New Year's Resolutions

It's 2015!  Times have changed and how we view our dogs has changed based on what we all have learned about them.  Dogs have become more than our pets, they are valuable members of our family.  As the year begins, it is a good time to make some resolutions!  Here are some suggestions!

1.  Resolve to let your dog use his/her nose.  When you are on walks, take the time your dog wants and needs to stop and smell and investigate. On good weather days, hide some yummy high value treats around and play the "find it game".  Nose Work classes are available nationwide and are fun for all dogs of all ages.

2.  Resolve to exercise your dog's mind and body!  Consider investing in some good brain game toys like a Kong or puzzle games like those made by Nina Ottoson.  Perhaps a slow feed bowl or treat dispensing toy for meal time instead of dumping the kibble in the bowl?   Maybe hire a qualified dog walker for mid day visits while you are at work? 

3. Read!  Consider reading some books on dog behavior or doing some research on a topic you enjoy.  Great information can be found at DogStarDaily.com

4.  Watch a video!  You can find plenty of dog training videos at  DogWise.com

5.  Resolve to have more fun!  Consider a vacation that includes your dog!  There are many places you can go and stay!  BringFido.com has lots of suggestions


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T he results of a recent study have revealed that the immediate effects of training pet dogs with an electronic collar cause behavioural signs of distress, particularly when used at high settings.

The research, conducted by animal behaviour specialists at the University of Lincoln, UK, indicates that, in the sample of dogs studied, there are greater welfare concerns around the use of so-called "shock collars" than with positive reward-based training.

The results have been published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS One.

Read the entire article

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Fall/Thanksgiving Pet Safety

Keeping Thanksgiving Happy: 10 Pet Safety Tips

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful and meaningful holiday. Families and friends excitedly gather to show their gratitude for all they are so fortunate to have. Ovens are working overtime and delicious holiday aromas fill the air. During this happy time of family, food and giving, people tend to become overly generous with their pets. This means that dogs and cats will get a lot of table food scraps. Sometimes, however, too many treats can lead to injury or illness for our pets. North Shore Animal League America would like to offer some important tips to help keep your pets safe this holiday – and to keep the “Happy” in Thanksgiving!

 1. Fatty Foods: Too many fatty, rich, or unfamiliar foods can give your pet pancreatitis or gastroenteritis; two medical conditions that can be very painful and even life-threatening.

 2. Diet and Exercise: Maintain your pet's regular meal and exercise schedule and avoid too many holiday leftovers. A disruption in his dietary routine can cause stomach upset, diarrhea and/or vomiting.

 3. Bones: Make no bones about it. Certain bones can lacerate or obstruct your pets' insides. Save the bones for the broth - not your dog.

 4. Onions: Onions and onion powder, widely found in stuffing and used as a general seasoning, will destroy your dog or cat's red blood cells, which can lead to anemia.

5. Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins contain a toxin that can cause kidney damage to both dogs and cats.

6. Chocolate: Chocolate can actually be fatal to your dog or cat; so all those sweets must be kept well out of reach.

7. Food Wrappings: Aluminum foil, wax paper and other food wrappings can cause intestinal obstruction. Make sure to place these items securely in the garbage.

8. Fresh Water: Make sure your pet always has fresh water. When there are more people in the house, there's more chance to bump into the water bowl leaving your pet dry.

 9. Quiet Time: Make sure your pet has a quiet retreat should the holiday festivities be too much for him. Watch his behavior to make sure he is not stressed.

10. Garbage: Keep an eye on the garbage and keep it securely fastened! If your dog gets into it, he may think he's hit the jackpot, but all he'll be winning is health problems from something as simple as gastric disturbance, vomiting and diarrhea to the worst-case scenario - death. Read the entire article

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Aggressive Dog? No Problem!

This morning, I visited Amazon online. Naturally, Amazon suggests things I might like to purchase. Usually I breeze past them. Elegant gold women's watch? Not my style. Cat tree? Hmm. I'm pretty sure my invisible cat is happy enough without one. What did catch my eye was a book about dog aggression. This book promised, right in the title, to eliminate the problem... in just seven days!

Now, I haven't read the book, and this rant... er, post... is directed in general at the idea of "curing" aggression immediately. In short, it's ridiculous. Oh, I suppose you could do something so painful or scary to a dog whenever he shows aggressive behavior that he stops right away. I mean, come on, if you hit me over the head with a mallet every time I bit my nails, I'd stop doing it. And it would look as though the problem was fixed. But although the punishment stopped the behavior at that moment, it didn't remove the underlying cause. What if I were biting my nails at the time because I'm nervous around horses, and we were near one? Did the mallet whack cause me to become less afraid of horses? No, but it probably made me more afraid of you. It also gave me another bad association with horses. See where this is going?

Humane, scientifically sound methods for handling dog aggression are not flashy. They don't come with wild promises, bells or whistles. Proper behavior modification can take time and patience. What it doesn't do is scare the dog, break the trust between dog and owner, or make the problem worse. The dog learns over time that whatever was causing him to be afraid and therefore reactive (the vast majority of dog aggression is fear-based) is really nothing to be afraid of. Once the underlying reason for the aggression is gone, so is the behavior. Rather than slapping a Band-Aid on the symptom, there is a real, long-lasting cure. Read the entire article

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Electronic Training Collars in Comparison to Reward Based Training

The Welfare Consequences and Efficacy of Training Pet Dogs with Remote Electronic Training Collars in Comparison to Reward Based Training

• Jonathan J. Cooper mail,
  
  
• Nina Cracknell,
• Jessica Hardiman,
• Hannah Wright,
• Daniel Mills

This study investigated the welfare consequences of training dogs in the field with manually operated electronic devices (e-collars). Following a preliminary study on 9 dogs, 63 pet dogs referred for recall related problems were assigned to one of three Groups: Treatment Group A were trained by industry approved trainers using e-collars; Control Group B trained by the same trainers but without use of e-collars; and Group C trained by members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, UK again without e-collar stimulation (n = 21 for each Group). Dogs received two 15 minute training sessions per day for 4–5 days. Training sessions were recorded on video for behavioural analysis. Saliva and urine were collected to assay for cortisol over the training period. During preliminary studies there were negative changes in dogs' behaviour on application of electric stimuli, and elevated cortisol post-stimulation. These dogs had generally experienced high intensity stimuli without pre-warning cues during training. In contrast, in the subsequent larger, controlled study, trainers used lower settings with a pre-warning function and behavioural responses were less marked. Nevertheless, Group A dogs spent significantly more time tense, yawned more often and engaged in less environmental interaction than Group C dogs. There was no difference in urinary corticosteroids between Groups. Salivary cortisol in Group A dogs was not significantly different from that in Group B or Group C, though Group C dogs showed higher measures than Group B throughout sampling. Following training 92% of owners reported improvements in their dog's referred behaviour, and there was no significant difference in reported efficacy across Groups. Owners of dogs trained using e-collars were less confident of applying the training approach demonstrated. These findings suggest that there is no consistent benefit to be gained from e-collar training but greater welfare concerns compared with positive reward based training.
Read the entire article

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FDA Warning: Tear Stain Removers

FDA Issues Warning Letters for Unapproved Tear Stain Removers Used in Dogs and Cats August 29, 2014

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing warning letters today to companies manufacturing unapproved animal drugs to remove tear stains in dogs and cats. These products, including Angels’ Eyes, Angels’ Glow, Pets’ Spark, and exported products Glow Groom and Health Glow, have not been reviewed by FDA for safety and effectiveness. These tear stain removers also contain the medically important antibiotic tylosin tartrate, which is not approved for use in dogs or cats, nor for the treatment of conditions associated with tear stains. Tear stain remover products are used to treat tear staining conditions around the eyes of animals, which, in particular, is associated with a condition called epiphora, mostly in cats and dogs.

FDA has serious concerns about unapproved animal drugs. Unapproved animal drugs are not reviewed by FDA and may not meet FDA’s strict standards for safety and effectiveness.

These tear stain drug products may be subject to additional enforcement action should the products continue to be marketed, such as seizure of violative products and/or injunction against the manufacturers and distributors of the violative products. Read the entire article

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The Adolescent Dog

Most people are familiar with the idea of a sensitive period for puppies that ends around 12 or 14 weeks. Is it possible that adolescence is also an important period for brain development and future behaviour?

Social experience plays an important role in shaping animal behaviour throughout development according to Sachser et al (2013). They consider the way the environment influences the mother and, in turn, the behaviour of her offspring (e.g. through stress hormones). This ensures the offspring is prepared for that environment as adults.

While the paper looks at the prenatal period right through to adolescence, it is the section on adolescent animals that is of most interest. They write that “the adolescent phase may provide a last chance for correction if the future environment deviates from that predicted in earlier phases.”

Most developmental research has focussed on pregnancy and the period shortly after birth. During this time, maternal hormones and behaviour have a large impact on the development of offspring. However, some parts of the brain are still plastic (i.e. able to change and develop) into adulthood. This includes the hippocampus and amygdala.

The scientists say, “There is increasing evidence that adolescence, that is, the gradual transition from childhood to adulthood, also represents an additional sensitive period (beyond the prenatal and early postnatal periods) in which behavioural profiles are routinely and profoundly shaped by social events.”

The potential for change during adolescence is necessary, they argue, because sometimes there will be a mismatch between the conditions in which the offspring is born and experiences very early life, and the environment in which it matures. In particular, they suggest future studies should examine the effects of this kind of mismatch, in order to find out more about this stage of development.

One example of the influence of the social environment in adolescence can be found in guinea pigs. If they spend their adolescence in colonies that include both males and females, they develop good social skills. As adults, they are able to get on with other guinea pigs in the colony without being aggressive; they are also able to become part of a new colony with unfamiliar guinea pigs. However, if they spend adolescence as part of a male-female pair, they become aggressive to unfamiliar males. Thus, the adolescent experiences have shaped adult behaviour. Read the entire article

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