Using a rubber bathtub mat in the bottom of the tub will make your dog feel much more secure and calm in the bathtub or shower stall. Dogs who slip in the tub never look this comfortable! Photo by Manu Vega, Getty Images
Don’t wait until your dog needs a bath to create a comfortable, relaxing routine for this important ritual. Plan ahead by organizing the products and equipment you’ll need, and if you’re new to dog bathing, rehearse the steps, which are:
Dry brush your dog
Wet with water
Shampoo
Rinse
Apply conditioner
Rinse
Dry your dog
Brush while drying
What bath products do I need?
The best dog shampoos and conditioners are made with gentle ingredients that remove dirt without irritating your dog’s skin. Depending on your dog’s coat, you may need a detangling spray, a rubber bathing brush for working shampoo through the coat, fast-drying towels, a hair dryer that dries dog hair quickly without feeling hot, and the right brush for your dog’s coat. Consult a groomer if you need help getting started.
It’s important for the health of the dog’s skin that he’s dried thoroughly after a bath (especially for long or thick-coated dogs). To dry a dog thoroughly after a bath, groomers use special dryers that provide a cooler and more powerful jet of air than human hair dryers. The strong air flow forces the moisture away from the dog’s skin and out of his coat; the cooler air ensures that he doesn’t get overheated. If you use a human hair dryer on your dog, use it on the coolest setting possible. Photo by Siro Rodenas Cortes / Getty Images.
Where to bathe your dog
The best place for your dog’s bath might be your sink, bathtub, walk-in shower, outdoor wading pool, or back yard. Your water supply should be lukewarm, not hot or cold. If you’re using a bathtub, be sure your dog can climb in and out, and place a rubber bathtub mat (or at the very least, a towel) in the tub to keep your dog’s feet from slipping.
You’re probably going to get wet, so wear appropriate casual clothing. Use treats and encouragement to position your dog.
Start with a dry brush on your dog’s coat
Begin by brushing your dog’s coat to remove loose hair, burrs, sand, dried dirt, and other debris. If there are mats in your dog’s coat, save the brushing for later as a bath may loosen the matted hair. In that case, spray or apply a detangling product to the hair mats following label directions and then shampoo.
Dilute your dog shampoo
We, humans, are fond of frothy bubbles, so we tend to over-soap our dogs. While that may look efficient, it’s better to use fewer bubbles and more water. Grooming experts recommend diluting equal parts water and shampoo to blends as dilute as 1 or 2 tablespoons shampoo in 2 cups water. The dilute solutions reach all parts of the coat quickly and rinse out faster and more thoroughly than full-strength shampoo. Dilute your conditioner, too.
Step-by-step dog washing
Use a gentle stream of water to thoroughly wet your dog’s coat. Keep shampoo out of your dog’s eyes and ears as you apply it from neck to tail, then gently massage the shampoo into every part of your dog’s coat.
After that, rinse and rinse and rinse some more. Apply a diluted coat conditioner, if you’re using one, and rinse again. Use a finishing spray or other products as needed, then blot your dog’s coat with towels. If you have one, dry your dog with a dog blow dryer. Finish by brushing your dog’s hair while it’s still slightly damp.
It’s generally easy to determine if your dog is shivering due to happy anticipation or something less positive. If his body language is tense and hunched as he’s shivering, he needs some help! The context can help you; in a crowd like this, the shivering is likely related to fear and apprehension about the crowd. Photo by Javier Zayas Photography, Getty Images.
You are right to be alarmed if you see your dog shivering. It is not normal for a dog to tremble and shake; it can mean something is significantly wrong. There are several reasons why your dog might be shivering or shaking, and some of them need to be addressed quickly.
Cold Shivers
The simplest explanation—and easiest to fix—is that your dog is cold. The answer—warm him up! If bringing him indoors near a heater and covering him with a blanket doesn’t quickly stop the shivers, he may be hypothermic, and a prompt call to your veterinarian is in order. (Next time you take him outside on a cold day, put a jacket on him!)
Medical Reason for Shaking
Dogs can also shake or shiver due to a number of medical conditions including:
Pain
Seizures
Neurological disorders
Nausea
Muscle fatigue or weakness
Illness
If you suspect one of these is the cause, again, it’s time for a prompt call to your veterinarian. There are effective medications for pain and seizures, and your vet will be able perform diagnostic tests to determine if there are internal medical conditions causing this level of distress.
Anticipation Shivers
Sometimes dogs shiver because they are very happily anticipating something—like going for a walk, greeting a loved friend who is approaching, or chasing a ball that you are about to throw. No response (on your part) is called for unless they become more exuberant than you like. If that’s the case, you can employ behavior modification to tone down their happy excitement.
Behavioral Shivering
Behavioral shaking is most likely caused by stress and/or fear. Begin by calmly comforting your stress-shaking dog. No, you won’t be reinforcing his fear; you cannot reinforce emotion. While you comfort, try to determine what’s stressing him and implement management to reduce or eliminate his exposure to the stressor(s). Then seek the assistance of a qualified force-free behavior professional to help change his association with stressors that can’t be eliminated. Your behavior professional may also suggest you talk to a veterinary behaviorist or behaviorally knowledgeable veterinarian about anti-anxiety medications to help your dog cope with his stressful world.
Whatever the cause of your dog’s shaking, you can and must help him. Figure out the cause and do the right thing as quickly as you can!
Some dogs use pawing in order to get humans to pay attention to them, and if their nails need trimming, they usually succeed in getting that attention! If this is a behavior you don’t care for, try to anticipate when your dog is about to paw and turn or walk away, or ask her for a behavior that is incompatible with pawing, such as “Down!” Make sure you reinforce the behavior you have asked for when she does it. Photo by Vedrana Sucic / EyeEm / Getty Images
Many dogs get satisfaction from touching their humans with their paws. Some of us like it, some of us tolerate it, and some of us prefer dogs keep their paws to themselves. Why do dogs want to touch us with their paws? What’s in it for them?
Why Dogs Give You Their Paw
We know that behaviors that persist are somehow being reinforced. If your dog insists on touching you with her paw, she’s getting something out of it. It could be:
Someone taught her. “Shake” is a popular trick, and if you – or someone else – taught her this, it was probably done using treats (or something else your dog likes) as her reward. Now she thinks the way to get treats is to offer to shake!
Attention-seeking. Just like we might touch someone to get their attention, your dog learns that pawing you gets you to pay attention to her.
Reassurance-seeking. If your dog is worried about something, touching you with her paw could be her way of saying, “Please comfort me.”
What Should You Do About Paw Touching?
If you like it, you can continue to reinforce the paw-touching behavior when your dog offers it. If you find it annoying, you can teach her that she gets reinforced for “Shake” only if you’ve asked her to do it, and that, in contrast, attention-pawing will make your attention go away. (You can even use a cheerful “Oops!” as a no-reward marker to say, “That behavior made the good stuff go away.) Alternatively, you can reinforce her for touching her paw to something other than you.
Comfort-seeking is another matter. Anytime your dog seeks comfort from you, the best response is to give it to her, and determine why she needs comforting. Bottom line? If your dog is paw-touching you to communicate, value her communication efforts and try to figure out what she is trying to tell you.
There’s no room for misinterpretation here. This dog is having a grand time, shown by his relaxed face, open smiley mouth, and overall zest for fun. Credit Brighton Dog Photography | Getty Images
Dogs have the emotional capacity of a 2- to 3-year-old child. They can feel emotions (happy, sad, angry, fearful), but they can’t express them in words. It’s up to the adults around them to interpret their actions and body language.
Signs of happiness vary from dog to dog – but here are seven behaviors most dogs exhibit when they are happy:
Tail relaxed or body wagging, relaxed ears, relaxed body: A stiff body or tail with ears facing back means an unsure dog. It could signal aggression or worry. A wagging tail and relaxed ears means interest and comfort. A tail that’s low and wagging is more likely an indication the dog may be stressed.
Happy, relaxed face: Dogs “smile,” usually with their mouth open and showing some teeth. Snarling or curling back the lips means aggression. A hard stare is a clear indication the dog is not happy.
Happy dance: It’s usually from side to side, and they usually do it before a favorite activity, like eating, walking, hunting, or playing.
Play bow (bottom up, head and chest down): It almost always means they want to play, and it often precedes happy zoomies.
Happy barks: Usually shorter and higher pitched than regular barks.
Eating: A happy dog eats well because he’s not worried.
Good behavior: A happy dog usually doesn’t misbehave by chewing things or having accidents in the house.
Other signs of happiness can include being excited about activities and friendly toward other dogs and people. Again, though, many factors can cause a dog to be unfriendly, too. It’s a vital part of having a dog, so take the time to watch your dog and learn to understand his tail and other body language, so you can react to him appropriately.
This sled dog is showing the characteristic sign of snow nose. Note the pink coloration on what should clearly be a brown nose. Credit: Evgeny Kharitonov | Getty Images
Is your dog’s normally dark colored nose turning pink or tan? If it’s winter, and everything else about your dog is normal, this discoloration on a dog’s nose is likely a benign phenomenon called snow nose or Dudley nose. It is a seasonal loss of pigment in the nose, thought to be genetically linked to liver-colored noses. It can involve the whole nose, just a center stripe, or come in random patches. Dog breeds that commonly get snow nose include Siberian Huskies, Malamutes, American Eskimos, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Cocker Spaniels.
Nobody knows for sure why it happens, but it is thought to be associated with shorter daylight length and lack of sunlight that results in decreased melanin production. Melanin is the pigment in skin that makes you look tan in the summer. Many dogs, although not all, regain their darker nose color in the spring and summer. Some experts think this aspect of the syndrome may simply be due to the direct tanning effect of UV rays. Either way, your dog’s nose color will likely cycle with the seasons.
How to be sure it’s just snow nose and not something worse? Snow nose is just a color change, basically fading from dark to beige or pink. There are no other changes to the surface appearance, texture, or architecture of the nose, and the dog is not bothered by it.
If your dog’s nose has raised lesions or bumps; ulcerated or raw areas; crusting, scaling, scabbing or bleeding; or it seems uncomfortable, then it’s time to get to the vet. These symptoms do not happen with snow nose. They are more likely to be indicative of autoimmune disease, infectious disease, or cancer.
Snow nose has no known treatment or prevention. Some people have tried vitamin E (an antioxidant which stabilizes cell membranes so may slow down depigmentation) and kelp supplementation (high in iodine to aid thyroid hormone production, which is involved in the pigmentation process) has been suggested, although neither of these are likely to make a difference. The best thing you can do for your dog’s snow nose is to apply sunscreen to protect it, especially when it’s pink.
Sunscreen for Dogs
Look for a sunscreen made specifically for dogs. They are available as lotions, sprays, sticks, balms, ointments, and clothing. Look for a product that matches your dog’s lifestyle. Some must be applied 15 to 20 minutes before sun exposure, while others offer instant protection. Waterproof products may best suit swimming dogs.
Dog-safe sunscreens do not contain zinc oxide or para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), which are commonly found in human sunscreens and are toxic to dogs. If your dog has sensitive skin, test new products for allergic reactions by applying sunscreen to a small area of bare skin. Check it after 24 to 48 hours for signs of irritation and if it causes a reaction, try a different product.
Dogs enjoy rolling in grass, but the spot they choose often has something to do with the scent. Rudi Von Brief | Getty Images
Dogs Roll in Grass Due to Scent
Rolling in grass is all about scent – either covering it up, adding scent, or picking it up to himself. Dogs’ noses are up to 50 times more sensitive than ours, depending on the breed, so they can smell lots of gross things that they think are perfect for rolling.
An older study with wolves, published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, found that wolves were most likely to rub in an odor not usually in the wolf’s environment or a familiar scent that is slightly different. And, not surprisingly, they found that some wolves seemed to roll in scents believed to have a strong aversion or attraction.
Your dog’s hunting instinct makes him roll in the grass, makes him roll where another animal has urinated or defecated, and makes him roll in a dead animal. It is speculated that rolling covers up his own scent so he can get closer to prey before they sense him.
What Does It Mean When a Dog Rolls in Grass?
Rolling is also a way to communicate with other pack members (including you!), telling them he’s nearby or to stay away from this area because it’s his.
And remember too that what smells good to us usually doesn’t smell good to them – and vice versa. So don’t be surprised when, as soon as you bathe your dog in that expensive, sweet-smelling shampoo, the first thing he does is roll in the grass or something else that stinks. That may well be because he thinks that he smells horrible!
Now, rolling can be a sign that something’s wrong, that he has fleas, an allergy, or a skin irritation. That’s when you have to note the rest of his behavior:
Does his rolling look manic?
Is he scratching where he rolls?
Is the skin red or irritated?
This behavior will help you decide if you should investigate further and maybe call the veterinarian.
And sometimes your dog rolls just because it feels good and makes him happy. And that’s just as natural as rolling in something due to scent.
Some dogs don’t miss a beat when wearing protective dog boots. Pawson the Run Photography | Getty Images
Most of the time, dogs don’t need shoes, boots, or socks. Their pads are tough enough for almost any surface and in all but extreme temperatures. There are times, however, when a set of well-fitting dog shoes will be welcomed by humans and canines alike.
Dog Shoes for the Winter
According to a 2011 study from Yamazaki Gakuen University in Japan, a dog’s feet can withstand freezing temperatures due to the dog’s unique circulatory system. In dog feet, veins and arteries are set close to each other and the blood in the arteries warm the cooler blood in the dog’s veins, helping to keep the body temperature in the paws balanced.
But there are limits, and dogs vary with what cold temperatures they can handle. A dog who is starting to lift a paw, alternating paws, keeps looking at his paw, or simply sits down so he can lift all four paws off the ground is experiencing discomfort.
The problem could be snowballs forming between his pads (clipping the hair in that area can reduce the chance of that happening), freezing temperatures, injuries from rough terrain, or irritation from crusty ice or snow, or ice-melt products, all of which may be prevented with boots.
Dog Shoes for Summer
In warm weather, stinging goats’ heads, foxtails, and other burrs can stick to the hair between the dog’s pads and make walking painful. Similarly, if the dog is walking over hot surfaces like sidewalks or blacktopped surfaces, his paws can get burned. A protective boot may help.
Getting Dog Shoes to Fit Properly
Finding boots that stay on and fit well can be a challenge. Follow manufacturer instructions carefully to obtain an accurate measurement of the dog’s paw length and width to get the right fit. You may need to experiment with different types and brands to find the one just right for your dog. If you can, go to a local store where you can try the boots on the dog.
Be prepared that your dog may take time to adjust to the boots because boots, even socks, affect dogs’ proprioception, his ability to “read” the ground under them. In addition, a study in the July 12, 2022, issue of Frontiers of Veterinary Science found that wearing dog boots does orthopedically impact the dog’s ground reaction forces (the force from the ground when a body contacts it) and center of pressure (load distribution in the dog’s paw). The researchers concluded that more research was needed, but there is an effect.
We know there are differences between big and little dogs in terms of exercise, tolerances for cold, and feeding, so adding in when to spay a female dog should come as no surprise. Buffy 1982 | Getty Images
The best age to spay a female dog varies depending on the breed and size of your dog. Studies have shown a possible link in large dogs between early spay/neuter and certain joint disorders (hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, injuries to the cranial cruciate ligament) and cancers (lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and mast cell cancer). This may be because the hormones associated with growth and development come from the gonads, so leaving the ovaries in place longer enhances the dog’s musculoskeletal health.
If you have a small breed dog or a mixed-breed dog less than 42 pounds, the timing of spay has not been linked to any of these diseases. Additionally, small dogs are not prone to developing spay incontinence (hormone-associated urinary incontinence after spay), which is also mainly large breed dog problem. What all this means that if you have a small dog, you can have her spayed whenever you want. (The exception is if you have a Shih Tzu. In one study, Shih Tzhs had a significantly higher risk of cancer if spayed before 1 year of age, so you’re better off waiting until she is 2.) Most veterinarians will spay small dogs as early as 6 months of age, before they have a heat cycle.
Risks of Spaying Too Early
Unnecessary tissue trauma due to fragile juvenile tissues
Scar tissue adhesions developing in the abdomen
Development of spay incontinence in big dogs
Large Dog Spays
The general recommendation for large breed dogs is to wait until at least 12 months to spay, as many of these breeds have shown an increased incidence of joint disorders and cancers if spayed earlier. This is especially true for Golden Retrievers, Viszlas, and Rottweilers. Cancer is so prevalent in Golden Retrievers, and so much higher in spayed Golden Retrievers, that some experts suggest not spaying Golden Retrievers at all. Spaying large breed females later also reduces the risk of hormone-associated urinary incontinence.
Overall, there are more pros than cons to spaying your female dog if she is not intended for breeding. Spaying means no messy heats, no unwanted pregnancies, less chance of breast cancer, no chance of ovarian or uterine cancer, and no chance of uterine infection (pyometra), which is a very common surgical emergency in older, intact (not spayed) female dogs.
When to Spay a Dog After a Heat Cycle
Remember that dogs come into heat approximately every six months. So, if you’re planning on having your dog spayed later, schedule the surgery so it is around two to three months after a heat. This allows time for everything to quiet down inside and the blood vessels that became enlarged during heat to get smaller, making the surgery a little safer and less complicated than when she is in heat.
Wave after wave of puppies are arriving at the shelter. While puppies are more readily adopted than adult dogs (in most cases), they often require more time at the shelter before they can be adopted, and more medical care. Each needs to be vaccinated and spayed or neutered – and they often end up with kennel cough, requiring time and treatment.
The difficulty in obtaining routine veterinary care may have contributed to the surge in pet overpopulation – but since that’s a long-term problem in itself, what can we do about all these dogs and cats right now?
I haven’t been volunteering at my local shelter lately; I’ve had my hands full with work stuff, family stuff, and my own three dogs. But I was running errands the other day with a little bit of time on my hands and decided to stop by and say hello to the director and the head RVT (registered veterinary technician) – the folks I’ve worked with and have known for the longest time, all 16 years I have lived in this town.
When I walked in, I could see that the director was absorbed in conversation with the front counter staff. I took a walk through the adoption kennel while waiting for her to be free. In the month of December, in an effort to get more pets “home for the holidays,” the shelter had waived the cost of all dog and cat adoptions, and I had been happy to see lots of photos of newly adopted pets and their new owners on the shelter’ Facebook page. Given all the photos I had seen, I hoped the adoption kennel would be only lightly populated.
I couldn’t have been more mistaken. Every single one of the 28 kennels contained at least one dog, and several contained two or even three dogs. As I walked along the kennel row, dismayed, another RVT on the staff, whom I’ve known for at least seven or so years, came into the adoption kennel through another door. We greeted each other, and I told her I was just killing time, waiting to say hi to the director. She said she was just taking a momentary break, and she joined me on my walk around the perimeter of the kennels, which are arranged in the center of the room. She gave me details about at least a dozen of the dogs as we walked – some of the hardest-luck cases and some of her favorite wards. There were a lot of sad stories.
While some dogs are more comfortable sharing a kennel with another dog, most shelters have numerous dogs who guard their food or a preferred resting place in the kennel, or who redirect aggression on their kennelmates when they get aroused as people walk through the shelter. Those dogs should be housed individually, but when the shelter is full, it becomes more difficult to provide individual kennels.
We did a similar walk around the perimeter of the “isolation” part of the building – a mirror version of the other room, also with 28 kennels. These pens were even more full, with two to three dogs in every kennel but the ones that had large “DANGER” signs on them – indicating dogs who have proven to be dangerously aggressive to other dogs and/or humans.
There was also one pen with a single dog in in who did not have a “danger” sign on his door. He looked to be an elderly Labrador, very thin, with a hind leg that he could not put weight on and which stuck out at a crazy angle. I read his cage card; it indicated he was “seized” – a police case of some kind – and that he was 19 years old. I raised my eyebrows at my friend. “That’s what the owner told police. We think he’s more like 12 years old or so. But we’re not sure what we’ve going to do with him. He is such a sweet boy.”
As we talked about that dog, we walked into a hallway in the office part of the shelter building, and ran into the shelter director. I told her how disappointed I was to see how full the shelter was. She said, “TELL me about it! I waived adoption fees all December, just to try to get some animals out of here. But it feels like for every one that left the building, five more came in!”
My friend the RVT joined our conversation. She had just been on the phone with the police discussing the cruelty and hoarding case that involved the skinny, crippled old Lab. “We had to seize 24 animals the other day, cats and dogs both – and it’s been quite a job, making room for them!” she said. “It’s crowded and stressful here,” she said, “But at least the poor animals will be fed and receive medical care!”
I asked her about the plan for the old Lab. She said, “You know, that’s exactly the kind of dog that we like to splurge on – to spend extra money to make sure he gets the time and medical care he needs to recover and find a happy home for the rest of his life. But it’s very hard to justify the time and money right now, with so many other needy animals. There is an 8-month-old Boxer with a broken leg who needs surgery, too – and we just spent a fortune treating a bunch of parvovirus cases.”
“And in the meantime,” the director added, “I have people coming in screaming at the front counter staff because we can’t take their dogs. We’re not taking any owner-surrendered animals right now; we have no room for them! This lady came in the other day mad because we wouldn’t take her three dogs. She was screaming, ‘This is your job! Why don’t you do your damn job?’ I wanted to tell her, ‘Why don’t you come in the back with me and tell me which dogs I should kill to make room for yours!’ ”
The RVT said, “Even the shelters and rescues that we’ve been working with for years, who take some of our excess animals from time to time – they are maxed out, too. At the moment, we’re hearing, ‘Sorry, we’re full!’ from every group we know.”
I asked my friends, “What do you think is happening? Why so many stray and surrendered animals right now?”
The RVT said, “I think that since COVID started, and so many veterinary practices were either shut down or taking only emergency or reduced caseloads, a lot of animals didn’t get spayed or neutered – and now we’re a couple or a few dog and cat generations into a population boom. We’re just drowning in puppies and kittens – more than ever – and also taking in a lot of 1-year-old dogs and 2-year-old dogs that people say they ‘just can’t keep anymore.’ I think there are a ton of ‘accidental litters’ that have been born over the past couple of years, due to the fact that people haven’t been able to get into a clinic and get their animals sterilized. And each litter of unneutered pups or kittens that are given away tends to create another!”
We didn’t talk for much longer; I didn’t want to keep them from their work. I made a donation – every little bit helps – and told them I’d be thinking about anything I could do to help with the limited amount of time I’ve been finding myself with lately.
Solutions: What can be done?
Being a writer, my go-to is to try to generate some buzz by writing about the plight of shelters everywhere, in an effort to get the word out to the animal-loving community: Please help your local shelters in any way you can! They are struggling under the weight of too much to do, and too little funding (almost always) to do it with. Fostering, donations, asking friends and family for donations – these things help a lot. Also, setting your Amazon account to an AmazonSmile account and choosing your local animal shelter as its charitable beneficiary helps, too. Amazon donates a tiny percentage of your AmazonSmile purchases to the charity of your choice, but if enough people in your community select your local animal shelter as their charitable recipient, it adds up!
While donations can’t add up to an immediate increase in the amount of space a shelter has, it frees up funds for buying food and medicine for treating animals (yes, some shelters have to balance their funds for food against funds for medical treatment). Above all, regular donations give shelters the ability to hire more help. It takes a lot more time to keep kennels clean when they are holding two and three dogs apiece than just one, and this alone translates into better health for the wards.
I wish I lived in a community with a low-cost spay/neuter clinic that I could support; I’d fund-raise for them year-round. I do believe that almost any cost for spay/neuter services is a barrier for many of the people in the relatively low-income community where I live.
On social media, I follow a rescue group in a nearby county – one that focuses on what they call “home to home” adoptions. They try to help people find qualified new homes for pets that people can’t keep (for whatever reason), by providing foster care, training, medical help, and grooming and then screening prospective new owners, so that the dog doesn’t end up in another home that might not work out. This keeps many dogs out of their local shelter – and also out of the arbitrary and often sketchy world of Craigslist rehoming. The fact that it’s a private organization, with no obligation to take on more dogs than they can handle, helps the group maintain financial stability (though I know that emotionally it can be hard to turn away needy dogs when the demand for placement is high).
What works best in your area for helping homeless dogs and overcrowded shelters? Any and all good ideas are welcome; you never know what solution might work perfectly for another shelter.
For years, I’ve told you what attributes to look for (and look out for) when choosing a food for your dogs. This often leads people to ask me what companies or products I like best, or what I feed my dogs. I’ve always declined to answer, because what’s right for my dogs (and time and budget), may not suit you or your dogs at all. But to heck with it: This year, I’m naming names – not the names of what I feed, but what foods and companies I admire the most, and what products I would point you toward if I accompanied you to the pet supply store (see “What’s the Best Dry Dog Food?”). Of course, you have to select what works best for your dogs – just like us, they can’t all eat the same thing and still thrive – but I hope it helps you understand how I use WDJ’s food selection criteria to narrow down the abundant options.
Speaking of the wealth of options: There are more than 1,100 good dog foods represented on our list of “Approved Dry Dog Foods for 2023,” which is available to subscribers only. This is a far cry from the couple-dozen products that met the same selection criteria when WDJ was launched 26 years ago. It’s a great thing to have so many healthy options today, even if it can be overwhelming.
Also in this issue: When I first read trainer Kathy Callahan’s article (“Don’t Bring Your Dog to Every Gathering!”), I immediately thought of something that happened shortly after I graduated from high school. My parents once threw a big country barbecue party. There was an entire pig cooking in a pit in a firepit, a band playing in a tent in the pasture, and hundreds of people all over the property. At the time, I had a Kelpie-mix named Tavi, who had the run of the place thanks to his training and usual good behavior. But late in the afternoon, I heard a bunch of people yelling and the unmistakable sound of a dog fight. I ran straight for the ruckus, where three or four people, including a family friend who was a professional musician, were trying to separate the combatants: Tavi and our next-door neighbor’s dog, who had gotten into our pasture somehow. In the melee, my musician friend got bitten – a redirected snap that punctured the back of his hand. This not only led to a trip to the emergency room, but several return visits to a doctor, because the bite (which got infected) damaged a nerve in my friend’s hand, and left him unable to play the guitar for about a year.
Talk about guilt; I feel terrible about it to this day. Why hadn’t I locked up my dog for the party? The answer is partly that I was young and dumb and confident in my dog’s training – but the real answer is that I had never heard of trigger-stacking. Read Kathy’s article, and avoid my mistake!
Chewing is natural for a dog, so we have to provide proper chew items. Otherwise, your dog is going to use whatever is handy, like the wood furniture. Credit Deborah Faulkner | Getty Images
Chewing on wood furniture is not uncommon for puppies. Even a few adult dogs will sometimes chew non-edible items, like wood furniture. The reasons why these dogs chew inappropriately are different, but the overall responsibility is the same, and it rests with us, as owners.
With puppies, chewing is primarily due to teething—chewing soothes those sore gums, just as it does for human babies. In contrast, adult dogs with painful teeth or gums don’t chew things—they may not even want to eat!—which would make a trip to the veterinarian in order.
However, dogs of all ages will chew due to stress, inactivity, or boredom. It’s up to us to solve those problems if we want furniture chewing to stop.
Why Do Puppies Chew?
In addition to teething, puppies chew to better explore the world. Remember that dogs use scent, sight, hearing, and taste to learn about things around them. Exploratory chewing will continue for most puppies and adolescent dogs through the age of 2. If you pass them an unfamiliar item with a novel texture, chances are they will take it and immediately lie down to chew it. It’s all part of growing up.
Why Do Adult Dogs Chew?
An adult dog who chews inappropriately is likely stressed, bored, or both. It’s your dog’s way of telling you that he needs more exercise and mental stimulation. Consider an adult dog who is well-housetrained and needs to relieve himself but no one’s home to let him out. Instead of making a mess, he may gnaw on a furniture leg to mitigate the stress of trying to “hold it.”
How to Stop a Dog from Chewing on Furniture
Chewing is natural, but if we don’t provide appropriate chew things, dogs will chew on what’s at hand. Avoid confusing your dog by allowing him to chew on household items like old throw rugs or shoes. He won’t know the difference next week when he decides to give those pretty, new sandals a taste.
To stop inappropriate chewing, you need to provide direction, oversight, and appropriate chews, like Kong toys, Orbee Tuff by Planet Dog, and the Zogoflex line of toys by West Paw. You can give large raw (never cooked) bones and some types of animal products, like rawhide. But be careful. For example, it doesn’t take a dog long to chew down a bully stick to a little piece that then gets stuck in his throat. (If you like to feed bully sticks, consider getting the Bow Wow Buddy.) All chewing must be supervised.
Spray Deterrents
While you can buy bitter-tasting deterrent sprays to halt your dog’s furniture appetite, they rarely work long, if at all. The solution is good management, which means keeping your dog or puppy exercised, providing proper chews and toys to alleviate boredom, and watching what your dog is doing.
Finally, if your dog does grab something you don’t want him to chew, taking it away from him will be a whole lot easier if you take the time to teach him the “trade game” before you need it. And guess what? Training new things is the perfect activity for you and your dog to do to help eliminate that boredom—and inappropriate chewing.
Dogs going on trains need to be in a carrier and not sneaking a look out. Your dog should be clean, a non-barker, and fit within the company’s size limitations. Credit: Yana Tikhonova | Getty
Yes, dogs are allowed on most trains—your small dog, anyway—but not all trains. And there are a lot of rules about dogs on trains. First and foremost, your dog must be clean (not smelly) and not disruptive, so he should not be a barker.
Remember that the most important consideration to any passenger train company is the comfort and safety of its customers, and rules are designed to ensure that. That’s why dogs and cats are the only pets allowed on trains—your bearded dragon will need to stay home.
Small dogs are allowed on Amtrak, the country’s largest passenger train, but the maximum combined weight of the dog and carrier is 20 pounds. You must provide the carrier, which must fit under your seat or the floor in front of you in some cases (ask when you make the reservation). The carrier can be a maximum of 19” long, 14” wide, and 10.5” high. It can be soft or hard but must be leakproof and well-ventilated. The dog must be able to sit and lie down without touching the sides of the carrier.
Your dog must be in the carrier at all times on the train and in the station. Dogs are only allowed on trips that are seven hours or less, and the dog cannot need attention during that time (meaning primarily feeding or a potty break).
Only five dogs are allowed on each train (not including certified service pets), and the Amtrak website recommends making a reservation for your dog. Amtrak can refuse any pet, and only one pet is allowed per customer. The fee is generally $29 to $39.
Your dog must be at least 8 weeks old, you will need to sign a release form certifying he’s fully vaccinated. Always have your dog’s picture, microchip information, and full vaccination records from your veterinarian with you.
Dogs are not allowed in some trains—and not at all on the Auto Train that runs from Virginia to Florida—and they are not allowed on trains going outside the United States.
While these are the most important regulations, there are others, and the rules can change. For Amtrak, call 800-USA-RAIL or go to Amtrak.com/home to find out more before you plan a train ride with your dog.
I’ve had a number of older owners book lessons with me lately—more than half a dozen individuals and couples in their 70s and even 80s, all wanting some training help with their new dogs or puppies.
