Dogs, Cars and Summer

Well, here we are; the first complete day of summer. What a great time of year. Today's blog is kind of like those news stories that you can count on every year. When the 4th of July comes there is always a news story about safety with fireworks. When it's Christmas you can count on a story about being safe with your Christmas tree. New Year's; a story about cooking ham. This one is about idiots (and I hope you're not one) who leave their dogs in a car for way to long with too little shade or air.

How often have you seen a dog left in a vehicle with the window barely cracked? You look inside and there is no water for the dog and the dog(s) seem to be suffering. To top things off the dogs guardian did not even park in the shade and the sun is beating down on the car! You look around and don't see anyone and you are left wondering what to do.

I believe (I have to) that most of the time when we find dogs left in this situation there was a mistake made. I think most often people don't expect to be gone as long as they really end up being. They think they will just run into the store, friends house, etc, for "just a few minutes" that ends up being much longer. The think that "cracking the windows open" will somehow provide needed relief from the heat. Memorize this, IT WILL NOT! It is never alright to leave a dog in a hot car for even a few minutes. You never know what might happen and the dog could end up getting left in the car much longer than intended. Talk to any veterinarian and ask them how often they have to treat dogs from being overheated in the car. No one MEANS to have it happen but often a person arrives back at the car to find their dog overheated; sometimes to the point of heat stroke. Heat stoke can happen quickly and often it is too late to save the dog.

Heat stoke is caused by the body rising to a very high body temperature. For dogs it is a rectal temperature of 105 degrees F or higher. It will affect the nervous system and symptoms may include weakness, lethargy, collapse and possibly the dog will go into a coma.

Dogs left in cars on hot summer days is the most common reason that dogs succumb to heat stroke.

A dog will normally dissipate heat from their skin and by panting. Panting allows evaporation of water from a dogs respiratory tract and is a very effective way to dissipate heat. A dogs ability to dissipate heat is dramatically altered, and overwhelmed, when a dog is overheated. Usually heat stoke will develop.

Treatment for heat stoke is difficult and even with treatment many dogs do not make it. When you see a dog left in a car on a hot day what should you do? Ignore it? I guess if your concience will allow you to do that you probably have not read this far so I don't need to address you. If you have read this far it is because you care and that care is sometimes a dogs only hope that the situation will get better.

The reality is that a dog can die in just a few minutes if left in a very hot vehicle. The dog needs help. Call animal control or the humane society in your area. Inform them as to what is going on and ask for a recommendation. Leaving a dog in a hot car is pet abuse. Plain and simple.

During hot weather NEVER leave a dog in a car even with the windows cracked open. Not for any reason. Not for any length of time.

My Dog Rolls in Stinky Stuff! What's up wid dat?

One of the great mysteries of the universe is why dogs roll in the stinkiest stuff in the known world. The short answer is that we do not know.

That being said, there are a few different theories regarding this matter.

Your dog is marking a spot by putting their scent on it. They are not really wanting to come back to you all stinky but it is the price they pay in order to let other dogs, and other animals, know that they have been by the location and they have marked it for their own.

Dogs do not have as elaborate a communication system as we do. They roll in the gunk in order to (if it is feces) take the odor back to their pack and let them know that a stranger is about. If it is a dead animal that they are rolling in, then they are taking the odor back to the pack to inform them that food is nearby.

All dogs are related to wolves, some closer than others but all dogs trace their family tree back to the wolf. Wolves are carnivores who are smart; trying to track and kill other animals who are smart and on the defensive. The more a wolf can do to cover its presence the better the likelihood of success in the hunt. Therefore, the wolf (dog) will roll in the stink in order to cover their own smell and not give themselves up for detection before they are ready to attack their prey.

I am no scientist when it comes to the behavior of dogs but these seem to be about the most plausible of reasons to me. I could be wrong but unless it is just a dogs way of asking for a bath, and cutting down the chance of refusal, I don't know what else it could be.

A very hard day.

When we watch dog trainers on television we often think, "Oh what a great job! They must be living the dream." Well, for the most part that would be correct. No one can, or would, stay in this line of work unless they have an great passion for dogs. And to be able to be working with your passion is fantastic. This passion is not a slobbering smooching kind of passion but a deep respect and compassion for our four legged friends. I guess where I am heading with this is that it is not always like you see it on television. Some days, and some dogs, bring us lost sleep, lack of appetite and wondering what has gone wrong.

One of my teachers in this profession told me never to let your guard down around dogs with an aggressive history. That is impossible to do all of the time but luckily for me I do it most of the time. Today I was very glad I did.

I am working with a dog now that is people and dog aggressive. After bonding with him for two weeks we were out for our training session today and he became frustrated and came up the leash at me. I only received a glancing bite but that was luck combined with knowledge of how to handle the situation.

The hardest part of this day was not in getting back on a good footing with the dog. The hardest part of this day was the setback and the gnawing feeling that maybe this dog is beyond being helped. Maybe he is hardwired to be aggressive. Maybe not. Dog trainers are a idealist lot. We think we can help all the dogs that cross our path. I hope I can. I may be his last chance and that is really the hardest part of this day.

Tomorrow is a new day. Maybe the breakthrough will come then. If it does it won't be on t.v.

Be Kind to Animals Week, May 2-8

I usually try to limit myself to one blog posting per week. Otherwise, I am afraid that I will spend all of my time writing blogs when I should be out training dogs. (Wow, now I am writing poetry too!) However, tomorrow is the beginning of Be Kind to Animals Week so I just had to comment on it. We should not limit care and kindness to one week each year but the week really is a time for the choir to preach to the choir and renew our commitment to be kind to the animals that share this planet with us.

If this is the first Be Kind to Animals Week you have celebrated here are some ideas about what you can do to celebrate.

Adopt: If you are looking for a pet go to a shelter or rescue and help them out by adopting from them. They really do have their hands full of animals waiting for a home. If you have your heart set on a specific breed there is a rescue group for almost any breed of cat and dog that you can think of. You can check online and find all of them in your area. Just be sure you do some soul searching and know that you are financially, emotionally and settled enough to provide a good home to your new friend. It is a real heartbreaker to see an animal go back to a shelter or rescue just because the person who “rescued” it did not think things all the way through. Are you really ready to make a commitment that may last for several years? Are you willing to pay for food and medical care? Having a pet is not cheap, the costs can add up dramatically sometimes.

There are other things you need to consider. What is your lifestyle like? Are you gone a lot? If so, maybe a cat would be the best match for you. Most cats don’t mind being alone for hours at a time. Dogs on the other hand are called companions for a reason. Most of them love to be with people. If you have to leave them for long periods of time your dog may get bored and destructive; not because they want to tear up your stuff but they are taking out their frustration the only way they know how. What are you prepared to do to deal with that?

Spay and Neuter: Most shelters and rescues have already taken care of this but be sure to find out. If you have a pet that is not spayed or neutered do the responsible thing and get it done. It’s good for you, your pet, and the world at large.

Animal Abuse: Most of us are well aware of animal abuse due to high profile cases that have been in the headlines the past couple of years. If you witness abuse of an animal report it to the proper authority in your area. Keep in mind that abuse comes in many guises. Besides fighting it can be as subtle as lack of water and food. Being forced to stay in the yard all of the time or worse yet being chained in the yard all the time is abuse. Not providing room for a pet to exercise. Animal abusers will not stop because the light bulb came on. It is up to us to see that abuse stops.

Kindness extends to all animals: There are animals all over that need our help. Just in your neighborhood I bet you can find several species of wild animals that you can show kindness to. If you decide that you would like to help them contact the appropriate agency and seek their advice on what you might do to help the wildlife in your area.

Commit Yourself: There are so many ways you can help in the fight for animal welfare. Check with an animal shelter in your area and see how you can volunteer. Rescue organizations are always looking for help. The list goes on. Together we are making a change but the fight is far from over. If you can do nothing else then just be kind to animals; that is a start.

Train with your dog, not at your dog.

There are a few things dog trainers hear more than others:
“He knows better”
“She’s being stubborn”
“How do I get my dog to stop (digging, barking, etc.)?
“What is the best way to punish my dog?” Very rarely is it, “What is the best way to reward my dog?” Ask yourself which way you would have asked it.

Sometimes I think, “Gee, are you really sure you wanted a dog?"

It is not the dogs’ fault that you have not trained him properly. It is of no use to get mad at your dog because your dog does not understand English, or whatever language you speak to her in. You will get much more out of your training, and the relationship you have with your dog, if you don’t make training adversarial.

One of the things we need to come to grips with for our training to become better is to get over the notion that our dog respects the fact that we are human. They have no natural respect for humans and it has to be earned and it will not be given just because we expect it or because we walk on two legs.

Dealing with your dog as an adversary, instead of being a training partner, will set both of you up to fail. You don’t like failure and neither does your dog. When you call your dog to come, and she does not, we take it personally and blame the dog for our failure. We wonder how the dog would dare not obey the command of the king, or queen, of the household kingdom. How dare they?! I am going to guess that you got your dog because you wanted a friend who would give you unconditional love. Not because you wanted someone around who would obey your every command no matter whether they understand what you want or not.

It does not have to be this way. Your dog does loves you and looks forward to your coming home so that you might have wonderful moments together everyday. Work with her so that the line of communication becomes a two-way street. Your dog will listen to you, and you need to listen to her. If you take your time to teach your dog what you want when you say something, and are consistent about what you want, your dog will meet you more than halfway. Your dog only fails to comply with your requests because they don’t understand what you want, not because they want to blow you off, or “they know better.” Dogs are not born knowing what we want them to do. They don’t know how we want them to behave in our home and they don’t understand any language on earth except woof. What dogs can do is read us very well. They do it better than any other animal on the planet including humans.

Your dog needs to be trained to understand what behavior you are looking for and not just be scolded for doing the behavior you do not want. Just think about how difficult it would have been for you to learn that 4x4=16 if you weren’t taught math and just scolded every time you got the answer wrong. You might have gotten there eventually but it would have taken a long, long time and been very frustrating and chances are you would have been resentful about it.

There are two things that you have going in your favor when it comes to dog training.
1) Your dog wants to please you.
2) You are smarter than your dog.
If you can’t figure out how to train and manage your dogs behavior how in the heck do you expect him to do it?
Give your dog a break. A little patient training from you will go a long way to keeping the two of you happy together for a long time. Just remember that you did not learn to drive before you learned to start the car. Your dog training should use that approach as well.

Finding a Vet

A few years ago I had a friend who adopted a golden retriever they named Ricki. She is a great dog and the family fell in love very fast. The dog got sick and had to go through many procedures, some of which were uncomfortable for the dog, and expensive for them. What really makes this a sad story is that when they went to get a second opinion they discovered that their original vet had been a very poor choice. The new vet questioned the diagnosis and began to treat the dog after they transferred her care to the new vets office. This was after they had spent several thousands of dollars before they made the switch. All of the dogs’ symptoms soon cleared up and except for the occasional doggie accident Ricki’s only office visits now are for routine checkups.

What I hope this story brings to the forefront of your thoughts is that you should make an informed choice regarding a veterinarian for your pet. Just because someone went to a veterinarian college does not mean they are an ethical person if they weren’t one before. After a couple of years it was discovered that the original veterinarian was an alcoholic with a gambling habit that cost him his family and finally his business. I hate to think about how many other people paid too much money for poor advice, unneeded tests and procedures.

Of course this story is an exception but it is a good example to us that we need to be as careful choosing a veterinarian for our pets as we would be in choosing a doctor for our family. We should also educate ourselves about the health of our pet so that we have a basis of knowledge when we talk to the veterinarian. There are many sources of information available to us through books and the Internet.

When you get a feeling in your gut about the veterinarian follow it. More often than not your instincts are right. Once you find a vet you are comfortable with they should always be willing to discuss what is going on with your pet. If they don’t the run as fast as you can out of the door and never come back!

Some basic things you should look for in choosing a vet are:

Patience – Your vet should take time to discuss what is going on with your pet, especially if the pet is new to you or you have never owned a pet before.
Concern for you and your pet – Does your vet give you advice regarding the well being of your pet? They should. Does the vet take time to ask questions of you regarding your pets’ health?
Does the vet listen to you – You should feel that you could ask the veterinarian anything regarding the health of your pet.
Concern – Do you feel like the vet is genuinely concerned about your pet and also your relationship with it?
Are you an ATM for your vet – Your vet needs to make a living, and they should, but they should take into account if you bring in a lot of animals because it can be very expensive. If you are doing rescue work ask if a discount is available.
Does the vet hide behind closed doors – Do you get to go into the examination room with your pet or visit while your pet is in a medical clinic?
Does the vet love animals - You might be surprised to find out that some people who practice veterinary medicine don’t have a deep affection for animals. They are just good at science and became a vet in order to make a good living. Try to find out if your vet has pets or animals at home. Does your vet display comfort and concern when around your pets?
A Referral – A referral from a friend, or someone else you trust, can be a great way to find a vet but remember that the person making the referral has to know something about animals and ask if they use the vet. Sometimes people just want to be helpful and don’t really know what they are talking about. When you meet the new vet, or after a few visits, if something does not feel right look for another veterinarian. You should feel happy, no you have to feel happy, with the choice you make.

Find a pet first aid class held in your area. This will give you a good foundation of knowledge you can use to draw from in your search for a vet and you will also have some idea of what you need to tell the vet when you and your pet make a visit to the clinic.
Your pet will give you many great moments in your life. The least you can do is find the best veterinarian you can for them.

Easy things you can do to help your local animal shelter

Animal shelters all over the country are, and sad to say almost always, at full capacity. Most are running on a limited budget and rely heavily on donations. If you take the time to make a visit to a shelter you can't help but want to do something to help those animals in need. Some shelter needs are obvious, some are not. Helping may not be as hard as you think.

1. Old blankets. They can be cut up to use in cages with smaller animals or left whole for the larger animals. All dogs and cats love things to lie on. People often throw these away, but shelters love them. Check yard sales, too. Often, people sell them very cheap.

2. Food. Dog food, cat food, or any other kind of animal food for the type of animals your shelter takes in. When the budget is stretched food is needed badly. Both dry and canned food can be used. When a dog or cat is full it helps them get through a scary situation. Mother's milk replacements are available in many pet stores.

3. Treats. Dogs and cats love to get a treat but often these items are cut back when the budget at shelters is tight, and that is almost all the time. Treats are often on sale at stores and can be purchased at a very reasonable price. All kinds are appreciated. Rawhides are a great treat for dogs!

4. Towels. When towels wear out give them a new life at your animal shelter. They love to get clean towels and the animals don’t care if they are worn or have holes in them! Animals are often brought in cold and wet and towels are needed. Sometimes, they just want something to lie on. Towels are very versatile. They can be used as blankets, be used to dry a wet animal, or be used to clean messes the animals make at the shelter.

5. Place-mats. Tired of your place-mats? Cats love to lay on them and the vinyl ones can be used under food dishes. Cloth ones can be used as small bedding. They don't care if they are worn or stained.

6. Toys. Often animals alone in a cage want something to play with. Who wouldn’t? Check with your shelter and see what kind they are in need of. Most shelters take toys but some do not. Toys wear out very fast and need to be replaced often. Again, as with treats, toys are one of the first items to be cut when money is tight. Squeaky toys, stuffed animals and even balls are favorites.

7. Food dishes. Animal shelters go through many dishes on a regular basis. They get worn out, pushed around, and broken. New ones are also something that isn't expensive to give.

8. Litter and Litter Boxes. Most shelters have lots of cats and change litter often. They can always use more litter. Litter boxes are useful because they are always getting in more cats and kittens.

9. Cat or Dog beds. If you have them, if you see them on sale, or if you know someone getting rid of theirs the shelter desperately needs them. Comfort of the animals is important. They provide a warm, soft place to sleep and relax.

10. Leashes and Collars. Shelters use them to walk animals, and sometimes give them away with adoptions. They aren't very expensive, but when you go through so many, the cost adds up for the shelters. All sizes are needed and used.

11. Laundry detergent. Towels, blankets, and other items need to be washed. Laundry detergent comes out of the shelter's budget. Fabric softener is also welcome!

12. Grooming items. Animals need to be bathed, brushed, and taken care of. Items to help groom them are needed. Brushes, combs, shampoos, even animal nail clippers are useful items.

13. Newspaper. Newspapers can line the bottoms of cages for puppies and kittens. Just save your papers and drop them off at your local shelter.

14. Time. Do you have some spare time that you can donate to go and walk animals, or play with them? Can you help care for, or feed them. You can also volunteer to foster an animal that desperately needs it. Shelters are overcrowded and the staff is in need of help. Most shelters love to have volunteers. When the staff is busy running the shelter the animals may go without the attention they need and want. If you have the time you can make a big difference for the improvement in the quality of a cat or dogs life. Even a few hours a week can be a big help to your local shelter. We all wonder how we can make a positive difference in this world. Here is your opportunity. The shelter and the animals will be grateful.

15. Cash. Every shelter could use cash donations. Every single dollar helps. They help stretch the shelter's budget. In most situations, these donations are tax deductible.

Contact your local shelter. They may need things that aren't listed here. Shelters that take in other animals may have special needs that you maybe able to help out with. Your local shelter will be happy to let you know what they need. It takes very little to make a difference in the lives of animals. It also just might make a difference in yours!