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 the crate is properly introduced using positive training methods, most dogs love their crates. Canines are den animals and a crate is a modern den – a dog’s personal portable bedroom that he can retire to when he wants to escape from the trials and tribulations of toddlers and other torments. He can take it with him when he stays at boarding kennels, and when he travels with you and sleeps in hotels and motels.
For more details and advice on crate training, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Crate Training Made Easy.
Whoops, I’ve done it again! Another foster dog found her way into my car.
A couple of months ago, I started contributing a “pet of the week” column for the local newspaper, featuring a dog or cat from my local animal shelter. It worked out great at first; every animal that appeared in the paper drew immediate interest and was adopted within days. But when the animal doesn’t get adopted right away, I take it personally. I can’t help it! It’s inevitable, because the preparation of the column actually requires that I spend a chunk of time with the animal, both to get a good sense of its personality and behavior and to get a good photograph. And by then, I’m hooked – determined to find that dog or cat a home.
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Three weeks ago, I featured this little dog in the paper. She’s a young dog, some sort of herding-breed mix, and on the small side. She grew up semi-feral, and was turned over to the shelter along with five other dogs found living in a barn on a rural ranch that was for sale. The dogs had been fed, but no one had handled them much. I never saw the two worst cases among the bunch; they were so frightened of people, they were judged to be poor candidates for adoption and were euthanized. (Keep in mind that this is a small shelter in a rural area in one of the poorest counties in California; they just don’t have the resources needed to do extensive behavior modification or rehabilitation.) A couple others were friendlier and were adopted in a relatively short period.
This dog was right in the middle. She’s really interested in people, and loves being petted (and having her belly rubbed), but she’s also jumpy and nervous. If you move too fast, or make a funny noise (a sneeze, for example), or drop something, she leaps in the air like a cartoon dog and runs for her life, leaving a cartoon dust plume behind her. And then, just as fast, she’s back. “That was silly, I’m sorry; I was scared. Pet me?” On leash, she’ll trot along until she gets frightened, and then she bucks and pulls like a coyote caught in a trap. “Help! Oh, help!” Then you see the sense come back into her eyes and she dives for your leg. “Thank goodness you are here. Pet me?” She moves fast, physically and emotionally.
The shelter was keeping her in a pen with one of the calmer dogs she grew up with, which was really helping her confidence. He’d sit at the front of the pen, and when people came to pet him, she’d tiptoe up behind him and lean in for a sniff and petting. But when he got adopted, she backslid. She needed his stalwart presence at the front of the kennel to give her the confidence to approach people. When I saw her glued to the back of her run, I decided she’d have a far better chance of finding a home if she was better socialized, so here we are! She’s been in my home for only about 36 hours so far, but she’s already happy to go into a crate for a Kong toy stuffed with canned food, and she has completely taken over Otto’s thick dog bed. And she’s met four or five people, friends and neighbors, and passed muster with the cat. She’ll have a great home in no time at all.
A few months ago, I found myself getting weepy every day for a week or more, every time I thought about the foster dog I had just placed in a home. I had really bonded with her, and it was sort of traumatic when I left her with a new family, closed the door between us, and drove away. WDJ readers suggested that I’d eventually heal and find comfort in the fact that she had a nice home, and I could then help another dog another day. You were right!
“Why are you taking an agility class? Isn’t Otto agile enough?” That’s my husband’s question.
Otto is plenty agile; I am much less so. But that’s not why Otto and I are taking an agility class.
One of the main reasons I signed us up for the class is because I’ve found that it helps to take classes yourself when you are learning to teach. I’m interested in teaching, both in print (in the magazine) and in the course of my volunteer work at my local animal shelter.
I find that I often observe something about teachers when I’m a student. In my first class, for example, I noticed how much I like it when the instructor said, “Good job, Nancy!” – but only when I really thought whatever I did WAS good. I didn’t like it at all when I thought I did a lousy job of something. Praise has to feel authentic for it to actually feel good. At least, for people. I don’t know about dogs. Otto doesn’t seem to mind getting a treat at any time!
I’m also taking the class to help maintain Otto’s interest in working with me. When we work on the same stuff all the time, I notice he starts to get a little less enthused about the process. But whenever I ask him for something new, his eyes light up, and I can see him concentrate in an effort to figure out what he has to do to earn my praise or treat. He enjoys learning something new. Don’t we all?
The first class was not a huge challenge. I often ask him to jump on or over things on our walks, so the table, plank, and the jumps were not particularly novel for him. He’s previously been through an agility tunnel and over an A-frame at dog daycare. However, we both had to concentrate on doing these things with him on my right side, as opposed to my left. And building in the “pause” at the end of the obstacles made him furrow his brow in concentration. After just a try or two, he got the hang of it, and was bright and enthused about more. I can’t wait for the next class.
Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can feed, providing not only vitamin A, but also all the B vitamins, choline and inositol, vitamins D, E, and K, and the minerals iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and potassium, as well as essential fatty acids and high-quality protein. Don’t skimp on this nutritious food due to an unreasonable fear of too much vitamin A. Around five percent of the total diet should be liver, if possible.
If you follow any pet-related blogs or other social media, the odds are you’ve heard of Nulo, a new company that has been marketing its foods aggressively through a variety of online channels.
It’s not a good idea to give our dogs our food when that food is not even good for us. But owners should not be made afraid to feed healthy “people food” to their dogs. We’ve been doing it for thousands of years!
Nulo’s main thrust is that its foods and feeding programs will help your dogs reach and maintain a healthy weight – an admirable goal. Its foods are relatively high in protein (27 percent) with moderate amounts of fat (14 percent) and fiber (4 percent), appropriate for dogs who are overweight or who tend to gain weight easily. So I’ve had no objection to the marketing messages I’ve received from them (these messages were sent to members of one of the blogs I subscribe to).
Recently, however, a message went out from Nulo’s marketing department with the subject line, “The Dangers of Feeding Pets Human Food.” The enclosed article is entitled, “Why Feeding Your Pet Human Food Is Bad,” and proceeds to try to scare the bejeezus out of anyone who feeds their pets any food that doesn’t come out of a bag or can.
Sigh.
While I share the company’s concern about overweight pets and the negative effect that fatty scraps and unhealthy foods such as French fries and potato chips can have on our dogs’ waistlines, its claims go far beyond this.
“Few pet owners realize the dangers of feeding their animals human food.” Hmm – just what do they think goes into dog food – special “dog chicken” and “dog rice”? We all eat from the same food chain; dog food is made from the same sources that we eat (though not always the parts we choose). It must be a miracle that dogs managed to survive for at least 15,000 years before pet foods were invented!
It gets worse. “Even the most discerning pet owners are feeding their animals the equivalent of human fast food, leading to a surge in obesity and diabetes in dogs and cats.” Excuse me?
Those of use who feed our dogs a homemade diet use a combination of meat, eggs, fish, dairy products, grains, fruits, and vegetables. These fresh, high-quality foods supply better nutrition than can be found in any processed food. People who add ingredients such as these to their dog’s commercial diet are improving the nutrition that their dogs receive. High-quality fresh foods do not contribute to obesity and diabetes in dogs as long as calorie intake is not excessive. And dogs fed high-protein diets have a greater percentage of lean body mass than those fed diets that are high in carbs, as almost all dry foods are.
In fact commercial foods, particularly dry foods, are far more comparable to “fast food” than most homemade diets. Convenient, quick, and processed vs homemade fresh foods – which sounds more like “fast food” to you?
Who are these people?
Curious as to who was behind this new product, I went looking for more information. It was surprisingly difficult to find any substance on the slick website. The “Who We Are” page contained no names nor credentials, just this: “We are pure. We are honest. We are fresh.” Wow! Well, that’s nice!
Nulo’s FAQ page has over 80 entries. Under “Who makes your foods,” no names appear, just more hype.
Ah, finally a name under item 42, “Who founded Nulo?” Michael Landa, founder, chairman, and CEO of Nulo, has over 20 years of corporate development experience, according to the answer. (That explains the slick marketing.) His qualifications? He “has conducted extensive research” and “has become a recognized resource for the media on [pet nutrition and pet obesity].” He has made radio and television appearances. In addition, he co-founded a pet sitting and walking business. Oh, and he also owns a dog.
The original email I received from the company’s marketing department contains more empty descriptions: “Nulo is a team of veritable pet advocates that promote wellness and nutrition for animals.” (Veritable pet advocates?)
I have nothing against this particular brand of pet food, and I applaud the company’s focus on keeping dogs at a healthy weight. But when any dog food company claims that its products are better than fresh, healthy, unprocessed foods used in a well-designed homemade diet or added to a commercial diet, I can’t help getting upset. Using scare tactics to market products and making unsupportable claims such as “even the most discerning pet owners are feeding their animals the equivalent of human fast food” is just plain wrong. – Mary Straus
I attended a unique canine-related event yesterday, and while I was initially reluctant to go, I’m really glad I did.
An acquaintance, not someone I know well, was holding a “celebration of life” for her Boxer, Dempsey, who has terminal cancer. She knows it’s just a matter of time before she has to put her very special dog to sleep. And she decided she wanted to have one more party, one that Dempsey would enjoy, with her dog-loving friends (and their dogs). She held the event at a training and daycare center, so the dogs could have fun socializing and playing in a safe and dog-friendly environment. She baked some special dog treats, and provided human snacks, too.
Dempsey is only five years old; he should still be in the prime of his life. Lymphoma has turned him into a skeleton and shortened his lifespan. However, thanks to his owner’s assiduous care and attention to his diet, and a veterinary-guided plan to keep the dog as comfortable as possible to the end, Dempsey’s coat is as glossy and smooth as ever, his eyes are bright, and his energy is good. He was literally the life of the party. He played with his friends, ran herd on the obstreperous pups, let everyone run their hands over his silky coat, and begged for treats – and why not? His guests gave him anything he wanted, because we couldn’t give him what we really wished for him: a longer life.
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Positive does not mean permissive. We just have different ideas about the necessary nature of the negative consequence. When one is needed, positive trainers are most likely to use “negative punishment” (taking away a good thing), rather than “positive punishment” (the application of a bad thing). As an adjunct to that, we counsel the generous use of management to prevent the dog from practicing (and getting rewarded for) undesirable behaviors.
The result? Since all living things repeat behaviors that are rewarding, and those behaviors that aren’t rewarded extinguish (go away), the combination of negative punishment and management creates a well-trained dog at least as easily as harsh or painful corrections and without the very real potential for relationship damage that is created by the use of physical punishment.
I took a quick look at a list of animal-related products that were recalled in the past year due to Salmonella contamination. (I happened to be looking at the one on the website for the American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org); its list is based on information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (fda.gov/cvm)).
Each of the following recalls was initiated due to concerns that the products “may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella.” (Translation: A spot test revealed the presence of Salmonella, and the whole lot has to be recalled.)
In September, the Hartz Mountain Corporation announced a recall of one lot of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs.
In August, Procter & Gamble (P&G) recalled a small number of bags from a specific lot of one of its dry cat food products (Iams Indoor Weight Control with Hairball Care).
Also in August, Merrick Pet Care, Inc. recalled all lots of its Beef Filet Squares for Dogs and Texas Hold’ems pet treats.
In July, P&G recalled a couple of prescription renal dry cat foods , expanding the recall at one point to include veterinary and some specialized dry pet foods.
July also saw a recall for one of the more “usual suspects” for Salmonella contamination: a raw diet for cats. Feline’s Pride recalled its “raw food with ground bone for cats and kittens, natural chicken formula,” made between June 10 and June 21.
In June (expanded in July), the United Pet Group announced a voluntary recall of nutritional supplements (and other products, including a batch of Nature’s Miracle Pet Mess Easy Clean-up). Included were products that were sold under a variety of labels, including Petco, Drs. Foster & Smith, Excel, DDS, and Pro-Pet. The products included supplements to promote joint health, urinary tract health, improved digestion, and pleasant breath. As well as multi-vitamins, ear powder, and products meant to stop stool-eating (coprophagia).
Also in June, Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. announced a recall of Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food.
Well, I could go on and on. But here’s the thing: In each case, the news release also included something like this statement: “No Salmonella-related illnesses have been reported to date.” The language varied, but the message was the same.
I draw two conclusions from this:
1. It seems clear to me that the FDA will find Salmonella in just about every product they test that contains ingredients of animal origin.
2. The vast majority of dogs and cats must be able to resist a Salmonella infection pretty easily.
And I’m left wondering: Why is our entire animal-sourced food supply so contaminated with pathogenic bacteria?
My husband likes to tease me about what he calls my “celebrity.” He started developing the joke when I made the mistake of taking him to a big dog show in the Bay Area. I was recognized by a few people, and I introduced myself to some others, and many of those people were nice enough to act as if they were glad to see me, and to praise Whole Dog Journal. “You’re famous!” Brian started saying. “I’m living with a dog-world celebrity!”
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This is especially amusing to Brian because he knows how much I value being anonymous. I turn down opportunities to be interviewed on camera and to speak publicly. I turn my ID badge backward when I attend conferences. I’m shy! Plus I find it far more interesting to see hear what company representatives have to say when they think they are talking to someone who doesn’t know very much.
But Brian is not the kind of guy who uses a joke just once; he’ll flog this one as long as he can. He complains when I buy dog food: “I know you could get that for free if you just asked!” If I raise my voice to our dog, he threatens to call the tabloids: “News flash! Whole Dog Journal Editor Nancy Kerns Abuses Dog!” And he keeps mock-encouraging me to “cash in.” At least once a week he asks me, “Honey, isn’t it time to sell out? Let’s get that deal for Whole Dog Chow going! Let’s get some product endorsements rolling!” We both work at home; maybe we see too much of each other.
Unfortunately, his behavior was randomly reinforced last month, when I received – completely out of the blue – the first big-ticket “freebie” item of my journalism career – and, not incidentally, the first Whole Dog Journal-related item that held any interest to my husband whatsoever: a high-end, high-power vacuum, the Dyson Animal DC 23. Dyson simply asked me to consider the vacuum for a review. I am considering it, believe me; I’m considering it all over the house! (It’s a fantastic vacuum, the best I’ve ever used, but I promise to write a vigorous, thorough review of it in an upcoming issue.)
Now I just have to balance my enjoyment in having such a great vacuum against the onslaught of Brian’s newly inspired “dog celebrity” jokes. “Try to get us a new car, will you?” is the latest. “All you’ll have to do is say, ‘Lexus: It’s the best and safest car for dogs.’ How can that possibly hurt?”
Fortunately, Brian is joking. He understands that the one of the most important factors in Whole Dog Journal’s success is its independence. Neither I nor my publisher is beholden to anyone; if my or my writers’ research turns up a rat in the pet food industry or anywhere else, we’re free to reveal it. It’s a dream job for a dog-loving journalist like me.
Now, if I could just stop feeling guilty about my newest favorite household chore, vacuuming!
Occasionally I’ll get a call from a client who is having trouble getting their dog to go up or down stairs – a frustrating dilemma when you want your canine companion to be able to accompany you wherever you go. First, be sure your stairs are covered with a traction-providing surface, so he doesn’t slip and scare himself if he tries to use them. Next, here are some tips for overcoming this challenge:
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1. Get a veterinary/chiropractic check-up. If your dog is hurting or otherwise physically challenged, it may be too painful or difficult for him to negotiate stairs. A chiropractic adjustment and/or pain-relief medications may have him scampering up and down in no time. If the condition cannot be alleviated enough to make him able to do stairs, you’ll know it’s time to stop trying, and find another alternative.
2. Carry him. Some small dogs (like our Pomeranian, Scooter) just aren’t big enough to handle a full flight of stairs. Scooter can manage the two steps at the back door into the house, but not the full flight of stairs up to our bedroom, so I carry him up at night, and back down in the morning. If you have a small dog who doesn’t like to be carried, you can teach him to go into a carrier, and tote the carrier up and down the stairs. You can also carry or use a carrier for a medium-sized dog who, for whatever reason, doesn’t like stairs, but it’s not a good option for a dog who is too large for easy lifting!
3. Provide an alternative. When we added a sunroom and new deck to the back of our house, my husband had the foresight to ask the contractor to build a ramp in addition to stairs, in anticipation of aging canines who might have difficulty with stairs. A few months later we adopted Scooter, who delights in using the ramp to the deck rather than the stairs. If your geriatric guy is having trouble and a ramp isn’t an option, you can use a towel as a sling under his abdomen to assist his back end up the stairs. This one’s a stretch, but if you happen to live in a home that has a stair-elevator chair for a disabled person, teach him to use that!
4. Shape it. Your dog may simply be afraid to go up and down stairs, and the more you pressure him to do it, the scarier it feels to him. Shaping allows the dog to make his own decisions and reinforces him for tiny pieces of “stair behavior” so he gains confidence. Just start at one end of the stairway – top or bottom, wherever he’s more comfortable – and click (or use a verbal marker) and give him a treat for any small movement toward the stairs. No coaxing, no luring, just let him make all the decisions and all the moves. In time – faster for some dogs, slower for others, your dog will take one step up (or down) then another, then another, and finally be happily willing to do the entire flight. If you’ve done other shaping games with your dog this may go faster; if you and your canine pal are new to shaping this can take longer. (See “The Shape of Things to Come,” WDJ March 2006.)
5. Back chain it. This is another solution for tiny to medium dogs – not practical for large dogs, but it can work like a charm with smaller ones.
Instead of starting at the bottom step and working your way up (or vice-versa), carry your dog up the stairs and set him down one step from the top. He sees safety just one step up and makes the attempt – one step is manageable for him, even if he’s afraid of stairs – and goes for the top. Phew! He made it! Feed him yummy treats too, as added reinforcement for his superb effort.
Repeat that process just one step from safety until he does that happily and easily, then set him two steps from the top. Emboldened by his repeated success with one step, he’s able to make the effort for two steps, then three, then four, until he can easily go up and down the entire flight without concern. Happy stair climbing!
Pat Miller, CPDT-KA, CDBC, is WDJ’s Training Editor. Miller lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center. Pat is also author of several books on positive training, including her latest: Do Over Dogs: Give Your Dog a Second Chance for a First Class Life.
In 2010, I noticed a surge in news articles concerning law enforcement officers who had shot a dog. Most recently, I read about an October 1 incident in Oakland, California, in which an officer responding to a home burglar alarm shot and killed the resident 11-year-old arthritic yellow Labrador Retriever. Another alarming article described the fatal shooting of Parrot, a pit bull-mix who had bitten another dog at a Washington, D.C., street festival but was already controlled by his foster parent when police grabbed and shot the dog. In another article, I read about two Labrador Retrievers who were killed in their own home – which also happened to be the home of the mayor of a small town in Maryland – when police served a search warrant on the wrong address.
Via YouTube.com, I learned of a case in which a police officer in LaGrange, Missouri, shot a dog who was clearly not a threat to anyone’s safety at that time. The video was shot from the police car – and then somehow widely circulated on YouTube. Two officers are present, but after one proves unable to maneuver the dog (who is secured by a control pole) into a truck by himself, he shoots the dog.
Horrified by this rash of cases, I started looking into how many dogs are killed by police. It appears that an average of 250-300 cases of officers shooting dogs are reported in the media every year. Randall Lockwood, PhD, ASPCA Senior Vice President for Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects, has also looked into this matter, and suggests that as many as another 1,000 cases may go unreported, for a staggering average of more than three dog shootings per day in the United States.
This issue is of concern to every citizen. Regard for canine life aside, every time an officer fires his weapon he also puts human lives at risk – as evidenced by a September shooting in which a Detroit police officer who shot at a pit bull actually hit and wounded an animal control officer who was present during a raid on a home. There are simply safer and more humane methods to deal with most of the dogs that police officers must handle during the course of their difficult jobs. Officers should have the opportunity to receive training in how to assess the potential for danger from dogs, and how to use their non-lethal equipment to handle potentially dangerous dogs.
I’ve created a yet-unnamed online group whose purpose is constructive discussion and strategy development to combat the apparently growing incidence of law enforcement officers shooting dogs without adequate justification. Join by sending a message to copsshootingdogs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. This is not a site to bash law enforcement, but rather to engage in constructive discussions to find and promote positive solutions to this problem. – Pat Miller
I’ve had a number of older owners book lessons with me lately—more than half a dozen individuals and couples in their 70s and even 80s, all wanting some training help with their new dogs or puppies.
