From the monthly archives:

March 2009

How Old Should My Puppy Be When Leaving The Litter?

by Wayne Booth on March 24, 2009

This is a question that comes up quite frequently when talking to new puppy owners. It is always quite obvious when the new dog owner took the puppy from the litter too soon. Here are some things to think about so you know what to do when you get the next puppy.

Puppies come from many different places. You may be getting a puppy from a shelter or from a breeder. Wherever your puppy is coming from he needs to learn a lot of things from his mother and siblings before he comes home with you. Ideally, your puppy should remain with his mother and littermates until he is at least eight weeks old. Unfortunately, there are people who are separating puppies from their mothers and littermates much earlier than this and sending them home with people at five-six weeks old. There are a number of reasons this is a bad idea and why you should never take a puppy this young.

At the age of five-six weeks puppies have barely been weaned from their mothers. They have not yet learned how to be dogs. When you bring a puppy this young to your home he has not learned any rules. He doesn’t know that he is not supposed to play too rough. He has not learned “bite inhibition,” which means that he is more likely to bite you and have a hard time learning that he isn’t supposed to do it. He has not learned the kind of manners that his mother would teach him. Your puppy has not learned that there is a pack leader and that he can’t do what he wants all the time. Your puppy has not learned any dog socialization or social skills. You are bringing home a cute puppy that is much more likely to grow up to be a brat and develop behavioral problems as an adult.

At the age of five-six weeks your puppy may not have even received his first set of shots. He is far more likely to develop a deadly disease like Parvo if you bring him home at this age than if you bring home a puppy at the age of eight weeks or later. Your puppy’s immunity from his mother is virtually gone and he has not been properly immunized by vaccinations yet. Bringing home a puppy this young is unhealthy for the puppy and for any other dogs in your household.

At the age of five-six weeks a puppy has not received any socialization from the person who brought him into this world. A good breeder will make sure that a puppy becomes used to things in a house, such as televisions, radios, vacuum cleaners, and scary things like cats, umbrellas, and kids. When you bring home a puppy who has not met these things they have no human socialization. They are more likely to grow up to be fearful adults and develop problems like separation anxiety later in life. A good breeder will also make sure that a puppy receives his first set of shots (at least) before you bring him home.

Good breeders do not release puppies at five-six weeks of age. They may allow you to meet puppies at this age. They may make arrangements with you. But they will not allow puppies to leave their home at such a young age. It’s too young.

If you are getting a puppy from an animal shelter you may have to take a puppy at this age because it could be dangerous to leave them in the shelter longer since shelters can house diseases. Be sure to get your puppy vaccinated against diseases as quickly as possible and take extra care in socializing your puppy in the coming months to try to make up for the socialization he missed with his mother and littermates.

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Why Your Dog Needs Exercise

by Wayne Booth on March 15, 2009

It’s another Saturday afternoon at home. You and your dog are vegging out on the couch. You’re watching TV and your dog is snoozing. It’s hard to say which one of you needs exercise more. This could probably be a lot of us. It’s funny how often overweight dogs have overweight owners, isn’t it?

Well, if you won’t exercise for your own sake, you should seriously think about getting your dog some exercise. Canine obesity is at epidemic proportions in the United States. An estimated 17 million dogs in the U.S. are overweight or obese according to the group StopCanineObesity.com. Most of the dogs in the U.S. are overweight because their owners feed them too much for the amount of exercise they get. Reducing the amount of food they feed is one way to help the problem, but increasing exercise would also be helpful.

Dogs which receive adequate exercise are better off in many ways. They are generally calmer, happier dogs. They are less likely to experience problems like separation anxiety and other behavioral problems. Exercise can also help a dog’s overall physical health. It can improve bone and joint health as well as heart and lung function.

You can enjoy lots of different exercise activities with your dog, such as jogging, bicycling, swimming, even taking long walks together, or letting your dog have a good run off leash in a safe area.

As with all activities it’s important to remember to do things in moderation. Don’t let puppies overdo things. Any kind of forced activities for puppies are strictly out. They can hurt their bones and joints and harm their overall growth later on. But easy, moderate activities for all dogs are highly recommended.

If you’re going jogging or bicycling or planning to do any other activity, be sure to warm up — both you and your dog. Dogs can pull tendons and ligaments just as people can. Don’t let your dog over-exert himself or do anything without proper preparation.

If your dog has been a couch potato don’t try to do too much too fast. Work into exercise gradually. Do a little bit at a time until your dog is exercising at a level that he enjoys.

Proper exercise should be fun for your dog, not a chore. If your dog is enjoying himself then good exercise should help him live a longer, healthier life. Remember, too, that not all dogs were created equally when it comes to athletic activities. Don’t expect your Boston Terrier to be able to do the same kind of running that your friend’s Golden Retriever does. Make allowances.

If you visit your local kennel club, animal shelter or pet supply store you may find groups of people who are doing activities with their dogs. Agility, rally and flyball are all very active sports that you and your dog could enjoy. These activities are also a great way to meet other dog lovers and their dogs.

No matter what activity or sport you and your dog enjoy, exercise is good for all aspects of your dog’s life. He’ll be glad you got him off the couch.

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My Dog Hates to Travel

by Wayne Booth on March 8, 2009

In your mind you and your dog are traveling down the road in a convertible. The top is down and you and your dog are letting the wind blow through your hair (and fur) as you drive off into the sunset. It’s a beautiful fantasy. Unfortunately, in real life, your dog drools, whines and throws up every time you try to put him in the car. A quick trip to the vet for his shots leaves him shaking and staring at you like you’re going to have him put to sleep. Taking your dog on an actual vacation would probably mean the end of your relationship.

What have you done to deserve this? Why does your dog hate to travel? And, is there anything you can do to make things better?

Contrary to popular belief, carsickness and travel anxiety can occur in any dog. Even puppies that are introduced to riding in cars at a very young age may develop into bad travelers. Some dogs simply seem to be more anxious by nature than other dogs. Certainly socialization in all forms will help to create a more secure, more confident dog, which can decrease anxiety in general. But if your dog becomes anxious about traveling in the car it’s going to take some work to help him get over his carsickness problems.

If you have a puppy or young dog do try to make the car a fun place for them, especially when you aren’t going anywhere. Play with your puppy in the car or van. Spend time there that isn’t associated with traveling. Let it be a place for games and playtime. That way, when you put your dog in the car or van to go on a short trip, your dog will associate the vehicle with good things. That good attitude may help a little.

Whether you have a puppy or a dog that is already experiencing some travel problems, go for very short trips. Drive around the block. Go back home before your puppy or dog can develop any bad reaction to the trip. Praise your puppy or dog and give them treats. You can do this several times a week, gradually making the trips a little longer. Most puppies will be fine with this routine and develop into great little travelers. If you have a dog which is already showing signs of being a bad traveler you should monitor him carefully to see how far you can drive before he starts having problems. See if you can slowly help him get a little further each time but don’t push things too far or make him uncomfortable. Carsickness is a very real, physical problem and if your dog is carsick he can’t help it.

Keep in mind that once a dog has been sick in your car that the odor will linger for quite a while. You may stop noticing it but your dog can still detect it. The scent of it may contribute to making him sick again so be sure to try to thoroughly clean any carsickness accidents in your vehicle. This will help your dog do better the next time you make an attempt.

If your dog isn’t improving by trying to gradually lengthen his trips in the car you can try some natural remedies. One of the old favorites uses ginger cookies or any kind of cookie or treat with ginger. Ginger is a traditional home remedy for settling an upset stomach and it works well for dogs as well as humans.

Some people recommend pheromones. Comfort Zone with D.A.P (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) has helped some dogs by reducing anxiety.

Herbal and nutritional remedies are also popular. Composure Liquid by Vetri-Science has been used with success by some owners. Nutricalm has also worked to reduce anxiety for some dogs.

Some people prefer the Bach Flower Essences, such as Rescue Remedy.

If the natural remedies don’t work for you and your dog you may wish to try the over-the-counter anti-nausea drug Dramamine. Dramamine helps many dogs who don’t travel well. If your dog still has problems with traveling you should consult your veterinarian. He or she may prescribe something stronger for anxiety, such as Valium or Serax.

You don’t have to give up your dream of traveling with your dog but it may take a little work to get the two of you on the road together.

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How Can A Dog Feel My Thoughts During Training?

by Wayne Booth on March 2, 2009

There is a saying with horses that horses can feel everything you are feeling. People believe that when you ride everything you feel is communicated to the horse through the reins. If you are nervous the horse can feel it in his mouth. If you are confident, the horse can feel it from your fingers right through the reins to his sensitive mouth. Something very similar happens when you have a dog on a leash. Your emotions and feelings, whether positive or negative, are communicated right down the leash to your dog.

If you take up your dog’s leash and you are convinced that he won’t listen to you, chances are that he will act just as you think he will. He won’t listen to you. If, however, you pick up his leash and you believe that he will do what you want, he is much more likely to have confidence in you and do what you want. This helps explain why your dog ignores you but when the dog trainer comes to your house and picks up your dog’s leash the dog immediately does what the trainer wants. The dog trainer has all the confidence in the world. He knows that he can get the dog to do what he wants. And the dog can feel that confidence, too. The dog trainer has more than the knowledge to train your dog. He has the confidence.

Dog show people believe in this concept so much that when they are nervous before showing a dog they will pop a breath mint or a peppermint in their mouth on the theory that the mint odor helps to hide nervousness from the dog. They’re afraid that their own fear and nervousness will “travel down the lead” and make the dog nervous while showing.

Of course, the best way to overcome this nervousness or the fear that can go up and down the lead is through practice. Whether you are going in the show ring or trying to train obedience skills practice will help you overcome your fears. When you overcome your own fears you help your dog become more confident, too. Some fears are natural, but if you spend enough time working with dogs you can learn to predict how they behave and become confident about your own abilities to handle certain actions and situations. You will learn to control your fears and negative thoughts. You’ll learn to stay positive when working with your dog. By expecting a good outcome you help one to occur.

You can also tell how a dog is feeling, sometimes through the lead, but often through body language. You can learn to predict behavior, anticipate it and be ready to deal with it if it should happen. If you’re training a dog to go over jumps on an agility course and he begins to show some little signs that he may run out you can learn to predict what may happen and be prepared to take action. If you’re working on obedience and he is showing signs that he’s thinking about coming out of a long down you can see the signs and know to work on them during training. Watching your dog’s body language will help you to prevent many things before they happen, especially during training.

When a dog is nervous it is usually obvious to his owner. The better you know your dog the easier it will be for you to see if your dog is nervous or upset about something. Likewise, the better your dog knows you the harder it will be for you to hide your feelings from him. There’s a bond between you with or without a leash. Try to keep things positive and you’ll both feel better. Work on building confidence, both in yourself and with your dog, and training will be much easier.

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