photo courtesy of Ed Yourdan@Flickr.com*

In the grooming section of our shop, we frequently have to lift dogs. We lift them onto and off of the grooming table. We also lift them into and out of the drying cages. We carry dogs into and out of the lobby to maintain maximum control over the dogs in high traffic areas. I have learned a few things about lifting small dogs. Here are some quick tips:

How to Lift

1. Only pick a dog up when there is no other way to move the dog from A to B. Most dogs do not like to be picked up because losing contact with the ground is unnatural and represents a loss of control. Those dogs that demand to be picked up are either afraid of something on the ground, or are attempting to get closer to your face.

2. If you must pick a dog up, give the dog forewarning.
a. Let the dog know you are there by approaching from the front. Surprising the dog by grabbing him/her from the blind spot to the rear will scare the dog.
b. Make first contact by lightly petting the dog.

3. Transition from petting to lifting in one motion by gently sliding one hand under the dog’s chest and gently sliding the other hand under the belly, very close to the dog’s pelvis. (Some show dog handlers lift stout terriers by the chest and tail. This technique requires training, practice, and can only be used on certain breeds. Unless you are a show handler with a need to lift a dog in this manner, please stick with the method I describe here.)

4. Lift with both hands simultaneously so the dog’s weight is evenly spread in your hands. (Since this is an article about lifting small dogs only, this technique may not work for large or heavy dogs.)

5. Hug the dog to you so your torso acts as a stabilizing third point of contact for your dog’s body.

6. If you need to free one hand, and your dog is light enough, you can continue to support your dog under the chest with one hand while cradling his/her rear half between your arm and your stomach. (The photo at the beginning of this article shows one example of this technique.)

7. While carrying the dog, let the dog look forward so he/see can where you are going.

Lifting No-no’s

photo courtesy of striatic@Flickr.com*

1. Although common practice, lifting your dog by grabbing your dog’s chest just under his/her armpits, with no support to the rear end, puts a lot of stress on the shoulder joints. This technique also causes the dog’s legs to dangle, increasing the dog’s loss of control.

2. Never dig your fingers into your dog’s body when lifting.

3. Never snatch a dog off the floor quickly. Snatching will scare the dog, and may lead to injury.

4. Never continue to lift a dog that is rolling in your grasp. A dog that is rolling over or squirming to break free may fall to the floor. Set a squirming dog down and start over; or, find another way to move the dog without lifting.

5. Never lift anything other than a “Teacup” dog with one hand. Using one hand only increases the risk of dropping the dog. Lifting with one hand means the dog’s weight will not be evenly supported. This could put dangerous stress on the dog’s spine. (Note: Extremely small dogs, such as Teacup Poodles and Yorkies, can be lifted with one hand. In general if a dog’s entirely body length can fit in one hand, a single-hand lift is okay, although using two hands is always safer.)

6. Some people recommend lifting a dog by the scruff of the neck because this technique imitates how a mother carries her puppies. Lifting by the scruff works on puppies because a puppy’s light weight makes the technique safe. Lifting an adult dog by the nape is an aggressive, risky act that will almost certainly scare the dog. (Note: I’ll admit there are some dogs that relax when lifted by the nape. Behaviorists believe lifting a dog by the nape may awaken the dog’s memory of being cared for by its mother. Personally, I have witnessed some dogs scream when lifted by the nape. I’m not a fan of this technique because it does not safely apply to all dogs.)

7. Don’t carry a dog backwards or over your shoulder as you would a baby. Allow the dog to see where you are going. If the dog cannot see where it is going, it will begin squirming to get a better a view, increasing the risk of falling.

Summary

Please realize in nature, wild dogs are never lifted after they have passed puppyhood. Lifting is an unnatural act for an adult dog. Lift gently and with no surprises. Use both hands and your torso to spread the dog’s weight evenly and to provide stabilization. Lift a dog when there is no alternative for safely moving the dog.

******
The opinions expressed in this article are my own and not necessarily those of the providers of the included photos.

Woo hoo! Fish on! Reel 'er in!

• Ideally, a small dog, or any dog for that matter should be walked on a short leash; next to your left side; abeam or slightly behind you in a classic heel position.
• Ideally, when your dog is in the classic heel position, the leash should be slack and incidental to the walk.
• Ideally, the leash should act as a safety line, only called into use when your small dog is distracted for a moment and strays from your side.

O.K. you can stop laughing now.

There are dogs out there that are paragons of discipline. There are dog owners out there that practice proper heeling techniques at all times. I know a few. I know far more people who let their dogs run willy-nilly at the end of a leash. For them, the leash is a tug-of-war device. Then there are those who use a retractable leash like a fishing line. The dog makes a run for it, then the owner reels the dog in.

People are going to do what people are going to do. If you do walk your dog on a retractable leash, here a few pointers to keep in mind:

1. Never let your dog run out in front in you further than you would let him run to your side. This is a big deal when you are walking on a sidewalk next to a busy street, or on a bike/walk path with plenty of traffic. If the street curb, or opposite lane is four feet to your left, for example, you should not let your dog run more than 4 feet in front of you. If your dog suddenly takes an interest in a squirrel across the street, in less than a second, he could change his direction of travel from straight ahead to straight to the side. Given too much running room, he could dart into traffic before you could reel him in.

2. You and your dog share the sidewalk with others. All sidewalks are public domains. You and I have no greater right to a patch of sidewalk than the next person, even if we are walking five dogs. If your dog is out on in front of you on an extended leash, please reel him in so he does not interfere with other people.

3. Dogs on extended leashes are more likely to get in trouble with other, unfamiliar dogs. A dog out in front of you is in an awkward position. He is leading the way and essentially has control of the walk. At the same time, he does not have the same freedom of movement he would have if he were off-leash. He is in a middle ground where he is in control, but not entirely in control. If he tends to be aggressive around other dogs, especially when he is on-leash, this tendency will be magnified by the awkwardness of being at the end of a long line.

There are some pretty good arguments for walking a dog on a retractable leash. The dog on a long leash gets to stop and smell the roses and the telephone poles. He gets an opportunity to engage in dog behavior while still being restrained. Free rein is free rein. On the other hand, when you and your dog are out on a walk, the two of your are not operating in a vacuum. You share the path with others. Here comes the pun: Please exercise restraint.

What to feed? This dog doesn't care.
photo courtesy of Quasic @flickr.com

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Who Paid for that Study?

Realize when it comes to research conducted on dog food, no single researcher outside of the dog food industry has the time, money or inclination to run a multi-year study simply to find out if Brand Z extends your dog’s life or promotes better health than Brand Y. Any positive scientific claim you read that defends Brand Z was paid for by Brand Z, or its parent company, whether that research was conducted in Brand Z’s own labs or at Ivy League universities. No one ever says “Our product is bad, and the research proves it.” On the other hand, bad products generally do not reach the market shelves. Dog food companies do want to get it right because their livelihood depends upon it. Bad products, such as the Melamine-tainted dog foods that came from Chinese manufacturing plants in 2007, are isolated accidents.

Peer Support and Popular Opinion

The title of this article, “Dog BARF,” refers to a diet that is the polar opposite of processed dog food. Almost all of the articles on the BARF diet, and there are hundreds, if not thousands of them, make fun of the name. The name is an acronym which stands for biologically appropriate raw food; or, bones and raw food. The second name aptly describes the diet. Dogs on this diet receive uncooked bones along with raw meat, grains, and vegetables.

You can read ad nauseum about BARF, including the beneficial claims, the claimed disadvantages, and the risks associated with the diet. Everyone chimes in, from breeders, to veterinarians, to dog owners. The most unique aspect of the BARF diet is there is no scientifically conducted research to back up any of the opinions. You can probably guess the reason why when I tell you the BARF diet was invented by an independent veterinarian, not supported by any major dog food company. The vet does not have the money or time to do a controlled multi-year experiment. None of the diet’s thousands of proponents have laid out the cold hard cash to run studies. All that leaves us with is opinions, which range from:

• Raw food is the single best, most natural thing you can feed your dog, to
• Raw food carries the risk of poisoning from Salmonella and Campylobacter, to
• It’s expensive, to
• My dog is worth the expense,

and on and on and on.

As you would expect, the website that most strongly supports this diet, and the one that turns up in the number one ranked position in a Google search on the BARF diet is . . . wait for it . . . from the guy who invented the diet!

What about peer support and popular opinion for the BARF diet? The recurring theme I have found in reading articles and forum comments in support of the diet is based on circular reasoning: I believe something, therefore it’s true, therefore I believe it:

“My dog is thriving on the BARF diet, therefore it is superior to traditional dog food, therefore my dog can only thrive on the BARF diet.”

Then there are people who have tried traditional dog food with one dog, and the BARF diet with another dog. The dog on BARF, take your pick: lived longer, had whiter teeth, less intestinal gas, healthier joints, more energy, etc. Therefore, the BARF diet is better, never mind the uncontrolled differences between dogs, including genetics; exposure to environmental stresses; supplementing with table scraps; contracting diseases; differing levels of exercise, etc.

Your Veterinarian’s Opinion

Your vet is a great resource when it comes to dog nutrition and health. Even so, you would do well to take your vet’s advice not as the gospel, but as one credible source. I say this because even your vet is not free from bias. Most of the information he has at his disposal is based upon reading research conducted or funded by, guess who? Dog food companies. Additionally, if your vet carries a specific brand of dog food for sale in his office, you can bet dollars to doughnuts, (or dog treats,) he is going to recommend the brand he carries. This is not to say you should automatically discount the vet’s brand simply because he has a profit motive. Likely he carries that brand because it is good. Your vet not only wants to make a buck by selling food from his stock, he also has his good reputation to maintain. Just realize the choice he recommends is only a choice, it isn’t your one and only option.

What’s Not Important

Here is the dog’s honest truth about dog food. Almost all of the brands and varieties available today will sustain your dog. Try to ignore attention grabbing devices such as multi-colored, multi-shaped dog food pieces. Try to ignore photos and ads that pass off dog food as human food. You know the kind—moist, tender tidbits of rich beefy chunks floating in velvety gravy. Years ago fishing lure companies realized they could increase sales if they designed their lures to catch people first, then to catch fish. Many dog food companies use the same approach with brightly colored food that resembles children’s breakfast cereal. Your dog is red-green color blind and his ability to distinguish blues and yellows is not good. The color of dog food is irrelevant to your dog. Your dog also couldn’t care less about gravy, or the shape and size of his tucker. About the only thing he cares about is, well, food; and the stinkier, more humanly unappetizing, the better.

Try to ignore the research hype surrounding dog foods. When someone makes a claim about a particular food’s superiority, ask yourself, “Who paid for that study?” If a group of people claim a particular diet or food is the one and only solution for all dogs, remember the trap of circular reasoning. All you need to do is look around to find dogs that thrive on a variety of diets.

What’s Important

Read the nutritional breakdown of various dog foods. Look for a food that derives protein and fats from high-quality, wholesome sources. Look for a food that is not loaded with cereal fillers, though expect to see some grain used as a source of dietary fiber. Note the inclusion of minerals and other nutrients that make a dog food well-balanced. Your veterinarian will be able to guide you. Realize that dog food is one area where a high price does not necessarily indicate a better product. Some dog foods are marked up not because they are superior, but because the manufacturer is either trying to market to a wealthy demographic, or because the manufacturer is trying to cover the high cost of a limited production, boutique product. As long as a dog food meets your and your vet’s criteria, buy what you can afford. Don’t over-extend your budget on the false notion that more is more.

Finally, look at how your dog fares on a diet. That is your best indicator. If you and your vet agree his digestion, energy level, and general health are satisfactory on a particular dog food, and he actually eats the stuff, you’ve hit the mark.

*The opinions expressed in this article are my own and not necessarily those of the provider of the attached photo.

Chow now.

Step 1. Put the food in a bowl.
Step 2. Put the bowl on the floor.
Step 3. Let the dog eat.
Step 4. Pick the bowl up.
Repeat as necessary.

It’s a piece o’ cake. Not so fast. A guy named Murphy surmised nothing is as simple as it seems.

First, before I get into the exciting, dare I say spellbinding, intricacies of delivering chow to your dog let me say this: Dogs can survive on garbage and worse. Feral dogs make their living at garbage dumps and trash cans. Pariah dogs can get by on human and animal feces. Dingoes consume the remains of decaying carcasses. Most wild dogs survive on rotted food. Of course, in all these examples, the dogs in question probably carry a huge parasite load; and many have evolved digestive systems that can handle bacteria-laden food.

It is likely your small domesticated dog would not thrive on rotted flesh. It is also likely your small dog would not respond well to a constantly changing diet, obtained at random, under a wide variety of circumstances. It becomes your responsibility as a dog owner to provide food in exactly opposite the circumstances I just described. Food should be given:

1. With as little variety as possible.
2. Feeding just enough to maintain an ideal body weight.
3. With no fanfare.

Let’s break it down.

1. With as little variety as possible.

Your dog loves variety, but variety does not love your dog. We humans also love variety. Variety is one of the reasons most of us enjoy eating at restaurants. A restaurant chef can prepare anything we desire on the menu. Fortunately for us, our digestive system is designed to accept almost any food we throw at it, (never mind heartburn or food allergies,) as long as the food is unspoiled.

Your domesticated dog’s digestive system is not so versatile. Changing your dog’s food suddenly will probably cause him digestive upset, including diarrhea, intestinal gas, and possibly vomiting. Your dog will not anticipate these problems. He will eat anything new with gusto. It’s your job to avoid translating your own love of variety into an expression of love for your dog: “Hey, I love trying new foods. My dog loves trying new foods. I love my dog, therefore I’ll give him new foods!”

There will be times when circumstances will force you to change your dog’s diet. For example, as a dog ages, most owners switch from puppy chow to adult dog food; and later, to a food designed for senior dogs. Any time you have to change your dog’s diet, you should do so very slowly. The standard method for doing this is to blend in a tablespoon or two of the new type of food into your dog’s existing food ration. At the same time, you should reduce the quantity of the old food type by an equal amount so the total volume of food remains the same. As each day passes, increasing amounts of the new food type displace the old food type until the dog is on the new diet. (This method may be adjusted as necessary to keep the total mix of new and old types of food balanced for nutrition and weight control. Your veterinarian can provide guidance.)

One last word on variety before we move on. Your dog may try to manipulate you into giving him a more varied diet. Dogs will occasionally stop eating or reduce their food intake for various reasons. When this happens, it may be tempting to try a new food simply to get the dog to resume eating. This tactic is the top of a slippery slope. Once your dog figures out his refusal to eat will bring him more variety, he will continue to refuse to eat simply to get you to deliver the goods. At Kelsey’s Dog House, we care for some dogs that somehow convinced their owners to serve everything from diced Camembert to premium deli meat to meatloaf with rice and English peas. There is more on this situation in my article, When a Small Dog Refuses Food.

2. Feeding just enough to maintain an ideal body weight.

Your dog has no concept of weight control. Unless he is a very picky eater, he will usually consume everything you put in front of him. There is only one way to alter a dog’s weight: Feed him more or less than he needs for his level of activity.

In a previous article, I talked about two strategies for feeding your dog. In free-feeding, you put food in a bowl on the floor and let your dog eat when he feels like it. Timed feeding is a method of feeding your dog at a specific time of day or after a specific event, such as exercise. Either strategy may lead to overfeeding. Some dog owners who employ free feeding tend to refill the bowl any time the food level gets low. People who feed dogs on a schedule can overfeed as well, particularly if they feed their dogs more than once per day. When feeding a dog multiple times per day, it is important to control the amount of food at each feeding so the total amount for all feedings equal one day’s ration.

It is also possible to underfeed your dog. I know one owner who was told that overweight Dachshunds tend to develop back problems in old age because their elongated spines cannot support the added load. In a misguided attempt to avoid this problem in the future, he currently underfeeds his dog. The result is a half-starved dog that looks terrible and behaves worse.

Regardless of how much dog food your dog gets per day, you should also consider treats and other foods part of his caloric intake. Almost every overweight dog we see at Kelsey’s Dog House gets food supplements at home in the form of table scraps casually handed out at family meals. We have also found that dogs that get fed table scraps at home frequently tend to turn their noses up at regular dog food. (This situation is also discussed in my article, When a Small Dog Refuses Food.)

3. With no fanfare.

As I have said elsewhere. Dogs are creatures of habit. While some dogs will eat anything anywhere, picky eaters are often put off their food by the situation in which it is presented. Dogs in boarding, for example, are often too nervous to eat initially. Until they get used to the boarding environment, they may refuse a meal or two. How you behave around your dog as you present food may also affect his eating habits. If you tend to wind your dog up emotionally with crazy talk just before you put the food bowl down, your dog is going to approach his food with a high degree of agitation: “ARE YOU HUNGRY REXY?! WANNA EAT?! OOH BOY, HERE COMES THE GOOD STUFF!!!!” You may inadvertently be training your dog to bolt his food or become aggressive around his food bowl. Hovering over your dog and fretting over whether or not he will eat may cause your dog to worry as well. Left to his own devices, he would have eaten normally, but your concern may overwhelm him to the point at which he cannot eat.

You’ve heard that expression “Let sleeping dogs lie?” I say, let eating dogs eat. At each meal, do exactly what I said at the beginning of this article.

Step 1. Put the food in a bowl.
Step 2. Put the bowl on the floor.
Step 3. Let the dog eat.
Step 4. Pick the bowl up.
Repeat as necessary.

Do this with as little variety as possible; feeding just enough to maintain your dog’s ideal; and with no fanfare. And for goodness sake, please wash your dog’s bowl between meals. Your dog’s digestive system is not designed to handle bacteria-laden food. If you fail to clean your dog’s bowl after each meal, I can guarantee you will be doing cleaning of another variety some time after your dog eats.

In this and the preceding article I discussed when and how to feed your dog. I did not discuss what to feed your dog because that is best left to your own research, but I do have an opinion on some diets. The next article will look at one particular diet for dogs called BARF. If you have not heard of it, it’s not what you think it is.

Supper time!

photo courtesy of simax105@flickr.com

First, let me clarify. This is not an article on what to feed your small dog, though what you feed your dog may influence when you feed him. What to feed is a question best answered by conducting your own research. Your veterinarian’s opinion is a great place to start that research.

There are 2 ways to time feeding:

Option 1. Free Feeding.

In a free feeding situation, you place a full-day’s ration of dog food in a bowl on the floor and let your dog eat at his time of choosing. The theory behind free feeding is your dog will be less anxious about food in general if it is always available to him. Some people believe that a dog with limited access to food will become obsessed with food-seeking. Others believe letting your dog decide when to eat by leaving food out all day is one step towards losing control of that dog. Regardless of theory, there are advantages and disadvantages to free feeding.

Free-feeding advantages

1. You do not have to be available at an appointed hour to feed your dog.
2. My own experience with free-feeding dogs does seem to support the theory that having food available all day makes dogs less anxious about food. There is less of a tendency, in my experience, for dogs raised in a free-feeding situation to bolt food. I have also noticed less of a tendency for free-feeding dogs to engage in food seeking behavior throughout the day. My observations are non-scientific and may be explained away by other factors, such as genetics or training.
3. Your dog can eat when he feels like it. Many dogs like to eat late at night, sometimes well after you have gone to bed. This behavior may be a throwback to a time when ancestral dogs hunted for prey or scavenged for food in the dark.

Free-feeding disadvantages

1. Free feeding only works for dry, stable dog food. Wet, quickly-perishable dog food will spoil if it sits in a bowl at room temperature all day.
2. If your dog tends to wolf food down as soon as it becomes available, by default, you will not be able to free feed your dog.
3. Free feeding will not work if there is more than one dog in your household and those dogs compete for food.

Option 2. Timed feeding

As you would guess, timed feeding is the opposite of free feeding. In timed feeding you place a food bowl on the floor at a specific time of day, or after a specific activity, such as an evening walk. Timed feedings may be delivered once a day; or, parts of a full day’s ration may be delivered two or more times per day. In general, puppies, like human babies, need to eat several times per day. Adult dogs can take all their nutrition in one or two meals per day. There is also a school of thought that says a dog’s entire daily ration of food can be handed out a little at a time in response to good behavior or as part of a training regimen. You can find an article on that method here.

Timed feeding advantages

1. Dogs are creatures of habit. Feeding on a schedule plays directly to your dog’s habit patterns.
2. Feeding after a specific event, specifically exercise, probably feels natural to your dog. Some animal behaviorists believe you should only feed your dog after a long walk or run to simulate how dogs work for food in the wild. Many behaviorists and trainers believe your dog should be required to do something to earn his food, such as respond to an obedience command before eating.
3. Timed feeding is the only option available if you feed moist, quickly-perishable food to your dog. In fact, if you feed moist food to your dog, you should not only feed at a specific time, but also limit the time the food sits at room temperature to less than 2 hours.

Timed feeding disadvantages

1. You have to be available at a specific time of day to feed your dog.
2. Some dogs do obsess over food when it is not readily available. When a timed meal is placed down, many dogs tend to bolt food as though there is no tomorrow.

Some dogs respond well to free feeding while others seem perfectly comfortable receiving food once or twice a day. In some cases, what you feed your dog will dictate when to feed. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Truth be told, dogs are such adaptable creatures that no matter which method of feeding you choose, your dog will eventually get used to it. In the next article, I’ll discuss how to feed your dog. There will be a few pieces of information in that article that may surprise you.

This is Dolce. His companion? Gabanna, naturally.

Every once in awhile, our groomers get a request for something unusual. This little Yorkie gets a Mohawk trim. We add a little styling gel to keep the magic in place.

Can't decide? Wear two.

First, let’s move through the issue of slip collars. Slip collars, sometimes called training collars, are usually made of lightweight chain. A slip collar is essentially a noose—designed to strangle. While a hanging noose is designed to tighten and remain tight around the neck, a slip collar only remains tight for as long as pulling force is applied to one end of the chain. A soon as the pulling force is relaxed, the slip collar instantly goes slack and the strangling action stops. The idea behind a slip collar is to give “corrective feedback” to a dog that wears the collar. Most people use a slip collar to stop a dog from pulling against a leash. When the dog pulls, tension is applied to the slip collar which tightens around the dog’s neck. When used correctly, there should be no prolonged strangling action by the collar. Dog trainers tell us to briefly snap the collar closed with a quick jerking action. Some dog trainers believe this brief gripping action is analogous to the feedback a mother dog would give a misbehaving pup. I disagree with the analogy. A mother dog will sometimes gently bite the neck of her puppy to make a point. The emphasis is on “gently.” A mother’s corrective bite does not completely encircle the puppy’s neck; nor does her bite strangle the puppy, even for an instant.

There are several ways to misuse a slip collar. Even a person with the best intentions can accidentally apply too much pulling force to a slip collar, causing temporary or permanent damage. Small dogs in particular are vulnerable to an overzealous yank on a slip collar. Injuries from slip collar are common. Damage can range from neck bruises or torn fur to collapsed windpipes, crushed larynx and broken necks. We care for two dogs at Kelsey’s Dog House that are partially paralyzed from slip collar injury.

I personally hate slip collars, not only because they are dangerous to small dogs, even in competent hands, they also are part and parcel of punishment-based training. As I have said many times in this forum, punishment-based training rarely works as intended and carries a high level of risk. If you are having a hard time getting your dog to heel when you walk together, any of the halter-type collars are much safer and work much better than slip collars. I trained my obstinate Miniature Pinscher, Royce, how to heel using a halter. I will cover how to use a halter collar in another article.

Flat Collars

Let’s move past training collars and talk about flat collars for everyday wear. First, know that there is no such thing as a one-collar-fits-all product. The nylon collar your neighbor loves on her Labrador may not look or fit well on your Dachshund. Also know that no collar is going to last forever, so take the pressure off yourself and find something that fits your dog now and looks good.

Nylon or Leather?

Which is better, nylon or leather? Nylon lasts longer and holds its color better than treated leather. Leather collars tend to fade, curl, and dry out over time, but the edges of leather collars tend to be thicker, softer, and generally suppler against your dog’s neck. Generally, nylon collars come with quick-release, plastic latches that make putting on and removing the collar very easy. Leather collars typically have buckle-type connectors that are harder to use on a squirming dog. The latches on nylon collars tend to be bulky. If you have a dog with a particularly narrow neck, such as a Chihuahua or Chinese Crested, you may find the plastic connector on a nylon collar takes up 1/3 to ½ of the circumference of your dog’s neck.

Speaking of plastic connects on nylon collars, some people want to know about those collars with safety connectors that disconnect when the collar’s dog tags get caught in something. The safety connector will unlatch as your dog twists the collar in an attempt to dislodge his tags. This type of emergency can happen when dog tags get entangled in the bars of a kennel crate. I have not tested this product, nor will I ever test it because I NEVER put a dog in a crate with his collar still attached. At Kelsey’s Dog House, where we cycle dogs through drying cages 30 to 40 times per day, our number one rule of operation is: Never, under any circumstance, put a dog in a crate with the collar still attached.

Get the Right Width

I believe a flat collar should be of sufficient width that it does not leave an indentation mark on the back of your dog’s neck after a long day of wear. Collars that fit small dogs are not only small in circumference; they are also generally fairly narrow. Some owners of small dogs, who cannot find a small enough collar, tend to use cat collars that are extremely narrow. Narrow-band collars tend to concentrate the weight of multiple dog tags on a very small area on the back of your dog’s neck. This problem is particularly significant for very small dogs. The smallest dogs typically carry one rabies tag plus one I.D. tag, as a minimum. Any additional attachments, such as electric dog door activators, anti-bark devices, and medical information tags or containers, also add weight. Imagine what it would feel like to have a narrow collar with weights attached, pressing down on one vertebra of your neck all day.

Dog Tags

Speaking of dog tags, you would not believe how many dogs come into Kelsey’s Dog House without any I.D. attached to their collars. There are so many circumstances in which your dog might become separated from you and your family. An I.D. tag with your phone number attached to your dog’s collar is probably your last and only hope of ever seeing your dog again. Even if your dog has a microchip I.D. under his skin, there is no guarantee the person who finds your dog will know it is there if your dog becomes lost. Also, there is no single standard for microchip I.D. so there is no guarantee that your dog will land in the hands of a veterinarian or animal control facility with a chip reader matched to your dog’s microchip. An I.D. tag with your phone number on your dog’s collar is the simplest, cheapest, and nearly fool-proof method of having your lost dog returned to you.

Proper Fit

Finally, let’s take a moment to talk about properly fitting a collar to your dog. At Kelsey’s Dog House, we see two types of problem with collar fit. Either the collar is fitted to the dog so loosely that the collar slips off the dog’s neck when we try to guide it on a leash. Or, the collar was fitted to the dog years ago and then the dog gained weight. In this circumstance, the collar has become so tight, it’s a wonder the dog’s eyes do not pop out. I’m not kidding. Extremely tight collars can high intra-ocular pressure, or high cranial blood pressure, both of which can lead to injury. Additionally, pulling on a collar that is too tight can cause an eye to pop out of the socket in certain breeds of dogs. At Kelsey’s Dog House, we groom a couple of unrelated Shih Tzu’s who, in the past, had an eye pop while being man-handled by less careful groomers at other shops.

To properly fit a collar to your dog, you should be able to easily slip your index finger underneath the attached collar without causing the collar to tighten further. If you can easily slip your thumb under the collar without the collar tightening, the collar is probably too loose.

Finding the right collar for your dog is a matter of style and fit. Opt for a flat collar in nylon or leather. Make sure the collar is wide enough to spread the weight of any attachments across a broad area of your dog’s neck. Once you have chosen a collar, make sure it fits just snug enough that your dog cannot pull out of it, but no so tight that it causes him/her discomfort. And for goodness, sake, if your dog is not wearing an I.D. tag, drop whatever you are doing, go to your local pet store, and have an I.D. made right now. I’m not kidding. Do it now.

My Bonny crossed over the ocean.
My Bonny crossed over the sea.
My Bonny is quarantined for three months.
Oh bring back my Bonny to me.

Oh bring back my Bonny to me.

Hey, I’ve got a great idea! You know that trip we are taking to Hawaii in the fall? Let’s bring the dog! It’ll be great. She’ll love playing on the beach and running on trails in the backcountry. . . Not so fast Bucko. The Hawaiian government has one of the strictest entry requirements for dogs of any place on the planet. Before your dog is allowed to set a paw on Hawaiian shores, she must be micro-chipped, certified rabies-free in a 6-month long process, tested, and documented by a State of Hawaii-approved veterinarian. Even after you and your dog have jumped through all these hoops, your dog will still be quarantined after arrival in Hawaii for anywhere from a few days to 6 months. Still want to take your dog on a short visit to the Aloha State?

Almost every country in the world has regulations regarding how and when dogs may be brought ashore. There are a few that do not allow dogs in at all and others that do not allow certain breeds of dog to be brought in. Australia, for example, does not allow the entrance of American Pit Bull Terriers and other Bull breeds. Some countries only require the completion of simple paperwork. Mexico, for example, only needs a pet health certificate signed by a registered veterinarian in the United States and issued not more than 72 hours before the animal enters Mexico; and a pet vaccination certificate showing that the animal has been treated for rabies, distemper, hepatitis and leptospirosis.

You may find a list of import regulations, by country, at the United Stated Department of Agriculture, at this link. After you have gone to the U.S.D.A. site, select the country of interest and then find the link labeled “Pets.” The import regulations for the State of Hawaii can be found here.

Assuming you still want to go through with shipping your dog to another country or even overseas to a U.S. island state or territory, consider the journey from your dog’s viewpoint. Unless you have access to a blue-water yacht, or you are driving to Canada or Mexico, you will likely have to transport your dog by airplane. I have already written an article on the trials and tribulations of transporting a dog by air, which you can find here.

Once your dog arrives at the new destination, he or she may have to recover from the journey in isolation at a quarantine compound. Living conditions vary by country, so it pays to check out the quarantine facility before your dog arrives.

Speaking of paying, if your dog requires quarantine at his/her destination, you will be expected to foot the bill. The cost of quarantine varies by destination and is generally charged by the day. Hawaii, for example, charges $14.30 per day of quarantine plus program fees which usually total $224.

Is it a good idea to take your dog along on a trip to another land that requires a quarantine period? Sometimes the move cannot be avoided. Thousands of dogs make the transition each year, so moving a dog is not impossible. In my opinion, taking your dog along for a short visit to another country puts unnecessary stress on the dog. For short visits, I firmly believe the dog should be left at home.

If you have any insight on this subject from personal experience, we would love to hear from you. Please tell us your story in the comment section below this article.

Brush me!

photo courtesy of brief gasp@flickr.com

Brushing your dog: Yawn! I know, who cares? It’s the same as flossing. You know you should do it regularly, but like most people, you never do it enough. Your dentist thumbtacks posters from the American Dental Association in his office showing grotesque images of the teeth and gums of poor souls who did not floss regularly. You think, “Hmm. Maybe I should floss more often,” but do you? Well, do you?

If I say failing to brush your dog regularly can lead to mats in the fur; or skin lesions, rashes and pustules under dirty and tangled fur, would it make a difference? If I told you how miserable it is for your dog to have his fur de-matted or detangled, would you brush your dog more often?

Scare tactics rarely work, unless they are extreme and immediate. Let’s face it. Your dog will not be in clear and present danger because of a lack of brushing. Instead, let’s look at the benefits. It’s a fairly short, but important list.

Aside from avoiding matted and tangled fur–a major benefit–regular brushing also:

• Causes your dog’s coat to shine for two reasons. 1) Brushing removes the dust and dirt that dulls your dog’s coat. 2) Brushing stimulates the oil glands in your dog’s skin. The oil coats the fur and gives it a shine.
• Removes loose hair from your dog’s coat before it can decorate your floors, furniture and clothing.
• Clarifies your role as a leader in your dog’s life. A lot of behaviorists mention this, but it rarely gets tied into the simple act of brushing. When you lay a gentle hand on your dog, the act of handling clarifies who is in charge at the moment. In nature, dominant dogs touch and maneuver less dominant dogs. When you brush your dog, you are calmly asserting yourself as the dog’s leader. What is even better is the contact you make is predictable and routine. If your dog resists the act of brushing, two points are true. 1) You are not the accepted leader in this case; 2) You are not brushing him/her often enough to make the act predictable and routine, because dogs thrive on predictability and routine.
• Brushing your dog at home gets him/her used to idea of grooming. This makes a trip to the grooming shop less of an ordeal for the dog.
• The simple act of brushing a dog reveals lumps, bumps, sores, and other curiosities on the dog’s skin. I know this is dabbling in scare tactics, but the fact remains, the groomers at our shop have turned up a few ugly surprises on dogs during the brushing phase of grooming. Usually, the discoveries we make are benign. Even so, early detection of skin problems makes examination and treatment by a veterinarian much more effective.

In a future article, I’ll have some pointers on how to brush your dog gently and effectively. I also plan to do a short video on the subject.

Before I close, I want to take just a few sentences to explain why this article is not about intentionally crossbred dogs, as I had promised in the article preceding this one. I did the background research, as always, on the subject of intentionally crossbred dogs and found two themes to the work. The material I found was either biased in the extreme to match the agenda of the author, or the material was a mash-up of contradictory statements. In either case, I did not feel good about writing anything you could rely upon, given the sketchy background data. I may get back to this subject after I have taken more time to filter through the garbage to find something meaningful and trustworthy.

“People tend to forget that play is serious.”
David Hockney, British painter

“The opposite of play is not work. It’s depression.”
Brian Sutton-Smith, American folklorist

“Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.”
Stuart Brown, M.D. psychiatrist

photo courtesy of Airbeagle @ Flickr.com

Puppies awaken the child in us. Watch a person play with a puppy and what do you see? You see a person acting silly. I mean that in only the very best and affectionate terms. The person will speak to the puppy in a high-pitched tone, often repeating nonsense words. There is usually some hand clapping; goo-goo eyes; a lot of smiling; and an impromptu game of chase or follow the leader or rolling around on the floor together. Silly stuff. It does wonders for the person’s spirit and the puppy benefits too.

Fast forward a few years and take a look at the relationship between the former puppy and the person. The mood has changed. Dog ownership is serious.

“Bobby, sit. I said sit!!”

“Bobby, come! COME!!”

“No Bobby! Stop that! Get off me. I’m busy.”

What happened to the joy of puppyhood? Where is the fun of dog ownership? It is down the toilet. Don’t get me wrong. It is very important for your dog to respond to you correctly. It is important for a dog to know boundaries and limitations. I am afraid we have taken the notion of dog obedience so seriously, that our lives and the lives of our pets have been thrown out of balance. In the name of dog obedience, we have either forgotten about or discounted the importance of letting our guard down so our dogs can have a little fun. Or, we are so busy with our day-to-day work routine, that no time is set aside to have some fun with the dog. Or, the “down time” we do spend with our dog is so structured, it is devoid of spirit:

PDA Schedule Entries for Monday:

5:30 Arrive home from work

5:35 Check mail

5:45 Walk dog to end of block and back.

6:00 Prepare dinner

There are a host of studies that show how play is vital to the social development of all thinking creatures. Play-deprived animals grow up into socially stunted, emotionally withdrawn beings. Later in life, lack of play can lead to a variety of psychological and even physical problems. Since this is an article about having fun, I won’t bog it down with quotations from these studies. If you would like to check the literature, you can go here, here and here for starters.

We really don’t need formal studies to tell us play is important to a dog. Look at a dog that never gets an opportunity to let loose and play. The word that comes to mind is “dour.” We occasionally see a dog at Kelsey’s Dog House that probably has not done much more than get in an occasional walk with its owner. The dog seems lifeless and devoid of personality. If we try to play with it, it looks at us like we are crazy. If other dogs approach, it retreats.

On the flip side, adult dogs that frequently play with their owners or dog friends seem to thrive. They are more alert, happier, generally healthier and more energized than their play-deprived cousins. Here is an added benefit of play that is hard to quantify, but you will notice right away. If you precede and follow your formal training sessions with play, your dog will respond to your obedience commands with more enthusiasm than a dog that never plays with its owner. Whenever I plan to train a dog, I begin with some sort of informal game to energize the dog and get him to focus on me. After training is over, I finish with play because it is an added and much appreciated reward for a job well done. In fact, if I do my training work correctly, the line between informal play and formal training should be rather blurred. I want my dog to feel training is just another form of play—something to look forward to rather than dreaded.

Get silly!
(photo courtesy of wanderingone@Flickr.com

I know there are people who thrive on structure. Any form of play, even structured play, is good for a dog. There are many ways to engage in structured play with your dog. I’m talking about formal activities, such as flyball, agility competition, and even freestyle dancing, (which is not really all that freestyle when you consider that it requires forethought, a suitable location, and some equipment.) I love doing certain structured activities with my dogs; but we don’t do them very often because they take time and effort to put into motion. For a long list of structured activities with your dog, you can go to this website as a resource. Even better, take a look at The Little Dogs’ Activity Book: Fun and Frolic for a Fit Four-legged Friend. This is fun read and a get-started-immediately type book. I have written a review of it here.

Having fun with your dog can be extremely informal. If you have ever played with a puppy, you already know how to play with a dog: Make silly sounds. Run and jump around the house or yard. Get down on the floor and tickle your dog. Let loose for goodness sake. Your dog will be happier, healthier and more spirited. So will you!

Up next, a series on intentionally crossbred dogs, including Puggles, Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, Peek-a-poos and other poos.