It’s five a.m. You’re suddenly awakened by a sound. After a moment you roll over and go back to sleep, realizing it’s Tuesday and thinking dark thoughts about garbage trucks.
Your noise-phobic dog, however, may not only think the sky is falling, but also that it’s his responsibility to make sure that everyone in the world knows about it. So much for your sleep.
When the average dog hears a loud or unusual noise, as long as no one around him panics or acts strangely, he’ll generally figure out that there is nothing to worry about. But noise-phobic dogs don’t seem to notice that the earth just keeps turning, noise or no noise. And, for many of these dogs, noises can elicit problem behavior of varying natures: territorial, fear-based, obsessive/habitual, to name a few.
This need not be a permanent condition. Training a dog can change a dog’s response to a noisy event. In my experience, however, training alone does not always relieve the underlying fear-based stress caused by the noise phobia in the first place, and, may in fact, contribute to its continuation. Instead, the dog may change the focus of his stress to another sound or sense; some of these dogs begin exhibiting another problem behavior, such as destructive chewing or obsessive licking.
Tellington TTouch
This is where Tellington TTouch can make a difference. While TTouch works to help every animal become better balanced and more consciously responsive to itself and its environment, it is with the fear-based and/or habitual response patterns that TTouch can truly work wonders.
TTouch body work and learning exercises affect the nervous system, interrupting habitual patterns and giving dogs the opportunity to discover and experience their own ability to respond to challenging situations in new and different ways – to think, not just react.
Improving the communication between the body and the mind promotes physical, mental, and emotional balance. Given a choice, a balanced dog will release old patterns and choose less stressful, more rewarding, more efficient patterns – ones that, with your guidance, will be mutually beneficial (aahhh, sleep!).
For some dogs, that ability can appear magical. One Great Dane I became acquainted with used to be so terrified of thunder that she would pull the couch away from the wall and hide behind it when a storm hit, damaging both the wall and the couch in the process. She had one session of TTouch (when there was no thunder), and during the next storm she was found lying ON the couch, fast asleep. Now, that’s letting go of baggage!
On the other hand, a nervous Border Collie with incredibly sensitive hearing might need TTouch on a regular basis to help him maintain his balance, and his family might always have to be mindful of the level of sound in their home and surroundings to reduce the stress, and possibly, the pain of excessive noise. (Those fine-tuned ears are a benefit in the far hills of Scotland, but a real detriment in a city that echoes with noise ‘round the clock.)
The following TTouch exercises can be particularly helpful for noise-related issues. Start when you and your dog are calm, so he develops trust in your touch and its results. From your dog’s perspective, it feels good, it’s relaxing, and it enhances communication between you. This will create memories (both mental and physical) that will be useful when he’s not so calm. Remember that TTouch works on the nervous system and a little can go a long way. Your dog needs time to process the new information, so shorter sessions of two to 10 minutes, twice a day, will be more effective than longer, more intense ones.
Ear Slides
This TTouch can help balance the entire body. Most dogs like having their ears touched, so it’s usually a safe place to start. Sit beside or behind your dog with one hand gently resting on his shoulder or supporting his chin. Curl the fingers of your other hand softly and place your thumb behind and at the base of the ear with your curled fingers in front of the ear, holding gently. Slide your hand from the base of the ear to the tip and off, in the natural direction of the dog’s ear. Cover the entire ear with repeated slides, keeping your hand (and body) relaxed and breathing naturally. For cropped or very small ears, you can use just your thumb and index finger; for large, heavy ears, use one hand to support the base of the ear while your other hand does the slides. You can also rotate the entire ear in both directions holding the base as above.
Watch your dog’s responses and experiment with different positions, pressures, and speeds to discover what he really likes best. For many dogs this is a great pleasure. If he seems to really hate it, you might want to have his ears checked to eliminate any physical cause.
Bear in mind that if your dog is responding to the sound of a perceived threat, generally he will not want his ears touched at that time – he needs all of his senses undisturbed so that he can evaluate the potential threat. If you can anticipate when a disturbing noise is about to occur (such as sirens that go off every Saturday at noon), do some ear slides before and after and apply the Body Wrap.
Click here to view the TTouch and Body Wrap techniques.
Sabra Learned, of Berkeley, CA, is a Certified TTouch Practitioner. She offers private appointments and group classes.
I am sure that nearly everyone has experienced grief over the death of a pet at one time or another. However, I want to digress from a focus on death and bereavement to address life, and its full enjoyment.
For some people, it can be as difficult (or even more difficult) to endure or reconcile the death of a dog as it is to deal with the death of a person. This isn’t a matter of displaced affections; today, we tend to be isolated from human death. Few people die at home in the arms of loved ones; most people die in hospitals. In contrast, people are much more likely to be personally involved with the death of their dogs. Many animals die at home, and often, owners are intimate with the anguish of making decisions regarding euthanasia.
Additionally, while no one would be embarrassed to admit they were upset about the loss of a human friend or relative, many people feel unnecessarily self-conscious and embarrassed when they get so upset about the death of ‘only a dog.’ But the loss of a good friend and companion is always upsetting, regardless of whether it was a dog or a person. It always hurts. It really hurts. In reality, it is part of the owner’s life that has died and the owner must now reevaluate and reconstruct.
As with the death of a relative or close friend, losing a dog can have long-lasting effect on the owner’s lifestyle. For example, I am surprised to realize that I have not been cross-country skiing or running (both previously major activities) since the death of my first Malamute, Omaha Beagle, well over 10 years ago.
Grieving is a painful, yet necessary process. At the time of the pet’s death, owners may lose perspective, tending to focus on all the bad experiences associated with the last few days, weeks and sometimes months prior to the pet’s demise. The bad experiences tend to become magnified and temporarily tend to obscure the many happy memories of years gone by. Each owner may experience different emotions, generally progressing through phases of denial, pain, anger and maybe depression. The goal, though, should be to get to the place where they can accept the death of their pet and remember the many good times along with the bad. It is essential to regain perspective on life. The loss of a pet is sad and unfair, but ultimately inevitable. We are all mortal.
And, most importantly, the loss of one life should not destroy another. The owner is still living and can have fun. The deceased pet would most certainly have wanted it that way. And when the time is right, there are other pets that are crying out for human companionship. There are so many unwanted pets that would be so lucky to have such a caring owner.
“I ask my (owner) to remember me always, but not to grieve for me too long. In my life I have tried to be a comfort to her in times of sorrow and a reason for added joy in her life’s happiness . . . One last request that I earnestly make. I ask her, for love of me, to have another. It would be a poor tribute to my memory never to have another dog. I would like to feel that once having known me, she cannot live without a dog!”
– from The Last Will and Testament of an Extremely Distinguished Dog, by Barbara Meyer
I would like to echo the above sentiments. Loved ones whose loss we may grieve tomorrow are presently alive and well and living with us today. Whereas no one can even remotely comprehend the full nature and magnitude of the feelings of the bereaved over the death of a loved one, nearly everyone can recognize, enjoy, and benefit from an overt display of love and affection for the living.
For those of you who are currently sharing their lives with a happy and healthy dog: watch him, be with him, play with him, talk to him, and train him. Let today be the excuse for a party. And tomorrow. And the next day. Listen to your kids, talk to your husband or wife, visit your parents, and appreciate your friends. Don’t wait for a day of grief to evaluate your feelings for those who are close to your heart. Tell them now!
Dr. Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian and dog trainer residing in Berkeley, CA. He is also the founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and is renowned for his Sirius Puppy Training program, which he describes in his popular books and instructional videos.
We know from innumerable modern research studies that a person’s immune strength and resistance can be improved through a positive mental outlook, and that people who are happy heal more quickly than emotionally depressed people. Stated simply: emotional states can affect the physical body.
Most veterinary health care professionals would probably agree that the principle is true for animals, too. For example, most healthy dogs are usually happy dogs – or is it the other way around? And have you noticed how, just as with people, very often an anxious or angry dog also tends to be prone to more injuries and illness than a content and cheerful dog?
We have proof of this today, but it was a radical proposition when English physician Dr. Edward Bach (pronounced “Batch”) posed a similar theory in the late 1920s. Bach started his medical career as a bacteriologist, but found fame as the founder of “flower essence therapy,” a healing modality based on the principle that addressing psycho/emotional imbalances can lead to improved health and function. Negative emotions, Bach conjectured, suppress healing, so he looked for elements that could positively affect people’s emotions and moods. His theory was that once a person felt better, he or she would begin to get better. Bach wrote, “. . . our fears, our cares, our anxieties and such . . . open the path to the invasion of illness. Remove the disharmony, the fear, the terror, or the indecision, and we regain harmony between soul and mind, and the body is once more perfect in all its parts.”
Familiar with the use and preparation of herbs through his study of homeopathy, Bach experimented with substances made from flowers, which he regarded as the most vibrationally powerful stage of plant growth, and ultimately developed 38 formulations of “flower essences,” each aimed at a specific emotional condition.
Curing or preventing disease may have been Bach’s ultimate goal, but the flower essences soon came to be valued by Bach’s adherents for their primary ability: positively affecting moods.
Bach’s goal was healing humans, but it didn’t take long for veterinarians who agreed with his theories to try Bach’s formulations on their animal patients. Indeed, for animals, the essences’ ability to improve mental and emotional states has proved to be perhaps even more valuable than for humans. (People, after all, can alternatively be helped by cognitive therapies such as discussion and analyses of thoughts and feelings – not a viable option with animals.)
Animals also provide us with an opportunity to determine whether any benefits experienced from flower essences are due to a placebo effect (where the patient expects the medicine to make him feel better, so he “makes” himself feel better). A dog who begins behaving in a more normal fashion after receiving the flower essences makes an ideal illustration of the flowers’ power!
Today, a growing number of veterinarians and complementary animal health care providers use flower essences on their animal patients. And because the remedies are safe, gentle, and available at most health food stores, many animal owners are trying the flower essences on their own, with remarkable results.
A Veterinarian-Tested Rescue Remedy
Without a doubt, the best-known and most widely used flower essence remedy is a combination of flower essences that Dr. Bach named “Rescue Remedy.” The remedy, a mixture of five different flower essences (Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose, and Star of Bethlehem), is indicated for anxiety, agitation, upset, terror, and shock. Many people give the remedy to their dogs to ease show-ring or field trial jitters, for calming dogs who get anxious in the car, or for trips to the veterinarian’s office.
A growing number of veterinarians also use the five-flower combination on their patients. The blend is not only useful for treating the panic that many animals experience when they visit the veterinarian, but also for treating the conditions that necessitated the animal’s visit!
Maggie Voorhees, DVM, of the Natural Animal Hospital in Sarasota, Florida, makes it a habit to administer Rescue Remedy to her clients before particularly frightening procedures. “I’ve seen amazing results at times,” she says. “Many animals that are pretty wild before being treated with Rescue Remedy calm down nicely afterward.”
Any animal that experiences fear or terror at the veterinarian’s office can benefit from Rescue Remedy, says Voorhees. She administers the remedy to her patients before and/or after surgery, and says it can be counted on to “calm them right down.”
Another veterinarian, Arthur Young, of the Stuart Animal Hospital in Stuart, Florida, says he gives Rescue Remedy to any dog who has been hit by a car or suffered any other kind of traumatic injury. He’ll use traditional emergency veterinary medicine on the dog in addition to a dose of Rescue every 10 minutes until the dog is out of shock.
Every Day Flowers
However, Rescue is not the only flower essence he uses. “I use Bach flower remedies in my practice every day,” he says. “When there is disharmony in the mind, body, or spirit, something will give, and that’s where we get disease. When you’re stressed, you’re sick, and when you’re sick, you’re stressed. Stress creates an obstacle to healing, so I use the Bach flower remedies to fill the emotional need created by stress or illness,” he explains.
Dr. Young can rattle off a number of useful applications for many of Bach’s original formulations. “An animal whose owner has died can benefit from Honeysuckle, which is specifically for ‘grief for the loss of a loved one,’ and Rescue Remedy, to relieve fear, anxiety, and to take away the ‘edge.’ I also prescribe Rescue Remedy for a dog who is going to be traveling, especially for flying. Rather than using a tranquilizer for air travel, I’d treat him with Rescue Remedy for anxiety, add Aspen for fear, and Walnut when the dog gets to where you’re taking him to help him make the adjustment to a new venue.”
Dogs can also be treated for problematic behavior that is caused by negative emotions. For example, a dog “who has a strong personality and feels the need to be in charge can be treated with Chicory to help him quit seeking so much negative attention,” says Dr. Young.
Young also uses flower essence remedies to help him resolve physical problems that are aggravated by negative emotion. “I’ve seen dogs that have developed skin problems from unrelieved scratching, who have been treated allopathically for flea allergies but just keep scratching. Typically, the dog will have been overdosed with pesticides, or cortisone, even antibiotics. I’ll prescribe Agrimony, to help relieve the crawly feeling or sensation of itching, and Crabapple, which can be used as a detoxifier. Within a few days, the dog will feel a lot better – physically and emotionally.”
“In short,” says Young, “I use flower essences extensively in my practice. One of the best aspects of this truly holistic therapy is that it is gentle and non-reactive with other therapies.”
In his house call practice, Russell Swift, DVM, of Tamarac, Florida, uses flower essence therapy alone and in combination with nutritional therapy. But he finds them especially useful for treating behavior problems.
“I have used the flower essences for several years to treat for a variety of pet health problems, and have found them to be very effective,” he says. “But they are great for behavior. I’ve prescribed Chestnut Bud for a dog that ‘failed to learn from experience,’ an animal that kept making repeated mistakes in an obedience training situation – and it makes a huge difference. I’ve found Walnut to be helpful for a dog who had difficulty adjusting to a new dog adopted into a household, and Larch for the new dog who is low in confidence, as he was low in the pecking order in the household.”
Dr. Swift says the availability of the essences, as well as information about them, makes them especially useful to dog owners. “In the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of essences available from around the world, and many books and courses available on the subject for anyone who would like to learn how to use these healing substances,” he says. The biggest challenge for most pet owners, he warns, is in selecting the appropriate essences. “Since we have to interpret our pet’s behavior patterns through our own eyes, it is difficult not to superimpose our own emotions and feelings on them.”
How to Use Flower Essence on Your Dog
Flower essences generally come in tiny bottles of less than one ounce. The already diluted contents is referred to as a “mother tincture,” which is usually (but not necessarily) diluted further before administration. The undiluted mother tincture can be administered directly to a dog (two drops at a time), but due to the high alcohol content, many animals object to its taste and smell.
Further dilution does not affect the action of the essence, and it saves money!
Most health food stores that carry flower essences will also sell small (about 30 ml.) dropper bottles and/or mister bottles to use for mixing and administering a “working stock.” Pour three parts water (well, filtered, or bottled water if possible; neither chemically treated tap water nor distilled water are recommended) to one part alcohol (vodka, brandy, or Purol) into the bottle. Most experts suggest adding two drops of each mother tincture to be used (up to a maximum of seven essences, with Rescue Remedy counting as one essence) to the water/alcohol mixture. Then, put the top on and shake the bottle vigorously. Administer four drops of this working stock to the dog four times a day for chronic symptoms, or every 10 minutes or so in emergency or critical situations. (The potency of the essences is best increased by more frequent dosing from the working solution bottle, rather than giving a mixture with a higher percentage of mother tincture.)
Commonly, the working stock is administered with an eyedropper and squirted into the dog’s mouth. Some people prefer to drop the mixture onto a treat and feed it to the dog. The mixture can also be sponged onto the dog’s face, softly massaged into his skin, and rubbed behind his ears. Sometimes a dog who is panicked or aggressive will calm down after being gently misted (through a cage door, for instance) with a mixture formulated for his condition.
None of the essences’ manufacturers claim that the products will heal specific conditions on a physical level. The essences should not replace medical treatment, and should your dog manifest any symptoms of illness before, during, or after treatment, consult your veterinarian as usual. All of the makers say that the essences may be administered by themselves or in conjunction with medical or other treatment; they won’t conflict with medication, including any homeopathic remedies.
That fact that you don’t have to (and shouldn’t) change anything about a dog’s other treatments when you administer the remedies makes it easier for many skeptical dog owners to give the remedies a try; since they cannot hurt a dog in any way, an owner has “nothing to lose” by giving them a try. And that’s often precisely when the flowers seem to work their subtle, wonderful miracles.
Someone asked me the other day, How long has WDJ been around? I had to look at the cover of the most recent issue to confirm what I fuzzily knew: WDJ is now in its fourth year of publication! Our first issue was published in April 1998; and it was soon after that first magazine was mailed that I received a phone call from someone wanting to know when we would be publishing an article about barf. At least, that’s what I thought the caller said. Beg pardon? I asked.
Turns out, she was asking for an article about the bones and raw food (BARF) diet, something I had not yet heard about. I came to the helm of Whole Dog Journal fresh from an editorial stint at a (now-defunct) sister publication, Whole Horse Journal. In fact, up until three years ago, my entire professional career had been spent in the editorial offices of some horse magazine or another. (I know a lot about horses, and I’ll have you know that they neither barf nor BARF.)
After hanging up, I quickly checked my favorite Internet search engine – and was just as quickly overwhelmed by everything that I didn’t know about feeding dogs foods that dogs are biologically designed to eat.
Fortunately, there were quite a few knowledgeable people standing by, eager to share what they knew in order to see a holistically oriented dog magazine succeed. Famous trainers stepped forward and helped me develop WDJ’s stand against force-based training methods while they educated me about the incredible power of positive training. Veterinarians with decades of experience with alternative and complementary medicine pointed me in the direction of the best books and research in their fields. Just as importantly, hundreds of regular dog owners told me stories about their successes with positive training and natural dog care. I can’t thank all of you enough for helping me help WDJ’s readers.
After three years, I now can honestly say I’m a dog person, not just a horse person!
As such, I now do a double-take whenever I see a dog when I’m driving, I can’t get out of a pet supply store in less than an hour, and I watch dog training videos for fun.
Last weekend, as I spent a full day at an agility competition (a event that I didn’t have to attend!), I even found myself repeatedly brought to tears as I witnessed some gorgeous performances, so obviously a result of seamless communication and willing partnership between some dogs and their people.
I was particularly touched by the runs made by one leggy teenaged girl and her grinning Border Collie (or maybe he was an Australian Shepherd – I don’t know everything!). The healthy, vibrant dog never made a wrong move on course, speeding around the obstacles with his eyes glued on his girl and the teenager never failed to give him huge hugs and kisses at the end of every run. I didn’t follow the classes closely enough to know whether or not they were in the ribbons; I just know that they were winners in my book. They absolutely embodied what I want WDJ to be all about: purely positive and healthful relationships between people and their dogs.
But don’t take my word for it; take a look yourself. For just this month, I’ve removed from this column the picture of me and my faithful dog so you could see what I saw. The love and trust between these two absolutely shines.
As we were going to press with this issue, we received a report of a dogs death due to ingestion of a small part contained in a toy called the Wiggly Giggly ball. The noisemaking whistles in the interior of the ball may provide a lethal dose of zinc if ingested.
While we have been unable to confirm the report of the poisoned dog, we did contact both the maker and the seller of the Wiggly Giggly ball, and confirmed that the balls did, in fact, contain small discs of zinc, at least, until very recently.
According to Andrew Farrar, partner and CEO of HandsOn Toys of Wilmington, Massachusetts, maker of the toys, zinc discs were used as weights inside the toy. These weights were positioned inside a plastic tube that was inside another tube, which was inside a third tube inside the ball.
Alerted by a pet owner a couple of months ago that her dog had managed to chew through the ball and all three tubes (she was concerned that dogs may break their teeth on the metal pieces), Farrar immediately ordered a design change, replacing the zinc discs with crushable stone pieces that pose no danger if eaten by a dog.
According to Farrar, more than two million of the toys have been sold in the last three years, both as a toy for dogs and for children, who presumably also enjoy the erratic movement of the ball and its amusing noises and who (presumably) would be unlikely to chew the ball open and risk exposure to small, swallowable parts.
Farrar warns that if a dog has chewed a Wiggly Giggly ball open, it should be taken away from the dog immediately a warning that has always appeared on the packaging of the Wiggly Giggly toy. Farrar adds, however, if a consumer believes that a dog has ingested a weight from the interior of one of the balls, the dog owner should contact a veterinarian immediately and have the dog examined.
We greatly appreciated the potential hazards of zinc being brought to our attention, says Farrar. We had already initiated a change to the manufacturing process to make the toy safer. Wiggly Giggly toys have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of dogs. While any traumatic event is too many, we are committed to bringing safe and engaging toys to the pet market.
Rich Rivlin, president of the company that markets the ball to dog owners (Multipet International of Moonachie, New Jersey), also expressed his concern for the family of the dog that died. We are all pet lovers, and we pride ourselves on selling fun, safe toys for dogs to enjoy with their people, he said.
Poor durability WDJ included the Wiggly Giggly ball in a review of toys in our September 2000 issue. We noted that while some dogs are highly engaged by the noisemaking ball, a dog who is prone to chewing on his toys can easily tear the soft plastic ball open. The balls lack of durability, we noted, makes it an inappropriate toy for dogs who chew their toys, simply due to the fact that it contains small parts. We also noted that if the toy is ripped, it should be discarded immediately.
However, we were unaware that the product contained zinc. While any small metal item that is swallowed by a dog is potentially life-threatening, a zinc item poses special dangers.
Sources of zinc poisoning According to the Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine (2000, W. B. Saunders Company), dogs are susceptible to zinc poisoning if they ingest any number of things that contain zinc. Reportedly, zinc poisoning has been caused by ingestion of pennies minted after 1983 (these pennies are 96 percent zinc), zinc nuts on some dog crates, and galvanized drip points on metal fences. Zinc can also leach out of galvanized dishes into particularly acidic food or water.
The textbook explains that signs of zinc poisoning may include depression, abdominal discomfort, vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia. A veterinarian examining the dog would find elevated pancreatic and hepatic enzymes and evidence of anemia. Radiographs of the dogs abdomen often provide the first evidence of a metal object that has been swallowed.
Immediate treatment is needed to save a dog with zinc poisoning. The swallowed object must be immediately removed with surgery, blood transfusions may be needed, and fluid therapy will be needed to correct fluid loss and electrolyte imbalances and improve renal function. Chelation therapy should also be administered.
Any toy poses some danger Dogs should never be left unattended with any toy that they can chew up or swallow. Toys with small parts, batteries, flashing lights, or electronic pieces inside should be given to dogs to play with only when you are closely supervising their activity. If the phone rings or someone comes to the door, pick up that toy first! And owners of dogs that do tend to chew or destroy toys should consider never having this type of toy in the house, in case the dog is able to find where youve hidden it.
The Kong is a good example of a toy that can be safely left with most dogs, but very aggressive chewers have been known to shred even the strongest Kongs. Bottom line: When youre not paying rapt attention to your dog, take his toys away.
Not all dogs have the benefit of a nice start in life. Sergeant had about the worst start possible. His first owners left Sergeant locked in their apartment when they abandoned it in October 1997. By the time the landlord found him, the three-year-old male Rottweiler-mix was emaciated. The landlord brought him to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty (SPCA) of Upstate NY, a no-kill shelter. It was several days before Sergeant could eat solid food without vomiting.
He was in good hands, but Sergeant wasn’t completely safe. The unneutered male was wildly aggressive toward other dogs, and the problem was so pronounced that most shelters would have considered him unadoptable. As soon as he regained strength and energy, Sergeant began spending his days growling, snarling, and barking at the dogs in the nearby kennels.
Mark Hoag, the shelter manager, says Sergeant’s aggression was the worst he’d ever seen. Oddly enough, however, despite his cruel abandonment, the dog still regarded humans as his friends, and was warm and affectionate with shelter staffers – as long as no other dogs were nearby.
Aggressive to other dogs
Sergeant displayed an uncommon territoriality; even when he was alone in a run or in a cage, he fixated on any other dog in his sight, challenging them to fight. When in an outside run, Sergeant would wait until another dog jumped up, then grab its toes, pull its foot through the chain-link fence, and bite it.
Sergeant was soon turned out only in a run on the end of a row, with the run next to him kept empty. He spent his nights in an indoor cage in a far corner of the shelter to minimize the number of dogs he could see. When he was brought in at night he would snarl and snap at other dogs all the way down the kennel aisles.
The shelter staff had him neutered, but saw no discernible reduction in his aggression. Some volunteer dog trainers worked with him a few times. And the staff gave him toys to help him modify and displace his aggression. These approaches helped a little; Sergeant focused a little less on the other dogs. But the staffers still had to keep the run next to him empty. By February, 1998, Sergeant had been at the shelter for more than four months. If the shelter was anything but a strict “no-kill” facility, he would have been put to sleep months prior.
Flower essence blend
Then a minor miracle occurred. Celeste Caruso, of Equilite Inc., a manufacturer of flower essences for horses, contacted Hoag about having his shelter field-test her new “Pet Essences,” flower essence blends specifically formulated to address the emotional problems of small animals. Hoag thought immediately of Sergeant and some of the other dogs with behavioral problems and agreed to give the remedies a try.
Sergeant was one of the dogs selected to receive a daily dose of one of the essences. The mixture was selected by Caruso on the basis of the description of each dog’s behavior problems. Initially, the staffers knew only that the mixture that Sergeant would receive was selected for dogs with aggression problems.
At first, staffers dosed Sergeant by putting the flower essence blend directly into his mouth. The dose was two or three drops, twice a day. Sergeant was initially good about this technique, but everyone was happier when they changed to putting the drops into his water bowl.
Within three weeks, with daily administrations of the essence, Sergeant was noticeably calmer. By about the fourth week he was aggressive only toward newly arrived dogs. By the sixth week, according to shelter manager Hoag, he “turned into a big ham.” Sergeant not only played with his toys instead of taking out his aggression on them, but he also invited the other dogs to play with him. The shelter now felt it was safe to resume using the cages next to Sergeant. He did not bite or growl at the other dogs, unless it was a normal response to one of them taking his toy.
“I saw a recognizable difference in this dog,” Hoag describes. “One day he broke his lead, but when he got near another dog he just wanted to play.” It was time to discover what was in the flower essences given to Sergeant. The staff was amused to learn that the remedy given to Sergeant was called “Devil Be Gone.”
Special placement
By May, Sergeant had improved to the point where he had, at last, several serious adoption candidates. Hoag knew one of the candidates personally, a man who lived alone, with no other pets or children. It seemed like the right home for Sergeant, who would thrive in such a close (and, for him, a low-stress) household.
It was a highly successful adoption. Sergeant’s owner had no qualms about building a comfortable environment for the affectionate Rottweiler. Today, Sergeant exercises in a huge custom-built run, sleeps in the house with his person, and accompanies the man when he works alone in a building next door to his home. Clients are asked to knock before entering, so that Sergeant can be let outside before the people enter.
Sergeant no longer receives the flower essence blend, since he is living in an environment with few of the stresses that set him off in the shelter. But the mixture was a key ingredient in improving his temperament and behavior so that he was able to attract a nice owner. His life started out a bit rough, but if his luck holds, there will be a nice, uneventful end to his story.
Epilogue
The SPCA of Upstate NY is raising funds for their new shelter by selling hand-made and hand-painted “Shelter Sweeties” for $15. These are six-inch beanbag toy models of different animals from the shelter. Each toy comes with a copy of the animal’s story, and is packaged in a cardboard pooper-scooper. The first toys include the shelter’s mascots, and soon they will produce the model of and story of Sergeant.
To purchase “Shelter Sweeties,” contact the SPCA of Upstate New York at PO Box 171, Hudson Falls, NY 12839; ph (518) 798-3500.
Relief for Megaesophagus
Do you know of any holistic cures or remedies for megaesophogus? I’ve been through everything known to help alleviate the horrible effects of this dreaded condition and now I’d like to try a holistic approach.
-Name withheld
New Jersey
We directed this question to Carolyn Blakey, DVM, of the Westside Animal Clinic in Richmond, Indiana. Dr. Blakey has been practicing veterinary medicine for 32 years, the last four in an all-holistic practice. She especially enjoys serving as a holistic veterinary consultant to clients all over the country.
Megaesophagus truly is a horrible condition, both for the dog, who really suffers, and for the dog’s owner, who can’t do very much to help. However, there are a couple of holistic healing methods that I’ve seen help dogs with megaesophagus.
I use a lot of homeopathy in my practice, so of course, my first suggestion is to use homeopathy, which is entirely dependent on the body’s ability to respond. Homeopathy is “energy medicine;” the purpose is to present the energy picture of a specific problem to the body so the body will raise a defense, a response to that trigger at both the physical and the energy level. When you give the correct remedy to a dog whose vital force is still able to respond, you’ll see improvement.
I would suggest having a veterinary homeopath conduct a complete homeopathic intake. To prescribe the correct homeopathic remedy for any given individual, you have to know what’s behind the condition – in this case, the megaesophagus – and what’s behind that. Every individual is different, so every prescription will be different.
That said, there are several homeopathic remedies that are indicated for megaesophagus, including Kali Carbonicum, and Lyssen, the rabies nosode (which makes sense, because a rabid dog can’t swallow, either). However, in order to know which remedy is best for your dog, the practitioner has to hear the whole history and put all the dog’s total symptoms together.
The other approach I would try for relieving megaesophagus is acupuncture, which would be great for stimulating whatever tonal ability the dog may have. With megaesophagus, the whole problem is a lack of innervation (sufficient supply and activity of the nerves). The messages are just not getting through to the esophagus to constrict and move food down; it gets all flaccid. But acupuncture can get those neurotransmitters working, or at least, get them working better than before.
In some cases of megaesophagus, the “cardiac sphincter” (which controls the opening to the stomach) spasms shut, so the food just can’t go in. Over time, with that spasm occurring again and again, the esophagus begins to stretch.
Acupuncture is especially helpful with these cases, because it can relieve the spasms and relax the sphincter, letting the food flow into the stomach. So I would definitely take the dog to a veterinary acupuncturist and ask if she would use these points:
Conception Vessel 23
Large Intestine 4 and 11
Stomach 36 and 45
Bladder 21
Pericardium 6 and 9
You could also help the dog with acupressure on these points, and with massage, to help condition and tonify the muscles. (For help finding the points mentioned above, ask your veterinary acupuncturist. You can learn the acupuncture meridians and points by consulting Dr. Cheryl Schwartz’ well-known book on Traditional Chinese Medicine for use on animals, “Four Paws, Five Directions,” or her “Circadian Clock and Meridians” poster.) I always encourage my owners to do acupressure, because it always helps. It may not be strong enough to cure a dog with megaesophagus, but it’s always helpful.
The practical, home-care things are very important, too. Feeding the dog with his food at head level, using gravity to help the food slide into his stomach, will be helpful. People have tried different diets on these dogs, including super smooth foods that would slide on into the stomach. But the current theory is to use high fiber diets, including brown rice, for instance, to try to stimulate whatever is still able to be stimulated in the esophagus, and I’ve had some success with this approach.
Most of these dogs have trouble their whole lives if you can’t get the condition under control. They have trouble maintaining weight, and they usually have other health problems because they can’t get the nutrients they need. I’d definitely recommend giving this dog a good-quality, daily multi-vitamin, mineral, and digestive enzyme supplement.
Jump Back, Jack!
My dog is a leaper and a jumper, displayed most predominantly when my husband comes home from work. She also does this to guests when they first come in the door. I have tried using a 10-foot lead on her collar and yanking down on it when she jumps, but she does not respond to this or scolding. Any suggestions?
-Frustrated in OH
Maggie Kallerud-Jurist
Sergeant Tibs, my four-year-old, neutered Collie/German Shepherd mix, is a wonderful dog, but he has a few behavior problems. His worst habit is jumping. He gets so wildly excited when someone comes he’s uncontrollable and doesn’t listen at all. I’ve never seen a dog get more wound-up when someone comes then he does. He jumps all over them almost knocking them over.
I’ve tried a “No Jump Harness” but that didn’t work. I’ve also used a “Pet Agree Ultrasonic Pet Training Aid,” which worked for awhile until he discovered when he ignored it, nothing happened.
I’ve heard of the techniques “knee in the chest” and “step on his hind feet.” But I know they are cruel and dangerous, so I haven’t used them. I prefer very gentle training techniques.
Sergeant gets a lot of attention, so it’s not as if he’s home alone a lot and lonely. He gets a lot more attention than the average dog, because I’m home almost 24 hours a day. He also gets plenty of exercise.
-Chavvah Frick
Cass Lake, MN
We gave these questions to Pat Miller, WDJ’s regular gentle training expert. Miller, a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, pens her monthly contributions to WDJ from her home in Salinas, CA, where she offers private and group dog training classes.
Dogs must think we are the rudest creatures on earth. They greet each other by sniffing noses. But when they try to give us a polite greeting by jumping up to sniff a human face, they are met with bizarre behaviors. We yell. We bump them in the chest with a knee. We smack them on the nose. We grab their front paws and won’t let go. We squirt lemon juice in their mouths. We stomp on their hind feet . . . and these are just some of the coercive methods that have been used over the years to teach dogs not to jump on humans.
Too bad that we resort to violence when the solution is really a simple one. As in all positive-based training, all we need to do is to “reward the behavior we do want, and ignore the behavior we don’t want.”
The problem with jumping up is that a lot of it gets rewarded. When puppies are small we pick them up and cuddle them, teaching them that “up” is a very rewarding place to be. When they do jump up, someone often pets them or pays attention to them, rewarding the very behavior we want to extinguish. Dogs that get rewarded for jumping up keep doing it. For some dogs, even the coercive techniques meant to punish are perceived as rewarding – plenty of active Labradors view a knee in the chest as an invitation to a great game of body slam!
How do you ignore jumping up? You can’t just stand still, because the dog will reward himself by slamming his paws on your chest. But there are other effective exercises and management tools that can teach Aero that four-on-the-floor is far more rewarding than aerial maneuvers.
For starters, consistency is important. You must never reward jumping up, and you must convince your friends and family members to react appropriately to Aero’s antics as well. Behaviors that are rewarded randomly can become very strong, because Aero discovers that if he tries often enough, sooner or later a jump gets rewarded. While he may inevitably succeed in jumping on you occasionally, avoid having anyone actually encourage jumping by hugging or petting him when he does.
By the way, if you start doing these exercises with a young puppy, he will never learn that jumping up is a rewarding behavior, and you will never have to deal with an adult dog that is leaping and jumping.
Exercise #1
The on-leash jump
Start with Aero on leash next to you. Have your helper approach and stop just out of leash-range, holding a tasty treat high against her chest. Hold the leash tightly, and stand still. Now you wait. Aero will eventually get frustrated that he can’t jump on the helper, and he will sit to figure it out. The instant he sits, have your helper say “Yes!” and pop the treat in his mouth.
Repeat this exercise often. It usually takes a half-dozen or fewer repetitions for Aero to start sitting as the helper approaches. Now if he tries to leap up to get the treat when it is offered, have the helper whisk it out of reach and say in a cheerful voice, “Too bad, Aero!” When he sits again, say “Yes!” and offer the treat again. He will soon learn to sit tight in order to get the treat, instead of jumping for it.
In a variation of this exercise, you can say “Yes!” and pop the treat in his mouth when he sits. This way, he will start looking at you and sitting when people approach, instead of looking at the other people.
Repeat this exercise with as many different people as possible. When you are out walking and a stranger admires Aero and asks if she can pet him, toss her a treat and have her do the exercise. You will be amazed by how quickly Aero will start sitting as he sees people approach him.
Exercise #2
The off-leash jump
You come home from work, walk in the front door and see Aero flying over the back of the sofa. You know a brutal greeting is coming. What should you do? Turn your back on him! Watch him out of the corner of your eye, and continue to turn away and step away as he tries to jump on you.
Again, in a surprisingly short period of time Aero will sit in frustration to figure out why he’s not getting his ration of attention. The instant he sits, say “Yes!” in a happy voice, turn and feed him a treat. (Yes, you have to have a treat with you when you walk in the door. I suggest keeping a jar on the front stoop. Or have cookies in your pockets all the time!) If he starts to jump up again after he eats the treat, turn away and step away. Keep repeating this until he realizes that “Sit!” gets the attention, not “Jump!”
Exercise #3
Incompatible behavior
This works if your dog responds really well to the verbal cue for sit or down. When Aero approaches, ask for a sit or a down before he has a chance to jump up, and reward that behavior with a “Yes!” and a treat. With enough repetitions, he will learn that the sit or down gets rewarded, and he will start to offer them voluntarily.
Exercise #4
Putting the jump on cue
I recommend this only when someone in the family finds Aero’s aerobics endearing and wants to be able to invite him to jump up. In this case, you teach Aero to jump up on a particular cue such as the word “Hugs!” (not by patting your chest, as too many well-meaning strangers and children will likely invite the behavior), and teach him that the only time he can jump up is when someone gives the cue.
Tie down time-out
A “tie-down” is a 4- to 6-foot plastic-coated cable with snaps on both ends. One end can be secured around a heavy piece of furniture, or attached to a strategically placed eye-bolt. You will want to put a comfortable rug or bed at the tie-down locations. When Aero is out-of-control and jumping on the company (or you!), he gets a cheerful, “Too bad, Aero, time-out!” and a few minutes on his tie-down.
If you know in advance that he’s going to maul Aunt Maude the instant she walks in the door, clip him to the tie-down before you open the door, and release him once he settles down. If you release him and he revs up again, you can always do another “Too bad, Aero, time-out!” Remember, despite your frustration over his behavior, this should be a cheerful interlude, not a forceful punishment. He will learn to control his own behavior in order to avoid time-outs, and you won’t need to yell at him.
Jumping up is a normal, natural dog behavior. Like so many other normal dog behaviors that are unacceptable in human society, it is up to us to communicate to our dogs that jumping up isn’t rewarded, and to help them become more welcome members of our human pack by rewarding acceptable behaviors that can take the place of jumping. It’s easier than you think!
Does your dog go bananas every time you drive past a green, grassy park? Most of us enjoy taking our dogs to play on public lawns whenever possible, to enjoy the open space, fresh air, sunshine, and perfect footing for fetching. And dogs enjoy it, too, as evidenced by that excited whining that builds in volume as you approach your favorite park. Unfortunately, those grassy spaces we all enjoy so much may pack a lethally toxic punch for our canine partners. Lush, green lawns are often maintained on a regular program of pesticide applications, with potentially poisonous effects on our pets.
The grass IS greener
Not all lawns are maintained with chemicals, but many of them are. According to a study publicized in an April 1999 Newsweek article, the number of Americans treating their own lawns with chemicals has risen from 55 percent to 67 percent in the last decade. Businesses generally engage professional gardening services to maintain their lawns – and most commercial services do use chemicals. Cities and school districts, too, generally rely heavily on chemical sprays to help them control weeds and pests.
According to the Pesticide Management Education Program (PMEP) at Cornell University, there are some 223 chemicals that have home lawn uses, though the majority are used infrequently. PMEP estimates that 35 active ingredients are used in more than 90 percent of lawn treatments, which have various purposes. There are pre-emergence crabgrass treatments, broad leaf weed controls, insect controls, and fungicide treatments for control of lawn diseases.
We know that these chemicals have the potential to hurt humans and animals – they can cause reproductive and neurological problems, organ damage, endocrine and/or immune system dysfunction, and are potent carcinogens.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, however, if these chemicals are used according to label instructions – which are regulated and enforced by Federal law – lawn care chemicals pose little risk to people or pets. The number of incidents is low, and primarily involve the misuse of a product “where the product was not applied correctly or those affected did not wait until the application was dry before re-entering.” Children and pets, the EPA acknowledges, have the greatest potential danger if these products are misused.
One of the basic tenets of holistic health care is to reduce exposure to toxins whenever possible. This is much more easily accomplished if you are a human than if you are a dog, however. Undoubtedly, they have more exposure to chemicals than we do.
Long-term effects on pets not known – or studied
But few in the veterinary world seem to have given much thought to the risks of lifelong, low-level exposures. Patricia Talcott, DVM, secretary-treasurer of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology (and herself a veterinary toxicologist) acknowledged that she was unaware of any studies conducted to determine the risks of long-term, low-level exposure to lawn-care chemicals on dogs. Dr. Talcott did recall seeing one “small-scale, short-term” study that looked at the effects of varying doses of the potent herbicide 2,4-D, a common ingredient in most commercial “weed and feed” lawn treatments. And most reports of adverse effects of these chemicals on pets, she says, have been due to acute cases of accidental poisoning.
“Most of the poisonings we see that involve lawn chemicals are related to 2,4-D,” Dr. Talcott says. “But in most cases, these exposures were due to incorrect applications – someone spilled a lot of the chemical and didn’t clean it up, and a dog walked through it, for example.”
Our research turned up only one statistic concerning the potential effects of long-term, low-level exposure on dogs, quoted by many sources (and repeated here): In 1991, a survey conducted by the National Cancer Institute, found rates of lymphoma to be twice as high in dogs whose owners used preparations that contained 2,4-D on their lawns as in dogs whose owners did not use the chemicals.
It is well-documented, however, that long-term exposure to even low doses of pesticide exposure can cause myriad health problems in people. Pesticide residues can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, where they can cause central nervous system disturbances and affects organ function. But these effects have been observed largely in populations of people with known exposures to pesticides. For example, a pesticide sprayers have been shown to have significantly higher incidence of lymphoma and possibly other immuno-response deficiencies. And a University of Iowa study of golf course superintendents also found abnormally high rates of death due to cancer.
However, if you were not aware that you had been exposed to pesticides or any other lawn-care chemicals, it would be difficult for a doctor to make a link between any ill effects you had suffered and the chemicals. Poisonings with these substances can cause symptoms that mimic flu, allergy, or other minor ailments, such as headaches, nausea, fever, breathing difficulties, and high blood pressure.
This is also true of animals, says Dr. Talcott. “Herbicide poisonings often mimic other diseases. It can be very difficult for a veterinarian to establish a true-cause-and-effect relationship between the exposure and the illness.” Blood chemistry tests that could make that link are rarely ordered due to their high cost, Talcott added.
Be aware
Most accidental pesticide poisonings in pets have occurred as a result of exposure to freshly applied or spilled pesticide; theoretically, simply avoiding fresh applications of the chemicals would protect your pet, since pesticides break down or “degrade” over time in sunlight and via microbial and chemical reactions in the soil.
However, degradation time is measured in “half-life,” the amount of time it takes for half the amount of the pesticide in soil to be deactivated. The most common active ingredient in lawn-care pesticides is 2,4-D, is classified as “non-persistent,” but this is defined as “a half-life of less than 30 days.”
Given that we know pesticides are highly toxic to all animals, and that their use is prevalent in public lawn care programs, it is prudent to be vigilant when bringing your dog to public fields for recreation. If you observe spraying in progress, avoid that field for a while. How long? The label directions for every lawn-care chemical suggest that people and pets should be kept off treated lawns until they are dry, which, depending on the weather, could take from an hour to several days. We’d probably give it wide berth for at least a week or two.
It has been estimated that between three and five percent of all people are chemically sensitive to the point of experiencing ill effects from levels of pesticide exposure considered “safe” by the EPA. There is no reason to believe that other mammal species, including dogs, would be much different. If your dog has chronic ill health, and is exposed to lawn chemicals on a regular basis, whether through your own gardening practices, a neighbor’s, or through recreation on public lawns, consider having your veterinarian conduct tests to determine whether pesticides could be the cause.
One of the great things about working with writer Susan Eskew, who prepared “Drawing Blood,” the informative article about blood testing in this issue, is that her articles always come with a veterinarian’s review for no extra charge. Eskew’s husband, Bill, is a veterinarian, and while he would never describe himself as a “holistic” veterinarian, he says he enjoys reading WDJ. “I was afraid the whole thing was going to be full of wacky stuff,” he once told me. “But most of the subjects you talk about are just common sense.”
That sounds like faint praise, but I was pleased. The description is just what we’re aiming for with WDJ: common-sense dog care, which includes the best of what every healing modality has to offer.
I was also pleased for personal reasons. Susan (and Bill) are more than just contributors, they are also relatives. Sue is my sister, Bill is my brother-in-law, and we all have to get along at family gatherings!
I have to admit that I secretly use family get-togethers as opportunities to try to convert Bill to holistic practice. I think he’s closer than he would admit; as a self-described “fitness nut,” he himself is a big proponent of eating fresh, healthy foods, and using dietary supplements as “neutraceuticals,” food substances that can heal.
But recently, I was worried when I faxed the final edit of Sue’s blood-testing article to the Eskew household for the author’s final review. I had added a sentence or two to the article that might be offensive to some veterinarians. I implied that while blood-testing is a supremely valuable diagnostic tool, there are some veterinarians who are assertive in their demands that their clients agree to the tests at times when the diagnostic may not be all that necessary.
My fears were realized when I next talked to Sue on the phone. I asked gingerly, “So, what did Bill think of this one?”
“Oh, he hated it!” Sue answered.
“What? What did he hate?” I spluttered, afraid I had strained the family bond.
“Here, you talk to him,” she said, putting Bill on the line.
“Uh, hi Bill,” I said cautiously. “What did you hate?”
“Well Nance, call me old-fashioned, but I think a LOT of veterinarians are pushing too hard for blood tests at times when it’s completely unnecessary!” said Bill, surprising me with a tack opposite to the one I feared.
“But Bill,” I countered, arguing a point I never anticipated having to defend, “If we say it’s unnecessary to have a healthy dog’s blood tested every year, we’ll get nothing but letters from readers who say, ‘If it weren’t for a routine blood test, I never would have discovered that my dog was in the early stage of Disease X.’ I mean, if it saves dogs’ lives . . .”
“You’re right,” said Bill. “You can’t say the tests are often unnecessary, and I can’t say it either, because clearly, sometimes they pick up early symptoms of a disease that would have gotten worse without early treatment. But you have to let people decide for themselves. What I resent are those practitioners who lean on their clients, making them feel like bad, irresponsible people if they don’t spring an extra $60 or $80 for a test that, often, doesn’t tell them anything that they don’t already know. I like to let my clients know about the benefits of testing a healthy dog, but I don’t lean on them.”
What my brother-in-law articulated was exactly the position I want to take with ALL of WDJ’s articles. We want to let you know about healing tools that are helpful, but we’re not going to try to make you feel guilty if you don’t avail yourselves of every one. Health is a personal matter; what works for one person (or dog) won’t necessarily work for the next. Your dog trusts you to make the right decision, and so do we.
Car rides. Some dogs love them. Some dogs hate them. Some dogs race from window to window, barking at every passing kid, cat, skateboarder, and bicyclist. Some dogs leave their breakfast on your new seat covers. Helping car anxiety in dogs, and getting a calm passenger is a step-by-step process.
Widget, from the time she was a tiny puppy, had trouble with car rides. When the Lowchen puppy was first brought into their home, she was covered with throw-up, said Nicole Dubus, Widget’s person.
It was really terrible, said Dubus. For the first three years of Widget’s life, almost every time she went into the car, she got seriously sick. This is an example of motion sickness due to extreme car anxiety.
One time, we were all packed up to go to Yosemite, said Dubus, recalling the hours spent packing the car and the excitement she felt about the camping trip. We didn’t drive more than 20 minutes and Widget just kept throwing up and throwing up. Dubus said that they tried stopping and giving Widget some water, but the dog wouldn’t drink. She knew that if they kept going, Widget would get dehydrated. So they turned around, went home, and unpacked.
But today, Widget, who is now eight years old, has learned to ride without getting sick. Widget joins her people on around town travels, trips to the beach, and, yes, she can even handle long car rides and camping trips.
The reluctant rider
Carsickness, even extreme cases like Widget’s, is often the result of fear or discomfort. Why are some dogs afraid of cars? Here are the most common reasons:
• The dog sees the car as a big, bad scary monster. Dogs or puppies who haven’t been socialized to cars may be afraid of the noise of the engine, the feel of the car moving, or the sight of objects whizzing by outside the window. Plus, dogs are confined in a car. A dog that is already afraid may experience added stress from the sensation of being trapped within the scary moving monster.
• The dog knows the car will take him somewhere terrible. A dog whose main association with cars is trips to the vet, boarding kennel, or other unpleasant places quickly learns that cars equal bad things.
• The dog experiences physical discomfort. Some dogs (especially young dogs and puppies) have trouble balancing when the car moves from side to side. They may have trouble standing or suffer from motion sickness.
Five steps to a happy canine car passenger
Fear, bad associations, and physical discomfort often produce the same results hesitation to get into the car, carsickness, whining, or barking. Fortunately, you don’t have to know the cause of the problem to fix it. In fact, the road to a happy car trip may be just around the next corner.
Getting a dog used to riding in the car is a simple step-by-step process of desensitization and counter conditioning. As with any type of training, it’s easiest if you are able to start when your dog is a puppy, but even an adult dog can learn to love the car.
Your dog may fly through these steps in a few training sessions, or you may need a few sessions a day for several days or even weeks. But having a dog that enjoys the ride will be worth the time and effort. The key to a dog that is both physically and emotionally comfortable in the car is to take your time. Make sure your dog is happy at each step before moving on.
Step 1: Approaching the car
The first step is to help the dog feel safe around the car before you actually go out for a drive. Have your dog slowly approach the car. Some dogs will walk right up to the car without hesitation. If your dog happily walks to the car, Click! and treat. Then move him away and repeat a few times. This will teach him that going to the car is rewarding.
If he shows any hesitation or fear around the car, move as far away as you need to for your dog to be comfortable. Then start clicking and treating your dog for showing any interest in the car or for moving towards the car. If your dog is very nervous or afraid, walk in a large circle around the car. Gradually make the circle tighter, moving the dog closer to the car. Click! and treat for each step you take closer to the car.
Step 2: Getting in the car
Once your dog happily approaches the car, open the door and invite your dog to get in. Don’t force your dog into the car. Instead, make it his choice. You can encourage your dog by patting the seat or climbing in yourself and calling him to you. You may want to use a yummy treat to entice him into the car. Or, you can shape getting into the car by clicking and treating any movement towards the open door.
Once your dog gets into the car, sit next to him for a few moments. Leave the door open so that he doesn’t get worried about being confined. Then take him back out and repeat the process several times.
Step 3: Assigned seats
When your dog is happily jumping in and out of the car, it is time to help him learn where he will sit. Assigning your dog a place in the car can help him feel safer and know what you expect of him on car rides.
If you use a crate (and your dog is crate-trained), you can invite him into the crate. If you use a harness or another restraint system, or if you have your dog stay in the back of your car behind a barrier, you may want to place a towel or blanket in your dog’s “spot.”
Call your dog into the car, have him now go to his spot, and hang out together for a few minutes with the car door closed. Give your dog lots of praise, or Click! and treat him for hanging out calmly in his spot.
If you use a harness or restraint system, you can buckle your dog in. Click! and give him a treat for accepting the harness and sitting calmly in his spot. (If your dog is new to the harness, you’ll need to spend some time away from the car training your dog to the harness.)
Step 4: Start your engines
Once your dog happily jumps into the car, goes to his spot, and is comfortable with the door closed, you can move into the driver’s seat. Click! and treat your dog for remaining calm in his spot. Then start your engine. Let the engine run for a minute or two while you Click! and treat your dog for remaining calm.
If your dog is in a crate or behind a barrier, give him a chew bone or a Kong toy stuffed with something yummy to encourage him to stay calm.
After a minute or two, stop the engine and take your dog out of the car. Repeat this process several times until your dog is completely comfortable with the engine running.
Note: If your dog is prone to carsickness and you have just given him a bunch of treats while working through the first four steps, you may want to wait for another day to continue with step five. A belly full of treats may contribute to carsick problems!
Step 5: Start with short drives
Once your dog will happily get into the car, knows where to sit, and is comfortable with the engine running, it is time to actually go for a ride! Start with very short rides to happy places, such as the dog park.
For a dog that gets carsick, think about how far you have been able to drive in the past before your dog vomits, then drive less than that distance. For some dogs, you may need to start with only driving a half of a block. When your dog can go a half of a block without getting sick or upset, increase the distance to a full block. Gradually increase the length of your rides until you can take a short trip to the park or another fun dog place. When you stop the car (even if you’ve only gone a half of a block), get out and engage in a rewarding activity such as a walk or ball play.
While you are desensitizing your dog to the car, always make the rides end with fun activities. Avoid vet visits and trips to the kennel or groomer while you are working through this process.
More about motion sickness
For most dogs, the desensitization process will take care of carsickness, as long as you take it slowly. For some dogs, especially young dogs that may still be wobbly on their legs, confining them to a crate may help. The flower essence known as Rescue Remedy (or, depending on the maker, Five Flower Remedy or Calming Essence) may help calm a nervous dog, and cooled peppermint tea may help soothe his tummy. In addition, make sure that your dog has gone to the bathroom and that you have opened the windows a little for fresh air. Being too hungry or too full may also contribute to carsickness.
If your dog still has trouble with motion sickness after desensitizing him to the car, you may want to talk to your veterinarian. A physical problem may affect your dog’s balance and his ability to ride comfortably in a car.
Car manners
Dogs need good car manners for safety and the sanity of the driver. Because it’s pretty darned difficult to actively train while driving, the best solution to behavior problems in cars is prevention and management.
The most common behavior problems arise from dogs moving about the car freely. Running from window to window, barking as dogs or bikes go by, stepping on the driver, trying to climb out windows all of these behaviors can only be accomplished by a dog that is moving freely. In addition, a dog moving freely can create safety hazards and can be disastrous if you get into an accident. Having your dog in a crate or safety restraint is both more safe and more sane.
Dogs should also be taught not to jump from the car without your permission.
The open road
Once your dog has learned to love the car ride and mind his manners in the process you can set out for many adventures together. You can explore new areas in your city or town, take driving vacations, or head out for a serious road trip. You, your dog, and the open road. What more could you want?
I read with great interest your article on alternative treatments for seizures (WDJ November 1998), but I must relay to you my own experience. I have had Huskies, Malamutes, and Labradors for many years and have had to deal with this affliction. My females have never had seizures, but several of my males have. The latest episode involved my five-year-old Siberian Husky, Mars. For about a year he would have a very mild seizure about every two months. Then one weekend in early August, he had one Friday night, and three on Saturday, all very bad. Saturday night I added 1/2 teaspoon of dolomite to his dinner and also to his Sunday breakfast. He had one very mild seizure on Sunday.
Monday morning I took Mars to the veterinarian. He took blood tests, said Mars has “idiopathic epilepsy” (seizures for no apparent reason!) and told me to give him Phenobarbital. I wouldn’t take Phenobarbital, and have no intention of giving it to my dog. Obviously, I had to solve this problem myself. So I continued adding dolomite to Mars’s food. After a month I tried decreasing the dosage, but he had another mild seizure, so we went back to 1/2 teaspoon.
Mars has not had a seizure for over two months. The blood tests showed no abnormalities. I asked if they had checked for magnesium deficiency. The veterinarian said that test wasn’t done. I told him what I had done and he was not pleased. Too bad.
I told this story to the man at my health food store, and his reaction was that everybody knows seizures are caused by a magnesium deficiency. He said that there is a veterinarian in town (I’m trying to find out who it is) who often sends people to get dolomite or magnesium citrate for their dogs. So much for getting help from the medical and pharmaceutical folks. I’m glad we have people like you to rely on.
By the way, dogs can get tapeworms in more ways than the one (fleas) mentioned in “As the Worm Turns” (WDJ December 1998). I had an Alaskan Malamute who lived all his 14 years in a flea-free environment (fleas can’t survive in Alaska), but he did have tapeworms once. Dogs can also get tapeworms from raw moose and rabbit meat, as well as from the feces of those animals. I always cooked the game meat scraps for my dog, and he never had tapeworms again.
-Carol Jeffus Anchorage, AK
Mobility Cart Rentals
A friend of mine just introduced me to your journal and I was amazed that the first thing I saw was the headline in the February 1999 issue, “Recycled Mobility Carts?” We recently started a small company, Eddie’s Wheels, and we make carts for disabled pets. We understand that the cost of a cart is a significant investment for many folks, so we are offering rental carts to help out people with short-term needs or to help them finance the cost of the cart over the period of a year. Basically, if you rent it for a year, you own it. And after you no longer need the cart, we’ll buy it back and recycle its parts for another disabled pet. We can do this because even though each of our carts is made from scratch to order, our carts are designed to be so durable that the machined fittings and metal parts can be recycled to make new carts.
We got into this business because we had one of those great dogs, a blue Doberman named Buddha, who lived up to her name and taught us the meaning of compassion. When she lost the ability to walk due to a slipped disc, we built her a cart. For the five months that she used it, she taught us how to care for her; attending to her needs deepened the bond that had already been forged over 10 years. Cosequin, physical therapy, and daily walks through her familiar patch of woods kept her spirit strong while her body healed. Eventually, she no longer needed her wheels and lived another three years on her own foot power.
Many people who saw us walking with Buddha told us about a dog they put to sleep because it couldn’t walk any more. Our veterinarian referred people to us to build carts, and over the course of eight years the carts evolved into the lightweight aluminum vehicles they are now. An article in the local newspaper brought us a dozen inquiries, and a new business was born. Now we have a website (www.eddieswheels.com), referrals from our regional SPCA, and a workshop out of our basement in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. We feel blessed to be using mechanical and industrial skills honed by 30 years in the manufacturing industry to serve animals and the people who love them. This is a very satisfying way to make a living. We’ve been contacted by rescue groups, and even made a quadriplegic cart for an orphaned opossum. Each client’s special needs represent a challenge that keeps the work interesting. We rely on the Internet and on word-of-mouth referrals. Any help in spreading the word is appreciated.
-Eddie and Leslie Grinnell Greenfield, MA
Defending Show People
Thank you for a great Journal. I have been waiting a long time for someone to publish something like this! I look forward to each issue!
After reading the article about feeding a natural diet to show dogs (WDJ November 1998), I wanted to respond. The first few paragraphs mentioned some examples of the horrors of the show world. Many of us who show and compete with our dogs love and care for them as much as “non-show people.”
In my years of competing with my Golden Retrievers in conformation, obedience, field, agility and tracking, I have indeed seen some of the things mentioned, but rarely. Ninety-nine percent of us who show take careful and loving care of our dogs at all times. Most of do not take any of the cheating measures mentioned, nor do we condone the actions of those who do. I also wanted to mention my concern with the opening paragraph in which the author writes, “By ‘finishing’ her dog . . . a breeder helps assure potential buyers of his puppies, that they come from high-quality breeding stock. The more the dog wins, and the better known he becomes, the greater his earning potential.”
In my opinion, there are two fallacies present in this statement. First is the implication that the only reason we show a dog is to be able to breed him (or her). There are many dogs who are shown and even “finished” without ever being bred. Many of us show for the joy of showing, not for the breeding potential.
Second, this statement implies that breeding is a money-making game. IT IS NOT. The amount of money a breeder must spend, from health clearances and stud fees to veterinary bills, almost always exceeds the amount of money made by selling puppies. I know very few breeders who actually make money on a regular basis.
The show world is very concerned about those who feel we shouldn’t be allowed to compete with our dogs. There are a number of animal rights groups who would like to see dog showing banned forever. These misguided people believe that we are cruel to show, to train, and even to keep dogs. All of us who love our dogs, whether we show them or not, need to band together to fight the efforts of these groups. If a respectable, well-meaning Journal such as yours helps perpetuate the exaggerations of the dog show world, then we may be losing this battle. Please help us hold the dog show world to the standards most of us espouse.
Melanie Field Glenbow Kennels Medina, Ohio
Readers, I’d like to gather more information from you about conditions for dogs in the show world. It would seem that dogs who are judged by their condition and appearance would benefit even more than the average dog from intelligent, holistic dog care practices. But what about the charges that unhealthy drugs and supplements are over-used by some who show? How common or uncommon are unscrupulous or abusive owners and trainers? What proportion of the competitors that you see are using gentle training and healthful diets?
We’ll gather your opinions, and report them in a special feature this summer.
Vaccine Reaction
I was very interested in the case history in the December 1998 issue – the dog with diabetes insidipus. I have a 13-year-old Brittany that has been on DDAVP medication for four and a half years. We have been able to get it at our local Wal-Mart pharmacy for $64 for 2.5 cc’s, which normally lasts 24 to 28 days. This amounts to almost $1,000 a year.
I feel the cause of my dog’s DI dates back to rabies vaccinations. Three weeks following his 1993 vaccination, we thought he was bloating. He was also in extreme pain in the kidney area. We rushed him to the veterinarian. Radiographs showed nothing unusual, but he showed some neurological deficits. We took him back the next morning for more x-rays, and did some blood tests, etc., but found nothing. The veterinarian gave him prednisone and he improved almost immediately. He showed no further problems until the next spring, when he had his next rabies shot. Same symptoms, but he didn’t get better this time. We took him to Auburn University, and $500 worth of tests showed nothing. In August, he woke us up trying to lift the toilet lid, and getting in the shower and tub searching for water. He was finally diagnosed as diabetic, and went on DDAVP.
The following spring, he had another rabies shot and began drooling 21 days later. He drooled until mid-October, which is when I contacted Dr. Charles Loops (a Pittsboro, North Carolina veterinarian who uses homeopathy). He agreed with my assessment of what had happened to Happy. As you stated in your article on vaccinations (“Not Quite a Sure Shot,” July 1998), people really should be aware of the risks, as well as the benefits, of vaccination. I’d love to see a support group for those of us who have dogs with this problem.
-Jeanetta Sharp Albany, GA
Sorry to hear about your poor dog. Unfortunately, your story perfectly illustrates the potential pitfalls of vaccination, especially for certain sensitive individuals. Resources
We’d like to underscore the importance of noting ANY symptoms that arise following vaccinations, and, when possible, never repeating any of those vaccines.
We repeated your story to Dr. Jean Dodds, one of the country’s leading veterinary immunologists, for her comments. She definitely recommends not repeating any vaccination that causes a bad reaction in an individual animal. Rabies is, of course, the one vaccine that dog owners are required by law to administer to their dogs, so getting around that vaccination can be difficult. However, Dodds says, following an adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine, some dog owners have chosen to direct their veterinarian to administer a “titer test” to their dog, which could determine whether the dog had a sufficient amount of protection to rabies already present in his system. Armed with a letter from their veterinarian, explaining the dog’s past history of reactions to the vaccine, as well as the results of the titer test, these dog owners requested an exemption from their state or community’s rabies vaccine requirement. Some owners have been successful taking this approach, though some stories have circulated through the dog world about cases where a state would not budge, even in the face of lawsuits.
If a person feels she has no other options than to vaccinate their dog, even following bad reactions, Dodds suggests consulting a veterinarian who uses homeopathy. Some homeopathic remedies have strongly demonstrated an ability to blunt vaccine reactions, without reducing the protection offered by the vaccine.
The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, listed in the section in every issue of WDJ, can direct people to holistic veterinarians in their area. Another great resource is the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy.
I just finished reading the February issue. Thanks so much for your article in the “Top 10 Dry Dog Foods.” It can be so hard to find these better foods. Even when owners want the best foods, if they only go to their local PetsMart or PetCo and ask for the “very best food,” they’ll almost always get sent home with Iams or Eukaneuba – which are nothing but expensive junk foods!
By the way, you had a picture in that article of two young dogs eating from the same bowl. The dogs look awfully like the puppies you wrote about last fall; I think they were your mother’s puppies. Are those the same dogs? If it is them, they are looking pretty tall for Border Collies!
-Robert Everett Portland, OR
What a sharp eye you have! Yes, those are my mother’s pound puppies, and clearly, they are not Border Collies; they just keep getting taller and taller! Although, if you look at the first photos I ran of them (September 1998, page 22) it was kind of hard to tell what they were when they were so tiny. Here is a shot from a recent visit to “Grandma’s house.”
So you want to adopt an older dog. Rescue a homeless hound. Save a life. Fantastic! Gone are the days when everyone wants to start out with a baby puppy – and that’s a good thing. In the last decade, as pet owners have become more responsible about spaying and neutering, shelters across the country have noticed a marked decrease in the numbers of puppies they receive.
Instead, they now find that the preponderance of homeless dogs in their kennels are adolescents – six months to two years old – who haven’t received the training and direction they needed to become good canine citizens. More and more of today’s two-career families, single parents, and career singles are realizing that they don’t have the time and energy required to raise a puppy properly (see “Getting Off to the Best Start,” WDJ January 1999), deciding instead to join the growing numbers of pet owners who opt to experience the rewards of giving an older dog a second chance for a lifelong loving home.
Adopting a “recycled” dog makes a lot of sense. He may already be housebroken. Even if he’s not, he’s physically mature enough to learn quickly. He may be past the puppy chewing stage, so you might not need to be as diligent about keeping valuables out of reach of his jaws. He’s probably full grown, or close, so you know that “what-you-see-is-what-you-get;” no surprises when the puppy that the shelter staffers deemed to be a “Chihuahua-mix” turns into a 60-pound Lab/Pit Bull. He may even have had some training and be the perfect canine companion already.
But don’t count on it. Dogs don’t generally end up at animal shelters and rescue organizations when they are well-behaved, well-loved family pets.
Families don’t usually look for new homes for dogs that are perfect canine companions. There are exceptions, of course, but chances are good that the furry face gazing beseechingly at you from behind the chain-link kennel comes with a package of behavior challenges that may take some considerable effort to turn a “Tramp” into a “Trooper.”
Don’t get us wrong; we’d be the last people on earth to discourage you from adopting a shelter or rescue dog. We just want you to know what you’re getting into, to help you choose wisely, to make sure you have reasonable expectations for your new companion, and to give you some tips for making Trooper’s transition to your home a smooth and pleasant one.
Choosing your dog
Walking into a shelter to select a dog can be a daunting task. How can you possibly pick one, from among all the dogs waiting for a home? You can, if you prepare in advance. You need to make a list of the qualities that you are looking for in a dog, take the time to evaluate your adoption prospects carefully, and be firm in not letting your heart rule your head. Remember, the dog you adopt will be a member of your family for a good 10 to 15, maybe even 20 years. With all the dogs out there that need homes, you might as well choose one that will fit into your environment and lifestyle; one that will give you 15 years of joy, not a decade-plus of headaches and heartaches.
Before you set foot in a shelter or answer an ad in the paper, have your list ready. Your list should have three columns: Must Have; Would Like to Have; and Won’t Have. Spend several days or weeks creating this list, with input from the entire family.
Items in the “Must Have” column might include: female, short-haired, under 40 pounds, good with kids. Would Like to Have attributes might include: already house-trained, rides well in cars, walks well on a leash. Won’t Have’s might include: jumps up, runs away, bites, chases cats.
When you go to visit adoption prospects, take your list with you, and make sure you don’t compromise anything that the family has agreed is a Must Have or a Won’t Have. Be firm! It’s easy to weaken in the presence of an adorably fuzzy face, but you will regret it if “housebroken” was one of your “Must Have’s” and Fluffy goes home and pees all over your Oriental carpets.
Evaluating your prospect
Your local shelter may or may not perform temperament evaluations and provide “personality profiles” for their adoption dogs. Whether they do or not, it’s best if you are prepared to conduct your own temperament evaluation. The easiest way to do this is to observe the dog closely while he is given relative freedom in an exercise yard or other open space, like a large room, and grade him as more of one quality than the other in a series of compared behaviors.
Turn the dog out in the exercise yard and leave him alone for five to 10 minutes or so. This will give him time to empty his bladder and acquaint himself with his surroundings. You will get a truer picture of his real self if you give him time to settle down before you start interacting with him. If you can, watch him from out of his sight during this time. Does he pace the fence, looking for weak spots and measuring the top with a practiced eye? You may have an escape artist in the making. Does he sit by the gate and howl mournfully the entire time, or dig frantically to get back in the door? You might be looking at separation anxiety, or at least at a dog who doesn’t do well being left alone. These are helpful things to know, especially if neighbors are going to be upset by an eight-hour serenade while you are at work.
When you step back into the exercise yard with Trooper, note his response. Does he ignore you and continue his doggie explorations of the yard? He is probably somewhat independent and not very “people centered.” You may need to work hard to win his loyalty. Does he bowl you over in his eagerness to greet you? He may be very people-centered, but perhaps too rough, fractious, and demanding for a home with small children. Is he happy to see you but careful not to make body contact? He may be calm, gentle, well mannered, and amiable – perhaps one of the rare, ready-made shelter gems.
If you have children, you should also do a careful “sensitivity test,” by gently pinching the thin skin of his flank. His reaction may range from ignoring you (a good response for a child’s dog) to bumping you with his nose or even snapping at you. Since a child’s dog needs to be tolerant of occasional or accidental inconsiderate behavior, you want your child’s dog not to overreact to a sensitivity test.
The dog’s reaction to a “startle test” might also be instructive. For this test, wait until the dog is looking away from you, then make a loud noise – stomp on the floor, yell “Hey!,” clap your hands – anything that will startle him. A confident dog will ignore the noise, or react but recover quickly. A dog that is slow to recover from the startle test may make a fine pet, but is probably not a good choice for a child’s dog. (Do not do this test with puppies between the ages of 8-18 weeks. Puppies go through a “fear” period where they can be very adversely affected by being startled or frightened.)
Finally, if you do have children, the dog must meet them and love them before you make a final adoption decision. Indifference won’t do – the dog has to “dig” kids or you will have problems.
Once you have completed your evaluation, compare your notes and your list. Does Trooper meet all of your “Must Have’s?” Does he miss all of your “Won’t Have’s?” Does he have a fair smattering of your “Would Like’s?” If so, now is the time to let the heart play its role. Do you already love him? Does the thought of leaving him at the shelter make your stomach hurt? Can you see yourself taking him for walks in the pouring rain and driving snow for the next 15 years – and smiling? Then you may have found your dog.
Be sure to evaluate more than one dog, even if you’re sure Trooper is your soulmate. Comparison with a few other dogs will give you a healthy perspective on his behaviors, and make you more confident about your final decision.
Taking Trooper home
You have leaped through all the shelter adoption hurdles like an Olympic athlete, and you and Trooper are headed home. Hopefully, you prepared “home” in advance.
We tend to assume that all grown-up dogs have grown-up manners – and assumptions can be dangerous. Trooper may have been kept in the back yard at his last home, and doesn’t know that it’s not polite to lift his leg in a house. His first family may have tossed old shoes into the yard for him to chew on, so when he heads straight for your $130 Nikes, he won’t have a clue that he’s doing anything wrong, and he will be confused and perhaps frightened, when you yell at him for shredding your sneakers.
Your best approach is to assume he knows nothing, and to make a cautious introduction into the house. Remove all valuables from dog reach before you bring Trooper home. Bring him in on a leash. Watch his body language. Does he seem comfortable in the house, or does he act like he thinks he’s not supposed to be there? Does he negotiate thresholds easily? Does he seem to respect surface boundaries, or is that ham sandwich on the counter in danger? Does he want to put his mouth on everything within reach, or does he politely focus on the several inviting toys you have provided for him? You can start his training immediately by saying “Yes” or clicking a clicker, and feeding him a small, tasty treat for any acceptable behaviors. If he walks in the house and sits politely or lies down on a rug, that’s a definite “Yes!” and treat.
The best way to deal with potential unwanted behaviors is to prevent them, just as you would with a puppy. The first few days are critical. With Trooper still on leash, watch for any signs of unwanted behaviors.
If, for example, he starts getting too cozy with the corner of the sofa, sniffing with interest and angling his flank toward it, use a gentle “Uh-uh, Trooper, over here!” and immediately take him back outside. Find a good leg-lifting spot, and when he does his thing, say “Go pee,” and then click the clicker or say “Yes,” and feed him a treat. (You are teaching him to eliminate on cue – a handy talent for any dog to know.)
For several days to a week or more he will need to have his freedom restricted in the house, until he learns that leg-lifting only happens outside. (If he is not already neutered, get this done immediately! Neutering will help immensely in diminishing his drive to lift his leg.)
Crates and tie-downs are also useful tools if you find that Trooper is not as well-mannered in the house as you had hoped. He can be crated all night, preferably in someone’s bedroom so he doesn’t feel isolated from the “pack,” and you can all get a peaceful night’s sleep without worrying about what he might be getting into. Crating also reinforces house-training, if he’s not solid on that vital skill. If Trooper is not already crate-trained, gently introduce him to the crate by tossing in treats and toys and letting him go in on his own. Once he’s comfortable going in and out, hold the door closed and feed him a few treats through the wires. Gradually get him accustomed to staying in with the door closed for longer periods. Most dogs, if introduced to their crates properly, come to love them. (For help with the crate-training process, see “Proper Crate Training,” WDJ August 1998.)
A tie-down is a short nylon-coated cable with snaps on both ends. It can be used to secure Trooper to something solid (a piano leg, sofa, or, best, an eye-bolt screwed into a beam) to keep him confined but still among the family. This is useful if he wants to join you at the dinner table, play tug-of-war during meditation time, or sit in guests’ laps without an invitation. Any undesirable behavior can win him a few minutes’ time-out, with a cheerful, “Too bad, Trooper, time-out!” and a short spell on his tie-down. This is not done in anger – he’s not a bad dog; he just needs a little quiet time. A soft bed at the tie-down location will keep him comfortable, and he will soon learn to stop the behaviors that result in this temporary restriction.
Your yard should be well-secured before Trooper is turned loose in it. Many dogs are at shelters because they have a history of running at large. Don’t take any chances on Trooper finding a weak spot and learning he can escape; having succeeded once, he will try much harder to get out again. If he never gets out the first time, your life will be much easier. Even if you’re sure your fence is solid, watch him closely the first few times he’s in the yard. If he tests the fence, you will need to keep watching him closely for several weeks, or until you see his testing behavior diminish. (Remember to reward him for calm, relaxed behavior in the yard.) If he seems to be succeeding in weakening a spot in the fence, excavating under, or scrambling over, you will need to take preventative measures before he makes the great escape.
On the other hand, if he seems perfectly comfortable hanging out in the back yard, you may be home-free. Just be careful if you plan to leave him outside when you go away; some dogs are fine when they have company, but get frantic about getting out when they are left alone. Test him by asking a neighbor to keep an eye on him while you leave. Drive to a nearby store and call in. If the neighbor reports that Trooper is still lying calmly under the oak tree, you win again. But if Trooper is panicked and clawing his way over the side gate, you’d better hustle back and find a different solution for leaving Trooper home alone.
A proper education
All dogs and owners can benefit from attending a good training class, and Trooper is no exception. Find a trainer in your area who offers classes using positive, non-forceful training methods. Not only will the training class help develop and improve the communication and understanding between you and Trooper, your trainer will be an invaluable resource to help work through any of Trooper’s behavior quirks that might be troubling you. (For help finding a good trainer, see “Choosing the Right Trainer,” WDJ May 1998, and “There’s More Than One Way,” WDJ July 1998.)
The great unknown
Bringing a dog home is bringing home an unknown quantity, even if you adopt directly from the previous owner; after all, people aren’t always honest about their dogs’ behaviors – you might not take the dog if they were! And most shelter dogs come with little or no information at all.
So, expect the unexpected. Maintain a sense of humor. Remember that dogs don’t do “bad” things out of spite or malice; they just do things that make them feel good! It’s not their fault if no one ever taught them that some things that make them feel good aren’t acceptable in a human “pack.” Like all living things, dogs repeat behaviors they find rewarding. Reward the behaviors that you want. Prevent, or to the extent possible, ignore, the behaviors you don’t want. If you are good at these two tasks, you will end up with a real Trooper.
I took my two dogs—Woody, age 9, and Boone, age 3—to see their vet a week ago. I wasn’t looking forward to being chided for allowing him—nay, facilitating him—to gain a few extra pounds this winter. But I wasn’t at all expecting the health problems that my vet found.
