One of the great things about working with writer Susan Eskew, who prepared “Drawing Blood,” the informative article about blood testing in this issue, is that her articles always come with a veterinarian’s review for no extra charge. Eskew’s husband, Bill, is a veterinarian, and while he would never describe himself as a “holistic” veterinarian, he says he enjoys reading WDJ. “I was afraid the whole thing was going to be full of wacky stuff,” he once told me. “But most of the subjects you talk about are just common sense.”
That sounds like faint praise, but I was pleased. The description is just what we’re aiming for with WDJ: common-sense dog care, which includes the best of what every healing modality has to offer.
I was also pleased for personal reasons. Susan (and Bill) are more than just contributors, they are also relatives. Sue is my sister, Bill is my brother-in-law, and we all have to get along at family gatherings!
I have to admit that I secretly use family get-togethers as opportunities to try to convert Bill to holistic practice. I think he’s closer than he would admit; as a self-described “fitness nut,” he himself is a big proponent of eating fresh, healthy foods, and using dietary supplements as “neutraceuticals,” food substances that can heal.
But recently, I was worried when I faxed the final edit of Sue’s blood-testing article to the Eskew household for the author’s final review. I had added a sentence or two to the article that might be offensive to some veterinarians. I implied that while blood-testing is a supremely valuable diagnostic tool, there are some veterinarians who are assertive in their demands that their clients agree to the tests at times when the diagnostic may not be all that necessary.
My fears were realized when I next talked to Sue on the phone. I asked gingerly, “So, what did Bill think of this one?”
“Oh, he hated it!” Sue answered.
“What? What did he hate?” I spluttered, afraid I had strained the family bond.
“Here, you talk to him,” she said, putting Bill on the line.
“Uh, hi Bill,” I said cautiously. “What did you hate?”
“Well Nance, call me old-fashioned, but I think a LOT of veterinarians are pushing too hard for blood tests at times when it’s completely unnecessary!” said Bill, surprising me with a tack opposite to the one I feared.
“But Bill,” I countered, arguing a point I never anticipated having to defend, “If we say it’s unnecessary to have a healthy dog’s blood tested every year, we’ll get nothing but letters from readers who say, ‘If it weren’t for a routine blood test, I never would have discovered that my dog was in the early stage of Disease X.’ I mean, if it saves dogs’ lives . . .”
“You’re right,” said Bill. “You can’t say the tests are often unnecessary, and I can’t say it either, because clearly, sometimes they pick up early symptoms of a disease that would have gotten worse without early treatment. But you have to let people decide for themselves. What I resent are those practitioners who lean on their clients, making them feel like bad, irresponsible people if they don’t spring an extra $60 or $80 for a test that, often, doesn’t tell them anything that they don’t already know. I like to let my clients know about the benefits of testing a healthy dog, but I don’t lean on them.”
What my brother-in-law articulated was exactly the position I want to take with ALL of WDJ’s articles. We want to let you know about healing tools that are helpful, but we’re not going to try to make you feel guilty if you don’t avail yourselves of every one. Health is a personal matter; what works for one person (or dog) won’t necessarily work for the next. Your dog trusts you to make the right decision, and so do we.
Car rides. Some dogs love them. Some dogs hate them. Some dogs race from window to window, barking at every passing kid, cat, skateboarder, and bicyclist. Some dogs leave their breakfast on your new seat covers. Helping car anxiety in dogs, and getting a calm passenger is a step-by-step process.
Widget, from the time she was a tiny puppy, had trouble with car rides. When the Lowchen puppy was first brought into their home, she was covered with throw-up, said Nicole Dubus, Widget’s person.
It was really terrible, said Dubus. For the first three years of Widget’s life, almost every time she went into the car, she got seriously sick. This is an example of motion sickness due to extreme car anxiety.
One time, we were all packed up to go to Yosemite, said Dubus, recalling the hours spent packing the car and the excitement she felt about the camping trip. We didn’t drive more than 20 minutes and Widget just kept throwing up and throwing up. Dubus said that they tried stopping and giving Widget some water, but the dog wouldn’t drink. She knew that if they kept going, Widget would get dehydrated. So they turned around, went home, and unpacked.
But today, Widget, who is now eight years old, has learned to ride without getting sick. Widget joins her people on around town travels, trips to the beach, and, yes, she can even handle long car rides and camping trips.
The reluctant rider
Carsickness, even extreme cases like Widget’s, is often the result of fear or discomfort. Why are some dogs afraid of cars? Here are the most common reasons:
• The dog sees the car as a big, bad scary monster. Dogs or puppies who haven’t been socialized to cars may be afraid of the noise of the engine, the feel of the car moving, or the sight of objects whizzing by outside the window. Plus, dogs are confined in a car. A dog that is already afraid may experience added stress from the sensation of being trapped within the scary moving monster.
• The dog knows the car will take him somewhere terrible. A dog whose main association with cars is trips to the vet, boarding kennel, or other unpleasant places quickly learns that cars equal bad things.
• The dog experiences physical discomfort. Some dogs (especially young dogs and puppies) have trouble balancing when the car moves from side to side. They may have trouble standing or suffer from motion sickness.
Five steps to a happy canine car passenger
Fear, bad associations, and physical discomfort often produce the same results hesitation to get into the car, carsickness, whining, or barking. Fortunately, you don’t have to know the cause of the problem to fix it. In fact, the road to a happy car trip may be just around the next corner.
Getting a dog used to riding in the car is a simple step-by-step process of desensitization and counter conditioning. As with any type of training, it’s easiest if you are able to start when your dog is a puppy, but even an adult dog can learn to love the car.
Your dog may fly through these steps in a few training sessions, or you may need a few sessions a day for several days or even weeks. But having a dog that enjoys the ride will be worth the time and effort. The key to a dog that is both physically and emotionally comfortable in the car is to take your time. Make sure your dog is happy at each step before moving on.
Step 1: Approaching the car
The first step is to help the dog feel safe around the car before you actually go out for a drive. Have your dog slowly approach the car. Some dogs will walk right up to the car without hesitation. If your dog happily walks to the car, Click! and treat. Then move him away and repeat a few times. This will teach him that going to the car is rewarding.
If he shows any hesitation or fear around the car, move as far away as you need to for your dog to be comfortable. Then start clicking and treating your dog for showing any interest in the car or for moving towards the car. If your dog is very nervous or afraid, walk in a large circle around the car. Gradually make the circle tighter, moving the dog closer to the car. Click! and treat for each step you take closer to the car.
Step 2: Getting in the car
Once your dog happily approaches the car, open the door and invite your dog to get in. Don’t force your dog into the car. Instead, make it his choice. You can encourage your dog by patting the seat or climbing in yourself and calling him to you. You may want to use a yummy treat to entice him into the car. Or, you can shape getting into the car by clicking and treating any movement towards the open door.
Once your dog gets into the car, sit next to him for a few moments. Leave the door open so that he doesn’t get worried about being confined. Then take him back out and repeat the process several times.
Step 3: Assigned seats
When your dog is happily jumping in and out of the car, it is time to help him learn where he will sit. Assigning your dog a place in the car can help him feel safer and know what you expect of him on car rides.
If you use a crate (and your dog is crate-trained), you can invite him into the crate. If you use a harness or another restraint system, or if you have your dog stay in the back of your car behind a barrier, you may want to place a towel or blanket in your dog’s “spot.”
Call your dog into the car, have him now go to his spot, and hang out together for a few minutes with the car door closed. Give your dog lots of praise, or Click! and treat him for hanging out calmly in his spot.
If you use a harness or restraint system, you can buckle your dog in. Click! and give him a treat for accepting the harness and sitting calmly in his spot. (If your dog is new to the harness, you’ll need to spend some time away from the car training your dog to the harness.)
Step 4: Start your engines
Once your dog happily jumps into the car, goes to his spot, and is comfortable with the door closed, you can move into the driver’s seat. Click! and treat your dog for remaining calm in his spot. Then start your engine. Let the engine run for a minute or two while you Click! and treat your dog for remaining calm.
If your dog is in a crate or behind a barrier, give him a chew bone or a Kong toy stuffed with something yummy to encourage him to stay calm.
After a minute or two, stop the engine and take your dog out of the car. Repeat this process several times until your dog is completely comfortable with the engine running.
Note: If your dog is prone to carsickness and you have just given him a bunch of treats while working through the first four steps, you may want to wait for another day to continue with step five. A belly full of treats may contribute to carsick problems!
Step 5: Start with short drives
Once your dog will happily get into the car, knows where to sit, and is comfortable with the engine running, it is time to actually go for a ride! Start with very short rides to happy places, such as the dog park.
For a dog that gets carsick, think about how far you have been able to drive in the past before your dog vomits, then drive less than that distance. For some dogs, you may need to start with only driving a half of a block. When your dog can go a half of a block without getting sick or upset, increase the distance to a full block. Gradually increase the length of your rides until you can take a short trip to the park or another fun dog place. When you stop the car (even if you’ve only gone a half of a block), get out and engage in a rewarding activity such as a walk or ball play.
While you are desensitizing your dog to the car, always make the rides end with fun activities. Avoid vet visits and trips to the kennel or groomer while you are working through this process.
More about motion sickness
For most dogs, the desensitization process will take care of carsickness, as long as you take it slowly. For some dogs, especially young dogs that may still be wobbly on their legs, confining them to a crate may help. The flower essence known as Rescue Remedy (or, depending on the maker, Five Flower Remedy or Calming Essence) may help calm a nervous dog, and cooled peppermint tea may help soothe his tummy. In addition, make sure that your dog has gone to the bathroom and that you have opened the windows a little for fresh air. Being too hungry or too full may also contribute to carsickness.
If your dog still has trouble with motion sickness after desensitizing him to the car, you may want to talk to your veterinarian. A physical problem may affect your dog’s balance and his ability to ride comfortably in a car.
Car manners
Dogs need good car manners for safety and the sanity of the driver. Because it’s pretty darned difficult to actively train while driving, the best solution to behavior problems in cars is prevention and management.
The most common behavior problems arise from dogs moving about the car freely. Running from window to window, barking as dogs or bikes go by, stepping on the driver, trying to climb out windows all of these behaviors can only be accomplished by a dog that is moving freely. In addition, a dog moving freely can create safety hazards and can be disastrous if you get into an accident. Having your dog in a crate or safety restraint is both more safe and more sane.
Dogs should also be taught not to jump from the car without your permission.
The open road
Once your dog has learned to love the car ride and mind his manners in the process you can set out for many adventures together. You can explore new areas in your city or town, take driving vacations, or head out for a serious road trip. You, your dog, and the open road. What more could you want?
I read with great interest your article on alternative treatments for seizures (WDJ November 1998), but I must relay to you my own experience. I have had Huskies, Malamutes, and Labradors for many years and have had to deal with this affliction. My females have never had seizures, but several of my males have. The latest episode involved my five-year-old Siberian Husky, Mars. For about a year he would have a very mild seizure about every two months. Then one weekend in early August, he had one Friday night, and three on Saturday, all very bad. Saturday night I added 1/2 teaspoon of dolomite to his dinner and also to his Sunday breakfast. He had one very mild seizure on Sunday.
Monday morning I took Mars to the veterinarian. He took blood tests, said Mars has “idiopathic epilepsy” (seizures for no apparent reason!) and told me to give him Phenobarbital. I wouldn’t take Phenobarbital, and have no intention of giving it to my dog. Obviously, I had to solve this problem myself. So I continued adding dolomite to Mars’s food. After a month I tried decreasing the dosage, but he had another mild seizure, so we went back to 1/2 teaspoon.
Mars has not had a seizure for over two months. The blood tests showed no abnormalities. I asked if they had checked for magnesium deficiency. The veterinarian said that test wasn’t done. I told him what I had done and he was not pleased. Too bad.
I told this story to the man at my health food store, and his reaction was that everybody knows seizures are caused by a magnesium deficiency. He said that there is a veterinarian in town (I’m trying to find out who it is) who often sends people to get dolomite or magnesium citrate for their dogs. So much for getting help from the medical and pharmaceutical folks. I’m glad we have people like you to rely on.
By the way, dogs can get tapeworms in more ways than the one (fleas) mentioned in “As the Worm Turns” (WDJ December 1998). I had an Alaskan Malamute who lived all his 14 years in a flea-free environment (fleas can’t survive in Alaska), but he did have tapeworms once. Dogs can also get tapeworms from raw moose and rabbit meat, as well as from the feces of those animals. I always cooked the game meat scraps for my dog, and he never had tapeworms again.
-Carol Jeffus Anchorage, AK
Mobility Cart Rentals
A friend of mine just introduced me to your journal and I was amazed that the first thing I saw was the headline in the February 1999 issue, “Recycled Mobility Carts?” We recently started a small company, Eddie’s Wheels, and we make carts for disabled pets. We understand that the cost of a cart is a significant investment for many folks, so we are offering rental carts to help out people with short-term needs or to help them finance the cost of the cart over the period of a year. Basically, if you rent it for a year, you own it. And after you no longer need the cart, we’ll buy it back and recycle its parts for another disabled pet. We can do this because even though each of our carts is made from scratch to order, our carts are designed to be so durable that the machined fittings and metal parts can be recycled to make new carts.
We got into this business because we had one of those great dogs, a blue Doberman named Buddha, who lived up to her name and taught us the meaning of compassion. When she lost the ability to walk due to a slipped disc, we built her a cart. For the five months that she used it, she taught us how to care for her; attending to her needs deepened the bond that had already been forged over 10 years. Cosequin, physical therapy, and daily walks through her familiar patch of woods kept her spirit strong while her body healed. Eventually, she no longer needed her wheels and lived another three years on her own foot power.
Many people who saw us walking with Buddha told us about a dog they put to sleep because it couldn’t walk any more. Our veterinarian referred people to us to build carts, and over the course of eight years the carts evolved into the lightweight aluminum vehicles they are now. An article in the local newspaper brought us a dozen inquiries, and a new business was born. Now we have a website (www.eddieswheels.com), referrals from our regional SPCA, and a workshop out of our basement in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. We feel blessed to be using mechanical and industrial skills honed by 30 years in the manufacturing industry to serve animals and the people who love them. This is a very satisfying way to make a living. We’ve been contacted by rescue groups, and even made a quadriplegic cart for an orphaned opossum. Each client’s special needs represent a challenge that keeps the work interesting. We rely on the Internet and on word-of-mouth referrals. Any help in spreading the word is appreciated.
-Eddie and Leslie Grinnell Greenfield, MA
Defending Show People
Thank you for a great Journal. I have been waiting a long time for someone to publish something like this! I look forward to each issue!
After reading the article about feeding a natural diet to show dogs (WDJ November 1998), I wanted to respond. The first few paragraphs mentioned some examples of the horrors of the show world. Many of us who show and compete with our dogs love and care for them as much as “non-show people.”
In my years of competing with my Golden Retrievers in conformation, obedience, field, agility and tracking, I have indeed seen some of the things mentioned, but rarely. Ninety-nine percent of us who show take careful and loving care of our dogs at all times. Most of do not take any of the cheating measures mentioned, nor do we condone the actions of those who do. I also wanted to mention my concern with the opening paragraph in which the author writes, “By ‘finishing’ her dog . . . a breeder helps assure potential buyers of his puppies, that they come from high-quality breeding stock. The more the dog wins, and the better known he becomes, the greater his earning potential.”
In my opinion, there are two fallacies present in this statement. First is the implication that the only reason we show a dog is to be able to breed him (or her). There are many dogs who are shown and even “finished” without ever being bred. Many of us show for the joy of showing, not for the breeding potential.
Second, this statement implies that breeding is a money-making game. IT IS NOT. The amount of money a breeder must spend, from health clearances and stud fees to veterinary bills, almost always exceeds the amount of money made by selling puppies. I know very few breeders who actually make money on a regular basis.
The show world is very concerned about those who feel we shouldn’t be allowed to compete with our dogs. There are a number of animal rights groups who would like to see dog showing banned forever. These misguided people believe that we are cruel to show, to train, and even to keep dogs. All of us who love our dogs, whether we show them or not, need to band together to fight the efforts of these groups. If a respectable, well-meaning Journal such as yours helps perpetuate the exaggerations of the dog show world, then we may be losing this battle. Please help us hold the dog show world to the standards most of us espouse.
Melanie Field Glenbow Kennels Medina, Ohio
Readers, I’d like to gather more information from you about conditions for dogs in the show world. It would seem that dogs who are judged by their condition and appearance would benefit even more than the average dog from intelligent, holistic dog care practices. But what about the charges that unhealthy drugs and supplements are over-used by some who show? How common or uncommon are unscrupulous or abusive owners and trainers? What proportion of the competitors that you see are using gentle training and healthful diets?
We’ll gather your opinions, and report them in a special feature this summer.
Vaccine Reaction
I was very interested in the case history in the December 1998 issue – the dog with diabetes insidipus. I have a 13-year-old Brittany that has been on DDAVP medication for four and a half years. We have been able to get it at our local Wal-Mart pharmacy for $64 for 2.5 cc’s, which normally lasts 24 to 28 days. This amounts to almost $1,000 a year.
I feel the cause of my dog’s DI dates back to rabies vaccinations. Three weeks following his 1993 vaccination, we thought he was bloating. He was also in extreme pain in the kidney area. We rushed him to the veterinarian. Radiographs showed nothing unusual, but he showed some neurological deficits. We took him back the next morning for more x-rays, and did some blood tests, etc., but found nothing. The veterinarian gave him prednisone and he improved almost immediately. He showed no further problems until the next spring, when he had his next rabies shot. Same symptoms, but he didn’t get better this time. We took him to Auburn University, and $500 worth of tests showed nothing. In August, he woke us up trying to lift the toilet lid, and getting in the shower and tub searching for water. He was finally diagnosed as diabetic, and went on DDAVP.
The following spring, he had another rabies shot and began drooling 21 days later. He drooled until mid-October, which is when I contacted Dr. Charles Loops (a Pittsboro, North Carolina veterinarian who uses homeopathy). He agreed with my assessment of what had happened to Happy. As you stated in your article on vaccinations (“Not Quite a Sure Shot,” July 1998), people really should be aware of the risks, as well as the benefits, of vaccination. I’d love to see a support group for those of us who have dogs with this problem.
-Jeanetta Sharp Albany, GA
Sorry to hear about your poor dog. Unfortunately, your story perfectly illustrates the potential pitfalls of vaccination, especially for certain sensitive individuals. Resources
We’d like to underscore the importance of noting ANY symptoms that arise following vaccinations, and, when possible, never repeating any of those vaccines.
We repeated your story to Dr. Jean Dodds, one of the country’s leading veterinary immunologists, for her comments. She definitely recommends not repeating any vaccination that causes a bad reaction in an individual animal. Rabies is, of course, the one vaccine that dog owners are required by law to administer to their dogs, so getting around that vaccination can be difficult. However, Dodds says, following an adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine, some dog owners have chosen to direct their veterinarian to administer a “titer test” to their dog, which could determine whether the dog had a sufficient amount of protection to rabies already present in his system. Armed with a letter from their veterinarian, explaining the dog’s past history of reactions to the vaccine, as well as the results of the titer test, these dog owners requested an exemption from their state or community’s rabies vaccine requirement. Some owners have been successful taking this approach, though some stories have circulated through the dog world about cases where a state would not budge, even in the face of lawsuits.
If a person feels she has no other options than to vaccinate their dog, even following bad reactions, Dodds suggests consulting a veterinarian who uses homeopathy. Some homeopathic remedies have strongly demonstrated an ability to blunt vaccine reactions, without reducing the protection offered by the vaccine.
The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, listed in the section in every issue of WDJ, can direct people to holistic veterinarians in their area. Another great resource is the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy.
I just finished reading the February issue. Thanks so much for your article in the “Top 10 Dry Dog Foods.” It can be so hard to find these better foods. Even when owners want the best foods, if they only go to their local PetsMart or PetCo and ask for the “very best food,” they’ll almost always get sent home with Iams or Eukaneuba – which are nothing but expensive junk foods!
By the way, you had a picture in that article of two young dogs eating from the same bowl. The dogs look awfully like the puppies you wrote about last fall; I think they were your mother’s puppies. Are those the same dogs? If it is them, they are looking pretty tall for Border Collies!
-Robert Everett Portland, OR
What a sharp eye you have! Yes, those are my mother’s pound puppies, and clearly, they are not Border Collies; they just keep getting taller and taller! Although, if you look at the first photos I ran of them (September 1998, page 22) it was kind of hard to tell what they were when they were so tiny. Here is a shot from a recent visit to “Grandma’s house.”
So you want to adopt an older dog. Rescue a homeless hound. Save a life. Fantastic! Gone are the days when everyone wants to start out with a baby puppy – and that’s a good thing. In the last decade, as pet owners have become more responsible about spaying and neutering, shelters across the country have noticed a marked decrease in the numbers of puppies they receive.
Instead, they now find that the preponderance of homeless dogs in their kennels are adolescents – six months to two years old – who haven’t received the training and direction they needed to become good canine citizens. More and more of today’s two-career families, single parents, and career singles are realizing that they don’t have the time and energy required to raise a puppy properly (see “Getting Off to the Best Start,” WDJ January 1999), deciding instead to join the growing numbers of pet owners who opt to experience the rewards of giving an older dog a second chance for a lifelong loving home.
Adopting a “recycled” dog makes a lot of sense. He may already be housebroken. Even if he’s not, he’s physically mature enough to learn quickly. He may be past the puppy chewing stage, so you might not need to be as diligent about keeping valuables out of reach of his jaws. He’s probably full grown, or close, so you know that “what-you-see-is-what-you-get;” no surprises when the puppy that the shelter staffers deemed to be a “Chihuahua-mix” turns into a 60-pound Lab/Pit Bull. He may even have had some training and be the perfect canine companion already.
But don’t count on it. Dogs don’t generally end up at animal shelters and rescue organizations when they are well-behaved, well-loved family pets.
Families don’t usually look for new homes for dogs that are perfect canine companions. There are exceptions, of course, but chances are good that the furry face gazing beseechingly at you from behind the chain-link kennel comes with a package of behavior challenges that may take some considerable effort to turn a “Tramp” into a “Trooper.”
Don’t get us wrong; we’d be the last people on earth to discourage you from adopting a shelter or rescue dog. We just want you to know what you’re getting into, to help you choose wisely, to make sure you have reasonable expectations for your new companion, and to give you some tips for making Trooper’s transition to your home a smooth and pleasant one.
Choosing your dog
Walking into a shelter to select a dog can be a daunting task. How can you possibly pick one, from among all the dogs waiting for a home? You can, if you prepare in advance. You need to make a list of the qualities that you are looking for in a dog, take the time to evaluate your adoption prospects carefully, and be firm in not letting your heart rule your head. Remember, the dog you adopt will be a member of your family for a good 10 to 15, maybe even 20 years. With all the dogs out there that need homes, you might as well choose one that will fit into your environment and lifestyle; one that will give you 15 years of joy, not a decade-plus of headaches and heartaches.
Before you set foot in a shelter or answer an ad in the paper, have your list ready. Your list should have three columns: Must Have; Would Like to Have; and Won’t Have. Spend several days or weeks creating this list, with input from the entire family.
Items in the “Must Have” column might include: female, short-haired, under 40 pounds, good with kids. Would Like to Have attributes might include: already house-trained, rides well in cars, walks well on a leash. Won’t Have’s might include: jumps up, runs away, bites, chases cats.
When you go to visit adoption prospects, take your list with you, and make sure you don’t compromise anything that the family has agreed is a Must Have or a Won’t Have. Be firm! It’s easy to weaken in the presence of an adorably fuzzy face, but you will regret it if “housebroken” was one of your “Must Have’s” and Fluffy goes home and pees all over your Oriental carpets.
Evaluating your prospect
Your local shelter may or may not perform temperament evaluations and provide “personality profiles” for their adoption dogs. Whether they do or not, it’s best if you are prepared to conduct your own temperament evaluation. The easiest way to do this is to observe the dog closely while he is given relative freedom in an exercise yard or other open space, like a large room, and grade him as more of one quality than the other in a series of compared behaviors.
Turn the dog out in the exercise yard and leave him alone for five to 10 minutes or so. This will give him time to empty his bladder and acquaint himself with his surroundings. You will get a truer picture of his real self if you give him time to settle down before you start interacting with him. If you can, watch him from out of his sight during this time. Does he pace the fence, looking for weak spots and measuring the top with a practiced eye? You may have an escape artist in the making. Does he sit by the gate and howl mournfully the entire time, or dig frantically to get back in the door? You might be looking at separation anxiety, or at least at a dog who doesn’t do well being left alone. These are helpful things to know, especially if neighbors are going to be upset by an eight-hour serenade while you are at work.
When you step back into the exercise yard with Trooper, note his response. Does he ignore you and continue his doggie explorations of the yard? He is probably somewhat independent and not very “people centered.” You may need to work hard to win his loyalty. Does he bowl you over in his eagerness to greet you? He may be very people-centered, but perhaps too rough, fractious, and demanding for a home with small children. Is he happy to see you but careful not to make body contact? He may be calm, gentle, well mannered, and amiable – perhaps one of the rare, ready-made shelter gems.
If you have children, you should also do a careful “sensitivity test,” by gently pinching the thin skin of his flank. His reaction may range from ignoring you (a good response for a child’s dog) to bumping you with his nose or even snapping at you. Since a child’s dog needs to be tolerant of occasional or accidental inconsiderate behavior, you want your child’s dog not to overreact to a sensitivity test.
The dog’s reaction to a “startle test” might also be instructive. For this test, wait until the dog is looking away from you, then make a loud noise – stomp on the floor, yell “Hey!,” clap your hands – anything that will startle him. A confident dog will ignore the noise, or react but recover quickly. A dog that is slow to recover from the startle test may make a fine pet, but is probably not a good choice for a child’s dog. (Do not do this test with puppies between the ages of 8-18 weeks. Puppies go through a “fear” period where they can be very adversely affected by being startled or frightened.)
Finally, if you do have children, the dog must meet them and love them before you make a final adoption decision. Indifference won’t do – the dog has to “dig” kids or you will have problems.
Once you have completed your evaluation, compare your notes and your list. Does Trooper meet all of your “Must Have’s?” Does he miss all of your “Won’t Have’s?” Does he have a fair smattering of your “Would Like’s?” If so, now is the time to let the heart play its role. Do you already love him? Does the thought of leaving him at the shelter make your stomach hurt? Can you see yourself taking him for walks in the pouring rain and driving snow for the next 15 years – and smiling? Then you may have found your dog.
Be sure to evaluate more than one dog, even if you’re sure Trooper is your soulmate. Comparison with a few other dogs will give you a healthy perspective on his behaviors, and make you more confident about your final decision.
Taking Trooper home
You have leaped through all the shelter adoption hurdles like an Olympic athlete, and you and Trooper are headed home. Hopefully, you prepared “home” in advance.
We tend to assume that all grown-up dogs have grown-up manners – and assumptions can be dangerous. Trooper may have been kept in the back yard at his last home, and doesn’t know that it’s not polite to lift his leg in a house. His first family may have tossed old shoes into the yard for him to chew on, so when he heads straight for your $130 Nikes, he won’t have a clue that he’s doing anything wrong, and he will be confused and perhaps frightened, when you yell at him for shredding your sneakers.
Your best approach is to assume he knows nothing, and to make a cautious introduction into the house. Remove all valuables from dog reach before you bring Trooper home. Bring him in on a leash. Watch his body language. Does he seem comfortable in the house, or does he act like he thinks he’s not supposed to be there? Does he negotiate thresholds easily? Does he seem to respect surface boundaries, or is that ham sandwich on the counter in danger? Does he want to put his mouth on everything within reach, or does he politely focus on the several inviting toys you have provided for him? You can start his training immediately by saying “Yes” or clicking a clicker, and feeding him a small, tasty treat for any acceptable behaviors. If he walks in the house and sits politely or lies down on a rug, that’s a definite “Yes!” and treat.
The best way to deal with potential unwanted behaviors is to prevent them, just as you would with a puppy. The first few days are critical. With Trooper still on leash, watch for any signs of unwanted behaviors.
If, for example, he starts getting too cozy with the corner of the sofa, sniffing with interest and angling his flank toward it, use a gentle “Uh-uh, Trooper, over here!” and immediately take him back outside. Find a good leg-lifting spot, and when he does his thing, say “Go pee,” and then click the clicker or say “Yes,” and feed him a treat. (You are teaching him to eliminate on cue – a handy talent for any dog to know.)
For several days to a week or more he will need to have his freedom restricted in the house, until he learns that leg-lifting only happens outside. (If he is not already neutered, get this done immediately! Neutering will help immensely in diminishing his drive to lift his leg.)
Crates and tie-downs are also useful tools if you find that Trooper is not as well-mannered in the house as you had hoped. He can be crated all night, preferably in someone’s bedroom so he doesn’t feel isolated from the “pack,” and you can all get a peaceful night’s sleep without worrying about what he might be getting into. Crating also reinforces house-training, if he’s not solid on that vital skill. If Trooper is not already crate-trained, gently introduce him to the crate by tossing in treats and toys and letting him go in on his own. Once he’s comfortable going in and out, hold the door closed and feed him a few treats through the wires. Gradually get him accustomed to staying in with the door closed for longer periods. Most dogs, if introduced to their crates properly, come to love them. (For help with the crate-training process, see “Proper Crate Training,” WDJ August 1998.)
A tie-down is a short nylon-coated cable with snaps on both ends. It can be used to secure Trooper to something solid (a piano leg, sofa, or, best, an eye-bolt screwed into a beam) to keep him confined but still among the family. This is useful if he wants to join you at the dinner table, play tug-of-war during meditation time, or sit in guests’ laps without an invitation. Any undesirable behavior can win him a few minutes’ time-out, with a cheerful, “Too bad, Trooper, time-out!” and a short spell on his tie-down. This is not done in anger – he’s not a bad dog; he just needs a little quiet time. A soft bed at the tie-down location will keep him comfortable, and he will soon learn to stop the behaviors that result in this temporary restriction.
Your yard should be well-secured before Trooper is turned loose in it. Many dogs are at shelters because they have a history of running at large. Don’t take any chances on Trooper finding a weak spot and learning he can escape; having succeeded once, he will try much harder to get out again. If he never gets out the first time, your life will be much easier. Even if you’re sure your fence is solid, watch him closely the first few times he’s in the yard. If he tests the fence, you will need to keep watching him closely for several weeks, or until you see his testing behavior diminish. (Remember to reward him for calm, relaxed behavior in the yard.) If he seems to be succeeding in weakening a spot in the fence, excavating under, or scrambling over, you will need to take preventative measures before he makes the great escape.
On the other hand, if he seems perfectly comfortable hanging out in the back yard, you may be home-free. Just be careful if you plan to leave him outside when you go away; some dogs are fine when they have company, but get frantic about getting out when they are left alone. Test him by asking a neighbor to keep an eye on him while you leave. Drive to a nearby store and call in. If the neighbor reports that Trooper is still lying calmly under the oak tree, you win again. But if Trooper is panicked and clawing his way over the side gate, you’d better hustle back and find a different solution for leaving Trooper home alone.
A proper education
All dogs and owners can benefit from attending a good training class, and Trooper is no exception. Find a trainer in your area who offers classes using positive, non-forceful training methods. Not only will the training class help develop and improve the communication and understanding between you and Trooper, your trainer will be an invaluable resource to help work through any of Trooper’s behavior quirks that might be troubling you. (For help finding a good trainer, see “Choosing the Right Trainer,” WDJ May 1998, and “There’s More Than One Way,” WDJ July 1998.)
The great unknown
Bringing a dog home is bringing home an unknown quantity, even if you adopt directly from the previous owner; after all, people aren’t always honest about their dogs’ behaviors – you might not take the dog if they were! And most shelter dogs come with little or no information at all.
So, expect the unexpected. Maintain a sense of humor. Remember that dogs don’t do “bad” things out of spite or malice; they just do things that make them feel good! It’s not their fault if no one ever taught them that some things that make them feel good aren’t acceptable in a human “pack.” Like all living things, dogs repeat behaviors they find rewarding. Reward the behaviors that you want. Prevent, or to the extent possible, ignore, the behaviors you don’t want. If you are good at these two tasks, you will end up with a real Trooper.
Americans love their dogs and their cars, so it’s natural that you’ll frequently find them together. On any given day on any given highway across the United States you might see Fido in the Ford, Buddy in the Buick, and Chester in the Chevy. In fact, a whole branch of the pet supply industry has developed to help us make sure our canine pals are well cared-for as we cruise America. We checked out some car products so we could give you some hot tips on what’s cool in the car for Fido.
Safety first
Without a doubt, some sort of car restraint is the most important car accessory for a dog owner to buy and use. Many people think the use of canine seat belts (or some other restraint) is ridiculous; however, 20 years ago, many people thought seat belts for people were an unnecessary annoyance. Several thousand lives saved later, most people have gotten with the program and buckle up.
Besides, the use of restraints undeniably prevents canine injuries; who among us hasn’t, at some point in their driving career, had to slam on the brakes in traffic and had their dog flung against the seat, dashboard, or windshield in front of them? Restraints also save canine lives. Several years ago, my brother Bill lost his beautiful Australian Shepherd-mix in a horrible car accident. Lacy survived the impact, but, in a panic immediately after the crash, leaped through the shattered windshield and was killed moments later when she dashed under the wheels of a truck. Bill was fine – he was wearing his seat belt. What a tragedy that Lacy wasn’t.
While it’s true that one reason to crate or seat belt your dog in your car is to keep her as safe as possible in an accident, another is to keep you from being injured in a wreck. A free-flying dog body can become a deadly projectile, causing serious injury to you or other vehicle passengers if she hits them in mid-flight.
Finally, another good reason to restrain your dog in the car is to prevent her rambunctious antics from causing a wreck. (Did you all read the news accounts of famous author Stephen King being hit by a car, and seriously injured, by a driver who was reprimanding his dog while driving?)
Alternatives to crates
While a well-outfitted and well-secured crate would be our first choice for safe dog transport, we did not review crates for this article – that’s a product review all of its own! If you do use a crate to keep your dog safe in the car, it must be fastened down in some manner so it doesn’t become a projectile itself. And crates that shift and slide even in normal driving can be aversive to a dog and make him not like his car-crate.
But not everyone has room in their cars for crates, nor solid things to fasten them to. And the space required for multiple-dog households would certainly preclude each dog having his or her own transport crate, unless you drive a large van or school bus!
Fortunately, there are now a number of tethering devices on the market. Most interact in some way with your car’s seat belts, although there are some made to fasten to cargo hooks in trucks and SUVs.
For safety reasons, all restraint devices should be used with a harness, not a collar, so you’ll need to add the cost of a harness (about $3-15) to those products that don’t include one as part of the package. Also, dogs should always be buckled up in the back seat of your vehicle. Just like small children, they risk severe injury or death from air bags in the front seats of most newer cars. Remember: Air bags can be engaged in even very slow-speed accidents, but deploy with lighting speed and potentially dog-crushing force.
WDJ’s restraint selections
We’ll discuss the products we examined in descending order of our preference, beginning with the pet seat belts, and then discussing the car tethers.
We gave our top rating of four paws to only one product, the Doggie Catcher Pet Seat Belt, made by Smiling Dog Enterprises of Chattanooga, Tennessee (my own location, though I’d never examined this product before).
The Doggie Catcher is a simple and sturdy product that is fastened firmly in place with your car’s own seat belt. All the other canine restraints we examined were slipped over the fabric of the car’s seat belt, so they don’t prevent your dog from moving around. Also, all the other models rely on the locking action of the belt to restrain the dog in case of a sudden stop.
But the Doggie Catcher Pet Seat Belt is fastened right at the seat belt buckle – the stubby, fixed part – for maximum security. You actually slip the metal tongue of the seat belt through a slot in the Doggie Catcher’s molded plastic flange and then insert the tongue into the buckle as you normally would. A strong grey nylon strap is fastened to the Doggie Catcher’s flange; a snap at the other end clips onto the dog’s harness. Because it actually clips into belt latching mechanism, it secures the dog at a specific length of the restraint strap, adjustable from 12 to 18 inches. We especially like the extra plastic flap that covers the seat belt release mechanism and prevents the dog from stepping on it and accidentally getting loose.
We do have some very minor quibbles with the product. We support the efforts of animal control agencies, and have an aversion to the whole “Dog Catcher” image. We understand play on words, but we hate the phrase. We wish also the product was less expensive. At a suggested retail price of $20, this is a pretty high-priced item. Add another $3-15 or more for a harness, and you’re getting up there. Is your dog’s safety worth this much money? Of course it is. But not everyone will spend this much – and every dog ought to have one, in our opinion.
Three paws
Our enthusiasm for the next product has a lot to do with its exceptionally low price. The Kwik Klip Car Safety Harness is a harness and restraint device in one, so, at just $5-6.50 (depending on size), this is probably the best value of all the restraints we examined.
The harness is made of black nylon (not as heavy as the straps used by the Doggie Catcher), with a padded chest strap for comfort, and an extra loop protruding from the top of the harness, almost like a handle, but roomier. When the dog is harnessed and in his seat, the seat belt is passed through this loop and buckled closed.
Because the loop can slide on the belt, however, and because most seat belts lock only under sudden braking, the Kwik Clip does not hold the dog as securely in place as the Doggie Catcher does.
The plastic buckles on the harness appear sturdy, but are a little large and bulky for small dogs. Also, the harness straps slip through the buckles a bit too easily, so once you have fitted the harness appropriately for your dog you might want to sew the straps down to prevent them from loosening as your dog moves around.
Note: Many of the car restraint products contain valuable warnings about not leaving dogs in hot cars. The Kwik Klip does not, and it would be a nice addition to their packaging.
Two and a half paws
Here’s an incredibly low-tech (and low-cost) product: the Seat Belt Restraint made by Coastal Pet Products, Inc. This is a seven-inch black nylon strap with a snap at one end and a loop at the other. You simply snap it to the back of your dog’s harness, slip the car’s seat belt through the loop and buckle the seat belt closed. The strap can also double as a short leash in a pinch.
We’re a tad worried about the ability of the metal snap to restrain a larger dog, especially under the impact of a crash; it seems fairly lightweight. Also, as we’ve noted before, the loop-over-seat-belt design does not provide for optimum safety – the dog can still move around the car more than we would like.
Two paws
The Batzibelt Pet Seat Belt is similar in design to the product above, but gets a slightly lower rating from us, in part because it’s more than double the cost for essentially the same product.
The Batzibelt has a metal snap at each end, and uses a metal shackle (instead of a nylon loop) that slips over the seat belt fabric. We don’t see this as an improvement – the metal snaps are more likely to fail under pressure than nylon, so this product has two weak links instead of just one. The shackle is a separate piece – one of those small metal gadgets that we manage to lose all too easily.
Finally, the directions on the package suggest attaching the clip to the dog’s harness or collar – an instruction we find irresponsible, since a dog restrained by the collar in a sudden stop could injure or break his neck.
Tethers: fixed length
We’re using the word “tether” in this application to mean a product that restrains the dog and is fastened to something fixed in the car – not an adjustable seat belt.
Again, Smiling Dog Enterprises offers the product we liked best: the Doggie Catcher Pet Restraint. And again, we like this product’s sturdiness and simplicity. The same grey heavy-duty nylon strap is adjustable up to 24 inches in this permutation, with a strong metal D-ring sewn into each end. A “quick link” is linked to each D-ring, one that attaches to an anchor point in the back of a van or SUV; the other attaches to your dog’s harness.
However, we were dismayed to see promotional photos in the product’s brochure of the restraint being used on a dog’s collar (risking a broken neck in case of a sudden stop), and on a dog in the back of an open pickup truck. We would love to see safety products a little more consistent in the safety message they send!
The Travel Tether is another very usable product, losing a point in our estimation for being more complicated to put on the dog and install, and a little less sturdy than the Doggie Catcher. This product utilizes snaps (not as strong as metal links) to secure the dog to two anchor points of a van or SUV, effectively cross-tying him for maximum security. It is more expensive than the Doggie Catcher, but includes a harness.
We found the instructions for using the Travel Tether to be very poorly written. We finally put them aside and figured out how to get the harness on the dog ourselves. On the plus side, the fact that the tether clips onto a ring sewn into the bottom of the dog’s harness makes it harder for him to get tangled up. (The company also placed a ring on the top of the harness, to which a leash could be attached for walked the dog to or from the car – neat!) Finally, the tether appears to be well-made, and we love that it is not suggested for use in pickup trucks. We also appreciate the clear safety tips offered on the back of the package.
A long-time dog lover, Marci Boothe volunteers at the Santa Cruz (California) SPCA walking adoption dogs. She had assumed that her landlady wouldn’t approve of her keeping a dog in her small rental unit, so she got her “dog fix” by giving love and attention to shelter dogs.
But then came Stella, a year-and-a-half-old Border Collie mix. The winsome young dog arrived at the SPCA in July of 1998. Boothe fell in love with Stella the first time she took the dog for a walk outside. Her white-and-black markings were striking, her coat was soft and silky, but it was the dog’s calm, gentle spirit and the soft look in her eyes that touched Boothe’s heart. While the majority of shelter dogs jump on their handlers in rowdy glee when removed from their kennels, Stella quietly laid down on the ground at Boothe’s feet and offered her tummy for rubbing.
“What a wonderful dog,” Boothe thought. “She’ll get adopted easily.”
However, every Friday when Boothe checked her kennel Stella was still there. Shelter staff told her that potential adopters were turned off by Stella’s mild display of defensive aggression toward other dogs.
As weeks turned into months, Booth began to worry. Although the Santa Cruz SPCA has a high adoption rate, they are an “Open Door” shelter, meaning they take in all dogs and cats in need. Sometimes, some must be euthanized. Following her fourth month at the shelter, Stella’s days were numbered. It was time to make room for other homeless dogs who deserved a chance to be adopted.
Boothe got permission from her landlady to keep a dog. She had spent more than a dozen Fridays with Stella, and knew that she loved the little dog. One October Friday, Boothe took Stella home.
A blissful first day Boothe was confident that Stella would settle in easily, and her trust was not misplaced. Under her new owner’s close supervision Stella explored the small deck off the back of the house, then walked into the tiny living room and settled on the rug like she’d lived there all her life. She was house-trained, and showed no inclination to chew inappropriate items. Stella was home.
Boothe was jubilant. This was going to work out fine! She had deliberately adopted on a Friday so she would have the weekend to help Stella adjust. It looked like she might not even need it. As Boothe puttered around doing housework, Stella followed at her heels, staying close, always keeping her in sight. In a short time there was a close bond between the two.
The problem started the very next day. Boothe took a quick trip to the grocery store, leaving Stella in the car while she shopped. Boothe was not five feet from the car when Stella started to howl and scream. Hoping the noise would stop, Boothe kept walking. The entire time she shopped she could hear Stella crying non-stop at the top of her lungs.
And, unfortunately, it got worse. Boothe couldn’t walk down the driveway to get the mail without Stella breaking into shrill protest.
The capper came the following day, when Boothe had to return to work. At the end of that day, her landlady – who lived in the front half of the house – knocked on her door to tell Boothe, “You can’t leave that dog here during the day – she’s driving me nuts!” Boothe had to find a way to stop Stella’s screaming, fast.
Boothe started taking Stella to work with her and staying home religiously in the evenings. This prevented an immediate crisis, but she knew she couldn’t be a prisoner to Stella’s screams for the next 15 years. She had to find a solution.
That’s why, in early November, Boothe called Peaceable Paws, my dog-training business. We immediately scheduled a private in-home session to discuss separation anxiety and to begin desensitizing Stella to Boothe’s departures.
A “natural” problem Separation anxiety is a not uncommon condition that occurs when a dog cannot tolerate being left alone. Dogs are rarely alone in their natural environment. All domestic dogs must learn to be left alone, but this is more difficult for some. Dogs who are closely bonded to their owners, who tend to be anxious anyway, or who have lost a close human companion are more likely to experience separation anxiety. A relatively high percentage of shelter dogs seem to suffer from separation anxiety, either from being abandoned by their owners and spending time in the stressful shelter environment, or because they were dumped at the shelter when their owners couldn’t deal with separation anxiety behaviors. Either way, Stella had it. Separation problems can manifest themselves in destructive behavior, house soiling, and vocalization. Booth was fortunate that Stella chose only one of the three; probably the easiest of the three to live with and correct.
I met with Boothe and Stella in early November. Stella was very bonded to Boothe, following closely on her heels from room to room. The first thing we needed to do, I explained to Boothe, was to get Stella to accept a brief separation while her beloved companion was in another room. We began by conditioning Stella to the clicker so that we could mark and reward calm behavior during Boothe’s brief absences. (That is, we clicked the clicker and fed Stella a tasty treat a dozen times or so, until she understood that every time she heard the clicker she would get a treat reward.)
Then I held Stella on her leash while Boothe stepped into the kitchen. The instant Boothe disappeared I clicked and fed Stella a treat – before she had time to take a breath to cry — and Boothe immediately returned. We repeated this several times, gradually (in half-second to one second increments) increasing the amount of time Boothe remained out of sight. When Stella was tolerating Boothe’s absence for as long as 10 seconds, I had Boothe open and close the door leading to the back deck. Stella’s anxiety level instantly increased. Several door-openings increased Stella’s stress, so we went back to brief kitchen trips, with an occasional door-opening tossed in when Stella calmly accepted the brief absences.
When Stella was relaxed about the occasional door-opening I passed the clicker to Boothe. She would have to do this by herself after I left, so we needed to set up the protocol for that now. Because the Click! is a promise that a reward is coming, it didn’t matter that when Boothe clicked it would take her several seconds to return to Stella and feed her a treat. Stella knew the treat was coming. In fact, it increased the amount of time that Stella stayed calm, because once the Click! sounded, she had several extra seconds to anticipate the arrival of the reward – and her owner.
Desensitizing takes time We made considerable progress during the 90-minute session. Boothe was able to successfully walk out the door, across the deck and down the driveway, Click! (Stella could hear the Click! through a slightly opened window), and return. While we were nowhere near leaving Stella alone for eight hours while Boothe went to work, it was a very promising beginning. Boothe thought she would soon be able to take out the garbage and walk to the end of the driveway to get the mail without Stella turning into a screaming banshee.
The most challenging part of a desensitization program is avoiding triggering the behavior during the desensitization process. Every time the behavior is triggered it is reinforced, and becomes that much more difficult to extinguish. Most people dealing with separation anxiety don’t have the luxury of being able to gradually increase the time increments that the dog is left alone.
Fortunately for Stella, Boothe had a couple of options that many people don’t have. She could take Stella to work with her, at least for a time. And she worked nearby, with a flexible schedule that permitted her to go home every few hours when she did start leaving Stella home.
Training pays off Boothe was persistent with her training, and the program was successful. Within two months Stella was tolerating two-hour separations like a champ. Boothe attended a Peaceable Paws Level 1 training class, which also helped to boost Stella’s confidence as well as improve the communication between dog and human.
Getting a companion for a dog with separation anxiety usually does little to ease the anxious dog’s problems. But for Stella, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place in January when Boothe’s landlady gave her permission for Stella to spend time in the back yard with her son’s Akita mix, Buff. The two dogs became fast friends, and now spend hours wrestling and tumbling together while Boothe is at work.
Boothe still doesn’t leave Stella alone for more than five hours. She doesn’t want to trigger a recurrence of the anxiety behavior. Boothe and Stella were lucky. Stella’s separation anxiety was relatively mild, and her basically calm nature was a significant factor in the positive outcome in this case. So was Boothe’s commitment to Stella. Many dogs require much more extensive desensitization programs (sometimes including drug therapy) than Stella did, and many owners aren’t as willing as Boothe to put up with difficult behaviors and do what it takes to rehabilitate a separation anxiety dog.
Expect challenges when adopting It is almost a given that a shelter adoptee will come with some behavior challenges, no matter what. Marci Boothe did a lot of things right when she adopted Stella. She considered the adoption for a long time. She spent lots of time with Stella, as well as numerous other dogs. She evaluated the dog’s temperament for compatibility in a small granny unit apartment. She got permission from her landlady to adopt a dog, and set up a bed and toys before bringing Stella home. Yet all of Boothe’s precautions didn’t prevent her from ending up with a significant behavior problem.
Fortunately for Stella, Boothe was strongly committed to all the responsibilities of dog ownership. “The time you spend with the dog,” she says, “makes all the difference.”
From tiny Pomeranians to huge Mastiffs, dogs love to play Tug ‘o War. There is an inherent canine joy in growling, grabbing, pulling, shaking, ripping and shredding that satisfies a dog’s basic predatory instincts. Owners also find it rewarding to roughhouse with their four-footed friends, and a Tug ‘o War game is a great way to take the edge off a high-energy pooch.
Many trainers caution against playing Tug ‘o War with canine companions, warning that it teaches a dog to be dominant and aggressive. I encourage my students to play Tug ‘o War with their dogs. If you play the game right, it’s a perfect opportunity to teach your dog deference and good manners and you can even resolve aggression problems. Only if it is done improperly does “Tug” teach your dog bad habits.
The first key to playing the game right is that you always win. At least almost always. At least in the beginning. The Tug Toy is a very special, cherished object. It is kept hidden in a special place, and only comes out when you want to play. Tease Woofie with the toy – shake it a squeak it, and use a word such as “tug” or “pull,” that you chose for your behavior cue. Let him grab one end, and have a great time tugging and shaking the toy with him for a few minutes, then offer him a very tasty treat.
If you’ve used a sufficiently tasty treat, Woofie will open his mouth for the treat. When he does you say “Drop,” or “Give,” since he must drop the tug toy to eat the treat. You just won the game. “Click!” a clicker or tell him “Yes!” to let him know he did a rewardable behavior, then hold the treat and let him nibble at it while you safely remove the tug toy. Now you can either play again (playing the game again is another reward for Woofie for giving up the toy when you asked) or you can put it away and play again later.
Before long, Woofie will be programmed to drop the toy on cue, and you can win whenever you want. Now you can let him grab it and run off with it every once in a while to make the game more interesting. Just remember to have him give it back to you when his turn is up – don’t start playing chase!
Some dogs want to play too aggressively with a tug toy, and some dogs get seriously aggressive. If Rambo plays too rough, and either jumps up on you or puts his mouth on your clothing or skin, it’s time for an instant “time out!” Just say “Too bad!” in an upbeat, cheerful, non-punitive tone of voice and put the toy away for a few minutes. If his rowdy behavior persists, use a tie-down, a crate, a puppy pen, or just step out of the room briefly. After a moment or two, resume the game. Every time he bites or gets out of control, it’s “Too bad!” and a time-out. Four time outs in a row ends the game for the day.
Rambo will learn very quickly that when he is too rough, playtime is over. In short order he will begin to control his behavior so that he can continue playing the game.
There are lots of different tug toys on the market. To some extent the ideal tug-toy depends on your own dog’s size, strength and chewing preference. Tug toys should be durable, safe, appealing to the dog, and affordable. WDJ tested several tug toys based on these criteria.
Solid rubber dog tug of war toys
Dogs seem to like these – the solid rubber gives them something to sink their teeth into, which is an especially enjoyable treat for young dogs who are still teething.
WDJ Approves
Cressite Solid Rubber Tug Toy Pet Supply Imports, Inc. South Holland, IL (made in England) $7.79. Available at most pet stores.
The Cressite Rubber Tug Toy is made of natural rubber and was very inviting to our test dogs. They got quite enthusiastic, to the point that I feared for the integrity of the toy. The price is reasonable, but given the somewhat flimsy construction (I have seen them snap under heavy use), I would reserve this toy for dogs 25 pounds and under.
Not Recommended
Cressite Solid Rubber Play Ring Pet Supply Imports, Inc. South Holland, IL (made in England) $7.29. Available at most pet stores.
Made of the same natural rubber, but thicker and sturdier, the Cressite Play Ring is a great fetch toy, as it promises on its label. However, the packaging also encourages its use as a tug toy, which we could not recommend. We found insufficient distance for safety, with your hand on the edge of the ring on one side and your dog’s teeth on the other. This could be a suitable tug toy for a well-behaved, trained dog, but it’s not one we would recommend for the “Rambo” who is just learning how to play politely.
WDJ’s top pick
Four Paws Rough & Rugged Four Paws Products, Ltd. Hauppauge, NY (made in China) $12.99. Available at most pet stores.
It’s more expensive, for sure, but the Rough & Rugged gets our rubber toy vote, paws down. It is also made of natural rubber, and is more than twice the thickness of the Cressite Tug Toy, which increase its durability substantially. It is a decent length to separate hands from jaws (13 inches), which should give Rambo the needed distance to differentiate rubber from skin.
Tennis ball toys
Most dogs love playing with tennis balls, so it was only a matter of time before they got incorporated into all kinds of dog toys. WDJ looked at two from a tug toy perspective.
Not Recommended
Tug Max PetSport USA Pittsburg, CA. $9.49
The Tug Max consists of two tennis balls tied five inches apart with a soft nylon rope. It appears well-constructed, although a little pricey. Our test dogs loved it, but even they had difficulty restricting their teeth to their end of the tug toy.
Also, having tennis balls on both ends invites teeth at both ends. This could be a great toy for two dogs to play tug with together, but it would not be WDJ’s choice for owner-dog “Tug” play.
WDJ’s Top Pick
Cassidy Big Tug/D Farlar Int’l., Camarillo, CA. (made in USA). 14.99. Available in pet stores.
This tug toy has a tennis ball securely attached to two ropes at one end of the toy. A full 22 inches away, a rubber handle encircles the rope, making it easy for the owner to hold on to the toy – and win the game! Rambo has plenty of room to chomp the ball or the rope, without getting too close to human skin at the handle end. This is the kind of toy that would be most useful to teach the rules of “Tug ‘o War” to your dog.
Braided rope toys
Dogs love to chew these colorful, heavy, cotton braided ropes for hours – which is exactly the problem; when swallowed, the tiny threads can wreak havoc in the intestines, sometimes necessitating major life-saving surgery. As a tug toy, though, they can be great. Just don’t leave them lying around – they should always be put away at the end of the game. We selected two of the almost infinite variety of knotted rope toys to demonstrate what you should look for.
Not Recommended
Booda Tug Aspen Pet Products, Inc. Denver, CO $5.99. Available at most pet stores.
This 20″ model is on the modest size (and price!), yet plenty long and sturdy for a good game of tug for a small to medium size dog. It was our Pomeranian’s favorite. We would not recommend it for bigger, stronger dogs, as there is no handle and it would be relatively easy for a large dog to pull the tug out of the owner’s hands.
WDJ’s Top Pick
Booda Wonder Tug (Twin) Aspen Pet Products, Inc. Denver, CO $15.49. Available at most pet stores.
A shade pricier, but this one comes with all the extras you need for a really safe tug toy with a larger dog. A soft rubber handle protects the owner’s hand, some 27 inches from the business end of Rambo’s teeth. Halfway down the rope the toy splits into two ends, giving Rambo a choice if he tends to bounce around with his teeth.
These are just a few of the many tug toys available. Keep in mind the importance of safety, durability, dog appeal and price, and you can find several more that can fill the bill. Have fun, and remember to win! -By Pat Miller
I had been playing with the 120-pound, confident, intact male Rottweiler for more than 45 minutes. He sat next to me and leaned happily against my leg. Without thinking, I bent down and reached across the back of his neck to scratch behind his ear.
In a split second his eyes went cold and I felt, rather than heard, the rumble of a growl from deep within his throat. I whirled away from his massive jaws just in time to catch the bite in the padded shoulder of my jacket, rather than my face. I stood perfectly still, heart thudding, legs weak, waiting to see what he would do next. He sat back down, smiled a big Rottweiler grin and wagged his stump of a tail.
“No hard feelings,” he was saying, “as long as you mind your place.”
As a professional dog trainer, I should have known better. I had offended his sensibilities as a dominant male by having the audacity to reach over the back of his neck, a serious challenge in dogspeak. Only luck and quick reactions saved me from being badly bitten in the face. A child, a senior, any unsuspecting person in this situation could easily have ended up at the nearest emergency room, headed for the plastic surgeon’s knife. Or dead. Between 1980 and 1996, 304 people died from dog attacks in this country, an average of 19 dog-related fatalities per year.
Remember, biting is a natural, normal dog behavior. All dogs can bite. Many of them do. All dogs are potential biters. This is why it is so prevalent.
Common problem
Statistically, dog bites are the number one health problem for children in this country, outpacing measles, mumps, and whooping cough combined, according to Jeffrey Sacks, MD, of the National Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. The CDC estimates that some 4.7 million persons were bitten by dogs in 1996. Of these, approximately 830,000 of the bites required medical attention, up from 585,000 in 1986.
Children are the most common dog bite victims, due to their size, vulnerability, and tendency to move quickly and make strange noises, especially when excited or frightened. In another chilling example, a 1994 survey of 3,238 Pennsylvania school children determined that by the 12th grade, 46 percent of students had been bitten by a dog.
A great deal has been written about how to avoid being bitten, and there are education programs in schools across the country to teach children how to be safe around dogs. While this effort is commendable, it is equally important to address the canine end of the bite equation. Anyone who has ever owned a dog who has bitten a person knows the stress of living with a known biter, the guilt of seeing stitches in a child’s face, and the agony that comes with making the painful decision to have a four-footed friend euthanized rather than risk injury to another human. If we only had a better understanding of how our dogs’ minds work, we could prevent many bites from happening, and successfully rehabilitate many dogs who have become problem biters through mismanagement and inappropriate training.
The bite threshold
According to Canadian author and dog trainer Jean Donaldson in her excellent book, Culture Clash, dogs, like humans, have a breaking point beyond which, if pushed, they respond with aggression. She calls this the “bite threshold.” Dogs also have thresholds for other threat behaviors such as growling, snarling, and snapping.
Anything that stresses the dog is a risk factor. Risk factors vary from one dog to the next, but can include things like loud noises, children, anything the dog associates with punishment (a leather strap, rolled-up newspaper, choke chain), and anything to which the dog has not been adequately socialized, such as strange men, umbrellas, odd hats, etc. The list of possible risk factors is endless. Any one risk factor may be enough of a stimulus to cross a particular dog’s bite threshold, but in many cases it is a combination of factors that join together to push a dog past his limit.
For example, let’s say Rascal is not overly fond of small children, he’s afraid of loud noises, and a little bit protective of his toys. One day the owner’s two-year-old granddaughter is visiting during a thunderstorm, and crawls over to Rascal, who is lying in the corner on the floor next to his favorite toy. Rascal, who has always in the past just avoided the toddler, is on edge from the thunder, is cornered and can’t get away, and sees the girl reaching out toward his most valuable possession. “Without warning,” Rascal lunges and grabs the little girl’s face. The combination of risk factors has pushed him past his bite threshold.
In fact, there was plenty of warning, if someone had just been able to recognize Rascal’s nervousness with each of the individual risk factors and understood that putting them all together placed the child at a significant risk of being attacked.
Classifications of aggression
We tend to think of aggression as being one of two types: either dominance aggression, where the dog thinks he’s the pack leader and bites to get his way; or submission aggression, also known as fear aggression, where the shy, timid dog bites when he feels cornered or threatened.
In reality, the analysis of aggression is much more complex than this; there are more than a dozen different identifiable classifications of aggression, each with different triggers and approaches to modifying the aggressive behavior. Most dogs who have a problem with inappropriate aggression display more than one type. A competent trainer or behaviorist will be able to accurately identify and work with all of the various types of aggression that a dog may manifest in order to effectively resolve the complete problem.
The positive approach
There was a time when the generally accepted method of correcting a dog’s aggression was to be more aggressive than the dog. If your dog growled at you when you jerked on her leash or tried to force her to lie down, you were instructed to “pop” her under the chin with a closed fist. If she snapped at you in response, you might have been told to do a “scruff shake” or “alpha roll.” If she continued to fight you, your trainer might have taken the leash from you to “hang” or “helicopter” the dog. These techniques are as abusive as they sound – dogs have been blinded, permanently brain-damaged, and even killed by these methods. Even so, some trainers continue to use and defend the use of hanging and helicoptering even today.
But progressive, humane trainers have come to understand that aggression begets aggression. Many dogs respond to a physical correction by escalating their own aggression in their own self-defense. Unless you are willing and able to out-escalate the dog, the dog “wins” the fight and the aggression worsens. Even if you succeed in overpowering the dog, all you have done is suppress the signs of aggression; the risk factors for the aggressive behavior are still there. You have simply taught the dog not to growl or snap in warning.
When you suppress the warning signs of aggression – the growling and snarling – you actually increase the risk of a serious bite, since the aggression is then more likely to erupt into a full-scale attack without giving you the chance to be warned off by the growl.
Desensitize the dog
A far better approach is to desensitize the dog to the risk factors, that is, change the way he thinks about them. The fewer risk factors a particular dog has, the less likely they are to join in a combination of factors powerful enough to push him over his threshold and cause him to bite.
For instance, if we can get Rascal to think that having children around is a good thing, he will no longer be nervous when they are near, and the presence of children can be permanently removed as a risk factor. We start out by discontinuing the practice of punishing him when children are around. If he growls at a child and we jerk on his leash or smack him, we have reinforced his belief that bad things happen when children are present. If we exclude him from the family when the grandkids visit, we also teach him that bad things happen when children are present – he gets exiled from the pack. If, instead, we can consistently make good things happen when kids are around, Rascal will begin to look forward to their presence instead of fearing them.
We can accomplish this through the use of a reward marker, such as the Click! of a clicker, or the word Yes!, which we have already taught the dog to associate with a tasty treat. You might begin your desensitization process by finding a location where children are far enough away that Rascal can see them but not feel threatened by them (it helps to employ children that you know and have instructed to stay away). When Rascal notices the children, Click! the clicker and feed him a treat. Each time he glances at the children and remains calm, Click! and treat. This will begin to teach him that seeing children (and remaining calm) is a good thing – children mean treats!
Gradually move closer, continuing to Click! and treat for calm behavior. Don’t push your luck, however. If you notice the tiniest sign of nervousness on Rascal’s part as you near the children, stop and calmly retreat. If children come toward you, attracted by the dog, use a clear, firm, but calm tone and tell them to stay back!
When employing a desensitization program, you need to avoid triggering the behavior you are trying to eliminate. Getting the dog too stressed and forcing him to growl or snap at a child would be a serious setback to your program. Watch closely, and stop at the first sign of discomfort. If you have moved forward in small enough steps you may be able to pause for a moment, wait for calm behavior to return, and Click! and treat the dog for making a good choice of behaviors. If you have been impatient and moved forward too quickly, you may have to back up to find the point where the dog’s calm behavior returns, and Click! and reward him there. It is always better to move forward slowly and end on a positive note than have to back up and repair damage.
Once you are close enough, and assuming your dog is still calm, you can ask the children to toss treats to the dog, so he starts realizing that good things actually come from the children themselves. (It may take days, weeks, or even longer to get a dog who is very fearful of children to this point.) Ask the children not to stare into the dog’s eyes, as this is a strong threat for a dog, and be sure to do this exercise, at least at first, with children you trust to be calm and not act fearful themselves. Over time, you should start to see signs – wagging tail, bright eyes, perked ears – that your dog is eagerly anticipating his encounters with kids instead of fearing them.
An ounce of prevention
It is far easier to prevent undesirable behavior than it is to correct it. A desensitization program can take anywhere from several weeks, to months, even years, depending on the intensity of the dog’s discomfort with the risk factor, and the owner’s or trainer’s skill. And while you may succeed in desensitizing the dog in the above example to, say, the child factor, you haven’t even begun to address his protection aggression over his favorite toy.
If you start when your dog is a puppy and you raise him right, you can avoid a lot of the headache and heartache of risk factors through proper socialization. Socialization means getting used to environmental elements through exposure.
In the wild, a puppy is naturally exposed to the elements of the world during the first several months of puppyhood. Anything new he encounters after that is cause for alarm, or at least for extreme caution. The same thing is true of our domesticated puppies. If you make an effort to expose pups to lots of different stimuli during the first five months of their lives, they will grow up with a much shorter list of risk factors. Of course, the exposure must be positive – exposure to traumatizing stimuli during this same period will make the list longer!
So, if you want a dog to be comfortable around children, men, odd hats, etc., you better make darn sure that he meets a lot of kids and men and people wearing odd hats who are nice to him and feed him treats before he is five months old. Reknowned trainer Ian Dunbar suggests that people hold occasional “puppy parties” for this purpose; the diverse attendees ALL wear funny hats and act strangely, and they all take turns praising and feeding the puppy treats!
If you want your puppy to get along with other dogs, give him plenty of opportunities to play with other puppies and appropriate (non-aggressive) adult dogs while he is young. If you want him to not be possessive of his food and toys, spend time gently showing him that you can take toys and food away and give them back, or that if you approach while he is eating you may give him more food, or better food than what he already has. Do this without punishment, and he will learn to associate pleasant things with each of these stimuli.
Fearful puppies
Some puppies are born more fearful than others. It is especially important to take the time to socialize these shy guys, or they can turn into serious fear biters. Because of the gap that can occur between protection from maternal antibodies and puppyhood vaccines (see “Vaccination Mystery,” WDJ January 1999), some veterinarians counsel their clients to keep puppies confined at home until at least the age of four months. Unfortunately, while these pups may never die of distemper or parvovirus, they risk losing their homes, and perhaps their lives, because of the socialization that they miss during their critical learning period. In my 20-plus years of experience working at animal shelters, I’ve seen far more dogs euthanized due to behavior problems caused by lack of socialization and training than puppies who contracted diseases from exposure to other dogs.
Many training classes now start puppies as young as 10 weeks as long as they as they are properly vaccinated, in an effort to provide socialization and early training for the youngsters. These pups never have a chance to learn wrong behaviors, since they learn the right ones from a very early age – as long as the trainer uses positive, non-punitive training methods and no choke chains.
Get help
If you have a dog who already has lots of risk factors, seek help from a competent professional soon, rather than later. Don’t wait until a tragedy occurs to recognize your dog’s potential to bite, and don’t fall into the denial trap. If your dog reacts to a lot of risk factors, or reacts strongly to any one particular factor, likelihood is high that sooner or later he will be pushed past his bite threshold.
Remember, all dogs can bite. When you interview trainers, check their credentials, and be relentless in your questioning about their methods. (For more information about selecting a trainer, see “Choosing the Right Trainer,” in the May 1998 issue of WDJ.)
And what of the Rottweiler who wanted to eat me? He wasn’t a client; I was there on his ranch with a humane officer to investigate a complaint of horse neglect, so I didn’t have chance to work with him to modify his behavior. And while I thank my lucky stars that no one had ever suppressed his warning signs – it was the growl that gave me time to whirl away – I do worry that he is still out there, a ticking time bomb, running loose on the ranch, that sooner or later will explode in the face of someone who doesn’t turn away in time. There are far too many such ticking time bombs out there. Don’t let your dog be one of them.
Recently I got a letter from a reader who complained that the most recent issue of WDJ had completely turned her off. The articles were “wonderful,” she said, but what left a bad taste in her mouth, so to speak, was the way we had singled out Rottweilers as bad dogs.
Where had we done that? I wondered, even as I read on. Fortunately, she explained. First, on the cover, we had a picture of two Rottweilers engaged in something that looked like a fight (they were actually playing) and was labelled, “Fear of Fighting.” True enough. Our second offense was also associated with the article about teaching dogs not to fight. The author of the article chose to use “a growling Rottweiler” as an example of something a person might want his dog to pass with a wide berth. The letter writer suggested that in the future, we consider using “generic terms” and not single out any one breed to represent the growling threat. It’s comments like these, she said, that make people fear Rottweilers more.
Well, yes and no.
People fear Rottweilers for a variety of reasons, and only a few of those reasons are due to the media. Some Rottie owners deliberately foster the intimidating look, fastening huge Gothic collars on their dogs and encouraging their dogs to be aggressive. Many Rottweilers are used for guard and protection work, a task they were bred for and excel at. And, face it, whether you want to blame nature or nurture (poor breeding or wrong-headed training), there are a certain number of aggressive, unpredictable, dangerous Rottweilers in the world.
Of course, there are a lot of aggressive, unpredictable, dangerous Toy Poodles in the world, too. But few people are frightened of Toy Poodles, even if they growl and snap.
Before I go any further, I guess I better explain that, as a generalization, I like Rottweilers. The good ones I’ve known outnumber the scary ones, and when you have a good-hearted Rottie, you have a friend who will follow you to the ends of the earth.
And I agree with the reader on one point: Selecting a Rottweiler to represent the prototype scary sidewalk hazard was indulging in a stereotype that is probably painful to friends of Rottweilers. We probably should have described the dog in generic terms that would be equally evocative of a threat one would instantly want to avoid, such as, “. . . a huge, snarling brute of a dog, barely restrained by its leering owner. . .”
So, I don’t want anyone to freak out when they see two MORE violent Rotts in this issue!
Pat Miller begins her article (“Does Your Dog Bite?”) about the best way to prevent an “at-risk” dog from biting people with a true story – a close encounter she had with a biting Rottweiler. After 20-plus years in dog-related professions, Miller has probably been bitten more than once, and yes, I suppose she could have used another one of her “war stories” to commence this article. But the Rott who bit her was the perfect example of a dog with potentially dangerous “risk factors” for biting, a dog who would have benefitted from some behavior modification training such as the kind she discusses in the article.
And the second aggressive Rottweiler in this issue is rehabilitated, a virtual poster dog for several positive movements: no-kill shelters who have the resources to rehabilitate dogs who come to them with serious behavior problems; for flower essence therapy, which offers a unique, safe, and effective way to help a dog regain his mental and emotional equanimity; and for thoughtful, caring owners willing to tailor their habitat and life-styles to accommodate the special needs of their beloved canine companions.
Both these dogs illustrate WDJ’s goals – how, with holistic care, even the scariest dog can transcend its stereotype.
Regarding Marie Speicher’s letter in the January 1999 issue concerning holistic bird care, you might refer her to “The Pet Bird Report: The Thinking Parrot Owner’s Information Source.” This journal is published six times a year and has outstanding information on pet bird care. Ms. Speicher will find natural and holistic methods discussed, behavioral issues, veterinarian columns, feeding guidelines, plus a wealth of other information to keep her birds healthy and happy. For instance, last year, Issue #33 contained a long detailed article on “What It Means to Be Organic” regarding organic feeding for our avian companions.
It is published by the Pet Bird Information Council, 2236 Mariner Square Drive #35, Alameda, CA 94501; email: sallypbr@ix.netcom.com. I am not in any way connected with the above publication, but, like I share my home with different species and want the best for all of them.
-Dian Hunter Pinehurst, North Carolina
Thanks for your help. I was surprised to hear that another quality pet care journal was published here in my own town!
Christmas Puppies
I was surprised when I read that you planned to provide information on care, etc. of Christmas puppies. While your attempt to get people off on the right foot with their new puppy (“Getting Off to the Best Start,” January 1999) is a commendable effort, I wished that, instead, you provided information on why not to get a puppy at Christmas. Please encourage prospective pet owners to wait until after the holidays before bringing puppies home. Planning for a new arrival should take center stage and not get lost in a holiday frenzy.
-L. Thompson via email
‘Nuff said!
More on Mobility Carts?
In regard to Anita Vreeland’s quest to find a used mobility cart for her new (and paralyzed) Dachshund (Letters, February 1999): When I no longer needed my cart, (for a three-legged Basset Hound), I contacted K-9 Carts and they said they keep a list of people who are trying to find a new home for their used carts. I don’t know howmuch people want for the used carts, but I am quite willing to give mine to someone who can use it. K-9 carts said they can make the necessary changes if I find a 65 lb. Basset who has four legs. That would be quite a savings for that dog owner. Mine cost more than $300 when it was new.
I hope the Doxie owner finds an appropriate cart.
-Marge Thomas via email
Marge wasn’t the only one who wished Vreeland’s Dachshund to get a new cart. Just a day or two after the February issue came out, we received a call from a woman who wanted to anonymously donate the money to buy Vreeland’s adopted Dachshund a cart! I immediately sent Vreeland an email message, saying, “Please call me; I have some good news for you,” and late that night I received this reply:
“It’s too late to call you tonight, but I had to write you right away. I was so surprised to read my own letter in the February issue! A LOT has happened since I last wrote you. Toby got his cart almost immediately. I just couldn’t wait, so I ordered one and just lived with being poor for a while. It was worth EVERY penny! In my opinion, just getting his spine in proper alignment gave him the edge he needed.
Now he kicks his back feet like crazy and he has a very spastic tail wag, but it’s DEFINITELY purposeful. His personality has just blossomed since I got him. He plays and plays with his new sisters and hogs ALL the toys for himself. His previous owner said he was never one to really play with toys, but he’s on his third Vermont Chewman . . . go figure! His coat looks better, the open wounds on his back feet (from dragging himself around) and his surgical scar have completely healed and have fur now, and he has ME wrapped around his little paw.
I belong to an email list for people owned by disabled dogs, many of whom are “wieners.” So if the message you have for me pertains to a used cart that is available, these people would LOVE to hear about it. If there is a cart without an owner, I bet we could fill it from someone on the list: http://www.advancenet.net/~geojungl/ABLEDOX/index.html
-Anita Vreeland Tulsa, OK
Appalling Practice
I was absolutely appalled to read the article, “One Lucky Puppy” (WDJ February 1999). First, I would agree that “Karma, Dusty’s mother” had a bad start – but not necessarily for the reasons cited in the article. Why was a bitch that was under two years of age being bred in the first place? She clearly could not have an OFA number certifying that she had good hips, for example. A less-than- two-year-old Basset is still developing physically and mentally. Perhaps too young to be considered breeding stock?
I was even more horrified when I read at the end of the article about how Dusty had “begun a career at stud.” What about the other 10 dead littermates? What about the possibility of inherited kidney disease, immune problems, or other genetic weaknesses? This dog should have been kept as a cherished companion, but not added to the gene pool.
Neither traditional medicine nor alternative medicine can make up for genetic weaknesses. Traditional and alternative veterinary care, along with proper nutrition, can enhance the quality of life for such weak individuals. But it does not make them genetically strong and appropriate animals to consider in a breeding program.
Congratulations on one of the finest dog magazines available! We keep all copies on hand and have used them over and over to educate our clients on a healthier choice for their dogs in pest control, diet, etc.
Regarding the article on your top 10 dry dog foods (February 1999): It was an excellent article, but you did not list all the available foods from IVD Limited Diet. They not only have lamb and venison, but offer duck and potato, and very recently, rabbit and potato. The duck and potato is the most popular with our clients but we feel that the rabbit will soon take first place!
Rabbit seems to be one of the most highly recommended meats for dogs and this, to my knowledge, is the only commercial food with this meat in it. I believe they are also adding rosemary and other beneficial herbs.
-Kylene Halliday Cedarview Veterinary Hospital Grants Pass, OR
While many trainers can readily observe signs of a dysfunctional relationship between dogs and their owners, not all feel comfortable addressing those issues with their students. Vermont-based trainer April Frost has made human/dog relationships something of a specialty. She teaches people how to get to the root of training troubles through the cultivation of a better relationship with their dogs. Once communication problems are cleared up, she finds, dogs readily comply with their handlers wishes.
Frost has 35 years of experience as a dog handler and trainer although she eschews the latter appellation in favor of animal communication facilitator. In her book, Beyond Obedience: Training With Awareness For You and Your Dog, she explains that teaching dogs to have good manners is just a small part of the human/dog relationship. According to Frost, learning, communication, and the cultivation of awareness and mutual respect between you and your dog will always be an ongoing process. Taking the time and energy to build a quality relationship, she says, has numerous and invaluable rewards, including and far surpassing the desired level of obedience.
Benefits of building
We gain tremendous emotional rewards when we improve our relationship with our dogs. Dogs let us experience a deep unconditional love. Many adult humans are aware of this, of course, but Frost believes that this gift has extraordinary value to children. “The relationship children create with dogs is a special one that helps them deal with peer pressure. It is a safe harbor for them to come back to. Their dogs love and accept them, and are non-judgmental,” says Frost. This unconditional acceptance that dogs extend to us is one of the nicest perks that this special relationship offers us.
Another benefit we gain from our dogs is a sense of expansiveness and ease. People tend to be more open around animals, and dogs in particular. Frost notes, We are often more open, tolerant, and kind to our dogs than we are to other people. Have you ever noticed what happens in a work situation when a dog comes for a visit? Suddenly everyone smiles and becomes more relaxed.
If we allow ourselves to open up to their reality and understand what they have to teach us, we gain a fullness and an expanded sense of self, says Frost. A wonderful example of this occurred when Frost’s dog Jessie lost most of her sight due to her advanced age. Jessie had always been Frost’s protector, and now the roles were reversed. When Frost and Jessie were out together she had to pay attention to Jessie’s world and the obstacles that might impact her. Frost became very aware of the cracks and bumps in the street that she needed to maneuver Jessie around. One day in front of a busy hotel Frost looked down and noticed a beautiful, delicate flower growing in the crack of the sidewalk. She was amazed that the flower had survived a constant flow of foot traffic and realized that she was probably the only person who had noticed and appreciated that little flower. Frost feels that this expanded awareness was a gift from Jessie.
Relationship rehab
In times of trouble, of course, a relationship with a dog can feel like more of a burden than a gift. Frequently, professional dog trainers are consulted when a person’s association with his or her dog has become strained or downright unpleasant. Rather than ignoring the currents of emotional distress she senses in her clients, Frost encourages her pupils to really examine what’s gone awry. It’s important to look at the emotional issues your dog brings out in you, says Frost.
In her book, she cites the example of a couple who seemed to have a stiff, unaffectionate relationship with their white Samoyed, Snow. When Frost questioned the couple about the dog and their feelings about the dog, they related that they had inherited Snow from their daughter, who had been unable to keep him which did impinge somewhat on the travel plans they had made since retirement.
More significantly, the couple felt overwhelmed by the amount of hair that the dog shedded. Unconsciously, this underlying resentment was interfering with their relationship. Frost directed them to more appropriate grooming tools; the brushes they had were not at all right for his hair, and made the flyaway problem worse. After a special lesson on grooming and getting the hair under control, the couple felt much more appreciative of the dog and enjoyed him more.
Facing your emotions
Sometimes, it turns out that the human partner in a relationship is actually the one behind some problem behavior of the dog. For example, a student once came to Frost after she became increasingly unhappy with conventional training methods. The more she trained her dog, the more dog-aggressive he seemed to become.
As a result of her consultation and conversation with Frost, this woman realized that she was nervous and tense around other dogs. Her dog responded to her fear of other dogs by being aggressive. Conventional training methods would have focused on correcting the dogs actions. However, once this woman realized and dealt with her own fears, the dog relaxed, and the aggressive behavior stopped.
This process helped the woman realize that she carried around a lot of fear in other aspects of her life. After working through this issue the woman said, I can’t believe how much fear I held in my life and how much it affected my dog. Frost comments, Dogs participate with us in looking at ourselves. This is one of the services they provide for us.
Getting in touch with our feelings is one way that we can begin to put our relationship with our dogs in order. Another is to try to get in touch with our dogs feelings. Frost often has her students participate in guided visualizations. She has them imagine what the world looks like from their dog’s perspective. For example, when they walk, what do they see? She asks them to think about what it’s like to have pads and to have a hundred times the sense of smell that humans do. She also asks people to think about what it’s like for dogs to meet their owner’s emotional needs.
A good use of this exercise occurred when a woman called Frost for help regarding her dog that barked throughout the day and trashed the house while she was at work. This woman was convinced there was something wrong with the dog. She wanted Frost to train the dog to be less destructive.
Instead, Frost says, I told her to imagine spending 10 to 11 hours at home with nothing to do. She could have the radio on, but that was it. I asked her to spend that time roaming from room to room with nothing to do for those long hours. Frost explained to the woman, Your dog does this five days a week. Do you think that you could do this for five days every week without getting stir crazy? The exercise immediately changed the woman’s perspective, and together they looked at creative solutions to the problem. The woman hired a dog walker to visit her dog during the day, and she left out more mentally stimulating toys.
“There’s always a reason behind why dogs act the way they do,” Frost says. When they are acting out in the owner’s eyes, they are actually trying to tell us something. Dogs often try out different behaviors because they’re looking for feedback. The owner’s job is to figure out what motivates a dog to exhibit certain behaviors.
Leader of the pack
While Frost sees a good relationship with one’s dog as key to living together in a harmonious way, she strives to teach her students the difference between a truly good relationship and one that is permissive and lacking in clear-cut roles for the dog and human partners.
People need to be good pack leaders, says Frost, describing that role as a person who is honest, consistent, and fair, and who establishes limits and guidelines for his or her canine friends. The most important element in setting up guidelines is consistency, she notes. For example, If you don’t intend to let your dog on the furniture when he is an adult, then don’t let him on the furniture as a puppy no matter how cute he is, she warns. Being inconsistent is extremely confusing for dogs and akin to playing mind games with them.
For some people, the biggest challenge of being consistent with their dogs is having to pay attention to their dogs! Many people are in the habit of tuning out their dog when they are not in obedience class or engaged in some other dog-centered activity. But the rules and requirements of behavior have to exist in all aspects of a dog’s environment. If you dont want your dog to pull on his leash, then it’s never an acceptable behavior whether you are at an obedience class or walking down the street. As a good pack leader you must always enforce this rule, says Frost.
Also, as good leaders, we should explain what we are about to put our dogs through before we actually do it, says Frost. Dogs need to know what’s going to happen to them, and can’t be expected to cooperate in situations that are over-stimulating or scary to them. Frost says we can let them know either verbally or by visualizing whats going to happen and then sending that visualization to them. Frost believes that dogs are telepathic and easily pick up these pictures.
Finally, good leaders are sensitive to the needs of their followers. Frost says it’s important to attune yourself to your dog so that you know what’s right for his individual personality. She sees too many people who are regretful after following bad advice from someone in authority even though it ran counter to their own feelings of what would be best for their dogs.
Holistic approach
Frost trained and showed dogs in a traditional way for many years, but has shifted her personal and professional focus with dogs and their people over time. She no longer attempts to solve a behavior problem with training alone, but uses an integrative approach, examining the whole dog and every aspect of its environment. Frost notes that everything contributes to the situation, including environment, background, genetics, overall health, other pets, and family members. Also, over the years, she has incorporated more and more holistic dog care methods. Today, she uses aromatherapy, color therapy, flower essences, herbs, Reiki, music, TTouch, homeopathy, and raw food nutrition as part of her canine husbandry.
One of the best things we can do for our dogs is stay educated, says Frost. It’s important to be informed on new developments in health, food, toys, and behavior issues so that you can make intelligent decisions on your dog’s behalf. This means not always doing what’s most convenient, but instead, doing what’s best for your dog.
-By Mary-Frances Makichen
April Frost offers classes and workshops through her Animal Visions Inc. in Vermont. Mary-Frances Makichen is a freelance writer from Sacramento, California. This is her first article for WDJ.
The baked versus extruded dog food debate has been slowly smoldering for a number of years. The original, and for a long time only, baked food was Flint River Ranch. However, Petsmart, Old Mother Hubbard, and Natural Balance have recently entered the fray, producing a few baked foods among their extruded foods, and the battle is heating up if youll pardon the expression.
A difference of degrees Most dry dog foods are extruded. Extrusion is a process that uses heat and very high pressure to create what is essentially an air-popped kibble. The temperature of the food mixture going into the extruder is in the 200-250° F range, but the pressure creates steam and an intense burst of heat. Extruded foods are subject to a quick trip through the extruder at a very high pressure and temperature from as little as 15 or 30 seconds to a minute or two.
The baked food folks, in contrast, extol the virtues of their slow baking process. In fact a number of these foods boast that they are twice-baked. The implication is that this process takes place at a low temperature and therefore the vitamins and other nutrients arent cooked out of the food. What they dont tell you is the baking temperature. I was amazed to find out that these foods are cooked at well over 500° F! Such high temperatures are needed to break down the starches as well as to obtain the hard, crunchy texture of the kibble, but they are not likely to be any less destructive to the nutrients.
Nonetheless, proponents of baked foods claim that baking makes the food more digestible. This is a matter of some debate. The key to digestibility in any dry food is the starchy grain and cereal ingredients. These are not digestible unless they are cooked to a sufficient degree to gelatinize the starches; in other words, to break them down into digestible units. (The digestibility of animal protein, however, is somewhat reduced by cooking.) If you think about it, you wouldnt eat raw rice, barley, couscous, quinoa or polenta. These grains must be cooked before you can obtain any nutritional value from them. Obviously, the starches and grains are cooked in both the baking and the extrusion process.
Search for a competitive edge Unfortunately for the consumer, it really is difficult to sort out the useful information from the hype, as each company tries to tell you why their product is superior and the other guys are second-rate. But one argument made by a baked food maker struck me as particularly far-fetched. The companys literature claims that extruded foods are more raw, and suggests that this is what necessitates the high amounts of preservatives used in extruded foods. In fact, the need for greater quantities of preservatives in extruded food is actually due to the fact that extruded foods usually have fats, digests, or other flavorings sprayed on after they are extruded and dried. These fats and flavors, which can make the surface of the food oily, are what necessitate the addition of more preservatives than a baked, uncoated food would need.
Baked food makers also like to say that the flavor is baked into rather than sprayed onto their foods, and therefore baked foods are more palatable. Actually, palatability studies generally show that dogs really like those sprayed-on fats and flavors.
Another baked food maker claims that extruded food expands in dogs stomachs when it gets mixed with the digestive juices. In fact, this particular manufacturer went so far as to say that this expansion of extruded kibble can cause bloat! However, there has never been any scientific proof that bloat is less common in baked-food-fed dogs than in extruded-food-fed dogs. True, weve all seen kibbles that have been dropped into the water bowl, and they do swell a little bit when they get wet. How big a factor this is, or whether it creates an actual risk for the dog, is unknown. There is no doubt that baked food is denser because it contains less air, and dogs can usually be fed about 20-25 percent less volume (but about the same weight) of a baked food compared to an extruded one.
The big question Since most baked food manufacturers also make extruded foods, one must certainly ask the question, if baked is so much better, why are they still making extruded foods? In other words, is it real or is it hype?
The only real difference I can see is this: Because baked foods are generally marketed toward the top end of the market (read: expensive, gourmet foods), they do tend to incorporate better quality ingredients (no by-products) and natural preservatives (rather than the synthetics like BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin). Extruded foods that utilize ingredients of similar quality are probably not any better or worse than their baked counterparts.
That said, some dogs do seem to do better on a baked food (just as some do better on extruded). If nothing else, trying one of these foods may simply offer another avenue to explore.
-By Jean Hofve, DVM
Dr. Jean Hofve is the Companion Animal Program Coordinator for the Animal Protection Institute, located in Sacramento, California.
I recently fostered a dog who first greeted me at the shelter that I sprung her from by jumping up on me. I spent the first two days with her almost exclusively working on preventing her from jumping. When I introduced her to a friend, my friend immediately held her arms out and greeted the dog’s enthusiastic jump up with a big hug, petting, and cooing
