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When I visited my brother and his very pregnant wife last month, to take pictures for ”Family Planning,” our August article about getting dogs ready to live with children, I noticed that their dog, Hannah, was quite a bit fatter than I had last seen her. I was surprised; Keith told me that he had been spending much more time walking Hannah than in previous months. The goal was to tire her out (a tired dog is a good dog) and to work on her training before the baby arrived.
Playing pet detective, I asked Keith if he had been giving her many treats on their walks. ”Of course!” he replied indignantly. ”We read Whole Dog Journal!”
”What sort of treats are you are giving her?” I asked – and the mystery was instantly solved. The treats were biscuit-style cookies, each about the size of an Oreo. A handful of these each day would certainly add up to quite a few extra calories for Hannah, even considering the extra exercise she was getting. Keith said he had been breaking the cookies so he could feed Hannah a greater number of small pieces, but I noticed that the biscuits were so hard, they were difficult to break into more than two or three segments.
I praised Keith for using positive reinforcement and classical conditioning on his walks with Hannah. But I also suggested that he use much smaller treats, and that he alternate between bits of biscuits and tiny high-value treats like pieces of chicken or cheese. My trainer friend Sandi Thompson describes the ideal training treat as a tiny burst of flavor in the dog’s mouth.
Keith admitted that he liked using biscuits as treats because they didn’t get his pockets all gooey. Aha! I had a perfect gift for him in the car: my bait bag, a fully lined nylon pouch that straps around the waist and can hold greasy, yummy treats and a plastic bag or two, too. Of course, I had to go buy another bait bag for myself; I don’t take my dog, Otto, anywhere without a mix of kibble and high-value treats to use for training and counter-conditioning.
My advice to Keith and Leslie was off the cuff; I had’nt yet read Whole Dog Journal contributor Mary Strauss’s article on how to help a dog lose weight. Since he’s a regular Whole Dog Journal reader, I’m sure he’ll get far more information and advice from the article (which appears in this issue) than he did from me.
In spite of all this buildup, I havent heard any reports about Hannah’s current weight, because mostly what I’ve been talking to Keith and Leslie about is their newborn baby daughter! And, of course, how Hannah is coping with the loss of her only child status. I was proud when Keith reported that, as our August article had suggested, he had been bringing baby Ava’s blankets and clothing home so Hannah could smell them, days before Ava herself came home from the hospital. And I was absolutely thrilled when he told me that all the training he and Leslie had been doing was really paying off; Hannah was calmly going to her spot when asked to do so.
Best yet, while she initially acted concerned and curious when Ava cried, Hannah was easily distracted by the treats that the new parents liberally dropped for her as they attended to the crying baby. It’s a winning tactic for counter-conditioning a dog who is anxious about a baby. Whole Dog Journal contributor Lisa Rodier recently sent me a note about her friend Samantha Fogg, a positive trainer from Georgia, who had a baby in March.
Samantha just started teaching classes again, with her baby, Emma, strapped to her chest. Her students have been instructed that any time the baby shrieks or cries, to feed their dogs. She told me last night that the dogs are now starting to look at their owners as soon as Emma makes a noise. How cool is that? Very, very cool.
Marking is not the same behavior as “my bladder is full and I have to pee.” Housetraining is just a matter of teaching your dog when and where to relieve himself. In contrast, marking is primarily a stress- or anxiety-related behavior, far more complex and challenging than housetraining. An occasional female will mark, but the culprits here are primarily male dogs. Here are five suggestions for dealing with marking behavior:
1.)Manage your dog’s behavior with closed doors, baby gates, leashes, crates, and exercise pens so he doesn’t have the opportunity to mark in another room undetected. If you catch him “in the act,” interrupt him with a cheerful “Oops!” and take him outside. While marking is not the same as housetraining, you can still send him the message that he’s allowed to mark outdoors, but not indoors.
2.)Reduce his stress levels. Identify and remove as many stressors as possible. This includes eliminating the use of aversives in training or behavior modification and removing known stressors from his environment, as well as counter-conditioning and desensitization to stimuli that trigger fear, anxiety, arousal, or aggression responses in your dog. Hence the importance of not using verbal or physical punishment or trying to frighten him if you catch him in the act; you’ll be adding stress, and could actually increase the marking behavior as a result.
Other useful tools for stress reduction include calming massage; aromatherapy; Comfort Zone (DAP, a synthetic substance that mimics the calming pheromones emitted by a mother dog when she’s nursing puppies); and Through a Dog’s Ear – a CD of classical music specifically selected for its calming effects on dogs.
3.)Thoroughly clean any soiled spots with an enzymatic product designed to clean up animal waste. Use a black light to find untreated spots. This will help you find undetected soiled spots from your own dog as well as dogs who may have lived in your home before you and your dog moved in – a common trigger for marking. Do not use ammonia-based products to clean! Urine contains ammonia and the ammonia in the cleaning products may actually inspire your dog to urinate on the spot where the ammonia-based product was used.
4.)Get him neutered. While this doesn’t always reduce or eliminate marking, it can help, especially if done sooner rather than later. Testosterone can be a significant stressor, particularly if there are females in season and/or other male dogs in the neighborhood.
5.)Use a belly band. This is a soft band of cloth with a Velcro fasterner, which you can wrap around your dog’s abdomen. For some dogs, the band inhibits marking behavior entirely. Others will happily soil the belly band, (you can attach a self-adhesive absorbent feminine pad to the inside the band to absorb the urine) but at least it protects your home environment from urine stains and odors. Change the pad as needed.
Note:Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Nick Dodman of Tufts University suggests that well-practiced marking behaviors can often only be resolved with the use of behavior modification drugs. If you are not successful in your efforts to modify and manage your dog’s marking, make an appointment with a behavior-savvy veterinarian to discuss the possibility of using anti-anxiety medication.
Your vet can also consult with a veterinary behaviorist elsewhere in the country by phone. You can find contact information for veterinary behaviorists at dacvb.org or avsabonline.org.
Pat Miller, CPDT, is Whole Dog Journal’s Training Editor and author of many books on positive dog training. See page 24 for book purchase and contact information.
Breakthrough experimental treatment includes surgery, gene therapy, and a vaccine
The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine opened clinical trials in June 2009 for dogs with brain cancer. Any dog with a primary brain tumor (one that originates inside the brain) may be eligible. The program will cover almost all costs for dogs enrolled in the trial.
Batman is a 10-year-old German Shepherd-mix with an aggressive type of brain tumor one that usually causes death within a month of diagnosis. In August 2008, Batman was the subject of what has developed as a breakthrough experimental treatment. One year later, Batman has no evidence of the disease a response so impressive that the National Cancer Institute is funding further research for 50 dogs. If additional grants and donations come through, the number will be increased to 100 dogs. Without funding, treatment would cost between $10,000 and $20,000 per dog.
Photo by Sue Kirchoff
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The new treatment consists of three phases. Surgery is done to remove as much of the tumor as possible. The site is then treated with a form of gene therapy designed to attract the dogs immune system to destroy any remaining tumor cells. Finally, a vaccine is made from the dogs own cancer cells and administered to prevent tumor recurrence.
Since Batmans success, eight more dogs have been treated. In each case, their tumors shrank or disappeared.
This new type of treatment has the potential to be used for many other forms of cancer in both dogs and humans. Two comparative oncology specialists are working together: one is a veterinary surgeon, and the other heads the universitys neurosurgery gene therapy program. Their hope is that the lessons learned from treating dogs will lead to better treatment options for humans with brain tumors as well.
Mary Straus
For more information:
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, (612) 624-7441; www.cvm.umn.edu
Veterinary Chain Stops Providing Cosmetic Surgery
Banfield, The Pet Hospital, will no longer crop ears, dock tails, or devocalize dogs
In July, the nations largest chain of animal hospitals, with more than 730 locations and 2,000 veterinarians, announced that it will no longer perform ear cropping, tail docking, or devocalization on dogs.
Banfield, The Pet Hospital, based in Portland, Oregon, has determined that its in the best interests of its clients animal companions to stop offering these cosmetic surgeries. In doing so, Banfield is conforming with this position statement passed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in November 2008:
The AVMA opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. The AVMA encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards.
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association also opposes cosmetic surgeries. Ear cropping and tail docking are banned in Australia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Scotland, and parts of Austria.
The American Kennel Club, on the other hand, remains a loud voice of opposition to anti-cropping and anti-docking policies and legislation. The AKC position statement says, The American Kennel Club recognizes that ear cropping, tail docking, and dewclaw removal, as described in certain breed standards, are acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health.
The AKC further states, Any inference that these procedures are cosmetic and unnecessary is a severe mischaracterization that connotes a lack of respect and knowledge of history and the function of purebred dogs.
The Banfield announcement was released just in time to support the efforts of animal advocates working to ban devocalization of dogs in the state of Massachusetts, House Bill 344. That bill was scheduled to be heard in the state legislature in early August.
Pat Miller
Missing the Point
Removing or reducing a dogs teeth fails to address the cause of his aggression
In July, the LA Times reported on the story of Cotton, an American Eskimo Dog with aggressive behaviors, whose owners had opted for a procedure known as disarming the removal or reduction of healthy teeth as a treatment for canine aggression. The owner had reportedly tried everything to eliminate the dogs aggression, including clicker training, high-pitched electronic tones, pepper spray, throwing soda cans filled with rocks, and two visits from Cesar Millan.
While watching an Animal Planet program on extreme biters, the owner found Dr. David Nielsen, a veterinary dentist based in Manhattan Beach, who talked about a miracle fix: the disarming procedure.
Instead of extracting canine teeth, Dr. Nielsen cuts away 4 millimeters of tooth using a CO2 laser. He acid-etches the live pulp within, fashions a bell-shaped cavity that he packs with composite, and light-cures the top for a smooth, flat finish. He also blunts the sharp incisors.
The owners had the procedure performed on their dog at a cost of $1,600. They report that their dog still attempts to bite, but the worst damage hes done has been light scoring to the leather boot of their gardener, after 30 seconds of ferocious gnawing. A month after Cottons disarming, he still goes after strangers, but the severity of his bites have been reduced.
This approach has not been embraced by qualified, knowledgeable behavior professionals, nor do the results strike most positive trainers as a success.
Behavior studies confirm that canine aggression is best addressed through behavior modification programs that utilize classical counter-conditioning and desensitization; training that utilizes operant conditioning, such as the Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT) protocol developed by behavior analysts Kellie Snyder and Dr. Jesus Rosales Ruiz, is also very useful for treating aggression. A combination of operant and classical conditioning, as described in Leslie McDevitts book Control Unleashed or Emma Parsons Click to Calm, can also produce a positive change in a dogs behavior.
Behaviorists are not alone in their criticism of disarming procedure; the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) also recommends the use of appropriate behavior modification programs. The AVMA issued a policy statement on the removal or reduction teeth in June 2005:
The AVMA is opposed to removal or reduction of healthy teeth of dogs as a treatment for canine aggression. This approach to managing aggression does not address the cause of the behavior. The welfare of the patient may be adversely affected because the animal is subjected to dental procedures that are painful, invasive, and do not address the problem. Removal or reduction of teeth for nonmedical reasons may also create oral pathologic conditions.
Dogs may still cause severe injury with any remaining teeth, and removal or reduction of teeth may provide owners with a false sense of security. Injury prevention and the welfare of dogs are best addressed through behavioral assessment and modification by a qualified behaviorist.
Pat Miller
New DNA Test for Boxer Cardiomyopathy
Both carriers and affected dogs can now be identified with certainty
Cardiomyopathy is a form of heart disease that affects a number of different breeds, including Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, and Cocker Spaniels. Boxer Cardiomyopathy, or more specifically arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), is an inherited electrical conduction defect that causes an arrhythmia, or irregular heart beat. The affected heart does not pump blood efficiently, leading to changes in the heart muscle that can cause fainting and sudden death. Because the arrhythmia may occur infrequently, it can be difficult to detect on examination, even by a specialist.
courtesy UMN
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In April, Kathryn Meurs, a veterinarian at Washington State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine, announced that she had identified the mutant gene responsible for Boxer Cardiomyopathy. The gene is autosomal dominant; if a puppy receives it from just one parent, he can be affected. Even a Boxer-mix with the mutant gene could be affected. (Affected parents can produce normal offspring; pups who do not receive the gene will not be affected.)
A DNA test to screen for this mutation is now available from WSU. The test can be completed with an in-home cheek-swab kit or a blood sample taken by your veterinarian, and costs just $60.
The DNA test will be useful to breeders who can now hope to eliminate carriers from the breeding pool. It will also be helpful to pet owners, who can manage the disease even before any symptoms are seen, with inexpensive medications that can extend the dogs life. The average monthly costs for treatment are estimated to be less than $100, according to Dr. Meurs. It could also be used to screen puppies before they are brought home.
Mary Straus
For more information:
WSU College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Cardiac Genetics Lab See vetmed.wsu.edu/deptsVCGL/ Boxer/test.aspx or call (509) 335-6038
1. Include your primary care veterinarian in your healthcare team; rehab specialists have the most to offer when they are confident your dog has been properly diagnosed.
2. Look for a rehab veterinarian or educated, experienced rehab practitioner it your dog has any sort of mobility problems or weakness. Ask about her training and experience; she should be proud to describe it!
About a decade ago, my then-young Bouvier, Jolie, had surgery to repair a herniated disc. From reading Whole Dog Journal, I was vaguely aware that veterinary physical therapy or rehabilitation existed. I decided that a similar modality would help Jolie, and set out to find a veterinary rehabilitation specialist to help us with her recovery.
I asked the veterinary orthopedist who had diagnosed Jolie’s condition, but while he thought some sort of pool-based therapy might be useful for my dog, he didn’t know anyone who offered such a service. I was unable to locate anyone in Georgia to help Jolie, but finally found a practitioner in Alabama – Jan Steiss, DVM, PhD, PT – who was able to give us a variety of exercises to practice with Jolie to speed her recovery and help with mobility, strengthening, and flexibility.
Photo by Samantha Fogg
Fast forward 10 years, and the field of veterinary rehabilitative medicine, sometimes referred to as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), has blossomed. Just as physical therapy clinics for humans have popped up across the country over the past several years, so, too, has the field of veterinary rehabilitation grown. Still fairly young, the specialty is unknown to (and perhaps not completely understood by) many consumers and even veterinarians.
It’s Physical Therapy for Dogs! (But Don’t Call It That)
Veterinary rehabilitation uses many of the same modalities and techniques for animals as physical therapy does for humans; the two are similar in almost every way. However, the specific term “physical therapy” is legally reserved in most states for use by licensed physical therapists and for licensed physical therapists who work with humans only. The term is frequently used erroneously in canine rehab.
The American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians (AARV) was formed in 2007 to educate veterinary surgeons, veterinarians, and the public about the role this specialist can play in our dogs’ health. The organization defines a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) veterinarian as a doctor of veterinary medicine who has advanced training, expertise, and experience in the management of pain and loss of function through injury and illness.
Many PM&R veterinarians have post-doctorate training in the areas of orthopedic surgery, pain management, acupuncture, chiropractic, and/or rehabilitation that has led to specialization and/or certification in these fields. The AARV website elaborates, “The PM&R veterinarian is trained to evaluate the whole patient and not just focus on the perceived injury or illness. Following evaluation the PM&R veterinarian can perfect a treatment plan, monitor patient progress, and adjust therapeutic recommendations to achieve success.”
In a further bid to bring light and credibility to the field, a group of veterinarians have dedicated the past several years to creating a board-certified specialty in the discipline, the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. According to M. Christine Zink, DVM, PhD, the initiative is now at the American Veterinary Medical Association as the AVMA solicits comment from the public and the profession. If approved, Dr. Zink anticipates that the board certification will become a reality within the next year.
Veterinary Medicine Specializing in Mobility
To learn more about canine rehabilitation, we talked with Evelyn Orenbuch, DVM, vice president of the AARV. Dr. Orenbuch has practiced veterinary rehab medicine in the Philadelphia area for the past seven years, focusing much of her time on sports medicine for performance and working dogs. Several of her patients are nationally and internationally ranked agility and working dogs. Her next most commonly seen patient is the geriatric (usually arthritic) dog. Although soon to relocate to the Atlanta area, she took time to discuss this growing field with us.
WDJ: Why become a rehab vet? Why not an orthopedist or a “primary care” veterinarian?
A rehab veterinarian is someone who specializes in neuromuscular and musculoskeletal conditions. This is in contrast to an orthopedist, who is also highly trained in these areas, but uses surgery as his primary tool. Orthopedists are good at diagnosing, but they are typically not the ones who guide a client through correcting a condition or strengthening an area of the body.
Primary care veterinarians often don’t understand the broad range of conditions with which the rehab vet is familiar. I think veterinarians as a whole are getting better, but I remember when I graduated from veterinary school 15 years ago – I didn’t know how to diagnose a specific type of strain very well. Back then, we were told that if you didn’t see it on an x-ray, then it’s a soft tissue injury. But what type? A bicep strain? Iliopsoas? Medial shoulder instability? A bunch of different things can be soft tissue injury and each should be treated very differently!
courtesy of Caring Canine
The typical protocol is to put the dog on a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), and recommend rest for the dog; we call it “R&R”: Rimadyl and Rest. If they can do surgery, they do surgery. “R&R” might fix the problem, but often not permanently; it might just mask the problem. We’ll sometimes see a chronic waxing and waning of the problem after using the R&R approach. Well, if it’s a strain of the teres major (a scapulohumeral muscle) or medial shoulder instability, until you treat it appropriately, it’s never going to get better!
Another classic scenario is when a dog has a little pain in his hind end, so he stops using it efficiently, and puts more weight on the front end. Then he becomes weaker and can’t get stronger because of the pain and fatigue due to muscle atrophy. You’ve seen them – old Labrador Retrievers with huge shoulders and skinny butts. Unless we’re proactive about strengthening the hind end, the dog is never going to come out of the spiral.
But now we have rehab vets. Ideally, when a veterinarian sees that the dog has a soft tissue injury, she’ll send him to a rehab vet, realizing that the dog needs to see a musculoskeletal specialist. The bottom line is that the field is becoming a lot more like human medicine, in terms of specialization. There is just too much to know to expect one veterinarian to be able to do it all – and it’s odd that we didn’t realize it sooner.
What services and modalities should we expect a rehab vet to offer?
Because a good portion of what is going on during rehab is working on building strength, flexibility, proprioception, and range of motion, the means of addressing those issues will vary depending on who is administering treatment.
For example, I frequently use acupuncture and chiropractic. Other practitioners use those modalities and/or laser, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, hydrotherapy (underwater treadmill and/or swimming), massage, physio balls, wobble boards, land treadmills, cavaletti, weights, Thera-Bands, Chinese herbs, homeopathy, and nutrition. And that’s not an exhaustive list!
What kind of training should I look for in a rehab vet?
Ideally find someone who has trained at one of two schools in the U.S. The Canine Rehabilitation Institute (with locations in Florida, Maryland, and Colorado) awards the certificate of Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT) to veterinarians; the University of Tennessee University Outreach and Continuing Education Department, in conjunction with Northeast Seminars, offers a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP) certificate.
But you might also find someone who has been practicing in the discipline for a long time. Maybe they don’t have one of the certifications, but perhaps they’ve spent a lot of time learning on their own, working with physical therapists, and getting invaluable practical experience. As with any specialist, you’ve got to ask them! A good rehab vet also usually has another modality such as acupuncture or chiropractic in her toolbox. Those kinds of tools allow the veterinarian to get a lot more done, including the ability to deal with both the condition and pain relief.
What are the typical goals of rehab and what are some examples of injuries or conditions we might see treated?
With hip dysplasia, we can use rehab to help with strength and flexibility. We find that we’re able to put off using pain medication and surgery to the extent that we’re seeing a lot of cases that would have needed surgery, now don’t need it.
If you know your dog has hip dysplasia early on, and you manage her, you can begin work early to prevent the hind end from becoming weak, and keep the pain at bay – pain that we often see in the low back and the muscles around the hips. Rehab can keep those areas loose, flexible, and strong.
After anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, we used to see protocols that called for the dog to start walking for five minutes one week, then 10 minutes the next, and so on. There wasn’t anything else, and particularly nothing to address stretching and strengthening.
Now we can prescribe passive range-of-motion exercises to do at home; light weight-bearing exercises to practice early on; and starting hydrotherapy anywhere from two to eight weeks post-op. And sometimes we see the use of lasers, electrical stimulation, or ultrasound to help with tissue healing. With rehab, animals get better a whole lot faster; they return not just to functionality, but to the condition in which they were in, pre-injury.
When should I consider consulting a rehab vet?
Any time you have an animal who needs to work on increased strength, proprioception, and/or flexibility. And pain management is huge – it’s a big part of rehab. In fact, there is a brand new pain management certification offered by the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) called the Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (CVPP). The need to recognize and address pain in our animals is essential to their healing and well-being.
Rehab and pain management go hand in hand. It’s important to realize that you need both to get anywhere when dealing with pain. We can throw drugs at it, but if the animal is in significant pain, we need to be doing other things as well. For example, if a dog is stiff and painful, even doing things as simple as stretching and massage can be a big part of pain management.
How do I find a rehab vet and do I need a referral?
Both certifying courses (mentioned above) have websites that list graduate practitioners, but remember that these lists will include veterinarians, veterinary technicians, physical therapists, and physical therapy assistants, as the certifications are open to all of those disciplines. The AARV has a list of veterinarians who do rehab, and the American Canine Sports Medicine Association has a listing of rehab practitioners.
Usually a person can make an appointment to see a rehab vet without a referral. However, most rehab veterinarians I know would prefer to have a referral to ensure that the animal has been looked at, and know that the animal is healthy. On the flip side, the benefit of us being vets is that we can determine that!
How is a physical therapist (PT) or registered veterinary technician (RVT) who has earned one of the certifications best utilized?
The way I see it, the veterinarian is the “physiatrist” – a rehabilitation physician. She oversees and manages the case as far as the rehab aspect goes. She can then send the animal to a physical therapist (PT) who will help develop the rehab protocol.
Alternatively, a rehab vet can create the treatment and send the animal to a registered veterinary technician (RVT) who’s been trained to carry out a rehab program. PTs can be an important part of the team; they are well trained in biomechanics and can be very good at coming up with appropriate exercises to strengthen a very specific muscle.
Photo courtesy Orenbuch Veterinary Rehabilitation
One of the issues we face if sending a dog to an RVT or a PT without a vet’s supervision is that RVTs and PTs are not trained to specifically recognize or diagnose animal diseases. Therefore, if an animal is not being overseen by a rehab vet, we worry that conditions could be overlooked, affecting not only the rehab therapy but the overall health of the animal.
What are challenges facing the field?
The biggest challenge is educating our veterinary colleagues so that they understand when the rehab vet needs to enter the picture.
In what sort of case do you think your perspective as a rehab veterinarian is particularly helpful?
I’ve seen many cases in which a conventional veterinary approach leaves the client wanting; there is a lack of knowledge about the other tools that are available to us. Take intervertebral disc disease, for example. You might have a dog who is partially paralyzed or weak in the hind end because a disc is pressing on the spinal cord. Often, we can avoid surgery through acupuncture and rehab, by waking up nerves and bringing the dog back to function.
I’ve seen cases in which hip dysplasia was assumed because when the dog’s hip was extended, it was painful, but the dog never had an x-ray! It might not even be hip joint pain – there are so many other things happening mechanically. It could be something going on up in the back. I see a lot of sacroiliac joint dysfunction and pain that can appear to be a hip problem, when it’s really in the back or iliopsoas.
My practice is a lot of sports medicine. About 40 to 50 percent of my patients are agility or flyball dogs. A big part of rehab is keeping the dog in top shape. We have people who spend a lot of money on competitions – entry fees, travel, etc. – that the last thing they want to do is bring a dog who is not in top form to a trial.
A few weeks ago, I was at an agility trial and met a woman and her dog. She was completely distraught; her dog needed only one more “double Q” (a qualifying agility standard run and a qualifying jumpers run on the same day) to earn his MACH (Master Agility Champion) title. On day one of the three day trial, the dog tweaked something, and by day two she had to pull him from the trial.
I saw him at the beginning of the third day, and he was clearly sore, and head-bobbing lame. It appeared he’d injured his shoulder. I treated the dog once, then reviewed with the woman how to rest, stretch, and massage the dog, and she followed my protocol to a T. Less than two weeks later, they went to a trial and the dog was feeling so good that on the first day he went off course! But on day two, he earned his MACH.
Lisa Rodier lives in Alpharetta, Georgia, with her husband and two Bouviers. She is also a volunteer with the American Bouvier Rescue League.
Back in the day, when old-fashioned coercion training was de rigueur, it was generally accepted that if you didn’t teach a “forced retrieve,” you didn’t have a reliable retrieve. Today, as the field of modern, science-based positive reinforcement training has incubated and matured, we know better. While you can still find die-hard trainers who are more than willing to inflict pain on a dog to force him to hold a fetch object in his mouth, you can also find a growing number of trainers who are teaching happy, reliable retrieve behaviors without ever even considering the use of pain.
Photo courtesy of Kim Kilmer
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When you stop and think about it, given the natural propensity of most dogs to want to put stuff in their mouths, it’s pretty absurd to think you should have to force a retrieve. How hard is it to find ways to reinforce a behavior that our canine pals offer so willingly? Of course, back in the day, we used to punish our puppies a lot for putting stuff in their mouths! Maybe that’s why it was difficult, later, to convince them that we wanted them to pick something up.
Fortunately, those days are long gone. Whether you’re training the next flyball champion, working toward your Companion Dog Excellent and Utility degrees in competition obedience, or just looking to play fetch in the backyard, there are fun, happy, force-free ways to teach your dogs to retrieve. Reliably.
Know your goals Before you can start training your dog’s retrieve, you need to be clear on your training goals, or more correctly, your criteria. If you just want to toss balls and discs for your dog in your backyard, your criteria – meaning how you want the retrieve to look – are a lot looser than the criteria you would set for an obedience retrieve, or flyball competitor.
Let’s compare the criteria of a couple of different backyard retrieves:
• Low-Criteria Backyard Retrieve 1. Throw the ball. 2. Your dog runs and picks it up in his mouth. 3. Your dog brings it back and drops it at your feet. 4. Tell him he’s wonderful, pick it up, and throw it again.
• Medium-Criteria Backyard Retrieve 1. Hold up the ball and wait for your dog to sit (because your trainer told you this “Say Please” behavior was a good thing to do). 2. Your dog sits. 3. Throw the ball. 4. Your dog runs and gets it. 5. He brings it back and drops it on the ground. 6. Tell him he’s wonderful, pick up the ball, wait until your dog sits, then throw it again.
• High-Criteria Backyard Retrieve 1. Hold up the ball and wait for your dog to sit. 2. Tell your dog to “Wait!” and toss the ball. 3. Tell your dog to go get it. 4. Your dog runs and gets the ball. 5. He brings it back and drops it into your waiting hand. 6. Hold up the ball and wait for your dog to sit again, tell him wait, throw it, and send him to get it again.
Each variety of retrieve has its own criteria. A flyball retrieve looks different from an obedience retrieve, and includes teaching the dog how to properly hit the box that delivers the ball to him. A service dog retrieve is different still, perhaps requiring that the dog be able to identify objects by name, and find them even when they’re not in plain sight. For each specialized type of retrieve behavior, you’ll need to determine what the criteria are and figure out how to apply the principles of learning to make them work for you, your dog, and your training goals.
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Let’s look at how you could train the simpler version: the backyard fetch.
The puppy retrieve Smart puppy owners start reinforcing their pup for picking up things, instead of punishing him for exploring his world with his mouth. Trade your baby dog a treat every time he has something in his mouth. He’ll start picking things up and bringing them to you, instead of running off to chew on them.
If your pup approaches you with something in his mouth that he shouldn’t have, offer him a treat, pick up the item when he drops it, give him his treat, put the item away, and make a mental note to do a better job of puppy-proofing! If it’s something he’s allowed to have, you can toss it for him to pick up again. Keep trading each time he brings it back, and in no time your pup will be a champion backyard retriever. If you make it a point to play the trade game with a variety of different “legal” objects early on – soft toys, rubber, plastic, metal, wood – you’ll have a dog who will happily retrieve anything you ask him to!
If your dog’s puppyhood is long gone, don’t fret. You can still shape your adult dog into a super retriever. If there are some things he’s willing to pick up, start with those. If nothing goes in his mouth except food, you can start shaping from scratch. Remember that this is supposed to be fun, so keep it light and breezy!
Shaping a backyard retrieve Start by holding up a soft toy. If he looks or sniffs at it, “mark” the behavior with the click of a clicker (or a consistent verbal marker, such as the word “Yes!”) and give your dog a treat. Happy verbal praise after your click and treat helps your dog understand this is a fun game. Repeat this numerous times, until your dog is clearly intrigued by this new game.
Raise the criteria a little; perhaps now you only click and treat if he actually sniffs the toy. Repeat numerous times, until he consistently sniffs it every time.
Raise the criteria again; only click if he lightly bumps the object with his nose when he sniffs, putting a little more intensity into his sniffing behavior. Remember to keep it fun!
As he gets more intense about sniffing, occasionally he will open his mouth a little as he connects with the toy. When he’s opening his mouth more and more frequently, raise the criteria again, clicking only if his mouth opens, even just a little.
Eventually he’ll open his mouth on the toy every time. Now raise the criteria again, so he has to open his mouth a significant amount. Resist the temptation to stuff the toy in when his mouth opens, or you might intimidate him and make him back off. Let it all be his effort.
When he’s consistently putting his mouth all the way around the toy, start shaping for “duration of hold.” Raise your criteria just one second at a time; increase the duration of the “hold” only when he’s solidly performing at each new level.
Increase the duration – gradually! – until he will hold the toy for 5 to 10 seconds. If, eventually, you want him to drop the toy into your hand, make it easy for him by positioning your hand where the toy will usually fall into it, but don’t make that a required criterion yet; click and treat even if the toy misses your hand when he drops it.
Now place the toy on the floor and go back to the first step. Click and give your dog a treat for just looking at, then sniffing the toy, then putting his mouth on it, and eventually picking it up and holding it. The previous steps should go more quickly this time, as soon as he realizes it’s really the same game, just with the toy in a different place.
Next, toss the toy a short distance – a few inches – and repeat the previous steps, gradually tossing the toy longer and longer distances, until your dog is retrieving for you. If he starts dropping the toy instead of bringing it back, you may have increased the distance too much too soon. Go back to shorter distances and work on a longer duration of hold. Also, try backing away as your dog approaches; this encourages him to move toward you with more energy.
Finally, if you like, you can start asking your dog to “Wait” when you toss the toy, until you give him the cue to go get it. If you want him to deliver the toy to your hand, incorporate that piece into the shaping procedure early, as soon as he’s solid about holding the toy in his mouth for several seconds.
Photo courtesy of Dawn Bushong
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When the pick-up-and-bring-back behavior is solid and he’s enjoying the fetch game, you can raise the criteria again, and require that he deposit the toy in your hand before he gets the click and treat. Make it easy for him to succeed by offering your hand for the toy, and only click and treat if it hits your hand-target.
If he gets too enthusiastic about fetch and starts jumping up for his toys, put a “Say Please” program into effect; wait for him to sit before you throw his ball, flying disc, or other fetch object.
So there you have it: a decent backyard retrieve. That’s just one way to teach it; there are many others. If you have a dog whose mouthing behavior has been so suppressed he can’t be shaped into picking something up, you may need to start by creating desire for an object (see “Creating Desire,” below).
In contrast, if you have a dog like my Bonnie, who is always looking for the accidental artifact that she can pick up and carry around in her mouth until you trade her for a treat, you can skip all the early shaping steps and leap right to putting all the pieces together for a formal retrieve.
The obedience retrieve The formal obedience retrieve is a complex “behavior chain,” meaning a number of behaviors are strung together without a separate cue required for each one; completion of one behavior is the cue to start the next behavior in the chain.
For the obedience competition retrieve on the flat (not over a jump), you start with your dog in heel position at your left side, and tell him to “Wait!” while you toss the dumbbell. Then, on the single cue to “Take it!” your dog performs the following behavior chain:
Photo courtesy of Dawn Bushong
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• He goes away from you to the dumbbell.
• Picks up the dumbbell and holds onto it.
• Comes back to you with the dumbbell still in his mouth, and
• Sits in front of you, holding the dumbbell, without mouthing it.
Then cue your dog to “Give” the dumbbell (drop it into your hand) and “Finish” by returning to heel position. Since those behaviors require separate cues, they aren’t technically part of the behavior chain. In fact, obedience competitors have to be careful that their dogs don’t anticipate those two steps and add them to the chain, dropping the dumbbell and returning to the heel position without waiting for the cues to do so.
To avoid these anticipation errors, vary the amount of time that elapses between the “front” (when the dog sits in front of you), the “give” (when the dog releases the dumbbell), and the “finish” (when you ask him to return to heel).
To teach the complete obedience retrieve, you would train separately those segments that aren’t retrieve-dependent: Your dog should already be solid at the “Heel” behavior and thoroughly understand the “Wait!” and “Finish!” cues before you incorporate them into the retrieve.
You can use shaping and other positive training methods to create the precision you’re looking for in a competition retrieve – perfecting the position of the sits, adjusting your dog’s speed as he runs to the dumbbell and back, increasing the distance to the retrieve object, and fading any mouthing or tossing of the dumbbell. When each is perfected, strengthen the chain by practicing the behaviors in order, while fading any interim cues in the chain.
Remember that even if you’re working on a competition retrieve, with serious titles and trophies in your future, the training program should still be buckets of fun for your dog – and for you!
Thinking about a flyball career, or service dog work? Find out what the criteria are for those retrieves, break them down into all the appropriate pieces, and get started! Or find a good positive trainer who can help you with them.
Pat Miller, CPDT, is Whole Dog Journal’s Training Editor and author of many books on positive dog training. Miller lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center.
For just a minute, imagine you are a dog, a predator animal, with thousands of years of selective breeding to gaze upon the horizon and chase anything that moves. Let yourself feel the anticipation of that initial sighting and the blast of adrenalin as you take off and tear up the ground between you and your prey. Your front feet and your rear feet meet under your body as you coil tightly before exploding into full stride. As you hit top speed, your stride lengthens, enabling you to run 30-plus miles per hour. There is nothing you would rather be doing. The world outside your chase ceases to exist. You are in your element.
Jim Wallace
This is lure coursing.
You don’t need to be a sighthound to experience the thrills of a good chase, but if you are, you are built for speed off the start line, resilience to overheating, and a reluctance to give up the chase. If you are a terrier with similar predatory instincts, you’ll do fine as well. If you are a bit on the bigger, heavier side, you might enjoy the chase just as much, but you’ll be slower and tire more quickly.
Regardless of your size and structure, if you like to chase things that move, you’ll love lure coursing.
The Game of Lure Coursing
The lure is either a bit of fleecy material or a plastic grocery bag. It is tied to a line (often double-braided fishing line) that is wound around a number of pulleys. The pulleys are motorized by starter motors and car batteries. The operator of the pulley makes sure that the lure moves fast enough ahead of the dog to incite chase, but not too fast so the beginner dog can’t see it and stay motivated to chase. In competition lure coursing, pulley speeds of up to 40 miles per hour are used. Those sighthounds can run!
Often standing on a ladder, to afford a good view of the entire course, the lure operator moves the line with the lure into place ahead of the start line. Dogs are held at the start line, many of them straining, yelping, and barking to be let go. As the pulley whips the lure ahead, the dogs are released for the chase.
In competition lure coursing, the “course” can cover between 600 and 1,000 yards, and the lure takes several sharp turns to simulate the changes of direction a jack rabbit might take.
Dogs are scored for speed, agility, endurance, enthusiasm, and “following” (as opposed to taking short cuts across the field). There is also a limited amount of time for the handler to get control of his dog at the end of the course. At one lure coursing competition I observed, it took about six people and several minutes to convince a young Basenji to return to his handler. This can be dangerous as well as slow down the smooth running of a trial, so points are deducted.
In recreational coursing, there may be speed bumps and low tire jumps to hurdle, as well as several changes of direction. The first run for many dogs is pretty fast, but it’s the second run that shows how they’ve figured out the game. My 10-pound Rat Terrier, Pretzel, clocked in at 22 seconds in her first try at lure coursing, but her second race was 12 seconds. She had learned how to cut yardage off the corners, or turns.
Most lure coursing competitions race two or three dogs against each other, sometimes all of the same breed (Ridgebacks competing against other Ridgies), sometimes of different breeds. So how do you tell who is who in the blur of racing dogs? Each dog wears a brightly colored “coursing blanket.” These are light-weight, brightly colored shells, each color assigned before each run.
This is a highly arousing sport; however, it is unusual for dogs to stop racing and fight with each other. Part of this is early training, but it’s also partly a result of genetics; sighthounds were bred to run in groups after prey. A handler can choose, however, to run her dog in a muzzle if she has any concern about her dog displaying aggressive behaviors at another dog.
Photo Courtesy of The Author
To help avoid undue competition for a single lure, there are three lures placed several feet apart along the pulley line.
Chasing Away the Fears
Verial Whitten contacted me when she was looking for professional help for her Saluki, Reah (pronounced ray-uh). A long-time Saluki owner living in San Clemente, California, Verial had several Salukis before Reah, who was found as a stray and brought to a rescue organization. Verial Whitten and Barbara Nackerud adopted Reah in 2008. Reah got along fine with Verial’s young male Saluki, but would raise her hackles, snarl, bark, and lunge at dogs she encountered on walks.
Over the course of several months, Verial learned how to convince Reah that the presence of other dogs was not a threat. As a result, both Reah and Verial became more relaxed around other dogs on-leash, learning how to accept the approach of other dogs. During this time, Reah was also introduced to carefully selected dogs off-leash; she surprised Verial by attempting to solicit play from one of them.
Verial remembers Reah’s progression from a timid, reactive dog unlikely to be able to participate in the sport Verial knew she would love:
“When I realized how reactive Reah was when she simply saw another dog, I didn’t even consider lure coursing, although I had enjoyed the sport with my other Salukis. Reah’s behavior around other dogs made walking her unpleasant and stressful.
“We learned positive methods for decreasing her reactivity. I learned to watch for earlier cues from her that she was uncomfortable around other dogs, instead of waiting for her to growl or lunge. That way, I could signal her earlier to offer an alternative behavior, such as sit, as the other dog passed by. With repetition, she relaxed more at the sight of dogs.
“Without working through her issues to find appropriate ways to deal with her fear of other dogs, we would not be having the fun that we do now, competing at lure coursing You can ask anyone who saw us at the first luring events I brought her to about the changes they saw in Reah. In the beginning, she would press herself against me around other dogs and vocalize from the safety of my car. She was best initially with other Salukis (never overly friendly, just okay), then okay with Whippets, but the larger breeds, especially Rhodesian Ridgebacks, were very unnerving for her. What helped was she really loved running the lure.
“She ran alone for her Junior Courser title and then participated in three other trials as the pilot dog (who runs the course alone before the start of scoring to make sure the course doesn’t need adjustments). Then I ran her with one Saluki who had been in her foster home. At that owner’s advice, we let the other Saluki leave the line first to evaluate how Reah would be passing a dog. That went well and then they ran stride for stride without incident.
“Since then, Reah has competed in three trials. has two Best of Breeds, and one Best in Field. In her first BIF, she ran with a Ridgeback, and when she won, she was with a Pharaoh Hound and a Borzoi, She is focused on the lure, untroubled by the other dogs, and smiling the whole time she is running.
“On walks, she is less troubled by other dogs. As for me, initially, I did keep her on a short, tight leash and would have to make myself loosen up so that my own anxiety did not increase hers. As she relaxed, so did I!”
History of Lure Coursing
Lure coursing has been around for thousands of years since hounds were used to find prey not by scent, but by sight. Egyptian tombs from 4,000 years ago contain paintings of long-legged hounds chasing prey. These kinds of hounds were selectively bred for both speed and “gaze” and were used to kill small game such as rabbits.
The oldest U.S. organization to sponsor competition is the American Sighthound Field Assocation (ASFA), which was officially launched in 1972. The American Kennel Club (AKC) established their standards for competition in 1991. A new organization, the National Lure Coursing Club, had its inaugural race in January of this year.
These organizations specify which sighthounds can compete in their events. They typically include Afghans, Basenjis, Borzois, Greyhounds, Ibizans, Irish Wolfhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, and Whippets.
Recreational and/or “all breeds” lure coursing events are also available, but are less common than sighthound-only events. Recreational lure coursing events encourage all breeds and all mixes to participate, and events are usually held in conjunction with another dog-related event.
Lure Coursers’ Attributes
Lure coursing is a demanding sport. The course, whether it is for competition or recreation, requires dogs to turn abruptly and sharply. This can put a lot of pressure on a dog’s knees – especially dogs who are, let’s say, pleasantly plump. The more fit a dog is, the less pressure is placed on joints. Some dogs with short noses (the bracycephalic breeds such as pugs, French bulldogs, etc.) must be watched for overheating in hot weather. Dogs can slip and fall when they are not accustomed to the sharp turns and how to navigate them.
That said, if your dog drives you nuts chasing squirrels and other fast-moving animals, he will probably enjoy this sport. There are other dogs who just don’t get what all the hubbub is about. A case in point: I tried three of my dogs at lure coursing a few years ago. Moka, a herding breed-mix, could not believe her good fortune at being let go to chase the lure – until she caught up to it and discovered it was a white plastic bag on a string. No interest after that.
My terrier-mix, Kiwi, who gleefully will chase every stray cat out of my yard, showed absolutely no interest when we stood outside the course, watching other dogs run the course. As we got closer, he slowed down and started sniffing the ground – a classic sign of stress.
Jim Wallace
In contrast, my young Rat Terrier, Pretzel, started screaming her head off as soon as she saw and heard the racing. Lure coursing continues to be her favorite activity.
California dog owner Verial Whitten has experienced similar reactions even among her sighthounds. “My first Saluki, Giselle, began luring when she was four years old; we just didn’t try earlier and were surprised at how much fun it was for her. I have had four other Salukis since, with Reah being the latest; she absolutely loves it and is doing quite well. Rikah would never run the lure, Eliana ran for her Junior Courser title but would not run in competition with other dogs, and Kai, my 16-month-old puppy is not agile enough yet to start.”
Test your dog. Get an old horse whip (this is a better use for it, anyway), tie a piece of fake sheepskin or other fleecy material on the end, and drag it around the yard, making it leap and dart like prey. Did your dog go “ho-hum”? Or did his eyes dilate, his body burst into motion, and his activity continue until he caught and pounced on his prize? The latter is the dog who will probably enjoy lure coursing.
Lure Course Handler Attributes
This sport does not require a lot of physical activity from handlers. The start-line set up requires you to be able to hold back your dog from breaking away early so this can place some wear and tear on aging backs. And you may have to dart around a bit to get your dog back on leash at the finish, but this is a sport that does not put undue physical stress on handlers.
Lure Coursing Equipment and Supplies
Very little gear is needed to practice lure coursing:
Rewards – Tug toys and fleecy material on a rope work well in training young pups to chase a lure. Most dogs who really love lure coursing are motivated by reaching the lure, so treats are not typically used in this sport.
Miscellaneous supplies – Collar and leash, crate or exercise pen, water bowl, ice chest for your drinks, a chair, and a canopy to shade you and your dog are all you need for recreational lure coursing.
If you plan to compete, you will also need coursing blankets and a coursing slip lead. Coursing blankets come in three different colors: hot pink, bright yellow, and cyan blue. They are very light-weight and form a shell around the dog’s shoulders, chest, and ribs. They are used by the judge and handlers to distinguish the dogs from each other; it’s difficult to pick out your dog from the others when they are running at a great distance from you!
The collar or neck piece of a coursing slip lead is very wide and padded so that a dog who strains against it doesn’t gasp for air. A coursing slip lead also allows the handler to instantly release the leash so the dog can get a fast start.
Coursing blankets and slip leads are widely available online by searching for “lure coursing blankets”or “lure coursing slip leads.” One good source is Deborah Butler’s Sighthound Gear (sighthoundgear.com; 515-352-3659). Some clubs provide loaner blankets and leads to competitors, and some competitors make their own.
Lure Coursing Expenses
This is a relatively inexpensive sport since most people practice with clubs that provide the pulley system. The biggest expense is travel to the events.
Lure Course Training
This sport works best for dogs with an instinct to chase. Not much training is required. In fact, if you choose not to compete, no training is required. Just go out and get your dog on the start line and let go!
Levels of Competition
Dogs must be at least one year of age and certified as an acceptable breed with the sponsoring organization before entering a trial. Local breed clubs host trials sanctioned by one of these sponsoring groups.
It’s best to visit these organization’s websites to learn more about their specific titling requirements. There are significant differences in the titles available.
An example of how judges score each run is found in Section 7 of the AKC’s regulations. Scoring begins from the time the dog enters the field to the time he leaves the field with his handler. A total of 50 points are available, with 10 points possible in each category: overall ability, following (as opposed to short-cutting across the field), speed, agility, and endurance.
Jim Wallace
Generally, dogs compete against other dogs of their own breed, as well as against other breeds. The only dog that is not allowed to compete against other dogs is the Italian Greyhound which, due to its size and speed, might be mistaken for prey by the larger sighthounds. Novice dogs race alone; they must earn eligibility to compete stride by stride with other dogs by running alongside a “testing hound” without losing enthusiasm for coursing the lure – and without coursing the testing hound! Interfering with the other dog, playfully or aggressively, is cause for disqualification.
How to Get Started
Most people who want to compete with their sighthounds join a local breed club to train and practice. You can locate clubs by going to the ASFA or AKC websites.
If you do not have a sighthound that can be certified by one of the sponsoring organizations, contact one of the recreational coursing organizations. Also keep your ears open for large, multiple-sport, or fundraiser events in your area. Sometimes they host lure coursing as an added feature. It will be worth the drive just to watch the variety of dogs who love this game, and you can give your dog a try at it.
Is Lure Coursing for You?
If your dog loves to chase things, this sport is probably for you. Give it a try, and you’ll probably be hooked, and so will your dog. Saluki owner Whitten says it best. “Reah loves lure coursing. When she is fulfilling the natural desire to course game, she puts her heritage to work and just to see her smiling is worth it. While there is some subjectivity in scoring, there seems to be less ‘politics’ as might be in conformation showing. It also gets us out in the fresh air around some very nice people. It would be nice to see more venues available for all dogs. My Labrador was a maniac for the lure!”
As usual, have fun, train positively, and revel in the relationship with your dog, not the ribbons on the wall.
Author Terry Long would like to thank the San Diego Rhodesian Ridgeback Club, photographer Jim Wallace, and Verial Whitten for sharing their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm about lure coursing.
Terry Long, CPDT, is a writer, agility instructor, and behavior counselor in Long Beach, California.
When Ella, a five-year-old Norwich Terrier, first came to live with me a few months ago, she weighed a svelte 10.8 pounds. But within two months her weight had ballooned by almost a full pound, and there was no way you could call her anything but plump.
How could this happen? How could I have let my new dog get fat – me, the one who perpetually preaches the benefits of keeping dogs lean? And what the heck was I going to do about it?
The answer is that it happened because I’d never owned such a small dog before, and it turned out I was massively overfeeding her, particularly when I counted all the treats she was getting. And I would do whatever it takes to get her back to the weight she should be, and keep her there. Here is what I learned during my struggle to help Ella lose weight.
So What If My Dog is A Little Overweight?
Why worry about one extra pound? On a big dog, one pound wouldn’t matter, but for Ella, that’s 10 percent of her body weight, and it’s noticeable on her small frame. But it’s her health, not her looks, that concerns me.
Erika Maurer
Lean dogs live longer, healthier lives than those who are overweight. A 14-year study showed that dogs fed 25 percent fewer calories than their free-fed littermates lived nearly two years longer and showed fewer visible signs of aging. They also were a full three years older before they needed treatment for arthritis.
Health problems that are more common in overweight dogs include pancreatitis, diabetes, heart disease, disc disease, ruptured cruciate ligaments, hip dysplasia and other forms of joint disease, surgical complications, compromised immune system, and even many forms of cancer.
As many as half of all dogs in the U.S. are overweight, but the majority of their owners are in denial. A recent study found that veterinarians considered 47 percent of their patients to be overweight, yet only 17 percent of the owners agreed. If you can’t easily feel your dog’s ribs and shoulder blades, her waist is not discernable (a tuck behind the ribs), or there’s a roll of fat at the base of her tail, it’s time to face reality and put your dog on a diet.
Because we’re so used to seeing overweight dogs, many folks think a dog at his proper weight is too skinny. However, as long as the hips and spine are not protruding and no more than the last rib or two are slightly visible, he’s not too thin. If in doubt, ask your vet for an opinion, or go to an agility competition to see what fit dogs look like.
Types of Dog Food Best for Weight Loss
Most prescription weight loss diets are excessively high in carbohydrates and low in both fat and protein. The same is true of many commercial weight loss diets, though some companies have recognized that this is not the best way to help dogs to lose weight and have changed their tactics.
Protein and carbohydrates supply the same number of calories, but protein is preferentially used to build lean muscle, while carbs are more likely to be stored as body fat. L-carnitine, an amino acid derivative found in meat, fish, and dairy products, helps to burn fat.
Dogs thrive on high-protein diets and find them more satisfying, while they have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates. Diets to help your dog lose weight should be high in protein and low in carbs.
Fat has more than twice the calories per gram of protein or carbs, so the amount you feed should be limited. Fat, however, is also what satisfies the appetite best. A diet that is too low in fat will leave your dog feeling hungry all the time, making it harder for you to stick to the diet plan and potentially leading to food-stealing or even poop-eating. It’s better to feed a diet with moderate fat and reduce the portion size as needed rather than feeding a low-fat diet.
If you are feeding kibble or other dry food, look for a minimum of 25 percent protein. More is better: generally, the higher the protein, the lower the carbs. There is no harm in feeding high protein diets to puppies, seniors, or healthy adult dogs; there are only a few specific health conditions that require protein to be limited. (See “Diet and the Older Dog,” WDJ December 2006, for more information on this topic).
Look for fat percentage around 12 to 16 percent. Some dogs have had success losing weight with reduced portions of even higher-fat foods that are also very high in protein, probably because these foods are quite low in carbs.
Avoid foods with excessively high (more than 5 to 6 percent) fiber, the indigestible part of carbohydrates. Increased fiber will not help your dog feel satisfied, and too much can interfere with nutrient absorption. Hill’s Prescription r/d dry dog food (its weight-loss formula) has an astonishing 26 percent fiber, including 10.4 percent cellulose (essentially sawdust!). Over one quarter of what you’re paying for is indigestible.
Examples of good food choices include Wellness CORE Original (34 percent protein, 14 percent fat, 4 percent fiber) and Orjijen Adult (40 percent protein, 16 percent fat, 2.5 percent fiber).
For canned foods, subtract the moisture percentage from 100, then look for protein that is at least one third the remainder, and fat that is one quarter the remainder or a little less. Usually that means protein is at least 8 percent and fat is around 5 to 6 percent, but these values may be slightly lower for foods with very high moisture content (80 percent or more).
Many (though not all) grain-free foods are high in protein and low in carbs, though a number of them are also high in fat. The majority of senior and light diets are still high-carb and low-protein. However, a number of newer formulas now use higher protein (which means fewer carbs), and are lower in fat than adult maintenance foods. Canned foods are usually higher in protein and lower in carbs than dry foods.
If you feed a homemade diet, feed lean meats, low-fat dairy, and green vegetables in place of most grains and starches. Remove the skin from poultry, but feed the dark meat rather than very low-fat breast meat. Remove separable fat from meats, and avoid fatty meats such as lamb, pork, and high-fat beef, or cook them to remove most of the fat. It’s okay to include eggs in the diet in moderate amounts. You can also use these foods to replace part of a commercial diet, which will increase the amount of protein and decrease the amount of carbs in the overall diet.
How Should You Feed Your Dog?
Reduce the amount you feed gradually rather than making drastic changes all at once. Cutting the amount of food too dramatically will change your dog’s metabolism, making it harder to lose weight and easier to gain it back. Slow, steady weight loss is more likely to result in long-term success.
If you continue to use the same food you’re feeding now, start by reducing the amount by about 5 per cent, or around 1 ounce per pound of food, or 1/8 of a cup per two cups of food, depending on how you measure what you feed. Weigh your dog in one to two weeks. If your dog has not lost weight, reduce the amount of food by another 5 per cent. Continue to reduce the amount of food you feed every week or two until your dog begins to lose weight, then continue feeding that amount.
If you switch to a new food that is considerably higher in protein and fat than your current food, cut the quantity of food by up to one third, as these foods are more nutrient dense and will provide more calories in smaller portions. Even though the total amount of food your dog gets is less than before, you may find he is more satisfied.
It’s critical to accurately measure the amount of food that you feed. I learned the hard way that when I try to eyeball my dogs’ food, they gain weight. The only way I’ve found to achieve consistent weight control is by using an electronic postal scale to weigh everything I feed. You can find these scales at office supply and kitchen supply stores, department stores such as Target, and online at places like Amazon. Most can handle up to five pounds with accuracy to the tenth of an ounce, and will also allow you to switch to grams when needed for more accuracy with very small measurements.
Monitoring Your Dog’s Weight
You must weigh your dog frequently, especially when first starting a weight-loss program. Aim for weight loss of 3 to 5 percent of body weight per month, or one percent per week. A 50-pound dog should lose about half a pound per week, or 2 pounds per month.
Because Ella is so small, I couldn’t get an accurate weight by picking her up and weighing us both on my bathroom scale, then subtracting my own weight. Instead, I bought a shipping postal scale that weighs up to 55 pounds. I put a box on the scale and zero it out, then put Ella in the box to measure her weight to the nearest half ounce (a small treat afterward makes her a willing participant).
If your dog is too heavy to pick up, you’ll need to go to your veterinarian’s office in order to get an accurate weight. This is also a good time to help desensitize your dog to vet visits, by feeding small bits of low-calorie, high-value treats while you’re there.
Once your dog begins losing weight steadily, you can go longer between weigh-ins, but recheck at least monthly to make sure you’re still on the right track. It’s easy to slip back into giving too much food and undo much of the good you’ve done if you rely solely on how your dog looks and feels. By the time you notice a difference, your dog could have gained a lot of weight back. Caloric needs can also change over time as your dog ages, after neutering, or if his activity level varies seasonally. If you’re weighing your dog regularly, you’ll be able to catch any weight gain early and react before you have a bigger problem.
How to Count Calories: Not As Difficult As You Might Think
Resting energy requirement (RER) is the number of calories per day your dog requires for just basic needs, and a good amount to feed most dogs to encourage weight loss. To determine your dog’s RER, convert his ideal weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2, then multiply that number by 30 and add 70.
For Ella, I used 10 pounds as her ideal weight, which is 4.5 kg, multiplied by 30 is 135, plus 70 is a total of 205 kcal/day. This is what I should feed in order to help her lose weight.
This amount may need to be adjusted in some cases. Dogs who are substantially overweight may do best with an interim target weight to start with. Very active dogs may require up to 1.4 times their RER to keep weight loss at a safe rate of no more than 5 percent per month.
Here’s another approach: 3,500 calories = one pound of weight. If your goal is for your dog to lose one pound every two weeks (appropriate for a dog who should weigh 50 pounds), you must reduce calories by 3,500 per two weeks, or 250 calories per day.
An even easier method to arrive at the same result is to multiply your dog’s ideal weight by 5, then reduce daily calories by that amount. For a dog that should weigh 50 pounds, 50 times 5 is 250 calories per day, the same amount calculated above.
Calorie Calculators
Many calorie calculators significantly overestimate the calories most non-working, neutered dogs need (as do the feeding recommendations on many dog food labels). One calorie calculator I found said Ella should be getting up to 400 kcal per day, but when I researched this further, I discovered that my goal should be closer to 200 kcal if I wanted her to lose weight, and likely no more than around 270 kcal to maintain her ideal weight. Remember to use your dog’s ideal weight, not his current weight, to estimate caloric needs.
How Many Calories is Your Dog Eating?
NutritionData.com provides the number of calories in a variety of human foods. They offer several serving sizes, but you may have to do further calculations to match what you feed. For Ella, I converted most foods to kcal per ounce, but used kcal per item for things like eggs and treats. If NutritionData.com doesn’t offer a portion size in ounces, divide kcal per 100 grams by 3.5 to get kcal per ounce. Beware of volume measurements, such as kcal per cup, which will not be as accurate as measuring by weight.
I also feed raw meaty bones and some commercial dog foods and treats that aren’t listed at NutritionData.com. For the raw meaty bones, I used a variety of sources to get an idea of how many calories they contain. For the commercial foods and treats, I looked on the packaging, product websites, or contacted the companies to find out how many calories each contained. See below for my discoveries in “Calories in Selected Foods and Treats.”
Keep in mind that the foods you feed may vary in calorie content from those shown in the chart. Always check the labels of packaged foods to verify the calories they provide. See below for how to convert those values to match the amount you feed.
Measurement Conversion and Calculation
– To convert pounds to kilograms, divide by 2.2. A dog who weighs 11 pounds also weighs 5 kilograms (11 + 2.2 = 5).
– To determine your dog’s resting energy requirement (RER), or kilocalories each day, multiply your dog’s ideal body weight in kilograms by 30 and add 70. For example, if 5 kg is Ella’s ideal weight, then she should receive around 220 kcal per day (30 x 5 = 150 + 70 = 220); this amount should help her lose weight until she attains her ideal weight.
– To convert kcal/100 grams to kcal/oz, divide kcal/100 grams by 3.5. For example, if white rice has 130 kcal per 100 grams, it has 37 kcal per ounce.
– To convert kcal/kg to kcal/oz, divide by 35. For example, if raw ground beef with 10 percent fat has 1,760 kcal/kg, it has 50 kcal/ounce.
– To convert kcal/lb to kcal/oz, divide by 16. If Primal Beef Grind has 1,226 kcal/lb, it has 77 kcal/oz.
– To convert kcal/kg to kcal/gram, divide by 1,000. If one scoop of The Honest Kitchen’s Preference weighs 8 grams (a little over % ounce) and Preference has 3,510 kcal/kg, divide 3,510 by 1,000, and then multiple by 8 to get 28 kcal per 8 gram scoop.
Dog Treats for Overweight Dogs
When Ella continued to gain weight even with reduced meals, I realized that I needed to consider the calories she was getting from treats, particularly since, like any new dog, she needed a lot of training.
I used treats to reward behaviors that I wanted to encourage, such as pottying outside and learning to use the dog door. I fed her cooked chicken breast to counter-condition her shyness around strangers that we met on our walks. I put treats in a Kong toy when I left the house, to reduce any anxiety she might feel about being alone. I used clicker training to improve our communication. Altogether, those treats added up to a lot of calories.
Dogs care more about the number of treats they get than the size of each treat: it’s more rewarding for a dog to receive several small treats than one big one (dogs don’t generally savor treats; both a tiny treat and a larger treat take only about a second to swallow!). Using small treats allows you to reward your dog without adding too many extra calories.
For a dog Ella’s size, this means using really tiny treats. I cut already small Zuke’s Minis into four pieces and a single Zuke’s Jerky Naturals into 25 to 30 pieces to use for clicker training.
Avoid treats that are high in fat and calories, such as cheese, hot dogs, and peanut butter. Raw vegetables and some fruits make excellent treats. I give baby carrots to my small dog. Broccoli, celery, zucchini slices, or any other crunchy vegetable your dog likes can be used, as can small slices of fruit such as apple, banana, and melon. Don’t feed grapes or raisins to dogs, though, as these can be dangerous to their health.
You can make your own treats out of low-fat meats such as heart and liver. Add anise seed for a flavor that dogs love. Never use xylitol, a lower-calorie sugar substitute used in baking that can be fatal to dogs.
Feeding part of your dog’s meals as treats is another option, but be sure to reduce the meal size accordingly.
Remember that affection and exercise can be used to reward your dog and show your love. Going for a walk, playing a game of tug, and throwing a ball are great substitutes for treats.
Don’t Forget Dog Chews
Ella loves to chew, and she surprised me by completely consuming smaller chews, such as dried tendons and steer sticks, in a single session. But when she found a 12-inch “bully stick” that my old dog had left behind, it lasted almost two months, even with her working on it every night. This provided chewing pleasure without adding a lot of calories.
Avoid chews that are high in fat, such as pig ears, and look for chews that last your dog a long time. Bully sticks (or the thinner steer sticks, for dogs who are less aggressive chewers) are mostly protein with little fat. Himalayan dog chews are made from yak and cow milk and have less then 1 percent fat. Deer antlers are another low-fat, long-lasting option. If you use rawhide, look for high-quality, thick, unbleached or lightly bleached (not white) rawhides without added flavorings or smoking, made from one solid piece, and preferably made in the U.S., such as those made by Wholesome Hide. (See “Finding the Right Rawhide,” May 2009, for more information on how to choose healthy rawhide chews.)
Fresh bones can also be used for chewing. Bones, like any hard chew, have the potential to break teeth, particularly in older dogs whose teeth are more brittle. Bones such as knuckles, however, that are too big for the dog to get between their molars and chomp down on, are less likely to cause problems than marrow bones, which are also filled with fat and therefore not a good choice.
Here are the calorie calculations I made for many of the foods and treats I give Ella, along with the calories in some common supermarket treats.
I’ve always shared my food with my dogs, giving them a little bit of anything good for them when I’m done (never while eating, as that rewards begging). I realized this was another way that Ella was getting extra calories, particularly since I was used to sharing with larger dogs and was giving her too much.
Share only foods that are not high in fat, and keep portions small. If your dog gets extra “people” food, cut back on his next meal to help balance things out. Make sure other family members understand how important it is to control the amount of food that your dog gets so they don’t subvert the process. Watch out for visitors and neighbors who may be feeding your dog snacks you don’t know about.
Could your dog be eating the cat’s food (or worse, raiding the cat’s litterbox)? Keep cat food up high and the litter box behind a baby gate where the dog can’t reach it. If your dog raids the garbage, get a locking can, cabinet locks, or a motion-activated alarm to keep him out of the trash.
Try writing down every piece of food that your dog gets in a week, including from other family members. You may be surprised at what you find.
How to Exercise Your Overweight Dog
Regular exercise is also an essential component of a successful weight-loss program. Proper exercise not only burns calories, but also helps to convert fat into muscle, improving body condition. As your dog loses weight and gains muscle, he will become more active, which will further speed up the process.
If your dog is a couch potato, don’t try to do too much too soon. Start with very short sessions tailored to your dog’s capabilities, such as on-leash walks that gradually lengthen as your dog’s exercise tolerance increases. Safe areas where your dog can run off-lead will provide even more benefit.
Moderate exercise is good for dogs with arthritis, as muscles help to hold the joints in place and reduce the amount of wear, but don’t exercise your dog to the point where he is sore afterward. Non-weight-bearing exercise, such as swimming, is ideal for dogs with joint problems, and for other dogs as well. Again, start slowly, using a dog life jacket if that helps him to feel more comfortable in the water.
Chasing a ball is great exercise, but sudden stops and turns can be hard on joints, so don’t overdo games of fetch, especially while your dog is still overweight. Remember to keep sessions short until he’s in better shape.
If your dog is older or has health problems, consult with your veterinarian before beginning an exercise program. If your dog really doesn’t want to exercise, it could be a sign that something’s wrong. A trial of pain medication can help you figure out whether your dog’s lack of activity is related to discomfort.
Ella is athletic despite her small size. We walk two miles every day, and she gets more strenuous exercise chasing her lure: a real raccoon tail (from cleanrun.com) tied to the end of a lunge whip. At least I was doing something right.
Making Sure Your Dog Feels Satiated
There’s a common misconception that replacing a large portion of the diet with green beans will help your dog not feel hungry. While there’s no harm in adding some green beans or other non-starchy veggies to your dog’s diet, the extra bulk won’t help your dog feel satisfied if you’re feeding too few calories or too little fat. It is fat that helps the most to satiate your dog; just adding bulk isn’t enough. Replacing too much food with green beans can also lead to protein deficiency, causing loss of lean muscle rather than fat.
Feed smaller portions more often to help your dog not feel hungry. Replace some dry food with canned or fresh, high-protein food so he thinks he’s getting something special. Put all his meals in a Kong, Buster Cube, or other food-dispensing toy so he has to work for them, leaving him feeling more satisfied. Freeze his wet food, or dry food mixed with nonfat yogurt, in a Kong toy to make a meal last even longer. Give long-lasting chews and low-calorie treats such as carrot sticks to prevent your dog from feeling deprived.
Exercise will distract your dog from focusing on food and relieve stress that can drive some dogs to overeat.
If your dog acts very hungry but is losing weight slowly or not at all, then try changing foods. A diet that is higher in protein and possibly fat, particularly if you’re currently feeding a low-fat or low-protein diet, will help your dog feel satisfied with fewer calories.
Diet Aids for Dogs
In 2007, the FDA approved Pfizer’s Slentrol (dirlotapide), a drug that suppresses the appetite and blocks fat absorption. If your dog is severely overweight and you just can’t make the changes needed to help him lose weight, or you need to get weight off very fast due to an orthopedic emergency or similar situation, this drug may be an option, but it’s not a substitute for proper diet and exercise. The safety of Slentrol has not been evaluated beyond one year. Once you stop the drug, your dog may regain all the weight he lost even with continued reduced caloric input. Slentrol is also quite expensive.
Many supplements are touted for helping people lose weight without dieting or exercise, but none have proven to be both safe and effective. There is no way to know if weight loss supplements sold for people are safe for dogs. Some common ingredients, such as caffeine, are dangerous for dogs. To be safe, avoid supplements that claim to help with weigh loss, and stick to the tried and true: diet and exercise.
What If Your Dog Can’t Seem to Lose Weight No Matter What?
If you’ve done everything recommended and your dog still is not losing weight, or if you have to feed even less than your dog’s “Resting Energy Requirement” (RER) to achieve weight loss, have your vet check your dog for underlying health problems.
Hypothyroidism can lead to weight gain despite consuming few calories. Both diabetes and Cushing’s disease can cause increased appetite and weight gain accompanied by excess thirst and urination. In rare cases, a tumor of the pancreas called an insulinoma can also cause increased appetite.
My Chubby Little Dog
Yes, it sounds funny to say my dog is pleasingly plump, or cute and cuddly, or any of the other euphemisms we use to describe our overweight pets, but the health risks from Ella’s extra weight are real. Ella is now losing one to two ounces per week, a steady, gradual weight loss that should soon return her to her original weight. I weigh her every week, and continue to cut back on the number of treats and extra food she gets if she hasn’t lost any more.
I have no doubt that Ella will reach and maintain her ideal weight, as I am determined to do everything in my power to ensure that she leads a long and healthy life. I love her too much to let her suffer from all the problems caused by being overweight.
In memoriam: Mary’s dog Piglet passed away peacefully in March at the age of 17. Controlling her weight kept her mobile to the end, despite severe degenerative joint disease in both elbows.
Mary Straus does research on canine health and nutrition topics as an avocation. She is the owner of the DogAware.com website. She and Ella live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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1. Select the best muzzle for the task. Short sessions might call for a nylon muzzle, while more intensive work might require a basket muzzle.
2. Create a positive association to the muzzle before you need it.
3. If working with a behavior professional, veterinarian, etc. consider asking them ahead of time if she has a preference for the type of muzzle you use.
4. Don’t use a muzzle as a substitute for working on problem behaviors.
Long thought to be a sign of a “bad dog,” muzzles are more commonly seen today on ordinary pet dogs who are being proactively managed by a smart owner! But our guess is that many of our readers haven’t given a second thought to introducing a muzzle to their precious pooches. In reality, it would behoove all of us to consider purchasing a muzzle and familiarizing our dogs to it before we’re put into a situation of having to use one.
Why Get Your Dog A Muzzle?
Can’t imagine why your dog might need a muzzle? Consider the following:
• Routine veterinary visit. Face it, some of our dogs just do not like to be handled. Bing, a Belgian Sheepdog belonging to Ali Brown, trainer and author of Scaredy Dog! and Focus Not Fear, doesn’t like people touching him. So she free-shaped him to accept (read: love) a nylon muzzle, and now he wears one for veterinary visits, chiropractic adjustments, and grooming appointments.
• Medical emergency and/or emergency veterinary visit. No matter how sweet, a dog in pain can bite. A muzzle can be a lifesaver if your dog has a critical injury and needs medical help. Chances are good that the emergency vet staff might want to muzzle your dog. Two years ago when we thought that Axel, my large Bouvier, was bloating, the ER vet told us that he’d be muzzling Axel as a precaution during the exam. Although I wasn’t thrilled – Axel was a highly regarded therapy dog – I relented, putting myself in the shoes of the vet who was dealing with a “scary” large breed dog whom he didn’t know, and one who was possibly in a great amount of pain. (Note: no bloat!)
Photo by Pete Smoyer
• Grooming. Angela Duckett, who’s been grooming professionally for 15 years, with another 15 years under her belt as an assistant to a professional handler and breeder (as well as her mom!), has no objections to grooming a dog who requires a muzzle. “A few of my clients need one during the entire groom, while others need it just for things that don’t feel good (i.e., nails, ears),” she says. Muzzling a dog allows her to pay more attention to the dog and getting the groom right, rather than having to watch the dog’s face the whole time to see if he’s getting ready to nip.
Duckett differentiates between dogs who “argue” about being muzzled and those who panic. If the dog takes the muzzle and lets her touch him, she’ll proceed. But should a dog physically fight or become frantic when muzzled, she stops the session, calls the dog’s owner and recommends another avenue for grooming such as a mobile groomer, or the veterinarian.
• Discouraging picking up, chewing, and eating of foreign objects. While better management and training (i.e., “Give,” “Drop it,” “Leave it”) are the preferred methods of dealing with a dog who picks up inappropriate foreign objects, a muzzle can come in handy if you’re trying to rule out ingestion of “stuff” as the cause of a medical problem.
For some time, my dog Axel was having blood in his stool. He also routinely picked up and chewed small wood chips and sticks while in the backyard, even under a close watch. Before making him submit to an invasive medical procedure (endoscopy), I wanted to rule out that his grazing wasn’t at the root of the problem. For a week or two, he wore a basket muzzle any time he was off-leash outside. This allowed him the freedom to move about without me breathing down his neck, while giving me peace of mind that he was not ingesting forbidden fruit. Pica was ruled out as a reason for his problem.
• Traveling on public transportation. In some enlightened U.S. cities such as Boston, leashed dogs are allowed to travel on public transportation with their people. Depending on the locale, certain rules and regulations apply. In Europe, it is the rule, rather than the exception, to allow dogs on public transport. Some cities permit leashed dogs on public transportation without being muzzled, although some systems, such as the water taxis in Venice, Italy, require dogs to be muzzled during travel, or, at the least, that the dog’s owner carry a muzzle should it be required.
• Certain introductions. A muzzle can provide an insurance policy in some unknown situations. For example, in the case of a dog who has killed cats, and is being considered by a potential adopter who already owns a small dog, a muzzle could be used to ensure the safety of the small dog during a carefully orchestrated “meet and greet.”
WDJ training editor Pat Miller would consider the use of a muzzle on a dog-aggressive dog for meeting other dogs, but only after significant training and behavior modification work has progressed to the point that interaction might be appropriate. At that time, a well-desensitized muzzle might be called for as an extra precaution.
• Aggression cases. If your dog is aggressive toward people and you are seeking the assistance of a behavior professional, s/he might require your dog to be muzzled during the consult.
For consults with the University of Georgia Veterinary Behavior Service, for example, Sharon Crowell-Davis, DVM, PhD, Diplomate American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, explains that, “Aggressive dogs that come to the behavior service and present a risk of injuring hospital personnel, other clients or other patients are required to wear a basket muzzle. Clients are given instructions on how to get a correctly fitted basket muzzle, which allows the dog to pant, bark, drink, and take treats offered through the basket muzzle. They are also educated in how to train their dog to readily accept the muzzle.”
While some trainers offer “growl” or reactive dog classes that require the participants (the dogs, that is!) to be muzzled, Pat Miller and Ali Brown both independently offer reactive dog classes and workshops, and are not fans of muzzling the dogs in class. Their sessions focus on working the dogs sub-threshold, getting them to be relaxed and calm and able to control their own behavior in the “reasonable” presence of other dogs; the intent is not to ask the dogs to interact with each other or to work super-threshold.
When Not to Put a Muzzle on Your Dog
Pat Miller warns that, with aggressive dogs, the purpose of a muzzle is not to give free rein to the dog and therefore repeatedly push the dog past his threshold, exposing the dog to stimuli that could and should be avoided. Likewise, Faye Owen of Animal Harmony, LLC, reminds us that “Any type of muzzle can be dislodged with a really intently aggressive dog or during an attack, so a muzzle should not be worn as a ¡®cure all’ for aggression.”
We have also seen advertisements advocating the use of muzzles to prevent or control barking and believe this to be an irresponsible use of a muzzle.
Types of Muzzles
We found muzzles ranging in price from a few dollars to more than a hundred, and from tiny, flimsy nylon muzzles to custom-made leather super-muzzles used for sport and police work. The type of muzzle you introduce to your dog will largely depend on how you plan to use it; our focus is on types suitable for pet dogs in the situations mentioned above. When purchasing a muzzle, fit, durability and comfort are the key determinants to making the right choice.
Cloth Muzzles
Cloth muzzles are typically very simple and usually made from nylon. They feature a band of fabric that envelopes the dog’s muzzle and two straps with a quick release that buckles up behind the dog’s ears. Offering a fairly snug fit, this is the type of muzzle most commonly used for handling issues, and is typically used by groomers and veterinarians for ease of use, comfort, light weight, and affordability.
Dogs have limited ability to pant and cannot readily drink water while wearing this style of muzzle. They might be able to take treats, but not easily, so Samantha Fogg of Work + Play Positive Dog Training recommends using baby food in a syringe to administer food. Because the dog cannot pant very well in this style of muzzle, it is imperative not to leave it on the dog for prolonged periods of time.
We checked out the Kwik Klip Nylon Muzzle ($10), and the tongue-in-cheek Happy Muzzle ($20) made in the U.S. and sold by Dog in the City of San Francisco. The Kwik Klip, in basic black, is a standard nylon muzzle; it offered a rim of padding around the edge of the muzzle where it contacts the dog’s face. The Happy Muzzle is available in a variety of bright patterns, which make the muzzled dog look less threatening, reducing the Hannibal Lecter effect. It is manufactured from heavy duty Cordura, and is water resistant and machine washable. It offered a little more substantial padding around the nose and just felt like a more robust muzzle.
I did a “pant test” with my Bouviers, putting each muzzle on them after a walk while they were panting. Both muzzles pretty much closed their mouths, limiting them to breathing through their noses. I didn’t like that there was little to no air flow around the muzzle.
Happy Muzzle literature explains that, “Panting is a necessary way of self cooling, so while dogs can easily breathe and drink water with the muzzle on, the Happy Muzzle is meant to be worn for periods of time not to exceed 90 minutes, particularly in hot weather.” Happy Muzzle or not, I would be hesitant to leave this style of muzzle on a dog for an hour and a half. I could not easily slip treats into their mouths. Also, some dogs can still nip while wearing this style of muzzle.
For a nylon muzzle, details you’ll want to pay attention to include weight and strength of the material, stitching, how well the straps are attached, and the quality of the buckle. And, of course, the muzzle is only as good as the fit. Sizing for each is fairly straightforward; simply measure the widest part of the muzzle and find the closest size. Both models are available in eight sizes. My vote in a nylon muzzle, for a few extra dollars, is to go with a product such as the Happy Muzzle which appears to be more durable and well-made than a basic nylon model.
Two additional cloth muzzles to mention are the ProGuard Softie and Tuffie muzzles. These are made from a “patented DuPont fabric” (read: fancy nylon) and offer more coverage than a traditional nylon muzzle, almost mimicking a basket style muzzle.
On the Softie, mesh material covers the dog’s nose and mouth, while the front of the Tuffie is solid fabric, with mesh on the sides. It appears that this design attempts to combine the comfort of a soft muzzle with the coverage of a basket, and I suppose for some folks it works. My primary concern is lack of air flow, and I’d personally opt for a wire basket style in lieu of this one.
Basket Muzzles
Basket muzzles are just that: a wire or plastic catcher’s mask-like cage that fits over the dog’s muzzle, and has at least one strap that clasps behind the dog’s ears; some models also feature a forehead strap which extends from the muzzle, reaching over the dog’s forehead, attaching to the neck strap for a super-secure fit.
All of the trainers we queried favored the basket muzzle, though they admitted they tend to use nylon muzzles often in practice simply because of ease of use. It also appears that desensitization to a basket muzzle might take a little more time simply because of its size. Although veterinarians with whom I spoke typically use nylon muzzles in their practices, they are not averse to clients using basket muzzles.
Basket muzzles better allows dogs to pant, more easily take treats (small ones work best), and drink water, and provide better ventilation than a nylon muzzle. For those reasons, the basket muzzle is favored for dog-dog interactions, although Samantha Fogg is quick to point out that a big dog in a basket muzzle can still damage a little dog just from the force of a muzzle punch, so precautions need to be taken.
The Italian Basket Muzzle retails for just under $20, depending on the size, and is favored for its lightweight and flexibility. The basket part is made from flexible polyethylene (plastic) while the adjustable buckle strap is leather. When I tried it out on my dogs, they could more easily pant, though still not a full on open mouth pant. Getting treats into their mouths was a little tricky, which is where the “small treat” part comes in to play, I suppose. The front of the muzzle features an extra removable grill; without it in place, treat delivery is a little less tedious.
Although the muzzle comes fairly high up on the bridge of the dog’s nose, just under the eyes, I can see how a really determined dog might be able to dislodge the muzzle, though it would take lots of work. There is a thin layer of leather that lies between where the muzzle hits the dog’s face and the muzzle. I imagine extra padding with something like moleskin might make for a more comfortable fit.
Some basket muzzles allow the user to thread the dog’s collar through the attachments for the neck strap for a more secure fit, but that is not possible on this model. There are a number of sizes available and a few measurements to take to get the right size. This model is not recommended for flat or pug nose breeds. I would use this for some applications, but probably not for a serious aggression case.
The Heavy Duty Wire Basket Muzzle is just that: heavy duty. The basket part of the muzzle is made from chrome wire, and the straps a little more substantial leather than those on the Italian basket model. The part of the muzzle that contacts the top of the dog’s muzzle is lined with a thick piece of leather, with additional padding under it. The #5 size that we tested weighed about 8 ounces, or about twice as much as the Italian Basket muzzle size 8.
The model we looked at came with a forehead strap. It would be much more difficult – though maybe not impossible – for an intent dog to dislodge the muzzle with a forehead strap attached.
Apparently not all sizes come with this strap; it appears that it’s used primarily on models for short-nosed breeds. Perhaps because my dogs are used to having hair on their faces, they easily accepted wearing this style of muzzle. A shorter haired breed might prove more sensitive to the extra weight, so proper desensitization is necessary.
I liked that this model seemed to have extra room in the basket for panting and air flow, and of course, room to take treats. This model retailed for $33 and is available in 17 sizes, based on length and circumference of the dog’s muzzle. This would be my choice for a more serious aggression case or for those instances when you really want peace of mind.
In terms of weight and sturdiness, mid-way between the Italian Basket and the Heavy Duty Wire Basket is the Plastic Coated Wire Basket Dog Muzzle. It is a little heftier than the Italian Basket, but less robust than the Heavy Duty Wire Basket, so not quite as heavy, and retails for about $22. I used this model when I was trying to keep Axel from ingesting foreign objects, and it worked well. The basket is a light-weight wire covered in plastic.
How to Condition a Positive Emotional Response to a Muzzle
Trainers often use the term “desensitization” when talking about introducing your dog to a new piece of equipment, such as a muzzle. In reality, when it’s something new, you’re conditioning your dog’s initial response to the new object. The desensitization procedure applies when your dog already has an association with the object — usually a negative one — and you’re working to change the association to positive.
It’s a lot easier (and wiser) to start by creating a positive association with a muzzle for your dog (or any other stimulus!) than it is to have to backtrack and create a new one. You’ll have the most success if you and your dog can make a game of it rather than getting all worried and serious. Be upbeat and cheerful rather than serious or worried, and encourage your dog to be playful as you do this.
Your goal is to convince your dog that “muzzle = good stuff!” You know how your dog’s eyes light up when you pick up her leash, her ball, or her favorite tug toy? That’s what you want to see when you pick up her muzzle. Feel free to incorporate the clicker to mark your dog’s behavior as soon as she starts offering deliberate muzzle-related behaviors.
Start by purchasing an appropriately-sized basket muzzle. Work with your dog, in several short sessions (5-15 minutes) throughout each day — the more short sessions, the better! Here are the steps of a sample conditioning protocol:
1. Hold up the muzzle, feed your dog a high value treat. Repeat this step until your dog brightens and looks for the treat when you hold up the muzzle.
2. Let your dog sniff the outside of the muzzle (or invite her to target to it) and feed a treat. Repeat until she’s happily offering to sniff’/target and then looking for her treat.
3. Invite her to sniff/target the edge of the muzzle opening. Feed a treat. Repeat until she’s happily offering to sniff/target, then looking for her treat.
4. Encourage her to put her nose into the muzzle opening by sticking a treat to the inside, near the opening. Repeat until she’s eagerly putting her nose into the opening, then gradually move the treat deeper into the muzzle, with numerous repetitions at each new increment, until she’s happy to put her nose all the way in.
5. Increase duration by feeding several treats each time while her nose is all the way in, gradually increasing delay between treats, until she’ll voluntarily hold her nose in the muzzle for 5-10 seconds waiting for the next click and treat.
6. While she’s holding her nose in the muzzle, clip the strap behind her head, click, treat, and release the strap. Gradually increase the length of time you leave the muzzle clipped on, with random reinforcement, and you’re done!
If at any time during the protocol your dog resists the muzzle, back up to a point where she’s happy again, and proceed more slowly. When you have completed the process and your dog is happy to wear her muzzle, be sure to play muzzle games with her from time to time to maintain the positive emotional response. If you put it on her only when she’s going to see the vet, you can poison the association you worked so hard to attain.
Before You Buy
With the exception of the Happy Muzzle, we bought the muzzles we tested at Morrco.com, but most pet supply stores and online retailers carry muzzles. To buy the basket muzzles we tested, see morrco.com or call the business at (800) 575-1451. To buy the the Happy Muzzle, call (415) 861-4724 or see doginthecity.net.
Remember that flat or pug nose dogs require special sizing, and will even most likely do better with certain styles than others. If in doubt, consult with your trainer or veterinarian. If purchasing a muzzle to use at vet visits, ask your dog’s veterinarian first if s/he has a style preference.
And above all, use common sense when desensitizing and using a muzzle. Don’t keep it on your dog for extended periods of time, never leave one on an unsupervised dog, and don’t use it as an excuse to expose your dog to situations that you shouldn’t be placing him in.
Lisa Rodier lives in Alpharetta, Georgia, with her husband and two Bouviers. She is also a volunteer with the American Bouvier Rescue League.
Childless by choice, I confess that when there’s conflict between a family dog and a human puppy my sympathies usually lie with the canine. Maybe that’s because the dog usually loses in the end – no matter how dedicated to the dog the owners had seemed before they became parents.
Some people seem to get overwhelmed when they become parents, and, lacking the resources of time, energy, or money to care for their newly expanded families, they relinquish their dogs to shelters. In many cases, it has nothing to do with the dog being “bad” with the baby; it’s just that the parents felt overburdened by their responsibilities.
More commonly, however, dogs get sent to shelters after a dog/baby interaction that frightens the parents. Incidents range from a dog’s apparent overinterest in the baby, to a display resembling aggression (such as growling or snapping) around the baby. Most of these scary (and potentially dangerous) behaviors could be prevented – and the dog’s lifelong tenure in the family preserved – if the dog was properly prepared for the baby’s arrival, and parents take appropriate management measures after baby’s arrival. Tragically, though, few dogs receive the training and exposure to babies and children that they need to succeed in households that suddenly include a baby.
It’s frustrating that so many otherwise thoughtful, well-meaning, and intelligent parents make incredibly unwise decisions when it comes to helping the canine family member cope with the household changes brought on by the arrival of a baby. The following are my suggestions for ensuring the safety and happiness of an expanding human/canine family.
1. Plan for a healthy dog-baby relationship before you’re pregnant…or even before you have the dog!
Ideally, a couple starts laying the groundwork for a canine/human blended family when Junior is just a gleam in the future parents’ eyes. They’re not pregnant yet – in fact, they aren’t planning to add to their family any time soon – but they know they want kids someday. They don’t even have the dog yet! But as they research their canine adoption options, forefront in their minds is the fact that they want a dog who will be good with kids when they do eventually add that human puppy to the family.
Couples who want to have children within the next 16 to 18 years might be wise to avoid adopting dogs of any of the tiny toy breed dogs such as Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, and Pomeranians. I’m sure there are toy breed dogs who do just fine with young children in their homes. But keep in mind that most of these dogs are tiny, fragile, and sensitive – not ideal companions for humans who will be uncoordinated for a number of years!
Wise prospective parents might also want to pass on adopting one of the larger, high-energy breeds such as Weimaraners, Boxers, and Dalmations, unless they’re prepared to make a serious commitment to teaching the dog scrupulous good manners and impulse control long before Junior is born. They must also continue with the dog’s mental and physical exercise programs as the baby arrives and matures.
While the individual dog’s personality is more important than the general breed standard, there are certain breed characteristics that make some dogs more likely to be good candidates for the job of providing companionship to kids. These include a high tolerance for pain and discomfort; a resistance to becoming easily aroused; a resistance to being highly reinforced by chasing children who are running (or moving on bikes or skates, as just a few examples); and a predisposition to being quiet (as opposed to excessively vocal).
Some of the large-to-giant breeds (such as Bernese Mountain Dogs, Great Pyrenees, and Irish Wolfhounds) tend to be relatively low-energy and, when properly socialized to children, can be excellent choices, as can some of the scent hounds – such as Beagles and Bassets, who are often quite tolerant of typical kid behavior. Higher energy dogs who can also do well with children when properly socialized and exercised include Golden and Labrador Retrievers, Australian and English Shepherds, and Rough Collies.
Having said that, it is more important to evaluate the individual dog than relying on breed standards and anecdotes. And don’t forget the legions of mixed-breed dogs who might be great kid-dog candidates!
If you’re considering adopting an adult dog, bring a friend with a baby and some small children to the interview. The dog’s face should light up with delight when he sees the little humans, and make it clear with every bit of dog body language he can offer that he thinks playing with kids is the best thing in the world – better than a raw meaty bone or the world’s best toy.
If a dog displays anything less than full enthusiasm for kids, you’re asking for trouble. You need your dog to think kids walk on water in order for him to forgive the inevitable kid stuff that will happen even with the best children and the most careful management and supervision. It’s difficult to convert an adult dog with a lukewarm response to kids into a into a dog who completely adores children.
Photo by ronald lemise
If you plan to adopt a puppy, make sure he is already very well-socialized – confident and with good bite inhibition. Don’t bring home a Scaredy Sam or Sharkey Shamus bleeding-heart rescue case! If you can meet the pup’s parents, all the better; some degree of personality is heritable, and pups will model behavior responses from their mothers even at an early age. The odds of a pup growing up to love kids increase exponentially if she sees her mom being happy and relaxed with kids, and she herself has good experiences with kids at an early age. The odds are as good as they can be if you continue with that all-important socialization program.
2. Get to work now if you have a dog and plan to have children.
If a dog didn’t grow up with kids, and his humans haven’t gone out of their way to socialize him well with children, he’s likely to be (at best) mildly uncomfortable with kids, and at worst find them highly aversive. If your dog shows signs of discomfort around small humans, you’ll need to help him learn to be safe with children – and commit to super-good management and supervision when you bring your baby home.
An impeccably socialized puppy would be exposed to positive experiences with babies and children when he’s just 4 to 14 weeks old. This time period is considered a pup’s prime socialization time, and the most critical period for a pup to have happy encounters with kids. But for maximum baby-dog insurance, it’s important to continue to strengthen and maintain the positive association that is created during that time throughout the dog’s life.
There are numerous ways to give your kid-friendly dog ongoing positive exposure to kids even before you have children of your own. One good way is to take him to dog-friendly parks and malls and carefully supervise his interactions with kids to be sure he continues to offer relaxed body language signals as he meets and greets (and receives treats from) all the kids who want to pet him. If he looks askance at a stroller or toddler going by, feed him high-value treats to convince him that baby strollers and toddlers make good stuff happen.
Take advantage of visits by baby-toting friends; seize every real-life opportunity to give your dog good associations with babies and baby-related activities.
You could also get involved with a pet-assisted therapy group and volunteer to visit children who are hospitalized or institutionalized. Volunteer for one of the new library reading programs, where kids read books to dogs to improve their reading skills and confidence with a non-judgmental canine audience. Contact schools in your area to see if you can do programs to teach kids how to greet dogs safely.
3. Put your action plan into overdrive once you are pregnant.
If your baby is years away, you’ve got lots of time to play casual “baby-equals-good-stuff” games with your dog. If your baby is due sooner rather than later, you’d best get on it, triple-time!
All is not lost if you’re already seven months pregnant and it just struck you that you haven’t given much thought to the dog-kid issue. At least you haven’t waited until after the baby is born! You will need to scramble to get as much positive baby-and-kid-experience in your dog’s world as possible before the blessed event. You can give your dog good-baby associations in your own home before your wee one arrives by playing recordings of baby sounds (baby crying equals treats!), and role-playing with a lifelike doll for activities like diaper changing, feeding, and bathing (baby activities make stuffed Kongs happen!).
Think about what sort of baby-related activities will involve or affect your dog, and prepare him to succeed in his role during that activity. For example, if you plan to walk your dog while pushing a stroller with the baby in it, practice walking your dog on-leash with a baby-doll in a stroller, so you can perfect the technique before there’s a live body in it. If you want your dog to leave the room while you change the baby’s diaper, teach your dog a cue such as “Out, please!” and richly reward him for a prompt exit and staying outside the room. The goal is to have these be well-installed, well-reinforced behaviors long before the baby comes.
Make certain, too, that you initiate any post-baby lifestyle changes that you anticipate for your dog before the baby arrives. For example, if your dog is accustomed to sharing the sofa with you pre-baby and you’d like him to stay on the floor post-baby, teach him now. Get him a cushy bed, practice “go to your place,” and convince him that lying on the bed makes wonderful stuff happen, while you also teach him that “on the sofa” is no longer an appropriate behavior.
If you do this well before the baby comes, he won’t associate the baby’s arrival with his loss of privileges. The same holds true for other perks that might change. If he’s going to lose access to the room that will be the baby’s nursery, put up a baby gate in the doorway, and give the dog good stuff on a special mat in the hallway. If he is accustomed to sleeping on your bed at night, find another wonderful alternative, but keep him reasonably close, such as a well-padded, large crate by your side of the bed, or a dog bed just outside the bedroom door.
Practice other baby-safe behaviors as well. Teach your dog to wait at the top of the stairs until you reach the bottom and invite him down, so he doesn’t bowl you over as your carry the baby downstairs in your arms. Or, alternatively, teach him to go down first and wait for you at the bottom. Know that many dogs are attracted to the scent of soiled diapers: teach your dog a rock-solid positive “leave it,” use it anytime you see him interested in your baby’s bottom, and don’t let soiled diapers sit around where he can get to them – on or off the baby!
4. Plan and orchestrate the baby’s homecoming with the dog in mind.
I understand that the day you bring a baby home is a big deal, and that the family dog might not be foremost on your mind. Consider this, however: The baby’s “homecoming” can be a make-or-break moment for your dog’s future relationship with Junior. There is liable to be lots of disruption in the schedule the dog has come to expect, he hasn’t seen Mom for several days, there may be in-laws or other guests in the house, and excitement is running high. This is a recipe for stress – and stress-related “problem behavior,” the worst of which could be aggression.
Set your dog up for success by taking precautionary steps to maximize a positive first interaction. This is a job for Dad (and/or another family member):
• While Mom and the newborn are still at the hospital, bring home a blanket with the baby’s scent on it and let your dog sniff it. Don’t allow or encourage him to mouth or paw at it! After he’s had his fill of baby scent, cheerfully cue him to go to his place, and feed him treats there. Sometimes tether him with a stuffed Kong to reinforce staying at his place for longer periods of time. Then seal the blanket in a plastic bag so it holds the baby scent, and practice this exercise several times throughout the day. Each time you visit the hospital, bring home a newly scented blanket and repeat the game.
• The morning of homecoming, exercise your dog well – preferably for a long, off-leash hike (perhaps with your dog’s regular dog-walker, if you use one). If that’s not possible, tire him out with a tongue-dragging session of fetch, or even a heavy-duty, brain-draining shaping session. (See “The Shape of Things to Come,” Whole Dog Journal March 2006.) The more canine energy you can get him to expend, the less energy he’ll have to be excited about Mom and the new baby walking in the door.
• When the baby arrives home, Dad holds Junior on the front porch while Mom goes in to greet the dog who hasn’t seen her in several days. With that happy reunion over, Mom goes back out and collects the baby. Dad re-enters the house followed by Mom and Junior. Dad invites the dog to gently sniff the well-blanketed baby for several seconds, then gives the cheerful “Go to your place!” cue, followed by treats and a stuffed Kong. Tether your dog if it’s necessary to keep him at his place while Mom catches her breath. Happy homecoming!
Whatever you do, do NOT exile the dog to the backyard when baby arrives. Sometimes pressure from dog-phobic relatives induces new parents to banish the family dog to a fenced backyard, or worse, a chain. Don’t do it. Imagine how stressful it will be for him to be on the outside looking into the home where, until the baby arrived, he once shared his life with you. Bored, lonely, anxious, left out, and seemingly being punished – that’s no life for a dog who knows what it’s like to be a member of a family.
If you truly think your dog isn’t safe with your new baby, explore other options for him where he can continue to be a well-loved, full-fledged family member. If you think he has manageable and modifiable behavior challenges, make a firm commitment to manage and modify them. Don’t evict your best friend from his house, home, and family, and condemn your dog to a life of loneliness.
Also, do NOT punish the dog for being interested in the baby. You want your dog to love your baby. If he associates baby with punishment, he’s likely to have a less-than-positive association with the strange creature who has invaded his home.
Your dog’s gentle interest is fine; intense, aroused interest is not. But rather than punishing the dog if you see arousal, ask for (and richly reinforce) calm, incompatible behaviors (sit-stay; down-stay; go to your place) and reward him for those.
5. Do not give the dog unsupervised access to the baby. Ever.
This seems so obvious that I’m embarrassed to even mention it – but the fact is, a dog can badly injure or even kill a baby within just a few unsupervised minutes. Parents talk about how difficult it is to manage and supervise dogs and babies, but after a tragic event they have to realize that they could have done something differently. The guilt must be intolerable.
Use closed doors (use a baby monitor!), appropriately sized and securely installed baby gates, chew-proof tethers, and comfortable crates to limit your dog’s access to your baby. And use one every time you need to step in the other room for a moment to grab a bottle or a moment’s peace in the bathroom. Can you skip this step if the baby and dog are both sound asleep, and you need to step into another room for just a minute? After reading a few accounts of infant fatalities caused by family dogs, I wouldn’t.
6. Do not give the baby free access to the dog!
A video clip that aired on the Bonnie Hunt Show made the cyber-rounds recently, featuring an infant crawling up to a Boxer, who was lying on her side. The baby reaches out one tiny hand and touches the Boxer’s hind foot. The dog slowly raises her head to watch the baby, reaches out one paw to touch the baby’s hand, and while the baby laughs at this, the dog yawns, and licks her lips.
The camera cuts back to Bonnie Hunt, who is ooh-ing and ahh-ing along with her audience over the sweetness of that image. Meanwhile I was holding my breath and praying that someone clues the parents into the fact that the dog’s behavior toward the baby is not sweet and affiliative, but rather an attempt to stop the baby’s advance, and a disturbing display of stress signals. If a future bite happens, someone will be bound to say, “Gee, she was always good with kids!” Her owners (and the Bonnie Hunt Show’s producers) failed to recognize the subtle (if you don’t know dog body language) signs that the baby was making her uncomfortable.
It’s your job to keep both dog and baby safe. It’s unfair to both of them to allow your baby to make your dog uncomfortable. If you see your baby approach your dog and the dog’s not soft, relaxed, and inviting, stop the baby before the dog has to. In addition, teach your dog how to escape from the baby, and be sure he always has at least two escape routes, in case the baby, a laundry basket, or a big baby toy is blocking one. Even if your dog adores babies, he shouldn’t have to tolerate baby grabbing hunks of dog fur, or baby fingers poking into canine eyes.
Toddlers and Grade-School Children Are at Greater Risk Than Infants
Mother, Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT), and author of the excellent book, Living with Dogs and Kids Without Losing Your Mind, Colleen Pelar reminds us that while a lot of attention is paid to helping the family dog accept the newborn baby, the greater risk and management challenges arise when the baby starts to crawl, toddle, walk, and run.
As an example, in 2007, there were 18 dog-related fatalities in which the victims were under the age of 12. Of these 18 victims, 13 (72 percent) were 2 to 11 years old.
In her upcoming book, Kids and Dogs: A Professionals Guide to Helping Families, Pelar offers invaluable guidance for “dog aficionados” – people, professional or otherwise, who work with dogs other than their own, and who “play a vitally important role in making sure that kid and dog interactions are not only safe, but a positive part of a child’s development.”
Pelar notes that “Dog training books say, ‘Control your kids,’ and they expect you to control them to a level that seems pretty unrealistic to anyone who has ever been around a two-year-old for more than 20 minutes.” On the other hand, she says, “Parenting books imply that dogs are dangerous, unpredictable, and scary. They contain more fear-mongering than actual guidance.”
With years of experience parenting her own children while raising and training dogs, Pelar bridges the gap between the two in a book that will guide parents and dog owners equally as they strive to help dogs and children live in harmony.
The Stakes Are High: Dogs Can Kill. Always Supervise.
I can’t help my morbid interest in news reports about dog-related fatalities. For the past few years I’ve kept files of the tragic stories, noting the sad details and looking for trends that might help me help my clients and readers understand and avoid similar horrific events. This year so far there have been 20 dog-related deaths in the US.
This is a drop in the bucket, really, compared to death by smoking (about 414,000 per year), death by auto (42,000 per year), even death in swimming pools (1,000 per year). You’re more likely to be killed by lightning (66 per year) than by a dog (average over past nine years, 24 per year). But because dogs are a man’s (and woman’s and child’s) best friend, it seems especially shocking – and a betrayal of trust – when a dog-related death occurs, especially when the victim is a child.
For dog behavior professionals, though, many ofthe fatalities appear predictable and avoidable. Look at these, and see if you don’t spot the dangers I’ve warned you about. [Editor’s caution: These reports are graphic]
January 19, 2009 7- Bourbomiais, Illinois: Alerted by her three-week-old daughter’s screams, a mother stepped out of the kitchen into a hallway, where she saw her infant in the jaws of the family’s Siberian Husky. She had left the infant sleeping on a bed in the master bedroom; the dog had apparently entered the bedroom and pulled the baby off the bed, dragging her into the hallway. (Securely close the door between your baby and the dog, or use a tether or crate to prevent your dog from being able to reach an unsupervised baby.)
March 4, 2009 — Mesa, Arizona: Responding officers found a two-week-old infant in the living room with bite wounds from the family’s Chow on her head; the baby girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the mother had placed her daughter in a low-lying bassinet and left the room to use the bathroom, discovering the attack when she returned a few moments later. (Don ‘t leave a baby unsupervised in any place that your dog can reach her, even for a minute.)
March 22, 2009 – Wayne County, Georgia: A three-year-old boy was mauled to death by a neighbor’s Husky, who had played with the little boy on other occasions. The dog had been chained, and broke free from her chain to attack the boy, who was playing with a five-year-old girl. The dog was shot by its owner, who attempted to rescue the child. (Small children should not be unsupervised anywhere near a dog. Chained dogs are especially dangerous to children. Not only do chains fail to prevent children from getting close to the dog, they also create and increase frustration and aggression in the dogs they confine. And a highly aroused dog can break a chain.)
March 31, 2009 – San Antonio, Texas: A seven-month-old boy died after being attacked by two pit bull-mix dogs belonging to his grandmother. Police say the boy was on his grandmother’s bed in her room, while she prepared his bottle in the kitchen. She found the dogs attacking the baby when she returned to the bedroom with the bottle. A baby gate was present in the bedroom door, but had been knocked down by the two dogs. Stabbing the dogs with a knife, the grandmother managed to grab her grandson and put him in his crib, but then the dogs turned on her. Police had to shoot the dogs before paramedics could reach the victims. (Make sure that the measures you use to confine your dog/s are up to the task. Baby gates are useful for light-duty applications, but are no match for tall, strong, or highly motivated dogs, and should not be used as a primary barrier between an unsupervised baby and an athletic dog).
Difficult Decisions are Sometimes Inevitable
Management is important, but don’t rely on it alone to keep your family safe; sooner or later someone forgets to close a door, latch a baby gate, or attach a leash – and something bad happens. As you weigh the risks of keeping a not-so-child-friendly dog in your home while you raise your kids, remember that management gets more difficult as they start toddling, then walking, and are able to open doors and latches. Even if your dog is reasonably good with your children, when they start inviting their friends over to play there’s greater risk, and greater chance for management failure.
Sadly, some dogs never will be safe with children despite their owners’ best efforts (and wishing that the owner had not adopted that dog, or would delay having children until the dog passed away won’t solve the problem!). If, despite lots of training and counter-conditioning, the dog still shows signs of deep discomfort around babies and children, it’s not unreasonable to rehome the dog rather than subject the entire family to the stress of knowing a potential tragedy may lie around the corner.
I understand that when you have human children they are, and should be, your first priority. I’m profoundly glad I’ll never have to be in the position where it’s necessary to choose between my child and my dog. If you aren’t able or willing to help your dog love your child, or at least reasonably tolerate – combined with lots of management – then you really have no choice but to choose to protect your child.
If you decide you must rehome your dog because the risks in your home with children are too great, know that you are protecting your dog as well as your child. Dogs who bite children tend to have short lives. If you wait to try to rehome your dog after a bite has occurred, your options for rehoming diminish greatly; most rescue groups and shelters won’t accept dogs who have a history of biting – or they may accept and euthanize such dogs. Rehoming before a bite happens is a wise, albeit painful, decision.
If you make wise decisions from the start, however, chances are excellent that your dog can spend the rest of his life with you, and Junior, and all of Junior’s brothers, sisters, and friends to come.
COMBINING DOGS AND CHILDREN: OVERVIEW
1. If you plan to have children, and don’t have a dog yet, select a candidate who is well-suited for a life with kids.
2. If you already have a dog and are planning to have kids, prepare her now for a future life with children. Give her many positive associations with children from puppyhood on, even if your own baby is far in the future. Sooner is better than later, and later is better than not at all.
3. Make anticipated changes to your dog’s routine as early as possible (at least several months before the baby arrives) so you have plenty of time to practice the new behaviors, and so she doesn’t associate the changes with the baby.
Pat Miller, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, is Whole Dog Journal’s Training Editor and author of many books on positive dog training. Miller lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center.
What is this sport? In nose work, dogs indicate the location of a “target” scent by using their natural sense of smell.
Prior training required? None.
Physical demands? On the dog: Mild to moderate. On the handler: Mild to moderate.
Best-suited body structure? No specific structural demands in this sport.
Best-suited temperament? Confident, high-energy, but the sport is also well suited to timid dogs.
Cost? Low.
Training complexity? Low.
Mental stimulation? High.
Physical stimulation value? Moderate.
Recreational opportunities? High; this sport can be played in your backyard.
Competition opportunities and venues? This is a very new sport, primarily available in California, but reaching into other states as instructors become certified.
Although handlers take their dogs to group training classes to learn the game of nose work, only one dog is worked at a time. As a result, this is an ideal sport for dogs who are shy or reactive around people or dogs. It is also ideal for people looking for a sport that is less physically demanding on their dogs and isn’t populated by over-the-top, high-arousal dogs (and handlers).
At the beginning levels of training, dogs are encouraged to “find” their toy in a box. Lavish praise, the toy, and treats reward the dog for his efforts. Later, the toy is hidden in a box among other empty boxes, and the dog is rewarded for finding the box that conceals his toy.
Once the dog gets hooked on the game of “find it,” an essential oil such as birch, anise, or clove is used. A miniscule amount of one of these essential oils is placed on a very small cotton swab. The dog is rewarded for sniffing the container to indicate his find. This essential oil is then placed in more and more difficult locations for the dog to find.
As the dogs learn to play the game, handlers learn how to closely observe their dogs so they know when their dog has found the scent. This “indication” behavior is an important part of the training process since handlers will use their individual dog’s behavior to start rewarding their dog for “indicating” their find. Amy Herot explains why this is important.
“We want the dogs to first learn to enjoy hunting without much handler intervention. Many handlers want to teach their dogs a particular way of ‘indicating’ a successful search – such as barking or a sit – very early in the game. We prefer to take ‘control’ out of the game in the early stages. This frees the dog to just play the game. Later, the handler, from keen observation, can shape the dog to offer a particular behavior that demonstrates he has found the scent. As a trainer, this is one of the most satisfying things about teaching nose work: People learn to pay very close attention to their dogs; they become masters of observation.”
The difficulty of the game increases as the scents are hidden out in the real world in bushes and stairwells and, in vehicle searches, the wheel wells of parked cars and trucks.
The sport of canine scent work is the brainchild of three trainers with experience in training detection dogs for narcotics and explosives. Ron Gaunt was a police dog trainer for 12 years and now runs a private security firm. Amy Herot is a professional trainer and certified detection dog handler and trainer, and Jill-Marie O’Brien is the director of training and behavior for the SPCA LA and is also a certified detection dog handler.
Their collective experience training their own dogs, as well as professional detection dogs, convinced them that companion dogs would benefit from the mental and physical stimulation provided by using their natural sense of smell in a very directed way. (See “The Birth of a Smelly Sport,” below.)
The initial classes quickly filled. Soon, there were long waiting lists, even though additional instructors became certified and other locations added. Co-founder Amy Herot admits that keeping up with demand has been difficult. “One of the biggest challenges for expansion is ensuring the quality of instruction and preventing the dilution of the basic concepts. It’s most important to us that the sport is always fun for the dog (and the human). That said, we are indeed expanding. We have several certified instructors in Southern California, three new instructors in the San Francisco area, one soon to be in New England, one in Denver, and another in Albuquerque. We also look forward to the opportunity of doing workshops to help bring the sport to more locations. Our hope is that more and more dog enthusiasts will become involved and realize the value to their dogs and the relationships they have with their canine companions.”
The Birth of a Smelly Sport
K9 nose work is arguably the newest dog sport to be added to the seemingly endless list of sports created by people who thought, “Hey, my dog loves doing this; I bet other dogs would, too.”
This is exactly what inspired Amy Herot, CPDT, to team up with two of her training partners, Ron Gaunt and Jill-Marie O’Brien, to create fun nose work classes and, later, the sport of canine scent work. The three trainers were convinced that nose work was one of the best ways to mentally and physically stimulate dogs, many of whom have behavior problems because of lack of stimulation.
It started several years ago when Amy became interested in training her own dogs in professional detection work. After a lot of long hours and hard work, Amy’s first dog became certified nationally as a narcotics detection dog. She was hooked. She went on to train and certify several other dogs in both narcotics and explosives detection. She learned a lot from professional detection trainers Ron Gaunt of Travel’n Mandogs (Covina, California), Rodney Spicer of Gold Coast K9 (Oxnard, California), and Andy Jimenez of Falco K9 (Brea, California).
Amy, Ron, and Jill-Marie O’Brien (the director of training and behavior at the SPCALA) started teaching classes in Long Beach, California, trying out the concept of teaching nose work to companion dogs. It took off with a bang. Developing exacting standards for competition came as a natural evolution of teaching those classes.
Amy remembers the early days in 2007:
“The sport idea came later. In the early classes, dogs had been searching for objects (toys, Kongs, food, etc.) We had been playing with the idea of teaching dogs a particular scent in order to advance those classes by making the ‘hides’ smaller and, therefore, more challenging. (It gets difficult to find places to hide a large, stuffed mallard duck without dog and handler seeing it.) We considered some sort of oil, like anise, as that has been used for evaluating detection dogs’ ability to work a novel scent, but we hadn’t settled on anything yet.
“About that same time, I had the opportunity to experiment with the concept while in Seattle during a John Rogerson Instructor’s course. He had invited me to teach the scent discrimination portion of the course and wanted to introduce the concepts of training a dog on odor. All of the dogs in the course were just out of the local shelter and during their three-week stay were exposed to a crash course in tracking, agility, obedience, and nose work. Handlers not only had to get the dogs interested in searching, but also had to train them on an odor and pass an odor-recognition test. John likes to challenge people to be creative in their training and to accomplish a lot in a short time.
“What I witnessed in that course – because of the speed and intensity of training – was a spirited, competitive edge to the nose work that confirmed our thoughts about where we could go with the training in our classes. It proved a good testing ground for using odors with companion dogs and for leveling the playing field in terms of what the dogs were searching for. You can’t really have a competition if one person is hiding a treat bag of hot dogs and the other is hiding a stuffed pink bunny rabbit, but a cotton swab with a dab of oil eliminates that problem.
“When I returned to Los Angeles, Ron, Jill-Marie, and I talked about constructing a class to introduce the dogs to odor, which opened up the possibilities for competition and much more advanced handling and skill-building for the teams. Those next set of classes helped build the elements we now use in competition for the nose work titles. As handlers got more involved and interested in nose work, we had to keep adding challenges, like exterior area searches and vehicle searches.
“The original purpose of the class, whether dogs are hunting for food or odor, was to have fun. Watching dogs hunt – and watching the light bulb go on for them that they are allowed to hunt – is a beautiful and inspiring experience. I know this to be true every time I witness a dog searching in class. You can hear a pin drop because the observers are watching and listening so intently…often followed by rousing applause when the dog finds it.”
Attributes of a Nose Work Dog
The most attractive thing about this sport is the broad array of dogs that can do it. In essence, if your dog has a nose, he can play this game! Although certified search and rescue and detection dogs have a very demanding job, fun nose work does not place the same physical demands on the dog or handler. Amy Herot describes the difference between fun nose work for companion dogs and police detection work:
“Fun nose work incorporates elements borrowed from skills that we work on with detection dogs without it being detection dog training. Although nose work shares similarities with detection, there is much more that goes into a detection dog.
“Smelling is the easiest thing. The mental and physical ability, stamina, and stability for dogs to endure long and difficult searches are a big part of detection work. The dogs must be highly driven, uninhibited, and focused on their work all the time. The training is technical, requiring dedication, documentation, and certifications. It also presents the handler and/or owner with great liability and pressure.
“Many companion dogs and even sport dogs share the basic sniffing skills of a working dog, but aren’t really suited to live that life. Nose work allows an owner to tap into those skills without pressure and to provide a great outlet for the dog’s natural abilities.
“In our classes, we have Pugs, Whippets, Shepherds, Labs, Shih Tzus, Huskies, Dobermans, Chihuahuas, Beagles, and Jack Russell Terriers, some of which are top nose work competitors. Certainly, the traditional dogs come to mind: German Shepherd Dogs, Bloodhounds, and Labradors. The skills do come naturally to most of them. Other breeds, however, just need the opportunity.”
Scent Work Handler Attributes
This sport requires a human team member who enjoys the simple pleasures of seeing her dog have a good time, without all the equipment and more complex training that is required in many of the other dog sports. The most strenuous part of the sport is running behind or along with your dog as he is working a scent.
Scent Work Equipment and Supplies
Very little is needed to teach your dog to participate in nose work.
• Rewards – Both toys and treats can be used. In the initial stages of training, dogs are encouraged to find a favorite toy or treat bag.
• Target odors – Small bottles of the target odors (essential oils), small cotton swabs, and containers into which the scented swabs are placed are all that is required. These materials can be purchased online from a variety of sources. There is a link at the fun nose work website. Individual supplies are available, as well as a full kit with everything to get started.
Expenses
This is a very inexpensive sport. The costs mentioned below are for participation in a nose work class.
• Essential oils – All materials are provided in the introductory classes. A student who chooses to continue training might want to purchase his/her own materials. A full kit with three essential oils and cotton swabs is $35.
• Classes – A package of six classes runs $95 to $150 depending on the location.
• Entry fees – If you choose to compete, trial fees are only about $30 plus a nominal one-time NACSW membership registration starting in 2010.
Training for Nose Work
Introductory classes focus on building enthusiasm in dogs for finding their toy or treat bag, hidden in an obvious place such as a cardboard box. A lot of praise and generous rewards are used to encourage the dog to continue to use his nose to find the treasure. Continuing classes leverage the dog’s understanding of using his nose to find “target” scents such as anise, birch, and clove. At the beginning, the target scents are in easy-to-find locations; as skills develop, they are hidden in more difficult locations.
People whose dogs are fearful or reactive around other dogs find that fun nose work classes are a rare opportunity to take their dogs to a class. That’s because one dog is worked at a time, which allows each dog to concentrate on the task at hand instead of other often overwhelming environmental factors. Ramona Audette, a professional trainer in Southern California, was so thrilled with her own dog’s experience in fun nose work classes that she went on to become a certified nose work instructor (CNWI).
“I did not realize the impact fun nose work would have on my dog. I was hesitant to enroll him in the class because of his fear issues. Because there would be no other dogs around him and he didn’t have to engage with anyone but me, I thought, ‘This might work!’ There is such a difference in him today after his involvement with the fun nose work class. His confidence has soared. He loves doing it.
“I have since become a Certified Nose Work Instructor and have been able to see the same results with other dogs. I have seen a Corgi and an English Bulldog go from not wanting to leave their owner’s side and be afraid of a box used in the introductory class, to leaving their owners to go put their head in a box to make ‘their find.'”
Levels of Competition
Currently, dogs as young as six months can compete, and there are three levels of competition.
• NW1 – Dogs earn points for each search for the target scent of birch in each of four locations with maximum time limits assigned to each location:
1. Several cardboard boxes in a row (on- leash).
2. A room in the interior of a building (on- or off-leash).
3. A 1,000-sq. ft. exterior area (on-leash).
4. In up to three vehicles (on-leash).
There are a total of 100 points possible; 90 points are required for an NW1 title.
• NW2 – At this level, dogs must show proficiency with searching for either birch or anise, distractions are added, and the locations become larger and more complex. There are a total of 100 points possible; 95 points are required for an NW2 title.
• NW3 – At this level, dogs must show proficiency with searching for birch, anise, and/or clove.
There are multiple distractions at this level, and one of the rooms in the building can be without scent (a decoy so to speak), and the locations become larger and more complex. The vehicle search includes five vehicles. There are a total of 100 points possible; 100 points are required for an NW3 title.
For detailed information, download the rule book from the NACSW website.
Sniffing Out Confidence
Jesse, a Rhodesian Ridgeback-mix, was four years old when Lezle Stein enrolled him in a nose work class in 2007. Stein is a professional dog trainer and also spends countless hours volunteering with rescue organizations, working with dogs to help them overcome fearfulness. Jesse was afraid of men, children, and new places. He also suffered from separation anxiety, scaling six-foot fences and breaking through windows when suffering from a bout of the disorder. Stein hoped to build his confidence by enrolling him in the nose work class.
“I spend a lot of time in the rescue world working with emotionally damaged dogs. Amy Herot explained that nose work can be an excellent ‘rehab’ for nervous or fearful dogs. They develop confidence, overriding their fears by going back to what comes naturally for them – using their noses! And we make sure they always succeed.”
When Stein first enrolled him, Jesse was too terrified to do anything except cling to her side. Especially terrified of men, Jesse would panic if Ron Gaunt, one of the trainers, came within 10 feet.
“I really would never have guessed how much nose work could improve Jesse’s life. When he first started, he had zero confidence outside of my house. His strategy was a panicked avoidance and running away so nobody could approach him. He would never bite; he would just shake and pull to get away.”
Stein says the training and positive experiences have completely changed Jesse into a more comfortable dog. “He is a different dog today. He visits with all the class members and is willing and wanting to leave my side to find the scent.
“Amy was so careful and caring to help Jesse and me succeed. The process is slow and methodical in building confidence, but always fun and always with a win at the end. He understands the game and enjoys it now. His separation anxiety has also gone away. And he can say ‘hello’ to men now as well.
“It is a joy beyond words to see any dog, of any breed, awaken their nose and use it to the degree they can. It’s mind-blowing how incredible their ability to smell is, and I still think we have a lot more to learn about that. As a rescue person, I will continue to rehab dogs using their noses.”
And the icing on the cake? Jesse went on to compete as part of a team on two separate occasions. One team took home a first-place blue ribbon and another team took third place.
Overcoming Separation Anxiety
Janice Delaney brought home Mattie, a female Australian Shepherd/Cattle Dog-mix, when Mattie was about six months old. Mattie loves people – perhaps too much! She couldn’t seem to bear being without her owner, and began tearing up Janice’s home any time she was left alone. In an attempt to stop Mattie’s destructiveness, identified by her trainer as separation anxiety, Janice enrolled her in obedience and agility classes. lt wasn’t until Janice enrolled then 13-month-old Mattie in fun nose work classes that her behavior at home improved.
“Nose work was a great overall experience,” Janice recalled. “Mattie loved it and just came into herself. The training was very well done, from beginning basic box drills to being able to compete in trials. Amy Herot and her colleagues were wonderful at understanding Mattie’s [separation anxiety] issues and allowed her to be in the building where she could watch me but not distract the other dogs from searching. The best part of it all is that Mattie no longer suffers from separation anxiety and has a whole new level of confidence.”
Janice went on to advanced levels of training and entered Mattie in trials starting in 2008. Mattie won her NW1 title on June 7, 2009, and her NW2 in August of that year.
Of special pride to Janice is that Mattie is a recipient of the Harry Award, which was established in 2008 in honor of Harry and his relationship with handler Penny Scott-Fox. Harry was entered in the inaugural nose work trial, but died from a rattlesnake bite just days before the trial. The Harry Award is awarded to “the most outstanding rescue dog that demonstrates extraordinary ability and spirit in nose work,” emphasizing the relationship with the handler and the teamwork.
Is This Sport for You?
This is a sport for just about everyone. It is easy on the handler, easy on the dog, inexpensive, and doesn’t require a lot of equipment. You’re hooked as soon as you see your dog’s face when he realizes that he will be rewarded for using his nose. As usual, have fun, train positively, and revel in the relationship with your dog, not the ribbons on the wall.
Terry Long, CPDT, is a writer, agility instructor, and behavior counselor in Long Beach, California.
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.
