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How to Safely Introduce Your Dog to Your New Baby

By
Stephanie Colman
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Dog and Baby

First comes love, then comes marriage … And a dog! For many couples, starting a family means sharing their lives with a dog before the decision to have kids. Later, with a positive pregnancy test in hand, many dog owners worry about how their “first baby” will accept the “new baby.”

From a trainer’s perspective, it’s not so much about whether or not the dog will “accept” the baby, but rather, how well the dog will adjust to the major change in the household. The good news is that babies generally come with months of lead time, giving expectant parents plenty of time to help prepare their dog for the upcoming transition.

“The transition from being pet parents to parenting with pets can be challenging, and there are a lot of unexpected bumps along the way,” says Jennifer Shryock of Family Paws® Parent Education in Cary, North Carolina. Her business specializes in resources specifically geared toward dog-owning households with babies and toddlers. The two main programs, “Dogs and Storks” and “Dogs and Toddlers” are available to families through a worldwide network of more than 200 licensed presenters.

Shryock, a mother herself, first developed the Dogs and Storks program in 2002 after volunteering with her local German Shepherd Rescue and fielding a huge number of calls from people looking to surrender a dog. Often, it was because they were going to have a baby, or because an incident – a growl or bite – had already occurred with a child in the home. At the time, there weren’t many resources available that took an in-depth look at preparing and helping the family dog to successfully live with kids.

While there’s considerably more information available today, the trick is convincing people to utilize it ahead of time. “Unfortunately, families aren’t reaching out as much as we’d like before an incident. Most people still reach out for help after an incident occurs,” Shryock says. “That’s a pattern we’d like to see change.”

It’s imperative that homes with dogs who exhibit fear or aggression toward people, especially children, contact a qualified trainer who can help evaluate the situation and develop a training plan designed to keep everyone safe, while minimizing the dog’s anxiety. But even the most easygoing dogs and their owners will benefit from some thoughtful pre-baby preparation. Here are some things you can do to help ready your dog for the big change to come.

Brush up on training

As soon as you know you’re expecting, take a good look at your dog’s obedience skills, and set a plan for modifying any undesirable behaviors. It’s important to start as soon as possible, as these often well-rehearsed behaviors don’t go away overnight. Helping a dog successfully change his behavior typically requires a behavior change on your part, too.

For example, a common complaint among pet owners – that suddenly reaches a new level of importance when the family is expecting – is the dog who jumps on people as they enter the home. This might be the owners themselves, visitors, or both. A trainer might offer several approaches to this problem:

  • Asking the owner to put a leash on the dog and reward him generously for keeping four feet on the floor as people enter.
  • Teaching the dog to hold a down-stay on his bed nearby.
  • Asking the dog to “sit” and petting the dog only when his butt is on the floor. If he jumps up, he becomes invisible.
  • Teaching the dog to retrieve a toy when people enter the home, giving him something else to do, and moving him away from the entry point.
  • Scattering a handful of kibble on the floor to assign the dog a task (vacuuming up kibble, often called a “Find it!” game) that is incompatible with jumping up.
  • Manage the situation by securing the dog behind a baby gate, in a crate or pen away from the entryway, or in the backyard.

Unfortunately, any potential solutions will fail if an owner lacks consistency and the dog is frequently allowed to rehearse the unwanted behavior. It’s not realistic to expect a 3-year-old dog who has been jumping on people since puppyhood to completely and reliably stop defaulting to this behavior in two weeks – you might not even fix it in two months.

Remember that changing one’s daily behavior is difficult. Yes, it’s hard to remember to always put a leash on the dog (or implement another strategy) on the way to answering the door – but it’s equally as difficult for your dog to give up the jumping habit, especially since it’s likely to have been reinforced by attention of some sort. (Even yelling “Down!” is giving the dog attention – which is usually what he’s after when he jumps up.) Start training as soon as possible, practice often (in the case of jumping, be willing to invite understanding friends and family over to help you), and be patient. Remember, the more time you invest in this training, the smoother the transition will be from pet parent to parenting with pets.

The following are the top skills to master before the baby arrives:

1. Separation.

Proper management is key, says Shryock. Teaching a dog to be relaxed behind a baby gate in another room is a wonderful way to help create a harmonious household with two- and four-legged babies. This type of management gives everyone a break from actively supervising the dog while attending to the baby or receiving guests, and later can provide a “safe space” for a dog as the baby becomes mobile.

“It has to be an early priority,” Shryock says. “We all need a break – the dogs do, too. Waiting until the baby is 8 months old and crawling – that’s not the time to suddenly discover that the dog can’t be comfortably left alone in another room.”

The ability to be calmly separated from the family is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to many dogs. Dogs want to be near those to whom they are bonded. Even dogs who are successfully crate-trained might associate the crate only with sleeping and as a place to stay when the humans leave the house. That’s different, in the dog’s mind, from accepting the crate as a place to rest when the family is home and awake. Teaching a dog to stay behind a baby gate is a nice alternative to a crate, especially for potentially longer stretches of time, as it gives the dog more space to move around.

“I wish this was standard practice for all dogs to learn,” says Shryock, noting that she’s encountered many families for whom this behavior would have likely prevented the family from ultimately deciding to rehome the dog.

2. “On your spot” or “place.”

This behavior is useful in any home with a dog, but teaching a dog to reliably go to his bed – and stay there until released – can be especially helpful in homes with newborns. I recommend having multiple spots for ease of access. When a dog can calmly stay on his spot in the living room, he can enjoy calm integration with the family, even when visitors are present. A spot in the nursery offers a similar rest area for the dog that keeps him out from underfoot. Having another spot in your bedroom provides an alternate sleeping arrangement for the dog when you’re nursing the baby in the middle of the night and don’t want him on the bed.

3. Prompt name recognition.

One of the best ways to ensure that a dog responds to a known cue is to make sure you have the dog’s attention when you deliver the cue. Teach your dog to quickly orient himself to you when he hears his name!

This is also a useful way to help divert potential mischief. Imagine that your dog is cruising around the nursery, about to stick his head in the diaper pail. Or maybe he’s headed for the baby swing and you don’t want him to lick the baby. In both cases, you can use his name in a positive-sounding voice to reorient his attention so that you can redirect his energy to a more desirable behavior.

4. Fluent “sit” or “down.”

Does your dog know how to sit or lie down? How well does he know these behaviors? What does “He knows it” mean to you? To be “fluent” in a behavior means that the dog consistently responds to the cue quickly, without the aid of lures (food, toys) or prompts (touching the dog, etc.), and can do so even in the face of distractions and in a variety of settings. Many dogs sit like rock stars in the kitchen when it’s time for dinner, or whenever the owner is holding a treat, but struggle in other settings.

“That can be really tricky for many families, but it’s so important,” Shryock says. “When a new parent is sitting on the couch and can say, ‘sit’ or ‘down’ and their dog can do it … that means so much to families when they’re holding a newborn. It’s definitely worth fine-tuning this behavior.”

5. Touch.

Teaching a dog to touch his nose to your open palm has several useful applications. Many trainers use “touch” as the foundation for a solid, come-when-called behavior. Some people teach the dog to hold the position in order to “station” the dog during grooming or other husbandry behaviors. In a home with a newborn, Shryock says “touch” is a useful way to move the dog around the room. When a dog learns to love this targeting behavior, a clever parent can use it to cooperatively guide the dog from place to place without having to potentially nag or forcefully move the dog.

6. Safe leash walking.

Walking politely on a loose leash is a difficult behavior for dogs to master because it almost always requires them to walk more slowly than their natural pace. Add that to the fact that it’s a behavior we typically ask dogs to perform for long periods of time, and under constant environmental distractions, and it’s no wonder we see so many dogs travelling through life on a tight leash!

That said, for safety reasons, it’s important that dogs learn not to pull expectant mothers. This is especially important when the dog is prone to lunging at things in the environment, whether from excitement or arousal/aggression. The more comfortable you are with your dog’s leash-walking skills, the more likely you will feel motivated to continue walking him after the baby arrives. Let’s face it, it’s sometimes hard to get excited about walking an unruly dog on a good day when you’ve had a full night’s sleep. Now imagine motivating yourself to walk the dog when you’re on two hours of sleep and under-caffeinated since you’re limiting your coffee intake while breast-feeding!

Many expectant parents worry about the possibility of injury to mom or baby in the event that the dog pulls mom off balance. For this reason, I often recommend that expectant parents teach their dogs to comfortably wear a head halter or front-clip harness to help physically manage the dog while working on polite leash walking, and as a bit of added protection for mom. This is especially helpful in cases of big, strong dogs and petite handlers. It can also make it easier for other people to walk the dog after the baby arrives, when friends and family want to know what they can do to help.

Once your dog can consistently walk politely, it’s time to introduce the stroller if you plan to walk the dog with the baby. To be fair to the dog, begin by introducing the stroller as a stationary object, and reward your dog for his calm investigation of the baby’s future ride. Gradually introduce the slight movement of the stroller near the dog. Avoid rolling it at the dog – we don’t want him to think the stroller is chasing him. Always give your dog the option to move away from the stroller if he’s uncomfortable. Over time, and only progressing to the next step when your dog is happily engaged in the previous step, work up to short leashed walks with the empty stroller.

Be sure to reward generously to help keep the dog walking alongside you and the stroller while maintaining a loose leash. Always use your best judgment when deciding if you can safely manage a stroller and a dog at the same time, or if walks should become a “family outing” where one person pushes the stroller and another handles the dog.

A word of caution: If your dog is prone to extreme arousal or aggressive outbursts while on walks, please do not single-handedly attempt to walk the baby and your dog. Dogs who struggle with reactivity need your full attention when out in public, and it’s impossible to do this safely while also being responsible for your baby.

Practice Early & Often

With all of these behaviors, the best advice is to start training as soon as possible. Most of us have dogs who exhibit a least a couple of behaviors we aren’t fond of, but that we begrudgingly put up with, often because tolerating the behavior feels easier than investing the time to implement training solutions. But these same behaviors often seem like potential deal breakers once the baby arrives; not addressing them ahead of time leads to unnecessary stress for everyone. as Shryock says, “So many dog-human relationships go south right there, because the second they bring the baby home, so many of the interactions become about yelling at the dog and it becomes really hard.”

Expect the unexpected changes to your dog’s routine

If your dog is used to a predictable feeding schedule, it’s wise to start mixing things up now. The arrival of a newborn often signals the start of sleepless nights and frequent visitors, which can easily throw everyone’s – including the dog’s – schedule out of whack.

Start small, by varying mealtimes within a short 30-minute window, and consider working up to feeding within the span of as long as three hours. Ideally, you want your dog to trust that his daily sustenance is coming, even though he can’t predict when. This way, he’s less likely to exhibit attention-seeking behaviors when his internal body clock says it’s time to eat. For this reason, many trainers recommend never feeding a dog on a deliberate schedule once they are past the puppy stage where a strict feeding schedule helps with housetraining.

If your dog routinely “demands” to be taken for a walk every evening at 6:30 sharp, consider a similar routine jumble, walking some days at 5 p.m. and others at 9 p.m. You may even go so far as to skip the walk occasionally and substitute a good mental enrichment activity instead. (Serving his dinner from a frozen food-stuffed Kong or kibble scattered throughout the yard are two useful alternatives.)

It’s important that your dog continue to have his exercise needs met, but even the best-laid plans will fall short from time to time as parents adjust to new sleep schedules and the reality of caring for a tiny human. Helping your dog adjust to a less predictable schedule before the baby arrives can help reduce his stress level as he adapts to this life-changing event.

Rule Changes?

Does your dog sleep on your bed? Might this rule change once the baby arrives? Should it? (If your dog ever displays “cranky” or aggressive behavior while on the bed, we’d advise nixing that privilege and contacting a trainer for additional support.) Take the time to discuss the options with your spouse and decide what you think will work for your family.

For example, if your dog is used to sleeping between the two of you, and you now want him to sleep on his blanket at the foot of the bed, start this training as early as possible. Realistically, there might also be times where you don’t want the dog on the bed, so make sure to practice having him sleep on a dog bed on the floor nearby, in a crate, or in another room.

Ideally, your dog will learn to be flexible with his sleeping arrangements. Most importantly, don’t just assume that your dog will go with the flow and accommodate the sudden change once the baby arrives. Create specific training situations that simulate you being distracted by something interesting in order to practice having him stay at the foot of the bed or on his bed on the floor while you attend to your activity, and later, the baby.

What about the baby’s room? Will your dog be allowed to accompany you into the nursery, or will you prefer that he wait by the door? Teaching a reliable “place” behavior is a nice compromise for many families. When your dog knows to hold a relaxed down-stay on his bed, a bed in the nursery becomes a comfortable hang-out spot. Be sure to practice this behavior often – in the nursery – even if his bed stays are stellar in other rooms. Dogs can be slow to generalize behaviors, so a dog with a great “place” behavior in the living room while you watch television might not immediately have a solid “place” behavior in the nursery when you’re busy with the baby and the scent of a ripe diaper pail is wafting nearby.

If you prefer that your dog stay out of the nursery, install a baby gate to simplify compliance with the new house rule. This is especially useful for a room where your dog has historically had access. Even the most athletic dogs can be taught to respect a baby gate.

Set up training sessions where you reward your dog for being on one side of the gate (with tasty treats or a food-stuffed Kong toy) while you’re in the nursery. Practice often, long before the baby arrives, and keep a tin of kibble or non-perishable dog treats in the nursery to continue to reinforce desired behaviors once the baby arrives. Maintaining a high rate of reinforcement not only supports your training, but can also help condition a positive association with the baby, since the rewards often come when the baby is nearby.

What’s That Smell?

Babies often smell like the products we put on them. To help lessen the dog’s natural curiosity in the baby, many trainers recommend habituating the dog to some of the most common odors (baby powder, diaper rash cream, baby lotion, etc.) ahead of time.

To do this, put a small amount of one product on a rag and leave it (out of reach) near the dog’s sleeping area for a couple of days. Take a day off between odors, but randomly work your way through all of the assorted products. The idea is for the dog’s interest in the novel odors to wane as they become an increasingly common part of the everyday environment. (It reminds me of how, when I first started teaching group dog training classes, my own dogs would give me a thorough sniff-down every time I came home. After a while, they got used to me smelling like I was “stepping out” on them, and the olfactory interrogation ceased!)

What’s All That Noise?!

Babies make a lot of noise! The sometimes seemingly endless wails emanating from an unhappy baby can easily stress the calmest of dogs (and humans!). Desensitizing your dog to baby sounds can help him stay relaxed when the baby is fussy and everyone is likely to be feeling the effects.

There are CDs and on-line sources (such as findsounds.com) of assorted baby noises ranging from baby babble to full-fledged wailing. To start, turn the volume all the way down and begin to slowly turn it up, watching for the first sign that your dog hears something. You’ll likely see an ear twitch, or maybe he’ll cock his head, but it shouldn’t be loud enough to cause any concern.

Let the sound play while you feed treats, while he eats a meal, or while you play his favorite game, and sometimes leave it on as simple background noise. After a couple of days, repeat the process at a slightly louder volume, slowly working the volume up to a more realistic level. As you progress, if your dog looks at all concerned, you’ve gone too far; lower the volume back to the level where he appeared not to care.

Plan for the Big Day

As the anticipated due date (or scheduled C-section) approaches and you pack your hospital bag, decide who will take care of the dog, and plan accordingly. Designate a person whose job is to look after the dog, either house-sitting in your home or taking the dog to her house for a few days. Make these arrangements well in advance, as babies are known to arrive early. The last thing you want to deal with in the heat of the moment is trying to remember if your dog sitter has a key!

The Happy Homecoming

When mom and baby come home for the first time, remember that the dog will likely be most excited to see mom. She should reunite with the dog first, without the baby, to help lower everyone’s stress levels and make sure everyone feels like they get to enjoy a proper greeting.

Your dog will likely be curious about the baby, and it’s fine to let them “meet” by allowing the dog to sniff (or briefly lick, if you’re comfortable with that) the baby’s feet. This should only be done under direct adult supervision.

We recommend letting the dog sniff the baby’s feet, rather than the baby’s face – not as a way of making the dog subordinate to the baby (be wary of trainers who recommend making the baby “alpha” over the dog), but as a responsible safety precaution. All dogs have teeth and it’s good practice to routinely keep those teeth away from your baby’s face, in favor of safer interactions, which will change as your baby grows.

Important: If your dog does not willingly investigate the baby, don’t force the issue! Let him acclimate at a pace that’s comfortable for him.

The Road Forward

As the family settles in to its new dynamic, there will be several things to consider. Many dogs are comfortable sharing space with a newborn, but quickly become concerned when the baby starts to crawl, and later walk. The baby’s newfound mobility means she can follow the dog, potentially invading his personal space. The increased coordination that accompanies mobility also signals the opportunity for the infant or toddler to interact with the dog in ways he’s not used to. Try as they might, infants and toddlers don’t pet dogs like more experienced adults do.

Parents must be sure to teach both species how to properly interact with each other. Take the time to thoroughly learn about dog body language in order to recognize the subtle signs of annoyance or discomfort that often go overlooked in seemingly innocent interactions between dogs and kids of all ages.

Most importantly, they must supervise every interaction. Shryock says a lack of awake, adult supervision is the most common mistake families make.

“People don’t take supervision as seriously as they need to,” she explains. “We are living in a distracted world, and people easily forget that when you’re looking at your phone, it’s easy to get engrossed in something. If your baby is crawling on the floor, and the dogs are around the corner, that can really become a problem quickly.”

Awake, adult supervision is not just about setting down the iPad. Parents must understand that lack of sleep or medication can negatively affect their ability to provide proper supervision. This is when employing a management strategy such as separating the dog behind a baby gate becomes so important. “Lack of proper supervision is where a lot of people make mistakes that really are preventable,” Shryock says.

Everyone makes parenting mistakes along the way, whether they are parenting a dog, a child or both. Knowledge is power. The more we know, the better prepared we are to handle issues as they arise – and they will! “It’s really important that this is ongoing education for families,” says Shryock. “Babies grow and dogs age, and we have to continue adjusting with every stage.”

To reach Jennifer Shryock or the Family Paws Parent Education, see familypaws.com or call (877) 247-3407.

The Difference Between Cold Pack And Hot Pack For Arthritic Dogs

By
Nancy Kerns
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COLD

Cold therapy reduces inflammation, decreases pain, and reduces swelling, and is used for acute injuries, chronic arthritis, or inflammation. Apply no longer than 20 minutes; you don’t want to freeze the skin. You can use cold packs up to five times per day. Use a thin cloth between the cold pack and skin.

To make your own cold packs, take a Ziploc bag and add 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup of isopropyl alcohol. Seal bag, place in a second bag, and put in freezer. This will turn to slush, which will easily conform to your dog’s body. Alternatively, wet a towel and put in freezer to freeze. Take it out, place it in a plastic bag, and wrap it around an affected limb.

When to apply cold packs:

✓ Swollen or inflamed joints. (Move your hands over your dog and feel the temperature of the skin. You will be able to feel heat over areas that are inflamed.)

✓ Muscle spasms.

HEAT PACKS

Heat creates vasodilation and increases nutrient and oxygen delivery to tissues, which aids in the repair process. Heat helps the muscles relax, is considered soothing, and can improve range of motion. Apply for 15 to 20 minutes.

To make your own heat packs, soak a small towel in hot water and then place it in a plastic bag. Lay a thin cloth or towel over the dog, and apply the warm pack. Alternatively, wet a towel and heat briefly in a microwave (the time will vary depending on the power of your microwave). After making sure that no spot in the towel is too hot, put a thin cloth on the affected area on the dog and apply the towel over the cloth.

When to use heat packs:

✓ After any swelling has subsided, use heat for stiffness.

✓ Use before stretching limbs or going for a walk. This aids with tissue elongation, helping to improve your dog’s gait and range of motion.

HOT AND COLD TOGETHER

Applying a hot or warm pack for 15 minutes and then placing a cold pack for 15 minutes stimulates a flushing action. Warmth causes vasodilation, bringing more blood to the site. Then the cold causes vasoconstriction, sending the blood away, taking with it toxins and creating a flushing effect.

Your Dog Has Just Been Diagnosed With Osteoarthritis – Now What?

By
Nancy Kerns
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DO:

  • Get a definitive diagnosis.
  • Use diet and exercise to take extra weight off your dog.
  • Maintain exercise but change long walks to more frequent, shorter walks.
  • Consider nutrition. Foods that help with arthritis are papaya, alfalfa, celery, and ginger.
  • Raising water and food bowls can reduce strain in the neck or back of an arthritic dog; some arthritic dogs may not eat or drink as much as they should without this sort of accommodation. Note, however, that raised bowls are contraindicated for dogs who are prone to bloat. Ask your veterinarian whether your dog is at risk for bloat.
  • Put carpet runners on hardwood floors. Try to prevent your dog from slipping, as this creates unwanted stress on the entire body.
  • Provide a soft, supportive bed.
  • Keep nails trimmed. If nails are too long they can change the gait on the dog, causing skeletal changes and arthritis in the foot/toes.
  • Use a ramp where needed (for helping your dog get in and out of the car, on to your bed or sofa, etc.). This will reduce strain on his knees and hips.
  • If your dog is having trouble getting up or walking on his own, check out slings, rear-end harnesses, wheelchairs, or carts to help keep him moving.
  • Consider physical, laser, and massage therapy, acu-puncture, and supplements. All or a combination of these will improve the quality of your arthritic dog’s life.

DON’T:

  • Self-diagnose.
  • Force an exercise regimen that your dog is not comfortable with.
  • Try any stretching of limbs without being properly trained.
  • Discontinue exercise. A certain amount of exercise remains important for your arthritic dog; it is necessary to help maintain muscle strength and mobility.
  • Ignore your dog’s extra weight. Your dog will feel so much better after taking that extra burden off sore joints.
  • Ignore sliding or falling. Don’t underestimate how damaging continual sliding and falling can be on the arthritic dog’s body.
  • Give any medication without veterinary approval.

Manage Your Dog’s Osteoarthritis Through Complementary Therapies

By
Nancy Kerns
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Dog with Osteoarthritis

There are many wonderful complementary treatments for dogs with Osteoarthritis (OA). None will cure or heal the arthritic joint, but a combination of treatments can very well restore vitality and decrease discomfort, making a happy walk in the park a reality once again.

  • Omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin, and avocado and soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) can all work to slow joint degeneration. The combination of these over several months can improve function and decrease pain. Can also be used as preventive.
  • Turmeric and curcumin together are a potent anti-inflammatory. See “Spice It Up!” WDJ December 2014 for more about what type to buy and how much to give.
  • Adequan is a synthetic, injectable medication, available by veterinary prescription only. It’s thought to help increase the viscosity of the synovial fluid, which acts as the lubricant in a joint. It may be administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly. One school of thought is that the earlier Adequan is administered, the better it will modulate the arthritic progression.
  • Hydrotherapy is ideal for arthritic dogs. The buoyancy of the water takes weight off the joints, allowing movement without pain and building strength in muscles that otherwise may become atrophied.
  • Acupuncture is widely accepted by conventional veterinary practitioners, as it is highly effective at reducing pain and the heat that goes along with inflammation. Many dogs relax and fall asleep during treatment and there can be a noticeable improvement in function.
  • Laser therapy can penetrate deeply, down to a cellular level, depending on the type of laser used. At its most powerful, it exponentially increases circulation and works to repair damaged tissue. It is a highly effective pain and inflammation reducer.
  • Practiced under the supervision of a veterinarian and/or physical therapist at canine rehabilitation facilities, strength-building, balance, and conditioning exercises are the ultimate in helping your arthritic friend.
  • Conventional veterinary treatments include NSAIDS and steroids. These can be highly effective, but given in high doses or for long periods of time, they can cause serious side effects. Consider these as “heavy artillery” and reserve their use for severe cases and when none of the gentler therapies can relieve your dog’s pain. Also, make sure you and your veterinarian follow through with regular blood tests, to monitor whether the drugs are compromising your dog’s liver function.
  • Don’t forget massage therapy! It can provide relief and improves the healing of soft tissues that are irritated or inflamed, breaks up scar tissue that may form around arthritic joints, relieves stiffness, and promotes better flexibility and range of motion.

Pain Relieving Massage Therapy for Dogs

By
Paulette Jolliffe
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Jack wags his tail and runs over to welcome me, eagerly giving kisses. “Hi, Jack,” I say and reach down to pet his big brown head. Jack is a very friendly 9-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback with arthritis. “How are you feeling today?” I ask him and he grins in response, then turns and walks over to his dog bed. As he walks I watch him and see a bit of stiffness in his left rear leg. My eyes travel up to his back and then over to his right shoulder. I know that a stiff leg affects his entire body, especially his lower back and right shoulder, which will compensate for the left rear weakness. He lays down on his bed, turns over on his side and sighs. He’s ready for his weekly massage from me – his canine massage therapist.

Massage, for dogs? Yes! Dogs, just like humans, usually love a good therapeutic massage. Just like us, they enjoy the relaxation that massage provides and the relief from muscle aches and pains that can come from a day of hard playing, a long hike, or even from just lying around. They don’t know about the benefits they’re receiving, or that they will soon experience a feeling of well-being and rejuvenation. They just know that someone is touching them in a way that takes away pain and feels really good.

Dogs carry about 60 percent of their body weight on their front legs. That means the shoulders work harder than the rest of the body – and that’s why dogs of all ages often experience tight neck and shoulder muscles and can benefit from massage and stretching.

For dogs who are afflicted with arthritis, however, massage plays a particularly therapeutic role, by increasing circulation and breaking up adhesions that tend to form in their connective tissue. Combined with stretching the limbs, massage helps to lengthen constricted muscles, increasing flexibility and mobility. All of this helps decrease inflammation and pain, leaving an arthritic dog feeling much better.

Massage for a Dog’s Arthritis

Arthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, affects one out of five dogs and makes up 90 percent of all arthritic cases. Arthritis is most common in older dogs, but it can be experienced by dogs of any age. The hallmark trait of the disease is the loss of the smooth cartilage that covers and protects the end of the bones in a movable joint. When cartilage wears away, the bone ends in a joint touch or rub against each other, causing pain and inflammation.

Conditions that can cause Arthritis include the aging process and the everyday wear and tear on joints, trauma that causes bone fracture and/or joint instability, too much weight bearing on the joint, or an excess of repetitive activities. Other factors include developmental or structural conditions like hip or elbow dysplasia, or osteochondritis dessicans, which manifests as a small segment of bone and cartilage that separates from the rest of its surroundings. Anything that upsets the stability of a joint can cause arthritis.

Despite the variable beginnings of Arthritis, the end result always leads to a disruption of normal joint function. Arthritis affects the entire joint, including the cartilage (which surrounds the ends of the long bones and acts as a shock absorber), the synovial fluid and membrane (which lubricates the ends of the cartilage, providing a near frictionless environment), the ligaments and surrounding muscles (which stabilize the joint), and the bones themselves (which house the entire framework). Arthritis can cause the dog to experience joint pain, tenderness, limited mobility, perhaps some swelling, and varying degrees of inflammation. The severe discomfort caused by Arthritis can also depress your dog’s appetite and spirit.

If you notice your dog limping, bunny hopping, having difficulty rising, going up the stairs, or getting into the car, or notice a decrease in stamina and early fatigue with exercise, you should consider a visit to the vet to obtain a definitive diagnosis. An x-ray will show any cartilage or bone changes.

Keep in mind that dogs are stoic in nature and won’t always let you know when they’re experiencing discomfort. It will be up to you to notice any stiffness or limping that your dog may exhibit. He may also obsessively lick affected limbs.

If your veterinarian diagnoses Arthritis, begin treatment as soon as possible. The sooner treatment is initiated, the more you can do to slow down or stop the arthritic progression. Once the cartilage is damaged, the changes are permanent, but there are still a lot of helpful therapies that will help your furry friend feel better (see sidebar, right). As a massage therapist, of course, my favorite treatment for an arthritic dog is massage!

Finding a Massage Therapist for Your Dog

To find a massage therapist for your dog, start by asking your holistic veterinarian if she works with a particular massage practitioner or knows one that she could recommend. Today, many veterinary sports medicine or physical rehabilitation clinics have massage therapists on staff, or can refer you to practitioners with whom they share a professional relationship.

Without a veterinary reference, look for a therapist who has formal training and education in massage and canine anatomy. Ask about the courses the candidate took, how many hours of training were included, and how much professional experience she has. Then, ask for references – and contact some of the people! Long-term clients are good; veterinary references are even better.

Finally, ask if you can observe the therapist working on another client’s dog. The dog should be relaxed and happy during the experience, not anxious, tense, or trying to escape. Never should the dog appear as if the pressure used is painful or uncomfortable.

Dogs who are new to massage may not immediately relax with a therapist, but generally calm down after 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t be surprised if your dog needs to get up and walk around a bit during the massage; any therapist should understand the dog’s need to process the experience and should not attempt to forcibly restrain your dog. Give the therapist and your dog a little time to get to know each other and soon you should see your dog contently getting great, pain-relieving massages.

A Proper Dog Massage

This is how a typical massage session goes for an arthritic canine client:

Jack and I are sitting on his dog beds. Two are pushed together – one for him and one for me. His human has already told me that he’s doing great, which is good to hear. It was just a year ago that Jack could barely walk due to a ruptured disk in his back, which resulted in semi-paralysis and arthritis. With acupuncture, laser therapy, supplements, and a weekly massage, he has recovered and is walking and functioning well.

Calming music fills the air, thanks to my Pandora station, and I’ve mixed some essential oils – a little coconut oil with a few drops of lavender for relaxation, and one called Panaway for achy muscles. I pour a bit of oil into the palms of my hands, rub them together and then lightly spread the scented oil down Jack’s back, my hands traveling on either side of his spine and then down that stiff left leg. I pause over the left leg, my fingers lightly touching to determine where the stiffness is and where it’s coming from.

I lightly massage the tight tissues just above his knee and then follow an especially constricted muscle up his leg and into his hip area. I work lightly, exerting a small amount of pressure through my fingertips to help release some of the tightness. The spot is warm to the touch; a little later I will apply a cold pack to alleviate the heat and inflammation (see sidebar, next page, for information on how cold and hot packs are best utilized in a massage session).

I then bring my hands back up to Jack’s head and now more slowly travel the length of his body, exploring and feeling for any more tight muscles, warm spots, and any tender areas. I watch Jack’s face as my hands move, so I will be able to see from his expression if anything is bothering him. His head will lift, he’ll look back at me, and then I know that he’s feeling a little uncomfortable with the pressure in that spot. Should that happen, I immediately let up on the pressure; if the spot is extremely sensitive and he doesn’t like me touching it at all, I work around the area. Eventually I will be able to move back in very lightly, always watching him to make sure that everything I do is okay with my furry patient. Giving a beneficial massage requires that my patient trusts me and my hands. Massage should never hurt.

After the introductory and exploratory massage strokes, I return to Jack’s head and rest my fingers on his cheeks, where the masseter muscle resides, then begin a circular motion to relax those strong, often tight jaw muscles. From there I slip down into the neck and feel several tight spots in his trapezius muscle – generally a pretty tight place on dogs and humans. I hold my finger over the tight tissue, and allow some pressure. Jack stretches out and relaxes. He’s enjoying his massage.

Jack is almost asleep as I move from stretching his shoulder to running my hands down the thick muscles alongside his spine. I feel another spot that is hot under my fingers, and I pause, resting my fingers there. I smooth out the muscle and then reach for my ice chest full of cold packs. Jack doesn’t even wake up as I open the chest and pull out an ice pack, covering it with a cloth and gently placing it over the hot spot next to Jack’s spine, so it will gradually cool that hot area, reducing inflammation. I’ll leave it there for the next 15 minutes while I massage and carefully stretch his rear leg.

After massaging, stretching, and doing a bit of acupressure, I carefully support his leg while moving it through a passive range-of-motion exercise, an excellent way to keep the limb flexible.

I turn Jack over and massage his other side, finding the right shoulder tighter than the left, as I suspected it would be. I massage and work the tight spots, finally loosening the shoulder. I am able to give it a good stretch, never going too far, always staying within a comfortable range, until I’m satisfied that the shoulder will feel and work better for Jack.

On the lower leg, I gently squeeze the webbing between each toe, and stretch each digit up and down. This stimulates the neural pathways, which send and receive messages from the brain – important for the older dog, all the better to keep the feet and body moving.

I finish by placing a hand on Jack’s head and one on his rear, completing our time with some light energy work. “Okay, that’s your massage,” I whisper and Jack opens his eyes and slowly stands up. I put his collar back on and he meanders out to find his person; by the time I leave, he’ll be curled up sleeping. I’m happy to have helped Jack. I know that I have relieved him of stress and discomfort. I know that the massage is helping to keep him flexible and mobile and I know that by next week he’ll be eagerly looking forward to his next massage therapy treatment.

Paulette Jolliffe is certified in human and canine massage and works as a vet tech for Healing Touch, a holistic veterinary clinic in Sherman Oaks, CA. Jolliffe spent decades massaging humans before switching to providing massage to domestic animals five years ago.

10 Common Mistakes You Make When Your Dog Doesn’t Want To Play

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

Here are some mistakes commonly made by people trying to convince a reluctant dog to play:

1. Too much intensity; the pressure turns the dog off the game.

2. Pushing a toy in the dog’s face to try to make him play with it.

3. Getting too excited when the dog is just start to show interest in playing and frightening the dog as a result.

4. Expecting the dog to play one particular game, such as “Fetch,” without exploring other possibilities. Dogs have different play preferences; your no-fetch dog might love to dig in the sandbox with you.

5. Giving up on the dog.

6. Failing to recognize and reinforce embryonic play behaviors.

7. Relying on food only as a reinforcer to teach play.

8. “Lumping” rather than “splitting” – expecting full-fledged play rather than taking small play efforts and very gradually shaping them into full-blown play.

9. Getting “stuck” with small play efforts, and not helping the dog build them into bigger games.

10. Not ending sessions soon enough. Keep them short and sweet; leave the dog wanting more!

8 Easy Ways To Teach Your Dog How To Play

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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1

Tug. Fetch. Chase. Search. Most of us love to play with our dogs. Whether we’re tugging, tossing a ball or a stick, or playing some other game, one of the great joys of sharing our lives with canine companions is the opportunity to engage in mutually enjoyable activities, i.e., play. However, for dogs, playing with humans is a learned behavior. Dogs who don’t have the opportunity to play with humans early in life may grow up with a play behavior deficit – one that can interfere with their ability to connect with the two-legged members of their family in a way that’s important and meaningful.

Unfortunately, a significant number of dogs grow up play-deprived. These may be dogs from puppy mills who spent the first formative months of their lives in cages at the mill, and then at the pet store. They may be dogs who were “kennel-raised” by a breeder, with minimal play interaction with humans. They might even be dogs who were purchased as pups by humans with good intentions, but who ended up in the backyard, or in the home of one or more play-deprived humans who just didn’t understand the importance of frolicking with Fido.

If you share your world with a play-deprived dog, the good news is that you can teach your dog how to play with you, and have fun doing it. Read on to find out how. As you do, keep in mind this one very important caveat: It is vitally important that you not use verbal or physical corrections in your training program. In order to let his guard down to play, your dog needs to know he can trust you to not to hurt him. Dogs trained with positive methods learn that it’s safe to offer new behaviors – and that’s exactly what play will be for your play-challenged dog – a new behavior. Dogs trained with punishment or corrections often learn that the safest thing to do is … nothing! A dog who is already inhibited about play will be quite content to do nothing, and never engage in play, especially when he knows you could turn violent if he makes a wrong move.

1. Teaching Play

There are a number of techniques you can use to get your dog to engage in dog-human play. Make note of any times where your dog seems particularly cheerful or lighthearted – these can give you clues as to how he might best be prompted to play. Food can often encourage a dog to play, since all dogs have to eat.

Experiment with the play-training techniques described below, and see which ones start to capture your dog’s interest. Remember, go slow, and control your own excitement. Rein in your natural impulse to celebrate your dog’s first small play efforts so you don’t accidentally intimidate him.

As you experiment, remember to watch for, appreciate, treasure, and gently reinforce even the tiniest bits of play behavior. These might include:

  • A flip of the head
  • A flirty sideways glance
  • A quick bounce
  • A sudden paw movement
  • A brief lowering of the head,
  • chest, and shoulders
  • A short step forward, sideways,
  • or back
  • A dip of the head
  • A bark
  • A sniff of a toy or other object

Make a note of what might have elicited that behavior, and try to recreate it. Be casual; if you’re too obvious or deliberate, your reluctant canine player may shut down.

The following are some other ways to help your dog learn how to play.

2. Build his Desire to play

You can sometimes convince a reluctant dog to play by creating interest and desire in a toy. Start by preparing a toy that can be “jazzed up” by the addition of some food. You can can do this by cutting a seam in a stuffed toy and pulling some of the stuffing out, cutting a slit in a tennis ball, or purchasing a “food toy” with a Velcro opening designed for this purpose. Place the toy somewhere that the dog can see it but not reach it. Several times a day, go to the toy and play with it: tossing it in the air, letting it fall to the floor and grabbing it, and letting your dog watch you put treats in it.

When your dog is starting to show interest in the toy and your activities with it, create interaction. (It works best to do this when he’s somewhat hungry.) Sit on the floor and let your dog see you stuff the toy with treats. Toss and catch it a couple of times, then let it fall, or drag it around the floor.

If your dog approaches the toy at all, open up the toy and let him eat all the treats, telling him what a good boy he is.

Repeat two more times, then put the toy away, out of reach but where he can see it. You can even feed your dog all his meals this way for a week or so.

Gradually be slower and slower to “help” your dog by opening the toy. You should see your dog begin to take more initiative himself – perhaps touching the toy with his nose or paw, eventually picking the toy up in his mouth or trying to rip it open to get the treats. Continue to open the toy for him as he becomes more motivated to interact with it, until he’s enthusiastically interacting with it.

playful dog

3. Teach him “Find it”

This is a simple behavior that even play-challenged dogs can perform with relative ease. It’s tons of fun! And it also has useful applications, such as finding your lost keys, the TV remote, or even a missing pet or person. “Find it” capitalizes on your dog’s natural desire to eat food – especially high-value treats. Here are some tips for teaching your dog the “Find it” game.

Basic version: Start with a dozen yummy treats and your dog in front of you. Say “Find it!” in an excited voice and toss one treat off to the side. Be sure he sees you toss it. As soon as he eats that one, toss another in the opposite direction and say, “Find it!” again. Keep doing this, tossing treats back and forth, until your dozen treats are gone. Most dogs, even play-deprived dogs, can learn to happily dash after treats in no time.

As you toss treats back and forth in this part of the game, watch for small signs that he’s loosening up and enjoying himself. Toss a couple more treats and then stop – remember to end when he’s enjoying the activity, and don’t overwhelm him with your enthusiasm.

You might even start the game when you’re not really thinking about play, but perhaps just sitting on the sofa watching television. Toss a few treats from time to time, and don’t worry if your dog thinks of it as play. When you start to see a little eager anticipation in his eyes as he waits for the next toss, you know you’re on the right track.

teach your dog to play

Now leave your dog on a “Wait!” or “Stay,” toss a treat 10-15 feet out, and release him with an excited “Find it!” Repeat this a half-dozen times, then leave him on a wait or stay while you walk 10-15 feet out, place a treat on the floor, return to him, pause (so he doesn’t think your return is the cue to release) and release him with your “Find it!” Repeat a half-dozen times.

Introduce hidden things to find: Next, let him watch you hide treats in easy-to-find places, such as behind a table leg, on a chair seat, or under a paper bag. Each time you hide a treat, return, pause, and release him with your “Find it!” cue to go get the treat.

When he’s doing very well with that step, make it more difficult for him to see exactly where you hide the treat, by blocking his view with your body as you hide it, or hiding it where a piece of furniture impedes his view. Now he really has to start looking for it. This is the beginning of the real fun. Remember to keep the tone of your “Find it!” cue happy and excited! Your dog will start using his incredible sense of smell to find the treat, and you’ll get to watch and learn how to read him when he’s “on scent.”

During this part of the game, you may be tempted to help him find the treat if he doesn’t find it right away. Be careful! It’s okay to indicate the general area, but don’t find the treat for him – he may learn to just wait for you to show him rather than working to find it himself. If your dog has started to show interest in the “stuff the treat in the toy” game, you could also hide that toy as part of your “Find it” game.

Increase the difficulty: As soon as he’s figured out how to find the hidden treat using his nose, you can increase the challenge by putting him in another room when you hide it. Wipe the object on a clean gauze pad first, and then hide it. When you bring your dog back into the room, hold the gauze pad in front of his nose and say, “Find it,” and then let him look. (Again, you can indicate the general area at first, if necessary, to help him get started, but don’t help too much!) Allowing your dog to sniff the pad tells him what scent he’s looking for.

Alternatively, you can name the object prior to this stage and use the name to tell him what he’s looking for, as in “Find the cow hoof!” The gauze pad method gives you more flexibility to have him look for new objects in the future that you haven’t pre-named for him. When he’s good at finding one treat or object you’ve hidden, hide several while he is out of the room, then bring him back to look.

4. Other “finding” games

There are limitless ways to use of the “Find it!” cue; here are just a few games that you can play with your dog.

Find and destroy – Put a few treats in an empty cardboard container destined for recycling, such as an oatmeal cylinder, FedEx box, paper towel tube, layered cereal boxes, etc. Have him wait or stay and show him the container, shaking it with drama, “Oooooh, what’s this? What do I have here?” Have him wait while you hide the container in another room, then return to him, pause, and tell him to “Find it!” Follow him and have fun watching as he finds and then gleefully shreds the container to get the goodies inside. If he’s reticent to shred, you can help him, once he’s found the box. Remember – don’t overwhelm him!

Caution: If your dog eats cardboard you may choose not to encourage this behavior, or at least you will want to retrieve the cardboard shreds before he ingests them after finding the treats.

Find Treats in Tub – This one’s as simple as it sounds, and is great for keeping your dog busy for a while as well as teaching him how to play. Put all his toys in a tub (a small child’s swimming pool works well for this), then toss a handful of treats in with the toys (mix them all around to make it harder) and let him search for them.

Dig It – Digging is another natural dog behavior that lends itself well to teaching play. You could call it “Find it” in the sand. Fill a child’s wading pool half-full of sand and let your dog watch you bury treats and/or toys. Then tell him to find them. Dig in the sand with him to make it a “playing together” activity.

teach your dog to play

5. Hide and seek

There are several ways to play this game. You can have your dog wait while you hide from him, or just duck behind a bush or tree when he isn’t looking. If your dog is very connected to you, or has a little separation distress, he may start looking for you as soon as he realizes you’re out of his sight. If not, you can jumpstart the game by calling him to “Come!” after you’ve hidden yourself. When he finds you, have a celebration – make a fuss (a small one if “fuss” will intimidate him) and feed him some yummy treats. Gradually fade (stop using) the “Come!” cue to encourage him to look for you on his own without being called.

Alternatively, you can have your dog stay with you while someone else hides, and tell him “Find (insert appropriate name here)!” When he finds the person, have her celebrate gently with your dog, and then send him back to you, where you reward him with treats. Teaching him to return to you after he finds someone is useful if you ever want to try your hand at search and rescue work, either informal or formal.

When your is dog good at finding people in simple hiding places, you can make it harder by hiding in a shower stall, crawling under the bed, climbing up a tree, and so on. Be creative!

Caution: Unless your dog has a really reliable recall, play this game only in a safely enclosed area. Also, some dogs panic when they can’t find their humans. If you’re hiding from your dog outdoors, keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t take off on a journey through the woods in his panic to find you.

6. Physical Play

Remember that different dogs have different natural play styles and play interests. A dog who is intimidated by or simply not interested in playing with a toy may be more amenable to play that involves body contact. Touch him only gently and playfully at first, building to more active contact games over numerous sessions (weeks, maybe months!) as he warms to the game concept. Experiment with touch on different parts of his body to see what might elicit a tiny play response. Some dogs get excited if you softly touch their paw, ear, nose, or belly; just don’t use too much energy and frighten your dog with your touch.

7. Shaping Play

Shaping lends itself perfectly to teaching remedial play skills. The very definition of shaping – breaking a behavior into tiny pieces and reinforcing the pieces until you build the complete behavior – is exactly what’s needed for many play-deprived dogs or those who are just reluctant to play. Remember that you need to look for the tiniest pieces of behavior to click and treat so your dog wins a lot and can enjoy success. Even if it doesn’t look like play to you, the more you get your dog to freely and happily offer behavior, the sooner the behavior will start to look like play. (For more about shaping, see “The Shape of Things to Come,” WDJ March 2006.)

8. Capturing Play

All but the most unsocialized, fearful dogs will occasionally offer some spontaneous play behavior, even if ever so briefly. If you have conditioned your dog to a reward marker – the clicker, or a verbal signal such as the word “Yes,” or whatever marker you chose, you can teach your dog to play by capturing and rewarding those spontaneous moments.

Watch your dog for the tiniest of play behaviors: a quick bounce, a flip of the head, a sideways flirt. The instant you see anything that even vaguely resembles spontaneous play, click your clicker or utter your verbal marker, and toss your dog a high-value treat. Praise gently; remember not to overwhelm your dog!

Because all living creatures repeat behaviors that are rewarding to them, when your dog realizes he gets rewarded for play behaviors, he will offer them more frequently, and, over time, with increased enthusiasm. In time, your dog will play with you for the sheer joy of play.

Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor.

Download the Full November 2015 Issue PDF

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Nancy Kerns
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Research the Breed!

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

Why do people get certain types of dogs, dogs who were bred to have very strong behavioral tendencies, and then try everything they can to discourage those behaviors?

I’m talking about people who want a small dog but hate barking, German Shepherd Dog lovers who despair of their dog’s predatory urges, and fans of Vizslas or Weimaraners who don’t have time to run their dogs enough to make them tired. I’m talking about hound owners who go bananas when their dogs bay, and Australian Shepherd owners who hire trainers to try to make sure their dogs don’t try to herd or nip the neighbor’s active, outdoor children.

When you are considering getting a purebred dog, make sure you aren’t falling for just a certain appearance or coat, without also being ready to embrace the behaviors that the coat usually covers.

And when you adopt a dog of unknown parentage, one that strongly resembles a certain breed, take the time to research those breeds, even if there isn’t any guarantee that the dog is for sure descended from that lineage.

It’s unfair to adopt a dog whose very cells are calling out do perform certain behaviors – as in sighthounds, herding breeds, protection dogs – and then punish or eliminate all of those behaviors.

Don’t forget to research the health problems that commonly affect the breed of dog that you are considering. You shouldn’t be surprised when that Golden or Flat-Coated Retriever gets stricken with cancer at age 3, or that Boxer is diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

When Cancer Strikes, It’s Hard to Not Panic

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

 

I received an email from a reader the other day. His 12-year-old German Shepherd has just received a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the anal sacs. The dog received surgery, and now the owner and his wife are being presented with a number of further treatment options. The husband wrote, “We are continuing with traditional medical treatment but are looking to supplement his treatment with potential complementary and alternative medicine options – or even ‘high tech’ traditional medical options such as monoclonal antibody or immunotherapy.” They wanted to know, did I have any further suggestions?

Ah, I wish, I wish, I wish I had a great answer for them – a prescription for the most effective treatment, a phone number for the specialist, a link to a study being conducted on that specific type of canine cancer. Why isn’t there a roadmap for treating cancer? It seems like there ought to be a database, with every type of cancer for every companion animal species, with lists of what therapies have been tried and the success rate of each, with the side effects listed… And then you could just select the course of treatment that’s had the best results with the least side effects – and feel good about your choices.

But in my experience with cancer, you almost never feel great about the choices that you make. Even when treatment is successful, most people I’ve known with cancer, and most pet owners who have had their pets treated for cancer, have been left with niggling doubts. When the patient died, their loved ones all second-guessed their treatment decisions: should we have gone with this approach instead of that one, should we have declined treatment altogether and focused on quality of life instead of making the patient sick with chemo or radiation, should we have started the nutritional and complementary treatments sooner?

And even when the patient lives, whether it’s for a few weeks, months, or even years past the original prognosis, I’ve heard people wonder:  Was that surgery really necessary? Could I have stopped chemo sooner with the same result? The patient had such side effects from the radiation; is the life she’s leading now worth all the suffering?

Another awful question: Is there a study going on somewhere that is testing a treatment for my loved-one’s cancer? Have I not looked hard enough for someone, somewhere in this country, who may have found the treatment that could save my beloved?

For me, a person who likes clear-cut answers, the lack of clarity and the second-guessing that one does, is almost as torturous as being stricken with cancer oneself.

All I could do for my reader is to encourage him and his wife, by saying that whatever they are able to do for their dog is a lot; it’s a hard thing to deal with, especially with an older dog. I also told them to check out the book, The Dog Cancer Survival Guide. It contains a lot of basic and encouraging information.

We did a series on cancer in WDJ a number of years ago, but they contain good information. Here is a link to an article that contains links to the entire series in the first few paragraphs:

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/health/canine-cancer-therapy-update/

One article I would strongly recommend is: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/health/anti-cancer-diets-for-dogs/

And last, I told them, best of luck, and let us know how you and your dog are doing as you journey through the unfamiliar land of cancer.

What advice would you give someone who was facing cancer with their dog?

 

Pat Miller Was Here

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

I’ve been working with Pat Miller for the past 17 years. She’s had an article in all but one issue of WDJ in that span of time – and that one issue that was published without an article from her was my mistake, not due to her missing a deadline. She’s a gifted trainer, a lifelong learner who continues to read research articles and pay attention to new discoveries in animal behavior and animal cognition, and she has a consistent, calm, compassionate voice that advocates for well-reasoned training methods applied with kindness and patience.

I met Pat when she wrote some articles for the publication I worked for prior to WDJ, a little magazine called The Whole Horse Journal! She wrote an article about clicker training for horses with extreme fear-based behaviors, and used her off-the-track Thoroughbred mare as a model for the article. When our publisher asked me to be the founding editor of WDJ, and I was rounding up writers to form the nucleus of our core contributors, someone mentioned to me that Pat, whom I knew only as “that clicker horse trainer,” was actually a dog trainer. I didn’t know much about dog training at the time, or maybe I would have known that already. I contacted Pat and asked if she’d be interested in writing for WDJ, she said yes, and she’s been writing for us ever since. Further, she was absolutely instrumental in helping me develop WDJ’s all-positive voice and mission statement – and completely convincing me of the countless benefits of force-free training.

In the 17 years that I’ve known her, however, I think I’ve actually spent time with her * in person * maybe three or four times. I’m sure about three of those times, because I have photographic evidence: The first time was at her last home in California, ages ago. That was fun, because I got to meet and photograph her whole pack of dogs. I got to hang out with her a little at an APDT conference in upstate New York in 2000, and she had two of her dogs with her, so we took photos for future WDJ articles. And two years ago I was able to squeeze in a visit to Peaceable Paws and Pastures, the dog training and horse boarding facility she and her husband run in Fairplay, Maryland. When I was there, we didn’t take photos for any specific future articles, but I spent a couple of hours shadowing her around her beautiful facility, taking pictures of her interacting with her dogs, barn cat, horses (boarders and her own), and Sturgis, the family’s potbellied pig.

There’s a first time for everything, though, and Pat Miller was recently HERE, at my house! For only about 90 minutes, but it was a treat even so! Pat recently presented some workshops in Placerville, California, for the Hangtown Kennel Club, and was spending another day visiting a relative about seven hours from there. Oroville, California, where my home and office are located, is right on the way! She was able to stop just long enough to meet my dogs, for me to prepare a nice vegetarian lunch for us to share, and for me to take a few pictures of Pat with my little pack. I was so happy for her to meet Otto! — and happy to report he was a perfect gentleman, even treating her to a performance he usually reserves for his long-time friends, a sustained “Wooooooooo!” of greeting.

 

 

 

 

 

(When Pigs Fly #3) Finding Time to Train Your Dog

By
Jane Killon
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0

You do have the time to train your dog. Whether you realize it or not, you already are spending a lot of time training your dog. Every minute you are with your dog you are training him. Your everyday interactions with him are the most powerful training tools you have.

Your dog depends entirely on you for all of his needs. If he wants to eat, you feed him. If he wants to go outside, you open the door. If he wants to come out of his crate, you let him out. If he wants his toy, you get it our and throw it for him. Everytime your dog wants something, that something can be a reinforcer for something that you want him to do. If you are going to give your dog something he wants or needs, that is an opportunity for you to ask for something in return. Head scratches, belly rubs, play sessions, treats, and walks are all things that you dispense to your dog and they all represent training opportunities. Since you do all of those things everyday for your dog anyway, you can train your dog without taking anymore time out of your day than you are already giving your dog.

Remember these two concepts:

1. If you do things for your dog without asking him to do something for you, you have trained him to not work to get what he wants. You have trained him that he is free to ignore you until you signal that you will be gratifying one of his desires.

2. If you ask him for a behavior in exchange for doing things for him, you have trained him to work for you to get what he wants. You have trained him that he had better pay attention to you because you never know when a reinforcement opportunity might arise.

Anytime your dog wants to go out or come in the house, you have a golden opportunity to train something. He wants something that only you can give him. Why not get a little something form in return? Ask your dog for a sit before he rushes through the door. You should work on door etiquette, where your dog sits and stays before the open door until you release him.

When you train with the methods in this book, just being with your dog becomes a dialog. You will find that it is incredibly easy to integrate dog training into your life. Once you have taught the basic foundation behaviors, you never need to have a formal training session with your dog again; just being with your dog will shape him into a model citizen.

For more advice on training impossible (and not-so-impossible) dogs, purchase Jane Killon’s When Pigs Fly! Training Success with Impossible Dogs from The Whole Dog Journal.

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