Friday, July 31, 2009

Culinary Concoctions and Newfy Nibbles: Cool pooch treat

Chance top & bottom right





In the Heart of this Land
By: Sally Grottini

In the heart of this land
Is a gentle, loyal, companion,
Of regal quality and stature,
and an amusing disposition

Majestic, dutiful, and proud
With unwavering devotion,
The core of the Newfoundland
can be seen with its every motion.

Its bravery untouched,
Its loyalty proudly stands,
In the heart of this land
lives the spirit of a Newfoundland.

Hmm, what does this poem have to do with making a cool dog treat? Well read on for the explanation.

About three or four years ago I became a member of a chat room for Newfoundland dog owners called Newfnet.com. One of the members, Sheila, worked for a publishing company and came up with an idea to put a cookbook together for both people and dogs and give the proceeds of the book to different Newfoundland rescues around the world. After all, on Newfnet we have Newf lovers from England to Australia and that’s a lot of Newfoundland rescues! So we were to submit recipes that we made, or ones that were our favorites. Not being a cook I chose to submit ones that were made by other family members but were some of my favorites. My Sister- in -law can make a mean crumb cake! I believe there were in total about 800 to 1000 books printed and in about three or four months all but a few books were sold. Lucky for me, I was able to secure the last four recently to give as gifts. The back jacket of the book sports two pictures of Chance, among other wonderful Newfs owned by the group and a poem I wrote on the Newfoundland breed as I see them. Near the end of the book are a pictures and a few stories about our kooky Newfoundland’s, with Chance and Steeler’s story being among them. “Newficious” sayings are placed throughout the book like “Let a Newf hair be your dental floss and their drool be your mouthwash” or “Give a Newf a mole hill and he’ll make a mountain.”

There are also little quotes at the bottom of some of the recipe pages such as, “The problem with Italian food is you are hungry again within the week!” (If you are Italian you know what kind of spread they can put out for one sitting!)

So here’s an easy to make, no cooking involved, cool dog treat for those dog days of summer taken from the book:

“Culinary Concoctions and Newfy Nibbles”

Doggy Popsicles
Submitted by Kimmie

750 gr. Container plain yogurt
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1sliced banana

Stir together the first three ingredients then gently stir in the bananas. Pour into a muffin pan and use bone shaped cookies (biscuits) as handles. Place in freezer until hardened.


Now for the human adults, you know I don’t condone drinking before 8 am so be safe and be cool.

Frozen Strawberry Kiwi ~Tini
By Sue M

Makes 6 servings

1 Tub Crystal Light Strawberry Kiwi Low Calorie Drink Mix
2 cups Ginger Ale
½ cup vodka
2 ½ cups crushed ice
6 each Kiwi & strawberry slices

Place ginger Ale, Vodka and drink mix in blender. Blend until drink mix is completely dissolved

Add Ice, Cover. Blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into 6 martini glasses , garnish each with a Kiwi and Strawberry slice.








Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Who let the dogs out?




Who let the dogs out?
Which fence do you prefer?

I have had the same picket fence encase my yard for the last 16 years, the pickets are worn and breaking off, the posts seem to be rotting to the core and there are escape holes in various areas. Ugh, the thought of replacing the fence around the yard is mind numbing because of the cost and labor as this would be a do it yourself project and I have an acre of property to enclose. The most recent replacement of a portion of the fence was about three years ago when Steeler was returned to me. Steeler was an unneutered rambunctious dog who was very much used to breaking out of the yard and running the streets. To this day I hear stories from neighbors of Steeler’s former owner just how often he would break loose. It would have been helpful to know this bit of information when he was returned to me as my four foot picket fence with its rotted and broken pickets were certainly no match for him. My other dogs kind of respected the fence for the most part, well except for Crazy Bentley, if he found an easy opening, he too would go out and explore. Bentley absolutely loves his Debbie, our neighbor.

So which fence is the best choice? That can be a hard and expensive lesson to learn. I have gone through pickets, chain link, sonic, and stockade fencing over the years and they all had their loop holes. The picket and stockade fencing were shown to be no match for the dogs as they could climb over, dig under, or just push their heads through knocking out picket after picket until they made a hole big enough to fit through. Because of the criss/ cross pattern of the chain link fence, it actually gave the dogs good footing to just climb it like a step ladder and hop out to the other side, so unless it was ten feet tall with barbed wire at the top it was found to be useless for such giant breeds. Somehow I don’t think the neighbors would like living next to a house with barbed wire, it might look too prison like! The invisible or sonic fencing work for some dogs and not for others, and once the battery runs down in the collar the dog is not getting the warning signal anymore so off they go!

So after purchasing and erecting a four foot stockade in the back part of the north forty as I like to call it ( makes me feel so Dallas like), to keep Steeler from getting out did not work for the reasons I stated above, I went to the $300.00 sonic fencing. Sonic fencing requires no wires, it is a unit that you set up in your home or a shed (with electricity) and this allows the dog a 90 degree radius around the unit. The dog wears a radio collar just as they would with the underground wire system. Steeler respected the sonic collar for a while until the battery ran down which happened way too soon in my opinion, so unless I could remember to keep back up batteries in the home at all times I was back in the same situation in which I started. Also if the electricity went off, the sonic box would not work.

Hmmm, what to do, what to do, what to do? Steeler getting loose was down right dangerous for his health and he was also showing Bentley where the escape holes were! Crazy Bentley is not as street wise as Steeler is, but is always looking for opportunity to go out and romp.

What I finally found success with was the hot wire fencing. This is how my picket fence, being in such deplorable condition, is able to keep my rambunctious dogs in the yard! A hot wire system can be connected to any existing fence you have. I used this fencing years ago when I lived in NY and remember hooking it up here when we first moved in but the original box that I brought to PA with me had since died, or maybe it just needed a fuse but Pete didn’t know so he threw it out! Yes, yes, it is easier just to blame poor Peter who until recently had very little experience with all things mechanical. Heck, I remember when we were without a phone for nearly a week because Peter decided to cut all those pesky wires that were hanging from the basement rafters!

A hot wire is an exposed wire that attaches to existing fencing (or posts) via plastic conductors and is attached to a box which sends electrical current through the wire so when you touch it you get a little shock. The wire and the conductors also act as a visual to the dog, unlike a sonic or buried wire that the dog never sees. When we first hooked it up we all got zapped buy it because while doing lawn work or going to chat with a neighbor over the fence we would get a little too close to the wire that we somehow forgot was there, and ZAP right across the shins! And there were times when I thought it was not working properly because I saw a dog brush up against it and not yelp so I’d ask Peter or the boys to tap it with their fingers and see if it was still working. “Oh SHIT!” I’d hear as they would quickly pull their hand back into the safety of their body and then check to see if their heart was still beating! “Yes, it’s working!” they’d reply and then some expletives would follow that sentence.
What I did not realize at the time was that it was only the dog’s hair that was touching the fence, not an actual body part that would feel a shock! Ooops!

So without hesitation I would recommend a hot wire fence for these simple observations made by myself having tried many different types of fences over the years.

1) When the dog touches the wire once, they never go near it again, (my box has been turned off for months since Steeler touched the wire and he has never attempted to go within two feet of the fencing)
2) There is a visual for the dog to see and remember unlike sonic or underwire fencing and no batteries or radio collar needed.
3) It is easy to install on an already existing fence, the total cost is approximately one hundred and fifty dollars, depending on the size of your yard.
4) You can really screw with the family by having them test the fence for you every now and then! Just kidding, get a fence tester it’s worth the extra ten bucks.

But hey, you know your dog better than anyone so go with what works for you:)

Sonic fence http://www.petmarket.com/petsafe-wireless-fence-p-88.html

Hot wire http://www.farmsupplystore.com/departments/electricfencesupplies?gclid=CMTOuMaR55oCFQ06kgodKFKBCQ

Fencing~ installing a hot wire http://www.gomestic.com/Do-It-Yourself/How-to-Install-an-Electric-Fence.67355

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Goodbye old friend






Dakota South Five
(Cody)
The Loss of My 16 Year Old Friend

Dakota South Five, June 1993 ~ July 24, 2009

Good bye friend,sung by Linda Ronstadt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBHcUv_42zI

At times when I have been out and about with Chance or Steeler visiting the public I will occasionally hear this comment from people: “I love dogs, but I could never own one because I can’t go through all the sadness when they die.”

I never really knew how to respond to that statement as the death of a pet is a very hard and personal thing to go through and each person reacts differently to it. I prefer to grieve privately, not tell anyone but family what happened and when friends do find out I appreciate just a short note of acknowledgement and nothing more as I am not an easy one to talk to about such a subject in person, as the majority of my close friends have experienced. The death of one of my dogs will leave me speechless and blubbering like an idiot for several days or weeks on end.
So to all those well meaning people, a note or nod of the head will do for me and be warned, even a nod can open the floodgates of my heart.

Others though, are helped by talking openly to anyone who will understand their pain and I admire them as they probably get through the loss a bit faster or perhaps a little bit easier as burdens are easier carried when there are others to help lighten the load. There really is no right or wrong way to grieve over the loss of one's pet just as there is no right or wrong way to grieve over the loss of a human companion, but after Cody’s euthanasia on Friday, for some reason the above statement came to mind and now I think I may be better equipped to answer it from a personal standpoint.

"For me, sixteen years of happiness is worth the struggle of a few days or even weeks of pain that you will feel when it is time for your friend to cross over the rainbow bridge."

Dakota South Five, AKA Cody, my Cocker Spaniel, was not as well known as my Newfoundland’s, he did not possess their outwardly charming personality and in fact many did not like him. His fear aggressive personality was a real turnoff to those who met him, but his personality was not his fault. When a person brings home a fear aggressive dog it is their duty to try and change the way the dog views the world. In Cody’s first year he was trained in obedience and he did go out and socialize frequently as we would bring him to our boy's baseball games, take him for walks through town, or rides in the car when we went shopping, but it was not enough, and as the household increased yearly with more dogs, although Cody still went many places, he rarely came in contact with people and very rarely was he in contact with dogs outside the family. He was as much as a socialite as Peter and I are, and that is not saying much since it has been 17 years since our move from NY to PA and we can still count the number of neighbors we know on less than ten fingers!

Some may have known Cody personally and some may have only heard his name mentioned through me or Peter. Depending on which of one of us you talked to would determine if you would like him or if you would head for the hills when he came near you. To me, Cody was always friendly as I was the apple of his eye, his tail always wagged when I walked into a room, and in his youth he would wait by the back gate for me to come home, be it rain, snow, sleet, or hail, and no one could budge him away from that gate with just a call of his name, he waited there unless he was physically picked up and moved. He was a smart dog and was always eager to learn a new trick. He would wave a paw on command and bring me any item that I would ask him to bring, a shoe was a shoe, a slipper a slipper, and a ball was a ball, he knew them all. He enjoyed his car rides, and trips to his Grandparents house when my father was alive, and he liked his stuffed Kong which he still played with until the end of his life. He still got excited when cars pulled into our driveway, excited for the very company he did not know how to handle once face to face with them.

Peter did not quite see Cody in the same light I did, but I understood where he was coming from.


No matter how you remember Cody, he was a great example of a dog that came with baggage. Baggage that he should have had extensive help with to overcome, so as the old saying goes, “Don’t shoot the dog, shoot the owner!”

I still have six wonderful, healthy dogs in my charge all being around the same age, maybe a year or two difference between them, so I suspect that one year I will really be bombarded with the passing of loyal companions and I don’t envy my family, friends, or coworkers when this inevitable process takes place.

For those of you who may need help with your grief there is a great site where you can talk with other owners going through the same thing. You can also register your pet to have a candle lit in their memory. I will be lighting a candle for Cody at 10 PM EST on Monday as well as for the rest of my dogs that have gone before him.

http://www.petloss.com/

An animated story of the Rainbow Bridge
http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html


The story of the Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... Author unknown...

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Gross! Worms crawling out of the dogs skin?


Learn about the very dangerous Cuterebra infestation. Curiosity can kill the cat, or dog in this blog!

We have all heard of the different types of intestinal worms a dog can get and need treatment for, but have you heard of the worm that migrates through the dog’s nose, mouth, or a cut in the skin and burrows under the skin? This larva, through migration, makes a cyst on the body with a perfect round hole in the center of it for breathing where you can see its head and you may see a little pus as well. This worm is called the cuterebra worm and is found where large flies infest the dens of rodents, squirrels, rabbits and other wildlife. The well cared for dog gets infected when he comes upon a nest of baby wildlife where the cuterebra larvae have infested. Most of the larvae holes can be found on the head and neck of the dog and some of the larvae makes its way to the eye, eyelids, or to the brain causing nervous system abnormalities. Here’s the kicker, if you see such a worm in your dog’s skin DO NOT try to take it out yourself as this can be very dangerous if the worm breaks in half. The worm must be taken out whole without breaking or squishing. Your vet may need to widen the hole around the worm to take it out as it can be up to ½ inch in length. Your dog may also need antibiotics for a secondary infection.
So if your pooch is a frequent curious investigator of wildlife, give him a good checking over, especially around the head and neck. Any little lump should be carefully examined.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=11+1290&aid=3000

Who? What? Where?


Canine Cognitive Dysfunction,

My last post regarding giving your dog bones preempted a post on Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) which another trainer/ evaluator and good friend wanted to see written about because it is a progression of the mind that is so subtle that owners may not realize what it is until more symptoms are brought to the surface.

These subtle signs of Cognitive Dysfunction may at first go unnoticed by the owner and it is only because of my job that I was able to recognize some of these symptoms in my own 16 year old cocker spaniel. Senior dogs are bound to suffer from greater diseases both physically and mentally. Physical symptoms can usually be seen easy enough, arthritis, hip dysplasia, weight loss, bad teeth, etc. but when it comes to the mind, symptoms may not be seen so easily upon first glance or they may be viewed by the family as a ‘new’ bad habit rather than what they really are, so take note of how your senior dog is behaving and report it to your vet.

If you ever found your senior dog wandering as if lost, standing and staring into corners, forgetting which is the proper side of the door to go in and out through, starting to sleep more through the day but awake and wandering during the night, and having accidents inside, yet when put outside to eliminate he or she forgets what they went out there to do, then it’s time to look seriously at mental awareness issues. In some cases, you may also see the interaction with family members change from loving to distant.

I must admit my Cocker Spaniel Cody was a mean son of gun from the time he turned a year old, and many in my family and yes even some of my friends, referred to him as the devil dog. Cody liked who he liked and went after the rest who bothered him be it animal or human! He could clear a room full of Newfoundland’s with a growl and sneer of his teeth. He once went after Peter because Peter continued, (even after many warning growls) to pay attention to him after eight o’clock at night when Cody was used to being in bed for the evening.
Cody’s annual vet visits were always a bit of a chore for me as he had to be muzzled and from the minute the vet tech walked through the door with her happy greeting of “Hi Cody, how are you today?” she was met with a frantic tail wag and a fierce growl (Tail wagging is not always a sign of a happy dog). Thankfully my vet was not turned off by this behavior and continued to treat him year after year!

One day I noticed Cody standing in the yard as if lost, granted even though he is missing one eye, is blind in the other, and he is deaf, ( I should have named him Lucky!) he still manages to get around by following behind my other dogs through his perfect sense of smell. I swear if I opened the door and held out a biscuit he could find me in 10 seconds flat!
But lately he began to look a little more lost than usual and his constant barking all night long when put to bed for the evening is more then enough reason for Peter to become even more disgusted with him. The barking at night doesn’t bother me much because I have bad hearing anyway so I just roll over on my good ear and sleep like a baby.

However, at a particular time when the holidays were fast approaching and my in-laws were coming from NY to spend a few nights, which meant bodies sleeping in every room of the house, I could not have Cody barking all night long. So, I headed off to the vet with Cody in tow to describe my dilemma.

Once called into the exam room, the vet tech tossed me a muzzle which I promptly put on Cody and I gave her the needed information for Cody’s chart. The door opened, the vet walked in and gave a wonderful holiday greeting and Cody seemed genuinely happy to see her! His tail was wagging full force as normal only he was happy and whining with delight as the vet approached his side! I was shocked to say the least as I said to the vet, “I think he has forgotten that he doesn’t like you!”

Okay, long story short, Cody was sent home with meds to help him relax and sleep through the night, but it was not medication for cognitive dysfunction, it was only calming meds to change the behavior.

A few days before my company was to arrive I decided to try the meds out (and very thankfully so) to make sure Cody would sleep through the night, so at 9 PM I promptly stuffed the pill into a small piece of hot dog, gave it to Cody and put him into his crate. At 9:10 PM I heard arf, arf, arf, arf, arf, and still at 9:30 PM, I heard arf, arf, arf, arf. I listened to it for another hour before turning over on my good ear and falling asleep. Needless to say, the next day I went in search of a boarding facility that still had room at the inn! Three days before the holiday and not having much luck I began to think of Mary and Joseph being turned away at every door they knocked on. By this time, I was willing to leave Cody in anyone’s barn of hay for the night! Finally with luck on my side, the last place I called had room. Whew!

So, if you are noticing any subtle changes that you are putting off as old age quirks or annoying ‘new’ bad habits, start adding them up, check the oddities I have mentioned in this post and for more information check out the sites below on Cognitive Dysfunction.

Selegiline (Anipryl) is the first and only drug approved by the FDA to help with CDS. It can be prescribed by your Veterinarian, but as with any medication there are side effects so discuss them with your vet.


For now, as far as Cody is concerned, for some reason he has started sleeping through the night and now barks all day! Peter said that the other day when he was mowing the lawn he saw Cody sitting among the wild rabbits that visit our yard on a daily basis and Cody had no idea they were there beside him!

Ah, aging is not easy for any species and I think God blesses us when he allows us to forget some occurrences in our lives. I mean, come on, do I really want to remember the time I did a half naked table dance when I was in my 20’s? I think not!

Cognitive dysfunction
http://www.swiftwaterfarms.com/swiftwater/p22CanineCognitiveDysfunction.htm

http://www.cdsindogs.com/CDSInDogs.aspx?drug=CC&country=US&species=OO&sec=300

Selegiline information: side effects and precautions.
http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/selegiline-hcl-anipryl/page1.aspx

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I've got a bone to pick..



I’ve got a bone to pick…In memory of Maxi

Recently I was wondering what my next subject would be and so I asked a trainer/evaluator that I work with for suggestions and she said she would like to see something on Cognitive Dysfunction in senior dogs. I will touch on that soon enough, but in the mean time something else came to the forefront for me. A friend’s dog recently had some messy accidents inside the home and when asked what she thought caused this, she mentioned that a family member had given the dog a bone and that the dog always had problems after eating one.

So what is the benefit when it comes to giving a dog a bone? And do the benefits outweigh the risks? Many people will reconcile to the fact that wild dogs have been eating bones to survive for years without problems, or, that they have been giving their own dogs bones for years and nothing has ever happened, so for those of you with that view in mind, please read on. Here’s a little story and once read, it will be a bone for you to ‘chew on’ in deciding what you want to your dog to eat.

Back in the late 80’s early 90’s I had a wonderful dog named Maxi. Maxi was about the fifth in the line of dogs that I owned over the years. She was a Chow /Lab mix and she had made the move from New York to Pennsylvania with me some 16 years ago. Once in PA, one of our new neighbors was raving about how much her dogs liked butcher bones. So we thought it would be a nice treat and found in a local flea market, a butcher who sold these bones. They were gigantic, like non I had ever seen before and true enough my dogs loved them, and true enough they got a little diarrhea for a day or two after eating one. A small price to pay I thought, for something they enjoyed so much. After all a little Pepto Bismol or canned pumpkin would help with the diarrhea.

My dogs had been eating theses bones about once a month for almost a year and one day I found Maxi, who was seven years old and in great shape at the time, standing at the front door seemingly wanting to come in. When I opened the door she walked through very gingerly and did not seem to recognize her surroundings as she stood in the middle of the room. Once I saw her face I knew something was terribly wrong. I yelled for Peter who came running at the terrified shriek in my voice. Maxi just stood there, staring into space, not looking at me, not recognizing her name, and not recognizing our voice as we softly spoke to her. We rushed her to the vet at once. Her eyes were blank and her gums pale as the Vet examined her then walked her to the back room where we were to leave her for the night. An IV for fluids was attached to her leg and she lay sadly inside the crate. At this point there were no answers for her illness. The next day after work I called to see how her night had gone and the Vet said she seemed to be doing better with the fluids attached and that she took a little interest in food so maybe the worst was over.

“Can we visit her?” I asked.
“Yeah sure!” he said. “That would be a good idea, maybe she’ll pick up a little more with a visit.”
That night when Peter came home we loaded up Shasta, our Belgian Sheepdog, as Shasta was Maxi’s best pal, almost like her momma, and we all headed to the vet office.

Maxie was lying in the crate and she wagged her tail when she saw us. We sat on the floor, opened the crate and let her out so she and Shasta could see each other and so that we could comfort her while being in this strange environment with all of the needles and tubes sticking in her body. This was the most responsive she had been since we brought her in and we were glad to see her that way. We made it a point to visit again the next day as well and it seemed she was doing better, enough so that possibly we could soon bring her home.
On the third day I was really looking forward to making a quick morning visit with her before work and bringing her home with me by the afternoon. I fixed up her bed and laid her favorite toys nearby as well as a bowl of water so she would not have to move around too much. I anxiously awaited the arrival of eight a.m. which was when the vet’s office would open. The very second the minute hand struck 8 a.m. I promptly dialed the phone.

“Hello?” The receptionist said.
“Hi, this is Sally.” I said a little excited. “I was hoping to visit with Maxi before work and really hoping I could take her home today?”
“Hold on Sally, I’ll get the Doctor.” She said.
Less then a minute later I heard, “Hi Sally?”
“Yes doctor.” I said. “I’m calling about Maxi.”
“I was just about to call you.” He said, his voice quite grim and not as enthusiastic as I had hoped.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as my heart started to rise up my chest to the bottom of my throat.
“Sally, he said, I’m very sorry. When we came in this morning Maxi had pulled out her IV. I’m afraid she did not make it through the night.”

Oh, God! I thought. This can’t be happening! And with that, my heart now raw with agony and grief, made its way up my chest to the top of my throat until it burned, my ducts overflowed their boundaries sending tears streaming down my face, and I found myself silent, without a voice.

“Sally?” The vet asked after a few seconds. “I’m really sorry; do you want us to handle things on this end?”
And in a barely audible noise that I thought would never come out I heard myself say, “Yeah.” And when I hung up the phone I realized that this was the end of my day as I knew it.

Maxi’s death hit me so hard because she represented life to me. She was purchased after a long drawn out illness of my Aunt had ended for the better. It was Christmas Eve and my recent depression over my Aunt for those many weeks left the Peter’s stocking barren. When I received a phone call that my Aunt had pulled through and things were looking up, I grabbed Jason who was about six at the time and we went looking for last minute stocking stuffer's to put in Peter’s stocking. We came home with only one, Maxi.

Her death hit me so that I could not even receive phone calls from well meaning friends who just wanted to ease my pain. Friends who had known and come to love Maxi as much as I had. Friends who still remember Maxi to this day as being among one of their most favorite dogs I owned.

A necropsy was performed and it was found that there was a puncture to Maxi’s intestinal tract and I am 100 percent sure that the only sharp item Maxi had access to that could have caused such a puncture, was a piece of bone. The very bone that I had given her to enjoy.

So, to the statements that I hear over and over again from people who send me their questions daily and who profess… “That their dogs have been eating bones for years and they have never had any problems.”
My response would be, “Please consider yourself very lucky and stop that practice before something does happen.”

To those who argue that, “Dogs in the wild eat bones all the time to live.”My response would be, “How do you know how long a dog in the wild lives or what eventually kills it?”
I am not going to debate third parties that feed raw diets as that is their choice to do so and the debate has gone on long enough. A choice, your choice, is the only one your dog can live by.

I am going to direct you to sites regarding the dangers of bones as not only can they puncture the intestines causing poison to go through the body, but they can also cause an obstruction of the bowel which is a costly operation to fix.



As far as the argument about bones cleaning a dogs teeth, well, for cleaner teeth and to prevent dental disease, brush your dog’s teeth daily (using only dog toothpaste). For the chewing needs of a puppy buy indestructible toys such as a Kong and fill it with cream cheese or peanut butter, then freeze it, as that can help gums that are feeling sore.

Dangers of bones
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/the-dangers-of-bones/page1.aspx

Obstruction
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/gastrointestinal-foreign-body-in-dogs/page1.aspx

Greenies WARNING, graphic pictures
http://improvehomelife.com/greenies.html

Friday, July 10, 2009

Why use one training method when dogs are as individual as you and I?

Growing up I remember seeing my neighbor training his hunting Labs using the popular and possibly at that time the only method of dog training known as choke training. This is basically giving the dog a command, and if the dog responds appropriately great, give praise, if not, a quick jerk on the choker is given so that the choker tightens on the dog’s neck causing discomfort. The premise being that the dog will not want to feel that jerk on the neck again so the next time the command is given the dog will listen.

Does it work? Well most certainly it does for many dogs when done correctly, however some dogs are very resistant to it and some even become fearful of it. My Newfoundland Chance was a good example of being fearful of it and his father Bentley was a good example of being resistant to it. So it makes me wonder why some trainers are still locked into that one method of training only, especially given the importance we are putting on our dogs in today’s world. We treat them like members of the family, take them on vacations and buy them everything from luxurious beds to clothing!


I was recently asked to test an already trained Search and Rescue (S&R) dog for Therapy dog work. One would think that a trained Search and Rescue dog would pass a therapy dog test without any problem, wouldn’t one? After all, a S & R dog must be great with commands in order to perform such a job.

I am not in the S&R business of training so I must admit I know very little about it other than what I have seen on Animal Planet. However, I do have a knack for picking up things in a dog’s mind or at the very least; I position my own mind to think about what a particular problem would be for a dog in a certain situation.

For instance, my dogs can be sleeping on a crowded floor while Peter and I are settled in for a good movie, and all of a sudden one dog will pick up its head and start barking seemingly at nothing. This act gets Peter a little pissed off as he is missing a portion of his movie with all the noise, so he will angrily tell the dog to shut up. I on the other hand, want to figure out why the barking is occurring in the first place.

Usually in these instances the barking is used as a distraction. The barking dog wants a drink of water, but another dog is sleeping too near the water dish and the barking dog is worried that passing the sleeping dog is an invasion of the sleeping dog’s space and could warrant a bad reaction. So the dog barks to wake or alert the sleeping dog, then waits for the sleeping dog to get up and go see what all the commotion is about. At that time it is considered safe for the barking dog to move toward the water dish. Seems simple enough to me, but to Peter, it’s a nuisance, so he just ends up yelling at everyone! If I can catch the barker right off the bat I will body block the sleeping dog thereby making a safe passage to the water dish so the dog can get water without invading the others space and everyone is happy!J Well possibly with the exception of Peter who now has to rewind the movie a bit!

So, to get back to the Search and Rescue dog, it was my understanding that this dog had been training in obedience class for a number of weeks in order to take the therapy dog test. The particular training in this class was based on the tug and jerk of the collar as I described above.

As I was ready to begin my testing, the owner asked if she could take the test with the dog off lead. On a therapy visit however the dog needs to be on a buckle collar and on a lead at all times unless there is a special demonstration going on. So I explained to the owner that the dog must be on a lead for safety issues. As the test progressed I could see that the dog was getting increasingly nervous with certain aspects of the test. ‘Heeling’ was a big problem for the dog as she was constantly pulling on the end of the leash, ‘leave it’ was another problem, as was the ‘come’ command which was interrupted with a stop and sniff of the ground by the dog in the middle of returning to its owner. When I approached the dog with medical equipment or a loud voice the dog cowered and backed away from me and its legs were actually shaking. This very act could very quickly turn into something ugly if the offending person did not know enough to walk away from the dog.

So I had to ask myself, how could a dog that was so well trained in Search and Rescue have such difficulty with a therapy dog test?

Well, I believe the answer lied in the way the dog was suddenly being trained. I started to ask the owner a few questions about the dog’s work in Search and Rescue. The dog is usually not on lead being asked to stay by the owners side during a search, hence the problem with the heel command, the dog is used to picking up scents and stopping, hence the problem with the come command and the dog is used to following the scents of what it is searching for, hence the problem with the leave it command when I showed the dog a treat and then tossed it on the ground. As to the fear the dog was displaying, I thought maybe it was because of the medical equipment, but the owner assured me that the dog has gone on visits to a nursing home and had never displayed fear of the equipment before. As well, during the last part of the test where the owner is required to leave the dog with me and walk out of site for three minutes, the dog sat nicely and was quiet, but his body was shaking every now and then.

Now granted I know I sometimes put out a persona that is a bit authoritative, as seen in my preschool kids when after five minutes of me working in their room they are asking when their mommies will be picking them up, but I was nothing but gentle in my interactions with this pup, so it was a bit hard to understand.

I must admit, I really gave pause to this one, so I asked the owner which was more important, to continue Search and Rescue or do therapy dog work. The owner’s reply was that the dog be able to do both, but mostly, do therapy dog work.


After a little more thought and conversation with the owner it dawned on me that a dog training for search purposes is not generally given a correction by a leash for ‘not getting something right’, but rather they are given praise and reward for ‘getting it right’. The more they get it right the bigger the fuss that is made over them.

As the dog, I imagined how it would feel to be praised and rewarded for every little thing I did right with no reprimands, even though it may have taken me many baby steps to get where my owner wanted me to be. Now, all of a sudden my owner is asking me to do things I used to be rewarded for but instead I am now getting a form of punishment for doing them.

.

Okay, I thought, so how do we make this work without confusing the poor dog?

Looking at this beautiful creature, I was able to come up with a plan, but would it work? I had asked the owner to try clicker training with the dog at home rather than the training she was currently doing with the class. Clicker training is based on reward for the behavior you want to see, and for the behaviors you don’t want to see you ignore the dog. Also, having been made aware that the dog knows and is ready to Search as soon as her search vest is put on, I suggested that each time the owner trains the dog for therapy that they use a leash and put a bandana on the dog so she can differentiate between the two jobs.

It has been a couple of days since I had given the test to this beautiful, intelligent and loving dog and I have recently heard from the owner. She wrote to thank me for taking the time to explain what I thought was going on and to tell me that this once very agile search and rescue dog who worked with all her heart and might, had hurt her hip badly enough to possibly end her career in S&R. Due to the dogs love of people, the owner wanted to keep her active in some capacity so she chose therapy dog work.

The owner further told me she had made the dog a bow from an old piece of satin material and places it on the dog’s neck before taking her on a walk. The dog has already picked up on that cue and now looks forward to her walk once the bow is placed on her neck. Furthermore, the owner intends to get a clicker and start training commands in that manner.

I have asked the owner to keep me updated on the dog’s progress and I hope she will do so. But even if she does not, I could tell by her letter that her intentions are to work with the dog until the dog passes the therapy dog test and for that I have to commend her.

This is why I say, as a person who has trained and owned several different dogs and breeds for quite some time, not every dog responds to one method of training and it is important to see each dog as an individual.

For more information on how to clicker train please visit the site below
http://www.clickerlessons.com/

Monday, July 6, 2009

Just a look at the family

It amazes me how this biological family of dogs treat each other in the same manner as the human family. Mother and daughter have their squabbles but hate to be separated from each other. Chance is a real Mama's boy who can do nothing wrong, and Emma is a Daddy's girl. Since Steelers return to us some three years ago he is still somewhat an outsider, the adopted child syndrome, although Emma tries with all her might to play with him, I don't think he knows how. Hopefully some day he will learn without pissing everyone off!


Mom Abby & daughter Emma



Dad Bentley and his boys, Steeler on the left and Chance on the right. Too many dogs, not enough house!

Comfy Cone 2 & Casey


Comfy Cone part 2

This is a follow up on the comfy cone that I had put on Chance a few weeks ago because of his hot spots. After a two and a half week period of a fairly heavy workout with my Newfoundland Chance, the Comfy Cone held up through torrential downpours, gigantic mud puddles and forceful head butts into door jambs. Occasionally it needed a 'flip back' into shape from me, meaning that Chance had flipped it so that it was laying on his back rather than it being over his face. For the most part I was satisfied with the Comfy cone as it held up much longer than a standard Elizabethan collar and did not need to be duct tapped back together on a daily basis like I would have to do with the plastic type collar.

I then tested it on Casey, my Golden Retriever, a more run of the mill breed that you might find in your everyday household. His weight is about 110 lbs, not quite as big as Chance and not quite the same force behind the head butting. Casey is also a bit more agile than Chance is. Don’t fret Casey is perfectly fine, I just wanted to see how he was able to move with the comfy cone on, or in this case, torture him a bit, and as you can see by viewing the attached video, he did a pretty good job. Upon first putting it on, Casey was a bit hesitant to move very far, which is normal with any type of Elizabethan collar, but it did not take very long for him to get moving and learn how to navigate his way around without much trouble at all. However, once I took it off of him he was just as happy to carry it around the house rather than wear it! When I asked him if he wanted me to put it back on him, he dropped it and headed for the door! Hmm, I wonder if he understood what I was asking!

The size of the Comfy Cone was for an extra large dog, but it still fit Casey’s neck just fine on the first strip of Velcro out of three strips sewn inside for sizing. I’d still give this a one paw up and one down for a dog of Chance’s size and strength, but Casey had no real problems with it. So for a normal sized dog it would get a two paws up. I found it to be worth the money and because of Casey’s shorter hair I did not have the same problem with the Velcro attaching to his fur as I did with Chance.

If clicking on the 'Comfy cone 2 & Casey' title above Casey's picture does not open the video, you may have to copy and paste the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ44tXuh4Rg

comfy cone part two Casey


Comfy Cone part 2

This is a follow up on the comfy cone that I had put on Chance a few weeks ago because of his hot spots. After a two and a half week period of a fairly heavy workout with my Newfoundland Chance, the Comfy Cone held up through torrential downpours, gigantic mud puddles and the forceful head butts into door frames. Occasionally it needed a flip back into shape from me, meaning that Chance had flipped it so that it was laying on his back rather than it being over his face. For the most part I was satisfied as it held up much longer than a standard Elizabethan collar and did not need to be duct tapped back together on a daily basis like I would have to do with the plastic type collar.

I then tested it on Casey, my Golden Retriever, a more run of the mill breed that you might find in your everyday household. His weight is about 110 lbs, not quite as big as Chance and not quite the same force behind the head butting. Casey is also a bit more agile than Chance is. Don’t fret Casey is perfectly fine, I just wanted to see how he was able to move with the comfy cone on and as you can see by viewing the attached video, he did a pretty good job. Upon first putting it on Casey was a bit hesitant to move very far, which is normal with any type of Elizabethan collar, but it did not take very long for him to get moving and learn how to navigate his way around without much trouble at all. However, once I took it off of him he was just as happy to carry it around the house rather than wear it! When I asked him if he wanted me to put it back on, he dropped it and headed for the door! Hmm, I wonder if he could understand what I was asking!

The size of the Comfy Cone was for an extra large dog, but it still fit Casey’s neck just fine on the first out of three sets of Velcro straps. I’d still give this a one paw up and one down for a dog of Chance’s size and strength, but Casey had no real problems with it. So for a normal sized dog it would get a two paws up. I found it to be worth the money and because of Casey’s shorter hair I did not have the same problem with the Velcro attaching to his fur as I did with Chance.

I'd try it on Cody, but he's a cocker spaniel and it would probably cover his whole body!
movie of the comfy cone

Sunday, July 5, 2009

the big box on the side

Wondering what the big box on the side of my posts are? Well if you are home on a Sunday and little Fido is puking and you need to know when or if it is time to take him to the expensive ER vet, or try some home remedy, just type your question into the Just answer box and someone will help you for a small fee which is put on your charge card. Training and behavior tips are also available . Other catagories for humans are health , legal, computer, auto, plumbing, homework, home improvement and the list goes on. You set the fee, (usually 9-15 dollars) and are only charged if you accept the answer.
http://www.justanswer.com/

What's in your wallet?


What’s in your wallet?

Sound familiar? I’m sure everyone has seen the Capital One credit card ad on TV that asks that very pertinent and personal question, "what's in your wallet?" and if you own pets, it’s even more of a pertinent question then you may realize, but not coming from Capital One, they just want your money!

Picture yourself out for a Sunday drive, the top is down on the convertible, the wind is blowing through your hair, and you’re chillin’ to some sixties tunes playing on the radio. You’re driving down a peaceful tree lined country street, the Beatles are singing ‘come together' in the background when suddenly some idiot talking on the cell phone runs through a stop sign and T-bones your car! Yikes, a very horrid thought, but relax it’s just a story and you’re not hurt bad enough that it warrants a morgue pick up, but hurt enough that you may not be communicative and have to be taken to a hospital.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, you have five dogs and six cats living with you, (so you’re a bit nuts) and some are ill and require meds. You are unable to communicate this to the first responders who arrive on scene, but those responders are probably going through your wallet to see who you are so they can contact the next of kin, if there are any.

Humm, you’re kind of a loner with no next of kin, or, even more likely, your next of kin absolutely hate you because you didn’t invite dirty minded little Johnny to the family picnic. Who will take care of your animals while you’re in this condition? Who will even know you have animals? So, I have to ask the question again, “What’s in your wallet?”

I have to admit, having been a pet owner for most of my life, this is something I never even gave a thought to until I started volunteering with the State Animal Response Team (SART) and started making up those little wallet cards for the public. Now a days, pets are so much a part of our family and are treated as such that knowing you have provided information for their care is one less thing you have to worry about should the worst happen to you.

Having such information in your wallet is just as valuable as a your own identification as it lets responders know you have pets waiting for you at home and will need someone to check on them. If you don’t have access to such a card you should still put something similar in your wallet even if it is hand written. It should state your name & address, your vet’s name & phone number, the type of pet or pets you own, as well as a contact person (or two) with a phone number.

At home, you should have a little note on your fridge where you keep all the animal’s medications together in a basket or baggie in a cupboard. There should be a note with instructions or at least put the vet’s telephone number in with the medication so your contact person can call and get instructions. Sometimes meds such as flea meds or heartworm meds don’t have a vet number on them, especially if you get them online from Canada at a cheaper price. Any special instructions on your pets should also be included. Maybe you have an animal that needs to eat separate from others, or you have a dog that is fearful of people. Any information about each animal will be helpful to a caretaker.

So, check out the wallet card at the top of this post that I make up for the Columbia / Montour SART events and make a copy if you would like ‘cuz while idiots talking on cell phones come and go, hopefully our pets will be with us forever.

Happy Traveling! :)

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Celebrating occassions, but at whose expense?



Recently I had a quiet celebration for 30 years of marital bliss and I bet you’re wondering what my being married for 30 years has to do with dogs. I am not particularly big on what many people consider special occasions, I like them, but I don’t always go nuts about them. I think occasions that are worth all the hoopla we give should be the ‘actual’ day you were born, which doesn’t mean celebrating your ‘birthday’ big time for the next 90 years, unless you make it to a 100, now that’s deserving of a good celebration. I mean the actual day of your birth deserves celebration, one you’ll obviously forget, but your family will remember. The day of your wedding is worth a big bash, providing it’s not shotgun, and the day you die is worth a giant celebratory party for putting up with all the BS life threw at you while you were here on earth. (By the way, for my death celebration I want the party to begin with the song “Mony, Mony” and end with “Who let the dogs out!”)
Occasions that come and go year after year, not such a big deal for me, if you miss celebrating one year, more than likely you’ll catch up on it the next, if not, so what? If you are happy in marriage after thirty years you really don’t need big celebrations and props such as flowers to make it last another thirty. Well, enough of my philosophy, let’s talk dog and why my anniversary reminded me of the following subject.

My 30th wedding anniversary kind of snuck up on me this year because of my flawed short term memory! But there are particular anniversaries that I do remember well. My 25th anniversary is remembered because Peter surprised me with a trip to the Bahamas, now that was worth remembering, but I also remember my 17th anniversary because I surprised Pete with a St. Bernard puppy. I remember Pete’s face as he came around the garage and saw the puppy through the fence for the first time. The way he bent down to greet him and then scooped him up in his arms. The pup had a lot of puppy kisses to give and another thing he had was a bunny hop, the dreaded bunny hop. (What did I do? I thought. Maybe he’ll grow out of it.) A bunny hop for those of you who don’t know, is when the dog moves the back legs at the same time rather than alternate them as he is running, it’s a good indication that there may be hip problems, mainly hip dysplasia which can be debilitating to a dog. How could I have been so stupid as to have purchased a dog from a pet store!

Pete and I had gone into that pet store a week prior to buy some treats and toys for our brood at home when we came upon the St Bernard pups.
“Don’t look!” I said to Peter.
“I’m trying not to.” He replied.
Then the pups started to cry. “Ahh.” we said in unison, and we looked!
“Damn, we almost made it!”

We instantly fell in love but we did have the good sense to walk away that day knowing that pet store pups come from puppy mills. It does not matter that they have an AKC registration which can be easily acquired as long as you have two parents that are AKC registered. Once you have registered parents then you can register their litters and then the inbreeding starts, years and years of inbreeding, the money rolls in for the puppy mill owner from the sale of the pups, and the pups get little to no care or contact with people until they are sold to unsuspecting families.

We both knew better and had the sense to walk out of the store that day with only dog treats and toys, but as the days passed we both spoke of the dreams we were having nightly of that little St Bernard puppy in the store. So with our anniversary coming up, I went back to the store and bought that puppy who later we so fondly named Forrest Gump. Gump for short.

While at the time I certainly did regret that I contributed to such a horrible money making outfit, regretted that such a purchase keeps puppy mills in business, and regretted that the pup, like most puppy mill pups, will probably suffer ailments all of its life, I tried to boost myself up from doing this dastardly deed by telling myself that if someone else bought him , someone who did not have much money for vet care or had no knowledge of the breed, then the pup may be banned to a life outside in the cold elements and his care may go by the way side. After all, I had witnessed many people buy giant breed dogs which are cute when they are little , but once they grow up and become to hard to manage, their whole life as it pertains to the family can suddenly change. No longer are they taken for walks or car rides, no longer are they kept inside the home with the family, but they become banned to outside life, sometimes chained to a dog house.

I knew in my heart how I have always treated my dogs and although Gump did turn out to be a deformed dog, he would remain inside with the family and be given the love and care he deserved.

Gump was indeed a dog that you would remember after meeting him. His giant size, his humped camel shaped back, the beautiful mask on his face, and his personality which tugged at each and every person’s heart that he met, only made you love him more.
If you were a visitor in my home and took a seat on my couch, Gump would have a seat next to you, his hind legs on the couch and his front legs on the floor. He was gentle and kind and a loveable lug on four legs.

Gump’s life was taken at the tender age of five by bone cancer, a victim of being a puppy mill puppy, but he is well remembered by us and hopefully we gave him the best life possible. I envision him now running full force in heaven , something he could not do here on earth.

So there it is, my anniversary memory, a life given and taken away, and hopefully a warning to everyone about where that cute little puppy in the pet store, that you probably paid a pretty penny for, likely came from. Below you will find sites on puppy mills and I will warn you that they are graphic, but they are real and a part of our life.

Puppy mill video-
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4402397117648558573&ei=NPVLStC_G5n2qALpncCXBA&q=puppy+mill

Inside a puppy mill
http://www.examiner.com/x-2980-Minneapolis-Animal-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d11-Help-Minnesota-take-a-stand-against-puppy-mills

Pet store double talk.
http://www.stoppuppymills.org/pet_store_doublespeak.html