Proteins in hydrolyzed-protein dog foods retain their nutritional value, ensuring your dog’s food is nutritionally complete and balanced.
Finding a suitable food for dogs with dietary sensitivities, allergies, or chronic digestive issues can be a challenge, and often veterinarians suggest foods that contain hydrolyzed proteins as a solution. By feeding a hydrolyzed diet, you can ensure your dog is getting complete and balanced nutrition while you methodically isolate and identify dietary triggers. So, what is hydrolyzed protein, why is it used, and are there any side effects to be concerned about when feeding it to your dog?
Protein Problems
When dogs have sensitivities or reactions to food, proteins are often the cause (chicken is the most common protein in dog foods). Proteins are large, complex molecules, with unique shapes and characteristics. Sometimes, the immune system can mistake these proteins as a threat and attack them, causing an inflammatory, or immune, response that can leave dogs feeling itchy, lethargic, and sick.
However, the process of hydrolyzation uses enzymes to break proteins down into smaller, more easily digestible pieces, such as amino acids and peptides. These smaller pieces are less likely to trigger an immune response in the body, making hydrolyzed-protein food an ideal choice for dogs with food sensitivities or allergies.
Hydrolyzed Proteins Are Nutritious
Despite being broken down into smaller pieces, hydrolyzed proteins retain their nutritional value. When dogs eat protein, their bodies break down the proteins into individual amino acids that can then be used to repair cells, build muscles, create enzymes, and more. But with hydrolyzed proteins, the hard work of digesting the protein down into those smaller components has already been done, making these proteins more bioavailable than intact proteins.
Side Effects of Hydrolyzed Protein Dog Food
While there are many benefits to feeding diets that contain hydrolyzed protein, there are some downsides to them as well:
Price: Hydrolyzed proteins are more expensive than traditional proteins due to the specialized processing they must undergo. This added cost makes the resulting food expensive, especially for large breeds who need to eat large quantities of food, or for dogs who need to be on these specialized diets long-term.
Palatability: While intact proteins tend to be tasty, amino acids can be bitter, making some hydrolyzed foods less tasty than traditional diets. Because of this, pickier dogs may not be willing to consume hydrolyzed diets.
GI Upset: While hydrolyzed proteins are generally easier to digest, some dogs may experience gastrointestinal upset during the transition period onto the new diet. Temporary diarrhea, vomiting, and flatulence may occur as your dog’s digestive system adjusts to the new food.
Diets using hydrolyzed proteins can be a valuable solution for dogs with food sensitivities, allergies, or digestive issues. Hydrolyzed diets can offer benefits such as reduced allergenicity and improved digestibility, while still providing your dog with complete and balanced nutrition. Of course, cost considerations and a dog’s willingness to eat the diet due to palatability concerns are factors that need to be weighed when choosing a hydrolyzed diet for your pet. As always, consult your veterinarian if your dog requires specialized dietary support.
Why are some of the nicest dogs in the world given terrible bodies? I’m grateful that he at least enjoyed love and comfort to the very end.
As dog owners, we all know ups and downs. As my friend Dr. Sarah Richardson would say, “Life with dogs is so emotional!” I thought I’d share some of the recent happy and sad outcomes to some of the stories I’ve shared with you this year, starting with the most recent and going back in time.
All I Want For Christmas
A few weeks ago, I told you about an accident that befell Boone—one that I directly caused by unthinkingly tossing a ball toward Boone and Woody in the living room. Woody made a grab for the ball but it bounced out of his mouth toward a steel-framed end-table, with Boone in hot pursuit. He lunged competitively toward the ball and ran smack into the edge of the table, whereupon I heard a distinct CRACK! I turned to see Boone licking his lips, a dismayed expression on his face, and realized that the sound may have been his teeth. I looked in his mouth, and sure enough, I saw that the two teeth in the top, front, and center of his mouth were neatly broken off at the gum line.
Do not throw balls in the house! Not even little soft tosses!
Boone underwent surgery to remove the tooth roots, and x-rays indicated that the roots of the adjacent teeth are, so far, looking OK. Hopefully, the two front ones are the only ones he’ll lose. Interestingly, the vet told me to soak his food (or feed wet food) and hand-feed him all of his meals by squeezing his food into little meatball shapes for more than a week; she didn’t want him shoving his face into a bowl of food until the incision was well on its way to healing. That was a good tip!
The surgical site where Boone had the broken-off roots of his two front teeth removed is healing nicely. The roots of those seemingly small teeth are very long, and the incision was a big one.
However, I did get a stern talking-to about the need to brush Boone’s teeth. The veterinarian showed me photos of some gum recession and periodontitis she spotted in the back of Boone’s mouth, which called for a thorough veterinary dental cleaning while he was under anesthesia for the tooth removal. He’s only two years old! But dogs experience the accumulation of dental plaque at various rates, and even though 8-year-old Woody has not needed a dental cleaning yet, Boone did! I need to get and stay on top of that.
Placing an Angel
In a post about “home-to-home fostering,” I mentioned how I was fostering a dog whom I hoped might be a good fit for a 90-year-old friend of one of my neighbors. When we think of 90-year-olds adopting dogs, we probably mostly think that a small dog would be the best fit, but Ursula, the 90-year-old in question, previously owned a succession of Boxers and Boxer-mixes, and she really wanted another one. I found a 3-year-old candidate in my local shelter, a white female dog with blue eyes whom the shelter was calling Angel. I brought Angel home for a few days, to assess whether she might be calm and well-mannered enough to live safely with Ursula, and I grew more and more impressed with how sweet and well-adjusted the dog was.
I brought Angel to Ursula’s home for a short visit, and the two of them hit it off. After keeping Angel for a trial weekend, Ursula called me to say she was sure, she wanted to adopt Angel, but she was going to name the dog Cassie. When I explained that would be fine, because the dog didn’t really even know the name Angel (unclaimed strays get named by the shelter, so they don’t have to be called by numbers), Ursula was happy. I’ve visited the pair a couple of times since the adoption went through—once, by happenstance on Ursula’s birthday— and Ursula told me that, despite the flowers and balloons and phone calls she received while I was visiting, Cassie is the best birthday present she’s had in years.
Cassie in her new home with toys, treats, beds, and whatever blankets she prefers.
Woody’s Weight Loss Journey
Back in January, I mentioned that somehow, Woody had ballooned into an 80-pound dog over the past year. (I am not going to talk about my own weight gain during the same period! Ack!) I took the opportunity of bringing Boone to the vet to weigh Woody on the vet’s scales, to see how much progress we had made in slimming him down some. He’s six pounds lighter! I want to get him at least two or three pounds slimmer still, but we’re on track.
A Favorite, Forever Altered
Last October, I shared the story about discovering that Woody’s favorite toy of all time—the Orbee Tuff Squeak Ball—seemed to have been discontinued, and that a similar-looking ball masquerading as Woody’s favorite was being shipped in its place. I promised that I would order some of the new balls and try them out.
Alas, the new ball neither had the same molded-in squeaker, nor the same mouth-feel, nor the same durability that Woody and I had enjoyed so much. However, we’ve been making do with two other balls that Woody finds nearly as enjoyable: Planet Dog’s Orbee Tuff Baseball and the Chuckit Max Glow Ball. He likes the squishiness of these two balls, and doesn’t try to chew them to bits. (Balls that are made of firmer material get chewed to bits, including the new version of the Squeak ball. Bummer!)
Foster Dog Heartbreak and Success
Last summer, I fostered two litters of puppies who were born to mothers (likely sisters) who both came into my local shelter from a hoarding situation. One litter I took on fairly early, as the mother was protective of the pups in the shelter, which did not endear her to the kennel workers; the other litter I took on a bit later, when it was time for them to be weaned. The first litter was healthier, and got adopted fairly quickly; but the four pups from the second litter weren’t so lucky.
In that linked blog post, I reported that the sweet puppy whom the shelter had dubbed “Junior” had been diagnosed with Ehler Danlos Syndrome; this explained all the weird conditions he had been plagued with: swollen joints, a knee that seemed like it kept popping out of place, and skin that tore like paper. The diagnosis came after a family had met and fallen in love with the puppy, and though they could have pulled the plug on his adoption, knowing that they were potentially in for a lot of veterinary bills, they adopted him anyway and called him “DJ.”
About the time that DJ got adopted, one of the other puppies in the same litter started experiencing the exact same injuries that we had seen in DJ early on: ball-like swelling on his hocks and elbows, and unexplained skin tears. Given that the dogs involved in this cruelty/neglect/hoarding case had all been related, and likely highly inbred, it was assumed that both pups had inherited the condition. Since no one had shown any interest in that pup in the shelter, and with a likely diagnosis of the same untreatable disease plaguing DJ, the shelter euthanized him.
And tragically, despite living in a home with a family who took every precaution to keep him safe , DJ kept getting hurt. He suffered from a multitude of skin tears, no matter how they tried to manage his activity (even when just playing at home); each one required very careful treatment from the veterinarian who diagnosed him with EDS, as stitching or stapling the fragile skin was fraught. The laxity of his first (and then also second) knee joint got worse and worse, but the vet didn’t think that even surgery to try to stabilize the joints would work; his skin and connective tissue was just too delicate. He had to be maintained on pain medication, and his mobility got worse and worse with his knees dislocating constantly.
All the love and the care in the world could not keep DJ in one piece, and a week ago, amid great sorrow, his family and their veterinarian agreed that it was time to end his suffering. They spent one last weekend lavishing love and attention on the sweet little dog, and when they awoke on the morning of his euthanasia appointment to find a huge new skin tear that he apparently suffered in his sleep, they took it as a sign they were doing the correct but very hard thing. The dad sent me a photo of him they had taken over the weekend, saying, “Thank you again for allowing DJ into our lives. I took this picture of him last night. It hides most of his cuts so I think it’s a great picture.”
Oh, my sweet puppy. I am so glad you had such a loving and devoted family for your short life. And I’m so sorry—and continue to be so angry—about people who allow their dogs to breed indiscriminately, without any regard for the suffering their carelessness inflicts on the dogs they create.
Thank goodness, Chrissy has not shown any sign of having the same inherited condition as her brothers
One bit of happier news: After crying for a day about DJ, I screwed up my courage and contacted the woman who adopted the puppy with the strange aloofness—the one who seemed to have some sort of autism. I was scared that she might report that Chrissy (her new name) might be suffering some of the same symptoms as her brothers, DJ and the unnamed puppy. Thankfully, the owner reported that Chrissy was perfectly healthy, if still somewhat aloof and apprehensive about humans she didn’t know. Her owner said that even with her quirks, Chrissy is a much-loved member and fully accepted member of her family.
Warm a dog experiencing hypothermia slowly by bringing him into a warm room and wrapping him in a towel or blanket. Credit: Alexandra Jursova | Getty Images
At first, with mild hypothermia, the symptoms or signs you will see are your dog shivering and lying down all curled up tight in an attempt to stay warm. At lower body temperatures, your dog’s body will start to shut down, slowing metabolism, and shifting blood flow to essential areas.
As the body temperature continues to drop, heart and respiratory rates increase briefly, trying to get things back to normal but then gradually slow down. Your dog’s gums may be pale with a slow capillary refill time. The dog will act depressed or logy and may lose consciousness in severe cases.
My Cirneco dell’Etna dog, who weighs about 30 lbs and has a very short coat, loves to run and play in the snow. The minute he slows down, however, he starts to chill. He needs a coat, sometimes with fleece PJs underneath. My Belgian Tervurens, however, stay out much longer in cold weather and will happily lie down in snow and hang out.
How Long Does It Take A Dog To Recover From Hypothermia?
Recovery from a bout of hypothermia depends on many factors, including how low the body temperature became. A dry, cold dog can be warmed up faster and more easily than a wet, cold dog.
Warm the dog slowly. Bring your dog into a warm room and wrap him in a warm towel. Dry him off carefully. Do not do a lot of rubbing. If your dog has any degree of frostbite, rubbing can injure those susceptible tissues. That is especially true of tissues like ears and toes. Dogs with severe hypothermia may benefit from a veterinary visit to evaluate frostbite risk and for administration of warmed IV fluids.
Dogs have 1,700 taste buds, ultimately making them a bit less picky than humans when it comes to food. However, dogs use their sense of smell deciding what to eat. Credit Aleksandr Potashev | Getty Images
Dogs have taste buds on their tongue and in the back of their throat. Taste buds, of course, are little bumps that carry taste receptors.
Dogs have approximately 1,700 taste buds, less than 20% of what humans have. This difference in number of taste buds might help to explain why dogs can be much less discriminating in what they prefer to eat, compared to their humans.
Where Are Specific Taste Buds?
Sweet – These taste buds tend to be located in the front of the tongue.
Salt – These taste buds tend to be located closer to the front of the tongue and are less sensitive than in humans.
Meat/fat – These taste buds are thought to have their origin in the diet of ancestral canids being meat-based.
Water – Water is not tasteless in dogs as it is for people. These taste buds are located at the tip of the tongue, and they become more sensitive if the dog is thirsty, or after eating a meal.
Just Say No to Sour or Spicy
Dogs tend to avoid sour or spicy foods, as these flavors are often associated with unsafe foods in the wilderness, such as food that has spoiled. Spicy foods are not favored because many spices can cause digestive system discomfort, from the oral cavity, and throughout the rest of the gastrointestinal system. Be careful with all seasonings when feeding your dog.
Dogs also use their sense of smell (the most sensitive of the five senses in the dog) when deciding what to eat. If your dog does not have a good appetite, making the food more aromatic (moist food instead of dry kibble, slightly warming the food) might help.
Kate O’Connor with her Airedales, 2-year-old Carmen and 13-year-old Suki.
Eagle-eyed subscribers may have noticed the addition of new names to the WDJ masthead. Here’s what’s up with that:
I’m taking a step back—but not walking away from—the day-to-day duties of WDJ. Those of you who read WDJ’s online version are likely aware that we post a lot more content on our website than we can fit in the print edition. It’s a ton of work—more than I can keep up with—so our publisher has summoned some fresh horses, as it were.
Please welcome Kate O’Connor, who previously edited other publications for Belvoir Media Group and is a dyed-in-the-wool dog lover. Kate was practically raised in a dog kennel; her aunt has bred and raised champion Airedales from her Wildwood Kennel for more than 40 years—almost longer than Kate has been alive! Kate grew up working in her aunt’s kennel, as well as in veterinary hospitals (including the vet school at Tufts University) and dog-training facilities. She occasionally fosters Airedales and of course has her own young Airedale, Carmen, with whom she “participates” in rally and agility (Kate says “competes” isn’t applicable to their event-ring efforts quite yet). Kate has jumped right into the tasks at hand, writing two of the articles in the June issue and assigning many more.
Cynthia Foley and her Papillons, 10-year-old Aries (left) and 3-year-old Twisty.
For the past two years—since the initial expansion of our online-only content—I’ve also been assisted by Cindy Foley, another talented colleague from Belvoir Media Group. Cindy is the Executive Editor of DogWatch, which is published in partnership with Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Cindy also competes in agility, with dogs at the other end of the size scale: two very athletic Papillons!
I’m thrilled to say that Kate and Cindy are going to take on the lion’s share of assigning and editing articles for WDJ. This will give me an opportunity to write more in-depth pieces on topics that are near and dear to my heart. I’m relishing the opportunity to spend more time on our coverage of the dog-food industry, for a start. I’ve never had as much time as I’ve wanted to dig into pieces on ingredients, formulation, production, and product development and testing, to name just a few food-related topics. I’m also going to be teaching a few classes at a friend’s dog-training facility and will be fostering more pups for my local shelter, which will surely inspire even more fresh fodder for WDJ.
Nancy, now getting a chance to do some hiking with her dogs and friends and friends’ dogs!
The Chillybuddy Dog Cooling Vest has a reflective mesh that helps deflect the sun’s rays and an inner lightweight cotton mesh you can wet to help keep your dog cool. Credit: Photo Dr. Eileen Fatcheric
Cooling vests for dogs can help your dog stay cooler in hot weather. The best cooling vests, or coats, for dogs are lightweight, breathable, loose-fitting, and light in color. Anything heavy, tight, or dark will result in more heat absorption and retention, which is obviously not what we want. As the owner of a black sporting dog, I have investigated dog cooling coats extensively, and I have two favorites to share with you:
Dogs Overheat Quickly
It’s important to know when it’s too hot to walk your dog and how to keep your dog cool in summer. While dogs do have sweat glands, they do little to cool a dog’s body on a hot day. The strongest mechanism dogs have for cooling their bodies is panting, which is also not the most efficient cooling system, unfortunately. That means it is on us, the pet owners, to keep our dogs safe during the dog days of summer. Dog cooling vests are one way to help us help them.
Chillybuddy Dog Cooling Vest
The Chillybuddy Dog Cooling Vest’s outer layer is made of a lightweight, woven plastic with a reflective aluminum coating. It is breathable and reflects the sunlight away to minimize radiant heat absorption by your dog. The inner layer is a perforated light cotton mesh that you can soak with cool water to enhance evaporative cooling for your dog. You can make the most of this by carrying cool water with you and rewetting the vest as needed. The Chillybuddy Dog Cooling Vest is machine washable, durable, and comes in multiple sizes so you can find the best fit for your dog. Prices start at $58.
K9 Cool Coat
Saratoga Horseworks’ K9 Cool Coat is also lightweight, light-colored, and breathable. It is made of one layer of a polyester mesh that can be soaked in cool water to enhance its overall cooling effect. The K9 Cool Coat also provides UVA and UVB protection, so it is especially appealing for dogs with sparser coats who are more prone to sunburn. The K9 Cool Coat is machine washable, durable, and comes in multiple sizes. It costs $49, but you can add features like embroidery for more money.
When Is It Too Hot to Walk a Dog?
Cooling vests can help keep your dog cooler on a hot day, but they are not a free pass to exercise your dog for as long as you want in extreme heat. To keep your dog safe and cool in summer, use common sense: If it’s hot and uncomfortable for you, it’s too hot and too uncomfortable for them.
As a veterinarian, I can tell you that there is no specific temperature that means it’s too hot to walk your dog. Many individual variables are involved in that decision, including your dog’s general health and fitness level, coat color, airway conformation (brachycephalic breeds like Pugs, Bostons, and Bulldogs overheat more easily), and the dog’s degree of acclimatization to the heat.
If your dog has never negotiated any kind of steps, here are some things to try. Place the steps against a wall in the common living area of your home – somewhere your dog already enjoys spending time with you. You can play games with your dog near the steps, have a fun training session near the steps, let your dog enjoy a stuffed Kong beside them, and even feed meals from a bowl on or near the steps. Do this for a few days until your dog is fully comfortable being near and passing the steps.
I use a clicker as a marker signal, though you can also use a short word such as “Yes!” to mark the behavior, which will then be reinforced with a piece of food.
Place the steps where your dog will need to use them. Get some pea-sized pieces of yummy food that your dog really loves, such as baked chicken or cheese (try to use a food the dog doesn’t get on a daily basis). Take a piece of food, put it at your dog’s nose and lure him to the first step, mark and reinforce. Take another piece of food and toss it slightly away from the steps (you’re resetting the dog to return to the steps). Because you’re sitting or standing near the steps and you just fed him at the step, he’ll likely quickly return to you.
Going down can be more challenging for dogs. Again, move at your own dog’s pace. You’re going to repeat the same process of luring, marking, and reinforcing your dog for successful negotiation of each step.
If he bypasses the steps by jumping down and around them, no worries. Just lure him back up the steps, then begin again to lure him down. If you move at his pace, your efforts will likely be met with success. If he bypasses the steps several times in a row, end the training session and start again several hours later or even the next day. Each dog gains confidence at a different pace and there’s no need to rush the process.
There are many other creative options for programming or modifying doorbell behavior.
Here are three:
Try changing your doorbell sound. If your dog has a very strong emotional response to the existing doorbell, it will be easier to give her a new association with a new sound. Don’t actually use it as your new doorbell until you’ve conditioned a very positive response for your dog (or trained her to perform an appropriate operant behavior in response to the new chime). When your training is completed, then substitute the new doorbell in place of the current one.
Get a toy: You can teach your dog that the doorbell is her cue to run to fetch a toy. You can toss the toy for her to fetch (have her offer a sit first!), and thus focus her energies on the toy instead of the doorbell or your guests. You can also teach her to take the toy to your visitors, and construct a polite greeting behavior that includes sitting until they toss the toy for her.
Treat ‘n Train: This unique remote treat-delivery gadget was developed by veterinary behaviorist Sophia Yin for a variety of training and behavior applications, including door manners! The concept is simple. When you push a button, the unit beeps and delivers a treat. Your dog makes the classical association between the “beep” and treat, and quickly learns (operantly) to run to the machine when she hears the beep. The beep becomes the cue to run to the machine.
Then add the doorbell as the new cue to run to the machine, as in Step 4 of the “mostly operant” approach, above. Ring the doorbell, beep the beep, and the machine delivers. When the doorbell alone sends your dog to the machine, fade the beep cue by utilizing the “mute” feature of the remote: you press the button to deliver a treat but no beep occurs; the doorbell alone sends your dog to the machine for her treat. Gradually increase your dog’s distance from the machine so the doorbell sends her running to her Treat ‘n Train from anywhere in the house.
For more training tips and advice on how to keep your dog from jumping up on people, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook Stop Jumping.
The obvious first step – asking the dog’s owner to stop the noise – is either ignored or botched by a surprising number of people. Perhaps it’s not all that surprising approaching someone with a complaint can be unpleasant and in some cases intimidating.
However, talking to your neighbor calmly and reasonably is an essential first step. Even if you do eventually end up in court, a judge isn’t likely to be too sympathetic if you didn’t make at least some effort to work things out first. So it’s a no-lose situation, and if you approach it with a modicum of tact, you may be pleasantly surprised by the neighbor’s willingness to work toward a solution.
Sometimes owners are blissfully unaware that there’s a problem. If a dog barks for hours every day – but only when he’s left alone – the owner may not know that a neighbor is being driven crazy by a dog the owner thinks is quiet and well-mannered. Even if you’re sure the neighbor does know about the dog’s antisocial behavior, it may be better to proceed as though she doesn’t.
Here are some suggestions on how to get the most from your negotiations:
Write a friendly note or call to arrange a convenient time to talk. Don’t blunder up some rainy evening when the neighbor is trying to drag groceries and kids in the house after work.
If you think it’s appropriate, take a little something to the meeting to break the ice – some vegetables from your garden, perhaps.
Don’t threaten legal action (or illegal action!). There will be time to discuss legal remedies if relations deteriorate.
Offer positive suggestions. Once you have established some rapport, you may want to suggest, tactfully, that the owner get help with the dog. Try saying something like, “You know, my friend Tom had the same problem with his dog, and since he’s been taking the dog to ABC Obedience School classes, he and his neighbors are much happier.” Of course, if you make suggestions too early in the process, the neighbor may resent your “interference.”
Try to agree on specific actions to alleviate the problem. For example, that the dog is kept inside between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
After you agree on a plan, set a date to talk again in a couple of weeks. If your next meeting is already arranged, it will be easier for you to talk again. It won’t look like you’re badgering your neighbor, but will show that you’re serious about getting the problem solved.
If the situation improves, make a point to say thanks. Not only is it the nice thing to do, it will also encourage more progress.
For more advice on how to understand and manage your dog’s barking, download and read Whole Dog Journal’s exclusive ebook Stop Barking.
Pat Schaap, a Shetland Sheepdog breeder in Clarksville, Maryland, is credited for this list of experiences, people, and things that each puppy should have been exposed to by the time she reaches seven weeks old:
Seven different types of surfaces: Carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips.
Seven different types of play objects: Big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, sticks or hose pieces.
Seven different locations: Front yard, backyard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom.
Seven new people: Children and older adults, a person with a cane, someone in a wheelchair or walker.
Seven challenges: Climb on a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence.
Seven different types of food containers: Metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan.
Seven different eating locations: Crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom.
Of course, seven shouldn’t be a limiting number. Pratt says she exposes her Golden Retriever puppies to 100 different people before they leave at 8 1/2 weeks.
For more details and advice on ways to socialize your puppy or dog, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Socializing Your Puppy.
While there are plenty of dog collars and harnesses designed to hold Apple AirTags available, the company advises against using them to track your dog. Credit: Artur Debat | Getty Images
Dog tracking devices attach to a dog’s collar or harness, collect data related to the dog’s location, and transmit data to a smartphone or computer. That’s useful, but as explained in “Sorting Out Smart Collars,” some dog-tracking GPS (Global Positioning System) devices offer so many options that their features and price tags can overwhelm new users.
If you’re new to GPS technology and want a simple, affordable, reliable way to keep track of your dog’s location, here are some options.
Note that your dog’s microchip is not a tracking device. The microchip is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) implant that serves only one purpose, to identify dogs by matching chip identification numbers to veterinary records.
The Simplest and Least Expensive Dog Tracking Devices
Ever since Apple released its AirTag Tracking Device to keep track of luggage and other items, people have attached AirTags to their dogs. According to Apple, this is a terrible idea whose risks outweigh the rewards because someone finding your pet would need an updated iPhone to notify you and they might not have one, or they might not know how to use their phone for that purpose, and some dogs have swallowed AirTags, requiring emergency surgery. AirTag fans dismiss Apple’s warnings as efforts to avoid liability, and dog collars and harnesses designed to hold AirTags are widely sold.
Considering its $29 price tag, long battery life, the fact that it doesn’t require a subscription, and its ease of use, the AirTag looks like an attractive option. However, it’s far less reliable than a GPS tracker that uses satellite signals and cellular data to send your dog’s location to your phone. The AirTag uses Bluetooth technology, which works well if you’re within 30 to 100 feet of the device. Otherwise, Apple’s app depends on the proximity of other active iPhones in Apple’s “Find My” network to expand the AirTag’s range. If anyone with a modern Apple device is near a lost AirTag, they can alert the AirTag’s owner of the exact location, but if iPhone users aren’t nearby, the AirTag can’t respond..
Similar descriptions apply to the Tile Pro tracker, designed to keep track of keys, phones, luggage, and other items. Unlike Apple, Tile promotes its tracker for use on pets and even offers a Tile collar attachment for cats. The basic Tile costs $34.99 and requires an annual $29.99 (standard) or $99.99 (premium) subscription. Its 400-foot Bluetooth range can be extended by proximity to other active cell phones in the Tile Network, which is why it’s more reliable for indoor cats than for out-of-range dogs.
The Pawscout Bluetooth Tracker relies on a network of Pawscout members and their smartphones to reunite tagged pets with owners. Its 300-foot range is expanded by proximity to other people with the Pawscout app, which makes this tag most effective in urban areas. If there aren’t any active Pawscout apps within range, the tracker can’t respond. Pawscout’s QR tag ($9.95) and Bluetooth tracker ($19.95) don’t require subscriptions.
User-Friendly GPS Trackers
If you live in a rural area, hike or camp with your dog, or if identifying your dog’s exact location matters, it makes sense to invest in a GPS tracker. Most use a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to share satellite data with your phone. While ease of use is important, so are factors like reliability, affordability, battery life, whether the tracker is waterproof, and whether it’s comfortable for your dog to wear.
The Whistle GO Explore Pet Tracker attaches to the collars of dogs weighing 25 pounds and more. Praised by evaluators for its ease of use, sturdy attachment clip, and for being waterproof, the Whistle costs $129 plus an annual subscription of $99.
The Tractive GPS Dog Tracker is easy to set up, popular with users, works for dogs weighing as little as 9 pounds, and provides up-to-the-second updates of a dog’s position. The Tractive is waterproof, monitors a dog’s sleep patterns and daily activities, and costs $49.99 with a basic ($96) or premium ($108) annual subscription.
The Jiobit Smart Tag Dog Tracker is the smallest GPS tracker, suitable for dogs and cats of all sizes. The tag’s different clips make it easy to attach, and it’s easy to set up and use. The tag costs $129.99 and requires a $17 per month subscription ($8.33 per month or $100 if prepaid annually).
The Fi Smart Series 3 Dog Collar has a built-in tracker with a long battery life (1-1/2 to 2 months for most dogs) and upgraded location tracking for accuracy. The collar’s cost depends on the subscription purchased with it ($189.00 for prepaid annual subscriptions). Reviewers call it easy to set up and use.
The Cube GPS Pet Tracking Bundle uses GPS, WiFi, cell tower triangulation, and Bluetooth for location reporting, and it works nationwide off the Verizon network. This means that in areas with poor cell service, it can be unreliable. The pet tracking bundle costs $119.95 plus an annual subscription for $198.00.
Looking for More?
Before deciding on a dog tracker, take a realistic look at your needs and visit websites and check online reviews. Compare the area ranges of different devices, their battery life, and costs. If these are of interest, look at extra features like activity monitors, built-in LED lights for extra visibility, and the ability to add multiple phones (yours, your family’s, or a pet sitter’s) to your tracker’s notification system.
Even if you buy the most advanced tracking device for your dog, it’s important to keep her collar ID and microchip information up to date. There are many reasons why a tracking device might stop working, so backup identification methods still matter.
This is not just a “large breed dog,” she is FAT. Her backbone is indented by the excess flesh on her ribs. She’s at high risk of muscle and ligament injuries, anal gland problems, diabetes, and a host of other health problems due to being overweight.
A professional organization called the Association for Pet Obesity’s Prevention (APOP) recently released a report stating that most of the dogs in the U.S. are overweight, their owners don’t know it, and their veterinarians don’t feel comfortable talking to their clients about it. This feels like crazyland to me!
I think I have to agree with the premise that most people really don’t recognize their dogs’ weight problem. When I attempt to have conversations with the owners of fat larger breed dogs, nine times out of 10, the owner will say, “Well, his mother and father both weighed over 100 pounds, these are just a large breed!” Or, “He’s in the weight range for the breed standard!” Ignoring the fact that the dog has no waist whatsoever and is literally covered with fat rolls.
Small dog owners often just think their dogs are cute. And as long as they can pick them up, they don’t think the weight is a problem.
My own sister didn’t get serious about reducing the weight of her little dogs until Dinah, a presumed Chihuahua/Dachshund-mix, got so obese that she couldn’t maintain the hygiene of her own nether end and developed serious anal gland issues. WARNING: This is exceedingly gross to contemplate. Skip the next paragraph if you are easily grossed out!
When lick their own butts, it helps keep the anal glands in working order. Big dogs have fewer problems with their glands than small dogs partly because they have bigger, stronger tongues, which help massage and empty the glands when they lick their butts. When dogs like Dinah get too fat to reach their bottoms with their tongues, the glands can become impacted and infected unless the owner is aware of this and makes sure to either empty the glands or take the dog to a groomer or vet occasional to have the glands checked and emptied.
Anyway, to me, the most shocking part of the report is the allegation that 84% of the veterinarians who responded to the survey said they don’t want to upset their clients by talking about their dogs’ weight. But health and weight are so linked in dogs! I think that if a vet fails to discuss a dog’s overweight it’s a total dereliction of their veterinary duty! The problems associated with or directly caused by obesity in dogs are legion!
And yet, I get it. A vet only gets so much time with a client, and it probably often feels like there isn’t enough time to talk about the dog’s more pressing health issues and the overweight condition—even if the obesity may have contributed to the problem. Even at well-pet visits, people often spend more time discussing flea and heartworm preventives, vaccines, and the like.
My friend Tim Steele, a gifted dog trainer (who broke my heart by moving from my area to Florida a couple years ago), once told me that he never talks directly to dog owners about their dogs’ weight problems; he addresses his concerns to the dog—in front of the owner, obviously! He’ll say, “Oh my goodness, who is measuring your food? Or are you sneaking into the refrigerator at night?! I think you need to get on a little diet!” Often, he reports, the owner will join the “conversation” at that point, saying something like, “Do you really think he needs to be on a diet?” instead of feeling directly confronted. I think that’s a genius approach—and perhaps one I can recommend to veterinarians!
My appreciation to reporter Tim Wall of Petfood Industry for being the first to cover the APOP’s 2023 survey.
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?”
