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Training Tiny Dogs
[Updated November 16, 2017]
TRAINING SMALL DOGS: OVERVIEW
1. Commit to giving your little dog a bigger life by providing him with good manners training that makes him welcome anywhere dogs are allowed.
2. Respect your little dog’s needs and preferences; don’t coerce him just because he’s little and easily overpowered.
3. Protect your little dog appropriately from unwanted attention and potential threats.
A long time ago, I was a “big dog person.” For the first three decades of my life, I looked disdainfully down on yappy little foo-foo dogs and the people who owned them. Then I fell in love with and adopted Dusty, an 8-pound Pomeranian, and my whole perspective shifted, as did some of my long-held paradigms on small dog behavior, training, and management. I came to appreciate the behavior of owners who snatched their tiny toy breeds off the floor at the approach of a bigger dog. I was constantly worried for my little dog’s safety. I was certain one of our bigger dogs would play with him too roughly and crush him. Or worse – some unknown dog could kill him with a grab-and-shake move. And it was so easy to pick him up and carry him that I did it frequently. The concept of having an “arm-dog” began to make perfect sense to me.
Today, I’m keenly aware that some little dogs – and their owners – play right into the small dog stereotype. Many small dogs I see in public are ill-mannered with humans, reactive toward other dogs, and yappy. Lots of little dogs strain on their leashes, don’t come when called, and think “sit” is something their owners do so the human can bend over and pet them.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Every little dog is as capable of learning basic and advanced training behaviors as big dogs – and it’s just as important for their long-term well being and safety. Dusty had his AKC Companion Dog degree, and was well on his way to Companion Dog Excellent before bad hips curtailed his jumping and cut his show career short.
If you doubt a little dog’s ability to learn, just watch any canine competition. You’ll be amazed by the number of diminutive canines who compete successfully in obedience, agility, rally, flyball, canine freestyle, nose work and more. (In fact, every flyball competitor wants a little dog on her team, because the jump heights for the whole team are set at the proper height for the smallest dog in the group!)
Positive training techniques are equally effective for all sizes of dogs; all dogs learn in a similar fashion. That said, some minor modifications to training and management can make the relationship-building and training process more successful for little dogs. Whether your goal is a well-mannered family companion, competition titles, or both, if you keep the following concepts and tips in mind you and your little dog can be more successful and have more fun playing the training game together.
But before I describe these tips, let’s define some terms.
Defining “Small Dog”
Let’s arbitrarily define “little dog” as one that weighs 25 pounds or less. This encompasses a wide range of breeds, from the tiny, truly fragile 2-pound teacup Yorkie to the short and sturdy 20- to 25-pound Scottish Terrier. It includes dogs with such varied personalities as the independent and pugnacious Jack Russell Terrier, the more dignified and amiable Pug, the independent and aloof Basenji, the energetic and responsive Toy Poodle, and the relatively phlegmatic French Bulldog, to name just a few. That doesn’t even take into consideration the infinite combinations of small mixed-breed dogs or the wide range of individual personalities within a given breed.
A Pomeranian once seemed quite small to me, but recent decades have seen a proliferation of smaller and smaller dogs – the so-called “teacup” breeds. At a local humane society “Bark In The Park” fund-raising event recently, a couple walked past my booth with a pair of tiny Yorkies in their arms. The male, the “larger” of the two, was three pounds at full maturity. The female was a mere two pounds. They made Scooter, my current Pomeranian, who tips the scales at a whopping 12 pounds, look quite massive by comparison!
Next, let’s define “training.” Owners of larger dogs are likely to understand training as encompassing everything including polite “good manners” behaviors in the house, coming when called, walking nicely on leash, and calmly greeting new people and other dogs. But owners of small dogs might have no behavior expectations of their little companions beyond potty training – and maybe not even that! After all, jumping up is much easier to accept from a 5-pound dog than 50-pound one, so lots of little dog owners don’t bother to teach a polite greeting.
In my opinion, all dogs, even tiny ones, should be trained to exhibit all the same good manners behaviors as larger dogs, such as sitting politely to greet visitors, or asking permission for sofa privileges. For optimum quality of life and his relationship with you, it’s every bit as important for the little dog to be trained as the large one.
Considering A Little Dog?
There are a number of advantages to sharing your life with a little dog:
1. They take up less room! You can have several in the same amount of space as one Great Dane. They share your bed without hogging it. They sit on your lap and still leave room for the newspaper.
2. They don’t eat as much, so they are less expensive to feed.
3. You can get by with smaller backyards, and often (though not always) lower fences.
4. Little dog poops are tiny and inoffensive, even in the house – you can pick up their mini-feces with a tissue and flush them down the toilet. And it’s easier to train a little dog than a Mastiff to use a litterbox, if that suits your lifestyle.
5. You are much less likely to worry about counter-surfing.
6. Your little dog is less likely to knock over your 93-year-old Great Aunt Helen when she comes to visit (although a little dog can run under her feet and trip her up).
7. The little dog is highly portable; you can fit him under an airline seat, in your shopping cart, or in a doggie backpack. You can still drive a sports car!
8. Finally, your little dog is less intimidating to people who are fearful of dogs, and more acceptable to landlords, hotels, motels, outdoor cafes, and other public places.
Of course, there are also some disadvantages.
– Little dogs do break more easily, especially those with very fine bones, such as Chihuahuas and Italian Greyhounds.
– Because of their small size, they can be mistakenly perceived as good pets for children. Some of them can be, but they’re not automatically the right choice for small humans – it depends on the individual dog, a good socialization program, and the child’s ability to be gentle with and careful around a tiny dog.
– Their reputation
as yappy and snappy ankle-biters is not entirely undeserved; they can become defensively aggressive if they feel threatened – and it’s easy to feel threatened when you are surrounded by human and canine giants who are anywhere from 10 to 100-plus times your size. Because the dogs are small, their owners tend to be permissive and overprotective, overlooking and excusing behaviors that larger dogs could never get away with.
8 Tips for Training Little Dogs
Fortunately, training is not any more difficult to accomplish with a small dog than with a big one, with the following adjustments:
1. Minimize Your Inner Primate. Primate body language (such as a direct approach, looming over the dog, eye contact, assertive gestures and voice) is intimidating to any dog who has not learned to read and interpret “human.” It’s even more so to the little dog. The smaller the canine, the more threatening our natural human body language can be. When you are training your little dog, at least until he learns to read and trust you, conscientiously use soft eye contact; make your gestures and voice small and soft rather than large and effusive; turn slightly sideways to him; and squat instead of looming over your dog to interact with him.
2. Use Tiny Treats. I constantly remind dog owners to use small (pea-sized) pieces of food treats and perhaps incorporate some of his regular food into his portion of treats. When you use training treats with your little dog the treats must be very tiny – perhaps the size of a quarter of a pea! Also, you may need to reduce or even eliminate some of his meals, based on how many treats you feed him during training. Otherwise you’re likely to fill him up far too quickly, and pack on the pounds, as well.
3. Make Yourself Smaller. If you always train your little dog standing up, you are guaranteed to end up with a sore back. Exercises like luring the down and practicing puppy push-ups (sit-down, sit-down, sit-down) can be especially backbreaking. In the beginning, sit on the floor with your dog to save your back, and to make yourself less intimidating to him. You can also work with your little dog while you sit on a stool or chair, or you can put him on a raised surface where he is comfortable, such as a table, sofa, or bed.
4. Use Reach-Extending Tools. You also need to train standing up – at least some of the time. Your dog needs to learn to walk politely with you; even a little dog can damage his throat if he constantly strains at the leash. The better his leash manners are, the more fun it will be to take him places, and the less likely he’ll become an arm-dog. Teach him to target and then use your target stick to help him learn to walk with you, without having to bend over. Simply put the target stick where you want him to be. You can also smash a soft treat onto the end of the stick for delivery to your little dog without having to bend over, or just drop treats on the floor. Another trip to your chiropractor averted!
5. Take Advantage of little dog Training Tools. Little dogs need lightweight collars and leashes. It’s easy to underestimate the impact of a standard-weight leather leash if it accidentally bumps into your dog’s face, or, worse, if you drop your end and it falls on him. His training tools and toys should be scaled appropriately to his size. Fortunately, pet suppliers have gotten wonderfully creative with little dog products like toy-dog-size tennis balls and squeaky toys, and narrow, lightweight nylon leashes.
6. Teach Your little dog A “Pick-Up Warning” Cue. Of course you’re going to pick him up sometimes – it’s what we little dog owners do. You can minimize pick-up stress for your dog by using a “pick-up warning” cue. Choose your cue (I use “Okay!” for Scooter) and use it every time you pick him up. Place your hands around him as if you’re going to pick him up, give your cue, and then put a little pressure under him but don’t pick him up yet. This gives him time to realize you are picking him up, so he isn’t startled. When you can see he’s aware of the pending lift, go ahead and pick him up. Eventually the cue itself will be enough to prepare him. When I put my hands on Scooter and say “Okay!” he actually boosts himself off the ground a little, into my hands.
7. Respect His Needs and Preferences. Owners of little dogs often complain that they can’t train their dogs to lie down. Think of it from the dog’s perspective: he’s already tiny and vulnerable; well, he’s even more so when he’s lying down. Plus, lots of small dogs are sensitive to cold, and to hard or rough surfaces. Try teaching him to lie down on a soft, raised surface, where he’ll be more comfortable and feel less threatened. The raised surface gives you the added advantage of being able to move your lure below “ground level” to maximize the “down” potential.
8. Allow Him to Say “No.” One of the reasons “arm-dogs” have a reputation for being snappy is that they are often forced to greet people while restrained in their human’s arms. If they are at all fearful or feel threatened in any way, they cannot escape – whereas a dog on the ground, on or off leash, can move away or duck behind his owner to escape unwanted attentions. Ask your potential greeters to kneel down, make themselves small, and let your little dog approach them. If he chooses not to greet, don’t force him.
Housetraining Small Dogs Can Be a Challenge
Housetraining small dogs is sometimes difficult — but not because they are any less capable than bigger dogs of learning where and when it’s appropriate or inappropriate to go potty. If your little dog’s housetraining is giving you headaches, it may be because:
Little dog signals are harder to see. If a Bloodhound sits and stares at your face and drools in your lap while you are reading the paper, sending “I have to pee” signals, you probably notice. If a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel sits and stares your ankle, it’s easy to miss.
Big dog owners have more reason to be motivated. A tiny Chihuahua puddle behind the guest bed may not be discovered for weeks or months (or maybe never). The Great Pyrenees lake in the kitchen is impossible to miss. It’s a simple matter to pick up a teeny terrier turd, toss it in the toilet and dismiss the mistake. A moist, massive Mastiff mound is an entirely different matter.
Little dogs may have smaller holding capacities. Although you would expect their organ capacity to be proportionate to their size and intake, bottom line is that some of them do seem to need to go out on a more frequent potty schedule.
Little dog owners are more likely to supervise less, and use crates that are too large (in which the teeny Toy puppy can poop and pee in one end and sleep and play happily in the other) or not crate at all. “A little pup can’t possibly be as much trouble as a big one, can he? (wrong!), and besides, we want Shrimp to sleep with us!” Later, maybe, but not until he’s house-trained!
Little dog owners are more likely to paper-train and continue to rely on paper-training, sending a mixed message about inside-elimination versus outside-elimination.
Little dogs are more likely to have had their den-soiling inhibitions damaged prior to purchase or adoption by the owner as a result of over-crating and dirty puppy mill conditions. If a dog is required to live in his own excrement and urine, he comes to think that living in filth is normal, and he won’t make an effort to “hold it” until he has access to a more suitable environment. This makes housetraining very difficult. Little dogs, by virtue of their size, are more popular as pet store and puppy mill breeds – both environments where they are more likely to be over-crated.
The answer to housetraining the little dog is scrupulous management. Constant supervision, through the appropriate use of leashes, crates, tethers, direct supervision, and regular trips to the outdoor bathroom spot — every hour on the hour, at first, if necessary. Pay close attention so you don’t miss your dog’s signals. All the other regular housetraining tips also apply, of course – feed regular meals instead of free-choice feeding; pick up water before bedtime, switch to a different kind of crate substrate if necessary, and clean soiled spots with enzyme-based cleaners meant for animal messes.
Companion Dog Basics
Keep in mind that managing your small dog (like every dog) is just as important as training him. If his potty-training isn’t rock-solid, keep him out of situations when he’s likely to “make a mistake.” Prevent him from being rewarded by the behaviors you don’t want, and consistently and generously reward the behaviors you do want, with treats, attention, toys, or a nap on the sofa.
This means turning your back on the jumper and petting him (and/or giving a treat) only when he sits – and making sure guests do the same. He will soon learn to sit for attention. Be sure to pay attention to him when he does!
It also means body-blocking your dog when you see the “sofa gleam” in his eye – by moving into the open sofa space and/or not making your lap available – until he sits, and then inviting him up (assuming he is allowed up). Be sure to notice when he sits (as small as he is, it’s easy to overlook him when he’s sitting politely), and invite him up as his reward.
Every little dog also needs to be well-socialized. Treat him like a dog! From early puppyhood, make sure that he has lots of positive experiences with other dogs, to help dispel the aggressive “arm-dog” image of the angry Pomeranian nestled in the ample and befurred bosom of the wealthy dowager.
Your little dog needs to have his feet on the ground a good part of the time so he can learn to go up and down stairs, get into cars, and walk on grass, dirt, gravel, carpeting, wood, and tile floors. Take him hiking. Dusty could easily hold his own on an all-day wilderness hike with the rest of our pack.
Have him meet lots of friendly people – all ages, shapes, sizes, and races – armed with lots of tasty treats in lots of controlled circumstances. A good rule of thumb for socialization is to expose your pup to at least 100 different kinds of settings and types of people in his first four months of life. At the same time, of course, protect him from dangerous situations, such as encounters with larger dogs who truly could hurt him. (See “Conditioning Confidence in Your Dog or Puppy,” WDJ June 2009.)
Play It Safe and Smart
One of the reasons little dogs sometimes have attitudes about big dogs is that owners tend to panic when they see a big dog approaching. The owner’s stress transmits to the little dog, who then becomes anxious himself. If you grab your dog every time another dog approaches, it can be even more stressful for him and increase the potential for a confrontation.
Little dogs sometimes do get savaged by big dogs because their owners forget to think or to anticipate and avoid hazards to their little companions. “Be smart” means don’t take your little dog places that you know are frequented by large, uncontrolled dogs. Use your local dog park only if there is a separate fenced area for little dogs.
If you’re walking your dog on the street and you see someone approaching with a large dog, take evasive action – calmly cross the street while you practice good heeling so you can pass at a safe distance. Be on guard even at canine competition events, where you might think your dog is safe. He’s not. There are multiple stories of little dogs being attacked, injured, or even killed, by larger dogs at canine competitions.
If you see a loose dog approaching, look for an escape route – a place of business or fenced yard you can step into for safety. Toss a handful of tasty treats away from you to slow down the approaching dog and give you and your little guy time to escape. Carry an aversive spray, a pop-open umbrella, or marine air horn that can thwart a persistent canine visitor. (Be sure to give your own dog a positive classical association with the aversive first, so you don’t scare the stuffing out of him if you have to use it.)
Only as a last resort should you pick your dog up; doing so also puts you at risk for injury if the approaching dog is intent on mayhem. Not that the risk of injury would stop any of us “little dog people” from protecting our beloved little ones. Our own safety is often the last thing we think about when our canine family members are threatened. Their diminutive size only heightens the protective instinct that motivates us to risk life and limb for them.
During his 14 years with us, Dusty convinced me that he was much sturdier than I imagined, and that he was every bit a Real Dog in his little dog body. Go ahead, big dog people, scoff at us if you want. It’s only a matter of time before you meet the little dog who steals your heart the way Dusty stole mine.
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center, where she offers dog training classes and courses for trainers. Pat is also author of many books on positive training.
Dogs with the MDR1 Mutation: Drug Sensitivities
[Updated January 9, 2019]
Most dog owners are aware that Collies and other herding breeds may be sensitive to ivermectin, used for heartworm prevention and to treat certain parasites. But did you know that these dogs can also be sensitive to a number of other drugs, and that other breeds can also be affected?
It’s been known since 1983 that ivermectin can cause neurologic toxicity in some, but not all, Collies. In affected dogs, toxicity is caused by doses of ivermectin that are 1/200th of the dose needed to cause toxicity in normal dogs. Symptoms of neurologic toxicity can include uncoordination or loss of balance (ataxia), depression, disorientation, excess salivation, pupil dilation, nystagmus (abnormal movement of the eyes), blindness, tremors, recumbency (inability to get up), coma, respiratory compromise, and even death.
But the next big accomplishment in gaining an understanding of exactly what was responsible for the toxic effects of ivermectin in some dogs came in 2001, when Katrina Mealey, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DACVCP, at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, identified a mutation in the MDR1 gene that causes ivermectin sensitivity. The discovery led to WSU’s development of a test that can detect the mutant gene, so that dogs who are susceptible to this toxicity can be identified.
The MDR1 Mutation Test
Dogs can have either two copies of the defective gene (homozygous, double recessive), or one defective gene and one normal gene (heterozygous). Dogs with two copies will be most severely affected. Dogs with one copy are less sensitive (able to tolerate a higher dose before adverse effects are seen), but they are more sensitive than normal dogs.
Further research revealed that dogs with the MDR1 mutation are sensitive to a number of different drugs, not just ivermectin. Melissa Best, DVM, who went to veterinary school at WSU, explains, “MDR stands for ‘multidrug resistance.’ The protein encoded by this gene is P-glycoprotein (PGP) and is an important protein for keeping potential neurotoxins from entering the brain. The MDR1 mutation means that this protein is improperly coded and cannot do its job.”
The MDR1 mutation allows drugs to build to toxic levels in the brain, and is now referred to as “multidrug sensitivity.” Toxicity may occur from a single high dose or frequent low doses of problem drugs. Topical application of certain drugs can also cause toxicity, and the effects may last longer, but it generally takes higher doses.
The discoverer of the mutation of the MDR1 gene and establishment of testing procedures, WSU is the sole patent holder for the test to detect the mutant gene. The test requires only a simple, non-invasive cheek swab that you can collect yourself and send to WSU’s Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory (VCPL). The test costs $70, with a discount for more than four dogs. It can be performed on any dog, including mixed breeds, at any age after weaning. The test will identify whether a dog has one or two copies of the defective gene. It takes about two weeks to get results.
Heartworm Preventives and the MDR1 Mutation
All heartworm preventive medications can affect dogs with the MDR1 mutation, including ivermectin (Heartgard), milbemycin (Interceptor, Sentinel), selamectin (Revolution), and moxidectin (ProHeart, Advantage Multi). The very low doses used for heartworm prevention, however, should not cause any harm, even to dogs with two copies of the defective gene.
“I don’t know of any homeopathic or naturopathic alternatives to these drugs, particularly for heartworm,” says Dr. Best. “While I am very pro-holistic care, the risk of death from heartworms is greater than the risk of the drugs (especially at the low doses used for prevention). I recommend using commercial heartworm preventatives under the direction of a veterinarian.”
The higher doses of these medications that are used to treat demodectic mange, sarcoptic mange, ear mites, and other parasites, however, should be avoided in all affected dogs. Generic ivermectin preparations such as Ivomec 1% solution should not be given to affected dogs, as the potential for toxicity from the wrong dosage is too great (the instructions on many websites result in dosages at least 10 times too high). Long-acting injectable products such as ProHeart 6 may also be problematic for affected dogs.
Toxicity can also occur from eating the manure of other animals, such as horses or sheep, after they are treated for parasites with products containing ivermectin. Pesticides with ivermectin used to treat a home or yard may cause toxicity if an affected dog is exposed to the area afterward.
Ivermectin has the most potential for toxicity. Dogs with normal MDR1 genes can usually tolerate oral dosages as high as 2,500 mcg/kg of body weight before signs of toxicity are seen, while dogs with two copies of the defective MDR1 gene can tolerate only up to 100 mcg/kg of oral ivermectin. No toxicity was seen when affected dogs were given 28 to 35.5 mcg/kg monthly for one year. (For comparison, Heartgard contains 6 to 12 mcg/kg.)
Toxicity has been seen in affected dogs receiving oral doses that were 30 times the heartworm preventive dose of moxidectin and 10 times the regular dose of milbemycin. Selamectin caused toxicity at 2.5 times the recommended dose when that amount was given orally, but higher doses are tolerated when the product is applied topically, as directed.
Other avermectins can also cause toxicity, including doramectin (Dectomax), eprinomectin (Eprinex), and abamectin.
Spinosad, a flea-control medication included in Comfortis, Trifexis, and other products, increases the risk of neurological toxicity even in normal dogs when combined with high doses of ivermectin (and possibly other drugs) used to treat parasites. While theoretically safe, use caution when combining Heartgard or other ivermectin heartworm preventive drugs with products containing spinosad for affected dogs. Do not combine high doses of ivermectin with spinosad for any dog.
Other Drugs and MDR1
Some additional drugs are known to cause problems for dogs with the MDR1 mutation, while others are suspected to be problematic. A few drugs affected by PGP appear to be safe to use in normal doses. “There are many known drugs which are pumped out of the brain by p-glycoprotein,” says Dr. Best. “However, not all seem to cause toxicity in mutant dogs. Clearly more research is needed to understand the mechanisms at work.”
Drugs that are known to affect or may affect dogs with the MDR1 mutation include some used to treat cancer, pain, parasites, bacterial infections, diarrhea, vomiting, and anxiety, as well as pre-anesthetic drugs. In addition to ivermectin, the most commonly used problem drugs are acepromazine (Ace), butorphanol (Torbutrol, Torbugesic), and loperamide (Imodium). Most of these drugs require a prescription, but loperamide, an anti-diarrheal medication, is available in over-the-counter preparations.
MDR1 Breeding Considerations
Ideally, only dogs with no copies of the MDR1 mutation would be used for breeding. This may not be feasible or even optimal in some cases, however, particularly in heavily affected breeds, where the rest of the gene pool would be too limited, which leads to other problems. Any dog with the mutation may pass it along to their offspring, but dogs with just one copy of the mutation can also produce normal puppies, particularly when bred to dogs that do not carry the mutation at all. In this way, the population of affected dogs can be reduced through subsequent generations.
What To Do
Even if you don’t plan to breed, all dogs from affected breeds should be tested for the MDR1 gene for their own protection. Mixed-breed dogs from affected breeds or whose parentage is unknown should also be tested, as it’s impossible to tell for sure just by looking at a dog what its ancestry might be.
Before the genetic test became available, vets often repeated the adage, “White feet, don’t treat!” as a reminder that such dogs might be at risk, since many herding breeds and mixes have white feet. This is not reliable, however, as some dogs with white feet may have normal genes, and dogs with non-white feet may be affected by the mutation. Dr. Mealy recommends testing all mixed-breed dogs with unknown breed status, as one exposure to a drug to which they are sensitive could be fatal.
“The biggest problem I have seen with MDR1 mutants is accidental exposure by owners who were unaware of the problem,” says Dr. Best. “I have seen several dogs die from this problem after being exposed to ivermectin products.
“The worse case that I saw where the dog survived was an Australian Shepherd from Montana who became exposed after licking up a dollop of dewormer that had dropped out of a horse’s mouth when the owner was deworming it. The dog was flown on a private jet to WSU, with a private vet tech hired to breathe for the dog, as he was severely affected by the time he had been brought to his veterinarian (within hours of exposure to the drug).
“That patient was on a ventilator for nearly two weeks and eventually made a full recovery, however the bill was well over $10,000 and not everyone can fly a dog to a referral center on a private jet! I have also seen dogs become affected who ate horse manure after the horses had been dewormed with Ivermectin.”
If tests show that your dog is affected by the MDR1 mutation, or if your dog could be affected and has not been tested, make sure that your vet is aware of potential drug sensitivity. You may want to give your vet a copy of the list of drugs from the VCPL website to include in your dog’s file. Be sure to remind your vet of the situation any time that your dog needs to be anesthetized or sedated so that the wrong medications will not be given.
If you use any drug that might cause toxicity, start with low doses and gradually increase the amount that is given over a few days as long as no adverse side effects are seen. Continue to monitor your dog closely for signs of toxicity, particularly when the drug is given daily, as chronic toxicity caused by cumulative effects could develop.
If your dog shows signs of toxicity after applying a topical product, immediately bathe your dog with soap to remove as much of the product from the skin as possible.
If your dog ingests a topical product or if you see signs of toxicity after giving oral medication, contact your vet immediately. If ingestion was recent, your vet may induce vomiting and give activated charcoal. Further supportive care, including IV fluids and ventilation, may be needed if signs are severe. Dogs may recover if supportive care can be offered for long enough, but it can take days or weeks before enough of the drug breaks down on its own. “Sadly,” says Dr. Best, “Because we have no way to get the neurotoxic drugs out once they are in the brain, most dogs are not able to be saved once we recognize a toxicity problem.”
Mary Straus is the owner of DogAware.com. She and her Norwich Terrier, Ella, live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Giving To Animal Charities
It’s that time of year again: making a list and checking it twice. Many of us include animal-related charities on our gift list. But how do you choose which ones to support? There is no shortage of good causes. Here are some guidelines for how to evaluate an organization as a potential recipient of your hard-earned dollars.
It may seem obvious but the first thing to contemplate is whether the cause – and the approach to it – is something you believe in and are passionate about. There are so many pleas for funding that sometimes we can get caught up in the immediate emotional moment, especially when faced with horrific images or stories; that can be an effective tactic to raising money. We hope to purge the haunting images of abused, neglected dogs in dire circumstances by sending off a check. But how do you know whether your check will actually alleviate any animal suffering?
Research, Research, and More Research
Think about your specific goals for your contribution. For example, let’s say you want to contribute to an organization that addresses pet overpopulation. There is a wide spectrum of approaches to this very issue, so you should think hard about how you would like to see the problem addressed. You could contribute to the actual costs of spay and neuter programs, or rescue organizations, or education programs!
When you’ve found the type of cause(s) near and dear to your heart, obtain as much information as you can about the organizations you might support. A charity’s website is a good place to start. Read about the organization’s goals, accomplishments, and challenges. Look for its mission statement; it should be a concise and vivid expression of the group’s purpose, and provide an overview. Who’s running the show? Review the credentials of the key staff members and board members; if it’s a 501(c)(3) organization and thus able to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, there must be a board of directors.
Next, look at how the organization determines the need for its services and programs. Does it have targeted goals? Who benefits? How are these goals monitored and evaluated? How does the organization report results (short-term and long-term)? Are reports clear, understandable, and supported? Do they reflect the stated mission? How do they share the results of your donation?
Ideally this information will be readily available; if not, ask for it. Most organizations are more than willing to discuss their programs. That said, I recently crossed a couple charities off my list of prospects when I called for more information and the individuals I spoke with weren’t able to answer my questions and no one returned my call as promised. An important hallmark of a good charitable organization is its transparency in all aspects of its operations (not to mention good donor relations).
Follow the Money
Next, as much as you may hate this idea, it’s important to take a look at any charity’s financial reports. Many organizations post their financial information on their websites. If the organization is exempt from income tax, they are required to annually file Form 990 (see side bar) with the Internal Revenue Service. These forms are open to public inspection and must be made available to potential donors upon request. If the organization is not required to file Form 990 – and thus is not a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit – request copies of their financial reports. A good organization will be able to provide some sort of financial report – an accounting of its income and expenses. If an organization can’t or won’t share these with you, then don’t share your money with them – they can’t account for it.
A good guideline to look for among efficient charities is an expenditure of 65-75 percent (or more) directly on a charity’s programs and 25-35 percent (or less) on fundraising and administration expenses. While successful organizations should allocate the majority of funds to providing programs and services, remember when reviewing salaries that they still need to recruit and retain talented people while attempting to keep administrative costs reasonable. When reviewing fundraising expenses, keep in mind that it costs money to raise money, but this should not be the reason for the existence of the organization.
Examine the details of the fundraising ratio: the amount raised compared to the amount expended. Consider that ratios can be higher than ideal due to special circumstances such as being a new organization (and thus having higher expenses than an established entity) or advancing a new cause. A group with a high fundraising ratio may actually have increased revenue (spends more to make more), which in turn allows it to do more.
Large organizations are sometimes criticized for their lobbying, fundraising, and administrative expenses. They often defend this by saying that because they are large and receive bigger revenues, they can spend a lot of money and as a result can accomplish the large goals that smaller organizations don’t have the resources to tackle. Again, compare your goals to theirs. It’s a mismatch if, for example, it’s most important to you to increase the adoption of homeless pets, and the organization spends a relatively small amount on its “boots on the ground” programs in favor of legislative reforms.
If possible, review the financials for a minimum of the past three years. Look for organizations that are able to grow their revenue at least at the rate of inflation, continue to invest in programs, and save money for a rainy day.
Many Giving Options
Donations can be made to anyone or any type of organization you desire: individuals, private organizations, for-profit organizations, or not-for-profits. If you want the donation to be tax deductible, however, verify that the organization has been designated as a 501(c)(3), proving it is organized and operated for charitable purposes. This is the U.S. Internal Revenue Code for tax-exempt status and is regulated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the IRS. It allows for the federal tax exemption of non-profit organizations, specifically those that are considered public charities (receiving most of their income from the public or the government), private foundations (receiving most of their income from investments and endowments and using that money to award grants to other groups), or private operating foundations (donating most of their assets directly to the causes rather than awarding grants to other charities).
To qualify, an entity must be organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
Be aware that some organizations doing “charitable” work may not have obtained not-for-profit status for any number of reasons; it doesn’t necessarily mean that the group doesn’t have a worthy cause. Ask the same questions you would of a not-for-profit and then make your decision. Understand, however, that donations made to individuals or to any organization that is not registered as a not-for-profit are not tax-deductible.
Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.com), GuideStar (guidestar.com), and the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance (bbb.org/us/Wise-Giving) are great resources for helping donors make informed decisions; they do a lot of the legwork by evaluating and reporting on major charitable programs and often offer downloads of the charities’ relevant documents (such as the 990 forms).
Big, national charities may be the most persistent in asking for help, but consider local organizations working to effect change in your own backyard, such as shelters and rescues. These organizations often struggle with small budgets, and can make even small donations go a long way.
What if you want your money to go toward a specific program or even a specific dog? If there’s a particular disease that has touched your dog’s life, consider donating to university research programs targeting that disease; these programs are often the first to find new treatments and cures.
While the IRS does not allow tax deductions for donations made for a specific person, there are organizations that are set up to help direct funds to individual dogs. One such organization, Magic Bullet Fund, allows for tax-deductible contributions to be made to a specific dog battling cancer that has registered with them. Donations made for a dog’s treatment are held in reserve for that dog; the funds are redistributed to the General Fund if they cannot be used.
If you have a substantial amount to give, meet with the organization in person to direct how you want your donation to be used. You may be able to create and fund a specific program or even specific research. Providing for your favorite animal-related charity in your trust or will is another option.
Donor Beware
It’s not a good practice to give out your personal information to any organization representative who calls you, comes to your door, or approaches you on the street, soliciting a donation. If it’s a cause you’re interested in, contact the organization directly. This ensures you are dealing with the organization itself and not a fraudulent entity posing as a charity; and if you do decide to donate, you’ve eliminated a possible middleman and all of the contribution will go directly to the organization. Do not give cash.
It has become common practice in modern fundraising for charities to share, swap and sell their donor lists. If you don’t want your name on these mailing lists, request that your information not be shared.
Research to see if the organization has been mentioned in any news reports that might link them to questionable practices; also research individual executives. The organization itself might not be addressing any of these issues, but negative publicity is difficult to hide in these days of information-sharing.
If you donate over time, be sure to periodically evaluate whether or not the organization is still in line with your interests; missions can shift over time and you may want reconsider. I had to do this when I learned that one of the advisory board members of a charity that I had donated to regularly supported an industry that was in direct opposition to what I thought the organization stood for. I asked a representative of the charity for an explanation of this contradiction, but the rep either couldn’t or wouldn’t even try to explain. I concluded that the advisory board member probably donated a lot of money to the charity – a lot more than I ever could – and that the group had more interest in him than in small donors like me.
I continued to receive solicitation calls even though I had informed the organization that I would no longer donate to the charity as long as that person was still on the charity’s advisory board. One phone solicitor told me that I should overlook my concern because of all the good things the organization did. After I politely informed the caller that this incongruency made me suspect the group’s true mission, I was removed from all of its solicitation lists. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions!
Which leads me to charities you may fund inadvertently. I was dismayed to learn that one of the dog product suppliers I used to purchase from gave a portion of their proceeds to an organization that tested on animals (including dogs).
I nicknamed this “stinkwashing” (inspired by the “pinkwashing” term coined by the Breast Action Fund for the hypocrisy of the actions of companies and organizations that claim to care about breast cancer and promote a pink ribbon product but at the same time produce, manufacture, and/or sell products that are linked to the disease). Now I’m always suspicious of generalized statements about “proceeds of this sale will be donated to…” Are these companies in line with your personal values? What is the company doing to ensure that its donations (from the sale of products to you) are not linked to programs that are detrimental to dogs or animals? If you can’t tell or don’t know what the organization does, reconsider your purchase.
More than Money
What about the multitude of us that have no funds to spare in these difficult economic times? Don’t feel guilt – it has no useful purpose. And don’t let a lack of financial resources hinder your generosity. Many organizations need your non-monetary donations as well. Shelters and rescues often have holiday wish lists for items that you may be able to spare without spending a penny. Bedding and towels are common needs, as are “safe dog toys” (ones without parts that can be chewed off), crates, and collars and leashes that can be given to adopters.
And if you’ve got some time, consider volunteering for your favorite local organization. You could walk or bathe homeless pets, help with a shelter’s laundry, or perhaps donate your skills at website design or even something as mundane as data entry. While you might not get a tax deduction, the benefit to a cash-strapped, understaffed shelter or local rescue can be priceless.
Barbara Dobbins is a San Francisco Bay Area dog trainer on hiatus. When she’s done paying for her dog’s cancer treatments, she will donate to canine cancer research.
Dietary Fats in Dog Food
As soon as a food is manufactured, it begins to undergo a variety of chemical and physical changes. It’s a basic law of the universe (the second law of thermodynamics) that everything degrades over time. This includes the proteins and vitamins in dog foods, but it’s the fats I worry about the most.
Dogs require fats in their diet. However, fats are among the most chemically fragile nutrients in dog food; they are the limiting factor to the shelf life of most dog foods. Fats that have degraded – gone “rancid” – can cause all sorts of health problems for dogs.
So how can owners make sure their dogs get the healthy fats they need in their diets, without exposing them to rancid fats? The following are my recommendations for how this can be accomplished – but first, let me explain why it’s necessary to take extra steps to make sure your dog is helped, and not harmed, by the fat in his commercial diet.
The Fats Dogs Need
Fat is a very important part of a dog’s diet – especially when you consider that dogs don’t have a biological requirement for carbohydrates at all. Dietary fats provide concentrated forms of energy for the dog, carry the fat-soluble vitamins, and supply the dog with essential fatty acids (fatty acids are the basic building blocks of fats; “essential” fatty acids are those that the dog’s body needs but can’t manufacture). A variety of fats are needed by the dog for healthy skin, hair, and immune function; regulation of the inflammation process; and prenatal development. On a molecular level, fatty acids contribute to the physical structure of all the dog’s cells.
Fats – and their building blocks, the fatty acids – represent a broad category of nutrients. Just as your dog needs to consume a variety of vitamins and minerals, he needs a variety and balance of fatty acids. Which ones? How much? Well, I’m afraid it depends on who you talk to. In my opinion (and that of many canine nutrition experts), the best answers come from analysis of the dog’s ancestral diet and from nutrition science. Using these tools, I’ve come to believe that most commercial diets leave dogs short of what they need in terms of dietary fat in two ways:
1. Commercial diets generally feature an incomplete offering and unbalanced array of fatty acids.
2. The fat in commercial dog foods is prone to developing rancidity.
These traits pose problems for dogs, but they are easily overcome.
Incomplete and Unblanced
Before domestication, the dog’s diet contained a complete range of fats, because the dog ate many different parts of the prey animal, which contain different types of fat:
– Muscle meat contains saturated fats (SFAs), monounsaturated fats MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs).
– Storage fat contains primarily SFAs.
– Bone marrow contains primarily MUFAs.
– Organ fat contains mostly MUFAs and PUFAs.
– The fat that protects the organs consists primarily of SFAs.
– Eyes and brains contain mostly PUFAs, including DHA.
Scientists at the National Research Council (NRC) periodically review all the relevant literature on nutrition (for humans as well as companion and food animals) and issue recommendations for nutrient amounts, maximums, and minimums for each species. In 1985, the NRC recognized just one fatty acid, linoleic acid (LA, an omega-6 fatty acid and a PUFA) as being essential for dogs.
However, by 2006 (the year it released its most recent guidelines, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats), the NRC had updated its findings and listed four additional PUFAs as essential for dogs: arachidonic acid (AA, another omega-6 fatty acid considered essential for puppies), and three omega-3 fatty acids: alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In time, I suspect it will list even more fatty acids as essential for dogs, including gamma linolenic acid (GLA), conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), and probably more.
It’s in the PUFAs that we often find a balance of fats problem, primarily an improper ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids and the lack of DHA. Most nutrition experts suggest that the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids for the dog is between 2:1 and 6:1. But many chicken-based conventional dog foods are formulated with excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, primarily LA. And since LA is converted in the dog’s body into AA, an oversupply of LA results in an excess of AA, which promotes inflammation and exacerbates many health problems, including skin disease, arthritis, and renal problems.
Most dog foods do not contain DHA – which offers so many benefits for dogs! – and those that do contain DHA have a higher probability of becoming rancid.
Fat Rancidity in Dog Food
All fats chemically react to and degrade with exposure to oxygen; this is called oxidation. Oxidized fats are said to be rancid; they have degraded from a nutritionally beneficial substance to one that is actually toxic to animals. When fats become rancid, the shape, structure, function, and activity of the fatty acid is profoundly changed. (The bad smell associated with rancid fats is caused by chemical by-products of fat degradation: aldehydes and ketones.)
Rancid fats reduce the nutritive value of the protein, and degrade vitamins and antioxidants. That bears repeating: rancid fat can so vastly reduce the benefit your dog can get from the proteins and vitamins present in his food, that he can suffer from protein and vitamin deficiencies. Rancid fats can also cause diarrhea, liver and heart problems, macular degeneration, cell damage, cancer, arthritis, and death. It’s good policy to avoid feeding rancid fats to our dogs.
All of the omega-3 fats are fragile – they turn rancid quickly – with the long chain omega-3 fats EPA and DHA among the most fragile.
The Goal, and Barriers to Reaching It
The scientific evidence is overwhelming: dogs who eat a diet with balanced fats – especially the proper relative amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 fats (including DHA, probably the most important fat for the brain and eyes) – are healthier and more intelligent than dogs who do not consume a proper balance of fats. Every cell, every organ of the dog’s body operates more efficiently when fortified with the right fats.
However, pet food regulators have not yet required pet food makers to reflect everything that nutritionists agree on regarding fats. As of 2012, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has not included DHA in its “Nutrient Requirements for Dogs” – a table that is used as the basis for the legal claim of dietary completeness and balance for all commercial dog foods sold in the U.S. The AAFCO nutrient requirements address only minimum amounts of fat and LA.
Some pet food makers, or at least, some of the nutritionists working for the pet food makers, are cognizant of the benefits of including other fatty acids, even if they are not required in order for a food to be labeled as “complete and balanced.” Some of the most up-to-date companies now include DHA or fish or fish oil (the most common and readily available sources of DHA) in their commercial foods. DHA is especially important for puppies and pregnant dogs, so premium puppy foods today often include fish or fish oil.
I strongly believe that it’s important for dogs to receive adequate amounts of DHA (in particular) and a diet that contains a balanced array of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. That said, I don’t think the ideal fat balance is best supplied by commercial foods, and here’s why: the fats needed to complete and balance a dog’s diet are too fragile to survive typical dog food production, handling, and storage.
I suspect that the state feed control officials (the voting members of AAFCO, which establishes the nutrient requirements for “complete and balanced” dog foods) are hesitant to require DHA (as the most compelling fatty acid) in dog foods because, at least with today’s technology, this expensive fat is just too fragile to be included in a product meant to be kept on the shelf for up to 12 to 18 months and left open in the kitchen for weeks.
Extrusion (where the food is quickly cooked under high pressure, the way most dog foods are produced) and long-term storage make it likely that any DHA present in the food oxidizes. In discussing fats in pet food, the 2006 NRC’s Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats stated, “Many of the PUFAs in the diet, such as those from fish, undergo peroxidation during processing and storage before ingestion.” Peroxidation means the fats turn rancid. And rancid DHA is worse for the dog than no DHA at all.
Challenge for Commercial Dog Food Producers
What about all those pet food companies that do include DHA in their products? How do they ensure that the DHA (and other fragile fatty acids) don’t become rancid before the dogs eat them?
All the studies and nutrient analyses tests I’ve seen on the DHA content of dog foods were conducted at or very close to the time of manufacturing, when the foods were fresh, or were accelerated studies under laboratory conditions, not under real-world conditions.
For example, most dog foods move from the manufacturer via truck to a warehouse, via a truck to a retailer, and then to a home, where they may be open for 30 or more days before all the food is consumed. The food may be exposed to several temperature cycles, which is stressful for all the polyunsaturated fats (especially DHA), and may be six months old (or older) before it’s fed. How much DHA is left under these rough, but not atypical, conditions? How many of the fats are rancid?
For this article I wrote to probably every dog food manufacturer in North America, including all the big companies. I asked them if they had real world data: “Can you tell me what’s happened to the fats, especially DHA, by the time the dogs eat it?” I received no independent data in reply. Many companies responded but had no data to offer. Others gave me access to their in-house and consultant nutritionists, with whom I had several interesting conversations about long-term testing programs. (These yielded several iterations of one fascinating fact: Dogs can detect rancid fats, through smell, better than any laboratory equipment!)
A few companies provided me with data from accelerated testing – close, but not what I asked for. No company sent me independent test reports showing what happens in real-world conditions to the fragile fats by the time your dog eats the food.
Recommendations
In light of all of this information, I offer the following recommendations so that dogs who eat a commercial diet can get the fats they need, without being exposed to rancid fats. Dog owners can either:
1. Give your dog commercial foods that do not contain fish, fish oils, or DHA, and add them yourself; or
2. Buy recently produced commercial foods with added fish, fish oils, or DHA.
I think the best choice is to feed naturally preserved foods that meet freshness guidelines (described in detail below) and that do not contain fish, fish oil, or DHA; then add fresh, high-quality fish or krill oils or sardines yourself.
The Best Way to Add DHA: Sardines
The best way to add EPA and DHA is to feed sardines to your dog once a week. If you add fish oil to your dog’s food, replace the fish oil with sardines. While many of the studies showing the significant body and brain benefits of consuming DHA were conducted with fish oils, I think sardines are superior for many reasons.
Sardines, a sustainable fish with low mercury loads, are high in protein, and provide a complete range of trace minerals, including natural forms of zinc; a full complement of vitamins including D, B12, E and K; a full range of antioxidants; and other known (and, I’m sure, unknown) nutrients. The triglyceride and phospholipid forms of DHA found in sardines are more absorbable and stable than the ethyl ester forms in most fish oils, and may be more effective for improving brain functions and preventing cancer.
The best canned sardines for dogs are those in water with no salt added. Avoid sardines packed in soy, corn, sunflower, safflower, or other omega-6 rich oils. If my recommended amounts call for 1¼ cans of sardines, it is okay to feed two cans in one week of the month, and the other weeks feed just one can. Use the entire can of sardines within two days after opening it, and refrigerate the open can, so that the fragile fats do not go rancid.
If your dog doesn’t like sardines, or you don’t like the smell of sardines on your dog’s breath, use fresh, human-grade fish or krill oil gel caps. Don’t overdo it! EPA and DHA, like most nutrients, provide wonderful health benefits in small amounts, and are detrimental in excess amounts or without sufficient antioxidant protection. Feed small amounts (0.2 to 1 gram of high-quality EPA + DHA per day for a 45-pound dog) and you’ll probably make your dog smarter and healthier. Feed much larger amounts and your dog will probably slow down mentally and age at a faster rate.
Here are my sardine recommendations for adult dogs. Feed twice this much to puppies and pregnant or lactating females.
Dog’s 3.75-oz can
Weight sardines
5 lbs 1/4 can per week
15 lbs 1/2 can per week
25 lbs 5/8 can per week
50 lbs 1 can per week
100 lbs 1 3/4 cans per week
A 3.75-ounce can of sardines has about 200 calories, so reduce the amount of dry food given on “sardine days” accordingly. Rule of thumb: One can of sardines in water has about the same number of calories as ½ cup of most dog foods.
You can substitute canned wild Alaska pink salmon (the bones are edible), oysters (a great source of zinc, especially important for pregnant and lactating females), and other fresh, frozen, or canned wild ocean fish for sardines. Pacific oysters are probably better than Gulf of Mexico oysters, especially after the BP oil spill in 2010, and safer than canned oysters from China. Never feed raw salmon or trout, especially Pacific salmon, because it may contain a bacterium that can kill dogs.
Further Considerations While Buying Dog Food
The following are a few more things to think about if you feed dry foods to your dog. Some of the bullet points will help you select healthier, fresher foods for your dog; some will help you keep that food in the best possible condition until your dog has eaten it all. The final point is a warning about supplemental fish oil.
– Determining produced-on date. A few pet food makers include both a “produced-on” date and a “best by” date on their products; that’s ideal. Most, however, just use a “best by” date as part of the date/code on the label.
To determine how fresh a food is you need to calculate the produced-on date. Ask the manufacturer (almost all of them have toll-free numbers) what the shelf life is for the product you’re curious about. Most dry foods are given 12-month shelf lives, but some foods are given 18 months.
If a food has a best-by date of December 2013, and the manufacturer gives the food a 12-month shelf life, the food was produced December 2012.
– Freshest! For the freshest foods, buy chicken-based foods from retailers who sell lots of that food and get frequent deliveries, and who always rotate. Some imported exotic meats may only be imported once a year, so even freshly made exotic foods may use one-year-old meats.
– Natural or synthetic preservatives? Preservatives are used in dry dog foods to slow down the oxidation of the fats. Natural preservatives such as mixed tocopherols are considered to be less harmful for dogs than artificial preservatives, but they do not prevent oxidation (rancidity) for as long as artificial preservatives do.
If you’re planning on keeping a food toward the latter half of its “best by” date, your dog may be better off with a food that is preserved with a synthetic antioxidant such as ethoxyquin. Personally, I think the dangers of rancid fats are greater than the problems posed by synthetic antioxidants.
– Buying foods in foil bags. Typical paper / plastic dog food bags provide excellent moisture and insect barriers, but are only moderate oxygen barriers. Foil bags provide excellent moisture, insect, and oxygen barriers and are best for long-term preservation of nutrients.
Foil bags are expensive and may have much larger environmental impacts than typical bags. I suggest buying foods in foil bags only when you need to store unopened bags of food for long times. If you follow the guidelines above, the extra protection and cost of foil bags won’t be necessary.
– Food with the longest shelf-life. If you want to stock your summer cabin with unopened bags of dog food for a year, low-fat beef foods without fish oils preserved with ethoxyquin and packaged in foil bags will give the longest shelf life. Beef and bison meats contain fewer polyunsaturated fats than do chicken and turkey foods, and therefore they usually have longer shelf lives.
– Trust your nose – and your dog’s nose. The most sensitive tests for rancid fats are trained human and canine noses. If the food doesn’t smell right to either of you, don’t feed it.
– Storing food. Freezing is the best way to preserve pet food, but it’s not only impractical for most of us, but also unnecessary when following the freshness guidelines (on the facing page). Store in dry, cool locations. If using a food container, keep the food in its original bag and place the bag in the container.
– Special caution. At dog shows I’ve seen gallon-sized, clear, plastic jugs of fish oil offered for sale. The price per serving might be appealing if you have a lot of large dogs, but these containers scare me. The lightweight plastic provides little barrier to air and transmits light, which causes photo-oxidation. Unless you know the manufacturer and the freshness of the fish oil, and have enough dogs to use the oil very quickly, avoid these products. Remember, no DHA is better than rancid DHA.
Manufacturers, Please Challenge Me
What can the consumer expect is in the food when it’s fed? The state-of-the-art in packaging, natural antioxidants and the stability of forms of DHA keep improving (for example, algal meal provides DHA in more stable forms), but I have yet to see real-world data on the stability of dry foods with fish oils or DHA added.
Accelerated stability tests provide some information, but are not sufficient for me to change my recommendations. Real-world, long-term tests are essential because changes in temperature and physical jostling during distribution add stress to the fats, and mixed tocopherol preservation systems may not be effective under stressful conditions. The best data will include palatability tests as well as chemical tests. Dogs are more sensitive to rancidity than peroxide value and free fatty acids tests.
Steve Brown is a dog food formulator, researcher, and author on canine nutrition. In the 1990s he developed one of the leading low-calorie training treats, Charlee Bear® Dog Treats, as well as the first AAFCO-compliant raw dog food. Since 2003 he has focused on research and education. He is the author of two books on canine nutrition (See Spot Live Longer, now in its 8th printing, and Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet (Dogwise Publishing, 2010); and a 40-page booklet, See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way. He is also a formulation consultant to several pet food companies.
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Click Here to Sign In | Forgot your password? | Activate Web AccessWhat do you do when you hear “that” sound?
“Urp. Urp. Urp.” You know, the sound that tells you your dog is just about to vomit. It sure gets your attention. And calls for action. But do you take it?
If he’s somewhere like the middle of your bed, carpet, or sofa, and he’s just about to vomit, do you grab him and carry him to a less-padded spot, or in the case of bigger dogs, shove him off? Or do you feel sorry for him, allow him to finish, and clean up the mess?
I found myself wondering what other dog owners would do the other day, when little Tito suddenly started urp, urp, urping while sitting in the middle of my guestroom’s bed, as I worked on the computer on the desk. I jumped up, but then I did feel sorry for him, and allowed him to finish. It meant putting the comforter – and because I pulled the comforter off the bed as soon as he was finished, the sheets and mattress pad, too – casualties of the second vomit, a few minutes later — in the washing machine. And I asked myself, how many people would have grabbed the 10-pound dog and run for the back door, or even kitchen (vinyl floor), where the cleanup would have taken a minute, instead of more than an hour?
Maybe the action taken depends on the size of the animal, and what he’s been fed. I probably wouldn’t have allowed 70-pound Otto to vomit on the bed.
Dog owners? Is something wrong with me?
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Click Here to Sign In | Forgot your password? | Activate Web AccessCelebrate with These Thanksgiving Recipes for Dogs!
Thanksgiving is a time when families gather together to enjoy good food and to remember all the things we have to be grateful for. Unfortunately, one part of our family often gets left out – our dogs! It must be frustrating for them to smell all the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen, but not be able to share in the feast. We’re here to relieve that vexing situation with recipes for some healthy Thanksgiving dishes just for them.
Below are recipes you can use to give your dogs a special treat on this wonderful holiday, or to use up leftovers afterwards. Note these recipes are fine to feed occasionally, but they are not a complete diet.
One serving of each of the three recipes together, or three servings of either of the first two recipes alone, would provide a complete meal for a dog weighing about 25 pounds. One serving of any of the three recipes individually could be used to supplement the same dog’s regular diet (reduce the amount you usually feed by one-third to account for the extra calories). All recipes are low in fat, and leftovers can be frozen for later use.
Why Shouldn’t Our Dogs Just Share Our Dinner?
We are warned over and over again that sharing human food with dogs can be dangerous. That’s true if you’re sharing fatty foods or scraps, such as turkey skin or pan drippings, cheese, bacon, or butter. Too much fat can lead to pancreatitis, particularly in dogs accustomed to eating a low-fat commercial diet. Sugary treats such as pumpkin pie are also not a good idea, since they may cause tummy upset, as well as providing unneeded calories that contribute to obesity. Cooked bones can perforate the esophagus, stomach, or intestines and cause impactions, and should never be fed to dogs.In addition to these foods, certain ingredients can also cause problems for dogs, including:
–Xylitol, used as a sugar substitute in some baked goods, sugar-free gum, candy, and toothpaste, can cause life-threatening hypoglycemia in dogs, even in small amounts – as little as five sticks of sugar-free gum can sicken a 44-pound dog.
–Macadamia nuts can cause paralysis; fortunately this resolves within about 24 hours.
–Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs.
–Onions cause a form of anemia and should not be fed (very small amounts in leftovers would be okay).
–Garlic is similar but much less potent, so small amounts can be used for flavoring.
–Nutmeg and sage are safe in very small amounts, but too much can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression or excitement.
–Chocolate, coffee, and caffeine are all dangerous for dogs (dark chocolate is more toxic than milk chocolate).Yeast dough can expand in the dog’s stomach causing pain and even rupture.
–Milk can cause stomach upset due to lactose intolerance (yogurt and cottage cheese are low in lactose and are good to feed).
Foods Okay To Share with Dogs
There are many foods that can be safely shared with dogs. As long as your dog doesn’t have a health problem that requires a special diet, there’s no reason you can’t feed a special meal on this holiday. Just be careful what you offer. Make good choices and limit amounts to help your dog enjoy the holiday without suffering from overindulgence afterward.Some foods, such as turkey meat (without the skin) can be shared without needing any special preparation, but other dishes may require changes to make them appropriate for dogs. Set aside a portion during preparation, before adding butter, cheese, sugar, onions, or other high-fat and high-calorie ingredients, to make servings appropriate for dogs.
Try putting food into a Kong or other hollow toy. Your dog will enjoy the challenge of removing his treat, and the task will keep your dog occupied while the rest of the family enjoys their dinner. Add plain yogurt and freeze ahead of time to make the treat last even longer.
Holiday Recipes for Dogs
Anyone who knows me well knows that I don’t cook, so when I was asked to create some Thanksgiving recipes for dogs, I panicked. Recipes? I’m the one who has argued against the use of recipes for homemade diets (I prefer diet guidelines so that the same food is not fed every day), and against the need to create special recipes for dogs using multiple ingredients and flavorings more suitable for human palates. While it’s hard for me to imagine, however, I realize that some people actually enjoy cooking, and may find it especially gratifying to prepare a special and healthy holiday treat for their dogs.
In desperation, I appealed to my friend Jill Petersen, of Kenmore, Washington, who not only volunteered to help me create the recipes, but also tried them out on her own dogs. Etta, her Norwich Terrier, was the first to volunteer for the “sniff and taste” test, and she gave an enthusiastic two paws up to all the dishes (her favorite was the giblets and rice dish).
My primary goals with these recipes were to ensure that they were each low in fat and included only ingredients that are good for dogs, so that the usual holiday warnings would not apply. It was harder than I expected; I was surprised at the amount of added fat in many dishes. I almost despaired of finding a low-fat, low-calorie pie crust; the low-fat versions substituted light Karo syrup for butter or oil, and there was no way I was going to tell people to feed that to their dogs! Once again, Jill saved the day with her oatmeal and applesauce crust.
Here are three Thanksgiving recipes for dogs brought to you by Whole Dog Journal:
Turkey and Vegetable Frittata for Dogs
Leftover turkey can be mixed with eggs and a variety of different vegetables to make a healthy meal for your dog.
Ingredients:
2 cups (10 oz.) cooked turkey meat (light or dark, no skin), cut into pieces
1 cup (5 oz.) steamed broccoli
1 cup (5 oz.) steamed cauliflower
4 eggs
1/4 cup plain, lowfat yogurt
Preparation:
Steam broccoli and cauliflower for 8 minutes or until tender, and cut into bite-sized pieces (other vegetables may be substituted; see suggestions below). Beat eggs and yogurt together. Mix turkey and vegetables together in a quiche or glass pie pan (spray first with vegetable or olive oil cooking spray to prevent sticking). Pour egg mixture on top and stir, making sure the meat and vegetables are coated with egg. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes (can also be cooked at 375 degrees on top shelf if preparing at the same time as the rice dish). Dish is ready when a fork inserted comes out clean. Makes 8 servings (3.5 oz. each).
Nutritional Analysis per Serving
100 calories, 15g protein, 3g fat, 3g carbohydrates.
Substitutions
Zucchini, spinach, asparagus, bell pepper, green beans, or sweet potato. Chicken instead of turkey.
Quick & Easy Version
Mix leftover turkey with egg, plain yogurt, vegetables, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes or canned pumpkin.
Rice, Apple & Giblet Stuffing
Broth from giblets gives brown rice an intoxicating flavor for dogs, and the addition of the giblets as well makes this dish suitable for a meal. This recipe can be made with a smaller amount of giblets (such as from a chicken) or a larger amount of rice when combined with other high-protein foods.
Ingredients:
Giblets from one turkey (liver, heart and gizzard, about 6.5 oz.)
1 cup brown rice (dry)
2 small apples, diced or cubed
2.5 cups of water
Preparation:
Combine water and giblets and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the giblets and let the water cool a bit. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with olive or vegetable oil cooking spray. Add brown rice and cooled water from the giblets and mix together well. Cover and bake at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Remove from oven; rice should be almost fully cooked with most of the water absorbed. Add chopped giblets and apples. Return to oven and bake for another 15 minutes uncovered. Makes 12 servings (1/2 cup each).
Nutritional Analysis per Serving
100 calories, 4.5g protein, 2.3g fat, 15.6g carbohydrates.
Optional extras if you want to share with your dog:
Dried cranberries, celery, parsley, thyme, poultry seasoning.
Quick & Easy Version
Mix giblets with cooked rice and/or vegetables.
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Pumpkin is good for dogs, but they don’t need the extra sugar and spices found in pumpkin pie mix. This recipe uses a low-fat, low-calorie crust suitable for dogs.
Ingredients:
16 oz. canned pumpkin (plain)
8 oz. plain, low-fat yogurt
3/4 cup wheat flour, or a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
3-4 tbsp. water
Preparation:
Mix oatmeal and flour together in a food processor. Add applesauce slowly, continuing to run processor. Add water slowly, using only enough to make a ball form (too much water will make the dough sticky). Spray wax paper and muffin tin with olive or vegetable oil cooking spray. Roll out dough onto wax paper and cut out 8 circles, about 4″ across (alternatively divide dough into eight small balls before rolling). Press individual dough circles into bottom and sides of muffin tin. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes. Let crusts cool, then remove from the muffin tin. Fill each crust with about 1/4 cup (2 oz.) of canned pumpkin. Top with a dollop of yogurt. Makes 8 mini pumpkin pies.
Nutritional Analysis per Pie
100 calories, 4g protein, 1g fat, 20g carbohydrates.
Optional Extras:
Cinnamon, ginger and honey can be mixed in or added on top if desired.
Quick & Easy Version:
Give a scoop of canned pumpkin with a spoonful of plain yogurt on top (crustless version is much lower in calories).
Healthy Substitutions for Dogs
| INSTEAD OF THIS: | FEED THIS: |
| Turkey skin or drippings | Turkey meat (skinless) |
| Fatty ham scraps | Lean ham meat |
| Cooked bones | Giblets (not too much at one time) |
| Gravy made from drippings | Low-fat gravy |
| Stuffing with onions | Stuffing without onions |
| Candied yams and marshmallows | Sweet potato or yams |
| Potatoes with butter and/or sour cream | Plain mashed potatoes |
| Cheese and sausage | Celery or carrot sticks |
| Green bean casserole with onions | Green beans |
| Broccoli casserole with cheese | Broccoli |
| Brussels sprouts with bacon | Brussels sprouts with a few bacon bits |
| Pearl onions | Creamed corn |
| Applesauce with added sugar | Unsweetened applesauce |
| Grapes or raisins | Blueberries and dried cranberries |
| Apple pie | Apple slices |
| Berry pie | Berries |
| Pumpkin pie | Canned pumpkin |
| Nutmeg | Cinnamon |
| Whipped cream | Yogurt (plain) |
| Alcohol | Water flavored with low-fat gravy |
Author Mary Straus would like to extend special thanks to Jill and her taste testers: Etta, Raisin’ (a 15-year-old Cairn Terrier), and Chip, a 12-year-old Norwich Terrier).
Senior Supplements for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), also called cognitive dysfunction syndrome, is comparable to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction may show signs such as confusion, disorientation, anxiety, irritability, apathy, reduced interaction, house soiling, forgetfulness, and aimless wandering or pacing, especially at night. CCD can rob a dog of quality of life, and make living with an old dog difficult.
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Anipryl (selegiline, l-deprenyl) is the only medication approved for use in dogs to treat CCD. It is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), which can cause negative side effects and is unsafe to combine with a number of other drugs, including antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Reconcile, Prozac) and clomipramine (Clomicalm); amitraz (Certifect, Preventic collar); and dl-phenylalanine (DLPA), used to treat chronic pain. There is evidence that it provides some benefit for dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction, but it is not a cure.
In the last few years, several companies have introduced supplements designed to help dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction. While the scientific evidence presented for each is limited and often weak (many studies are not placebo-controlled or double-blinded, most are sponsored by the manufacturer, and results are not always statistically significant), studies and anecdotal reports indicate that these supplements can help many dogs.
Newest to the market
Neutricks, from Quincy Animal Health, was released in November 2010. It contains a calcium-binding protein called apoaequorin, derived from jellyfish. The parent company, Quincy Bioscience, markets a comparable product for humans called Prevagen.
The company commissioned a couple of small studies to be conducted by CanCog Technologies on senior laboratory dogs that appear to demonstrate improvement in learning and memory when compared to controls and to those given Anipryl. Gary Landsberg, DVM, Dipl. ACVB, Dipl. ECVBM-CA, a veterinary behaviorist and adjunct professor at Ontario Veterinary College in Canada who is also director of scientific affairs for CanCog, feels the product has demonstrated effectiveness.
Dog owners who participated in a 30-day trial reported an overall improvement of 24 percent, primarily in sleep, disorientation, and especially housetraining, with less improvement in interaction, disposition, and pain. Very few side effects are reported, and the supplement has no known interactions with other medications. Improvement is commonly noticed within a few days of starting the supplement.
Neutricks is widely available online. The suggested retail price is $60 for 60 tablets, with one-third off when you buy multiple bottles. Recommended daily dosage is 1 tablet for dogs under 40 pounds, 2 tablets for dogs weighing 41-80 pounds, and 3 tablets for dogs over 80 pounds. I found it discounted to as low as $25.60 for 60 tablets at Amazon.com, where 26 of 29 people gave it 4 or 5 stars in their reviews.
Not The Same-O
S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe, pronounced “sammy”) is a supplement that has been around for a long time, but has only recently been used to treat CCD as well as dementia in humans.
Novifit was developed by Virbac Animal Health and tested on client-owned dogs. A favorable response was seen after one month and increased in the second month. After both 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, there was a 44 percent reduction in problem behaviors (compared to 24 percent in placebo-treated dogs), including significant improvement in activity, playfulness, less housesoiling, and awareness. There was moderate improvement in sleep problems, disorientation, and confusion, though no benefit was demonstrated for anxiety. CanCog also performed studies showing improvement in cognitive processes, such as attention and problem solving in laboratory dogs.
Novifit is packaged in foil blister packs to protect it from moisture, which is important with SAMe. It is available in three sizes, with 100, 200, and 400 milligrams per tablet. The company recommends giving the following dosage once a day: 100 mg to dogs weighing up to 22 pounds, 200 mg to dogs weighing 22.1 to 44 pounds, 400 mg to dogs weighing 44.1 to 88 pounds, and 800 mg to dogs weighing over 88 pounds.
SAMe can also help with liver disease, arthritis, and depression. Nutramax markets it as Denosyl, used for liver support, or you can buy SAMe made for humans. It’s absorbed faster when given on an empty stomach, but concentrations are maintained longer if SAMe is given with a meal, according to Virbac. Minimal side effects are reported, and SAMe is considered safe to use and to combine with other treatments.
Note that, while it is rarely mentioned, SAMe requires certain B vitamins to produce full benefits. It may be best to give a B-complex supplement daily when using SAMe.
Combination Approach
Another nutraceutical that has been talked about for some time is phosphatidylserine (PS), a phospholipid that may improve learning and memory. Most PS is derived from soy lecithin, though a few supplements use other sources, such as sunflower lecithin. The percentage of PS in lecithin is low, so lecithin alone will not provide therapeutic doses.
Ceva Animal Health introduced Senilife, which contains PS along with ginkgo biloba, vitamin E, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and resveratrol (grape skin extract), in 2008. The company says that its own studies show that Senilife produced significant improvement in sleeping problems, playful behavior, apathy, response to commands, and disorientation, with improvements starting within 7 days and increasing over 30 days. CanCog performed one study on Senilife that showed improved short-term memory that may persist for at least 70 days after the supplement was discontinued, indicating potential long-term benefits.
Senilife is available in two sizes, for dogs up to and over 50 pounds. This product has been on backorder, but I spoke with a company representative who said Senilife should be available by the time you see this.
Plan B
Choline, usually grouped with the B vitamins, has been shown to be effective in treating cognitive disorders and seizures in both humans and pets. It is involved in the same chemical processes as SAMe. Choline is a component of phosphatidylcholine, another phospholipid found in lecithin. Most homemade diets I’ve analyzed have been short on choline, which is often omitted from multivitamin and mineral supplements. The National Research Council recommends about 100 mg of choline daily for a 5-pound dog, 500 mg for a dog weighing 40 pounds, and 1,000 mg for dogs weighing 100 pounds. The best food sources I’ve found are eggs (126 mg choline per large egg) and liver, particularly beef liver (more than 100 mg per ounce).
Cholodin, a product of MVP Laboratories, provides choline, phosphatidylcholine, methionine, inositol, B vitamins, selenium, vitamin E, and zinc. One small study conducted by Shawn Messonnier, DVM, showed that 9 of 15 client-owned dogs had moderate to significant improvement in clinical signs of CCD after receiving Cholodin.
Other supplements that may help with CCD include DHA (omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil), acetyl-l-carnitine, and antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E (also found in fresh fruits and vegetables), selenium, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetyl cysteine, and resveratrol.All of these supplements should produce improvement within a few days to a month. If you don’t see any changes by that time, it’s unlikely that giving them longer will help.
Keep in mind that some studies have shown that older dogs do best when given behavioral enrichment along with nutritional supplements. The two together work better than either does by itself. Enrichment may include exercise such as walks, learning a new trick or other types of training, puzzle toys, or anything else that engages your dog’s mind. Even dogs with little mobility can enjoy games such as scent discrimination.
Mary Straus is the owner of DogAware.com. She and her Norwich Terrier, Ella, live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Stay Happy
It’s 6 a.m., and barely beginning to get light outside. I trudge to the barn with Bonnie at my side to join my husband Paul, who has already started barn chores with the rest of the dogs. On the way, I stop to pick up empty feed pans from the horses, who have finished their morning grain. I cue Bonnie to sit, and stay, so my energetic dark-colored dog doesn’t disappear into the blackness. I enter the pasture, pick up the pans, and just as I move back toward the gate, I see Bonnie’s ears prick and eyes light up in excited anticipation as she looks to my left.
“Stay!” I remind her, as I follow her gaze just in time to see Dorothy, the neighbor’s mostly-white calico cat fade into the brush. Thankfully, Bonnie stays, although she is quivering with excitement, and on the tips of her toes. I exit the pasture and return to Bonnie’s side, then give her an “Okay!” release cue, trusting that dog-savvy Dorothy has had ample time to find a safe perch in the woods. Bonnie dashes into the brush on her happy but fruitless cat-quest. She returns a few moments later when I call her back, grinning from ear-to-ear. We just “Premacked” Bonnie’s “stay.”
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The cue “Stay,” in my world, means “Stay in the exact position I left you in until I release you,” as opposed to “Wait,” which simply means “Pause.” I tell my dogs to “Wait” when I go out the door, because they are free to move around as soon as the door closes. I use “Stay” when I really do need my dogs to be solidly, reliably parked in one spot for a length of time. I don’t use it nearly as much as I did when I was actively competing in obedience and rally, but it still comes in handy at times.
Old Way/New Way
When coercion training was the only game in town, we used to teach stays by telling the dog to sit and stay, marching to the end of the leash, and turning around to glare sternly at the dog, as if daring her to move. If she did, we scuttled back in, leash in hand, and delivered a resounding “correction” (i.e. punishment) for the transgression by yanking, hard, on the dog’s choke collar. It was not uncommon to see dogs cringing in fear as their owners rushed back to them, or jumping up and running off across the training ring in an attempt to avoid the impending punishment.
Of course, the enlightened positive reinforcement-based trainer of today wouldn’t dream of using this method. The last thing we want to do is cause our dogs to be fearful and run from us. Rather than punishing the dog for moving, we reinforce her for staying. It’s as simple as that.
There are lots of different ways to reinforce a stay behavior. In Bonnie’s case above, I used the “Premack Principle,” which says you can use a higher probability/value behavior to reinforce a lower probability/value behavior. I reinforced her for staying (the not-so-fun behavior) by giving her permission to chase the cat (the more-fun behavior).
Of course, Bonnie already knew what stay meant, because I had trained her to stay in a less distracting environment – the safe and quiet confines of the training center. Without corrections; we train the stay behavior with clicker and treats, starting with a stay of very short duration – a second or two, and gradually shaping for longer and longer stays. Here’s how:
Teaching the Stay
While your dog is in a “sit” or “down,” say “Stay” and hold up a treat for one second. If he stays in place, click your clicker or say “Yes!” and feed him the treat. At first, hold the treat right in front of his nose, if necessary, to keep him in place. If he gets up, say “Oops!” in a cheerful voice, whisk the treat behind your back, and ask him to sit again.
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Repeat this step until he realizes that getting up makes the treat disappear. Very gradually extend the length of time you ask for the stay, just a second or two longer every half-dozen successful repetitions. As he gets the idea, start taking the treat away from his nose so he’s holding the stay without the lure.
Always use a release word to end the stay. This will help your dog understand that the stay isn’t over until you release him. I suggest you return to him and pause for varying amounts of time before you give the release so he understands that he doesn’t get up just because you returned, but that he actually has to wait for you to give him the cue. If you release him immediately every time you return, he’ll think your return is the release cue.
The word “Okay” is often used as a release cue (I use it!), but is sometimes not recommended because of its common use in conversation. Perhaps you have your dog on a down-stay at the beach and you turn to your spouse and say, “Okay, let’s go to the movies tonight.” Whoops – there goes your dog! Other frequently used release cues include “free,” “free dog,” “all done,” “at ease,” “release,” “wheee!” You can, of course, use any word or words you want; they have no meaning to your dog until you give them meaning by associating them with the release.
When releasing your dog from the stay, get excited, encourage him to get up, and praise him when he does. It’s important that he actually gets up when you give the release – so you know he understands the stay is over.
Many roads to Rome
Like all good positively trained behaviors, there are a variety of ways to go about teaching “stay.”
Jessica Miller, one of the PMCTs (Pat Miller Certified Trainers) at Peaceable Paws, likes to use a mat to help a dog stay in place. She says, “I like to start teaching stay as a mat behavior first. Once the dog has a good ‘go to mat’ and gets reinforced for being on the mat a lot (for duration), I then begin to add the ‘stay’ cue as a sort of ‘mat for duration.’ The good thing about this is that once you’ve reinforced being on the mat a lot most dogs don’t want to get up. I then begin working on generalizing it to other areas/surfaces. They get the picture pretty quickly.
“This worked wonderfully for my start-line stay in agility and for group long stays in obedience competition. I started with the mat in both venues (because they were specific situations in which I wanted a solid stay) and then after about two sessions I took the mat away and the stay remained. If the behavior starts to deteriorate, bring the mat back for a few attempts. You could ‘fade’ the mat (use a smaller and smaller piece until it’s gone), but I’ve never had to. Once the mat was gone the cue and behavior remained pretty solid.”
C.C. Casale, a PMCT with her own training business, South Paw Pet Care, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, goes high-tech to reinforce her dogs’ stays.
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“I like to use the Manners Minder Remote Reward Training System to teach stay. In this instance it works much like a clicker, since it can be set to make a beep sound before dispensing, so the dog receives a positive alert that he is doing the right thing and a reward is on its way!
“This creates further incentive, which tends to speed up the process of moving toward and working on ‘stay for duration.’ I set the machine to manual so I (and my clients) can use the hand held remote control to dispense treats based on the schedule of reinforcement we have chosen for that session and moment.“We first work on prolonged stays with no distance between the dog and trainer. Then we increase the distance based on the rate of success and reward the dog for longer and longer stays. The machine allows us to dispense a single treat or several, so we ending training sessions on a high note by ‘jackpotting’ with several treats for meeting whichever criteria we have set for that session. It’s pretty fun to see dogs (especially high-energy ones) get excited about staying in place.
“This method has worked well for me. As an added benefit, the familiarity the dog and client get with the Manners Minder then translates to using the tool for other training behaviors like ‘go to your place.’ ”
Bob Ryder, PMCT, CPDT-KA, of Pawsative Transformations in Normal, Illinois, uses arcs, tethers, and exercise to increase his success with stays.
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“I keep it pretty simple, starting with a super high rate of reinforcement for a sit or down stay (whichever comes more naturally for the dog), and moving in small arcs around the dog. I might use a tether briefly if necessary. I increase distance in half-step increments making the arcs into portions of concentric circles. Once the dog is solid at that level, I begin moving away in direct lines as I finish each arc, returning each time to reward from up close. First I’ll back away while facing the dog. Then I’ll work at a shorter distance again, now moving away from the dog and facing 90 degrees away. When that’s solid, I work at a short distance again and retreat from the dog facing 180 degrees away.
“For young and energetic dogs, we work after some exercise. It makes a big difference!”
Way to relax!
A number of trainers use the Karen Overall Protocol for Relaxation (PFR) as a tool to teach dogs to stay on cue. Although designed to help anxious dogs learn how to relax, the PFR is a perfect tool for teaching stays, as it breaks the behavior down into very small increments (see “Karen Overall’s Protocol for Relaxation,” next page). Sean Howard, PMCT, of Up With Pup, in Toronto, Canada, and Elizabeth Adamec, of Sweet Wag, in Boston, Massachusetts, both like to take advantage of the specificity of the PFR. Adamec says, “I have most of my clients work on Overall’s Protocol for Relaxation starting week one, twice a day. I tell them, now is your chance to talk at your dog non-stop. Say ‘Stay’ all you want, it doesn’t matter. Think of it as doggy yoga. It’s about being calm and understanding and not caring if they mess up. Use your Yogi voice. I tell them to try to sound like a new-age DVD on how to be peaceful. Then when we are ready to do stays a few weeks later the dogs are all primed up.
“It works like a dream. Takes the pressure off the client to be perfect at first, and that takes the pressure off the dog. I started doing it this way after I noticed that my private clients with crazy dogs did the best on their stays. It’s because all of the work they’ve been doing with the PFR twice a day.”
Howard adds, “I use Karen Overall’s PFR with great success to build to an extended series of stays in a variety of stimulating scenarios; my favorites are having a client walk to the door to have a conversation, open their dog’s food bin, and so on.”
So, for the sake of your neighbor’s cat, the squirrels in your yard, your dog’s safety and your own peace of mind, it’s worth investing the time and energy into teaching your dog a good, reliable stay behavior. For the sake of your relationship with your dog, choose one of the modern, positive, fun methods described here to teach it, so your dog will happily stay without the need for stern gazes and threats of punishment.
Thanks to Shagay Anselment of The Canine Connection, Chico, CA, for demonstrating some of the techniques in this article. See “Resources,” for contact information.
Plant Oils for Dogs
There are many different types of plant oils that people use to supplement their dogs’ diets, including oils from flaxseed, olives, coconut, vegetables, hempseed, and more. Some of these oils can provide benefits, but others are not helpful and may even contribute to inflammation.
Plant oils provide primarily polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Fish oil is also mostly PUFAs. Some plant oils, such as olive oil, provide monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Coconut oil is an exception, as it is made up of saturated fats, which is why coconut oil is solid at room temperature (though it becomes liquid at 76 degrees Fahrenheit).
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are considered essential for dogs: they must be provided in the diet. The ratio between the two types is important, but recommendations for the “ideal” ratio vary. In the past, the recommended ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 has been as high as 20:1, but current guidelines generally range between 10:1 and 5:1, and sometimes even lower.
Omega-6 fatty acids are fairly stable, surviving storage without becoming rancid. Most diets, both commercial and homemade, contain ample omega-6 fatty acids, and there is rarely any need to add more. The exception is homemade diets that contain little poultry fat.
Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly those found in fish oil, are fragile and break down easily when exposed to light, heat, and air. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids are usually lacking in most diets, even commercial diets with added omega-3 fatty acids, since they are not likely to survive packaging and storage.
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Cold-pressed, unrefined oils are healthier than those subjected to heat processing and refinement, which destroy antioxidants and other beneficial properties. Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils should never be fed.
Symptoms of fatty acid deficiency may include a dull, dry coat and skin, excessive shedding, seborrhea, and itching. These can also be signs of a fat imbalance, however. Different types of fatty acids compete for uptake within the body, so giving too much of one type can lead to deficiencies of another, even if adequate amounts are included in the diet.
BENEFITS: There are different types of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, some of which are more beneficial than others.
Most vegetable oils, such as corn oil and soybean oil, are high in linoleic acid (LA), the most common and plentiful omega-6 essential fatty acid. Significant amounts of LA are also found in poultry fat, but not in red meat.
Too much LA can contribute to inflammation, making conditions such as allergies and arthritis worse, so unless you feed a homemade diet that does not include poultry, you should not need to add LA to your dog’s diet.
Linoleic acid is converted in the body to other omega-6 fatty acids, including gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a preferred form that is anti-inflammatory. Poor diet or certain health problems can interfere with this conversion, so supplementation with oils containing GLA can be beneficial for some dogs, including those with allergies, autoimmune disease, and seborrhea. Good sources of GLA include borage oil, evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, and, to some extent, hempseed oil or ground hempseed, all of which also contain LA and other fats. A little GLA goes a long way, so these oils are often available in gelcap form or as part of oil blends.
Flaxseed oil is predominately alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that must be converted inside the body to EPA and DHA (the fatty acids found in fish) in order to be utilized. Dogs can’t do this conversion very well, so flaxseed oil provides limited benefits for most dogs, although it may help with dull, dry coat in some dogs. ALA can also be provided from ground flaxseed. Both ground flaxseed and flaxseed oil should be refrigerated in dark containers and used within a short period of time, maybe a month or two. Whole seeds will keep longer and are best if ground fresh daily or every few days.
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Olive oil provides primarily oleic acid, an omega-9 non-essential MUFA. Pumpkin seed oil also has relatively high levels of oleic acid, and certain vegetable oils, such as safflower and sunflower oil, are available in “high oleic” versions (all of these also provide LA). Oleic acid has been shown to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease in people, but dogs don’t have the same type of problems with cholesterol that people do, so benefits are likely to be less. Be sure to use only unrefined “virgin” oils, which preserve antioxidant compounds and plant phenols that may be the most important parts.
Coconut oil, unlike other plant oils, is a highly saturated fat. Some of the saturated fat in coconut oil is in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which may provide many of its benefits. MCTs are more easily digested than other fats and can be used to supply fat and calories, and to help prevent deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins, for dogs with fat intolerance.
Proponents claim a host of benefits from coconut oil, including reducing inflammation, improving digestion, reducing the risk of cancer, and preventing and treating infection. Use only virgin, unrefined coconut oil, preferably in glass bottles. Coconut oil should be white when solid and clear when liquid. (See “Crazy About Coconut Oil,” WDJ October 2005.)
CAUTIONS: Only fresh oils should be used; never feed oils that smell rancid or “off.” All oils are fats and provide about 40 calories per teaspoon, so amounts should be limited, particularly in overweight dogs and those already eating a high-fat diet. Too much fat can cause digestive upset and may even lead to pancreatitis in susceptible dogs. When adding oils, always start with small amounts and increase gradually. If you see any negative reaction, such as digestive upset, decreased appetite, or lethargy, stop the supplement.
Adding PUFAs to the diet increases the need for vitamin E, which helps to prevent oxidation within the body as well as without. Just 10 IUs of vitamin E should be enough to balance one teaspoon or 5 grams of oil. Many oil supplements contain vitamin E, but check the label to be sure. Vitamin E supplementation is especially important in homemade diets, where this vitamin is always low. High amounts of vitamin E are not necessary and may be counterproductive, so limit supplements to no more than 1 to 2 IUs per pound of body weight daily, or you can give higher amounts less often.
While grapes and raisins can cause kidney damage in dogs, no serious problems have been seen so far with grapeseed oil or extract, which are sometimes included in oil blends and other nutritional supplements. Grapeseed oil is predominantly LA. Grapeseed extract is a good source of antioxidants, but the oil is not. No plant oil can replace the need for fish oil (or fatty fish) in the diet.
DOSAGE: Because they add fat and calories, plant oils should be given in limited amounts, such as one to two teaspoons daily for a large dog, down to ¼ to ½ teaspoon for a toy breed. Coconut oil can be given in higher amounts, up to a maximum of one teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight daily, split into multiple servings.
For homemade diets that don’t include poultry fat, which is found in the skin and dark meat, add about 1 teaspoon of walnut, hempseed, corn, or soybean oil, or two teaspoons ground hempseed, per pound of meat and other animal products.
Oil supplements may need to be given for one to three months before any improvement is seen.
RECOMMENDED SOURCES: Many fatty acid or omega oil blends are predominately vegetable oils supplying linoleic acid. Look for individual oils or blends that provide more beneficial fatty acids instead. While many oil blends tout their “ideal balance” of omega fatty acids, remember that balance must also take diet into account, where linoleic acid is generally high. Here are a few examples of oil blends:
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– Vetri-Science Omega 3-6-9 (800-882-9993; vetriscience.com),a blend of borage seed, flaxseed, and fish oils.
– Ultra Oil Skin & Coat Supplement (317-845-7328; ultraoilforpets.com), a blend of hempseed, flaxseed, grape-seed, and fish oils.
– Udo’s Oil Blend and Pet
Essentials for Dogs (800-446-2110; florahealth.com), blends of flaxseed, sunflower, sesame, coconut, and evening primrose oils, along with other ingredients.
– Thorne Veterinary Omega PlusVET (800-228-1966; veterinary.thorne.com), a blend of fish and borage oils.
– NOW Foods Omega 3-6-9
(888-669-3663; nowfoods.com),a blend of flaxseed, evening primrose, canola, black currant,
and pumpkin seed oils.
Mary Straus is the owner of DogAware.com. She and her Norwich Terrier, Ella, live in the San Francisco Bay Area.