File this under “more preaching to the choir,” because I’m SURE that all WDJ readers clean up after their dogs – right?! I’m just wondering what some dog owners are thinking when they take their dogs for a walk without a bag. And how do you get the anonymous, unseen dog walkers in your community to clean up after their dogs?
I admit, I hate these signs. They make me feel guilty by association; just walking my dog past a house with a sign like this on the lawn makes me wonder if someone is inside the house looking out, narrowing their eyes suspiciously, making sure my dog doesn’t poop anywhere in their vicinity. My next-door neighbor has one on her lawn! And I always hope that people walking by realize it’s not MY dog she’s worried about!
On the occasions when I have been caught “out without a bag,” I go out of my way to find something, anything, to pick up the poop. Sometimes you can find a piece of trash nearby – a drink cup or plastic bag. (Unfortunately, where I live, there is as much litter on the walking paths as there is unscooped dog poop.) Way back when I lived in San Francisco, I’ve taken the plastic bag off of someone’s newspaper before; I’ve also taken someone’s newspaper before (just the free kind that gets delivered to every address, not the paid subscription kind!).
I saw a terrific video PSA on YouTube recently; I applaud this kind of creativity – though I wonder whether or not it changed anyone’s behavior.
None of my dogs have ever watched TV. So I was frankly dubious about my sister’s claims that her dogs go crazy every time a certain pizza commercial comes on; she told me that when the dogs hear the pizza commercial music, they come running to the TV, and they leap in the air and whine when the close up shot of the pizza appears, where the single slice is pulled away from the sizzling hot pie and tendrils of cheese are stretched through the air. But why the pizza commercial, I asked? She said they always share pizza with their dogs, and they really like it! Hmm, I said.
Until I was at her house and witnessed the pizza commercial phenomenon for myself. Her two Jack Russell Terriers were snoozing on the couch and the TV was playing in the background while my sister and I talked. Suddenly, both dogs sat up and fixed their gazes on the TV. “Ha! It’s Round Table time,” my sister laughed. The dogs tilted their heads this way and that until the close up, when they both leaped off the couch and jumped in the air in front of the TV, as if they could somehow grab a slice of the pie out of the air for themselves. I was flabbergasted. Did they really recognize the pixelated vision as something they’d like to eat?
Not long after this, I was interviewing a dog owner at her home. She and her two lovely standard Poodles met me at the door, and I fussed over the well-mannered, healthy dogs for a bit. But when we prepared to sit at the dining room table to do our interview, she brought the dogs into the adjoining living room, and turned on the TV. The dogs jumped up onto her sofa and lay down, and she told me, “I’ll just put on a nature show for them. They’ll stay out of our way for a while.” I laughed, not sure if she was joking, but when she tuned the television to a PBS channel showing a forest scene, both dogs sat up, transfixed. They scanned the screen, clearly looking for whatever animal might appear in the scene. And when the camera panned the sky, taking in a picture of a bird flying across the forest canopy, one of the dogs barked in excitement. “Now, now,” my interviewee warned her dogs. “If you get too excited I will change the channel.” They seemed to understand, because both dogs lay down again, and we left the room. Again, if I hadn’t seen it for myself, I never would have believed it.
It was clear that my dog, Otto, had never been in a house before the summer day in 2008 when my husband and I adopted him from my local shelter. He jumped at every household noise, including the change of the washing machine cycles and the microwave’s “ready” ding. But he paid no attention to the TV, until about a week after we brought him home, a commercial featuring the Geico caveman came on. Some noise made him look at the TV, and when he saw the caveman’s hairy face, he jumped to his feet and started backing out of the room, growling and then barking, hackles raised. As soon as the caveman was no longer on the screen, he came back into the living room and lay back down. And he never did this again. The only thing he responds to on TV now is the sound of a doorbell. That will always make him growl and at least look toward the door, if not jump to his feet and bark at the door.
Do your dogs watch TV? Do they have favorite shows?
Did you see this news brief? A shelter in the San Francisco Bay Area is conducting some small studies regarding breed identification and adoption rates. Like many shelters, they are often overrun with dogs of a certain type: Chihuahua-mixes. Wondering whether potential adopters might be biased against Chihuahuas, or might be biased toward a dog who had other desirable breeds “in the mix,” they ran DNA tests on a dozen small dogs in their shelter, and advertised the results with the description of those dogs. And voila! The dogs who were promoted with the DNA test results got adopted more quickly than a control group of 12 other small, brown dogs in the shelter – TWICE as fast, in fact.
As a volunteer in my local shelter, I’ve heard it countless times: “We don’t want a Chihuahua. Too yappy.” But when you show them a sweet, funny, friendly small dog who knows a few cute tricks, and you emphasize the “mix” in “Chihuahua-mix,” they often soften.
The Peninsula Humane Society is calling this DNA test program “Who’s Your Daddy?” and calling out the dogs who have been DNA-tested with a banner over their photos on their website (see here: http://peninsulahumanesociety.org/adopt/dog.html). Staff members have been having some fun with the results, making up cute names for the “breed” of the mixed dogs, including “Mini Shihuahua” (for a Miniature Pinscher/Shih Tzu/Chihuahua DNA test result), “English Chaniel” (English Cocker Spaniel/Chihuahua), and “Frichese” (Bichon Frise/Maltese/Chihuahua). “Free cheese”? That’s just funny, clever marketing.
As the owner of a mixed-breed dog who was DNA-tested and found to display genes from the German Shepherd, Chow Chow, Border Collie, Poodle, Basenji, and I can’t remember what else, I don’t put a lot of stock in the mixed-breed ID tests. But I know people who are super proud of their mixed-breed shelter dogs and tell everyone who asks that the dogs are definitely a certain mix, because the shelter they adopted the dogs from told them so . . . The main thing is, they adopted a dog from the shelter and they love it; who CARES what they say the breed is? Every time I hear one of these dubious pronouncements, I smile and nod and say nice things about the breeds mentioned. “Oh, that’s awesome! I can see that!”
Kudos to the Peninsula Humane Society for experimenting with anything that works to create greater enthusiasm for a population of dogs that are over-represented and underappreciated in shelters everywhere.
(Full disclosure: proud owner of a Chihuahua-mix, the mighty Tito.)
In the upcoming April issue of Whole Dog Journal, new contributor Cynthia Foley discusses “10 tips for senior dog care” – things that you can do to help your senior stay healthy longer! She quotes a couple of our favorite veterinary sources, who shared some of their favorite “recipes” for a dog’s active longevity.
Editing and fact-checking the article gave me an opportunity to exchange greetings with one of those sources, the highly experienced holistic veterinarian, Dr. Jenny Taylor, owner of Creature Comfort Holistic Veterinary Center in Oakland, California. Dr. Taylor is one of the “things” I miss most about living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I used to live about 10 miles from her clinic, and she was my go-to vet for almost everything, from basic wellness exams, to diagnosing and treating a sick animal, to veterinary acupuncture for my senior dog (one of the things she recommends in the article for keeping those oldsters moving well, by the way).
Have you ever been through a harrowing and scary medical experience with a skilled and caring practitioner, and then found yourself feeling emotional every time you think of that practitioner for years afterward? That’s how I feel about Dr. Taylor. She’s a highly intuitive doctor with great instincts and a lot of skill. Her dog-handling manner is warm and caring, and I trust her implicitly. And I haven’t found another practitioner I feel the same way about, even in the nine years it’s been since I moved three hours away from the Bay Area. So if my dog Otto ever developed a serious condition, to find out what was wrong, I’d surely consult with the internists/diagnostic experts at the whiz-bang, high-tech emergency/specialty clinic about a half-hour from my home. But I’d also then drive those three hours as often as it might take for Dr. Taylor to oversee Otto’s care and treatment.
Do you have a veterinarian you feel bonded to for life? Go ahead and recommend him or her in the comments!
A signal can be a swift movement, with the dog either turning his head to the side and back, or holding his head to one side for some time. It can be just a tiny movement, or the whole head can be clearly and deliberately turned to the side for several seconds.
Your dog may use head turning to tell an approaching dog to calm down. Perhaps the other dog approached yours too quickly, or approached him directly head on instead of in a curve.
Your dog may turn his head if you stoop over him. Although he may stand still, he might also turn his head which tells you that he is feeling uncomfortable in this situation.
You can use head turning yourself when a dog starts to get worried or frightened if you have approached him impolitely. If a scared dog starts to bark or growl at you, stop moving towards him, turn your head to one side and this help him feel better.
To learn more about signals your dog give you and the world and how to use them, purchase On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals from Whole Dog Journal.
Turning the side or back to someone is very calming. When dogs play together rather wildly, some of them will start turning their side or back to the others in between playing, to make things calm down a little.
Your dog may use this signal when another dog growls or behaves threateningly towards him in some way, such as running up to him too quickly. He may also use it if you speak in a very cross voice or go up to him when he feels that you are angry. When young dogs pester older ones, the older often turns back to make them calm down. When you jerk at the leash your dog may turn away from you, maybe pulling even more.
You can use this signal yourself when a dog shows signs of nervousness or aggression towards you. If he jumps up at you, turn away, and more often than not he will stop.
To learn more about signals your dog gives you and the world and how to use them, purchase On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals from Whole Dog Journal.
So-called “sticky” ideas are concepts that grab our imaginations, pass quickly from one person to the next, and are easily remembered – but they aren’t necessarily true. Advertising executives constantly search for sticky ideas to use in product-marketing campaigns in order to hook customers and increase product recognition and sales. When the idea is good and true, stickiness is a wonderful thing. When the concept is false, stickiness can be very destructive.
There are many sticky myths in dog training and behavior that have the potential to be destructive to dogs and their owners. Here are some of the stickiest myths that need to be unstuck, the sooner the better, for dogs’ sake:
The “Alpha Dog” Myth
This myth is also known as the dangerous “dominant dog” myth, and it comes in a seemingly endless variety of forms, all of which are destructive to the canine-human relationship and the believer’s real understanding of behavior and learning. In fact, it’s probably the all-time king of false and destructive sticky dog-behavior myths. Some of its common variations include:
– If your dog jumps on you (gets on the furniture, pulls on the leash, grabs the leash, sits on your foot, walks ahead of you, humps you), he is being alpha/dominant.
– You must eat before you feed your dog to show him you are alpha.
– You must spit in/handle your dog’s food with your hands before you give it to him to show him it’s yours and you are alpha.
– You must go through doorways before your dog does to show him you are alpha.
– If your dog misbehaves in any way he is challenging you and you have to roll him on his back to show him you are alpha.
This myth goes back decades, and is rooted in flawed research on wolf behavior. While “dominance” is a valid construct in behavior, it refers very specifically to the outcome of an interaction involving a resource. It is not a personality trait.
If two dogs meet in a doorway, Dog A may say, “I would like to go through the doorway first,” and Dog B may say, “Sure, you go ahead.” Dog A was dominant in that interaction. The same two dogs may meet over a bone, and Dog B may say, “I really want that bone,” while Dog A may say, “Oh, I wouldn’t mind chewing on it, but you clearly want it more than I do; you go ahead.” Dog B was dominant in that interaction. Neither Dog A nor Dog B is a “dominant dog.”
In reality, your dog isn’t trying to take over the world or even your household; he is just trying to figure out how to make his world work for him. He wants to make good stuff happen, and make bad stuff go away – just like we do. It has nothing to do with being “alpha” – but when you believe that it does, it sets you up to be confrontational in almost every interaction with your dog. Figure out how to make sure your dog gets good stuff for behaviors that you like, and doesn’t get good stuff for behaviors you don’t like, and you’ll find your dog is more than happy to accept his role as your compliant pal. (See “Alpha Schmalpha,” WDJ December 2011.)
The “Dog Looks Guilty” Myth
Humans naturally ascribe ulterior motives to each other, and given the fact that we live so closely with dogs, it makes a certain amount of sense that we also try to explain our dogs’ behavior with ulterior motives, too. But we give them a lot more credit for remorse than they are probably capable of.
To us, a dog’s normal appeasement behavior (avoiding eye contact, lowering body posture, flattening ears) smacks of “Guilty!” when in fact the dog is just reading the body language of his unhappy/angry/aroused human and trying to avoid any unpleasant encounters with said human.
Let’s say you come home to find the contents of your kitchen garbage can strewn across the floor. Your face tightens, your body tenses, and as you say your dog’s name, your voice has an unmistakably emotional tone.
“Ruh-roh,” your dog thinks. “My human is upset about something. I better be at my most appeasing self so nothing bad happens to me.”
You see his appeasement body language and think, “See? Look at him acting guilty – he knows he did wrong!”
Fortunately, studies have shown what ethologists and educated dog trainers have long claimed: that a dog’s “guilty” (appeasement) behavior is dependent on the human’s body language, not on what the dog did – or didn’t do.
The “Destruction Out of Spite” Myth
The spite myth rears its ugly head most often when a normally well housetrained dog either soils the house or does something destructive when left home alone. The misinformed human thinks the dog did to “get even” with the owner for leaving.
In fact, far more often than not, this is a dog’s stress-related behavior, and frequently is a sign of separation or isolation distress or anxiety.
It makes matters worse when an owner punishes the dog for the behavior. The punishment will not only prove useless, as it is too far removed from the behavior itself to have any effect, but also will make the dog more stressed the next time he is left alone, as he learns to anticipate the bad things that happen to him when his owner gets home. (See “Scared to be Home Alone,” July 2008.)
The “His Tail is Wagging So He Must be Friendly!” Myth
Somewhere in our history, it seems the entire human species latched onto the sticky myth that a wagging tail means a happy dog. As a result, humans across the millennia have been bitten as they attempt to pet a dog whose tail was wagging.
In fact, a wagging dog tail is simply an indication of some level of arousal. Certainly, sometimes it’s happy arousal and it’s perfectly safe to pet the wagging dog. On many other occasions, however, it may be tense or angry or fearful or reactive arousal, and you pet the wagging dog at your own risk!
Here’s a general guide to how to tell the difference:
– Low, fast tail wag, often in conjunction with lowered body posture, and possible whale eye, ears back, and submissive urination. This dog is fearful and/or appeasing; pet at your own risk.
– Half-mast gently swishing tail, combined with relaxed body language and soft eyes. This dog is probably safe to pet.
– Tail mid to three-quarters raised, wagging quickly, combined with some animated body language and happy facial expression. This dog is more aroused, but may be safe to pet. Use caution.
– Tail wags in a circle, combined with calm or animated body language. This dog is happy/excited and probably safe to pet.
– Tail vertical, swishing slowly. This dog may be calm and relaxed and just have a natural high tail carriage, such as the Husky, Malamute, Chow, Pomeranian, and others, or he may be becoming aroused. Since a high tail often indicates a higher level of arousal, it’s even more important to be aware of the other body-language cues of these dogs. This dog may or may not be safe to pet; wait for more information to go on!
– Tail vertical, wagging quickly, often accompanied by tall, forward body language. This dog is alert, tense and aroused. It is best to avoid interacting with this dog.
As you can see, it’s critical to evaluate the whole dog when determining whether his wagging tail means he is happy or not. Be advised, then, that this evaluation is too complex for small children to carry out; teach them not to pet strange dogs.
The “All Breeds are Alike” Myth
This myth is most likely to be promoted by people who are trying to sell you something, whether it’s puppies or breed-specific legislation. If someone tries to make you believe that all individuals of a given dog breed will display homogeneous characteristics of that breed, or that certain characteristics are inherent in any and all members of that breed – well, hey, would you by any chance have any interest in buying a bridge?
While dogs of a given breed may exhibit behavioral tendencies that are common to that breed, little, if anything, is universal in all the individuals of any breed. There are Labrador Retrievers who hate the water and won’t fetch a ball, Border Collies who have no interest in sheep, and Huskies who wouldn’t pull a sled if their lives depended on it.
Breed registries maintain descriptions of their ideal, and people who breed purebred dogs are supposed to be trying to produce puppies who will grow into physical and behavioral manifestations of the breed standard. The problem is, not all breeders are good breeders! Some people are just trying to make a buck, and take little or no care to choose complementary parents for their “purebred” puppies. (And why would you, if you were selling puppies that were going to be sold like interchangeable widgets in pet stores to anyone with the money to spend?) And even educated, responsible breeders who take the utmost care to choose mates for their dogs don’t always succeed in producing perfectly conformed, perfect behavioral clones of the breed standard; it’s impossible!
When a truly responsible breeder produces a puppy who has physical or behavioral traits that are atypical of or aberrant for the breed, they will not only decline to use that particular breeding again, but also will work to find the pup an appropriate home with someone who will embrace it as a fully disclosed, atypical individual.
In addition, responsible breeders and adoption counselors should advise prospective owners who are looking for a dog of a certain breed that all individuals of any breed are just that: individuals. If there are certain traits of a certain breed that most appeal to you, make sure you take the time to look for a dog who exhibits those traits, not just the first representative of that breed that you happen to find in your local shelter.
And if you are set on buying a puppy of a certain breed, take the time to talk to a lot of breeders. Make sure that they understand exactly what you are looking for. Give them as much information about your home, family, and dog experience as they need to make sure they match you with a puppy who is most likely to succeed in your family.
If, on the other hand, you don’t have a specific breed in mind, write down the qualities that are most important to you in a dog, and then go out and start looking at individuals of any breed until you find one who best matches your list of desired traits. You should neither assume that any Golden Retriever you find will love your children nor that any Pomeranian you find will be too barky to endure. Be observant and deliberate. (See “Pick a Winner,” April 2009.)
The “The Best Dogs are Eager to Please” Myth
This is one of my pet peeves – the myth that dogs exist to please us. It’s such a commonly used descriptor that dogs who aren’t perceived as “eager to please” are often seen as flawed in character.
Dogs exist to please themselves, not us. It just so happens that for some dogs, the things that please them also please us. The dogs that we label as “eager to please” tend to find it reinforcing to be in our company, happily sitting for petting, fetching toys, and participating with us in whatever activities we’re engaged in.
Dogs who are perceived as “eager to please” are most often those who have been bred to work closely with people, such as the herding, working, and sporting breeds. If these working dogs are typical of their heritage (see previous myth), it will likely please them to engage in activities that involve humans.
We’ve created a number of breeds (including hounds and terriers) to do unsupervised jobs, such as chasing game through the woods, or killing rodents in barns and fields. It used to please us if one of those dogs took the initiative to do one of those jobs well, but today, it’s just as likely that a dog who pursues one of these activities without permission will be accused of being stubborn, willful, dominant, or disobedient.
The “Pack Mentality” Myth
There is enough truth to this myth to make it extra-super sticky. The part of this one that gets dogs into trouble is their humans’ assumption that because dogs are a social species, they should be able to get along with (and play with) every dog they see. I always remind my clients that we humans are a social species, too, and we certainly don’t all get along with each other!
In fact, while wild wolves may live in close family groups we call “packs,” there is a growing body of evidence that where groups of feral dogs exist, they live in loosely knit social groups that don’t even begin to resemble a wolf pack.
Besides, a pack of familiar friends and close relatives isn’t at all the same as a bunch of ill-behaved strangers. Not unlike small children, most reasonably well socialized puppies will happily play with any other behaviorally appropriate puppies all day long. But as your dog matures he is likely to be more comfortable engaging with a limited number of dogs he knows well. This is normal, and a lot like we humans, who may enjoy wild parties as teenagers but as mature adults are more likely to be found enjoying relatively sedate dinner parties. (That said, there are always exceptions, and there are some dogs who continue to behave as the life of the dog park well into their senior years.)
Listen to your dog, not the mythologists; your dog doesn’t have to play with other dogs if he doesn’t enjoy it. If he tells you he’s having a blast at rowdy canine romps, go for it. But if he tells you he’d rather not, heed his wishes!
Resist Dog Myths and Stereotypes
These sticky myths can damage your relationship with your canine family member, and prevent you from having the fulfilling and enjoyable life experience that every dog – and every dog-loving human deserves. Don’t let them.
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center, where she offers dog-training classes and courses for trainers. Pat is also the author of many books on positive training. Her two most recent books are Do Over Dogs: Give Your Dog a Second Chance at a First-Class Life, and How to Foster Dogs; From Homeless to Homeward Bound.
Find It is the very first behavior every dog should learn, in my opinion. It’s versatile, easy to teach, easy to do, easy to maintain, and can be used under all kinds of circumstances in all kinds of places. It’s not on the list of traditional basic obedience skills like Sit, Down, Stay, and Come, yet we can probably get more mileage out of Find It than any other behavior.
Find It looks something like this: You say, “Find it!” and your dog stops what he’s doing and scans the ground with his eyes and nose for bits of food.
What’s it good for? Everything! It’s especially useful as a management tool while the dog learns new, more appropriate behaviors.
“Find It” can be very effective at stopping a dog in his tracks and redirecting his attention. A well-timed “Find it!” can interrupt him just long enough for you to do whatever you need to do – clip his leash on, close the gate, remove something from his reach, etc. – to gain some control of the situation. The following are some of my favorite applications for Find It:
JUMPERS – I use Find It to help manage dogs who like to jump up on people they meet on a walk. Before the dogs have a chance to get their paws up, they’re asked to “Find it!” Their attention is immediately focused on the ground rather than on the person. When they’re done finding and eating the bits of food from the ground, they’re in a better state of mind to learn how to properly greet someone with all four paws on the floor or in a sit position. For the enthusiastic door-greeter, tossing food away from the entrance with a playful “Find it!” – every single time someone walks through the door – has the added effect of teaching the dog to hang back whenever the door opens, because he learns that often, the really good stuff happens a few feet away!
NIPPERS AND GRABBERS – Tossing food on the floor rather than delivering it from your hand helps to remove your dog’s attention from your body. Mouthy dogs quickly learn that the good stuff is more readily available on the ground rather than from our hands or pockets. It works well for sweater grabbers and pant-leg tuggers, too! With the dog’s attention diverted toward the floor rather than on us, he’s now in a better position to be rewarded for his good behavior.
PULLERS AND LEASH TUGGERS – Playing Find It while teaching a dog to walk politely on leash can be great fun for both you and the dog. It can be used to draw the dog’s attention back toward you when he begins to pull ahead. It’s also a handy trick when you need to quickly divert the dog’s snout away from the leash if he looks like he wants to initiate an unwanted game of leash tug. Dropping some treats on the ground immediately next to you (the “yummy-stuff zone”) and inviting your dog to “Find it!” will draw him back toward you; then you can resume walking together while rewarding him for walking politely next to you.
DISTRACTED DOGS- When a dog is very distracted or maybe even mildly concerned with what’s going on around him, playing Find It can give him something fun and specific to focus on, helping him to keep busy and feel safe. You don’t need lots of room. You can toss treats on the floor within the range of the dog’s leash and invite him to “Find it!” I’ve used this game in the waiting room at the vet clinic, sitting in group training class with a fidgety dog while the instructor speaks, and while walking by a house with a dog barking at us through a fence (to encourage my dog to disregard the barking and to keep moving forward).
JUST FOR KICKS – As an activity all on its own, Find It can be an extremely satisfying game that can be played anytime, anywhere, indoors and out. In fact, the more you play Find It in different locations and contexts, the faster the dog’s response to the “Find it!” cue becomes, helping the cue to grow more useful and reliable in sticky situations.
Scenting games (activities that involve the dog using his nose to locate things) can be very tiring for dogs. If your energetic dog is just learning to walk nicely on leash, try engaging in a short Find It session with him before taking him out for a walk; it can help to calm him considerably.
How to Teach Your Dog to “Find It!”
Here is how to teach your dog this highly useful behavior:
In a quiet space with no distractions and plenty of treats in your hand, toss a treat to the ground, not too far from you, and say, “Find it!” Make sure your dog sees you toss the treat. Let him go to it and eat it. Repeat several times.
Now, after you’ve tossed a treat and said, “Find it!” – and while your dog is making his way toward that treat – quietly and secretly drop another treat on the floor. You don’t want the dog to hear it land, if possible. When your dog has eaten the first treat and starts to return to you or looks back toward you, say, “Find it!” and remain as still as possible. Your dog may just stare at you, waiting for your hand to move to toss another treat. Repeat the cue (“Find it!”), walk toward the treat on the floor, and tap-tap-tap your foot on the floor next to the treat to draw your dog’s attention to it.
While he dives for that treat, once again toss another treat to the ground without him hearing it. When he looks toward you, say, “Find it!” and remain still. By now your dog may have played the game long enough to have figured out that the treat is probably on the floor, and he might direct his search there. Give him a few seconds to find the treat on his own. If he does, that’s great! Toss another treat close by while he eats that one, and say, “Find it!” when he’s done eating the first one.
If, instead, he continues to look at you rather than directing his gaze to the floor, walk toward the treat and tap-tap-tap your foot again next to the treat while saying “Find it!”
When it looks like your dog has caught on to the game, you can toss many treats on the floor (one after another) in various directions and continue to coach him with your voice to “Find it!” as long as there are treats on the floor. Be enthusiastic – it’s a game!
To end the session, and to let your dog know there are no more treats on the floor, show him your empty hands and say, “All done!” In time, your dog will recognize this to mean the game has ended and he can stop searching.
With practice, your dog will become an expert at seeking and finding treats on the floor. Feel free to increase the level of difficulty by hiding treats in spots you don’t mind your dog sniffing around, like under furniture, beneath cushions, behind floor plants, on a low shelf, or inside a shoe. Playing Find It in grass is especially fun and tiring, and can be a convenient way to slow down a speed-eater.
Once your dog understands this game and will readily search for treats that you toss or hide in your home or yard, take the game out into the world. Start in low-distraction situations at first, until his response to your “Find it!” cue is so consistent and strong that you can use the behavior to counter the type of behavior challenges discussed at the beginning of the article.
Stay alert for opportunities to use this fun “game” to prevent your dog from jumping up on people, grabbing his leash, or dragging you on walks. In no time at all, you will find that he’s become far more attentive to you, as he looks for opportunities to play Find It, instead of amusing himself with activities that are less enjoyable for you!
Nancy Tucker, CPDT-KA, is a full-time trainer, behavior consultant, and seminar presenter in Quebec, Canada. She has written numerous articles on dog behavior for Quebec publications about life with the imperfect family dog.
The insects we encountered on our walk were likely yellowjacket wasps, as they are the most likely to build ground nests. It would explain why we didn’t find any stingers on our dogs. Yellowjackets, bumblebees, paper wasps, and hornets can all sting multiple times without hurting themselves. A honey-bee stinger, however, remains in the victim’s skin, tearing out of the bee’s body when it flies away, and causing its death a short time later.
Nests can be found virtually anywhere, but ground nests are most likely to be disturbed by dogs. Eradicating nests found on your own property, before they become large, is a good idea. Tiny holes in your lawn may indicate the beginning of a ground nest. Wasp nests can also be found on walls or under eaves outside your home, or in trees or bushes.
The only way to know for sure is to slowly patrol your property every week, looking for insect activity. A nest can be recognized by sight of insects flying in a fairly regular traffic pattern to and from the nest. You may need to stand and watch for a minute or 10, to identify their flight path and follow it to its end. By summer’s end, many nests can be large, like the one we encountered. That’s why it’s recommended that you begin patrolling your property in the spring and early summer, as the queens are setting up house.
Many experts recommend using a mix of soap and water to get rid of the nest. You can use almost any type of soap, including dish and laundry soap, and mix it into a garden sprayer to pump onto the nest. We use about three ounces of dish soap to one gallon of water. Spray at dawn or dusk, when the bees are least active.
Treatments should be done about three days apart until all activity ceases. It’s worth trying the soapy-water spray before resorting to an insecticide or an attempted physical removal of a nest. Without question, removal is the most risky approach and absolutely not recommended for the inexperienced or with a large nest. In serious cases, you may also choose to use a professional exterminator. In any event, keep your dog away until all the wasps are gone.
Late one summer, my sister and I were walking our dogs along a groomed trail in a state park. It was the same path we had taken the day before on our vacation camping trip, but it was such a relaxing, warm afternoon that we thought we’d enjoy it again. We had stopped to take in the scenery and watch her Labrador play in the water. My Papillon was eagerly exploring whatever was within the reach of his leash. Then, without warning, my Pap began leaping up in the air and shrieking. It was horrifying! I reached for him as he continued to jump, screeching and clearly terrified. I thought he was having a neurologic fit.
My sister came running over, dog in tow. As quickly as she got to me and my dog, her Lab starting doing the same thing! Finally it clicked – “Bees!” We ran as fast as possible, my Pap in my arms, her dog running beside her and the bees in pursuit.
We ran as fast as we could as far as possible, but the bees continued the chase. We took off again, struggling to breathe, eventually crossing a bridge over the lake. That did the trick, and the bees stopped coming.
As we stood there, gasping for air and trembling, my sister – a veterinarian – insisted we go into the lake and let the water cover the dogs as deeply as possible. She wanted to drown any bees hiding in the dogs’ coats. She said it is common for bees to stay in a dog’s coat after an attack (especially a long-haired dog), explaining she’s seen bees flying around the exam room when a dog was brought to her clinic for stings.
When we returned to our tent, her Labrador was trembling and refused to go into his open, airy exercise pen. Instead, he forced his way into my Papillon’s tiny crate, which had a mesh covering over it. The sides bulged out as the dog curled up as tightly as possible. He was clearly traumatized and refused to come out, apparently seeking what he considered a safe environment. My sister left to find some Benadryl to give to the dogs, and I stayed and tried to comfort them.
Though both dogs had experienced a number of stings, after the Benadryl that my sister procured had been administered, they recovered quickly from the physical effects of the bees’ attack. The emotional fallout was much longer lasting. My sister’s Lab had a meltdown a few weeks later at an agility trial due to noticeable but harmless bee activity near the practice jump. It took until the following spring before our dogs no longer became upset when they encountered a bee.
Interestingly, neither my sister nor I realized we, too, had been stung until the next day, when she found five stings, and I found three. Immediately after the incident, we were more concerned about our dogs!
When Bees Attack Dogs
Unless your dog has previously been stung, he may not be aware of the danger surrounding bees or wasps.
If you find or suspect a nest, leave immediately, especially if you are with your dog. When you do, be sure you:
– Avoid loud noises, such as shouting.
– Do not disturb the nest or get too close to it.
– Take warning if a few bees or wasps come out and initially dive-bomb you; that means leave immediately.
– Don’t swat at the insects or attempt to kill them (you will just aggravate them).
– Run if the bees or wasps come after you or your dog. There is no other solution. Make your dog run with you or pick him up and carry him. Yes, you can usually outrun most of these flying insects, but you may find they are determined and you will have to run again.
– Protect your face. If your dog is in your arms, cuddle him as you run.
– Run into the wind, if possible, as it will inhibit the insects’ flight.
– Skip hiding in the water until it’s over, as swarms may hover over the surface, waiting for you.
– Do not stop running until you are certain the bees or wasps have retreated.
Signs a Bee Stung Your Dog
If you are with the dog when a bee attack occurs, you may see him leap up and cry out, as we did. He may also run around in circles, rub at his mouth or eyes, scratch or bite at the site, or just hold his paw up.
If you didn’t see him get stung, you may notice swelling or see him scratching or chewing at the sting site. The site will be painful to the touch. If you know or suspect your dog has multiple stings, you should seriously consider a trip to the veterinarian.
Bees and wasps usually sting in the least-hairy spots on a dog, like the underbelly or around the nose, but dogs can also be stung in hairier areas. If your dog was stung because he was snapping at a bee or wasp, you may find the sting in the ear area, eyes, or even in the dog’s mouth. If he was digging, he probably got stung around his paws.
The severity of the situation depends partially on the degree of swelling and whether he has any reactions that might indicate anaphylactic shock, meaning he is allergic to bee stings. That is a life-threatening emergency.
When severe, these symptoms will most likely appear almost immediately, at least within the first five minutes. “Figure 30 minutes at the most,” advises Dr. Deb M. Eldredge, a veterinarian, dog breeder, and award-winning veterinary author in Vernon, New York.
Signs of a more serious reaction include:
– Excessive salivation/drooling
– Vomiting
– Diarrhea
– Difficulty breathing
– Trembling
– Collapse/fainting (bee-sting reactions can sometimes mimic seizures)
– Pale gums
– Hives
– Mental change, such as unresponsiveness, confusion, or abnormal behavior, such as our Lab retreating into the tiny crate
In these cases, you should seek immediate veterinary care. Your vet may give your dog Benadryl (diphenhydramine HCI) and/or dexamethasone, which is a strong anti-inflammatory drug. Dexamethasone is a synthetic corticosteroid that is only given with extreme caution. Serious sting reactions can require the administration of fluids and possible overnight veterinary care.
If you learn your dog is allergic to bee or wasp stings, it may be wise to carry an EpiPen with you. An EpiPen contains injectable epinephrine to counteract anaphylactic shock. The advisability of this for your dog and the exact dosage must be determined by your own veterinarian.
Be aware that your dog might be fine with a single sting but may go into shock when stung more than once due to the amount of venom released. In most cases, you’ll see some mild swelling and pain, which can be treated with routine first-aid to relieve his symptoms:
Check the area for a stinger; if you find it, scrape the stinger off. “A credit card is good for this,” says Dr. Eldredge. “Don’t use tweezers. Pulling the stinger out with tweezers could actually squeeze more venom into your pet.”
Use a cold pack to help soothe the swelling and reduce inflammation or apply a baking-soda poultice, which is made by adding enough water to the baking soda to create a paste. In a pinch, even a cold-water wash cloth can be soothing. Hold the cold pack on the area for 20 minutes at a time.
Monitor the dog continually for swelling, as severe swelling in the head/neck area can be dangerous. You may see small, localized swelling at the sting site with redness and pain.
Symptoms may remain for several days, but if they worsen, take your dog to the vet.
Your dog may have difficulty eating his regular diet if he was stung in the mouth. Offer ice water and wet food, if possible.
If your veterinarian agrees, it’s usually okay to administer Benadryl as a precaution. The normal dosage for dogs is 1 mg per pound of dog body weight every eight hours. A Benadryl tablet contains 25 mg of medicine, so a small dog, weighing around eight pounds, would receive about one-third of a tablet. But talk with your own veterinarian for advice in advance, especially for very small and very large dogs.
“Generally, dogs more than 50 pounds should be given two Benadryl tablets,” says Dr. Eldredge. “I don’t usually go as high as three tablets.” Dr. Eldredge avoids liquid Benadryl as it has some alcohol in it.
Bee Sting Bottom Line
We learned a lesson: Always be on the lookout for insect activity anytime you are outside. We learned that a nest can be formed within a few hours. And bees seem to be more frantic as the season wanes.
Of course, no sane person purposely disturbs a nest and, fortunately, most bees and wasps do not attack without being provoked (Africanized honey bees, however, may attack with little to no reason). Remember, though, your fearless canine pal – like my little dog – may not be aware that these fascinating bees and wasps must be left alone.
Some perfumes (including those in your or your dog’s shampoo!) can attract bees or wasps. We’ve also learned that shiny jewelry and dark clothing are attractive to the insects. (The dark color may be why my sister’s black Lab was stung more than my white Papillon.) Your picnic food will also draw their attention. If your dog is one of those odd souls who likes to chase or bite at bees, you may want to forego planting flowers or flowering shrubs in the parts of your yard that your dog has access to.
And pay attention! I know that no matter how amusing my sister’s Lab is playing in the water, I will keep one eye on my dog, too, with Benadryl in just the right dosage for my dog’s weight handy in my pocket.
A freelance writer who lives in New York state, Cynthia Foley is an experienced dog agility competitor.
If you’ve ever had little two-leggers in your life, you know that they are issued along with new lenses for the frames of your formerly rose-colored glasses; once you are responsible for a child’s very survival, every object in her environment is assessed through safety lenses for its ability to inflict harm, from the vertigo-inducing monkey bars at the playground to the toxic stew of cleaning products under your kitchen sink.
Eventually, our young humans grow up and assume responsibility for their own safety and survival (though of course, we never completely stop worrying about them).
Perennial grade-schoolers that they are, our dogs never afford us this upgrade. We never have to fret over them running off with the wrong Poodle, or not being able to find a job at the dog park. But we’re stuck with those safety glasses for the lifespan of our dogs, laser-focused on how they interact with the physical world around them, for better or – we fear – worse.
“I wish I could just bubble-wrap him,” said a friend, only half-jokingly, about the toll all this worrying takes on her ability to enjoy her dog.
All conscientious dog owners wrestle with the dilemma: How physical should we allow our dogs to be? How do we balance the risks of letting them indulge their instincts – to let them be dogs – with the desire to keep them in one piece?
While there are no guarantees in life, and freak accidents can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime, there are some things you can do to keep your dog from winding up in a full body cast.
Limit Your Dog’s Liability
Knowing your dog’s limits is the first step to keeping her safe.
“People sometimes push their dogs too early without paying respect to their physical and mental ability,” says physical therapist Deborah Gross, DPT, MSPT, of Wizard of Paws Physical Rehabilitation for Animals in Colchester, Connecticut, who works with many dogs who do high-impact sports such as agility. “For example, you shouldn’t be starting an 8-month-old pup out on jumps and grids before they have the mental ability to comprehend what they need to do, and before they have the physical strength to perform a movement.”
Waiting for full growth-plate closure before attempting strenuous activities is also key, Gross stresses. The growth plates are those funny-looking, oversized knobs you see on a puppy’s front legs, though they exist in the bones of the rear legs and pelvis, too. As their name suggests, these plates are areas of tissue at either end of the bone that determine how long the bone will grow. They do not “close,” or stop growing, until a dog is around a year old (and closer to two years in larger breeds). Until the growth plates close and are replaced by bone, they are relatively weak and susceptible to injury – which is why it is recommended that puppies are not jogged for long distances on unyielding surfaces such as concrete or blacktop.
Obviously, if your dog engages in higher-impact activities, he’ll have a relatively higher risk of injury, especially if he’s not been thoroughly prepared for those activities with a solid foundation of conditioning. But even an innocent game of catch can do serious harm.
“Ball playing is a big culprit for injuries,” Gross cautions. “Dogs often get crazy and push themselves through injuries. And ball playing is something many owners say they ‘need’ to do to help with their dogs’ activity level.”
Laurie McCauley, DVM, DACVSMR, of Tops Veterinary Rehabilitation in Grayslake, Illinois, who is board-certified in sports medicine and rehabilitation, says ball-throwing can be made safer if you pay attention to the topography.
“If you’re going to throw a ball and you’re on a hill, always be sure to throw the ball uphill,” she advises. Since dogs always run faster when they go after the ball, and are slower to return with it, you don’t want that initial chasing to happen as the dog goes full tilt downhill.
Gross stresses that owners need to understand and look out for the signs of injury in their dogs. “Often the dogs give us subtle signs but we do not pick up on them,” she says. “They may continue to perform an activity with them, and an overuse injury occurs.”
If your dog seems just a little off – or hesitates or refuses to do an activity that she previously was enthused about – a vet visit might be in order. Yawning, boredom, increased fatigue, and stiffness on rising can also be warning signs. The more in tune you are with your dog, the more easily you will pick up when something just “isn’t right”: What your gut is telling you, even though your brain can’t pinpoint it, is that your dog’s response time and body posture have changed, if only subtly, to compensate for the discomfort she feels.
Puppy Pilates
Just like people who don’t exercise all week and then take an embarrassing header at the company volleyball tournament, dogs can’t just jump off the couch and start zooming around like an agility star. Weekend warriors often pay the price for their part-time athleticism with increased injuries that might have been altogether avoidable.
Your solution to the volleyball debacle might be to become a gym rat, and that potential exists for your dog, too. Agility competitors and other performance enthusiasts often use targeted exercises to strengthen a dog’s core – the muscles around the back, abdomen, and pelvis – which in turn help increase stability and balance. The more control a dog has over her body – how she moves and reacts to her changing physical environment – the less likely she is to hurt herself in the process. Core-building equipment includes:
Stability balls. These brightly colored bouncers are now standard issue in human workouts, and dogs love to stand atop them. But the totally spherical surface doesn’t always work as well with quadrupeds, and there are several oval- and peanut-shaped stability balls on the market designed specifically for dogs.
Balance discs. These inflatable PVC discs create an unstable surface that the dog must compensate for by shifting her weight. The more inflated the disc, the more challenging the exercise.
Wobble boards. You can spend close to $100 on one of these fancy boards, or you can make your own with a circle of plywood nailed to a pivot point, like a softball.
Dominick Cenotti
If someone could invest in only one piece of conditioning equipment, Gross recommends a large balance disc. “Most dogs, big or small, can use one,” she says. (Not to mention that you can work out on the disc when your dog isn’t!)
“I love to incorporate core work into the dogs’ daily life,” Gross says, ticking off some of the scenarios: balancing on a disc while your dog is eating, asking her to perform 10 sit-to-stands before feeding, or having her balancing on a piece of balance equipment while you are watching the news.
An even cheaper option is a leash. Gross says it can be tougher for busy owners to find the time to add some endurance exercise into the mix, “but I usually ask people to try to get in at least one 20-minute walk a day – maybe sneak out at lunch, get up 20 minutes earlier, or stay up 20 minutes more.”
Dr. McCauley says one of the best exercises for strengthening a dog’s back end is getting her to walk sideways or backward. “To get her to walk sideways, you can hold onto the dog’s collar, face her perpendicularly, put your feet between her front feet and back feet, and gently walk into her” so she is forced to go sideways, she says.
For backward walking, put a cookie to the dog’s chest and get her to heel backward. Or, place her next to a wall, with a hand on her collar and another on the belly, and gently get her to walk backward. With toy dogs, Dr. McCauley suggests working on a bed to spare your own back. Frequent praise and treats will help your dog to quickly learn what’s expected, and start moving on her own volition.
Courtesy of Wizard of Paws
Integrating these exercises into your walks can easily make them part of your routine. “Go a block and then walk a house length sideways,” Dr. McCauley advises. “Then go another block and walk a house length backward.”
If you have the time, resources or budget for it, underwater treadmills are a great way to keep a dog toned and fit. Dr. McCauley says that research shows that underwater treadmills, as well as strengthen training, slow down the progress of sarcopenia, or muscle deterioration associated with the aging process. The research did not address free swimming in a lake or pool, but that certainly can improve overall condition and strength, which in turn lowers your dog’s risk of injury.
Dominick Cenotti
Don’t Substitute Real Physical Activity
Dominic Carota of Hallam Hounds, located in Selkirk, New York, is an internationally known breeder of Pharaoh Hounds. But his hounds don’t just do the cakewalk at dog shows; they are also avid competitors at lure coursing, a sport where dogs chase a plastic bag to simulate a rabbit hunt.
Such a physically demanding sport, where the dogs gallop full on and also make relatively quick turns as their “prey” zips around the field, has its risks; dogs can become severely injured, or even die. But Carota has managed to avoid any serious mishaps in the two decades his dogs have been running. He attributes that to a daily conditioning program that basically amounts to lots of mini-sessions of free-running.
Carota’s dogs are given time to free-run, off leash, four times a day. “It doesn’t have to be long periods – even for 10 minutes,” says Carota, who typically lets five or six dogs run together to give them short bursts of continuous exercise. “They need that lateral movement to build themselves up. It keeps them in condition – and not just physically, but also psychologically.”
Carota has set up his kennel property to include several different levels and surfaces: The dogs cross concrete, dirt, grass, sometimes at an incline, sometimes at a decline. While leash walking is great at building endurance, “the problem with straight walking is it doesn’t do a lot in terms of building agility,” he says. “This builds up their pads, and their pasterns, and gives them the agility to pivot quickly, and turn on a dime. I set up my property so they can do it themselves.”
Anne Jones of Alchemy Dog Training in Acworth, Georgia, is also a fan of what she calls “self-exercise.”
In her wooded backyard, as well as on their weekly off-lead runs in the woods, her dogs bound over uneven ground, negotiating random obstacles, and their bodies have to unconsciously readjust where they are in space and time – what’s formally called proprioception.
Even navigating everyday life gives Jones’ dogs a dose of cross-training. “I live in a house with stairs, and the dogs go up and down the stairs at a run,” says Jones, who has Rhodesian Ridgebacks as well as an Australian Cattle Dog and an ancient Border Collie. “It gives them lots of rear-end exercise.”
For those whose full-time work schedules prevent them from devoting much time to letting their dogs work out, Jones suggests doggie day care.
In that free-form environment, “the dog is out and moving all day,” she says. “It’s not like being crated or being in the house all day.”
Learn About Your Dog’s Conformation
That’s conformation with an “o,” not an “i”: Confirmation is what you get when Amazon sends you an email that your 50 Shades of Grey trilogy has shipped (don’t worry, I won’t tell). Conformation is used among dog people to refer to a dog’s structure, and by extension, how those individual body parts work together to affect a dog’s soundness.
Dog breeders and performance enthusiasts will often talk about whether a dog has a “good front” or “good rear.” This isn’t an aesthetic reference, but rather a description of how the respective assemblies impact the dog’s physical ability. In terms of structure, a “good front” is one in which the scapula, or shoulder, is well-angled: Because some 60 percent of a dog’s weight is borne on the front assembly, a well-angled front acts like a spring, absorbing shock with a minimum of wear and tear. A straight front, in which the shoulder blade is more upright, is less ideal in situations that call for a lot of jumping, such as agility.
Similarly, a “good rear” is one that has strength and stability for the all-important job of pushing off and pivoting. Dogs who have weak, high, or slipped hocks, lack of inner thigh muscle, or narrow stifles or knee joints, are at greater risk of injury.
“Dogs who are straight in the front are much more likely to injure their shoulders,” Dr. McCauley notes. “Dogs who are too straight in the rear are more likely to tear their cruciates, while dogs who are very angled in the rear are more likely to have toe and hock injuries.”
“We always want to stack the cards in the favor of the dogs,” Gross adds. “A long-backed dog should not do a lot of excessive jumping secondary to the stress placed on their backs. Any abnormal conformation will place excessive stress on the dogs’ body and lead to a faster breakdown, and a higher risk of osteoarthritis and injury.”
Dogs who have very long backs – such as Dachshunds – or very short ones – such as French Bulldogs – can be prone to back injuries. But this isn’t always breed-specific: Jones, who breeds Rhodesian Ridgebacks, says she spayed one of her females because she had a “bad topline” – in other words, her back was so long that it had a bit of a dip. “When she jumps, she doesn’t land well, because her shock assembly isn’t working,” Jones says. “The better structure they have, the longer they are going to stay sound.”
This doesn’t apply to just purebred dogs, of course, though good breeders pay a great deal of attention to structure, and so have a heightened awareness of it. Jones, who does rescue work, says she always evaluates her incoming rescues in terms of their conformation, so she can determine their physical limitations.
Another word dog people use is “balance,” which is just what it sounds like: The rear and front assemblies complement each other, and so work in tandem when the dog is in motion. “If they’re unbalanced, they’re not going to run well or fast or very long,” Carota says. “They’re going to tire more quickly.”
That pretty “prance” that you see in a well-made dog trotting by is really a fluid, uninterrupted gait; almost always, it means that the dog’s various parts are working together in balance.
If you have a purebred dog, or a dog whose background seems dominated by a particular breed, do some research to find out whether that breed typically has vulnerable structural or physical characteristics. For example, owners of Greyhounds need to be aware that these dogs have skin so delicate that it often needs to be glued instead of stitched, and so a graze from a passing branch or exuberant mouthing from another dog at the dog park can be more significant for them than most other dogs.
Warming Up Before Exercising
Builders of skyscrapers know that they have to allow for a little swaying; otherwise, high-powered winds can literally snap their towering creations in half. Similarly, even well-made dogs need some “give” in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that hold them together.
Jones, who competes with her dogs in agility, always does a warm-up before a run. “You don’t want the muscles to be tight,” she says. “I make sure the dogs bend in both directions, and I make sure they trot. If it’s a particularly cold day, I want to keep them moving, and their muscles warm.”
Even if you are just visiting a dog park, as opposed to taking the starting line in a timed event, walk or trot your dog for three to five minutes before turning him loose to take off at top speed, especially if he’s the type who likes to jump right into the fray.
Hydration is always important when a dog is active, because it regulates body temperature, speeds the transport of nutrients, and lubricates joints. To encourage her dogs to take a few slurps, Jones sometimes adds a little frozen Biljac or molasses to the water bucket. Sometimes she’ll use K9 Super Fuel, a muscle-performance powder. “I just want it to flavor the water,” and encourage them to drink, she says.
It should go without saying, but let’s say it anyway: Being overweight is a huge risk factor for injury. Be sure that your dog is in correct weight for his body frame, not just his size: A Bullmastiff and a Ridgeback are about the same height, but they should have very different silhouettes. Though seeing a slight ripple of rib is normal in some breeds, far too many owners tolerate a few extra pounds in their dogs.
To avoid torn cruciate ligaments, a common injury in large-breed dogs, Gross recommends weight management, because fat dogs are simply at greater risk. Alas, in this, as with us, dieting is not the cure-all: She also recommends exercise, including regular walks, core work on a piece of equipment, and slow walking on hills to build up the hind limbs.
When Your Dog’s Had Too Much Fun
Active dogs, especially youngsters, simply don’t understand the concept of moderation when they are having fun, so you have to watch them and enforce occasional rest periods, and stop the action before your dog is exhausted. Jones has noticed that new dog owners are often unaware of this responsibility. “They assume that as long as a dog wants to keep going, it’s okay,” she explains. “They don’t take the role of advocate. They don’t say, ‘Hey, pup, you’re looking a little tired, your tongue’s a little long.’ They just keep going because the dog wants to keep going.”
And that can end tragically. Jones recalls a friend who took her diabetic-alert dog for an afternoon of swimming a couple of years ago. After playing and retrieving for two hours straight, the exuberant pooch went down – a case of exercise-induced collapse.
“I wouldn’t let any dog retrieve for two hours straight – I don’t care if the dog looks happy,” Jones says. “You have to remember, she’s like a 5-year-old child. She doesn’t know when she’s done.”
Knowing when your dog is showing signs of tiring – and stopping at that point – is very important: Even if your dog is nowhere near the point of collapsing, remember that when anyone gets tired, their tendency for mistakes and missteps increases. Frequent breaks are important.
Carota reminds us that fatigue isn’t just physical. When his dogs are done competing on the lure-coursing field, “I make sure they stay quiet,” he says. “When they’re in the van, that’s their down time, their mental and physical recovery period. It lets their bodies completely relax.”
Maintaining a consistent routine has taught Carota’s dogs that once the van door opens, it’s time to get revved up for another run. But their regular crates and bedding, and the closed van door (which also retains the heat or air conditioning, depending on the season), tells them that it’s time to quiet down and recharge for the fun ahead.
When she is doing strengthening exercises with dogs, Dr. McCauley’s goal is to make sure they are tired so that she knows she is strengthening them, but not to the point of making them sore. “Tired is going to take a nap after the work, then getting up and wanting to play,” she explains. “Sore is getting up slowly, and certainly if they are lame.”
Note how your dog is moving the following day, and watch for signs that she may have overexerted herself.
Dr. McCauley says she always looks at three things before and after exercise: a dog’s stance, or how she holds her body statically; her gait, or how she moves; and transitions, or how she goes from a sit to a down, or a down to stand. “After exercise, they should always be the same or better,” she says. “If it’s worse, you’ve done too much, or done the wrong thing.”
Let Them Be Dogs
At the end of the day, you need to make peace with the fact that even if you follow all the above advice, and your dog is the picture of health and conditioning, mishaps may occur.
Jones points to her weekly runs in the woods as a perfect example. “That’s an accident waiting to happen, always,” she says: No amount of preparation or caution can prevent a dog from getting impaled on a protruding branch, or stepping into a hole and twisting a leg.And here is where a bit of philosophy comes into play: Yes, a bubble-wrapped dog is a safe dog. But, ultimately, it is a happy one?
Jones says she has a friend with Whippets who won’t let her dogs play or run loose because of concerns that they will get hurt. The dogs get long, leashed walks together, so they do get more than enough exercise and interaction with each other. Who is to say whether dogs are any less happy or fulfilled if they don’t get the chance to body-slam and chase and jump on each other?
Jones, however, thinks she knows how the dogs would answer if they could.
“There’s nothing my dogs love to do as much as run in the woods,” she says. “Yes, they can hurt themselves, but it gives them so much pleasure. First and foremost, I let them be dogs.”
Denise Flaim of Revodana Ridgebacks in Long Island, New York, shares her home with three Ridgebacks, 11-year-old triplets, and a very patient husband.
While we know you don’t want to hear it, your senior dog needs a twice-yearly veterinary well-visit. “There are many health issues that can be treated if detected early,” Dr. Taylor says.
Yes, vet visits are expensive and have the potential to get even more costly. But early detection is the most cost efficient and safest for your dog. If money is a concern, discuss financial matters with your veterinarian at the start. Most veterinarians will work with you.
During these visits, report unusual behaviors that might indicate the start of a problem, such as changes in mental processes, unusual barking/agitation/aggression, decrease in appetite, changes in activity, soreness, increased thirst, incontinence, hair-coat differences and so on. Anything different should be reported. No need to give the vet a long story; just state what you’ve observed: “I’ve noticed a few accidents in the house.”
At the wellness exam, your veterinarian will look at your pet’s ears, eyes, and mouth. Typical old-dog problems like cataracts can be found and treatment options can be discussed. Dental problems are huge. Chronically inflamed gums set the stage for many other health issues, such as heart trouble. If you don’t brush your dog’s teeth, this check is critical to your dog and your wallet.
Your vet will palpate your dog for any unusual lumps or pain issues, but let him know if you’re concerned about a certain area.
If your vet hears anything unusual when listening to your dog’s chest and abdomen, he may recommend a radiograph or ultrasound to get a closer look.
If your dog has an extensive vaccination history, he shouldn’t need more vaccinations in his senior years. If your veterinarian is concerned, consider asking for a vaccine antibody titer test, so you can confirm that your dog has adequate immune protection and prevent vaccinating him unnecessarily.
A geriatric-dog blood chemistry panel should also be done annually. Bloodwork, of course, can get expensive in the pinch of a needle, so discuss the tests with your veterinarian. However, be aware that some tests, like a complete blood count (CBC) will be considered mandatory.
For most dogs, a CBC and a basic chemistry panel will suffice. The chemistry panel will look at liver enzymes, calcium, phosphorus, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, cholesterol, albumin, amylase, electrolytes, and thyroid function. Abnormal results indicate the need for further testing or a repeated test.
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?”
