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Can older dogs and younger dogs live happily together? Will a puppy bounding around (and possibly on) the arthritic body of an older dog encourage her to be more active, bringing energy and vitality during senior years? Or will the perfectly normal antics of a young dog aggravate and stress what should be a time of happy retirement for a senior dog?
If you’ve lived with an older dog, you’ve probably heard someone at some point recommend getting a puppy or younger dog. The advice may be something like, “It will keep your older dog young,” or “The new puppy can learn from your older dog.”
While you will likely find some truth in both statements, the opposite may also hold true. Your older dog could be stressed or exhausted by a younger dog. Your young dog will certainly learn from your older dog, but the lessons may not be those you would like to be passed from one generation to the next.
Many owners hope that their senior dogs’ good manners will rub off on a new young dog, and sometimes this happens. But be forewarned that some senior dogs want nothing to do with a youngster.
While every multi-dog household has its challenges and most have tremendous joys, adding a very young dog to a household made up of one or more senior dogs can bring about a special set of challenges. However, if you find yourself living with an older dog and younger dog (or like me, actively choose to do so in spite of knowing the challenges) you can take steps to ensure the experience is the best for both young and old.
How Old is an Old Dog? What Counts as Young?
Because age is relative to breed, size, and overall health and condition, for the purpose of this article, I’ll define “older” as any dog that has settled into “retirement.” This is not a function of numeric age, but rather defined by the dog’s place in his or her life cycle.
An older dog may occasionally still enjoy a game of ball or a few minutes of romping with another dog, but for the most part he or she really prefers quiet and comfortable companionship. An older dog is more likely to sleep a little longer, move a little slower, and tire a little sooner. He or she may have changing senses – be less able to hear, see, and smell – or may live with the constant pain of arthritis. An older dog may have a chronic or hidden illness or be in the last stages of life. An older dog may be a “senior” dog or a “geriatric” dog.
A “young” dog can be a puppy or an adolescent. As with older dogs, adolescence is relative and adolescent behavior may be evident from six months to three or more years of age. Just as it is appropriate for an older dog to be in retirement mode, it is imperative for a young dog to explore the world with gusto. Young dogs (and especially adolescent dogs) need to come to terms with who they are and their role in their world. It is a time for experimenting with behavior, and, like human adolescents, testing limits.
Why Does Age Matter in Dog Packs?
Younger dogs and older dogs often have dramatically differing needs. Older dogs need quiet and comfort; young dogs need activity, excitement, and challenge. Keep in mind that these needs can create conflict in your home!
For example, puppies can be a bother to an older dog who is tired, ill, or would rather just sleep in a spot of sun. They are not very good at remembering manners (“Oh, gee, that’s right. You did tell me not to pounce on your head or bite your ears two minutes ago . . . but I forgot!”). They can be relentless in their need for attention and play (“Come on, don’t you want to play? How about now? What if I prance with this toy? How about if I nibble on your toes? Not yet? What about now?”).
While an adult dog with plenty of energy and good social skills may enjoy a puppy’s antics and be comfortable setting limits when needed, a senior or geriatric dog may be more easily exhausted or may even be intimidated as the pup grows into a strapping young adolescent.
The most serious problems I’ve seen when mixing older and younger dogs occur when puppies become adolescents, and these problems can be amplified if the older dog has health issues. While a puppy may be an innocent pest, willing to back off when asked, an adolescent dog has a greater tendency to push limits. Adolescent play styles are often rough: bouncing, bashing, and slamming bodies. Many explore the world as if they are made of steel (and expect the rest of the world to be made of steel, too). While this is perfectly normal, even appropriate, for the adolescent and young adult dog, the impact on our senior companions can be seriously annoying or even downright dangerous.
A senior or geriatric dog may also be gruffer than a pup deserves. An older dog who does not feel well, for example, may be less tolerant of normal puppy behavior.
In addition, an older dog with compromised hearing and vision may have a harder time responding appropriately to the body language of the young dog. A dog whose movement is limited or who may be in pain may not communicate as effectively. The result can be inconsistent signals or what appears to be more abrupt communication, which can cause confusion in the relationship between the two dogs. While these types of scenarios are not a given, they are not uncommon. And, the result of these conflicts can vary dramatically. At best, the older dog will set limits, and the younger dog will respect them. At worse, one of the dogs will be injured (or even killed) in a serious conflict.
Most often, of course, the impact is subtler and somewhere in between. An older dog who is disturbed by puppy or adolescent antics may remove himself from the family in an attempt to avoid the chaos. The younger dog may learn that his rough behavior is fun, and learn to pester or bully other dogs.
Action Plan
In a household of dogs with dramatically differing needs, accepting that all is not equal is the key. And remember, meeting the needs of your individual dogs can provide all of you with great pleasure. You can enjoy hanging out quietly (perhaps reading your favorite dog magazine) with your older dog. You can enjoy active romps with your youngster. By providing for differing needs, you will get to spend special time with each dog and special time with them together. In addition, you will help prevent problems before they creep up.
Before you get a young dog, think hard about your old dog’s ability to cope, physically and emotionally, with a puppy. Provide your older dog with a quiet and comfortable “puppy-free” zone, without sequestering him away from the family altogether. Provide your young dog with lots of exercise and individual training sessions. Liberally reinforce all your dogs for calm, friendly behavior around each other.
Prevention First
Prevention is a powerful tool. It means understanding the realities of life with dogs of differing ages, and taking the steps to insure all dogs are happy and relaxed. Prevention is partially about managing the environment, and partially about proactively managing behavior. Each situation is different, and some dogs require more help via management, and many will need less.
• Provide separate spaces. When you are home, make sure all dogs have a space to which they can retreat in peace. It may be a crate or a bed. Help your young dog learn that when the older dog goes to his place, the youngster needs to find something else to do. When you see your senior dog head for his bed, use that as a cue to give the pup a nice bone or food-stuffed Kong and put him in a crate for a while.
When you are away from home, you will likely want to separate the dogs for safety. While many of us use crates, exercise pens, and baby gates with puppies, you may need to continue using them as your young dog becomes an adolescent and as your older dog moves from retirement into geriatric care. Just as it is not wise to leave a very young puppy unsupervised with an adult dog, it is not appropriate to leave a very old and vulnerable dog alone with younger dogs.
• Manage exciting times. You may also want to separate your young and old dogs during high arousal times, especially while the younger dog is learning manners. For example, in our household, getting ready to go out and returning home are very exciting times – as well as critical times for managing a jumping, bouncing puppy around the equally excited, but less agile old girls.
We now put one or all of the dogs in kennels or separate spaces during high arousal times, and this has dramatically reduced conflict and the risk of accidental bumps and bangs. Our youngest dog enthusiastically runs to her kennel – and is visibly relieved to be out of the path of the grumpy old ladies when we come home or get ready to go out.
• Consider feeding the dogs separately, too. Your older dog may be slowing down in eating. Dental problems are common in older dogs. In addition, when you are talking about vast differences in ages and abilities, it is best not to set up competition for resources. Consider separating the dogs when giving high value chews, stuffed Kongs, and bones, too.
• Support the needs of both young and old! Make sure all dogs have individual attention from you. Your younger dog may enjoy heading out for a long hike or off to training class with you, while the older dog may enjoy a ride in the car or a walk to the neighborhood park.
When your older dog is napping, encourage your young dog to take a break, too. Make sure she’s comfortable, and has a nice fresh bone or food-stuffed Kong to keep her happy – but use a crate or X-pen to enforce the rest period.
Support your young dog needs:
• Plenty of exercise. Remember the exercise needs of a young dog are greater than those of an older dog.
• Appropriate playmates. Make sure your younger dog has social interactions with dogs closer to her age – other dogs who will appreciate her normal exuberance. This can also help wear her out so she is not as likely to bother the senior citizen.
• Rowdy time at home. Younger dogs really do need to blow off steam at certain times. Direct rowdy behavior into activities that do not stress the older dog.
• One-on-one playtime with you! This will help your young dog learn that his or her play needs can be met by someone other than the old dog.
Support your older dog needs:
• Plenty of time to rest and sleep. My older dogs need to sleep much of the day. A puppy’s normal short bursts of sleep and activity can easily disturb an older dog’s much needed rest.
• A stable routine. Routine is an essential element in stress reduction, and a lower stress lifestyle can support your senior citizen’s health as he or she grows older.
• Time for favorite activities. It’s easy for the older dog to take a back seat to the loud and clear needs of a puppy. In addition, a young dog can often do the things you used to enjoy with the older dog and they need the activity. This makes it especially easy to shortchange the needs of a less-demanding older dog. Consider that your older dog needs your attention as much as the young one.
Positive Bonding Times
One of the best ways to insure the happiness of all dogs in a multi-dog household is to make sure they have positive bonding times. For young dogs of a similar age, that may come via rowdy play. For adult dogs, bonding time may take the form of exploring the environment on off-leash outings. Some dogs enjoy snuggling, other find pleasure in a good game of tug.
Having a younger companion just may invigorate your canine senior citizen, and help inspire him to renewed interest in exercise and a higher level of fitness. Just keep an eye on the old-timer, to enforce a rest period if he’s overdoing it.
With a very young dog and an older dog, these natural bonding opportunities may not be as evident. Rambunctious play may not be safe for your senior citizen, and the young dog may not yet be trustworthy in the world for off-leash exploration. But you can provide positive bonding opportunities, even for those dogs with disparate needs.
Non-competitive activities such as on-leash walks are one of the easiest ways for dogs to bond. Sniffing and exploring the world together can bring the dogs closer. Keeping them on-leash can help all remain comfortable and safe.
Sleeping in the same room (with you, ideally) is another way for all to bond. It’s okay for one or more dogs to be crated, if needed. Group training sessions can be great fun for all of the dogs and is a fun and productive way to facilitate bonding. Try practicing calm greetings and doorway manners (especially important skills for older and younger dog groups). In addition, teaching a “stop” during play can be extremely helpful, and a solid group sit and wait are a must for every multi-dog household. Even if your older dog already knows these behaviors, he or she will likely benefit from the training time as it will provide fun with you as well as with the pup.
Keep Everyone Safe
A big concern in a multi-dog household, and especially one with very young and very old dogs, is the question of when to intervene, and when to let the dogs negotiate on their own.
One of the most common situations I’ve seen is when an older dog does not tell a younger dog to mind his manners. The older dog may simply be passive, or may have been scolded by a well-meaning person for being too gruff with the puppy. (It is hard, after all, to watch an older dog growl or correct a puppy for simply wanting to play.) While it is important to monitor interactions, an adult dog giving an appropriate correction for rude puppy behavior is an essential way for the pup to learn to be respectful to other dogs. A puppy that is allowed to push around an older dog, even in play, can easily learn to bully others.
Instead of stopping an older dog from setting appropriate limits, support your older dog by looking for the earliest communications or signs of annoyance. Help your puppy understand that when limits are set, it is time to move away. Redirect your puppy to toys, playing with you, or some quiet time in a crate.
But if your older dog is simply intolerant or grows increasingly grumpy with the youngster over time, you may need to support both dogs by providing separation. Remember that your older dog may not be physically or mentally up for the challenges of a youngster. Support your older dog’s retirement by making sure he or she has the space to be quiet and calm.
And, for the sake of safety, with very old and young dogs, you may want to limit high arousal play (or supervise it closely). High arousal activities can lead to out-of-control behavior in young dogs (high speed zooming around the house or yard, for example!). This is too often a time when a young dog can “blow it” by simply playing too rough or knocking an older dog off of his feet.
Competitive activities such as ball play where they are both chasing and competing for the same ball is another time when conflict can easily develop between two otherwise comfortable companions. If your older dog can no longer play rough, make sure the younger dog has other dogs to roughhouse with instead. As health changes . . .
Both of our two senior dogs were still active, strong, and able to engage with seven-month-old Chance when we first brought her home. While both older dogs were experiencing some health issues, they were still vibrant in spite of their 13 years. Our senior cattle dog-mix, Jesse, played like a puppy with young Chance for the first several months. Blue, never one to enjoy a pup, set about teaching Chance to be respectful of her elders.
Within a few short months, though, the older dogs’ health problems really flared up. As their health declined, their relationships with our young dog changed. All had to learn new, gentler ways to interact. With an older dog, health changes are inevitable. And the relationships between dogs will change as health dictates.
When an older dog becomes ill, the management factor in the household is very likely to change. A successful coping strategy can be to simply cordon off the household. A good friend with two younger dogs and a very ill senior dog told me that she kept the younger dogs separate from the older dog in all but the quietest times of day. This was simply to keep the older dog safe and to allow the younger dogs the freedom to play and be active.
Putting Aside Guilt
For me, perhaps the hardest part of having two geriatric dogs with serious illnesses and one energetic adolescent dog is the guilt that comes from doing activities with one dog and not the others.
It’s hard to kennel a young dog so an old dog can sleep at your feet in peace. It’s equally difficult to leave an older or ill dog at home while you train and play with your younger friend. But by putting guilt aside and managing the environment, all dogs can enjoy life to the fullest, in safety and comfort.
Watching our older dogs become revitalized by the energy of the young dog was certainly a joy to see. Watching Chance seem to develop compassion as the older dogs have become frail has shown us a side of her we might otherwise not have witnessed. Very old and very young dogs living together are certainly a challenge, and not one I would lightly recommend. But like any challenge, when met head on, the rewards can be dramatic.
Mardi Richmond, MA, CPDT, is a writer and trainer living in Santa Cruz, California.
In the February 2008 article on dry dog foods, we incorrectly reported the manufacturer of Burns Pet Health’s dry foods. These products are manufactured by CJ Foods in Kansas.
Due to an editing error, in the March 2008 article on grain-free dog foods, we incorrectly reported the ash content of Taplow Feeds’ FirstMate Potato and Chicken with Blueberries food. The correct ash content is 7 percent.
We apologize for any inconvenience we have caused through these errors.
Regarding the article about canine anorexia (“Tales of the Lost Appetite,” March 2008): As an RN and 50-plus-year dog owner, I appreciated it very much. However I did notice a mention of one cause of anorexia that almost took the life of my Boston Terrier: grief.
I had two dogs at the time, the other being a 10-year-old Pug who suddenly became critically ill with a lethal brain tumor. We had gotten both dogs at the ages of eight weeks and they were very, very close. When the Pug did not come home from the veterinarian and her crate was put away, the Boston totally stopped eating and became very lethargic (she had always inhaled her food and was extremely active prior to this.) We were frightened that we were going to lose her too, and made numerous calls and visits to our vet to investigate.
To make a long, terrifying story short, we never found a physical cause for her inappetence; it was grief. I spent several weeks tempting her with various treats, human food, and finally baby food mixed with her dog food. I also took her to a local pet supply store for a change of scene. She picked out – on her own – a small latex ball slightly larger than a golf ball, proudly carried it out to the car by herself, and it became forever known as “Happy Ball.” That was what started her back on the road to health! Well, that and much loving care and snuggling from her human family.
It did take several months to get her totally back to “normal.” She lived many years after this but always had to have “Happy Ball” out to play with daily.
Just as we humans can suffer grief after the loss of a loved one, so can our canine buddies.
Barb Roehl Green Bay, WI
When I got my subscription today, I couldn’t WAIT to read “Tales of the Lost Appetite.” You see, I’m owned by a German Shepherd Dog with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), who wouldn’t eat, but does now.
My girl’s saga started when she was diagnosed with EPI about the same time we had to put down our other dog, a 14-year-old. Our girl completely stopped eating for weeks and barely ate for about a year. Her always-lean body went into an emaciated state for that year. I didn’t know whether it was the pancreatic enzymes we needed to add to her food for her survival, or whether it was that she missed a valued member of her pack. I tried everything mentioned in the article, but nothing worked. It was the most stressful year of my life.
We ended up adopting another German Shepherd Dog from a shelter and I think the woman must have thought I was nuts when I was mostly concerned with how this dog ate. Was she enthusiastic about food? Did she eat everything on her plate?
Providing another canine companion is what ultimately worked for us. My formerly anorexic girl is now a good healthy weight, although we need to take a few pounds off the rescue who really, really loves food – and who cannot believe we actually cook food for dogs!
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I’m glad this topic was addressed in Whole Dog Journal as most folks laughed at me when I told them my dog wouldn’t eat. They said she was just picky. I had actually put a filet of beef in her dish and she walked away from it. Thankfully, we don’t have that problem anymore! Please, let it stay that way!
Donna via e-mail
Just to add to the credits of Sue Ann Lesser, DVM, who was mentioned in “Chiropractors for Canines,” March 2008. My dog Baby was experiencing seizures on a regular basis beginning in April 2002. We tried acupuncture for a long time, until someone told me about Dr. Lesser. Baby had a seizure three days after her first adjustment – but that was Baby’s last seizure.
Baby now sees Dr. Lesser monthly. As far as I am concerned, chiropractic and Dr. Lesser saved my dog’s life. She is located in South Huntington, New York, and can be reached at (631) 423-9223 or AR18AR180@msn.com.
After resisting years of intense lobbying for a family dog by her two daughters, one of my friends recently brought home a rescue dog. Within the first two days, I fielded at least five requests for information from my friend, her husband, and her older daughter. The family had done a lot of research and preparation for the dogs arrival, but there is nothing like the nonstop, real-time activity of a new dog in your home to make you realize that there are many things you dont know about dog care and training.
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Most of the inquiries I received concerned behavior that I would consider fairly typical for a rehomed adult dog with an unknown background stuff like urine-marking in the house, jumping up on the couch, barking at every person who walks in the door, etc. But on the third day following the dogs adoption, I got a question that surprised me at least, once I understood what was going on.What should we do if he runs away from us? my friend asked. I started explaining how the family should keep the new dog on a leash or long-line (to prevent the dog from practicing the unwanted behavior of avoidance) and offer treats and praise every time the dog comes to them (to reinforce that coming to the family members is a good thing). No! my friend interrupted. Hes run away; we cant find him!
Yikes! Okay, I thought, I had better get more information before answering these questions. Alright, dont panic, I told my friend. Is your number or the rescue groups number on his ID tag?He doesnt have any tags on, my friend replied. We just got him a new collar and we dont have a new tag yet.After dispensing as much useful advice as I could (call all your neighbors, send all available volunteers out to look for him ASAP, put up signs, call animal control, etc.), I hung up the phone and sat in my office for a while, stewing. Days before, when my friend had called to tell me they were bringing home a rescue dog, why hadnt I told her to put an ID tag (with current phone numbers) on the dog and to make sure it was on 24/7? I guess because it would never occur to me not to!
In the past three months, Ive picked up four lost dogs. I found two of them, a month apart, in a far backwoods setting. Both wore collars; neither had ID. I took both to my local shelter. Very recently, I found two four-month-old German Shepherds running lost in a Bay Area city. Both wore collars; one had a tag, which turned out to be from the breeder of the puppies. Fortunately, this number led to the puppies owner, who had been meaning to buy tags but hadnt gotten around to it.
I know that three of these five dogs got home. My friend found her familys new dog and got a tag for him that day. The GSD puppies got new tags, too; I had them made on one of those great machines at a chain pet supply store and delivered them to the owner an hour after I brought her puppies home. I dont know the fate of the two backwoods dogs, but I pray their owners found them in the shelter.
This little terror – er, terrier – is friendly withhumans, but is not necessarily nice with other dogs. Likemany small dogs, she has an oversized confidence in her ability to run the show. Take NOTHING for granted about your new dog's social skills!
You’ve adopted a new adult dog into your family. Congratulations! As you search for information to help you help your new furry family member adjust to this difficult transition in his life (change is hard!), you may discover that there are lots of resources for new puppy owners, but for new adult-dog owners, not so much. Where do you begin?
We’ve compiled a list of suggestions to help make life with your new dog easier for all concerned. His first few weeks with you set the tone for your lifelong relationship. If you follow these time-tested protocols, you’re more likely to experience smooth sailing – or at least smoother sailing – with your recycled Rover, who may arrive at your door with some baggage from his prior life experiences. We hope you’ve made wise plans and decisions before your new canine pal sets paws through your door for the first time. But even if he’s already camped out on your sofa, it’s not too late to play catch-up with many of the suggestions that follow.
Adopting an adult dog can be incredibly rewarding – and challenging at first, while you are getting to know each other. Your new dog may have had little training or exposure to the world, so don’t expect a lot right away and stay positive!
First impressions Your relationship with your new dog starts forming the moment you first meet. As much as you may want to hug him to pieces, let him set the tone.
Canine social norms are significantly different from primate ones. The things we do naturally – approaching head-on, making direct eye contact, reaching out and hugging, patting on the head – can be very intimidating and off-putting to dogs. Canines are more likely to approach in a curving path, avert their eyes, and sniff flanks before deciding to offer and accept more intimate body contact.
If you want to gain your dog’s trust early in the relationship, let him set the tone for greeting and restrain yourself until you see if he prefers calm greetings or wildly enthusiastic ones. Suggested resource: The Other End of the Leash, by Patricia McConnell. (See page 24 for purchasing information for additional resources.)
I read you Even after your initial introduction, you can learn a lot about who your dog is by watching his body language.
Does he stand tall and forward in posture, taking everything in stride? If so, he’s likely an assertive, confident dog.
Does his tail wag gently at half-mast and his expression stay soft regardless of what – or who – is going on around him? Then he’s an easy-going, friendly kind of guy.
Does he tend to hang back, looking a little worried, letting someone else take the lead? He’s more timid, lacking in confidence.
Knowing who he is helps you know what to expect from him, and lets you take necessary steps to prevent him from being overwhelmed (or overwhelming others) in new situations. Suggested resource: The Language of Dogs, a DVD by Sarah Kalnajs.
A lost dog’s ticket home Proper identification is a must for all dogs, and especially for a new dog in your home, who isn’t familiar with the neighborhood and may take off for parts unknown if he manages to escape. Many shelters and rescue groups provide an ID tag of some kind when they hand over the leash to you. Be sure it’s on your dog’s collar from the moment you take possession of him, not in a folder with all his other paperwork.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a bejeweled, engraved tag or a temporary plastic one that you write on with a permanent marker, but every dog needs to wear an ID tag, 24/7, for at least the first few weeks. Put one on your new dog before you even take him home!
In addition to a tag with your current address, two telephone numbers, and his name, your new dog should proudly display a current rabies tag and/or license (required by law in most parts of the country). We also urge you to give him some form of permanent identification such as a tattoo and/or microchip.
Collars and tags can be lost or deliberately removed; permanent identification is a little harder to separate from the dog. Suggested resource: “What a Good ID,” Whole Dog Journal October 2001.
See Spot run Some dogs attach themselves to their new humans almost immediately. I knew on Day Two of Missy’s life as a member of the Miller family that it was safe to allow the eight-year-old Australian Shepherd off-leash on our farm. She had glued herself to me tenaciously; I couldn’t have lost her if I’d tried. However, most dogs take a little – or a lot – longer than that to be trusted with supervised unfenced freedom, especially if you live on a busy road.
Until you’re confident your new dog will come flying when you call even in the face of temptations such as bounding deer, fleeing squirrels, or speeding skateboards, use leashes and solid physical fences to keep the new love of your life close at hand. It could be just a few days to off-leash freedom if he already has a good understanding of coming when called or bonds quickly. It may take a lot longer if he’s never been trained to come, or worse, if he’s poorly socialized and fearful or has learned to run away as part of a delightful game of “Catch me if you can!”
If you’re trusting a solid fence to keep him contained, be sure to check it for holes and weak spots before turning him loose. When you first put him in the yard, watch discreetly from a distance to see if he tries to jump out, dig under, chew through, or otherwise test for weak spots in the fence – or barks nonstop when he’s alone. Don’t let him know you’re watching; he may inhibit his escape attempts until he thinks you’re gone. Note: I do not recommended leaving your dog home alone in a fenced yard; there’s too much that can go wrong without you there to rescue him. Suggested resource: The Really Reliable Recall, a DVD by Leslie Nelson.
Assume nothing To be on the safe side, assume your new dog has little knowledge or understanding of the mysterious rules of human society. He may or may not be housetrained. He may or may not understand that perfectly good, edible food left in a receptacle (waste can) on the floor of the food-preparation room (kitchen) is not intended for canine consumption. Or that the fresh water in a gleaming white porcelain bowl (toilet) in the little room off the hall (bathroom) is not for drinking. He might not know that stuffed squares of fabric on the sofa (pillows) are for leaning on, not dog toys for chewing, and you may need to teach him that animal skins in your closet (shoes and belts) have a very different purpose than animal skins made into rawhide chews.
Regardless of your new canine companion’s age, treat him like a puppy at first: provide good supervision and management in a dog-proofed home with frequent trips outside to appropriate potty spots until it’s obvious that he understands the quirks and complexities of living with humans. Suggested resource: New Puppy, Now What? by Victoria Schade.
Pawternity leave It really helps ease the transition for your dog if you can take a few days off work when you first bring him home. Plan ahead and schedule vacation days or personal time off. This will give you time to supervise his activities and find out how much house freedom he can handle, without risking serious damage to your personal possessions. It will also help prevent triggering isolation distress or separation anxiety, giving him a chance to gradually become accustomed to being left alone during a very stressful time in his life.
Dogs who are rehomed multiple times may be more prone to distress over being left alone, as anxiety-related behaviors can be triggered by stress.
During your days off, determine if your dog is comfortable being crated, then leave him alone (crated or not, depending on his response to the crate) for gradually increasing periods over a three-to five-day program, so it’s not a big shock to him when you do go back to work and leave him alone for the day. Make arrangements for mid-day visits, either on your lunch hour or from a professional pet-sitter, until you know he can handle a full day alone at home. Suggested resource: I’ll Be Home Soon, by Patricia McConnell.
House rules Everyone in the family must agree on house rules ahead of time, and the rules take effect as soon as the dog arrives. Inconsistency is the bane of dog training and management. Dogs do best when their worlds are predictable. If you allow your new dog on the sofa the first week, then Mom yells at him for getting on the sofa when his paws were muddy, and the next day Susie invites him back up to watch television beside her, his world is unpredictable. Unpredictability causes stress, and stress causes behavior problems. I suggest everyone in the family sit down – before the dog comes home – and agree on important questions like:
It’s irresponsible to just turn your new dog loose with your cat or other small pets. Their first interactions should be carefully orchestrated, with your dog on leash and with at least one other family member or friend available to help if things go south!
Is the dog allowed on the furniture? All furniture, or just some? If just some, which pieces?
Who will feed the dog? When, where, and what?
Who will walk/exercise the dog? When and where?
Who’s doing supervision and potty-training duty?
Where will the dog sleep?
Who’s the primary trainer (everyone should participate in training) and what methods and cues will everyone use?
Which other behaviors are going to be reinforced and which ones are not?
When everyone is in agreement, write down the house rules, make copies, and post them in prominent places throughout the house, for easy referral when questions arise.
Remember that training, too, begins the instant your dog walks in the door for the very first time. Every moment you are with your dog, one of you is training the other. It usually works best if you’re training your dog more often than he’s training you. Behaviors that are rewarded in some way will persist and increase. When you give your dog attention, a treat, offer a toy, or engage in a game that he likes, you’re reinforcing/training him to do whatever behavior just preceded that “good thing.”
In addition to your more formal good manners training, which should start within a couple of weeks of his introduction to the family, be sure that the entire family makes “good stuff” happen when your new dog performs desirable behaviors. Conversely, unwanted behaviors make good stuff go away. When he sits to greet you he earns your attention; if he jumps up to greet, turn your attention elsewhere. Suggested resource: The Power of Positive Dog Training, by Pat Miller.
Hello, kitty Since lots (dare I say the majority?) of animal lovers share their homes with more than one pet, there’s a good chance your new dog will need to get along with other furred, feathered, or finned siblings. Proper introductions will help ensure that those relationships are healthy ones, and that the rest of your nonhuman family members are as happy with your new pal as you are.
Dog-dog introductions are best conducted on safely fenced neutral territory (outdoors is better than indoors), with at least one other set of human hands to manage the other dog. If the dogs indicate a healthy interest in each other from a distance (on-leash) bring the dogs closer. If they continue to appear relaxed and cheerful when they are within 10 feet of each other, drop leashes, and let them greet. Leave the leashes on so you can separate the dogs easily if necessary, but don’t hold the leashes, so you don’t unintentionally create tension in the greeting process.
If at any point you see behavior that makes you think the introduction will be anything but amicable, seek the assistance of a knowledgeable, positive behavior professional to help with the process.
Because dogs are predators and a lot of other companion animals are potential prey (from the dog’s perspective), introductions to other species should be handled with extra care. Always have your new dog on-leash when allowing him to meet new animals, with a good supply of tasty treats on hand. When he notices a cat walk into the room, the fish in an aquarium, a bird chirping in the corner, or goats in a field, feed him bits of yummy treats so he learns to look to you for good stuff in the presence of other animals. If he decides that other animals make good stuff fall from your fingers, he’ll be happier about sharing his home with them.
If he shows any inclination to be predatory toward his nonhuman housemates – chasing or snapping at them – you will need to use scrupulous management to prevent tragedy when you’re not directly supervising, until you convince him that the other animals are more valuable to him as predictors of treats than as prey.
Until you’re completely confident that he won’t hurt them, your dog will need to be safely enclosed in his crate or his own room when you’re not there to observe. If you’re home but not directly supervising, you can use a leash or tether as an additional management option. Suggested resource: “Cats and Dogs, Living Together,” Whole Dog Journal June 2007.
The social scene An unfortunate number of adult dogs missed out on important socialization lessons. Until you’ve had the chance to observe your dog’s reactions in the presence of a wide variety of stimuli, err on the side of caution and assume that he’s not as well socialized as he could be. Otherwise you could be in for a nasty surprise when you discover that he’s never been exposed to people of other races, tall men with beards, babies in strollers, hikers wearing backpacks, or helmet-wearing bikers. Until you know him well, always have your new dog leashed whenever you’re in an environment where he could encounter something new and strange to him.
If you discover that he has an adverse reaction to novel stimuli, you need to embark on a behavior modification program using counter-conditioning and desensitization to help change his association with new stuff from “Oh no, SCARY!” to “Yay, good stuff!” This process involves keeping him a safe distance from the scary thing, where he’s alert and a little alarmed but not barking, lunging, or otherwise freaking out. The instant he notices “scary thing,” start feeding him a high-value treat (such as tiny bits of chicken), non-stop, until the scary thing leaves.
Keep repeating this until your dog is happy to see “scary thing” at that distance because he realizes that “scary thing” makes chicken fall from the sky. Now move a little closer and repeat the process, until ¡°scary thing¡± right up close still evokes a happy response.
It’s especially important to watch your new dog with children. A fair number of dogs who are otherwise well socialized don’t do well with children, and need either excellent management or extensive behavior modification to make them safe around kids. If your dog is extremely unsocialized or reactive to novel stimuli in general and children in particular, you may need help from a qualified positive behavior professional. Suggested resources: The Cautious Canine, by Patricia McConnell and Help for Your Fearful Dog, by Nicole Wilde.
A little help from your friends Chances are good that your dog-care professionals will become some of your best friends over the course of your dog’s lifetime. This will include your veterinarian, pet-sitter, groomer, and trainer/behavior consultant. Take the time to find professionals that you like and trust. Make a list of these dog-care providers before you need them – ones who are willing to communicate freely with you; and who share your philosophies of animal care, training, handling, and management. Interview them before you agree to entrust your dog to their care.
A veterinarian should be willing to sit down with you and talk about their perspective on vaccinations and other routine procedures, even if you have to pay for an appointment slot to do so. A trainer should welcome your request to watch one or more of her classes in action. If they’re not willing to be interviewed or observed, they’re not good enough for you and your dog.
Remember that you are your dog’s protector. Don’t ever let anyone talk you into doing anything to your dog – or letting them do anything to him – that you’re not comfortable with. Trust your instincts. Be willing to step forward and rescue your dog from the hands of an animal care professional who would do him harm in the name of training or management. Suggested resources: See “Resources,” page 24 for a list of organizations for training and health professionals.
So there you have it. The list may seem daunting, but it’s intended to prevent you from being overwhelmed by the actual arrival of your new canine family member. Prepare well, help your dog adjust to the overwhelming changes to his world, and get ready to enjoy the rest of your lives together.
Picture a flower with such intense orange or yellow petals that it brightens moods and gardens both. Give it significant healing properties for internal and external application, then add a zesty flavor that makes it a culinary herb as well.
Calendula officinalis (pronounced cal-EN-du-la) fits all of these descriptions and more. No wonder it was named 2008 Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association. This cheerful plant belongs in your garden and in your herbal medicine kit for the benefit of every member of your family – especially your dog.
Vermont herbalist Rosemary Gladstar treasures calendula. “I love how beautiful it is,” she says, “with its golden head rising forth in the garden, a bit of sun on earth. In early winter, this brave little bright light is often the last flower to bloom in my gardens. I’ve often seen it rising out of a fresh dusting of winter snow. I also love it, of course, because of its medicinal power. Calendula tea or tincture is my favorite herbal treatment for lymph system support, and used externally it is an awesome healing aid for every type of skin condition.”
Calendula, whose common names include pot marigold, marigold, garden marigold, and Mary bud, is entirely different from the more familiar bitter-tasting French or African marigold, Tagates spp, which has ruffled blossoms. Calendula is a member of the composite or daisy family, and its long, slender petals have a mildly astringent flavor and fragrance. Its Latin name is derived from calends, the first day of the Roman month, because it was thought to bloom at every new moon.
Calendula is prized by herbalists for its versatile benefits. Triterpene saponins, flavonoids, carotinoids, and volatile oils give it anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antilipid effects. Its virus-fighting properties have been proven in tests on vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a family of viruses that affect horses, cattle, and pigs, and the herb is of interest to AIDS researchers because extracts made from dried calendula have potent anti-HIV activity.
Some human clinical studies support the use of calendula in the early treatment of stomach ulcers, and it is valued as an ingredient in preparations that, when applied externally, reduce pain in post-mastectomy lymphedema. Calendula teas and extracts make effective mouthwashes that help treat and prevent gum disease, and the tea can be used as an eyewash.
Calendula is most popular, however, as a wound healer and skin-repair herb. It speeds the healing of cuts, burns, and abrasions by promoting the formation of granulation tissue while preventing bacterial growth. Calendula tea is a highly effective wound wash or rinse, and petals strained from freshly brewed tea make an effective poultice or wound dressing.
How to Grow Calendula
Native to Europe, calendula is a short (12 to 18 inches tall) annual that, once established, enthusiastically self-seeds and reappears year after year. To grow your own, purchase seeds and plant them directly in the garden, or start them indoors for transplanting after the last frost. Depending on your climate, calendula may thrive in spring and early summer, or it may prefer to be planted in late summer or early fall. For medicinal use, look for traditional Calendula officinalis rather than modern hybrids.
Calendula does best in full sun and any moderately fertile, well-drained garden soil. To avoid crowding, thin the seedlings to between 4 and 6 inches apart.
To extend calendula’s blooming season, pinch or cut the flower heads before they develop seed pods.
Harvest blossoms at their peak on sunny days after the dew has dried. The stems exude a sap that will stick to your fingers as you toss flowers into your basket, colander, or collection bag. Use fresh calendula flowers whole or strip the petals from flower heads to brew tea, make tincture, or add to your dog’s food or your own favorite dishes.
To dry calendula blossoms, place them on a mesh rack, wire rack lined with cheesecloth, or cookie sheets. Spread flower heads so they don’t touch each other and leave them in a warm, dry, shady location with lively air circulation. An electric fan set on low can speed drying if needed. For faster drying, strip off the petals and discard the flower heads.
If damp or cool conditions prevent rapid air drying, cookie sheets holding calendula blossoms can be placed in an oven warmed by a pilot light or oven light, or the oven can be set to a “keep warm” temperature. Another way to dry the blossoms is to use a food dehydrator or set your drying rack next to a dehumidifier.
Before storing dried calendula flowers in tightly sealed containers, be sure they pass the “snap” test. The flowers should be so dry that when folded they snap and break rather than bend. Residual moisture causes mold growth, so be sure the flowers are dry, dry, dry. Store calendula in closed containers away from heat, light, and humidity.
How the Experts Use Calendula
Juliette de Bairacli Levy, founder of the Natural Rearing movement and the author of several books about herbal animal care (see “A History of Holistic Dog Care,” Whole Dog Journal July 2006), considers calendula an important tonic and heart medicine. “Goats and sheep seek it out,” she writes in her Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable. “The flowers possess important restorative powers over the arteries and veins, and thus are much fed by the Arabs to their racing horses. The flowers are fed also to make miserable and fretting animals cheerful.”
Her list of uses for calendula include the treatment of vomiting, internal ulcers, fevers, all ailments of the arteries and veins, heart disease, and all skin conditions, including eczema and warts.
She recommends adding calendula flowers to food, brewing a strong tea for external application, making a lotion by boiling finely cut flowers and leaves in milk, making a therapeutic cream by adding minced flowers to cream or unsalted butter, and making a vinegar tincture for removing the pain and swelling of bee and wasp stings.
New Jersey herbalist Cathy Lauer’s favorite use for calendula is in a mixture she calls Best Bath Ever. “That’s a mighty name,” she says, “but for me it feels just like that. I combine equal parts dried calendula, chamomile, and lavender flowers and let them steep in just-boiled water for 15 minutes before straining. The proportions are a handful or so to a quart of water. For your dog’s final rinse after bathing or as a between-bath refresher, add a quart of this tea to a gallon of water. As you pour it over the dog’s coat, work it in with your fingers or a comb. Blot with a towel before blow-drying, or, if your dog has a short coat, let it air dry. All three of these herbs are soothing to the skin, calming, relaxing, and cleansing. I credit calendula for giving the water an extra-soft feel.”
Carol Lizotte at Green Gems Herbals in Fremont, New Hampshire, is another calendula fan. “I am an herbalist to animals,” she says. “I love calendula for my canine companions and include it in lots of formulas. I make a healing salve by infusing calendula in olive oil with other herbs and essential oils for dogs and people. I consider calendula one of the most gentle and valuable lymphatic herbs we have, and certainly the best skin herb I have found.”
Buddy, a nine-year-old Beagle/Shetland Sheep Dog-mix, had fatty cysts on his hindquarters, chest, and neck. He also had an underactive thyroid and a slight cough. Lizotte combined calendula with other herbs in a tea that was added to his food. “There was a decrease in cyst sizes within one month,” she says. “All is still well with Buddy, and he continues to improve.”
When Vegas, a four-year-old French Brittany, tangled with a woodchuck last year, the woodchuck won. “The wound was so deep it exposed the muscle beside Vegas’s neck,” says the dog’s owner, Long Island, New York, herbalist Randy Parr. “I applied a calendula-comfrey ointment, and in two days the muscle was covered with new skin. In two weeks, all the hair had grown back. Vegas loved the taste of the ointment so much that he grabbed the plastic jar when I wasn’t around, popped the lid off by biting the sides, and ate the whole thing! I’m embarrassed to admit that Vegas did this twice – but he suffered no ill effects. I’ve learned my lesson and keep it on a higher shelf. “
Rosemary Gladstar uses calendula for animals in two ways. “One is my all-time favorite skin salve made with calendula, comfrey, and St. John’s wort,” she says. “It’s so versatile, you can use it for anything – cuts, burns, sores, cracked paw pads, scrapes, abrasions, and scratches. The other use is as a wash for wounds and infections, including hot spots and allergic rashes.
“I’ve sometimes found that certain infections, especially those that are allergy related, seem to get further irritated with the use of a salve or other oil-based remedy. The oil seems to hold in the ‘heat.’ When this is the case, I brew a quart of calendula tea and let the herbs steep for half an hour or 45 minutes. I don’t strain the calendula but just apply the ‘mash’ over the infected area. If it’s where the dog will lick the wound, no problem. Calendula is totally edible and will aid the dog internally. Other herbs such as comfrey, nettle, chickweed, and a small amount of organically cultivated goldenseal can be added as well, but calendula is so healing that it usually works fine on its own.
“Hot spots and other allergic reactions are sometimes irritated by the dog’s constant biting, picking, scratching, and licking,” she continues. “My beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog, Deva, had many allergies when she was young. Until I found out what she was allergic to and got her on a raw-food diet, she would get terrible hot spots.
“Whenever that happened, I would brew calendula and comfrey tea and blend everything into a mash in the blender. Then I would thicken this brew with comfrey powder until it was quite gooey. I would smooth the paste thickly over the irritated area and when it dried, it formed a hard crust that she couldn’t lick off. The calendula-comfrey paste not only healed the area but also prevented her from scratching and irritating it further. Generally after a few days the paste would cake off and underneath would be freshly healed skin.”
Calendula Aromatherapy for Dogs
Because calendula does not produce an essential oil when distilled, only its hydrosol (flower water) is made by steam distillation. Calendula hydrosol is available from some aromatherapy supply companies and, like calendula tea, it is used as a mouthwash, skin rinse, and soothing spray. It can also be added to food and water using the same dosages given for strongly brewed tea.
Calendula essential oil is produced by a carbon dioxide extraction method in which liquid CO2 is used as a solvent in a closed chamber. When the chamber is opened, the CO2 evaporates, leaving no solvent residue in the essential oil. “The end result,” says aromatherapy supplier Marge Clark in Madison, Tennessee, “is an extract as close to the natural essence of the plant that anyone has achieved. Small amounts of CO2-extracted calendula essential oil, such as 1 to 2 percent of the total, can safely improve the effectiveness of skin care oils, creams, salves, and lotions.”
Calendula-infused oil makes a perfect aromatherapy base for essential oils that fight infection or relieve other symptoms. I Itch Not and Hot Spot, two AromaDog products developed by canine aromatherapist Faith Thanas, use such an oil base.
Calendula Homeopathy for Dogs
Look through the catalogs or websites of homeopathic supply companies and you’ll find dozens of products that contain calendula, everything from single remedies in various strengths to homeopathic calendula gels, creams, lotions, sprays, oils, and tinctures. These products are recommended for the relief of cuts, burns, skin irritations, bruises, wounds, itchy skin, and rashes.
One manufacturer quotes John Tyler Kent, MD, a leading homeopathic physician, as saying, “Calendula is all the dressing you will need for open wounds and lacerations.”
As explained in “How Homeopathy Works” (Whole Dog Journal, December 2007), homeopathic remedies are made by diluting and succussing (shaking or pounding) ingredients in a sequence of steps that is said to increase their potency and effectiveness.
“I love calendula gel,” says veterinary homeopath Stacey Hershman, DVM, of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. “I use it on minor, superficial scratches, rashes, and wounds. If a dog has red, itchy skin, I have the owners store calendula gel in the fridge so the gel can be put on cold, which soothes inflammation. I also use the gel in red, inflamed ears that are ulcerated and bleeding. I apply it after ear flushes.”
Make Your Own Calendula Remedies
Follow these simple guidelines to make your own canine-friendly calendula products.
Medicinal-Strength Calendula Tea
Pour 1 cup boiling water over 2 teaspoons dried or 2 tablespoons fresh calendula blossoms. Cover and let stand until lukewarm or room temperature, 30 to 45 minutes.
For a more concentrated tea, combine calendula with cold water in a covered pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Then remove from heat and let stand until cool.
Calendula tea can be stored for several days in the refrigerator.
Calendula-Infused Oil
Fill a glass jar with loosely packed fresh blossoms or petals. If using dried calendula, fill the jar half way to leave room for expansion. Cover the blossoms with olive oil, filling the jar to within 1 inch of the top. Seal tightly. You can leave the jar outside in direct sunlight for several weeks or even months before straining. Shake the contents once in a while to enhance the process. This method works best with fresh blossoms that have been allowed to wilt slightly to reduce their moisture content. Otherwise, excess moisture can create a sour smelling oil.
Alternatively, combine blossoms and olive oil in a crock pot or slow cooker set on low, or in the top half of a double boiler set over gently simmering water. After a few hours, the olive oil will take on a deep yellow or golden orange hue. The heat of these methods drives off moisture in fresh blossoms and prevents rancidity.
When the macerated oil is ready to use, strain it through cheesecloth or a dish towel or small towel, pressing the fabric to remove as much oil as possible. For convenience, decant into small glass jars or bottles. Tightly seal the caps or lids. Label the jars with contents and date, and store them away from heat and light.
Apply calendula-infused olive oil to cuts and other injuries. The macerated oil softens skin and speeds healing.
Medicinal Calendula Salve
Add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) shredded or chopped beeswax to 1 cup calendula-infused olive oil. Gently heat the mixture in the top half of a double boiler or melt in a small pan set in a larger pan of simmering water. If desired, add 10 to 20 drops of lavender, tea tree, or other disinfecting essential oils as a preservative. Pour into clean, sterilized jars, like glass baby food jars or plastic salve jars. Label and store away from heat and light.
Or, combine calendula-infused olive oil with equal parts olive oil infused with St. John’s wort blossoms and comfrey. Or, if desired, combine equal parts of fresh or dried calendula, St. John’s wort, and comfrey, cover with olive oil, and macerate as described above. Be sure to let fresh comfrey wilt first to reduce its moisture content. This is the basic recipe for Rosemary Gladstar’s favorite salve. Thicken with beeswax and, if desired, add several drops of essential oil before pouring the salve into jars for storage.
Apply calendula salve to any cut, scrape, bite, or other injury, and use calendula salve or oil to protect your dog’s paw pads from winter salt and ice.
Calendula Tincture (Liquid Extract)
Fill a jar of fresh or dried calendula blossoms with 80-proof vodka or other grain alcohol. Start with a jar loosely filled with fresh calendula blossoms or half-filled with dried calendula, leaving room for expansion. Seal the jar tightly and leave it in a warm location for six weeks or longer, shaking it every few days. Strain through filter paper or cheesecloth and store in small glass bottles away from heat and light.
For an effective non-alcohol tincture, cover the flowers with raw apple cider vinegar and follow the instructions above.
Apply calendula tincture full-strength to burns (it cools the injury quickly and speeds tissue repair) as well as to other wounds. To prepare a compress, dilute 1 part tincture in 3 parts water.
Too Busy to Make Your Own Calendula Remedies?
Several pet care products contain this special plant, including Calendula Skin Spray by Tasha’s Herbs. Tasha’s ingredients are distilled water, fresh calendula flowers, Echinacea angustifolia root, aloe vera gel, flower essences, vegetable glycerin, and grain alcohol.
Calendula is also a key ingredient in Pal Dog’s Freshen-Up Sprays, Soothing Spot Spray, and Soothing Balm.
Treating Your Dog with Calendula
Calendula has an exceptional safety record and is recommended for dogs of all ages. In their book All You Ever Wanted to Know about Herbs for Pets, Mary Wulff-Tilford and Gregory Tilford caution against feeding calendula to female dogs during early pregnancy, not because any dogs have been adversely affected but because in some studies calendula may have triggered miscarriages in pregnant rats.
The comprehensive reference book Veterinary Herbal Medicine by veterinarian Susan G. Wynn, DVM, and medical herbalist Barbara J. Fougere mentions only that the herb should not be used when allergy to plants of the Asteraceae or daisy family is known or suspected. Calendula has no known potential drug interactions.
Add Calendula Blossoms, Tea or Hydrosol to Dog Food
Some herbalists toss whole fresh or dried flower heads into the bowl while others break the flowers apart or, in the case of dried flowers, grind them to a powder. Calendula may improve digestion, treat colitis and other chronic digestive problems, and help prevent yeast or fungal infections.
As the Tilfords explain, while virtually no scientific data exist to validate the effectiveness of calendula in the treatment of fungal infections in dogs and other animals, “calendula’s safety and reputed effectiveness as a broad-spectrum antifungal agent make it an option worth trying.” For digestive problems, use it alone or combine calendula with fresh or dried chamomile, another important digestive herb. Add up to 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh flower petals per 20 pounds of body weight per day.
To help improve digestion, treat yeast or fungal infections, or stimulate lymph circulation, add strongly brewed calendula tea or hydrosol to food at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 30 pounds body weight twice daily. If also adding fresh or dried calendula to food, use 1 tablespoon tea per 30 pounds body weight once per day.
Cook with Calendula
If you ever feed your dog rice or make dog biscuits, calendula can provide both color and flavor. One of the plant’s nicknames is “poor man’s saffron.” Simply add a handful of coarsely chopped fresh or dried calendula petals before cooking or baking.
Improve your dog’s oral health with calendula. Calendula is recommended for gum disease and mouth irritations. Dampen your dog’s toothbrush with calendula tea, hydrosol, or diluted tincture, or wrap gauze around your finger, soak it, and massage your dog’s gums. You can also apply calendula tea, hydrosol, or diluted tincture by squirting it into the side of your dog’s mouth with an eyedropper or by using a small spray bottle. The more contact calendula has with your dog’s mouth, the better.
Rinse Wounds with Calendula
It’s an effective wash or rinse for cuts, bites, burns, abrasions, scratches, insect bites, stings, poison ivy, sunburn, and other injuries. Apply calendula tea, hydrosol, or diluted tincture to remove debris, cleanse the wound, and accelerate healing. All canine skin conditions, including hot spots, lick granulomas, open sores, and itchy yeast infections, can be sprayed or soaked with calendula, or they can be dabbed with a calendula-soaked cotton ball. Repeat often. To speed the healing of yeast or fungal infections, dry the treated area with a blow dryer set on low heat.
Note: Strongly brewed calendula tea may temporarily stain a white coat. Applied as a final rinse, it enhances red, yellow, and light brown coats.
Make an Eye Wash
Use for conjunctivitis or minor eye injuries by straining calendula tea through coffee filter paper or several layers of cheesecloth, and add a pinch of unrefined sea salt, such as ⅛ teaspoon salt per cup of tea. Spray the dog’s eyes for several seconds at a time and repeat this treatment several times per day.
Apply a Calendula Compress
New, slow-healing, or infected wounds should be compressed by saturating a wash cloth, gauze, cheesecloth, or absorbent cotton with calendula tea or diluted tincture. Hold on the affected area for five minutes. For burns, cuts, scrapes, and scratches, use cold tea (brew it extra strong, then add ice to chill it quickly) or hydrosol, or add calendula tincture to ice water. For abscesses, infected sores, or impacted anal sacs, use a comfortably hot tea, hydrosol, or diluted tincture. The hot application, which speeds relief, is called a fomentation. After five minutes, remove the compress or fomentation, re-soak the fabric or cotton, and reapply.
Make a Poultice
Mash fresh blossoms, or strain fresh or dried blossoms after tea brewing, and apply to any wound to speed healing. Hold the poultice in place by hand for several minutes or with a bandage for an hour or more, then replace the plant material. Repeat as needed.
CJ Puotinen is author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats, and other books. She lives in New York.
– Don’t buy vinyl toys for your dog, especially if you have a puppy or a breeding adult dog.
– Notice where you’ve got vinyl in your house, car, and elsewhere in your life so you can eliminate as much of it as you can, to reduce your dogs’, your kids’, and your own exposure to it.
– Vacuum your home and car regularly to remove some of the phthalate-laden dust.
– Organize or support efforts to establish laws that protect both children and pets from exposure to problematic phthalates.
A few years ago, I bought a special bed to help Caleb, my Bouvier des Flandres, live more comfortably with his arthritis. When filled with water, it was supposed to provide him with a cool and supportive cushion. It sounded great.
I looked forward to giving the bed to Caleb. But the moment I took it out of the box, it gave off a powerful odor. Even the cardboard box smelled of it. The odor was so intense that I had to back away from it.
Within minutes, the sharp, distinctive smell penetrated my entire house. I wondered whether the bed might be outgassing industrial chemicals, although I didn’t know at the time exactly what kind they might be. What I did know was that my sensitive nose couldn’t stand the smell – and if I couldn’t stand to inhale around the bed, I certainly wasn’t going to let Caleb snooze on it! So I whisked the bed outside to the front porch, hoping that passing breezes and ultraviolet rays from the sun would diffuse the source of the odor so that I could bring it back inside and give it to my guy. But it smelled as bad a week later as it had on Day One. Following my intuition that such a thing was not good for us, I took it back for a refund.
Turns out, it’s a good thing I trusted my instincts. The bed was made of vinyl – and the substances in vinyl that smell so awful are suspected of causing all sorts of health problems in animals and humans alike.
If Vinyl Isn’t Safe for Kids . . .
Over the past few years, public concern has increased about the safety of vinyl products, particularly in items made for kids. This concern has focused on the presence of certain additives used almost exclusively in vinyl. In response, nine major governments from around the world and many more municipalities have now banned or advised against the use of these additives in children’s toys, and sometimes also in childcare items. The state of California (2007), the European Union (EU, 2005), Japan (2003), Fiji (2000), Argentina (1999), and Mexico (1998) have passed laws enforcing such restrictions, and the Philippines recently introduced legislation in its Senate. Canada (1998) and Australia (1998) have asked for voluntary measures or issued health advisories about additives in vinyl, and Australia has just conducted a new investigation into the matter.
These governments have acted because they are convinced of the risk that additives will transfer out of vinyl products and release enough toxins to damage a child’s physical development. They believe this because recent studies have shown that the plasticizers used to soften vinyl interfere with the development of the very young and can do other damage, as well. The conclusions of these studies have been drawn from testing on animals. But even though tests based on animals have spawned legislation to protect human babies and children, it appears that animals themselves benefit from little, if any, similar protection. This discrepancy has grabbed my attention. It should also grab yours.
What is Vinyl?
“Vinyl” is the common name for polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. It’s a cheap plastic that’s used to make all kinds of stuff. In fact, it’s just about everywhere. You and your dog almost certainly have vinyl in your lives.
Chlorine constitutes one of vinyl’s primary chemical building blocks. It’s well known that under certain conditions chlorine produces some of the most dangerous pollutants humans have yet created: dioxins. Dioxins cause cancers, reproductive and developmental problems, and immune system damage in animals; they also spread around the environment and concentrate further as they work their way up the food chain.
Dioxins are by-products of several significant industrial processes, one being the manufacture of vinyl. And vinyl produces dioxins not only when it’s made, but also if it ends up being incinerated in a deliberate or accidental fire at the end of its useful life. Plus, vinyl is very dicey to recycle, since the chlorine it contains cannot be mixed with other plastics. The development of vinyl brought some deadly problems into the world.
Between manufacture and disposal, vinyl itself is pretty stable; toxicologists tend to agree that it’s probably safe for the user. But PVC, by itself, is too hard and brittle to do much with, so manufacturers infuse it with a number of additives that make it soft, flexible, and willing to take colorants. They may also add fragrances. According to Dr. David Santillo, senior scientist with the Greenpeace Research Laboratories based at the University of Exeter in the UK, “You can end up with a vinyl product of which only a small proportion is actually the polyvinyl chloride plastic.” And there’s the rub. While vinyl itself may be relatively safe during use, its additives are not.
Why is Vinyl Toxic?
Vinyl may contain a number of additives known to be highly toxic, among them lead, organotin, alkyl-phenols, and bisphenol-A, to name but a few. But those getting the most attention today are called “phthalates.” Phthalates (correctly pronounced with an “f” sound immediately before the hard “th” sound) is the common name for phthalate esters. These human-made chemicals, when introduced into vinyl, make it soft and cooperative. They do this very well in part because their molecules do not bond to PVC, but rather move freely through it. And because they move through it, they also move freely out of it and into the surrounding environment.
The phthalates used to plasticize PVC are what give it that familiar “vinyl” smell. If you can smell vinyl, then you – and your dog – are inhaling phthalates that are out-gassing. Over a product’s lifetime, vinyl phthalates will leach out completely into any skin, other living tissue, air, water, and earth with which it comes into contact. That’s why old vinyl becomes so dry and brittle. A good general guideline is, the stronger a vinyl product smells, the greater the amount of phthalates it contains. (Am I ever glad I returned that malodorous cooling bed that I bought for Caleb, in spite of its potential to be an otherwise great product.)
Of the many different kinds of phthalates, not all have been equally studied. Not all are used in vinyl. Not all may be equally dangerous, and some may not even be dangerous. But six types that are normally found in vinyl have been identified as culprits behind some serious health concerns. They are:
DINP (di-isononyl phthalate)
DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate)
DNOP (di-n-octyl phthalate)
DIDP (di-iso-decyl phthalate)
BBP (benzyl butyl phthalate)
DBP (dibutyl phthalate)
All six of these chemicals have been banned in the European Union for use in children’s toys and childcare products, and it’s to them that I normally refer when I mention “phthalates” in this article.
How Phthalates Interfere with Health
Phthalates can compromise the integrity of the body in a variety of ways. For example, they can cause measurable toxicity and biochemical changes in the kidneys and liver. However, the negative effect that garners the most press is reproductive problems. This may include lowered sperm count, abnormal sperm, and, at a more profound level, improper development of sex organs, especially in males, according to Dr. Santillo.
Further observations show correlations between phthalate exposure and undescended testicles in young children, inappropriate levels of certain hormones in the bodies of newborn babies, and a shortening of the distance between the anus and the genitalia. Such correlations in themselves, he adds, are not proof of cause and effect, but they ring the same alarm bells as those studies that do show cause and effect.
Phthalates initiate reproductive damage at what Dr. Santillo describes as “a very fundamental, cellular level.” They do this by interfering with the chemical communication between cells during certain critical stages of development. Babies in the womb can be affected if their mothers are exposed to phthalates. Newborns and very young children are also vulnerable and may be exposed through many sources, including breast milk.
Although phthalates pose other possible risks besides the ones mentioned above, their known effects illustrate that they can cause severe problems to health. I believe that we need to take these things into account as we choose which kinds of substances we choose to interact with – or select for our dogs. In fact, because of the ways they naturally interact with the physical world, our dogs may be at particular risk of absorbing phthalates.
Speeding Phthalates’ Release
Both puppies and human babies love to mouth things, especially when they’re teething. But, whereas babies eventually outgrow this tendency, most dogs keep joyfully chewing for the rest of their lives, putting them at an increased risk.
The problem arises because phthalates transfer easily from PVC into the surrounding environment. Although they don’t need specific conditions to cause this and will leach out of a vinyl object that’s sitting quietly all by itself, certain factors will speed up the process. The most effective one of all is what Dr. Santillo calls “mechanical pressure,” which means when something squeezes the object.
The following canine contributions put dogs at special risk of absorbing phthalates from vinyl:
Chewing (an outstanding example of repeated mechanical pressure)
Saliva (liquid)
Body heat (increased temperature)
Digestion (when pieces of vinyl get swallowed)
Inhalation of airborne chemicals
Skin contact (snoozing on or leaning against something)
All of these are a factor when a dog chews a vinyl toy. But some, such as warmth, inhalation, and skin contact are part of other scenarios too, such as when a dog sleeps on a vinyl bed. Taking these factors into account, the EU has banned the six major phthalates not only from kids’ toys, but also from many other products used by children. Governments are enacting protective legislation for humans; protections for animals are needed. “I see no reason why the same measure should not be immediately justifiable in order to protect those other members of our families, namely, our pets,” says Dr. Santillo.
As long as dogs (and other animals and kids on this continent) don’t have similar protective legislation, they depend upon us to decide what they’ll be exposed to. By learning more about how phthalates (not to mention other industrial chemicals) can affect our dogs, we can make better choices about what we buy for them.
Other Additives in Vinyl
Although phthalates may be the most worrisome additives found in vinyl today, others also pose serious health threats. When combined, they can be even worse. “When you’re using vinyl, you’re inevitably exposed to a very complex mix of chemicals,” explains Dr. Santillo. “Whereas predicting the effects of exposure to a single chemical is complicated to start with, looking at the effects of exposure to mixtures can be even more complicated.” The possible presence of these and other synthetic chemicals multiply the reasons to avoid vinyl.
Here’s some dope on a few vinyl additives:
Lead: Used as a softener. Damages the nervous system in humans and animals, causing cognitive and behavioral problems. No known “safe” level of exposure. This is more of an issue in older vinyl than in newer stuff, but lead has shown up recently in imported painted pet and children’s toys. (To be sure to avoid it, don’t buy painted toys for your dog unless you’re certain they’re lead-free.)
Organotins. Mono- and di-butyltins used extensively as stabilizers, for example, in vinyl flooring. Di-butyltin is toxic to the immune system in mammals. Some of this family of synthetic chemicals can disrupt the sexual development of marine animals. Not all organotins are used in PVC, but given the high toxicity of some chemicals in this category, scientists such as Dr. Santillo regard those used in vinyl as a concern.
Alkyl-phenols (nonyl and octyl). Used in the preparation of phthalates or in the extrusion process in drawing out flexible PVC. Well known for their ability to mimic estrogen hormones.
Bisphenol-A. Used as a stabilizing antioxidant in certain phthalate preparations; it stops phthalates from breaking down. A strongly estrogenic endocrine disruptor. Can add to “cocktail effects” by mixing with other vinyl additives. Linked to some forms of cancer.
The Danish Vinyl Study
Scientists believe phthalates to be dangerous for humans due to results of tests they’ve carried out primarily on rats and mice. However, they’ve seen similar outcomes in experiments on primates as well as in some observations of humans. These problems show up across a wide range of mammals. Although phthalates may have been tested on comparatively few canids, Danish researchers have recently spoken up on behalf of pet dogs (and cats), stating that they can suffer the same ill effects from these chemicals as can rodents, primates, and humans.
In 2006, the Danish Ministry of the Environment (MoE) published a report entitled (in the English translation) “Evaluation of the health risk to animals playing with phthalate-containing toys.” The researchers started with the results of a 2005 investigation into vinyl toys that had been marketed for dogs and cats in Denmark. The 2005 study had found that anywhere from 10 percent to 54 percent of the total content of tested toys consisted of DEHP or DINP. Both of these phthalates ranked among the six that the EU had already banned from toys and products that were marketed for human children. Based on these as well as other findings, the 2006 MoE project looked at the rate of phthalate transfer into, and its potential effects on, dogs and cats who played with toys that contained the chemicals.
The authors of the 2006 report also reviewed data from other studies. For example, when they compared data from tests carried out on rats with results of the few tests carried out on dogs, they found that DEHP and DINP cause similar reproductive and liver damage in both species.
From this they reasoned that findings about the dangers of phthalates, drawn from studies carried out on rats, should be seen as significant not only for humans but also for dogs and cats. They also took into account behavioral differences between dogs and cats and the different uses of various kinds of products.
For example, they noted that veterinarians have discovered that when swallowed, soft plastic toys often become hard and sharp during the short time they spend in the gastrointestinal tract. This indicates that the leaching-out of softeners accelerates while the plastic is inside the dog.
In the end, they resolved that the greatest danger lay with dogs playing with toys containing phthalates, since repeated mechanical pressure (chewing) and the presence of saliva speed up the phthalates’ release. (They were less concerned about cats’ oral exposure since cats tend to play more with their paws than with their mouths.)
The 2006 study presented five conclusions, which I summarize here:
1. Dogs who eat even small amounts of PVC toy per day can be exposed to toxic doses of DEHP, which can cause reproductive damage.
2. Phthalates migrate into dogs’ saliva at rates that can increase the toxic effects of the chemicals.
3. The exposure of pregnant or nursing bitches (for even a very short time) during their puppies’ critical development periods to toys containing DEHP can put the puppies’ reproductive health at risk.
4. Dogs who eat even small amounts of PVC toy per day may also be exposed to toxic doses of DINP, which can cause liver damage with sufficient ongoing exposure.
5. Toys may be a major source of phthalate exposre to dogs. Allowing that other sources (for example the environment, food and consumer products) also expose dogs to a variety of phthalates, combined and more significantly destructive phthalate actions could be expected.
The Danish study recommends that owners “reduce the potential health risk to their animals by limiting the animal’s use of toys that potentially contain phthalates especially during pregnancy and (when they are) pups.”
In other words, don’t give your dog vinyl toys to chew on, especially when pups are involved.
But while PVC toys may be the worst source of dogs’ exposure to phthalates, they’re not the only one.
How to Tell if It’s Vinyl
– Be like a dog and sniff all sot plastic pet and household products. If it smells like “vinyl,” it probably is.
– Check labels and packaging for content descriptions that say “vinyl” or “PVC.”
– Check the product (not its packaging) for a recycling symbol with #3 PVC (or #3 V). Products with no recycling information may still be vinyl.
– If a soft plastic product does not have that characteristic vinyl smell and lacks a recycling symbol or labelling, ask the retailer for more information. lf the retailer can’t tell you what the product is made of, ask the manufacturer. lf no one can or will tell you, look for a more clearly labelled alternative.
Other Vinyl Exposure Sources
Besides in chew toys, vinyl can show up in dogs’ collars, leashes, clothing, bedding, carriers, and dog tents (it can be in the mesh or used as waterproof undercoating) – in short, in just about anything. It also shows up in the human-made environment you share with your dog. Here are a just few examples to think about.
Vinyl linoleum flooring. Phthalates measure at much higher levels of intensity close to the floor, where pets and kids spend their time. They measure at reduced levels higher up, where most adult humans spend their time!
House dust. House dust has been found to contain substantial amounts of phthalates. Scientists now believe that it’s a very significant source of exposure to pets, who wash themselves by licking and taking internally what they clean off their fur.
Car dashboards. That “new car smell” comes at least partly from phthalates leaking from the dash or any other interior vinyl to penetrate the air inside the car. If your dog loves to ride along, think about how much time she spends in the car waiting for you, and what you might do to improve the situation.
Clothing, bedding, strollers, and camping equipment made for humans.Take, for example, the $800 I spent a few years ago on a respected name brand “technical” nylon tent with room for two adults plus Bouvier, so that we could spend summer nights together in national parks breathing in the fresh air and delectable scents of the wilderness. However, even after several years, the PVC undercoating used to waterproof the tent outgases a strong odor of phthalates and completely dominates our tent’s “indoor” air. Needless to say, this does not make us happy campers.
Vinyl in Your Dog’s Life and Safer Alternatives
After reading this article, it may surprise you to learn that products made with vinyl and intended for dog play or dog care are readily available in every pet supply store and catalog. Some are made and sold by high-profile, reputable companies. Whether the makers of these products don’t know, don‘t care to know, or don’t believe the studies about the dangers of vinyl and vinyl additives, it’s impossible to say.
In addition to the wealth of products openly labelled as “vinyl,” we found a number of products labelled with text that seems to acknowledge that someone, somewhere in the products’ manufacturing company, is aware that there may be problems with vinyl. We found toys and other products whose labels said “nontoxic vinyl.”
Don’t be fooled: the “nontoxic vinyl” statement reflects the politics of labelling, not the safety of vinyl products. The vinyl industry lobbies to keep consumers believing that vinyl is safe in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary. Vinyl releases toxins during manufacture and disposal, and it’s usually softened with phthalates, which are toxic. Therefore, based on information available today, vinyl cannot be non-toxic. (Dr. Santillo warns that phthalate alternatives may not be safe, either, and they haven’t yet been adequately researched.)
Some vinyl products are labelled “phthalate-free.” However, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group has found, in random testing, that many toys labelled “phthalate-free” do in fact contain phthalates. Its report, “Trouble in Toyland: 21st Annual Toy Safety Survey,” (2006) states, “Nothing in the law has changed to hold toy makers accountable to the ‘phthalate-free’ label.”
The safest alternative is simply to avoid vinyl.
Toys
In our opinion, the use of vinyl in dog toys is more dangerous than other applications. This is due to the number of mechanisms that come into play when a dog chews a toy that can contribute to the release of toxic substances from the vinyl into the dog (chewing, saliva, warmth, digestion, skin contact).
We contacted a few makers of vinyl toys to discuss their use or vinyl. Some would not respond; we appreciate those who did, such as Hyper Ploducts, of Wayzata, Minnesota, which sells a line of vinyl dog chew toys called Hardware Hound. These include a toy wrench, hammer, round file, and chisel, all of which give off a strong “vinyl” odor. The packaging says the products are made of “nontoxic vinyl.”
Ward Myers, president of Hyper Products, responded to our inquiry with the following: “Our currrent product line does not have PVC or phthalates in them. They are made from vinyl. We also test all of our products for lead and all products are safe.” When we pointed out that vinyl is PVC and almost certainly contains phthalates, Myers emailed us a document called “Why Vinyl is a Leading Material for the Toy Industry,” which praised the safety of vinyl and phthalates in children’s toys based on data drawn “as recently as 1997.” However, the shift toward evidence that phthalates are not safe has taken place since that date.
When we asked another pet products company, Hueter Toledo, Inc., of Bellevue, Ohio, about its vinyl dog toys (including one of our former favorites, the “Soft-Flex Clutch Ball”), Carey Stiles, company president, confirmed right away that some of its chew toys were vinyl, and acknowledged that phthalates are controversial. She also pointed out that they make another popular toy that is not vinyl; the “Best Ball.” That’s the one we’d buy for our dogs to play with!
Beds
Beds that are meant to be filled with water, such as the Cool Bed lIl, made by K & H Manufacturing and widely sold in pet supply stores and catalogs, are commonly made of vinyl. A profoundly better choice would be a completely nontoxic bed, such as the Boulder Zen Dog Bed made by DoggyArchy of Vail, Colorado. Owner Virginia Briggs of DoggyArchy told us that this bed is made in the U.S. of pesticide-free hemp and flax, and filled with kapok fibers. Awesome!
Raincoats
Raincoats for dogs are frequently made of vinyl, and often are clearly labelled as such, like the Puddles Dog Raincoat made by Fashion Pet, lnc. (Ethical Products). But you have to do some detective work to find the vinyl in other products, such as the Outward Hound Designer Rain Jacket, sold by The Kyjen Company. On its website. Kyjen describes this coat as an “alternative to the traditional vinyl rain slickers that have been on the market for years.” However, when we asked the company what made the coat waterproof, a representative responded, “The material is nylon with PVC backing.”
A better choice would be the Rain Slicker by Chilly Dogs. Company owner/product designer Julie Kelly said the nylon outer shell fabric is coated with polyurethane – no vinyl or phthalates. Another good alternative is the Waxed Cotton Dog Jacket by Barbour. The coat is made of 100 percent cotton, coated with wax, and contains no PVC. It’s made in England but sold by Orvis in the U.S.
More Safe Alternatives to Vinyl Products
The best way to avoid toxins from synthetic chemicals is to not buy synthetic products. But they’re hard to dodge these days, and even natural things my be treated with nasty stuff. Besides, you may feel that synthetics offer certain advantages. You don’t need to change everything at once, but as you are able to afford to and as you need to replace things, these tips can help keep your dog – and you – safer.
– When shopping for your dog, look for products made from materials that are natural or nearly so, such as toys made of felted wool or natural rubber, real bones to chew, organic cotton or hemp beds, and glass water bowls. Try to avoid synthetic additives such as fragrance or color.
– Replace vinyl-containing athletic shoes with shoes made of canvas or real leather. This is especially important in a household with dogs who chew shoes!
– Consider buying a waxed canvas raincoat for your dog. They are more difficult to find than vinyl coats, but are worth the effort. If you prefer a synthetic coat, choose one without vinyl. Although there are concerns about polyurethane and other chemicals that are used to make high-tech fabrics water-resistant, PVC is arguably worse.
– Nylon mesh is less toxic than PVC mesh used on dog tents, carriers, and crate or stroller covers. Watch out for PVC under-coating on these items as well.
– When you must replace a vinyl floor, choose natural, non-vinyl linoleum from “greener” flooring suppliers instead.
– Don’t berate yourself if you’ve bought vinyl products for your dog in the past. PVC has become part of our culture, and it will take time to change that.
If You Already Have Vinyl Products…
– Replace vinyl chew toys with non-vinyl toys. Don’t give the vinyl toys away, either; get them recycled if you can. DON’T bury them under any circumstances!
– Never let your dog chew on shoes that contain vinyl imitation leather (lots of gym shoes do these days).
– Replace vinyl dog boots with ones made from alternatives such as non-PVC-coated nylon with natural rubber soles.
– Reduce or improve your dog’s car time. Cover vinyl seats or the “shelf” under the back windshield (where small dogs like to perch), and wash covers often. Open windows enough to encourage air exchange. Find an outward—blowing fan for car windows. Don’t leave your car exposed to sunlight even on a mild day, since phthalates release faster in warmth.
– lf your dog carrier, stroller, or tent has a PVC mesh screen, replace the mesh with a nylon screen. Meantime, roll up the vinyl mesh if you can so your dog doesn’t have to breathe through it (or have its sharp odor interfere so much with more dog-important smells!)
– Store vinyl raincoats (your own and your dog’s), carriers, tennis shoes, etc., outside your home, if possible. Or at least be thoughtful about where you keep them.
– Vacuum your home and car regularly. If you can’t get to them often as you’d like, even doing one area at a time will improve things by removing some of the phthalate-laden dust.
– lf you’ve got vinyl floors, open your windows; use fans and air exchangers to move low air out. Don’t feed or give your dog treats directly on a vinyl floor. Encourage him to sleep on other floors; if he won’t, put down rugs and wash them often.
– Replace vinyl shower curtains and window blinds with non-vinyl ones when you can.
– Don’t use your dog’s vinyl raincoat if she doesn’t really mind getting wet. Replace it with a non-vinyl coat as soon as you can.
– Don’t sweat it too much! Vinyl is almost everywhere. Any reduction of its use in your home will help.
Don’t Panic, But Do Act
While we can’t expect, in the immediate future, to totally eliminate vinyl from our dogs’ lives, we can expose them to less of it by making thoughtful choices on their behalf.
Protecting the ones we love from the many kinds of human-created, disruptive chemicals that permeate the earth today can seem like an overwhelming challenge. But if you want a good place to start, choose vinyl as the number one plastic to avoid. Why? Because vinyl contributes such a large brew of toxins throughout its manufacture, use, and disposal. And because every person who cuts back on its use can make a real difference for their dogs, themselves, and the planet.
Susan Weinstein is a freelancer who writes about dogs, healthcare and humane issues. She also collaborates with long-time holis-tic practitioner Paul McCutcheon, DVM, on the subject of pet care and stress. Weinstein lives in Grafton, Ontario.
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After sharing my life with an eccentric Border Collie (is that a redundant phrase?), I was prepared for odd behavior from an Australian Shepherd belonging to a friend I hadnt seen for years. But as my friend and I chatted in her kitchen over coffee, catching up, I couldnt help but notice her Aussies strange behavior in front of her food bowl. The dog stood frozen over her bowl, nose poised just above the kibble inside. Occasionally she shoved her muzzle into the food, stirring the kibble vigorously, before taking her vigilant stance just above the food again. She appeared to be scrutinizing the food carefully, before shed take a single piece of kibble, chew it, and start the process again.
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I observed the dog repeat this funny little circuit at least four times over the course of at least 10 minutes before finally interrupting my friend. Cathy, I give up. What is your dog doing with her food?
Ah! You noticed her two-hour breakfast! Cathy laughed. That started about four years ago . . . ever since the one time that ants got into her food bowl. Shes been worried about them ever since!
That was the most extreme sort of eating disorder I had ever heard of in dogs. At least, until I heard of dogs exhibiting a more serious potentially life-threatening eating disorder: anorexia.
Dogs lose their appetites for a variety of reasons, few of them as innocent as ants. Most conditions that cause inappetence need to be investigated at your veterinarians office, and quickly, in the case of older or ill dogs, or those taking medications of any sort.
Just the other day my friend Jamie was telling me about her efforts to get her previously ravenous German Wirehaired Pointer to eat something, anything, since he was started on a drug to treat his Cushings disease. Overnight, he went from being a canine vacuum, unsafe around any edible item, to completely disinterested in food. Fortunately, having just edited an excellent article about inappetence by Mary Straus (see the next page), I was able to give Jamie plenty of ideas for how to get poor Sammy to eat again.
A medical condition was also behind the sudden loss of appetite experienced by Mokie, who was my long-haired Chihuahua before he went to my sister Pams house for a dog-sitting visit from which he hasnt returned. Mokie is usually a ravenous eater, who Hoovers up sandwich crumbs before they hit the floor and is prone to snatching dog cookies right out from the jaws of Pams older, slower Jack Russell. (In fact, thats Mokie in the photo on page 5, taking food from an unhungry Labrador 10 times his size.)
When Pam told me that Mokie wasnt eating, I knew something was seriously wrong. As it turned out, his back was badly out of whack. He began eating again immediately after a visit to a veterinary chiropractor, although it took him a few days to start stealing food from his packmates again.
More information about chiropractic for canines, by the way, appears on page 20 of this issue.
The author’s dog, Nattie, is pictured here at age 15, about 10 months after she developed inappetence. The strategies described in this article were successful in keeping Nattie at a healthy weight – impressive, for a senior dog!
There are few things more frustrating than a dog who won’t eat. I discovered how hard this can be on an owner when my Nattie suddenly stopped eating at age 14. I tried every trick I could find to tempt her to eat, while my veterinarian did test after test trying to discover the cause of her sudden lack of interest in food. And I couldn’t help feeling rejected when she turned down the meals I so lovingly prepared, making the experience even more stressful.
What should you do when your dog won’t eat? Here is the first question that must be answered: Is there something wrong, or is my dog just being picky? Only when you know the answer can you start trying to solve the problem with food selection and preparation tricks. Here are some clues that can help you determine what approach you should try first:
Dog won’t eat? Be alert if this is a new behavior for your dog, or a total departure for a dog who is usually a chowhound. Immediately suspect the food (if you feed a commercial diet) or consider that he may have a health problem.
Does your dog usually eat anything you put in front of her, or does she have a history of skipping meals? A sudden change in appetite is likely to be symptomatic of a health problem and cause for a quick trip to the vet, especially in dogs who are normally good eaters.
Are there any other symptoms? When lack of appetite is coupled with lethargy, fever, panting, other signs of pain, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, or anything else out of the ordinary, it is a definite cause for concern, and an immediate trip to the vet is indicated.
Have there been any changes that might account for the difference in appetite? If you recently switched to a new food, or began adding supplements to the food, perhaps your dog is simply telling you that she doesn’t like it. Try feeding the food plain, or go back to your old brand and see if her appetite returns to normal. Household changes, such as loss of another pet or an owner being away, might also contribute to a dog’s inappetence.
Is your dog losing weight? I’ve occasionally heard people complain that their dogs won’t eat but are substantially overweight. These are often dogs who turn down meals because they’re getting more treats and snacks than they need. Check with all family members to discover how much your dog is really eating before determining that she is inappetent.
I’ve had two dogs who were real chowhounds, including my 16-year-old Piglet, and even a single missed meal has me rushing them to the vet. With Nattie, who was known to skip a meal on occasion, I waited until she turned down her second meal, which was raw meaty bones (her favorite), before calling the vet and bringing her in the following morning. Remember that animals often try to hide the fact that they are sick, so it’s important to pay attention to symptoms when they do occur and act quickly. Don’t wait several days to see if they improve on their own.
Causes of Inappetence
Lack of appetite is referred to as inappetence or anorexia. There are many reasons why a dog may be reluctant to eat. Dental disease, including broken teeth and infected gums, may cause pain when eating.
Ear infections are another source of pain that can lead to reluctance to eat, especially hard food. Keep in mind that chronic ear infections are almost always related to allergies (either food or environmental), so try to find and eliminate the cause if at all possible, along with treating the existing infection.
Other forms of pain can cause a dog to stop eating. Panting, trembling, walking hunched over, sleeping more than usual, reluctance to run or jump, and irritability can all be signs of pain. Have your vet check your dog if you think that pain might be contributing to lack of appetite.
If you’re still unsure, try giving pain medications, such as Tramadol, to see if the symptoms improve. If so, look further to find the source. Treat pain as needed to increase appetite and improve quality of life.
Dogs who are sick, including dogs with cancer and those undergoing chemotherapy, are often reluctant to eat. Kidney disease, for example, can cause nausea and gastric ulceration due to excess acidity.
If you recently opened a new bag of your dog’s regular food and he turns up his nose at it, pay attention; this could be a sign that the food is spoiled or moldy, and possibly dangerous. Even if only one dog in your household doesn’t want to eat and the rest are fine with the food, it would be safer to get a new bag and see if that solves the problem.
During last year’s pet food recalls, there were many heartbreaking stories of owners coaxing their dogs to eat the food that was making them sick before the full story was known. Most stores will let you return a bag of food if you suspect something is wrong with it. If any symptoms are seen, such as vomiting or diarrhea, they should be reported to the manufacturer of the food.
Many medications list nausea and anorexia as potential side effects. If your dog is on medication and becomes reluctant to eat, talk to your vet to see if a substitute is available, or if there is a way to make the pills easier on your dog’s stomach. For example, some meds that are normally given away from meals can be given with food instead to help with stomach upset.
Warning: In some cases, loss of appetite can be a symptom that the medication you are giving is dangerous. This is especially true in the case of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Rimadyl, Deramaxx, and even aspirin. Corticosteroids such as prednisone can cause gastrointestinal ulceration and associated inappetence.
If your dog is on any of these drugs and stops eating, you should discontinue the medication immediately (don’t stop prednisone without your vet’s OK). Get your dog to the vet, especially if other symptoms are present, such as vomiting, diarrhea, black or tarry stools, or lethargy.
Tests to look for the cause
There are a variety of tests that can be done to try to pinpoint the reason for your dogs reluctance to eat. Here are the ones that we did for Nattie, sequentially over a period of about three weeks:
Blood tests, which may need to be repeated in order to identify any trends or problems that were not apparent right away.
Abdominal and chest x-rays, to look for signs of obstruction, tumor, enlarged heart, or anything else that might explain a reluctance to eat.
Ultrasound, to look further for anything that might not show up on x-ray. The radiologist should check the adrenal glands as well as all of the internal organs.
ACTH stimulation test, to check for Addison’s disease, which can cause inappetence even if the adrenal glands appear normal. Note that inappetence can also be a sign of adrenal exhaustion, even when the ACTH test is normal. In this case, the adrenal glands may be enlarged. You can test for this only at certain laboratories, such as the University of Tennessee’s endocrinology lab.
If immunoglobulins and cortisol are low (or declining) and sex hormones are high (or rising), it’s suggestive of adrenal exhaustion, also referred to as atypical Cushing’s disease or hyperestrogenism. This syndrome is treated with low, physiological doses of cortisol, such as methylprednisolone, and thyroid hormones.
Leptospirosis blood titer test. This test may not become positive until your dog is in the recovery stage. We waited two weeks before doing this test on Nattie.
Tick blood panel. Tick-borne diseases often cause a syndrome vets refer to as “ain’t doing right,” where something is affecting the dog but the cause is not apparent on tests or exam.
Endoscopy, which involves inserting a camera down the dog’s throat into the stomach. An endoscopic exam makes it possible to visually check for abnormalities and take tissue samples to look deeper for problems.
Your vet may recommend other tests, depending on your dog’s symptoms and history.
In Nattie’s case, all of the tests were negative other than pre-existing early stage kidney disease, which had not progressed and therefore was not considered to be a likely cause of her loss of appetite. At this point, the specialist said that everything had been ruled out except a brain tumor. She recommended an MRI to check for that, but I declined. I felt the likelihood of a brain tumor being the cause and of a tumor being treatable were not high enough to justify the expense and the stress the tests would cause my dog.
When is lack of appetite normal?
There are times when a poor appetite can be expected. Female dogs in heat as well as the male dogs nearby frequently lose their appetite for a time. However, inappetence following a heat cycle can be a sign of pyometra, which requires an immediate vet visit.
Adolescent puppies, especially of some larger breeds, are notorious for alternating between being extra-hungry and skipping meals. Younger puppies may be reluctant to eat because of teething pain (soft food and chewing on something cold can help in this case). Hot weather can make a dog want to eat less. Some dogs prefer eating at certain times of the day and may turn down food offered at other times.
Additives such as supplements and some foods may cause your dog to turn away from his meals. If your dog doesn’t like supplements added to his food, try giving them in pill form instead (see “Giving Pills” in text below, for hints on how to make this easier). Many dogs refuse to eat vegetables, and may turn down meals if there are any mixed in. Other foods that your dog dislikes may also cause him to turn away if they are added to his meals. While Nattie had enjoyed yogurt in the past, she would not touch it after developing problems with her appetite, so keep in mind that tastes may change over time as well.
Dogs who are fed too much may also be picky about their meals. If you have a picky dog who is overweight, look at how much you’re feeding, both at mealtime and in between, to see if the problem isn’t related to too many snacks and treats. Try reducing the amount you feed by 10 percent at a time to see if you can get your dog to begin to slowly lose weight, along with being hungrier at mealtime.
Some dogs have problems with bile if their stomachs are empty for too long. This can lead to vomiting of yellow liquid in the early morning hours, often accompanied by nausea and lack of appetite. In this case, feeding them a late-night snack before bed can help.
When my dogs seem to feel nauseous, I’ve found that if I can get them to eat a small amount of something special to start with, their stomachs seem to settle. Then they are willing to eat their regular meal.
Picky eaters
If your dog frequently turns down meals but is happy and healthy otherwise, he simply may be more finicky than most. However, to be safe, make sure you mention your dogs poor appetite/picky eating habit to your veterinarian at your dog’s annual exams.
Sometimes, competition increases a dog’s willingness to dig in and eat. But timid dogs or dogs who have been intimidated may back away from competition. Know your dog and pay attention to deviations from his normal behavior.
Picky dogs can be born that way, or you can inadvertently condition them to be picky. Some dogs simply do not have the overweening interest in food more commonly associated with the species, and others may have certain foods that they dislike, possibly because they’ve learned that eating a particular food causes them discomfort. If your dog eats reluctantly, try switching brands of food and protein sources to see if he gets more excited when you feed something different.
You can also try adding various fresh foods and flavorings to his meals, such as meat and eggs (raw or cooked), cottage cheese, yogurt, gravy, healthy leftovers, etc. These foods are good for your dog and they make him look forward to his meals; there is nothing wrong with that!
There is one caution to this approach, however. Offering something else whenever your dog turns down a meal can condition him to be picky. Hovering over your dog while he eats, or otherwise making mealtime stressful, can also create eating disorders.
If you have a healthy dog who is a picky eater, put his food down for a limited amount of time – say, 10 to 15 minutes – while ignoring him. Then calmly pick up any remaining food and offer him nothing else until the next meal. It’s fine to offer something different at the next meal, but not right away, as you don’t want your dog to learn that you will give him something better if he turns down a meal.
Competition with other dogs may either increase or decrease your dog’s desire to eat. If you feed dogs together, try feeding the one who doesn’t want to eat in a crate or another room, to see if he feels more comfortable eating alone. If you feed your dogs separately, maybe letting another dog eat his food if he doesn’t want it in a reasonable amount of time may convince him that being picky isn’t a good idea (be sure this won’t trigger a fight before trying it).
Exercise can increase appetite and, of course, offers other benefits, too. Many picky dogs eat with more interest after a long walk.
Some dogs like variety, and will tire of any food after a few days, weeks, or months. Feeding a variety of different foods is healthier for your dog, so again, there is no harm in rotating between brands, anywhere from daily to every few months, which may also serve to keep your dog interested in his food.
A dog who is consistently picky no matter what you feed him is likely to have some kind of health problem. In this case, a veterinary examination and testing is called for.
Treating the symptoms
Until you can find and eliminate the cause of your dogs inappetence, you can try treating the symptoms with supplements and possibly medications. Purchasing information for all of the nonprescription remedies can be found in “Resources Mentioned in This Article.”
Slippery elm is an herb available from health food stores that can help with problems related to stomach pain, as it coats and soothes. See “Soothe Stomach Pain With Slippery Elm,” below.
Another option is to use Phytomucil from Animals Apawthecary, a liquid glycerite that contains slippery elm and other herbs that benefit the digestive system. It is sweet-tasting and easy to administer. Just squeeze a dropperful into your dog’s cheek pouch.
L-glutamine is an amino acid that helps to heal the mucosal lining of the intestines, so it may be beneficial if your dog is experiencing diarrhea. Give 500 mg per 25 lbs of body weight daily. Higher doses are also safe.
Seacure (see “Securing Seacure,” Whole Dog Journal April 2003) is a highly nutritious supplement designed to treat malnutrition. Seacure can also help to heal the digestive tract and provide other health benefits. Made of hydrolyzed whitefish, Seacure has a fishy smell. Sprinkled on your dog’s food, it helps make the food more attractive to your dog.
Ginger Tummy from Tasha’s Herbs, Ginger-Mint from Animals Apawthecary, or Minty Ginger from Herbs for Kids can help if inappetence is caused by nausea.
Antacids such as Pepcid (famotidine), Zantac (ranitidine), Tagamet (cimetidine) and Axid (nizatidine) can be tried, with your vet’s approval. Antacids are best given at bedtime, to reduce acidity that develops during the night.
Tums, which is calcium carbonate (the same as is found in eggshells), can also be used. The acid-inhibitors Prilosec (omeprazole) and lansoprazole are sometimes prescribed for dogs. Don’t give any of these medications without first checking with your vet.
Other medications your vet may prescribe include Reglan (metoclopramide), used to stop vomiting and increase gastric motility, and Carafate (sucralfate), used to treat gastric ulcers.
A bland, low-fat diet may help if the symptoms are caused by digestive disorders. You can make rice congee by boiling one cup of white rice (not Minute Rice) with four cups of water for 20 to 30 minutes. The liquid portion helps soothe the stomach and stop vomiting and diarrhea. Add a little chicken baby food or honey for flavor, if needed. The whole mixture can also be combined with cooked chicken breast or boiled ground beef.
In Nattie’s case, Pepcid seemed to help, and I left her on it long term. I stopped it about a year later and oddly enough her appetite improved at that time.
When dealing with inappetence, check with your vet to see if it’s safe to try stopping any medications your dog is on. If your dog’s appetite returns when the medication is stopped, ask the vet if there is an alternative medication that your dog can be given.
Appetite-stimulating meds
There are a number of medications that can be used to increase appetite if necessary. The decongestant Benadryl (diphenhydramine) may help with nausea. Cyproheptadine is another antihistamine that has the side effect of stimulating the appetite, though it’s used more with cats than with dogs. Other drugs that your vet may prescribe include:
Meclizine (Bonine, Antivert) can help with nausea. One dog I know with advanced kidney disease started eating well and gained more than 10 pounds after being put on this drug.
Mirtazapine (Remeron) is an anti-depressant that has anti-nausea properties and acts as a strong appetite stimulant.
Ondansetron (Zofran) is a human chemotherapy drug that can be used to stop severe vomiting.
Corticosteroids also increase appetite as a side effect. In Nattie’s case, after ruling out all the possible causes that we could, my vet put Nattie on a low dose of prednisolone, which was effective in stimulating her appetite.
Foods to tempt your dog
A lot of effort may be required to find foods to entice your dog to eat when he is not feeling well. In most cases, it is more important that your dog eat something than that he eat the best foods for his condition (check with your vet to be sure). Don’t worry about feeding an incomplete diet in the short term, up to a few weeks. Experiment with different foods and different ways of preparing and serving them to see what appeals to your dog.
When Nattie stopped eating, I was shopping daily at both the grocery store and the pet supply store, trying to find anything that might tempt her to eat. I would bring home a half dozen or so different foods and treats each day, some made for people, some for dogs. She would not eat anything consistently or in large amounts, or mixed together with anything else.
I would offer meals of at least four different foods in small amounts, each separated from each other, two or three times a day. I eliminated foods that she had no interest in, but continued to periodically offer any food that she would eat at least once, even if subsequently she turned it down.
I found that she did best when she was not fed the same food twice in the same day, or two days in a row, though there was one treat she would eat daily. I gradually developed an inventory of foods that she was willing to eat, if prepared just the way she liked them (for example, she would eat scrambled eggs with cheese, but not plain), and not served too frequently. This was a lot of work and a lot of stress, but it kept her from losing too much weight while we continued to search for the cause of her inappetence.
Almost any food can be offered, with the exception of a few foods that are toxic to dogs, such as chocolate, onions, and macadamia nuts. Here are suggestions that have worked for some dogs:
Baby food, especially meats. You can use water, low-sodium broth, or even ice cream to slightly thin baby food and then use a syringe to put it in your dog’s cheek a little at a time.
Nutri-Cal and Nutri-Stat, high-calorie palatable food supplements designed to provide nutritional support and stimulate appetite.
Rebound and DogSure. These are nutritionally complete liquid meal replacement products. Unflavored Pedialyte (made for children) can also be used.
Try different brands and types of commercial foods, including dry food, canned food, dog food rolls, dehydrated foods, premixes such as those made by The Honest Kitchen, commercial raw diets, and even cat food. Try various treats, too.
Smelly foods such as liverwurst and braunschweiger sausage. Chicken or beef liver braised in butter is another food that appeals to many dogs. Feed foods such as these in small quantities, or add them to other foods to enhance their appeal.
Foods from your plate. Sometimes dogs are more willing to eat if they get the same thing that you’re eating. Chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers (no onions), and pizza are also worth a try.
Fresh foods. Experiment to see what your dog may like, such as eggs (try scrambling them with cheese, or hard-boiling), canned fish, canned chicken or ham, seasoned and grilled meats, beef stew with gravy, macaroni and cheese, homemade soup, crab cakes, cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, deli meats (can be rolled with other food inside), milk shakes and ice cream (avoid chocolate and coffee flavors). Even foods like bread and pizza crusts are better than nothing, if your dog is willing to eat them.
Flavor enhancers, such as gravy, soup, broth, stock, sauces, butter, and drippings may help make other foods more enticing, either when added on top or when cooked together. (Note: We do not recommend the commercial flavor enhancers for squeezing onto dog food; most we have seen contain artificial colors, preservatives, and other unhealthy ingredients.) You can also try sprinkling Parmesan cheese, feta cheese, or a little garlic powder on top.
Honey is a tasty and healthy addition that may entice your dog to eat (see “A Honey of a Cure,”September 2007).
Bone broth is nourishing and flavorful, and can be fed alone, or mixed with other foods to make them more appealing. Use any type of meaty bones, such as chicken backs with skin removed. Chop the bones into pieces, if possible. Put them in a stock pot and cover with water. Add a small amount of apple cider vinegar to help leach the minerals from the bones.
You can also add vegetables such as celery, carrots, and potatoes (no onions). Bring to a boil, then simmer anywhere from 12 to 36 hours (or use a pressure cooker to save time). Pour the liquid off and remove the fat after it cools (a little can be left for flavor). Using a blender, liquefy the veggies and meat from the bones (and the bones as well, if they are soft enough), then mix with the liquid and store in the refrigerator or freeze for later use.
The temperature of food can affect its appeal. Cold food straight from the refrigerator has little odor and may cause an upset stomach. Warming food increases flavor and aroma, making it more enticing. Food can be warmed in a microwave or by immersing the container in a bowl of hot water.
Giving pills
It can be very hard to get dogs who don’t want to eat to take pills. I hate to force them down the throat, especially when a dog is not feeling well, and if you try adding them to food, it may make your dog less willing to eat. Try dipping pills in cream cheese, spray cheese, or peanut butter; wrapping them in a bit of soft cheese, braunschweiger, or liverwurst; or inserting them into small pieces of crab cakes or dim sum dumplings (these worked for Nattie).
The author’s dog, Nattie, is pictured here at age 15, about 10 months after she developed inappetence. The strategies described in this article were successful in keeping Nattie at a healthy weight – impressive, for a senior dog!
You can also order chicken-flavored gel caps and combine meds into them. Give only those pills that are needed, skipping any that are optional, such as vitamin supplements. Liquids may be easier to administer, if available. For example, herbal glycerites can be squeezed from a dropper into the cheek pouch, which is simpler and may be more effective than using capsules of dried herbs.
Don’t give up
We never determined what caused Nattie to suddenly stop eating. Although her appetite never returned to normal, I was able to get her to eat well by rotating through foods that she liked and preparing them the way she preferred. I weaned her off the prednisone that we had used to stimulate her appetite, though eventually she returned to it to control chronic bronchitis. It was complications of the bronchitis that led to my having to euthanize her two years later at age 16.
Many people warned me that Nattie might be manipulating me to get better food, but there is no question in my mind that was not the case. She had never been manipulative nor a picky eater in the past. When a dog’s behavior suddenly changes, especially at age 14, health issues rather than behavior are likely to be the cause.
Fortunately, even though I never knew exactly what went wrong, I learned through a lot of trial and error what meals Nattie would eat willingly, without fuss. And I was lucky enough to be able to share my life with her for two more years, making it all worthwhile.
Sidebar: Soothe Stomach Pain With Slippery Elm
The following instructions for a slippery elm treatment are from Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, used with permission. Thoroughly mix 1 slightly rounded teaspoon of slippery elm powder (available in your local health food store) with 1 cup of cold water. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Then turn the heat down to simmer and continue to stir for another two to three minutes while the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat, add 1 tablespoon of honey, and stir well. Cool to room temperature and give ½ to 1 teaspoon to small dogs (up to 40 lbs), 2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons for medium dogs (40-75 lbs), and 3 to 4 tablespoons for large dogs (more than 75 lbs). Give this dose four times a day, or about every four hours. Cover the mixture and store at room temperature. It will keep for a couple of days.
Most dog owners are pleased when their dogs are calm – even the owners of high-energy competition and working dogs, when those dogs are “off-duty.” Some owners may go to great – sometimes misguided – lengths to achieve the coveted calm condition. Humans who understand the appropriate way to help a dog learn to be calm can make the difference between the canine companion who finds a lifelong loving home, and the one who ends up – sometimes several times in his life – gazing sadly out from the chain-link kennels of an animal shelter.
Calm is a highly valued, hard-won, and sometimes transitory state in our own household. With four dogs in the Miller pack, two of them proud representatives of the herding group, calm is something we have to work at. We use the time-honored recipe of exercise, management, and training (and of course, lots of love) to help our canine family members be a peaceable pack.
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The “Uncommonly Calm” (UC) Program You can turn your Bouncing Betty into a Sedate Sally by following a simple program that helps her get rid of excess energy, prevents her from being rewarded for out-of-control behavior, and consistently rewards her for being calm.
Exercise: The first element in your UC program is to provide your dog with lots of exercise. Wise dog trainers and owners know that a tired dog is a well-behaved dog. Often when your dog is at her worst, she is simply brimming with energy bursting to find an escape. Tug-o-war on your pants leg, donuts around the dining room table, and record high-jumps over the back of the sofa are just some of her outlets for that pent-up energy.
Mental and physical activities are both vitally important parts of a canine exercise program. For the physical side, schedule at least three tongue-dragging sessions of chase-the-ball per day. Climb to the top of a hill or carpeted staircase (perhaps not for long-backed dogs) and throw the ball down so she has to keep climbing back up to return it to you. Set up an obstacle course with lots of things to climb and jump over. Be careful not to send her into heatstroke, but definitely play until she’s pooped. Keep your exercise program breed-appropriate – an athletic Border Collie will need lots more physical challenges than an English Bulldog.
Don’t think that a walk around the block will do it. A walk on leash, even a long walk, is nothing but an exercise hors d’oeurve for a young dog. You’re tired when you get home from the walk, but your dog is just getting warmed up! If no one in the family has time to give your dog adequate exercise, arrange for a pet sitter to come by a couple of times a day and wear her out, or take her to doggie daycare as often as possible. Eight hours of romping with other dogs is guaranteed to take the wind out of her sails! (See “All in a Day’s Care,” Whole Dog Journal April 2001.)
Caution: Check with your veterinarian prior to starting your dog on a vigorous exercise program. Just as with humans, too much exercise too suddenly can damage canine joints and muscles. Out-of-shape and overweight dogs especially will need to ease into a physical exercise program.
Mental exercise is an often-overlooked but valuable tool in your UC arsenal. Mind games can be every bit as tiring for your dog as running games, and are a good choice in conjunction with physical exercise during inclement weather, and/or as an alternative for dogs with physical limitations. Interactive toys, shaping games, and clicker training are all good mind candy for your overactive canine pal. (See “Mind Games,” October 2004.)
Manage: The second piece of a successful UC program is management. In addition to regular exercise, you can make other changes in your dog’s routine to manage inappropriate behavior.
If your high-energy dog grabs forbidden objects and races around the house, it’s probably because she’s learned that this triggers a wonderful game of “chase the dog!” This is very fun and rewarding for her – and behaviors that are rewarded increase. The management answer is to keep forbidden objects out of her reach, and avoid falling into her trap of chasing when she grabs something. Instead, walk to your cupboard, take out a tasty treat, and offer to trade for the object. Then put it out of her reach. (For much more on managing your dog’s behavior, see “Upper Level Management,” August 2001.)
Another piece of the management puzzle is physically controlling your dog’s behavior through the judicious use of leashes, pens, crates, and tethers. (See “Tethered to Success,” April 2001, and “Crate Training Made Easy,” August 2000.)
Training: The final important element of your UC program is training. The more training you do with your dog the easier it is to communicate with her. The better she understands your communications, the easier it is for her to follow your instructions and comply with your requests.
Click for calm Whether you have a baby dog with normal puppy energy, an obstreperous teenager, or an adult dog who has good manners lessons to catch up on, clicker training can be a magically effective and gentle way to convince a dog to calm down. No yelling, no physical punishment; just clicks and treats for any pause in the action.
The biggest challenge with a high energy dog is that the instant you try to praise or reward, she’s bouncing off the walls again. Timing and consistency are key to successful training. If a reward is given more than a second or two beyond the desired behavior, the dog has lost the connection, and believes she’s being rewarded for whatever she’s doing now.
It’s nearly impossible to have good timing if it requires delivering the treat to the excitable dog while she’s momentarily calm. By the time you get the treat to her mouth she’s once again doing her Bouncing Betty act. She may well perceive the treat as a reward for her jumping jacks rather than for the sought-after calmness that occurred briefly, several seconds ago.
However, once a dog has learned the connection between the “click” and a pending reward, your timing can be impeccable: an instant of calm elicits a “click” – the treat can arrive several seconds later. An added advantage of the clicker is that most dogs, when they hear the click, pause in anticipation of the coming morsel, drawing out the brief period of relatively calm behavior even longer.
At the same time you’re laying a foundation of exercise and management, you can begin an effective clicker-training program. Don’t procrastinate – you can accomplish this on the first day of your UC program.
Start by “charging the clicker” – officially known in behavior circles as “conditioning the reward marker.” Begin by clicking the clicker in your pocket, to avoid startling your dog with the sharp sound. Click the clicker, feed your dog a treat. Click and treat. Click and treat. As she begins to associate the sound with the treat, bring the clicker out of your pocket and click it in a more natural position at your side or your waist.
Your dog doesn’t have to do anything special to get the click and treat, as long as she isn’t doing something unacceptable, like jumping on you or chewing the corner of the coffee table. If necessary, use a leash or tether to keep her out of trouble while you click and treat. Most dogs realize within a half-dozen repetitions that the click means a treat is coming. When your dog’s ears perk and her eyes brighten at the sound of the click, you know she’s getting it. Now you can use your charged clicker for training.
The goal of clicker training is to get your dog to understand that she can make the click happen by offering certain behaviors – in this case, calm. At first, you can’t wait for long, leisurely stretches of calm behavior to click; you won’t get them! You might begin by giving your dog a click and treat just because all four feet are on the floor at the same instant. Be quick! You want her to understand that the behavior she was rewarded for was pausing with all four feet on the floor, so your timing needs to be sharp; the click needs to happen the instant all four feet are down. If you click late, you may be reinforcing her bouncing around – the exact opposite of what you want!
If your timing is good and you catch her with four-on-the-floor several times in a row you’ll see her start to stand still deliberately, in order to make the clicker go off. Light bulb moment! A door has opened in her brain, and you can now see her thinking. This, to me, is one of the most exciting moments in dog training – when the dog realizes that she can control the clicker. A whole new world of communication has just opened to her. You now have a very powerful tool in your little plastic clicker box. You can use it to reinforce any behavior you want, any time it happens, and your dog will quickly start repeating that behavior for you.
Okay, back to calm. How does “pausing briefly on all four feet” translate into a calm dog? Very gradually. You are going to “shape” the pause into longer and longer periods of stillness, by extending the time, in milliseconds at first, that you wait as she is standing still before you click and treat. If you err and she starts to jump around again, just wait. Eventually, there will be another pause that you can click, and then start the shaping again.
As she gets better at being calm for longer and longer periods, be sure to reinforce randomly – sometimes for shorter pauses, sometimes longer. If you just keep making it harder and harder – longer and longer – she may get frustrated and quit playing the game.
Each training session should be relatively short, to avoid frustration for both of you, but you can do several in a day. You’ll have the most success, at least at first, if you practice clicking calm right after one of her exercise sessions when she’s tired anyway. As she gets the idea that “calm” is a very rewardable behavior, it will work even when she has more energy.
When your dog is holding still for several seconds at a time, add the verbal cue of your choice – something like “Easy!”, that you will be able to use (eventually) to cue her into calmness. Over time, you’ll be able to phase out the click and treat for calm behavior and use other rewards such as calm praise, a gentle massage, or an invitation to lie quietly next to you on the sofa.
Go to your place You can use your management tether and your clicker to teach your dog a very useful calming exercise, called “go to your place.” Fix up her tether station so it’s very comfortable, with a soft bed, really good chew toys, and unspillable water. Toss a treat onto the bed and say “go to your place.”
When she gets there and is about to snatch up the treat, click your clicker. Repeat several times, clicking and treating each time, until she goes to her spot easily. Then attach the tether to her collar. Sit in a chair nearby but out of her reach, and read a book.
If she fusses, ignore her. When she’s quiet, click, and toss her a treat. This is “positive reinforcement” – her good behavior makes something good happen – she gets a click and treat. Occasionally when she’s being calm, get up, go over to her bed and quietly pet and praise her. This is also positive reinforcement. If she starts to get excited when you’re with her, go back to your chair and sit down again. This is “negative punishment” – her inappropriate behavior makes something good go away – you leave. Negative punishment is considered effective and humane by most positive trainers.
When she’s calm on her tether for long stretches – up to 5 or 10 minutes with occasional treats and visits – you can remove the tether and continue to reward her for lying calmly on her bed. If she revs up again, re-tether her and practice more calm. You’ll also want to practice this when you have visitors. First, give your dog an extra tiring play-session before your guests arrive so she can be on her best behavior. Have her on her bed, tethered if necessary, and wait until she’s calm to allow guests to greet her. When she’s relaxed, untether her so she can mingle with the visitors politely. If she gets carried away, she can do another session on her tether.
Self control Dogs who have a great deal of trouble with the concept of calm are often dogs who have difficulty with impulse control. The “wait” exercise can be a very useful part of your UC program, especially for dogs who are short on impulse control. I teach the wait behavior using my dogs’ food bowls, and at doorways. Since they get two meals a day and I let them in and out several times in any given 24-hour period, we have countless built-in opportunities to practice this important self-control skill. Once they learn it, the self-control “wait” easily generalizes to other situations.
Here’s how I teach them:
Wait for food: With your dog sitting at your side, tell her to “wait.” Hold the food bowl (with food it in, topped with tasty treats) at your chest, then move it toward the floor 4 to 6 inches. If your dog stays sitting, click and feed her a treat from the bowl. If your dog gets up, say “Oops!” and ask her to sit again. If she remains sitting, lower the bowl 4 to 6 inches again, click and treat. Repeat this step several times until she consistently remains sitting as you lower the bowl.
Gradually move the bowl closer to the floor with succeeding repetitions until you can place it on the floor without your dog trying to get up or eat it. Finally, place the bowl on the floor and tell her to eat. After she’s had a few bites, lift the bowl up and try again, lowering the bowl a little farther this time. Repeat these steps until you can place the bowl on the floor and she doesn’t move until you tell her she can.
Any time your dog starts to get up as you move the bowl toward the floor, use the “oops” no-reward marker to let her know getting up makes the good stuff go away, and raise the bowl out of her reach. Have her sit and try again. If she gets up several times in a row, you are asking for too much too soon; move the bowl in smaller increments.
Caution: If your dog guards valuable resources such as her food bowl, consult with a qualified positive behavior professional before trying this exercise. Wait at the door: With your dog sitting at your side, tell her to “wait.” Reach for the doorknob. If she doesn’t move, click and treat. Repeat this step several times. Then jiggle the door knob. Click and reward her for not moving. Repeat this step several times. Slowly open the door a crack. Again, click and treat if she doesn’t move, and repeat. Gradually open the door farther, an inch or two at a time. Do several repetitions at each step, with clicks and treats each time.
Eventually you’ll be able to walk all the way through the door, stop, and face your dog, without having her move. Wait a few seconds, click, then return and give her a tasty treat. Of course, sometimes you’ll actually give her the okay to go out the door ¨C she has to go out sometime!
If you have multiple dogs, teach them each to wait at the door, and then you can really have fun! Using a little body-blocking as necessary – stepping in front of the dog(s) you’re not releasing – invite them out the door one at a time by name. This is very useful for those times when you really do only want one or two – not all – your dogs to go with you to the outside world.
UC in the Miller household As I write this, our dogs are, indeed, calm. Lucy, a high-energy Cardigan Corgi (who has difficulty with impulse control), is in the living room watching a football game on the recliner with my husband Paul. Missy, an older but still active Australian Shepherd, is snoozing in her crate in the living room, while Dubhy the Scottie is sound asleep on the other recliner. Bonnie, a young Corgi/Scottie mix, is curled up in her crate under the table in my office. There’s no movement from any of them.
This doesn’t happen by accident. Most mornings we’re up and out to the barn to feed horses by 5:30 am, dogs at our heels. Their first hour of the day is spent chasing dog toys (and each other) up and down the barn aisle, playing “king of the hay bales,” scavenging for dropped bits of grain, and pretending to herd horses as we lead them out to their pastures. This uses up enough energy that the pack can spend a quiet morning in the house with me while I’m on the computer.
Later on, weather permitting, we share lunch in the backyard. Lucy retrieves toys that I toss for her while I eat, and Bonnie retrieves Lucy. Missy and Dubhy, older and less energetic, watch calmly.
There are a variety of other activities we might incorporate into our day, including training sessions, and games with interactive toys. Lucy is especially taken with the new generation of puzzle toys, such as ZooActive’s Dog Tornado. [Editor’s note: Pat will be reviewing the entire line of ZooActive’s interactive puzzles for dogs, from Pawlickers.com, in an upcoming issue.]
Sometimes one or more of the dogs is called into service as a neutral dog for a dog-reactive private client, or a canine play-partner for a soft or undersocialized dog who doesn’t engage well with others during group class playtime. On a really good day we set aside time for a dog-pack hike around our 80-acre farm. This is, without a doubt, the Miller dogs’ favorite activity. And, of course, we always practice wait for food bowls and at doors.
None of this wears them out completely. The instant I roll my chair away from my desk, three sets of girlie dog-paws leap into action and three pairs of canine eyes light up at the prospect of the next activity. (Dubhy, the true sloth of the group, conserves energy, happy to lie in his crate until he’s convinced there’s something exciting in the offing – for sure.) What the Miller UC program does do is give our dogs enough exercise, management, training – and love – to allow them to be relaxed and calm when I need them to be.
Pat Miller, CPDT, 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; and Positive Perspectives II: Know Your Dog, Train Your Dog. See “Resources,” page 24.
This is absolutely not an excuse, but do us a favor and look at the incredible accumulation of minute facts about dog foods that appeared in the February issue and in this one; it may have been inevitable that we made a few small mistakes. We apologize for any inconvenience we have caused through the following errors and/or oversights:
The section on Wellness should have mentioned both Wellness and Wellness Simple Food Solutions; both lines of food are on our “approved dry dog food” list. We also listed Wellness’s physical and website addresses incorrectly; the company is in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, and the website is wellnesspetfood.com.
Solid Gold sent us their materials too late for us to include their products in our “approved dry dog foods” list in the February issue; their product information appears here now.
Due to an editing error, we failed to include the information sent to us by Pet Chef Express in the same “approved foods” list; their product information is also included here now.
We meant to note that a major feature of SmartPak’s LiveSmart food is its unique packaging and direct-shipping option. If desired, SmartPak will seal your dog’s food in individually customized daily portion packages; this is for an additional monthly fee of $6.95 (shipping is free). This way, the food is “just-opened” fresh every day! It also makes it easy to keep your dog on a diet, especially if portion control is a problem with the people who feed the dog in your house.
This one was totally not our fault! “Light Up the Night” – a review of nighttime visibility products in the January issue contained an inaccuracy in the description of our top pick in reflective collars. Glow Dog, based in Ashland, Massachusetts, makes the most amazing reflective products for dogs and their handlers. The products look normal in daylight, but reflect very brightly when headlights are trained on them.
Our only criticism of Glow Dog’s products noted that its reflective collar lacked a D-ring for a leach attachment, an oversight we didn’t understand. Glow Dog responded that of course its collars had D-rings, and they sent us some more collars as proof. But the one we received as a sample really didn’t! Apparently it was a dud, sent to us in error. Glow Dog says, “We stand behind our 100% satisfaction guarantee!”
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If you receive a Glow Dog product that doesn’t seem right, contact the company at (888) 456-9364 for a refund or a replacement. Glow Dog website (glowdog.com) is currently under construction; products can be purchased through nite-gear.com.
I recently fostered a dog who first greeted me at the shelter that I sprung her from by jumping up on me. I spent the first two days with her almost exclusively working on preventing her from jumping. When I introduced her to a friend, my friend immediately held her arms out and greeted the dog’s enthusiastic jump up with a big hug, petting, and cooing
