For some dogs, tail docking is the only way to stop the constant injury from happy tail syndrome. Credit: K64End / Getty Images
They call it “happy tail syndrome,” but if your dog gets it, nobody’s happy. It’s a frequent dog tail injury, especially in happy dogs, but treatment is difficult.
Happy tail syndrome occurs when joyful, exuberant dogs with long, slender tails wag ferociously and traumatize the tip of their tail when it bangs on hard surfaces. Once there’s damage to the tail skin, the wound opens more every time they bang it. And it bleeds. A lot. It may form a clot, or a scab, while the dog is resting, but as soon as the dog is up and wagging—and hits something—the scab comes off, the wound opens up, and it bleeds again. It’s extremely frustrating.
What to do? Happy tail syndrome treatment involves finding a way to protect the tail tip from the repeated trauma. If you can, you might be able to get it to heal.
Creativity is key. It’s not easy to keep a bandage on these crazy tails, and dogs aren’t always willing to leave them in place. People have tried all kinds of things, including toilet paper rolls, cut water bottles, pool noodles, foam pipe insulating tubes, and syringe cases from your vet. Commercial kits are available that help protect the dog’s tail using protective padding devices that go into a bandage on the tail.
A couple of hints: Whatever you try, make it as lightweight as possible. The heavier the bandage, the more likely it is to go winging off with the wagging. I use white first-aid tape that runs the length of the tail for several inches and is then incorporated into the bandage over the injury. The purpose is to give the bandage more “grab,” so it can stay on. Don’t make it too tight! Leave the end open inside the protective tube for air circulation to the tail tip.
Sadly, even if you do get your dog’s tail to heal, it’s likely to happen again. You can try padding the walls, corners, and whatever he keeps hitting his tail on, but that’s hard to do and a bit unsightly when guests come over. You can try to interact with your dog only where there’s space to do so, but that’s not practical either.
Bottom line? If you can’t get it to heal, or if you’re tired of coming home to a bloody scene right out of a horror film, talk to your veterinarian about tail amputation. The procedure will take care of the traumatized tip, and if you go short enough, it will never happen again. Some of these dogs end up with cute little bob tails. They can still wag as hard as they want, and you’ll avoid the blood splatter.
It’s natural for dogs to want to share our tasty food. Their sense of smell is thousands of times more powerful than ours; our food must smell irresistible. So they whine, paw at us, “sit pretty” with bright eyes – anything they can think of to get our attention, in hopes that we will share your food with them. It’s sort of cute – but the begging for food behavior can get so over-the-top that you can’t enjoy your meal in peace!
Don’t despair; behavior is almost always modifiable. The chances are good that you can teach your dog to do something that’s more acceptable to you while you’re eating – as long as the begging behavior isn’t being reinforced by a family member who surreptitiously slips bits of food to her when you’re not looking.
Manage the Situation
To change your dog’s behavior around food, first you’ll need to change some human behavior. Everyone in the household (including visitors!) needs to refrain from feeding the dog during the family’s meals, whether it’s served at the dining room table or consumed while watching TV from the couch. If you can’t trust everyone to comply, you’ll need to secure your dog somewhere away from the dining area, or your no-begging aspirations are toast.
To allay feelings of guilt over your perhaps hungry dog, feed her dinner before you eat yours. Then, until you teach her a new dinner behavior, put her in another room, a crate or exercise pen, or tether her away from your eating area. Give her a long-lasting chew of some sort to keep her engaged and happy while you eat in peace.
Train a Different Behavior
It’s perfectly okay to stop there – to simply prevent her from having an opportunity to beg – without taking further steps to modify her behavior.
But if you’d like to work on changing her behavior around your family’s food, your best approach is to reinforce an incompatible behavior – something she can’t do and beg at the same time.
This is yet another valuable application of a well-trained “Go to your mat” cue. A strategically placed mat allows you to enjoy your dog’s company at meals while keeping her a polite distance from your plate. Select an inviting mat for your dog – soft and comfy usually does the trick. Teach her to go to her mat by using your “Mat” cue and luring her onto it, then cueing her to lie down. Mark the moment she lies down on the mat (with the click of a clicker or a verbal marker such as the word “Yes!”) and give her a treat. (You can also “shape” the go-to-your-mat behavior; see “Mat Training Tips,” WDJ January 2020.)
After a few repetitions, pause after you give your mat cue to see if she starts moving there herself. She may also start to offer the “down” when she gets there. Continue to help her as she needs it, luring with a treat and/or prompting by taking a step toward the mat, and/or pointing. Gradually decrease the luring until she goes to her mat on cue.
Now add distance and duration. When she’s on the mat, mark and treat with longer and longer pauses between reinforcements. Start cueing her to go to her mat from farther away, in small increments – a half-step at a time – until she’ll happily go to her mat from across the room and relax there for an extended time.
When she can do that, invite her to go to her mat while your family dines, and mark and treat when she does. Remember to give her a long-lasting chewie to keep her extra happy on the mat. Look ma, no begging!
Dogs’ tails are docked at a variety of lengths, according to the various breed standards, from very short to about two-thirds of their natural length. The American Kennel Club’s standard for the Boxer (as seen above) says, “The tail is set high, docked, and carried upward. An undocked tail should be severely penalized.” Photo by Nancy Kerns
Dogs come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Each breed has different physical attributes, including the shape and length of the tail. But why do some breeds have long tails while others have short tails? Why are some dogs born with long tails sporting short docked tails later in their lives?
Although some breeds of dogs are born with a naturally bobbed tail (such as the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Boston Terrier, and Jack Russell Terrier), other dog breeds may have a “docked” tail, where a portion of their tail was removed when they were puppies. It’s a common practice to dock the tails of some dogs – but not without controversy.
How are puppies’ tails docked?
Tail docking is a procedure that is typically done within a puppy’s first five days of life. A portion of the tail may be severed with a pair of scissors or other sharp instrument. Anesthesia is typically not administered and neither is an analgesic. The wound is often left open and not sutured closed.
Puppies can experience pain in their tails, even at such a young age. A study published in 1996 found that puppies will vocalize for more than two minutes following the tail docking procedure and can take up to 15 minutes to settle and go to sleep after their tails have been docked.
Another method is to apply a tight rubber band to the tail in order to occlude the blood supply to the unwanted portion. Once the blood supply is cut off, the skin, muscle, cartilage, bone, blood vessels, and nerves on the caudal (farthest from the head) side of the band will die.
It typically takes several days for the dead end of the tail to separate from the living section of tail, but it can take up to two weeks. A puppy will feel the sensation of pain in his or her tail and the pressure of the rubber band while it is in place.
Complications from Docked Tails
Several complications are possible with tail docking. With the severing method, the open wound can become infected; with the banding method, the dead and necrotic tissue can become infected. The development of a neuroma (a disorganized growth of nerve cells at the site of a nerve injury) is possible with either method. A tail neuroma is a thickening of the stump at the site of the tail amputation. Neuromas are very sensitive and can send searing pain through nearby tissues when even lightly touched.
Tail docking involves the severing of nerves in the tail. Anecdotally, some dogs with docked tails exhibit behaviors (such as aggressively chasing and/or chewing their tails) that may be associated with neuropathic pain. A study published in 2012 examined the development of neuropathic pain in adult rats who had undergone a procedure to injure nerves when the rats were just 10 days old. The researchers found that these rats developed lifelong neuropathic pain associated with the nerve injury but only once the rats reached full maturity. A similar phenomenon has been observed in humans who suffered a traumatic nerve injury as an infant.
Why are dog tails docked?
Tail docking is done for only certain breeds of dogs to meet a breed standard. A breed standard defines the accepted appearance, gait, and temperament of a specific dog breed. Breed standards are created and maintained by kennel clubs, such as the American Kennel Club (AKC) in the United States and the European Kennel Club (EKC) in Europe.
According to the AKC’s website, the breed standard is the breeder’s blueprint to which all dogs of that breed are compared. The breed standard is used by judges of a dog show to determine the best entrants that represent that breed. And it’s not just the dogs that are judged; the breeders are judged by how well they produce dogs that conform to the breed standard.
Dog breeds whose tails must be docked to meet the AKC breed standard include the Doberman Pinscher, German Shorthaired Pointer, and Miniature Schnauzer. The breed standard for the Doberman Pinscher states that the tail must be docked to the second joint; this means that all but the first two vertebra are removed from the tail. For the German Shorthaired Pointer, 60% of the original tail must be removed to meet the breed standard. The Miniature Schnauzer breed standard requires that the tail be docked to the point of just being visible beyond the backline of the body.
Advocates of tail docking usually cite a reduced incidence of tail injuries in working and hunting dogs and improved hind end hygiene in long-haired dogs. A study published in 2010 found that dogs with docked tails were less likely to experience a tail injury. However, it was also found that the incidence of tail injury was so low that 500 dogs would need to have their tails docked to prevent just one tail injury.
It is also interesting to note that while some hunting dog breeds – such as the German Shorthaired Pointer – have their tails docked, other working and hunting breeds – such as the German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, and German Longhaired Pointer – do not have their tails docked.
Hind-end hygiene is an important issue for dogs, especially for those with long fur. While docking the tail in those breeds will minimize the risk of feces getting stuck in the fur on the underside of the tail, it will not prevent fecal contamination of the fur on the backs of the thighs and, in female dogs, the fur around the vulva. Although the breed standard for some long-haired breeds require that the tail be docked, other long-haired breeds – such as the Collie and Afghan Hound – do not have their tails docked.
Docking is decreasing
While the AKC and many breeders support the practice of tail docking, there are many organizations and people that do not. Most veterinary professional organizations around the world have issued statements that oppose tail docking. In the United States, these organizations include the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in both Australia and the United Kingdom have taken a stand against tail docking.
Tail docking has been banned in several countries around the world, including Australia and most of Europe. The procedure has also been banned in several Canadian provinces, including Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. A law banning tail docking was recently passed in Quebec and is slated to take effect in February 2024.
In the United States, only the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania restrict the docking of a dog’s tail. Proponents of the passage of these laws cite pain, the potential for short- and long-term complications, and the lack of functional reasons to dock a tail as reasons to ban the procedure except when medically necessary.
Breeders in the United States are not required to dock the tails of puppies in their care. While many breeders dock tails to conform to a breed standard, some breeders choose not to dock their puppies’ tails. When selecting a breeder for a dog breed that traditionally has a docked tail, be sure to inquire about the procedure. Select a breeder that matches your goals and your conscience.
Tail-Docking Is Not the Same as Tail Amputation
Tail amputation is the surgical removal of part of a dog’s tail for medical reasons. Most commonly, tail amputation is necessary due to a condition known ironically as “happy tail,” which occurs when a dog sustains an open wound on his tail through trauma by wagging. The wound closes but then reopens and bleeds when he wags the tail and smacks it against a hard surface (this is common with overstimulated dogs in shelters with concrete walls). Although the wound can be healed with proper veterinary intervention and management, in rare cases the tail will not heal and must be amputated near the point of the recurring injury.
Crushing injuries to the tail that do not heal and result in necrosis of the injured section typically require amputation of the affected tail portion.
Cancerous tumors can also arise on the tail. Since there is no excess skin on the tail, it is nearly impossible to obtain clean surgical margins by removing only the tumor. Therefore, the portion of the tail containing the tumor is amputated to save the life of the dog.
Rock salt (sodium chloride) helps humans by melting ice that makes walking and driving dangerous, but it harms our dogs’ paws by causing irritation, burning, and even frostbite. And if dogs lick their paws in an effort to remove the salt, they can suffer from vomiting and diarrhea.
If you live where rock salt is commonly used to melt icy roads, sidewalks, and/or parking lots, plan ahead to make this a safe winter. Limit walks in salted areas. If your dog walks where salt or other de-icing agents have been spread, clean her paws by rinsing them in cool or warm (not hot) water. Salt dissolves in water so you won’t need soap or special rinses. Simply dip her feet into a container of water, massage water into her paw pads, and dry with a clean towel.
Protect your dog’s paws from ice melting chemicals
Boots are a great direct line of defense for protecting your dog’s paws. They take getting used to, but many dogs adjust to wearing booties that fit well, are the right size, and attach securely. Treats and patience speed the process. Even if rock salt isn’t widely used where you live, booties can make below-zero temperatures more comfortable for dogs.
You can also protect your dog’s paws with products like Musher’s Secret, which contains white and yellow beeswax, carnauba wax, and candelilla wax. These waxes form a protective layer that prevents salt from reaching the skin, plus they prevent cracking, dryness, and hardening of the paw pads.
Apply by gently massaging a thin layer into your dog’s paw pads, between toes, around the central pad, and around the nails. A second layer helps with salt protection.
Other products recommended as protection against rock salt feature oils such as mango, coconut, shea, and cocoa butter. Bag Balm, another popular paw protector, contains petrolatum, lanolin, and paraffin wax. Apply and let the oils absorb for a few minutes before going outdoors.
“Pet friendly” ice-melting products
Dozens of ice-melting products claim to be “pet friendly.” That claim is often the only difference between an expensive product sold in pet supply stores and identical (and much less expensive) ones sold in home improvement stores. The term “pet friendly” is meaningless and not subject to any enforcement; ice melts are not regulated by any government agency. And few of them list their ingredients on their labels, leaving consumers without any way to investigate the “friendliness” of the products.
The ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center classifies all ice-melting products as chemical irritants and warns that these products can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea plus topical irritation to the paw pads and skin.
Most de-icing products are sold in the form of pellets or crystals that are meant to be sprinkled on the iced-over areas where melting is desired. It’s easy for these pellets to get stuck to or wedged between the pads of a dog’s paws, where they can cause a burning sensation. And when the dog licks his paws for relief, he consumes the rock salt or chemicals in the pellets – not good!
Even ingredients that melt ice without harming skin, such as ethylene glycol, can be toxic and even fatal if ingested. Ethylene glycol is the active ingredient in antifreeze. A safer ingredient is propylene glycol, but it doesn’t work as effectively so it is often combined with urea, which makes it toxic to cats and ruminants such as cows and goats if ingested.
Safer for dogs: Chloride-free de-icers
Chloride-free de-icing products contain no salt or any other form of chloride (such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, or magnesium chloride) to melt ice and snow. In contrast, most chloride-free ice-melts use calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), which doesn’t work as well to melt snow or ice that has already accumulated – but works well as a pre-treatment, before snowfall or freezing weather, to prevent the formation of ice. CMA products do not contain chloride, urea, or nitrogen and have minimal impact on storm water run-off. They are less irritating to dogs’ paws than chloride salts.
CMA products are more expensive than rock salt and are less effective than salt at de-icing at the coldest temperatures, but are biodegradable and less corrosive to concrete, metals, flooring, and other surfaces.
We like the CMA product called Play Safe Ice Blocker. Unlike most of its competitors, Play Safe Ice Blocker lists all of its ingredients (on its label and on its website), a practice that we strongly support. It’s also applied as a liquid, sprayed onto surfaces to prevent ice formation; there are no pellets or crystals to get stuck to your dog’s paws use caution
If ice is a problem on your sidewalk or driveway, compare labels and ingredients before buying an ice-melt product that claims to be “pet friendly.” Store it where your pet can’t reach it, use it cautiously, and rinse it off of your dog’s feet as necessary. If your dog ingests a chemical ice melt product or rock salt, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison control center:
I just received the annual renewal notice for my senior dog’s pet health insurance policy, and, sadly, made the decision not to renew it. I don’t think Otto is going to live long enough to receive the full benefit of the increased price, and as much as it pains me to say this, I’ve decided that his next big health crisis will be his last.
Despite being on three daily medications for his arthritis pain, he’s obviously still in some discomfort and is losing mobility. His nighttime anxiety waxes and wanes, but never goes away completely; overall, his quality of life is still okay, but sinking. And as the fall temperatures drop, his preference for being outside at night is getting less practical. When it was still warm, even as recently as a few weeks ago, he would go outside at bedtime and preferred to be outdoors all night. Now, it’s getting too cold for that. On my front porch, I just set up a dog house with a special pet heating pad in it, a hard plastic model meant for outdoor use, but so far, he has eschewed its use, preferring to scratch at the door to be let out at midnight, in at 2 am, out at 4 am, and back in at 6 am…. This is a little hard on me, but I’m getting so I can shuffle to the front door almost in my sleep. The bigger problem is that the cold and damp is making his arthritis pain worse, and he’s having more trouble getting up.
In the past few years, I wanted to have him insured so that I could afford almost any cost that he might incur for anything from diagnostics and treatment to advanced dentistry, to keep him going. But with his pain rising and quality of life sinking, making those “at all costs” efforts doesn’t seem like the humane thing to do anymore.
Math problems
This past year, the policy still penciled out to my benefit, even though I was paying a whomping $230.57 a month for the plan. It was worth it, because, after a $250 annual deductible, the plan reimbursed me for 90% of all Otto’s veterinary bills and medications. In the past few years, Otto’s internal medicine specialist has recommended that we do an abdominal ultrasound and a chest x-ray each year, to monitor his liver (which had some benign tumors growing on it a few years ago, and still shows some irregularities) and his lungs (he’s had pneumonia before, with few symptoms). The vet also prescribed a relatively expensive medication for his arthritis; I’ve been paying $108.90 a month for it. His other medications cost much less, but they add up.
The monthly premiums added up to $2,766.84 in the past year.
I paid $5,141 for Otto’s veterinary bills and medications in the past year. Nationwide Pet Insurance reimbursed me for 90% of that (less a $250 annual deductible), for a total of $4,401.90 in reimbursements.
So, all in all, I paid a total of $3,530.90 for Otto’s insurance premiums, deductible, and the 10% of the bills that were not covered. I saved a total of $1,610.10 by having him covered by pet insurance.
But the premium was about to go up to $341.84 a month for the same plan – quite an increase. And because of Otto’s age and current health status, if he suddenly experiences a health crisis, my veterinarians and I agree, we will spare him any extensive diagnostics, and instead provide just comfort care until it’s time to provide him with permanent relief from pain. At this point, I will just pay for his medications out of pocket – and for the cost of his euthanasia, too (which would have been covered by the insurance plan).
This feels like a sad but practical decision – a step closer to the end – but one I have to take in order to make sure I can afford the care for my other two dogs, too.
Training your dog enhances the quality of life for both of you, allowing you to involve him in more of your activities – but the prospect of a training a dog can be daunting for first-time dog owners. Using a combination of good management and effective, science-based force-free methods, it may be simpler than you think.
Just a few decades ago, coercive training was all that was available. It was often difficult for dog owners who were beginners at training to accept that they had to hurt their dogs to train them. Thankfully, you can now easily find resources to help you educate your new canine pal using gentle, effective methods. Force-free training and behavior professionals who offer in-person or Zoom sessions, books, magazines, and video courses abound. You just need to get pointed in the right direction.
Dog Training Philosophy
The first, vitally important step is to commit to your training philosophy. We endorse and promote force-free training, aka “positive training” – that is, training that employs copious amounts of positive reinforcement to teach dogs what we want them to do. This is not just because we want to be nice to our dogs. Several recent studies confirm that the use of coercive and/or pain-causing tools results in a poorer quality of life for dogs, and is more likely to result in significant behavior challenges, including aggression.
Not only will you learn how to train your dog in a group dog-training class, and your dog will get practice at working with you calmly around other dogs, but you will also have the opportunity to observe other owners and their dogs. Often, class participants learn just as much from watching other novice dog handlers’ successes and failures as their own! Photo by Nancy Kerns
Your first mission is to find resources that support your philosophy. This can get tricky. “Positive training” has become a useful marketing tool but there is no industry-wide accepted or legal definition for the term, so you can’t just take someone’s word for it when they say they are a “positive” trainer.
Some call themselves “positive” because they start out with a clicker and treats – but they may be quick to revert to choke chains, prong collars, and shock collars if they don’t get immediate results. Others claim to be “positive” because they feed the dog a treat after they shock or yank on the prong collar. You’ll need to dig deeper than a trainer’s own self-label to really know who they are and what they do.
Check out their website. They should openly explain their training philosophy and the methods they use. If they don’t, they’re likely hiding something. They should proudly display their credentials: certifications, memberships, and affiliations. Again, if they have no education (past and ongoing) in dog training and behavior and are not members in good standing of reputable training organizations, their methods are likely outdated.
Read their blogs. Talk to them. Ask questions such as, “Is there ever an occasion for which you would use a prong collar or shock collar?” When you like everything you see and hear, you’ve found a professional you can work with.
Puppy Training Classes
Dogs who exhibit reactive or aggressive behavior and their new owners will benefit from private instruction to establish some baseline skills and communication in a lower-stress environment. Photo by Nancy Kerns
If you’re starting with a baby dog (8 weeks to 4 or 5 months), we strongly recommend that you begin with a “puppy kindergarten” class that emphasizes the importance of puppy socialization and gives your pup ample opportunities to play with other puppies.
Playtime should be carefully monitored to ensure appropriate interactions between players. Low-key, hesitant pups should be paired with gentle playmates, while rough-and-tumble players will delight in romping with like-minded puppies.
Also likely to be included in your puppy kindergarten class are force-free handling and husbandry discussion and practices, and the teaching of important foundation behaviors such as sit, down, come, and polite leash walking.
Adult Dog Training
A visual barrier (in this case, a folding exercise pen covered with a sheet) can help distracted or overwhelmed dogs get accustomed to working with their owners in a less visually stimulating environment. Photo by Nancy Kerns
If your dog is over the age of 5 months, look for an adult “good manners” class. More and more force-free trainers have moved away from the term “Obedience” and the coercion that it implies. (Some may still use it, however, so that isn’t necessarily a rule-out in your search.)
The instructor should supply you with a curriculum that explains what you and your dog will learn during your class. The list can include a wide variety of behaviors such as sit, down, come, leash-walking, polite greetings to humans, wait or stay, touch, trade, leave it, go-to-your-mat, settle, and maybe some tricks and cognition games to keep it light and remind everyone that training is supposed to be fun!
What to Expect in a Dog-Training Class
Whether it’s a puppy kindergarten or adult-dog class, the first session is often an orientation, with dogs left at home. This is so your trainer can talk to you without distractions – so human students can focus on what she’s saying rather than worrying about what their dogs are doing.
The instructor will probably have a dog with her to demonstrate the first-week basic behaviors that she’ll want you to practice with your dog. If she’s a clicker trainer she may hand out clickers and have you do some exercises with them to start practicing your clicker skills.
The instructor will also share tips on what kind of treats to use and how many to bring to class, and give you the lowdown on important information: what to do when you arrive the following week with your dog, where and when to enter and exit the training space, and to avoid letting dogs interact on leashes.
Finally, there should be ample time for discussion and questions. This is your opportunity to ask about anything you don’t understand or have concerns about. Be sure to take advantage of this!
Before your next class, practice the behaviors that the instructor demonstrated – and not just once! Practice several times a day with your dog, for even just two to three minutes at a time. The more you practice, the easier the next class will be for both of you. Because, for your second class, anticipate chaos. This is an exciting time for dogs and their humans! Some dogs may be quite aroused by the proximity of other dogs; there could be some (or a lot of) barking until everyone settles. Humans are likely to be surprised, stressed and/or embarrassed by their dogs’ behavior and/or vocalizing.
You may want to leave your dog in the car while you carry in any equipment you bring with you, so you can keep your full attention on your dog when you bring him in. Keep his leash short as you enter the training facility and have a generous handful of high-value treats (such as roasted or canned chicken, cut or shredded into tiny bits) to hold in front of his nose as you pass by the others, to keep him focused on you and behaving reasonably well.
Some trainers provide “alcoves” – training spaces with barriers between you and the other dogs to reduce visual stimuli and help everyone settle down. Over time, the barriers are removed so you and your dog can learn how to work in proximity to other dogs and their humans.
Find your training space and help your dog settle on his mat. You can drop several treats on the ground in front of his nose and use a “kissing” noise to get his attention. When he starts to focus on you, practice a few of the behaviors you’ve been working on. This helps get his brain in training mode and helps you both be ready when the instructor starts the class.
Continuing Education
When you and your dog have graduated from your puppy kindergarten or “basic good manners” class, you’ll find that there are many options for your dog’s continuing education. It’s not too soon to start thinking about what you might want to do with him next: more advanced training for faster and more reliable responses or off-leash work? Perhaps a therapy dog preparation class, or beginning-level instruction in a canine sport such as agility, flyball, nosework, or musical freestyle?
As you can see, you have many options. The important thing is, if you’re new to the wonderful world of dogs, there is lots of help available for you as a beginner. Please take wise advantage of those resources so you and your dog can successfully build your lifetime partnership together.
How much water should a dog drink in a day? The simplest, most accurate answer to this question is, “However much he needs to maintain normal hydration.” The many variables affecting a dog’s daily water intake make it impossible to just pick a number. These variables include:
The moisture content of his food. The moisture in fresh, canned, or semi-moist food meets some of the dog’s daily water requirements. Dogs fed these diets will drink less water.
Puppies younger than 16 weeks old don’t have the ability fully concentrate their urine yet, so they drink more to make up for what they lose in dilute urine.
Activity level. Exercising dogs pant for temperature regulation, which causes them to lose water through evaporation. Then they must drink more water to make up the deficit.
Environmental temperature and humidity. The hotter and drier the environment, the more the dog pants and the more moisture he loses.
Health status. Dogs with vomiting and diarrhea lose a lot of water, which can cause serious dehydration, fast. And dogs with metabolic disorders may urinate excessively. In each case, affected dogs need to drink more to keep up with the extraordinary losses.
Normal Daily Water Consumption
Although the above variables complicate things, here’s a guideline to a dog’s normal water consumption. Internal medicine specialists generally agree that normal water consumption for healthy adult dogs, resting in a temperature-controlled environment, is 50 to 80 milliliters of water per kilogram of the dog’s body weight per day (mls/kg/day). To convert this to ordinary household measures, there are 30 mls in an ounce, 8 ounces in a cup, and .45 kg in a pound of body weight.
If you look closely at the table, you will see that normal water consumption is about an ounce of water per pound per day. So easy to remember!
If your healthy adult dog seems to drink far less than this, never fear. As long as plenty of fresh water is available, a healthy dog will drink what he needs. There are highly effective mechanisms in the body that trigger thirst when water stores are depleted.
Having said that, be aware that dogs who are not feeling well can dehydrate in a hurry. If you notice the water bowl is not emptying at its usual rate, pay close attention to your dog’s attitude, appetite, and behavior. Dogs with fevers typically don’t feel well enough to drink what they need. Dehydration on top of fever can cause a snowball effect. Don’t hesitate to see your veterinarian if your dog seems to be feeling a bit under the weather.
Drinking Too Much?
We humans tend to be obsessed with a lack of hydration, but with dogs, it’s more important to recognize when they are drinking way more than normal amounts. This is called polydipsia, and it’s usually accompanied by polyuria (excessive urination).
There are many diseases associated with polydipsia/polyuria in dogs; the most common are kidney disease, diabetes, and Cushing’s syndrome. If your dog consistently drinks more than the amounts in the table, see your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Finally, be aware that dogs can suffer a variety of life-threatening conditions if they drink too much water in a relatively short time:
The behavioral issue of compulsive water drinking can impair the kidneys’ ability to concentrate urine, creating an unhealthy vicious cycle.
Dogs who swim or play for hours in water or who get obsessed with biting at lawn sprinklers can inadvertently ingest so much water that they suffer from low blood sodium levels (hyponatremia). This can cause brain swelling, and the dog may begin to stagger or become uncoordinated and exhibit lethargy, nausea, and excessive salivation. Left untreated, cerebral edema can be fatal.
And finally, large breed deep-chested dogs who are allowed to guzzle large quantities of water all at once may end up with gastric dilatation or “bloat.”
As you can see it’s important to be aware of how much water your dog is or isn’t drinking. It’s an important aspect of your dog’s general health monitoring.
This nail was broken nearly all the way off, leaving the nailbed painfully exposed. The dog’s owner was able to pull off the broken remnant with her fingers. Note that the dog’s nails are too long; long nails break easily. Photo by Nancy Kerns.
Torn or split nails are a fairly common problem with dogs but can be easily addressed by either you or your veterinarian. Some torn or damaged claws are not easy to remove, or may be so painful for your dog that he requires sedation to properly remove the damaged claw. Seek veterinary care in these situations, or if you notice a foul odor or discharge from the nailbed, or if the affected toe appears red and swollen. These are signs of an infection and an antibiotic may need to be prescribed.
But if there are no signs of infection, and your dog will allow you to examine the damaged nail, you can treat the broken or split nail yourself. Be aware, however, that torn nails are very painful. Even the sweetest dog on earth may get a little snippy about having a torn claw touched.
Place an Elizabethan collar on your dog (a.k.a. a “cone”). You can also use a muzzle. This will keep you from being accidentally bitten as you take care of the broken nail.
How to Fix a Vertically Split Nail for a Dog
If the nail has been split vertically with the quick exposed and one side of the nail is freely movable, then you can try trimming away that side of the claw. Get as close to the base of the split as you can without damaging or cutting the quick.
If the nail is split or cracked vertically but both sides of the claw are firmly attached to the quick, then treatment is as follows: Trim the end of the claw as you normally would for routine nail trims. Then round the end of the claw and the edges of the crack with a nail file or, better yet, a Dremel tool. This will help to keep the claw from getting snagged and causing further damage.
In the package, Pawz resemble uninflated balloons. But they protect your dog’s feet well – and few dogs mind having them on. Photo courtesy of Pawz.
Ideally, have your dog wear a protective boot on the affected paw for about a week until the claw starts to grow out past the split point. (My favorite products for this purpose are called Pawz; they are thin, lightweight, and well tolerated by most dogs, even ones that don’t like to wear boots. They are available online and in many major pet supply chain stores.)
Whatever you do, do not use superglue on a vertically split nail! When applied to a surface, superglue undergoes a chemical reaction that generates heat. If you apply superglue to a cracked nail, the heat it generates may burn the very sensitive quick.
Home Treatment for Broken Dog Nails
It’s definitely easier for a veterinarian to address your dog’s broken nail – especially with the help of a local anesthetic and/or a sedative. But if there is no sign of infection, and your dog will allow you to examine the nail, you may be able to treat it yourself. Photo by Nancy Kerns.
If your dog’s nail is bleeding, address that first. Apply a generous layer of styptic powder (often sold under the name “Kwik Stop”) to the torn nail. If you don’t have styptic powder, you can use flour or corn starch.
Applying a cool compress to the nail and toe for a few minutes will help slow the blood flow from the exposed nailbed. A Chinese herb called yunnan baiyao may also help stop the bleeding. Just open the capsule and apply the contents to the exposed nailbed.
Once the bleeding has stopped completely, you can address the torn nail with the following steps.
Remove the damaged part of the nail. If the nail is almost completely torn off, you may be able to remove the damaged nail with just a quick pull using a pair of tweezers or your fingers. If it is loose but still somewhat attached, then you may need to trim off the damaged part using nail trimmers.
Gently clean the affected toe and nail with a chlorhexidine-based disinfectant solution, such as Dermachlor (chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2%). You can also use dish soap and warm water. Be sure to rinse the paw and dry it well.
Apply a bandage to the affected paw to protect the exposed nailbed as it heals. Place a non-stick pad (also known as a non-adhesive pad or Telfa pad) over the end of the affected toe. Wrap soft cotton cast padding or rolled gauze around the paw and over the non-stick pad to hold it in placeNext, you need to cover the padding or gauze with a couple layers of fabric self-adhesive wrap (such as Vetrap), but before you do this, unroll and then re-roll some of the wrap before you apply it. This removes the tension from the roll so that you don’t make the bandage too tight. You may apply a layer of first-aid adhesive tape at the top of the bandage to help hold it in place. Do not make the bandage tight! The goal is to simply protect the exposed nailbed.
Replace the bandage once a day for the next three to five days. Keep the bandage clean and dry and replace the bandage immediately if it becomes wet or soiled. You can apply a layer of Press’n Seal plastic wrap to the bandage before your dog goes out in the rain or snow. Be sure to remove the plastic wrap after your dog comes back inside.
Have your dog wear an Elizabethan or other recovery collar while the paw is bandaged to prevent him from chewing off the bandage. If your dog continues to lick his paw after the bandage is no longer necessary, he may need to wear the Elizabethan collar for a few additional days until the nailbed is no longer sensitive.
The paw has been gently washed and the hair around the broken nail has been clipped (as much as could be without touching the nailbed). Once the paw is dry (and the other nails trimmed), the paw should be wrapped. Photo by Nancy Kerns.
You can find the necessary bandage supplies, including fabric adhesive wrap, in the first aid section of pharmacies or grocery stores. The wrap and chlorhexidine cleansing solution can be found at most pet supply stores or through online pet supply retailers. It’s a good idea to have these supplies on hand so that you have them when the need arises. (See “12 Items to Include in Your DIY First-Aid Kit,” WDJ April 2022.)
How Long Does it Take for a Dog’s Broken Nail to Heal
A claw that has been torn will take several weeks to grow back. The new claw will likely appear normal but may be somewhat deformed. If your dog appears sensitive about walking on the affected paw, you may want to apply a protective boot when walking outside. Again, this is a situation where one of the Pawz lightweight rubber boots would be perfect.
Trimming your dog’s claws regularly can help minimize the risk of tearing a nail. Once a month is a typical routine, although some dogs may require trimming every two to three weeks.
If you notice that your dog’s claws seem brittle or if the claws are lifting off and separating from the nailbed on a regular basis, have your dog assessed by a veterinarian. Certain fungal and bacterial infections, autoimmune disorders, and endocrine diseases can cause abnormal growth of the claws or brittle nails.
It’s a pain to make big bags fit in some containers, but it can be done; that’s a full, new 26-pound bag in there! If this is too difficult for you, either get a bigger container or buy smaller bags, because your dog’s food is safest when kept in its original bag. If you absolutely insist on pouring it out of the bag into a container, use only an air-tight, food-safe container and wash it each and every time before you add new food to it to prevent rancid oils on the interior surfaces from contaminating the new food. Photo by Nancy Kerns
What’s the best way to store dry dog food? The perfect storage container is important – but focus first on what you’ll put into it:
When shopping, check the “best by” dates on the packages and don’t buy foods that are within six months of expiration. Buy the bags with the farthest-away expiration dates.
Buy an appropriate amount, only as much as you’ll use within a month to six weeks.
Buy a food that your dog enjoys. The fats in dry dog food become increasingly rancid with age, so an unfavorite food will smell and taste even worse to your dog as time passes.
Avoid These Mistakes in Storing Dog Food
Don’t store food in a warm or damp location or in direct sunlight. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration recommends storing dog food in a cool (below 80 degrees Fahrenheit), dry place to retard fat oxidation and prevent degradation of vitamins and antioxidants.
Don’t use your garage for storage unless it’s cool, dry, climate-controlled, clean, and free from rodents and insects.
Don’t transfer food from its original bag into a plastic bin or storage container. Chemicals in different types of plastic “migrate” into foods that contain fat. Dog food bags are made of plastics that have the lowest rate of additive migration.
Don’t toss the package the food came in before your dog finishes it. If your dog gets sick, you’ll need its manufacturer, brand name, ingredients, and specific lot number to tie the food to the problem.
Don’t add new food to old food, as doing so spreads any potential contamination to the new food and hastens the development of rancidity.
Use the Best Dog Food Storage Containers
Because it’s best to keep dry dog food in its original package, buy a container that’s large enough for the entire bag to fit inside. Ideal storage containers have an air-tight seal. Your options include:
A rolling plastic bin with wheels that make it easy to move.
A plastic storage vault with a circular lid that creates an air-tight seal.
A metal storage bin with an air-tight lid, which will be more expensive but more durable than plastic. Metal bins also protect against sunlight exposure (and the potential for rodents to chew through the plastic to reach the food).
Glass jars with air-tight lids. These work well for small dogs; just keep them in a safe place where they aren’t likely to break.
If you absolutely cannot deal with keeping your dog’s food in its original bag, and must dump it into a container, make certain that the container is either inert (glass or metal) or made of food-grade plastic that is free of bisphenol A (BPA-free). The international symbol for “food safe” material is a wine glass and a fork symbol. Also, you should wash the container with warm soapy water and allow it to dry completely before refilling it each time.
Take a Benadryl tablet cut to the correct dosage, if your dog is going to insist on accompanying you to check out nearby beehives. If he doesn’t mind staying home, all the better. Credit: victorass88 / Getty Images
Benadryl is an over-the-counter human medication you can use for dogs with an allergic reaction, such as from a bee sting. Benadryl, or generic diphenhydramine, is an antihistamine approved for people.
Benadryl is not FDA-approved for use in dogs, but it is commonly used off label. Benadryl can be purchased as 25-milligram (mg) tablets and 50-milligram “extra strength” tablets. You must be certain which Benadryl you have before giving it to your dogs. Most veterinary dosages are based on the 25-mg tablet.
In general, Benadryl doses for dogs—provided the dog is not vomiting or showing signs of diarrhea, weakness, or collapse—is approximately 1 to 2 mg of diphenhydramine per pound of body weight. That means a full 25-mg tablet is appropriate for a dog weighing 14 to 28 lbs. PreventiveVet has a clickable dosage chart. Just enter your dog’s weight, and it tells you how much diphenhydramine you can give the dog, based on 25 mg tablets.
Warning: If using any human diphenhydramine or Benadryl product, check how much diphenhydramine it contains and all other ingredients. Some products contain decongestants, which are dangerous for dogs. In addition, products containing alcohol or xylitol can harm or kill your dog.
While Benadryl often makes people drowsy, it has less of an effect on dogs. Still, it can reduce anxiety for some dogs and may help with nausea, such as car sickness. Be forewarned, however, that some dogs become anxious and hyper from Benadryl. If you’re looking for anti-anxiety meds for your dog, talk with your veterinarian.
Benadryl helps manage mild symptoms of seasonal allergies. For dogs, that often means itching and/or hives. You may see the dog rubbing his face, ears, and eyes, and maybe sneezing. Benadryl helps relieve inflammation and reduce swelling.
Always check with your veterinarian before giving your dog this medication, as it may not be appropriate for your individual dog based on your dog’s health, other medications, and what you think you’re treating. Include Benadryl in your pet first-aid kit but be proactive and get the specific dose for your dog from your vet ahead of time and put it with the drug.
Refillable glass jars and bottles with pump or spray tops are available in most health food stores.
These easy DIY dog gifts are worth making for yourself as well as dog-loving friends. Natural food stores and online retailers sell a variety of tins, jars, spray bottles, pump dispensers, tubes, and other containers for grooming products.
10 to 15 drops lavender or chamomile essential oil
Instructions: Combine ingredients, shake well, and apply by spraying or dabbing onto affected areas as needed.
Soothing Dog Paw-Butter
Dog-paw butter protects feet in hot and cold weather, soothes cracked or sore paw pads, and blocks winter salt burn. It can also be applied to cracked noses. Save some for yourself and your friends as this is an effective lip balm and a great moisturizing salve for cuticles, hands, and feet.
In a wide-mouth pint-sized glass canning jar combine:
Ingredients:
1⁄3 cup olive, sunflower, sweet almond, or jojoba oil
1⁄3 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons shea butter or mango butter
2 tablespoons beeswax (chopped or beads)
Instructions:
Place the jar in a saucepan containing a cup of water to create a double boiler. Over low heat, gently stir the ingredients with a wooden chopstick until they are fully combined.
Optional: add the contents of a vitamin E oil capsule
Optional: add 10 drops tea tree, lavender, chamomile, or other essential oil
Leave a metal spoon in the freezer while you make the salve. To test its consistency, dip the frozen spoon into the melted blend and apply to your hand. If it’s too stiff, add a little oil; if it’s too liquid, add more beeswax. When it’s just right, pour it into small jars or tins.
I often use my dogs to help me with my work. They wear test products (from flotation devices to breakaway safety collars), and they get called upon to learn any behavior being taught step-by-step by one of our training authors (both to test the clarity of the instructions and the efficacy of the methods). But they also get to sample any foods, treats, supplements, and chews that happen to arrive in my home office and play with any toys I am testing for durability and dog-appeal. Sometimes their avid interest in a toy or treat – or their ability to break something within minutes – will help form our opinion of a product.
All the while, I take note – and I take pictures. I document everything! Pictures of the good things they get to experience sometimes end up on our Instagram account (@dogsofwholedogjournal); photos of the less pleasant things that happen to them – from split nails (Woody, again and again) to neuter surgery (sorry, Boone) – get filed away to use if we ever publish an article on that topic.
The most difficult thing they sometimes have to do in the course of their “employment” is take part in training sessions to illustrate WDJ’s how-to articles. It’s one thing if I ask them to demonstrate something they already know how to do, or to learn a new trick; they enjoy training! I’m sure it’s a little confusing, though, when I try to compel them to do something for the camera that runs counter to our real training practice.
For example, at times in the past, for the sake of an illustrative photo, I’ve hyped Woody into jumping up on a friend in greeting, allowed Otto to bark at the mailman on the other side of the fence, and encouraged my son’s dog to appear as if he’s counter-surfing (I got some grief from my son about that!). And just today, I got some ham out of the refrigerator and did my best to inspire Boone to grab at the treat shark-fashion, teeth flashing and eyes rolled back in his head, the way he did in the first training classes I brought him to a month ago.
Why, you ask? In the case of Boone and the ham, I tried to capture what it looks like when a dog is stressed during a behavioral “temperature check” as explained in “Teach Your Dog to ‘Leave It’ Without Using a Cue” by a new training contributor, Jennifer Burns, owner of Conscious Dog Training in Texas. When Jennifer described how a dog takes a treat when he’s feeling stressed – too stressed to absorb much of a training session – I knew exactly what that looks like: Boone a month ago! Happily, Boone’s emotional “temperature” has gone down in new environments since then; the photo I took is just a dramatic (and delicious) recreation.
