On his first night of puppy class, Sam was an endearingly woolly bundle of baby Golden Retriever, with no indication that he had a social problem. Golden Retrievers are usually social butterflies, and Sam was a star performer during class for clicks and treats. However, when playtime arrived, his demeanor changed from an attentive pupil (“What can I do to get you to click the clicker?”) to a bully (“I’m tough and you just try to stop me!”).
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Sam’s chosen victim was a Rottweiler – not a breed you’d expect to find wearing an invisible “bite me!” sign. Max was about Sam’s own age and outweighed Sam considerably but was no match for the smaller pup’s intensity. Several seconds after they began frolicking together, Sam suddenly pinned Max to the ground with a ferocious snarl, then released him briefly, just to pin him again.
Needless to say, we intervened quickly in that relationship! Each time his intensity with Max began to escalate he got an immediate, “Oops, time out!” and was removed from play. His patient owners diligently monitored his activity, and by the end of the seven-week class Sam was improving, but still demonstrated unacceptable bullying behavior. After two more six-week class sessions he played well with a stable group of four other dogs, under general supervision, without needing any time-outs.
Sam developed into a perfectly normal, socially appropriate dog, thanks to very early intervention. Now seven years old, he has been known to frequent the City of Hagerstown’s annual Pooch Pool Plunge without incident, engaging with the 100-plus dogs who attend the event, playing off-leash in the municipal pool at summer’s end when the facility closes for the season. At a recent behavior consult for their newly adopted rescue Golden, Sam’s owners confirmed that he continues to play well with others, and is socially appropriate with every dog he meets.
So, what should you do if your dog is the victim of a canine bully? Intervene, by all means. Here are some of the signs to look for that tell you that you need to step in and break up the interaction. Your dog:
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-Tries to get away or hides behind you, or behind chairs.
-Offers appeasement behaviors (ears back, squinty eyes, lowered body posture, rolls on her back, urinates) to signal the other dog to back off.
-Snaps at the other dog when his appeasement signals are ignored.
-Doesn’t offer to re-engage if there is a pause in the action.
-Just doesn’t look like he’s enjoying himself.
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If you see any of these signs when your dog is interacting with another, step in and separate the dogs. Give both dogs a time-out to let arousal levels settle. If your dog was enjoying himself for a while but then became overwhelmed, you might try letting them play again. Watch closely. If the other dog starts to become inappropriate again, stop the play before your dog shows signs of discomfort. Give both dogs another time out, and try again.
Over time, the bully may learn that play stops every time he gets too rough, and start to self-inhibit his play. Alternatively, you can ask the bully dog’s owner to redirect her dog’s behavior to a different activity that will keep your dog safe, as we did with Lucy.
If your dog was intensely bullied from the start of the interaction, a serious fight erupted, you can’t redirect the bully dog’s behavior to another activity, or you’re not interested in risking your dog’s safety in the interest of modifying the other dog’s behavior, you’re better off ending the session after the first intervention.
Today’s viral video was of a news anchor who was bitten in the face by a dog on live television. If you own a dog, you probably either saw the video, read an article about the incident, or heard other dog owners discussing it. But dogs bite people every day; why was this incident so riveting?
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Well, for one thing, the dog was on TV because he had been rescued from near death (in an ice-covered pond) only the day prior. There was gripping video footage of the rescue – a handsome young firefighter went into the icy water and hauled the 85-pound dog to safety. The firefighter and the dog’s owner were available and willing to be interviewed about the rescue on the local news show the next morning. That’s all very compelling.
The dog himself was telegenic – a powerful “Argentine Mastiff” with an expressive face. The attractive news anchor was clearly moved by the story of the dog’s rescue, and it appeared that she really loves dogs; she moved from her chair to a spot on the floor right next to the dog, and she repeatedly caressed the dog as she spoke. As she told the story of the dog’s rescue, the camera repeatedly zoomed in on the dog’s large face. He kept panting with his mouth wide open and licking his lips; he seemed to be smiling!
The last thing I wrote: it’s wrong. The dog wasn’t smiling at all. But the news anchor must have thought it looked like a smile, and I’ll bet lots of other people watching the news that morning did, too – that is, just before the lady leaned toward the dog to kiss him, and the dog bit her in the face with one quick snap. The footage was simply shocking.
There is a difference between shock and surprise, though. Educated dog trainers and owners watching the clip weren’t surprised at the bite; they could identify a number of behaviors displayed by the dog that clearly expressed his discomfort. He kept shifting his weight around, and trying to move away from both his owner and the anchor. He panted. He licked his lips. His ears were flattened and back. His lips were pulled back (but not in a smile). He turned his head sharply away and back toward the anchor several times. He also froze a couple of times, for a fraction of a second.
To students of canine body language, these behaviors were the equivalent of the dog saying loudly, “I am kind of freaking out about all this and need some space!” But neither the anchor nor the dog’s owner interpreted the dog’s body language correctly. They didn’t hear so much as a whisper of what the dog was trying to tell them. So he “said” it louder; he snapped. (And the anchor was rushed off to a local hospital for plastic surgery.)
We love our dogs so much that sometimes it’s hard to remember that they are another species! They don’t think like we do, they don’t perceive our shared experiences in the same way that we do, and they can’t communicate the way we do; they can only speak their own language and hope we catch on. We’ve brought them into our homes; the least we can do is try to learn a little of their language (and respect what they say).
Some good resources for canine body-language study: Sarah Kalnajs’ DVD set, “The Language of Dogs,” and Brenda Aloff’s Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide. Both are available from Dogwise.com; (800) 776-2665. We’ve had a number of articles in WDJ on canine body language; the most recent was in the August 2011 issue. It contained lots of information about what a stressed dog looks like. We’ll take this incident as our cue to bring you more articles on the topic, soon.
Thank you for posting the article on hydrotherapy (“Walking in Water”) in your December 2011 Issue. I am thrilled that water therapy is finally becoming recognized and talked about as a valuable tool in canine health care.
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After years of working with horses in rehabilitation and in water, I opened my first pool 18 years ago in Seattle and began offering services to the dogs in my area. I was surprised to learn that this was such a new concept in the canine world.
In my practice, I have found that the benefits of body work and massage in water while resting can often be just as, if not more important, than the swimming aspects. The warm water allows a three-dimensional access to the body and an educated therapist can help the dog achieve wonderful stretches, deep relaxation, and enhanced circulation. Also, with this nurturing body work and attention to emotional safety first and foremost; I have never met a dog who didn’t grow to love the work we do in the water.
My hope is that this article will inspire others to write in about their experiences with hydrotherapy and will continue to inspire different training opportunities to emerge and evolve.
We love your journal. I’ve kept every copy since its inception and we always have copies out in our reception area for our clients to enjoy. Cindy Horsfall, lapawspa.com Sequim, WA via email
Thanks so much for “Emergency Health Exam” (January 2012). I have subscribed to WDJ for many years, have a bookshelf loaded with dog books, volunteered for two years at a local animal shelter, worked nine years at a dog daycare and boarding facility, lived with three dogs and a cat for many years – yet I did not know to check the gums on one of my dogs when he wasn’t up to par.
He had been to the vet’s just two weeks earlier for pre-dental bloodwork – all was fine. No overt symptoms other than lethargy and that “just off” behavior we all know. I took him back to the vet when he didn’t eat a meal (he was a chow hound). One of the first things the vet did was check his gums. They were so pale she admitted him to ICU immediately. We lost him two days later to autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA).
Had I known the simple technique of checking the gums, he may have been saved. I had also never heard of AIHA, which might be a worthy article in the future; my best friend lost her cat to this disease who had the same symptom – “just off.” I now know about checking the gums and something about AIHA, both via a devastating lesson. Kathleen M Fitzgerald Denver, Colorado
We’re so sorry to hear about your loss. Your suggestion of an article on AIHA is a good one. We’ll put it on our “to do” list.
I have been a subscriber to the WDJ for years and value your insights and the thought and research that goes into your articles. You always give me a lot to think about and I thank you for that. I have never responded to an article before, but today I read your recommendation of antlers as a great chew for dogs (“Gear of the Year,” January 2012) and I had to comment.
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You should have included a warning that antlers have the potential for chipping dogs’ teeth. I am sure if you had talked to any accredited and trained veterinary dentist they would have been appalled that your fine magazine would advocate antlers as a safe treat for dogs.
I have an 11-year-old German Shepard. I have always been super careful about what she eats and so I was excited three years ago when I found antlers at my local pet store for all the reasons you cited in your article. I had never given her any other chews before because I was worried about the chemicals used to make them so I thought I was making a safe and natural choice. My dentist checks my dog’s teeth regularly so I was stunned to find out at my next visit that she had broken the tips off her top front molars on both sides. The only thing different in her diet had been antlers.
Given that these teeth were critical to her eating and that dogs use their mouths for so much more than people, I took her to see Dr. Paul Mitchell, an American Veterinary Dental College-accredited veterinary dental specialist. My worry was trying to save these critical teeth. Dr Mitchell said that antlers are too hard for dogs to chew. Please keep in mind that my dog is a German Shepard. She was eight at the the time, in her prime, and she chipped perfectly healthy teeth on antlers.
I had two choices: Having the chipped teeth pulled so they would not chip further and get infected, or having them capped, which is also risky given that dogs naturally chew and are hard on caps. I elected caps because of how critical these teeth are but it was extremely expensive. I hope that you will advise your readers that antler chewing does carry a substantial risk of chipping teeth and chipped teeth on dogs is not a good thing. Mary Osmolski Canton, CT
Mary, you are absolutely correct: We should have mentioned that these are HARD items, and not appropriate for a dog with an aggressive or dedicated style of chewing.
Regarding the practice of flushing dog poop down the toilet (mentioned in the review of Flush Puppies non-plastic poop bags in “Gear of the Year”): We used to have a Shih Tzu and since she was a poop-eater, I decided to quickly pick up her small poop in the backyard, throw it down the toilet, and throw the baggie in the trash. It didn’t take long before we had to have the plumber unstop the toilet; he told me that the problem was that the dog poop was simply too hard to disintegrate and flush down.
I feed my dogs a raw meat diet, so their poop is nice and firm. Perhaps this might work with a dog whose stools are soft or I guess if you have a composting toilet, but I surely won’t do it again! I think that people with standard plumbing need to be aware of this problem. Laurie Pevnick via email
We’ve never heard of this problem before. . . Has anyone else had problems with their plumbing as a result of flushing dog poo?
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The entire staff here at All The Best Pet Care thoroughly enjoys your publication. We carry quite a few of the products featured in the “Gear of the Year” product review. Our stores have many of the Nina Ottosson Interactive Toys, the Bravo! Freeze Dried treats and a large selection of deer, elk, and moose antlers. I know in the article it mentioned these things can be purchased online, but small pet care businesses also carry these great products! We work hard to keep healthy treats and fun, safe toys on our shelves for our customers and always appreciate the reminder for people to check out their local stores too. Kris Palmer, Assistant Manager All The Best Pet Care allthebestpetcare.com
We strongly recommend that people ask their local, independent pet supply stores about products they are interested in. It helps the retailers – who are always looking for fun or useful new products to carry. And the type of well informed, passionate, involved staff typically seen at independent stores can help owners learn more about the products and their appropriate use. Great point; thanks!
I just received the February issue of WDJ and read your editorial protesting the use of “No” (re: specific ingredients) on dry dog food packaging and in advertisements. I agree with you that not all ingredients commonly listed on various products’ “No” lists are bad for all dogs, though my personal feeling is that a food manufacturer is doing more of a service to the potential customer than a disservice to a given ingredient.
For example, having a “No” notice on avocados as an ingredient lets me quickly move on to another brand if I specifically want my dog to have avocados . . . or to quickly zoom in on said brand if I want to exclude avocado exposure for my dog.
Another dog owner may appreciate a “No” notice when it comes to some ingredient to which a family member (other than the dog) may be allergic. Some food allergies can cause problems when a food is simply touched or inhaled (I’m thinking dry food dust becoming airborne at feeding time.) Christine Holder Via email
Good points, Christine. I did see some labels that expressed a “No” list in a way that did not imply that the omitted ingredients were bad – just that they were not present (one such example is the first label shown below). But many others blacken the reputation of ingredients that are useful (in moderation) by associating them with ones that are generally accepted as unhealthful.
Usually, I can count on my dog, Otto, being one of the best-behaved and best-trained dogs in the pack when I go out for off-leash hikes with friends and their dogs. When we hike solo, I keep the walk lively by frequently asking him to do “trail agility” – jumping over logs, jumping up on boulders, and even running through culverts. I also frequently ask him to perform spontaneous recalls; he can expect to be asked to do one at any moment, and he enjoys the game. His recalls are impeccable. All of this solo training really pays off when we walk with friends and their dogs are all over the place.
However, we recently got completely shown up when hiking with a newer friend, another woman about my age who also volunteers a lot at our local shelter. She has two dogs, a sharp little blue Australian Cattle dog and a large yellow Lab, and she’s somehow managed to train them to perform a behavior I’m really jealous of.
It’s one of the several times a year that ticks are really bad here in Northern California, and Otto is often covered with them after one of our off-leash jaunts, as he loves to run ahead of us and criss-cross the trail, sniffing for birds and woods animals. I usually go over him quickly before putting him in the car after a walk, and then do a very thorough exam once we get home, looking for the tiny ticks and combing burs out of his fur.
My friend has another solution. She’s taught her dogs to stay on the trail even when they are off-leash and bounding ahead. I don’t know how she did it, but at the moment, I’m green with envy.
I’m comforting myself with the knowledge that Otto has a BLAST running back and forth across the trail, and leaping up and down embankments trailside . . . but I’m thinking on our next hike, I’m going to have to ask my friend exactly how she taught her dogs to refrain from stepping off the trail.
Have any of your friends trained their dogs to do something you are jealous of?
Last week on our Facebook page we posted links for Volkswagen’s two Super Bowl commercials featuring talented canine actors. Dogs are almost always popular in Super Bowl ads – but there are potential hazards to the advertiser if the dogs or their depictions are not handled with sensitivity. Last night, shoe makers Skechers premiered a commercial that featured Greyhound racing – not something most dog lovers want to see, even if it includes a comical and darling French Bulldog wearing tiny Skechers who wins the race, moonwalking across the finish line. Comedy or not, media reports say Skechers is taking heat about the racing Greyhounds.
From our view, the star of the night was Bud Light, for featuring a former shelter dog in a funny ad (the dog, ostensibly named Weego, fetches beer for anyone at a party who commands “Here, Weego!” – or happens to say “Here we go!”) – but also, for going one step further and promoting the practice of adopting rescue/shelter dogs. A link flashed at the end of the ad urges viewers to go to facebook.com/budlight, where information about the rescued canine actor is listed, and people are encouraged to “like” the page with this as the reward: for each “like,” Bud Light will donate $1 (up to $250,000) to Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. Now that’s how you capture a dog lover’s attention and affection.
A year ago, the only pets in my house were Otto and my ancient cat, Shadow; she passed away last summer, in the middle of an invasion of new pets. A niece’s dog, a Chihuahua we call Tito has come to live with us indefinitely, and we kept the last two kittens of a litter we rescued from abandonment by a former neighbor. So, now there are two adolescent cats and two dogs fighting for petting and lap time.
It started out slowly. It used to be that Otto was the only one who wanted much physical affection. Shadow never liked being picked up, and was one of those cats who liked being near people more than being touched by them. Tito was very withdrawn and handshy when he first came here; he was uncomfortable being picked up and ducked away from petting – but now he craves petting and likes curling up in my lap as I watch TV or read. The kittens used to be more interested in playing than being petted. But as they’ve matured, they now demand face rubs and time in my lap, too.
The effect all of this competition for my affection on Otto? He now responds avidly to my calls to ANY animal in the house, or even just the tone of voice I might be using to address an animal. If I say, “Tito, sit!” — Otto comes running and plants himself between Tito and me, as if to say, “I know how to sit on cue!” If I call “Kittens!” — Otto comes running. And because he’s much bigger than the rest (who are all about 10 pounds) he stomps right up and puts his big head in my lap, wagging his tail in everyone else’s faces. It’s gotten extremely difficult to spend even a moment of time snuggling with any other animal without Otto asking for his share of attention and affection right then.
I try to give him plenty of “just us” time – and strive to frequently call his name and reinforce his quick response with lots of attention. I also try to spend some of my time petting the cats when they are inside and Otto is outside, or vice versa. And I try to not reinforce him with attention when he pushes in for attention that I’m trying to give another pet; I try to just ignore him at that moment, and later, give him individual attention. But frankly, I also find myself saying, “Otto, get back! Otto, off!” more than I should – like when I’m just trying to bend down to pick up a cat or snap the leash onto Tito’s collar.
I’m pretty sure it’s just a phase, and it will pass. But I’m curious: What do you do with a jealous pet?
A crate, or, in other words, short-term close confinement, can be used to help dogs teach themselves two very important skills. The first is eliminating only when and where it is appropriate. The second skill is keeping out of trouble – behaving appropriately in the house. Without these two skills, a dog doesn’t have much of a chance in this world.
When your dog will stay in the crate with the door closed for at least 10 seconds without any signs of anxiety, close the door, latch it, and take one step away from the crate. Click!, return to the crate, reward, and open the door. Repeat this step, varying the time and distance you leave the crate.
For more details and advice on crate training, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Crate Training Made Easy.
There’s a common misconception that dogs jump on people to establish dominance. Balderdash! Dogs jump on people because there’s something about jumping that is reinforcing for the dog – usually the human attention that results from the jumping. If you want your dog to stop jumping on people, you have to be sure he doesn’t get reinforced for it. During the training process, your dog is certain jump. If he does:
Apologize/take responsibility. It’s your job to prevent your dog from jumping on people, even when they say they don’t mind. If your management efforts fail and your dog does jump up, apologize.
If in the process of jumping up he puts muddy pawprints on a business suit, snags a pair of nylons, knocks down a small child, or otherwise does some kind of property damage – even if the damage is minor – be responsible and make amends: pay for the cleaning bill, purchase a new pair of nylons, buy the child an ice cream cone, or do whatever you need to do to repair the damage. Then redouble your training and management efforts.
I can’t complain in any way about the rain. We’ve had a freakishly dry winter so far; the last rain we had, until just a few days ago, was around Thanksgiving. But it’s pouring now and has been, on and off for a few days. Which impacts the dogs’ daily plans and our exercise schedules.
My dogs are used to spending anywhere from two to five or so hours outside during the day (ever since Tito the Chihuahua moved in with us, and Tito sleeps indoors, Otto has decided that sleeping indoors every night is for him, too). They patrol for stray cats and UPS drivers, they investigate all alarms sounded by the neighbor dogs and our three hens, they keep a sharp eye peeled for their friend Max, who walks by with his owners once or twice a day and visits through the fence, they doze in the sun (if there is any), and they accompany my husband on his travels from our back door to the door to his office, about 40 feet away. Back and forth, for coffee, bathroom breaks, whatever. On some days, they accompany me two blocks away to my new office, and then patrol the yard at that address for the even more abundant stray cats. Big fun.
At this point, with two well-behaved, well-adjusted adult dogs, I usually take them for two or three off-leash walks a week. The rest of the week, they make do with their outdoor time, the short walk to my office, and whatever spontaneous “chase the ball” or tug of war sessions may break out during my breaks from the computer.
The rain cancels ALL that fun; they want to be indoors when it’s wet, and I can’t blame them. But the boredom brought on by all the cancelled events means there is an even higher expectation and need for a really good off-leash run — which means I’m going to have to get wet. And they are going to get wet. And my car (or at least, the seat cover on the back seat) is going to get wet. And we’re all going to smell like wet dogs. And I’m going to have to wash an extra load of laundry every other day, just for the towels.
They don’t mind taking a walk or run in the rain, fortunately. (I hate the anticipation of being wet and cold; once I’m dressed for the rain and actually out there on a trail with them, I don’t mind it a bit.) I’ve known other dogs who have to be forced to walk in the rain, who trail along sulkily and are reluctant to go potty outdoors in bad weather.
If I don’t manage to take them for a good long run in the rain, they get drawn into way more squabbles with the adolescent cats, there are far more things that require alarm barking and investigation than usual, there are far more balls dropped on our feet and noses nudged under our elbows . . . no one gets to work hard and solidly until the dogs get their rainy run. Which means I need to go suit up now!
How does the winter weather affect your dog’s life? What accommodations do you make for rain or snow?
How does your dog react to the rain or snow that this season drops on our heads? Some dogs thrive on it while others refuse to go outside. We would love to hear about your pup!
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Dog food manufacturers are supposed to list specific names for each ingredient in their formulations. Each food, vitamin, mineral, or other chemical (preservative, color, flavor, binder, etc.) that has been approved for use in a dog food is supposed to be listed in a certain way on the product’s ingredient list. There are formal descriptions of each ingredient – and all of these are listed in the annual “Official Publication of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)”.
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However, we’ve noticed that some companies get a little liberal with their ingredient lists; they add a few enticing adjectives to make their ingredients sound even better than (perhaps) they are. Some of the ones we saw when we were typing in the first 10 ingredients of the highlighted products on our 2012 “approved dry dog foods” list:
Red Delicious Apples = apples Sun-Dried Alfalfa Meal = alfalfa meal Whole Ground Brown Rice = brown rice
Of course, the adjectives listed above make no difference to your dog at all. The embellishments are there to appeal to you, the consumer.
If a company leans out too far and actually makes the ingredient sound like something it’s just not, a state feed control official can issue a warning, or even order the product off the shelf until the company takes steps to remedy the label.
A few other adjectives do actually possess some legal significance:
Boneless, Deboned = These words, each with its own definition, indicate an animal protein product with less bone than if the adjective were not used. Most of the “meats” used in pet food actually contain quite a lot of bone, along with skin, fat, connective tissue, and muscle meat. If the ingredient specifies “boneless” or “deboned,” it obviously contains more meat than one that does not include this modifier. “Boneless” is defined as “the flesh resulting from removal of bones from accompanying flesh by means of knife separation.” “Deboned” is defined as “the flesh resulting from removal of bones from accompanying flesh by means of mechanical deboning.” Human-held knives, presumably, can remove more bone from flesh than machines can.
Natural = Here is the actual AAFCO definition of this word: “A feed or ingredient derived solely from plant, animal, or mined sources, either in its unprocessed state or having been subject to physical processing, heat processing, rendering, purification, extraction, hydrolysis, enzymolysis, or fermentation, but not having been produced by or subject to a chemically synthetic process and not containing any additives r processing aids that are chemically synthetic except in amounts as might occur unavoidably in good manufacturing practices.”
Organic = Must be certified as such by a third-party audit.
