Some dogs think going to the groomer is great fun! Others do not. If your dog is in the latter category, consider time and training whenever possible instead of sedation.
In some cases, a dog may need to be sedated for grooming. For example, if you have a new rescue dog who is badly matted, sedation may be the kindest way to get him shaved and nails trimmed. Beyond that, though, some questions need to be asked and training seriously considered before allowing sedation.
Acepromazine for Dogs
Acepromazine is a commonly used drug for dog sedation, but it is not a good choice. It has no effect on pain and does not reduce anxiety—all it does is keep your dog somewhat immobile—not the best way to get a dog accustomed to being groomed. Acepromazine is also on the list of drugs to use with extreme caution in dogs with the MDR1 genetic defect.
Acepromazine can lower blood pressure and interacts with a variety of gastrointestinal medications and flea and tick treatments. Acepromazine is not reversible, and some dogs take a long time to completely come out of its sedative influence.
Veterinarians are more likely to reach for trazodone, which is a human medication used for depression. It also has some interactions and side effects, of course, but your veterinarian will guide you. If your dog truly needs full sedation for grooming, you need to find a safe option.
OTC Dog Sedative for Grooming
If your dog doesn’t really need full sedation but just the excitable “edge” taken off, you might want to try some over-the-counter options. Many herbal and oil combos can mellow a dog, such as Canine Calm, which is an essential oil mix that can help your dog to view grooming more positively.
Hemp bites and chews may help your dog through the stress of grooming, but before you buy any, ask your veterinarian for reputable sources as some brands are not consistent from batch to batch.
Dog pheromones help settle some dogs. Try an Adaptil collar, bandana with spray, or find out if they have a diffuser in the grooming salon.
With any of these OTC options, you need to experiment to see how long it takes your dog to respond to the products. Not all dogs are affected the same way.
Skip Sedation for Nail Trimming
Nail trimming is over so quickly that sedating your dog is basically overkill. The OTC options may work, but the best way to handle nail trimming for a phobic dog is to use time, patience, and baby steps.
First, handle your dog’s toes and feet while providing treats until he doesn’t pay any attention to that. You can add in snapping the clippers so your dog can hear them, also while feeding a couple of great treats. You may need to repeat this for several days before moving beyond this step.
Once he seems to think “treat” instead of “scary noise,” gradually bring the clippers closer until you can clip a small portion of one nail. You may end up trimming one nail a day eventually, but that is still progress.
Some dogs are OK for a regular nail clipper and others prefer a Dremel nail grinding tool. (Careful! Don’t care tangled up in them!) Experiment to see what’s best for your dog.
Don’t dismiss the idea of a muzzle. If your dog has been trained to accept a muzzle, many dogs calm down as soon as it is put on. Again, this requires effort by you ahead of time.
Choose Your Groomer Wisely
Find a groomer willing to work with you and your timid dog, but you should also be prepared to pay extra. Schedule your dog when he is the only one at the salon. Less activity means less stress. Only do as much as your dog is ready to handle, so you may need a bunch of 15-minute appointments. Your dog might be better with you there to hold his paw, or he might be better behaved and less stressed if you’re not there. This is especially true if YOU are stressed.
Tired of being pulled by your sled-dog around the block? Start fresh and build a new, loose-leash pattern with a long line in a big park. Credit: Kathy Callahan
There are lots of tools out there designed to solve your dog problems, but you know what might be your best bet? A no-frills, inexpensive, 20-foot lead.
This least sexy of all tools addresses the three most common frustrations we trainers hear about from dog owners: leash-pulling, reactivity, and a refusal to come when called. The trick, of course, is learning how to use that extra length to teach the good stuff.
Learning Not to Pull
The ever-changing outdoor environment is wildly exciting for our dogs. Alas, when they enthusiastically zigzag after every scent, bike, or friend, they yank us along with them. Caught without a plan, we end up pulling right back. Very quickly, a pattern becomes ingrained: walks consist of a constantly taut leash, and conflict.
To break free, start fresh! Head to a new spot, with a different approach. Ditch the 6-footer and grab a long line, which is essentially a longer, thinner, lighter leash. This beautifully simple device can allow you and your dog the graceful distance to begin learning how to move through the world together in sync, without constant two-way tugging. (I don’t use retractables for many reasons, including the fact that it teaches a dog that constant leash pressure is normal.)
The combination of a long line and a big park helps anxious and reactive dogs to gather the data they need to feel more comfortable in this world. They have the agency to sniff at their own pace and observe others at what feels like a safe distance. Credit: Kathy Callahan
Give it a try. Take a 20-foot lead, grab a pouch full of terrific treats, and head to a big park at a time that’s not too busy so that you’ve got some room. As soon as you get out of the car, reward your dog for some things that are easy for her to do even amid distraction. (It’s okay if that’s just “find it” as you keep tossing a treat right in front of her!) Now she knows you have the stuff she loves best— dried liver? tiny bits of cheddar?—on board.
Next, let your dog follow her nose, perhaps encouraging her to the edges of the wilder-looking areas where animal smells will naturally slow her down. The beautiful thing here is that she can enjoy her sniffari—scenting back and forth, leaping forward, then lingering—without pulling that very long leash taut. If you tried to do this with a six-footer you might already be in conflict, and annoyed.
Now, here’s the big moment that will be the cornerstone of your future loose-leash walks around the block: After at first being too absorbed in her surroundings to check in with you, your dog is finally going to look in your direction. The very second she does, reward her! Give a happy “yes!” and a taste of the very best you have, maybe the salmon-flavored Bark Pouch.
It is so very easy to miss this incredible moment! Don’t. Train yourself to watch for and reward every single voluntary check-in: the head swivel in your direction, the quick moment of eye contact, the move closer to you, the circle back to hang next to you. Remember, you’re not asking for or cueing this engagement, you’re waiting for her to offer it. That’s the dynamic we want to set up for the future! We don’t want you to have to constantly ask for her to move with you through the world—we want her to choose it. This simple, beautiful activity teaches just that.
Once you’ve been rewarding simple check-ins for a while, and she’s choosing to hang out near you, the next stage is to offer an easy “find it” as you walk along. Is she sticking with you even though she’s got 20 feet of freedom? Now you know she’s in a perfect state to learn that it feels great to engage with you on leash. You can start asking for whatever she does easily at home—maybe that’s just sits and touches, or maybe it’s downs and stays. Maybe you’re going fast, slow, fast, slow, encouraging her as she matches your pace. At this early stage, there are treats galore as you work to instill a deep sense that hanging close to you is the most rewarding choice no matter the environment. That understanding is the prize, and it’s what will eventually allow you and your dog ready to walk in sync on a 6-foot leash around your own block.
Build a Great Recall
A long line is also an incredible tool for teaching a terrific recall. Perhaps your dog is happy enough to come when you call him at home, but the second you’re anyplace more interesting—forget it! That’s a typical stage in recall training, and many people stall out there.
Enter the long line. Start with exactly the scenario outlined in the previous section: 20-footer, great treats, big park, and a sniffari. Wait for those voluntary check-ins, and reward a few. Now we’re ready to teach a great recall.
A high-value treat at this key moment—when she has opted on her own to circle back even though she was 20 feet away exploring—teaches this dog that it’s always a great idea to check in. That’s the first step to a great recall. Credit: Kathy Callahan
Here’s the crazy-sounding key to training your dog to respond to the cue “Come!”: Don’t call him until he is already coming to you! If, in the beginning stages of training, you call him when he’s completely engaged in a scent, or staring at a bird, the odds are low that he’ll respond. If you do that over and over, the word “come” will become background noise that is, if anything, just annoying. Instead, wait for an obvious win for you both. When he finishes sniffing a particular plant, turns to you and begins to meander over, cheerily start calling him, and then reward with something terrific.
Here’s the important next step: then encourage him to go off and have more fun. So often, dogs don’t hear “come” until the end of the adventure, right before they have to get in the car and go home. An enormous part of successful recall training is making sure that negative link does not get established. Right after you reward that “come,” follow up with “Let’s go sniff some more!”
Then . . . repeat, and repeat. Spend a lovely hour at the park, marking and rewarding engagement, calling your dog as she is already coming. Now it’s going to be really sinking in that engaging with you is like winning the jackpot.
If you’re like the rest of us, you’ll now be tempted to push it. You see your dog at the end of the long line, staring at another dog across the park, and you want to call her, just to see if it worked and you now have a great recall. I know it’s tough to resist, but I promise that the tortoise really does win the race. Don’t call a dog who is having a great time doing something else until way, way down the line in your training. Great dog training is like watching paint dry, folks. It’s really boring—but then at some point the result is actually beautiful.
You can definitely build on your recall training by doing all of this off leash in your own yard, but the benefit of the long line is that it mimics the situations where you’re really going to want that recall. If your dog is used to being pretty far from you in an interesting new place and still coming when called, that’s a big win.
Decreasing Reactivity through Observation
One of the things I most like “prescribing” to a client who’s upset about her dog’s reactivity is to go hang out in a park with a long line. It’s easy, it’s relaxing, and it helps—sometimes dramatically.
It’s jarring when your dog who’s so sweet at home turns into Cujo on a walk, barking and lunging at dogs, people, cars, bikes, or whatever else. It’s easy to interpret that response as angry aggression. But very often it’s fear, based on lack of familiarity: “I don’t know what the heck that is but it’s probably a threat and I’d better make sure it doesn’t get closer!”
It’s time for—I know you know the answer by now, so say it with me—a long line and a big park! Why? Because our dogs can’t read books or browse the internet. The only parts of the world they can learn about are the teeny tiny slivers we show them. So of course many dogs are anxious and bark out their big feelings when they head outside of their home cocoons and see new things that are fast, loud, looming and unpredictable.
Dogs need to gather data to feel better about their world, and a long line in a park is a terrific, safe-feeling way to do that. Distance is the worried dog’s best friend, and he needs you to arrange it for him. Ponder the best spot and the best time. Get out of the car only after making sure the coast is clear. Maybe that sounds like a lot of work, but surprises are the enemy of feeling safe. Just because you know that little barking leashed chihuahua isn’t a threat doesn’t mean your dog knows that!
Here’s how we teach him. Let him first catch sight of that chihuahua from a long distance. Let him watch. Let him process what he sees, hears, smells. If he’s barking or lunging, he needs more distance. Back up until he can observe calmly. Then just sit together and gather data. (You don’t need a long line to do this part, but it can help establish a sense of his having agency during this experience.)
After a while, your dog will realize that the Chihuahua is not a threat and turn to you. That’s a huge moment. He’s just come to a conclusion: “Hey, that thing over there is no big deal. It won’t affect us.” Offer a treat. Offer some easy cues (sit, touch). If he’s stealing glances at the chihuahua and then back to you, he might need a bit more time to observe. If not, he’s ready to move on until there’s something else he needs to learn about. Kids playing basketball? A group of folks on a picnic? Another dog playing frisbee? Get yourself to a distance that feels safe to your dog and let him watch until he doesn’t need to anymore.
A lot of the very best dog training looks like doing nothing! If I made a video of one of these sessions, it would seem like not much is happening.
Untrue. An enormous shift is occurring. A dog is beginning to feel safe in his world. Let’s give him the distance and time he needs to fully absorb that lesson.
Symptoms of canine dysfunctional behavior can include obsessive compulsive behaviors, inappropriate responses to situations or stimuli, and poor communication skills. Credit: Jena Ardell | Getty Images
Does your dog exhibit autism-like behavior? I have had several clients ask me if their dog could have autism and whether this could explain their dog’s behavior. In humans, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in two core areas from early in a child’s development. These include socio-communication (e.g. poor communication and social skills, impaired emotional connection) and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior (e.g. stereotypic movement, fixated interests and insistence on rigid routines). In dogs, these behaviors are more commonly known as canine dysfunctional behavior.
What is Canine Dysfunctional Behavior?
Canine dysfunctional behavior is an idiopathic condition, meaning that we don’t yet know what definitively causes it. It is believed that dogs with canine dysfunctional behavior are deficient in mirror neurons, which are believed to be important for helping dogs and puppies “mirror” other dogs’ behaviors when socializing. Canine dysfunctional behavior is currently poorly understood but is thought to mimic a number of autism-like behaviors in humans. Indeed, researchers have identified dogs as a model for many human neuropsychiatric conditions, including ASD due to the similarities in symptoms.
Symptoms of Canine Dysfunctional Behavior
Although a definitive list of symptoms of canine dysfunctional behavior is currently lacking, there are a number of common symptoms that are believed to indicate canine dysfunctional behavior. These include:
Obsessive compulsive behaviors
These include repetitive or stereotypical movement or actions such as tail chasing, circling, fly snapping, excessive licking or chewing, or pacing in the yard along a well-worn path. Obsessive compulsive behaviors interfere with normal function and can negatively impact wellbeing and welfare.
Inappropriate responses to situations or stimuli
A dog with canine dysfunctional behavior may overreact in response to stimuli or situations considered quite normal for a dog. For example, they may yelp in response to gentle touch, over-react to sudden noises, or shut down and retreat from unfamiliar environments or situations.
Poor communication
Dogs with canine dysfunctional behavior may be poor at communicating their feelings and emotions with us and other dogs through their behavior and body language. For example, avoiding eye contact.
Trance-like behavior and episodic aggression
Sudden explosive aggression and trance like behavior have been observed in dogs and is believed to be linked to canine dysfunctional behavior.
How Is It Diagnosed?
Canine dysfunctional behavior is difficult to diagnose due to its similarity to several other conditions such as canine compulsive disorder, canine anxiety disorders, and other neurological disorders. Furthermore, canine dysfunctional behavior is not yet well understood. If you believe canine dysfunctional behavior is the cause of your dog’s behavioral issues, it’s best to seek professional help from your veterinarian for a thorough examination and informed diagnosis. This may involve a referral to a veterinary specialist for further investigation.
What Does the Research Say?
Currently, very little research exists investigating canine dysfunctional behavior in dogs. However, the available research has found that some dog behavioral issues such as tail chasing in Bull Terriers may serve as an indication of autism-like behaviors. Tail chasing is a stereotypical behavior closely associated with owner-directed explosive aggression, trancing, social withdrawal, and a persistent obsession with objects (Topál et al., 2019) [1]. Furthermore, dogs that tail chase have been found to cope poorly with stressful situations. Interestingly, male dogs are affected more often than females (Moon-Fanelli et al., 2011 [2]) which is also the case with autism in humans.
In another study, results from a dog owner survey on the social behaviors of Miniature and Standard Poodles indicated autism-like behaviors in individuals of these breeds (Zamzow, et al., 2017 [3]). It has also been found that puppies that react negatively to being touched by a human handler are more likely to be withdrawn from the guide dog training program than more sociable subjects (Asher et al., 2013 [4]). In a study by Protopopova et al. (2014 [5]), dogs that showed a predisposition for stereotypic behaviors differed from the normal population in terms of their cognitive flexibility. The researchers found that they showed increased resistance to extinction in a reversal learning task.
How To Manage Canine Dysfunctional Behavior
There is no known cure for canine dysfunctional behavior. However, identifying your dog’s triggers can be help you manage or avoid the situations that may set your dog off and exacerbate their behavior. It is also important to understand that some aspects of canine dysfunctional behavior may not improve, such as your dog’s social interaction skills, and these dogs are best managed in a way so as to avoid causing distress.
Dogs that have been diagnosed as having canine dysfunctional behavior may benefit from the implementation of a consistent routine including regular exercise and mental stimulation to help minimize stress and anxiety. They may also benefit from behavior modification training to improve their ability to cope with triggering stimuli or situations, and in some cases, your veterinarian may prescribe medications to help reduce anxiety and compulsive behaviors.
Dogs can easily consume a pathogen that causes food poisoning just sniffing along a trail and grabbing something to munch down on.
Credit: Mike Linnane 500px | Getty Images
Food poisoning is an illness caused by food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. It may seem like dogs are immune to food poisoning, as they often eat things that would land us in the hospital, but they are susceptible to many of the same pathogens that impact humans. The difference is that, in a healthy adult dog, a larger pathogen load may be required to induce illness. This makes dogs seem impervious to food poisoning compared to people. It’s a common misconception.
Symptoms of Food Poisoning in Dogs
Symptoms of food poisoning in dogs include:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Bloating
Loss of appetite
Lethargy
Dehydration
Depending on the pathogen consumed, some dogs also may show neurological signs:
However, the bacteria and fungus present in rotting food poses the largest risk for food poisoning. As meat spoils, bacteria such as Salmonella, E. Coli, Listeria, and C. botulinum multiply. These bacteria produce toxins that are harmful to dogs and persist in the spoiled food even if the bacteria are killed.
Because of this, dogs should not eat expired foods or meat, even cooked. Like meat, rotting fruits and vegetables harbor harmful bacteria, but they also provide a perfect substrate for mold growth. Some molds produce mycotoxins, which can cause a variety of symptoms, from gastrointestinal (GI) upset to neurological issues, depending on the type and quantity ingested.
Dead Animals
Dead animals contain dangerous bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can be incredibly harmful to your pet as well. Be sure to keep your four-legged friend away from any dead and decaying items roadside, in the woods, or in the yard.
Feces, which many of our furry companions consider to be a delicacy, contains high levels of potentially harmful bacteria, such as Clostridium and Giardia, but it can also have parasites, such as hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. Regardless of the species of origin, consumption of fecal matter can be the cause of an upset stomach in dogs and should be prevented if possible.
Harmful Foods
Recalled dog food and treats can also cause food poisoning in our pets. Diets may be recalled if they are found to have bacterial contamination, mold, or toxins present. While rare, recalls have occurred for all formats of food and treats, so be sure to keep an eye out for announcements from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Raw and undercooked meat, eggs, and unpasteurized dairy products can also be a source of harmful bacteria. For dogs on a raw diet, food or ingredients should be high-quality and fresh from a reputable source. Proper storage and handling practices are essential to ensure the health and safety of our companions.
Contact Your Veterinarian
If you suspect your dog has food poisoning, practice safety measures when handling and cleaning up after them, as the pathogens making them ill can also cause illness in humans.
Wearing gloves, sanitizing bedding and surfaces, and quarantining your sick pup will minimize the spread to people and other animals in the home. If your dog is showing signs of food poisoning, especially severe symptoms like persistent vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, lethargy, or neurological signs, contact your veterinarian immediately and seek treatment.
Is it an overheated service animal? Or a stressed pet owned by someone who has lied about its training? It’s pretty much impossible to know. Photo by alefeldt, Getty Images.
If you have flown anywhere lately, you are likely aware that there are many dogs flying with their owners these days. Take a stroll down any airline terminal, and you will see a number of dogs strolling on leash with their owners—and quite a few behaving in ways that are quite uncharacteristic of trained service dogs. I’ve seen dogs relieving themselves in airline terminals, barking or growling at other dogs, pulling on their leashes, and panting and showing other signs of stress.
I have chalked all of this up to the fact that so-called Emotional Service Animals (ESAs) were permitted to fly with their owners on airplanes for free, and that more and more people were willing to call their pet dogs an emotional service animal. But I was unaware until recently that in March 2021, after a lengthy public comment period and analysis, the Department of Transportation (DOT) changed the rules in its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) concerning emotional service animals (ESAs) on airplanes. At least when it comes to air travel, ESAs have been reclassified as pets, with no greater rights or privileges on airplanes as any other pets. Today, only service dogs—dogs who have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability—can fly with their owner outside of a pet carrier.
Undoubtedly, some owners who previously claimed that their dogs were emotional service animals are now claiming that their dogs are service dogs, trained to perform specific tasks if they detect their owner is having or about to have a psychiatric challenge or crisis. Owners of a psychiatric service dog must now submit forms to the airline they plan to travel with, attesting to their service animal’s health, behavior, and training.
As daunting as that may sound, a person who just really wants to fly with their reasonably well-behaved dog in the cabin with them will not find it difficult to lie on these forms—though I must mention that the forms state at the top, “It is a Federal crime to make materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements, entries, or representations knowingly and willfully on this form to secure disability accommodations provided under regulations of the United States Department of Transportation.”
I love seeing calm, well trained service dogs in public—and I hate seeing stressed dogs who are clearly being pushed past their comfort zone being dragged through public places. I find it hard to believe that there at genuinely that many people with trained psychiatric service dogs traveling by air, but maybe I am just flat wrong.
What’s your experience with dogs in airports and on airplanes?
Puppies may need to be fed three to four times a day until they are at least 6 months old.
Credit: BusyBee CR | Getty Images
Transitioning a puppy from a milk-based diet to solid foods is an important milestone in a puppy’s growth and development. Understanding when and how to introduce hard food is important as it can influence your puppy’s health, growth, and overall well-being.
Most puppies can start transitioning to solid foods between 3 and 4 weeks of age. At this stage, they are typically ready to start exploring solid foods as their teeth start coming in and they begin to show interest in more than just their mother’s milk. The first introduction to solids is typically soft food mixed with milk replacer and is a very messy ordeal, so be sure they are in a place that can be easily cleaned.
Start with a food that is easy to chew. Some brands offer smaller, softer kibble, or food that is designed to be soaked in water, which can help to ease the transition from a milk to solid diet.
Begin by mixing a small amount of solid food with puppy formula to create a porridge-like consistency. This will help the puppies adjust to the new texture, flavor, and aroma of hard foods. Gradually decrease the amount of liquid and increase the proportion of solid food over the course of a week or two. A slow transition can help prevent digestive upset and allows time for the gastrointestinal tract, and the microbiome of the gut, to adjust to the change in diet.
Puppies are in a state of constant change, which means they may go through growth periods and require more food. Both overfeeding and underfeeding can lead to health issues, so flexibility and adjustments in feeding amount and frequency are important.
Regular veterinary check-ups are important to monitor and ensure proper growth and development; your vet can provide personalized feeding recommendations based on your puppy’s individual needs. Always provide fresh water alongside hard food in a puppy-safe bowl. Proper hydration is crucial for digestion and overall health.
Keep an eye on the puppy’s stool and overall health during the transition. Loose stools or vomiting can indicate the change is too abrupt and you may need to slow down the transition process. If you notice persistent digestive issues, consult your veterinarian. Puppies can decline quickly and may require medical intervention to prevent disastrous outcomes.
By 8 weeks of age, puppies should be fully weaned and completely transitioned to solid food. This is typically when most puppies are also ready to go to their new homes, so most new owners do not have to worry about the messy transition period during weaning. Having a puppy comfortable eating solids is vital for their continued growth and development, so be sure to thank your breeder, fosterer, or shelter for helping to get your new puppy through this important transitionary stage.
If your dog was fine but comes in with a sore leg, you can begin treatment at home by first trying to localize where he is hurt.
Credit: CriDam | Getty Images
Your dogs were out in the yard, and you call them in. One is limping on her front leg. It’s Saturday night, and you’d like to avoid a visit to the emergency clinic. Luckily, the odds are in your favor. Your dog’s pain may be from something simple, like a sprained front paw.
Usually, acute (sudden onset) lameness is a minor problem. Toe injuries on your dog’s paw are especially common.
What to Do for a Sore Dog at Home
Start by calmly examining your dog’s good leg. Yes, the good one. You know that leg doesn’t hurt, which gives you a comparison for when you get to the injured leg. If your dog is not comfortable bearing weight on the injured leg, have her lie down. Once the sound leg is examined, move on to examine the sore leg.
Carefully palpate the leg, gently flexing and extending each joint. A sprained toe or paw usually results in a “yipe” from your dog. A few dogs might snap, so be careful, while a stoic dog may simply change her breathing.
As you go up the leg, feel for warmth and swelling. Remember, you have a good leg to compare to, so use it! Follow the same procedure if it is a back leg that is lame and sore.
If there is a wound, flush that out thoroughly with clean water. Once clean, you can apply some antibiotic ointment (yes, you can use the family’s generic triple antibiotic ointment on your dog). If it is a large wound that might require sutures, won’t stop bleeding, or it is from a wild animal, you need to call your veterinarian. Antibiotics and possibly a rabies booster shot may be in order. Note: Be very careful if the wound may be due to a tangle with a wild animal. Contact with saliva from an infected animal can infect you with rabies.
Home Treatment for Sore Dog Leg
In most cases, the dog has a pulled muscle. My immediate home treatment is to run a cold hose over the injured leg for five minutes. You must time the five minutes, however, because after 30 seconds or so, it feels like an hour! If you have a helper, one of you can hold your dog’s head while the other hoses the leg.
If it is winter or you don’t have a hose available, put your dog in the shower or bathtub and use a handheld shower head. If no good options are available, place a cold compress on the area where you feel any resistance from your dog. You can use a bag of frozen veggies or put ice in a plastic bag. Keep it there until the area feels cold (maybe five minutes or so). You can always repeat the treatment later.
I prefer running water, if possible, because it massages the leg as it runs down and it stays cold. I repeat the cold-water treatment in eight to 12 hours. In my experience, about 90% acute lamenesses are better by the next morning. That said, even if the dog seems 100% better, restrict exercise for a few days. Call your veterinarian if you feel an anti-inflammatory or pain medication is warranted.
Broken Bones
None of the advice above applies if your dog has a broken leg. In that case, you need to head directly to your veterinarian or an emergency clinic. Keep your dog as quiet as possible. If you face a long drive, you may try to gently splint the leg with rolled up newspapers or magazines around the leg and taped together. The inner cardboard roll from paper towels or wrapping paper can also work. In most cases, you are best off simply confining the dog on soft bedding and hustling to the clinic.
Advances in veterinary technology have helped extend our dogs’ lives, but it isn’t inexpensive. The PAWS Act is a big step in the right direction.
Credit: Mr. Vito | Getty Images
If you think veterinary fees have gone up recently, you’re correct. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows pet services have risen 60% over the last 10 years—and over 7% in just the last year. Why? Guesses range from corporate greed to higher costs for more advanced technology. (I didn’t read any statistics that any individual veterinarians are focusing more on money than care; for most, their hands are tied, and it breaks their hearts to see clients leave with a sick pet because of cost.)
So, while corporations have the right to grow, expand, and set prices they think people will pay, our alternatives to fight back are limited. The options include:
Seek out privately owned veterinary clinics, which include around half of clinics nationwide. They may offer basic services at less than their corporate competitors. The downside is big, however: You may need to leave your favorite veterinarian and/or drive a distance.
Buy insurance for your dog—not just accident coverage—but real health coverage for the pricey things, like surgeries and many diagnostics. My dogs have pet insurance. When one dog needed emergency surgery, what the insurer paid totaled more than every premium I had paid! The outdated “establish a savings account for your pet expenses” advice pales when you’re faced with a surgery estimate of $7,500. And, God forbid, you’re told that your dog has cancer, but he can be cured. $15,000, please.
And here’s the biggie: Support a new bill proposed by two congresswomen that will amend IRS rules on the use of HSAs and FSAs to include pet expenses up to $1,000. They’re asking that benefits for verified service animals would be limitless.
Congresswomen Deborah Ross of North Carolina and Claudia Tenney of New York introduced the People and Animals Well-being (PAW) Act on September 10. The bill wants to “expand eligibility to include veterinary care expenses under tax-advantaged health care spending accounts, specifically Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Additionally, the legislation supports veterans and people living with disabilities by imposing no limit on veterinary care expenses for service animals and by ensuring that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) relies on an up-to-date federal definition of ‘service animal’ for HSA and FSA expenses, which includes animals trained to assist with both physical and mental disabilities,” says Ross.
“Our pets and service animals are cherished members of our families, and it’s essential that owners have the ability to pay for quality care. The PAW Act offers greater flexibility to pet owners by allowing them to use HSAs and FSAs for pet care expenses,” says Tenney.
No, this bill isn’t perfect and $1,000 isn’t a lot, but it will help. Our pets are part of our family.
With so many people struggling just to feed and care for their children, shelters are overflowing with homeless pets with heartbreaking stories. If this bill keeps just one dog in his forever home, I think it’s worth it. Tell your local representatives that this bill needs to be supported and passed.
The ocean liner Queen Mary 2 offers pet kennels for trans-Atlantic travel but you’ll need to book one well in advance since it can sometimes take over a year for a spot to open up. Credit: Debby Bradford
The biggest misconception about taking a dog to Europe or other overseas destinations is that a lengthy quarantine stay is mandatory. That’s old news, but there are still multiple hoops to jump through before you and your dog can jet off to an international locale, whether for a move, a vacation, or specialized pet medical care (yes, that’s a thing).
My husband and I recently put into play a longstanding plan to spend several months exploring Europe—and of course that meant taking our dog Sparkles along. Here’s what we learned about how to travel with a dog internationally, from planning to pitfalls, and how to avoid the latter. It’s not easy or inexpensive, but if you’re planning to stay for more than a month or to make a permanent move, it’s worth the effort.
Before you make travel reservations and start packing your bags, take into account the following 9 factors:
Destination(s) and how to get there
Size of dog and carrier
Pet travel documents
Packing for your pet
Food and medication
Where to stay
Dog-friendly activities
Finding a pet sitter when necessary
Getting back home
Doing research ahead of time, especially on the first four items, will save you a lot of anxiety and, potentially, money.
I See London, I See France
Where you’re going plays a huge role in determining your mode of travel. If you’ve been dreaming of taking your dog to Great Britain and have heard that there’s no longer a six-month quarantine, that doesn’t mean that taking your dog there will be a walk in Hyde Park. Britain has strict guidelines for pet entry. On flights to the United Kingdom, pets may not fly in the cabin but must be transported in cargo. The only exceptions are specific types of assistance or service dogs. (Those requirements aren’t addressed in this article, but more information is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/travel-with-assistance-dogs-transport-companies-and-routes.)
You can only enter the UK directly with your dog if you’re traveling by private jet, including pet-friendly carriers such as Bark Air, or crossing the pond on the ocean liner Queen Mary 2, which has popular pet kennels that are generally booked a year or more in advance.
Start planning now if an Atlantic crossing is the way you want to go. Even though I knew our timeline wouldn’t allow for it, I looked into it just to see how it works. Travelers must reserve a cabin for a specific date first and then call to see if a pet kennel is available. If not, they’ll be placed on a waiting list and contacted when a spot is available. Flexibility is essential. Getting a pet spot can take up to two years or it can happen very quickly if someone cancels a reservation.
How to Travel With a Dog By Plane
Bark Air, Le Pet Express and other services offer free consultation during the paperwork process to make sure owners get it right and aren’t turned away at the border. Credit: Kim Campbell Thornton
Unless you have a NetJets membership, private jet charters are usually put together with a group of other pet lovers who also want to get to the UK or other destinations without flying their pets in cargo. To find potential charters, usually to the EU or UK, look for Facebook groups such as Chartered Air Travel With Pets. Finding the right charter that works for your destination and dog, not to mention budget, can take months of planning.
Bark Air has a regular schedule of flights to London and Paris and is planning to add other European destinations. It’s pricey, with flights from $8,000 and up each way, but there are no limitations on dog size. (They fly cats, too, if they’re in a carrier and vouched for by an accompanying dog.) Luggage weight is limited, so if you’re a couple or larger family planning a long stay, it makes sense for one person and pets to fly Bark Air or another charter flight, while the others fly commercial with the remaining bags.
For most people, including us, the easiest and most cost-effective way to take a small dog to the UK is to take a commercial flight to France, the Netherlands, or the Republic of Ireland—an EU member—with dog in cabin and then take a ferry or use a pet transport service through the Channel Tunnel, nicknamed the Chunnel.
Size Matters When Travelling With a Dog
Once you make your own flight reservations, call immediately to make one for your dog as well.
Most commercial airlines limit the number of pets on board per flight as well as the animals’ size and weight. Pet fees range from $100 to $200 or more each way and sometimes each leg.
Lyme Regis, on the UK’s Jurassic Coast, has a statue honoring fossil collector and paleontologist Mary Anning and her dog Tray, who accompanied her on her searches. Credit: Kim Campbell Thornton
At 13 pounds, Sparkles is well under most airline pet weight limits. Air France limits in-cabin dogs to 8 kilograms, or 17.6 pounds. On American Airlines, the combined weight of carrier and pet can’t exceed 20 pounds. Delta recommends checking aircraft dimensions to make sure a carrier will fit comfortably beneath the seat in front of you. They suggest maximum dimensions of 18 inches by 11 inches by 11 inches, which work for most aircraft types. A soft-sided carrier can be compacted on the top and sides to ensure a fit.
Whatever airline you choose, get weight and carrier size requirements directly from its website, not from blogs or random Facebook commenters. Print a copy, bring it with you, and document any phone conversations beforehand with airline employees in case there’s an issue at check-in.
Airlines require that dogs be able to comfortably stand up and turn around inside the closed carrier. Sparkles was happy to do that at home with the enticement of a treat. Fortunately, she didn’t have to demonstrate at check-in. In 20-plus years of flying with Cavaliers, we’ve never had a gate agent ask to weigh a dog or measure a carrier, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
We flew Air Canada from Los Angeles via Montreal to Toulouse, France, and expected to be in premium economy, but their planes aren’t configured to allow pet carriers in that section, so we upgraded to business class. Even that had drawbacks. With Sparkles in a carrier at my feet, it wasn’t possible to recline the seat very much and a shelf underneath the seat in front of me meant that her soft-sided carrier tended to slide forward on takeoff or whenever she moved inside it. Dogs are supposed to remain in the carrier during the entire flight, but overnight, flight attendants turned a blind eye to it being open so she could spread out more.
Documents Needed for Travelling Internationally With Your Dog
Pets need passports, too. Find requirements for specific countries at the website for the USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service. Use the dropdown menu at the bottom of the page to select your destination and determine what your dog needs to obtain a health certificate for travel. Minimum requirements are an up-to-date rabies vaccination given at least 21 days prior to travel and a 15-digit ISO-compatible microchip for identification. Some countries such as Japan require additional testing, such as bloodwork for a rabies titer test, plus a seven-month waiting period before the dog can enter the country.
The health certificate paperwork must be completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by the USDA within 10 days of travel. You can find a list of accredited veterinarians in your area on the APHIS website. Completed health certificates can be submitted to the USDA online or overnighted via Federal Express or UPS. Include an overnight return envelope to get the health certificate returned quickly in time for your trip.
If you are sending the completed paperwork to the USDA, don’t forget to include the printed rabies certificate (even though the vaccination is documented on the paperwork the veterinarian has completed) and the USDA fee of $38 to endorse the health certificate. We didn’t realize the rabies certificate needed to be included or that there was an additional fee, and it caused us an anxious couple of days as we worked with the USDA representative to get the certificate and payment to them. We were fortunate they alerted us immediately that our package wasn’t complete.
Fees for completing the health certificate can range from $30 to $50 (plus the normal cost of the veterinary visit/exam) to $750 or more. We paid $360 for Sparkles’ health certificate. Join Facebook groups such as Animal Health Certificates, Traveling With Dogs, or Travelling With Dogs in Europe/The United Kingdom to get an idea of how much fees can vary and recommendations for veterinarians who charge reasonable rates.
Bear in mind that if you are traveling to the EU and then plan to go to the UK, as we did, you will need to get an EU pet passport once you arrive in an EU country or get health certificates for both the EU and the UK and travel to the UK within 10 days from the date your dog’s health certificate is endorsed.
An EU pet passport makes it easier to travel with your dog between the EU and the UK, but it’s not always easy to get. Veterinarians in some countries such as Ireland and Belgium tend to be more willing than others to provide them. Those in France, Spain, and Portugal may require you to have an in-country address. We were fortunate to find one in France who did not make that a requirement, but we were prepared to drive to Belgium if necessary. If I had realized sooner that Ireland was an option, we might have gone that route. To find a French veterinarian, Google, Google Translate, and email were my friends.
Le Pet Express, the pet transport company we used to get from Calais, France, to the UK was invaluable in reviewing the pet passport to make sure it had been completed, dated, and stamped correctly by the veterinarian. We sent photos of the passport pages and they responded quickly as to whether they would pass inspection at the border. We had to have it redone before they were satisfied, resulting in a smooth experience. On the plus side, the veterinary fees were reasonable: $65 for the exam and passport, plus another $18 to redo the passport.
The final veterinary hurdle was a tapeworm (echinococcus) treatment required by the UK before Sparkles could enter. It had to be administered by a veterinarian at least 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before arrival and recorded in the pet passport or animal health certificate.
What to Pack for Your Dog
Sparkles is limited in where she can hike at home in California, but the Dorset coast offered many opportunities for her to explore. Credit: Kim Campbell Thornton
Here are the basics:
Food, treats and medication
A soft mat for a bed
Comb, brush or other necessary grooming tools
Poop bags
Wipes for cleaning
Copies of your dog’s prescriptions
We bring a sheet to throw over furniture. Sparkles isn’t into toys, but your dog may have a favorite that should come along. Since we were going to have a car, we also brought her stroller for hot days, crowded areas, or very long walks, and her Sleepypod car seat.
As far as food, we learned during our research that importing meat-based pet food into the EU or UK was not permitted, but fish-based food was okay. Now, nobody checked Sparkles’ suitcase (yes, she had her own) to see what was in it, but to be on the safe side, we switched her to a fish-based food a month or so before departure. Once we arrived, we searched pet supply stores for foods that were similar to the freeze-dried, turkey-based food she had been eating at home. We found an assortment, especially in the UK, and she readily ate what was provided without any stomach upset.
Dog-Friendly Lodging, Restaurants, and Activities
Our London hosts were Cavalier fans, although their new dog is a doodle puppy, and they had no objection to Sparkles being on the furniture or bed. Credit: Kim Campbell Thornton
Whether you’re staying in hotels or homes, it’s easy to find pet-friendly lodging using website filters. Always confirm before you commit.
It’s almost impossible to find restaurants that don’t allow pets, although there are a few. Sparkles went with us for dim sum in Bordeaux, traditional French in St. Emilion, and pubs in the UK. Like most of the other dogs we saw, she hung out beneath the table, sleeping or watching the passing parade. (Okay, we sneaked bites to her once in a while.)
You won’t be able to take your dog inside museums or stately homes or chateaux, but the grounds are often dog friendly. We take turns going inside, with the other person walking Sparkles or hanging out at a café with a coffee or glass of wine. Our best day was at Marble Hill, just outside London, which had vast lawns and river paths where dogs could safely walk and play off leash.
Many pubs and restaurants in Europe allow dogs but be sure to check before sitting down for a meal. Credit: Kim Campbell Thornton
On occasion, you may need a pet sitter. When we were going to be gone all day on a tour of World War II sites in Normandy, we checked Rover to find a local pet sitter. If that hadn’t worked out, I would have skipped the tour and explored Bayeux on my own with Sparkles.
Getting Your Dog Back Home
Just before we flew to France, the Centers for Disease Control changed the entry requirements for pets returning to the United States. If you have been only in rabies-free or low-risk areas like EU member countries and the UK, complete a free Dog Import Form online. The emailed receipt can be stored on your phone. Present it on return if asked for it. You can find out more on the CDC’s website.
Cleanliness and being sure the puppies are nursing all the teats can help prevent mastitis.
Credit: Fabio Filzi | Getty Images
Breeding and raising a litter of puppies can be an extremely rewarding experience. It can also be fraught with complications for the puppies and for the mother herself. One of those complications is mastitis.
Mastitis is an inflammatory condition of the mammary glands of intact female dogs. It can involve infection (bacterial or rarely, fungal). Mastitis is most likely to occur in situations of sudden decrease in milk consumption by puppies, for example, after abrupt weaning of the litter, or after death of nursing puppies. Sometimes mastitis can occur in late pregnancy, or in female dogs who experience pseudocyesis (false pregnancy).
Note: Swollen mammary glands in dogs not pregnant may be caused by a variety of problems, including cancer, so the dog should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
Signs of Mastitis in Dogs
Clinical signs of mastitis involve abnormal changes to the mammary glands: redness or other discoloration, firm swelling, heat, and pain. Milk might be difficult to express, bloody or discolored. In severe cases, there can be fever, ulceration of the mammary glands, development of abscesses, or necrosis. In mild cases, the only clinical sign might be nursing puppies who fail to gain weight.
If mastitis is suspected, a physical exam by a veterinarian is recommended. A complete blood count might be normal in the early stages; more severe cases will result in an increase in white blood cells. Milk cytology will show an increased neutrophil count. Milk should be cultured from an aseptically obtained sample to direct antibiotic therapy.
Treating Canine Mastitis
Treatment of mastitis involves broad-spectrum antibiotics for suspected infection. Antibiotic choice will need to take into consideration whether there are puppies still nursing from the patient, and duration of treatment is usually for two to three weeks.
Cabbage leaf compresses can be used to address inflammation. Raw cabbage leaves can be applied to the affected glands and secured in place with a wrap for two to three hours, then removed for three to four hours (puppies can nurse when the cabbage leaves are removed). Therapeutic cold laser can also be helpful to address inflammation.
For nursing mothers, expressing the milk in the affected gland every six hours can help with swelling and pain. Massage and warm compresses can also help bring blood flow into the affected tissue and break up the congestion within the gland. Pain management should be considered.
If there is systemic illness, hospitalization might be necessary for intravenous fluid therapy and antibiotics. In severe cases, especially those involving gangrene, surgical debridement or mastectomy is necessary.
Note: If the patient is in a false pregnancy, do not express milk, as that will encourage more milk to be produced. Try to remove the objects she treats as her “puppies” to help decrease the production of the hormone prolactin, which also stimulates milk production. There is an oral medication that can help decrease prolactin levels (cabergoline).
Preventing Mastitis in Dogs
Prevention of mastitis involves keeping the nursing environment as clean as possible. It’s wise to try to prevent trauma to the mammary glands by eliminating sharp objects in the whelping box and trimming the puppies’ toenails. Make sure the puppies are nursing from all the teats to keep the glands drained (in small litters, rotate through each of the teats).
Mastitis can be a stressful complication of raising a litter of puppies, but it is rarely life-threatening if long as prompt veterinary attention is sought as early in this disease process as possible. Breeders should monitor the state of the mammary glands starting prior to whelping through past weaning to catch those early clinical signs.
Some dogs will remove food from a bowl and move it to another spot in the house or yard before eating it. Credit: Credit: Alexandra Jursova|Getty Images
It’s dinnertime, and you’ve put your dog’s filled food bowl on the floor in its normal place. A couple of minutes later, you walk into your bedroom and hear a crunch underfoot, only to discover pieces of kibble scattered everywhere, and your pup happily devouring it, piece by piece.
No, it’s not because your dog is suddenly terrified of his food bowl, or that he’d rather have a blue bowl than a red one, or that he just likes to make a mess. However, even researchers and dog behaviorists can’t say with absolutely certainty why some dogs exhibit this carrying-food-to-another-place behavior. The best these experts can offer are theories about why some dogs prefer to eat their food somewhere other than their food bowl.
As with so many dog peculiarities like digging, or licking, or circling before lying down, there’s general agreement that part of the answer lies in the domestic dog’s wolf ancestry. When the pack made a kill, the parents would feed first, after which the juveniles would have to compete for the best pieces, then drag them away to avoid having to fight the rest of the pack for them. “Fighting is obviously very risky,” explains Dr. Julie Albright-Keck with the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, “so most animals, especially subordinate ones, will go to great lengths to avoid an altercation.”
A slightly different take comes from some experts who think that dogs who feel chronically vulnerable or who exhibit a lower social status could be more motivated to carry their food to a different place so no other dog can get to it—even if they’re the only dog in the home. Again, this could be related to the tendency among the dog’s wild ancestors for young or more passive members of the pack to grab their share of the kill, then take it somewhere else to guard it from competitors. “Even though a domestic dog may not be in danger when eating, it may be that instincts override everything else,” explains veterinary health expert Dr. Gary Richter.
This food-moving behavior doesn’t appear to be associated with specific breeds. While some studies show that smaller dogs do this more than larger dogs—many going so far as to carry their entire food bowl elsewhere—other experts have found that more wolf-like dogs such as Siberian Huskies, Malamutes, and Great Pyrenees also tend to take their food to other places to eat it.
Another theory is that some dogs may take their food to another place to eat it because of the desire for companionship. We know that wolves hunt and eat in a pack, and there’s a chance that your dog wants its “human pack” with him while he eats. “By nature, dogs are social creatures and the company can motivate them to eat,” says canine behavior expert and trainer Shelby Semel.
Dr. Liz Stelow of the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine echoes this sentiment, explaining that the reason some dogs want companionship at mealtime may be because they receive an emotional reward for eating. “Some owners create a relationship with the dog around food,” she says, “especially if he has a history of being a picky eater.” Over time, the dog has come to expect—and enjoy—his caretaker’s verbal encouragement, possible hand-feeding, and general attention. This can lead to the dog feeling more rewarded by eating in the caretaker’s presence than alone.
Another possible reason your dog might be taking food from his bowl is the bowl itself. “If you’re feeding your dog from a metal bowl,“ explains Dr. Holly Ahlgrim, Urgent Care veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center of Seattle, ”it’s possible that the clinking sound created by food being pushed around, or a dangling collar tag, may be irritating or upsetting your dog. They may be chewing their food away from the bowl to avoid the sound.”
A related issue is the dog who, contrary to taking his food somewhere else to eat it, won’t let anyone near it. It’s a perfectly normal canine behavior to protect a food source, since in the wild, food protection behavior evolved to keep other dogs away from a meal. Even though in most cases the modern family dog doesn’t really need to protect his food from a scavenger, this behavior is innate, harkening back to the dog’s past as a wild animal. This is related to a behavior called caching, where an animal hides or buries a food resource to save it for the future.
But even in wolves, food guarding is less often actual aggression than it is a threat display. This can include growling, baring of teeth, or snapping and while this kind of behavior can be disturbing to us, it seldom results in a bite. In a study of 3,226 dogs, 41 percent of the dogs showed vocal behaviors towards humans during resource guarding, but only 15 percent escalated to biting, and of those, less than 10 percent caused an injury. Regardless, any time a dog exhibits this type of threat display, you need to be extremely careful in your approach to avoid being bitten. If you are at all uncertain of how to address this issue, consult with a qualified behaviorist.
One other strange behavior some dogs exhibit around food is covering the food bowl. Veterinary researcher Dr. Myrna Milani explains that most of the time, the dog that tries to hide their food—whether with a blanket, a pair of socks, or anything else they can find—is uncomfortable with something in their immediate environment that makes them not want to eat at that specific time or in that specific place. “If an animal doesn’t feel secure in its space it won’t eat, no matter how tempting the food you offer it,” she says. Any number of things can spark that insecurity, including an unfamiliar human or other animal nearby, unusual activity in the home, or even a change in where the dog is being fed. If this behavior happens often, it’s worth doing some detective work to figure out what’s bugging your pup.
In the end, if your dog decides to transport his kibble to the living room to eat it, the worst case scenario is that you step on an errant pellet and have to clean it up. But other than that, there’s nothing to worry about: it’s perfectly normal, if a little exasperating, dog behavior!
A growing number of organizations provide support and housing for victims of domestic violence and their pets. Credit: Hailey Seelig, Getty Images
The headline that caught my eye was, “Dog Thief Arrested After Helicopter Pursuit.” I thought, “Wow! That’s a terrific response to a dog-napping!” But when I read the article, I realized that the story was darker than the headline seemed to suggest.
You see, the article wasn’t actually about a dog-napping; it was about a man who was arrested after violating a protection order and threatening a 26-year-old woman at her home, and then taking her dog. Several people called 911 after witnessing the man threatening the woman, and reported that the man had a gun and left in a car. When the responding officers couldn’t find the woman, they initiated a search for the car and, upon spotting it, initiated a pursuit. They discontinued the pursuit as the vehicle was being driven recklessly, but after the driver crashed the car, a law-enforcement helicopter spotted the man and followed him until he was apprehended. He was charged with domestic violence felony harassment, domestic violence theft in the third degree (for the theft of the woman’s dog), unlawful possession of a firearm, driving with a suspended license, hit-and-run of an attended vehicle, domestic violence violation of a no contact order, and obstruction. (According to the article, the woman was found and the dog returned to her, and both are “OK.” I would submit that “OK” is probably an inadequate description of how the woman is likely to feel, even if she and her dog were not physically harmed.)
People who commit domestic violence rarely abuse only the people with whom they have been in a relationship; they often target anyone or anything that their victims care about, and frequently this includes pets who belong to their victims. Consider these facts, compiled by RedRover, a national animal welfare nonprofit:
71% of women in domestic violence shelters report their abuser threatened, injured, or killed a pet. (Source: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
Nearly half of victims stay with an abuser rather than leave their pet behind. (Source: Carlisle-Frank, Frank and Nielsen (2004), Pets as Pawns.)
52% of survivors in shelters leave their pets with the abusers. (Source: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
As many as 25% of survivors will return because the abuser is using their pet as a means to get the person back. (Source: ASPCA)
Fortunately, there is a growing number of organizations that provide support to pet-owning victims of domestic violence, and others who are working to help domestic-violence shelters become pet-friendly. If victims have resources that can safely accommodate their pets, they are more likely to seek help and shelter for themselves.
Only an estimated 18% of domestic violence shelters allow the people they admit to bring their pets. Since 2019, Purina has invested over $2 million through its Purple Leash Project and partnership with RedRover to help domestic violence shelters make the changes needed to accept pets. When Purina and RedRover began this work only 4 percent of shelters accepted pets. However, through the Purple Leash Project, and over $500,000 in grants awarded last year alone, 18 percent of domestic violence shelters are now pet-friendly. But there’s more work to be done. Purina’s goal to help ensure at least 25 percent of domestic violence shelters become pet-friendly by 2025.
RedRover’s Relief Safe Escape grant program helps families with pets safely escape domestic violence together. Funding is mainly provided to help with the cost of temporary pet boarding while a survivor is in a domestic violence shelter, though other costs associated with boarding (like vaccinations) can be considered. Assistance does not typically cover pet boarding once the survivor has moved from the safe house into transitional housing.
Greater Good Charities and RedRover have teamed up to create effective and sustainable programs for people and pets in crisis. Their expert team works with organizations around the country to help build pet-inclusive housing programs that keep families together. See Don’tForgetThePets.org for more information.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline has information about how to include pets in a plan to escape from an abuser.
The Animal Welfare Institute maintains a guide to teach advocates and attorneys who represent pet-owning domestic violence survivors, to teach the advocates how to get the pets of domestic-violence survivors included in domestic violence protection orders. The guide is tailored for the laws in California—but may be helpful as a model for attorneys in other states.
If you or someone you know is in an unsafe or abusive relationship and concern about their pets is preventing them from getting help, please share these resources with them. You just may help them save their lives—and those of their beloved animal companions.
STOP! Don’t do it! Whether the idea of adopting two puppies just occurred to you, or you had been planning to adopt two all along, every trainer I’ve ever met would advise you to think twice and adopt just one. Because training and socializing littermates well is more than twice as difficult as training and socializing one puppy.
