Choosing a Dog Breeder

How to Distinguish an Ethical Dog Breeder From an Unethical Dog Breeder

A breeder, is a breeder, is a breeder, right? As a matter of fact, breeding dogs is a highly scientific endeavor that requires both extensive knowledge of genetics and deep integrity. Without these two major components, dog breeding has become one of the easiest and fastest ways to make a quick buck. Let’s start by defining types of dog breeders.

Ethical Breeders

Ethical, or reputable, breeders demonstrate knowledge of their breed’s history, genetics, traits, temperament and conformation. They have years of experience with the breed and abide by their breed club Code of Ethics. They have a great passion for their breed and show their dogs to championship levels to represent the standards and improve the quality of the line. Ethical breeders know about genetics to the extent that they perform required genetic testing. Different breeds are susceptible to different problems; eyes, heart, hips, skin and they test and get certified accordingly to improve the quality of their bloodlines. An ethical dog breeder is willing to disclose any problems or defects in their line and submit any data about their dogs, puppies to the AKC or their breed club.

Ethical dog breeders are relentlessly committed to finding their pups a good home. If you’re a potential buyer, and haven’t faced a barrage of questions about your home, family, habits, yard, lifestyle, work hours and more, chances are you’re dealing with a backyard breeder or worse, a puppy mill. Ethical breeders care deeply about their dogs and even require new owners to agree that if the pup doesn’t work out for any reason, at any time, it will be returned to them. An ethical breeder will have their pups checked by a veterinarian before they go their new homes and will provide a full, lifetime guarantee, covering genetic disease and temperament problems. Reputable breeders offer guidance and advice to buyers for the lifetime of the dogs. They are not in it for the money, as most of the capital goes right back in to the breeding program, paying for genetic testing, showing, vet bills, and so on.

Backyard Breeders

A backyard breeder is a slang term for a casual dog breeder that breeds dogs for fun and money. A step above a puppy mill, these breeders are not particularly educated about the breed, history, traits, temperament or conformation. They do not even know that a Code of Ethics exists—and if they did, they would not be breeding. They do not show their dogs and are not concerned with improving the quality of their bloodline. They’ll breed poor quality dogs that don’t meet the standards of the breed. Be aware that AKC (the American Kennel Club) is a registered organization, but is not equipped to monitor or screen breeders or their dogs. Anyone can have an AKC registered dog. For example, if I have a registered Golden Retriever, and you have a registered Golden Retriever, we can breed our dogs and sell them as AKC registered puppies. However, neither of us has any knowledge as to their genetic history, disease, temperament, and so on. We could then quite possibly breed pups that will develop hip dysplasia, heart disease, eye problems, auto-immune disease, and more. Since backyard breeders are in it for the money, they don’t spend it on showing, temperament testing or vet bills. Backyard dog breeders rarely do any testing beyond the parents, a far cry from testing for three to five (and more) generations back, which is how knowledge of their line and pedigree is developed and confirmed. They will not disclose anything, as most do not know what to disclose, having no knowledge of the history of their line.

Screening potential buyers is the last thing a backyard breeder is worried about. Some will ask a few questions, but most are just happy to have you come, purchase a pup and be on your way. Even unsuitable potential buyers aren’t turned down. Backyard breeders are notorious for selling puppies that are far too young so that they do not have to pay for food once the pups have been weaned. If you are allowed to pick up your puppy before it is eight weeks old you can be certain you are purchasing from a backyard breeder. Ethical breeders will not allow their dogs to go to a new home before eight weeks of age; most won’t let them go sooner than 10 weeks. Backyard breeders provide no guarantees and their pups will not have been checked by a veterinarian prior to your purchase. You might get a bit of advice, but take it with a grain of salt, as their knowledge is lacking, other than on a very general level.

How much is that doggy in the window?

Puppy mills are the lowest rung on the breeding ladder. These puppy factories keep animals in shockingly poor conditions, feed sub-standard food, and provide no love, comfort, toys or companionship. Despite efforts to shut them down, puppy mills continue to thrive because people keep buying puppies from pet stores or legitimate-looking web sites. Puppies are cute—but puppy mills are cruel and contribute greatly to animal suffering and overpopulation.

Designer Dogs

Be aware of Designer Mutts—the Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, Pugles, Cavapoos, and so on. Years ago, if my Labrador bred with your Poodle, we wouldn’t be able to give them away. Today, they are called Designer Mutts, and can be purchased for the amazing sum of $3000 to $5000. As cute as they are, when you purchase a designer dog, you contribute to the craze of poorly bred dogs, unethical dog breeding, and furthering an unrealistic market. I encourage you to do your homework and purchase responsibly. If you can, go to your local shelter and adopt a dog.

FACTS:

• Backyard breeders are responsible for 2/3 of the dogs for adoption in shelters. 1/3 of these dogs are purebreds.

• AKC (American Kennel Club) is a registry just like the DMV is. Just because my car is registered with the DMV, it does not guarantee the quality of my car. AKC registration does not assure the quality of a dog.

• CKC (Continental Kennel Club) is puppy mill registry, and has no standards or regulations.

• There are between 4,000 and 6,000 animal shelters in the United States.

• Average numbers of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year is two.

• Average number of puppies in a letter is 6-10.

Huge numbers of dogs are being bred irresponsibly, solely for the money. No wonder our shelters are full, and so many dogs are euthanized each and every year. Choose wisely.

Health & Well-Being

How to Know if Your Veterinarian is a Good Doctor?

Many of us are guilty of putting doctors on a pedestal, making them into somewhat of a godlike figure. We often do this with our veterinarian, as well.

Veterinarians have an even more difficult job diagnosing illness, because the animals can’t speak for themselves. I don’t say this as if you don’t know this, rather to help you realize the importance of really explaining all the details, even the ones you think are small, or might be silly. These minute details can often be the crux of what the veterinarian might need, in order to make a proper diagnosis.

The problem with finding a good veterinarian has many facets. It is a rare doctor who really listens to their clients…(owners know their animal best.) Unfortunately, in vet school, they are not required to take courses in communication and listening skills. In their 4 yrs of vet school, they learn the general information that they will need to treat patients. There are those individuals who go to school to further their education and specialize in a specific field, i.e. horses, dogs, cats, birds, eyes, orthopedics, surgery, etc. The general small or large animal veterinarian is educated yet limited to a general practice, thus, making listening to their patients owner, more crucial in helping to treat the animal.

In this light, here are several things you can do to find out if your veterinarian is a good doctor.

• Ask about their education and if they did any kind of special training, i.e. internships or residencies.

• Ask people in your community who they would recommend and beware of recommendations due to bedside manner only, or the fact that they may be inexpensive. While bedside manner is very important, if that is their only claim to fame, then this would not be sufficient to the practice of good doctoring.

• Your veterinarian should be able to admit he doesn’t know something and refer you for a 2nd opinion or a specialist. They should be able to admit that they are wrong and learn from their experience.

• You, the owner, know your animal best and are keenly aware of any changes in behavior, weight, eating habits, all the little nuances of your animal. Therefore, it is imperative that your veterinarian is able to listen to everything you have to say when you bring your pet for an examination. No matter what you are bringing your animal in for, there should ALWAYS be a thorough physical examination and history that is being written down in your records, so that your veterinarian may refer to it, at a later date, if needed for further diagnosis. If you are getting the feeling that your veterinarian is ignoring you or intimating that you might be too anxious an owner, this is a clue you might heed in finding another veterinarian. Always listen to your gut. If you have the slightest feeling that you are not being heard, go to another vet. Veterinarians ALWAYS need to listen to you,

• Veterinarians who have a sole practice, that is, only one veterinarian in the office, could lead to problems if this vet is not tightly knit w/ his community/colleagues of veterinarians to be able to consult with them, especially if they are fresh out of school. It may be best to seek out a hospital where there are several vets so that they can consult with each other. Please be very aware of hospitals that are owned by a corporation, (a chain of veterinarian hospitals), as there is little accountability and competence, in my opinion.

• The Internet has a plethora of information at our fingertips, and it is becoming more common that pet owners are finding their diagnosis online and then bringing their findings to their veterinarians, which has been a godsend to many animals. If your veterinarian is not OK with your findings and takes it personally, this is a sign that you are in the wrong hands. Your veterinarian should be willing to discuss and learn from you.

Maintaining the health of your pet is a team effort and you need a doctor who is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain this delicate healthy balance.

Think “Fluffy” Could Be a Biter?

Let’s look at this from a different angle for a moment.  Dogs are much like us in that they have good days and bad days. Have you had a really stressful day and when you get home, a family member demands your attention the minute you walk in the door and you “snap” at them. I can’t tell you how many times I get a call from a client saying “He just doesn’t like some people” or “He was fine before he bit him”.  I say– that all the signs were there in the dogs’ body language and they went unnoticed because the owners didn’t know what to look for.

All dogs are capable of biting whether or not they are timid, reactive, and assertive or even the friendliest dog on the planet.  If the stressors are there any dog can and will bite.

The key to preventing dogs from biting is exposure to everything and anything you can think of and knowing the warning signs of a stressed dog.  Do you know when your dog is relaxed and happy?  Do you know when your dog is getting overwhelmed or stressed? If not, then you must learn the body language signals and know when they change one way or the other.

Here’s a short clip of a fearful or timid dog and ask yourself it the conditions were right could this dog bite?

http://www.youtube.com/shewhisperer#p/a/u/1/H4c-Yk2KEYM

A dog that bites even for the first time is under accumulated stress and this accumulation of stressors can cause any dog to bite. A fear biter is a dog that has been under-socialized or abused.  A protest biter is a dog that fears someone or something is threatening his territory or threatening to take away his toy or food or abused. When a dog is exposed to these stressors and you are not aware that the dog is stressed, (aware of the dogs body language) the dog can bite.

Dogs have different degrees of tolerance to stressors or triggers. Some dogs are stressed around too many dogs, some are stressed at the groomer or vet, some dogs get triggered when they hear certain noises, some are fearful around small children or men with hats on, or someone walking with crutches, or riding in the car.  Every dog has a different level of tolerance for any number of triggers and accurately identifying these stressors is important in knowing how to work with your dog to effectively modify their behavior. When these stressors accumulate over time and go unmanaged, your dog can get into trouble and become a biter.

I want to share a story about a dog I worked with recently.  The call I got was that the dog was out of control around other dogs while walking on leash.  When I came to the home to meet the dog I had the owners have their dog on leash outside their home while I walked up with my dog.  We had never met before, so my dog would be a strange dog to this dog.  My dog is a very confident non-threatening dog so as we approached my client with her dog on leash, nothing happened.  Their dog was not out of control but stood calmly with a little anxiety waiting for us to approach, which we did confidently, right up to them.  The owner said “Wow, she’s never been so calm, normally she would have been barking and lunging and running forward then back behind me and forward again” I knew what was really going on.  Their dog sensed my dogs and my confidence as we approached them and the owner was also confident in just having me there knowing that I would handle anything that could go wrong.  What does this mean?  The dog was paying attention to my dogs and my body language and energy and didn’t feel threatened in any way.  The dog didn’t feel her owners normal sense of urgency around her potential “out of control” behavior so the dog matched all of our calm energy and remained calm.  This didn’t surprise me but the owner was sure surprised.  At this point I put my dog back in the car and went inside the owners home with the dog.  This was a 14-month-old dog who when we got inside and the leash was taken off, ran for cover into a corner in the kitchen. This is not normal behavior for a young dog, so I walked towards her and she began to bark and growl at me while huddling in the corner.  I asked the owners if this was normal behavior with company coming into the home to which they said “We rarely have company and when we do she’s afraid of them and goes and hides.”  Upon further questioning I found out that this dog was the victim of unintentional neglect.  Both parents were working with 4 children under the age of 11 (all boys) and no one with the time to do what was needed to have the dog become the well-adjusted dog she should have been at this age.  She was a Portuguese Water Dog who needs plenty of exercise, training and socialization with dogs and people, consequently became fearful of both.  Because of this lack of training, socialization and exercise she had a lot of pent up energy and was unmanageable in the home with this many children and got either tethered to a cable or locked in a crate much of the time. This was a set up for failure on many counts.  This young unintentionally neglected dog was showing all the signs of stress on leash with people and dogs yet since the owners didn’t know that these were warning signs they didn’t know that she could become a biter as she grew into an adult dog.  It never occurred to them that this sweet shy puppy would or could ever turn into a biter. The truth is this is a perfect set up for a bite.

If we look at this particular dogs stressors or triggers: new people in the home, dogs on leash, strangers walking by the home, strangers wanting to greet her while on leash, someone approaching her while tied up—this accumulation of stressors in a designated time period without any stress relief can be the cause of a bite.  Dogs never bite without warning.  The signs of walking away, retreating to a corner, walking behind you when someone approaches, barking and lunging at dogs while on leash are all warning signals that went unheeded.

If you have a dog that you are concerned about its biting, please call me or hire a qualified behavioral specialist if you are not in my area, who can help you identify these warning signals and begin new strategies to set you and your dog on the right path into being the loving dog she really wants to be.  Without your help your dog has no choice but to protect herself from her fears.

 

 

 

 

Toxic Flea and Tick Products are Poisoning Our Pets

Pick your poison

Summer is here and that means fleas, ticks, hot spots and the problem of how to rid our pets of these nasty bloodsucking, disease-laden parasites. The dilemma lies in the fact that most flea and tick products themselves are nasty, chemical-laden toxins. The most recommended flea and tick products—Frontline, Advantage, and Revolution—are made with chemicals that are toxic to our pets. Frontline is a class C carcinogen and works systemically, entering the animal’s bloodstream. Advantage and Revolution stay in the subcutaneous (skin) layers and are less invasive, but still somewhat so, and toxic. Fipronil, selamectin, and imadocloprid are the chemical agents in these spot-on products, and are also found in shampoos and sprays.

The U.S. EPA pressures the FDA to increase the safety of toxic spot-on flea and tick products for our pets.

With reported cases of skin allergies, auto-immune disorders, and even cancer and death caused by flea and tick products, the EPA is seeking to increase the standards for their quality control and safety. Many products are also toxic to aquatic life, sickening fish and wildlife who live in or drink from polluted streams and rivers.

The drug companies studied these products on rats and mice, but typically for only three to six months, with no longitudinal studies looking for long-term effects. It’s possible that these products may very well be a contributing factor in so many new diseases in our pets now that we did not see years ago.

Not only are we poisoning our pets and the environment, we are jeopardizing the health of our own families in order to solve a problem that is very easily managed by natural and non-toxic alternatives. You can care for your pets, family and the environment in a healthier way.

Natural—or naturally poisonous?

Natural, regrettably, does not necessarily mean non-toxic: When it comes to flea and tick control, almost all of “natural” products are harmful to you, your children, your pets and the environment. Natural products are suspect for two reasons. In some cases, a natural plant-derived component is combined with toxic chemicals to create the end product. In other cases, the plant-derived component is itself toxic to animals, though it might be safe for humans. Some wonderful essential oils are highly toxic to cats: Tea tree and pennyroyal oils, for example, can cause severe allergic and/or toxic reactions. Toxic pyrethrin is an insecticide that comes from chrysanthemum and d-Limonene from citrus.When we use these products, a toxic chain of events is set in motion. Our pets’ immune systems are depressed. Fleas and ticks develop an increased resistance to these products, which then have to be made stronger in order to work, escalating the ripple effect of toxic pollution to our precious loved ones and Mother Earth.

Please don’t be fooled by the word “natural”. It is nothing more than a brilliant advertising scheme. Consider the following statements found on the labels of so-called natural and safe flea and tick control products.

“Avoid contact with skin.”

“Harmful or fatal if swallowed.”

“This product is toxic to fish, birds and other wildlife.”

“Harmful if absorbed through skin.”

“Harmful if inhaled.”

“Avoid contact with eyes, skin or clothing.”

“Keep out of reach from children.”

Does this sound like something you want to put on your pets who then get stroked, loved, brushed and cuddled by your loved ones?

A healthy pet has a healthy immune system and a healthy immune system is not as tasty to fleas and ticks. If we start by feeding our pets healthy foods, and manage our home in a safe, environmentally friendly way, we can keep our animals, children and planet free from these nasty chemicals.

Managing fleas in your home

Our inside home environment is probably the best breeding ground for fleas which lay their eggs in carpets, rugs, and some furniture. Boric acid is a non-toxic powder that kills the fleas and larvae. This treatment is completely safe and lasts one full year. Flea Stoppers and Fleabusters are two common, easy to find boric acid flea powder products and can be found online or in select pet stores. You can administer these yourself or have it professionally done.

Pets get the spa treatment

Managing our pets at the same time that we manage our home environment is crucial. After reducing the flea population in our homes, taking care of our pets gets easier and easier. Use a flea comb daily. Pull the little jumpers off the comb and put them into a bowl of water to drown while you work. (It’s very satisfying.) Bathe your animals with a non-toxic shampoo, massaging the soap through the fur for 10 minutes to make sure fleas have drowned. The massage makes bathing much more enjoyable for both of you. Cats on the other hand are more difficult to bathe, but often love being combed frequently. Bear in mind that fleas are sneaky little blood suckers and will scurry around to his back while you’re combing his stomach. Be thorough, comb the whole animal, and keep an eye out for renegades.

Fleas also live outside in the grass. If taking care of your house and animals doesn’t stop the problem, it might be time to add nematodes to your lawn. These microscopic worms eat flea larvae in the grass, killing them naturally. Nematodes are safe for the outdoor environment, for your pets and your family—and are very easy to apply. Find them at your local gardener supply or online at http://www.fleabusters.com.

Managing your home environment is easier than you think. It’s so much healthier for you and yours, too, that the thought of putting chemicals on your pets will be a thing of the past. I know sometimes it seems as though putting a few drops of something on your pets once a month is the most convenient and effective way to treat the flea and tick situation, but once you realize what the cost of using these products truly is, you may become a convert.

Hot Spots

Hot spots are an allergic reaction to fleas and occur when your dog licks himself so much that the skin develops a bacterial infection. If you are diligent in your efforts to manage your home and your pet, your efforts will pay off tremendously. Sometimes though, hot spots happen, and can easily get out of control. The saliva in the dog’s hair creates a moist environment ripe for bacterial growth. You’ll want to shave or cut the hair around the hot spot, clean it with hydrogen peroxide and then let the air do the healing. It will heal naturally without a trip to the vet for medication. The most common medical treatment for hot spots is a steroid, which only further debilitates the health of your pets.

With a bit of knowledge and effort on our part, we can help our pets live longer and healthier lives, keep our families safe, and contribute to a healthier environment.

Traveling With Your Dog

TRAVELING WITH YOUR DOG

 

Choosing a Dog Trainer

Certified or Licensed Dog Trainer? What Does it Mean?

It’s important to know that there are only two types of licensed dog trainers: Guide dog trainers, who train Seeing Eye dogs for the blind, and Sentry dog trainers who train police dogs. These two are the only types of dog trainers licensed by the state. ALL other trainers are unlicensed. Defining a “certified dog trainer” is a bit ambiguous at this time. What I mean is that there are many trainers who simply decided to become a dog trainer, who have little—or a lot—of experience, and perhaps went to a school to get certified. Since there are no universally accepted standards for becoming a pet dog trainer, the field is wide open to anyone who feels they possess some knowledge of dog training and wants to be called a dog trainer.

Schools that offer dog-training certification programs are neither licensed nor registered with state or federal agencies. Those that offer dog training programs and award titles such as APDT, CCPDT or IACP have come into being in the last 14 years. They were started by a group of dog trainers who formed an organization and developed a “certification” test for trainers.  The testing requirements are a set of standards that dog trainers came up with based on their own ideas and education. While this is a good attempt to regulate the field of dog trainers, completing the program does not guarantee that the end result is a qualified dog trainer. I am in favor of these organizations’ attempts to try to create some ethical dog-training standards. At the same time, it’s important to understand that these are organizations whose membership is based simply on paying dues to belong. They neither endorse nor follow up on any of their members.  I myself have taught students over the years and have certified several of them.

One might wonder about dog trainers like myself who have been working in the field far more than 14 years. Exceptionally experienced and qualified dog trainers often choose not to become “certified” since these degrees are not based on universally adapted and agreed-upon standards by any state or federal agency.

The best advice I can give? Listen to your intuition: Is the trainer coaching you about dog behavior and leadership and how to be a leader?  Or is she focused only on teaching obedience commands? If you want an in-depth study of dogs and their behavior, choose wisely, and remember—training should be fun for you and your dog!

Some students have come through my training program that I have not certified and I do not recommend nor endorse them, so if you come across a trainer touting that they have trained with me, please feel free to ask.  If you don’t feel comfortable with a trainer, I recommend that you listen to your intuition and get references.

Behavior

Dog Pack Mentality—the Psyche of Dogs

The key to enjoying a satisfying and rewarding relationship with your dog is learning to think like a dog and understanding that his very being is rooted in his nature as a pack animal.

Dogs are pack animals, having descended from wolves, and in each pack there must be a leader. We have domesticated dogs; yet the dog-pack mentality is intrinsic to their nature. That is, a dog knows that there must be a pecking order from top to bottom in order for them to feel safe in the world, the top dog being the leader, and so on, down the line. Dogs are dependent on us for their survival, and this survival instinct incorporates pack or leadership mentality. This innate social structure is fundamental to a dog’s well-being in the world. Domesticated pet dogs don’t have to hunt for food, so their survival instinct is not as strong as it is in wolves, yet it exists and is at the center of their dog-pack mentality. A human family pack is different from a dog pack, yet we two-legged beings must use the tour-legged model of pack hierarchy to assume and establish ourselves as leaders to our dogs. A dog must feel safe in his environment; in other words, he must know his place in his new family pack. If this hierarchy or pecking order is not clearly established, confusion sets in. In this confusion—an absence of leadership—the dog must rise to take the leadership role, it is instinctive! When we understand this delicate balance of dominance, submission, and aggression, and our dog’s natural pack-behavior instincts, we can enjoy much greater success in our relationships with them.

Leadership

Establishing Leadership in Your Canine Pack

1. Exhibit body language and energy that clearly shows you are a leader.  Leaders are calm, authoritative, and confident. Pack members match a leader’s energy, not the other way around!
2. Use the correct tone of voice, or pitch—it’s as critical to leadership as your body language and energy.
   1. Command Tone: a normal, calm, speaking pitch
   2. Praise Tone: a higher, excited, happy pitch
   3. Correction Tone: a deep, firm, disappointed pitch—not yelling
3. Understand that obedience work forms the foundation for gaining a dog’s respect.
4. Do obedience work in locations with distractions, once the dog has been taught a new command.
5. Use every interaction you have with your dog—playing, walking, mealtimes—as an opportunity to establish leadership.
6. Don’t issue commands unless you’re prepared to follow through. Don’t repeat commands. Dogs know when you aren’t serious and become desensitized  to both your voice and the commands!  (In other words, they will TUNE YOU OUT!)
7. Don’t threaten or challenge any dog by leaning over it and imposing the alpha dog stance. NEVER act like a dog: don’t growl, bite, snarl, or otherwise act like an alpha dog.
8. Respond, don’t react.
9. Praise your dog after a full completion of a command or activity—not midway through.
10. Have fun with your obedience work; be creative and set up fresh challenges. Your dog mirrors your energy and emotional state. If you’re having fun, your dog will too!

Choosing a Veterinarian

Many of us are guilty of putting doctors on a pedestal, sometimes regarding them as all-knowing, godlike figures. We often do this with our veterinarian as well.

Since animals can’t speak for themselves, veterinarians have an even more difficult job diagnosing illness than physicians do. This is not to imply that you don’t know this, but to emphasize how important it is to thoroughly discuss your animal’s condition with your vet. Minute details and observations that seem insignificant or even silly can often be the crux of a proper diagnosis.

When looking for a good veterinarian, there are a variety of things you’ll want to pay attention to:

• Ask about their education and if they went through any kind of special training, internships or residencies.

• Get recommendations from people in your community. Beware of those based solely on the vet’s bedside manner or on inexpensive fees. While bedside manner is very important, it’s not adequate evidence that he or she practices good medicine.

• Your veterinarian should be able to admit he or she doesn’t know something and be comfortable with you getting a second opinion or referring you to a specialist.

• Owners know their animal best—and yet it can be rare to find a veterinarian who really listens to their clients. You, the owner, are keenly aware of any changes in behavior, weight, eating habits and all the little nuances of your pet. No matter why you are bringing your dog in, the vet should always conduct a thorough physical examination, listen to everything you have to say, and record your comments in the pet’s history for future reference or diagnosis. If you sense that your veterinarian is ignoring you, or inferring that you might be an over-anxious owner, this is a red flag. Listen to your intuition: If you have the slightest feeling that you are not being heard, by all means go to another vet. Veterinarians always need to listen to you, the owner.

• Animal hospitals or clinics with only one veterinarian can be problematic if the vet is not closely allied with and able to consult other colleagues. This is especially true with doctors fresh out of veterinary school, or new to the area. It may be best to seek out a practice with several veterinarians who can consult with each other.

• With the wealth of information available online, it is increasingly common that pet owners discover the root of their pet’s problem online and bring their findings to their veterinarian. If your vet is not OK with your help, discounts it, or takes it personally, this could be a sign that you’re in the wrong hands. Your veterinarian should be willing to discuss information and learn with you.

Keeping your dog happy and healthy works best when you, your pet, and your veterinarian join together as a open, willing and competent team. My colleague, Dr. Nancy Kay, has written an invaluable resource and guide to being your pet’s best advocate. You’ll find a trove of in-depth information in her best-selling book Speaking For Spot.

Wagging Tails Gone Wrong

Wagging Tails Gone Wrong

What do you do when your happy dogs’ tail has become a whip?  Do you put him in another room when you have company, remove all items off of your coffee table for fear his whipping tail will break your prize possessions?  Are you thinking of amputating his tail to keep from having to wash the blood off the walls and his continued licking at his wounded tail?

Fear no more; before you go the surgical route or ban him to the backyard, try this simple behavior modification training approach. You’ll be able to keep this happy dog, happy and much less anxious.  A hyper dog is an anxious dog and it’s part who they are and part our overindulgence that perpetuates this behavior.  We all want our dogs to be happy when we come home but do they need to be so excited that they are out of control?

A dog is always matching a leaders’ energy.  If you come home and go crazy with excitement then you are teaching your dog to match your energy and before you know it, your dog has become out of control during greetings and because he thinks you like it, then whenever he feels like playing or getting your attention he will display this kind of excited behavior any time he wishes.  When your dogs asks for attention this way and sometimes gets it and sometimes doesn’t he will continue to try, often times succeeding.  When you don’t play his game, perhaps getting upset with him because you aren’t in the mood he gets confused.  Confusion always breeds anxiety in some form.

Modifying any kind of behavior takes careful consideration of meeting your dog’s needs, first.  A hyper dog is not getting their needs met mentally and physically.  By this I mean, he is most likely not being trained on a regular basis in obedience and in distractions so as to become the respectful follower to his leader, YOU, and he is probably not getting his physical needs met by going to a dog park, hiking, playing fetch, swimming, etc. A tired dog is a happy and less anxious dog.

You may say that your dog isn’t hyper but still hurts us with his tail.  This could be true and you can still modify this excitable tail wagging behavior.

Here’s how:

Upon homecoming, ignore your dog for 2 minutes.  Read your mail, check your voicemail, and get busy with some task taking your attention off of your dog.  You will notice that your dog is looking at you for his normal excitable greeting but is not getting it. Be patient, continue moving toward whatever you will distract yourself with to ignore your dog.  Ignoring means, no eye contact, no talking, NO CONTACT!  You will see you dog calm down and after 2 minutes, (yes please wait 2 minutes), you may very quietly in a soft, calm and quiet voice gently bend over and say hello to him.  If he starts up getting excited with this, then stand up and ignore again.  Don’t’ worry, your dog will still love you; he will just learn to love and greet you appropriately.

When your dog becomes excitable at other times, when settling in for the night cuddling w/ you on the couch, getting ready to go out for a walk, company coming over, treat time, any transition time, you must do the same thing, ignore him.  Take all your attention off of him and wait w/out eye contact or verbal contact for him to settle down.  If you must walk away, then do so.   When you return to whatever you were doing and he starts up again, stop, ignore and wait.  He will calm down, you just need to hold out and not give in.  Remember, he is counting on you giving in.  You always have.  What seems like hours to you is really only 2 minutes.

I have found that 99% of dogs will calm down in less than 90 seconds.  Be patient, be a leader and remember training and exercise are a must for all dogs and more for hyper dogs.