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Canine Counselor

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

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 dog’s 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 don’t 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 what’s 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.

Half-Baked Idea?

By
Nancy Kerns
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5

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 you’ll 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 aren’t “cooked out” of the food. What they don’t 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 wouldn’t 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 company’s 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, we’ve 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.

Dog Injury Solutions: Calendula and St. John’s Wort

By
Nancy Kerns and Diana Thompson
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0

[Updated May 23, 2018]

You come in from a jaunt in the woods with your trusty Labrador and notice, as you rinse the mud from his legs and feet with a hose, that he somehow got a cut on his upper leg. You could spray it with an alcohol-based disinfectant, or swab it with an antibiotic cream, in an effort to kill the bacteria that might infect the wound.

But, according to holistic healers, these modern wonder drugs may constitute a chemical overkill, going far past their intended purpose (killing harmful foreign bacteria) and killing the resident beneficial bacteria that live on the dog’s skin. And what sense is there in dragging out the heavy artillery when just a light protective force is needed? Especially when there are natural, effective, inexpensive, and synergistic alternatives: calendula and hypericum, herbs that have been used for centuries for wound care.

Calendula officinalis (also known as the Marigold plant, but usually called calendula) and hypericum (also known as Saint John’s Wort), are very safe, yet incredibly effective at cleaning the site of an injury and encouraging the body to heal. Homeopathic and herbal preparations of calendula and hypericum have proved invaluable in modern-day holistic dog care. In fact, it’s difficult to find an herbal wound preparation that does not contain some form of one or both of these potent plants.

Healing Your Dog’s Wounds with Calendula

calendula officinalis

Wiki Creative Commons

Calendula is one of the most effective remedies known to mankind for the treatment of wounds. Although it has no antibiotic properties (it does not have the ability to kill or slow the growth of living organisms), calendula seems to help prevent infection by somehow triggering the release of the body’s own antibiotic substances.

Calendula also helps stop bleeding and promotes tissue granulation so that cuts and burns can heal properly. It even helps prevent proud flesh (an overgrowth of granulation tissue, an angry red color, laden with tiny blood vessels that bleed easily). Because of these properties, any wound from a minor scrape to a deep, serious gash can benefit from the use of this medicinal herb.

Cleansing solutions made from calendula tincture can also be very useful. Whereas products like Betadine clean and disinfect wounds, they do not encourage healing. A solution made from calendula tincture cleans the wound, helps stop bleeding, stimulates the body to fight infection, and triggers the body’s own internal wound-healing processes such as granulation. Calendula also demonstrates a potent anti-fungal action and may be used externally to combat such infections.

To start the healing process, promptly rinse the wound with distilled (if possible) or tap water and then flush the site with calendula or a calendula/hypericum solution (see below).

The topical calendula products can be used liberally and frequently. Apply them once a day for minor or mostly healed injuries, or three to five times a day for more serious conditions. Continue using them until the cut, abrasion, or burn has healed completely.

Hypericum Helps with Nerve Damage

hypericum perforatum

Wiki Creative Commons

Hypericum perforatum, usually called hypericum, is used for injuries to nerve endings. It is especially helpful for blows to the extremities like the toes and tail, where there are intricate clusters of nerves. It is also effective for spinal injuries where there is threat of damage to the spinal cord. Because of its ability to repair nerve damage, it helps to relieve pain from any type of blow such as a bruise from a kick or a painful cut. It also helps the body resolve abscesses and infections. In addition, it can be effective in preventing tetanus.

Hypericum works beautifully in wound care when applied topically along with calendula. Use the combination formula described below to flush wounds and promote tissue and nerve healing. For a wound that needs regular cleaning and dressing, use the solution every time you treat the injury.

Making a Calendula-St. John’s Wort Solution

To make a calendula/hypericum solution you will need to purchase a “mother tincture” of each remedy. A mother tincture is made from a mixture of the original herb and alcohol or glycerin. Unlike the homeopathic form, which is drastically diluted, a mother tincture is a concentrated form of the active element of the herb.

To prepare the solution, you need a jug of distilled water and a jar or bottle. Using very clean utensils, measure out the ingredients into the container in the following ratio: one part calendula tincture, one part hypericum tincture, and eight parts water. Do not contaminate the tinctures by touching them with your hands or unclean utensils. Once you have added the tinctures to the distilled water, close the container and shake gently to blend.

There are several ways to apply this solution. You can pour it onto sterile cotton balls which you use to clean the wound. You can also pour the liquid into a syringe and use it to flush the wound. This application is ideal for initial treatment of an open wound or daily flushing of a puncture wound. You can also pour the solution into a small spray bottle and mist it onto the skin.

Store the solution in a cool, dark place. Because the mixture has a limited shelf life (about one week), only make what you will need for the particular condition you are treating. If the solution becomes cloudy or fuzzy, dispose of it.

Mother tinctures will last a long time if they are kept in a dark, dry, cool location. Keep the kit for making and using the solution (mother tinctures, distilled water, measuring utensils, mixing jar, syringe, cotton balls, a copy of the directions) clean and available in a sealed plastic container in your medicine cabinet so they will be ready for an emergency. Calendula and hypericum are wonderful herbs to keep in your first aid kit.

Dog owners can readily find these herbal wound-care preparations in health food stores and some pet stores and catalogs. Purchase and experiment with them now, so you will be familiar with them if your dog suffers a skin problem or wound in the future.

About Puncture Wounds

No dog lover likes to see a wound on his or her dog, but puncture wounds — ones which are deeper than they are wide — should cause extra concern. A puncture wound can trap debris in its recesses and provide a perfect environment for bacterial growth. Bacteria of some kinds can cause a troublesome infection, but the worst kind of bacteria — tetanus — can cause a life-threatening disease. For these reasons, puncture wounds call for immediate attention and diligent ongoing treatment.

Unlike humans and horses, dogs possess natural resistance to tetanus, and for this reason are rarely vaccinated against the disease. Herding dogs and those who live around high concentrations of livestock are the exceptions, due to the high amount of tetanus bacteria found in horse and cow manure. Tetanus is relatively uncommon, but because it is a fast-moving, often fatal disease, dog owners need to treat its threat with respect.

Signs of tetanus include spastic contractions and rigid extension of the legs, difficulty opening the mouth and swallowing (giving rise to the infamous nickname, “lockjaw,”), hyperactive reflexes to any stimuli, and, sometimes, fever. (See below for more information about seeking help with your dog’s serious injuries.)

If your dog suffers a puncture wound — which can be caused by a porcupine quill, stepping on a nail, or a bite, to name a few – and he exhibits any of the above symptoms, he needs immediate veterinary care. If he has tetanus, he’ll need an injection of tetanus anti-toxin and an antibiotic to save his life, followed by injections of tetanus toxoid vaccine for future protection.

While herbal medicine and homeopathy offer alternatives to antibiotics for fighting infection and preventing tetanus in puncture wounds, it is important to discuss the options for care with your regular veterinarian before an injury occurs. It is not appropriate to interfere with an attending veterinarian’s treatment protocol (using antibiotics and tetanus anti-toxin) while he or she treats a serious wound.

When To Call A Veterinarian

Finding your dog in any of the following situations indicates a serious condition that should be treated by a veterinarian immediately:

1. Higher-than-normal temperature (normal is about 101 to 101.5; smaller dogs tend to be at the higher end of that range).

2. Unusually depressed or frantic behavior, particularly if the episode follows injury or illness.

3. Lack of usual appetite or failure to eliminate as usual.

4. Any wound where an item is still lodged within the injury site or there is potential damage to a tendon, bone, or joint.

5. Any wound that is bleeding profusely or drains thick cloudy pus.

6. Any time your dog is in tremendous pain or experiences any serious swelling, heat, or lameness.

7. Any wound that is non-sensitive at the time of injury but develops sensitivity in the days following.

8. With any illness or injury your dog experiences, ask yourself, “Do I feel completely comfortable treating this condition myself?” If you cannot answer YES with total confidence, call your veterinarian for assistance. The most important thing is to not overestimate your abilities.

Also, never put off calling the veterinarian solely to save money. Instead, consider the visit as an investment in your dog’s health and an educational opportunity. Ask your vet to explain his or her examination procedure and treatments and learn!

Foundation of Health

By
Randy Kidd
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0

I have been a holistic veterinarian for many years. My practice is 99 and 44/100 percent alternative  most of my clients come to me because they’ve heard I use acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathic, and herbal therapies. Those are the medicines I use, but over the years I’ve learned that there’s much more to true holistic medicine than what is used by the veterinarian. I’ve watched in awe as one or the other of my magical bullets has worked medical wonders and I’ve also sadly observed the very same magical bullet fail miserably in another case that appeared on the surface to be exactly the same as the previous miracle. I’ve come to expect positive (if not spectacular) results when treating some kinds of diseases with a particular medicine. Musculoskeletal problems, for example, respond so well to a combination of chiropractic and acupuncture, that I think it is just plain bad medicine (and perhaps malpractice) to fail to offer them for those problems. But I’ve also learned that some of the alternative medicines don’t seem to work for me very well, and furthermore, there are some types of diseases I’m not especially good at healing, no matter what medicine I use. And finally, in very rare cases, I’ve seen miraculous cures comes from a treatment that I, as a scientist, would personally debunk as being totally worthless. Healthy dog care most important A good scientist is, after all, only an unbiased observer of phenomena. What I have observed is this: in the big scheme of things, medicines, no matter their origins, play a very small part in the overall and long-term health of the patient. There are other factors that play a far more formidable role in health and healing. And some, if not all, of these factors are hidden from the veterinarian’s scrutiny during a typical physical examination. My observations have taught me that paying attention to these other factors is the most important way to insure that you keep a dog on the road to health. On the other hand, no matter how dramatic the cure you get from any medical treatment, your patient is likely to return, sooner or later, to a dis-eased condition unless you also pay attention to these other factors. So, early on in my holistic career, I developed a protocol that has helped me think in terms of wholism an integrated approach to creating whole-body/mind/heart/spirit health for my patients (and for my patients people). Using the protocol has helped me formulate a long range plan of action that incorporates whole body/mind/heart/spirit healing for each individual patient. For my protocol I use a highly scientific model: one of those stacking ring toys made for toddlers. (Hey, part of being healthy is having fun and enjoying life. My idea for using the toy came as I watched one of my grandkids play and experiment with the rainbow-hued plastic donuts…and what could be more healthy than watching kids or pets have fun?) This protocol forces me and my client to be aware of the holistic perspective of wellness; it helps us apply the healing methods we ultimately select in proper sequence; and from its format we can learn to think about all aspects of health in a logical, sequential manner. Dr. Kidd’s holistic protocol for health The key to using the protocol is to build from the bottom up. Just as you would when building anything with structural integrity, always begin with the base to establish a firm foundation for holistic health. Next, look closely at each of the rings, proceeding from the bottom, larger rings to the top. The larger the ring, the greater the emphasis required from that area of health. Also, remember that as we proceed from the bottom to the top of the model, our ability to temporarily tweak the patient’s vital force (or chi) toward wellness is progressively stronger as are our chances to create harm in the patient, if the method is not applied properly. In a practical sense, this means that we should not use any of the potent medicines, including homeopathy, chiropractic, or acupuncture, unless we have the knowledge base that comes from adequate training in the method. My protocol is based on a direct connection with Mother Earth, creating a basis of holistic health that relies on living naturally. In addition, any truly holistic approach to health will create a natural balance of body/mind/ heart/spirit. I think it helps to seek natural ways to evaluate and perpetuate health. Then, envision an application of the protocol that always includes a natural way to balance all the aspects of body/mind/heart/spirit. Finally, think in terms of the inner animal being able to heal itself, working with its own innate powers. One of the cornerstones of my holistic beliefs comes from the conviction that the animals were sent here to be our teachers  a basic belief perhaps best reflected in the ancient words of Chief Latakots-Lesa, of the Pawnee Tribe: In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals; for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell man that he showed himself through the beasts, and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and the moon, man should learn. Tirawa spoke to man through his works.” -By Randy Kidd, DVM, PHD

Letters 01/99

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

Beds for Incontinent Dogs
Thank you for an excellent source of information. I look forward to every issue, and there is such great information in each one.

I ordered a back issue so I could read your article on dog beds (“Strange and Wonderful Bedfellows,” July 1998), and actually, I even ordered the recommended “deluxe” bed from the catalogue mentioned in the article.

The people in the industry who are producing products for dogs are really listening to what you say – see the new Fosters and Smith catalogue that says, next to its premium dog bed, “As seen in the Whole Dog Journal.” Please get the message to them that they need to combine an ORTHOPEDIC dog bed with one that is WATERPROOF for incontinent pets. Fosters and Smith have another kind of dog bed in their catalogue that is waterproof (the only one I’ve ever seen), but it is not orthopedic!

I have had three older dogs who have developed occasional incontinence, and when a foam rubber mattress gets soaked in urine it is impossible to get clean and dry. These older dogs really need a good “eggcrate foam” type mattress for their tired joints and bones, and I sure would like to have one that has a waterproof cover.

In the past, I have ordered orthopedic dog beds that arrived covered with a thin plastic envelope. I usually remove the plastic, then remove the zippered dog bed cover, and slip the plastic over the foam and then put the dog bed cover over that. However, that thin plastic cover doesn’t last long. I have also tried using zippered waterproof crib mattress covers over the beds, but these don’t last long either.

Please, manufacturers, if you are listening, we need a top-quality orthopedic dog bed with a waterproof cover. If I have had three dogs with incontinence, then surely there must be a lot of other people out there who also have dogs with the same problem. The waterproof cover would also be useful when dogs come in damp from the rain.

-Lyn Fry
Santa Cruz, California

 

Skin Problems – Wet Dogs
After reading the letter from the reader who had a Labrador with recurrent ear infections (“Answers from Experts,” October 1998) I thought this might be of interest. I have a four-year-old purebred black Lab who had symptoms of seasonal allergies ever since he was about four months old – runny eyes, itchy skin, ear infections. He also started getting bald spots on his throat and upper chest area.

We finally realized that he itched the most after swimming. Huge pieces of his skin would peel off his chest area. Our veterinarian diagnosed this as a staph infection caused by moisture. No matter how well I towel-dried him, he would get a staph infection, and the medicine for the infection also made his dead skin peel off like a sunburn. We had to keep him from swimming altogether.

He also suffered from really bad hot spots where the vet would have to shave an area as large as eight inches to allow the hot spot to air out. We also suspected this was caused by allergies, so I kept changing his food, trying to find one that he didn’t seem allergic to. I finally pinned down the allergen: fish oil, which was in one of the foods we tried and in one of the supplements we were giving him to help his coat.

I now have him on a venison and potato food supplemented with flaxseed oil (which offers the same benefits of fish oil, without aggravating his allergies), vitamin C, and Bio-Coat. I started this diet in May of this year and what a difference!

We’ve since learned that it’s not all water that he has to stay away from; he only has trouble with swimming in spring and summer, when pollen levels are high. When he is exposed to a lot of pollen, and he gets wet, he gets staph. But now that the pollen season is over, I can allow him to swim as much as he wants and there is no infection.

-Ann Nelson
Gansevoort, NY

 

Underlying Causes
I enjoyed my first issue of your magazine very much, but as a “conventional” veterinarian I must object to the characterization of “conventional veterinarians” penned by Dr. William Falconer in your “Answers from Experts” column (October 1998). Contrary to Dr. Falconer’s statements, conventional veterinarians have long recognized that aural yeast infections in dogs are frequently secondary to another, underlying cause. It is well known among conventional veterinarians that a cure cannot be achieved until these underlying causes are addressed.

I am aware of no evidence establishing a link between puppyhood vaccines and ear infections. I do know that life-threatening puppy infections by distemper and parvovirus have been eliminated in my practice by appropriate vaccination, in spite of the fact that both diseases – particularly parvovirus – remain rampant in my practice area.

-Mark Zimmerman, DVM
Stockton, California

 

Holistic Bird Care?
I have subscriptions to both the Whole Dog Journal and the Whole Horse Journal. I’m finding that the two contain a lot that applies to either species. I also have cockatiels and am just starting to learn about them. I have not had much luck locating information on natural/alternative methods of caring for them or their disorders. I would appreciate any information you could send my way.

-Marie Speicher
Michigan

 

You might check with the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA), whose contact numbers are always listed in our Resources section; they could probably point you to holistic avian specialists. Also, we are aware of one natural pet food producer, Halo, maker of “Spot’s Stew” for dogs and cats, who also makes a line of organic bird seeds. Halo can be reached at (813) 854-2214.

 

Raw Meat Diet Cures Colitis
Hurray for the article on natural rearing! (“A Winning Diet,” November 1998). I want to share a positive experience I’ve had with similar “natural feeding” plans.

I’ve had Fila Brasileiros (rare breed canines) for the past 10 years. I have a neutered male, Gubbio, who is a healthy 172 pounds. (He is not fat!) About two and a half years ago, he developed ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease. At the time, he was receiving conventional veterinary care, (i.e. the usual steroids) for his problems. He had terrible health, with bloody stools that contained globs of mucus. His health continued to deteriorate with steroids and conventional care, with systematic manifestations of his poor immune function.

I finally reached my limit, and purchased every book written on the holistic and natural approach to veterinary care. I told my dog that it was going to be sink or swim. I read everything that I got my hands on, but especially used The Complete Handbook for Dogs and Cats, by Juliette de Bairacli, as my Bible.

I used the following diet for Gubbio, with 100 percent cure of his ulcerative colitis after four weeks on the diet:

Gubbio’s Daily Diet:
2 cups of adult Solid Gold’s Hund-N-Flocken 2X/day
.5 to .75 pounds of raw beef chunks 2X/day
Vitamin B complex 100 mg 2X/day
2000 mg of vitamin C (sodium ascorbate) 2x/day
1 tsp. safflower oil 2X/day
1 tsp. Barley Dog 2X/day
1 tsp. digestive enzymes 2X/day
1 tsp. fresh, pureed garlic 2x/day
1 tsp. organic bone meal (1650 mg per tsp) 2X/day
2-3 capsules of probiotics (acidophilus, bifidus and other bowel-friendly bacteria) 2X/day
Occasional raw beef shank bones to clean the teeth
Parsley juice (parsley and water in a blender) for moisture

After four weeks, Gubbio no longer had any symptoms of ulcerative colitis, and had normal bowel movements. In addition, he had a beautiful, shiny coat, energy and vitality like a puppy (he is six years old). I am convinced his terrible immune state was due to a conventional diet and over-vaccination.

The challenge is finding competent veterinarians who practice both holistic and conventional medicine, and who support raw meat diets.

-Dawn Marini
Brooksville, FL

 

Corrections
In the November issue, we reported an incorrect phone number for our top selection in heat therapy pads. Prism Technologies, maker of “The Heat Solution,” and located in San Antonio, Texas, can be reached at (800) 432-8722.

In the December issue, the number for our favorite no-slip collar was listed with too many digits. The correct number for the Lupine Company, maker of the Lupine Combo collar, is (800) 228-9653.

Negative to POSITIVE: In the June 1998 issue, we examined car safety seats and seat belts for dogs, panning Foster & Smith’s “Comfort Ride Pet Seat.” We found the product to be well made, but it was our impression that the seat’s belt was designed to fasten to the dog’s collar (which could result in an injury to the dog in an accident). In actual fact, the maker of the Comfort Ride provides an instruction sheet with the Comfort Ride, firmly suggesting the use of “non-neck collar type harnesses” only with the seat.

Whether we lost the instructions or whether a sheet was not provided with the product we tested is a mystery. The important thing is, this new information changes our review from a negative one to an enthusiastic endorsement. The Comfort Ride is available from Drs. Foster & Smith, (800) 562-7169, or from Aquiline Innovations, (916) 991-2409.

The Cop and the Clicker

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

Recently, I got a chance to work with a drug-sniffing dog who had been purchased about four months prior by my local police department. Sally is a small mixed breed who looks a lot like a miniature black Labrador; she can’t weigh much more than 25 or 30 pounds. I have a friend who is on the police force, and he asked me if I would come with him to one of the dog’s regular training sessions, in hopes of teaching the police dog handlers about clicker training. Specifically, he wanted me to see if there was something I could contribute regarding a problem they were having with Sally: she had no “recall” off-leash. Once she was taken off-leash, they couldn’t get her back!

My officer friend has started using some more positive approaches while helping local police agencies and their dogs. He managed to arrange for me to meet with Sally’s handler, Frank. The three of us met at the police station and then we all went to an old abandoned warehouse. The place had no electricity and it was about 9 p.m. – pitch black! We drove right into the building, which made it feel exactly like one of those movies where the bad guys all meet in the abandoned warehouse. Also, this place wasn’t even solid – the front of the building was missing several sections of wall.

In this far-less-than-ideal training arena, we got out of the vehicles, and under the glare of the spotlight on the police car, I gave Frank a basic lesson on clicker training. I explained how a click “marks” the behavior you want, somewhat like taking a picture of it. I told him to make sure he always gave the dog a treat if he clicked the clicker, even if he hadn’t meant to click. I told him to carry and use really good treats, and I explained the concept of “shaping” a behavior. At first, I told him, we wouldn’t necessarily expect Sally to do a full recall; while she was still learning, he should Click! and treat her for being in front of him when he said, “Sally, here!” I handed him a clicker and told him to play with it for a minute or two, so he could get the “play” clicks out of his system before we got the dog out. People just have to click that clicker when they first get their hands on one!

Then Frank got the dog out (it was the first time I saw her) and he began clicking. Yes, he just clicked for no reason and didn’t give Sally any treats. I made some sort of joke to try to correct his mistake, but I could see that he really didn’t think this was going to work; he just wasn’t taking this very seriously. (This is fairly common. Many people believe that you need physical force to teach an animal anything. No way are they going to believe that a noise-maker and a piece of food will work!)

Window of opportunity
We had been at it for only a couple of minutes when Frank received a call on his police radio; he had to report for a brief duty. He jokingly asked if we wanted to keep her as he’d only be gone about 15 minutes – of course, my friend and I said sure! Frank left, and I started working the dog on leash (a Flexi retractable) letting her wander away from me and then calling her, clicking and treating her every time she came back to me.

Sally was doing great, but her problem really only occurred when she was off leash. Offhand, I said to my friend, “Too bad we can’t let her off the leash.” My friend said, “Well, Frank has lost her twice and had the entire department out combing the city for her. I guess it wouldn’t be too bad if we lost her.” I couldn’t believe it! I told him that if the dog got lost, it was his responsibility! I know I can’t afford to pay the city what it would take to replace her! Fortunately, he had a lot of faith in these training methods generally and me in particular, so he gave me the go-ahead.

With some trepidation, I unsnapped Sally’s leash – and she wouldn’t walk away from my side! Velcro dog! I started to jog across the building to loosen her up, and off she went, galloping gaily. She got about a hundred feet away, and I said, “Sally, here!” . . . and she nearly gave herself whiplash turning so quickly and racing back toward me. I clicked her at the turn and gave her several treats and warm praise when she came back. We did this several more times and she came every time. My friend, who had been leaning on his police car watching all this, said, “Robin, you’re awesome. Just awesome.” I did feel wonderful!

Putting new skills to the test
Just then, Frank drove back into the building. I put Sally back on leash and we waited. Frank got out of his patrol car and my friend said, “Well, Frank, your recall problem is fixed.” I thought Frank was going to fall on the floor laughing – but then he realized my friend meant it. I had him take the leash off and do a few recalls using the clicker. Sally performed almost as well as she did with me – although a bit slower on the turns, I think because of the difference in our voices. I use a very upbeat tone, and this man had a fairly deep voice.

Pushing the envelope a bit, Frank suggested that we try a small drug-sniffing test with her off leash. Sally made three finds and each time he was able to call her back to him. I was so pleased! This was the first time that she had done a search off leash!

Actually, I had another great opportunity to show them how to use a clicker to its best advantage. Normally, when a drug-sniffing dog finds drugs, they reward her by giving her a play session with her favorite toy – a great practice. But for the handler to get the dog’s toy back, he would grab the dog’s collar and hold its front feet off the ground until she let go of the toy. Then he would pick it up, put it back in his pocket and have the dog continue her search. That night, after the first drug-sniffing exercise, Frank made a comment that he always had the hardest time getting her to come back after that first search and reward. Now, why wouldn’t a dog come to him with her toy when she knew she was about to be choked and the toy would be taken away?

Anyway, I told him to be ready to Click! if Sally dropped the toy, and I told him to call her to him. He called her, she came to him, he clicked the clicker, and I shoved a whole handful of treats under her nose. To eat the treats, she dropped her toy, he clicked again, and I treated her to another handful while he picked up her toy. They were both pleased – or maybe I should say that all four of us were pleased! I was thrilled that she wasn’t going to have to be choked anymore, the guys were pleased with the clear-cut results we achieved that evening, and I’m sure Sally was pleased to discover that her handlers were finally making sense, from her perspective!

-By Robin Mchale Ehn

Robin McHale Ehn is a positive trainer from Cottonwood, California. The motto of her professional training business is “Changing the world, one Click at a time!

Answers from Experts 01/99

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

I have two nine-month-old puppies, brothers from the same litter, who have received all the usually recommended vaccinations, on exactly the same schedules (I have taken them to the veterinarians at the same time for all their maintenance visits). Recently, after being boarded at a large facility, one of them began to exhibit symptoms of parvovirus. After receiving IV fluids and antibiotics, he recovered, but I am shaken up. Why should a well-vaccinated puppy contract the disease? And why should my other pup, who has been exposed to all the same things, be fine?

And here is another puzzle. After hearing that one of my puppies had gotten parvovirus, my next-door neighbor began to worry about her six-month-old puppy, who often plays with my dogs. Her puppy has had all of her shots, and my neighbor didn’t want to revaccinate unless it was necessary, so she had a titer test run on the puppy. The test revealed that the puppy no immunity to parvovirus at all, so she had the pup revaccinated immediately. What is going on here? Is it possible that my puppy was infected with a new strain of parvovirus, one that his vaccinations didn’t protect him from?

-Name withheld by request
Charlotte, North Carolina

We turned this question over to W. Jean Dodds, DVM, a long-time expert in veterinary hematology and immunology. She is also the founder and President of Hemopet/Pet Life-Line, a non-profit, national, animal blood bank and adoption program for retired greyhounds. Dr. Dodds lives in Santa Monica, CA. 

First of all, you need to understand that it doesn’t matter how well an animal has been vaccinated. No vaccine produces 100 percent protection, 100 percent of the time. There will always be an occasional case of a “vaccine break,” which is what we call it when a vaccine fails to protect an individual against an infectious disease challenge. However, when a break occurs, if the animal has been appropriately vaccinated, it will usually experience only a mild form of the disease. This is the most probable explanation for what happened with your puppy.

While there are some rare exceptions – where an appropriately vaccinated animal nonetheless experiences a lethal form of the disease – it is far more typical that such an animal will experience only a mild form of the disease and will recover quickly.

Vaccination is not a sure thing. It certainly improves the odds that an animal will be protected from disease, but it does not guarantee this. There is no way, even with the best vaccines, to be sure that any given individual’s immune system will respond in the desired way to protect that animal.

However, I’d like you to consider some other possible explanations for what happened to your puppy:

A puppy could contract parvovirus, even after receiving several vaccinations intended to convey protection from the disease, if the antibodies received from the mother’s colostrum and, to a lesser extent in utero, interfered with proper immunization by neutralizing the vaccine’s effect. Most puppy vaccine failures are caused by this interference from maternal antibodies. If a puppy receives a particularly high level of antibodies (passive immunity) from its mother, the vaccine antigens are neutralized, so that when these antibodies wane, the puppy is left without adequate protection, and has failed to become actively immunized.

When puppies are first born, they are protected from infectious disease antigens by maternal antibodies. This is followed by a period when the puppies are partially susceptible to contracting a disease, because the maternal antibody levels are waning but are still high enough to partially inactivate the vaccine antigens. And, finally, comes the time when the maternal antibodies are low enough to permit the vaccine to take over fully and produce good, active immunization. Maternal antibodies wane at a somewhat unpredictable rate, which is why puppies are vaccinated several times at intervals of two to four weeks apart. This is an effort to cover any potential gap in protection or “window of susceptibility” that arises from the waning of maternal passive immunity and the onset of active immunization and protection by vaccination.

May not have been parvo
Another possible explanation for your puppy’s symptoms is that it had some disease other than parvovirus, despite your veterinarian’s diagnosis.

Veterinarians diagnose parvovirus disease by its symptoms – fever, depression, diarrhea, vomiting – AND by checking the dog’s stool for presence of the virus or serum antibody level. But there are other gastrointestinal diseases that produce symptoms that closely resemble those of parvovirus, and even the presence of low levels of parvovirus in the stool doesn’t necessarily mean that the dog’s symptoms are caused by it.

Dogs that are vaccinated and fully protected against parvovirus may still shed parvovirus in their stool if they are exposed to the disease agent. Unless the stool sample revealed a moderate to heavy parvovirus infection, the dog’s symptoms could be caused by something else, or a combination of parvovirus exposure and another infectious agent. For example, the puppy could have been exposed to both parvovirus and corona virus, and then suffer diarrhea and other symptoms as a result of the corona virus alone, because he was adequately protected by vaccination against parvovirus.

Trouble with titers
Regarding your neighbor’s puppy: Chances are very good that the puppy may have had adequate protection from parvovirus, despite the titer test results. Here is why:

There are two types of titer tests commonly offered by most veterinary medical laboratories. One type is intended to detect whether or not a dog has the disease (viral infection); the other type of titer test checks the level of immunity the dog received from vaccination. In the latter case (vaccine titer test), antibody levels are expected to be several titer dilutions lower than those conveyed by active viral infection. If your neighbor’s veterinarian requested an immunity or antibody level measurement for parvovirus or other disease, the laboratory typically assumes that disease diagnosis, rather than vaccine immunity, is to be performed. When the lab technicians do a test to see whether the dog has parvovirus, they start the dilution in the test system much higher than you would normally see from vaccination (to conserve reagent and reduce cost of testing). As vaccine titers are lower; they won’t be detected unless the test reagent dilution is set lower as seen with vaccine titers as opposed to disease titers. I’ll put it a different way: If they utilize disease exposure methodology, when what is really wanted is a test to assess the adequacy of vaccination, it will be negative nearly every time.

It sounds like an obvious oversight, but I’ve seen it again and again in cases where I serve as a consultant. The owner calls me and says, “But I keep vaccinating this animal, and my veterinarian keeps testing him and there is no immunity; what do I do?!” Very often, it’s a case where the veterinarian looked at the lab catalog, and then selected the test called “Parvovirus Antibody” rather than the intended one, which would be “Parvovirus Vaccine Antibody” or “Parvovirus Vaccine Titer.” Meanwhile, the poor animal has been vaccinated repeatedly, and when we finally get the correct measurement, it’s actually had good immunity all along.

Finally, regarding your question about viral strains: For a long time, researchers have known that outbreaks of infectious diseases, like parvovirus, can be caused by different strains as viruses mutate so quickly. Some infectious agents (e.g. influenza virus) change enough over time that you have to make a new vaccine strain to protect the population, whereas others change their outer coat without much change in the central core of the organism. Parvovirus, happily, falls in this latter category. Research has shown that even when parvovirus mutates, it has the same core, and so the current, more potent vaccines still protect against the newer forms of parvovirus.

As Good As Your Dog?

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

Most of us were exposed to “If,” the famous poem by Rudyard Kipling, when we were in high school. If you weren’t required to read it in a literature course, you probably saw it on a poster on a childhood friend’s bedroom wall. You know, it’s the one that begins,

“If you can keep your head
when all about you
are losing theirs,
and blaming it on you . . .”

The poem goes on to list a number of things that the author suggests are prerequisites for being an honorable human. If you can do this and do that, he sums up, then . . .

“yours is the earth and everything that’s in it, And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!”

Recently, a dog lover sent me the following takeoff on Kipling’s poem, by an anonymous author, and containing a surprise ending. He’s got a point. To wit:

“If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, through no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend’s limited education and never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against any creed, color, religion or politics,
Then, my friend,
you are ALMOST as good as your dog.”

Ouch!

Did that zing you, too?

It stings because it’s so on target!

As I read it the first time, I couldn’t help but envision a human who exemplifies all the characteristics contained in the poem. In my mind’s eye, I saw a rather too-perfect, saint-like character. But then suddenly realizing that the author was actually describing a dog . . . It’s with shock that I re-read it and realized, my goodness, almost ALL dogs can fit this description, most of the time!

My favorite line is the one about ignoring a friend’s limited education and never correcting him. When you turn it around the way the author intended and realize that dogs accept our lack of knowledge about them rather calmly, it really points out how dramatic and demanding we can get when we want dogs to learn our ways.

Keep some perspective as you work with your dog – and your friends and family!

-By Nancy Kerns

Pickin’ Clickers

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

First, there was the box clicker a strip of steel encased in a small plastic box that makes a resounding CLICK! when pressed on the free end of the steel strip. The clicker, used to mark the instant of desired behavior and communicate to the dog that he has just earned a reward, has become a familiar training tool in the last decade. (See There’s More Than One Way, WDJ July 1998; Doggedly Clickin Chickens, December 1998; Tricks for Clicks, May 2000.)

These wonderful tools inexpensive, sturdy (although not indestructible they can rust) are incredibly powerful, though they don’t require even an ounce of force to be exerted on the dog. Massachusetts-based trainer Karen Pryor deserves thanks for this. It was she who launched the dog training industry’s interest in clicker-training with her unassuming and now-famous paperback book, Don’t Shoot the Dog, published in the late 1980s and re-released in 1999. The only drawback of the original box clicker was that it was hard to hold onto with hands that were covered in dog spit and hotdog slime. We can thank human ingenuity for solving that problem, and for the slew of clicker innovations that have been developed in the last decade, each better or more fun than the last.

If you are still struggling with dropping the original box clicker on the ground when you reach into your pocket for treats for your dog, you are in for a treat yourself. You are about to discover the wonderful world of clickers for the new millenium.

These clickers are unrated
Because of our extremely biased attitude about clickers we’ve never met one we didn’t like; we’ve simply met some we like more than others! We’re going to forego our usual zero-to-four-paws ratings for these products. We’ll simply present you with a chronological history of the clicker, which has evolved (and continues its evolution) with numerous helpful features; choose the models that suit your training style. You can’t go wrong only one of the clickers featured here costs more than $5; most are much less.

Clicker Basics
Like a beloved old workhorse, the original box clicker is still serviceably sound. It clicks when you push on it. In the beginning, that was all we asked from our clickers. Soon trainers began ordering personalized box clickers with their business information printed on the back.

Then someone solved the clicker-drop problem by drilling a hole in the corner of the clicker and running a string or elastic hairband through it, which could be slipped over the trainer’s wrist.

Next, an enterprising entrepreneur took the concept one step further and produced the tab clicker. At one end, the tab clicker has a little plastic tab with a hole in it. Two elastic hairbands made it a simple matter to dangle the tab clicker from your wrist, thus eliminating the clicker-drop problem. (Run one elastic band through the tab hole, then back through the band itself to secure it to the tab. Then take the second elastic band, run it through the first, and back through itself. Insert hand through second band. Presto!)

The tab clicker helped owners become more coordinated and improve the timing of their clicks and treats, since they could now drop the clicker with impunity in order to deliver the goods promptly to the waiting canine. When they needed the clicker again, it was right there on their wrist, instead of somewhere on the ground.

Humans, however, are never satisfied with make-do when a marketable product is inventable! Soon enough we had the wrist clicker and the finger clicker. Then someone realized that a metal split-ring fits neatly through the clicker-tab hole. That person threaded a plastic coil (like those used to hold keys) though the ring, and the official wrist clicker was born. Before you could say ponytail, trainers all over the country had abandoned their elastic hairbands and were leashing their clickers to their arms with bright, neon-colored wrist coils.

Gary Wilkes, an early clicker trainer from near Phoenix, Arizona, took this concept one step further, and added a whistle onto the coil of his Wrist-O-Click. The whistle can be used either as a long-distance attention getter or a long-distance reward marker. Wilkes came up with yet another variation the Redi-Click a box clicker with a small elastic loop attached to one end, just big enough to fit over the trainer’s thumb or finger. This keeps the clicker handily in the palm of your hand rather than dangling from your wrist.

Sometimes, however, the wrist or finger clicker gets in the way. It dangles freely from the arm or hand, and can thump your dog in the head at inopportune moments. There’s nothing more frustrating than accidentally punishing your dog by bonking her in the head with the clicker when you were reaching to pet, praise and reward her because she finally offered you that elusive behavior you have been working so hard to get.

Dedicated clicker thinkers quickly came up with a viable solution to the clicker-bonk challenge.

The next thing we knew, we had the clip-on clicker. Still incorporating the plastic coil technology, the clip-on clicker uses a straight coil rather than a loop. One end attaches to the split ring, the other to a small metal clip that fastens neatly to your belt loop or other handy ring. The clicker is still kept leashed and under control, but now resides at your waist instead of on your wrist. It takes a little bit of trainer adaptation to get used to reaching for your hip (Smile when you say that, Pardner!) instead of just grabbing for the wrist clicker hanging below your hand, but it’s a behavior change that’s relatively easy to accomplish if you put your mind to it. The no-bonking pay-off is well worth it.

But the inventors and entrepreneurs weren’t done with the clicker yet. Until very recently, all of the clicker innovations were relatively low-tech, with few moving parts. That changed in the year 2000, with the introduction of the Retract-O-Click.

The Cadillac of Clickers
By far the greatest leap forward in clicker technology to date, the Retract-O-Click comes attached to its own miniature retractable leash that coils itself up into a tiny round plastic case. The case is mounted on a small alligator clip that easily grabs onto your belt loop, pocket, or any other handy loop or flap of fabric. When not in use, the clicker zips itself neatly into its case and sits there snugly, just waiting for you grab it and pull it out again.

While the other changes that occurred over the years were pleasant improvements to the basic clicker, in our opinion, the Retract-O-Click is a must have. When they try it out for the first time, the reaction of most trainers is a huge grin and the comment, I love it!”

Kermit’s contributions
The only clickers that we’ve seen that depart from the box design are metal or plastic frog clickers. The metal frog has a tiny hole drilled in his posterior and comes with a key chain and split ring attached. Froggie opens his mouth when you click his tail, and emits a click at a much higher pitch than the standard clicker, which makes it a nice option for dogs who are a little intimidated by the resounding CLICK! of the box clicker.

Plastic frogs are not always available, but when they are, they’re very inexpensive, and lots of fun as giveaways. Having a birthday party for Bowser, or taking Sheba to school for show-and-tell? The little frogs are great party favors, and make a huge impression on Bobby’s classmates. They are not very durable, so don’t expect them to last as long as your regular clickers. They do make a comparatively small click!, and are also useful with dogs who are afraid of loud clicks.

The best accessory
Finally, we would be remiss if we did not tell you about our favorite clicker accessory, Doggone Good’s clicker bait bag: This pet products maker (best known for its portable Cabana Crate) has created a well-designed and -constructed nylon bait bag (to hold your dog’s most beloved training treats) that has an added feature a clicker-sized pocket that your most beloved training tool can snuggle in when you aren’t using it. No more lost clicker woes if you can remember where you left your bait bag, you’ll know where your clicker is.

-By Pat Miller

Letters 02/99

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

Arthritis Supplement
I read WDJ with great enthusiasm each time it comes in the mail. Thank you for such a great publication.

I would like to add to the two letters in the October 1998 issue regarding arthritis supplements. I also have an older dog (mixed breed) that was having trouble with her back legs. After careful study of all the prescribed and over-the-counter remedies, I found one that is readily available, natural, and a results-orientated supplement: Wysong’s Contifin.

My dog that couldn’t get down the stairs now keeps up with my 10-month-old bundle of energy puppy. Wysong’s web site can give much more information about it than I can (www.wysong.com). This supplement supposedly allows the body to heal itself, rather than masking pain or just treating symptoms. I work in a pet supply store and recommend this daily with excellent results.

-Chelsea Sunderman
San Francisco, CA


Readers, I’d love your feedback on the best supplements for arthritis, especially if you have tried several on your dogs. — Editor


Halo Earwash
My compliments on your fine periodical. Every month I read it from cover to cover. Since your April 1998 issue, in which you reviewed dry dog foods, I’ve become a dealer for Natura Pet Foods. I also feed it to my kennel dogs and it’s great! My dogs are healthier than they ever were.

As a dog groomer, I would love to find where I can purchase Halo’s earwash mentioned in one of your articles. I would love to use it in my shop.

-Betty Ruttenbur
via Internet


Halo Purely for Pets is located in Palm Harbor, Florida. You can call Halo at (813) 854-2214 or look them up on the web at www.halopets.com.


Recycled Mobility Carts?
You’ll never know how much your little response to my letter (“Letters,” December 1998) helped us and gave us the oomph we needed to get through the first weeks without our Emmett. I was given a special picture frame by a very dear friend and I chose a sweet photo of Emmett in his “middle age” to put in the frame. It sits on my night stand and every time I glance at him, I smile. There won’t EVER be another dog in my life like Emmett and the things he taught me will be a part of me forever.

Gracie and Annie have formed a closer bond and much to my happiness, Gracie has even taught Annie the joys of EUPHORIC play! Not long after I wrote you, I came home one day to find grass stains all over Annie’s legs.

Even though she wouldn’t admit to acting like a kid, the evidence was all over her fur . . . they had been wrestling in the yard! She doesn’t play with Grace nearly as often or as long as Emmett did and Grace still misses him, I know. But things are much better. Also, giving Gracie Emmett’s food bowl to eat out of helped for some reason.

I’m writing with a new problem: We are on the verge of adopting Toby. He is a five-year-old Dachshund who is paralyzed from the waist down due to an unknown spinal injury that was left untreated for three days. He has had surgery, limited physical therapy, is kept mostly outside, and is an only dog at his house. My largest concerns for him are his lack of bladder activity and the fact that he does not have a mobility cart such as the one featured in the Case History in your September 1998 issue. His current owner expresses his bladder about four times a day (not nearly enough in my estimation) and she reports that Toby hates having this done. I am wondering about the possibility of catheterizing him to relieve his bladder.

But this cart issue . . . WOW! They aren’t cheap! Surely there are carts out there whose Doxies have crossed the Rainbow Bridge and no longer need them. We would be very happy to fill one of those carts again with a happy little Wiener butt. How do I go about finding them? And do you have any nuggets of wisdom for the future owner of a challenged Doxie?

-Anita Vreeland
Tulsa, OK


The K-9 Cart Company, located in Big Sky, Montana, lists their new Dachshund-sized mobility cart at $190. You might try calling them and asking about used models: (406) 995-3111. Readers, do you know of other sources, or a venue for donating used carts?

Shocked About E-Collars

By
Nancy Kerns
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3

Of course, we asked for it (literally!), but we have received an avalanche of mail regarding an article we ran in our January 2001 issue, “A Buzz About E-Collars.” The letters of support for our position against the collars outnumbered the letters from people who approve their use, but every writer had good points to make. The following is a sampling of the letters we received, pro and con. All the letters have been edited for brevity – people really wanted to talk about this!

One interesting phenomenon: Thus far, we have not received any letters in favor of using e-collars for training – just for barking-control and containment.


Against the collars
In my opinion, “electronic training collar” is a very appropriate label for this training tool because they inflict stimulation and shock. In inexperienced hands these collars very definitely “shock.” If anyone thinks that they don’t cause discomfort then why does the dog respond to the collar?

It’s doubtful that e-collars teach a dog to be respectful – and they definitely don’t teach trust. Trust and respect can be taught through simple and effective, pain-free, management and training techniques.

Further, teaching people to train and manage their dogs is far more enjoyable and risk-free with the clicker. Also, I’ve never seen a dog bite the trainer for clicking inappropriately, unlike giving a collar correction with bad timing or incorrect force. If a mistake is made with the timing of a reward marker, the worst thing that happens is that training may be momentarily delayed.

-Valeria A. Cascaddan
Technique Canine Services
Vanderbilt, MI


I wholeheartedly agree with your bias against e-collars. If someone really thinks they are so humane, I suggest they wear one and let you “tune” the intensity until it reaches their “recognition” level. I have two dogs who, admittedly, have their problems, but I cannot fathom making them submit or respond out of fear, which is exactly what the e-collar instills.

-Marlene Tokarski
via email


If these shock collars are indeed as safe and painless and effective as they are claimed to be, why then couldn’t they by used by parents on their unruly children? Parents could easily maintain control of children, during our quiet dinners in restaurants, for example, by an occasional “zap” to remind them of the “rules.”

Brilliant idea, don’t you think? NOT!

-Betty C. Whiteaker
(A positive reinforcement trainer)
Springfield, VA


To anyone still harboring doubts concerning the humaneness of shock collars, I suggest the following test. First, reread the pro-shock collar segment published in the January issue, but mentally substitute “child” for “dog.” No matter how nice it might be to get that potty training taken care of just a bit quicker, are you convinced?

Now perform the same substitution while reading Pat Miller’s rebuttal. Could you, or anyone else, fail to be swayed by her arguments? The fact that shock training works (the fact that we can use pain to impose our will upon animals) simply does not make it right. Not until everyone is as enlightened as Ms. Miller will such needless cruelty of convenience end.

By the way, I have tried such a device on myself. It hurts. A lot.

-Brad Pritchett, Ph.D.
Tucson, AZ


While I certainly respect your willingness to look at both sides of an issue, I feel there are certain issues that do not have two moral sides. Discussing the pros and cons of shock collars is like discussing the pros and cons of beating a child.

While I understand that some trainers have had “success” in using these devices, that certainly does not make it a humane method of training. There are far too many people who are just looking for some “expert” to justify their use of such devices. You have now given them one.

-Lisa Hanson Mantle
via email


Dr. Phyllis Giroux (the expert you quoted in favor of e-collars) is a friend of mine and chiropractor to my dogs. While we agree to disagree about training methodologies, I know her and her staff to be knowledgeable, professional, and to have a deep affection for dogs. I have not had the pleasure of meeting Pat Miller, though I have felt a kinship with her through her writings for the past couple of years. Our training histories appear to be very similar, as are our current views on training.

To find true conviction in our beliefs, we need to know something about “how the other guy lives,” or trains, in this case. I applaud Dr. Giroux for bringing forth her information/training beliefs to what she must have known would be a tough audience! I applaud Ms. Miller as well, in her point-counterpoint type response to Dr. Giroux’s article. My congratulations to WDJ for providing the forum. While we may not agree with all the methods of dog training available, knowledge is power! I hope other subscribers hold to WDJ’s New Year’s Resolution to “stay respectful, kind, patient, and open-minded.”

-Cathy L. Hughes
Mountain View Dog Training
Amissville, VA


Approving use for barkers
As a long-time subscriber to WDJ, I thoroughly enjoy the large majority of your articles. I find the magazine to be extremely informative and respect the decision to not allow advertisements. In fact, I respect all that WDJ and its contributors say. I don’t always agree but that’s not why I subscribe!

I am not an advocate of the e-collar at all! To use such a device for training purposes is, in my humble opinion, lazy. But I wouldn’t say that using it for behavior management is inhumane. Here’s why:

I have two beautiful, healthy, lively German Shepherd Dogs, 15 months old, brother and sister. They are inside more than out and we take them everywhere. There’s one problem, they love to bark – and bark and bark – especially when we are not home and they are outside. One of our neighbors doesn’t care for them because he doesn’t like the barking; that’s understandable. However, he dislikes it so much that he has called Animal Control several times. He’s been at our front door yelling and threatening to file a “nuisance” claim.

In order to keep our pups alive and free from the threat of this man (we even worry whether he would try to poison them), we purchased e-collars for them. Without these collars, we would not have these pups. We are convinced that our neighbor would have acted out his anger. The stimulus from the lowest setting keeps our dogs from barking excessively. They still bark, just not continually. Apparently, this is tolerable for our neighbor; we’ve had no further complaints.

We tried every other known tool to stop the barking when we’re not home, including citronella collars (they actually don’t mind the scent) and audible and inaudible noise emitters.

I am truly disheartened that WDJ failed to acknowledge that this collar can be a life saver for managing barking. Please “Don’t Shoot Me” and others in a similar position.

-Kristy Jennings
via email


Approving use for fencing
Your article condemning e-collars does much to lessen your credibility as an authoritative dog care and training publication. The very term “shock collar” is pejorative and inflammatory.

We have used the products on a large, fully coated Siberian Husky known for his wandering ways, and two small Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, too valuable to permit to wander. The collar emits a warning tone prior to any electrical stimuli, which is fully adjustable to permit the least amount of stimulation to the animal depending on its body structure and thickness of its coat.

The product is professionally installed and professional training in its use is furnished with the purchase. Once the training is completed, dogs understand where the line is that they are not to cross. Certainly the small shock – no more intense than that experienced from static electricity – is preferable to the pain a dog would suffer if hit by a car or fired upon by an irate neighbor.

-John A. McHardy
Pueblo West, CO

Opportunity of a Lifetime

By
Nancy Kerns
-
0

I thought I knew what I was doing when I got my dog, Rupert, who is now 11. He was just four months old, but had already been identified as a failure at his intended career as a sheepdog on a working sheep ranch. He just wasn’t all that interested in sheep!

But for a long time now, we’ve lived in town where people are the most dominant figures on the landscape. And, just as he never took to sheep, Rupert has never really liked people. Or other dogs. Or noise. Ad infinitum.

What does Rupert like? It’s a short list, and even shorter if you lump all the “things you can fetch” into one item instead of cataloguing balls, Frisbees, sticks, and toys separately. He likes me, he likes my family, and though it took him a year or two to learn to recognize and trust them, he likes my next-door neighbors. Everyone else? Suspicious, unless they throw things for him and don’t try to pet him.

Hey, he’s a sensitive guy and just needs some space I used to think.

Until I took this job, and in my professional capacity, began to read books, watch videos, and attend demonstrations and lectures on dog training theories and methods, I thought I had done a good job raising and training Rupe. After all, his house manners are quiet and impeccable, he’s brilliant off-leash, and he’s so obedient he’d wait for several days on a down-stay if I asked him to. So he has a few funny peccadillos he would prefer to avoid people he doesn’t know, he never plays with other dogs, and he always crouches down on the floor of the car when we speed more than 30 miles per hour. So he has a few strange fears – he runs out of the room if you fold laundry, he can’t stand sweeping (mopping is okay), and he trembles if people raise their voices.

Oh yeah; he’s also bitten a few people who tried to pet him when he was in some sort of position where he couldn’t get away from them. Is that his fault? No, it was mine.

My fault, because I didn’t know about socializing dogs. My fault, because I thought I was doing the right thing when I protected him from situations that made him nervous, instead of looking for what I now know are simple solutions to his peculiar problems which are not so peculiar for an unsocialized dog.

Through constant exposure to some of the most brilliant minds in the dog behavior and training world whether through their books, tapes, lectures, or, when I’m really lucky, one-on-one interviews and conversations I have learned what a failure I was in my early days and weeks with Rupert.

Had I known about proper socialization, he could have been twice the dog he is now. He’s as sweet and loving and obedient as can be, but he could have also been reliably friendly toward strange dogs and people, trustworthy with children, fearless in cars, and so much more. And he never would have bitten anyone, scared and a little trapped or not.

Fortunately, I’ve also learned that even adult dogs with behavior problems like Rupert’s (and I do now recognize them as behavior problems) can be partially rehabilitated. I’m applying what I’ve learned (and what we write about, all the time in WDJ) to desensitize Rupe to some of his fear triggers, to use classical conditioning to change the way he feels about other dogs and strange people and to improve his health with alternative therapies and an improved diet!

But, looking back over Rupert’s lifetime, I can see that the biggest mistake I ever made was not taking the opportunity to enroll him in a puppy training class. There, he could have made positive associations with noise and people and dogs. Instead, I protected him from the things that scared him – and he’s been scared ever since.

-NK

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