Many people think of chewing as “just a puppy thing” but the fact is, canines in the wild spend quite a bit of time every day chewing on bones, in order to extract every last calorie and mineral they need. Our dogs have a ready food supply, so they don’t have to spend every spare moment in pursuit of every last nutrient, but the chewing behavior is hard-wired in them, anyway. Encouraging the chewing habit by providing a steady supply of appropriate chew items can promote a dog’s mental and emotional health.
Chewing also helps keep the teeth and gums clean and strong, and encourages the flow of cleansing, antibacterial saliva through the dog’s mouth.
Pups who are given the private space and leisure time to chew on a raw, meaty bone or food-stuffed toys will quickly develop the habit of spending time by themselves, chewing contentedly – and are less likely to develop separation distress or anxiety.
When pups are raised from the earliest age with ample opportunity to chew on raw meaty bones, most learn to take their time and chew in a casual manner, without damaging their teeth or bolting down over-large bone fragments. There are always outliers, however – dogs who, despite being raised with a ready supply of raw meaty bones, chew so aggressively that they are in danger of breaking teeth or swallowing dangerous chunks of bone. (The behavior is far more common, though, in dogs who were denied the pleasure of bones early in life.) If your dog is an aggressive chewer or greedily bolts any fragment of bone he can break off, he should be given a safer alternative to bones, such as a food-stuffed rubber toy. This will allow him to experience the zoned-out bliss of chewing and licking bits of food out of a safe facsimile of his hereditary chew item.
From front to back: Incisors are the little teeth in the front of the dog’s mouth. Immediately behind these are the canine teeth (fangs); behind them are the premolars and then molars. Note how the dog’s premolars and molars are mostly peaked, not mostly flat like ours. Photo by Nancy Kerns
It’s funny: We share our homes with another species of animal, whose most dangerous feature is its teeth – and most of us know little or nothing about those teeth, other than the fact that we should probably be brushing them. It’s time to correct this situation.
First, some canine dental basics. Most animals (including humans) have teeth that reflect the diet they subsisted on as they evolved. Though we humans have a few mildly sharp teeth in the front of our mouths that we can use for tearing, most of our teeth are built for grinding plant-based foods so that we can better digest them. Conversely, most of the teeth in a dog’s mouth are built for tearing animal-based foods, with just a few teeth that crush their food before they swallow it.
Dogs’ teeth are not as sharp as cats’ teeth, but their teeth and jaws are much stronger. Their dental anatomy enables them to grab and kill prey animals that may be much larger than themselves, tear through thick hides, slice and pull flesh from bones, crack open small bones in order to consume the marrow inside, and gnaw on bigger bones to strip away and consume every bit of meat and connective tissue.
Most adult dogs have 42 teeth, though our genetic manipulation of the species has resulted in dogs with fewer or more. Reportedly, the gene that is responsible for hairlessness in the hairless breeds, such as the Chinese Crested, also modifies dentition, often leaving these breeds with fewer teeth. Doberman Pinschers often are missing molars.
Most adult dogs have six incisors (front teeth) on the top jaw and six on the bottom; two canine teeth (the largest “fangs”) on the top and two on the bottom; eight premolars on the top and eight on the bottom; and two molars on the top and three molars on the bottom.
The dog uses his front teeth – the smallest and most fragile teeth – for his most delicate operations. He uses these teeth to groom himself, pulling burrs and insects from his skin and coat. He also uses them when scraping edible tissue from the surface of bones. (This is likely the evolutionary basis for the behavior that many dogs engage in when they strip the “fuzz” off of tennis balls. Some dogs do this so persistently that they wear down the incisors if not prevented from access to tennis balls.)
While the term “canine teeth” is admittedly somewhat confusing (aren’t all the teeth in a dog’s mouth canine teeth?) the appellation is somewhat understandable when you realize that the dog’s “fangs” are the most distinguishing feature of his species. Whether it’s a Chihuahua or Great Dane, a dog’s canines are the ones that look most impressive when bared, and leave the deepest holes in a person they’ve bitten.
Few of us look far enough back in our dogs’ mouths to appreciate this, but dogs’ premolars and molars are far pointier than human molars. Many of us imagine that dogs are chewing and grinding their kibble much as we chew cereal, but in fact, dog premolars and molars can’t actually grind. Grinding requires an animal’s jaws to move sideways; think about how a cow or llama grinds its food, with extreme sideways jaw action. Dog jaws can’t move sideways! Instead, the dog’s strong jaws and large peaks on the premolars and molars are used to crush large chunks into smaller ones. Not much more physical processing of their food occurs in the dog’s mouth.
As much as dogs can be said to chew, most of the chewing action is provided by the premolars. The molars, located at the far back of the mouth – where the dog has the most jaw strength, like the base of a pair of pliers – are mostly used for extreme crunching.
Puppy Tooth Eruption
We can use the timing of the eruption of puppy teeth and adult teeth to help us estimate the age of a young dog, but after he’s about eight months old and has all his adult teeth, we have to use other clues to estimate his age, such as the amount of staining, wear, and accumulation of tartar on his teeth.
This pup still has her deciduous canines (the teeth people think of as “fangs”), and some of her deciduous incisors (front “baby” teeth). Some of her adult incisors are emerging, though. She’s probably between 3 and 4 months old. Photo by Nancy Kerns
Puppies are born without teeth. The “deciduous” or “puppy” teeth start emerging when pups are about 4 weeks old. First to arrive are the front teeth (incisors, six on top and six on bottom), which emerge when the pup is 4 to 6 weeks old; the canines (two on top and two on bottom) erupt when the pup is about 5 to 6 weeks old; and the premolars (six on top and six on bottom) erupt at about 6 weeks. There are no deciduous molars.
The deciduous teeth are incredibly sharp. It has been speculated that the sharpness of puppy teeth serves to further two important developmental processes: weaning and bite inhibition. Too-vigorous biting, during nursing or play, causes an abrupt end to the previously gratifying activity, teaching the pup, through trial and grievous error, to restrict the severity of his bite. (For more about the development of bite inhibition, see “A Light Bite: Teaching Bite Inhibition,” WDJ June 2010.)
Soon enough (although perhaps not soon enough for most puppy owners), the pin-sharp puppy teeth begin to fall out – or, rather, are pushed out by the eruption of the adult teeth. The puppy teeth are generally lost in the order in which they arrived; and the adult teeth erupt in the same order: first the incisors, then the canines, and then the premolars. There is more variation in the timing of the eruption of the adult teeth, a wider window through which they may first be glimpsed. The adult incisors generally erupt between 3 to 5 months; the canines usually appear between 4 to 6 months; and the premolars between 4 to 5 months. The molars emerge between 5 and 7 months.
Sometimes a single tooth or a few deciduous teeth fail to shed even as the adult teeth erupt, resulting in a crowded-looking mouth. When this happens, it’s best to have your veterinarian extract the unshed puppy teeth, to prevent them from allowing the adult teeth to develop in an improper position.
This entire process of tooth eruption, loss, and eruption, lasting for many months, keeps the puppy’s mouth in constant torment, and he has to chew on things to relieve the sensation – hard things, soft things, chewy things, gummy things, crunchy things, anything, and everything! Knowing this, the wise puppy owner makes certain that the pup has lots of “legal” chew toys, and toys in every category (hard, soft, gummy, chewy, crunchy, and everything in between). If you fail to be thorough in providing chew toys of all textures, he’ll be sure to explore anything that you don’t want him to have that provides that missing, novel chewing experience.
Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth: Yes, You Need To
Here’s what most dog owners really want to know about their dogs’ teeth: “Do I really have to brush them?”
Although veterinary dental specialists would prefer that all owners brush their dogs’ teeth, the fact is that some dogs need it more than others. Whether it’s due to their genes, diet, chewing habits, and/or the chemical composition of their saliva, some dogs go to their graves with clean, white teeth and healthy gums with absolutely no effort put forth by their owners. Others develop tartar (also known as calculus) at an alarming rate.
The accumulation of plaque (a “biofilm” on the teeth that contains bacteria) and tartar (a mineralized concretion of plaque) is not just unsightly, it’s unhealthy. Tartar buildup at and under the gum line enables the entrance and growth of bacteria under the gums. Most dogs who have bad breath also have gingivitis – swollen and inflamed gums, usually bright red or purple, and which bleed easily. Unchecked, these bacterial infections in the gums slowly destroy the ligament and bony structures that support the teeth (periodontitis). Because of the ample blood supply to the gums, infections in the mouth can also poison the dog systemically, potentially causing disease of the heart, kidneys, and/or liver.
If your dog’s teeth are free of plaque or tartar, and his gums are tight and free of any signs of inflammation, you are one of the lucky ones. If, however, his gums are noticeably more red at the gum line and he has any visible tartar buildup on his teeth, you need to have his teeth cleaned by a veterinarian and then maintain the health of his teeth and gums with regular brushing and veterinary cleaning.
This poor dog’s dental hygiene has been severely neglected. The thick layer of tartar on her teeth has led to severe gingivitis (note the swollen, purple gums). Her incisors are practically falling out, and she’s likely to feel chronically ill from the bacterial burden she’s bearing.
If you are one of the unlucky ones, and your dog’s teeth and gums need your intervention to stay healthy, how often do you really need to brush your dog’s teeth? Put it this way: the more you brush, the less frequently you’ll need to pay for a veterinary cleaning. Whether you would prefer to invest your time in patiently training your dog to enjoy having his teeth brushed or would prefer to invest in your veterinarian’s time is up to you!
A Few Dog Tooth Brushing Tips:
– Start out slow, and be patient. Don’t try to brush all of your dog’s teeth on the first day. Use a circular motion, gently scrubbing plaque away from the gum line. Reward your dog frequently and richly with treats and praise.
– The “brushes” that you wear on your fingertips don’t tend to work as well as brushes with softer bristles – and they make it much easier for your dog to accidently bite down on your finger. Look for very soft-bristled brushes with long handles, so you can make sure you reach the molars. For larger dogs, soft brushes meant for adult humans work fine; baby human toothbrushes work well for smaller dogs.
– If your dog will tolerate it (or you can positively and patiently teach him to accept it), electric toothbrushes work great! For some dogs, however, these whirring, vibrating brushes are a deal-breaker, no matter what kind of treats you offer.
– Use a toothpaste designed for dogs. They come in flavors that are meant to appeal to dogs (meaty, not minty) – and they are free of fluoride, which can be toxic to dogs. (Remember, dogs don’t know to spit the toothpaste out!) Look for products that contain antibacterial enzymes, which help discourage bacterial growth and resulting gingivitis.
– Dip the brush in water frequently as you brush, to help rinse the plaque away from your dog’s teeth, and to facilitate a thorough application of the antibacterial enzymes in the toothpaste.
Get to a Veterinarian
It can be painfully expensive, but the value of having your dog’s calculus-encrusted teeth cleaned at your veterinarian’s office is incalculable! The only way all of his teeth (even the molars) can be scrubbed completely of the tartar, above and below the gums, is under general anesthesia. This must be done at a veterinary clinic.
Whether due to the cost or the perceived risk of anesthesia, people want so much to believe that there is another way to get the dog’s teeth clean. Once a dog has a lot of tartar on his teeth, though, the only effective treatment is a professional cleaning under anesthesia. Once his teeth are clean, you can prevent the need for further veterinary cleaning only through scrupulous home care (brushing) – but you just can’t brush a tartar-encrusted mouth back to health. For one thing, you can’t (and shouldn’t try) to brush under the dog’s gums; this area is cleaned at the vet’s office with sterile instruments and with the use of a fine mist of water, which washes the bacteria out of the dog’s mouth. The ultrasonic (vibrating) tools available to the technician are also much faster and more accurate than any tool you would have access to.
What about “anesthesia-free” cleaning? Witnessing a veterinary cleaning, with the dog under anesthesia, is pretty much all you need to realize that no one is capable of doing what needs to be done to get a fully conscious dog’s teeth really clean. The most cooperative dog in the world just isn’t going to lie down on a table under necessarily super bright lights (so the technician can thoroughly examine the teeth for any signs of chips or painful fractures) and allow a vibrating, misting tool to be employed on his molars.
Further, in most states, it’s illegal for anyone to use a scaler on an animal’s teeth except under the supervision of a veterinarian. While there are many technicians and groomers who may be capable of removing some dental calculus from your dog’s teeth, only a veterinarian is qualified and equipped to recognize, diagnose, and treat any related (or unrelated) conditions the dog may have, such as fractured teeth or oral cancer. If his periodontal disease is advanced, x-rays will be needed to evaluate the supporting structures of the teeth.
Of course, in order to safely anesthetize your dog, your veterinarian will likely require a blood test in advance of the cleaning appointment, to evaluate your dog’s kidney and liver function. If his function is reduced, extra precautions and perhaps a different anesthetic protocol can be used.
Depending on your dog’s age and condition, your veterinarian may also administer intravenous fluids to your dog during the procedure, which can help regulate the dog’s blood pressure. The presence of an IV catheter and proper hydration levels also make it possible for a veterinarian to immediately administer life-saving medications in case of an adverse reaction to the anesthesia. In an emergency, the use of calcium, epinephrine, and/or atropine needs to occur as quickly as possible; having an IV in place makes this possible.
Finally, veterinarians can prescribe and dispense antibiotics to help your dog fight off any bacteria that was dislodged by the cleaning and absorbed into his bloodstream, as well as provide any sort of consultation or aftercare needed. The price tag of all of this can be large – and it can vary a lot from vet to vet, ranging from $400 to $1,400 (or even more if the dog requires tooth extractions).
After all this, you’ll probably be motivated to give that toothbrushing a try. Do it now, while you’re good and motivated; it could add years to your dog’s life.
Earlier this week, with no warning or context, I posted on WDJ’s Facebook page that I was visiting the Hill’s (Science Diet, Prescription Diet) research and development campus in Kansas, and would also be visiting two of its production facilities. I was excited! And up until almost the hour that I left for the airport, I had been finishing the April issue of WDJ – I hadn’t had a chance to post something to let you know in advance about my trip and the reasons for it. I was just so psyched to be there! Historically, Hill’s was a very private company, which limited communications with non-veterinarians. A new wave of management appears to be changing that policy.
The first reason for my visit: I’m working on an article about the research that some pet food companies do as part of their research and development as well as for nutritional adequacy and palatability testing. So, as part of the research for that article, I toured the facility where all the Hill’s cats, kittens, dogs, and cats live, and got to see how they are cared for and spend their time. Two years ago, I toured the equivalent facility, with equal access, for Procter & Gamble, to see where that company does all the research on its Iams and Eukanuba diets. About five years ago, I was able to tour the much smaller facility where Natura (not yet owned by P&G) tested its diets (for palatability and digestibility) on its own colony of dogs and cats, right next to its production facility in Nebraska. And I’ll be working to find out what other companies are conducting similar work, and how.
The second reason for my visit: I was invited, along with a number of other journalists and pet bloggers, to visit Hill’s R&D facility. Hill’s offered to pay for my flight, transportation, and lodging. My publisher’s policy, which we’ve never broken, is that we cannot accept any such sponsorship. I flew, drove, and stayed at a local hotel on Belvoir Media Group’s dime – though I did accept (as part of the group) two dinners and two lunches that were offered by Hill’s (and got to talk to Hill’s upper management, nutritionists, formulators, and veterinarians at each meal). Hill’s can confirm I was the last one sitting at the tables with the Hill’s staff at every meal 😉 For me, the meals were the perfect unstructured opportunity to really talk to these folks.
As you know, I’m not a fan of the type of ingredients that Hill’s uses, and that’s not going to change. But I had an opportunity to discuss – directly from the two people currently most responsible for what goes into the Hill’s diets – why they use what they use, and it was interesting. I’ll be sharing that information with you over time. Remarkably, both were familiar with WDJ’s food criticism, and both shared with me what their views were about my coverage of dog food. It was a very honest, highly productive, and useful discussion. I don’t think any of us changed our minds about anything, but we certainly understand each other’s opinions and motivations better and are respectful of those positions.
When the opportunity to see the Hill’s R&D facility was offered to me, I indicated that I would interested, but would only commit to the trip if I could also see one of Hill’s food production facilities. I’ve seen more than a dozen dog food plants now, but I’ve never seen one run by one of the corporate giants, dedicated to making only its diets, and I’ve yearned for that opportunity so I could compare what I’ve seen at smaller facilities and co-manufacturing facilities. I was aware that Hill’s had recently built a new dry food production facility in Emporia, Kansas, and knew that it was about an hour away from Topeka (where the R&D facility is located). The company readily agreed to the request. (A side note: I knew there were two other food production facilities in Emporia. One was recently sold, and its management is a bit up in the air. I tried to gain access to the other, a wet food co-packing plant I’ve wanted to see for a decade now, but was denied access.)
Once in Topeka, I was given a bundle of information about Hill’s and learned that Hill’s sole North American wet food production facility is located in Topeka – something I hadn’t been aware of. I’ve seen far fewer canning facilities than dry food production facilities and REALLY wanted to see Hill’s canned plant. On Tuesday morning, I asked whether I could add also see that facility – and the company agreed.
Now that I’ve seen those facilities, I can (and will) report on the differences I’ve observed about these high-volume plants that are dedicated to one company’s products. They were pretty impressive — though, again, I’m not a huge fan of some of the ingredients used in Hill’s diets – the cleanliness and quality control at these plants (even the 106-year-old wet food plant) exceeded anything I’ve seen before.
All in all, it was a highly educational trip, and I’ll be sharing everything I learned with you.
I recently wrote an article about canine dental health; it will appear in the April issue of WDJ. I discussed the need to examine your dog’s teeth on a regular basis, and to keep them clean and healthy. Tartar-encrusted teeth lead to gum infections which lead to systemic infections that severely affect the heart, liver, and kidneys.
If you are lucky, your dog’s teeth stay white and healthy with absolutely no help from you at all; my previous dog, a Border Collie named Rupert, had perfect teeth throughout his lifetime with zero maintenance. In contrast was the long-haired Chihuahua Mokie, who used to be my sister Sue’s dog, stayed with me for four or five years, and has been living with my sister Pam for many years since then. He has to have his teeth cleaned at the vet’s every two or three years.
Writing the article inspired me to do what I’ve advised WDJ’s readers to do: to take the opportunity to thoroughly examine my dogs’ teeth.
Apparently, my luck ran out with Rupert. Otto is only about 4 ½ years old, but his teeth already have a little tartar on them. I need to start brushing his teeth; if I get right on it, I may be able to prevent the need for a professional cleaning for another year or so. I also looked at Tito’s teeth for the first time; he needs a cleaning ASAP, darn it. The first thing that popped into my head was the old line from the Pink Panther movie (Peter Sellars, not Steve Martin), “But it is not my dog!” But whether he’s our dog or not doesn’t matter: he’s living here indefinitely, and his teeth (like many Chihuahua and other tiny dogs with crowded mouths) are already (at age 5) very encrusted with tartar – to the point where his gums are inflamed. I’ll be calling around to price the procedure at various vets; this is one procedure where you will find a particularly wide range of prices.
The purity of your pet’s drinking water is a serious consideration. In his book Pet Allergies, Alfred Plechner lists contaminated drinking water as a common cause of health problems. The simple act of replacing tap water with distilled, bottled or filtered water can bring surprising, dramatic improvements.
Water is the only thing to which your pet should have unlimited access. Animals know when they’re thirsty and they should have free access to clean containers of pure, healthy water.
Municipal water contamination has become a national concern now that chemical pesticides, fertilizers, industrial solvents, road salt, bacteria, parasites and heavy metals have found their way into kitchen faucets. Whatever you can do to improve your drinking water is worth the effort. Your own health as well as your pet’s health will improve.
Excerpted from long-time Whole Dog Journal contributor CJ Puotinen’s incredible resource, The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care. This 500+ page volume is everything you need to know to ensure good health and long life for your dog.
I don’t know how this could have escaped my consciousness – probably because I don’t own a puppy – but I just learned that the veterinarians in my area (including several neighboring towns) routinely tell puppy owners not to take the puppy anywhere for the first six months. ANYWHERE, including puppy kindergarten classes, to friends’ homes, or for walks in their neighborhoods. Never mind the fact that so many dogs die as a result of being euthanized in shelters due to behavior problems traceable to a lack of training and socializing – let’s keep advising dog owners to carry on with the same practices that lead to those behavior problems, as long as we keep them safe from parvo and distemper. Argh!
Of course parvo and distemper and other communicable diseases are a threat to the health of every unvaccinated or not yet completely vaccinated puppy. But I’d bet my house that the number of dogs who are surrendered to shelters and euthanized in shelters far, far exceeds the number that die as a result of parvo, distemper, AND every other communicable disease.
It gets worse! When I blustered about this to a friend, she told me that this “keep the puppy at home until he’s had all his shots and is six months old” advice is repeated by the folks at the front counter at our local shelters, too – including the shelter where I volunteer. I’d think that shelter staffers who receive animals daily at a shelter would know better, what with owner after owner bringing adolescent dogs to the shelter for surrender while saying, ”He’s just gotten to be too much for us…He jumps up, he’s rough with the kids, he growls at strangers, he goes crazy when he sees another dog on leash…”
I’m not saying we should take every puppy everywhere. While we’re in the process of immunizing them against communicable disease in a series of repeated vaccinations, we have to show some discretion. Don’t take puppies to dog parks or trails where dozens of dogs are walked daily – but do take them to the homes of friends whose dogs are healthy and well cared-for. It can be difficult in cities where there are LOTS of dogs in every neighborhood (and peeing on every tree and hydrant), but try to find less-trafficked places to walk them. And above all, find a trainer who offers puppy socialization sessions and puppy training classes (and screens the participants for vaccinations and practices good sanitation) and enroll for as much as you can afford!
I’ll be rounding up every speck of literature that supports these recommendations and providing them in some form to first, my shelter staffers, and then the local vets. I’d be grateful for suggestions for any resources you’re aware of.
Everyone who knows me well knows my running gag about puppies. When I see an adorable roly poly irresistible puppy, I say scathingly, “Oh, a puppy. I hate puppies. Who likes puppies? Nobody.”
Of course, by the time my final line is delivered, I’m mauling the puppy affectionately. I actually love puppies. Who wouldn’t? The breath, the paws, the widdle noses?
But neither do I want one. Maybe ever. And a recent puppy-sitting stint, for all of two or three hours, stiffened my resolve. I promised my fellow shelter-volunteer and friend that I would care for her foster-pup, a four-month-old brother to the older, adolescent pup I’m fostering, while she ran some errands the other day — and I was exhausted by the time she came back. The foster pups are Cattle Dog-mixes, and the little one was super energetic and barky (the one I’m fostering is much more shy and withdrawn, i.e., quiet!). He barked at Tito, the growly Chihuahua; he barked at a Blue Jay, squawking outside; he barked at the microwave’s “finished” tone; he barked at Otto, who was as unamused as me. I kept offering him toys to chew – in order to fill that barky little mouth, but then the toy would roll under the couch and he’d bark at that.
He also wanted to chew everything in sight. My office is dog-friendly – but not puppy-proofed. I’ve got power cords, important mail, cardboard boxes full of products . . . just oodles of things I don’t want chewed, all over my office. The adult dogs are happy with chews and dog toys; puppies have to put their mouths on everything.
And then there is the potty-training anxiety. Does he have to go? Why did he just get up? Let’s go outside, everyone, even though we all just got settled down again. Let’s go outside and bark at the birds and not potty, because it turns out we’re in need of relief of boredom, not needing relief from a full bladder. How do you get anything done?
Puppies have their place, and of course, they grow into dogs and I love them. But I’m very happy with my adult dogs – and even the wild adolescents. My puppy days are well behind me.
How about you? Is your next dog going to be a puppy?
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I’ve been thinking about how, when it comes to our spare time, we all find different things to become involved with – different causes grab us for different reasons. Some people get into local, state, or national politics, due to strong feelings about abortion, or gay marriage, or the treatment of our soldiers. Some people volunteer with charitable groups after being affected by cancer, heart disease, diabetes, drug addiction. Even us dog people find widely disparate causes to occupy our spare time and dollars. I have one good friend who volunteers annually for animal rescue organizations in Asia; another who devoted years to a breed rescue; and still another whose mission in life is to shut down or improve conditions in puppy mills.
I’ve found myself being strongly affected by the plight of unwanted animals in my community, and wracking my brain to find ways to improve the dog adoption rate at my local shelter; that’s my cause. Of course, there are also plenty of “cat people” volunteering at the shelter. But even among the people who volunteer at my shelter and who share an interest in dogs in particular — we all get “grabbed” by different individual animals and their stories. One person is trying to improve the reputation of pit bulls in society and concentrates on training the pits and pit-mixes. Another person is drawn to the many Chihuahuas and Chihuahua-mixes, and has a knack for finding the unique traits that distinguish one tiny dog from the next.
This past week, I’ve been working closely with a friend, who, like me, has a soft spot in her heart for those “soft,” shy, or under-socialized Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, and cattle dog-mixes. The county animal control officers recently brought in a little family of three cattle dogs: a friendly and pettable (and pregnant) mom, a 4-month-old blue pup who wagged his tail at people but was otherwise untouchable, and a 9-month-old pup who is a ringer for the mama dog, but terrified of being near humans. And different dogs in this group of three grabbed the hearts of my friend and me. She was strongly attracted to the blue puppy from the start, and after spending hours at the shelter getting him to accept a collar and handling and veterinary attention (vaccination, deworming, flea treatment), she took him home for a week or two to teach him the ways of life in a human habitation. I brought the mom dog to my house for the long weekend, so she could recover from her spay surgery in comfort. But I’m totally itching to literally get my hands on the worst-case pup, who, without a major behavioral intervention, would surely be slated for euthanasia. Why? Why bother with that hard luck case and not this other one? I don’t know – but it’s fascinating to me.
There’s nothing like a good dog-pack hike to give our canine companions an opportunity to have fun with their peers and run themselves into a happy state of exhaustion – provided there are no bullies in the group. Just like human bullies on a school playground, canine bullies take the fun out of the game, put everyone on edge, and bring to the party a real risk of physical as well as psychological damage. A dog who is bullied, especially at a young age, can quickly develop a negative association with other dogs and become defensively aggressive as a result.
My love affair with group dog hikes goes back to my days working at the Marin Humane Society in California. Employees were allowed to bring dogs to work with them, and many a lunch hour found several of us hiking together. I don’t recall incidents of bullying from those days, perhaps because our dogs were well socialized from their “go-to-work” privileges, perhaps due to selective memory, or perhaps because of my blissful relative ignorance of canine behavior in those early days. But bullying is a very real possibility anytime a group of dogs gets together – at dog parks, daycare, at organized or impromptu play sessions, or when multiple dogs live together in the same household.
I recently invited all our Peaceable Paws trainers to come for a dog-pack hike on our 80-acre campus in conjunction with one of our occasional trainer meetings. We hike before our meetings so our four-legged pals are too tired to pester us while we plan future Peaceable Paws events and debrief past ones. As you might expect, the canine participants in this group were varied and enthusiastic, including a German Shepherd/Rottweiler-mix, an American Pit Bull Terrier, a pair of Dachshunds, a hound-mix, a Labrador Retriever, a Border Collie, a Miniature Pinscher, and two of my own dogs: Lucy the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and Missy the Australian Shepherd.
Much as I love a good group hike, I was dismayed when, throughout the hike, Lucy demonstrated a strong penchant for bullying Belle, the very soft, extremely appeasing Border Collie belonging to Peaceable Paws trainer Beth Joy.
Bullying – an inappropriate canine behavior – is often misidentified as “dominance.” Much has been said lately in the dog world about dominance, but the short version of the discussion is that, while dominance is a correct term for a very narrow selection of appropriate social behaviors, it is not a correct term for a wide range of inappropriate social behaviors that include bullying and aggression. (See “Alpha Schmalpha,” WDJ December 2011.)
Although the “bully” term isn’t found in most behavior literature, in her excellent book, Fight!, trainer and author Jean Donaldson defines bullying dogs – not to be confused with “Pit Bull-type dogs” – as those dogs for whom “roughness and harassment of non-consenting dogs is quite obviously reinforcing.” Like the human bully on the school playground, the bully dog gets a kick out of tormenting less-assertive members of his playgroup. Donaldson says, “They engage at it full tilt, with escalating frequency, and almost always direct it at designated target dogs.” Target dogs are most likely to be those who, like Belle, are non-assertive and quickly offer exaggerated appeasement signals. Appeasement signals are meant to cut off another dog’s overly assertive behavior, but with bullies, it just seems to egg on the bullying behavior.
Like all behavior, bullying is a combination of genetics and environment. A dog who becomes a bully is born with a genetic predisposition to be reinforced by another dog’s appeasing response to his socially overbearing behavior, just as a Border Collie finds it reinforcing to chase things that move, or a Lab is reinforced by holding things in his mouth.
If a pup or a young dog has an opportunity to test a bully behavior strategy on another pup or dog who offers a satisfyingly appeasing response, the behavior has been reinforced and the bully-to-be is more likely to attempt the behavior again, perhaps more forcefully (inappropriately) the next time. If, however, his early attempts at bullying are ignored, or squashed by a more assertive response from his intended targets, the bully behavior may never develop. Hence, bullying, like other undesirable behaviors, is easiest to modify early on, before the dog has a long and strong reinforcement history for the behavior.
Playing v. Bullying It can be difficult for some owners to differentiate between appropriate rough play and bullying. Some may think that perfectly acceptable play behavior is bullying because it involves growling, biting, and apparently pinning the playmate to the ground. Appropriate play can, in fact, look and sound quite ferocious. The difference is in the response of the playmate.
If both dogs appear to be having a good time and no one’s getting hurt, it’s usually fine to allow the play to continue. Thwarting your dog’s need to play by stopping him every time he engages another dog in rough-but-mutually-agreeable play, can lead to other behavior problems, including aggression, from the frustration of not being able to fulfill his desire for social interaction.
I recently saw a couple for a private consult who had added a third dog to their happy family, and now everyone was miserable. The wife was stressed because she thought the dogs were playing too roughly; the husband was stressed because he thought the dogs should be allowed to play together; the senior dog (10 years old) was stressed because he didn’t like the new young upstart (1 year old) playing with his canine pal (5 years old); and the two younger dogs were stressed because they weren’t being allowed to play together.
I watched the two younger dogs interact while the husband restrained the elder to keep him out of the mix. Their play was lovely to watch. Rough, yes, with lots of “chew-face,” growling, and body-slamming, but perfectly appropriate. Both dogs were fully engaged in play, and each, when given the opportunity, chose to come back and re-engage. After a full 90 minutes of non-stop play, they finally ended the session of their own accord and lay happily panting on the floor, at which point the senior dog, who was indeed very tense about the high-energy play session, was also able to relax. So was the wife.
I reassured the couple that there was no bullying happening here, and that they were fortunate the two younger dogs would be able to play together regularly. What a great way to provide exercise for the young, energetic dogs! Over time, the intensity of their play would likely diminish somewhat, as they were allowed to “get it out of their system.” A bigger challenge was the senior dog. They would need to remove him from the play area when the other two were playing, and/or implement a behavior modification counter-conditioning program to help the elder dog become comfortable with the younger dogs’ play.
Modifying Bully Behavior If you do have a dog who is bullying others, you may be able to successfully modify the behavior, especially if you start young. If not, you will need to always manage his behavior by selecting playmates for him who don’t fall into the “target” category. Successful modification of bullying behavior requires:
1. Skilled application of intervention tools and techniques: Use leashes, long lines, “no-reward markers” (NRMs), and time-outs to prevent and remove reinforcement for inappropriate play behavior.
2. Excellent timing of intervention: Prompt application of NRMs and time-outs will let your dog know exactly what behavior makes the fun stop.
3. Reinforcement for appropriate behavior: Allow play to continue or resume when the bullying dog is calm and can play nice.
4. Selection of appropriate play partners: Dogs who are not intimidated or traumatized by bullying behavior, and who don’t take offense by fighting back, may be appropriate playmates for bullies.
The most appropriate human intervention for bullying is the use of negative punishment, in which the dog’s behavior makes a good thing go away. Negative punishment, in this case a time-out, works best for bullying behavior in conjunction with a “no-reward maker” (NRM) or “punishment” marker.
The opposite of the clicker (or other reward marker, such as the word “Yes!”), the NRM tells the dog, “That behavior made the good stuff go away!” With bullying, the good stuff is the opportunity to play with the other dog. Just as the clicker or other reward marker always means a treat is coming, the NRM always means the good stuff goes away; it’s not to be used repeatedly as a threat or warning!
My preferred NRM, the one I teach and use if/when necessary, is the word “Oops!” rather than the word “No!” The word “No!” is often used by dog owners to deliberately shut down behavior. It’s also usually delivered firmly or harshly – and unfortunately, often followed by physical punishment. In contrast, “Oops!” simply means, “You made a wrong behavior choice; the good stuff is going away.” Deliver your NRM in a cheerful or neutral, non-punitive tone of voice; your intent is not to intimidate your dog with the no-reward marker. Thus my choice of “Oops!” – it’s almost impossible to say the word harshly. Try it!
Timing is just as important with your NRM as it is with your reward marker. It says, “Whatever you were doing the exact instant you heard the ‘Oops!’ is what earned the time-out.” You’ll use it the instant your dog starts bullying. Then grasp his leash or drag-line (a long, light line attached to his collar) and calmly remove him from play. Don’t repeat the NRM. Give him at least 20 seconds to calm down, more if he needs it, then release him to go play again. If several time-outs don’t dampen the behavior even slightly, make them longer and make sure he’s calm prior to returning to play. If a half-dozen time-outs have absolutely no effect, end the play session for the day. If the NRM does stop the bullying, thank your dog for responding, and allow him to continue playing under direct supervision as his reward.
Another approach to bully modification that is sometimes effective requires access to an appropriate “neutral dog” who is confident enough to withstand the bully’s assault without being traumatized or responding with inappropriate aggression in return. A flash of the pearly whites as a warning is fine. A full-out dogfight is not. It’s important to watch closely during interactions with the bully. Any sign the neutral dog is becoming unduly stressed by the encounters should bring the session to an immediate halt. A neutral dog may be able to modify your bully’s behavior, and have it transfer to other dogs – or not. If not, you may be able to find one or two sturdy, neutral dogs who can be your dog’s play companions, and leave the softer dogs to gentler playpals. Not all dogs get along with all other dogs – and that’s perfectly normal.
Managing My Bully We managed Lucy and Belle on our dog-pack hike by putting a lot of space between them, and by keeping Lucy occupied with chasing a stick (one of her favorite activities). Since Belle was more than happy to keep her distance from Lucy, we only had to body-block Lucy a few times when we saw her zeroing in on her target. The after-hike meeting was without incident; I put Lucy back in the house so Belle could hang out, worry-free, with the rest of the dogs.
Holistic dog care . . . It sounds so trendy, so green, so Whole Foods. But it’s not as cut and dried as it sounds: You don’t just add bottled water and get Andrew Weil. Developing a holistic approach to your dog’s care is a process … a process of self-discovery on your part, leavened with lots of trial and error.
The real meaning of “holistic,” of course, is doing what’s right for your individual dog – and for you, taking into account your circumstances, lifestyle, budget, and beliefs. There is no template to follow, other than: Know your dog – and yourself.
Little more than a decade ago, inspired by a skinny, diarrhea-plagued puppy, I started exploring a new way of feeding my dogs. From there, I shifted my attitudes about vaccination, veterinary care, even training. It didn’t happen overnight: I made plenty of mistakes, and I continue to learn and grow and evolve my approach.
Here are 10 things I learned along the way. A lot of them are common sense, others may sound “woo-woo” if you’re not in a place where you’re receptive. And that’s okay, because the whole point of this journey we’re on is that your mileage can – and should – vary.
1. Get (Many) Tips from Successful Holistic Dog Handlers
I’m not going to compare feeding my first raw doggie meal to having to swallow centipedes on “Fear Factor,” but the undeniable truth is that many people feel trepidation on a Jungian scale when they begin to tinker with their dog’s diet. Many are anxious at just the thought of changing brands – “Will he get diarrhea? What I am I going to do with this $45 bag of food if he does?” – let alone feeding something as “out there” as raw meat. You visualize the microbes crawling all over the dish. You mentally plot your course to the nearest emergency clinic when . . . When what? When the ground opens and your beloved pooch is swallowed up, Hades-style?
The biggest antidote to that hollow-stomached, lung-squeezing sensation of not knowing if you are doing the right thing is finding people who have done it – successfully. In this, the Internet is a great place to find kindred spirits. They’ve been there, done that. Their experiences can reassure you. The biggest problem with turning to such people for comfort is that they’re so accustomed to doing what they’re doing that it’s now second nature – they don’t see it as any big deal. But it is a big deal to you, and having someone to talk to and compare notes with often makes the difference between plucking up your courage and blazing forward – or just abandoning ship and continuing with what hasn’t worked.
2. Don’t Worry About the What-Ifs
All this isn’t to say that any “holistic” course that you take – whether it’s raw feeding or minimal vaccination or “alternative” therapies, from Chinese medicine to chiropractic – is entirely safe. Everything comes with a degree of risk, including that bag of kibble, that syringe of attenuated live virus, that dose of prednisone.
We have no idea what tomorrow brings, and worrying about it is not only a waste of time, but – some would argue – only serves to roll out the welcome mat. I suppose when I walk down the street in Manhattan, a piano could fall on me. That doesn’t mean the risk of falling pianos outweighs the rewards of catching a Broadway show.
The doggie equivalent of 42nd Street is a walk in the woods. I know of dogs who have literally impaled themselves on sticks in their gorgeous frolicking abandon that is a wild race through a crunchy-leafed trail. This doesn’t mean that you never walk in the woods together, or that you do a stick sweep of the area. It just means you balance the risk with the reward of a gorgeous day out getting exercise and stimulation, and you decide accordingly. (And if your dog does impale herself, as counterintuitive as it sounds, don’t remove the stick. Just get her to a vet – any kind of vet.)
It’s easy to say, “Don’t get overwhelmed with the ‘what ifs'” – especially if, as luck would have it, a “what if” has actually happened to you before. But when making any important decisions in life, your mind has to be clear. And obsessing over what could go wrong – as opposed to weighing risks calmly and rationally – dooms you to failure before you even start. In order to successfully make a decision about your dog’s care, it has to feel good to you. Find a way to make that happen – which, for many, sounds easier than it actually is.
3. Pick 1 Holistic Dog Care Practice to Start
The great thing about complementary and alternative medicine is that there are so many options, so many different healing traditions available. That’s also the most frustrating thing: How do you know what route to choose? What’s the best way to treat your dog’s problem? Homepathy? Flower essences? Essential oils? Acupuncture? Kinesiology? I can’t even spell it, much less wrap my brain around it.
In this, research can take you only so far. If you’ve narrowed your search down to a few modalities that keep coming up over and over again, just pick one. Maybe you’ve heard about a local veterinarian who specializes in one particular modality. Maybe you have a friend who had great success using another. (See revelation #1.) Maybe – and I don’t diminish the power of this for one moment – one just “feels” right. Whatever your rationale, as those sneaker commercials exhort: Just do it.
Sometimes, of course, things don’t work out. When one of my dogs developed an ear hematoma, I researched how best to treat the growing, sausage-sized, blood-filled lump on his ear. I came across very few holistic options, and none of the conventional treatments – surgery to “quilt” the ear, cannula implants to drain the fluid – sounded appealing.
“Acupuncture!” I thought, and I made an appointment with a vet whose success with Chinese medicine I had long heard about. But during our consult, I was made to understand why acupuncture didn’t come up as an option for these annoying blood blisters of the ear: It doesn’t work on them. “Chinese medicine is not good for everything,” the vet shrugged. Lesson learned.
Blitz’s ear eventually did heal, as wizened and cauliflowered as any old prize fighter’s. But that visit was not a waste of time or money: It established a relationship between me and that vet, and taught me the limits of his modality. Today, 12-year-old Diva and I are regulars, and the vet’s herbal formulations are doing wonders for her degenerative disc disease. Trial and error – and all I ask is that I learn something from the error.
4. Keep a Dog Journal
In these Facebooking times, it seems that every meal we eat, every television show we watch, every speck of minutia in our daily lives is broadcast to the world. But you’re only as good as your last post or share, and sometimes, in the flood of all that information, and the relentless scroll of the News Feed, the most important thing is lost: continuity and context.
Holistic veterinarian Christina Chambreau has a great idea that too few owners follow: Keep a journal for each of your dogs. You don’t have to write in it religiously, but make a notation of things that may seem different or noteworthy: increased water consumption, changes in coat color or texture, seemingly minor health issues like a passing ear infection, sleeping later than usual, eating more ravenously, unusual discharge (from any of a number of places!), an odd odor (my son maintains that one of my Ridgebacks smells like pancakes, which may not be journal-worthy, but I still like hearing it).
Those little scraps of information – impressions, mostly – are fleeting and seemingly insignificant on a day-to-day basis, but taken as a whole they can illuminate patterns that can help in managing your dog’s health. For example, my dogs’ journals showed that bleeding ear tips – and by extension that annoying hematoma – happen mostly in winter. Turned out our toasty house was drying out the dogs’ skin, which made them more itchy, which made them shake more, which increased the likelihood they’d whack a flapjack ear on a table corner. The solution? A pan of water on the radiator in each room.
5. Prevention is the Best Medicine
Most alternative healing modalities believe that disease is a manifestation of deeper imbalances. Rather than treat the symptoms you must go deeper and bring things into equilibrium.
The easiest thing to do, of course, is to make sure that the imbalance doesn’t occur to begin with. That requires a strong, clean foundation: good food, good water, adequate exercise, mental stimulation, and a safe, toxin-free environment.
That last requirement was missing with a dog I bred. He was naturally reared, raw-fed, and minimally vaccinated, but since puppyhood, he was beset with all kinds of allergic reactions – red ear flaps, rashes on his undersides, puffy eye rims. He had every test under the sun, hypoallergenic diets, and nothing worked.
The dog lived in a rented house on a canal that had been flooded multiple times, and instinctively I thought: mold. When a new puppy arrived on the scene (from a different litter) she too started getting itchy and scratchy.
The family moved – far from the water this time – and at last report, the itchiness was receding. Good news not just for the dog, but his family as well: Dogs are our sentinels, and what unbalances their bodies and their health is a risk to ours, too.
6. Does the Vet Stay in the Picture?
In a perfect world, you and your vet would be one – cue babbling brook and clinking wind chimes – when it comes to your dog’s holistic care. If you have a relationship of respect and equality, any differences of opinion are more than surmountable.
But personality conflicts sometimes can create havoc with this relationship, all the more so if your conventional vet is unfamiliar with or suspicious of alternative modalities.
A common first reaction – especially if you encounter resistance – is to think about just leaving your vet, but sometimes you’re better off with the devil you know: There may not be a holistic vet nearby, and you may not click with him or her, either. Some holistic vets do not provide “nuts and bolts” holistic dog care, but rather operate more of a specialty-based practice. And remember that geography doesn’t have to be an issue: You can supplement your conventional vet’s knowledge with a phone consultation with a more holistic-minded practitioner.
I’ve found that a two-prong approach works best in having your dog treated holistically by a conventionally minded vet: You need to have respect and regard for your veterinarian’s expertise, and you need to become educated about the approach you are advocating.
Part of having respect for the veterinarian is making her aware of what treatments you are pursuing outside of her office – nobody likes surprises. And becoming educated about holistic medicine means acknowledging the risks as well as the advantages. If you want to follow a less aggressive vaccine protocol, for example, tell the vet up front that you are aware there is a risk of not vaccinating for X, but here is your rationale for why the pros do not outweigh the cons. Remember that vets are human, too, and direct experience often informs their reactions: Treating just one case of parvo can make a vet super-sensitive about vaccinating lightly against the disease; being blamed by clients when things go wrong is another reason for a reflexive reluctance to try new things.
To put it bluntly, often what you are up against is the combined stupidity of all your vets’ other clients, those who can’t or won’t follow directions, screw up even the most basic instructions, and are quick to blame everyone else when things don’t go just right. There aren’t enough people willing to do the research and go the extra mile to provide the kind of care you are advocating for your dog. When your vet realizes that, chances are you’ll see a change of attitude, too.
7. Do What You Can
It’s the height of irony that while a holistic approach is supposed to be about doing what’s best for the individual dog – and the human who is charged to care for him – that so much criticism can be leveled for not “doing it right.”
But holism isn’t an all-or-nothing approach: Even if you’re limited by what you can do, that doesn’t mean you do nothing at all. Feel good about what you can do; don’t focus on what you can’t do.
For example, I’d be lying if I said that I thought raw feeding wasn’t the best way to feed most dogs: It’s natural, bioavailable, and species-appropriate. I’ve seen a difference not only between dogs fed kibble and those that are raw fed, but also between dogs that have their food cooked as opposed to fed raw. Raw, in my experience, always comes out ahead, hands down.
But that doesn’t mean everyone is in a position to feed this way. Budget and supply come into play. Maybe there are infants or immune-compromised individuals in the household. Maybe someone just isn’t ready to take the leap.
Similarly, even if you are an ardent supporter of minimal vaccination, if you live in a microclimate where, say, lepto-spirosis is circulating, you might opt to protect your dog against that disease, despite the limitations of the vaccine, its relatively short duration, and concerns about its side effects.
Giving a lepto vaccine doesn’t invalidate your holism any more than feeding a high-quality kibble does. You do the best you can, with the resources you have, at the pinprick of time that you are living in. Don’t let anybody make you feel otherwise.
8. Avoid Extremes in Holism
Our animals, our bodies, our energy fields, crave balance, and that’s what we should strive for in caring for our dogs. On the one hand, be consistent: Give modalities a chance to work. Remember that problems take a while to brew and manifest, and so they can take a spell of time to resolve, too.
At the same time, don’t get stuck in a rut. Changing up every once in a while isn’t just a good idea, it’s a necessity. Rotating food sources, exercise patterns, and herbal supplements is important. As opportunistic omnivores, dogs are biologically programmed for variety. Their bodies crave it, and if we are to develop one habit, it is to remind ourselves in our busy lives to give it to them.
9. Fresh Air, Good Light, the Time and Room to Run Free…
Every time I am tempted to overthink or overdo things, I pick up a copy of Juliette de Bairacli Levy’s The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat, first published in 1955. Long before it became fashionable to feed locally or organically, de Bairacli Levy was there, sharing the wisdom she learned from the Gypsies, Berbers, and Bedouins.
In this day and age, when we expect precise directions and how-tos, her books can seem quaint. But there is powerful wisdom in them, reminders that the less interference we place between our animals and their source energy, the better off they are. De Bairacli Levy is one of the few authors who bothers to talk about the importance of sunshine in rearing healthy dogs. Fresh air, good light, the time and room to run free . . . I am reading The Secret Garden to my children at bedtime, and these are precisely the things that transformed the cranky, coddled twosome in the story, Mary and Colin, into healthy youngsters. They are as crucial as food in that regard. And sometimes we need pragmatists such as de Bairacli Levy to remind us of the basics.
“I pray you who own me, let me continue to live close to Nature,” de Bairacli Levy wrote on behalf of the dogs. “Know that: I love to run beneath the sun, the moon, and the stars; I need to feel the storm winds around me, and the touch of rain, hail, sleet, and snow; I need to splash in streams and brooks, and to swim in ponds, lakes, rivers, and seas; I need to be allowed to retain my kinship with Nature.”
It is no coincidence, I think, that de Bairacli Levy’s line of Turkuman Afghan Hounds was so sought-after, and no mere happenstance that the stock she sent to the United States went on to produce a dynasty of the world’s most beautiful and biggest-winning Afghan Hounds.
10. Believe in Intention
Here we are at number 10, the most diffuse and hardest to grasp of these lessons, because it’s one that you feel your way to.
Early on, a good friend of mine who I consider a wonderful healer told me, “Intention is important.” In other words, wanting to make your dog well is an important part of getting there. I thought that was kind of obvious: Who doesn’t want their dog to get better?
Then I learned more about vibrational medicine, about the power of thoughts and feelings, and about the law of attraction, which created a big buzz a few years ago but which was brought home more powerfully to me in the Abraham work of Esther and Jerry Hicks. (Google them if the names are unfamiliar: The premise behind their work is a little “out there” for many, but make like a buffet, take what you like, and leave the rest.)
Yes, you can want your dog to be well, but that intention can be so clouded and weighed down with worry about things not going right, with visions of worst-case scenarios, with fear and doubt, that it defeats the purpose.
My outcomes are always best when I envision what I want for my dog, let go of any underlying wanting that feels desperate or forced, and just proceed in the moment, not fast-forwarding to dissect any of the what-ifs.
The best way I can describe it is knowing how I want things to be, acknowledging that in the end I have no control over how they actually will be, but deciding that things will work out fine regardless. No more thinking beyond that, which is the tough part.
It’s sort of like watching a movie: I am invested in the outcome, know I want person A to fall for person B, but don’t micromanage my expectation of every scene. In the end, Spielberg never disappoints, anyway – even when the ending is not what I envisioned.
Denise Flaim of Revodana Ridgebacks in Long Island, New York, shares her home with three generations of Ridgebacks, three 8-year-olds, and a very patient husband.
Contained in every puppy’s mouth is a set of amazingly sharp little daggers known as “teeth.” Puppies explore the world with those mouths. Since you are part of your pup’s world, it is inevitable that those sharp little teeth will at some point come in contact with your tender skin during a behavior known as “puppy biting.” It hurts. So what should you do when your puppy bites you, or other family members (including children)? This is a good opportunity to train your puppy not to bite.
1. Keep it friendly. Use negative punishment – your pup’s behavior (biting) makes a good thing (you) go away. Say “Oops!” in a calm, cheerful tone of voice, stand up and turn your back on your pup for several seconds. Then interact with him again. Repeat as often as necessary. (Remember, dogs learn through repetition.) Appropriate play keeps the fun going, inappropriate biting makes the fun stop. Since your pup is all about fun, he’ll learn to inhibit his biting in order to keep you playing.
Ignore old-fashioned suggestions you might hear about holding his mouth closed, pushing his cheek into his mouth so he bites himself, or shoving your fingers down his throat. He’s not challenging your leadership when he bites you. If you respond with violence you risk damaging your relationship and making him become violent. He’s just playing, and doesn’t know his own tooth-power. By the way, yelping like another puppy in pain to communicate in “his” language causes many puppies to get more excited and bite more, not less. I don’t recommend it. Stick with a cheerful “Oops” to get your message across.
2. Tolerate less-painful mouthing. Since puppies put their mouths on everything it may be necessary to tolerate less-painful mouthing and only do your “Oops!” routine for bites that actually hurt. Over time you can shape for softer and softer bites, and finally for no mouthing at all.
3. Let the kids play with the puppy during his quiet times. All pups develop a daily routine – times of day when they are more aroused and bitey, and times when they are less mouthy. Identify the less-mouthy times of your pup’s cycle and have that be the kids’ puppy playtime. For extra insurance, be sure your baby dog has been well exercised before turning him loose on the children. Supervise all child/puppy play so you can intervene if things get out of hand, and make sure to teach your children how to respond properly if your puppy bites them.
4. Direct your pup’s mouth to appropriate bite objects. In a strategic spot in every room, keep a stash of plush toys your pup can sink his teeth into – in place of your arm. Keep a supply of stuffed Kongs in the freezer to occupy his puppy daggers. Try to anticipate his mouthy behavior and offer him a toy before he grabs your sleeve (or your flesh), but don’t hesitate to offer a toy as an alternative even after he’s latched onto you.
A flirt pole is a great toy for you or your children to safely play with your bitey puppy. This is a long, sturdy stick with a rope fastened to the end, and a toy tied to the rope. By moving the toy around you invite the puppy’s interest (and teeth) to engage a safe distance from your body parts. If necessary, you can stash your child safely behind a baby gate, in a playpen or inside a low exercise pen, flirt pole in hand, to keep her safe from wandering puppy teeth. (A good source for this training toy: bestdogkennel.com/product/TR-FP. Note: Ignore this website’s instructions for teaching “Give.” Just trade the toy for a treat.)
5. Teach “Find it!” This one is perfect for the pup who grabs your bathrobe, pant legs, or ankles as you’re walking. Rule #1: Always have treats in your pockets/on your person. Corollary to Rule #1: Have plastic containers filled with small but tasty dog treats in every room of the house (but out of pup’s reach) so you can reload when you’re running low.
As you walk, keep an eye out for puppy ambushes. When your pup approaches you with that “Gotta grab something!” gleam in his eye, toss a treat on the ground a few feet away from you and say “Find it!” Keep tossing “Find it!” treats until you can gain access to a soft toy or other chew object to offer him. Or keep playing “Find it” until he’s too tired to grab you. Mission accomplished.
Remember: It gets better after your pup is six months old and has all his adult teeth. He may still occasionally put his teeth on you, but at least it won’t hurt as much!
Years ago, I had high hopes for participating in dock diving sport with my now-9-year-old dog, Woody. But it turned out that my high-jumping, strong-swimming dog absolutely hates getting water in his ears!
