Trained Dogs Rule

Christmas is fast approaching and I would just like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry holiday.

As we celebrate with friends and relatives lets not forget about our pets.  As these times seem to be more busy them normal take some extra time to exercise your dog.  A tired dog is less likely to get in trouble if they are left alone for awhile.  This seems to happen a little more over the holidays as we are out more than normal.

Remember also not to overfeed your dog - especially table food, during the holidays.  If their digestive system is not used to table foods it may cause them to become sick.

One other thing that I feel I should mention.  Do not give a puppy as a Christmas present.  If you truly do want a puppy then wait until after Christmas has passed and the holidays are over.  Once things return to normal if you still want that puppy then go for it.

Statistics have shown that puppies given as Christmas presents have a higher rate of ending up in a shelter.  So wait a week or two so your puppy won’t become one of those statistics.

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday!

Until next time

M. Brownell

Owning a dog or some other kind of pet for that matter can be a very enjoyable experience.  You never know from day to day what kind of experience you and your pet might share.

Today started out just like any other day.  Both of our dogs were out in the yard this morning sniffing and rooting around - you know doing all those morning doggie things.  The both of them were also imitating the horses next door grazing - eating grass.  For some reason our dogs tend to eat a lot of grass.

After their breakfast settled down my husband took them for their morning walk.  Our female dobe Ripley was acting a little bit strange.  She kept making  a noise like she was trying to clear her throat.  She wasn’t doing this continuous but she did do it off and on during the walk.

About an hour after their walk Ripley started hacking again and then she threw up.  There was a lot of grass that came up so we figured that was what was bothering her.

It wasn’t long after this that she again started hacking.  While my husband opened her mouth up and I shone the flashlight down her throat we could see what looked to be a blade of grass.  Now you wouldn’t think that a blade of grass would cause this much problem but apparently it was.

While my husband held her mouth open again, I managed to get the blade of grass and pull it out.  When I pulled it out it was then obvious why she was having so much discomfort.  The blade of grass had somehow partially gone up her nasal passage.  There was no way this blade of grass would have come out on its own.

The blade of grass if left there could have irritated her throat and nasal passage and may have caused an infection to set in.

I know she was sure happy when we got the offending blade of grass out of there.

When it comes to your pet’s health always expect the unexpected.  Who would think that a blade of grass could cause so much problem!

Until next time

M. Brownell

Coprophagia is the consumption of feces by an animal. As pet owners we are mainly concerned about this behaviour when it is practiced by our dogs. For some strange reason we humans find it to be a disgusting behaviour!

There are different types of Coprophagia.

Autocoprophagia – This is when an animal eats its own feces.

Intraspecific Coprophagia – This is when an animal eat feces belonging to another animal of the same species.

Interspecific Coprophagia – This is when an animal eats feces belonging to another animal of another species. (Dog eating deer, rabbit etc feces)

When a female has a litter of puppies she often cleans up after her pups and so does practice a form of Coprophagia. This practice is quite normal because of the circumstances and obviously as the puppies get older this behaviour stops.

Puppies may pick up this habit after watching their mother but normally they will grow out of it. They may take a while to grow out of this habit however if they are denied easy access to food.

Dogs will engage in this activity because it gets them attention. The attention may be in the form of a reprimand but to the dog it is still attention.

Dogs will learn this behaviour from other dogs. So if you have a dog that already does this and you get another dog, chances are your new dog will pick up this habit also. It always seems like the bad habits are the easiest to learn!

Coprophagia is usually just seen as a disgusting habit that does not cause any harm. This however is not completely true as dog feces can carry canine viral diseases. Therefore the eating of infected feces can cause health issues.

There are various ways to treat this problem. The most popular method is to make the feces taste bad. This can be done by putting something on the feces before your dog has a chance to eat it. Make sure that what you are using is not harmful to the dog. There are many chemical treatments on the market that you can safely use.

The best way to really stop this behaviour is not to allow your dog access to the feces. The pet’s area should be thoroughly cleaned and the dog should be closely supervised when outside. Any messes should be cleaned up immediately.

In extreme cases your dog may have to be muzzled so they cannot have access to the feces.

A dog we had a few years ago engaged in this bad habit. We had two dogs at the time and our female would eat the males’ poop. Our male had a digestive problem so his poop was actually quite full of nutrients (according to the vet). We gave our male some pills that would make his poop taste bad and thus stop the female from eating it.

I still chuckle as I recall hearing my husband ask the vet “How good can it taste in the first place!” Obviously to her it tasted just great. The pills did help and we had long term success after addressing the males’ digestive problem.

Hopefully through your diligence in not giving your dog access and using something to make the feces taste bad your dog will grow out of this disgusting habit.

Until next time

Maureen B.

Today started out like any other day. After getting up and pouring a coffee, my two dogs and I headed downstairs to go outside. They are out for their morning ritual and I am out to let the ducks out for the day. It’s a cold November day. We had some baby ducks late in the season and they are growing rather slow. Lately they have gotten in the habit of going under the fence and into the backyard. Yes you guessed it into doggie territory.

The ducks really motor in the morning. One minute they are in

the pond the next minute they are in the field - they are just going and picking, picking and picking.

After giving them fresh water and topping up their food I start to head back to the fenced yard and into the house. The dogs are doing their normal thing. As the three of us head back to the house I noticed there is only two of us. I then hear a very loud quacking. I know instantly one of my female ducks is extremely agitated at something.

Seeing that my male doberman - Wylie is no where in sight I call him and run towards the shed. This is the only place he can be and the ducks are over that way also but outside of the fence.

As I round the corner of the shed I see three of the little ducks inside the yard and Wylie nosing them. The ducks are frantic and Mama duck is going nuts on the other side of the fence. I tell Wylie to “Leave it” which he happily does and he just lopes off to where our female dobe is.

That’s the second time this year that he has had contact with the ducks and both times had responded immediately when told to leave them.  Without training would he have responded the same way?

Two of the little ones get out under the fence but the third one is very confused and stressed at this point. I manage to corral it, pick it up and take it back out to the rest of them. Mama duck was quite happy when I brought her baby back to her. They all headed off to the pond to safety.

If our dobe had not had any training would this have had the same ending?

Until next time

Maureen Brownell

We all love our dogs and when we vacation we like to have them with us. That’s not too difficult if we are vacationing within driving distance or we are renting an RV and travelling across country. What, however, do we do when our vacation destination requires us to fly?

Many Humane Societies recommend that you not transport your dog by air unless it is absolutely necessary. Most airlines treat your beloved dog as cargo. Many cargo areas are not temperature controlled so your dog can experience extreme temperatures, poor ventilation and lack of oxygen. It can be quite a rough ride.

A law passed in the States in 2005 required that airlines report all animal incidents that occurred in cargo, such as death, injury or loss. The airlines responded by implementing restrictions accepting pets as cargo.

There are some things you can do to prepare your dog if you absolutely have to fly.

• Makes sure their health is up to the flight.
  
• Get them used to a crate (they will be crated).
  
• Make reservation well in advance.
  
• Check on airline policies.
  
• Check and see if dog can be in cabin with you.
  
• Fly direct.
  
• Try to book and early morning or late evening flight in summer.
• For winter months book flight for afternoon. 

When you arrive at the airport, check in on time, which is usually an hour and a half before the flight. Some airlines will allow you to keep the dog until they start to load the plane. If they insist on taking the dog then ask them where the dog is going to be kept. Find out if the area is heated or air-conditioned, depending on the time of the year.

Once they take your dog find the side of the plane where they load the luggage and watch for your dog to be loaded. If you don’t see your dog - ask. Do not take their word that your dog has been loaded. I made this mistake once years ago. Be persistent until you know for sure your dog is on the flight.

When your flight lands find out where they unload the oversize baggage because this is where your dog should be. When they bring your dog out, get him away from the mainstream. Let him calm down for a few minutes and then snap on his leash and let him out. Take him outside for a relief break and maybe a drink of water, then go back and get your luggage.

I haven’t flown my dogs in years. The first time I flew we had a bad experience. First mistake was not having a direct flight. First leg of the flight was good then had to change airlines in Montreal. I did not see my dog been loaded and inquired and was assured that she was on board. When we landed at our destination lo and behold – no dog. Seems they left her in Montreal. That particular flight only comes in once a day so they supposedly put her in a kennel overnight in Montreal.

We had to go back and get her the next day. When the flight landed and they unloaded the plane sure enough there she was. Now you have to understand that this airport was a small air force base – no closed in walkways here. I don’t know if they were afraid of her or what, but two of them picked her crate up walked a few feet and set her down. They repeated this until they got her inside. A two minute walk took them about twenty minutes.

What happened next was unbelievable. They had her in a back room and she was howling. This was the first time we had ever been separated. They did not want me to go back there until people who had just landed had kinda cleared out of the place and they did not want her loose at all. They also had a kennel bill from Montreal that they insisted I pay before I could even get my dog.

I don’t recommend the next action I took but I walked past the woman to my crazed crated dog, quickly opened her cage and snapped a leash on her. I told the woman if she wanted to stop me go ahead but I was walking out of there with my dog dragging the crate.

Needless to say I have no idea how much the kennel bill was and my dog and I walked out of there dragging the crate behind us.

I thought about that incident for some time and the only conclusion I could come to that would explain their behaviour was that they were afraid of my Doberman. At that time Dobermans were getting a bad rap.

For the rest of that vacation I had a 95 pound Doberman attached to my leg.

Until next time

Maureen Brownell