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Try Treibball! The New Herding Sport – No Sheep Required

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Treibball is an exciting new sport for herding dogs.
Treibball (also known as “drive ball”) is a very new and very fun sport. Herding dogs are natural candidates, but so are any dogs that like to play with balls and dogs that enjoy shaping games. This is Kula, a two-year-old Weimaraner, learning the game at Sandi Pensinger’s training facility in Aptos, California.

Just when you think every possible canine sport has already been invented, someone comes up with a new one. This latest one is a humdinger, and it’s spreading like wildfire. If you haven’t already heard of treibball (pronounced “Try-ball” and also known as “Drive Ball”), you’ve been napping.

Treibball is a terrific new way to play with your dog. The game consists of “herding” a number of large inflatable exercise balls into a soccer-like net. Of course the herding breeds come to mind, but it’s also great for many of the prey-oriented sporting dogs and terriers, and any other dogs who just like to chase things.

It’s a competitive sport for dogs of all ages and sizes. It promotes better teamwork and communication between a dog and his handler. It’s great fun for any energetic dogs who work well off-leash and need a job, dogs who like to chase stuff, or dogs who like to herd and don’t have sheep!

Treibball was developed by January Nijboer in Germany (“treibball” is variously translated from German as “blowing ball,” “drifting ball,” or “propelling ball”) as a game that would occupy herding dogs. Examples of treibball dogs in action aired a few months ago on YouTube and before you could say “Go bye!” the game went viral in the American dog training world – for good reason. A “flock” of exercise balls makes an inexpensive substitute for a flock of sheep, and doesn’t violate your neighborhood association’s rules, either.

How to Play Treibball

Here are some of the basics of the actual competition:

– The playing field is 100 to 164 feet long, and 50 to 82 feet wide.

– The ball in play must stay within the boundaries of the playing area on the field.

– Eight balls are placed in a triangle (four in the first row, three in the second, one in the third) sort of like racked billiard balls.

– The goal is a regular soccer goal or similar pen – 8 feet high by 24 feet wide.

– Dog and handler have 15 minutes to drive all the balls into the goal. Timing starts when the handler signals the outrun (sending the dog out and around behind the balls) and stops when all the balls are in the goal and the dog is lying down in front of the handler. The dog must do an outrun beyond the balls, stop and pause, and wait for the handler’s cue before beginning to drive the balls.

– The handler must stay within an 18-foot radius from the center of the goal. The handler may not move the ball when it is outside the handler’s area.

– The dog may not bite or break the ball.

– Handlers may not shout at, punish, intimidate, or otherwise force the dog to perform. (We love this about the sport!)

– The fastest team with the fewest error points wins.

How to Train Treibball

As with many canine sports, you can train your dog to play without actually ever competing in treibball. You may not be that competitive or, because it is such a new sport, it may be a while before a trial comes to a neighborhood near you. But that shouldn’t stop you from having a great deal of fun teaching your dog to push big colored balls around your yard all on your own, or with the help of a trainer who offers treibball classes. If you are competitive, you’ll be ready to roll when a trial does pop up in your area.

The ability to control your dog’s position, movement, and speed is a very important element of any type of herding, whether the goal is herding live sheep or big colored balls. Hence, there are a number of skills your dog needs to perfect before he gets to start chasing balls around the yard. We’ll give you an overview of some of the skills your dog will need to learn, but for a deeper understanding of the game you’ll need a book and/or a trainer.

– The outrun: The goal behavior for the outrun is to have your dog run to a target placed 15 feet away, turn to face you, lie down, and wait for your signal to begin driving the ball. As in herding, the term “Go bye” indicates a clockwise outrun (remember, “as time goes by . . .”) and “Away” means a counter-clockwise outrun.

The first step in learning how to play treibball is teaching your dog to move in various directions on cue. Start with a “go to your mat” and “down” exercise . . .
Slowly increase the distance, in small increments, that she has to travel to the mat. Advance to teaching her to go to the mat in a clockwise and also counter-clockwise direction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start by facing a 2-foot square target mat about 6 inches away from you. (Eventually you will reduce the size of the target mat until your dog no longer needs it.) Shape your dog to go to the mat by using a clicker (or other signal, such as a “thumbs up!” or a verbal “Yes!”) and giving your dog a treat each time he makes a movement toward the mat. (For more about shaping, see “The Shape of Things to Come,” WDJ March 2006.)

If you and your dog already know how to shape, teaching him to go to a mat will come very easily. When your dog will reliably offer to move 6 inches to the target, start cuing him to lie down when he gets there. Note: Although you’re clicking and treating for the beginning of this part of the training, the sooner you introduce and the more you rely on toys and play as reinforcers, the more successful your training is likely to be.

When he goes to the mat several times in succession and lies down without you having to cue him, back up another 6 inches and continue. Increase the distance that you ask him to target toward in 6-inch increments (or even smaller increments, if your dog has trouble with 6 inches), obtaining consistency at each distance until the mat is 3 feet away. Note: It’s tempting to move at greater distance increments. Resist the temptation. If you move too far away too quickly, you will confuse your dog and lose ground. Slow and steady is better.

– Now you can start working on signaling the “Go bye” outrun. With your dog on your left side, step forward on your left foot and use an underhanded bowling motion to signal your dog to move to the mat. Don’t say anything yet! Stand with your foot forward and your hand extended until your dog moves to the mat. Click and treat. Repeat until your dog moves immediately and confidently to the mat and lies down when you signal the outrun.

Now add your “Go bye!” cue, just before you signal with your step and hand motion. When he’s consistently confident about moving to the mat at 3 feet on your verbal cue, start increasing distance again, in 6-inch increments. Sometimes cue verbally, sometimes signal; it’s nice to be able to use either or both.

– Next, you’ll work on your “Away” outrun. To prepare for this, do some foundation work to teach your dog to walk (and work) on your right side. These days more trainers recognize the importance of this side-versatility for a number of canine activities including freestyle and agility; it’s great if you’ve already done this. If not, get started – the same way you taught your dog to walk and work on the left side – by reinforcing him for being there.

Ultimately, you’ll want to teach your dog a cue that will position him to the desired side. I use “Swing” for the left, and “Right” for the right. You can use any cues you want, as long as they are different from all the other cues you use with your dog, and you teach him what they mean.

Take your time, and train for reliable behavior without any balls being present. As soon as the balls come onto the scene, things may get silly again, so go back to short distances.
To start teaching your dog to”drive” the ball, teach her to face you on the opposite side of the ball. Feed the treats in the spot where you want her to be; don’t lead her astray!

Add the Ball

My students were somewhat surprised – and I suspect a little disappointed – that we weren’t romping around with balls the first night of treibball class. In fact, it was at least the third week before we brought out one hard plastic Jolly Ball per dog, and we still didn’t play with it. When you first introduce the ball, your goal is to get your dog to run past it to his target mat – without attacking the ball. If you’re working with a dog who loves balls, this could be a challenge.

We start with Jolly Balls because if your dog does hit them, they don’t bounce around like inflated exercise balls (thus inciting more inappropriate, aroused behavior). Also, Jolly Balls don’t pop if your dog bites them – which could be highly reinforcing for some dogs or highly aversive for others. We don’t want either outcome; if your dog is reinforced for biting/popping balls (disqualification, not to mention costly!) he’ll do it more. If a popping ball is very aversive to him, he may decline to play treibball with you ever again.

Start with a small Jolly Ball, and reduce your distance to the target mat, setting the ball far off to the side, if necessary, until your dog will refocus on you and go lie down on his mat when you signal him to do so, even in the presence of the beloved ball. You may find it necessary to do some gentle body blocking if he veers toward the ball. If gentle body blocking doesn’t prevent him from moving toward the ball, you’re not ready to add the ball – your dog needs more control work first. Add a “distance down,” “moving down,” and a solid “stay” to your dog’s repertoire while you continue to practice your outrun cues past distractions that are less enticing to your dog than an actual ball.

When your dog will outrun past a ball, you can gradually increase distance to the target mat and move the ball closer a bit at a time, until he will run directly past the ball and lie down on his target mat at your signal to do so. Now try a slightly larger ball. If a larger ball distracts him, again decrease distance to the mat and move the ball off to the side. Repeat this process each time you change the ball to a larger size. Then do it with multiple balls.

Drive the Ball

In order to successfully drive the ball, your dog needs to stay on the side of the ball directly opposite you, so that any contact with the ball moves it in your direction. Stand on one side of the ball, toes pointed toward the ball, with your dog on the other side. Click, and feed him the treat at the correct spot – directly opposite you. Now toss a treat behind him to get him to move away from the ball, and click as he returns toward you, again feeding the treat in the correct spot.

Repeat until you see him automatically lining himself up across from you, then try taking a small step to the left or right, around the ball, keeping your toes toward the ball. If he counters your move to stay across from you, click and treat in the correct spot and pat yourself on the back! If not, help him with a body language cue, then mark and reward when he moves into position. Repeat a couple of the simple direct approaches he already knows, then try another small step to the side.

Continue this until you see him automatically move into position when you take one step around the ball. Then you’re ready for two steps, eventually working up to random movements around the ball. Remember – toes toward the ball!

When your foundation control behaviors are in place, you’re ready to start interacting with the ball. Ideally, your dog will move the ball with his nose, although driving with paws, chest, and shoulders is also allowed. Encourage him to push the ball with his nose by first teaching him to “target” to dots that you paste or paint on the ball, or yellow sticky notes, if he needs a bigger target. (For more about target training, see “Right On Target,” February 2006.)

Hold the ball between your knees (sitting or standing) until he’s targeting to it with sufficient energy that he would easily move the ball at least a few feet if it were on the ground. The ideal target spot is just below the midline of the ball. It works best and minimizes biting of the ball (a no-no!) if you teach him to target to some other object first, then apply it to the ball. (See “New Tricks for a Stick,” January 2007).

When he’s targeting the ball between your knees with some force, place the ball on the ground, take a couple of steps back, and cue him to touch it. Bam! You’re treibballing! Actually, you’ve only just begun, but it’s an excellent start. Still on the training agenda are:

Perfecting the Drive:

– Increasing distance between you and the ball

– Increasing distance between the dog and the ball

– Increasing distance the dog moves the ball

– Increasing speed of ball movement

– Working with multiple balls

– Calling the dog off the wrong ball

– Teaching “Go bye” and “Away” from a distance

– Fading prompts

– Training “Go on” (moving beyond target mats)

– Using whistle cues

– Adding the goal (penning)

Treibball Overview

Just as you couldn’t learn all the nuances of training agility or flyball in just one article, we can’t tell you everything about treibball in these few pages. Hopefully, however, we’ve succeeded in sparking your interest and “driving” you to other resources that will encourage you to “go on” and pursue your “goal” of herding big inflated balls with your eager canine partner.

To sum up, you can learn more about treibball by joining lists and watching videos. This will help you decide if it’s a good fit for your dog. If treibball seems like a good activity for your dog, find a trainer near you who can guide you on your treiball journey. Use the resources at the top of this page to begin your search.

If you can’t find a trainer in your area, gather some like-minded dog friends to start a treibball training group, and help each other learn.

Behavior Modification for Itchy Dogs

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Excessive self-licking and chewing can be caused by a medical issue (see “Canine Allergies: Most Common Causes, Best Tests, Effective Treatments,” WDJ, April 2011). It can also be a behavioral problem, a classic example of an obsessive/compulsive disorder. Either way, it’s annoying to the dog’s human companion, and dangerous to the health of the dog. Here are tips for dealing with dogs who self-lick and chew excessively.

1) Bring your dog to his veterinarian for a check up. Nothing you do to address the dog’s behavior will be of much use if your dog itches as a result of environmental allergies or some other medical condition. If you treat the medical condition, the licking and chewing may stop. If not, it’s also become a behavioral issue.
2) Identify your dog’s stressors. The behavioral cause of self-licking and chewing is stress. The stress from a medical condition may persist even after treatment, and the learned licking/chewing behavior may persist even after the medical stress is gone.
Many other stressors can also cause licking and chewing, especially in dogs who are genetically predisposed to compulsive oral behaviors. Large breeds such as the Doberman Pinscher, Great Dane, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, and Irish Setter are most commonly affected.
To begin behavior modification, determine your dog’s stressors and start eliminating them. Make a list of everything you can think that is stresses your dog – even just a little bit, even if the stressors don’t seem directly related to the licking. Your list might include thunder, small children, dogs on television, cats, riding in cars, visits to the vet, shock collars, medical issues, and many more. Most owners can identify between 10 and 20 stressors for their dogs.
3) Remove stressors from your dog’s life. There are several strategies you can use to remove stressors from your dog’s list:

Get rid of it. Throw away the shock collar – in fact, avoid using aversives as much as possible.

Treat medical conditions. alleviate chronic pain with medication, provide dental care, and address anything else that might be physically troubling your dog.

Change your dog’s opinion. Using counter-conditioning and desensitization, convince your dog that children make chicken fall from the sky. If he decides they are marvelous chicken-providers instead of scary trolls, they’re no longer stressors.

Teach a new behavior. Convince your dog that the rumble of distant thunder is the cue to run to the refrigerator for a bite of cheese. Better yet, make it the cue to run and find his rope toy for arousing game of tug. By changing his behavior (get your toy instead of running to your crate to hide) you also change his opinion (thunder makes tug happen!).

Manage it. If he’s stressed by small children and you don’t have many in your life, just keep them away from him. On the rare occasion when mini-human creatures come to visit, put your dog in a safe, locked room with a tasty stuffed Kong until the creatures are gone.

Live with it. We all live with some stress. Identify the most minimal stressors and just let them be.

4) Increase your dog’s exercise. Aerobic exercise not only burns energy your dog would use to fret (and lick), but also causes the release of feel-good endorphins that help alleviate stress. Mental exercise – shaping, interactive toys – can also help.
5) Utilize stress-reduction products. There are many good products on the market that purport to alleviate stress. Here are some I’ve had success with:

“Through a Dog’s Ear.” Calming classical music selected and clinically tested to reduce a dog’s heart rate, available on CD or MP3.

Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap. Snugly fitting wearing apparel that holds the dog tightly, similar to swaddling.

Comfort Zone/Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP). Synthetic substance that supposedly mimics the pheromones emitted by a mother dog while she’s nursing puppies, with the biological effect of calming the puppies. Comes as a plug-in (like Glade), a spray, and a collar that is impregnated with the substance. Available in most pet supply stores.

Medication. If the licking and chewing is due to significant generalized anxiety, or the behavior has become a compulsive disorder, talk with a veterinary behaviorist or a vet with a special interest in behavior about anti-anxiety medication to improve your dog’s quality of life and decrease the compulsive licking and chewing.

If you don’t have access to a practitioner who is knowledgeable about behavior, your vet can do a phone consult with a veterinary behaviorist. Most offer this service at no charge to other veterinarians. Contact the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists for a referral list.

A Canine Allergy Glossary

By
Nancy Kerns
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Allergen: A substance that causes an allergic reaction. Anything can be an allergen to a hypersensitive individual, even water. The term has meaning only in relation to an individual who is hypersensitive to that substance.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy: Also known as “allergy shots.” An injection that is custom-made for each patient based on results of intradermal skin tests. The injections contain saline solution and tiny amounts of (commercially produced) extracts from the substances to which the patient is hypersensitive. The injections are given once or twice weekly for four to six months (or longer); the amount of the allergens that the injections contain is slowly increased until a “maintenance dose” is achieved. This therapy is extremely effective, though time-consuming and (over time) expensive.

Allergic contact dermatitis: A hypersensitivity reaction to skin contact with an environmental substance.

Alopecia: Hair loss.

Antibody: Also known as immunoglobulin. A complex Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign substances. Antibodies are produced by white blood cells.

Antigen: A molecule that induces the formation of antibodies.

Atopy: Also known as “canine atopic dermatitis.” A hereditary and chronic allergic skin disease. Dogs may be allergic to inhaled substances or substances their skin has comes in contact with. Redness and hair loss from scratching is often worst around the eyes, muzzle, ears, and on the feet.

Food hypersensitivity: Also known as “food allergy.” An uncommon, nonseasonal hypersensitivity caused by a dietary substance; an abnormal immunologic response to an ingested substance. Food hypersensitivity is not usually associated with a change in diet. Most dogs who develop the condition have eaten the same food for more than two years. A dog can develop a food allergy to any food, but the most commonly incriminated foods in canine food hypersensitivity include beef, dairy products, lamb, poultry products, wheat, soy, corn, rice, and eggs. (Note that these are also some of the most common ingredients in commercial pet food.)

Intradermal (skin) tests: A test in which tiny amounts of various environmental allergens (such as local tree, grass, and flower pollens) are injected under the dog’s skin, and the skin is observed for a reaction. Redness and swelling indicates a substance to which the dog is allergic. Needed in order to customize a dog’s immunotherapeutic injections (“allergy shots”).

In vitro diagnostic tests: Also known as blood or serologic tests for antigen-induced antibodies, ELISA, or RAST tests. Not very reliable indicators of allergy because of the large numbers of false positive and false negative results.

Pruritus: Itchiness; an unpleasant sensation that causes the desire to scratch.

Pyoderma: A bacterial infection of the skin. Generally treated with antibiotics, but the underlying cause of the infection needs to be addressed, too, so the condition doesn’t recur. The type of antibiotic prescribed will depend on whether the pyoderma originates from deep within the skin or closer to the surface (superficial).

Pyogenic: Bacterial infection that produces pus (dead white blood cells).

Other Conditions That Can Cause Your Dog’s Itching

By
Nancy Kerns
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Allergies are not the only reason that dogs itch. In fact, to properly diagnose hypersensitivity, one of the first things a veterinarian needs to do is to rule out other potential causes of itching. “Allergies are a diagnosis of exclusion,” says Donna Spector, DVM, DACVIM, an internal medicine specialist with a consulting practice in Deerfield, Illinois. A dog’s medical history can sometimes help his vet identify the reason for the dog’s itching, but in other cases, the history may be lacking (such as with a shelter dog).

In other cases, a good history may exist, but the picture it presents is muddled. Complicating the diagnostic task is the fact that some causes of itching may actually be a secondary effect of the dog’s allergy. For example, a dog may be itchy because he has a yeast infection (an overgrowth of an organism commonly found on even healthy dogs) – or he may have developed a yeast infection as a result of licking and chewing (due to an allergy), which created the conditions in which the yeast organism thrives. It may take some time and tests for your vet to sort it all out. Here are some of the other conditions that can cause dogs to itch.

– Bacterial infection (pyoderma)

– Contact dermatitis from exposure to a caustic agent

– Drug reaction

– Fungal infection (including yeast)

– Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease – causes a secondary infection)

– Hypothyroidism (causes a secondary infection)

– Immune-mediated disorders – Includes conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

– Liver, pancreatic, or renal disease

– Parasitic infection – Includes internal parasites, as well as external parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites. Three main types of mites are most problematic: Cheyletiella (“walking dandruff”); Demodex canis (which causes demodicosis, also known as red mange or demodectic mange); and Sarcoptes scabiei canis (which causes scabies, also known as sarcoptic mange)

When It Comes to Allergy Tests, Some Dogs Flunk

By
Nancy Kerns
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Dog allergy tests are not as conclusive as they are sometimes presented as.

There are a few different types of tests available that purport to identify the allergens to which a dog is hypersensitive; some of them are helpful, and some are a waste of time and money. Since all of them are commonly referred to as “allergy tests,” few people know which ones are credible, and which ones are not. The following is a brief description of the types of tests available for allergy diagnosis.

– Blood (serologic) tests for antigen-induced antibodies – Two different methods (RAST and ELISA) are used for the most common commercial test products used by veterinarians, and the tests may be referred to by those names or by the name of the company whose test kit uses the methodology (such as Heska, Greer, or VARL). These tests are designed to detect antibodies that a dog has produced in response to specific environmental antigens. By identifying the antibodies, the tests were supposed to be able to deliver clues about the environmental substances that the dog’s immune system is treating as an “invader.

Historically, the tests have been unreliable, with lots of false positive and false negative results, though the technology has improved over the years.

If the test results indicate “55 different things your dog is supposedly allergic to,” says Dr. Donna Spector, owner of SpectorDVM Consulting, in Deerfield, Illinois, it’s not particularly helpful, “and not particularly believable, when the results indicate your dog is allergic to something that he doesn’t even have significant exposure to.” However, she adds, if there is a really strong positive result, “not just one or two points above what they say is normal, but really strong results, you have something you can ask the owner about. ‘Does your pet have exposure to oak trees?’ If the owner says, ‘Oh yeah, they’re all over our property, we’re loaded with oak trees!’ then you’ve got something you can work with.” Or rather, something you can target with immunotherapy (allergy shots).

Dr. Spector has one suggestion for those considering paying for one of these tests: “It’s best to test right after the dog has gone through his worst allergy season, because his antibody levels will be the highest at that time, and you can get the best picture of what really bothers him the most. Sometimes a vet will run a blood test randomly, say, in the middle of winter, or ‘in preparation for the upcoming spring,’ and it is not as helpful.”

– Skin (intradermal) tests for environmental allergens –
In an intradermal test, tiny amounts of a number of suspected or likely local allergens are injected just under the dog’s skin. The location is shaved (the better to observe the reaction of the skin and underlying tissue) and marked (with a pen), so the response to each allergen can be recorded. Swelling and/or redness indicates the dog is allergic to the substance injected in that spot.

Identification of the substances to which a dog is allergic is helpful for two reasons. First, if the allergens that are problematic for a dog are known, the dog’s owner can try to prevent (as much as possible) the dog’s exposure to them. Second, testing identifies the allergens to be chosen for inclusion in customized allergy shots (also known as “immunotherapeutic injections”).

Most veterinary dermatologists feel these tests are much more reliable than blood tests for antibodies. It should be noted that the testing is more time-consuming and expensive, not to mention stressful for the dog, who must be observed very closely, several times, by a stranger!

– Tests for food allergies – Both blood and skin tests for food allergies exist, but it’s difficult to find anyone (besides the companies that produce the tests) who feels the results are worth the paper they are printed on. It would be exciting and useful if it worked, but so far, the tests are a work in progress, with only an estimated 30 percent accuracy rate. Why would you bother – especially when you can conduct a food elimination trial that will deliver much more accurate information about your dog’s food allergies.

Food Elimination Trial: A Valuable Tool (When Done Correctly)

By
Nancy Kerns
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A valid food elimination trial for the purpose of confirming food hypersensitivity consists of three phases: elimination, challenge, and provocation.

In the first (elimination) phase, the dog is fed a diet consisting of a single protein source and a single carbohydrate source. Both of these ingredients should be completely “novel” to the dog – foods he’s never eaten before. (Thirty years ago, lamb and rice was the go-to food elimination diet, because those ingredients were not yet widely available in commercial pet foods. Because the diet was novel, few dogs had developed allergies to those ingredients, and “lamb and rice” gained an unearned reputation as a “hypoallergenic” diet. Many dog food companies rushed lamb- and rice-based diets to market, and the early results were good, since the formulation was novel. However, the ingredients are common in dog food formulations today; neither is likely to be completely novel to today’s hypersensitive dog.)

Today’s pet owners are fortunate in having novel proteins such as kangaroo, beaver, pheasant, and rabbit readily available in frozen and canned form. Novel grains such as quinoa, barley, or amaranth can be easily found in health food or gourmet food stores.

During this phase, the dog must be prevented from eating anything else: no leftovers, bones, chews, treats, or even supplements. If his itching has not reduced by at least 50 percent after a period of 8 to 12 weeks with no other foods crossing his lips, you can tentatively conclude that either A) his allergies are not related to his diet; or B) that you have, by some bad luck, used a food to which he is also allergic. You can try another trial, using another novel protein and another novel grain. If his itching does not reduce at that time, you can very safely conclude that his hypersensitivity is not related to his diet, but to some other factors.

If, however, his itching reduces drastically, go on to the second phase: challenge. Put your dog back on his former diet. If he is truly hypersensitive to ingredients in his former diet, his itching and other allergic signs should return within 4 hours to 7 days. Diagnosis: confirmed.

In the third (provocation) phase, the dog is again fed the novel protein/novel carbohydrate diet until his allergy signs have subsided. Then, a single ingredient is added to the diet for a week while the dog is closely observed. The return of pruritus in the week following the addition of any ingredient implicates that ingredient as a factor in the dog’s food hypersensitivity.

This is not a fun project; it takes commitment, extraordinary observation, and total control of your dog’s environment for weeks on end. However, identification of the ingredients to which your dog is allergic will enable you to simply prevent him from eating those ingredients, and stave off both the uncomfortable symptoms of allergy and the potentially hazardous treatments sometimes required to make him more comfortable.

Corticosteroids: Lifesaver or Killer?

By
Nancy Kerns
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There are almost as many opinions among veterinarians concerning the use of corticosteroids as there are veterinarians. Some feel that these drugs – prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone foremost among them – are invaluable to every dog who itches; some feel that corticosteroids ought to be used only as a last resort, and only for short periods and in small amounts. Still others regard them as verboten. Why are these drugs so controversial?

Corticosteroids, also known as glucocorticoids, are used mainly for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. They have been modeled on the substances manufactured by the adrenal cortex, and can be administered in an injectable, oral, or topical form. These are powerful drugs that exert amazing effects on pruritic dogs – sometimes overwhelmingly positive, and sometimes negative. They can halt inflammation and itchiness within just a day or two.

However, due to their immunosuppressive action (which is responsible for quieting the hypersensitive response of the immune system), they can also leave a dog vulnerable to infections and can cause a host of other metabolic imbalances. “This is especially problematic in allergic patients, as their immune systems tend to already be weak,” says Dr. Lisa Pesch, a holistic veterinarian and owner of Animal Arts Healing Center in Sebastopol, California. “It’s important not to confuse a hypersensitive immune system with a strong one.”

Corticosteroids also affect water and electrolyte balance (making many dogs excessively thirsty, and thus, excessively in need of “going outside”); they can cause extracellular fluid retention (some dogs will take on a puffy appearance); and they often increase the dog’s appetite (and without owner awareness of the potential for problems, resultant gain of unhealthy pounds).

Most seriously, long-term use of these drugs can lead to increased incidence of infections due to immune suppression, liver disease, hair loss, skin problems, diabetes mellitus, and adrenal suppression. Every other day usage can help to minimize these effects.

Some veterinarians take a laissez faire stance on steroids, and prescribe them freely in cases of severe allergy. Others prescribe the drugs minimally.

Still others base their decision on their appraisal of the owner; faced with owners who fail to understand or embrace an intensive, multi-pronged treatment and management plan for their itchy dog, they will prescribe the drugs in order to stop the dog’s itching and increase his quality of life, at least in the short term. But given a motivated, educated owner who is willing to go to any lengths to help their dog get better, these vets will recommend a minimal reliance  on steroids, and work with the owners to find alternatives.

In her web-based consulting practice, veterinary internal medicine specialist Dr. Donna Spector offers second opinions, analysis, and oversight to pet owners and their veterinarians. When she’s consulted on a case of a dog with allergies, she bases her assessment on the ‘three strikes and you’re out’ rule. “If you’ve had your dog in the vet’s office three or four times, and you’ve come home with the same packet of antibiotics and steroids each time, and no other suggestions have been made regarding better environmental management or immunotherapy – to me, there is more we can do.”

It makes sense to regard these drugs as “heavy artillery,” even if your own veterinarian is casual about prescribing them on an initial visit. Ideally, veterinarians would advise using them as a last resort and just for a short time (two weeks or so), to help halt the itch/scratch cycle plaguing a severely pruritic dog. This, in turn, can give his skin time to heal, and other therapies time to begin working.

Spring Allergy Season Can Spell Trouble for Our Dogs, Too

By
Nancy Kerns
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I was beginning to think that it was the mere fact that I researched and wrote a long article about canine allergies for the April issue of Whole Dog Journal that made my dog Otto start itching. But the fact is, a quick glance at my calendar (where I note anything unusual about Otto’s health or behavior) reveals that I first noticed Otto licking and scratching himself on March 7 – and weather.com confirms that the pollen count in my area jumped from “low” to “moderate” around March 4.

The most common symptom of any allergy in dogs is itching. An allergy to flea bites is the most common type of allergy in dogs, but an allergy to something in the dog’s environment, such as pollen, dust, or exposure to dust mites (actually, the feces of dust mites), is the second-most common allergy. Food allergies are a distant third.

Look for a ton of information about canine allergies in the April issue. Keep an eye peeled for an increase in your dog’s licking, chewing, and scratching as the pollen counts rise in your part of the country. And, if you’ve observed signs of allergy, let the rest of us know where you and your dogs are located – and what you’re doing to try to keep your itchy dog comfortable.

(Socializing Your Puppy or Dog #1) Socializing Your Puppy or Dog: Making a Lifelong Difference

By
Nancy Kerns
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You’d better get out there and get started!  There’s no such thing as overkill when it comes to properly done socialization. You can’t do too much. Pups who are super-socialized tend to assume that new things they meet later in life are safe and good until proven otherwise.

Dogs who are very well-socialized as pups are least likely to develop aggressive behaviors in their lifetimes. Pups who aren’t well-socialized tend to be suspicious and fearful of new things they meet throughout their lives, and are most likely to eventually bite someone.

If your pup comes to you from a socially impoverished environment, you’ll already see the signs of neophobia. You have no time to lose, and you may never be able to make up all the ground he’s lost, but you can make him better than he’d be otherwise.

  • Trainers talk about giving pups “100 new (positive) exposures in the first 100 days.” If your pup is already showing signs of timidity or fear, triple that to 300 exposures in 100 days. And get busy!

Please, Don’t Bring Home the Wrong Dog!

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Nancy Kerns
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So, dog lovers, has this happened to you? You have a friend or relative who has been dogless for some time, by choice or situation or because they’ve been grieving the loss of their last dog. For some reason — the planets have realigned, they finally own their own home, they just got reduced to a part-time job, whatever – they have decided that they are now ready to get a dog, and they want one, and they know just what they want. They want a male Poodle or Bichon-mix because they have allergies, and it has to be friendly. Or they want a little dog, but good with kids and not a Chihuahua not matter what because they know several and don’t like them.

Despite the fact that you’ve promised to find them the perfect dog, one that meets their every wish in a dog, if they would only give you a bit of time, the next thing you hear is:

“Hey, we got our dog! We just couldn’t wait, and we went to the shelter to look, and we got this dog, she’s great, she’s so sweet, she’s a Cocker Spaniel-mix!” 

Or

“We adopted a dog! It turns out, he IS a Chihuahua-mix, but he’s so CUTE! And he’s been so great with the kids.”

And then the very NEXT development is that the Cocker is making both of them ill with allergies and she also bit the mailman when he tried to pet her. And the Chihuahua is adorable with the kids but how do they stop him from barking all day he’s driving them crazy!

How do you convince people to be patient and selective and wait for a dog who meets their criteria, instead of rushing in and adopting the first cute face in the shelter they see? A face that brings a body or temperament or coat that is all wrong for them, that is going to make that dog’s very existence in their home a challenge for all of them? I’m frustrated today, because I have two friends looking for a dog RIGHT NOW and they keep sending me photos from Petfinder of dogs that meet NONE of their stated requirements in a dog, and I foresee two more disasters in the works. And it might take a few weeks or even months, but I know in the very busy shelter where I volunteer, a dog who meets their every wish will be coming through those kennels, if they would just be PATIENT! And I don’t think they will!

Am I being hysterical? Should I just relax and let them discover the joys of the unexpected? Or is this a legitimate reason to gripe?

A Pet Owner’s Worst Nightmare: Fire

By
Nancy Kerns
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I’m dog-sitting Chaco, the last little foster dog I found a home for. I got a call from her new owner the other morning. Chris asked how I was, and then asked if I could possibly dog-sit Chaco for a few days or perhaps longer. “Of course!” I replied, “What’s up?” Her voice broke as she answered, “My house burned down yesterday!”

“Oh my goodness! Where are you? Are you alright?” I asked. She said she was okay, and explained that she had actually been out for a walk with her boyfriend and both of her dogs when she got a call from her mother. Her mom said, “Honey?  I got a call from your neighbor; she said your house is on fire and the fire department is there!”

I told Chris I’d be right over, and jumped into the car. I was at her house in five minutes. At first glance, the house looked alright . . . until I saw the holes chopped into the roof by the fire department. Approaching the house, I saw piles of charred and sodden insulation, and smelled the acrid odor of a house fire. I pushed open the door, and oh my. The entire interior of the house was dripping wet, smelled smoky, and was covered with soot and burned insulation. Most of the frame of the house was intact, except for those holes in the roof and one spot on one wall. But it is completely uninhabitable due to the water and smoke damage.

Amazingly, both of the cats were okay; they had a pet door and evidently used it to escape. That’s kind of a miracle; often, cats try to hide from the heat and smoke of a fire by going under a bed or into a closet. The firefighters captured one kitty in the yard; the other one came out of hiding from goodness knows where in the middle of the night, after all the strangers were gone and my friends were still picking through the mess for clothes and photos and anything salvageable.

My friends will be okay; they have family and friends and places to stay and to help with the pets — and they have insurance! My dog Otto and Chaco were thrilled to see each other again, and immediately started chasing each other around my yard. Chris is grateful that no one was hurt – and that the fire didn’t break out at night when they were all sleeping (the fire fighters said it looked like it originated with some wiring in the attic). She had crates for each of her animals, and they (the dogs anyway) are habituated to and comfortable in the crates in the car. Also, all of her animals were wearing ID. That’s the start of a great emergency plan.

I just can’t stop thinking about what would happen if a fire broke out at my house and my dog and cat were trapped inside. I’m not sure I can think of anything scarier. All the animals, especially little Chaco, a foster dog once again for a few days, get extra hugs tonight.

(The Finer Points to Home- Prepared Dog Food Diets #2) Facts on Fish

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Nancy Kerns
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Many people worry about the amount of salt in canned fish. It is true that canned fish is salty, but dogs require a certain amount of salt, and a homemade diet is naturally low in salt, so the amount in canned fish that is fed once or twice a week should not be a concern. If your dog suffers from heart disease or needs a low-sodium diet for some other reason, you can rinse the fish to remove most of the salt.

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A dock diving dog leaps off the edge of a dock into the water.
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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!
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