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Your Children Should Help Train the Dog

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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[Updated February 27, 2018]

For many kids, getting a family dog is one of the happiest experiences imaginable. However, disturbing dog bite statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggest that all is not well in the kid-dog kingdom. According to the CDC, each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites. Half of these are children.

Training Your Dog

Your best insurance against your family being part of these statistics is a puppy-raising program that incorporates proper management and supervision and tons of carefully orchestrated, positive social experiences for your new dog. (For more about how to carry out an ideal socialization program, see “How to Socialize A New Puppy“.)

Your child’s active participation in the family dog’s training, however, will do a lot to cement your dog’s place in your family. The training of the family dog will always be most successful if the whole family is involved. Kids are great natural trainers, and tend to have more time than the adults do to spend with the dog. Also, when they learn positive training techniques, kids learn how to interact with and influence the behavior of other sentient beings without using force, fear, pain, or intimidation. These are skills that may serve them well in their interactions with their friends, classmates, and perhaps even their siblings!

Teaching Kids to Train Your Dog

One of the best investments you can make for training the family dog is a clicker; they cost between $1 and $3. Even if you prefer not to use one when training, buy a clicker for your children to use when they train the dog. Kids love clickers, and are often sold on the gadget from the very first “click!” They can’t wait to get their hands on that little plastic box and start clicking. You just have to convince them that the clicker is a dog training tool, not a toy – that every time they click the clicker they must give the dog a treat. With young children (ages three to six) you can “team click”: one of you clicks, the other feeds a treat to the dog. Older kids usually get the hang of doing both pretty quickly. In fact, their timing with the clicker will probably put you to shame.

You’ll also need a steady supply of tasty treats to use as training rewards. Use something delicious, not just some of the dog’s regular food. It’s also helpful if you choose a food item that is easy to cut up and feed in tiny pieces (no larger than a pea), such as cheese, canned chicken, or hot dogs.

Your child’s first assignment is to “charge the clicker” – or in scientific terms, condition the reward marker. This simply means to teach the dog that the “click” sound means he’s earned a treat. It couldn’t be easier.

Start with the clicker in your pocket or your child’s pocket to muffle the sound; the sharp “click” initially startles some dogs. If your dog seems to be afraid of the clicking sound, stop using it immediately and switch to a different reward marker. You can say “Click!” or “Yes!”, use the softer click of a ballpoint pen, or make a “click” sound with your mouth. Kids are great at mouth clicks!

You’ll be “team-clicking” at first: one of you clicks, the other feeds a tiny, tasty treat. Tiny is important because you’ll feed a lot of them. Tasty is important because you want your dog to love the sound of the clicker, so he learns to love training.

Click (or say “Yes!”), pause, and feed the dog a treat a half-dozen times, so your dog starts to realize the click means a treat is coming. At first, he doesn’t have to do anything to make you click – but be sure not to click when he’s doing a behavior you don’t want, such as jumping up. If you click by accident, however, he still gets a treat; every click means a treat is on its way.

You’ll know when your dog has made the connection: You’ll see his eyes light up when he hears the click, and he’ll look for the treat with eager anticipation. Ask your child to tell you when she thinks the marker is “charged” – that the dog understands that a click means a treat is coming; it’s a great opportunity to have her start to observe and understand her pup’s body language.

Your dog may start to sit while you’re charging the clicker, especially if you hold the treat up to your chest before you click, because it’s easier for him to keep his eye on the treat if he’s sitting. Encourage your young trainer to hold the treat to her chest and click the instant your dog’s bottom touches the ground. If the two of you consistently click-and-treat when the dog sits, he’ll think that sitting makes the click happen, and he’ll start sitting on purpose.

Now you’re going to teach your dog his name. It helps to have two clickers for this – or more, if more family members want to play the name game. One of you say his name, and if he looks at you, click and treat. If he doesn’t look, make a kissing sound to get his attention, then click and treat. Now the other says his name, and when he looks, click and treat. He’ll soon learn that the sound of his name makes the click and treat happen, and he’ll think his name is a very wonderful thing. This will be important to help you get his attention when you need it.

When he understands that click means treat and he responds quickly to the sound of his name, you’re ready to teach him to sit. Well, sort of. He really already knows how to sit; you’re just going to teach him to do the behavior when you ask for it. This is called putting a behavior on cue. The fact is, your dog already knows how to do all the behaviors you want him to learn; you’re just teaching him your words, and convincing him that it’s worth his while to offer the behaviors when you ask for them.

You’re going to teach him that the word “Sit!” means “put your bottom on the ground.” Since you and your junior trainer have already been clicking and treating him for sitting, this should be easy. Do a few more repetitions of “treat to chest,” sit, and click, just to be sure he’s got it. Now, have your child say “Sit!” – once – just before she holds the treat to her chest. When your dog’s bottom touches the ground, click and treat! If your child can deliver the treat directly to your pup’s nose before he gets up, you’re doubling the power of the reinforcement. If the dog tries to jump up to grab the treat, have your child hold it in her closed fist, wait for him to sit again, and then feed it from the open palm of her hand, the way you’d feed a treat to a horse.

Be sure to praise your dog after he gets his click and treat. Tell him what a wonderful, smart dog he is! If you associate praise with the click and treat process, your praise will be very reinforcing to him later in training, and you can use it to reward him for performing well even when you don’t click and treat.

If your dog does not offer sits for the “treat to the chest” maneuver, lure a sit by moving the treat over his head. When he sits, click and treat. When you know he’ll sit for the lure, add the word before you move the treat, then click and treat when his furry bottom touches the floor.

Notice that you don’t add the verbal cue (“Sit!”) until you know you can get your dog to do the behavior. This is a very important concept to teach your kids. They need to understand that your dog doesn’t know what the words mean until you teach him, and that using them before he knows them is fruitless – and may actually teach him that they mean something else!

When your dog will sit easily, it’s time to fade the lure. Your kids won’t always have treats in their pockets, and you want your dog to sit for you whether you have treats or not. Without a treat in her hand, have your child ask the dog to sit, and wait several seconds. If he sits, click and feed him a treat from a bowl on the table. If he doesn’t sit, have your child make the “treat to chest” motion with her hand, clicking and feeding a treat from the bowl on the table when the dog does sit. Soon he’ll be able to sit on just the verbal “Sit!” cue, without the lure.

When he can sit on cue without the lure, skip the click and treat occasionally, and just praise his sit performance. This is called putting the behavior on a schedule of variable reinforcement. It teaches him to keep working for you even if you don’t click and treat every time. At first, skip the click and treat every once in a great while – but remember to praise! Over time you can skip the click and treat more frequently. Remember that if you click, you must treat. If you’re going to skip the reward, you skip the click as well as the treat, and just praise him. This teaches him that if he keeps working, the click and treat will come eventually. Like putting quarters in a slot machine, it might not pay off this time, but eventually it will.

Finally, you and your young trainer need to help your dog generalize the behavior. This means teaching your dog that the click and treat game works wherever you go. If you’ve been practicing in the comfort of your own living room, try it in your backyard. You may have to go back to using the lure at first, until he understands that the game is the same everywhere.

Your child can also teach your dog that “Sit” means “Sit by my side, sit when my back is toward you, sit when I am sitting on a chair, and sit when I am lying on the floor.” Pal also needs to learn that “Sit!” means “Sit when there are visitors in the house, sit when I am walking around the block, sit when I see another dog, and sit even if a cat runs by.” Then the two of you will know that your dog really understands the word “Sit!”

Clicker and Treats

Five-Step Dog Training Formula for Kids

This is the five-step formula that you used for your child’s training sessions with your family dog for “Sit.” Use this formula for every behavior you want to teach him.

1. Get your dog to do the behavior, using the treat to show him what you want, if necessary. Click (or use another reward marker, such as the word “Yes!”) and give him a treat when he does it.

2. Repeat Step 1 until he does the behavior easily. Then add the word for the behavior just before he does the behavior and lure him with the treat, if necessary. Click and treat.

3. As soon he has made the connection between the word and the behavior, fade the lure so he will offer the behavior even if you don’t have a treat in your hand.

4. When he will perform the behavior for you without a lure in your hand (you’re still clicking and treating!), put it on a schedule of variable reinforcement.

5. Finally, help him generalize the behavior to other locations, by taking your child and dog to practice at parks, on walks around the block, in parking lots, and in stores that allow dogs. A good positive training class is another great place for your child to practice working with your dog around distractions.

Teaching “Down” Using the Formula

So let’s see how the formula works with another important good manners behavior; the “Down.” This behavior can be more challenging than the sit – you may have to help your budding trainer with this one.

Step 1: Get the behavior. While your dog is sitting, one of you holds a treat in front of the dog’s nose and starts slowly moving it straight down, using the treat to show him that you want him to move toward the floor. The other clicks the clicker as the dog lowers his head to follow the treat. Each time the click happens, give the dog a small nibble of treat.

Do not wait to click until he is all the way down! Because this is a more difficult behavior, you need to click and reward him just for heading in the right direction, or he may give up. If he stands up, have him sit, and start over again. The two of you will gradually shape him into a down – clicking and rewarding for small bits of the desired behavior until you finally get the whole thing. If your child is unsuccessful in luring your dog into a down, she can lure him under your knee, a low stool, or coffee table, so the dog has to lie down and crawl to follow the treat. Click and reward. Repeat this until he lies down easily, then try shaping the down again.

Step 2: Add the cue. When your dog lies down easily, have your child add the word “Down” just before she lures the dog into the down position, to give him a chance to associate the word with the behavior.

Note: Your dog can only learn one meaning for a word. If you use “down” to mean “lie down” you must use a different word, such as “off!” to mean “don’t jump on me.” If “down” already has a different meaning for your dog, use a different word for “lie down,” such as “drop.”

Step 3: Fade the lure. After a couple of dozen repetitions, have your young trainer stand in front of the dog with her treat hand at her side or behind her back (so she isn’t giving him the “Sit!” cue by holding it at her chest) and tell her to say “Down.” Give your dog a second or two to process the word, and if he doesn’t lie down (he probably won’t), have her put the treat in front of his nose and lure him into a down. Click and treat.

If he doesn’t seem to be getting it after a couple of sessions, try luring less and less. Have your child move the treat three-quarters of the way to the floor, then whisk it behind her leg and let your dog finish the down on his own. You’re trying to jump-start his brain into figuring out what you want rather than waiting for you to show him. When he’ll lie down for a three-quarters lure, try luring just halfway, then less and less, until your child doesn’t have to lure at all. Keep repeating this exercise until he lies down on just the verbal cue, then click and jackpot! – feed the dog a small handful of treats, one at a time, as a special reward for doing this challenging exercise. Then take your child out for ice cream; she deserves a jackpot, too!

Step 4: Put it on a variable schedule. When your dog will lie down easily for the verbal cue without any luring, start skipping an occasional click and treat, just reinforcing with praise. Very gradually increase the frequency of skipped ones, so your dog learns to keep working even if he doesn’t get a click and treat every time.

Step 5: Generalize. Now it’s time to take the show on the road. Have your child start practicing your dog’s “Down” exercise when the two of you take him for walks around the block, trips to the park or the pet food store, or visits to your veterinarian.

Use the same formula to teach your dog the other important good manners behaviors, such as “come,” “wait,” “stay,” and “walk politely on leash.” Don’t forget to sign up for that good manners class!

The Importance of Play to Successful Dog Training

If you make sure to make it fun, your child and your dog will both think of training as play, not work. But your children can also play games with your dog just for the sake of playing; it doesn’t have to all be about training. Remember that all kid-dog play for young children must be directly supervised by an adult. Here are some good games for kids and dogs to play together:

• Find It: Start with a dozen yummy treats and your dog in front of you. Say “Find it!” in an excited voice and toss one treat off to the side. Let him run after it and get it. As soon as he eats that one, toss another in the opposite direction and say “Find it!” Continue until the treats are gone. Older kids can play this part of the game. Young children should just watch.

Now tell your dog to “Wait!” and hold him on-leash while your child places a treat on the ground 10 to 15 feet away, then returns and tells the dog to “Find it!” Let go of the leash so your dog can run to get the treat. Repeat several times, with your child gradually “hiding” the treat in harder places as the dog watches: behind a table leg, on a chair seat, under a paper bag. Each time your child hides a treat, have her return, pause, and release the dog with a “Find it!” cue to go get the treat. Your child can also hide a valued toy – as long as you can easily get the toy back from the dog for the next round of “Find It.”

• Find Susie: When your dog has learned the “Find it” cue for treats, turn it into a game to find hidden humans. Your child hides, and you tell the dog to “Find Susie!” (insert your child’s name here). If your dog needs help, your child can call him or make noises, until he discovers her hiding place. When he does, your child feeds him treats and praises him. Teach him to find different family members by name!

• Fetch: If your dog likes to fetch, this game can keep dog and child entertained for a long time. The rules are simple: Your dog sits. Your child throws the ball. Your dog runs after it, gets it, and brings it back. If your dog doesn’t drop the ball easily, have your child throw a second ball – but only after your dog sits. He must sit each time before your child throws the ball. Most dogs will drop the first one to chase the second. If necessary, get a whole basket of balls. As part of the game, your child can collect all the balls, put them back in the basket, and start again.

The possibilities are endless for you and your child to have fun training your dog. Teach him tricks; kids love to show off their dogs’ tricks. Find more games the whole family can play – Round Robin Recall, for example, where each family member calls the dog and runs away, clicks and treats as he arrives, and then waits for the next person to call him.

Once you’ve completed his basic good manners class, have your trainer help you determine what kind of additional training might suit him and your child – perhaps he’s a candidate for rally style obedience, or your kids might like to try agility, flyball, or musical freestyle. Your children may not live in the White House, but they can have every bit as much fun with their first dog as Malia and Sasha are going to have with theirs.

Selection, Socialization, and Management

If you don’t already have your dog or puppy, choose wisely. Unless you’re confident about your ability to select a good child’s pet, find a knowledgeable dog person to help you find the right companion. Some trainers offer puppy-selection services. You want a healthy, well-socialized, friendly dog or puppy who is clearly delighted to play with your children. Dogs who live with children should not just tolerate kids, they should adore them. Do not lose your heart to the shy canine hiding in the comer; he will not make a good pet for your children.

Once you adopt your puppy or adult dog, put as much time as you can into his socialization. We recommend exposing a puppy to 100 new and positive social experiences in his first 100 days. He should have the opportunity to greet people of different sizes, sexes, and races, and see people in many different settings and activities, such as biking, skateboarding, riding horses, in a pet supply store, veterinarian’s office, at the park, and so on. For more information about a proper socialization program, see “How to Socialize Your Puppy“.

Let your children help you create a management and care plan for your new pup; they should at least be aware of how much is involved with having a dog, even if they are not capable of shouldering all the responsibilities. Have a family meeting to discuss and establish rules. Is the dog allowed on the sofa? Where will he sleep? Who feeds the dog? Who takes him out to potty, and when? Who takes him for walks and plays with him? Who trains? Who does pooper scooper duty?

Draw up schedules, post them on the refrigerator, and award a gold star every time your child does her assigned job on time without being reminded or nagged. Ten gold stars win a small prize, 25 earn a medium prize, and 50 is a grand prize – a trip to the movies, or a new computer game. Positive reinforcement works for humans too! (Note:All the rules of positive training apply, so your children should not be punished by the withdrawal of stars for lapses in responsibility!)

Supervision Is Essential

At risk of sounding alarmist or discouraging a family who is considering getting a dog, we have to be quite serious when we warn owners against leaving children (especially babies and toddlers) alone with dogs. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for children under the age of nine. Dog-related fatalities are highest for newborns to children under the age of seven.

Recent statistics back up these statements. Fifteen of the victims in the 25 dog-related fatalities in the United States in 2008 were children under the age of seven. Of those 15, at least seven of the tragic incidents occurred when the children were left alone with the dog (or dogs) responsible for their deaths. Note that no one breed or type of dog was responsible for the following child fatalities in 2008.

January 18: A six-week-old infant was asleep in a bedroom in Lexington, Kentucky, when he was killed by the family’s Jack Russell Terrier.

April 28: An 18-year-old mother in Greer, South Carolina, found her five-week-old baby dead after she left the infant sleeping in a full-size bed with the dog sleeping next her.

July 22: A three-year-old Jackson, Mississippi, boy was killed while playing alone in his backyard when he approached the family’s chained Pit Bull Terrier.

July 24: An Erie, Pennsylvania, mother left her one-year-old daughter in the living room for “just a moment” as she stepped into the kitchen. Her daughter was attacked and killed by the family’s Sheepdog-mix.

July 28: A two-month-old boy was killed in his bed by a young Labrador in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His mother and grandmother were home but neither was in the room.

September 22: A newborn baby died in Warren, Ohio, after being mauled by the family’s Husky in her bassinet. The father had “left the room briefly” when the dog attacked.

October 3: A two-month-old boy was killed by the family’s mixed-breed dog. The child’s aunt said she left the baby on her bed, asleep, and had gone to the kitchen for a drink of water.

Of the eight remaining dog-related fatalities of children less than seven years of age, two involved free-roaming dogs, and two of the victims were attacked despite the immediate presence of adults. Four of the news reports did not provide enough information to determine if the child had been left alone with the dog.

Young children should always be directly supervised when they are with a dog. “Always” is an absolute term; you can’t so much as duck into the bathroom while your toddler is in the same room as your dog. Take the dog with you, or crate him until you return. Crates, baby gates, exercise pens, doors, tethers, and leashes are all useful management tools for keeping dog and children safely separated when they can’t be directly supervised. Use them. Always.

DOG TRAINING FOR KIDS: OVERVIEW

1. Choose a healthy, outgoing, well-socialized pup for your child’s pet, or an adult dog who clearly adores children. Use professional services if you’re not confident about your own dog—selection abilities.

2. Encourage your child to be a full participant in your dog’s management and training. Kids make great dog trainers!

3. Remember that small children must always be under direct supervision anytime they are with a dog. Always.

Pat Miller, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, is Whole Dog Journal‘s Training Editor. She lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center. Pat is also author of four books on positive dog training.

Jogging With Your Dog Improves Overall Fitness and Health

By
Susan Sarubin, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, PMCT4
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Running with your dog off-leash can be the height of joy, but save the experience – like this pair – for a fenced area or off-leash dog park. Even the best-trained dog can sometimes be tempted to chase an animal and become lost or hurt.

There are several words that will instantly rouse our three Rhodesian Ridgebacks from even the deepest of sleeps. “Breakfast,” “cookie,” “dinner,” and “out” all result in Aero, Opus, and Amber running enthusiastically toward the kitchen for food or toward the door to be let out in the yard.

But there is one magic word that far exceeds the impact of all others: RUN. Saying the “r” word in the Sarubin household results in sheer pandemonium with three big brown dogs frantically campaigning themselves to be “the chosen one” that day. Forget actually saying a word about going running! These dogs know the difference between running shorts and regular shorts, running tights and pantyhose, or running shoes and hiking boots. Simply putting on a headband sends them into a frenzy.

Jogging With Your Dog
The shorter your dog’s legs, the faster he’ll have to move them to keep up, meaning he’s working harder than a taller dog would have to at the same speed. Limit your mileage and keep your speed slower when running with small dogs.

My running partners for 14 of my 18 years of running have been dogs. In my experience, dogs are, by far, the best running partners. They will run any distance, anywhere at any time, and are always happy about running. They never complain about the weather, let me choose the route, allow me to set the pace and distance, and motivate me to run on an almost-daily basis – more than any human running partner ever could.

If you own an athletic dog and are a runner already, or are considering beginning a running program, you have the best of all running partners already living with you.

Why run with your dog?

Dogs love to run. They were born to run. Running will help maintain your dog’s weight, improve muscle tone, maintain a strong cardiovascular system, and build endurance. Running uphill develops rear drive. If you compete in any sort of showing or sport with your dog, he will undoubtedly be better conditioned from running than his “weekend warrior” competitors. Running is also beneficial to your dog’s mental health.

Running makes dogs happy. It allows them to explore the world through sights, sounds, and smells. They get to spend more time with you doing something fun. It allows them to release energy, making it less likely that they will vent their energy in destructive ways. This will make you happy.

Before you get started

Our dogs usually visit the vet far more often than we visit our doctor. Your dog should be examined by your veterinarian and cleared to start a running program before you subject him to many miles. If you are just beginning running yourself, it is advisable to also have a physical examination by your doctor.

How old should your dog be before it is physically safe to begin running together? One rule of thumb is that the dog’s bone growth plates should be closed before the dog takes part in any sort of rigorous activity. Some breeds and types mature more slowly than others. Owners of large dogs such as Great Danes and Scottish Deerhounds, for example, may be well advised to wait until their dogs reach the age of 1 ½ to 2 years. Lighter-boned dogs such as Miniature Pinschers and Whippets may be ready at 8 months to a year. Most dogs should be in the 1- to 1½-year range; check with your veterinarian for information on when your dog’s bone growth plates should be expected to close.

For puppies younger than these recommended ages, free play with other dogs or people is the safest form of exercise. Puppy bones and muscles need sufficient time to develop fully and may be injured by beginning a structured running program too early.

Before you begin running with your dog, it is necessary he understands and responds to basic training cues. Your dog should already be trained to walk on-leash without forging ahead and pulling you off balance, and should sit by your side when you stop at busy intersections. Teaching simple behaviors such as “slow” or “back” when your dog pulls, or “no” when he spots a squirrel or rabbit, are imperative for your safety when running. Remember, unlike walking, only one of your feet is in contact with the ground when you are running, making your dog’s sudden pulls especially dangerous.

While you will need to invest in some properly fitting, quality running shoes, and perhaps some specific running attire for yourself, running gear for your dog is simple and inexpensive. All you need is a four-foot to six-foot leather or cotton web lead and a snugly fitting flat collar to keep your dog safely by your side. A flat collar, martingale collar, or head halter are all choices to consider. A harness is also an option, but may cause chafing on longer runs. Retractable leads are not recommended.

Ready, set, go!

Many of the same principles that apply to beginning a running program for humans apply to our dogs as well. Owners and dogs should ease gradually into a running program, beginning with alternating walking and running for brief periods (no more than 20 minutes), three times a week, gradually increasing the running. Humans and dogs new to running might begin with two minutes of running at a comfortable pace followed by two minutes of walking, for a week or two. Progress to four minutes of running, two minutes walking, then to six minutes running, two walking, until you and your dog are able to run continuously for 20 minutes comfortably, three times a week.

Begin all workouts with a warm-up period of brisk walking or easy jogging before running as well as a similar cool-down after your workout.

Rest and recovery are essential to improve the fitness of both you and your dog. When just starting out, run with your dog every other day, rather than on successive days, allowing time for muscle recovery and to avoid injury while building endurance.

After four to six weeks of training three times a week for 20 minutes, both you and your dog will have built up your strength and endurance to begin to increase your mileage. The generally accepted guideline on increasing running mileage is not to exceed a 10 percent increase (in either time or mileage) a week. As you increase your mileage, your dog’s pads will gradually toughen to handle the longer distances.

How far, long, and often?

As your dog’s strength and stamina increase, he will undoubtedly delight in accompanying you on longer training runs. The number of miles, minutes, or hours you eventually run with him is largely determined by the dog. Many breeds are capable of running 25 to 35 miles a week, but perhaps individual dogs within the breed are not. It is important for you to determine your dog’s limits when running. The dog’s age, size, body density, coat thickness, and temperament may affect how far your dog can safely run. Dogs, like humans, have physical and mental differences that influence performance. By observing your dog’s behavior it is simple to figure out your dog’s comfortable running distance.

Most dogs are eager and excited at the beginning of a run with their owner, bouncing and running slightly ahead. A mile or two into the run, the dog settles into a pace with his human partner, running easily and comfortably by her side. A couple of more miles and the dog may begin to run a few paces behind the owner, and lacks his initial enthusiasm. Certainly if the dog is panting excessively, breathing fast and hard, lagging behind the length of the lead, or showing signs of lameness, it is time to abandon your training run. The signs that your dog is tiring are often subtle, and his devotion to you may cause him to run longer or farther than he would on his own. It is up to you to recognize these subtle signs and to stop your run as soon as you become aware of them.

Be particularly aware of the behavior of the older dog when running. These veterans have not lost their enthusiasm, but just as older human athletes, they need to slow down a bit and need more time for rest and recovery.

You also may look to your dog for clues to how often to schedule your training runs. Once you and your dog have been training together three times a week for several months, you may want to add another day or two (or three) to your schedule.

Running on consecutive days is not a problem for younger, healthy, athletic dogs, as long as the workouts are not successively intense. If you run a hard, fast, five-mile run on Tuesday, an easy four-mile recovery run would be perfect on Wednesday. A longer run, say 10+ miles, on Saturday, should be followed by a slow, comfortable three-mile run on Sunday. If your dog shows any signs of muscle soreness after longer or faster training runs, or lacks his usual enthusiasm for going out running, it is time to take a day off or to go for an easy walk.

What if you have a well-conditioned coursing hound, who competes on the coursing field every weekend? The goal here is to maintain his fitness, without working him to the point of injury or fatigue. Consider the following schedule: Monday: 3 mile recovery run (easy pace); Tuesday: off (or walk); Wednesday: 5 to 10 mile tempo run (a bit faster); Thursday: off (or walk); Friday: 3 to 5 mile easy run. If you like to run more than three days a week, you may just want to leave that canine athlete at home. Although he will undoubtedly be distraught when you lace up your running shoes and head out the door without him, rest and recovery are as important in a conditioning program as is the activity itself.

Running conditions

“Real” runners are not deterred by a little heat and humidity, blistering sun, cold, rain, sleet, or snow. But even if you can physically tolerate any of these conditions, your dog may not fare as well.

Heat and humidity: Some breeds tolerate high temperatures better than others, but caution should be taken with all breeds when the mercury rises. Dogs do not tolerate heat and humidity as well as humans and can easily suffer from heatstroke when running during the summer months.

Schedule your runs early in the morning or later in the evening, avoiding the highest temperature and strongest sun of the day. Choose shaded routes on warm days, avoiding direct sunlight and hot pavement that can burn your dog’s pads. Both you and your dog need to stay hydrated on your runs, especially in warmer, more humid conditions; carry a water bottle (thirsty dogs are easily trained to drink from bottles), or plan a route that includes several water stops.

Most importantly, be aware of the signs that your dog may be overheating to avoid heatstroke. Some days are simply too hot and humid for your dog to run; taking a few days off during a heat wave will not result in a loss of conditioning, and may very well save your dog’s life.

How to Identify and Prevent Heatstroke

Dogs do not have sweat glands and regulate their body temperature primarily by panting. In an overheated dog, panting proves insufficient to lower body temperature. Prolonged heatstroke can lead to coma, brain damage, or even death. Take extra care running with your dog on warm days, and be aware of the signs and treatment of heatstroke.

Signs of canine heatstroke:

  • High temperature (105º F to 110º F)
  • Fast pulse
  • Excessive panting
  • Deep red or blue tongue and gums
  • Distressed, agitated
  • Loss of consciousness

Treatment of canine heatstroke:

  • Move the dog to a cool, shady area.
  • Wet thoroughly with cool water to lower body temperature.
  • Apply ice packs to head and between the thighs until temperature drops below 102˚F (measure with a rectal thermometer).
  • Give small amounts of water or crushed ice to replace fluids.
  • If the dog does not respond after 10 minutes, seek veterinary attention

Cold and wintry precipitation: Longer coats offer some protection against the cold, but short-coated breeds need some added protection when running in colder temperatures, especially when the wind-chill temperature is low. A fleece-lined coat with a waterproof outer layer will shield your dog from the cold and wind, as well as freezing rain, sleet, and snow.

Prolonged exposure to frigid temperatures may lead to frostbite of unprotected areas (ears, paws, scrotum, and tail are particularly vulnerable), so make your runs short during the extreme cold. Be careful of ice on the road; “black ice,” an invisible thin layer of ice on pavement, is especially dangerous. Ice balls may form between your dog’s toes in icy, slushy areas, so check his paws often. And the chemicals, salt, and sand used to melt snow and ice on streets and sidewalks may irritate your dog’s feet. Always inspect your dog’s paws at the end of a run and wash off his feet, legs, and underside to remove any chemicals or salt that could be harmful to your dog if swallowed.

Running surfaces may vary depending on where you run. Running in the city guarantees lots of miles on paved roads that will toughen your dog’s pads. Living in the country, you may have access to dirt roads that are kinder on the feet and joints of both you and your dog. State forests (ones that allow dogs), parks, and watershed properties around reservoirs often have more rugged hiking or mountain biking trails that offer more of a physical challenge. “Rails to Trails” linear parks may offer paved, hard-packed, or wood chip trails.

Try to vary the surfaces you run on. Even if you live in an urban or suburban area, you can get your dog off the asphalt for portions of every run. Empty school, office building, or shopping mall parking lots usually have grass around the perimeters; run around the edge of the lot as your dog runs on the grass. Incorporate city parks and cemeteries (if they don’t prohibit dogs) into your running route, so your dog can run on grass while you’re on the road. Teach your dog to hop up on the curb and run along the grass that borders some streets. Or run on the sidewalk while your dog runs along the bordering yards. Be careful, however, not to do too much running on concrete sidewalks; it is an even harder surface to run on than asphalt and will take its toll on your legs.

Considering running with your dog off-lead? Don’t, with perhaps one exception. Running a dog off-lead in anywhere but the most remote locations, far from any motor vehicles, is an invitation to disaster. No matter how well-trained your dog is, or how reliable you believe his recall to be, it only takes one squirrel, rabbit, or deer, and one car, on even the remotest of country roads, to tragically prove to you that your dog will sometimes behave on instinct. If you have access to trails in wooded areas that allow unleashed dogs, far from any roads, running with your dog off-lead is a fun and liberating experience for you both. It is not without risks, however. A dog who does not remain in eyesight of his human runner or cannot be called off prey is not a good candidate for even a remote off-lead run.

Warning: It’s fun

Running with a dog may be highly addictive. Most dogs love to run with their humans, and their joy of running is often infectious. Even when you may not feel motivated to exercise, the guilt of depriving your dog of a favorite activity is usually enough to spur you on. All three of my Ridgebacks adore running, but they show it in different running styles. Opus, nearly 12 years of age, has slowed down considerably in recent years, but still loves a short run. He’s the hunter, always alert, looking for the slightest movement in his surroundings. Amber, 4, has days when she is the perfect pacing partner, completely focused in training, and others when she simply refuses to run at all!

But it is Aero, at 9 years old, who overtly displays his happiness on every run. While running with a joyous bounce, he occasionally looks up at me with a smile and jumps up on my side as if to say, “This is so much fun! I love running with you, Mom!” I love running with you, too, Aero. 

Dog Training With Hand Signals

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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[Updated June 29, 2018]

When I was a young girl, my parents dropped me off at the Milwaukee Coliseum every January, on the last day of the big benched dog show. I spent most of the day in the stands overlooking the obedience rings, mesmerized by the magic of well-trained dogs working in close partnership with their humans. I was particularly impressed with the hand signal exercises in the advanced obedience classes. Amazing, I thought, that you can communicate with your dog without even talking!

Teaching Hand Signals to Your Dog
Berkeley, CA, trainer Sandi Thompson tells Milo to “stay” using a hand signal. Some trainers use unique signals; others use standard signs taught by their trainers. It doesn’t matter what signs you use, as long as you are consistent.

 

What I didn’t realize then but I know now, is that hand signals are actually quite simple to teach to dogs – much easier than getting behavior on verbal cue. And hand signals can be used in many situations where a verbal cue just won’t work.

Dogs Are Good At Reading Body Language

The general dog-owning population today is much more aware of the fact that dogs are, first and foremost, body language communicators, thanks to the work of people like Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., and Turid Rugaas. Dogs need to make sense of our movements in order to survive. They depend on reading us to make their world work for them. As Dr. McConnell writes in The Other End of the Leash, “All dogs are brilliant at perceiving the slightest movement that we make, and they assume that each tiny movement has meaning.”

This makes teaching hand signals incredibly easy. Our dogs already assume our movements have meaning; we just have to make sure they’re attaching the meaning we want them to have for our particular signals. You’ll realize how truly brilliant your dog is when you see how quickly she comes to understand the meaning – and offer the requested behavior – for your body language cues for sit, down, come, and anything else you want to put on a nonverbal cue.

In fact, many dog folks think their dogs have learned verbal cues, only to find out that their dogs are actually keying off non-verbal communications the owner doesn’t even realize she’s making, such as a tiny bend forward at the waist with the “down” cue, or a slight movement of the hand toward the chest that accompanies the word “sit.” Owners do these things so consistently that they become an important part of the picture for the dog, and the human doesn’t realize that the verbal cue is actually secondary. This is bad news for putting behaviors completely on verbal cue, but good news for putting behaviors on a hand signal cue.

Teaching Hand Signals to Your Dog

This is the gesture I use for cuing “Down!” It’s a large signal that can be seen by a dog who is far away. 

Advantages of Training Dogs with Hand Signals

There are several advantages to teaching hand signals, even if you have no intention of competing in the obedience ring:

• They’re easy to teach.

• You can use them when you don’t want to speak – to avoid waking a sleeping baby, when you’re having a conversation on the phone, when you have laryngitis.

• They come in handy when your senior dog begins losing her hearing.

• They are the only way to train a hearing-impaired dog.

• They are useful if you have dreams of doing TV or movie work with your dog.

• It’s gratifying to show off to your friends how well your dog responds to the silent signals.

How to Teach Your Dog Hand Signals

So, how do you deliberately teach a hand signal? Here’s how I do it:

1. Start with a behavior you’re already taught your dog perform on verbal cue, such as “down.”

2. With your dog sitting in front of you, fully extend your right hand straight up in the air and hold it there. Hold a small treat between your thumb and the palm of your hand.

3. Pause for two seconds, then say “Down!”

4. If he lies down, click (or use another reward marker, such as the word “Yes!”) and give him a treat. And praise him!

If he doesn’t lie down, use the treat in your hand to lure him down, then click and treat. Even though he “knows” the verbal cue, chances are your hand raised in the air (different body language!) will throw him off his game at first and he won’t respond to it. “Down!” with your arms at your sides is different from “down” with one hand raised in the air.

5. Repeat until your dog lies down when you raise your hand. You might sometimes wait a few seconds longer before you say “down” or use a lure, to see if his brain just needs a bit more time to process the information.

6. Repeat until he lies down consistently (at least 8 out of 10 times) when you raise your hand, without having to use your verbal cure or lure.

7. Celebrate!

Use Big Gestures as Dog Training Cues

It’s as simple as that. Dogs can learn several cues for one behavior; they just can’t learn several behaviors for the same cue. Anytime you’re teaching a new cue for an already-trained behavior, use the new cue first, followed by the old one. It’s as if you’re saying, “Dog, this cue (hand raised high in the air) means the same thing as this other cue (the word “down”).” Your dog will quickly figure out that the new cue is always followed by the one he knows, and he’ll anticipate the second cue, offering the behavior sooner in order to get his click and treat faster.

Dogs are really good at anticipating. Remember that figuring us out is how they make our world work for them. As soon as your dog realizes the new cue is always followed by the old cue, he’ll jump the gun – which is exactly what you want. Why wait around for the second cue? He knows what he has to do to make you click the clicker and earn the treat.

Often in class when I introduce the raised-hand signal for down, a student will say, “But my dog already knows a signal for down.” She points to the ground, and sure enough, her dog promptly drops to the ground at her feet.

“That’s great!” I say. “And here’s the deal. Pointing to the floor works perfectly when your dog is right in front of you. But if he’s on the opposite side of the room – or a field, or, heaven forbid, a busy road, he may not be able to see that small signal. If he’s mildly distracted, a small signal will escape his notice, while a big one might grab his attention. A large signal that’s silhouetted against the background is easier for your dog to see, and more likely to work for you in all conditions.”

So use big movements for all your basic hand signals. You want your dog to have the best chance of seeing them from afar, even with distractions. Of course you can still use the smaller signal when he’s close if you want; dogs can learn many cues for one behavior.

This is the gesture I use for cuing “Sit!” I start with my arms at my sides, and, keeping my elbow by my side, I exuberantly swing my left hand in a large sweeping gesture up and in toward my body, up toward my face, and then out to the side.

Teaching “Sit” with Hand Signals

Here’s another useful hand signal: Sit. You can use the same signal to ask your dog to sit either from a stand or a down position. You can use any big gesture that makes sense to you. The gesture I use for cuing “Sit” is an upward sweeping motion with my left hand, bringing it up the left side of my chest, and then out to the side with a flourish, as if I was saying, “Ta da!”

When asking a dog to sit from a down position, make the new gesture, then pause with your arm parallel to the ground (tasty treat hidden under your thumb), and then say “Sit!” If he doesn’t respond to the verbal cue, lower your left hand with the treat and lure him up into the sit. Click and treat. Repeat until he sits for the signal, without the verbal cue or lure. It helps to pause after the first signal to give him time to think!

When he’ll sit for the hand signal from the down position, do the same thing from the stand. Start with him standing, facing you. Make the sweeping “ta da” flourish with your left hand, pause with your arm parallel to the ground and, if necessary, prompt with the verbal cue, then the lure. When he sits, click and treat.

“Come” is even easier. Leave your dog on a “Wait” cue, or have someone hold him on leash. Back up until you’re about 10 feet away and stand still. When your dog is looking at you, bring your right hand up to your chest, and then swing it away from you in an arc parallel to the ground, as if you want to thump someone in the stomach who is standing off to your side and slightly behind you. When your arm is stretched straight out, parallel to the ground, pause for two seconds, then say “Come!” in a cheery tone of voice and run backward a couple of steps.

As your dog runs toward you, click, bring your hand back to your chest (so your dog comes to your center instead of your side), and when he gets to you, feed him the treat you had hidden under your thumb. Or better yet, wait for his automatic default sit and then feed him the treat. Note: If your dog doesn’t yet offer an automatic sit, work on that separately and treat him just for coming.

This is the gesture I use for cuing “Come!” I start with my arms at my sides. I bring my right hand up to my chest, and then swing it forward and outward, as if I wanted to thump someone who was standing next to me in the stomach.

The Subtle Signals You Give While Training

There are times when subtle signals might be more useful than big ones – and they don’t have to be hand signals. Musical freestyle for dogs (also known as “dancing with your dog”) incorporates subtle signals designed to look like dance moves, as well as big signals that are dance moves. Well-trained agility and rally dogs can key off slight changes in their handlers’ body positions; the smart handler purposefully trains and makes use of this ability. If you’re working on a trick routine with your dog, subtle signals might be just the ticket. A friend of mine can ask her Jack Russell Terrier to lie flat on one side or the other just by tipping her head to one side or the other.

The process is the same whether you use big signals or small ones. Decide what non-verbal communication you want to use; figure out how to get your dog to do the behavior; then give the signal followed by a pause, and whatever prompt is needed to get him to do it. Repeat until he performs the behavior on just the body language cue.

I haven’t been to a big benched show in decades, and the dog training and showing world has changed a lot. But some things don’t change. I’m still enthralled by the magic of well-trained dogs working in close partnership with their humans.

Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is Whole Dog Journal‘s Training Editor. Miller lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center. Pat is also author of The Power of Positive Dog Training; Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog; Positive Perspectives II: Know Your Dog, Train Your Dog; and Play with Your Dog.

Challenging Topics

By
Nancy Kerns
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I have been meaning to write this e-mail for some time. Whole Dog Journal has done such a tremendous job of providing high-quality, informative articles this year. In particular, I was most impressed with the article about dental care and the vaccine article featuring Dr. Ron Schultz. Your writers did such a top-notch job of researching complex topics and providing fair and accurate information and opinions. As a veterinarian myself, I sometimes read such articles with an overly critical eye, but I could find nothing at fault with either of these. In fact, I was so ecstatic with the dental care article that I had my entire staff read it, so they could see from a dog-owner’s perspective why high quality dental care is so important.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about Editor Nancy Kerns’ experiences with her new dog, Otto. Even her confessions that her husband isn’t following all the rules of positive training is wonderful to hear, as many of us can relate to the same type of frustrations!

Another favorite was your interview with the runner-up winner, Laurie Williams, from the TV show Greatest American Dog. I look forward to more great articles in 2009. Your perspective on health insurance is one I want to hear. I highly recommend it to all clients (especially new puppy owners) but I try to be vague about which company, as I think (like foods) there isn’t just one that fits all pets.

Pat Miller’s article on “no-kill” shelters (“What’s Wrong With ‘No-Kill’ ”) in the January 2009 issue disappointed me a little, but I appreciate her perspective nonetheless. I have been a supporter of No More Homeless Pets KC for some years, and they have very specific, business-like goals to help attain their goal of having Kansas City be a no-kill community by 2012. While I’m not a particular fan of Nathan Winograd’s, I read his book, Redemption, with interest (that is, after getting past my initial fury at his abrasive writing style). The main message I took away from his book is that there is more that animal shelters can do to end needless killing, but people have to stop hiding behind excuses and change the mindset of the sheltering system (no space = euthanize).

I worry that we risk jumping to the conclusion that “no-kill” is too mired in distrust and unethical actions to support. We can’t move forward when we point fingers and play the blame game. We all agree that we need to end the killing of homeless animals; let’s embrace the concept of no-kill and support TNR (trap, neuter, and release) programs, comprehensive adoption programs, an active volunteer base, partnering with rescue groups and foster homes, medical rehabilitation, behavior socialization, and low-cost spay/neuter.

I share some of Miller’s reservation about keeping animals in cages for extended periods, and I’m not sure what the answer to this will be. I think there is a place for pharmaceutical intervention in some shelter animals (i.e., anti-anxiety medication), but this is not something I’ve heard much about – perhaps we will hear more in the future?

By the way, as a veterinarian who does quite a bit of behavior work, I really would like to see more mention of the importance of involving a behavior vet when one is grappling with a behavior problem (especially anxiety-based problems).
J.C. Burcham, DVM
Olathe Animal Hospital, Olathe, KS

I would like to congratulate you on “What’s Wrong with ‘No-Kill’ ” (January 2009). I am so glad that someone has finally told it like it is. I wish more magazines that were about animals would bring this to light. As an animal control officer, I realize that not all animals can be adopted. As much as I love animals and hate to have to euthanize them, I realize that there are not enough homes for all the cats and dogs that are unwanted. Many places that say they are no-kill are guilty of false advertising. Unfortunately, my shelter does not receive some donations because I tell the truth. My shelter has to put down the animals the “no-kill” shelters don’t take; I have to do the dirty work of others who claim to be more humanitarian. I don’t think it’s humane to keep dogs and cats in shelters indefinitely; it can inflict severe mental distress on them.

Thanks for helping people see that some of these “no-kill” places are pulling the wool over animal lovers’ eyes.
Judy Burrier, Animal Control Officer
Independence, Ohio

I have enjoyed Otto’s progress as I’ve gotten to know him through Whole Dog Journal. On the other hand, I am distracted and distressed when my enlightened animal journal blithely affirms sexist ideas. In “Our Dog” (December 2008), author Nancy Kerns says of her husband, Brian, “Guys do things differently,” and “He wants the dog to do guy things.”

I get it that Brian and Nancy are different in their approaches to Otto. However, to generalize, stereotype, and globalize the behavior of each onto an entire gender damages all of us dog owners. My sister, for instance, is a person who hollers “No!” at a dog, swatting him if she thinks it’s appropriate. She believes it’s not only a dog’s right but duty to lick plates clean. And she does the back-of-the-pickup thing, too. She is a woman, not masculine at all. She just happens to be totally different from me in her dealings with dogs.

Brian doesn’t treat Otto the way he does because he’s a man, but because he’s Brian. Instead of presenting assumptions about treatment of dogs based on gender, please give us humans the option of individualism and diversity.M
Mariah Poole
Oneonta, NY

 

Good point! Well said! – NK

Good Dog TV

By
Nancy Kerns
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It’s taken a number of years (and some significant missteps, in our opinion), but television producers are finally turning out programs that promote dog-friendly training and progressive dog care. For some time, I’ve been a fan of British trainer Victoria Stilwell’s show on Animal Planet, “It’s Me or the Dog!” In the course of each episode, Stilwell visits the home of some dog owner (or owners) who have a problem dog (or dogs). The dog/s are shown being unbelievably obnoxious and/or aggressive, and the owner/s are shown to be without a clue and at their wits’ end. Stilwell then explains how the situation has developed, demonstrates positive solutions (as the owner/s gape), and teaches the owner/s how to carry out the methods themselves.

Nancy Kerns

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It’s interesting to me to see the many ways that dog owners can inadvertently contribute to the development of serious and vexing behavior problems in their dogs; I also enjoy comparing Stilwell’s advice and suggested solutions to my own much-less-experienced ideas about how to fix the problems. The fact that I don’t always agree with her approaches doesn’t in any way diminish my appreciation for her promotion of dog-friendly training techniques – methods that are based on behavioral science, not force or intimidation.

I just found another show that I admire (again, not without some minor quibbles). “Underdog to Wonderdog,” also seen on the Animal Planet channel, had its debut in January. In the course of each episode, a team of dog lovers rescues and rehabilitates a needy, homeless dog. The dog’s physical, emotional, and training needs are addressed through veterinary care, grooming, positive training, and even some environmental enhancement in the form of custom-built dog beds, play structures, and designer dog-wear. Best of all, the team of experts finds a home for the dog and prepares the dog for his new family, and the family for the new dog.

Despite what one of my dog expert friends accurately described as “a sickening amount of gushing over the dog” in the first episode, I was pleased to see a major television production focus on the value of rescuing homeless dogs. The fact that they also addressed, albeit briefly, many of the issues that should be addressed to make sure that the dog recovers from the neglect or abuse in his past is icing on the cake, for me.

Mainstream TV shows are often shallow, sensational, repetitive, and fuzzy about the facts, in their effort to be entertaining. However, if you are at all interested in the content, they can be all those things – and riveting, at the same time! Maybe it’s just me; it’s possible that I’m just so grateful to see positive training techniques shown to a wide audience that I’m overly forgiving of the shows’ flaws. Nobody’s perfect!

Consult your local listings to determine when these shows are broadcast; I’m willing to bet you’ll get hooked, too.

Whole Dog Journal’s 2009 Dry Dog Food Review

By
Nancy Kerns
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What’s the best food for your dog? It’s a question that only you can answer – because you are the only one who is in a position to gauge, on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis, how your dog responds to what you feed him.

That said, we can give you some tips to guide you into the right section of your local pet supply store – that is, past the lowest-cost, lowest-quality foods; past the higher-cost but still low-quality posers; and into the area where the top-quality foods are found. Take note: They are expensive, perhaps prohibitively so, especially for families with several large dogs to feed. But you can’t expect to pay hamburger prices for filet mignon, and it’s the quality (and thus price) of the ingredients that set the top-quality foods apart.

Dry Dog Food

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Before we tell you what attributes to look for, though, we need to make a few points about the quest for the world’s best dog food:

• Dry food is not the healthiest diet for your dog. If you want to provide the very best, most natural diet possible for your dog, you’d feed a well-researched, home-prepared diet comprised of fresh foods. Or, next best, a well-formulated, commercially made frozen raw or dehydrated diet. Next best would be a top-quality wet food; even poor quality wet foods usually contain a higher percentage of animal protein (and a much lower percentage of grain) than good dry foods.

Of all of these forms of dog food, kibble is probably the least natural for the dog. But its popularity is mainly based on three factors: It is relatively stable and therefore very convenient for the owner to buy, store, and feed. It’s usually less expensive, calorie for calorie, than other forms of food with comparative ingredients. And most dogs do fine on a dry food diet.

Just keep it in the back of your head that if you want your dog to eat the ideal, evolutionary canine diet – because he’s got persistent health problems? because he’s a show or sports competitor and you want an edge? because you’ve lost your last three dogs to cancer and you want to know you did everything possible to give this dog the very best? – you’ll need to look to something other than kibble, even the highest-quality kibble available.

• No food is best all dogs. There is no single diet that works best for all humans, or every individual of any other species, so why people think there might be a single ideal food for every dog is beyond us!

To find the best foods for your dog, you have to try a lot of foods, and make it a point to observe your dog for signs that his diet is or is not agreeing with him. If he has chronic signs of compromised health, such as persistently goopy or runny eyes; infected or smelly ears; inflamed, itchy skin; severe gas; or frequent diarrhea, and these conditions improve, well, hurray! If these things worsen, try another food.

We strongly recommend that you keep some sort of diet journal – at a minimum, with notes on the calendar – to keep track of what foods you feed your dog, and what his response to each product has been. We keep a journal of health- and training-related events in our dog’s life, and note the date each time we open a new bag of food. We store dry food in its original bag until it’s all consumed, but once it’s empty, we cut out the ingredients list, “guaranteed analysis,” and date/code from the bag and tape these bits of packaging into the dog’s journal. This sort of journal can help you identify foods or even individual ingredients that are problematic for your dog; in case of a pet food disaster, it can also help prove what your dog ate, and when he ate it.

• Switch foods regularly. We know; you heard that you shouldn’t switch your dog’s food, or his stomach will get upset. If you ate only one food every day for weeks and months, and then ate something else, your stomach would get upset, too. But very few people eat a diet that never varies from day to day. Human nutrition experts agree that a well-balanced, varied diet is critical for human health; so why do so many people believe that variety is bad for dogs?

Say your dog eats one food, day after day, year after year. And say that food contains a little more of this mineral than is ideal, or not quite enough of that vitamin, or an unhealthy ratio of this nutrient to that one . . . Over time, lacking any other foods to help correct the excesses, insufficiencies, or the imbalances, these problems can contribute to the development of disease.

When you switch your dog’s food, do it gradually, over a couple of days. Start with 75 percent of the old food and 25 percent of the new food at one meal; slowly increase the amount of new food (and decrease the amount of old food) over a few days, until he’s eating only the new food. Try different varieties, as well as products from different companies. If you change foods often, your dog will adjust more and more smoothly.

One more thing: Don’t feed foods comprised of exotic proteins (such as rabbit, kangaroo, bison, pheasant, etc.) if your dog does well on the more common proteins (such as beef, lamb, chicken, and turkey). It’s extremely useful to have a few completely novel proteins held in reserve for use in an “elimination diet” (in which you feed him a diet comprised of, usually, a single novel protein and a single novel grain) in case your dog ever develops a food allergy.

What to look for
Keeping the previous principles in mind (kibble is not the most ideal diet; no food works for all dogs; you should switch foods regularly), you are now ready to look for a few good foods for your dog. Top-quality dry dog foods can be identified by the following hallmarks of quality on their ingredients panels:

• Animal protein at the top of the ingredients list. Animal proteins are more palatable and are of a higher biologic value to dogs than plant-sourced proteins. Ingredients are listed by weight, so ideally a food will have one or two animal proteins in the first few ingredients.

The animal protein source should be named – chicken, beef, lamb, and so on. “Meat” and “animal protein” are examples of low-quality protein sources of dubious origin. Animal protein “meals” (i.e., “chicken meal,” “beef meal,” “lamb meal,” etc.) should also be named; “meat meal” could be just about anything.

Whole meats do not contain enough protein to be used as the sole protein source in a dry dog food. Whole meats contain as much as 65 to 75 percent water and about 15 to 20 percent protein. When a whole meat appears high on the ingredients list, generally another source of protein is also present, in order to augment the total protein content of the finished food. We prefer to see animal protein meals, rather than plant proteins, fill this role.

An animal protein “meal” is essentially cooked and dried (rendered) muscle meat, although a certain amount of bone, skin, and connective tissue is included. Animal protein meals are dried to a moisture level of only about 10 percent, and contain about 65 percent protein.

• Whole vegetables, fruits, and grains. Fresh, unprocessed food ingredients contain wholesome nutrients in all their naturally complex glory, with their fragile vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants intact. They are also less likely to be adulterated with impurities of any kind.

That said, formulators often use a concentrated (processed) constituent of a grain or vegetable to accomplish a specific task in a dog food. For example, beet pulp is frequently used in dog food for its ability to concentrate the dog’s solid waste (resulting in smaller and firmer poop). We’d rather see whole ingredients used for this purpose, but one or two food fragments won’t make or break the quality of the food, especially if they are lower on the ingredients list. The more of them there are in the food, and/or the higher they appear on the ingredients list, the lower-quality the food.

• Organic ingredients; locally sourced ingredients. Both of these things are better for our planet. Organic ingredients may be especially appropriate for dogs with cancer, chemical sensitivities, or other serious health problems, but holistic practitioners recommend them for all creatures.

What to look out for
Here are some of the things a top-notch food should not contain:

• Meat by-products or poultry by-products. Some non-muscle parts of food animals (i.e., the internal organs) are highly nutritious – in some cases, higher in protein and fat, as just two nutrient examples, than muscle meats. But there are many other parts of food animals that have much less nutritional value – and are worth so much less (in dollars) to the processor, that they are considerably less carefully harvested, handled, processed, and stored.

Poorly handled meats (which contain fat) and fat sources can quickly become rancid. Rancid fats not only smell noxious and taste bad, they also speed the destruction of vitamins and other nutrients in a food. Worst, rancid fats are carcinogenic. ‘Nuff said?

In contrast, whole meats are expensive – too valuable to be handled carelessly. Their cost doesn’t rule out poor handling and resultant oxidation (rancidity), but it makes it less likely. So, for all these reasons, we suggest avoiding foods that contain by-products or by-product meal.

• Added sweeteners. Dogs, like people, enjoy sweet foods. Sweeteners effectively persuade many dogs to eat foods comprised mainly of grain fragments (and containing little of the animal protein that would be healthier for them).

• Artificial preservatives, such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin. Natural preservatives, such as tocopherols (forms of vitamin E), vitamin C, and rosemary extract, can be used instead. Preservation is necessary to keep the fats in the food from oxidizing and turning rancid. Natural preservatives do not preserve the food as long as artificial preservatives, however, so owners should always check the “best by” date on the label and look for relatively fresh products.

• Artificial colors. The color of the food makes no difference to the dog; these nutritionally useless chemicals are used in foods to make them look appealing to you!

Representative “top foods”
Starting on the next page is our “top dry foods” list for 2009. All of these products meet our selection criteria – including our newest criterion, that the company discloses the name and location of its manufacturers. There are certainly more products that both meet our criteria, as described above, and whose makers are willing to answer questions about their manufacturers. Rest assured that any food that you find that meets our selection criteria is just as good as any of the foods on our list.

What if your favorite dog foods don’t meet our selection criteria? It’s up to you. If you have been feeding what we would consider to be low-quality foods to your dog, and she looks and appears to feel great, good for you! She’s one of those genetically lucky animals who can spin straw into gold, digestively speaking. But if she has allergies, chronic diarrhea, recurrent ear infections, or a poor coat, we’d recommend that you try some better foods.

Please note: We’ve listed the foods alphabetically, by the name of their manufacturers. Some companies make several lines of food. We’ve listed each line and each variety that we found that meets our selection criteria. We’ve highlighted one variety from each company as a representative product, to show what sort of ingredients and macro-nutrient levels (protein, fat, fiber, and moisture) are typically found in that maker’s foods. Be aware that some companies offer dozens of different products with varying nutrient levels and ingredients. Check the company’s website or call its toll-free phone number to get information about its other varieties.

What You Should Know About Animal Shelters

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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5

[Updated August 24, 2018]

ANIMAL SHELTERS: OVERVIEW

1. Investigate your local dog shelters to determine their organizational structure and identify what services they offer.

2. Visit the shelters to determine the quality of services they offer and animal care they provide.

3. Support and help the shelters that support your patronage.

4. Take steps to improve the ones where humans and non-human clients receive less-than-optimal care.

Say the words “animal shelter” to 10 different people and you’re likely to get 10 different reactions – from a warm, happy smile to sadness and tears to anger. Why the disparity? Because shelters take the “no two alike” approach to service providing, and those 10 people likely had 10 very different shelter experiences. When you’ve had one experience with a shelter, good or bad, you might think all shelters are the same. You couldn’t be more wrong.

Many people think that shelters must all come under some national governing body that regulates what they do, a universal “mother club” like Red Cross, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. In fact, the exact opposite is true – with a few rare exceptions, every shelter is its own entity, complete within itself, with its own policies and procedures, its own governing body, and its own list of services offered – or not offered.

A dog with wide open sad eyes looks through the bars of an animal shelter kennel
Many dog lovers are reluctant to visit their local animal shelters, to protect themselves from getting upset about all the needy animals. But the animals are there and will appreciate your help, whether you see them or not.

Various Services Offered by Animal Shelters

There is a wide variety of services that may be offered by your local shelter, depending on their mission and vision as well as available resources. We provide a partial list of possible services below. If you see services on the list that you’d like your local shelter to provide, talk to your shelter’s administrators about the possibility. Be prepared to help find ways to fund the programs if funding isn’t already available!

– Housing of unwanted/homeless animals
– Rescuing animals in distress: trapped in chimneys or trees; victims of natural disasters; fallen off cliffs…
– Animal cruelty investigations
– Animal “nuisance” complaints
– In-house adoption program
– Adoption outreach programs
– Post-adoption follow-up and counseling
– Volunteer programs
– Education programs
– Spay/neuter assistance programs for animals belonging to the public
– Spay/neuter clinic
– Well-pet assistance: subsidizing routine preventative care such as vaccines, worming, etc.
– Veterinary care assistance
– Low-fee/affordable veterinary clinic
– Low-cost vaccinations, microchips, tattooing
-Off-leash dog park
-Special events
– Food bank/pet meals on wheels
– Companion animal training and behavior modification programs
– Animal-assisted therapy
– Reading programs (children reading to pets)
– Prison dog programs
– Euthanasia services

With a sole exception, national groups like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the American Humane Association (AHA), Red Rover (formerly known as United Animal Nations), and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) do little to dispel the confusion. None of these organizations has anything to do with the management of shelters around the country; they are primarily educational organizations, offering training, materials, and conferences at a price to local shelters, and issue-based information to the public. (The exception? The ASPCA does have a single shelter, in New York City.)

Some of these organizations have offices around the United States and sometimes the world; many are heavily involved in lawmaking, sometimes pursuing legislation whether local agencies support it or not. The organizations have no direct role in how shelters across the country are structured or run.

All of these groups offer paid memberships. Well-meaning animal lovers often join and support these national organizations, believing that donation dollars sent to those groups somehow find their way back to help animals in shelters in their own communities. They may be dumbfounded to discover that this is rarely the case. Oh, once in a great while, during a disaster or a high-profile cruelty case perhaps, but not to assist with the day-to-day costs of feeding and caring for sheltered animals. Rarely a penny.

Types of Animal Shelters

Although every shelter is unique, you can group them into similar types according to how they are structured:

Municipal Shelter

This type of shelter is owned and run by your government – city, county, township, parish – and is completely supported by tax dollars. It usually has a name like “Chattanooga Animal Services,” “San Francisco Animal Care and Control,” or “Multnomah County Animal Control.”

The shelter is part of the municipal “animal control” program, charged with protecting citizens from animals. They are usually responsible for enforcing city or county laws and regulations regarding animals; they may also investigate cases of animal cruelty, and sometimes offer education programs. Their enforcement staff may be called “animal control officers,” “animal services officers,” “dog wardens,” or some other such regulatory-sounding name.

“Animal Control” may be its own department in local government, or can function under the umbrella of the police department, department of public works, health department, department of parks and recreation, or some other division. Priority of services often depends on what department oversees its work. If it falls under the health department’s control, a high priority is placed on “rabies control” efforts; if it is under the control of the police department, enforcement of animal control laws may take center stage.

If you travel up the organizational tree you eventually reach a board of supervisors, a mayor, or whatever office is at the top of your particular governmental hierarchy.

Full-Service Private Nonprofit Shelter

As the name implies, this is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization with a Board of Directors and by-laws that govern the mission and policies of the group. Its mission is to protect animals from people, which often includes a strong educational component. When applying for nonprofit status, in most states these agencies are incorporated for the “prevention of cruelty to animals.” They may have members, and members may or may not have voting privileges.

These groups have names like “Marin Humane Society,” “Houston SPCA,” “Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society,” “Denver Dumb Friends League.” Same type of organization – different names. Just to emphasize the point, understand that “SPCAs” across the country have no affiliation with the ASPCA.

Full-service shelters, also called “open door” shelters, usually accept most if not all animals that owners bring to them, and may (or may not) also accept stray animals of all kinds. These shelters usually keep animals as long as they can. They have active adoption, education, and spay/neuter programs, and strive for low euthanasia rates, but can’t always succeed.

While the most diligent of these may be able to achieve a sometimes tenuous “low-kill” status, by choosing to accept all animals that are brought to them, most are compelled to regularly euthanize animals for a number of reasons. These reasons may include poor health or behavior, and space (at least some of the time, if not on a daily basis).

Full-service nonprofit shelters may also be involved in humane investigations, rescues, and cruelty case prosecutions. Cruelty enforcement workers are often given titles such as “humane officer” or “cruelty investigator.”

At the top of the nonprofit organizational chart is the president of the board, chair of the board, or other such title.

Full-Service Nonprofit Shelter with Animal Control Contract

Some full-service shelters contract with local community governments to perform the function of animal control alongside their humane society mission. Under this arrangement, the shelter is still governed by its board of directors, but must respond to the contracting government over issues related to the contracted services.

The contract may be only to house stray animals for a municipal animal control agency, or it may be to perform field enforcement services as well as sheltering. Law enforcement services involve issues such as animals running at large, barking, and other “nuisance” complaints, enforcement of licensing and “sanitation” (pooper scooper) laws, etc.

Nonprofit shelters sometimes take on government contracts for financial reasons; some rely on government dollars to survive. Others contract with a local government agency for humanitarian reasons, in the belief that a nonprofit shelter can do a better job of caring for the animals.

Some have dual motivations: they need financial support from local government and believe they can do a better job than government. But because the two missions can conflict – one emphasizes the protection of humans, the other emphasizes the protection of animals – this arrangement can have a deleterious effect on community support for the shelter. Actions such as issuing citations for leash-law violations, charging a fee for people to reclaim their impounded dogs, and declaring dogs “dangerous or potentially dangerous” don’t endear the organization to potential supporters. The issues are often no-win for the shelter; regardless of the action taken, someone will be unhappy.

An Animal Control Officer poses with a puppy in front of his animal control truck
Animal control officers are sometimes maligned by the public due to their role as enforcers of local animal-related laws and codes. The fact is, their jobs are emotionally difficult and physically taxing, but they do it so they can help animals.

Nonprofit shelters with government contracts usually euthanize greater numbers of animals, since they are compelled to accept all stray animals as defined by the contract. This group of animals is likely to include some of the least potentially adoptable animals in the community.

Limited Admission Nonprofit Shelter

Also a 501(c)3 tax-deductible organization with a “protect animals from people” mission, this type of shelter is sometimes called “selective intake,” “guaranteed adoption,” “low-kill,” or “no-kill.” Note: Animal lovers should never assume that so-called “no-kill” shelters are the most praiseworthy, or provide the kindest care to their wards. Please see “What’s Wrong With No-Kill?” from this issue.

Also governed by a board of directors, this shelter limits the number of animals selected, usually with some kind of screening test for potential adoptability. There may be a long waiting list to place a dog or cat in one of these shelters, as the responsible ones only accept a new animal when kennel space opens up. Their low-kill or no-kill policies may mean that some animal companions occupy kennel space for many months – or even years.

Animal Rescue Groups

These may or may not be 501(c)3 not-for-profit organizations, and they may or may not be so-called “no-kill.” Some rescue groups have an actual shelter; some house their dogs in foster homes and at boarding kennels.

Breed rescue groups that operate under the auspices of their breed clubs are usually not-for-profit with a governing board of directors. They are often realistic about euthanizing dogs who aren’t good adoption prospects – although not always. They tend to use scarce resources wisely, and make thoughtful and difficult decisions about how to help the most number of dogs with those limited resources.

Non-breed-affiliated rescues and mixed-breed rescues can run the gamut from 501(c)3 legitimate nonprofit rescues to private adoption agencies to hoarders that pass as rescues.

Measuring Your Local Dog Shelter Up to Size

Within each category, there are outstanding shelters and horrible ones. Quality of animal care doesn’t depend on a big budget – the basics of feeding animals, cleaning the cages and kennels, and keeping a shelter grounds uncluttered and tidy are within the budget of any legitimate shelter. Do you know how the shelter(s) in your community measure up? Here’s how to find out:

• Identify the type of organization. This information will help you understand how and why they do what they do, and how to best interact with them.

• Go to its website. Many shelters these days have a comprehensive Internet presence, and you can find a lot about an organization – or at least what it says about itself, by visiting its site.

• Visit each shelter. Keep your eyes, nose, and ears wide open. Do you see dirt, clutter, and lots of hazardous conditions, or are the facilities clean, reasonably odor-free, and well-maintained? Deferred maintenance could be a function of budgetary shortfalls but cleaning should not be short-changed.

• Watch customer service interactions. Are the staff members polite and helpful, even in emotionally charged situations and with overwrought clients? Or are they abrupt, rude, and disrespectful? Courtesy costs nothing, and there’s no excuse for rude shelter staff.

• Observe the animals in the kennels. Do they seem reasonably well-adjusted in the admittedly stressful environment of any shelter, even the best ones? Do they enjoy environmental enrichment, such as having beds in kennels, stuffed Kongs, toys, outside play areas, and opportunities to go for walks? Or do you see barrier aggression, obsessive/compulsive spinning, depression, and self-mutilation?

• Evaluate the population density. Are there one or two dogs per kennel, or 15? Do puppies and kittens have appropriate playmates? Do kennel-mates get along well, or are some intimidated by others?

• Find out what services they offer, then utilize their services. Walk through their adoption process. (Heck, you could even adopt a shelter dog!) Call for help with a stray dog, an animal in distress, or a neighborhood animal dispute.

• Become a volunteer. You’ll learn more about the behind-the-scenes operation of the shelter if you’re part of the scene. If you can’t handle being in the shelter frequently, volunteer in some other area, such as public relations, fundraising, education, or putting on special events. Suspend judgment for at least the first six months. If you come in like gangbusters, telling everyone how to improve, you’ll lose trust and credibility. Walk many miles in their shoes first.

• Ride along with an officer. Spending time with an officer in the field is a major eye-opener, guaranteed to give you a whole new perspective on the challenges of the animal protection profession.

• Watch the news and search the archives. Does your shelter regularly appear in the media or in your local newspaper’s letters to the editor? Are the stories and letters positive or negative? Go back in recent history (five to 10 years) to see what issues and challenges the shelter has faced in the not-too distant past, and how well they handled them.

You Can Make a Difference

When you’ve completed your investigation, you have several options. You can focus on the best shelter in your area and give it your support. Make an appointment to meet with the top administrator (executive director, not board president or city administrator) or her designee, and discuss your findings. Be positive! Start by praising all the great things you found out about the shelter. Then express your understanding and empathy for the difficult challenges almost every shelter faces: funding shortages, staff turnover, community conflicts . . . and ask how you can help. Then do.

As you gain the respect and trust of shelter staff and administrators, you can truly be effective in making the good shelter even better. Be sure to express your support with your checkbook as well, or even in your will.

Another option is to turn your attentions to one or more of the less well-run shelters and do the same. If they’re open to your interest and desire to help, work with them. If they’re not receptive to your advances, move up the organizational ladder until you find someone who is, and work from there. You can help draw community attention to the problems in a positive way, and aid in finding solutions.

If your advances are met with stone walls and silence, you may need to take stronger action, particularly if animals are suffering as a result. Document your concerns by writing letters – and keep copies for your own files. Perhaps more stridency with the powers-that-be can shake something loose. If necessary, promise to go to the media – and then do – and gather community support to pressure for change. If the shelter is a municipal shelter, remember that your elected officials are ultimately responsible for seeing that the right thing gets done – and you are a voter.

If you discover a hoarder posing as a rescuer, insist on enforcement action. Your research should have already informed you as to which agency in your community does cruelty investigations. Go to the head of the investigations department and present any evidence you have regarding the situation. Know that you may be called upon to testify in court if the agency isn’t able to resolve the situation more gently.

Don’t be swayed by the tears or protests of the hoarder/rescuer who professes to “love” her animals. They all say that. And she probably does love them. That doesn’t change the fact that animals suffer and die under her loving care – or lack thereof.

If the agency is reluctant to diligently pursue an investigation, climb the ladder to the top of the organization and the media, if necessary. The animals are counting on those who care, and who are brave enough and strong enough to take action.

What’s Wrong With No-Kill Animal Shelters?

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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1

Imagine a world where no dog is ever euthanized for being homeless. Where there are more homes than dogs, and lists of potential adopters are maintained at every possible dog-adoption-source, with families and individuals anxiously awaiting the next available canine. Where every dog is treasured, and the thought of “rehoming” one of these wonderful, valuable creatures is totally preposterous. Wouldn’t we all be delighted to see that?

That’s a lovely vision. But today, in the United States, it is just that – a vision. Despite the growing ranks of shelters that claim to be “no-kill” and the proponents who claim that it’s possible to turn every shelter into a “no-kill” facility, in reality, we are far from being a “no-kill nation.” The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimates that 3 to 4 million homeless dogs and cats are euthanized at animal shelters in this country every year. Thirty years ago, that number was 17 to 18 million. Taken in perspective, that looks like a huge improvement, and indeed it is – but 3 to 4 million per year is still a lot of dead dogs and cats. So, if more and more shelters are adopting “no-kill” policies, where are all these deaths coming from?

“No-Kill” Does NOT Mean “No Death Row” for Difficult Dogs

Given the number of euthanized animals, it’s clear that “no-kill” is a misnomer. The animal protection profession has generally accepted the definition of “no-kill” as “no euthanasia of animals who are adoptable, or who will be adoptable after medical or behavioral treatment or rehabilitation.”

This means that even shelters that call themselves “no-kill” may, in fact, euthanize animals that they deem to be unadoptable. One “no-kill” shelter may decide that a dog with mild resource-guarding can’t be rehabilitated because it doesn’t have staff to work with dogs who need behavior modification, or because its organization regards all aggression-related behaviors as legally risky. Another “no-kill” shelter may have an entire department of behavior experts who work with the shelter dogs, and commit significant resources to behavior modification. At the first shelter the dog dies. At the second, he lives. But they’re both “no-kill” by industry definition.

The same is true with physical ailments. One shelter may be able to isolate and treat a dog with upper respiratory infection, or one with a broken leg, while another might euthanize that same dog due to lack of resources, or different priorities for finite resources. Both call themselves “no-kill.”

Some limited admission shelters disingenuously call themselves “no-kill” by hiding behind the industry definition, even though their supporters probably don’t understand the distinction. Some also claim the “no-kill” designation because when an animal must be euthanized they don’t do it themselves – they send it to a full-service shelter.

In my opinion, even legitimate, well-run limited admission shelters that rarely euthanize should avoid describing themselves as “no-kill.” The best ones are frank with their supporters about what they do, why, and how. These shelters honestly admit that try as they might, there are times when their humane choice is to euthanize an animal that’s not thriving under their care. Or they at least acknowledge their debt to the other shelters in the community that do take on the responsibility for caring for – and euthanizing -the animals that they can’t or won’t.

Not Enough Resources to Go Around

Here is one serious problem with the recent popularity of the “no-kill shelter” appellation: Competition for donor dollars for animal protection can be fierce, and the appeal of the “no-kill” designation – whether it’s accurate or misleading- tends to attract more support from the limited donor pool. Full-service shelters are just as needy, if not more so, than no-kill shelters, and for many, it’s a huge struggle to convince their donors not to jump ship for organizations with a happier-sounding mission. And few donors are aware that their donations to “no-kill” facilities may actually help fewer animals than contributions to full-service shelters.

Full-Service Shelter

Perhaps the most tragic result of a poorly conceived no-kill policy, however, is that many “no-kill” facilities quickly become overwhelmed with unwanted animals, who, too often, are then subjected to overcrowded, sub-par living conditions for indefinite (sometimes years-long) periods. Quality of life takes a distant back seat for dogs in an overcrowded facility, and many dogs who are housed for life in a kennel suffer severe psychological distress resulting in depression, aggression, and/or obsessive/compulsive behaviors. Refusal to euthanize these dogs not only results in their mental and/or physical suffering, but also severely restricts the number of additional healthy, adoptable dogs these facilities could help.

Dedicated animal protection professionals made significant progress in their efforts to reduce euthanasia numbers well before the “no-kill” movement became widely popular a decade ago. Unfortunately, despite all of those efforts, as well as those of the “no-kill” proponents, euthanasia numbers have remained static in the past 10 years. (And, sadly, there has been a quantum rise in the investigation and prosecution of animal hoarders who have represented themselves as legitimate rescue groups. In many cases, they were the recipients of dogs from “low-kill” and “no-kill” shelters.)

Usually when something seems too good to be true, it is. Such is the case with the as-yet empty promise of “no-kill.” I do believe that someday, all animals who have potential to be adopted will find lifelong loving homes. That day hasn’t arrived, but I think it will. The achievement will require the continued hard work of dedicated and realistic animal protection professionals who continue public education, spay/neuter campaigns, and science-based animal behavior and training programs. It will take many more years. But yes, the day will come.

Download The Full January 2009 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
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Good Times

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

Our 12th year! Wow! Where does the time go? If it wasn’t for the fact of making my son pose for photos for articles from time to time, I might not believe Whole Dog Journal is so old. But Eli was five when he first posed (with our darling old Rupert) for an article about the benefits of using reusable hand-sized heating pads for massaging muscle-sore or arthritic dogs. And he’s about to turn 17 – too old to model for our upcoming article about teaching young children how to positively train the family dog. (I did make him go with me to one of our new dog Otto’s training classes a few months ago, and took pictures of them together in class. He’s a hair under six feet –too tall to fit in the frame with the dog!)

Dog Training and Dog Care

140

It’s been 12 years of progress in the dog world, though. The foods we review have gotten better, and the top-quality varieties have gotten far more numerous. Just look at how many types of healthy foods you can now buy for your dog! I’d probably eat any one of the products included in our review of wet foods (“Yes, We Can!”) that appears on page 4 – they are that good.

But I won’t eat them, and our newsish dog Otto won’t either. With this issue done, they go straight to our local animal shelter, which makes the absolute best use of every donation, no matter how large or small. Since we moved to this town and I first donated dog food (left over from a review), I’ve been such a fan of the facility (the Northwest SPCA) and its supporters, starting with its executive director, Rainy Green. She works daily miracles to improve the facility, add to her staff’s education, and do everything she can do for the shelter’s wards – all on a tiny budget in one of this state’s poorest counties.

And she finds the best people to help her! I recently photographed an employee of the shelter, Humane Officer James Harrison, for Pat Miller’s article about shelters in this issue (page 18). As I set up the camera, Jimmy told me about the two times he’s been bitten by a dog in the 12 years he’s worked for the NW SPCA. His first bite came in his first year of employment, but he still honors that dog’s memory – he used those words – as the animal who taught him to move slowly and gently and take his time with fearful animals. His second bite came in the midst of saving a Malamute who was hanging by a back leg that was wound in wire from the top of an eight-foot fence. He showed me the scar and said, “It was worth it! I saved his life, and saved his leg, too.”

Dog Training and Dog Care

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I hope Whole Dog Journal can bring you another 12 years of great ideas and products for your dog from great people.

Whole Dog Journal’s Picks for Dog Gear of The Year

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

Tick-removal tools are in constant use in our homes, because we spend a lot of time with our dogs in the woods. We like the simplicity of this little spoon-shaped tool. We also like that it can remove tiny ticks (like the one seen in the photo) as well as the large, disgusting ones that escaped early detection.
Ticked Off
Ticked Off, Inc.
Dover, NH
(800) 642-2485
tickedoff.com

Ticked Off

175

What’s the big deal? It’s a Kong; we’ve promoted Kongs forever! Ah! But this new Kong contains a squeaker! And it’s much more difficult to get out and “kill” than your average squeak-filled toy, which means many more hours of chewing enjoyment for your dog.
Kong Squeaker
Kong Company
Golden, CO
(303) 216-2626
kongcompany.com

Kong Squeazer

165

At last! An accurate, thorough health book by a vet who promotes the best of conventional veterinary medicine and is aware of its shortfalls, too. Dr. Nancy Kay, a veterinarian who practices in Sonoma County, California, explains the basics of responsible healthcare and what dog owners should know. But she also illustrates how owners must manage their vet/client relationship, and be assertive advocates for their dogs, for the best possible results. In her chapter on “Finding Dr. Wonderful,” the list of “deal breakers” (including “The vet vaccinates dogs for everything, every year.”) is worth the price of the book.
Speaking for Spot
By Dr. Nancy Kay. Available in bookstores and from DogWise,
(800) 776-2665; dogwise.com

Speaking for Spot

150

This fetch toy is simplicity itself, which is probably why Otto likes it so much. Except for its garish color, it looks like a stick, throws like a stick, and floats on water like a stick. But it’s made of pure rubber (yay! no phthalates!), so it won’t break your dog’s teeth or clonk him on the head when he makes an exuberant but clumsy catch. Its maker, RuffDawg, includes the very responsible warning that The Stick is not a chew toy, and should be taken away from the dog at the end of a fetch session, as it shouldn’t be chewed or ingested.
The Stick
RuffDawg
Worcester, MA
(800) 772-3726
ruffdawg.com

The Stick

138

Premier’s Spill-Less Smart Bowl isn’t spill-proof, like one of our past “Gear of the Year” choices. But this product doesn’t need to be wrestled apart – it’s just one piece. That makes it much easier to keep clean. It’s perfect for dogs who usually flick water out of their bowls when they drink; its innovative rim redirects water (or food!) back into the bowl.
Spill-Less Smart Bowl
Premier Pet Products, LLC
Midlothian, VA
(800) 933-4702
premierpet.com

Whole Dog Journal’s 2009 Canned Dog Food Review

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

We like canned food for dogs. It’s more expensive than dry, but good varieties of canned food are arguably healthier than comparable dry foods, due to the higher inclusion of animal proteins and the higher moisture levels. Both of these things are closer to the dog’s evolutionary diet than dry diets that contain a lot of grain. Some dog owners stopped buying wet dog food following the spring 2007 recalls of foods that contained melamine and/or cyanuric acid. Given the fear and lack of information in the early days of the recall, this made sense. Now, however, we know more about the factors that led to the recalls, and we feel more certain than ever that wet foods offer health benefits to many dogs – and that our recommendations for choosing wet dog foods can help owners identify the safest, healthiest products available.

Benefits

Wet foods offer your dog a few advantages over kibble:

• At levels of 70 to 80 percent moisture, canned foods are beneficial to dogs with kidney ailments.

• All that moisture can help a dog who is on a diet feel full faster – as long as you choose low-fat products. (Most wet foods are higher in fat than their kibbled counterparts.) High-moisture foods are also much healthier for dogs with kidney problems.

Whole Dog Journal's 2009 Canned Dog Food Review

288

• Preservatives are not added to canned or “pouched” foods. Their oxygen-free packaging helps them retain their nutrient value longer – two years or more. Artificial colors and chemical palatants are also rarely used in wet foods.

• High-quality wet foods contain far more animal protein (the dog’s evolutionary diet staple) than dry foods (which contain a high proportion of grains and other non-meat ingredients). More of the amino acids required by dogs are naturally supplied by animal proteins than plant-sourced proteins.

• Many dogs digest high-quality wet foods with fewer problems (such as gas, vomiting, and diarrhea) than dry foods.

• Wet foods with a high meat content are generally highly palatable, which helps when feeding thin, sick, or picky dogs.

Whole Dog Journal’s selection criteria
How do we determine whether a wet food is a high-quality product? First, we look at the label. Not the front! Not the pictures, colors, cute names, or pretty logos! We look at the ingredients list for the following:

• We look for foods with whole meat, fish, or poultry as the first ingredient. This means that by weight, there is more of this ingredient than anything else in the food. Wet foods are generally around 78 percent to 82 percent moisture.

There are some good wet foods with water (or broth) first on the list, but since fresh meat is so high in moisture, most top-notch foods list an animal protein (fresh meat) first on the list, and water or broth (required for processing) in the second or third position. The point is to look for products that contain as much meat as possible. There has been a resurgence of popularity of wet foods that contain nothing but meat, water, and a vitamin/mineral supplement; many of these are labelled with a “95% meat” claim. And yes, they are complete, balanced diets. (Remember; dogs have no dietary requirement for carbohydrates!)

• If grains or vegetables are used, we look for the use of whole grains and vegetables, rather than processed fragments. This means we prefer foods that contain “rice” rather than “rice flour, rice bran, brewer’s rice,” etc. Also, if grains are used in a wet product, we sure don’t want to see a lot of them! Even a product with an animal protein first on its ingredients list may contain more grain than meat if it has several grains or grain “fragments” on the label, too.

• We reject foods containing fat or protein not identified by species. “Animal fat” and “meat proteins” are euphemisms for low-quality, low-priced mixed ingredients of uncertain origin.

• We reject any food containing meat by-products or poultry by-products. There is a wide variation in the quality and type of by-products that are available to pet food producers. And there is no way for the average dog owner (or anyone else) to find out, beyond a shadow of a doubt, whether the by-products used are carefully handled, chilled, and used fresh within a day or two of slaughter (as some companies have told us), or the cheapest, lowest-quality material found on the market.

There is some, but much less variation in the quality of whole-meat products; they are too expensive to be handled carelessly.

• We eliminate any food containing sugar or other sweetener. Again, a food that contains quality meats shouldn’t need additional palatants to entice dogs.

• We eliminate foods containing artificial colors, flavors, or added preservatives. Fortunately, these are rare in wet foods!

Other ingredients
Some ominous-sounding chemicals in a dog food turn out to be a source of a particular vitamin or mineral. Generally, all the vitamins and minerals on a good label are grouped together at the end of the ingredients list.

Wet foods sometimes contain some sort of thickener or binder. Various types of “gum” (such as guar gum, from the seed of the guar plant, and carrageenan gum, from seaweed) are common thickeners. Whole grains, potatoes, and sweet potatoes also can be used to thicken wet food. Sometimes a carb fragment serves a dual role as a thickener or binder and a low-cost source of protein; think wheat gluten. Ahem.

What about products that contain a long, long list of vegetables and herbs and nutraceuticals? They make a food sound so appealing! Just keep in mind that the more of all this stuff there is in a food, the less room there is for meat – the main reason to feed a wet food, and the main thing your dog will find delicious.

Other criteria
In 2007, we required pet food companies to disclose to us their manufacturers, for publication, in order to have their qualifying dry dog food products appear on our “top foods” lists. This is the first time we’ve asked them to disclose the makers of their wet foods – which was asking a lot, in the aftermath of the wet food recalls of spring 2007.

The last time we asked for this information, a few companies whose products had been on our “top foods” lists for years took exception. Only one was openly hostile! A couple had reasonable explanations for why they made it a policy to not disclose this information. (We discuss these in “Why We Want Disclosure; Why Some Won’t Disclose,” on the next page.) A few others simply did not respond to our requests for information. We suspect that some simply didn’t care enough to be included in our reviews to bother responding.

If you don’t see one of your favorite wet dog foods on our current list of “top wet foods”, don’t assume anything. Look for their toll-free number on the label of your dog’s food; is it there? Or not? Call them up. Did a human answer – or at least call you back within a day? If you reach a human, ask him or her a few questions about the company’s manufacturers, its ingredients, and its quality control program. This interaction (or lack thereof) will tell you a lot about the company’s commitment to quality.

Our list of “top foods”
The attcched PDF entitled “WDJ’s top wet foods of 2009” is our official list for 2009. These are all products that have met our selection criteria and answered our query about their manufacturers. There are certainly more products that both meet our criteria, as described above, and whose makers are willing to answer questions about their manufacturers. Rest assured that any food that you find that meets our selection criteria is just as good as any of the foods on our list.

What if it doesn’t meet our selection criteria? It’s up to you. If you have been feeding it to your dog, and she looks and feels like a million bucks, we’d be the last ones to tell you to switch. If she has allergies, chronic diarrhea, recurrent ear infections, or a poor coat, we’d recommend that you check out something from our list. An improvement in the quality of his food could (and probably will) work wonders.

We’ve listed the foods alphabetically, by the name of their manufacturer. If you are looking for California Natural or Evo, then, you have to look under Natura Pet Products, their maker. Some companies (like Natura) make several lines of food. We’ve listed each line and each variety that we found that meets our selection criteria. We’ve also highlighted one variety from each company as a representative product, to show what sort of ingredients and macro-nutrient levels (protein, fat, fiber, and moisture) are typically found in that maker’s foods. Be aware that some companies offer dozens of different products with varying nutrient levels and ingredients. Check the company’s website or call its toll-free phone number to get information about its other varieties.

Some companies also offer foods that are not “complete and balanced,” but are intended for “supplemental or intermittent use” only. We’ve listed some of these products, too, but only for use as described – not as a sole source of your dog’s food.

Rather than try to list all the ingredients in each food we highlight, we’ve listed the first six ingredients. Why six? No specific reason, other than that six ingredients gets you through the major contributors to the food, and gives you a good idea of what it mostly consists.

Remember, quality comes with a price. These foods may be expensive and can be difficult to find, depending on your location. Contact the company and ask about purchasing options. Some companies sell directly to consumers, or recommend mail-order outlets that will ship products.

Using the selection criteria we have outlined above, go analyze the food you are currently feeding your dog. If it doesn’t measure up, we encourage you to choose a new food based on quality, as well as what works best for you and your dog in terms of types of ingredients, levels of protein and fat, local availability, and price.

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