pumpkin several times a day for a few days seemed to help sweep the sand through his system, just as it can help push other indigestible objects through the dog’s digestive tract.
If your dog’s boots are properly sized and you’ve put them on properly, he should be able to do everything he can do without boots, and even more than he can do bootless when covering ground that’s covered with snow, ice, broken glass, hot pavement, or sharp rocks or thorns.
On a beautiful, sunny winter’s day in the Absaroka-Beartooths near Yellowstone National Park in Montana, I’m out cross-country skiing with my two young dogs, swishing through miles of gorgeous, fluffy snow. The dogs romp happily for hours in temps just barely in the teens. As we turn the final corner to reach the truck, we hit a patch of wind-hardened snow, and they both start punching through the crust every few steps and sinking down. I wince at the sound, worrying over torn-up feet and sore muscles from all the wonky, uneven stepping. Searching my pack for my keys, I watch as my Collie starts holding a paw painfully in the air. At quick glance, it looks like a pad is cracked either from the post-holing, the cold, or a combination of both.
After we arrive home and are sitting fireside, they doze off while I examine them for injuries from the day’s adventure, rubbing my favorite paw treatment (Paw Pudding from The Scent Project) into their winter-weary pads. And I start to think about ways to better safeguard their feet when we’re out in harsh winter conditions, realizing it was time to do some research on boots.
When you ask someone why they wear winter boots, chances are that “warmth” will be the answer. It should come as no surprise, that this is also the reason most people consider boots for their dogs. But dogs have a physiological advantage over us in this arena.
Research from Hiroyoshi Ninomiya, a professor at Yamazaki Gakuen University in Tokyo, found that domestic dogs have a counter-current heat exchange system in their paws, much like penguins in the Antarctic have in their wings (Ninomiya et al 2011). Veins surround the arteries that deliver warm blood to a dog’s paws and, due to their close proximity, warm arteries heat cooler veins. As a result, the temperature in the paw stays balanced. This adaptation is found in the feet, fins, and flippers of a range of species living in cold environments and explains how most of our canine companions are able to walk barefoot comfortably across snow while we, their naked-ape counterparts, find it horrifically painful.
Many dog-boot naysayers cite this as a primary reason not to bother with boots. This assumes two falsehoods, however: First, that all dog breeds are equally gifted with naturally cold-hardy paws. Almost all of us have met a dog that missed out on the full benefits of this nifty trait; domestication gives rise to wide variation between breeds. Second, that warmth is the only purpose to use boots.
As those working alongside canine athletes will attest, when you are in the field, on the job, or competing together, there’s no substitute for ongoing awareness of your dog’s physical condition – and his paws are top priority.
For sled dogs, the most common injuries they encounter are foot ailments caused by breaking through crusty, icy snow, and the accumulation of snow around the pad of the foot and between the toes. Boots are mandatory gear for races like the Iditarod, and mushers view them as an important tool for the prevention of splits in the webbing of the foot or cracks in the paw pads.
If your four-legged sidekick is a hard-charging Pointer out winter bird hunting, say, snow-abraded pads may not even slow her down the day the injury occurs, but will likely have some tender-footed consequences the following morning. Monitoring feet for the first sign of injury and using boots to protect these from worsening is a top recommendation to keep a bird dog active in the field.
“Once a paw is hurt, a dog can be out healing for two days or two weeks,” says Heath Smith, Program Director for Conservation Canines, an organization that trains and fields dog/handler teams to detect endangered species or their sign around the globe. “Boots are the first line of defense, protecting feet as they get scraped up in the hard snow in winter or walk across hot granite or lava rock in summer. When we are working in these rough conditions, we rely on boots to protect our dogs’ feet from these extremes so they can continue doing what they love.”
Using boots for warmth, it seems, takes a back seat to injury care and prevention to the ever-important paws for an active dog in the winter months.
Even if you and your dog are just fresh off the couch, preparing to venture out for a stroll on the mean freshly salted city streets in winter, a boot can provide your dog the protection and stability needed to enjoy the outing when temperatures drop and ice and snow accumulate. And you will look for the same qualities in a boot whether you are walking a half-mile on a city street or skiing 20 miles in the mountains.
Quality Winter Dog Boots: Criteria
I spoke to veterinarians, mushers, skijorers, hunters, detection dog handlers, and members of an urban dog club to find out what they look for in a winter dog boot and why. They educated me on the most important characteristics of a good dog boot:
Durability – If you are like me, boots are that piece of gear you know you’ll only use occasionally and so expect them to last many years. I looked for a good rubber sole to provide stability on slick surfaces and protect paws from the harsh elements. I also wanted a boot that is constructed to withstand the test of time without being excessively bulky.
Flexibility – Dog boots need to be supple and flexible, especially at the dogs’ wrists and ankles. There are a surprising number of dog boots on the market that are stiff throughout, rising high on the leg, with a lot of straps to keep the boot in place, which can hinder movement and provides ample opportunity for a boot to do more damage to a foot than the elements! The best boots are not stiff.
Comfort – Comfort is ultimately a matter of your dog’s personal preference and conformation, but, in general, look for boots with as little bulk as possible. Seams, zippers, and patches of hook-and-look material (such as Velcro) should be minimal, and nothing should feel rough on the inside of the boot. Anything that protrudes on the inside of the boot can cause sores on the dog’s foot or leg.
Visibility – Your dog will throw a boot. Guaranteed. Most likely during a blinding windy blizzard when you are in a hurry and lack both time and patience to go searching for a dog boot that’s run amok. In the darkness of winter, a black boot with a black sole will likely end up lost forever. Neon colors may not look becoming on your dog, but sometimes frugality eclipses aesthetics.
The Best Dog Boots
The following four products were repeatedly recommended, so I bought a set of each and subjected them to months of testing.
I recruited Mingus, “The Goose,” my 2-year-old Smooth-coated Collie to help me put these boots through their paces. As a vociferous protester of all matters that involve the handling of his feet, The Goose was the perfect candidate to teach me some tricks to help the most boot-reluctant dog accept wearing these awkward (at first) accoutrements.
Here’s how each of the products met our selection criteria and performed during tests over the past few months:
This boot has a rugged Vibram outsole providing exceptional traction and paw protection from sharp, crusty snow and pretty much anything you could possibly encounter. I have to confess that finding Vibram soles (the durable rubber found on mountaineering boots) on a dog boot elicited some eye-rolling; it just seemed totally absurd to me. Listening to the handlers at Conservation Canines (whose dogs are heavy users of Ruffwear boots) talk about the extreme hot and cold, snowy, icy conditions in which their dogs have used those boots year after year, and how well the soles survived – well, I changed my tune. Those Vibram soles are durability champs.
The 2016 Polar Trex is built much like Ruffwear’s popular Grip Trex boot with the addition of a zip-up low gaiter to keep snow out of the boot and a soft-shell upper that is weather resistant and breathable. It’s technical and durable without a lot of bulk. I’m dubious that the gaiter will successfully keep snow out, so I will likely seal the top with Vetrap, just to be doubly sure.
The boots have a lot of give, they flex easily, and have a soft liner, but it took some maneuvering to figure out how to cinch the hook-and-loop closure without the seams rubbing on The Goose’s leg. He threw a few boots, shaking them off in a fit, until I figured out what the problem was; this was an operator error, for sure. For him, adding a sock to the ensemble and some cinching awareness was all it took to get him up and running happily.
As far as visibility goes, I found that the boots I tested, moss green with a turquoise sole, showed up well on snow-covered ground, but disappeared a bit too easily in the grass.
Ruffwear offers these boots in eight sizes, increasing the odds that a dog owner will be able to find a size with just the right fit for her dog. See the company’s boot fit guide (which has sizing instructions for all of Ruffwear’s boots, not just the Polar Trex) at Ruffwear.com. A set of four retails for $100.
Summary: Ruffwear’s Polar Trex boots are WDJ’s top pick for use on big winter adventures with your dog. They’d be perfect for excursions in snowy, cold, icy, blustery days in the mountains, and are the best candidates among those we tested for hiking in deep or crusty snow.
2. Hurtta’s Outback Dog Boots – Discontinued!
NOTE: Our second-choice boots are no longer being offered by Hurtta. We’ve seen some available on eBay and Amazon.
With a soft, pliable rubber sole, the Hurtta Outback boots provide less traction and paw protection than Ruffwear’s Polar Trex boots, but they definitely still get the job done. These soles may not last as long as the Vibram soles on the Ruffwear boots, but if you aren’t trekking through the Rockies every weekend, your dog may not need require this level of durability.
The boots flex freely and easily and have a soft liner. The hook-and-loop fasteners that close and tighten the boots are perfectly placed, and are constructed so they don’t rub the dogs’ feet. The Goose was up and running in these boots almost immediately and never once tried to flick them off. These were definitely a big hit for him from the very beginning. Their super-light weight and great flexibility made these the perfect boot to help him adjust to the idea of being booted.
These black and gray boots would be nearly impossible to locate in the dark, but they do have 3M reflective piping, which helps if you scan the ground with a headlamp or flashlight. The reflective material could also help a driver spot your dog from a great distance if you were walking on a road or sidewalk in the dark.
The boots were available in five sizes, from Small to XX Large. For sizing instructions, see Hurtta.com. They are sold in pairs, as the company says you might need one size for the front paws and a different size for the back paws. They retailed for about $30 per pair.
3. Kurgo’s Step-n-Strobe Dog Shoes
NOTE: Our third-choice boots are no longer being offered by Kurgo. The company suggests its Blaze Cross Dog Shoes as a replacement.
The thick rubber outsoles on these boots provide traction and paw protection, but they are a bit heavy and bulky; it took my faithful test dog some time to adjust to them – and I have to admit that he was never perfectly comfortable with them on. While they have what seemed to me to be sufficient flex, they are the stiffest of the boots that I tested on The Goose. Every time I put the boots on him, he would stand frozen for a bit, seemingly unsure if he could even pick up his newly weighed-down feet.
That said, the seams inside the boot are soft, and didn’t rub at all on shorter excursions; given The Goose’s discomfort with these boots, I limited his time in them to less than an hour on each outing, so I can’t actually testify that they wouldn’t rub on a longer hike. The well-placed hook-and-loop closure and ankle cord kept this boot securely on without irritation.
When it comes to the visibility of a lost boot, being a bit bulkier is a benefit. The yellow-orange color makes these easier to spot as well, and they have reflective panels, which is another bonus for spotting a stray boot with a flashlight in the dark.
The “strobe” in the name of the product refers to little lights in the boots (similar to the ones seen in shoes for toddlers) that flash as the dog’s feet strike the ground. They are powered by tiny batteries, which the company describes as “long-lasting sealed batteries for water-resistant activity.” The batteries are not replaceable but are covered for one year from the date of original purchase.
The lights on the left side of the dog flash red, and the ones on the right side flash green, which theoretically informs you about the direction of the dog’s travel. Sailors and aviators would get it immediately, as the red and green lights on boats and planes are similarly situated, but it wasn’t intuitive to me, so I didn’t find it that useful – and this part of the boot is difficult to see if you are in a grassy, rocky, or snowy area. It was, however, noticed by the driver of a car when we were walking across a street, as the driver kindly informed me, “Love those light-up shoes!”
The Step-n-Strobe boots were sold for $60 for a set of four. They came in six sizes, from XX Small to X Large.
4. Ultra Paws’ Rugged Dog Boots
Ultra Paws’ Rugged Dog Boots
NOTE: We’re able to find the Ultra Paws boots sold in many locations – but no website or contact information for the Ultra Paws company, which seems to have been acquired.
The outsoles on these boots are soft and pliable, and provide just enough traction to prevent slipping on icy concrete or wood or linoleum flooring. Mountaineer-grade soles aren’t needed in town, but your dog will appreciate the light rubber layer these outsoles put between his paw pads and salt and other hazards on the sidewalk.
As far as flexibility goes, these are highly pliable boots with good padding at the top where the hook-and-loop closure cinches. The Goose was distracted by something about the boots at first, and, after some trial and error, I discovered the seams on the inside of the boot were the culprit. With a sock, he was happy to wear these and moved comfortably, but I’d suggest paying close attention to make sure the seams are not irritating the sides of your dog’s paws, and would use these boots for light excursions only.
I purchased the all-black version of these boots, but I’d recommend getting the boots in red instead, even if your dog wears these only in the house (for traction), to help you find any boot that goes astray. Someday I’ll find the run-away boot in hiding in my house or yard, but months later it still hasn’t turned up.
Ultra Paws Rugged Dog Boots are sold as a set of four for about $38 (we found a lot of variation in price among online retailers). They are available in four sizes, from Small to X Large.
Summary: The Ultra Paws Rugged Dog Boots are the most affordable option for protecting your dog’s feet from the elements (including salt and de-icing chemicals) on shorter winter outings on roads and sidewalks.
How to Put Boots on Your Dog
Your dog is unlikely to be happy the first time you put boots on him, but if you go about the process slowly, with lots of positive reinforcement for his cooperation – and without forcing the issue or making him wear the boots for too long at first – he will soon adjust and accept the protective footwear.
My Collie’s frenetic foot-handling phobia was cured when drops of bacon-flavored Cheez Whiz began falling from the sky. With this magic potion, I was able to slowly, peacefully, and with only minimal protest, introduce him to wearing boots. It took just 10 minutes every day for a week.
While showering him with Cheez Whiz, I’d put boots on his front feet, then we’d run around and play for about five minutes. Then I’d take them off and put them on his back feet, following the same routine.
It took four days of this before The Goose would move normally with the boots on both the front and back feet. Then and only then did I put boots on all four of his feet, during a hailstorm of Cheez Whiz.
We did this for three days in a row, with no single boot session lasting more than 10 minutes or so. It took about an hour total, over the space of a week, to help him understand that boots aren’t so bad after all. Now, he’s happy getting booted – but I still bring the Cheez Whiz.
Pro Tips for Getting Your Dog’s Boots to Fit
Do everything you can to get boots that are the right size for your dog; if your dog falls close to the border between sizes, order both and return the ones that don’t fit. If they seem too big or too small, walking in them for any length of time can do real damage to his feet, or aggravate any already sore muscles or fragile tendons and ligaments he may have.
In some cases, even with a good fit, you have to do a bit of extra work to protect your dog’s feet from his boots, just like you might have to with your own hiking boots. People who use dog boots daily in the winter use the following techniques to make sure their dogs are comfortable:
Wrap it up: Securing the top of each boot with a length of Vetrap (or any other brand of self-adherent, stretchy bandage, available from better pet supply stores or online) holds the boot in place and seals the top of the boot to prevent snow, dirt and rocks from getting inside.
Dewclaw considerations: I wrapped non-adhesive moleskin around the leg, placing it under each dewclaw and securing it with a short piece of Vetrap. Cotton padding (the kind that comes in a roll and can be torn off in pieces) could be used instead, but I opted for a slightly thicker material after a few enthusiastic rounds of romping in boots started to show some wear on the cotton.
Cushioning paw pads: Several heavy users of dog boots recommended putting cotton between my dog’s paw pads to help prevent chafing. My Collie was against this entirely and refused to move with cotton-padded feet, so for now we’re skipping this step.
Sock options: For day-long adventures, using socks or boot liners can help prevent chafing and keep dewclaws (if your dog has them) in place. I used baby socks, which worked well. Ruffwear is the only maker of dog boots that also sells boot liners ($15 for a set of four Bark’n Boot boot liners). Note that the online reviews from users of the boot liners are decidedly mixed. They seem to work great for some dogs and irritate others.
Even with baby socks or the Bark’n Boot boot liners, I saw early signs of wear, so I used the moleskin wrap (described above) and the socks or liners with a better result. I highly recommend wrapping the top of the sock with Vetrap, too; it’s the final step that keeps dirt, pebbles, and snow out of the boots. Nothing is worse than a rock in your shoe!
Finally, just remember to keep a close eye on your dog while he’s wearing boots. Check frequently to make sure they are in position, not slipping or twisted. If your dog lies down, or holds up or favors a booted paw, stop immediately and check to see if the boot has moved out of position or chafed.
Final Thoughts
Should you lose a boot, don’t despair. Each of these boot varieties can be purchased in singles. (That is, of course, assuming the style you purchased is still in production when you need it.)
I learned a lot while discussing dog boots with regular boot users, and enjoyed the opportunity to test all of these products. It was well worth the effort to do the research, learn the steps necessary to get a dog adjusted to wearing boots and, ultimately, incorporate this valuable tool into my dog gear.
Whether it’s the rough, crusty snow and sub-zero temperatures of winter or sweltering hot asphalt of summer, dog boots are incredibly useful to keep active dogs on their feet and outside. They are essential equipment for working dogs in hazardous environments, such as search and rescue dogs in collapsed buildings. And they are invaluable when a paw injury needs protection to heal and to help a mobility-challenged senior dog safely navigate slippery floors. Cheers to healthy paws!
My husband Brad and I like to think we keep a pretty clean house, but sometimes we’re amazed at how much hair and dirt surround us. We’re not fastidious about housecleaning, but we do try to keep things relatively hair- and dirt-free and neat – “try” being the operative word. As we’re making the bed, sweeping the kitchen floor, or vacuuming the carpet, there’s proof positive of the fact that we live with two Australian Shepherds and two furry felines.
All that hair and dirt around our small country home serve to remind us that 1) we adore our dogs and cats and wouldn’t want to live without them; and 2) we’re happy that we decided to make life easier by choosing fabrics, flooring, and furniture that works well with our pets. Not having to worry about our dogs or cats “ruining” something in our home provides great peace of mind!
Here’s a glimpse into how and why we’ve made decorating decisions that work well for us and our animals.
Care-Free Decorating
I can’t remember exactly when Brad and I first began talking about “decorating around our animals” – it was probably about 14 or 15 years ago. I believe it started when we were attempting to find a solution to keep our cats from using the front of the upholstered sofa’s arms as a scratching post. We had numerous cat scratching posts and other items we defined as “legal scratching items,” but the arms of the sofa were much preferred by our furry felines. Our solution was to buy a Mission-style futon with a wooden frame so that the arms wouldn’t be optimum scratching areas.
It worked beautifully. The cats moved to using items around our home that we considered “legal.” Lest they consider the futon cover as an alternative scratching surface, we chose a faux-leather cover that wouldn’t show damage even if scratched, and it certainly wouldn’t pull or run as many materials will do. Happy humans, happy cats.
Fast forward to today, and I’d say our house looks comfortably lived in, and the hair from natural shedding and the dirt that inevitably follows the dogs and cats inside is easily washed off or vacuumed up in no time. We’ve selected only flooring, fabrics, and furniture that are comfortable for us and our animals, resistant to scratches, easy to clean, and that don’t show the inevitable pet hair.
Remember that no matter your chosen style of décor, if you’re striving for “fuss-free” decorating, no matter the item (flooring, furniture, fabrics, etc.), it’s nice to keep the following in mind: scratch resistance, damage resistance, comfort for your pet, and comfort for you. Here’s what we’ve found works well for us, and some ideas for what might work for you in your home.
Best Flooring for Dogs
We’re unfortunately limited with flooring choices and have carpet in all rooms of our house, except for the kitchen, which has wood flooring. The carpet is necessary because our home is so old that when it was remodeled, insulating the floors was an afterthought, and there is no crawl space under our house to remedy that. Carpet makes it much more comfortable during the winter.
We’ve chosen a very tight-weave, Berber-style carpet that’s a beige color with darker flecks in it. The tight weave keeps it from pulling due to the normal wear and tear of dog toenails and cat claws, and the multiple flecks in the carpet disguise any dirt before it’s time for cleaning. It’s also very easy to spot-clean when it comes to any potty accidents or the occasional vomit that’s inevitable when one lives with animals.
The kitchen has 100-year-old, reclaimed, heart-pine flooring, which is easy to clean – sweep and mop, that’s all. However, pine is a soft wood, which means it dents and scratches easily. To me, though, the dents and scratches add character to the floors, and because they contain so many imperfections, I don’t fret about any inevitable new ones.
Flooring is the most heavily used surface in our homes, particularly when we have dogs. Popular considerations for flooring in your pet-friendly home are usually wood, bamboo, carpeting, tile, vinyl, or linoleum. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and what works for me may not work for you.
It’s not uncommon for a dog to have an aversion to a specific type of surface (our own dog Cody doesn’t do well on tile), so if you know your dog won’t be comfortable on a certain surface, consider another option. For example, if your dog or cat is prone to allergies to dust or pollen, you might want to avoid carpet. And if he’s habitually anxious on slick floors, hardwood might not be the way to go. You want to keep your pet’s comfort and health in mind just as much as you do your own comfort.
If you opt for wood, solid hardwood floors have an advantage over softer woods, such as the pine we have in our own home. Choices include solid wood, hardwood veneer, and laminate flooring. Solid wood is just that; each exposed part of the flooring is made of genuine hardwood and nothing else. Hardwood veneer is a type of construction that’s made up of slides of hardwood bonded to composite board or plywood (sometimes called “all wood”). Laminate refers to a surface of plastic, foil, or paper, often printed with photographs of wood-grain patterns bonded to something like particleboard or fiberboard.
Bamboo flooring seems to have exploded in popularity. Technically it’s a grass, but I’ve learned that bamboo is as tough as most hardwood when dried. It comes in a variety of plank styles and colors, too.
Tile is also a popular choice. It’s easy to clean because dirt, stains, and liquids all rest on the surface. However, it’s a hard product that can be cold in the winter and not comfortable for a dog to lie on.
Almost every brand-name carpet manufacturer has a stain-free and pet-friendly version. Stainmaster® is probably the most widely known brand. However, when I talked with the carpet expert in our local big-box-remodeling store, she told me that many carpets today have the same qualities as the ones that are advertised as pet-friendly, only at a lesser price. There are health and environmental effects to be considered with carpeting, though it seems easier to today to find better choices than ever before. Four-legged traffic takes a toll on carpet (we can attest to that), so do your research to determine what works best in your own home: stain-resistant, wear-resistant, or stain- and wear-resistant carpet.
Vinyl flooring is one of the least expensive options available, but pet owners should be aware that it also has the most potentially for contributing to poor indoor air quality in your home. The word “vinyl”is short for polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Vinyl itself is a relatively stable product, but most vinyl flooring also is permeated with phthalates, the common name for phthalate esters, which make vinyl soft and cooperative. They do this very well in part because their molecules do not bond to PVC, but rather move freely through it and into the surrounding environment.
The phthalates used to plasticize PVC are what give it that familiar “vinyl” smell. If you can smell vinyl, then you and your pets are inhaling phthalates that are out-gassing. The stronger a vinyl product smells, the greater the amount of phthalates it contains. If you or your pets are particularly sensitive to chemicals, or live in an apartment with limited access to fresh air from the outdoors (as in many high-rise buildings), vinyl flooring is a risky choice.
In contrast, old-fashioned linoleum, made with natural, renewable materials such as linseed oil, tree resins, recycled wood flour, cork dust, and mineral pigments, and mounted on jute or canvas backing, is considered a “green” product. Who knew? Not me. Linoleum has been around since the mid-1800s and is naturally anti-bacterial, biodegradable, and can last up to 40 years with proper care and maintenance. Because the color in linoleum runs all the way through the material (unlike vinyl flooring), if it gets stained or scratched, you can buff out any damage and refinish the floor.
Dog-Friendly Fabrics
In our home, the fabric on our sofa is faux leather and our soft chair is real leather. The colors are dark brown and deep red; we chose them because they don’t show much dirt. Though not totally scratch-resistant, if either is scratched inadvertently, it only adds to the distressed-leather look. Oh, how I adore white upholstery or white leather. But it just doesn’t work in a home where our animals are invited up on sofas and chairs. We keep the white on the walls and the colors on the furniture. Because our dogs and cats sleep on the bed with us, we like choosing bedspreads and quilts that are patterned and in colors that blend with the colors of our dogs’ hair. The more heavily patterned the fabric, the less I’ll see the inevitable paw prints and pet hair until it’s time to be washed.
There’s so much to consider with the wide variety of fabrics available today. No matter what you choose, take into consideration that even if your pets don’t join you on the bed, chair, or sofa (though I sure hope they do!), their hair seems to just pop right off them and head straight for upholstered furniture.
Keep the unique characteristics of your pet’s hair in mind, too. Certain types of stiff dog hair poke into certain types of fabrics, almost instantaneously becoming part of the weave, and are extremely difficult to vacuum our pull out with a tape roller. Soft, downy hair from other breeds (and cats) sticks like lint to other fabrics. Pay attention to what fabrics you have in your home, wardrobe, and even car that your pets’ hair doesn’t stick to, and look for more of the same.
In our experience, real leather, in a pre-distressed finish, is the most durable fabric for couches and chairs, and it’s easy to brush or vacuum hair away, and wet-wipe off any liquid that a pet might dribble or spill (I don’t want to get more specific than that; we’re all pet owners here, right?).
Consider outdoor fabrics for indoor applications, too! They may not be as soft as your average sofa covering, but they will hold up better over time.
And speaking of covering the sofa, keep in mind that washable and replaceable slipcovers for upholstered furniture, though costly, are less expensive than buying new furniture. It might not be worth the investment if you have one small dog and live in a condo. But if your home has a dog door and your backyard has a pond or vegetable garden and you live with a swim-happy Labrador or mud-loving Australian Shepherd, it might be worth your while.
Dog-Resistant Furniture
Antiques and flea market finds happen to be our chosen style. No, most antiques aren’t scratch resistant, but when you buy a piece of furniture from an antique store or flea market, there’s no need to worry about the first scratch because every item comes with scratches or some other marks from its previous life. I really like that! Any new scratches just add to the story of our life with our animals. If you prefer new furniture, you could opt for the distressed look (think shabby chic) or choose furniture made from metal or a hardwood, such as oak.
Dog-Specific Décor
I don’t quite understand it myself, but I’m aware that many people seem to try to hide the fact that a dog lives in their home, worried that the presence of gates or crates or a big dog bed might detract from tasteful decorating. The good news is that today, there are an endless number of very attractive dog-management products on the market, and product lines that are available in a wide variety of finishes in order to blend with any home’s décor.
For our part, Brad and I put more effort into finding products that offer better-than-average stability, durability, and ease of opening and closing. When shopping for these products, it’s worth it to look farther afield than just your local pet supply store or big-box chain store. They may carry just one brand or type of each sort of product. As just one example, Carlson Pet Products has a stunningly wide range of high-quality, functional gates, crates, and exercise pens that can be ordered from various retailers.
For crates, gates, and beds that wouldn’t look out of place in a palace, check out Frontgate’s pet products. I wouldn’t be surprised if Queen Elizabeth shopped for Corgi-management products here; they’re a little pricey. But, no worries, you can DIY it!
One of my favorite DIY crates is a “crate end table” that can be built with the plans at Ana-White.com. I particularly like crates that are designed to fit nicely and look good in your living room or bedroom, as your dog should live with you and not be banished to a secluded area of your home.
Have you ever thought about a do-it-yourself pet gate? I’ve discovered so many interesting pet gates that truly do seem easy to make yourself. I’m fascinated by several styles that can be made from pallets and look lovely when stained or painted. (See this DIY page.) The Sparta Dog Blog also has a variety of ideas that might strike your fancy and work well for you and your pets.
Dog Beds
While our dogs sleep on our bed with us at night, we nevertheless have dog beds that are specifically for them, and periodically, they’ll actually choose to use them! The most important thing to keep in mind is the comfort of the bed for your dog. Does your dog get hot or cold easily? Does she prefer smooth fabric or fleece? There are orthopedic beds, allergy-free beds, environmentally friendly beds, cooling beds, warming beds, and even cave-like beds for dogs who like to burrow. Like us, each dog has his or her own preference, so do give some thought to the type of bed your dog may like before you choose.
My personal favorite happens to be the Bumper Bed from West Paw Design. It comes in a variety of patterns and colors, so it’s easy to find something that complements the colors in your home. The beds are filled with a thick denier 100 percent recycled IntelliLoft® polyfill, and the cover options include those made with regular cotton, eco-friendly organic cotton, or organic hemp. The covers are all removable and machine-washable, too. I don’t know about your house, but that’s a must in ours. Our West Paw Design beds are six or seven years old now, and while they don’t look brand spanking new, they show no wear and tear at all. And most importantly, our dogs love them.
A Peaceful Home
While it’s true that our pets don’t care about how we decorate and how our house looks, they certainly do notice when something is comfortable or uncomfortable. Let’s make things comfortable!
Our dogs also notice if we display anger when they happen to make a mess on an important piece of furniture. If you tend to get frustrated frequently because something in your home gets scratched, marred, or dirtied by your dog, perhaps it’s time to rethink your decorating choices and move to fuss-free decorating. Your dog will thank you for it.
Lisa Lyle Waggoner is a CPDT-KA, a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer, a Pat Miller Certified Trainer-Level 2, a faculty member of the Victoria Stilwell Academy of Dog Training, and Behavior and Co-Instructor for the Separation Anxiety Certification Program. She is the founder of Cold Nose College in Murphy, North Carolina, with an additional location in the Space Coast of Florida.
Do you ever give your dog the opportunity to decide which way he wants to go when you are on a walk?
You might learn a thing or two about him if you do –
and he will surely appreciate the opportunity!
Some 30 years ago, Karen Pryor wrote a small volume intended to be a self-help book for humans. That book turned the dog training world upside down. Don’t Shoot the Dog introduced the general public to the principles of operant conditioning and emphasized the benefits of positive reinforcement over punishment, with the goal of improving humans’ relationships with each other: husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees, etc. The book didn’t make much of a splash in the self-help world. But the fortuitous inclusion of the word “dog” in the title captured the attention of dog trainers, who, led by early positive training notables such as Dr. Ian Dunbar and Jean Donaldson, launched a positive reinforcement revolution in the world of dog training.
Thanks to the pioneers in the development of effective, force-free dog training techniques, there are now thousands of trainers (including me) who use, teach, and promote force-free training. In the past few decades, we’ve learned the value of creating relationships with dogs based on voluntary cooperation, built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect.
We learned about the “four quadrants of operant conditioning,” and realized that the tools many of us had successfully used in the past, such as choke chains and prong collars, and verbal and physical punishment, worked because they suppressed behavior. They taught the dog that if he did the wrong thing, we would hurt or intimidate him.
We learned to ask questions. Not just, “Does this work?” but “Why does this work?’ and the very important “Is this something I am willing to do to my dog?”
We learned that there was an entire body of science behind dog training and behavior. We eagerly embraced the science, and learned about behavior analysis, unconditioned responses, classical conditioning, and much more.
The more we learned, the more we committed to our position that, while old-fashioned punishment-based methods may work, there is no need to use them, and no ethical justification to do so. We became operant conditioning junkies. We thought we had it all figured out.
Then the world shifted again.
Cognitive scientists turned their attention to dogs, and confirmed what we had suspected all along: that canine behavior is far more complex than what can be explained by Skinner boxes and Pavlovian responses. Our canine companions not only share a wide range of emotions comparable to our own, but also, they are capable of grasping and applying complex concepts, functioning on a higher cognitive level than we had previously been encouraged to believe. While positive reinforcement-based trainers had long come to value the role of “relationship” in training, to a blossoming new generation of trainers, “relationship” doesn’t just have a role; instead, training is relationship.
Positive reinforcement-based trainers have acknowledged the importance of relationship, in part, just by altering our vocabulary. Because they are a reflection of our internal processing, and because they influence our associations, words matter. Many of us now say “Cue” (a signal that indicates an opportunity to perform a behavior to gain a reinforcer) instead of “Command” (do this behavior or else!). We call our training classes “good manners” instead of “obedience.” We “ask” or “help” our dog do a behavior rather than “make” him do it. We recognize that, as the supposedly more intelligent species, it’s our job to get our dogs to demonstrate that they happily and eagerly want to do what we ask of them.
Some professionals are going one step further, calling themselves “teachers” rather than “trainers,” and suggesting that we are “educating” dogs in a broader, cognitive sense rather than just “training” them to do a specific set of rote behaviors. It’s a compelling position.
Our Dogs’ Choices and Empowerment
One would expect that the rise of force-free training methods and the increased awareness of and respect for dogs as sentient creatures would make life easier for them. We should expect to see a corresponding rise in the number of calm, stable, well-adjusted dogs who are happily integrated into lifelong loving homes. But many training and behavior professionals note with alarm the large number of dogs in today’s world who seem to have significant issues with stress and anxiety, with high levels of arousal and low impulse control.
It’s quite possible this is a function of societal change. There was a time not so very long ago when life was pretty casual for our family dogs. They ran loose in the neighborhood day and night; ate, slept, played, and eliminated when they chose; and many had jobs that fulfilled their genetic impulses to herd some sheep or cows, or retrieve game felled by a hunter’s gun.
In contrast, life today is strictly regimented for many of our canine companions; many live in social isolation, and when they do get out, their activities are on a tight schedule. Owner expectations and demands are high. Dogs are told what to do from the moment they are allowed to get up in the morning until they are put to bed at night, including when and where they are allowed to poop and pee. Some of today’s dogs never get to run off-leash or socialize freely on a regular basis with other dogs. During any free time they may have, they are expected to just lie around and be “well behaved” (by human standards, not canine ones!). They have virtually no control over what happens in their world. Some trainers suggest this strict regimentation is a significant contributor to the stress and arousal levels of today’s family dog. Imagine how stressed you might be if your life was as tightly controlled by someone else.
Canine Empowerment Pioneer
The word “choice” started cropping up in positive training circles well over a decade ago, in no small part thanks to Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., who was a faculty member in the Psychology department at Utah State University from 1995 to 2014. Today, Dr. Friedman is a frequent presenter at animal behavior and training conferences, always promoting the use of Applied Behavior Analysis – the technology of behavior change, developed originally for human behavior applications – for working with animals of every species.
Dr. Friedman began her career in psychology 40 years ago by working with adolescents with severe behavior problems at a residential treatment facility. After earning a Ph.D. in special education, she worked for a number of years in human education settings. She was drawn into the study of animal behavior after obtaining pet parrots for her young daughters.
“When I read the lay literature for how to care for and interact with the birds, I was horrified at the density of the cultural fog about how behavior works,” Dr. Friedman says. At the time, the field of parrot training was even more densely populated with punishment-based methods than dog training, and most of the advice that could be found was focused on getting rid of problematic (mostly aggressive) parrot behavior.
In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the goal is to develop procedures that will produce objectively measurable changes in behavior. In humans, the work might be aimed at increasing the amount of time that a hyperactive child will focus on homework, or increasing the number and quality of personal self-care skills (brushing teeth, bathing) that an autistic child can be expected to perform. Given her experience with using ABA to help humans increase the incidence of their socially acceptable or personally beneficial behaviors, Dr. Friedman immediately saw that the same principles could be used to help animals change their behavior, too.
“I started writing about the science of behavior change and its basic focus: that behavior is always conditional. To change behavior we need to change conditions – not the animal! – by making the right behavior easier and more reinforcing. The wrong question is to ask how to stop problem behavior. The right question is, ‘What do you want the learner to do instead?’ ”
Dr. Friedman began writing for and presenting information to animal training audiences, explaining the benefits and strengths of using ABA for teaching children with severe behavior disorders, and suggesting that the same approach can be taken with animals of any species.
One of the most basic standards for professional ABA educators is to use the most positive, least intrusive procedures that are effective for teaching new behaviors. Dr. Friedman explains that this standard is upheld in public federal laws that protect children, as well as in the Guidelines for Responsible Conduct for Behavior Analysts. She proposes,
“Surely a similar intervention hierarchy, both ethical and feasible to implement, would be in the best interest of companion animals, their caregivers, and the professionals working with them to solve behavior problems,” she says. “By selecting the least intrusive, effective procedures (i.e., positive reinforcement-based and empowering) we increase the humaneness of our interventions without compromising our learning objectives.”
Today, Dr. Friedman maintains a busy schedule, presenting lectures and behavior workshops to all sorts of animal behavior and training professionals and enthusiasts. She’s a faculty member at Karen Pryor’s Clicker Expo and her online course, “Living and Learning with Animals for Behavior Professionals,” has provided even wider dissemination of effective, humane behavior change practices to students in more than 30 countries.
“The power to control one’s own outcomes is essential to behavioral health,” Dr. Friedman frequently tells her audiences, using examples from many captive species of animals, from marine mammals in “sea parks” to parakeets in cages (and, yes, including the dogs in our homes). “Research demonstrates that to the greatest extent possible, animals should be empowered to use their behavior to control significant events in their lives. When a lack of control becomes a lifestyle, it may result in aberrant behaviors.”
I believe that Dr. Friedman’s thesis explains many cases of canine separation anxiety, aggression, and other behaviors that indicate our dogs’ unhappiness and cause problems for dog owners. Perhaps we can help our dogs be emotionally healthier by finding ways to give them more choices in their world.
Shaping Our Dogs to Make Choices
One way we can incorporate more choice and empowerment into our dog’s daily lives is through shaping and other positive teaching techniques, where the handler sets up problems for the dog to solve.
In shaping exercises, the dog must figure out what behavior to offer in order to elicit a treat from his handler. It might be a simple behavior such as a “sit,” or it might be a complex cognitive challenge like “match to sample,” in which the dog indicates a color, shape, or object that matches the “sample” provided to him. When the dog solves the problem and offers the behavior that earns him a reinforcement, you might hear his teacher/trainer enthusiastically praise with “Good choice!” Lots of behavior choices happen in the everyday lessons of any force-free program.
But canine teachers who promote choice and empowerment have a much grander vision than basic problem-solving options. Here are some other ways in which dogs are being offered choices so they have more control in their lives, with the goal of increasing their behavioral health:
Do You Want to Work?
Some trainers now ask their dog some version of this question before embarking on any training exercise. If the dog moves agreeably or enthusiastically forward to the task, the activity continues. If the dog indicates any reluctance to engage, the activity stops, or the trainer initiates a different activity that the dog might be more enthusiastic about participating in.
The Bucket Game
London-based trainer Chirag Patel developed a protocol he calls “The Bucket Game,” in which the dog has the opportunity to indicate his choice to proceed with a husbandry procedure – or not.
Woody is demonstrating the Bucket Game. He has learned that as long as he gazes steadily at a small bucket of treats (or bowl, or whatever container is handy), he is essentially telling his handler to go ahead with whatever husbandry procedure she needs to do (ear cleaning, nail clipping, etc.). If he takes his attention away from the bucket, the handler stops the procedure (and the treats). This gives him a sense of control over the procedure.
Patel, who has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Veterinary Sciences from the Royal Veterinary College in London as well as a post graduate certificate at the University of Lincoln in Clinical Animal Behavior (and has a Kelpie!), presented the game to the Pet Professional Guild membership at its first conference in November 2015, and its use is spreading like wildfire. A trainer demonstrated the procedure at a recent Peaceable Paws Behavior Modification Academy. I am now a fan, and will be sharing it with many of my future clients.
In the Bucket Game, the dog is reinforced for focusing attention on the bucket (or cup, or any other small item used as a target), and the handler initiates the beginning steps of the husbandry task – perhaps touching the dog’s ears in preparation for ear cleaning. If the dog takes his attention away from the bucket, the task stops – as does the reinforcement! If the dog stays focused on the bucket (or returns his gaze to the bucket), the task (and the reinforcement) is continued. The dog learns that he controls the procedure, and as a result becomes less stressed about it, eventually choosing to continue the procedure by gazing at the bucket.
A Facebook page that has been created by Domesticated Manners for the Bucket Game describes the game as an activity that empowers the dog to indicate when she is ready to start, when she may want to take a break, when she wants to stop, and when she wants her handler to slow down. “This game was initially designed to teach essential husbandry behaviors, (those that allow your dog to actively participate in her daily and veterinary care). But you will soon learn how this game can be integrated into your every day training to help reduce barking, increase confidence, and enhance your overall relationship.”
Which Way?
Next time you take your dog for a walk, how about letting him choose the way? When you get to the end of your driveway, let him decide whether to turn left or right. If the path divides in the woods, at least sometimes follow his lead instead of always telling him which way to go. Let it be his walk.
You Pick!
If your dog isn’t accustomed to making choices with you, you can teach him to understand the choice concept with this very simple “You Pick” exercise:
1. Hold a high-value treat in one hand, and a lower-value treat in the other.
2. Show both treats to your dog in your open hands. He can sniff, but don’t allow him to eat them.
3. Close your fists, say “You Pick!” and offer both to your dog, palms up, about 6 inches apart.
4. When he “picks” one hand by sniffing it first, open your fist and let him eat that treat.
5. Repeat, using various value treats, making sure the higher value treat is not always in the same hand.
6. When your dog indicates that he understands the game by his prompt eagerness to pick a hand, generalize it by holding two of his toys and letting him pick one. (Then play with him with that toy as the reinforcer for his choice.)
7. Generalize even further by looking for opportunities to ask him to pick – which way on the hike, which food bowl, perhaps even which collar and leash he’d like to wear. Start offering him verbal choices – “Up on the sofa, or on the floor? You pick!” “Inside or outside? You pick!”
What Else?
So – where do we go with all this? All the way, with Jennifer Arnold’s Bond-Based approach (see “A Bond-Based Approach to Dog Training“), where actually teaching your dog to do specific behaviors becomes secondary to developing your relationship with him? Or is there, perhaps, a middle ground, where we are much more sensitive to the role relationships plays in our lives with our dogs, while still using positive-based training methods to help them learn the behaviors we need them know in order to live happily with humans?
We’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you think of the idea of giving your dog more choice and empowerment in his life? What opportunities can you identify in your life with your dog where you might be able to offer him more choices? Do you have examples you’d like to share of choice experiences you’ve had with your dog? As much as it stretches our brains, we’re excited about this step forward in the world of dog training and behavior. Are you?
Some canine educators are taking the idea of “choice” to a new level. Jennifer Arnold is the founder of Canine Assistants, a service-dog school in Milton, Georgia, and the creator of the “Bond-Based Choice Teaching” approach to interspecies relationships. This program focuses on developing relationship and communication between human and canine partners rather than teaching a list of tasks. Her just-released book, Love is All You Need: The Revolutionary Bond-Based Approach to Educating Your Dog, describes her journey through (and disappointments with) positive-reinforcement-based training, and describes her bond-based training system.
Love is All You Need presents the history of and details about the program Arnold uses to successfully develop working assistance dogs at her Canine Assistants facility in Milton, Georgia. She reports an exponential increase in the number of successful canine graduates from her program since the implementation of Bond-Based Choice Teaching.
I love the concept of bond-based teaching. Rather than starting by learning to respond to traditional cues (such as “Sit,” “Down,” etc.), Arnold’s puppies – future assistance dogs – begin by learning concepts. She associates vocabulary words with activities, objects, people, and places rather than the performance of specific behaviors, and introduces games that encourage bonding, trust, and self-reliance. Sounds good!
Still, some of her suggestions fly in the face of some common practices. Her answer to jumping up? She says, “It simply isn’t fair to punish your dog who is asking for attention by removing your attention.” She maintains that a dog who jumps up in order to connect with a person should not be ignored. Rather, she suggests feeding the need by using both hands to massage him while giving him your compete attention. She calls this “Two Hands, All In” and says that in every case where a dog’s problem behavior is the result of an emotional need, it is our obligation to fill that need.
There is a lot of food for thought in this book. There is much that I find intriguing and would like to pursue, and also much that I disagree with. Arnold criticizes modern trainers for their focus on operant conditioning without acknowledging the great interest force-free trainers have already demonstrated in regard to the concepts of empowerment, choice, and cognition in their training programs. She insists that dogs really are “eager to please” their humans – an idea I have long argued against. She hasn’t convinced me on that topic, but I do wholeheartedly agree with her that we need to improve our relationships with our dogs by working with their cognitive abilities and giving them more opportunities for choice and empowerment.
Arnold has plowed fertile ground here. I look forward to seeing what grows from it. I hope it will be generation of dogs who experience far less stress and anxiety in their lives.
I love WDJ; I’ve been getting it for years. But I had to write for the first time. In “Helping Itchy Dogs” (February 2016) the author speaks about the benefits of regular bathing for dogs who are hypersensitive to allergens that are absorbed through the dog’s skin. But she never mentions anything about drying the dogs afterward.
I am a dog groomer, and have seen too many double-coated breeds who are bathed often or swim regularly who are not properly dried. Their skin starts to almost mildew, especially if they live in the humid Northeast, as I do. They just never dry completely. It really benefits all dogs (but especially the double-coated ones) to be positively conditioned to an air dryer, and well dried after every bath or swim.
Just thought I would mention this as an important addition to a great article.
– Nancy Cusumano The Grooming Room, Ithaca, NY
Thanks for your contribution! And we’re sorry that it took so long for us to include this important information.
Regarding “Bloating in Dogs Treatable with Gastropexy” (WDJ June 2016), your article on surgery to prevent bloat: I opted for the gastropexy when I had my Mastiff neutered at 2½ years old. I know it’s no guarantee, but I felt a bit more comfortable that if he should bloat, it would prevent torsion of the bowel, the most dangerous part of bloating, and give me more time to get him to the ER (in case I didn’t pick up on the symptoms as quickly as I should).
About eight months later, he ended up in the ER and underwent surgery for an intestinal blockage (ham bone, raw, packed for dogs and sold at local dog supply – another lesson learned!). Thankfully, it was a success, but when the surgeon came out to discuss the surgery, he also told me that my dog’s previous gastropexy had failed! So much for peace of mind! I didn’t even know that was a possibility!
This is by no means a commentary on the gastropexy. As long as I have my big boys I will get this surgery; any chance for help is worth it, because this is one condition that scares me to death! I just want people to know that this can happen! If my boy hadn’t had this horrible blockage, I’d have never known it was even possible for a gastropexy to fail. It’s not like there’s a way to see inside them to doublecheck the vet’s work! I do feel confident that the surgery won’t fail this time, mainly because of the experience of this doctor, who was a surgery specialist, and who assured me with confidence as only a surgeon can, that “this surgery will not fail!”
– Robin Slayton via email
We had never heard of a gastropexy failing before, either! It’s a good possibility that owners whose dogs had been previously subjected to the procedure might discount the possibility that their dogs were bloating, even in the face of evidence to the contrary, because they didn’t know that this “stomach tacking” could fail. Thanks for sharing your story! And best of luck with your dog; you’ve had enough bad luck for his lifetime!
I always enjoy the WDJ! Even as a trainer, I always learn something.
I do have a comment about an article in the August 2016 issue. Pat Miller’s article “Fear Aggression” lists credentials for qualified trainers. Jean Donaldson’s Academy graduates are listed as JDAs, but that is incorrect. Graduates of The Academy for Dog Trainers are identified with the initials CTC, which stands for “Certificate of Training and Counseling.” (I happen to be a student at the Academy, so I caught this.)
– Christine Michaud, PMCT, CPDT-KA Family Dog Training, LLC, Fairfax Station, VA
We appreciate you for pointing that out. There are a lot of training credentials today, and a lot of initials to keep straight!
First of all, I love your magazine and have subscribed for years. But I was very disappointed that you didn’t include the original Woof Hoof Tret Bags in your review of treat bags (“The Best Dog Treat Bags You Can Buy,” WDJ August 2016). Yes, the product I like is spelled Tret, not treat. With the magnetic closure, sturdy material, and easy cleaning it is a wonderful small, single-pocket treat bag. We have used them for years and love them. They are a top seller in our small retail store within our 30,000 square foot training center. They retail for around $15. They also offer a slightly larger one with a clicker holder. For more information, see Woofhoof.com.
– Kim Sykes, CPDT-KA Broken Arrow, OK
We’ll have to order one to check out. Dog people are such equipment devotees, and you never know which one will suit you best until you’ve tried several. Thanks for the recommendation.
You are likely done with printing all the interesting behaviors that dogs have taught their owners (“The Cues Our Dogs Learn,” September 2016). But I have to tell you about one more, because it’s so healthy.
My dog has learned to demand having her teeth brushed! I read that coconut oil was very good for dogs. About a year ago, I started using it to brush my dog’s teeth. Every night for the past year, our 2-year-old dog Lila will come to me and paw my leg while staring straight into my eyes, about an hour after her dinner meal. She will not leave me alone until I say, “Ready for your teeth to be brushed?” She looks at me, licks her lips, and runs into the bathroom. I lift her up (she weighs only 18 pounds) to the sink area and dip her brush into the jar of coconut oil. By now, she lets me insert the brush and do the outside of all her teeth surfaces. I know this will keep us from vet bills down the line, and oh my! Her breath smells great! It’s really adorable.
– Michele Smith via email
That does sound adorable, and healthy! Coconut oil makes a terrific “toothpaste” for dogs, and tastes so good that it reinforces the behavior very nicely. Smart!
I recently fostered a dog who first greeted me at the shelter that I sprung her from by jumping up on me. I spent the first two days with her almost exclusively working on preventing her from jumping. When I introduced her to a friend, my friend immediately held her arms out and greeted the dog’s enthusiastic jump up with a big hug, petting, and cooing
