1. Consider hawthorn as a supplement for a dog with heart problems – especially high or low blood pressure, and arrhythmia.
2. Use hawthorn as a tonic for older dogs, in conjunction with an improved diet.
As a traveling, lecturing herbalist, I often hear the question of whether herbs might be helpful in treating old or debilitated dogs with chronic disease.
My answer: Yes – especially when used to supplement a good, natural diet and to strengthen or “tonify” the body’s natural healing functions. When used in this capacity, we refer to herbs as herbal tonics.
Unlike most conventional drugs, tonic herbs do not suppress or replace natural functions in the body. Instead, they serve to improve the body’s efforts to stay healthy. Tonic herbs are neither drug-like remedies nor foods, but stand somewhere in between, providing supplemental measures of support that help bridge the gaps between what a body needs from diet and what it needs in terms of specific, added support.
Most tonic herbs do their work by providing special nutrients, enzymes, and other chemicals that the body needs to bring deficient or overtaxed organs and systems into higher levels of efficiency.
Hawthorn (Crataegus species), a tonic herb that has been used for centuries to improve cardiac function and output, is a classic example. Hawthorn does not initiate any immediate changes in heart function, but does so very gently over time, without adding stress or interfering with other body functions. Hawthorn helps support the heart and cardiovascular system in ways that no food or drug can.
Hawthorn is a Preventative Heart Tonic
Hundreds of scientific studies have validated hawthorn’s usefulness as a heart tonic.
It is well known that hawthorn dilates both coronary vessels and vessels of the brain, helping to increase circulation and the transport of nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.
It accomplishes this in a very effective and unique fashion: while it acts to dilate major vessels, it also increases blood flow from the heart to compensate for any reduction of arterial blood volume. In other words, it helps the body push more blood around by increasing cardiac output and decreasing blood flow resistance in the arteries, i.e., more blood flow at less pressure. This has been shown in studies performed with dogs, especially when used in small doses over an extended period.
Hawthorn also serves as a blood pressure regulator. Although the mechanisms of this activity baffle herbalists and scientists alike, the herb tends to gently elevate low blood pressure, and decrease high blood pressure. This is really quite amazing, especially when we consider the fact that hawthorn does this while increasing cardiac output. By helping with dilation of coronary arteries and strengthening heartbeat, hawthorn improves blood circulation without adversely effecting blood pressure.
Another well-documented benefit of hawthorn is its ability to steady and strengthen a weak or erratic heartbeat – such as that of elderly or energetically challenged dogs. In human applications hawthorn has been used as an alternative to antiarrhythmia drugs like digitalis, and to improve the effects of that and other cardiac drugs.
Hawthorn is also a great antioxidant. It scavenges free radicals that rob the blood of oxygen and may lead to various forms of vascular disease. Herbalists also use the herb to lower blood cholesterol.
All of these activities are largely attributed to a vast assortment of flavonoid constituents held within the berries, leaves, flowers, and twigs of hawthorn. Although flavonoids are also found in many other kinds of fruits (especially raspberries, blueberries, and other red or blue fruits), hawthorn is an especially rich source.
Studies have shown that flavonoids are essential in maintaining disease resistance and the integrity of smooth muscle tissues throughout the body. Some studies even suggest that hawthorn may help prevent myocardial damage in situations where the heart muscle is subjected to physiological stress. This means that animals such as race horses or working dogs who are constantly under cardiovascular stress will likely find preventive benefits from daily supplements of hawthorn.
And to top everything off, hawthorn is very, very safe. In fact, in the hundreds of animal studies that have been conducted with this herb over the past 100 years, hawthorn has shown extremely low toxicity in every animal tested. I place the risk of hawthorn berry toxicity on about the same level as that presented by rose hips, raspberries, or blueberries. In other words, I consider them all as medicinal foods.
Daily Hawthorne Use Shows Cardiac Improvements
It stands to reason that this cardiovascular tonic is useful in the daily care of any older dog, but especially those who suffer from chronic heart problems such as arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, postsurgical dysfunction, or other cardiac anomalies that have weakened the heart’s ability to pump blood.
I consider hawthorn to be strongly indicated in virtually any case where damage to the heart muscle has resulted from heartworm infestation, bacterial or viral infections, or protracted chemotherapy.
I also find hawthorn useful in cases of renal failure, especially in early stages of the disease. When combined with ginkgo biloba (for small capillary circulation) and herbs that improve urinary function, hawthorn may be useful for getting more blood and oxygen into renal arteries and smaller vessels of the kidneys. This, in theory, is thought to slow degeneration of whatever healthy tissue remains in the diseased organs.
What is Hawthorn, Anyway?
Hawthorn is small deciduous tree or large shrub (up to 16 feet tall) that is easily recognized and quickly remembered by its nasty one- to three-inch curved thorns, which are strategically spaced along the branches – often at eye-level! The alternate leaves are narrowly fan-shaped or ovate and are presented on short petioles. The margins of the one- to two-inch-long leaves are toothed, with tips all pointing distinctly forward.
Blooms appear on the hawthorn plants from around April through June. The white, quarter-inch flowers are presented in flat, terminate clusters; each blossom with five petals and numerous stamens. When in full bloom, the blossoms often have an unpleasant “dead” odor. In late summer the flowers are replaced with clusters of red to black berries, each containing two to five seeds.
The Crataegus genus is large and varied, with hundreds of species (all of which readily hybridize) in North America. Most species are found in riparian thickets, where they serve as important forage and nesting habitats for birds and other wildlife. While Crataegus oxyacantha and C. monogyna are the primary hawthorns of commerce, C. douglasii is one of the most common and widespread wild species of North America. While very little study has been done to ascertain which species are most useful, most herbalists will agree that all of them hold therapeutic value.
How to Feed Hawthorn to Your Dog
When combined with a good natural diet and other tonic herbs, hawthorn will act exactly as an herbal heart tonic should – to fill the special cardiac needs in the golden years of an animal’s life.
Other tonic herbs can be used in combination with hawthorn to round out the supplemental needs of older animals. These might include ginkgo or yarrow (for strengthening capillary walls and improving blood supply to the kidneys and extremities); garlic (for added antioxidant and immune system support); alfalfa and red clover (to nourish the blood, increase appetite, and raise energy levels); dandelion leaf (to assist in the removal of excess water); and oat tops (as a nervous system tonic).
In the natural pet product industry, the berries of hawthorn are the most commonly used part of this plant. This is probably because they make such palatable medicine. However, the flowering branch ends (leaves, flower buds, twigs, thorns and all) are fine medicine too, and can be clipped into small pieces and brewed into a decoction (a simmered tea). However, unlike the berries, the “twig tea” tastes awful!
If you are lucky enough to have a hawthorn tree near your home and a dog that likes red fruit, you can pick the ripe berries and feed them as tonic treats.
Or, when the berries become fully ripe, they can be picked, dried on a clean sheet of paper, and ground with a mortar or pestle (be forewarned that they burn out small coffee grinders!) into a coarse powder. The powder can then be added to your companion’s diet at a rate of one teaspoon per pound of food fed each day.
If your pup won’t eat the berries either way, try making a tea (with about a teaspoon of dried berries and a cup of hot water) and pouring it over his food. If that doesn’t work, you can use gel caps wrapped with expensive, imported Brie cheese (just kidding!). Better yet, you can use a liquid hawthorn tincture (one-half tsp. for small dogs; one-half to one tsp. for larger dogs). Alcohol-free, glycerin-based tinctures are quite sweet and easiest to feed.
Greg Tilford is a well-known expert in the field of veterinary herblism. An international lecturer and teacher of veterinarians and pet owners alike, Greg has written four books on herbs, including All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets (Bowie Press, 1999).
For those of us who share our homes with companion animals, trying to understand the news about “mad cow” disease is what’s truly maddening. The newspapers and newscasters told us that a cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was slaughtered and its meat distributed to food stores, but we shouldn’t worry, because the tissues that are capable of carrying the infective matter never made it into the human food chain.
But what about a pet food chain? There is no law prohibiting pet food makers from using the cattle tissues (mostly, the brain and spinal cord) that can be infected with the agent that causes BSE in cattle and can cause variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans. Are our dogs vulnerable to “mad cow” disease?
According to all reputable research: No. There has never been a confirmed case of a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) in dogs. Cats, however, can develop a form of the deadly disease, feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE), from eating food that contains certain tissues from an infected animal. And pet food that contained infected tissue could pose a threat to humans – if they were to eat it. Don’t scoff; you’ve never known a baby or toddler who tried some of Fido’s kibble?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have put rules into place that take aim at nearly all the ways that BSE is known to pose a concern – rules that address the BSE-testing program, slaughter practices, cattle feed, and more. A risk assessment study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, published in 2001 (and revised in late 2003) credits the FDA and the USDA rules for reducing the risk for infectious tissues to contaminate human food to nearly zero.
However, the Harvard study also speculated that any new cases of BSE in this country would result primarily from lack of compliance with the regulations enacted to protect animal feed. Central to those rules is the 1997 FDA ban on feeding most mammalian proteins to ruminants – the practice thought to be responsible for the proliferation of BSE in Europe. Also enacted in 1997 was a rule stating that animal feeds containing mammalian proteins must carry a cautionary statement that reads “Do not feed to cattle or other ruminants.” Pet foods, however, are not required to carry the caution.
Long shot, but still… According to some experts, the current rules don’t close every gap in human and animal safety. For example, it is theoretically (if not statistically) possible for a person to develop vCJD or a cat to develop FSE if a symptom-free but BSE-infected cow was slaughtered, its high-risk tissues (such as the brain and spinal column, which are known to contain the infectious agent) were rendered into “meat and bone meal,” which was then used in pet food, and the pet food was eaten by a human or a cat.
The scenario described above presumes the U.S. is home to cattle who are infected with BSE but are as yet undetected. While the FDA and USDA continue to insist that our meat supply is safe, the report from a subcommittee of international experts on BSE, convened by the USDA in late January 2004, speculated that BSE should now be considered to be “indigenous” to North America – a statement that the USDA does not support.
Also contained in the subcommittee’s report was the recommendation that “specified risk materials” (SRMs) – the tissues that are known to host the infectious agent that causes TSEs – be banned from all animal feed, including pet food.
So far, the FDA has not moved to ban SRMs from pet food or feed for non-ruminant animals like swine and poultry. Linda Grassie, an FDA spokeswoman, told us, “Although we will examine the International Review Subcommittee recommendations carefully, at this time we remain convinced that the many new safeguards we announced (in late January) provide the most comprehensive and scientifically justified firewalls available to protect animals and the public health against BSE.”
Feed control officials want more controls Ben Jones, president of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), thinks there is ample room to strengthen the current regulations to further protect humans and animals, including cats. AAFCO is supportive of SRMs being banned from all animal feeds and requiring the caution statement on all pet foods containing prohibited proteins (the ones that can no longer be fed to ruminants), such as meat and bone meal.
“Many consumers have not keyed into the fact that the product sitting in their homes and on their shelves contains prohibited material,” Jones says. “Children sometimes consume pet foods out of their companion animals’ bowls. I saw my daughter do that, years ago when she was young. I have no evidence to support it, but I’ve heard reports that indicate certain segments of the U.S. population utilize dog food as a source of nutrition.” Cat owners, too, are also generally unaware that cats can develop FSE, and that the materials that can transmit the disease could be in the cat food, says Jones.
While the FDA was fast to recall all the meat that came from the BSE-infected cow found in Washington, experts say it would have been safe to eat, even for humans and cats. This is because the agent that causes transmissible spongiform encephalopathies is not found in the cows’ muscle tissue. Products containing prohibited materials such as “meat and bone meal” are another story, and we recommend avoiding them altogether – for your cats and your kids.
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Recently, we published promotional materials for WDJ (a pamphlet titled “Top Dog Foods for Total Wellness”) that contained information from an article published in our February 2000 issue concerning a food made by Eagle Pet Products, of Mishawaka, Indiana. At that time, the label of Eagle Pack Natural Formula indicated that it contained an ingredient we did not approve of (animal fat), and for this reason, we did not recommend the product. Shortly afterward, Eagle changed the label to reflect a species specific fat source (chicken fat), which improved our opinion of the product. Eagle Pack Natural Formula meets all our selection criteria for a “WDJ approved dry dog food.”
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Immediate access to this article and 20+ years of archives.
Recommendations for the best dog food for your dog.
Dry food, homemade diets and recipes, dehydrated and raw options, canned food and more.
Brands, formulations and ingredients all searchable in an easy-to-use, searchable database.
Plus, you’ll receive training and care guidance to keep your dog healthy and happy. You’ll feed with less stress…train with greater success…and know you are giving your dog the care he deserves.
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I’m taking this month off from writing an editorial. Instead, in memory of Rupie, here are some lyrics from a song by Ben Harper (copyright 1995, Virgin Records).
“By My Side”
Don’t you get ahead of me
and I won’t leave you behind
if you get unhappy
show me a sign
there’s no love like lost love
no pain like a broken heart
there’s no love like you and me
and no loss like us apart
by my side
by my side
won’t you be by my side
by my side
by my side
won’t you be by my side
– Reserve antibiotic use for those very rare occasions when they are necessary to save a life.
– If you absolutely must use an antibiotic, use it at the prescribed dosage and for the entire period of time recommended by the manufacturer.
– When feasible, use immune-enhancing and antioxidant supplements in place of (or to prevent the need for) antibiotics.
– Give your dog probiotics during and after antibiotic use to restore and promote healthy bacterial flora.
– Avoid using antibiotic-laden household cleansers; these help create resistant bacteria.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived through an era of one of medicine’s most dramatic miracles. Unfortunately, I may also live long enough to witness the miracle come full circle. Unless we get a firm grip on the two-headed monster of antibiotics, I’m scared we may be in for a self-induced era of monstrously killer “bugs,” powerful infectious agents that will actually be able to feast on any of the manmade antibiotics we toss their way.
Actually, we are almost there now. Our refusal to listen to the very people who developed antibiotics some six decades ago; our quest for the quick-fix, silver-bullet answer to all diseases; our human hubris, thinking that we are smarter than nature; and perhaps some of the very assumptions that have been the mainstay of Western medicine (e.g., the belief in the germ theory of disease, and the “us against them” model of medicine where we “confront the enemies as if we were at war with them”) – all of these have played an active part in helping to create a world where most species of bacteria are now able to develop resistance to most, if not all, the antibiotics we are able to manufacture.
And, despite what some may try to tell you (typically, those who have a vested interest in the commercial production or distribution of antibiotics are the loudest drumbeaters for the drugs), there is absolutely no evidence that we will ever be able to stem the tide of resistant bacteria . . . no matter what technology we are able to develop in the future. It turns out that bacteria are smarter than anything we have been able to develop to date – smarter than anything we have yet been able to conceive!
Furthermore, and perhaps worst of all, as we have tried to create an environment where we and our pets will never get sick, we have in fact created an environment that may be less healthy overall, and may actually be more harmful to future generations.
On the up side of all this is the hope that we animals can still create and perpetuate a harmonious environment with nature by using the natural methods of health and healing – herbal medicines, acupuncture, homeopathy, etc. Along with this use of natural medicines, perhaps we can also learn the lesson of the importance of living with nature; as we live today, it is a life-threatening certainty that the model of trying to dominate nature isn’t working.
There are at least four areas of concern when we use antibiotics:
1. Resistant strains of bacteria that will make future treatments for this patient difficult, if not impossible;
2. Resistant strains in the environment that may create super strains of bacteria that could affect entire communities;
3. Destruction of the normal flora that lives on us all and that is actually beneficial; and,
4. Adverse side effects.
Resistant Bacteria Strains
Here’s what’s been happening on the “germ warfront” while you and I were apparently asleep at the wheel:
The original production of a class of synthetic biochemicals that eventually became known as antibiotics began in the early 1940s, so we animals and our environment have had only a few decades to test the short- and long-term effects of synthetic antibiotic use. Already it is apparent the experiment has gone awry.
By one account, in 1946, just a few years after the introduction of penicillin, 14 percent of the bacterial strains isolated from sick patients were already resistant. By the end of that decade, the frequency had jumped to 59 percent in the same hospital. Today almost all species of bacteria have developed resistant strains; many species have strains that are at least 70-80 percent resistant to one or more antibiotics; and some bacterial strains are almost 100 percent resistant to nearly all the antibiotics currently available.
Interestingly, even back in the early days of antibiotic discovery, while they were being touted by some enthusiasts as absolutely miraculous, silver-bullet germ killers, the very people who were instrumental in their development were warning us about their potentially harmful aspects. These early scientists, including Louis Pasteur, Alexander Fleming, and Rene J. Dubos, all understood that there were shortcomings to the antibiotics as medicine, and they warned us of dire consequences if we did not understand the naturally adaptive mechanism of evolution that the “bugs” would use against us and our antibiotics.
The dire predictions of the early scientists were well-founded. The basic “job” of a species of bacteria, as with any species, is to survive and reproduce. Whenever a colony of bacteria is confronted with a potentially lethal mechanism (in this case, synthetic antibiotics), one of its natural survival mechanisms is to evolve ways to protect itself from the invader.
Bacteria, with their extremely rapid reproduction rate, are uniquely adapted to use evolution as a survival mechanism. No synthetic antibiotic yet produced has been able to kill 100 percent of the pathogenic bacteria it is meant to kill (without also killing the patient). Given the fact that just one surviving bacterium can produce an entirely new, antibiotic-resistant generation within days, it only takes an extremely small percentage of survivors to regenerate a new subspecies of resistant bacteria.
But bacteria are even “smarter” than this, and they have “learned” how to develop even more insidious methods of avoiding the killing powers of antibiotics. Bacteria contain plasmids – mini-chromosomes that can carry genetic information about methods of avoiding antibiotics from one generation to another in what we think of as the normal evolutionary manner.
With bacteria, however, the scenario goes beyond simple evolution. A bacteria’s plasmids can transfer antibiotic resistance information from one species to another (say, from streptococcus to staphylococcus), and the plasmid can transfer resistance information about more than one antibiotic at a time. So, if one streptococcal strain survives an insult from several different antibiotics (say, penicillin, ampicillin, lincomycin, tetracycline, and cephalexin) and thereby “learns” how to resist each of these antibiotics, this streptococcal strain can transfer this multiple antibiotic resistance “know-how” to its offspring and to other, entirely different species of bacteria.
There’s more. Recently, scientists have discovered that many bacteria have the ability to somehow predict the mechanism of destruction the next antibiotic we produce will use – and they are not only able to form resistance to antibiotic pressures they have never been exposed to, but also can transfer this ability to other species of bacteria.
It’s no wonder that experts in the field of antibiotics have been worried, from the time when the drugs were developed to now.
To be sure, it is true that many of the resistant strains of bacteria likely have been created by inappropriate use of the antibiotics. Whenever a patient does not use the full antibiotic dosage or does not continue the dosage throughout the full time-frame recommended by the manufacturer, more bacteria will be left alive to evolve ways to avoid the antibiotic pressure. However, even given perfect compliance with antibiotic dosage amounts and length of time, there will always be some bugs that aren’t killed, and some of these bugs will ultimately learn how to resist the antibiotics being prescribed to kill them.
Resistant Strains in the Environment
In 1942 the total amount of antibiotic available in the entire world amounted to about 32 liters of penicillin. Today some 20 million pounds of antibiotics are used annually in this country alone. As we’ve seen, every time an antibiotic is used, it creates an environment where bacteria are “encouraged” to evolve protective mechanisms, and the result is that our environment has become literally saturated with resistant strains of bacteria.
Much of the total amount of antibiotics produced in this country (some estimates indicate more than 80 percent of total production) is fed to food animals at sub-therapeutic levels – levels that promote animal growth (and allow for cheaper meat for the consumer), but that allow for a faster production of resistant bacterial strains. It is a simple matter for these resistant strains to be passed to farmers and people living nearby. Of course, this transfer of resistance can go the other way too – from people to animals.
The concern doesn’t end with food animal production. Consider that perhaps 100 to 150 million dogs, cats, and other pets are ingesting antibiotics each year – each of these with the potential to cause resistant strains of bacteria. Horticulturists and farmers use antibiotics to wage war on plant bacteria, and even our waterways are contaminated with antibiotics. Then there’s the recent movement to hyper-hygiene, an attempt to remove any and all “bugs” from the household environment by coating every surface with “protective” antibiotics.
Every year we are literally dumping millions of tons of antibiotics into our living environment – each ounce of antibiotic with the potential to create yet another antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria.
Furthermore, scientists have shown that multiresistant bacteria spread to others as a contaminant (meat contaminated with very small amounts of multiresistant salmonella, for example) has a much better chance of causing severe infection (in our example case, life-threatening diarrhea) in those people who are currently on antibiotics. In other words, ingestion of antibiotics is an important contributing factor in the increased likelihood of getting severe disease when exposed to resistant bacteria, whatever the source of the bacteria.
There may be an even deeper problem for us pet lovers. As the problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria grows, in order to reserve at least some antibiotic effectiveness for severe cases in people, there will likely be more hue and cry that we quit using them entirely for “lesser” species such as dogs and cats. Already considerable effort has been made toward banning the agricultural antibiotic use in food animals to promote growth, and that effort is certain to eventually extend to our pets.
There are a myriad of reasons – for our health, for the health of the environment, and for the future health of our pets – that we should be concerned about the overuse of antibiotics.
Spread of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
In the mid-1970s after an outbreak of resistant salmonellosis in a hospital newborn nursery in Connecticut was traced to an infected calf on a nearby farm, an experiment was conducted to monitor the potential for spread of resistant bacteria from farms.
Two groups of chickens were monitored for nine months – one group was fed sub-therapeutic levels of the antibiotic oxytetracycline (much as is the current practice to enhance growth and production); the other group acted as control (no antibiotics used). Feces were examined from the chickens, from farm workers, from a farm family living about 200 feet away, and from neighboring families whose children attended the same schools.
Within 24-36 hours of feeding the oxytetracycline-laced feed to the chickens, their intestinal Escherichia coli were converted from susceptible to those that were mostly resistant to tetracycline. Over the ensuing three months, E. coli appeared that were not only resistant to tetracycline but also to ampicillin, streptomycin, and sulfonamides, even though the chickens had never been fed these drugs. In fact, no one had used these drugs on the farm at all.
Gradually, after five to six months, increased resistance appeared in the intestinal E. coli of the farm family members. By the sixth month, the E. coli were resistant to four to five different antibiotics, and this phenomenon of multiple resistance in farm inhabitants occurred even though they were not taking the tetracycline, nor were they eating the chickens.
Other experiments have shown that a similar spread of resistant bacteria can occur between many, if not all, animal species.
Destruction of Normal Flora
About 1014th (one hundred thousand billion) bacteria live on the skin and in the gut of a normal, healthy human being. This amount is about 10 times more than all the tissue cells that make up an average 150-pound person. Almost none of these bacteria ever cause harm, and many of them are not just beneficial, they are absolutely necessary to maintain a healthy inner and outer environment. For example, a healthy gut actually requires that certain bacterial species be present in adequate numbers, and many of the bacteria normally found on the skin help provide a healthy protective activity against outside invaders.
Only a very small percentage of bacteria ever become pathogenic (causing harm), and the body has many natural mechanisms to keep these pathogens from gaining a foothold. What’s more, it almost always takes some change in the normal body’s homeostatic mechanisms to allow these species to revert to unhealthy ones.
If you use an antibiotic that is effective enough to kill most of the pathogenic bacteria, you have not only instigated the process of creating resistant bugs, but also set off the reaction that can kill many of the beneficial bugs in and on the body. The most common symptom you’ll see from the kill-off of the beneficial bacterial species is diarrhea, the result of destroying the normally protective flora of the gut. However, many medical scientists now speculate that a loss of the normal flora of the body may ultimately lead to chronic conditions such as immune-mediated diseases and cancers.
Adverse Side Effects of Antibiotics
If we think only of the extent of the direct problem, adverse side effects may be one of the least of our antibiotic-related concerns. But, in a perverse way, this habit of Western medicine to rely on statistical numbers may be a prime contributor to the overall problem.
Even though life-threatening reactions to antibiotics (anaphylactic reactions) occur only rarely, they do occur. And the fact that they are rare is certainly no solace to that one-in-several-hundred-thousand patient who has just become a statistic.
Other side effects are much more common, although they typically affect only a small percentage of the patients being treated. Some antibiotics may be, depending on the individual’s sensitivity to the drug being used, toxic enough to destroy one or more of the patient’s organ systems. More commonly, side effects are said to be “mild” and they are generally thought to be reversible when treatment is discontinued.
To my way of thinking, it is this “hidden” aspect of antibiotic adverse reactions that is as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than the actual reactions themselves. (See “Hidden Dangers of Antibiotics.”) Because they are “hidden” and so rarely observed, adverse side effects are often totally discounted. As a result, treatments (often inappropriate treatments) are instigated without even considering adverse side effects.
Worse yet: Because we veterinarians have typically been so cavalier in our approach to antibiotics, it has been easy for us to use them in inappropriate ways. Over the years it has become common practice for many of us to prescribe antibiotics to treat disease-causing agents that are not affected by antibiotics (viral diseases, for example). Also, we often have used antibiotics as a means to cover for less-than-sterile surgery techniques. And this is to say nothing about those of us who have recommended low levels of antibiotics to enhance growth in food animals. Because each of these practices allows more resistant strains of bacteria to emerge, all of them have helped create the tremendous numbers of resistant bacteria in the world today.
Hidden Dangers of Antibiotics
An illustrative true story: I once had a veterinarian call me, mad as a wet hen. “What the hell is this stuff you recommended for Ms. Smith’s dog?” he demanded in a huff. “I don’t recognize any of what you wrote down. I’m guessing they’re all some kind of herbal crapola or something like that. Is that right?”
“What seems to be the problem?” I asked, trying to remain calm, and he responded that whatever it was I had recommended, according to the lab results he had just received, was destroying the dog’s kidney.
So, I reviewed what I had recommended and didn’t recognize any of the herbs on my list as potentially nephro-toxic. I relayed that information to the doctor, and I also gave my usual disclaimer: “You know that any medicine may cause adverse reactions in certain individuals, so I suppose that what we could be dealing with here is an individual sensitivity to one or more of the herbs I’d recommended.”
Then I asked, “Out of curiosity, are you treating this patient with any Western medicine?”
“Hell, yes!” he replied. “This dog is sick, really sick. I’ve had him on gentamicin for better than a week now.”
Gentamicin, along with other aminoglycoside antibiotics, is well-known as being toxic to the kidney (as well as being toxic to ears and creating neuromuscular problems); gentamicin can cause acute cell death to the kidney’s tubular epithelial cells. Read the package insert and this is spelled out loud and clear. So, I calmly asked my irate caller, “Tell me, doctor, have you ever heard of the potential for causing renal problems from using gentamicin?” Upon which he hung up.
Read the package insert of any antibiotic and you’ll see that a certain percentage of all patients using it will have some sort of adverse reaction. Common side effects, depending on the antibiotic being used, might include: diarrhea, skin rash, joint pain, headaches, behavioral changes, abnormal bone or tooth growth, or, as in the case of gentamicin, ear, kidney, and neuromuscular toxicosis.
(Incidentally, just because adverse side effects are listed on the package inserts of antibiotics, don’t expect that your veterinarian has read them. A recent survey of physicians indicated that only a very small percentage of those surveyed had read any package insert during the past 12 months. Instead, they relied on drug company representatives to provide them with information pertinent to the drugs they bought. A similar survey is not available for vets, but I’d expect the results to be similar.)
Usually, adverse symptoms are passed off as being mild or reversible when treatment is discontinued, and because they are usually rare, the fact that they even exist is simply ignored. Then, because we practitioners ignore the possibility of side effects, we tend to feel it’s safe to use them, even when they might not be indicated. With a false sense of security, we blithely go about our business, prescribing antibiotics willy-nilly.
Don’t Create Resistant Bacteria
There are several general things you can do to help avoid the creation of resistant bacteria in your household:
• Synthetic antibiotics can be life savers – life savers that can have dire consequences if used inappropriately. Reserve their use for those rare occasions when they are absolutely necessary to save a life.
• Not all symptoms are bad. Fever, for example, is one method the healthy dog uses to overcome bacterial infections. Resist using antibiotics for every little ailment that comes along life’s pathway.
• If you absolutely must use antibiotics, use them at the recommended dosage and for the entire period of time recommended by the manufacturer.
• Avoid the routine use of antibiotic-laden household cleansers that can only perpetuate the creation of resistant bugs. Let your dogs (and your family!) develop their own immunity to the naturally occurring bacteria in the environment by interacting naturally with them. Bathe your dogs only when absolutely necessary.
Support Your Dog’s Defenses
In addition to reduced and more thoughtful use of antibiotics, there are several natural methods we can use to maintain our dogs’ health and to treat any disease that may arise:
• Probiotics (which literally means “for life,” as compared to antibiotics, which means “against life”) help your dogs maintain a healthy bacterial flora. These beneficial, “good-guy” bacteria are found in the gut in enormous numbers, with smaller numbers occurring in other locations on the body – the vagina, mouth, and skin, as examples. Probiotic species include several species of Bifidobacterium and Lacto-bacillus.
Probiotics have a number of healthful functions including enhancing digestive functions; maintaining control over potentially hostile yeasts and pathogenic bacteria; helping to maintain normal levels of certain hormones; helping to decrease cholesterol; and acting as anti-tumor agents. Perhaps their most vital activity, though, is their ability to destroy bacteria by producing natural antibiotic products.
Probiotics are easily killed by synthetic antibiotics, and returning them to their natural habitat is essential for the long-term health of any animal that is or has been on antibiotic therapy.
The ideal way to recharge the gut with healthy bugs is to supplement with a probiotic product that contains one or more of the abovementioned species. A dollop of unsweetened natural yogurt on top of your dog’s daily meal will go a long way toward helping him maintain intestinal health. If you are dealing with a specific disease, though, you may need to check with your holistic vet for the appropriate probiotics to use.
• Immune-enhancing and antioxidant supplements can sometimes be used in place of (or to prevent the need for) antibiotics. As the body defends itself against bacteria and the polluting toxins from the environment, cells form oxidative products or free radicals that are toxic to inner tissues. Antioxidants counter these toxic byproducts and in turn enhance the ability of the immune system to function properly. Several nutrients, including vitamins A, C, E, selenium, and zinc, act as antioxidants.
Herbal antioxidants include almost all the spice herbs, such as basil (Ocimum basilicum), oregano (Origanum vulgare), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and cayenne, (Capsicum annuum), along with many others. Herbals that have a direct effect on the immune system include astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous), echinacea (Echinacea spp.), calendula (Calendula officinalis), and thuja (Thuja occidentalis).
You can provide these as a supplement to the diet on a daily or weekly basis, and the beautiful aspect of herbs is that they can often simply be added to the diet as a tasty sprinkle atop your dog’s food. Do a taste test to see which herbs he likes the best; it’s these herbs that are likely to be the ones he needs the most. Herbs and nutritional supplements can also be given at therapeutic levels whenever an infection arises. Check with your holistic vet for dosages.
• Few people are aware that there are many herbs that offer antibiotic action without concomitant risk of resistance. Within many herbs lies an almost complete medicine chest of substances that are active against a wide variety of microorganisms. There are two keys here: 1) a typical herb contains dozens of bioactive ingredients, and 2) these bioactive ingredients have activity against many different microorganisms, including the viruses where synthetic antibiotics are totally ineffective.
From a practical standpoint, this means it is extremely difficult for any one bacterial species to develop resistance to all the different bioactive mechanisms contained in a single herb plant. Also, the herb will likely be effective against a variety of micro-organisms – another bonus when we worry about creating antibiotic resistance.
On the other hand, herbal medicines do not contain gargantuan amounts of any one bioactive substance, so their effects are often mild and relatively slow-acting. This fact tempts some makers of herbal products to extract and concentrate the bioactive substances that they believe contribute the most to the herb’s beneficial action. But remember: If we remove one of the active ingredients of an individual herb and attempt to use the extract against a specific bacteria, we have returned to the basic paradigms of Western medicine that have gotten us into trouble with synthetic antibiotics.
I strongly feel that it’s best to use whole herbs. They may be generally mild and tend to work slowly, but due to their basic makeup, whole herbs are active against many microorganisms at once, making it extremely difficult for any bacterial species to become resistant.
Some of the common herbs with active antibiotic activity include: aloe (Aloe vera); calendula (Calendula officinalis); echinacea (Echinacea spp.); garlic (Allium sativum); goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis); lavender (Lavendula officinalis); licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra); oregano (Origanum vulgare); peppermint (Mentha piperita); sage (Salvia officinalis); and thyme (Thymus vulgaris).
• Many of the alternative medicines, including homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, etc., work by restoring whole mind/body/spirit balance, and it is this restoration that allows the physical body to create an inner environment inhospitable to pathogenic bacteria.
Homeopathy is said to act by enhancing the patient’s “vital force.” Acupuncture is supposed to balance whole-body “chi.” By aligning the spine, chiropractic enhances the body’s “innate” ability to return to homeostasis. While none of these methods is specific for “fighting” germs, perhaps this is their real saving grace as medicines; while helping the patient return to normal health, none of these methods destroys beneficial bacteria, nor do any of them force the bacteria to develop resistance.
Antibiotic Summary
I am personally scared to death that antibiotic use may become the single most formidable opponent to health we have ever seen in human history. I pattern my fears after many other medical scientists, from those who “discovered” antibiotics to today’s more enlightened scientists and practitioners; see the bibliography below for a partial list. If I didn’t succeed in scaring you, I hope you will at least think long and hard before you let your veterinarian use or prescribe antibiotics for your dog.
There are lots of natural ways to prevent and combat infections. We have used some of these methods for millennia; neither our species nor those of our animal companions were on the brink of extinction before we discovered antibiotics! Some infection-fighting methods use substances that already occur in nature, and the best do no harm to the powerfully healing environment all of us living creatures rely on.
Dr. Randy Kidd earned his DVM degree from Ohio State University and his Ph.D. in Pathology/Clinical Pathology from Kansas State University. A past president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, he’s author of Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Dog Care and Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Cat Care.
Are you thinking about adding a second (or third, or fourth) dog to your household? Will your current dog be thrilled with a new friend? Will the dogs play with each other, romp together, and keep each other company in your absence? Or will adding another dog to your home create disharmony, chaos, or worse?
Living in a multi-dog home can be very rewarding. I have to admit that nothing warms my heart more than seeing our two girls playing or sleeping together; their affection for each other is truly a joy to behold. And there are other great reasons for adding another dog to your household:
• You have room in your heart for a new family member.
• You want to provide a good home for a dog in need.
• You have the time, money, and space.
• You think your dog would enjoy the companionship of another dog.
But living with multiple dogs brings a whole new set of challenges. Adding a second (or third, or fourth) dog means more fun, more love, more joy and more wonderful doggy companionship. But it also means much more from you: more time, more money, more energy, and more working through problems.
For example, many people consider adding a second dog to their households because their first dog seems lonely, and this is understandable. However, it may be a mistake if it’s your primary or only reason. Bringing a new dog home doesn’t mean the two dogs will immediately become friends. Nor does it mean your dog will be less lonely, play more, or have a better life. In fact, it could mean more stress, especially during the adjustment period, and less attention from you.
Another reason people adopt a second dog: “I saw him at the pet fair and fell in love.” While having an emotional affinity with a dog is a part of what makes our human/dog relationships work (and adoring the new addition can really help when he pees on your favorite rug), sometimes, falling in love with a particular animal can cloud common sense. In the case of a multi-dog household, our emotions need to be dramatically tempered with common sense.
Remember, having a second dog always requires an output of more time and energy. You will also need to be sure that you really do have enough money, space, and affection for two or more dogs. In addition, you’ll need to make sure that your current dog is suited for living with another dog.
Is your dog a good candidate?
There is no single way to determine if a dog will do well with another dog in the home. In general, dogs that are confident, calm, and friendly toward other dogs may be good candidates for the multi-dog household. Finding a suitable companion for a dog who is nervous, shy, or fearful around other dogs may be much more difficult.
If your dog has never lived with another dog, take some time to evaluate your dog’s personality and his or her affinity with other dogs. Does your dog, in general, get along well with other dogs? Does she play with other dogs? Does she have dog friends? Does she only like certain dogs? How is her confidence level around other dogs? How does your dog behave if another dog visits your home?
If you are not sure of the answers to these questions, you might want to do a bit more research before you make a decision about whether or not to add a second dog. Consider taking your dog to a play group, doggy day care, or another place where he or she can engage with well-socialized dogs. Consider having a “trial run” by fostering a dog or having a suitable dog friend come and visit for a weekend. Talk to your trainer or other animal care providers and ask their opinion on whether your dog would be a good candidate multi-dog household.
Use special caution if your dog displays aggression toward other dogs. A dog who is aggressive with other dogs outside the home may or may not be able to learn to live with another dog. In some cases, aggressive dogs do very well with dogs that are part of their pack. In general, however, finding a suitable companion for a dog with aggression issues will be much more difficult (remember that any new dog you bring into the home will, at least initially, be outside the pack) and safety will need to be a primary consideration. If your dog has any type of aggression issues and you would like to consider adding another dog, consult with a good behavior counselor to help you make the decision.
Even if a dog is generally friendly toward other dogs, he or she may not be a suitable candidate for a two-dog home. Older dogs who have always been the “only dog” may find a new dog in the home upsetting. If you and your dog are extremely close, he may have trouble “sharing” you. Dogs who are shy around other dogs (even if they are not aggressive) may find the addition of another dog simply too stressful.
When NOT to get another dog
There are some very good reasons to keep your house as a home to only a single dog. You may want to think twice about adding another dog if:
• You don’t really have enough time for your current dog. Getting a second dog won’t fill a void left by your lack of time. You’ll simply have two dogs that aren’t getting enough attention. A handout from the Humane Society of Silicon Valley (Santa Clara, California) suggests that a second dog will take about five extra hours a week of your time (I’d double that estimate for a young, energetic dog).
• You can’t afford a second dog. Consider not only the basic costs of food, grooming, toys, and regular veterinary care, but also the big costs, like a serious illness.
• Your dog has behavior problems or is not yet trained. Adding a second dog is likely to compound behavior problems, not solve them. For example, instead of having one dog who barks while you are at work, you are more likely to end up with two barking dogs. In addition, it is much easier to train your first dog before you bring a new dog into the home. (I know from personal experience that two unruly dogs are exponentially more exasperating than one!)
• You’re going through other life changes, like a new home, new baby, or loss of an older family dog. Wait until high stress times have settled and your home is stable before adding the additional stress of a new dog.
• You like your dog and your life exactly as it is now. Sometimes, we want to add a second dog because we anticipate the future – such as our dog growing older or even dying – and want to get a second dog to help ease the transition. While this is a valid sentiment, adding a new dog now will change the dynamics of your family. Your new dog may demand more of your attention, making it difficult to maintain the same level of relationship you’ve enjoyed with your first dog.
• You’re walking past an adoption center, you see a cute puppy in a window . . . Stop. Think twice. Go home and talk it over with your dog.
Finding a second dog
Bringing a new dog home is adding a new family member. Each of the family members will need to “get along” with the new addition – people and animals alike. Think long and hard about what you want in a new dog. Are you looking for a couch potato dog to hang out with after a long day at work? Do you want a running companion or a playmate for your younger dog? Do you want a dog to travel with? Do you enjoy dog sports like agility or obedience? Do you have cats or other animals to consider? For the sake of harmony in the home, also think about the type of dog that will be the most suitable match for your current dog.
Some of the things to consider are gender, size, and age. Most experts agree that, as a rule, male and female dogs get along better than two females or two males. However, that being said, I’ve known many households (including my own) that successfully have two of the same gender dogs without any problems at all.
It is also generally safer to have dogs nearer in size; they can be better matched as playmates and there is less risk of accidental injury. The rule of thumb is that the two dogs should not have more than a 50 percent difference in weight. But again, under the right circumstances and with precautions, many larger and smaller dogs share a home with few problems.
Age of the dogs involved can also be an important factor. There is really no “right or wrong” when deciding what age a new dog should be, but rather consider the overall dynamics. For example, if you have a very old dog, a puppy could simply be too much. You may need to manage the environment so that the puppy doesn’t badger the older dog with requests of attention and play. On the other hand, an older dog can be a good role model for a younger dog and many older dogs still enjoy puppies. Dogs of similar age may make good playmates, but they may also be more likely to compete for status within the family.
Temperament and personality may be the best determinants. A dog whose personality complements, rather than competes with, your current dog’s personality can be a very good match. For example, if your dog is outgoing to the point of being pushy, he or she may do well with a friendly but less demanding dog. Another good match may be pairing a shy dog with an outgoing, confident dog.
Pay attention to the type of dog that your dog “likes” as well. While many puppies and young dogs play with just about anyone who will engage, mature dogs often have a few select “friends.” Notice the personalities of your dog’s friends. For example, pay attention if your dog generally does well playing with quiet females, but avoids rowdy adolescents.
When choosing a new dog, if possible, have the dogs meet each in a neutral location before making a decision. Pay attention to how they respond to each other. If your instincts tell you it isn’t a good match – no matter how much you adore the potential new dog – keep looking.
Adopting two dogs
Ask just about any trainer: What do you think about adopting two dogs at the same time? Many experts respond with an emphatic, “Don’t do it!” Lots of people do adopt two dogs, sometimes siblings, at the same time. And I admit that I’ve made this “mistake” more than once and it has worked out just fine. But I’ll also admit that each time I’ve done it, I’ve sworn up and down that I would never do it again! Why? Because the amount of work, energy, and effort is much more than simply having two dogs.
Adopting two dogs (or worse, two puppies) at the same time is simply asking for several years of chaos. It may be fun. It may even be worth it. But it will for sure be chaotic. The dogs will likely develop a stronger bond with each other than with you, making for a longer, more difficult road when it comes to training and socializing. You can, of course, counter that tendency by keeping the dogs separate, working with each individually, and establishing your relationship first – though this may not be a realistic option in an average home.
The one exception I would add to the “rule” that discourages adopting two dogs together is when two dogs who have always lived together are being re-homed. In this case, the loss and stress already being experienced by the dogs may be significantly reduced by keeping them together.
Helping the dogs get along
Once you’ve made the decision to live with two or more dogs, you can do a whole lot to help maintain peace and harmony among your pack. The first step is to make the initial meeting as pleasant as possible.
In November, Jay and Lisa Fitz, of Aptos, California, adopted a three-year-old Smooth Fox Terrier, Sally, from a rescue group. Their careful planning and search for a perfect companion for their eight-year-old Wire Fox Terrier, Chester, seems to have paid off. After a few short weeks of living together, Sally and Chester began playing together and her youthful energy is definitely helping him to be more active.
The Fitzs enjoyed a unique and ideal situation when introducing Sally and Chester. First, they were able to have the two dogs meet in a yard at the rescue kennel. Then, because the rescue kennel was six hours from home, the two people and two dogs spent the night in the completely neutral environment of a hotel room.
“With Chester ignoring Sally and Sally being very scared, this didn’t look like an ideal scenario, but it worked out really well,” says Lisa. The four slept together in a king-sized hotel bed waking up the next morning as one happy family. “Almost magic!” said Fitz.
If the introductions go well and you bring your new dog home, you can continue to help the dogs get along by providing strong leadership. If you are clearly in charge from the start, then your dogs won’t have to compete for leadership. By simply controlling resources (such as food, access to the outdoors, toys, and attention from people), you can establish yourself as the leader. Insist that the dogs are polite – with you and with each other – in order to gain access to those resources.
Expect your dogs to get along, but avoid taking sides if they don’t. Consoling a dog who seems to be getting picked on, or scolding a dog for initiating a conflict could easily backfire. For dogs with inherently good social skills, let them negotiate minor, nonviolent differences without interfering. If the dogs are headed toward a major confrontation, however, you can step in and redirect the dog’s behavior before the conflict escalates. If your dogs repeatedly argue, or if you have a dog who bullies or doesn’t pay attention to the other dog’s efforts to set limits, get help from a qualified trainer or behavior counselor right away.
Set your dogs up for success. Feed them in separate bowls and even separate rooms or crates if they appear competitive about food. Make sure they have their own toys and beds. Respect their differences and their individual needs and make sure you spend time with each separately where they can have your undivided attention. Teach them polite behavior – like sitting for treats or to be petted – so they learn that competition and pushiness won’t get them what they want, but being polite will.
Under the right circumstances, sharing your home with two or more dogs can be extremely rewarding. Dog energy multiplied by two or more can fill a home with exuberance, love, and joy. Living with multiple dogs can also be a very interesting and wonderful way to learn more about how dogs behave and communicate with each other. In addition, many dogs are much happier and more playful with another dog in the home. But remember that for some dogs, and their people, having an “only dog” is really best.
1. Manage your dog’s destructive behavior with crates, leashes, tethers, baby gates, and (if needed) daycare providers, to prevent her from practicing the unwanted behaviors.
2. Give your dog plenty of exercise and keep her mouth and mind occupied with appropriate chew objects and tasks.
3. Control yourself when slip-ups occur and your dog destroys something valuable or dear to you. It does NO GOOD to emote around the dog.
4. Work with a positive behavior consultant and veterinarian if your dog’s destructive behaviors are beyond your ability to manage and modify.
You arrive home from work, dreading what you are going to find. Your fears are realized as you walk through the door and discover tufts of sofa cushion stuffing scattered in snow-like drifts across your living room floor. Your 10-month-old Border Collie, Darby, grovels at your feet, obviously aware that she’s been a very bad dog. You knew she was going to get even with you for leaving her home alone all day. Right?
Wrong!
Owners often misunderstand their dogs’ motives for destructive behavior and misinterpret their dogs’ responses when the damage is discovered. The result of this lack of understanding is often the inappropriate application of verbal and/or physical punishment, which, ironically, can make the problem even worse.
Dogs are normally destructive for one or more of five reasons, none of which involve spite, malice, or “getting even.” The five reasons are:
• Stress: Physical activity relieves stress. A stressed human may pace the floor, go jogging, chew her fingernails, or tap a pencil on the table or a foot on the floor. Chewing, digging, and other destructive behaviors are stress relievers for dogs. Stress-related destructive behavior can be relatively mild, or turn into full-blown separation anxiety.
• Teething: A young dog can be in mild to somewhat severe discomfort when his new teeth are pushing through the gums, and until they are fully emerged at 18-24 months. Chewing helps relieve teething pain, which is one of the reasons puppies and adolescent dogs are such dedicated chewers.
• High jinks: Dogs explore the world with their mouths, and young dogs are particularly motivated to explore the world around them, as so much of it is new and exciting. Does this taste good? Does this feel good? Is this fun to play with? In addition, baby dogs and juveniles tend to have high energy levels, and sometimes go on a rampage in a burst of feel-good energy, similar to a teenager who trashes the house with a beer party when his parents unwisely leave him home alone for a weekend.
• Boredom: Busy dogs need something to do. The herding breeds especially can be workaholics; if you don’t give them a job, they’ll create one, and it may not be one that meets with your approval.
• Habit: If a dog is poorly managed and allowed to repeatedly engage in destructive behavior during his formative months (the first one to two years) he may develop destructive behavior habits that can continue throughout his life. In contrast, if he is well managed for his first two years, he is unlikely to pick up destructive behaviors later in life – unless his environment changes drastically and causes him undue stress.
Dogs Are NOT Guilty
Whatever the underlying cause of your dog’s destructive behavior, it’s important to realize that dogs don’t do things out of spite. Their brains simply don’t work that way.
When you come home to a dog-trashed house and your dog grovels at your feet, the most likely explanation is that she can see by your body language that you’re upset, and offers deference signals – ears back, submissive grin, crawling on the floor, rolling on her back – in an attempt to divert your wrath away from her. She doesn’t know why you’re upset, but she can tell that you’re about to be dangerous.
Even if you haven’t seen the damage yet, your tension over the anticipated destruction you might find could well be enough to induce her to go belly-up, especially if she is a “soft,” non-assertive dog.
Occasionally a client will insist that her dog knows better. She may offer the garbage can scenario as proof that her dog knows he’s done wrong.
“I get up in the morning, haven’t even gone into the kitchen yet, have no reason to think there’s a problem, so there’s no way I’m giving body language signals,” she’ll say. “Yet Rowdy walks into my bedroom with that guilty look on his face, and I know immediately that he’s been in the garbage.”
Dogs don’t feel guilt. To think they do implies a belief that they have a moral code with an intrinsic sense of right and wrong. They can learn that certain behaviors have good consequences and others have bad consequences. They can learn to have positive associations with certain environmental cues, and negative associations with others. But they simply don’t have the capacity to make moral judgments about human values.
In the garbage scenario, chances are that Rowdy has come to associate the presence of garbage on the floor and your arrival in the kitchen with some level of owner disapproval, and he’s already sending appeasement signals in the hope that your disapproval won’t land on him. I can pretty much bet he wasn’t thinking about moral behavior when he was spreading garbage around the kitchen – he was probably fully engaged in garbage play. Nor was he likely thinking, “My owner is going to be really mad later, but it’s worth it!” Dogs live in the moment, and in the moment that he got in the garbage, Rowdy was just making good stuff happen. The simple solution? Put the garbage can where he can’t get to it, or get a covered garbage can that he can’t open.
If you are convinced your dog “knows” he is guilty of wrongdoing when he gets into the garbage, try this experiment: Strew trash around the kitchen yourself, out of your dog’s sight. Then let him into the kitchen and ask him if he made the mess. Chances are he’ll display his classic “guilty” behaviors, even though he had nothing to do with the garbage on the floor.
Dogs Need to Learn Self Control
It’s understandable to feel frustrated and angry if you come home after a hard day at work to a house that looks like it’s been hit by a tornado. However, any punishment you issue at this point is totally useless and ineffective in altering your dog’s behavior. She probably ripped up the sofa cushions hours ago. Dirty looks and stern words may make you feel better in the moment, but will do nothing to change your dog’s behavior, other than teaching her to associate your return home with bad stuff.
I won’t even mention how physical punishment is inappropriate. If you’re going to use it (which I strongly recommend against!) it must happen within a few seconds of the undesirable behavior in order for the dog to be able to make the connection. You can’t do that when the behavior occurred hours earlier.
At worst, you might calmly invite Darby into her crate so she is out of harm’s way while you clean up the mess and vent your wrath with broom and mop on the unfeeling kitchen floor.
Management, Not Punishment
The solution to Darby’s destructive behavior is management, not punishment. As always, prevention is far simpler than cure, so crate training is an invaluable puppy lesson that can help your dog avoid destruction that arises from stress, teething, and high jinks, and prevent her from having the opportunity to develop destructive habits. (See “Crate Training Made Easy“.)
If you missed the opportunity to crate-train your dog as a pup, it may not be too late. Many adult dogs can easily learn to love their crates. I first ventured hesitantly into crating when I got an Australian Kelpie puppy in 1981. On her third night in our home, as I carried Keli to her crate, I heard an odd thumping noise emanating from its depths. I peered in, and there was Caper, my three-year-old Bull Terrier, wagging her tail loudly against the plastic crate wall, asking me in clear canine vocabulary to get her a crate too. I did, and have been a firm crate disciple ever since.
It may take your adult dog longer to accept the crate than a puppy, but if you take the time to convince her that the crate is a wonderful place to be, she will probably decide that being crated is okay.
There are exceptions. Many dogs with separation anxiety (SA) cannot tolerate being crated – the confinement causes them to panic, and they often injure themselves in their desperate and sometimes successful attempts to escape. If your dog is easily stressed but not displaying classic signs of SA, be extra careful about not adding to her stress with forceful crating techniques. (See “Taking Measures to Prevent Separation Anxiety Behaviors,” and “How to Help A Dog with Separation Anxiety“.) In addition, any displays of your displeasure can move a moderately stressed dog toward the “full-blown” end of the SA scale.
Some adult dogs who don’t suffer from anxiety are also unwilling to experience the joys of crating. Options for destructive dogs who can’t be crated include dog-proofing a room or kennel run for her to stay in where she can’t do damage; taking her to a doggie daycare center; or leaving her in the custody of a friend, neighbor, or family member who is home all day and willing to dog-sit. Some lucky owners are able to take their dogs to work with them. If you are one of these, be sure to supervise your canine shark closely at work so she doesn’t destroy things at the office – or you may lose your dog privileges.
Dogs with SA can often be helped with behavior modification in combination with anti-anxiety medications that can be used to lower their stress levels and help them be more able to cope. Check with your behavior consultant and/or veterinarian if you think this might be appropriate for your dog.
Exercise Your Dog for Better Behavior
Along with management, exercise can be an important element of your destruction reduction program. Exercise reduces stress and eliminates one of the primary causes of high jinks behavior – those high energy levels. Even teething and habit-related chewing can be diminished with a good exercise program. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog – and a happy owner.
Structured exercise of some kind is best; it keeps the dog focused and minimizes out-of-control arousal. Play fetch with a ball, toy, stick, or Frisbee, and require that she sit politely each time before you throw. Play tug of war, and insist that she play by the rules, which include that she give the tug toy to you when requested, and not grab it again until invited. (See “Tug-O-War is a Fun Game to Play with Your Dog“.)
Remember that a walk around the block on leash is not sufficient exercise for any young dog; it’s a mere exercise hors d’oeuvre. Try a long hike in the hills – off-leash if legal and your dog is under control, and on a long line if he’s not yet ready for off-leash hikes. As you watch your dog run circles around you, you’ll realize why a leashed walk barely puts a dent in his energy. Other people may find it’s easier to find a professional dog walker to exercise and thoroughly tire out the dog. Some dog walkers offer half- or full-day outings to the beach or other open spaces. (Be sure that any dog-care professionals you hire are fully on-board with your force-free training and handling philosophy.)
My first Kelpie and I would hike to the top of a hill, and I’d throw the ball down the hill for her to retrieve, over and over, taking advantage of the incline to give her even more of an exercise benefit.
Mind Games for Dogs
Boredom chewing can often be resolved by giving the dog something to do. Our current Kelpie, Katie, has decided that her house job is to gently herd our youngest cat, Viva. Her attention span is phenomenal. Watching Viva can occupy Katie for hours on end. If Viva is sleeping on the back of the sofa, Katie sits and stares at her. If the cat walks through the house, Katie follows her, nose to tail. Outside, Katie herds Tucker, our Cattle Dog mix, and when we go to the barn she thinks she herds the horses, although they mostly ignore her.
If you don’t have a dog who obsesses on herding all creatures great and small, you can create games that will exercise her mind. The Buster Cube and the Roll-A-Treat Ball, available online and from most pet supply stores and catalogs, are perfect for this. Treats are placed inside the ball or cube, and your dog must push the object around the room to make the treats fall out.
Training is another way to exercise your dog’s brain. A good positive training class makes dogs think, and they have to think hard. Dogs generally come home from a training class and sleep like logs – and then you practice at home all week, encouraging him to work that brain every day.
“Find It” is another great brain game to play. Before you leave, hide treats all over the house, in reasonably easy-to-reach places. Don’t hide them under the sofa cushions or in other in places that will encourage your dog to dig or chew – you’re trying to make that behavior go away, remember? Your dog can spend hours looking for all the treats!
Some dogs make up their own games. I know of at least two Border Collies who will carry a tennis ball to the top of the stairs and push it off, watch it bounce down and then chase after it and do it all over again.
If your dog is under the age of two and still doing teething-related chewing, you’ll be wise to keep valuable objects out of her reach and supply her with plenty of chewable objects. A stuffed Kong is my Scottie’s favorite chew toy. Even adult dogs enjoy a good chew now and then, so keep that Kong around – or several, if you have a multi-dog household.
If destructive behavior happens while you are home with your dog, you need to ratchet up your supervision program so she doesn’t have the opportunity to get into things she shouldn’t. Crates, leashes, tethers, and baby gates are all useful management tools.
There are lots of Demolition Darbies out there. With good management, your dog doesn’t need to be one of them.
1. Watch for early signs of mounting, and take appropriate steps to discourage them as soon as they arise.
2. Neuter your male dog sooner, rather than later.
3. Use “Good Manners” training and a “Say Please” program (described below) to create structure in your household and give yourself a control advantage.
4. Seek assistance from a positive trainer/behavior consultant if you’re not making progress on your own, or if you don’t feel comfortable addressing the behavior on your own.
Luke had been at the shelter for more than a month, and the staff was delighted when the two-year-old Cattle Dog mix was finally adopted to what seemed like the perfect home. Introductions at the shelter with the adopter’s other dog went reasonably well – although the two didn’t romp together, they seemed perfectly willing to peacefully coexist. Luke went to his new home just before Christmas. Before New Year’s, he was returned.
Her cheeks damp with tears, the adopter explained that the two dogs were fighting. Luke insisted on mounting Shane. Shane would tolerate the rudeness for a while, but when he finally let Luke know that he found the behavior unacceptable, a battle would ensue. The intensity of the fights was increasing, and the adopter was concerned that one or both of the dogs was going to be badly injured. I discussed the situation with her, and agreed that returning Luke was the right decision.
Dog Mounting is NOT About Sex
First, we’re not talking about sexual behavior displayed by intact male and female dogs used for breeding. High hormone levels and normal sexual responses to other intact dogs are different from “problem mounting.” Sometimes, an owner will report that when her young dog plays with other dogs, he gets overstimulated and will attempt to mount another dog or even just “air-hump” for a few seconds. In preadolescent and neutered dogs, this is generally a byproduct of physiologic arousal – an inappropriate response triggered by sensory stimuli, motor activity, and/or emotional reactivity.
The dog who is most likely to be reported as having a real mounting problem is the dog who routinely mounts people, or, like Luke, who mounts other dogs to the point of provocation. This sort of mounting behavior has nothing to do with sexual activity. Rather, it’s often a social behavior, and sometimes a stress reliever. Nonsexual mounting of other dogs is generally a dominance, control, or challenge behavior, although when practiced by puppies it’s primarily about play and social learning, beginning as early as 3-4 weeks. Mounting of humans is strictly nonsexual; it may be about control, it can be attention-seeking, and it can be a stress-reliever.
Dogs will also mount inanimate objects. Our Pomeranian will hump our sofa cushions if we leave the house and take all the other dogs with us. While some dogs do sometimes masturbate for pleasure, in Dusty’s case I’m convinced he’s not seizing a moment of privacy for self-gratification, but rather mounts the cushions as a way to relieve his stress of being left home alone.
In fact, if dogs did wait for some private time to engage in their mounting behaviors, most owners would be far less concerned about it. But dogs, having no shame, are far more likely to take advantage of a visit from the boss or the in-laws to display their leg-hugging prowess. Regardless of how much you love your dog, it’s embarrassing to have him pay such inappropriate attention to your guests.
Get Your Dog to Stop Humping
Like a good many canine behaviors that we humans find annoying, inconvenient, or embarrassing, mounting is a perfectly normal dog behavior. And like other such annoying, inconvenient, and embarrassing behaviors, it’s perfectly reasonable for us to be able to tell our dogs to stop mounting!
Brief bouts that involve mounting of other dogs in canine social interactions might be acceptable, as long as they don’t lead to bloodletting or oppression of the mountee. Mounting of human body parts rarely is, nor is mounting that, as in Luke’s case, leads to dogfights.
So, if there’s a Luke whose mounting behavior is wreaking havoc in your family pack, what do you do?
The longer your dog practices his mounting behavior, the harder it is to change. So it’s logical that the sooner you intervene in your dog’s unacceptable mounting, the better your chances for behavior modification success.
Neutering is an obvious first step. A 1976 study found an 80 percent decrease in mounting behavior following castration. (This is far more often a male dog behavior problem than a female one.) The same study determined that within 72 hours of surgery, the bulk of hormones have left the dog’s system. Since mounting is partially a learned behavior as well as hormone-driven, the extent to which neutering will help will be determined at least in part by how long the dog has been allowed to practice the behavior. Just one more strong argument for juvenile sterilization, between the ages of eight weeks and six months, rather than waiting for your dog to mature.
When Your Dog Humps Other Dogs
Luke, at age two, had been practicing his mounting behavior for many months. In addition, as a mostly Cattle Dog, he was assertive and controlling. When Shane attempted to voice his objections, Luke let him know that he would brook no resistance. Shane, a Shepherd/Husky mix, also had an assertive personality, so rather than backing down in the face of Luke’s assertions of dominance, he fought back. Neither dog was willing to say “Lassie,” and so the battles escalated.
In contrast, we later introduced Shane to a somewhat timid but playful four-month-old Lab puppy. Dunkin also attempted to mount Shane in puppy playfulness. But when Shane snapped at Dunkin, the pup backed off apologetically; in a short time the two were playing together, with only occasional puppy attempts to mount, which were quickly quelled by a dirty look from the older dog. No harm, no foul.
Similarly, you will need to work harder to convince your adult, well-practiced dog to quit mounting other dogs than you will a young pup, and there’s more potential for aggression if the recipient of unwanted attentions objects.
With both young and mature dogs, you can use time-outs to let your dog know that mounting behavior makes all fun stop. A tab (short, 4- to 6-inch piece of leash) or a drag-line (a 4- to 6-foot light nylon cord) attached to your dog’s collar can make enforcement of time-outs faster and more effective when you have to separate dogs – as well as safer.
Set your dog up for a play date with an understanding friend who has an understanding dog. Try to find a safely fenced but neutral play yard, so that home team advantage doesn’t play a role. If a neutral yard isn’t available, the friend’s yard is better than your own, and outdoors is definitely preferable to indoors.
When you turn the dogs out together, watch yours closely. It’s a good idea to have some tools on hand to break up a fight, should one occur.
If there’s no sign of mounting, let them play. Be ready to intervene if you see the beginning signs of mounting behavior in your dog. This usually occurs as play escalates and arousal increases, if it didn’t happen at the get-go.
As a first line of defense, try subtle body-blocking. Every time your dog approaches the other with obvious mounting body postures, step calmly in front of your dog to block him. If you’re skilled, you may be able to simply lean your body forward or thrust out a hip or knee to send him the message that the fun’s about to stop. This is more likely to work with a younger dog, who is likely to be less intense about his intent to mount. Be sure not to intervene if your dog appears to be planning appropriate canine play.
If body blocking doesn’t work, as gently and unobtrusively as possible, grasp your tab or light line, then cheerfully announce, “Time out!” and lead your dog to a quiet corner of the play yard. Sit with him there until you can tell that his arousal level has diminished, and then release him to return to his playmate. If necessary, have your friend restrain her dog at the same time so he doesn’t come pestering yours during the time out.
Keep in mind that the earlier you intervene in the mounting behavior sequence, the more effective the intervention, since your dog has not had time to get fully involved in the behavior. Also, it’s important that you stay calm and cheerful about the modification program. Yelling at or physically correcting your dog increases the stress level in the environment, making a fight more likely, not less.
With enough repetitions, most dogs will give up the mounting, at least for the time being. With an older dog for whom the habit is well ingrained, you may need to repeat your time-outs with each new play session, and you may need to restrict his playmates to those who won’t take offense to his persistently rude behavior. With a pup or juvenile, the behavior should extinguish fairly easily with repeated time outs, especially if he is neutered. Just keep an eye out for “spontaneous recovery,” when a behavior you think has been extinguished returns unexpectedly. Quick re-intervention with body blocks or time-outs should put the mounting to rest again.
Does Your Dog Only Hump Humans?
This embarrassing behavior is handled much the same way as dog-dog mounting. One difference is that you must educate your guests as to how they should respond if your dog attempts his inappropriate behavior.
Another difference is that some dogs will become aggressive if you physically try to remove them from a human leg or other body part. It works best to set up initial training sessions with friends who agree to be human mounting posts for training purposes, rather than relying on “real” guests to respond promptly and appropriately, at least until your dog starts to get the idea.
For your average, run-of-the-mill human mounting, ask your guests to stand up and walk away if your dog attempts to get too cozy. Explain that it is not sexual behavior, but rather attention-seeking, and anything they try to do to talk him out of it will only reinforce the behavior and make it worse. You can also use a light line here, to help extricate your friends from your dog’s embrace, and to give him that oh-so-useful “Time out!” If the behavior is too disruptive, you can tether the dog in the room where you are socializing, so he still gets to be part of the social experience without repeatedly mugging your guests.
If your dog becomes aggressive when thwarted, he should be shut safely away in his crate when company comes. Social hour is not an appropriate time to work on aggressive behavior – it puts your guests at risk, and prevents all of you from being able to relax and enjoy the occasion.
If your dog becomes growly, snappy, or otherwise dangerous when you try to remove him from a human, you are dealing with serious challenge and control behavior. You would be wise to work with a good behavior consultant who can help you stay safe while you modify this behavior. The program remains essentially the same – using time outs to take away the fun every time the behavior happens – but may also involve the use of muzzles, and perhaps pharmaceutical intervention with your veterinarian’s assistance, if necessary.
Do Dogs Masturbate?
Dog owners are often surprised to discover that some dogs masturbate. Our diminutive Dusty discovered early in life that he was just the right height to stand over a raised human foot and engage in a little self-pleasuring if the person’s legs were crossed. We squelched that behavior as soon as we realized what the heck he was doing.
There’s no harm in it, as long as the objects used are reasonably appropriate (say, a washable stuffed animal that’s his alone, as opposed to your favorite sofa cushions), and it doesn’t become obsessive. Removing an inappropriate object or resorting to time outs can redirect the behavior to objects that are more acceptable.
I’ve also known dogs to engage in push-ups on carpeting as a way to enjoy self-stimulation. You can use the time out if your dog chooses to do it in front of your guests, or whenever he does it in the “wrong” room (such as on the living room Berber), and leave him alone when he’s in the “right” room (such as on the indoor-outdoor carpet on the back porch).
If your dog practices the behavior to a degree that appears obsessive – a not uncommon problem in some animals, especially in zoos – then you may need some help with behavior modification.
A behavior is generally considered obsessive when it is causes harm to the animal or interferes with his ability to lead a normal life. If your dog is rubbing himself raw on the Berber carpet, or spends hours each day having fun in the bedroom, that’s obsessive behavior. There are behavior modification programs that can help with canine obsessive/compulsive disorders, and they often require pharmaceutical intervention, especially if the obsession is well-developed.
Other Ways to Modify Humping Behavior
In addition to specific behavior modification programs for mounting behavior, a “Say Please” program can be an important key to your ultimate success. No, we’re not suggesting you allow your dog to do inappropriate mounting if he says “please” first! A Say Please program requires that he perform a deferent behavior, such as “sit,” before he gets any good stuff, like dinner, treats, petting, or going outside. This helps create structure in the pack, and constantly reminds him that you are in charge and in control of all the good stuff. Since a fair amount of mounting has to do with control, Say Please is right on target.
“Good Manners” classes are also of benefit when you are mounting your defense against your mounting dog’s behavior. If he’s trained to respond promptly to cues, the “ask for an incompatible behavior” technique can serve to minimize mounting. If you see your dog approaching a guest with a gleam in his eye, your “Go to your place” cue will divert him to his rug on the opposite side of the room. He can’t “Down” and mount a leg at the same time. Nor can he do push-ups on the rug if he is responding to your request for a “Sit.”
If you start early and are consistent about discouraging your dog’s inappropriate mounting, you should be successful in making the embarrassing behavior go away.
Pat Miller, WDJ’s Training Editor, is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, and past president of the Board of Directors of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She is also the author of, The Power of Positive Dog Training and, Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog.
Dogs and gardens just naturally go together for me. I like to be outside with my dogs, them playing, me gardening, the birds singing. I enjoy watching my dogs running through the grass, lying on the patio in the afternoon sun, or exploring the scents left by visiting raccoons.
I’m not the only one who thinks dogs and gardens go well together. Cheryl S. Smith is the author of a great new book, Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs. She grew up with the commingling of gardens and dogs, and currently shares her home and garden with two dogs. “It never occurred to me that you couldn’t have dogs and gardens together,” she says.
But a surprising number of people do see a problem with dogs in the garden, and for some very good reasons. With their digging, chewing, and even those annoying yellow spots on the grass, dogs at best can create extra work for gardeners. At worst, a bored or destructive dog can turn a beautiful oasis into a disaster area in a surprisingly short amount of time.
The garden can pose a host of dangers for the dog, too. Too often, the result is that the dog is simply banned from the family garden area, relinquished to a dog run or side yard. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
In fact, one of the reasons Smith wrote Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs was because she wanted both garden fanciers who happen to own a dog and dog lovers who have a garden to know that there doesn’t have to be a conflict between the dog and the plants. By keeping the dog’s needs in mind (as well as the needs of people, plants, and wildlife), your dog and garden really can coexist quite happily. By taking it a step further and incorporating special features just for the dog, you can enjoy your garden to the fullest, and enable your outdoor space to enrich your dog’s life!
Getting started
Whether you are starting with a new garden or revamping an already existing garden, taking the time to develop a design or plan that incorporates your dog’s needs can save you a lot of grief. Exactly how do you incorporate your dog’s needs into a garden plan? Begin, as with any garden design, by identifying how the yard is used – in this case, how your dog uses it.
“As far as actual design goes, you should consider how you and your dog will use the yard,” says Smith. For example, a dog will want to be able to get from the exit door to a good vantage point in a hurry – say, from the kitchen door to that tree where the squirrel lives – and will take the most direct route there. Planting a bed of fragile flowers in the middle of that route will only lead to bad feelings, she suggests.
Observe the paths your dogs take when they cruise the yard. Notice where they like to plop down and relax. Is your yard one of the main places your dog gets exercise? Make sure space for running and playing is part of your design. Plan for a potty area, consider where you might need mud control, and if your dog spends more than just a little time outside, don’t forget about shade or shelter from the elements.
You need to consider specifically how your dog may impact the space in his or her garden romps. Every dog brings his or her unique needs. If you have a rowdy dog, you may need to eliminate fragile plants (or devise a way to protect them) and plan for more open romping space. If you have a dog that insists on laying in the one sunny spot in the yard, you may want to think twice about putting your prize tomatoes in that very place.
One of my dogs loves nothing more than to nap in the shade. When I first planted the shady area in my yard, I forgot to consider Blue’s napping habits and put a Calla Lily in her favorite spot. Before I could clean off my shovel, she plopped down on my new plant, squashing its bloom. I could have battled with Blue (though she likely would have won) over her choice of napping spots. Instead, I opted to relocate the Calla Lily elsewhere and fill in the area with Baby Tears. The shade bed both looks great and provides a cushioned bed for my arthritic dog.
Now that you’ve thought about your dogs’ needs, look at what you would like to do in your garden. Do you want to entertain guests? Do you like to hang out quietly and read a good book? Do you enjoy tending to plants or growing vegetables? The more you enjoy your garden, the more time you’re likely to spend outside with your dog.
Of course, you may find places where your wants and needs conflict with your dogs’. Then what? “Compromise, compromise, compromise,” says Smith. “If you take the time to learn the basics of how the dog uses the landscape, and design around that, at least to some degree, you can avoid a lot of problems.”
Adding dog-friendly features
In addition to how your dog already uses the landscape, consider what additional features you would to like add. What can you include that will enhance your dog’s garden experience? Smith recommends creating a dog’s “wish list.” Would you and your dog enjoy a place to practice your agility moves? How about a place to toss the ball or play tug together? Would you like to provide your dog with a wading pool for hot summer days? How about a place for the dog to dig where he won’t get yelled at?
“Wish list” items will vary from dog to dog, and garden to garden. Smith notes that when her dogs, Diamond and Nestle, were younger, they really enjoyed having a digging pit. But they seem to have outgrown it. Now, her dogs’ seem to enjoy the large shady area where they can lie in the grass and observe their surroundings. Nestle also enjoys splashing in the pond.
Of course, you may not be able to include everything on your dog’s wish list; not all of us have the space for an agility yard, wading pool, digging pit, patio for entertaining, large shade tree, swing set for the kids, etc. You may have to choose between the dog and people enriching options. Consider including one or two of your dogs’ favorite activities, however. Not only will your dog friends appreciate it, but that wading pool or digging pit can give you a place to focus your dogs’ energy so that they are less likely to trample your roses or snack on your baby carrots.
Choosing plants and materials
Some of the primary considerations for the dog-friendly garden include the safety and comfort of the dog and the protection of the plants. Choosing dog-friendly landscaping plants and other materials can greatly impact both.
For example, incorporating a garden path where your dog naturally runs is a great idea. But, if you use a material on the path that is painful to your dog’s paws, she may run through your plants in spite of your best efforts. For example, small smooth gravel can make an excellent path. Substrates that are uncomfortable on your dog’s pads, such as larger gravel or lava rock, may force her off the path and into the plants.
There are more options for plants and landscaping materials than I could possibly list in this article, and plenty of general gardening books to give you ideas. But some options are tried and true when it comes to landscaping with dogs in mind. Consider your “hardscapes” – the structures, paths, patios, and other nonplant elements in the garden. Cement and stone patios, wood or composite decks, and crushed granite pathways are all options that hold up well under tough dog use. Mulches can provide a nice alternative, especially shredded cedar or small bark chips. Smith includes a detailed chart of the various mulch options along with dog use pros and cons in her book.
Please note that the very popular cocoa mulch (currently being sold in higher end garden centers as “designer” mulch) should be avoided in the dog-friendly garden. It contains theobromine, the same chemical found in chocolate that is poisonous to dogs. Cocoa mulch smells like chocolate and is toxic if eaten.
Be aware of poisonous plants, too. Some very common garden plants, including Morning Glories and Foxglove, can be very toxic to dogs. While most dogs don’t gobble up plants indiscriminately, some dogs and many puppies will put everything in their mouths. Choosing nontoxic plants and supervising your dog or puppy can help you avoid serious problems. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center provides an extensive list of both toxic and nontoxic plants on its Web site at www.aspca.org.
Choosing plants that will be durable around dogs is also an essential aspect of the dog-friendly garden. Some shrubs, like rosemary, lavender, and Mexican sage, do very well in our garden. The dogs can brush against the plants without doing much damage. If they do damage these shrubs, they recover quickly. And, as my friend Lisa points out, when dogs run through the rosemary or lavender, they end up smelling great too!
Certain ground covers also hold up well under dog use. We’ve had good luck with ornamental strawberries and thyme (though dog urine does damage the thyme). I have a gardener acquaintance who is currently experimenting with the ground cover “cape weed” (Arctotheca calendula) in heavy dog use areas. This particular ground cover is not only drought tolerant and very durable, but also damage from toenails and digging seems to actually stimulate growth. In addition, it can be mowed to keep it flat (as a lawn alternative), or left to grow in a clumping fashion where it sprouts yellow flowers throughout the growing season. (Warning: Cape weed grows very much like an out of control weed. It will spread and take over other ground covers and lawn areas if it is not controlled.)
Lawns, you probably know, are a mixed bag with dogs. Our dogs love to romp through the grass, but they also wear “trails” along their favorite paths, leave yellow urine marks, and dig after (but never catch!) our ever-present gophers. We’ve opted for a combination of solutions and compromises, including discouraging the gophers (and thus the digging) and regular reseeding.
Protect your plants and wildlife, too!
The location of your plants can have an impact not only on overall appearance, but also on their durability. For example, planting in dense groupings or clumps can help create a sort of “barrier” that many dogs will naturally go around, especially if you leave paths around and behind the groupings.
Distinctive planting beds – either raised beds or bordered beds – can create natural boundaries that many dogs will easily learn to stay out of. Using a decorative border fencing, if needed, can help enforce the boundaries. Putting particularly fragile plants in pots is another good option.
Consider your dog’s temperament and inclinations about wildlife, too. I love to watch birds, so I want a garden that attracts them. I’ve opted to skip the backyard feeders because one of my dogs likes to hunt. Feeders, which drop seeds on the ground, encourage birds and other small creatures to hang out at the dog’s level. Instead, we’ve planted a slew of flowers that attract hummingbirds, and we leave the fruit and nuts on the top branches of the trees for the songbirds and squirrels. This way, I get to birdwatch without encouraging the animals to come into an unsafe space.
Garden manners
Dogs are smart. They learn to follow our rules fairly easily. Consider the “house rules” you’ve implemented with your dog. They probably include things like not peeing inside, staying off certain furniture, or even out of certain rooms. Dogs can just as easily learn garden rules and good manners.
For example, if you’d like your dog to stay out of your tomato plants (a good idea both because the dog can damage the plants, and the plants can be toxic to dogs), you can teach your dog to respect the boundary of that particular area of the yard. Keep in mind that teaching your dog to stay out of certain areas will be easier if there is a clear delineation (such as a raised bed or border) and you are consistent in your training. This will mean taking the time to teach your dog where the boundary is, and that he or she is not allowed past the boundary. Plus, of course, offering lots of attention and rewards when your dog respects the boundary.
Along with boundary training, Smith suggests training your dog to use a specific potty area if you would like to avoid urine spots on the lawn.
Training a dog to use a specific potty area is similar to housetraining a new puppy. Simply take your dog to the “legal” potty area at regularly scheduled times (like first thing in the morning, after meals, and after play), give your potty cue, and praise or treat the dog for following through. Most adult dogs can learn to use a specific area with a week or two of training, though regular “refresher” exercises can help them keep it up long term.
In addition, Smith suggests incorporating training exercises into your other gardening activities. “You can practice your long down with the dog nearby while you work in the garden,” Smith offers as an example, “then have a play session with the dog as a reward.” You’ll not only work extra training into your day, but also teach dogs that the garden is another place where you would like them to follow your rules.
Digging and destruction
Let’s face it. One of the biggest arguments against having dogs in the garden is that they will destroy plants and landscaping. Many dogs are relegated to a dog run because they dig, chew, or otherwise demolish yards if given the opportunity. And, as you probably know, dogs can do a lot of damage to a garden in a short amount of time. So how can you deal with destructive behavior in the garden? Consider the following approach:
• First, give your dog a legal outlet for her destructive behavior. If your dog digs, for example, build a digging area complete with sand and a distinctive border. Teach your dog that digging in this area is not only OK, but encouraged. If your dog chews, provide him with a safe chewing alternative. If your dog tears around smashing into plants, make sure he gets plenty of off-leash exercise at the dog park.
• Supervise your dog in the garden until he or she learns the “rules.” Unsupervised time that results in destructive behavior will make it much harder for your dog to learn not to be destructive.
• Teach your dog what is okay. Teach her what specific activities are allowed (like running and playing) and where those activities are allowed, by going outside and playing with her!
• Make sure your dog has enough exercise and stimulation. You’ve heard it a million times: A tired dog is a good dog. If my dogs have not had enough exercise, attention, and brain stimulation, they are much more likely to get into trouble in the yard.
In addition, keep in mind that certain behaviors are natural and may be very difficult to train a dog not to do. Consider dogs digging after gophers or moles (especially if your dog is a terrier!). In my opinion, this is an almost impossible behavior to train a dog not to do. You can redirect the digging behavior; try burying stuffed Kongs in the digging pit. But in the case of a diehard gopher hunter, the best option is to eliminate the gophers. Or, if you are like me, and unwilling to do harm to the gophers, keep a bucket of top soil and grass seed available to “repair” the inevitable holes.
Do it for the dog!
You’ve probably figured out by now that there are several approaches to dogs in the garden. There is the “dog-proof” approach that most often means planting only dog-durable and dog-safe plants or delegating the dog to a dog run. There is the “dog-friendly” approach, where the goal is for both plants and dogs to coexist, and involves a combination of planning and training.
But I’d like to encourage you to take the concept of dogs in the garden a step farther. Really think about your garden as being as much for your dog as for you and the plants. Ask yourself, what can your garden do for your dog? How can the garden space enrich his life? This can be especially important for our city dogs! Most importantly, how can you enjoy your garden space together?
Remember that designing with your dog in mind will ultimately result in a more beautiful garden (at the very least it will suffer less damage from the dogs). In addition, your dog will benefit from the stimulation of garden adventures, more exercise, and the joy of having a place to just be a dog!
-Mardi Richmond is a writer, training enthusiast, and amateur gardener who shares her home and developing gardens with her partner and two wonderful dogs, Jesse and Blue.
The interview in the December issue (Reinforcing Our Beliefs) was fascinating. This year’s subscription to WDJ was worth that one article alone. SeaWorld trainer Chuck Tompkins’ description of the whale’s reaction to negative punishment was hair-raising.
I had read elsewhere that negative punishment can produce the same neuro-endocrine physiological response as positive punishment, but this graphic description of the type of physical reaction that can occur really got my attention.
I think that many positive trainers believe negative punishment is relatively innocuous and use it freely. But I am convinced that we should strive to eliminate all forms of punishment from our training. Because of the society that we live in, which emphasizes coercion as the primary method to control behavior, we are too eager to embrace negative punishment as a valid technique in “positive training.”
I recently attended a “chicken camp” seminar taught by Bob Bailey (a famed behaviorist). Never did he suggest using negative punishment to train the chickens. I think that was because, not only was it unnecessary, but the chicken wouldn’t care whether you ignored it or not.
-Joseph A. Houle, M.D.
Alpena, MI
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I just finished reading the fascinating article on marine mammal training. If I understood it correctly, the trainers long ago decided that using negative punishment was detrimental to their relationship with the animals, and therefore eliminated this technique from their training programs. But isn’t negative punishment what we’re doing when we give time-outs, or withdraw our attention when a dog does something we want to discourage, such as mouthing or jumping up on us? What lesson, by extension, should we as dog owners learn from this article?
-Caroline Wolstenholme
Tucson, AZ
Training Editor Pat Miller responds:
The marine mammals interviewed in the article did say they no longer use negative punishment (taking away something good when the animal does something “wrong”). And, yes, “positive” dog trainers (including myself) do frequently use or recommend the technique.
I think the lesson we learn is that although behavior is behavior regardless of species, circumstances are quite different depending on the species. For marine mammals, it appears that negative punishment is very aversive, and not conducive to a positive training environment. However, marine mammals live in a tank and their trainers interact with them only at specific times for specific purposes.
We live with our dogs 24/7 (or close to it), and I suspect that withdrawal of attention is far less aversive for our dogs than for captive whales. Dogs know there’s lots more where that came from. Maybe it has to do with the degree of the withdrawal of the good stuff. I don’t see negative punishment having an aversive effect on my dogs; it just makes them stop and think.
That said, I think the other lesson is to remember that it matters not what we think is aversive or rewarding, it matters what our subject (dog, whale, cat, horse, or whatever) thinks. If I were working with a dog who found negative punishment very aversive, I would stop using it and find another way.
Interviewer Nancy Kerns adds:
The marine mammal trainers did add in extended conversation that they suggest that dog trainers consider whether negative punishment might be an aggravating technique to some aggressive dogs. Most killer whales, and some aggressive dogs, they explained, take it “personally” when the opportunities to earn food, attention, or other comforts are suddenly withdrawn in response to their “bad” behavior. Not all species, or all individuals of certain species, respond this way.
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Would you please do an article on what constitutes punishment? From the interview with Chuck Tompkins and Thad Lacinak, I get the impression that a sharp “No” or “Hey” could harm the relationship. Are all corrections punishment?
Also, could you suggest positive training books that do not use the clicker training method? I am going to check out Click for Joy, but the trainers here do not use clicker training. And do you know of any quality books for training service dogs?
-Alan Mortensen, Associate Dean
Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL
Nancy Kerns responds:
We’ve done a lot of articles that define and describe punishment. Check out:
• “Conversations On Compulsion,” 1/02
• “Just Rewards,” 3/02
• “Secrets of a Happy Relationship,” 8/02
• “The Crossover Challenge,” 3/03
• “Be a Benevolent Leader,” 8/03
Pat Miller responds:
Regarding your question about books that feature positive training methods that don’t use clickers: You can certainly use much of what is presented in clicker books; just omit the clicker.
In my opinion, lure-and-reward training (which is what we call positive training sans clicker) is less effective, but can certainly get the job done. If you could talk your college trainers into using a verbal reward marker (such as “Yes!”), that would be good. Also, Karen Pryor is now offering a new clicker that is easy for people with disabilities to use; you can get it from her business at www.clickertraining.com or (800) 47-CLICK.
And yes, there are some good positive books that dont use the clicker. Try:
• Beginning Family Dog Training, by Patricia McConnell
• Doctor Dunbar’s Good Little Dog Book, by Dr. Ian Dunbar
• Your Outta Control Puppy, by Teoti Anderson
• The Dog Whisperer, by Paul Owen
All are available from DogWise at dogwise.com or (800) 776-2665. I am not personally familiar with service dog books, but you could check out that category at the DogWise Web site.
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A letter from our publisher
I’m sure I join a lot of readers to express my condolences upon the loss of Rupert, your faithful companion for lo these many years. But, as publisher of The Whole Dog Journal, I want to say personally and sincerely that Rupert lived an admirable life, exemplifying a lot of the qualities that we wish all our dogs possessed, indeed qualities that I wish were more prevalent throughout humankind. You’ll think I’m getting a little sappy here. But Rupert was The Whole Dog Journal’s “signature” from Issue One. He was cooperative. He was patient. He was intuitive. He was companionable. He represented in his quietly noble way the needs of all the dogs The Whole Dog Journal strives to benefit. And of course he was photogenic. We have countless shots of Rupert simply being Rupert and representing in his uncanny way precisely what WDJ wished to convey. He was a dog who knew how to seize the moment . . . and capture your heart.
I’m sure Rupert dished up his share of travail, made his messes, skulked, even sulked every dog has his day. But for me, Rupert was that wonderful Everydog who came to embody the heart and being of The Whole Dog Journal. Rupert, boy, you’ll be missed . . .
-Tim Cole
Sarasota, FL
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Correction
The Whole Dog Journal recently mailed subscription promotion material that contained an error in fact relating to a fat ingredient featured in Abady Formula for Maintenance and Stress dog food.
An independent copywriter and our marketing department, which prepared the material, cast the dog foods fat source in a negative light without a full understanding of the value of fat in the diet of a dog, or how dogs process fat metabolically. Robert Abady, of the Robert Abady Dog Food Company Ltd., points out: “Fat is the natural source of calories and nutrition for the dog. Pork fat (or lard) is the most nutritious of the land-based animal fats and the biological equivalent of fish fat. It is the richest in the long-chain Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids and the most expensive. The statements that indicate or suggest that lard is harmful to dogs are simply false.”
We stopped the production of this issue in order to insert this statement for the record that the comment made by our copywriter was made with no basis in scientific fact. The Whole Dog Journal regrets the error.
Years ago, I had high hopes for participating in dock diving sport with my now-9-year-old dog, Woody. But it turned out that my high-jumping, strong-swimming dog absolutely hates getting water in his ears!
