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A friend posted today on her FB page that someone in her neighborhood association had bragged on the neighborhoods online discussion page that they were able to get a doctors note claiming that their dog was a therapy dog, in order to avoid having to pay a pet deposit for an apartment they were about to rent. I hope and trust that my friend excoriated the person and the tactic.
It really seems to me that our society is quickly reaching the tipping point on this emotional support animal (ESA) thing. No one seems to know what the laws are concerning legitimate service dogs and everyone seems to think that emotional support dogs are afforded the same rights as service dogs (they are NOT). The laws were succinctly described in a terrific article in the New Yorker magazine (October 20, 2014 issue):
In contrast to an emotional-support animal (E.S.A.), a service dog is trained to perform specific tasks, such as pulling a wheelchair and responding to seizures. The I.R.S. classifies these dogs as a deductible medical expense, whereas an emotional-support animal is more like a blankie. An E.S.A. is defined by the government as an untrained companion of any species that provides solace to someone with a disability, such as anxiety or depression. The rights of anyone who has such an animal are laid out in two laws. The Fair Housing Act says that you and your E.S.A. can live in housing that prohibits pets. The Air Carrier Access Act entitles you to fly with your E.S.A. at no extra charge, although airlines typically require the animal to stay on your lap or under the seatthis rules out emotional-support rhinoceroses. Both acts stipulate that you must have a corroborating letter from a health professional.
On my most recent trip, I changed planes in the Seattle airport, and was frankly astonished at the number of dogs I saw in the airport wearing service dog vests. Given that exactly one of the dozens of dogs I saw appeared to have any training whatsoever, I sincerely doubt that we are experiencing an anxiety disorder crisis of epic proportions in this country; I think that the word has gotten out that you can bring your smallish dog on planes for free if you claim hes an emotional support animal.
Why do I care? Mostly because I want the rights of genuinely disabled people with trained service animals to be safe from legislative rollbacks caused by widespread problems caused by untrained, unsocialized dogs being taken into places where they have no right to go. I want legitimate service dogs to be able to perform their important jobs without having to fear being attacked by poorly supervised, ill-mannered dogs brought into stressful public spaces by unscrupulous, overprivileged grownup brats who cant accept that some people have more need of their dogs in public than they do. And I dont want the people who really need their dogs, and have invested in their training and use, to have to suffer from judgmental looks of people who cant readily see their disability.
Was * I * giving all those people with dogs in the Seattle airport judgmental looks? I hope not. Because I did have a really nice conversation with a young couple who was traveling with their newborn baby and an emotional support dog; the dad was an Army veteran, and his wife was a current Army soldier. The dog was officially in support of the dad and you could tell, because she took the job seriously, watching him like a hawk and continually touching him with part of her body. Im sure being in the busy airport with a newborn was stressful, and while he spoke in a jovial manner, the keen way that the dog was tuned into him convinced me completely that he was far more nervous than he was letting on. I want to believe in and support the use of dogs like this not shaking my head at the some barky dog on a Flexi who stops to lift his leg on a row of chairs in the airport terminal.
I often scroll through posts on the Facebook page of a rescue group that I very occasionally have the opportunity to help. Its a large group, national in scope, and there are dozens of postings to the page daily. Some are from experienced dog owners, with decades of breed rescue under their belts (and dozens if not hundreds of canine lives saved), and others are from first-time dog owners.
Its a generalization, but most of the experienced people posts pictures of dogs they own or have participated in rescuing; the newbies tend to post frantic questions about their dogs health and behavior, and ask for advice.
I often get ideas for articles that I think we ought to cover in WDJ in places like this particularly when I see a topic that engenders particularly bad advice, or at least, little or no good advice.
More often than not, though, its painful for me to read the posts from people who are looking for advice not because they are asking for help, but because they are looking for help in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Its one thing to ask the opinion of other experienced dog owners for a minor, non-urgent problem say, a very slow-growing wart on your dogs skin, or a usually non-life-threatening behavior issue, such as counter-surfing (stealing food off the kitchen counters). It makes even more sense to ask these questions of people who have experience with dogs of the same breed or type, particularly when the issue you are facing is something that breed is known for. And it makes perhaps the most sense to ask a wide panel of people you dont know when you have already consulted several relevant and genuine experts that is, you have paid money to veterinarians or professional trainers and have not received a satisfactory diagnosis and/or solution, or have received conflicting opinions about what to do. This sort of crowd-sourcing might just elicit some solutions or ideas that you havent already heard or considered; they sometimes do give you an idea of another avenue to try.
But it makes no sense to me at all to ask people you dont know for diagnostic and treatment advice for something that you have no clue about a condition that you have not yet brought to the attention of the appropriate knowledgeable expert. If your dog has a health issue that has you concerned, please dont ask an Internet chat group what it might be or what to do about it; call your vet first! And then discuss the vets advice with your online friends. And if your dogs behavior could cause harm to himself or others if hes developed predatory or aggressive behavior, has no recall, or escapes from your yard regularly please start looking for the most experienced positive trainer you can find to help you with the problem!
I say this because Im often astonished at the seriously bad advice thats always mixed in with the well-meaning but useless advice and the spot-on sound advice that can be found on these boards. And each type of advice will have its adherents and people who like that particular approach; you generally cant just go with the posts that have the most people who agree (indicated by likes). Sometimes, the posters are being sarcastic and/or humorous, and the newbies dont understand!
A case in point: recently, I read a post in which the owner of a dog wasnt actually asking for anything, but was simply venting about her dogs latest health challenge and a large resulting vet bill. She finished her post with something like, Ah well, its nothing that a few months of rice and beans wont fix. And several people actually wanted to know how feeding the dog rice and beans was going to help the dogs condition!!
Anyway, thats my pet peeve: going to an online board when you really need to be paying for expert advice first.
Have you read some bad online advice? Share some cautionary tales with us!
The following tips on human’s body language are applicable when interacting with any dog, but are especially important when dealing with a fearful dog. Adopt mannerisms and teach others who interact with your dog to do so as well.
Let the dog come to you. If your dog is frightened, she must be allowed to decide whether or not to approach. Don’t restrain your dog and force her to accept contact from others. Remember the “fight or flight” response; if you take away the opportunity for flight, your dog’s choices are limited.
Turn to the Side. Facing a dog directly is more confrontational than keeping your body turned partially or completely to the side; even turning your head to the side will make a frightened dog feel less anxious.
No staring, please! A direct stare is a threat in the animal kingdom (and on New York Subways!). It is perfectly fine to look at your dog; just soften your expression and don’t hard stare directly into her eyes. Do not allow children to put their faces near your dog’s face or to stare into her eyes.
Don’t hover. Leaning over a dog can cause the dog to become afraid and possibly defensive. The one time I was bitten while working in a Los Angeles city animal shelter happened when I went to return an adorable, fluffy white dog to her pen. While placing her on the ground, I inadvertently reached over equally adorable little pen mate-who jumped up and bit me in the face.
Pet appropriately. Approaching dogs by patting then on the head is ill-advised. Envision the interaction from the dog’s point of view; a palm approaching from above can be alarming. I do a demonstration with kids to teach them how to pet dogs properly. The child plays the role of the dog; I tell the child that I will pet him in two different ways, and he is to tell me which is nicer. First, I reach my hand slowly towards the child’s cheek and stroke it, smiling and softly saying, “Good dog!” Next, I bring my hand brusquely palm-down over the child’s head and repeatedly, while loudly saying, “good dog, good dog!” Kids almost invariably like the first method better. If dogs could answer for themselves, nine out of ten dogs would love vote for the first methods as well! It’s not that dogs should never be petted on top of the head, but that head-patting (or petting over the dog’s shoulders, back, or rump) should not be used as an initial approach. It is wiser to make a fist, hold it under the dog’s nose is to allow her to sniff, then pet the dog on the chest, moving gradually to the sides of the face and other body parts, assuming the dog is comfortable. Likewise, a hand moving in quickly to grab for a dog’s collar is more potentially fear-inducing than a hand moving slowly to a dog’s chest, scratching it, then moving up to take hold of the collar.
Stoop, don’t swoop. Small dogs in particular are often swooped down upon when people want to pick them up. Fast, direct, overhead movements are much more frightening than slow, indirect ones. To lift a small dog, crouch down, pet the dog for a moment, then gently slip your hands under her belly and chest, and lift.
Watch your smile. While humans interpret a smile as friendly, a dog might not be as found of seeing your pearly whites. A show of teeth is, after all, a threat in the animal kingdom. A friend of mine once accompanied me to visit the wolves at a rescue center. She patiently sat on the ground, motionless. Finally, a large, black wolf approached to investigate. Unable to contain herself, she broke out in a huge, toothy grin. The wolf darted away as though she had raised a hand to hit him. The lesson? Save the dazzling toothpaste for charming your dates and accepting rewards. Smile at canines with a closed mouth.
Our 13-year-old Pomeranian, Scooter, loves to hump his purple stuffed bear. We find it harmless, so we don’t try to stop him. His intimate bear-time is limited because our Corgi, Lucy, shreds stuffed animals in the blink of an eye, so Scooter only gets his bear in my training center office when Lucy isn’t around, which isn’t all that often. But there are many dogs whose mounting behavior is more disturbing – because it embarrasses their humans, offends observers, or worse, distresses the person or other animal who is the recipient of the dog humping.
Scooter’s purple bear could care less. Other dogs, and humans who are the target of the behavior, may be intimidated, antagonized, or even injured by the overbearing attentions of a dog dedicated to mounting. I was once on the receiving end of a Boxer’s persistent mounting while conducting a behavior assessment at a shelter. This dog was so big and strong that he actually was able to pull me to the floor of the kennel – a frightening and potentially very dangerous situation had there not been other staff there to rescue me. And I don’t get taken down by a dog easily!
Dog humping isn’t about sex
Mounting behavior is most commonly not about sex. Oh sure, if you have a female in season and an unsterilized male dog mounting her, then yes, it is clearly about reproduction. But in today’s polite society, many dogs are spayed and neutered, and unspayed females in season are usually kept safely at home by their responsible owners.
Still, it’s common to see dogs mounting other dogs, humans, toys, other objects, and even “air-humping” – seemingly having their way with some invisible, imaginary subject. And it’s not limited to male dogs; female dogs also hump objects, people, and other dogs.
Like many canine behaviors that we humans find annoying, inconvenient, or embarrassing, dog humping is perfectly normal behavior. And like other such annoying, inconvenient, and embarrassing behaviors, it’s perfectly reasonable for us to ask our dogs to stop, or to at least reserve the behavior for times or places that are considered more appropriate by the human family members.
So why do dogs hump? Reproduction aside, the most common reason dogs hump things is in response to stress, anxiety, and/or excitement. A trainer friend of mine tells of a friend coming to visit – a friend who lives far away, visits rarely, and who is well-loved by my trainer friend’s dog, a pit bull mix. Roscoe was so deliriously happy about the friend’s visit that he made a full air-humping circuit of the living room before he could settle down enough to greet the guest politely. Our first Pomeranian, Dusty, would mount the sofa cushions if I took the other dogs out and left him inside. The stress of being left behind triggered the cushion-humping.
The stress and excitement of meeting other dogs is a classic cause of mounting, and one of the reasons you are highly likely to see the behavior on display in dog parks. Brief bouts that involve mounting of other dogs in canine social interactions – as long as they don’t lead to bloodletting or oppression of the mountee – are acceptable. Mounting of human body parts is not acceptable, nor is mounting that leads to dog fights.
There can also be underlying medical causes of canine mounting and masturbation. These can include urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and allergies that cause itching of sensitive body parts. In these cases, the dog is merely trying to relieve the discomfort caused by the medical issue. We had an allergy-prone Scottish Terrier who, in the middle of allergy flare-ups, would do push-ups on the living room carpet to scratch his itchy private parts.
Attention-seeking can be yet another reason why dogs hump. Some dogs have learned that a really good way to get their humans to engage with them is to climb on for a little ride. Remember that for many attention-starved dogs, negative attention (“Bad dog, stop that!”) is still better than no attention at all. And if some humans find the behavior amusing, positively reinforcing it with laughter and encouragement, the behavior is all the more likely to continue.
How to stop dog humping
So what do you do to stop dog humping? The first step is a trip to your veterinarian to rule out – or treat – any medical conditions that may be causing or exacerbating the behavior.
Meanwhile, do your best to manage your dog’s environment to prevent, or at least minimize, the behavior. If he aggravates other dogs at the dog park, limit his social engagements until the behavior is under control. If he persists in annoying your guests, keep him leashed, crated, behind a baby gate, or in another room when company visits, so he can’t practice the unwanted behavior.
The longer your dog has practiced his mounting behavior, the harder it will be to change. It’s logical that the sooner you intervene in your dog’s unacceptable mounting, the better your chances for behavior modification success.
Neutering is another obvious first step. A 1990 study found a 50 percent improvement in mounting behavior in 60 percent of dogs, and a 90 percent improvement in as many as 40 percent of dogs following castration. (While both male and female dogs may engage in mounting, it is more often a male dog behavior problem than a female one.)
A 1976 study determined that within 72 hours of surgery, the bulk of hormones have left the dog’s system. Since mounting is partially a learned behavior as well as hormone-driven, the extent to which neutering will help will be determined at least in part by how long the dog has been allowed to practice the behavior. Neutered dogs may still hump after surgery, but the odds are greatly reduced.
How to stop dog-on-dog mounting
You will need to work harder to convince your adult, well-practiced dog than a young, inexperienced pup to quit climbing on other dogs. Additionally, there’s more potential for aggression with a mature dog if the recipient of unwanted attention objects to being mounted. With both young and mature dogs, you can use time-outs to let your dog know that mounting behavior makes all fun stop. A tab (a short, 4- to 6-inch piece of leash) or a drag-line (a 4- to 6-foot light nylon cord) attached to your dog’s collar can make the implementation of time-outs faster and more effective (and safer) when you have to separate dogs.
Set up your dog for a play date with an understanding friend who has a tolerant dog. Try to find a safely fenced but neutral play yard, so that home team advantage doesn’t play a role. If a neutral yard isn’t available, the friend’s yard is better than your own, and outdoors is definitely preferable to indoors.
When you turn the dogs out together, watch yours closely. It’s a good idea to have some tools on hand to break up a fight, should one occur. If there’s no sign of mounting, let them play. Be ready to intervene if you see the beginning signs of mounting behavior in your dog. This usually occurs as play escalates and arousal increases.
When you see the first glimmerings of mounting behavior, try subtle body-blocking. Every time your dog approaches the other with obvious mounting body postures, step calmly in front of your dog to block him. If you’re particularly coordinated, you may be able to simply lean your body forward or thrust out a hip or knee to send him the message that the fun’s about to stop. This is more likely to work with the younger dog, who is less intense about his intent to mount. Be sure not to intervene if your dog appears to be initiating appropriate canine play.
If body blocking doesn’t work, as gently and unobtrusively as possible, grasp the dog’s tab or light line, give a cheerful “Oops!”, then happily announce, “Time out!” and lead your dog to a quiet corner of the play yard. (The “Oops!” is what’s called a “no reward marker – the opposite of a reward marker such as the click of a clicker. It lets your dog know that the thing he is doing at that moment is not going to be rewarded, and in fact, it makes the fun stop.) Sit with him there until you can tell that his arousal level has diminished, and then release him to return to his playmate. If necessary, have your friend restrain her dog at the same time so he doesn’t come pestering yours during the time-out.
Keep in mind that the earlier you intervene in the mounting behavior sequence, the more effective the intervention will be, since your dog hasn’t had time to get fully engaged in the behavior. It’s vitally important that you stay calm and cheerful about the modification program. Yelling at or physically correcting your dog increases the stress level in the environment, making more mounting behavior – and a fight, or even aggression toward you – more likely to occur.
With enough time-out repetitions, most dogs will give up the mounting, at least for the time being. For an older dog for whom the habit is well ingrained, you may need to repeat your time-outs with each new play session, and you may need to restrict his playmates to those who won’t take offense to his persistently rude behavior. With a pup or juvenile, the behavior should extinguish fairly easily with repeated time-outs, especially if he is neutered. Just keep an eye out for “spontaneous recovery,” when a behavior you think has been extinguished returns unexpectedly. Quick re-intervention with body blocks or time-outs should put the mounting to rest again.
How to stop dog-on-human mounting
This embarrassing behavior is handled much the same way as dog-dog mounting. One difference is that you must educate your guests as to how they should respond if your dog attempts his inappropriate behavior. Another is that some dogs will become aggressive if you physically try to remove them from a human leg or other body part. It works best to set up initial training sessions with dog-savvy friends who agree to be human mounting posts for training purposes, rather than relying on “real” guests to respond promptly and appropriately, at least until your dog starts to get the idea.
For your average, run-of-the-mill human mounting, ask your guests to immediately stand up and walk away if your dog attempts to get too cozy. Explain that it is not sexual behavior, but rather attention-seeking, and anything they try to do to talk the dog out of it or physically restrain him will only reinforce the behavior and make it worse. You can also use a light line here, to help extricate your friends from your dog’s embrace, and to give him that oh-so-useful time out.
If the behavior is too disruptive, you can tether your dog in the room where you are all socializing, so he still gets to be part of the social experience without repeatedly mugging your guests.
If your dog becomes aggressive when thwarted, he should be shut safely away in his crate or another room when company comes. Social hour is not an appropriate time to work on any aggressive behavior; it puts your guests at risk, and prevents all of you from being able to relax and enjoy the occasion.
If your dog becomes growly, snappy, or otherwise dangerous when you try to remove him from a human, you are dealing with a serious behavior challenge. You would be wise to work with a qualified, positive reinforcement-based behavior consultant who can help you stay safe while you modify this behavior. The program remains essentially the same – using time-outs to take away the fun every time the behavior happens, but may also involve the use of muzzles, and perhaps pharmaceutical intervention with your veterinarian’s assistance, if necessary.
How to stop dog-on-object mounting
Dog owners are often surprised to discover that some dogs will masturbate. Our diminutive Dusty, pillager of the sofa pillows, discovered early in life that if he approaches someone who was sitting with their legs crossed, the person’s foot was just the right height for him to stand over a raised human foot and engage in a little self-pleasuring. As soon as we realized what he was doing, we squelched that behavior by removing his opportunity; we’d put both feet on the floor and that was that.
There’s really no harm in canine masturbation, as long as the objects used are reasonably appropriate (i.e., dog toys, as opposed to your bed pillows!), and it doesn’t become obsessive. Removing an inappropriate object or resorting to cheerful time-outs can redirect the behavior to objects that are more acceptable, such as a stuffed dog toy.
If your dog practices the behavior to the degree that it appears obsessive – a not uncommon problem in zoo animals, but rare in dogs – then you may need some behavior modification help. A behavior is generally considered obsessive when it is causes harm to the organism or interferes with his ability to lead a normal life. For example, if your dog is rubbing himself raw on the Berber carpet, or spends 20 hours a day having fun in the bedroom, you’re looking at obsessive behavior.
There are behavior modification programs that can help with canine obsessive-compulsive disorders, and they often require pharmaceutical intervention, especially if the obsession is well-developed.
The “Say Please” program
In addition to specific behavior modification programs for mounting behavior, a “Say Please” program can be an important key to your ultimate success. No, we’re not suggesting you allow your dog to do inappropriate mounting if he says “please” first; a Say Please program requires that he perform a polite behavior, such as “sit,” before he gets any good stuff (like dinner, treats, or petting, or going outside). This helps create structure in his world and reminds him that you are in control of the good stuff. Since a fair amount of mounting has to do with stress, and structure helps reduce stress, “Say Please” is right on target. See “Is Your Dog Spoiled?” for more details.
Eliminate your dog’s stress
Because stress is a significant part of mounting behavior, the more stressors you can remove from your dog’s world, the better. Learn to recognize signs of stress in your dog and reduce the stressors in his life.
“Good Manners” classes are also of benefit. The better you and your dog can communicate with each other, the less stressful life is for both of you. If he’s trained to respond promptly to cues, you can use the technique of “asking for an incompatible behavior” to minimize mounting. If you see your dog approaching a guest with a gleam in his eye, your cue to “Go to your place!” or “Leave it!” will divert him. He can’t “Down” and mount a leg at the same time. Nor can he do push-ups on the rug if he is responding to your request to “Sit.”
If you start early and are consistent about reducing your dog’s stress, removing reinforcement for your dog’s inappropriate mounting, and reinforcing alternative/incompatible behaviors, chances are you can succeed in stopping dog humping.
My brother passed away a couple of weeks ago after a fairly short and intense battle against cancer. He leaves behind a wife and young daughter. Its been a very sad, hard time for my family.
We held a memorial service for my brother last weekend. We rented a rustic building in a beautiful, wooded park in a Sierra town near where he had lived for many years. My sister who is a chef lovingly prepared much of the food. My sister in laws many friends and co-workers helped up set up the hall, with live lavender plants on every table, and a local musician my brother had admired played the guitar. Friends and family members traveled from all over to help us remember my brother and celebrate his life.
My dog Otto and my sons dog Cole were present for the event. Every member of my family loves dogs, not least, my brothers five-year-old daughter. She absolutely adores Cole, and his eyes light up when he sees her; they get along like peanut butter and jelly. I thought, correctly, that she would enjoy having Cole at the event and I knew Cole would enjoy socializing with all the guests. Hes happy and polite and well-mannered and his coat is like silk. I thought he could be a good therapy dog for the memorial.
To be honest, I brought Otto for my own therapy. I mean, hes well-behaved, too, and I had him groomed the day before, but I didnt think hed ever make it in the building; it has slick floors, and Otto doesnt really DO slippery floors. But I thought hed be fine immediately outside the building; it has a covered deck that wrapped around two sides of the building, and we had the double doors on both sides of the building wide open all day, and I brought his mat and a bowl of water. We worked for three hours to set up for the event, and the whole time, he mingled with all of the helpers out on the deck. Several people tried to encourage him to enter, and each time, he politely declined, tail wagging but ears set back; nope, no thanks. Too slippery. So I stepped outside every 10 minutes or so to hold his head in my hands and compose myself. In between those moments, he lurked just outside one or the other of the doors.
People began arriving. We had distributed round tables with folding chairs all around the room, and chairs lined the walls, and at the time that we were supposed to begin, the tables and chairs were all full and dozens of people were standing in the back of the room. My sister-in-law asked me to be the first to speak, and I did, through tears. Then I sat down at the front-most table, and my sister-in-law spoke, and my tears only increased. And then I felt a dog nose nudge me, and I turned around, expecting to see goofy, happy, confident Cole, but instead it was Otto wobbly-legged, panting with concentration, and clearly determined to comfort me. He must have heard my quavering voice, and somehow made his way through the crowd, across the entire floor, to offer himself to me. Oh, how I love this dog, and oh how he loves me, and I could not be more grateful.
He made that trip through the crowd several times during the memorial, growing a little more confident and a little less wobbly each time he did so. People reached out and petted him as he worked his way around the tables, and occasionally he would stop and allow them to pet him for several minutes before setting out again. It was really something to see, my new therapy dog.
In our opinion, the most important factors to consider – the starting place for the search – are the food’s ingredients. The following are desired traits – things you want to see on the label.
Lots of animal protein at the top of the ingredients list. Ingredients in pet food, just like human food, are listed in order of the weight of that ingredient in the formula, so you want to see a top-quality animal protein at the top of the list.
Importantly, that animal protein should be identified by species – chicken, beef, lamb, etc. “Meat” is an example of a low-quality protein source of dubious origin. “Poultry” is more specific but not specific enough!
Animal protein “meals”are made through a process called rendering, wherein the animal tissues (muscle, fat, skin, connective tissue, and some smaller amount of bone, hair, and/or feathers, depending on the species) are ground, and then heated to separate the fat and reduce the moisture. If it’s made from rendered chicken, the resulting product is chicken meal; if made from lamb, it’s lamb meal, etc. Just as with the fresh animal protein, look for a named species (i.e., “chicken meal”) but avoid “meat meal” or “poultry meal.”
When a fresh, named meat is first on the ingredient list (such as “chicken”), there should be a named animal-protein meal (such as “chicken meal”) in a supporting role to augment the total animal protein in the diet. The closer to the top of the ingredient list that this supporting meal appears, the better. The ingredient list of the best foods will start out with something like, “Chicken, chicken meal . . .” and go on from there. Fresh meat contains a lot of (heavy) water, so if meat is first on the list, it acts like a diluted protein source; while it adds an appealing flavor and aroma to the food, it doesn’t actually contribute that much protein. That’s why another named source of animal protein should appear in the top three or so ingredients.
Whole-food ingredients: vegetables, fruits, and/or grains or other carbohydrate sources such as potatoes, peas, chickpeas, or sweet potatoes. Fresh, unprocessed food ingredients contain nutrients in all their complex glory, with their vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants intact. Don’t be too alarmed by one or two “fractions” (a byproduct or part of an ingredient, like tomato pomace or oatmeal), especially if they are lower on the ingredient list. But the more fractions present in the food, and the higher they appear on the list, the lower quality the result.
Undesirable Ingredients
We also think it’s important that you know some ingredients to look out for. Avoid the following:
Meat byproducts and poultry by-products, meat byproduct meal, or poultry byproduct meal. Some of the animal tissues that go into the ingredients that are identified on labels as animal byproducts are highly nutritious, such as lungs, spleens, kidneys, brains (of some animal species, not all), livers , blood, bone, fat, and emptied stomachs and intestines. Poultry byproducts also includes necks, feet, and underdeveloped eggs. In addition, poultry byproduct meal may contain poultry heads.
However, believe us when we say that these ingredients are not handled as nicely as the higher-value cuts of meat of which they are “byproducts.” Because they are not headed for human consumption, these products are not kept clean and chilled through processing and transport; it’s a given that whatever bacterial burden may flourish during this time will be reduced by later processing. As they become oxidized – rancid – these animal tissues develop a certain level of peroxide. Pet-food producers may specify byproducts with lower peroxide values, but these cost more.
A “generic” fat source such as “animal fat.” This can literally be any mixed fat of animal origin; it need not have originated from slaughtered animals. Meaning, it can be obtained from renderers that process dead animals. “Poultry” fat is not quite as suspect as “animal fat,” but “chicken fat” or “duck fat” is better (and traceable).
Added sweeteners. Dogs, like humans, enjoy the taste of sweet foods. Sweeteners effectively persuade many dogs to eat foods comprised mainly of grain fragments (and containing less healthy animal protein and fats).
Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives (i.e., BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin). The color of the food doesn’t matter to your dog. And it should be flavored well enough to be enticing with healthy meats and fats. Natural preservatives, such as tocopherols (vitamin E), vitamin C, and rosemary extract, can be used instead. Note that natural preservatives do not preserve foods as long as artificial preservatives, so owners should always check the “best by” date on the label and look for relatively fresh products.
Give It A Try
Along the bottom of these two pages is a list of relatively well-known dry dog foods and their first five ingredients. They appear in order of how we would rank them in quality, with the lowest-quality foods on the left, and the better-quality foods on the right.
Why have we put them in this order? First, understand that we wouldn’t buy any of the foods on the left page. Not a single one has an animal-protein source at the top of its ingredients list. Instead, each uses corn as its major source of protein. (Note: There is absolutely no difference between the designations each uses for “corn.” All those phrases mean the same thing.) The array of amino acids that make up the protein in corn are not as beneficial for dogs as the amino-acid profile of animal proteins; while dogs can survive on it, it’s an unnatural and low-cost protein for them.
We have Kibbles ‘n Bits ranked below all the rest, due to the fact that its source of animal protein, the very low-quality “meat and bone meal,” appears lower on its ingredient list (third) than the next foods. Even its low-quality, artificially preserved fat source appears lower on its ingredient list than its competitors. (These things are reflected in its low protein and fat percentages.)
The next two foods are nearly identical, with one small difference: Pedigree uses an artificial preservative on its low-quality fat, so we would rank it lower in quality than the Purina Dog Chow. By the way, corn gluten meal, which appears third on both of these products’ ingredients lists, is a concentrated protein made from corn – again, a lower-cost, lower-quality nutrient for dogs than an animal-protein source.
Beneful has a significantly better animal-protein source than its predecessors; chicken byproduct meal is at least a named animal protein. And it’s present in a higher amount than in the preceding foods; see the higher protein content?
We’d start to consider foods that appear on this page. They meet our basic criteria as described above, displaying some of the good traits (a named animal protein first on the list, whole grains, a named supporting animal-protein meal) and minor infractions with the “undesirable ingredients” (brewers rice, a food fragment). We’d call the Hills and the Iams product nearly a tie, with the edge in quality going to the Iams food, with the credit given for chicken meal in the fourth spot on the label (rather than fifth, as in the Hill’s food). Again, this is reflected in the total amount of protein seen in the food.
We jump upward in quality with the next two foods. The Taste of the Wild product is a grain-free food, so remember to expect it to be higher in protein and fat – not something that every dog can handle. But look at those nice named meat sources – one fresh at the top of the list, followed immediately not one, but two supportive named meat meals. Nice!
We will take another upward jump with the highest-quality product on this list, Orijen. Five ingredients down and there are still no grains or other carbohydrate sources on the ingredient list. It’s packed with high-quality named animal proteins, and this is reflected in its high protein content.
By the way, don’t be afraid of feeding protein to your dog; he’s well suited to utilize it. If you’ve been warned about the dangers of too much protein, please see our article “When to Say No to Low-Protein” in the May 2005 issue of WDJ.
Hopefully, you feel comfortable now in reading an ingredient list. Here are just a few more things to look for when considering a new food for your dog.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Many of the other things we want you to read the label for are neither good nor bad, just things you need to be aware of when shopping for your specific dog. Remember, each dog is an individual, and while its great when it works out that all of your dogs do well on the same food, dont take this for granted.
You will need to become aware of how much protein and fat your dog thrives on how much is too much, and how much is too little. Top-quality foods contain a lot more protein (and often, more fat, too) than lower-quality foods, so you may have to reduce the amount of food you feed quite a bit if you switch from a low-quality food to a really good one. (One upside is that good foods are much more digestible, and your dogs poop should shrink a lot, too.)
Look for a best by date thats at least six months away. A best by date thats 10 or 11 months away is ideal; it means the food was made very recently. Note: Foods made with synthetic preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin) may have a best by date that is 18 months or more past the date of manufacture.
Grain-free or not? Be aware that grain-free foods generally contain higher protein and fat levels. Also, keep in mind that grain-free does not mean carbohydrate-free; another carb source has been employed to take the place of grain (you cant make kibble without any carbohydrate at all). Be sure you can identify the carb used in the food you choose the most common ones used today are potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, and chickpeas and keep track of how well your dog digests it.
Some companies use a small amount of dehydrated or freeze-dried meats in their formulas. These unprocessed ingredients add both concentrated protein and taste to a finished product, but are wickedly expensive, so they arent often used in dry food.
LIST OF APPROVED FOODS
Here is the reward for those of you who have applied yourself to learning to fish. On the following pages, weve listed a number of companies that make foods that meet our selection criteria. Some of them make just a few foods; some make dozens and dozens of different formulas. Some sell a relatively tiny amount of dog food; some sell quite a bit.
Only a couple of companies on this list could be considered corporate titans and in the case of the ones you may identify as such, you need to look carefully to see which line of their products has actually met our selection criteria. We predicted a decade ago that if the largest pet-food companies ever wanted to put a lot of small companies out of business, all they would need to do is to produce a few formulas that more closely resemble the higher-quality products formulated and marketed by the boutique companies, but with the economy of scale and efficiencies of their large production facilities and ability to write big contracts with ingredient suppliers and you should be able to see that this is happening. Many of you dont trust the big guys, but Im here to tell you that youve never seen cleaner, more professionally run manufacturing facilities and fantastic in-house labs than those operated by big food.
The FDA has a site where all the pet food recalls since 2008 are listed (its here: fda.gov/animalVeterinary/safetyhealth/recallswithdrawals/default.htm). Weve indicated which products on our list have had a recall since 2008, what it was for, and when it happened. Keep in mind that we are not terribly concerned about recalls for Salmonella in dry dog food. (To understand why, see Do You Recall in the April 2013 of WDJ, as well as Why Are There So Many Recalls? in the October 2013 issue.)
We also included information about the foods price, but this is fairly unscientific, given that retailers vary wildly in their markup. We gathered prices from a variety of retailers brick and mortar and online. We also checked prices on each variety, in large bags and small bags; the price per pound is much less in large bags than small bags, but not everybody buys (or should buy) large bags. We averaged these prices per pound and came up with these categories:
$ Food is less than $2.50/lb. $$ Food is $2.50 to $3.50/lb. $$$ Food is more than $3.50/lb.
Because of the number of variables, the price range may not be accurate for all foods in all places, but rather a rough guide to help some of you identify which foods may or may not be in your budget. Just remember: To some extent, price does equal quality. While its highly possible to pay a lot for a mediocre food, you cannot buy a great food for less than the cost of the superior ingredients that are needed to make it.
Finally, look for your favorite foods alphabetically under their makers name. So dont freak out when you dont see Orijen under the Os; its listed under the name of the company that owns it: Champion Pet Foods.
A few weeks ago, in preparation for writing WDJ’s annual dry-dog-food review, we asked readers on our Facebook page what they most wanted to know about dry dog food. We received a lot of good questions, including a great many that revealed a common depth of interest in (and confusion about) feeding dogs. We were somewhat disappointed, however, by the number of people who took the opportunity to criticize dry dog food of any quality – the whole concept of kibble. More than one person asked, “Why would anyone feed such an inappropriate diet to a dog they loved?”
Well, it’s a sign of the times; people will start an argument about anything online, and when it comes to our beloved companion animals, passionate opinions are to be expected.
But we don’t think it’s at all helpful to tell people who have shown a greater-than-average interest in their dog’s health that “Kibble kills!” Especially when there is an awful lot of evidence to the contrary.
The fact is, more people feed dry dog food to their dogs than all the other forms of food put together – and any veterinarian can tell you that the lifespan of the average American family dog has increased, not decreased, since extruded foods were invented in the 1950s. That’s due to a lot of factors – including leash laws, greater rates of vaccination and basic veterinary care, social mores that increasingly regard pets as cherished family members (as opposed to disposable toys), and so on – but if kibble was the “killer” that the most adamant advocates of more “biologically appropriate” diets sometimes say it is, there wouldn’t be so many overcrowded animal shelters.
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence, after all, that dogs can thrive on all sorts of diets, including ones that we would never recommend. One woman who responded to our Facebook inquiry volunteered that she has fed her dogs Kibbles ‘n Bits – what I would characterize as junk food – since the company started making it, and her pit bull lived to 17, and she has two other dogs, ages 12 and 14, who have never had to go to the vet.
Does this anecdotal account mean we should feed all dogs Kibbles ‘n Bits? No.
On the other hand, do we want that woman to stop feeding it to her presumably healthy senior dogs? We do not. What is the use of making someone feel bad for doing something that appears to be working just fine?
If, however, someone has observed that her dog receives only a small serving of dry dog food (which she buys at the grocery store) and yet the dog remains obese, and also happens to be perpetually itchy . . . if the owner notices these things and is motivated to try to improve her dog’s health, comfort, and appearance . . . then we would encourage her to upgrade the dog’s diet and see what happens. We would give her some concrete information about what to look for, and what to look out for, when choosing a new food. We’d want that owner to be successful in finding something that works better for her dog and that she can afford.
Once she sees her dog improve, she will likely be on board for further dietary improvements – whether that’s an even better kibble, or the inclusion of some good-quality canned or frozen raw food, or a well-researched home-prepared diet. Whatever her level of comfort or budget, we will (over the course of the year) be publishing articles that will help her identify the traits of diets in those categories that more commonly produce fit, healthy dogs.
In this issue, we’ll be talking about dry dog food and how to find good ones. In other issues, we’ll discuss other types of diets. We’re confident that if you’re reading this now, you’re already doing more for your dog than most owners. Good job! And keep up the good work!
Doors are fascinating to dogs. Think about it: Doors are reliable predictors of all kinds of exciting stuff. People enter through doors – people you like and people you don’t like. People leave through doors – people you want to stay, and people you want to go. A door plus a leash equals a WALK! Or maybe a RIDE IN THE CAR! And when the magic door noise happens (whether it’s a doorbell or a knock), the humans often speed to the door and engage in an orgy of greeting rituals guaranteed to be arousing to a dog, including loud voices, handshaking, sometimes even hugging and back-slapping. Small wonder that a significant percentage of dogs develop undesirable door-related behaviors, including:
Overly excited greeting of arriving humans
Excessive arousal in anticipation of outings
Door darting/escaping
Aggression directed toward arriving humans
Aggression directed toward departing humans
If you are struggling with a dog who exhibits any of these challenging behaviors, take a deep breath and know that you can make it better. The three-step process that follows provides a simple framework to help you modify your dog’s inappropriate door-related behaviors. First we will explain the steps, then look at how to apply them to some of the unwanted behaviors listed above.
Step #1: Visualize/Articulate the Behavior You Want
Old-fashioned training focuses on physically and/or verbally punishing the dog for unwanted behaviors in an attempt to suppress them. While this method can be successful, it carries with it a lot of baggage, including the potential for teaching your dog to fear you, to avoid offering behaviors in training sessions, and to become aggressive in response to the punishment. Obviously, we don’t recommend it.
Modern, positive-reinforcement-based training focuses on the behaviors you want your dog to do. In order to successfully modify an unwanted behavior, you need to start by identifying the desirable behavior(s) you would like your dog to do, instead.
Step #2: Manage the Environment to Prevent Reinforcing Your Dog’s Unwanted Behavior
Management is critical for successful behavior change. Every time your dog is reinforced in some way for an undesirable behavior, it increases the likelihood that he’ll repeat that behavior, and it will be harder to make that behavior go away. (Keep in mind that a “reinforcement” for your dog is not just a tasty treat or word of praise; if anything that your dog enjoys happens as a result of his behavior, – or anything he doesn’t like goes away – it’s a reinforcement. So, if he manages to dart out the door when you open it for someone, and he then gets to run around, or pee, or bark at the UPS truck, he will have been “reinforced” for the door-darting behavior.)
By implementing a well-thought-out management program, you will prevent reinforcement for the unwanted behavior while you install a new behavior in its place. Note that it’s not enough that you don’t reinforce the behavior. You also have to prevent the rest of the world from reinforcing the behavior if you want to change it.
Step #3: Generously Reinforce the Behavior You Do Want
This is where you replace the unwanted behavior with the desired behavior you identified in Step #1. Figure out how to create an environment in which your dog is able to offer the behavior you want so that you have ample opportunity to reward him for it. Behaviors that are consistently reinforced increase, while those that are not reinforced extinguish.
In time, along with the good management you’ve implemented in Step #2, your dog will choose to offer the desired behavior instead of the unwanted one.
Now let’s apply the three-step process to one of our inappropriate door-related behaviors:
EXCITED GREETING OF ARRIVING HUMANS
Step #1: Visualize/articulate the behavior you do want. Here are some possibilities:
I would like my dog to greet me, other family members, and any visitors at the door (and anywhere else!) by sitting politely in front of them.
I would like my dog to go lie down on his bed (or go get in his crate) when visitors come to the door.
I would like my dog to sit for a toy that the visitor holds up and then fetch it when the visitor tosses it.
Step #2: Prevent your dog from being reinforced for the behavior you don’t want.
So, consider the following:
Use tethers, leashes, crates, baby gates, etc. to restrain your dog and prevent him from happily jumping on people to greet them.
Instruct family members and visitors to turn away and step away if your dog tries to jump on them.
Put a note on your front door asking visitors to wait a moment while you put your dog away before answering the door.
Step #3: Generously reinforce the behavior you do want.
In this case, you could try:
Teach your dog to “Sit politely for greetings.” This is a good-manners behavior best taught to young puppies so they don’t have a strong reinforcement history for jumping up, but it’s never too late to begin.
You can practice polite greetings with your dog on a tether or leash. Step toward him when he’s restrained, and if he starts to jump up, step back. Pet or feed him a treat only if he stays in a polite sit. Don’t ask him to sit; you want him to figure it out himself – otherwise he will sit only when someone asks him to.
If you consistently reward your dog for sitting anywhere and everywhere, sit will become his “default” behavior – he’ll sit whenever he’s not sure what else to do. That’s a good thing!
If company is coming, tether your dog a safe distance from the door so you can greet your guests without worrying about him, and hand them each several treats. Tell them to walk over to greet your dog one at a time, and to pet or feed him only if he remains sitting.
When the initial excitement of the visitors’ arrival subsides, you can remove him from his tether. If necessary, keep him on leash for a bit so he can walk around to greet your guests but you can restrain him if you see him gathering himself to jump up.
When he is settled enough, take him off leash and let him interact freely. Remember to remind your guests to turn their backs if he jumps up!
Teach your dog to “Lie down on your bed (or go in your crate) when visitors are at the door.” You can teach your dog that the sound of the doorbell, or a knock at the door, is his cue to go lie down on his bed, or run and jump into his crate. Once there you can tether him at his bed or close the crate door, if necessary, to prevent him from running to greet your guests.
If you don’t already have a verbal cue for the behavior you want, begin by teaching him one. Stand two feet away from your dog’s designated spot. Say “Go to bed” (or “Crate” or whatever cue you want to use) and prompt him to go there by pointing and/or using a treat lure. When he gets there, mark the desired behavior with the click of a clicker or a verbal “Yes!” and give him a treat. When he starts heading for his bed or crate upon hearing the cue, fade the prompt/lure by waiting until he gets there, and then using the click and treat.
Gradually increase your starting distance until he will run to his bed/crate from across the room, and farther. When he will go there on just the verbal cue from anywhere in the house, you are ready to add the new cue – the knock and/or sound of the doorbell.
To install the new cue, start with your dog just a few feet from his crate or bed. Make a knocking sound or ring the bell and then give your dog the verbal cue to go to his bed/crate. If he seems confused, go ahead and prompt/lure as needed, until he’s no longer distracted by the knock or bell and begins to realize that it means the same thing as your verbal cue. When he will go to his designated spot consistently from just a few feet away at the sound of the knock or bell, gradually increase distance until he will run there from anywhere in the house at the sound.
Now do setups with people actually coming to the door. Be prepared to follow the knock or doorbell with your verbal cue until he can get past his excitement over someone being at the door and respond promptly and consistently to the cue.
Continue to practice with setups until he will run to his spot upon hearing the knock or bell, even with the exciting stimulus of a stranger at the door.
Teach your dog to “Sit for and fetch a toy.” This one is my favorite because it’s fun for dog and guests alike. Keep a basket of toys outside your front door, with clear and simple instructions for your visitor to:
1. Take a toy out of the basket before you enter. 2. Hold the toy at your chest and wait for your dog to sit. 3. When he sits, toss the toy 10-15 feet into the house. 4. If he brings it back and drops it or hands it to you, you can wait for him to sit and toss it again, if you want.
Of course, you will have practiced this with your dog ahead of time so you are confident that he knows how to play the game. You may also have to eventually put the toy up so he will stop pestering your guest to throw it again. Unless, of course, your guests are enjoying the game as much as your dog, in which case you can just sit back and let them exercise him for you!
EXCESSIVE AROUSAL IN ANTICIPATION OF AN OUTING
Okay, let’s apply the three-step process to another door-related behavior commonly displayed by dogs. This time, I’ll be brief, in order to streamline the logic of the three steps.
Let’s say your dog gets highly aroused, leaping into the air and bouncing off of you or the door, when you pick up the leash to take him out for a walk. Here’s what you do:
Step #1: Visualize/Articulate the behavior you do want: “I would like my dog to sit calmly and wait for me to attach the leash.”
Step #2: Prevent reinforcement for the behavior you don’t want: As soon as your dog starts acting silly, say, “Oops!” in a cheerful tone of voice and set the leash down. If necessary, turn your back or go sit down until he is calm. Then start the process again. Not only are you preventing reinforcement, you are also telling him that his wild behavior makes the opportunity for a walk go away.
Step #3: Generously reinforce the behavior you do want: When he stays calmly seated for you to attach the leash, reinforce the behavior by opening the door and taking him for that highly anticipated walk. You don’t even need treats to reinforce him for this one – although, of course, you always can reinforce with treats as well.
Your Turn
Now it’s your turn. If your dog has any other undesirable door-related behaviors, take the “three-step process for changing a behavior you don’t like” and give it a go.
But, heck, why limit it to door-related behaviors? You can try it out with any unwanted behaviors your dog exhibits. Try to commit the “three-step process for changing a behavior” to memory so you have it at your fingertips when you need it. Make a list of your dog’s unwanted behaviors in order of importance. Select one or two behaviors from your list and stat applying the “three-step process.” You will be amazed at how quickly those troublesome behaviors can just fly out the door, never to return!
Pulled muscles and joint inflammation are as much a part of your dog’s life as your own, and they increase with age and activity. The fact is, no matter which way you turn it, strains happen. Imagine how great it would be if there was a magic garment that could soothe those strains and restore your dog to fitness. Well, you don’t have to imagine it: There is such a garment.
For initial injuries and acute pain, a veterinary diagnosis is a necessity. Your dog may need an anti-inflammatory drug to rapidly get the pain and inflammation under control. For chronic stiffness due to geriatric arthritis, a therapeutic daily dose of glucosamine to help lubricate those joints may make a difference. It may even slow the onset of joint degeneration, making supplementing sooner rather than later a smart move. Other complementary therapies for chronic issues include laser therapy (see “Hire the Lasers,” WDJ August 2013) and acupuncture (“Needle Your Dog,” November 2013). That’s because, for chronic pain issues, keeping your dog on a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) isn’t optimal.
Many veterinarians will also suggest investing in a Back On Track coat, which sport-horse and performance-dog owners have long used for muscle strain from strenuous athletic activity, arthritis and muscle warm-up. These coats are so popular that if you attend a cool-weather, early-morning dog agility trial, you may think basic black is trendy in dog clothing.
In reality, the Back On Track products are established remedies for chronic inflammation and muscle health. Based on researched and documented Chinese medicine practices, these products use ceramic’s heat-reflective properties to increase circulation. The ceramic particles are infused into blanket material, which is warmed by the dog’s body heat. That heat then radiates back into the body.
This form of infrared heat radiation is proven to increase circulation, which naturally reduces inflammation, enhances healing, and relieves muscle tension.
Skeptical? Don’t be! A study from 2002 in Alternative Medicine Review looked at the ceramic-impregnated gloves for Raynaud’s syndrome in humans. People with Raynaud’s suffer from tightening of blood vessels, resulting in decreased circulation, usually in their fingers; it worsens in cold weather and can be painful. The study’s conclusions noted “significant improvement” in pain, temperature, grip, and dexterity, showing the ceramic increased circulation.
It’s actually the inside of the Back On Track blanket that contains the ceramic powder. The outer material is your choice: either a water-resistant breathable polyester or a lightweight, breathable mesh. The mesh is popular as it comfortably drapes over your dog and can be used in warmer weather and for more active dogs. Both blankets are machine washable, as the powder cannot be washed out (no dryers, though). We’ve seen dog coats in use for more than seven years.
Personal Experience with Dog Agility Problems
Draco is my 9-year-old Papillon and my first agility dog. We’ve been competing seven years and only need two qualifying scores to finish his last AKC Masters title, which is pretty good for a “first” dog. A couple of years ago, I noticed Draco was slowing down and less enthusiastic. He seemed excited at the start line, but slowed by the end of the course. In the second run of the day, he would start fast but slow down as he progressed through the course – and would even sometimes avoid obstacles.
I had my veterinarian examine him. She observed that, overall, his muscles felt tight. She mentioned that at his age we may be dealing with early arthritis, too. She said I could use pain medication to help him, but also suggested I spend more time warming him up and get a Back On Track coat first to see if it helped. I also decided to drop him to a lower jump height.
Huge improvement! Draco is back to running fast – sometimes too fast for me to control! When I get the coat out he puts his head right through the neck hole, as if he knows the coat makes him feel better. Once again, he is excited to be doing agility! In fact, last summer, I couldn’t hold him still at the start line!
Back and shoulder injuries are the most prevalent problems in agility dogs, and A-frames account for most injuries. Reluctance to tackle the A-frame is a pretty sure sign of a back problem, especially in a little dog.
When Raven, my younger Papillon, started to avoid obstacles, I had him examined, too. My vet readily detected the tight muscles in Raven’s back and showed me how to palpate them and recognize when they’re tight. I had no idea he was in so much pain, since he always gamely tried to do the courses. We used anti-inflammatory drugs to get Raven’s acute pain under control and I invested in a second Back On Track coat.
The difference in the tightness of his back muscles after wearing his coat was nothing short of amazing. I give him pain medication only for acute injuries. Although I decided to retire him from agility, as I didn’t want to risk further injury, I still have to watch him for back pain. However, with the Back On Track coat, I reach for the pain medication only for an acute episode – such as when he decided to race a visiting puppy all around our dog arena.
Using The Back on Track Blanket
Dogs do vary in their response to the blanket, and some take longer to achieve a noticeable effect than others. Nearly every dog owner reports at least a softening of tense muscles and less overall stiffness. You should gradually introduce the blanket, increasing from a couple of hours per day for several days up to overnight use. In addition, as counterintuitive as it seems, best results are found if you set up an on/off schedule for the product’s use, such as three weeks of therapy and one week off, or use it only when you notice increased stiffness or need to ensure proper warm up of your dog’s muscles for physical activity.
The blankets are available in an incredible number of sizes from toy to XXL, retailing from $79 to $109, depending on size. As is the case with any covering you place on your dog, you need to keep the ambient temperature and sun in mind when your dog is wearing the coat.
Take-Away Points
Back On Track products are no substitute for warm-up and cool-down periods or conditioning your dog for his level of work. And acute injuries can still occur and require your vet’s help. But for most chronic problems and overall muscle health, ceramic therapy is a valid choice, offering comfort to your arthritic friend and keeping your canine athlete at his peak. It’s important to know what issue your dog is battling before you invest, as Back On Track products are a bit pricey and most certainly not cure-alls. They do support muscle health and reduce pain and inflammation in the dog’s body.
Ceramic therapy’s use for chronic arthritis, circulation problems, and inflammatory muscle and bone issues is well documented. The company’s website (backontrackproducts.com) has convincing clinical studies, including images showing before/after inflammation in horses. We found several studies ourselves, including research published in February 2012 that concluded the biological effects of ceramic materials have “the potential therapeutic effects . . . may contribute to relieving inflammatory arthritis and maintaining bone health.” (You can read it for yourself at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22242954.)
The company’s head office is in Sweden, and it manufactures these products for horses, dogs, and humans. The factories are in China, but the company states that an independent lab hired by the company measures each batch of ceramic textile to ensure its level of reflected heat.
Cynthia Foley is an experienced dog agility competitor. Also a lifelong horsewoman, she served as editor of Horse Journal from its inception in 1994 to 2014.
All dog lovers appreciate seeing a healthy, happy dog, running in the sun with a glistening coat.
Your dog’s skin is the largest organ in his body and is comprised of multiple layers. The inner layer protects the internal organs and blood vessels, while the outer layer sheds old cells and secretes oils into the hair follicles, providing shine and water resistance.
Although it sounds like a simple organ, it’s not. Tiny problems can get out of control, requiring long therapies to heal. And when skin problems arise, it can be difficult and time-consuming to determine exactly what caused the problem. It’s no wonder skin ailments are one of the most common reasons dogs are taken to their veterinarians.
Keeping your dog’s skin healthy is critical to his hair coat health, too. The initial symptom of many health issues is often a dull, flat coat. While this is sometimes a matter of poor grooming, it can also be caused by a health issue. A dog who constantly scratches may be battling parasites, food allergies/sensitivities, or adrenal problems, such as Cushing’s syndrome.
Dry skin is nothing to blow off. It’s not just a matter of comfort. If your dog’s skin isn’t moist and pliable, it can crack, providing an entry point for microorganisms like bacteria or fungi. Dry-skin solutions may be as simple as correcting a dietary imbalance or using a conditioner after a bath. But you need to be aware that it could also indicate a thyroid problem or a parasite infestation. A trip to the veterinarian is in order if your dog’s itching does not subside with simple topical treatments.
Fortunately, prevention goes a long way toward avoiding that vet call, so let’s move on to the 10 steps to ensure your dog’s coat is glossy, silky, and healthy:
1. Optimize Nutrition. Feeding a top-quality commercial dog food or well-formulated, home-prepared diet will ensure your dog receives the nutrients he needs. Avoid foods containing low-quality fat sources (such as plant-sourced oils or “animal fat”). If your dog is allergic to or intolerant of certain ingredients, check ingredient labels carefully each time you buy a commercial food; the manufacturer may have changed the formula and added the problematic (for your dog) ingredient.
2. Consider a Supplement – Your dog may need a little extra nutrition support in the form of the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Adding a fish-oil supplement to your dog’s diet is the best way to provide these powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients. Only fresh oils should be used; never feed oils that smell rancid or “off.” All oils are fats and provide about 40 calories per teaspoon, so amounts should be limited, particularly in overweight dogs and those already eating a high-fat diet.
3. Establish a Regular Grooming Schedule. While long-haired dogs like Shetland Sheepdogs require more frequent brushing than short-haired Labradors, a weekly session is a good rule of thumb for most. Balance the frequency with the dog’s activity. Dogs who run through long grasses may get burrs that should be removed immediately (or he’ll chew them out!), and mud and dirt should be brushed out of their coats right away. City-dwelling dogs who walk through manicured parks usually need less attention, but watch for matting, especially in sensitive places, such as behind the ears and between the legs. Remember, too, that very young and very old dogs often do better with several shorter sessions a week rather than a single long one.
4.Choose the Right Grooming Tool. You’ll find no shortage of dog-grooming tools on the market. Your choice depends upon your dog’s coat. A shedding tool is not the right choice for a silky-haired Yorkshire Terrier, but your German Shepherd Dog may think it’s awesome. Long coats need at least an initial comb-through to remove small tangles, but a bristle brush at the end will bring out the shine and stimulate the skin. Avoid overly soft and overly hard brushes. Soft ones won’t reach the skin, while hard ones may painfully rake the skin. Your dog can help you identify the grooming tools that work for her; if she leans into it or obviously enjoys being groomed with it, keep that brush or comb. But if she runs away from you every time she sees it, keep looking for an alternative.
5. Remove Tangles Immediately. Tangled hair masses worsen with every shake of the tail. Most can be worked out with a human’s comb and a good detangling spray to soften the hair. Really bad mats must be cut out with scissors. Be extremely careful, as the skin tents up when you pull the mat and you can easily cut the skin, too. It can help to insert a comb between the mat and the skin, so you use the scissors only above the comb.
6. Bathe Your Dog. Obviously, if your dog is filthy from running through mud or swimming in a pond, he needs a bath. Otherwise, a monthly bath keeps skin healthy; over-frequent bathing can dry the skin and strip oils from the coat (see “Waterworks,” November 2014). Select a shampoo that contains a moisturizer, or use a conditioner after bathing – and rinse well! Hypoallergenic products are good choices for dogs with sensitive skin. Thoroughly dry your dog (a shammy works great!) after the bath. Spray-on conditioners and detanglers can go a long way toward extending the benefits of the bath, as they help repel dirt and mats. Never spray these products on a dirty coat, as you’ll just trap the dirt in. And a little goes a long way; don’t overdo it.
7. Check for (and control) fleas. Scrutinize your dog frequently for fleas, especially if you see him scratching or chewing himself. Swiping through his fur with a flea comb (an extremely fine-toothed comb that will trap fleas between the comb’s teeth) several times a week is a good surveillance method. Whenever your dog rolls over for tummy rubs, examine his skin for any of the jumping, biting pests. If you see a single flea, take immediate action to stop an infestation; there are sure to be more.
8. No Ring Around the Collar. A dirty collar can rub off or shorten the hair around your dog’s neck. Clean leather collars with saddle soap, a glycerin bar, or Murphy’s Oil Soap, then wipe off the excess and let dry thoroughly. Use a terry towel to do a final polish before putting it back on your dog. Nylon and hemp collars can be cleaned using dishwashing detergent and an old toothbrush; alternatively, toss them in the washing machine with a load of sturdy clothing, such as towels or jeans. If your dog is a very low flight risk, remove his collar when he’s just hanging around inside your home, giving his fur some time without chafing.
9. Maintain a Clean Place to Sleep. There is no sense in having your clean dog sleep on a dirty, greasy, and/or smelly bed. Wash your dog’s bed – or at least, the bed’s cover – at least a couple times a month. If his bed doesn’t have a removable cover, consider keeping the entire bed covered with sheets or blankets that you can wash frequently (or consider getting a new bed with a washable cover). Frequent washing will also help prevent fleas from gaining any sort of foothold (washing destroys flea eggs and flea larvae) in your home.
10. Keep Regular Vet Checks. A “well visit” is important for your dog’s overall health, and your veterinarian is trained to catch skin problems at the earliest stages. If there was ever a dog-health area where prevention is worth a pound of cure, it’s your dog’s skin.
Cynthia Foley competes in dog agility with her two beautiful Papillons.
For some dog owners, a better dry dog food is just one more step on a journey to finding the healthiest diet in the world for their dogs. Its generally accepted among dog owners that this means a home-prepared diet comprised mostly of meat. Beyond this broad description, there isnt consensus. Opinions vary about the supremacy of raw vs. cooked, using raw bones or other sources of dietary calcium, what sort of fat source is ideal, whether its advisable to include any grains or not (and if so, what kind and in what amounts), whether organic is healthier or not . . . . Name any concept in nutrition; its value and application to dogs is being debated.
So it makes sense that even when one journeys from the lofty heights of home-prepared diets, back down to the kibbled valley floor, there is debate here, too. Keep in mind that (despite my tongue-in-cheek heights-and-valley metaphor) the vast majority of dogs in this country eat dry dog food, so there are even more opinions out there about kibble than any other type of dog food.
Now, stir in a lot of scientific data and medical opinions; there have been far more nutritional studies and feeding trials conducted on kibble than any other type of canine diet.
So, if you are one of the majority of dog owners who have chosen to feed kibble but you are committed to finding and feeding the best possible kibble that exists you will probably employ more than the basic selection criteria outlined on page 6. You may want to investigate some of the following aspects of dog-food formulation, ingredient sourcing, and manufacturing. Just keep in mind that the relative value of all of these lines of investigation, and anyones ability to confirm the veracity of a companys answers, are debatable, as well.
In-depth questions for dog-food companies:
Where do your ingredients come from are any of them sourced from outside of the U.S.? Which ones: animal proteins and fats, oils, carb sources, herbs or other botanicals, vitamins and minerals? Which ingredients do you use that are so-called human grade (the legal term is edible) before they arrive at your manufacturing facility? (Once an ingredient arrives at a pet-food plant, it can no longer be legally referred to as edible which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to verify these claims.) Do you use any organic ingredients? What about genetically modified ingredients?
Where are your foods made? In your own plant, or are they made by a contract-manufacturer (also known as a co-packer)? What sort of certifications have been earned by the plant? If your products are co-packed, what sort of oversight does your company employ to ensure the ingredient sourcing and the manufacturing process are accomplished to your specifications?
What tests are employed in your manufacturing facility to ensure manufacturing accuracy and ingredient- and finished-product safety? Do you employ a test and hold system to prevent the release of products before test results have been returned? What tests are conducted, and how long are the products held before being released? If my dog has a health problem that my veterinarian thinks might be related to your food, or there is a recall of this food, who will I be able to speak to? What will your company do for me and my dog?
Be advised that some companies wont even have a person who will answer your call, or return your emailed inquiry and that is a valuable selection criterion in itself! To read the extensive list of approved dry dog food companies that meet all of the Whole Dog Journal’s selection criteria, look no further than the “Whole Dog Journal’s Approved Dry Dog Foods List 2015.“
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?”
