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Make Vet Visits Less Scary

By
Stephanie Colman
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0

[Updated August 24, 2018]

Vet visits can be stressful for the beings on both ends of the leash! As my dog sits in the waiting room, awash in trepidation, I, too, am often worried about what decisions I’ll need to make regarding diagnostic testing, what it’s all going to cost, and the pros and cons of every possible scenario – all while battling an overall concern for my dog’s physical and emotional health.

Veterinary care is a necessary part of responsible dog ownership, and, fortunately, a little pro-active planning and thoughtful training can help reduce vet-related anxiety for both dogs and their owners. The following tips will help prepare you and your dog for your next trip to the vet’s office.

1. Research your ideal veterinary care for your dog.

Do you have strong opinions about certain facets of animal care? Do you believe in feeding a raw diet or waiting until a certain age to spay or neuter? Do you prefer exploring holistic heathcare modalities in place of more conventional Western medicine approaches? Where do you stand on vaccinations? How do you feel about chemical flea and tick preventatives?

While the ability to use Google does not make you an expert, it’s perfectly fine to have strong preferences for how you want to address your dog’s healthcare needs. There’s space in this world for many opinions! That said, it’s wise to work with a vet who shares (or at the very least respects) yours.

vet visits for dogs

Stephanie Colman

When looking for a veterinarian, ask local dog-owning friends which veterinarian they use and how well they like both the vet and the practice in general. If you’re new to the area and can’t rely on personal referrals, consider using the American Animal Hospital Association’s accredited hospital locator search tool to begin your search.

When considering a certain veterinary hospital, calling the office or viewing the practice’s website can answer questions such as where the staff refers its critical care or after-hours cases, whether or not the office is staffed overnight, or if the doctors are available on call. These are all good things to know early on when developing a relationship with your vet.

Office staff likely won’t be able to speak in detail about an individual doctor’s philosophies and approaches to care, nor will the doctor have time to field a lengthy interview call, but you can schedule a basic exam visit to serve as your chance to get your general questions answered, while allowing you the opportunity to experience the vet’s bedside manner.

AAHA Veterinary Accreditation

The American Animal Hospital Association is the only accrediting body for companion animal hospitals in the United States and Canada.

“Accreditation is voluntary. The hospitals are inviting AAHA in to evaluate how they practice,” says Heather Loenser, DVM, veterinary advisor of professional and public affairs for the American Animal Hospital Association. “Vets don’t have to do this. That’s why accreditation is a big deal, because you know you’re going to a practice where the staff wants to be excellent and wants external feedback from leaders in the field.”

When a veterinary practice applies for accreditation, the practice is evaluated on approximately 900 standards of veterinary care, ranging from pain management, infectious disease protocols and anesthesia safety to customer service procedures and how medical records are maintained. Facilities are re-evaluated every three years and must pass each time in order to maintain accreditation. The AAHA estimates that about 12 to 15 percent of veterinary practices throughout the United States and Canada are accredited.

“You can still practice excellent medicine and not be accredited, but I think pet owners will notice a difference in team work, pride and high morale of the staff in an accredited hospital,” Dr. Loenser says. “The veterinary teams who want to go through accreditation tend to hold themselves to a higher standard – they’re often the Type A of the Type A kind of people.”

For more information, visit www.aaha.org.

2. Plan for the cost of your dog’s veterinary care.

Nobody likes to be hit with an unexpected vet bill, but accidents and illnesses happen, and it’s important to be prepared. Pet insurance can be a great way to ease the financial sting of costly vet bills. Today’s pet insurance market is broad enough to offer a variety of coverage levels, ranging from plans designed to cover major emergencies with relatively high deductibles and lower monthly premiums, to more comprehensive plans including wellness coverage and lower deductibles, but with higher monthly premiums. Like any insurance, pet insurance can feel like a gamble. We hope we never need to use it, and when we don’t, we might grumble a little when paying the premium. At the same time, it’s a relatively inexpensive way to secure the peace of mind that comes with knowing you are better prepared, financially, to provide for your pet’s medical needs.

If insurance doesn’t feel like the right choice for your family, consider establishing and funding a separate savings account specifically for your pet’s unexpected medical issues. There’s also CareCredit, a credit card designed specifically for heath care financing, which offers 0 percent interest for 6-24 months on an initial medical charge of at least $200. (Even with pet insurance, I’ve personally used CareCredit several times.) Be warned: If you exceed the promotional period, CareCredit carries a whopping 26.99 percent interest rate.

3. Don’t wait until your dog’s minor illness or injury becomes a major one.

To go or not to go to the vet can be a stressful decision. The stress rate skyrockets after normal business hours when your regular vet is closed and you’re considering the nearest emergency facility.

It can be tempting to take a wait-and-see approach to seemingly minor medical issues. This isn’t always a bad choice, especially when you’re familiar with what’s normal for your dog, and in a position to closely monitor him for changes. Generally speaking, I don’t rush my dog to the vet the first time he vomits, has an episode of diarrhea, or seems somewhat lethargic; I’ll keep an eye on him and watch for other potential problems.

However, not all vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy are created equal; it’s important to pay attention to the big picture. Vomiting and lack of appetite in an otherwise alert, bright-spirited dog could indicate nothing more than his body attempting to rid itself of a dietary indiscretion. Vomiting along with drooling, panting, and general restlessness is a classic sign of bloat, which is an immediate veterinary emergency.

It’s one thing to feel confident in your ability to manage minor issues that crop up after hours in an effort to avoid the higher cost of emergency care. Good old-fashioned pragmatism definitely has its merits. But the truth is, waiting often makes things worse; for example, taking a “wait and see” approach with a dog’s limp, thinking it is due to a soft-tissue injury, when the limp actually resulted from a slipped disc, can result in a drastically worsened injury. By the time you realize it’s not getting better, a dog in this situation could be facing paralysis and you’d be facing a much higher vet bill.

4. Familiarize your dog with the veterinarian’s office before your next appointment.

If your dog visits the vet’s office only when he has an appointment, there’s a much stronger chance he’ll log the experience in the “Bad Stuff!” category, even if you’re lucky enough to mostly only need routine wellness visits. (I mean, have you seen where they often put the thermometer?)

The floor is slippery, everything smells different, and you sometimes hear distressed animals vocalizing in exam rooms or crating areas. Plus, the “strangers” in the vet’s office don’t want to just to pet your dog – they often need to physically restrain or hold her in position during an exam or procedure. This can be frighteningly invasive for even the most easygoing dog during the best-case scenario. Factor in not feeling well or being in pain, and it’s no wonder why many dogs hit the brakes in reluctance as you attempt to walk into the office. Unfortunately, this fear often builds on itself over time, causing some dogs to progress from being mildly concerned to extremely anxious, or even completely panicked during a visit.

A simple way to help prevent or reduce vet-related anxiety is to visit the office when your dog doesn’t have a medical reason to be there.

Pay attention to where the visit first starts to seem scary for your dog and start there. If his nerves flare up during the walk from the car to the front door, hang out in the parking lot, offer delicious treats, play a game of tug if your dog likes toys and then hop back in the car without ever going into the office.

If he’s fine until you reach the doorway, plan your party for the area just outside of the office, being careful to stay out of the way of clients coming in and out. After a short fun-fest, return to the car, where you can either wait a few minutes and go play again, or simply drive home, depending on your schedule.

Veterinarian waiting room jitters

If your dog’s behavior tells you it’s the waiting room and beyond that trigger his nervous tendencies, happily engage your dog as you walk from the parking lot to the reception area. Offer “freebie treats” in support of your dog’s positive attitude (to further strengthen your dog’s association with the parking lot as a safe place) and ask for simple behaviors along the way.

I typically ask for (and reward) several “sits,” a hand-touch or two, and a few “spins” just on the short walk from the car to the front door as I head into the office with my dog, Saber. The more I can keep him using his thinking brain, the less likely he is to succumb to the overwhelming feelings of his emotional brain.

Once inside the waiting room, allow your dog to investigate, so long as his activity doesn’t interfere with other clients. I like to alternate between allowing my dog to look around and asking for simple behaviors, as his ability to focus on my requests tells me a lot about his emotional state. If he’s unable to focus on my requested task, he’s telling me he needs more time to acclimate. The same applies to dogs who generally enjoy treats, but who might refuse them in the waiting room.

Note: If your dog refuses food for more than a few minutes, he’s likely too far over threshold, and you should start at an easier level – just outside of the office or in the parking lot.

Invite your dog to hop on the scale to be weighed. It’s important that your dog cooperate with being weighed, since medication dosages are calculated by weight. When getting weighed requires physical restraint, the greater the risk of an inaccurate reading.

Have a seat and simulate waiting to be called for your appointment. Offer treats, calm petting and praise throughout the experience. If your dog is at all hesitant, it’s wise to end the visit here, and repeat the experience on another day. If he’s handling the waiting room in stride, and the staff isn’t super busy, ask a vet tech or member of the office staff to offer your dog treats (only if your dog is comfortable with strangers). They might even be willing to escort you to an exam room where you can continue your “just for fun” visit against the backdrop of a more formal appointment. Feed a few more treats, ask for a simple behavior or two, present a favorite toy, then cheerfully exit, remembering to thank the staff for their help.

When planning your social visits, it’s helpful to call ahead so the staff knows what to expect when you arrive, and to make sure you don’t walk into an exceptionally crowded office.

Social visits are a wonderful way to help a puppy or young dog create a positive association with the vet’s office as well as help counter any negative emotional baggage following an especially unpleasant vet visit. Taking the time to plan emotional training sessions away from necessary visits can help reduce stress levels in adult dogs, too.

Admittedly, this isn’t always the most convenient training session, since it requires travelling to the vet’s office, but as responsible, compassionate dog owners, we owe it to our canine friends to look after not just their physical health, but their emotional health and well being, too.

5. Teach your dog calm acceptance of being handled and restrained.

So much of what goes into a vet examination or medical procedure can be made easier for your dog when he’s familiar and comfortable being handled in myriad ways. Make it a habit to touch your dog all over his body as part of your everyday affection and relaxation routine. Rub his belly. Massage his leg muscles. Gently play with the inner and outer part of his ears. Massage his feet. Run your hand from atop his head toward his muzzle.

Handling your dog in this way helps normalize the experience of being touched, which can help make handling in other circumstances, like at the vet or groomer, less concerning. It’s also a great way to familiarize yourself with your dog’s topography so you’re more likely to notice a change, such as the development of or change in a lump or the sudden appearance of a rash or other skin irritation.

Pair certain types of handling with treats to help your dog build a positive association with those experiences. This is helpful for dogs who have an demonstrable aversion to being touched certain ways, as well as dogs who appear fine with the handling when at home with their owners. Taking the time to pair handling with treats, even with cooperative dogs, helps ensure against the normally “fine” behavior degrading and becoming an issue when the dog is distressed. It’s one thing to be “fine” with having your feet handled by your owners, in the safety and security of your own home. It’s a whole different story when you’re being held by strangers, in an unfamiliar place, and are in pain from an injury.

When using food to create a positive association with different types of handling, ideally you present the handling in a way that prevents the dog from feeling uncomfortable and then present the treat, rather than feeding treats simultaneous with the handling. For example, if a dog is uncomfortable with having his feet held, you might start by touching the top of one foot with two fingers, for one second, and then feed the treat. This helps make sure the dog is associating the act of being touched with earning the cookie. When feeding simultaneously, it’s easy for the presence of the food to override the handling you’re teaching the dog to enjoy. (That said, choosing to feed treats throughout an event your dog might find unpleasant is a perfectly valid way to manage the situation, in hopes of minimizing the potential for negative emotional baggage.) Slowly build toward the finished behavior, increasing your effort only when the dog can calmly tolerate the easier step.

When it comes to paw handling, it’s well worth taking the time to teach your dog to comfortably cooperate, as many vet experiences include needing to hold a dog’s feet – from the obvious such as nail trimming and foot injuries, to the less obvious, but common need to hold a dog’s paw during blood draws and when inserting IV catheters.

It’s also important to teach your dog to enjoy handling by other people. If he’s already comfortable being handled, or once you’ve desensitized him to being touched in any tricky spots, instruct your friends on where and how to handle him as you supply treats at the correct time. This will help generalize the behavior to other people.

In-office handling also often requires restraint. Teach your dog to be comfortable when you lean slightly over and into him, holding him tight to your body. Practice securing your dog’s head. When training, always start with super-short trials of just a few seconds, at a level that doesn’t appear to cause concern, followed by the delivery of a treat.

Even if your dog lets you do all of these things, there’s still value in taking time to build strong, positive associations through further training to ensure against behavior degradation during difficult times. Think of the training time as a way to help inoculate your dog against future stress!

If your dog has handling issues, or if you want to be extra prepared, teach your dog to wear a comfortable muzzle. Even the most accepting dog is apt to struggle if a foreign object is suddenly thrust upon him.

Strengthen your dog’s basic cues.

Finally, don’t underestimate the value of basic skills such as a solid “sit,” “down,” and “stand,” and the ability to relax on his side (whether you call it “chill” or “play dead”) as ways to control your dog’s body. A nose-bump hand target or duration target behavior is another great way to cooperatively guide your dog into position during an exam. The better your dog is at responding to basic cues in the vet’s office, the less he will need to be physically manipulated throughout the visit.

When working on vet-related issues, it’s important to remember behavior is fluid. It’s not uncommon to take three steps forward, then two steps backward, especially following a challenging vet visit. The good news is, once initial progress has been made, that foundation work often makes it easier to recoup benefits via additional training, even following a setback.

SUCCESSFUL VET VISITS: OVERVIEW

1. Find a veterinarian with whom you agree on issues that are important to you regarding your dog’s care.

2. Have a financial plan for unexpected veterinary expenses.

3. Protect your dog from unnecessary added stress by teaching him to comfortably accept handling common to vet visits.

Stephanie Colman is a writer and dog trainer in Southern California.

Train Your Dog to “Check In”

By
Nancy Tucker, CDBC, CPDT-KA
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3

“CHECK-IN” TRAINING OVERVIEW

– Help your dog develop a habit of checking in with you. Start where he won’t easily be distracted.
– Reward your dog each time he spontaneously glances at you throughout the day.
– Prepare some small yummy treats in advance and put your dog on leash. Stand quietly and mark and treat every glance toward you until your dog is focused on you.
– Take the game outside in a low-distraction area. Mark and treat any effort your dog makes to pay even the slightest attention to you. Be patient.
– Practice stepping outside with your dog so he learns to look at you and wait while you lock the door.
– Make it easy for your dog to choose to pay attention to you, so he gets as many opportunities for reinforcement as possible!

Recently, while out walking with a friend and my dog, Chili, my friend noted that Chili often turned to glance toward me and she asked, “Why is she doing that? Is she afraid to lose us?” I chuckled and answered “Not at all. She’s just learned to check in with me now and then.”

Chili is walked on a leash, but she is free to follow her nose, and interesting odors often lead her to a position that is several steps in front of me or farther off to my side. I don’t mind at all, and in fact, I encourage lots of sniffing during our walks. My only requirement is that she keeps the leash nice and slack, and that she checks in with me frequently.

Checking in is one of those behaviors I like to place in the “habit” category; I want my dog to offer it easily and without really thinking about it.

The purpose of the “check in” behavior (why or when a dog may do it) varies, but it always looks like this: The dog momentarily connects with her human through eye contact. Chili and I have gotten so good at it that we often find ourselves turning toward each other simultaneously! I absolutely cherish those moments of instant, genuine connection with my dog.

dog "checking in"

4 Good Reasons to Encourage Your Dog to Look at You

The utility of having a dog who regularly checks in with you is undeniable. Communication is a two-way street, and checking in facilitates communication between your dog and you. Take, for example, the following circumstances in which Chili has learned to check in with me:

1 If she is unsure what to do in a given situation, Chili will check in with me by glancing my way and seeking eye contact for guidance. For example, faced with the unexpected rapid approach of a stranger, she might look to me for instructions on how she should respond. “Friend or foe? Should I worry? What’s your take on this situation?” I might ask her to come closer to me, or I might let her know it’s okay to go and say, “Hi.”

2. If she needs my help with something, she’ll check in by looking at me. If I’m not near her, she’ll seek me out. For example, if a toy has rolled under the couch and she can’t reach it, or if she wants the door to the backyard opened, Chili will capture my attention with eye contact in order to seek my assistance, rather than sitting and staring intently at the toy or the door, or whining or barking at the toy or the door.

3. If she wants to eat something. For example, if an item that looks like it might be edible unexpectedly falls to the ground – she’ll check in with me before diving in to gobble it up. That has proved especially useful on many occasions!

4. Before crossing a road or turning in a new direction. If I haven’t already let her know what I intend to do (by asking her to “Stop here,” “Keep going,” or turn “This way”), she’ll look toward me for clarification.

Reinforce Your Dog’s Check-In Early

In the early days when I first adopted Chili, I reinforced any eye contact she offered me as a way to start building a bond between us. I would simply say, “Yes!” whenever she looked at me and I’d follow up immediately with a small treat. It didn’t matter what else she might have been doing at the time – whether she was sitting, lying down, standing, walking, or even barking! My only goal at that time was to make it very clear to her that if she paid attention to me, good stuff would happen for her.

More importantly, I wasn’t soliciting this attention by calling her name or attracting her with sounds or movement. Instead, I made a point of reinforcing as many spontaneous gifts of attention that I could capture – and I do consider attention from my dog a gift!

It wasn’t long before Chili developed a beautiful habit of seeking eye contact with me for a reward. Once we’d established that simple rapport, it was easier to start training the behaviors I wanted Chili to learn. Checking in was especially useful when teaching her to walk nicely on leash. It also played an important role in teaching a solid recall.

But before tackling advanced behaviors like loose-leash walking, it’s much more useful to start with the basics.

How to Teach Your Dog to “Check In” With You

Whereas at first I would reward Chili for just glancing my way without any solicitation on my part, I soon started adding some distractions and accessories in order to start teaching her some more complex behaviors.

Whenever you decide to teach a behavior that you’ll need your dog to know while in high-distraction areas (like outside on the street or at a park), the first step is always to start training in a low-distraction area in order to build the foundation skills. As your dog becomes accomplished in the low-distraction areas, you’ll be able to gradually make the learning sessions a bit more challenging by adding distractions. This is how your dog will acquire the skills needed to succeed: Start easy, and gradually make your way toward the more advanced levels.

I wouldn’t expect a dog with little or no loose-leash walking skills – and with only beginner check-in habits – to be able to remember to connect with his human while out walking. Who could blame him? There are just too many things vying for his attention out there!

Here’s how you can use the check-in behavior to improve your dog’s leash-walking skills:

1. While inside your home, prepare some small yummy treats in advance and put your dog on leash. Simply attaching the leash is often enough to excite some dogs, and he might start pulling toward the door, anticipating a walk. Stand still, remain calm and wait him out.

2. Watch your dog carefully and mark the slightest glance in your direction with a clicker or with a verbal signal, such as the word “Yes!” and give your dog a treat.

Try to deliver the treat close to your own body rather than reaching forward toward your dog. I personally prefer to drop the treat on the floor right next to me, but later on, when we take the exercise outside, that might not be possible because of the surface of the ground (there might be snow, mud, rocks, etc., making it more difficult for my dog to find the treat or to successfully pick it up). In that case, I’ll deliver the treat directly to my dog’s mouth, but close enough to my body to encourage her to stay near me.

3. Keep marking and giving a treat for every glance, until your dog is focused solidly on you. For most dogs, this won’t take long! The realization that there is a steady source of treats available is often a very powerful motivator for dogs to focus happily on their human.

4. Take the exercise outside, in an area with few distractions (more distractions than indoors, but not as many as walking on a street or in a park). A backyard, porch, balcony, or deck will do nicely.

Let your dog listen to the sounds around him, let him look around, let him sniff the air. Just as you did indoors, stand still and quiet, keep your eye on him, and mark and treat every glance he throws your way. Let him return to listening, seeing, and sniffing the air around him (while staying in one place).

Keep practicing this exercise until he’s offering you attention on a regular basis – not necessarily staring at you, but checking in with you frequently. Now you’re ready to add some distractions.

5. Go back inside and this time, take your dog out through the door you would normally use to go for a walk. Close the door behind you. (If you live in an apartment or condo, you’ll do this step twice – once outside your unit door, and once outside the main door to the building.)

Stay put next to the door. Chances are, your dog will already have begun pulling toward the street. Hang on, remain calm, and wait him out. Immediately mark and treat the slightest glance your way, and continue marking and treating any attention your dog offers you.

If you find it’s taking rather long for your dog to glance your way, encourage him by making a sound (like a kissy sound) the first couple of times just to get the ball rolling. After that, see if you can wait him out again.

Remember to mark and treat any effort to pay even the slightest attention to you. You want your dog to have as many opportunities for reinforcement as possible.

6. When your dog appears to be calmer and better able to offer you some attention just outside the door, go back inside. Keep your dog on leash and play the attention game just inside the door for a few seconds, then go back outside and repeat exercise #5.

You can play this in-and-out game a few times. Your goal is to be able to step outside and have your dog looking to you in anticipation of a treat, rather than bolting for the street.

Imagine how useful this real-life behavior will be when you need a free hand to lock the door behind you as you leave!

During the learning process, mark and treat every single time. Later, when your dog is offering this behavior reliably, you’ll be able to taper the treats and the reward will be to move forward. But for now, reinforce heavily with food.

Nancy Tucker, CPDT-KA, is a full-time trainer, behavior consultant, and seminar presenter in Quebec, Canada.

Dog Parkour: Canine Urban Athletes

By
Stephanie Colman
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0

[Updated February 7, 2019]

BEGINNING DOG PARKOUR OVERVIEW

1. Visit the International Dog Parkour Association’s website to learn more about this fun sport.

2. Explore new areas with your dog. Be creative! Encourage your dog to interact with the environment while practicing basic obedience and parkour skills.

3. Once your dog understands what to do with a certain obstacle – whether that’s jumping over, running under, or jumping up on it – see if you can “send” him to perform the same exercise from a distance.

4. Ask for more challenging behaviors only as your dog tells you he’s ready. Be patient while working on new behaviors – and remember to always keep it fun!

The tiny terrier confidently ascends the park bench at her handler’s request while the sun shines down on a warm Southern California day. There she sits, clearly enjoying the interaction with her human, and happily cooperating with the task at hand. The treat she’ll earn after hearing her release word isn’t bad, either.

For Delilah and Elisa Becker of Simi Valley, California, and countless teams like them, this type of activity transcends being a creative way to add pizzazz to a daily walk – they’re working toward a title in a fun new sport: dog parkour.

Parkour for Dogs: Fairly New, Very Fun

Dog parkour is the Fido-friendly version of parkour, sometimes called “free running,” a type of outdoor gymnastics. In the human version, enthusiasts (called “traceurs”) run, climb, leap, and swing their way through an improvised course of obstacles in the environment. Success in parkour is about discipline, not just daredevil tendencies; safety is of the utmost importance, and participants take great care to develop proper cardiovascular conditioning, strength, and body awareness.

dog parkour

Stephanie Colman

The sport “went to the dogs” in 2014, when established traceurs and dog trainers Karin Coyne and Abigail Curtis, DVM, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, noticed how many unique obstacles in their everyday environment were accessible to dogs. They started experimenting with their own canine companions and quickly added parkour-themed classes to their training offerings. From there, the International Dog Parkour Association, (abbreviated IDPKA, since traditional parkour is often referred to as “PK”), and a new titling sport was born.

Coyne says dog parkour is a great way to get any dog-handler team out of the house, but it’s an especially nice option for owners whose dogs struggle with reactivity in a traditional group setting, or in areas where group classes are few and far between.

“For us, one of the best things about dog parkour is how it helps improve a dog’s confidence and focus as they explore new things,” Coyne says. “For the people, it gets them out, too. A lot of owners wouldn’t investigate a neighborhood park on their own, but once they start parkour, they’re looking for new areas to explore.”

Dog Parkour Rules and Requirements

Dog parkour involves a variety of skills, which must be executed in increasingly difficult ways in order to earn progressive titles.

Conceptually, the most common behaviors require putting four feet on an object, four feet in an object, jumping over an object, passing through a gap in or between objects, balancing on narrow objects, and moving away from the handler to go around an object.

It may sound easy, but Becker says even the seemingly simple concepts helped uncover some “holes” in her training.

“I took for granted that, because Delilah is constantly jumping up on things on her own, she’d know what I meant when I asked her to ‘jump up,'” Becker says. “I also discovered she didn’t like jumping into things. The ‘four feet in’ behavior was initially the hardest for us. I wasn’t expecting that.”

The IDPKA currently offers five titling options ranging from a training-level title (PKD-T) to a championship title (CH-PKD), all awarded based on a thorough review of handler-submitted videos and an accompanying submission fee of $20 to $40.

“I love being able to video our work and submit for a title,” Becker says. “It makes me less nervous, and gives us a chance to practice first and submit the best version of the performance. The only challenge with video is making sure we both stay in frame and I’m not blocking the camera.”

Traditional dog sports such as obedience, rally, and agility specify exactly how required elements must be executed, but dog parkour requires creativity and an eye for the environment, wherever you are – whether in a city or rural landscape. Park benches, utility boxes, playground equipment, tree stumps, decorative railroad ties, and more can easily become part of the parkour experience. How exactly your dog executes a “four feet on” behavior is limited only by your imagination, safety considerations, and your dog’s willingness to perform as requested.

“It’s creative and completely adjustable,” Coyne explains. “A young dog or older dog might put his feet on a six-inch obstacle; other dogs train for more of a challenge. Every dog can participate in some way.” Required elements can even be modified to allow for the safe and confident participation of dogs with disabilities.

To date, IDPKA has awarded nearly 250 titles to teams, mostly at the novice level. While the majority of title-holders hail from the U.S., teams from Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom, Sweden, and Australia have also completed title requirements.

Safety Comes First in Canine Parkour

Safety and choice – on the part of the dog – are at the heart of IDPKA’s program.

“If you try to force or lure or do anything to make the dog feel like he has to perform a behavior, it can become dangerous, because the dog isn’t freely choosing to participate,” Coyne says.

“It’s important to emphasize choice, start small, and work your way up. At the novice level, things are small – ground level. The dogs build strength and coordination, and the handler learns to properly ‘spot’ the dog to make sure he remains safe throughout the exercise.”

That’s not to say training lures are completely discouraged in all aspects of dog parkour. Coyne acknowledges how, in a team’s early training, lures can be helpful in establishing a dog’s understanding of conceptual behaviors such as “jump up” or “go under.”

“It’s one thing to lure a new dog up onto a low rock when first training,” she says. “But by the time a handler is ready to ask her dog to jump atop a tall wall, the dog should understand the cue and feel confident in his ability.” To that end, once working on a title submission, food or toys can be used only as rewards following the successful completion of a behavior, not to initiate or guide behavior.

In promoting the safe execution of urban obstacles, dogs must wear well-fitting back-clip harnesses, and handlers must make responsible decisions regarding the choice to work on- or off-leash, depending on the environment.

Dogs are never allowed to jump down onto a hard surface from higher than shoulder height. Instead, they must be carried, lowered, or shown an alternate exit strategy. Submission videos must clearly show the dog ascending and descending each obstacle. Handlers must demonstrate an understanding of proper spotting in order to assist their dogs as necessary. Most importantly, dogs must perform all obstacles independently, of their own free will, and with confidence.

“We like to see dogs who are confident, who understand where their feet are, and who are in a situation where, if something happened, the handler could immediately help,” says Coyne.

When a submission fails to pass, it’s usually for safety reasons – either the handler allowed a dog to jump down from a height exceeding safety guidelines, the handler wasn’t in a position to properly spot the dog, or the dog looks uncomfortable while performing the obstacle.

Expanding Your Dog’s Horizons with Sport

As a trainer, I’ve always been a fan of incorporating elements found in the environment into my daily dog walks. Random objects are great for helping dogs generalize behaviors while adding novelty to otherwise routine outings. For many people, the opportunity to work toward a title provides the motivation they need to brainstorm new things to train. Of course, time spent training strengthens the dog-human relationship, while helping to create and maintain a well-trained dog who is a joy to have around.

With the growing popularity of dog parkour, a little creativity, a video camera, and the Internet can help turn any dog into a titled urban athlete! Best of all, Elisa says, “It’s fun. That’s exactly how I feel all training should be – fun. If the dog isn’t having fun, there’s no reason to do it.”

Our thoughts exactly.

Things Whole Dog Journal Loves About Parkour for Dogs:

  • If it seems that coercion or force was used to get the dog to perform an exercise, the performance will not be awarded with a title.
  • Safety is stressed at every level. Strength and coordination are built slowly. The handler has to know how to and be able to support and catch the dog, preventing falls.
  • Dogs who look confident and in control of their movements do well; wild attempts at exercises will not earn titles.
  • Handlers don’t have to travel to events to earn titles; video submissions are judged instead.

Stephanie Colman is a writer and dog trainer in Southern California.

Download the Full March 2017 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
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On February 3, 2017, the FDA announced that Evanger's Dog & Cat Food had recalled five lots of its canned Hunk of Beef dog food, for a "potential contaminant," pentobarbital. One dog has died as a result of eating the contaminated food. Evanger's canned food appeared on WDJ's "approved canned dog foods" in our October 2016 issue. Evanger's makes its own canned foods, and is blaming its meat supplier for the problem. Evanger's dry foods, which appear on our "approved dry dog foods" list in the February 2017 issue, are produced by a contract manufacturer and are not involved in the current recall.
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Locked In!

By
Nancy Kerns
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At risk of making sure that the friend who visited me last week never comes to visit me again, this week’s blog post is ALSO going to be inspired by her dog. (Last week, I wrote about how she never leaves her dog in the car – ever!  – a practice that I find admirable but impractical for me, personally.)

My friend’s 10-month-old dog and my 14-month-old dog, Woody, got along beautifully – if you can call it beautiful when two adolescent males are rolling around in a wrestling ball that takes them over, under, around, and through most people and obstacles in their path. They loved, loved, loved playing the same sort of tug/chase/face-biting/wrestling games, and could go for hours! But when we made plans to leave the house and visit some places where the two youngsters couldn’t accompany us, we mutually decided to separate the boys so neither could get hurt or overwhelmed by the other while we were out.  It was time for a play break! The question was, where would we leave my friend’s dog?

At home, he spends my friend’s work day in an exercise pen, but she thought that here, in a strange home, he might be more comfortable in the bedroom where she slept with him in my office/house. He was tired enough from playing, that it seemed likely that he would just sleep on the bed the whole time we were gone. He had been too excited that morning to eat, so my friend left him with a couple of food-stuffed Kongs.

We went out for about four hours.

When we pulled up to the house on our return, my friend looked up at the window of the room where she had left her dog, and exclaimed, “Oh no! I’m so sorry!” I looked up, too, and saw that the shade that had been rolled down over that window was all shredded at the bottom. I wasn’t worried AT ALL about the super inexpensive shade – I’ve had human tenants ruin them accidentally by pulling them down too far and making them come off their rollers. But I was a bit worried about what the rest of the room might look like – AND whether we had freaked the puppy out by leaving him in the strange place. Would this be the start of some separation anxiety? Ack!

We entered the house, and I went straight to the back door, to let Woody go outside. My friend ran straight up the stairs, to let her dog out. Then I heard her call, “Hey Nancy, the door is locked!”

“What?” I responded, running up the stairs. “Those doors don’t lock!” I knew this because, over a year ago, my step-grandson had stayed in one of those bedrooms, and I had checked to make sure he couldn’t accidentally lock himself in his room; this house was built in 1890-something, and the door hardware looks to be original! His bedroom didn’t have a lock on it.

But, oh, crap, the front bedroom did!!

My friend and I sprang into McGuyver mode. I ran downstairs for tools. We took the doorknob off – the door stayed locked. I ran around and found a skeleton key; there was a skeleton key-shaped hole in the door, but no actual hardware inside the existing hole. I ran around and examined all the other upstairs doors; the other two bedrooms had no locks. But the closet door, nonsensically, had a lock on the outside of the door – a tiny little metal switch that the user would flip from left to right (or vice versa) to lock and unlock. And that was apparently what my friend’s dog did.  AND, there appeared to be no way to unlock it, other than flipping that switch. Great!

Well, there was nothing else to be done. “I’m going to have to see if we can just kick the door, and hopefully break the piece of trim that the door locks to,” I told my friend. Fortunately, both she and her dog were staying calm.

It took a dozen or so hard kicks, but the best possible thing happened: the piece of wood trim that the door lock is fastened to didn’t splinter, but (gradually) came off the wall in one solid piece. They don’t make wood trim (or doors) like that anymore! It will be easy to just nail back, and with a little touch-up paint, no one will ever know!

The best part: The shade was the only other thing in the room that the adolescent dog damaged, and who could blame him? We should have left it open so he could see outside! It appeared that after what was probably a brief session of jumping up on the window frame and the door (thus inadvertently flipping the door-locking switch), he had slept the rest of the time we were out. No serious harm done.

So, while as a fairly new step-grandparent I had been concerned and aware of the danger of a toddler locking a lock that had no key, as a much more experienced dog owner, I never dreamed that a dog might do the same. Just one more learning experience, I guess!

Has your dog ever been locked in, or have you ever been locked out, by doggy paws? Tell me I’m not the only one!

 

Would You Leave Your Dog In the Car?

By
Nancy Kerns
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13

Yesterday, I met a friend in a town about halfway between her house and my house, which are about three hours apart. We both had things to do/people to visit in that midway city, and then she – and her darling, 30-pound moppish-mixed breed dog – were going to follow me home and spend a few days visiting. We met outside a Whole Foods store/restaurant, and I proposed we go in and eat lunch before driving the rest of the way to my house. My friend said, “Can we take turns going in and selecting our food? I don’t leave my dog in the car.”

My mind boggled. If it was hot (or even warm) or freezing out, I would immediately understand, but it was about 50 degrees – a pretty much perfect dog-in-the-car temperature, in my view. So I had to ask, what’s up with that? I had a foster dog chew through the front seatbelts in my car once; was it about separation anxiety, or something?

My friend’s answer had more to do with concerns about the behavior of others in the San Francisco Bay area. People have become so incredibly sensitized about seeing a dog in a car, she said, that even if the temperature is no threat whatsoever (like right now in northern California), you just can’t predict the behavior of people who might be concerned about your dog! And, actually, once she mentioned this, I remembered hearing a horror story from another trainer friend about a dog being stolen out of a car, with a note left behind indicating that the person didn’t deserve to have a dog if they were going to leave it in the car!

My friend also said, “People are just so bizarre. You also hear about dogs being teased and worked up into a frenzy. I just don’t want to leave my dog in such a vulnerable place, even just for a few minutes.”

So, I get it – even if I can’t imagine being unable to run into a place to pick up take-out food, or some other quick errand. When the weather does not permit, the dogs stay home ­- that’s all there is to that.  But at this time of year, if I’m running errands, I often take my adolescent dog, Woody, into the types of places where dogs are welcome: Home Depot, Tractor Supply, and so on. It’s a great opportunity to continue his good manners training. If I have to run into Staples, or want to join someone for lunch, he stays in the car, no problem. But in my small, rural town, neither the issue of self-appointed dog police or people who tease dogs in a car have appeared to be a problem.

As it was, my friend and I were together, so we took turns going in and ordering our burritos, and then we ate outdoors, with the little mop-dog cleaning up our last bites.

How do you feel about leaving your dog in the car, weather permitting, of course? Do you actively avoid it? If so, what are your reasons?

Parvovirus in Dogs: What It Is and How to Prevent It

By
Barbara Dobbins
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The year was 1980, and I was working as a veterinary assistant for my local veterinarian. All of a sudden we started seeing a large number of puppies coming into the hospital frighteningly ill, with symptoms of vomiting, severe lethargy, and bloody diarrhea. Canine Parvovirus (CPV-2) had reached our small rural town.

It was incredibly scary. Dozens of our furry friends were dying before our eyes, and there seemed little we could do. Most of the puppies under five months old and about two to three percent of older dogs died from CPV-2 when it first emerged. There is a distinct odor to the feces of dogs who are infected with the disease and that memory is cemented in my olfactory system. I also recall that bleach seemed to have become my personal scent, and I kept a wardrobe in the garage so I could change my clothes before I went into my own home after a day at the veterinary hospital.

puppy with parvo

What is Parvovirus?

Canine parvovirus – CPV-2, more commonly known as “parvo” – is an extremely virulent pathogen of domestic and wild canids, first emerging in Europe around 1976. It is a tiny (parvo means “small” in Latin), round, non-enveloped single-stranded DNA virus that has been determined by phylogenetic analysis to have descended from a single ancestor sometime in the mid-1970s. It is theorized that it evolved as a mutated variant of the long-known feline panleucopenia virus (FPV) that infects cats, minks, and raccoons (but not canines or cultured dog cells), and it adapted to dogs via non-domestic carnivores such as minks and foxes. CPV-2 and all its known variants (CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and CPV-2c) are highly infectious and cause acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (bloody diarrhea). They can also cause myocarditis (inflammation of the myocardium, the middle layer of the heart wall).

Parvo spread worldwide rapidly; the virus is extremely hardy and easily transmitted, and dogs had no immunity to the new disease, causing a pandemic during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Within a few years, though, intense collaborative research resulted in the development of effective vaccines (allowing for prevention) and treatment procedures that resulted in survival, culminating in disease control. Today, parvo is nearly unheard of in areas where most dogs are vaccinated, yet it remains a scourge in areas where vaccination compliance is low.

Dog Breeds Susceptible to Parvovirus

CPV-2 infection occurs worldwide in domestic dogs and other members of the dog family (foxes, wolves, coyotes), but there is no evidence that it is zoonotic (transmissible to humans).

All dogs are susceptible, but it has been described that some breeds, specifically Rottweilers, Labrador Retrievers, English Springer Spaniels, American Staffordshire Terriers, Doberman Pinschers, Alaskan Sled Dogs, and German Shepherd Dogs are at increased risk for contracting the virus. The Koret Shelter Medicine Program at the University of California, Davis, suggests that “these breed tendencies likely evolve and change over time as a result of natural selection against susceptible lineages, and no one breed should be assumed to be more or less susceptible than another.”

However, according to one of the world’s leading canine vaccine researchers, Ronald D. Schultz, PhD, professor and Chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, there are breeds (most notably the Rottweiler and Doberman) that respond less reliably to vaccinations and the CPV-2 vaccine in particular. This underscores the importance and value of confirming that your dog has been successfully immunized by performing a vaccine titer test after the last of his puppy vaccines have been administered. (More on that below.)

The virus can affect dogs of any age, but it is most prevalent and severe in puppies from six weeks to six months of age. If a puppy receives CPV-2 antibodies from its mother via colostrum ingestion, he should be protected from infection for the first few weeks of life; susceptibility increases as these maternal antibodies wane. Any unvaccinated dogs and incompletely immunized dogs are also very susceptible. Adult dogs who contract the disease generally respond better to treatment than puppies, but if a dog is on steroids, immune-suppressive medication, or is immunocompromised in any way, he may be at higher risk of death from the disease.

The incidence of CPV-2 infection (as well as other infectious diseases) is higher in areas where large numbers of dogs congregate, such as animal shelters, dog shows, pet stores, breeding kennels, and boarding/training facilities.

How is Parvovirus Spread?

Canine parvovirus is highly infectious. The virus is present in a concentrated form in the dog’s stool. Infected dogs may start shedding the virus in their stool within four to five days of exposure (which can be before clinical signs of the illness emerge); their stool will also be loaded with the virus throughout the period of their illness, and for about 10 to 14 days after clinical recovery. Once exposed, unprotected dogs will generally start showing signs of the infection within three to 14 days, with an average of five to seven days.

The parvovirus infection causes severe diarrhea – and so anything that comes into contact with that stool can spread the virus. An unvaccinated dog who sniffs infected stool, an infected dog’s rear end (the virus will be all over the hair on the dog’s rear end), or even a shoe that stepped in a bit of the infected stool can become infected. The virus can “catch a ride” on anything that might be exposed to feces from an infected dog, including clothing, shoes or boots, dog toys, and kennel equipment (such as bedding, resting platforms, hoses, bowls, buckets, mops, wheelbarrows, etc.), can spread the disease.

Unprotected dogs can contract parvo year-round, but infection appears to naturally increase during spring and summer months. It’s more prevalent in areas where vaccination of animals is not widely practiced.

Parvovirus Symptoms and Pathogenesis

CPV-2 preferentially infects and destroys the rapidly dividing cells of the gastrointestinal system, lymph tissue, and bone marrow. The virus enters a dog’s body through the mouth and begins attacking the tonsils or lymph nodes of the throat. In the lymph nodes, the virus replicates in significant amounts, releasing into the bloodstream after a couple of days. As CPV-2 requires rapidly dividing cells to successfully cause disease, it travels to locations containing these cells, primarily those in the bone marrow and intestinal system. When the virus infects the bone marrow, it destroys the new cells of the immune system (white blood cells) effectively knocking out the body’s best defensive mechanism and making it difficult to combat infection.

It also appears to make it easier for the virus to invade the gastrointestinal system, where the virus does severe damage. In the small intestines, the virus attacks the glands in the epithelial lining where new cells are formed for the intestinal villi that provide for absorption of fluid and nutrients. New cells are prevented from forming and the system becomes unable to absorb nutrients, resulting in diarrhea and nausea. The intestinal lining can become so damaged it breaks down, allowing the digestive bacteria normally confined to the gut to pass through the intestinal walls and enter the bloodstream, causing fluid loss and widespread infection.

At this point in an infection, because the virus has already damaged the immune system, it is difficult for the body to fight the infection. Canine parvovirus is not always fatal, but death can occur from either the septic conditions created by the intestinal bacteria in the bloodstream, or dehydration and shock.

Clinical signs of CPV-2 infection generally include a quick onset of inappetance, vomiting, extreme lethargy, depression, diarrhea (often severe and containing blood), and dehydration. Additionally, the abdomen may be tender or painful and appear bloated, the heart may beat rapidly, gums and whites of the eyes may become noticeably red. When CPV-2 first presents, there is a slight rise in temperature, but it gradually falls to below normal with the advancement of the disease, and the affected dog often develops hypothermia.

Dogs become weak and dehydrated quickly due to the damage being done to the intestinal tract and the inability to absorb nutrients and fluids. Severely affected dogs may be in a collapsed state, with prolonged capillary refill time, poor pulse quality, and/or tachycardia. Laboratory analysis may show evidence of leukopenia and neutropenia (low levels of white blood cells). Most deaths from CPV-2 occur within 48 to 72 hours following the onset of clinical signs; early treatment is critical.

Parvo Diagnosis in Dogs

In most cases, diagnosis of CPV-2 is fairly straightforward; a presumptive diagnosis can often be made based on the dog’s history, clinical symptoms, physical examination, and laboratory tests (such as white blood cell count). Sudden onset of vomiting and bloody diarrhea is highly suspicious in susceptible dogs.

Fecal testing confirms the diagnosis. In-hospital viral antigen detection tests, such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), are most commonly used. These tests use the same type of technology as home pregnancy tests and are reported to be fairly accurate and sensitive for recently emerged strains of the virus and can be completed with results in less than 15 minutes. There are, however, some limitations to the test. Results can be skewed by recent vaccination with a live vaccine, showing a positive reading from detecting the live virus from the vaccine, not from a CPV-2 infection.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is another fecal-based test that can be used to detect the virus; it is highly accurate, but it requires a sample be sent to a laboratory, which can take valuable time. Sometimes more than one type of test may be necessary to achieve optimal diagnosis.

Parvovirus Treatment

Treatment options will vary depending on how sick the patient is, and also on the owner’s ability to pay. Optimal care can be expensive and is most effectively administered in a veterinary hospital that provides 24-hour care. Aggressive treatment protocols involve supportive care and management of symptoms until the dog’s immune system recovers, usually for two to seven days. There are no drugs available that can kill the CPV-2 virus, but immediate supportive treatment is crucial to saving the life of the dog.

The basic treatment protocol employs broad-spectrum prophylactic antibiotics, steroids, and antiemetic medication (to stop vomiting), and restoration of fluid, electrolyte, and metabolic abnormalities primarily via intravenous therapy. The patients must also be kept warm, clean, and comfortable.

The patients should also be monitored for development of hypokalemia (dangerously low potassium levels) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). In severe cases, blood transfusions may be warranted to boost low blood-cell counts resulting from bone marrow infection. Recent evidence suggests that providing enteral nutrition (tube feeding) earlier in the patient’s illness is associated with faster clinical improvement, weight gain, and improved gut barrier function. When vomiting has ceased for 12 to 24 hours, it is recommended that water and a bland, easily digestible low-fat diet be gradually reintroduced.

CPV-2 can be fatal even with aggressive treatment. The disease is most severe in younger puppies, especially those younger than 12 weeks, and most puppies without veterinary intervention usually die. Successful outcomes require early diagnosis and treatment. If a dog survives the first three to four days, he will usually recover rapidly (usually within one week), and he will become immune to the virus for life.

Read “Canine Parvovirus Vaccine, Symptoms, and Treatment,” for a closer look at how parvo is treated.

Home Treatment for Parvo

The gold standard of treatment for dogs or puppies who are infected with parvovirus can be expensive, and too often, owners who are given the worst-case estimate of the cost of this treatment will opt to have their canine companion euthanized, since they lack funds to pay for those estimated costs. In theory, though, the treatment that parvo patients need to recover is not in and of itself expensive; the greatest contributor to the cost is the amount of time and attention required to nurse the animal through the illness.

In order to try to save lives by preventing “economic euthanasia,” researchers at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Veterinary Teaching Hospital developed a protocol that could be made available to highly motivated owners who wanted a second option: a chance to care for the patient at home.

Their protocol is meant to be administered under a veterinarian’s supervision, and requires constant communication with and oversight from a willing veterinarian. The owner will have to administer subcutaneous fluids and other injections, monitor the patient’s body temperature and keep him especially warm, provide nutrition as needed by syringe-feeding a high-calorie canned food, and be alert to changes in the patient’s condition that may require a return to the veterinarian for lab tests and additional medications.

In a study comparing the efficacy of the protocol to conventional gold-standard treatment, CSU researchers determined that 80 percent of the patients treated with the home-care protocol recovered, compared to 90 percent of the conventionally treated patients.

See “New Home Treatment for Parvo May Prevent ‘Economic Euthanasia’,” WDJ November 2013, for more information. Here’s a link to the Colorado State home treatment protocol.

Controlling a Parvo-Free Environment

The CPV-2 virus is extraordinarily hardy; it can remain viable for months, perhaps even years, outside its canine host. The virus survives through winter, through freezing temperatures, and is resistant to most household cleaning products. An infected dog can shed 35 million viral particles in an ounce of feces; a typical infectious dose to an unvaccinated dog is only 1,000 viral particles. That makes it very difficult to disinfect an area once it has been exposed.

Dogs with confirmed or suspected canine parvovirus should be isolated to prevent spreading the disease to other susceptible dogs and to limit environmental exposure. Only fully vaccinated older puppies and adult dogs should be exposed to the home environment of a dog recently diagnosed with CPV-2. Puppies especially should not be allowed to come into contact with the fecal waste of other dogs as this a prime vector for transmission of CPV-2.

Contaminated environments need to be sanitized through repeated cleaning to remove all organic debris and dirt, along with the virus, followed by use of disinfectants with proven efficacy. Effective choices include household bleach (5 percent sodium hypochlorite) at ½ cup per gallon of water (1:32 dilution). Like all disinfectants, bleach must be stored and used correctly in order to be effective. Bleach is an acceptable method for cleaning any indoor areas, surfaces, and equipment (including bowls and beds). Avoid using mops to clean.

Launder clothing, bedding, towels, etc., in hot water with detergent and bleach. Do not overload the washing machine, and use a clothes dryer rather than hanging items up to dry. Make sure that all objects that have come into contact with an infected dog have been discarded or disinfected.

Parvovirus Prevention

Because CPV-2 can be found anywhere infected dogs have visited, the cornerstone to protecting your dog from the disease is vaccination. Since the development of the vaccine, the incidence of infection has been greatly reduced. A single modified live vaccine can confer protection within three to five days. Although parvoviruses continue to evolve, vaccination appears to confer reliable protection against all known strains.

As with other infectious diseases of dogs, puppies from mothers with immunity are protected by maternal antibodies, acquired via colostrum. This natural protection can, however, create a problem in prevention, as pups can become susceptible between the waning of the maternal antibodies and the administration of the vaccine. There is a high rate of infection reported in pups older than six weeks of age, about the time when maternal protection wanes in most puppies.

Most cases of CPV-2 infection tend to be in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated puppies. For this reason, until they are fully immunized, puppies should be provided with very limited exposure to public places, and should not be taken to areas where lots of dogs congregate or are walked. Until their immunization is complete, puppies should never be taken to dog parks or pet supply stores.

The age at which puppies receive their first vaccination (and subsequent vaccinations) varies widely, depending on their environment. Shelters usually vaccinate all puppies over four weeks of age upon admission to the shelter, and at least every three weeks after that until the puppies are older than 16 to 18 weeks. An experienced breeder with superior control over her dogs’ environment and visitors might wait until a puppy is eight weeks or older, and vaccinate as few as two times, with the last vaccination being administered after the puppy is 18 weeks old. The goal is to administer vaccine as quickly as possible after the pup’s maternal antibodies have faded, and since it’s impossible to predict exactly when this might happen, the vaccinations are repeated until the last possible time that the maternal antibodies could possibly interfere with immunization.

Adult dogs, over the age of one year, generally need only one vaccination. A vaccine titer test, administered at least three weeks after the dog or puppy’s final vaccination, can confirm whether the dog has developed protective antibodies.

Dogs who have been infected by CPV-2 and survived tend to be antigenically stable (immune to further infection).

See “Puppy Vaccines: Why Your Puppy Needs So Many Shots,” in the October 2016 issue for more about the number and timing of the vaccines needed to protect puppies from parvo and other diseases.

Parvo Prognosis

Today, survival rates in quickly diagnosed and appropriately treated dogs from CPV-2 infection are reported as being in the 75 to 90 percent range. In untreated dogs, the mortality rate often exceeds 90 percent. Note that these are averages and individual morbidity and mortality rates vary according to the age of the dog, the severity of infection, the presence of concurrent health problems, and the speed with which the illness was diagnosed and treated.

puppy with parvo

Local shelters and veterinarians can give you information about parvovirus outbreaks and the prevalence of the disease in your community. Often, shelter workers are aware of specific neighborhoods where parvo is particularly endemic.

Pixel: A Tiny Parvo Success Story

Two years ago I helped my sister foster and nurse a young pup recovering from parvo that came from the shelter where she worked as a registered veterinary technician. This pup arrived at the shelter with a female dog and two other puppies. All of the puppies appeared to be littermates, about five weeks old. Based on clinical signs, they were suspected of being infected with parvovirus; a SNAP test confirmed that two of the pups were positive.

The pups with parvo were isolated, treated, and survived, but the tiniest female, all 2.2 pounds of her (down from 3.5 pounds at intake) suffered from complications of maldigestion, malabsorption, anemia, and hypoglycemia. The disease had ravaged her tiny digestive tract and it was touch and go for days. The tiny pup could barely stand and when she did, it was in a hunched posture. Also, her body couldn’t maintain a normal temperature, so when she wasn’t curled up with my Border Collie, she had a special heating disc to keep her warm.

When she finally developed an interest in eating, it was a challenge to find something she would eat more than once – and when she did eat, the food often came out looking like it did when it went in. My sister provided her with constant care and love, and, happily she bounced back.

It was at this point this speck of a pup was given her name – Pixel – and her permanent home (with my sister of course). Today she eats ravenously as if to make up for lost time and she has no side effects from her severe illness.

Barbara Dobbins, a former dog trainer, writes about dogs and studies canine ethology. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her new puppy, Tico.

How to Teach Your Dog to Trade

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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0
Bull dog

Training a dog to “drop it!” is extremely useful, but what about when you’re dealing with a resource-guarding dog, or a dog who insists on turning your distress over the forbidden item into a game of keep-away? Teaching a dog to trade items with you, rather than confiscating things from him all the time, is an invaluable way to keep your valuables and your dog safe.

It’s a rare dog owner who hasn’t, on one or more occasions, had to retrieve something from her dog that the dog wasn’t supposed to have. In the best of circumstances it’s something of little or no value that the human would merely prefer the dog not ingest – a used tissue, say, or a dropped vitamin tablet. In the worst of times, it’s something invaluable – a family heirloom, for example – or something toxic to the dog, that the human must get away from the dog.

In years past, I instructed dog owners and my student dog trainers in the fine points of teaching dogs a “Leave It” behavior. To teach this behavior, I would place a high-value item (such as a cube of freeze-dried liver) under my foot, and generally, a dog would try to get it by pawing at or pushing my shoe with his nose. I would wait patiently, then mark and reinforce the dog for any behavior other than trying to get it out from under my foot – even just a brief glance away.

There is more to the technique (most recently discussed in “Teaching Your Dog to ‘Leave It’ on Cue,” in the August 2008 issue), but I won’t go into it in more detail, because I have abandoned this method for much simpler and more effective methods!

Today, my preference is to teach dogs a “Trade” behavior for those instances when the dog already has something in his mouth that I don’t want him to have, and “Walk Away,” which can be used whether the dog has a forbidden item in his mouth or has just spotted a forbidden item. Since I have incorporated these behaviors into my dogs’ and my students’ behavior repertoire, I have noticed that the behavior I want happens much more quickly and with less frustration for dogs and humans.

One possible reason for the greater success of these behaviors (compared to “Leave It”) is the fact that in these protocols, you teach the dog something to do, which is far easier for a dog to understand than something to not do. In teaching “Trade” or “Walk Away,” we show the dog how to earn treats by doing something (either trading or walking away), rather than just refraining from doing something else (grabbing or eating a certain item). These behaviors offer the dog a clear path to success!

Our 13-year-old Corgi, Lucy, has long known the “Leave It” behavior. I recently taught her the “Walk Away” behavior, and then did an experiment, setting up parallel high-value challenges and cueing “Leave It” one time, and “Walk Away” another. I randomized the cues, so that sometimes “Walk Away” came first, and sometimes “Leave It” was cued first. One hundred percent of the time she responded more quickly to the simpler “Walk Away” cue, and with softer body language, than she did to the more difficult “Leave It” cue. This small trial made a believer out of me!

Whether your dog has snatched up something he shouldn’t have, or is about to, the likelihood of your success in getting it away from him is considerably greater if you stay calm, rather than freak out and start to yell and grab or chase the dog. The potential for success skyrockets if you have previously taken the time to teach your dog one of the protocols that follows, so your dog actively, happily, and willingly relinquishes that or any other object on cue.

Note: These behaviors will be easiest to teach if you haven’t already created an adversarial relationship with your dog over his ill-gotten gains. If you’ve attempted to forcefully remove things from your dog’s mouth and he is now a serious resource-guarder, enlist the help of a qualified force-free trainer before attempting to teach “Trade.” (See “Resource Guarding and What to Do About It,” WDJ August 2015, for more information about resource-guarding.) If you’ve chased him when he had things he ought not, he may think “keep away” is fun, in which case, you’ll need to convince him that “Trade” is a better game.

Teaching Your Dog the ‘Trade’ Cue

In teaching your dog “Trade,” you are promising to give him something of value in exchange for the valuable item he has in his mouth. (Cat poop may be abhorrent to humans, but it is of very high value to many dogs!)

Here’s how to teach “Trade.”

1. Say “Take it!” and give your dog a low-value object.

Offer your dog something he will easily and willingly give up in exchange for the high-value treat you will offer him next. (If his first instinct is to take the item and run, you may need to put a leash on him and step on the leash or tether him to something solid, so he can’t run off with the item before he realizes there are more potential benefits to this negotiation!)

2. Offer your dog some high-value treats.

You may need to hold the treats close enough to his nose that he can smell them, but don’t try to push them into his mouth; anything that resembles coercion will likely increase his resistance. Make sure you have a large enough supply of the high-value treats that it will take him a few moments to eat them.

If he doesn’t drop the object he has in his mouth in favor of your treats, you need a higher-value treat (think meat, not dry biscuits) and/or a lower-value item to trade for.

Notice you didn’t use a cue yet. We don’t add the cue until we know the dog will drop the item.

teaching a dog trade

3. When your dog drops the item:

Click your clicker (or use a mouth click or verbal marker, such as the word “Yes!”), and while you keep him occupied nibbling at the high-value treats in one hand, with your other hand, pick up the object and hide it behind your back. This part is really important. You must use two hands! If you let him eat the high-value treat and them try to race him back to the object, you’re likely to lose the race – and you may elicit resource-guarding.

If you feel at all uncomfortable reaching for the item as your dog munches on the treats, you can sprinkle the treats in a short “Hansel and Gretel” trail, starting under his nose and leading to a spot a foot or two away from the dropped item. Engage his mouth with the treats in your hand after he follows the trail, while you pick up the item with your other hand.

4. As soon as your dog finishes eating the treats in your hand:

Bring out the object from behind your back, say, “Take it!” and give it back to him. This teaches him that he doesn’t always lose the item; he can trade with you and then get the item right back. This will make him more willing to trade again in the future. He gives you his good stuff, he gets more good stuff, and then he gets good stuff back again. It’s a win/win for him!

5. When you can reliably predict that your dog will drop the item when you offer your treats, add the cue.

Give your cue first (“Trade!”), and pause for a second or two. Then offer the treats, click (or say “Yes!”) when he drops the item, and pick up the item with your free hand while you keep his mouth busy nibbling treats from your hand.

6. After several repetitions, sometimes pause a few seconds longer before offering your dog treats.

Your goal is to get him to drop the object when you say, “Trade!” before you offer the treats. When he will do this reliably, it means you have the behavior “on cue” – that is, he is dropping the object because he heard and understood the cue, not just because you stuck high-value treats under his nose.

While ideally you will always have something in hand (or in pocket) to offer your dog in trade, if you train this behavior well enough and practice it often, in an emergency your dog will still give up that poisonous mushroom (or whatever) when he hears the “Trade!” cue. This is most likely to work if you use your cheerful “training game” voice and not an “Omigosh, it’s an emergency” panicked voice. Your training diligence might even save your dog’s life!

Teach Your Dog to ‘Walk Away’

In addition to the invaluable “Trade” cue, you can also teach your dog a very useful “Walk Away” behavior. This is particularly useful before your dog has a forbidden object in his mouth, but it can also be effective after he has picked up something you don’t want him to have.

I was introduced to this protocol by friend and fellow behavior professional Kelly Fahey, PMCT2. Fahey created this approach, based on Patel’s “Drop it” protocol (described below), as a simpler and less-frustrating alternative to “Leave It.” It can also be used to help modify resource-guarding.

Note: If at any point during the protocol you see resistance, tension, or signs of aggression in your dog, back up a few steps and proceed again more slowly, with more repetitions at each step. If your dog is prone to guarding and you are concerned about your safety or the safety of family members, seek the assistance of a qualified force-free professional to help you modify his guarding behavior.

Here’s how to teach “Walk Away.”

1. Say to your dog, “Walk away!” in a cheerful voice and toss several treats on the ground.

Point at the treats as the dog finds them (at a safe distance if your dog is likely to guard the food). Repeat 10-12 times (or more) until dog eagerly responds to the “Walk away!” cue.

While in most cases, you add a cue only after you are reliably eliciting a certain behavior, in this case, you are giving your dog a positive association with the cue before you introduce the potential for conflict with having something in his mouth. And by pointing at the food, you give your dog a positive association with your hand in the vicinity of treats on the ground, to avert or reduce the potential for resource-guarding.

2. Place a neutral object (one that’s not valuable to your dog) on the ground.

When your dog sniffs it, say, “Walk away!” and toss several treats on the ground, about two to four feet from the object. Point at the treats as the dog finds them; again, and in every single step that follows, point from a safe distance if your dog is prone to guarding food. Repeat at least 10-12 times (or more), until your dog immediately moves away from the object in response to the cue. Use a variety of objects as the neutral object if necessary to keep your dog interested in approaching and then “walking away” from them.

3. Place an object that is of relatively low value to your dog on the ground.

Perhaps a toy that he sometimes plays with (not one of his favorites) or a type of biscuit he will only sometimes eat. When your dog approaches or sniffs it, say, “Walk away!” and toss several treats on the ground, about two to four feet from the object. Point at the treats as the dog finds them. Repeat at least 10-12 times (or more) until your dog immediately moves away from the object in response to the cue. Use a variety of objects if necessary to reignite his interest.

4. Place an object that is of slightly greater value to your dog on the ground.

When your dog sniffs it, say, “Walk away!” and toss several treats on the ground, about two to four feet from the object. Point at the treats as the dog finds them. Repeat at least 10-12 times (or more) until your dog immediately moves away from the object in response to the cue. Use a variety of objects if necessary.

5. Place an object that is of high value to your dog on the ground.

When your dog sniffs it, say, “Walk away!” and toss several treats on the ground two to four feet from the object. Point at the treats as the dog finds them. Repeat at least 10-12 times (or more) until your dog immediately moves away from the object in response to the cue. Use a variety of objects if necessary.

6. Place an empty dog food bowl on the ground.

When your dog sniffs it, say, “Walk away!” and toss several treats on the ground, about two to four feet from the object. Point at the treats as the dog finds them. Repeat at least 10-12 times (or more) until your dog immediately moves away from the bowl in response to the cue.

7. Put a handful of relatively low-value dog food (such as dry kibble) in a food bowl and place it on the ground.

When your dog sniffs it, say, “Walk away!” and toss several treats on the ground, about two to four feet from the object. Point at the treats as the dog finds them. Repeat at least 10-12 times (or more) until your dog immediately moves away from the bowl in response to the cue.

8. Put a handful of higher-value dog food (such as kibble mixed with a little canned food) in a bowl and place it on the ground.

When your dog sniffs it, say, “Walk away!” and toss several treats on the ground, about two to four feet from the bowl. Point at the treats as the dog finds them. Repeat at least 10-12 times until your dog immediately moves away from the bowl in response to the cue.

9. Put a handful of high-value dog food (such as canned food or meat) in a food bowl and place it on the ground.

When your dog sniffs it, say, “Walk away!” and toss several treats on the ground, about two to four feet from the bowl. Point at the treats as the dog finds them. Repeat at least 10-12 times until your dog immediately moves away from the bowl in response to the cue.

10. When your dog is relaxed and happily moving away from objects and/or food bowls:

Add a “pick up the object or bowl” step into the protocol. Say, “Walk away!” and toss treats, then pick up the object or bowl, hand-feed him a few treats, and put object or bowl back on ground as you toss a few additional treats near the object/bowl.

Teaching Your Dog to ‘Drop It’

British trainer Chirag Patel, CPDT-KA, DipCABT, owner of Domesticated Manners in London, has developed another alternative, an innovative protocol for asking your dog to give up something in her mouth. It’s demonstrated beautifully in a video you can watch on YouTube.

Patel starts with a dog who actually has nothing in her mouth. He gives a signal – a bright, cheery, “Drop!” – that is immediately followed by high-value food treats being immediately tossed on the ground near the dog. He points to and even flicks the treats on the ground with his fingers, to bring the dog’s attention to each little tidbit; this helps the dog become accustomed to and comfortable with a human hand reaching down and toward the dog’s treats.

Patel recommends practicing many repetitions of this exercise, and incorporating it into every sort of activity around the house and yard: while sweeping the kitchen, carrying a bag of trash out to the garage, sitting on the couch, and so on. The goal is to get the dog to understand that you might give the cue at any time, in the midst of any activity, and it always means treats are about to be flung her way!

Once the dog understands the cue “Drop!” as a signal that treats are on the way, and she starts scanning the nearby ground for the treats immediately after hearing the cue, Patel introduces an item to the training environment that the dog shouldn’t have much interest in. If the dog so much as looks toward the item, he gives the “Drop!” cue, and tosses the treats, pointing each one out to the dog each time.

After many repetitions, the next step is the introduction of a low-value toy; Patel waits for the dog to sniff or pick up the toy, and then gives the “Drop!” cue and tosses the treats. If the exercise has been sufficiently practiced, the dog should immediately drop the toy and enthusiastically pursue the treats as she has so many times before.

The exercise is repeated many times with increasingly valuable toys, and even food items, as the dog becomes completely comfortable with the concept that “Drop!” means treats are on the way, and her human will even help her find each one.

In the video, Patel demonstrates that with enough repetitions of the Drop exercise, the dog becomes completely unconcerned about immediately dropping whatever she might have in her mouth and allowing the person to take the item; she learns that the cue signals that she will certainly gain lots of terrific treats, and will almost always also be given the item back.

Use the Trading Tool Most Useful to You

These protocols can get you and your dog out of a lot of difficult situations. I daresay “Trade” saved my relationship with Bonnie, another one of our dogs, which could have gone very badly if I was still an old-fashioned coercion-based dog trainer when we adopted her (see below).

In addition, numerous clients have shared stories with me where “Trade” has literally saved their dogs’ lives, by enabling them to retrieve a toxic object from their dogs’ mouths, hassle-free. If you have an inspiring “Trade,” “Walk Away” or “Leave It” experience, we’d love to hear it!

Dogs Who Understand Currency

Our dog Bonnie, now 12 years old, has always been very oral, so “Trade” has been a life and relationship-saver for us. Even now as a maturing senior, she will pick up random objects she finds on the floor. In fact, she has learned that if she brings me small pebbles from our driveway that get tracked into our house on our shoes, I will reliably trade her for a treat.

In the old days (more than two decades ago), prior to my crossover to force-free training, I would have found this annoying at best, and probably punished her for her naughtiness. Today, instead, I take pride in her cognitive abilities – she recognizes the value of currency!

Think about it. Those wrinkled pieces of green paper in your wallet have no intrinsic value. You can’t eat them, they don’t keep you warm, and they aren’t entertaining. They are only valuable because you can trade them for food, shelter, clothing, tuition, books, tickets to movies, and other goods that do have intrinsic value. Pebbles have no intrinsic value to Bonnie. She can’t eat them (well, she could, but they have no nutritional value or taste), she can’t buy her way into a movie theater, and they don’t keep her warm. But she has learned that she can trade them for treats – she can buy food with them. She has learned the value of pebble money. If you ask me, that’s pretty smart – and pretty darned cognitive!

Author Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She and her husband Paul live in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center. Miller is also the author of many books on positive training. Her newest is Beware of the Dog: Positive Solutions for Aggressive Behavior in Dogs (Dogwise Publishing, 2016).

10 Weight Loss Tips for Senior Dogs

By
CJ Puotinen
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19
weight loss tips for senior dogs

Older dogs, like older people, have an easier time getting around if they aren’t overweight. Losing weight can be a challenge for dogs at any age, but more so as dogs grow older. Still, weight loss for dogs is worth the effort. Slender dogs not only get around more easily, but also actually live longer. A 14-year study showed that dogs fed 25 percent fewer calories than their free-fed littermates lived nearly two years longer, showed fewer visible signs of aging, and enjoyed an extra three years of pain-free mobility before developing canine arthritis. These weight loss tips for senior dogs can help them live a longer, healthier, happier life!

Health problems that are more common in overweight dogs include pancreatitis, diabetes, heart disease, disc disease, ruptured cruciate ligaments, hip dysplasia, other forms of joint disease, surgical complications, compromised immune systems, and several types of cancer. And sadly, studies show that more than half of America’s dogs are overweight – and nearly all of their owners are in denial! If you can’t easily feel your dog’s ribs and shoulder blades, if her waist is not discernable (a tuck behind the ribs), or if there’s a roll of fat at the base of her tail, it’s time to face reality and put your dog on a diet.

As WDJ contributor Mary Straus explains, “Because we’re so used to seeing overweight dogs, many folks think a dog at his proper weight is too skinny, but as long as the hips and spine are not protruding, and no more than the last rib or two are slightly visible, he’s not too thin. If in doubt, ask your vet for an opinion, or go to an agility competition to see what fit dogs look like.”

Here are 10 weight loss tips for senior dogs:

1. Feed your overweight dog more protein and less carbohydrates.

When it comes to weight loss, the ratio of carbohydrates to fats and protein matters more than calories do. Most prescription weight-loss diets are high in carbohydrates, low in fat, and low in protein, a combination that makes it difficult to lose weight. Dogs thrive on a high-protein diet, which builds lean muscle, and they don’t need carbohydrates at all. The ideal canine weight-loss diet is high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and moderate in fat, which satisfies the appetite.

2. Avoid feeding your dog high-fiber foods.

Increased fiber, the indigestible part of carbohydrates, will not help your dog feel satisfied, and too much can interfere with nutrient absorption. Grains are a common source of fiber, and many grain-free foods are high in protein and low in carbs, which can make them effective foods for weight loss (as long as they don’t contain too much fat).

3. Make your dog’s food.

Another option is to make your own high-protein, moderate-fat, low-carbohydrate diet (see “Easy Home-Prepared Dog Food,” WDJ July 2012, for guidelines).

“If you feed a homemade diet, use lean meats, low-fat dairy, and green vegetables in place of most grains and starches,” Straus suggests. “Remove the skin from poultry (except for breasts) and remove separable fat from meats. Avoid fatty meats such as lamb, pork, and high-fat beef, or cook them to remove most of the fat. It’s okay to include eggs in moderate amounts. You can also use these foods to replace up to 25 percent of a commercial pet food, which will increase the total amount of protein and decrease carbohydrates in the diet.

“There’s a common misconception that replacing a large portion of the diet with green beans will help your dog not feel hungry,” she adds. “While there’s no harm in adding some green beans or other non-starchy veggies to your dog’s diet, the extra bulk won’t help your dog feel satisfied if you’re feeding too few calories or too little fat. It is fat that most helps to satiate your dog; just adding bulk isn’t enough. Replacing too much food with green beans can also lead to a protein deficiency, causing the loss of lean muscle rather than fat.”

4. Feed your dog the right fats.

Recent human and canine studies show that the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA from fish oil promote weight loss and help dieters feel more satisfied. Straus recommends giving fish oil that provides 1 to 1.5 mg combined EPA and DHA per pound of body weight daily for healthy dogs, or up to 3 mg for dogs with health problems (such as heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, arthritis, allergies, and other conditions causing inflammation or affecting the immune system). Some cod liver oils, such as Carlson Norwegian Cod Liver Oil with Omega 3s, provide vitamins D and A for additional health benefits (see “Vitamin D for Dogs,” WDJ July 2016).

When adding oils to your dog’s diet, keep in mind that oils are pure fat, adding more than 40 calories per teaspoon. Label directions for many liquid fish-oil products are higher than they should be, adding too many calories to your dog’s diet. If your dog needs high doses of EPA and DHA, look for more concentrated softgels. Other oils, such as coconut and olive oil, should be carefully measured to be sure you’re not adding too much fat.

5. Reduce your dog’s food portion size.

Instead of making drastic changes all at once, cut your dog’s food back by about five percent and feed that slightly smaller amount for a week or two. This reduction is about 1 ounce per pound or 1/8 cup per two cups of food. Weigh your dog today and again in one or two weeks. If she doesn’t lose weight, reduce the food by another five percent and continue at that amount for one to two weeks. Keep gradually reducing the amount of food until your dog begins to lose weight, then continue feeding that amount.

This strategy helps because reducing the amount of food too suddenly will change your dog’s metabolism, making it harder to lose weight and easier to gain it back. Slow, steady weight loss is more likely to result in long-term success.

If you switch to a food that’s considerably higher in protein and fat than your current food, cut the quantity by up to one-third, as foods that are more nutrient dense will provide more calories in smaller portions. Even though the total amount your dog receives is less than before, he may be more satisfied.

Weight Loss Tips for Senior Dogs

Feeding smaller portions more often will help your dog feel less hungry. Replace some dry food with canned or fresh, high-protein food so he thinks he’s getting something special. Put his meals in a Kong, Buster Cube, or other food-dispensing toy so he has to work for them, leaving him feeling more satisfied. Freeze his wet food, or dry food mixed with nonfat yogurt, in a Kong toy to make a meal last even longer.

6. Measure everything your dog eats.

“It’s critical to accurately measure your dog’s food,” says Straus. “I learned the hard way that when I try to eyeball my dogs’ food, they gain weight. The only way I’ve found to achieve consistent weight control is by using an electronic scale to weigh everything I feed. You can find scales at office and kitchen supply stores and online. Most handle up to five pounds with accuracy to one tenth of an ounce, and they can switch to grams for very small measurements.”

7. Make your dog’s weight loss a family project.

Measuring everything and writing it in your dog’s diet book or food log helps family members realize just how much the dog is eating. Feeding a small dinner won’t help if Fido is getting breakfast leftovers, afternoon snacks, and training treats all day. Discuss the diet plan with everyone who feeds your dog and get their cooperation. You can give each family member a specific number of small training treats to reward the dog with, and encourage everyone to focus on games, walks, playing fetch, and favorite activities as calorie-free rewards that will keep your dog motivated.

8. Weigh your dog.

If your dog is small, you can weigh her on a baby scale or a postal scale designed for packages. Your veterinary clinic has a walk-on scale that accommodates dogs of all sizes, so if your large dog is willing, take her there every one or two weeks. If your dog associates the clinic with unpleasant experiences, use low-calorie, high-value treats to help change her attitude. Most dogs respond well to short visits that include treats, eagerly hopping on the scale, and sitting or standing still for a minute before going home.

“Aim for weight loss of three to five percent of body weight per month, or one percent per week,” says Straus. “A 50-pound dog should lose about half a pound per week, or two pounds per month. Once your dog begins losing weight steadily, you can go longer between weigh-ins, but recheck monthly to make sure you’re still on track. It’s easy to slip back into giving too much food and not notice until your dog has gained back a lot of weight. Caloric needs can also change over time as your dog ages, after neutering, or if his activity level varies seasonally. If you’re weighing your dog regularly, you’ll be able to catch and correct any weight gain before you have a bigger problem.”

9. Rethink the treats you feed.

When Ella, her Norwich Terrier, gained weight even with reduced meals, Straus realized that she had to consider the calories Ella received from training treats. “I fed her cooked chicken breast to counter-condition her shyness around strangers that we met on our walks,” Straus says. “I put treats in a Kong toy when I had to leave her alone to reduce any anxiety she might feel about my leaving, and I used clicker training to improve my communication with Ella. Altogether, those treats were adding up to a lot of calories.”

Fortunately, dogs care more about the number of treats they receive than the size of each treat, so it’s more rewarding for a dog to receive several small treats than one big one. For a dog Ella’s size, Straus switched to really tiny treats. “I now use treats for nose work training, where I need high-value treats. I cut slices of turkey bacon (17.5 calories per slice) into 35 pieces that are just half a calorie each. Zukes Lil’ Links (16 calories each) are cut into 16 pieces, one calorie each. Happy Howie’s beef and turkey rolls have 52-60 calories per ounce and can be cut into small cubes of no more than one calorie each (note the lamb variety is much higher in calories). Slice treats in half or quarters lengthwise before dicing to create lots of small pieces.”

Treats that are high in fat and calories, such as hot dogs and peanut butter, can pack on the pounds. Instead, try raw baby carrots, zucchini slices, other crunchy vegetables, or small slices of apple, banana, or melon. Make your own treats out of low-fat organ meats like heart or liver. Grapes, raisins, and anything containing xylitol (a sugar substitute) should not be used, as they can be toxic to dogs.

Another strategy is to feed some of your dog’s dinner as treats during the day. Just be sure to reduce her meal size accordingly.

10. Find the right edible dog chew.

Dogs love to chew, and if you can find a low-fat, long-lasting chew, it can keep your dog busy, satisfied, and out of caloric trouble. Dried tendons, steer sticks, and similar chews work well unless they’re small enough for the dog to swallow.

If you use rawhide, WDJ recommends high-quality, thick, unbleached (not white) rawhides without added flavorings or smoking, made from one solid piece, and preferably made in the U.S., such as those from Wholesome Hide. See “Finding the Right Rawhide Chew for Your Dog,” WDJ May 2009, for information on healthy rawhide chews.

Fresh, raw bones can also be used for chewing, but Straus adds an important caveat, “Bones, like any hard chew, have the potential to break teeth, particularly in older dogs whose teeth are more brittle. Bones that are too big for dogs to get between their molars and chomp down on, such as knuckles, are less likely to cause problems than marrow bones, which are filled with fat and therefore not a good choice.”

Freelance writer CJ Puotinen is the author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and other books.

10 Dry Dog Food Shopping Tips

By
Nancy Kerns
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1

[Updated January 28, 2019]

How do you select your dog’s food? Do you just buy what your dog’s breeder recommended? Get whatever dog food is on sale? Ask the sales clerk for his opinion? Well, that’s too bad; none of these methods allow for a thorough dog food analysis, or take into account all the factors that should be considered in order to buy and feed the food that best suits your dog and you. There’s a better way! Before you jump into our Whole Dog Journal-Approved Dog Food Lists, here are 10 important points to investigate and contemplate as you shop.

1. Buy the best dog food you can afford.

Good dog food costs a lot more than low-quality dog food because good dog food is made with better-quality ingredients, which cost more than low-quality ingredients.

That said, the most expensive food is not necessarily the best, nor does the price always correlate precisely with a food’s quality. There are lots of low-quality foods that are sold for good-food prices, because some companies spend a ton on marketing and advertising!

There are bad, better, good, and best foods at every price level. You should have an idea of how much you are willing to spend; look for the best foods you can find at the level you can afford.

How can you determine which foods are the good and bad ones at your price point? Read on!

whole dog journal dog food review

If you have more than one dog, don’t forget that you can, and maybe should, feed each of your dogs a different food. Your adolescent Lab-mix might be able to eat practically anything and look like a million bucks, but your arthritic, allergic Border Collie might need a grain-free food with a novel protein in order to keep physically sound and not constantly itching.

To get an idea of what different dog owners feed their dog according to their individual needs, see “Every Dog is Different: Examples of Dog Food Buying Decisions.”

2. Don’t always choose the same dog food, or even dog foods from the same company.

Many companies use the same vitamin/mineral pre-mix in every one of their products. This means that the nutrient levels in all the foods in the company’s product line will likely have very similar nutrient levels. If you feed the same food (or even different foods from the same company) for months or years on end, your dog could develop problems caused by nutritional deficiencies or excesses.

It seems odd, but there is a wide range of nutrient levels allowed in foods that are legally described as “complete and balanced.” (For more information about why this is so, see “2016 Approved Dry Dog Foods: Whole Dog Journal’s Annual Ratings,” in the February 2016 issue.) Some products have levels of some minerals or fat-soluble vitamins that are inadequate or excessive. These imbalances won’t cause problems in a short period of time, but if you never vary your dog’s diet, the deficiencies or excesses compound over time and can cause health problems. Periodically switching your dog’s diet to products from different companies prevents this.

3. Look for the AAFCO statement on your dog food’s label and make sure the food is “complete and balanced” for dogs in your dog’s life stage.

Some foods are formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of adult dogs only. If you are feeding a puppy, a high-performance athlete, a pregnant or nursing female, a dog who needs to gain weight, or a debilitated dog, you should look for a product that is formulated for dogs “of all life stages.” Products labelled with that statement must meet the higher nutrient requirements of puppies and pregnant or nursing mothers.

4. Check the protein and fat levels in the dog food’s Guaranteed Analysis.

The minimum levels of protein and fat that are guaranteed to be present in the food are listed in the “guaranteed analysis” (GA) section on the label. When you switch your dog’s food to a new one, you should be aware of how much protein and fat the old food contained, and how much is present in the new food. If the new food contains a lot more fat than the old food (as just one example), you will probably need to reduce the amount you feed your dog.

5. Look for the “best by” date on the dog food.

In general, you want to buy and feed the freshest food available. If a product is within six or fewer months of its “best by” date, we’d look through the pile for a fresher bag.

6. Save so-called “novel” proteins and exotic carbohydrate sources in store-bought dog foods for dogs who really need them.

There is zero benefit to feeding ostrich or alligator or even rabbit or quail to a dog who easily digests the most common animal proteins used in pet food (such as chicken, beef, lamb, and pork). However, if your dog ever develops an allergy to or intolerance of these common animal proteins, it will be invaluable to be able to employ more exotic animal proteins in an “elimination diet” (in which a protein that the dog has never eaten before is used).

The same principle applies to exotic carb sources. Carbohydrates such as quinoa, chickpeas, peas, and others are showing up in mainstream foods more and more frequently. Avoid them unless you need them for an elimination trial. (For more detail on this topic, see “Food Elimination Trial: A Valuable Tool” in the April 2011 issue.)

7. Look for dog food ingredients that your dog is allergic to or intolerant of.

This is (obviously) so you can avoid feeding a product that will distress your dog.

If you have proven, through your own feeding trials of various products, that your dog reacts badly to certain ingredients, you should be reading the ingredients list of every product you buy, to make sure the problematic ingredient isn’t present in the product. Don’t count on the fact that the ingredient wasn’t present in the last bag of the same product; food manufacturers do change their formulas from time to time.

8. Look for the following; these are good things you want to see on the ingredients list of your dog food:

– Lots of animal protein at the top of the ingredients list. Ingredients in pet food, just like human food, are listed in order of the weight of that ingredient in the formula, so you want to see a named animal protein or named animal protein meal first on the list. (“Named” means the species is identified: chicken, beef, lamb, etc. “Meal” means a dry, rendered product made from an identified species.)

– When a fresh, named meat is first on the ingredient list, there should be a named animal-protein meal immediately or closely following that fresh meat. Fresh meat contains a lot of moisture (which is heavy), so if meat is first on the list, it acts like a diluted protein source; while it adds an appealing flavor and aroma to the food, it doesn’t actually contribute that much protein. That’s why another named source of animal protein should appear in the top three or so ingredients.

– When vegetables, fruits, grains, and or carbohydrate sources such as potatoes, chickpeas, or sweet potatoes are used, they should be whole. Fresh, unprocessed food ingredients contain nutrients in all their complex glory, with their vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants intact. Don’t be too alarmed by one or two “fractions” (a by-product or part of an ingredient, like tomato pomace or oatmeal), especially if they are lower on the ingredient list. But the more fractions present in the food, and the higher they appear on the list, the lower quality the result.

9. Don’t buy dog foods that contain the following ingredients; these are things to look out for:

– Meat by-products, poultry by-products, meat by-product meal, and poultry by-product meal. Many of the animal tissues that are defined as animal by-products are highly nutritious, but they are also considered waste products of the human food industry.

– “Generic” fat sources. “Animal fat” can literally be any mixed fat of animal origin; it need not have originated from slaughtered animals. Meaning, it can be obtained from renderers that process dead animals. “Poultry” fat is not quite as suspect as “animal fat,” but “chicken fat” or “duck fat” is better (and traceable).

– Added sweeteners. Dogs, like humans, enjoy the taste of sweet foods. Sweeteners effectively persuade many dogs to eat foods comprised mainly of grain fragments (and containing less healthy animal protein and fats).

– Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives (such as BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin). The color of the food doesn’t matter to your dog. And it should be flavored well enough with healthy meats and fats to be enticing. Natural preservatives, such as mixed tocopherols, can be used instead.

10. Contact your favorite dog food makers and ask them for the complete nutrient analyses of their products.

It was a shock to learn, not long ago, that pet food companies don’t have to show regulators (or anyone else) any sort of proof that their foods contain all the nutrients that dogs need. Instead, they fill out and sign an affidavit stating that “This product meets the nutrient levels established in the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for (growth/reproduction, maintenance, or all life stages).”

In our opinion, since pet food companies make food that’s meant to provide 100 percent of the nutrients dogs need, they ought to be able to show some proof that their finished products do, in fact, contain the nutrients, in appropriate amounts, that they are supposed to, so we have begun asking companies to provide us with these analyses.

Some companies readily provided us with that information, and we have designated their products in bold under the Nutrient Analyses column in our list. Good job! Others provided us with computer-generated analyses of the nutrient levels that are expected in their finished foods. That’s something, but a little less than proof positive that those nutrient levels are, in fact, in line with the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles. Those companies appear on our approved foods list, but without a bolded designation.

Companies who provided us with no documentation regarding the nutrient levels in their products have been omitted from our approved foods list.

For more information about why consumers should demand to see proof that their dogs’ food truly is “complete and balanced,” see “Ask For More,” in the October 2016 issue.

List of Approved Dog Foods

Here is a link to our lists of approved foods, where you can see our 2018 list! Please note that these are not the only foods on the market that meet our selection criteria. There may be other foods available to you that we are not familiar with. Read the label; if it meets the criteria we’ve outlined above, and it fits your budget and suits your dog, great! We suggest that you contact the company and ask for the complete nutrient analysis for your dog’s food, so you can compare it to the standards for “complete and balanced” canine diets. Then you can make an intelligent, informed decision to buy or not buy the food, based on their response.

Our approved foods for 2017:

2017 Whole Dog Journal Approved Dry Dog Food List

Every Dog is Different: Examples of Dog Food Buying Decisions

By
Nancy Kerns
-
3

[Updated January 28, 2019]

Our primary goal with food reviews is to help make you aware of the many characteristics of dog food that can affect your dog – to use an industry term, how well the food will “perform” for your dog. His specific needs, and your needs, should dictate what foods you select. What would be the point of us identifying the 10 foods we think are “best” if you can’t afford most of them, your dog can’t tolerate some of them, and the rest contain far too much fat for your dog?

The companies that appear on our “Approved Foods” list offer products that meet our basic selection criteria: they contain good ingredients, they don’t contain any “red flag” ingredients, and their makers are reasonably transparent about their manufacturing and formulation. This list is a start – meant to give you examples of companies with better-quality products than those found in grocery and big-box stores, and lower-end pet supply stores. The list purposely contains products that range in quality and cost, from “wildly expensive” to “not cheap.” Inexpensive foods will not meet our selection criteria, because it’s impossible to make a low-cost food that contains superior ingredients.

We’d love for you to take our selection criteria into account as a starting place – only that, though, because there are a lot of other factors that people take into consideration when buying food for their dogs, and everyone will weigh these factors differently, depending on their individual needs and beliefs. If we made up a pie chart illustrating the weight of these factors, each dog owner’s “important food buying factors” chart would be different, and each would be valid. So to help you further understand what we mean, we did create some pie charts!

Looking for more info on buying the best kibble for your dog? Read “10 Dry Dog Food Shopping Tips,” and then check out Whole Dog Journal‘s Approved Dry Dog Foods!

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Dog Food In Stores

Cost – How much can you afford? How many dogs do you have? What size dogs?

Availability – Do you shop locally only, or are you willing to drive some distance? Is the food you like available online?

Ingredient factors – Are you considering only those foods with grain, or grain-free? Are there ingredients your dog can’t handle because of allergies or intolerance? Does your dog need a “novel” protein or carb source?

Nutritional factors – Are you looking for a food that has a specific amount of protein, fat, and/or certain “added-benefit” nutrients (such as glucosamine, DHA, omega-3 fatty acids, etc.)?

Performance – Your dog likes it and does well on it, with good coat, stool, and energy; and no itching or excessive gas.

Marketing – Did the company win your over with persuasive advertising, or a particularly attractive label?

Company transparency – If you call the company, does a human answer the phone? Can you be immediately connected with a knowledgeable customer service representative? Can the company readily provide you with nutritional analyses of its products? Does the company readily disclose its manufacturing sites and ingredient sources?

Company reputation – People have different levels of comfort regarding past offenses. Are you comfortable knowing that the company that makes your dog’s food had a recall last year? What if it had a recall five years ago? What if there have been no recalls, but you hear persistent rumors of company misdeeds? Taking this from another angle, some people distrust the largest companies, the corporate behemoths; others have greater concerns about small, “seat of the pants” companies owned by individuals with eclectic backgrounds.

buying dog food

WDJ Editor Nancy Kerns

“I have two large dogs, and, frequently, a litter of foster puppies, so cost matters; I can’t afford to feed all of them the most expensive food. I look for foods that have higher than average levels of protein and fat. My dogs’ response to the food is critical; if it makes them gassy or develop diarrhea, I won’t buy it again. The company’s transparency is important to me; a company is out of my consideration if I call them with a question and there are no humans answering the phone, no customer service representive is available to answer my question, or the representative can’t or won’t provide the information I ask for.”

buying dog food

Owner of two West Highland White Terriers; had a dog die of suspected melamine poisoning in 2007

“The company’s reputation and transparency are most important to me. I won’t buy food from a company who has ever had a product recalled or has been involved in a lawsuit. My dogs are small and don’t eat much, so as long as they do well on the food, I will buy it, no matter how much it costs. They don’t like foods with fish or lamb in them – and I have to make sure the food doesn’t contain too much copper, because Westies are prone to copper toxicosis.”

buying dog food

Owner of five Labrador Retrievers, lives 45 miles from closest place to buy food

“With so many big dogs, cost is an important factor. If I can’t buy the food in my town, forget it; it’s not worth the hassle. Of course, the food has to suit my dogs; I hunt with them, and they need to stay healthy, energetic, and at a good weight, even in the harshest winter.”

2017 Whole Dog Journal Approved Dry Dog Food List

By
Nancy Kerns
-
1

The dry dog foods included on Whole Dog Journal‘s 2017 Approved Dog Food list contain high-quality proteins and many contain whole, unprocessed grains and vegetables. Always ensure that the dry dog food you buy includes whole, fresh meats or single-source meat meal (“chicken meal” or “beef meal.”) Avoid dog foods that use vague wording on the ingredients list, such as “poultry meal” or “meat meal.” Any label that simply says “meat” should be disqualified as a low-quality source of protein.

This year, we asked companies directly to provide nutrient analyses of their foods from a lab. The vast majority of pet food companies use computer analyses to test their products, but this often returns inaccurate or inconsistent results. Although some foods on the 2017 Approved Dog Food list do use computer analyses instead of sending tests to a lab, we’ve favored those pet food companies who’ve provided lab results by highlighting them in the Nutrient Analyses column.

Please note that these are not the only foods on the market that meet our selection criteria! There may be other foods available to you that we are not familiar with. Read the label; if it meets the criteria we’ve outlined in “10 Dry Dog Food Shopping Tips“, and it fits your budget and suits your dog, great! We suggest that you contact the company and ask for the complete nutrient analysis for your dog’s food, so you can compare it to the standards for “complete and balanced” canine diets. Then you can make an intelligent, informed decision to buy or not buy the food, based on their response.

So without further ado, Whole Dog Journal presents our 2017 List of Approved Dry Dog Foods!

dogs in the pet food aisle

COMPANY SELF MFG. OR CO-PACK? NUTRIENT ANALYSES # of VARIETIES MEAT OR MEAL? PROTEIN & FAT RANGES RECALLS PRICE NOTES

ACANA
Champion Pet Foods
Morinville, Alberta
(877) 939-0006  

 Self, in Canada and Kentucky   Provided lab results Acana Heritage: 4 Both 33%; 17% No $2-3/lb.   

– Acana Classics varieties contain 55-65% meat; Acana Regionals contain 60% meat; Acana Singles contain 50% single-source animal protein

– Only a single supplement is added to Acana Singles: zinc. They are complete and balanced without a vitamin/mineral premix
Acana Regionals: 4 grain-free  Both  33%; 17% 
Acana Singles: 4  Both  27%; 17% 

ADDICTION
Kent, WA
(425) 251-0330

 Self, in New Zealand Provided lab results  6 grain-free  Meal; kangaroo variety made with dried meat  22%-26%; 11%-14%  No  >$4/lb. 

– Varieties include lamb, pork, venison, kangaroo, and two salmon foods.

– Foreign manufacturing
ANNAMAET
Telford, PA
(888) 723-0367 		 Co-packed in Ohio and New York  Provided lab results  11; 5 grain-free  Most use meal only, 2 use both  24%-33%; 7%-20% No  $2-$3/lb. 

– Company claims no ingredients from China are used, not even any vitamins or minerals 

AVODERM
Central Garden & Pet
Walnut Creek, CA
(866) 500-6286

 Self, in California Provided lab results  21; 4 grain-free  Most with meals; 7 use both  20%-30%; 8%-16%  Yes; salmonella in 2012  $1-2/lb. 

– Complete nutrient analyses are on the websites for all AvoDerm varieties

– Three of AvoDerm’s varieties are baked, not extruded; all contain avocado

BENCH & FIELD
Grand Rapids, MI
(800) 525-4802

 Co-packed in Wisconsin Provided lab results 1  Meals  24%; 15%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Only one variety is offered

– Sold direct and in Trader Joe’s stores

BOREAL
Beamsville, ON
(800) 253-8128

 Co-packed in Ontario   Provided computer analyses    Original: 4, 3 grain-free Both 28%-29%; 15%-18% No
  		 $3-4/lb.   

– Made in Canada, available only in Canada

– All foods made with low-carb formulas, “low glycemic” ingredients
Proper: 3  Both 24%-27%; 14%-15% 
Vital: 2  Both 26%-27%; 14%-15% 

BLACKWOOD
BrightPet Nutrition Group
Lisbon, OH
(888) 843-1738

 Co-packed in Ohio Provided lab results 14; 3 grain-free  Meal  23%-33%; 9%-23%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– All formulas include omega-3 and -6 levels in GA. Some also include prebiotic and probiotic levels in GA

– Blackwood is a “house brand” for BrightPet Nutrition Group

– One formula (ExPro) uses porcine plasma (not our fave protein booster)

CARNA4
Toronto, Ontario
(855) 422-7624

 Co-packed in Quebec Provided lab results 2; 1 grain-free  Meat  28%-29%; 15%-17%  No  >$6/lb. 

– Food is baked

– No vitamins or minerals are included; “complete and balanced” from its food ingredients alone

CASTOR & POLLUX
Merrick Pet Care (Nestle Purina)
Amarillo, TX
(800) 875-7518

 Self in Texas and Kansas  Provided lab results Organix: 9; 5 grain-free Both 26%-32%; 11%-14%  No $1-2/lb.

– Organix contains mostly (not all) organic ingredients, including organic chicken

– One new grain-free Organix formula contains cubes of freeze-dried fish; new grain-free Ultramix formula contains cubes of freeze-dried beef
Ultramix: 6; 4 grain-free  Both  25%-38%; 12%-17% 

CHICKEN SOUP
Cos Cob, CT
(800) 658-0624

 Co-pack in Kansas Provided lab results 11; 4 grain-free  Both  21%-30%; 6%-18%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Formerly licensed by Diamond, the brand is now independent and restored to the “Chicken Soup” rights-holder

DR. GARY’S BEST BREED
Findlay, OH
(800) 500-5999 

 Co-packed in Ohio  Provided lab results 15; 2 grain-free  Meals  21%-32%; 7%-22%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Company claims products are GMO-free

– Product line includes 6 specific breed foods

 DR. TIM’S PET FOOD
Marquette, MI
(906) 249-8486

 Co-packed in Nebraska Provided lab results 15; 2 grain-free  Meals  21%-32%; 7%-22%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Company says all foods are low-ash, with high levels of quality fats a priority

– All formulas contain porcine plasma (not our fave) as a protein source, but fairly low – 13th on the ingredients list

EAGLE PACK
WellPet
Tewksbury, MA
(800) 225-0904

 Self in Indiana Provided lab results 9  Meals  23%-30%; 6%-19%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Most of these foods contain moderate levels of protein and fat; one has reduced fat; one is high-fat and high-protein
 EARTHBORN HOLISTIC
Midwestern Pet Food
Evansville, IN
(800) 474-4163 x450		 Self in Indiana  Computer analyses  10; 6 grain-free  Meal  22%-38%; 7%-20% No  $1.70-$2/lb.

– Each product contains animal protein from 2-3 species

– Family-owned company 

EVANGER’S
Wheeling, IL
(847) 537-0102

 Co-packed in Texas Provided lab results 5; 3 grain-free  Both  24%-33%; 12%-16%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Three formulas are chicken-free, for those looking for an alternative to this common ingredient

FARMINA
(N&D)
Colts Neck, NJ
(732) 850-3693

 Self in Italy  Computer analyses   N&D Low Ancestral Grain: 17 Grain-free: 24  Fresh & dehydrated meats  27%-35%; 11%-22% No  $2-3/lb. 

– “Ancestral Grain” line uses organic spelt and oats

– Grain-free line are high-protein, moderate fat foods
30%-42%; 18%-22% 

FROMM FAMILY FOODS
Mequon, WI
(800) 325-6331

 Self in Wisconsin Computer analyses Four-Star Line: 12; 7 grain-free  Both  23%-30%; 11%-19%  No  $2-3/lb. 

– Wide variety of protein sources and grain/ grain-free options.

– Family owned company that makes its own foods.
Gold Line: 12 23%-27%; 10%-18% $1-2/lb.
Classics: 2 21%-23%; 11%-15% $1-2/lb.

 

GRANDMA MAE’S
New York, NY
(888) 653-8021

 

 Co-pack in New York Provided lab results 10; 5 grain-free  6 have both; 4 have meals only  23%-30%; 7%-15% No  $1-2/lb. 

– Sold only in independent stores in the midwest

– Senior variety includes dried chicken liver; a maximum of fat is also guaranteed in this variety

HALO
Tampa, FL
(800) 426-4256

 Co-pack (company does not disclose location) Provided lab results 14; 5 grain-free  Meats only except vegan variety  20%-30%; 10%-20%  No  $2-3/lb. 

– All varieties (except vegan one) contain fresh meat and eggs

– Vegan variety only for dogs with allergies to multiple animal proteins

HOLISTIC SELECT
WellPet
Tewksbury, MA
(800) 225-0904

 Self in Indiana Provided lab results 15; 3 grain-free  Meals except 2 grain-free varieties use both  21%-32%; 7%-20%  No  $2-3/lb. 

– Holistic Select line has “digestive health support” features

IAMS HEALTHY NATURALS
Mars, Inc.
Dayton, OH
(800) 675-3849

 Self (company does not disclose location) Provided computer analyses  6; 1 grain-free  Both  20%-25%; 10%-14%  Yes, salmonella in 2013  <$1-1/lb. 

– One of the 6 foods in this line do NOT meet our selection criteria; the “Ocean Fish & Rice” variety contains “animal fat”

– A named meat appears first on 4 of the 5 remaining products; chicken is second to sorghum in the “Weight Management” variety

LIFE’S ABUNDANCE
Jupiter, FL
(877) 387-4564

 Co-packed in Ohio Provided lab results 5; 1 grain-free  Both  25%-30%; 11%-19%  No  $2-3/lb.   

LOTUS PET FOODS
Torrance, CA
(888) 995-6887

 Co-packed in Quebec  Provided computer analyses  6; 3 grain-free 3 both; 3 meat  18%-27%; 8%-14%  No  $2-4/lb.   

MERRICK
(Nestle Purina)
Amarillo, TX
(800) 664-7387

 Self in Texas Provided lab results 16; all grain-free  Both  30%-38%; 8%-17%  No  $2-3/lb. 

– Merrick line is 60% animal proteins, 70% in the grain-free varieties

– Merrick Pet Care was sold to Nestlé Purina in 2015

NATURE’S SELECT
Anaheim, CA
(714) 993-5500

 Co-packed in Texas Provided lab results 7; 1 grain-free All but 1 use meals; 1 uses both 22%-33%; 10%-17% No $2-3/lb.

– Company angle: delivered direct to you, super fresh

– Availability limited to areas with local distributors; free delivery

NATURE’S VARIETY
St. Louis, MO
(888) 519-7387

 Co-packed in Kansas and Nebraska   Provided lab results    Instinct: 5 grain-free Both 33%-38%; 18%-20%  No    $2-3/lb.

– Instinct line includes 4 “limited ingredient” foods and 2 “healthy weight” foods, which also contain freeze-dried meat

– Prairie line contains whole grains; protein and fat levels are more moderate than Instinct line
Instinct with Raw Boost: 12 grain-free  Meal, meat and freeze-dried meat  32%-38%; 10%-20%  $2-3/lb. 
Prairie: 4  2 use both; 2 use meal  23%-27%; 14%  $1-2/lb. 

NUTRAM
Elmira, ON
(844) 234-2464

 Self in Ohio Provided lab results 14; 5 grain-free  Both  22%-36%; 12%-17%  No  ? 

– Sold in Canada; supposedly sold in U.S., too, but we couldn’t find a location

ORIJEN
Champion Petfoods
Morinville, Alberta
(877) 939-0006

 Self in Canada Provided lab results 7 grain-free  Both  38%; 15%-20%  No  $3-4/lb. 

– Orijen varieties contain 80% meat

– Champion built a new manufacturing facility in Kentucky; food sold in U.S. is made here, food made in Canada is sold there

PARTY ANIMAL
West Hollywood, CA
(855) 727-8926

 Co-packed (does not disclose location) Provided computer models  1  Both  23%; 14%  No  $2-3/lb. 

– Only one variety offered: Organic chicken (with chicken meal), and several whole organic grains

PET CHEF EXPRESS
New Westminister, BC
(604) 916-2433

 Co-packed in British Columbia Provided lab results 1  Meal  25%; 10%  No  ? 

– One variety offered: Salmon.

– Home-delivered within British Columbia

PETCUREAN
Chilliwack, BC
(866) 864-6112

 Co-packed in Ontario Provided lab results    Go!: 11; 3 grain-free Both  22%-36%; 12%-18% No    $2-3/lb.

– Go! Fit + Free is grain-free; Sensitivity + Shine and Daily Defense are single-protein foods

– Now Fresh foods contain only fresh meats

– Lower-cost line Summit is available only in Canada

– Gather foods are organic; contain no meals, GMO. Farm-to-bowl approach
Now Fresh: 11 grain-free  Meat only  24%-28%; 10%-18% $3-4/lb. 
Summit: 4  Meal only  21%-28%; 8%-17%  $1-2/lb. 
Gather: 3  Meat and dehydrated meat  22%-30%; 11%-15%  >$6/lb. 

PINNACLE
Central Garden & Pet
Walnut Creek, CA
(866) 500-6286

 Self in California Provided lab results  6 grain-free  Both  27%-42%; 10%-22%  No  $2-3/lb. 

– Complete nutrient analyses are on website

– Pinnacle foods contain only one animal protein per variety

PREMIUM EDGE
Diamond Pet Foods
Meta, MO
(800) 977-8797

 Self in Missouri, California, Arkansas Provided lab results  6  Both  20%-44%; 8%-15%  Yes, salmonella in 2012  $1-2/lb. 

– Fresh meat is included in each formula. 

PROFESSIONAL+
Diamond Pet Foods
Meta, MO
(800) 342-4808

 Self in Missouri, California, Arkansas Provided lab results 4  Both  21%-26%; 10%-15%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Fresh meat is included in each formula. 

SOLID GOLD
El Cajon, CA
(800) 364-4863

 Co-packed (does not disclose location) Provided lab results  9; 2 grain-free  Most contain both; 2 contain meal only  18%-41%; 9%-20%  Yes, salmonella in May 2012  $2-3/lb. 

– Highest protein foods are the two grain-free varieties

SPORT DOG FOOD
Ronkonkoma, NY
(631) 662-2185

 Co-packed in Texas Provided lab results 12; 7 grain-free  Meals  20%-30%; 10%-20%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Many are single-protein, limited ingredient foods

– Company angle: direct shipped to you

TASTE OF THE WILD
Diamond Pet Foods
Meta, MO
(800) 977-8797

 Self in Missouri, California, Arkansas Provided lab results 9; 3 grain-free  Both  25%-32%; 15%-18%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Taste of the Wild grain-free foods each contain multiple protein sources

TUSCAN NATURAL
Pyramid Pet Products
Las Vegas, NV
(888) 408-0895

 Co-packed in Kansas Provided lab results  5; 1 grain-free  3 with meals; 2 with both  21%-35%; 11%-20%  No  >$3/lb. 

– “Simply Pure” varieties are limited-ingredient

– Grain-free varieties are high-protein, hight-fat

VERUS PET FOODS
Abingdon, MD
(888) 828-3787

 Co-packed in New York Provided lab results 8  Meals except for 3 new varieties with both  17%-26%; 8%-16% No  $2-3/lb. 

– VeRUS says it uses an exclusive 100% guaranteed non-China-sourced vitamin/mineral mix in its foods

WHOLE EARTH FARMS
Merrick Pet Care (Nestle Purina)
Amarillo, TX
(800) 323-3353

 Self in Texas Provided lab results 7; 6 grain-free  Both  24%-26%; 8%-13%  No  $1-2/lb. 

– Whole Earth is Merrick’s economy line

 

WELLNESS
WellPet
Tewksbury, MA
(800) 225-0904

 

 

Self, in Indiana. TruFood is co-packed in Quebec. Core Air Dried is co-packed in Utah.

   

 Provided lab results Complete Health: 20; 6 grain-free  Both  22%-32%; 10%-18%  Salmonella in May 2012 $1-2/lb.

– Complete Health has sub-lines of foods for toy, small and large breeds, as well as food for puppies and seniors

– Core foods are all grain-free and high in protein, with moderate fat levels

– Simple foods are limited-ingredient diets with a single animal protein in each

 

 
Core: 7 grain-free Both 33%-36%; 10%-18% No $2-3/lb.
Simple: 6; 4 grain-free  Both except for one with meat only  21%-29%; 8%-14%  No  $2-3/lb. 
TruFood: 5; 2 grain-free  Both   29%-36%; 15%-17% No  $3->$4/lb. 
ZIGNATURE
Pets Global
Valencia, CA
(888) 325-7207		 Co-packed in Minnesota Provided lab results 9; all grain-free Both  26%-32%; 14%-18%  No $1.50-$3/lb. 

– All foods are free of grain, potatoes, and chicken. (Yes, chicken. The company provides alternatives to this very common ingredient

Dry Dog Foods Missing from Our Approved Foods List

The companies that are listed below have products that meet our selection criteria based on their ingredients, and each has appeared on our “approved foods” list in the past. This year, when we asked for lab analyses of their products, they either declined, didn’t respond, or asked for more time.

A few companies responded with something close to what we wanted. Rather than sending us laboratory test results, they sent us the projections of their products’ nutritional content. Virtually every pet food today is formulated with computer software that, given the particulars of the recipe and the ingredient sources, can predict the nutrient values of the finished product. But there are a number of things that can cause the nutrient levels in the food to depart significantly from what was expected. So, we’ve allowed these computer models for now, but have noted in the list of “Approved Foods” which companies provided us with what we asked for – complete lab analyses of their dog foods.

In the course of collecting this information, we’ve been told a number of times that these analyses represent a significant financial burden to produce, especially for a small company. Our response is, “You are in the business of making and selling a product that dogs will depend on for their very well-being, and you don’t have one lab test result that confirms the diet does actually contain all the nutrients, in appropriate amounts, that dogs are known to require?”

Besides the cost, we can’t think of any good reasons that a pet food company wouldn’t test its products to ensure they contain the nutrients they are supposed to, in the proper amounts. One would imagine this was done at least once, when each formula was finalized; one would hope that another test is run any time a formula is significantly changed, or the company moves its production to another manufacturer, or has a new supplier of major ingredient/s.

If these companies were producing treats, we probably wouldn’t care that they couldn’t or wouldn’t provide us (and consumers) with nutritional analyses of their products. But their products are labeled, sold, and fed as “complete and balanced” diets for dogs. For many (most?) dogs, dry food is the sole source of their nutrition. What if it turned out that the food you feed your dog doesn’t actually contain all the amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals that he or she requires for optimum health?

Missing from the approved dog foods list:

Artemis
Azmira
Back to Basics (discontinued)
Bake to Nature
Blue Buffalo
ByNature
California Natural
Canidae
Canine Caviar
Dogswell
Dr. E’s Limited Ingredient
Drs. Foster & Smith
Earthborn Holistic
Evo
Firstmate
Great Life (discontinued)
Health Extension
Hi-Tek Naturals
Horizon
Kasik’s
Leonard Powell Signature
Life-4K9
Natural Balance
Natural Planet
Newman’s Own
Nutrisource
Nutro Ultra
Pioneer Naturals
Petguard
PureVita
SmartPak
Spring Naturals (discontinued)
Precise
Viand
Zignature

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Informing? Or Selling?

Nancy Kerns 4
A couple of days ago, I received a text from a dog-training client, wondering about a video she had just watched—and which she linked in the text. “Is meat meal bad for dogs?” she asked. She followed that message with, “I get that she’s selling her own pet food, but is it (meat meal) that bad?”
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