You know you’ve been feeding raw for a long time when it no longer seems like a radical, ground-breaking, or – ubiquitous adjective for beginners – scary way to feed.
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When I started feeding raw – a dozen years and three generations of Rhodesian Ridgebacks ago – it was the Middle Ages of raw feeding. Ian Billinghurst’s Feed Your Dog a Bone was the hard-to-find illuminated manuscript (the lax editing could have stood some sprucing up by Benedictine monks), and everyone used the unfortunate acronym BARF, which stood for “bones and raw food” (or, later, the loftier-sounding “biologically appropriate raw food”). No commercial raw diets were available, and new converts dutifully ordered their Maverick sausage grinders over the Internet. The instruction booklet said the table-top grinder couldn’t be used on any bones harder than chicken necks or wings, but everyone ignored that. I can still remember the painful whirring of the motor, and then the crackles and pops as the thin ropes of ground meat and bone came out the cylinder.
Early days Like many people, I started feeding raw reactively, not proactively. I had a new dog, my first show dog and first Ridgeback, who just wasn’t thriving on kibble. I remember setting down Blitz’s first raw meal with great fear and trepidation. And then – anticlimax – he didn’t choke, die, or even look at me cross-eyed. He ate, he thrived, and off we went and never looked back. Three more adult Ridgebacks followed, and dozens of puppies, who in turn had puppies of their own. All got their start in life on raw-food diets.
Back then (and still today), the Holy Grail of raw feeders was a quality meat source at affordable prices. Through local dog folk, I learned about Armellino’s, a butcher in nearby Huntington Station, New York, who was a wholesaler of naturally reared poultry – chickens and turkeys raised without hormones or pesticides. Joe Armellino was your go-to guy for a free-range Thanksgiving dinner. And he had turkey necks – dare I hope? Did I hear that right? – for a bargain 79 cents a pound.
By my second or third trip there, as I gratefully accepted my 10-pound bag of turkey necks, Joe asked me quizzically, “Are you starting a soup business or something?”
“No,” I replied with a chuckle. “I grind this stuff up for my dogs.”
And as I explained my feeding regimen – the noise, the blood, the guts, the time – lights started going off for Joe. Maybe he could buy a commercial grinding attachment. Maybe he’d order that BARF book. This was a bit of back to the future: His father, who had owned the business before him, used to sell minced meat for dogs.
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Today, 12 years later, my dogs still eat at Joe’s. His business has gone to the dogs – literally – and his store walls are lined with dog photos, from Danes to Dachshunds, who get their sustenance there. Joe doesn’t do mail order, he doesn’t do any fancy packaging or marketing. He just gets the meat directly from the source, grinds it, puts it in 2- or 5-pound sleeves, freezes it, and then sells it to the steady stream of doggie customers who are now a major part of his business.
Passing it on My puppies are weaned on Joe’s ground food mixed with evaporated milk at four weeks old. When the pups are around six weeks, I tell their new owners what I’m feeding, instruct them to order a good multivitamin and fish-oil source (for those nifty omega-3s), and have them stop by to visit Joe. (If they’re not local, many will invest in a freezer and schlep back for a food run every few months.)
I also provide them with a list of “don’t panic” points, including, “Don’t freak out if you don’t see your puppy drinking a lot. Her food is so well-hydrated, she won’t be constantly lapping up water like her kibble-fed counterparts.”
The three main problems with raw feeding for newbies are the time, the cost, and the learning curve. Joe solves the first two: His food is convenient (just thaw out overnight, dump in the bowl, and add supplements) and affordable (about the same price as a high-quality kibble).
As for the learning curve, I’ve fed this family of dogs for more than a decade. I know what to expect in terms of their growth needs. The biggest advantage to feeding raw is being able to control what you feed. (Which is the disadvantage to commercially prepared raw diets along with, frankly, price.) I am sure an Alaskan Malamute breeder instructs her puppy people to feed differently than I do, as would a Yorkie breeder. Our dogs, in their genetic programming, process food differently. So when my Ridgeback puppies hit 4 months, and their ears start doing a Sally Field (hello, “Flying Nun”) because teething is taxing their little bodies, I know to increase the calcium and fat in their diets, and I can literally watch their crimped ears flatten and their flat feet knuckle up.
Such breed-specific nutritional knowledge doesn’t happen in a decade, or two. I am fortunate in my breed to have a long-time mentor, Alicia Hanna of Kimani Kennels. She’s taught me how to reverse rickets in Ridgebacks; that’s what the above description is, really. And she drove home for me the importance of the old British saying “Half the pedigree goes through the mouth” – you really are what you eat.
Getting vets to buy in Veterinarians are often the biggest obstacle to owners who would like to feed raw. And I understand why: They are worried about owners who will take shortcuts and compromise their dog’s health in the process, far more than any fear of salmonella contamination. (Your garden-variety smoked pig’s ear carries a similar risk.)
Any skeptical vet I have ever encountered has been put at ease when I tell him or her these two things: First, I know the source of my dog’s meat, which is raised as holistically as anything I can buy in the supermarket for my own consumption; and second, I understand the importance of having a calcium source. This meat has a more-than-adequate bone content, and it’s finely ground to the consistency of hamburger meat to mitigate any issues of perforation or compaction. (Supposedly, grinding the bones negates any teeth-cleaning benefit, but life is nothing if not a series of compromises. And that’s one I can live with.)
“Well,” the vet invariably says. “You’ve done your homework. But the average pet owner isn’t as conscientious.” Maybe so, but it’s my job as the breeder to instruct my puppy people on how to feed correctly. And there’s a huge piece of me that thinks the lowest common denominator is a terrible place at which to set the bar.
All this is not to say that raw-feeding doesn’t have its drawbacks. Last year, I almost lost a litter of puppies when they contracted enteritis, an intestinal bacterial infection, presumably from the constant licking of their very fastidious raw-fed dam. Desperately watching as my puppies faded, and unsure what to do, I put them on a liquid antibiotic, and they all rebounded. Now, all my expectant mothers go to a cooked diet with added carbohydrates for increased milk production about halfway through their pregnancy until the puppies are weaned at eight weeks.
It works, it works, it works After that close call, why do I continue to feed raw, you might ask. Because in all the years I have been feeding this way, I haven’t had any major health issues with my dogs. They stay vibrantly healthy and look like a million bucks. The longer I am in dogs, and the more I talk with old-time breeders who themselves are becoming an extinct breed, the more I take this simple truth to heart: Health shows from the inside out. No matter how fantastic a pedigree, it can be ruined by bad nutrition and bad rearing. Common sense prevails: Dogs need sunshine, exercise, and good, whole, hydrated food.
Dog people – especially serious dog people – like to get all self-righteous about how they feed. It’s our way or the highway. I want my puppies to be raw-fed and I strongly encourage that way of feeding (just as I do minimal vaccination and pesticide-free landscaping), but in the end I realize I don’t have control. And I also realize that changes in lifestyle and economics also impact how we care for our dogs. In an ideal world, they shouldn’t, but who lives in an ideal world all their life?
My Ridgebacks aren’t the only litters I have around the house: My human kids consist of 6½-year-old triplets. When they were toddling, I was concerned about bacterial cross-contamination. And the cost of diapers and formula (I’m holistic, but breast-feeding triplets? – I’m not that holistic!) was beginning to make a real dent in our budget. So I began cooking the Armellino food, boiling it up in a pot with a grain source such as barley, to stretch it a little further. I did that for about two years, until the kids were bigger and could be trusted not to, say, lick the dogs’ food bowls or stuff fistfuls of raw turkey in their mouths.
But it wasn’t until I looked back over that time that I noticed some subtle changes in my dogs. They were still generally healthy on the cooked, carb-loaded diet, but I noticed an increased frequency of acute problems: the occasional ear infection or impacted anal sac, for instance. A homeopathic vet suggested I start a journal to note these little changes, and if I had followed that advice during that period, I’m sure I would have noticed additional “nickel and dime” changes that the cooked food brought – and not for the better. If ever I needed proof of the price we pay when we destroy the enzymes and nutrients in our dogs’ food by cooking it, there it was.
So, in my heart of hearts, do I think raw is better than home-cooked is better than canned is better than kibble is better than plasterboard? To be honest, yes. But do I think I loved my dogs any less by making the lifestyle and economic concessions that I needed to, when I needed to? To be honest, no.
In the end, what raw feeding taught me were the same life lessons we all take to heart: Never act out of a place of fear. Embrace common sense. (If whole foods are good for us, why should our dogs be any different?) Keep things simple. Act locally. (Thank you, Joe.) And master the use of the prepositional phrase “In my experience” at the beginning of any sentence involving a controversial subject like raw feeding. Because your experience is your experience, whether others agree or not.
Denise Flaim of Revodana Ridgebacks in Long Island, New York, shares her home with three Ridgebacks, three 6 ½-year-olds, and a husband.
1. Research your community’s daycare options well and be willing to travel a reasonable distance so you can make the best choice possible of your dog’s daycare provider.
2. Interview your prospective providers thoroughly to ensure you cover all the important questions about service and safety.
3. Ask or at least three references. Ask the references some of the questions you asked the provider in the interview, and see if the answers match.
4. Trust your instincts. If you’re not completely comfortable with the answers to your questions and observations about the facility, look elsewhere.
5. Ask to observe the doggie daycare operation in action. Watch for several hours. Look for the use of punishment tools such as spray bottles and penny cans, or inappropriate playmate matchups that would rule out use of the facility for your dog.
The term “doggie daycare” has become a panacea in recent years for all manner of canine behavioral ills. Does your dog engage in destructive chewing? Nuisance barking? Rude greetings? Poor canine social skills? Mouthing and biting? Separation anxiety? Just send him to doggie daycare, and all will be well. You hope.
I’ll admit I’m as guilty as the next trainer of suggesting a daycare solution for a huge percentage of my behavior consult clients. The fact is, many of today’s canine companions suffer from a significant lack of exercise, stimulation, and social time with their own kind. A good daycare provider can go a long way toward meeting those needs. But daycare is not the one-size-fits-all answer that we would like it to be; there are many factors to take into consideration before enrolling your dog in your friendly neighborhood doggie hangout.
ls Dog Daycare Just What It Sounds Like?
Anything you can observe about daycare for children can be said about dog daycare. Both types of daycare are intended to be a safe place for the family member to spend the day socializing, taking part in some enriching activities, exercising in a space and with toys that exceed the offerings at home, and learning and/or practicing some basic manners.
A dog’s schedule in a daycare facility may resemble that of a daycare child and include unstructured play in a large group; structured play in smaller groups (fetch, playing on agility equipment); snack time (food-stuffed Kongs or chewing time in a crate or individual kennel); and nap or “quiet time” (perhaps also in crates or kennels).
“Parents” of both types of daycare attendees have the same goals: to bring home a family member who is healthy, happy, and tired. Their concerns are similar, too: An injury that leads to a medical bill; an experience that instills fear or anxiety; and the emergence of unwanted behaviors (such as biting, aggression, bad manners).
Daycare facilities range from fantastic to downright funky to absolutely horrifying. Sometimes the attractiveness of the facility is proportional to the cost of care, with large or extravagantly equipped daycare costing a lot more than smaller, bare-bones sites. Exceptions to this rule are common in urban centers; however, in places where demand is high, even a crowded and shabby daycare may be able to charge premium fees for care.
Which Dogs Shouldn’t Go to Doggie Daycare
Not all dogs are appropriate daycare candidates. Just because they are a social species doesn’t mean all dogs get along with each other. Humans are a social species and we certainly don’t all get along! It’s important that you honestly evaluate your dog’s personality and behavior to determine if he has the potential to do well at daycare. If he plays well with others, is comfortable and confident in public, and doesn’t mind being separated from you, then daycare may be a fine choice. If any of those are questionable, proceed with care.
If your dog doesn’t enjoy interacting with other dogs, he’ll likely find daycare a very unpleasant experience, and his dislike of dogs will probably get worse.
When the planets are aligned just so – with a well-managed, highly trained staff and a perfect set of playmates – some dogs who are mildly fearful of other dogs may develop greater social skills and ease around their own kind. But many a dog-fearful dog has become reactive-aggressive as a result of being forced into proximity with other canines. Total immersion in dogdom is not an appropriate behavior modification or management plan for a dog who is intimidated by his own kind. Many dogs simply become less dog-playful as they mature, and a day at doggie daycare is not the fun party for them we imagine it is. Of course, geriatric dogs and those with medical conditions should not be asked to endure the rough-and-tumble play of dogs at a daycare center.
Undersocialized dogs who are environmentally fearful and/or afraid of humans also do not belong at puppy playschool. While a dog who was rescued from a puppy mill or a hoarder may feel more comfortable in the presence of a group of dogs because that’s what he knows, he can be difficult, perhaps even dangerous, for staff to handle. If something should happen – he escapes, or is injured and in need of treatment – the situation goes from bad to worse. The escapee will be impossible to catch, and is likely to head out in a beeline for parts unknown. A fearful dog who must be cornered and restrained by strangers for treatment in an already high-stress environment is very likely to bite, perhaps with alarming ferocity as he struggles to protect himself from what he may perceive as his impending death.
A canine bully or any dog who is otherwise offensively aggressive toward other dogs is also not an appropriate daycare attendee. Don’t think sending him to daycare will teach him how to play well with others. It’s more likely to do the exact opposite! He’ll find it quite reinforcing to have the opportunity to practice his inappropriate bullying or aggressive behavior – and behaviors that are reinforced invariably increase and strengthen.
Finally, dogs who suffer from separation anxiety are often horrible candidates for daycare. (For more about separation anxiety, see “How to Manage Separation Anxiety in Dogs,” July 2008.) Owners of dogs with separation anxiety often hope their dogs will relax in the company of other dogs and humans, and trainers often suggest daycare as a solution for the dog who is vocal or destructive when left alone. But if your dog is at the extreme end of the separation-distress/anxiety continuum, sending him to daycare doesn’t make him any happier, and only makes those who have to spend the day with him (canine and human) stressed as well. True separation anxiety – in which the dog has a panic attack if separated from the one human he has super-bonded to – is not eased by the presence of other dogs or humans. Less severe manifestations of isolation/separation distress may be alleviated by a daycare provider. Be honest with your prospective provider about your dog’s separation-related behavior, and see if she’s willing to give it a try. Be ready to celebrate if it works, and look for another solution if it doesn’t.
Perfect Doggie Daycare Candidates
In contrast, if your dog loves to play with others, doesn’t have significant medical problems that would preclude active play, and has energy to spare, he’s the ideal candidate for doggie daycare. This professional service, offered by a high-quality provider, is the perfect answer to many a dog owner’s prayers.
Perhaps you have a friendly, active young dog, and you just don’t have the time you would like to devote to his exercise and social exposure. You come home exhausted from a grueling day at work and he greets you with a huge grin on his face, his wagging tail clearly begging for a hike in the woods or an extended session of ball-retrieve. If you don’t exercise him you risk the emergence of inappropriate behaviors such as chewing, but you are just too tired, and you have to work on a project, due tomorrow. Daycare, even one or two times a week, can be the perfect outlet for his boundless energy, give him the social and dog-play time he covets, and relieve you of the oppressive guilt of not being able to take him for that hike.
You may not know whether your dog is an appropriate daycare candidate until you show up for your interview and the staff assesses your dog. Note: if the facility you’re considering accepts your dog without an assessment, look for another provider. Even if your dog passes the assessment, daycare staff may advise you after a visit or two that your dog is stressed and not enjoying his play experience there. If that’s the case, you remove him from daycare, and/or inquire about possible behavior modification programs to help him have more fun at dog play.
Be Choosy When Picking a Doggie Daycare Center
One of the pitfalls of suggesting daycare to clients is the dearth of high-quality providers in most areas. If you are considering sending your canine pal off to a professional dog-sitting facility for the day, you want to be confident that he’ll be as safe and happy in their hands as he is in yours. You should see each prospective provider’s facility (preferably when dogs are present), and talk to its manager and staff.
You may need to make an appointment in order to get the best tour of a daycare facility. There are times (especially in the morning during peak drop-off hours and in the afternoon during peak pick-up hours) when it will be extremely difficult to spare a staff member to show you around. Call ahead and ask when it would be best to see the facility.
As you visit facilities and interview managers and staff, observe the dogs that are present in the daycare centers. They should appear happy, not stressed. Staff should also appear happy, not stressed, and be interacting with the dogs. The environment should be calm and controlled, not chaotic, and your take-away impression should be one of professional competence as well as genuine caring for dogs. Trust your instincts. If anything doesn’t seem right, don’t leave your dog there. If staff says you cannot observe the dogs, we suggest walking away. (See “No Viewing ‘For the Dogs’ Safety?’ ” next page.)
One of the most important things to ask about is the dog to staff ratio. This can range from 10 dogs or fewer per staff person to as many as 20 or more dogs per caretaker. “Obviously, the fewer dogs per person, the more closely supervised your dog is likely to be, and the less likely any canines are to get into trouble,” says Robin Bennett, one-time co-owner of All About Dogs Daycare in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Cost is also an important factor, but don’t select your provider by cost alone; neither the lowest-priced nor the highest-priced facility may be suitable for your dog. Depending on where you live and the specifics of the facility, cost per day can range from a few dollars to $40 or more per day. Facility specifics vary. “The daycare may be operated out of a private home or a multi-staffed, full-service facility,” says Bennett. “Multi-staffed facilities are naturally costlier, but can offer a much wider range of services to meet the needs of individual dogs.”
Speaking of services: In a full-service facility, trained staff members keep the dogs busy with indoor or outdoor play, or even, in some cases, happily munching snacks and watching movies made just for the entertainment of dogs. Activities might include hide and seek, tag, or anything that canine minds can come up with. Many facilities provide a variety of toys and balls to enjoy, and some even have swimming pools! Some also offer training, from good manners to agility and more. Good daycare centers also include rest time so dogs don’t get over-stimulated by having too much fun.
Other things to ask about include:
What is the assessment process? If they don’t assess, run away fast. If they do, be sure you’re comfortable with the things they tell you they will be doing with your dog, before you let them do it.
What vaccinations do they require? Make sure you’re comfortable with the requirements. Don’t compromise your dog’s physical health by over-vaccinating or administering unnecessary shots just to satisfy daycare. If they ask for vaccinations you’d prefer not to give your dog, see if they’ll accept a letter from your veterinarian stating that in her opinion your dog is adequately protected.
How do they determine appropriate play groups? Your Maltese should not be in a play group with a Great Dane, or vice versa. In a recent tragedy, a 5-pound Pomeranian was killed at a daycare center when left unattended with a 60-pound dog. (Attended or not, these two dogs should not have been in the same playgroup!) Nor should a body-slamming adult Labrador be playing with a space-sensitive Border Collie puppy. If you get the proper answer (play style, size, and age) make sure your observations of the groups playing support their answer.
“To minimize risk of injury, dogs should be separated based on play style, size, and age,” says Bennett. “Keep in mind that accidents and injuries can happen in all facilities. Dog daycare is like a child’s playground, and by allowing dogs to play together there is a risk of injury. Collars can present a hazard during dog play, but dogs without collars have no visible identification. Discuss this conundrum with your potential provider to see how they handle it, and be sure you are comfortable that escape risks are minimal at the facility. You should see multiple doors within the facility to the playrooms and secure high fences around outdoor play yards.”
Do they feed the dogs treats? If so, are the treats a type and quality that is compatible with your dog’s diet – especially if he has allergies or you are committed to high quality foods? Can you provide your own treats to give him, and if you do, can they ensure he gets your treat and not the others? If you ask them to refrain from feeding treats, or limit the amount, will they?
What kind of dog handling and behavior training does the staff receive? What training books and authors do they recommend? What tools do they use? Staff members should be reading books by the growing list of positive, science-based author-trainers. If dominance-based television celebrities are held in high regard, run away fast.
How frequent are serious incidents, requiring staff intervention, of inappropriate behavior between dogs? These should be rare. If they happen more than a few times a year, the facility has a serious problem.
How do they deal with incidents involving inappropriate behavior between dogs? Incidents should be defused by separating dogs calmly, only using physical tools such as water, loud noises, blankets, and boards if absolutely necessary. Squirt bottles and noise aversives should not be routine management tools. Verbal and physical punishments, including shock collars, are totally and completely unacceptable. There should be planned debriefings after an incident occurs to determine what went wrong and prevent a recurrence. Solutions include putting dogs in different play groups, or asking offenders not to return unless and until adequate behavior modification has been implemented.
What if a dog is injured? Do they have a regular consulting veterinarian who is available during all daycare business hours? If not, is there an emergency clinic available? Will they transport to your veterinarian if that’s your preference? Who pays the vet bill?
The provider should notify you immediately if your dog is seriously injured, either by another dog or some other physical mishap, and honor your preference for veterinary care if at all possible. There are reasonable arguments on both sides of the “who pays” question, but you should be aware in advance of their policies so you’re not surprised.
Has a dog ever escaped? If so, how did it happen, and what have they done to prevent future escapes?
Has any staff ever been bitten by a dog? If so, what were the circumstances? Was the bite reported to authorities? (In many jurisdictions, all dog bites are technically required to be reported, but often are not unless they are serious enough to require medical attention.) If your dog bites and is reported, he will likely have to be quarantined for a period of time (often 10 days) and the incident may trigger “dangerous dog” legal proceedings. Bites can happen. But if the facility you’re considering has a history of lots of dog bites, there’s a serious problem.
The Scoop on Doggie Daycare Cleanliess
One of the challenges inherent in operating a doggie daycare center is that dogs poop and pee – and the more a facility feels like a dog hangout rather than a home, the less inhibited most dogs are about pooping and peeing there. You may wonder if sending your dog to daycare will damage the housetraining habits you’ve worked so hard to install. It depends, in large part, on the sanitation standards of the facility. The better the
facility, the more attention they pay to cleanliness.
For cleaning purposes, daycare floor surfaces are usually bare concrete or covered with rubber mats of some kind, or occasionally vinyl. Most homes don’t have floors of cement or rubber, so unless you’re a rare exception, your dog isn’t likely to start having accidents
in your home on your carpeted or hardwood floors even if he occasionally eliminates in the daycare center. More importantly, a good facility provides adequate outside time, either in supervised exercise areas or via on-leash walks, to minimize the number of
accidents indoors. Indoor grass litter boxes can offer appropriate indoor potty areas for those days when inclement weather precludes outdoor time.
A significant part of the “eliminate here” invitation at a daycare center is the
lingering odor of past feces and urine deposits. For those inevitable indoor accidents, a good daycare provider has on-the-spot cleaning protocols, so staff immediately removes any waste and cleans the area thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner designed to counteract pet waste. If your cleaning procedures in your own home are equally rigorous, the absence of elimination reminders in your house also minimizes the potential for
a breakdown in your dog’s housetraining manners.
Bedding at a daycare center inevitably becomes soiled from time to time as well. Cleaning protocols should dictate immediate removal and daily washing of dirty bedding so those odors don’t linger to suggest to canine clients that random elimination is welcome. Fresh bedding should be provided every day even if it wasn’t soiled the day before.
In fact, aside from the pungent scent of a just-happened “oops,” unpleasant odors in a
high-quality daycare facility should be virtually non-existent, just as in a well-run boarding facility. In your mission to find a top-notch daycare for your dog, if your nose can discern the musty, lingering smell of inadequate sanitation practices, keep on looking.
No Viewing “For the Dogs’ Safety”?
– Nancy Kerns
In the San Francisco Bay Area, like other urban centers with high dog populations, there are dozens of dog daycare facilities. Many of the businesses are high-volume facilities, with more than 100 dogs “enrolled” in daycare on any given day.
A few years ago, I made it a point to try to see as many of the daycare facilities as possible. Some were built with lobby-type areas from which a visitor could view the entire
facility. At one, there was sufficient staff on hand to allow a front-desk person to give me a quick tour of the behind-the-scenes boarding and “napping” areas. A few were more
private, permitting very limited viewing of the main daycare area only. At the most private one I saw (from the outside), a sign at the front entrance indicated that a look inside is possible by appointment only; the business’ website further explained that “for the safety of the dogs, certain areas are restricted.” Not even the enrolled dogs’ owners are allowed to view some areas, and the hours during which owners may drop off and pick up dogs are restricted!
The usual explanation for a “no-viewing” policy is that the sight of visitors can cause the dogs to get excited. It’s true that at the daycare facilities where a visitor can view the dogs at play, there are always at least a few dogs who do react to the appearance of a stranger (or their owners). On the other hand, at the facilities with (what seemed to me to be) an adequate staff-dog ratio and/or dogs separated into small groups of 10 or fewer, this didn’t seem like much ofa problem. A dog or two barked; a handler spoke to them or redirected their attention; and that was that.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the “no visitors” or “limited access” facilities are also the highest-volume businesses I saw. By standing on my tip-toes on the stoop of the
business that allowed no pre-arranged visitors, I could see over a fence for a limited view of one play yard; it contained at least 40 dogs. I could see two handlers in the area with the dogs at that time, but it’s possible there were more handlers present in areas I couldn’t see.
In my opinion, having this many dogs in a relatively small space is potentially dangerous, and puts the dogs (and employees) at risk. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be done; I worry that it can’t be done without incident — or without the regular use of aversive training methods to keep any misbehavior from cropping up, (Which could be, I worry, the real reason why some daycare providers never permit viewing or unscheduled owner visits.)
Few Daycare Options?
If you don’t live in a relatively affluent urban area, daycare providers can be hard to find. Word of mouth is a powerful tool; ask all your dog-owning friends and your dog-care professionals if they can refer you to a good facility. Search the Internet, starting with the website for the Pet Care Services Association at petcareservices.org or (877) 570-7788. You can also check with the Better Business Bureau and your local Animal Control agency, to see if there have been complaints or problems with the providers you’re considering. If choices in your community are limited, you’re better off passing up the daycare opportunity than choosing to leave your dog in the hands of a sub-standard care-provider.
Other alternatives to professional daycare include arranging play dates with dogs your dog already knows and loves; using social media to connect with other owners in your area who may be looking for dog-play opportunities; asking your dog-care professionals (trainer, vet, groomer) if they have clients who may be interested in having their dogs play with yours; and asking friends, family members, and neighbors who have dogs of their own if they might be up for small-scale daycare duty.
A fairly new service on the dog scene is Sniffspot – an online resource where you can find privately-owned fenced spaces that are available to rent at a reasonable rate – very useful if neither you nor any of your dog-friends have fenced yards.
The benefits of dog play are numerous, and it’s well worth the effort to find a professional facility that can help your dog be as happy, well-rounded, and well-exercised as he deserves to be. If no daycare facilities exist in your area and you happen to have the skills and interest, you could think about starting one yourself!
One of the basic tenets of positive dog training is that it’s much easier to teach the dog what to do rather than what not to do. If you program your dog’s chew preferences early in life by consistently directing his attention – and teeth – to appropriate objects and preventing his access to inappropriate ones, you won’t have to constantly tell him he’s chewing on the wrong things.
Interactive toys can help here too. A stuffed Kong suspended just out of your dog’s reach can keep him occupied and work off excess energy as he jumps and grabs at the tempting prize. Instead of giving him his bowl of food in the morning, fill the Buster Cube with his kibbles and make him work for his meal by pushing cube around to make the food fall out. He won’t have the time, energy, or desire to shred your grandmother’s antique afghan if he’s out “hunting” for his breakfast!
For more details and advice on ways to prevent and cure destructive chewing habits, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook,
I spent a half day at my local shelter recently, working with a half-dozen large, adolescent dogs who have been languishing there for two or more months. Not one of these dogs knew the cue “sit” but they were friendly and healthy and in need of homes.
Being at the shelter for even just a few hours a week can get me down. I’m hopeful for the animals there – especially the ones who just learned to sit and lie down on cue, and sit politely by their doors. No, it’s humanity I sometimes get depressed about. This morning’s depression came after the following:
As I toured through the kennels with the shelter’s veterinary technician, looking for a dog to feature as the “Adoptable Pet of the Week” for our local newspaper, we came across two German Shepherd-crosses, probably siblings, lying entangled in each other’s legs. The tech explained that they were two of three dogs who were picked up as a little tight-knit pack by the county animal control officer, and that the older dog had an implanted microchip. The shelter staff called the owner, who came to pick up the implanted dog (paying a fine, of course), but who claimed not to know the other two dogs.
A woman with a little boy, perhaps three years old, was sitting and petting a dog in one of the outdoor runs. When she saw me working with one of the dogs, she asked “Are you a trainer?” I hesitated – I’m not a trainer – but for her purposes, I guessed, I could be. “Yes,” I said. “Can I help you?” She said, “Well, this dog, he’s got so many bad habits. He play bites sometimes, too hard. And he knocks my son over.”
I said, “Well, we have a lot of really nice dogs inside. Perhaps you should consider one of the older and smaller dogs.”
She responded, “Well, this dog – he used to be my dog. I got him from here when he was a puppy. I brought him back about a month ago. But I’m so upset that he’s still here; no one has adopted him!”
I was sort of stunned. Then it occurred to me that even if she surrendered him, she came back; she must actually care about the dog. I said, “Are you thinking about taking him home again? I could recommend a training class . . .”
She said, “No, he’s trained, he can sit and all that, it’s just that he chews everything, and knocks my son over, and he barks if he’s left alone.” She hesitated, and then said, “Maybe we should just get a new puppy.”
Later, I saw the vet tech in the parking lot with a middle-aged man and what looked to be a very senior Airedale. The dog was emaciated, three-legged lame, and covered with matted dreadlocks. My first thought was that the man had rescued the dog. No, said the tech told me later; the man brought the dog in for euthanasia. He said the dog didn’t get along with his other dogs.
I know that shelter staffers have to deal with irresponsible and ill-informed pet owners every day, and I bless them for their hard work. I know that I couldn’t do it with a smile on my face.
While feeding a homemade diet sounds like a good idea, it’s not easy to figure out what that entails, or how to ensure that you provide all the nutrition that your dog needs. Despite what some will try to tell you, there is no one “right” way to feed your dogs. Each dog is an individual, and what works for one may not work for another. The best way to feed your dog may also depend on how much time and effort you are able to devote to putting together a proper diet.
While fresh foods are healthier than processed foods, a good commercial diet is better than a poorly designed homemade diet. If you don’t feel comfortable preparing a diet yourself, you can still improve the diet you feed by adding fresh foods.
I recommended this book to Whole Dog Journal’s readers more than a year ago. I’m recommending it again, for anyone who missed it the first time.
The subtitle of the book is “Be the Advocate your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life.” You see, Dr. Kay, a highly trained veterinarian and specialist in veterinary internal medicine, feels that owners are the most important member of their pets’ healthcare team – the team captain, as it were. She encourages owners to build a strong healthcare team, in order to foster communication and cooperation among the team members (including specialists and alternative practitioners), and to take charge of the team, acting as a decisive and passionate advocate for their pets. Best of all, she tells the reader exactly how to go about this, with information on:
How to find the best vet for you and your pet
What to expect during a vet visit
The 10 commandments of veterinary office visits
Veterinary specialists
The vaccination conundrum
Important questions to ask your vet and how to ask them
The book also discusses difficult issues such as cancer diagnoses, second opinions, how to discuss difficult money matters, and euthanasia.
I can’t recommend it highly enough: Buy this book!
The key to bringing a puppy into your home is to think things through well before the big day.
Most people spend months preparing for the arrival of a new baby. They’re just as likely, however, to bring a baby dog home on a whim, without any preparation at all. Small wonder they find themselves playing catch-up for weeks, months, years, or even “getting rid of” the dog as they struggle to recover from the mistakes made in the pup’s formative months. The wise puppy-owner-to-be puts much thought into pre-puppy preparation.
It’s never too soon to start researching the corps of professionals who will help you raise your puppy right. That list will include her veterinarian (or veterinarians, including an emergency hospital, holistic vet, and “regular” vet), training instructor, and perhaps a groomer, pet sitter/walker, doggie daycare provider, and boarding kennel. Grab your phone book, make a separate list for each category, and check them out.
For more details and advice on pre-puppy prepartion, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Puppy Basics.
So, two days before my birthday, a large box, addressed to me (not The Whole Dog Journal) is delivered to my front door. It’s been sent from an “expediting” company; there is no return address or name of the person who sent it to me. It’s a vacuum – actually, it’s THE vacuum, the one that’s been lurking on my internet searches and Amazon.com wish list: The Dyson Animal DC 23.
I ask my husband. “Aw, honey, did you buy me a vacuum for my birthday?”
“Are you crazy?” he responds. “You can’t buy a wife a vacuum for her birthday! I’d never live it down!”
He had a point – but I was conflicted. This was the vacuum of my DREAMS! My sister (the one with three little dogs) has had a Dyson Animal upright model for years, and she raves about it. She’s talked several of her friends into buying one, and they’ve raved, too. But ouch! They are expensive!
I didn’t know where the Dyson came from, but I couldn’t take the suspense any longer. I opened the box, and assembled the pieces, including the “turbine head.” I took it right to my living room, the room with the patterned Berber carpet, mildly woven with Otto hair, the hair/rug combination that has previously resisted every other vacuum’s suction. My husband said, “What if it was a mistake? What if it’s not really for you?” I couldn’t be stopped. I turned the Dyson on and started vacuuming. And it was like a miracle.
The amount of hair (and dust) that the Dyson was able to get off the rug was incredible – and a little embarrassing. I had just vacuumed a few days before. Otto hangs out with us in the living room only in the evenings for a few hours, as my husband plays guitar or we watch a movie. But a look at the transparent canister told the tale: There was a TON of hair in there. I couldn’t believe how much. It made me want to vacuum our tweedy fabric couches, immediately. And so I did, with the “mini turbine head” attachment. And I almost fainted when I saw the debris and hair I’d recently been lounging on, concentrated in the vacuum’s canister.
Please don’t get me wrong: I keep a pretty clean house. My dog is not allowed on my couch, though our ancient cat is permitted to be anywhere she’s comfortable. If I see a dust bunny floating down the hall, I whip out a vacuum, a broom, a mop – whatever it takes to get the floors looking clean again. But the Dyson was able to clean our rug and sofa to a level no other vacuum has been able to.
Long story short: It was no mistake. The birthday connection was just a coincidence. The Dyson company sent me (and, probably, many other pet publications) the Animal DC 23 to review, no strings attached. (In fact, it took them a week to send me an email that explained the arrival of the vacuum.)
In a normal Whole Dog Journal product review, we’d take several products of a similar type and compare them to each other. But I don’t see any other vacuum coming into this house or my office for a long time. They will have to pry the vacuum wand out of my cold, dead fingers. I love this vacuum.
Look for a less passionate, calmer review in an upcoming issue of Whole Dog Journal. In the meantime, you can find more detail about the DC 23 at dyson.com.
My neighbor’s house was condemned this week, declared a public health threat. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, she’d been hoarding animals. It made no sense. How could none of us know? How could it happen “here” in our bucolic neighborhood—a rural, picturesque area with large upscale homes surrounded by pastureland and horse farms? A helicopter hovering literally above my house made me realize that something was very wrong.
In this case, a single woman in her 40’s lived “alone” in a once-lovely, half-million-dollar brick home. By the time authorities intervened, gaining access to her house only after securing a search warrant, she had amassed 113 cats, 14 dogs, 23 dead cats, and 1 dead dog. She was living in squalor, and the only reason she was discovered was that an observant neighbor, after smelling foul smells on and off, went to investigate. He stumbled upon crated cats left on her driveway, and quickly called authorities. That, as it turns out, was only the tip of the iceberg.
Authorities said feces and trash filled the rooms. Seven officers, clad in haz-mat suits and respirators, worked through the night to empty the house of the animals, most of whom were suffering from dehydration and other medical problems. I am grateful to these people who worked so hard on behalf of these animals.
But I am also ashamed. Ashamed because I didn’t know. I live a stone’s throw away, and have done virtually everything in my power to give my own dogs a good life, yet so many animals so close to me were suffering horribly. I remind myself that the dogs and cats were all living inside her enormous, brick house, so how could I know? I do not personally know her, have never met her, and dense woods separate us. Her house is not visible from the road. It’s set far back down a gravel driveway, hidden by a thick growth of woodland.
I’m mad, too. So many animals suffered. Some have already been euthanized, and my guess is there are many more to follow. Our county’s animal shelter is already strained in this horrible economy; how can it be expected to cover vetting, housing, and feeding of so many animals? The shelter director estimates that it’s costing taxpayers more than $1,200 a day to do so.
What are the other costs to our community? The hoarder is awaiting a court appearance. Who pays for that? Who pays for the cleanup of the home? Who pays if the house must be razed? Who pays for her rehabilitation? The recidivism rate for hoarders, they say, is 100 percent if not treated.
Tragically, a local volunteer humane society had placed many cats with this woman for fostering. They “inspected” her home in June . . . but neglected to go inside the house. They have since been shut down, at least temporarily.
The once lovely home has been condemned. Today, a no trespassing sign hangs across the drive.
My only take away, right now, is that we need to pay attention, to be aware of our surroundings. If we see physical signs that something’s not right, and have that feeling in our gut that something’s not right, we’d do well to investigate, and call authorities if necessary. Hoarding is everywhere, folks. My world is still rocking as I process this horrific turn of events. What would you do if you suspected a hoarder in your midst?
Have you ever had the misfortune of walking into your house to find overturned furniture, inches-deep claw gouges on door frames, blood-stained tooth marks on window sills, and countless messages on your answering machine from neighbors complaining about your dog barking and howling for hours on end in your absence? If so, you’re probably familiar with the term “separation anxiety” – a mild label for a devastating and destructive behavior.
Most separation anxiety behavior happens within 30 minutes of the owner’s departure and within a similar period before the owner’s anticipated return. This is one of the keys to determining whether your dog’s behavior is truly an anxiety reaction or simply a bout of puppy hijinks.
If you can leave and come back in an hour to an unscathed home but four hours puts him over the top, chances are you’re dealing with boredom, excessive energy, or a housetraining issue rather than true separation anxiety. (Some dogs will become destructive in their efforts to go outside to relieve themselves if they are very committed to not soiling the house.)
For more details and advice on ways to prevent and cure canine separation anxiety, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Separation Anxiety.
I think I’ve mentioned before that my dog, Otto, is nervous about slippery floors. That’s why I don’t bother bringing him into pet supply stores, a little field trip that many other owners enjoy with their dogs. But it’s not a debilitating problem. He’s comfortable on the vinyl floor that’s in our kitchen and dining room, and just fine on the parquet wood floors in my office. And though we have laminate floors in our hall and living room, the main traffic areas have been covered with rugs. Until recently.
My husband, Brian, liked the carpet runners in our long, narrow hall, but they’ve driven me crazy. To me, they function as a trap for dog hair and dust. I’d rather have bare floors, which can be quickly swept or damp-mopped. Two weeks ago, I negotiated with my husband for a trial period without the runners, and I removed them. My husband had to admit that it’s easier to keep the hall floor clean without the rugs. The only one in the family who is not happy with the situation is Otto.
Otto is highly motivated to use the hall, even though he’s afraid of walking on the bare floor; he has to walk down the hall in order to join us in the living room. He likes hanging out with my husband in that room when Brian practices the guitar, and when we watch movies on the television. And in order to follow us out the front door, he’s got to first navigate the hall.
Otto has a few different tactics for completing the journey. Sometimes he walks super slowly, like he’s walking on thin ice, and he may fall through it at any moment. Sometimes he runs as fast as he can, as if running away from a cliff that is crumbling into the ocean. At other times, he walks on the very edge of the floor, as close to the wall as possible. There are problems with each of his tactics. His slow walk sometimes stalls out, and he freezes in fear, with trembling legs. His fast attempts leave him skidding and sliding, running in place as his legs flail like a cartoon dog. And walking on the edges makes him lose his balance, which leads to more flailing.
Brian and I are trying to help Otto deal with the floor. Brian spent 20 minutes with Otto the other night, walking up and down the hall off-leash. Brian gave Otto bits of his favorite treat (hot dogs) every few feet, and stopped frequently for petting and encouragement. He made a big fuss of Otto’s success. By the end of the session, Otto was walking more or less normally up and down the hall. But then the next morning, Otto was stalled out again – declining to even attempt a single trip down the hall. When Brian called him from the living room, Otto glanced down the hall, and then ran out the kitchen door into the yard.
It’s just a small setback. There really isn’t any urgency to solve the problem. We’ll just keep working on it slowly. I know one tactic we are NOT going to try: flooding. That’s when you force someone to deal with his or her fear. This approach can work is some situations with humans, because it’s paired with counseling, in an effort to engage the person’s intellect in the recovery process. In animals, the tactic tends to result in a helpless submission – not learning, confidence, nor trust. Instead, we’re going to keep up the patient use of systematic counter-conditioning and desensitization. And perhaps solving this hallway crisis will enable us to visit set supply stores in the future!
