Woody seeks comfort from the veterinary technician who just gave him a vaccination. He's one of those dogs who shakes at the vet, but is also quick to climb into the technician's or vet's lap after his exam or procedures.
I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time and money in the past couple of months to get my dogs’ health records together – after being embarrassed to admit to a new veterinarian friend that my dogs were overdue for some routine veterinary attention. I feel much better knowing that they are now current – on vaccines, routine blood work, heartworm and tick-titer tests, and prescriptions for heartworm prevention.
So much of my time and attention (and dog-budget) went to taking care of my elderly dog Otto last year that the younger dogs got sadly neglected. And even though I advise everyone I know to note all of their dog’s vaccines, medication refills, and vet appointments on a calendar, I neglected to do this for Woody and Boone for over a year. Ack!
After a conversation about rabies vaccines with my son (whose dog was due for a rabies booster), I started wondering when Boone’s most recent rabies vaccine was – and realized that he was overdue for his first three-year rabies vaccine by about, oh, a year. Worse: To even determine this fact, I went looking for the file folder where I kept all of Boone’s paperwork – and discovered I had never made one! All of his puppy-kindergarten diplomas and veterinary receipts and test results and even adoption papers were mixed in with all of the same sort of paperwork in either Otto’s or Woody’s folders. I have never even made him a file folder of his own!
Also, because I had about 10 months’ worth of extra monthly heartworm preventatives after Otto passed away, and because all my dogs’ weights were/are close enough, I hadn’t taken Woody or Boone in for their annual heartworm tests because I had extra prevention to give them; I hadn’t needed to make those appointments in order to have enough preventative on hand for almost half a year. Bad, bad dog, Nancy!
Well, if you’ve ever been going through the final illness, or the final, rough year of a beloved dog’s life, you know how easy it is to neglect the other, young, healthy dogs’ needs. I’m not defending myself, just explaining. I had a trying year with Otto, punctuated with a couple health emergencies with Boone, and the routine stuff just got shoved to the side.
In order to get everything caught up, I had to call three different veterinary clinics and request that all of Woody’s and Boone’s records be sent to my newest vet’s office. My dogs have both been seen and treated at the large emergency/specialty hospital about 30 minutes from my home, the closest clinic to my home (which is expensive and where it is difficult to get appointments within a month), and a much-less-expensive country clinic where it is also difficult to book appointments in a timely manner. Clinic #4, owned by my new vet friend, is going to be my new primary vet, so I’ve had hospitals 1 through 3 send their official records to her. I feel sorry for the veterinary receptionist who had to make sense of it all, but after going through all that paperwork, I finally have a full record for each dog in one place and don’t have to guess or dig to confirm the dates of anything.
I also put reminders on my digital calendar to make appointments for next year’s veterinary checkups. I’ve long used wall calendars to keep track of these things, but in my increasingly digital world, the Google calendar does a better job of reminding me of things than any paper calendar can do.
The last thing I have to do: I prepaid for fecal tests for both dogs, and need to collect a fecal sample from each dog and deliver them to my new vet for testing. The day after the dog’s last appointment, I duly collected a fecal sample from each dog’s morning deposit, and put them (triple zip-locked) in the refrigerator so I could deliver them to the clinic later in the day – but got busy and failed to drive to the clinic until what the receptionist said was too late for an accurate test (the samples should be refrigerated if there is going to be a delay, but should still arrive to the vet’s office within 4 to 6 hours). D’oh! I need to choose a day soon where I will collect samples of the dogs’ poop and drive it right to the vet, and then we’ll be completely on track for 2024.
DoggieLawn uses real grass, hydroponically grown (without soil), contained in a plastic tray. The ability to eliminate on grass indoors helps many dogs who are otherwise reluctant to eliminate on paper pads or litterbox material.
While most of us spend a lot of time convincing our dogs to eliminate outside, there are legitimate reasons why some dog lovers need their dogs to potty indoors. We looked at “dog indoor potty” products to help you determine which you might want to choose from if you are in the “indoor bathroom” club.
A Look At Indoor Potty Products
Indoor dog bathrooms come in a variety of styles including: real grass, artificial grass, pee pads, other absorbent materials, and plastic units. Our preference is for boxes that use some type of natural substrate, but here are some examples of each:
Sidebar: Why Use an Indoor dog Potty?
There are some very legitimate reasons why you might want your dog eliminate indoors instead of outside:
Medical issues for dog or human that prevent regular trips outside.
Behavioral issues (fear) inhibit her from eliminating outdoors around scary sights and sounds.
Inclement weather.
Your dog must routinely be left home alone longer than she can reasonably be expected to “hold it.”
You live on the 25th floor of a high-rise apartment and she can’t “hold it” that far.
You have a puppy who needs to go more often than you can take her out.
Doggie Lawn: At the top of our list because it uses real grass (grass sits in a plastic tray), reducing confusion for dogs who are expected to eliminate outdoors as well as indoors. It comes in multiple sizes, from Standard (24 x 15.5 inches) to XL (24 x 48 inches) to accommodate a variety of different-sized dogs. Price ranges from $34 to $103 depending on size; you also order a subscription for their “soil-less” hydroponically grown grass for easy, compostable cleanup and replacement. Downsides: Real grass requires more maintenance than artificial, and isn’t good for dogs who have grass allergies.
The Petmaker Artificial Grass Puppy Pad has four layers: The artificial grass attracts the dog and the quilted pad absorbs odors; the drainage insert allows extra urine to drain through into the final layer, the collection tray.
Bark Potty: Shredded and absorbent tree bark in a cardboard frame with an inner plastic tray. We like this one because it’s a natural material your dog can find outside for bathroom purposes. Netting over the surface prevents your dog from scattering the bark. Available in two sizes: Standard (16 x 20; $37) and Large (20 x 31; $58). Downsides: Some dogs may chew the box and the bark. Also although marketed to last a month, urine smell may become noticeable after three weeks.
Petmaker Artificial Grass Puppy Pad: A four-layer unit consisting of an artificial grass mat, which sits atop an odor-resistant cloth mat, which covers a plastic drainage insert, which sits inside a durable plastic collection tray. Three sizes, from Small (16 x 20) to Large (20 x 30) from $25 to $45. Downside: Grass pads may wear out quickly.
Doggy Bathroom Dog Litter Box: A plastic box with tall sides! Ideal for dogs who lift their legs to pee; absorbent pee pads attach to the sides of the box. Recommended for small dogs (up to 20 inches) – comes in two sizes: Mini ($189) and Regular ($209). Downsides: Cost and size limitation.
BrilliantPad Original Indoor Dog Potty: The dog steps onto a low platform that has absorbent material stretched across it; the material is contained in rolls that are encased in plastic tubes on either side of the platform. After the dog eliminates on the pad, you can advance the pad to expose a clean section; the soiled section is contained until the entire roll (which contains 21 full pad advances) is soiled and discarded. A high-tech version (BrilliantPad Smart) allows you to advance the pad using an app on your phone. Downsides: Expensive ($230 – $250, plus rolls for $50 each) – and only for dogs 25 pounds or less. Motion activation could be aversive to some dogs.
This is a common problem with using pads on the floor; without a defined area or container for the pad, many dogs and pups who understand the concept of using the pad miss the target. A product that offers a distinct change of surface under their paws (such as artificial grass) or that holds a pad in a tray or box will help the dog’s “aim.” Photo by lolostock, Getty Images
Disposable Pee Pads: Lots of brands to choose from, so it can come down to personal preference; you may want to do a deeper dive into your own research and testing. Two we found that look promising are:
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Bulldogology Carbon Tech – Top rated from numerous sources and reported to be super-absorbent. These pads don’t easily wrinkle, flip, or move. The 24- x 24-inch pads have six layers, including an odor neutralizer (carbon); layer of tissue, absorbent gel polymer, and a waterproof liner to prevent leaks. $57 for 100 pads.
Kirkland Extra-Large Absorbent Pads – Costco sells these affordable, extra size for larger dogs (23 x 30 inches), with four layers including absorbent cloth, layer of tissue, absorbent gel polymer, and plastic liner to prevent leaks. $21 for 100 pads.
Washable/Reusable Pee Pads: Again, there are multiple brands to choose from; here are two that are highly rated:
Green Lifestyle Reusable Dog Pee Pads – These thick and highly absorbent, eco-friendly, machine washable pads have reinforced seams that last for many washes. A waterproof backing prevents leakage. They come in two sizes – 30 x 34 inches and 34 x 36 inches and in a pack of four or six. $29 to $44 at Chewy.com.
Max and Neo Washable Reusable Dog Pee Pads – These pads are quick-drying but extra-thick (four layers, with an inner layer that locks in liquid), and an inviting, quilted top layer. They come in one size (30 x 36 inches). $20 for two.
How to teach a dog to use an indoor potty
Some dogs catch onto indoor potty use very quickly, others take more effort, especially if they’ve been scrupulous about their housetraining habits in the past. Here are some tips:
Place your dog’s bathroom in a quiet location that is easily accessible for her, on an easy-to-clean surface with good ventilation to minimize odor.
Introduce your dog to the potty; show her where the indoor dog potty is and encourage her to check it out on her own so she can get comfortable with it. Do not put treats on it to get her to walk on it; dogs tend not to eliminate where they get food!
Collect a urine and stool sample to place on the potty surface to give her the idea.
Use positive reinforcement. When she uses the indoor dog potty, mark, praise, and give her a treat (away from the potty!). This associates using the potty with good things, making her more likely to use it in the future.
As with any housetraining, consistency is vital. Take your dog to the indoor dog potty regularly, especially after meals, naps, and playtime.
Give your dog time. Remember, it may take time for her to learn to use the indoor potty. Don’t get discouraged if your dog has accidents at first. Stick to your routine and reinforce good behavior. If you’re struggling, try taking your indoor potty outdoors to your dog’s normal bathroom spot, get her to use it there several times, then take it back indoors. Be patient!
Teach a bathroom cue. Use a specific cue (such as “Potty!” or “Go pee!”) when taking your dog to the indoor dog potty. If you already use one for outdoor elimination, use the same one indoors.
Be sure to clean up any accidents thoroughly and use an odor neutralizer on any elimination “mistakes,” to help clarify where your dog should and should not be eliminating.
And one final tip for dogs who lift their leg to pee: Put a sturdy, absorbent-covered or washable post in the middle of the pad or box. If you can, collect a little of your dog’s or another dog’s urine (even a few drops!) and drip or spray the post with it; this will help show your dog where to lift a leg!
Whether it’s due to a one-time puppy accident or a chronic issue with an aging and leaky dog, every pet owner can benefit from a carpet-cleaning machine. Photo by Vesnaandjic, Getty Images
Vacuum cleaners suck up dust, dirt, and dog hair from carpets and hard floors, but when you need a deeper cleaning, carpet cleaners (also called rug shampooers) combine suction power with cleaning sprays, rotating brushes, and rinse water to remove stains, odors, and stubborn grime.
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Full-sized or upright cleaners
Full-sized carpet cleaners are larger and heavier than vacuum cleaners because of their water tanks, which supply cleaning solutions mixed with water during treatment, and store sucked-up dirty water after cleaning. Accessories include hoses, pretreatment options, and hand-held tools. The machines’ size and weight are important considerations, and so are their price tags, which range from $100 to $500 or more. Full-sized pet-cleaning rug shampooers are a good match to physically active dog owners who vacuum often and expect to use a shampooer at least twice a year.
The laboratory tests mentioned here involved large swatches of white or off-white carpet and colorful stains like dirt, red wine, red clay, yellow ammonia (to simulate pet urine), actual urine, ice cream, chocolate, nut butters, Coke, blue Gatorade, caramel syrup, orange soda, coffee, ketchup, orange juice, tea, mustard, soy sauce, chili oil, and egg yolks. The tested machines were rated according to their stain-removing efficiency, convenience, ease of use, and noise level. All of the models listed here are suitable for use on carpets, area rugs, and upholstery.
This machine is the top pick of Better Homes and Gardens because of its effectiveness (cleaning quickly and thoroughly) and ease of use. “Our testers used the deep clean option when tackling various stains – chocolate, wine, dirt, and coffee – and noted it only took three wet and dry passes to get each stain off of the carpet.” This model has a “clean shot” pre-treater, retractable handle, compact size, and simple assembly. It weighs 12.34 pounds and holds 60 ounces (almost 2 quarts) of water.
Consumer Reports lists this machine as its top model. “It cleans just 5 to 7 square feet of carpet per tank of solution,” says its report, “but the 8-foot hose gives you lots of room to work without constantly moving the machine.” It weighs 16.25 pounds and holds 2 quarts (1/2 gallon) of water. Should the FH55000 model be out of stock, Consumer Reports recommends HOOVER POWERDASH PET FH50700 ($120), which has similar features.
Consumer Reports rates the BISSELL PROHEAT 2X LIFT-OFF PET 15651 ($309) as its second favorite full-sized carpet cleaner because it covers 15 square feet on a tank of solution, which is twice what some other top-rated machines can do. This model weighs 24.25 pounds and holds almost 3 quarts of water.
HOOVER SMARTWASH PET AUTOMATIC CARPET CLEANER ($249). The Good Housekeeping Institute rated this as their favorite overall carpet cleaner for pets. In addition to conducting in-lab testing, one tester used this model to clean old pet stains at home and found that it worked better than models previously tried. It cleans on forward passes and dries on back passes. An onboard wand of oxy stain solution zaps pet messes and Heatforce technology speeds carpet drying. This model weighs 18.9 pounds and holds 1 gallon of water.
TINECO CARPET ONE SMART CARPET CLEANER ($499) is the New York Times Wirecutter’s top choice. “This model operated more smoothly, tackled common household stains better, and left the carpet drier than all of tis competitors,” says its report. “We compared how our test models tackled common household stains, including dirt, urine, wine, soda, and ice cream.” The testers called the Tineco easy to operate, comfortable to maneuver, and considerably quieter than most machines. Helpful voice prompts warn of technical errors and remind you to refill or empty the tanks. An LED display shows cleaning progress and the carpet’s dryness level. This model weighs 16.5 pounds and holds 1 gallon of water.
Portable Carpet Cleaners
Full-sized, upright rug shampooers are the workhorses of home carpet cleaning, but when the pet mess is small, a portable carpet cleaner may be all you need. These cleaners are easier to use than full-sized machines, and with appropriate attachments, can be used on carpets, area rugs, upholstery, mattresses, pet beds, and car interiors.
BISSELL LITTLE GREEN PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER ($120) and BISSELL LITTLE GREEN PROHEAT PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER ($138) earned Consumer Reports’ highest ratings. “There were few differences between the two machines,” says the CR report, “beyond the fact that the Bissell ProHeat has a stair-cleaning tool and looks a little more modern. Both are as noisy as a standard vacuum but the ProHeat is a smidge quieter.” Each weighs just under 10 pounds and holds 1-1/2 quarts of water. To use either model, spray a mixture of hot water and cleaning solution from an onboard tank onto the fabric surface, apply it for the recommended amount of time, and then vacuum it up.
Good Housekeeping rates the BISSELL SPOTCLEAN PET PRO PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER ($175) as the best portable carpet cleaner for pets, noting its special container system for pet messes, 3-quart water tank, and effective urine-eliminator cleaning solution. It weighs 13 pounds.
RUG DOCTOR’S PET PORTABLE SPOT CLEANER ($152) is Better Homes and Garden’s favorite portable carpet and upholstery cleaner because of its maneuverability (it rolls like a wheeled suitcase) and effectiveness when combined with 5-minute pretreatments. It weighs 19 pounds. The water tank, which holds 2 quarts (1/2 gallon) can be tricky to fill by yourself but easy with a helper.
Things to consider before purchasing
All of the carpet cleaners mentioned here are described in detail at their manufacturers’ and retailers’ websites, so look online for descriptions of tools, accessories, cord lengths, hose lengths, convenience, cleaning solutions, and noise levels measured in decibels. (For comparison, 80 decibels is the average noise level for carpet cleaning machines.) Someone living in a one-story home may not need a long hose or long electrical cord while someone with carpeted stairs or large carpeted rooms may need both. Large-capacity water tanks are handy, but 1 gallon of water adds 8 pounds to the machine weights listed here. Pet carpet cleaner websites feature demonstration videos, customer ratings, and comments.
Finding a machine that fits well with you and your pets is worth the time and effort involved. With the help of a good carpet cleaner, any pet mess that comes your way will be a manageable and temporary inconvenience.
Research has shown that playing calming music can help dogs relax and display calm behaviors, whether they are home alone or in a shelter. Photo by Alex Ugalek, Getty Images.
Most dogs really do like music, but just like most humans, they like some, but not all kinds of music. What dog owners tend to appreciate most is when dogs find music to have a calming or relaxing effect on their dogs.
It’s understandable that dog owners would be interested in using music to facilitate calmness; it’s a zero-cost intervention that helps their dogs become the well-behaved companions they would like them to be! And there is evidence that some music does indeed help dogs relax. A 2002 study found that dogs appeared significantly less agitated after listening to selections of classical music. Their breathing slowed and they were less likely to pace around or remain standing. Researchers found that reggae and soft rock selections also had a calming effect on dogs.
In contrast, short, quick notes tended to increase a dog’s rapid motor movements. Even worse, heavy metal resulted in tremors and shaking – definitely not calming! Some variety is also important; dogs apparently tune out music that they hear all time, even the calming classical music; it loses its relaxing effect if it is too repetitous.
One important note, however: Not all classical music is soothing! Think of the rousing sounds of the William Tell Overture (which most of us older Americans know as the theme music of the Lone Ranger galloping across the prairie on his trusty white stallion). Be sure to look for calm, meditative music if you want to take advantage of the potential relaxation benefits on your dog’s behavior.
Find Your Dog’s Calming Music
So where can you find this magic calming music? Here are a few sources for relaxing dog music are:
iCalmPet claims that its calming music downloads are “psychoacoustically designed to support your dog’s nervous system function.” We know, at the very least, they are relaxing for us to listen to!
Youtube has several sites that provide long hours of calming music. Here is a link to a 12-hour playlist from Relax My Dog.
Does Dog Calming Music Work
If you are a skeptic like me, you might be asking if calming music really works for dogs. The evidence from several studies certainly seems to support that conclusion. In one study, shelter dogs barked significantly less in their kennels when calming music was played. And I can tell you this personal story:
I had a client whose dog was anxiety-stressed to the max. This poor dog paced and panted nonstop for 90 minutes of our two-hour consult as we discussed and practiced protocols to reduce her anxiety. Then I turned on the iCalmDog player, and in less than a minute the dog laid down under the table with her head on her paws and her eyes closed, and stayed there for our remaining 30 minutes.
Will it help all dogs? Maybe not. But as I tell my clients all the time… can’t hurt, might help – and it’s well worth a try. Yours might well be one that it does help!
Many dog owners get peace of mind from smart collars with GPS tracking, whether it’s needed to reassure them about the whereabouts of their dogs or to help find dogs who have gone astray. Photo by Petra Richli, Getty Images
Smart technology has found its way into nearly every aspect of our lives – even our dogs’ collars! From using GPS technology to help locate a pet who’s wandered off to accelerometer technology to track activity, modern dog collars offer more than just a functional way to attach an ID tag and leash.
In fact, there are so many functions and features available in various combinations that it’s hard to know what’s what. We’ve organized a table to help you compare products and find a collar that offers just those features you need or want in a smart dog collar.
We were discouraged to discover that a number of companies that produce or sell shock collars for training and/or containment have entered the “smart collar” market, incorporating the ability to use electrostatic shock to collars with more beneficial features. We stand firmly against the use of shock collars for training and containment, and don’t recommend these devices.
Some of the products are familiar to us – we’ve thoroughly tested them in the past – and some we’ve not heard of but spent time looking through the manufacturer’s websites to understand what they offer.
Here’s what we discovered:
Dog Smart Collars Compared
Name & Website
Marketed As
Main Features
Price
Notes
Fi Smart Dog Collar
tryfi.com
Smart dog collar
-GPS Tracking
Price depends on length of required subscription. $168-$204/year, including collar.
GPS tracking uses three different satellite positioning systems to locate the wearer.
-Garmin specializes in GPS navigation technology for numerous markets. They offer several products designed for sporting dogs, both with and without tone and/or electrostatic shock features.
Garmin’s GPS tracking collars all require a separate Garmin GPS device. Products can be purchased separately or as a set.
The Garmin Astro 900 (tracking, vibration, but no electrostatic shock) retails for $649 for the collar and handheld device as a set. The collar alone is $249 for users who already own a compatible Garmin device. No additional monthly or annual service fee.
These products are in a league of their own compared to the other “pet market” products on this list. They track using GPS and GLONASS (a Russian satellite-based navigation system) technology. Garmin claims this combination allows its compatible receivers to acquire satellites up to 20% faster than devices that rely on GPS alone. According to website claims, products can be used to monitor dogs from up to nine miles with a 2.5-second update rate.
While intended for sporting dogs, if you hike in heavily wooded or remote areas where cell service is unreliable, a more sophisticated tracking device can offer both safety and peace of mind. (Read why a Montana dog trainer chose a Garmin Astro model over Whistle, Fi and other similar products.)
$1,295 plus monthly subscription for GPS tracking.
Tractive Waterproof GPS Dog Collar
tractive.com
GPS and health tracker
-GPS Tracking
-Health alerts related to changes in sleep or activity
-Activity monitoring
$39.99 plus a subscription fee of $96 (Basic) or $108 (Premium)for a one-year subscription. Premium includes family sharing, worldwide coverage, 365-day location history and GPS data export.
Marketed battery life of up to seven days.
Tractive GPS connects to AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile LTE across the United States.
Tractive also offers a smaller model designed for cats.
Whistle
whistle.com
Health, tracking, and activity collar
Two products: Whistle Go Explore features GPS tracking plus health and activity monitoring.
Whistle Health provides health and activity monitoring.
Whistle Health - $109 for the tracker plus a one-year subscription.
Whistle Health has a 60-day battery life.
Various accelerometers track the wearer’s movement multiple times per second and use algorithms to identify movement as specific behaviors.
Author Kathy Callahan demonstrates the goal behavior with her dog George: walking with a dog who is not pulling, so that the leash only nominally connects the two of you, displaying that beautiful “J” shape. To get there, start with a few minutes of some high-engagement, high-reward, fun training, alternating short periods of that with some opportunities to sniff to his heart’s content. Then, when you ask for this behavior, he should be primed to cooperate. Photo by Grace Callahan
Any chance you’d like to transform your dog walks from frustrating leash-pulling contests of strength to enjoyable and cooperative outings? Using a pattern of three distinct types of interaction and activity on each walk gives you a strategy to stop a dog from pulling on a leash: a phase of high-engagement training, a phase of no-expectation sniffing, and your goal activity of loose-leash walking. When employed strategically, the three components work together to dramatically reduce pulling on leash.
Start with empathy for your dog’s needs
When a human client asks me to help them with their dog’s “problem behavior,” I make it a practice to wonder how the dog client would describe the problem. If they were in a couple’s counseling session, what would the dog have to say about their human?
When it comes to pulling-on-leash conflicts, I suspect most dogs would say, “Could you stop torturing me by bringing me outside and then forbidding me from enjoying myself? Our walks are weirdly slow and straight-ahead; can we make them more interesting, please? I’d like to smell some stuff, and it would be great to play some games part of the time.”
Sometimes, the fastest way to get what you want in a relationship is to make sure your partner gets what they want, too. In the case of the dog/human leash-pulling conflict, that means offering – structuring time for and facilitating – parts of the walk that will meet your dog’s species-specific needs. Using a pattern in every outing of intentionally switching from styles of walking that dogs enjoy most, to styles that work best for you will transform that activity so that it’s more fun and less work for both of you.
“Ugh!” you might say. “That sounds complicated. I just want to walk my dog!” I know. But just give this a try for two weeks. You’ll be experiencing that gorgeous “J” shape in your leash more and more – and you may find that you feel closer to your dog and more connected to nature. I’m not promising world peace, but I swear good things will happen.
First Phase: Training
If I’ve got a dog who’s barely keeping it together at the beginning of the walk – bursting with energy – I start that walk by training with a super high level of reinforcement. Our initial steps down the driveway are going to be a string of cues: find it, heel, side, spin, heel, touch, heel, find it.
“Hey, lady, if it were that easy for me to get my dog to heel I wouldn’t be reading this article.” Fair point, but the devil is in the details. An authoritative (or annoyed) “heel!” is worlds apart from the rapid-fire fun I’m proposing. Here’s what my version involves:
Start your walks with a short phase – perhaps just two minutes! – of high-engagement, fun training. Use your very highest-value rewards and, rapid-fire style, ask for a bunch of behaviors that your dog knows well. A typical progression could be: find it (search for and eat a tossed treat), heel, side (sit in the heel position), heel, side, find it, down, find it, heel! Your vibe should make this feel like a game. Photo by Grace Callahan
Head-turning food, whatever that means to your individual dog. I tend to start a walk with jerky in play, and then turn to less enticing stuff when arousal levels are lower and the dog and I have gotten into a groove.
Rapid-fire cues. Ask for 10 different things in two minutes. Reward every single one at first! Don’t lose momentum. Keep your energy up to hold your dog’s interest. If your engagement flags, so will your dog’s. One particularly helpful exercise is “Fast! Slow! Fast! Side!” as you reward your dog for matching your varying pace.
Enthusiastic vibe. Note that adding “training” sections to your walks does not mean “kill the fun by being very serious and demanding things.” Quite the opposite. This is your dog’s fun opportunity to earn extra yummy treats for doing stuff he knows how to do! How great is that? Demonstrate with a happy voice, good energy, and confident connection that this is an especially fun part of the walk.
Doing a “training” section of the walk right off the bat accomplishes a few important things. It gives the dog someplace to throw that initial big energy. It confirms that I have great food on me, which will be important as we pass challenging things like that barking German Shepherd around the corner. And it starts us off psychologically together, engaged. That sets us up for better loose-leash walking.
Second Phase: “Go Sniff!”
Aim for spending about a third of your “walking” time in the phase that’s likely the most enjoyable to your dog: sniffing. Give him a cue to “go sniff!” and relax while he gets his fill of this archetypical canine behavior. Photo by Grace Callahan
“Go sniff!” is something the dogs I’m working with hear maybe a half a dozen times in a half-hour walk. That’s the signal that they can go ahead and inhale the world to their heart’s content for the next few moments. I won’t rush them or pull them away.
We humans with our 6 million nasal receptor sites cannot fathom what dogs can smell with their 100 million. That’s why it’s so natural for us to say after two seconds, “C’mon, there’s nothing there!” The dogs beg to differ. The information they gain by sniffing is probably akin to our scanning our email, news headlines, and social media gossip. I imagine they can smell the raccoons that walked down the sidewalk yesterday, the pizza that was delivered last night, the UPS driver’s cat whose fur is on the guy’s shoe, and all the other dogs in the neighborhood that passed by in the past few days. By reading the pee-mail left by other animals, and commenting with some pee themselves, they gain and share important information.
Even if you don’t take delight in your dog’s sensory experience, keep in mind that it’s also in your self-interest to let your dog sniff. Allowing our dogs to really be dogs sometimes makes it a heck of a lot easier for them to live according to our human rules the rest of the time. Sniffing is, hands-down, the easiest way to help your dog obtain his required daily allowance of dogness. This kind of data-gathering for your dog can also help enormously with anxiety and reactivity. Plus, it’s not difficult for you to provide and you don’t have to learn anything or plan anything; just stand still for a few moments or minutes while they sniff!
So the case for sniffing on walks is very strong; the key is to make it official. Obviously you don’t want your dog yanking you hither and yon whenever they catch a great scent – which is exactly what happens when we never give our dogs the option to sniff in a leisurely fashion. Faced with that utterly unfair situation, dogs will take their welfare into their own hands, put their heads down and drag their owner to the bushes.
In contrast, if an owner regularly makes a point of noticing where good smells tend to be and – just as that spot comes up, before the dog tries to pull for it – says, “Go sniff!” the entire dynamic changes. After a few weeks of this kind of pattern, the dog isn’t desperately pulling toward everything, because she can trust that she’ll get a chance pretty soon.
Third Phase: Loose-Leash Walking
Now we get to the whole reason you started reading – the loose-leash part. I started with the other sections because that mimics my typical progression: When I’m just starting to work with a dog, I expect to do a lot (maybe 15 minutes?) of alternating between sniffing and high-engagement training before we get to a place where we’re going to succeed with a section of loose-leash walking. In essence, I wait until I’ve met some natural canine needs, drained some energy, and reminded the pup that engagement with me is incredibly rewarding.
After a sniffing session, I’ll say, “Bella, let’s walk!” to indicate we’re officially in a new pattern together. Then we move ahead. I’m looking for that leash to be in a nice “J” the whole time. If the dog pulls so that the leash becomes taut, I simply stop moving. I wait. She’ll look back, which usually also creates slack. I reward that slack leash with movement forward: “Let’s walk.” If it tightens again, we repeat that cycle. Soon enough the dog learns that walking in sync with me offers its own reward: forward motion.
If I try the stop-at-every-taut-leash business with a new dog right out of the gate, it’ll be a very frustrating exercise for us both; we’ll be stopping every two feet. Many folks approach loose-leash training that way, but I don’t enjoy that one bit. Instead, if we’ve been alternating between lots of high-reward training and sniffing for 15 minutes or so, I’m set up to succeed with getting that loose leash without frustration. In fact, some pups will then be ready to relax into this style for much of the rest of the walk. Others do best if I continue to alternate sniffing, training, and loose-leashing the rest of the way.
IT’S A JOURNEY
When a dog is new to all of this, I’m highly deliberate and communicative so that we both know which part of the walk we’re in at all times: sniffari, training, or loose-leash walking. As time goes on, though, the need for that precision fades away. That early, predictably clear structure allows for mutual learning that paves the way for mutual trust – and that trust turns out to be the key.
For me, walks are about the relationship. When it comes to getting a “polite” walk, there is tons of chatter out there about equipment and complicated training instruction, but to me that mostly misses the point. What gets you to an enjoyable walk with your dog is two-way connection. Get that right, and watch the leash loosen.
Last note: Could you get a loose leash fast by using aversive tools and methods? The ones that use pain (at the very least, discomfort) and fear to ensure compliance from your captive animal? Sure. But . . . is that who you want to be? I promise it’s more fun – and much more effective in the long run – to not resort to using these tools.
There are 237 mL in a cup of fluid. A healthy 10-pound dog will produce about 480 to 960 mL of urine a day; that’s about 2 to 4 cups of urine in an average 24-hour period. Photo by Zen Rial, Getty Images
How long a dog can go without peeing is determined by bladder size. Normal, healthy dogs produce about 2 to 4 milliliters (mL) of urine per pound of body weight every hour. Our dog for this example is Fido, a 10-pound Miniature Pinscher. Fido will make about 20 to 40 mL of urine every hour. That’s about 480 to 960 mL of urine every day!
The average dog’s bladder will begin to expand once it contains about 16 to 22 mL of urine per pound of body weight. When a bladder starts to expand, neurons in the bladder wall send signals to the brain that say, “Hey! I’m starting to fill up with urine! Tell the dog to go pee so I can be empty again.”
Ten-pound Fido will start to feel the urge to pee when his bladder contains between 160 and 220 mL of urine. If his body produces urine at the maximum rate of 40 mL per hour, he may want to pee in as few as four hours (when his bladder contains160 mL of urine). If, in contrast, he produces urine at the lowest average rate (2 mL per pound of body weight per hour), and he can withstand the urge to pee until his bladder is as full as possible (220 mL), he could go up to 11 hours before having the urge to urinate.
It’s important to note that every dog’s ability to withstand the discomfort of a full bladder is different!
HOW MUCH CAN A DOG’S BLADDER HOLD?
An average dog’s bladder can hold about 44 mL of urine per pound of body weight. For Fido, our 10-pound dog, this would be about 440 mL of urine. It would take between 11 and 22 hours for Fido to make that much urine. At this volume, Fido’s bladder would be stretched to the point of being painful. If he can’t go outside or use a pee pad, he is likely going to find a convenient place to relieve himself – like the living room rug! (And who would blame him?)
HOW LONG CAN A DOG GO WITHOUT PEEING?
The general rule of thumb for normal, healthy dogs is to let them outside to pee every 4 to 8 hours, except at night. Most dogs are able to sleep through the night without having to pee. Their urine production slows down overnight because they are sleeping and not consuming water.
Puppies and senior dogs will need to pee more often. Puppies make more urine in a shorter period of time than adult dogs. And senior dogs feel the urge to urinate more often than they did in their younger days.
Medical conditions that cause your dog to drink more water will result in your dog having to pee more often. This includes diabetes mellitus, hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease), bladder infections, and chronic kidney disease. Increases in activity level or the ambient temperature will also increase water consumption, resulting in more frequent urination.
If your dog has trouble “holding it” for less than the amount of time that his bladder should start to expand, it would be wise to schedule a checkup with his veterinarian.
We put our dogs at risk! Due to diminishing wildlife areas, animals like coyotes forage for food in cities and other populated areas.
Credit: Kate McCarty | Getty Images
Coyotes may attack dogs, but it is important to put it in perspective. Attacking coyotes are more rare than common, and most attacks occur in winter, which is the breeding time for coyotes.
Most attacks are on small dogs. An attack on a small dog or puppy might be for food (yes, coyotes will eat dogs), but in general, predators prefer to eat prey animals, not other predators like another canine. Considering how many coyotes and dogs are coexisting in most areas, the risk is low in general.
The Lone Coyote
Almost all the time, a lone coyote will skirt away from you and your dog. If you see several coyotes together, it’s usually a family group as opposed to a true pack. Still, coyotes will sometimes work cooperatively on a hunt. A lone dog is more at risk if there are multiple coyotes.
Coyote Diet
The diet for the average coyote consists heavily of rodents and rabbits, along with berries, corn left in fields, and fresh roadkill. Unfortunately, with the loss of true habitat, the ever-adaptable coyote has moved into suburban and city environments. While rodents may be prevalent, a city coyote is more likely to come across small dogs and cats.
Coyotes and People
Most coyotes will avoid a dog with a human, but if the coyote is ill, such as with rabies, all bets are off. If you know there are coyotes in your area, keep your dog on leash.
A male coyote will be attracted to a female dog in heat – I had seven howling coyotes on my front lawn when one of my dogs was in heat one time. This means you must be extra vigilant at those times. Coyotes and dogs can interbreed, so the visit may be for love, not war, but it’s still unwanted.
In the spring, coyotes are raising their pups and may be aggressive while defending their dens. Stay away from coyote pups.
If you spot a coyote while out with your dog (who is on leash hopefully), do not turn and run. That will attract the coyote. Make noise while moving away steadily and calmly.
Your dog cannot see all the colors that we can see, but he can see well enough to get along with a little help from his outstanding sense of smell and excellent night vision. Credit: Westend61 | Getty Images
What colors can dogs see? The colors dogs see well are yellow and blue. Red and green are not distinct. This is due to the dog’s eye having only two types of “cone photoreceptor cells” in their eyes. Dogs cannot see the range of colors that normal people do. Instead, their vision is similar to people with dichromatic – often referred to as “colorblind” – vision.
In addition, purple and blue will look alike to your dog. Red may appear brown or gray. Colors like yellow, orange, and green will all look yellow to a dog.
While your dog may not be able to tell apart toys or balls of different colors if they fit into this dichromatic color scheme, he can identify differences in brightness.
Dogs have more rods than people in their retinas, which enables them to see better at night. Superior night vision was important for hunting. Some genetic defects that cause night blindness in dogs. Briards can have this problem, which has been successfully treated with gene therapy.
Canine vision is also keyed into movement. While dogs might miss a “frozen” prey animal like a rabbit sitting still, but they quickly pick up that same rabbit if moves.
Some dogs will have difficulty picking out a red or orange toy on the lawn if it is stationary. If it is still moving, they will follow the movement of your throw. Once the toy is no longer flying through the air, bouncing, or rolling, you will notice your dog using his sense of smell to pick up the odor of the toy or your scent on the toy.
Dogs also tend to be nearsighted and have less visual acuity than humans. But, while dogs can’t match people visually, they are far superior when it comes to scenting. For a fascinating look at the color stream humans can see compared to what dogs can see, go to https://dog-vision.andraspeter.com/
Because Boone almost lost his mind the first time he saw someone riding a skateboard, I bought one to use to desensitize him to that stimuli. Teaching him to ride it is in progress. Photo by Nancy Kerns
You probably already know that I’m a huge fan of training – and while I am also a proponent of teaching dogs a few key behaviors that will help you spend time together, such as sit, come, touch, wait, stay, and back up, I also love teaching my dogs to do utterly useless things for the sheer fun of learning and working together. In the process of figuring out how to best get my dog to do something specific, reinforcing his efforts and doubly reinforcing efforts that are increasingly closer approximations of the goal behavior, I learn what motivates him to try and keeps him in the game. He shows me what really doesn’t compute for him and what makes him feel like quitting, and, in contrast, what sorts of things make our activity fun for him. Teaching him a new behavior, or a new way to do a behavior, turns into a highly interactive and highly enjoyable communication session.
Both of my dogs enjoy training, but 8-year-old Woody has a much shorter period of enthusiasm for sessions of learning something entirely new, and he’s much quicker to quit if he can’t figure out the goal behavior within a few guesses. With Woody, I have to keep my energy and rate of reinforcement very high, and the increments of improvement very low, to shape a new behavior.
Boone is the opposite: He shows an incredible amount of concentration and willingness (for a just barely 2-year-old dog) to persevere; he often keeps offering behaviors long after I’ve run out of treats and called our session done for the day. He will also spontaneously offer some semblance of a behavior we’ve worked on in new and creative ways at the most random times, to my delight and enjoyment. Recently, he offered a new behavior that was so funny I have to share it with you.
As a youngster, Woody learned to back up on cue (“Back!”) very easily and quickly, but I struggled with getting Boone to offer the same behavior. I tried all the techniques I could think of, and all the variations of luring, shaping, and capturing. No matter how I tried to lure Boone backward, or move into his space to try to get him to take even a tiny step back with a single paw, he would either bow or lay down or do a quick spin. And forget capturing; if he thought treats were on the table, he wasn’t going to move an inch away from me!
Then I saw a video of a trainer who taught her dog to “target” with his back feet, enabling her to use a mat or low platform to get her dog to back up onto the target and hold his position there. Boone already knew how to touch things with a front paw on cue (“Touch!”), and he knew “Up!” as a cue to jump up onto something. So I set about teaching him to touch something with a back paw, and then shaped that into stepping up onto something with both back paws. He would very handily (pun intended) reach behind himself with a back paw and, upon making contact with whatever it was, would back right onto it. The cue for this behavior became “Back up!” – and for whatever reason, he finally extrapolated that just “back!” meant to back up (with no particular target). Voila!
Though I often ask my dogs to jump up onto something for a portrait, now Boone most frequently offers to back up onto a platform or stair when I want to take a photo. Photo: Nancy Kerns
Now I can ask him to back up – but he still favors backing up onto things – perhaps because that’s where the lightbulb finally went on for him and he understood where I was going with all of this. Now, if there are treats around, or he just wants some attention, he’ll back onto something with his back feet and look for his reward. “Hey Nance, look at me! What will you give me for this?”
I have in my living room a device called a balance trainer. It’s essentially a four-foot-long slackline, which various athletes (and some of us older people) use to hone (or just maintain) their balance. Often, when we’re watching TV in the evening, one or the other of us will use the balance trainer while we’re watching a movie, or waiting for the popcorn to pop. Recently, while we munched popcorn during a movie, Boone decided that the balance trainer was his ticket to getting some of that popcorn. Spontaneously, he walked over to the balance trainer, turned to face me, and started deliberately reaching behind himself with his back feet, trying to step onto the slackline. That certainly took my attention off the movie!
I watched, somewhat incredulous, as Boone repeatedly fished about with a back paw, feeling for the two-inch wide webbing of the slackline and, when he made contact with it, placing a back paw onto the web and putting weight on it. Sure, that absolutely gets you some popcorn, you loony Boone! And within a few more repetitions of his one-paw-in-contact, when I held back from reinforcing him for that, he got one paw balanced on the line and started reaching with his other back foot. Within two minutes, he could balance with his back feet both standing on the wobbly line.
We’re now working to see if he can learn to balance with all four feet on the slackline!
This behavior was 100% his idea and invention, born out of a desire for attention and treats – as well as a certainty and trust that he’d get both if he could think up something interesting enough (and not rude, like openly begging). And while some people may find an attention-seeking dog to be a pain in the butt sometimes, I love his creativity and don’t mind letting him know how amusing I find it.
I don’t know that there will ever be a use for some of these silly behaviors, but interacting while I reinforce and shape them for our amusement keeps us connected and understanding each other – and that’s what “training” is really all about, in my opinion.
Not all dogs that itch have mange or mites, for that matter. But a dog who is incessantly scratching and itching and clearly in misery needs to be seen by a veterinarian. Credit: Fernando trabanco Fotografia | Getty Images
Dog mange mites on humans is possible, but confined to only a few species of mites. Dog mange is a skin infestation by mites. Canine demodex mites are species-specific, which means your dog’s demodex mites won’t thrive on you. People have their own species of demodectic mites that happily coexist with us. Sarcoptic mites on the other hand can affect both humans and dogs, but cannot complete their lifecycle on human skin making infection a matter of short term irritation.
Multi-Species Mites
A few types of mites will cross species and can cause problems even in healthy people and animals. The mite behind sarcoptic mange, Sarcoptes scabiei, is one of them. This particular mite is comfortable living on a number of hosts. Have you noticed any basically naked, but otherwise healthy, squirrels in your neighborhood? They probably have sarcoptic mange. Spot a sickly, scruffy looking fox? He probably has sarcoptic mange as well and, unfortunately, it is a serious problem for fox.
Mange Is Itchy
Dogs with sarcoptic mange are extremely pruritic (itchy). These mites burrow into the skin and cause itching, rubbing, chewing, and rolling. Dogs with sarcoptic mange are uncomfortable. Even just a few mites can make a dog miserable. With time, the damaged skin is prone to secondary infections, which only add to the overall discomfort.
Is It Really Mange?
A diagnosis requires demonstrating mites are present, if possible. Since these mites burrow into the skin, multiple skin scrapes are attempted. If your veterinarian does not come up with a mite, but still feels sarcoptic mange is a possibility, she might recommend treatment anyway.
Treating Mange in Dogs
Mange treatment requires topical therapy such as baths and dips to start with and then follow up with topical or oral medications. Revolution and Advantage Multi are examples of topical treatments that will kill sarcoptic mites. Oral medications that have shown to be effective include Interceptor, Sentinel, NexGard, Bravecto, and Simparica. Not all fhese drugs are specifically approved for the treatment of sarcoptic mange, but they are effective and can be prescribed by your veterinarian for off label use.
Human Mange
You can get sarcoptic mange from your dog. This requires close contact as the mites don’t run and jump like fleas. If you develop an intensely itchy rash just like your dog, you might have mange. The canine variant of the sarcoptic mange mite can’t fully reproduce in people, so symptoms will fade in 4 or 5 days.
People do have their own variant of this mite that can be transferred to dogs. Again, it can’t reproduce so signs fade quickly. If you develop an itchy rash which last longer than a couple of days, you should see your physician.
It’s not clear why dogs like to chew on wood, although one can guess it’s because it is just the right firmness with a natural scent. Credit: Bruev | Getty Images
Every dog – whether a large working dog or a small pet – seems to like to chew on things, although we don’t yet fully understand why.
A study published inApplied Animal Behaviour Science in 2021 determined that chewing was not motivated by play or activities, but 94% of households provide their dogs with a chew object.
In 2020, a study published in Frontiers in Psychology determined that chewing sticks was similar to the use of a tool. In other words, “If chewing is caused by, at least in some cases, a pain in the teeth and some inclination to chew sticks given that pain, or occurs after consuming food that is likely to get stuck in their teeth, this direct and immediate function of the behavior should qualify as tool use.” Researchers hypothesized that a dog probably doesn’t understand the difference between chewing on a wood stick from the woods and wooden furniture. Maybe dental chews would help here.
What Dog Experts Think
Since dogs aren’t talking and scientists can’t find a solid reason for why dogs chew on wood and other things, we looked to dog experts for some consensus. Here’s what we found
Wood likely offers a natural smell with a satisfying hardness that the dog can chew and pull apart. It’s just nature’s favorite toy. Note: Remember, wood chewing is fraught with potential veterinary emergencies, from splinters in the mouth to pieces lodged in the gastrointestinal tract and more.
Puppies need to chew, as it helps soothe sore gums, just as it does a baby who is teething.
For adult dogs, boredom appears to play a part in chewing. You leave your dog every day while you go to work or school. He probably sleeps for most of that time, but eventually he gets tired of looking at four walls and through the window at a pesky squirrel. So, one day he gnaws on a nearby table leg – and it’s fun and handy.
Anxiety can cause a dog to chew. Take that same dog but change his temperament to one that is anxious about being alone, who hears noises and voices everywhere. To calm himself, he chews up a chair from the kitchen table.
The third reason is somewhat supported by research, at least the tool idea. It’s oral health. Dogs may have an instinct to exercise their jaws and clean their teeth- or just a drive to make them feel better. Sticks and furniture are hard and rough, so they’re good for that.
What Can You Do?
Buy him safe chew toys! The type of chew toys you get depends on your dog. A Chihuahua or Miniature Poodle won’t want anything big or too hard, but a strong chewer like a Doberman or German Shepherd need big and strong toys. Kong and Planet Dog are just two companies approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council that make toys that will probably last your dog’s lifetime.
More exercise or activity will help your dog – and you. Take him on longer walks, especially before you go to work. Make more play time. Take him places to stimulate his brain.
Deterrents
To stop compulsive or confirmed chewing right away, you can mix apple cider vinegar with water and then spray or paint it on the things you don’t want him to eat. It has a sour taste that dogs don’t like, and it won’t hurt him.
But the long-lasting effect of behavior modification – with toys and exercise – is what you really need to discourage your dog’s craving for furniture.
Years ago, I had high hopes for participating in dock diving sport with my now-9-year-old dog, Woody. But it turned out that my high-jumping, strong-swimming dog absolutely hates getting water in his ears!
