BlogForPups

1. They go to the bathroom outside, not inside the house.

Whether you’re house-training a new puppy, or managing “accidents” with an older dog, routinely taking your dog for a walk is still the best way to keep the mess outside.  Going for a walk can stimulate a dog’s body to “go to the bathroom” when you need him to.

2. It improves their social skills.

How would you feel if you were cooped up in the house all day, every day?  Your dog needs to be exposed to everything outside your home: nature, people, other dogs, traffic, whatever!  The more your dog is exposed to the world, the less likely they are to act out of fear or have unreasonable phobias.

3. It’s a chance for you to reinforce your role as their master.

Does your dog follow your commands, or does he/she dominate everyone in the household?  If you’ve got a dominant dog, chances are  you need to work on establishing your role as the “pack leader”.  Over thousands of years dogs have survived in packs with a hierarchy: there are leaders and there are followers.  If dogs don’t have anyone to “follow” they will naturally take the more superior role and will tend to get into all sorts of mischief or disagreeable behavior.  You, as their master, can easily practice leadership behavior by learning how to properly walk your dog on a leash.  With your shoulders, arms, and hands relaxed, lead your dog with confidence.  Do not let them pull you, keep the leash short and make them stay by your side at all times.  Ignore distractions and your dog will quickly pick up on this and follow.

4. Your dog burns calories, and so do you!

Have you ever heard the saying, “If your dog’s overweight, then you’re not getting enough exercise”?  It’s so true!  The benefits of daily exercise are priceless–for you and your dog.  Walking not only burns calories, but promotes positive mood and general health.  Combined with proper diet and nutrition, daily walks can help you find a balanced, healthy lifestyle–which is also the key to a long, happy life!  So, get your dog and get your butts out there!

5. It makes them happy, which makes you happy.

Unless you have a super lazy or laid back dog, most likely your canine friend gets über excited when you pull out the leash.  Can’t you just imagine them thinking, “Outside??  OMG, it’s so much fun going outside!!! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s goooooo!”  What dog owner can resist that joyous feeling of seeing your dog get super excited for something?  I can only imagine the things they enjoy about going on their walks…is it the smells, the sounds, the people and other dogs they see?  Is it the sunshine, the air, or just the pleasure of moving?  Whatever it is, going on walks makes your dog happy, and you reap the rewards as well.

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Is your dog always anxious or high-strung?  Chances are, you are, too.  When dogs misbehave, many dog owners can get easily frustrated and show tense behavior (clenched teeth or fists, speaking loudly or yelling, quicker and shallow breathing).  Believe it or not these types of body language translate into anxiety, and excitement can also be a very contagious emotion in dogs.  Anxious or excited pups can  show fearful or aggressive behavior.  The good news is, calm energy is also contagious, and learning how to stay relaxed can highly influence the training and managing of your dog’s emotional state.

When your dog is feeling anxious or excited, the first step is for you to  take a look at your own emotional condition.  If you feel excited, tense, angry, or frustrated, try to calm yourself down.  Things you can do:

• Breathe slowly.
• Loosen up your muscles (relax your posture, stretch your arms, legs, and neck).
• Speak quietly and in a low voice when addressing your dog.
• Yawning can also signal to your dog that you are calm or even bored.
• When your dog has gone from an excited state to a calm state, show affection to reinforce this.

Barking:

Dogs bark.  It’s what they do.  But most barking are caused by excitement.  Your dog may be alerting you to a potential danger, or is barking to attempt to drive it away.  Dogs can bark out of fear because they are insecure.  You, the master, need to show them you are calm, that there is no danger, and that being quiet will get them rewards.  Here is a good article on the “Quiet” Command to get your dog to stop barking.

Jumping:

Does your dog get super excited when you walk in the door?  Does he or she constantly jump on you when they want something?  Jumping is considered aggressive behavior and should not be tolerated.  Chances are, every time your dog has jumped on you, you have responded in some way (talking, petting them or giving them treats).  This only reinforces the behavior.  To stop your dog from jumping on people, you need to ignore the behavior.  Do not talk, do not touch, do not make eye contact.  This is especially important when you first come home after a long day at work.  It’s very hard not to get excited when you are so happy to see your dog, and they are absolutely jumping for joy that you are home, but, you need to stay calm!  I guarantee after just a few days of doing this, your dog will stop jumping on you.  Stay calm and ignore the behavior, and your dog will eventually realize that jumping does not result in any response from you.

Pacing, Shallow Breathing, Salivating, Pulling on the Leash:

These are obvious signs your dog is feeling nervous, anxious, or excited.  These types of behavior can sometimes lead to aggression, so paying attention to them can nip potentially dangerous situations in the bud.  If your dog has bitten someone before, chances are they did one or all these things before it escalated to that event.  You, as the master, must not forget at all times that your dog is an animal and you need to pay attention to his body language.  Immediate correction of the behavior by being calm and leading your dog away from a tense situation is the best way to get your dog in a relaxed state.  Ask them to come to you, to sit and/or lay down, and give them as long as they need to relax.  You may need to get them to stop paying attention to whatever it was that was causing the excitement (A neighbor walking by? The garbage truck making noises outside? Another dog barking?) so they can focus on you and your calm energy.  Once they have stopped being excited, show affection.  This will tell your dog that being relaxed equals getting love and affection from his master.

There are countless situations where a dog and his owner can be anxious and excited.  Learning to pay attention to your and your dog’s body language can immediately get you to relax and stay calm.  As a dog owner, learn how to not show frustration by staying calm and being patient when training your dog.  Keeping your pup from being anxious or excited can prevent aggressive behavior and make your dog a happy, balanced dog.

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Did you know that close to half of pets over 10 years old die of cancer?  Every responsible owner should keep a close eye on their furry friend for early warning signs of this disease that affect many humans as well.

In addition to taking your dog to the vet for annual checkups, always check for the following:

• A growing lump or sore that doesn’t heal
• Discharge or bleeding from any body opening
• Weight loss despite normal appetite and activity
• Chronic vomiting or diarrhea
• Going more than a day or two without eating
• Demonstrating an unusually excessive appetite
• Over-consumption of water, followed by frequent urination
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing
• Any unusually bad smell coming from your pup
• Tiring easily and unwillingness to exercise
• Swollen lymph nodes (most easy detected behind the jaw or knee)
• Swollen belly
• Dry coughing (in older pets, this is the most common sign of lung cancer)
• Lameness (especially in large breeds, this may be a sign of bone cancer)
• Difficulty and blood with urinating
• Oral odor, change in food preference or chewing habits (may be caused by an oral tumor)

Any or a combination of these signs should prompt you to visit your veterinarian.

Sources:

VPI Pet Insurance Health Zone

Animal Cancer Foundation

In the News: FDA Approves First Canine Cancer Drug

Pfizer Animal Health estimates 1.2 million families have pets diagnosed with cancer each year.  Fortunately, we live in a an era of advanced veterinary medicine.  In June 2009 the U.S. Federal Drug Administration approved the very first cancer drug specifically designed to treat dogs. The drug is called Palladia and starting in 2010 it may offer some canine cancer patients another chance at life.

“This cancer drug approval for dogs is an important step forward for veterinary medicine,” Bernadette Dunham, director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement. “Prior to this approval, veterinarians had to rely on human oncology drugs without knowledge of how safe or effective they would be for dogs,” she explained.

Palladia was made, tested and approved for use in dogs with potentially serious mast cell tumors, often seen as skin lumps, which can spread to lymph nodes and other parts of the body if left untreated. This type of cancer accounts for about 20 percent of canine skin tumors. The drug works by cutting off the tumors’ blood supply and killing tumor cells.

The results are compelling. In clinical trials, skin tumors disappeared, shrunk or stopped growing altogether in 60 percent of dogs that were treated with Palladia. But not everybody is raving about the news. Jim Edwards of industry news website BNet Pharma warns that “Palladia can shrink tumors, but only until they start growing again. In fact, dogs with systemic tumors were excluded from the study.” He also sites side effects such as diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, vomiting, lameness and weight loss as reasons to reconsider treatment. The drug “may extend your dog’s life,” says Edwards. But points out that it can also “potentially put a lot of dogs through some unnecessary pain.”

Palladia presents the first pup-approved choice for cancer treatment, and that’s big progress. Prescribed in conjunction with other therapies and of course, love, it may be the right fit for some dogs with cancer. Luckily, many vets won’t need to wait until next year to start using Palladia. The drug is available to certain veterinary oncology specialists before the early-2010 release date.

Article Source: Woof Report

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So I come home from work yesterday evening to find my male Shih Tzu, Murphy, limping.  I told my husband he probably got hurt during his failed attempt at jumping up to the bed–I distinctly remember him jumping and not making it, his hind legs smashing against the side of the mattress, the day before. I immediately checked his leg and tried to massage it and stretch it out, but he didn’t seem to be  in any pain. It looked like he had been licking part of his leg perhaps because it was bothering him, though I didn’t find anything else wrong.

This morning he was still limping, but had no problem playing with our other dogs. He would have some difficulty going up the stairs, and we try not to let him jump on furniture.

I decided to call the animal hospital, where a tech was helpful enough to walk me through some simple instructions over the phone. She said this would be the same exam they would do at the vet’s office:

• Check for any cuts, thorns/splinters,  especially between the toes
• Look at the paw pads and see if they are oddly shaped compared to the other paws (look for burns or blisters)
  
• Look for any nails that have become infected
• Find any heat spots–parts of the leg that seem warmer than the rest–and swelling

So far I didn’t find anything, so she advised to restrict exercise for 24 hours and we’ll check again tomorrow.

I did some research, and sure enough most dog limping seem to be cured just by restricting exercise for several days, and the causes are usually unknown. Cuts and wounds caused by thorns and other splinters are also very common, and small lacerations can be treated by soaking the paws in a warm hydrogen peroxide solution. However, GO SEE THE VET IF:

• limping lasts more than a few days
• the dog is completely lifting the leg up (to avoid putting weight on it) or he is completely dragging it
• he has difficulty getting up and down the staircase
• your pet can’t get up
• your dog is whining, crying or yelping
• your pet won’t let you touch his paw
• the leg is swollen and in an odd position
• there is swelling in the toes or feet
• there is a bad odor around the paw
• your pet is constantly licking or biting his feet
• the nails are broken, cracked, or bleeding
• there are cuts, blisters, growths, or burns on his paw pads
• the had ticks before the limping began (might be a sign of Lyme disease)
• your pet is lame first in one leg and then another

Other common causes of limping in dogs:

• Overgrown or overly short toenails
  • Overgrown nails can splay the feet
  • Overly short nails flake easily and may expose the quick of the nail, causing pain
• Unstable elbow and hip joints
• Broken or loose cartilage in the elbows and shoulders
• Inflammation of the tendon of the shoulder and bicep muscles
• Popped knee cap
• Ligament injury
• Trauma to the knee
• Arthritis

Less likely causes of limping are bone tumors and uncommon diseases that affect the muscle tissue.

We’ll keep Murphy from running around for a few days and hope, as most people say, the limping will just go away!

Sources:

AllExperts.com

2ndChance.info

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Sometimes it’s nice to bake a little love from your kitchen. These peanut butter biscuits are fun to make for your pooch and their doggie friends!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

2 tbsp corn oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine oil, peanut butter, and water. Add flour 1 cup at a time, then knead into firm dough. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with small bone shaped cookie cutter. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. For hard and crunchy treats, leave them in the oven for a few hours after baking.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Recipe from www.dogaware.com

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Did you know that February is the National Pet Dental Health Month?  The American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) say that an astounding 70% of cats and 80% of dogs show signs of oral disease by the age of three.

ASK YOUR VET IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY IF THEY ARE OFFERING DISCOUNTS FOR DENTAL CLEANING!

What you need to know about poor doggie dental health:

• Bacteria combined with saliva and food debris between the tooth and gum can cause tartar formulations that accumulate on the teeth.
• If tartar is not removed from the teeth, pockets of pus may appear along the gum line and further separate the teeth from the gum.
• Without proper treatment, this tartar buildup will cause periodontal disease, which affects the tissue and structure supporting teeth.
• The infection around the gums and teeth can lead to infections of the heart, lung, kidney, skin and prostate.

For more info on canine dental health, including tips on care, here’s a great resource:

The Importance of Dental Care For Pets

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Did you know that pets, just like people, can get the winter blues? Dogs, even those that live in warmer climates, are affected by changes in the season.

Lack of winter stimulation can result in your dog gaining weight, becoming irritable and sleeping too much.

Here are 5 tips to help you and your pet get through the cold winter months:

1) Brighten the lights

Dogs and cats respond to illumination like we do: they get peppier when the light is brighter. So even if it’s too cold to go out, open drapes and let in any sunlight there is, turn up indoor lights, and even replace bulbs to create a more day like environment.

2) Encourage play time

Dogs love to play! Even indoors, games like tug-of-war, chase, hide-n-seek and wrestling can mean a great workout while building their appetite.

3) Reduce food quantities.

Since your dog is not out as much, he or she doesn’t need to eat as much. Less food means less weight gain and more energy.

4) Enhance scents around the house.

Scented goodies keep dogs busy as they try to find the source of the smell.  However, if you use scented candles, keep them out of reach.

5) Go outside.

Dogs would mostly likely welcome romping in the snow. If needed, use a long retractable leash to give them more freedom to play.

Article & Photo Credit: VPI Pet Insurance

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With witches, goblins and superheroes descending on neighborhoods across America, the American Red Cross offers some safety tips to help parents (including pup parents!) prepare for a safe and enjoyable trick-or-treat holiday. Halloween should be filled with surprise and enjoyment, and following some common sense practices can keep events safer and more fun.

• Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not on the street.
• Look both ways before crossing the street to check for cars, trucks and low-flying brooms.
• Cross the street only at corners.
• Don’t hide behind or cross the street between parked cars.
• Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing so you are more visible. (Remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards, and brooms, too!)
• Plan your route and share it with your family. Kids: have an adult with you if possible.
• Carry a flashlight.
• Keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely flammable.)
• Visit homes that have the porch light on.
• Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger’s house.
• Use face paint rather than masks or other things that can cover your eyes.
• Be cautious of animals and strangers.
• Watch out for small, hard pieces of candy that can be a choking hazard.
• DON’T LET YOUR PETS EAT YOUR CANDY!

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