From the monthly archives:

September 2009

The Worst Dogs for Obedience Training

by Wayne Booth on September 27, 2009

Per Dr. Stanley Coren’s book The Intelligence of Dogs, the five dogs at the bottom of his list of 110 breeds, as chosen by over 200 professional dog obedience judges were:

106. Borzoi

107. Chow Chow

108. Bulldog

109. Basenji

110. Afghan Hound

Does that mean that these dogs are not intelligent? No. What it means is that, according to the obedience judges who ranked the breeds, these dogs were not as good at obedience training as the dogs ranked above them. They required more repetitions to learn things, they did not pay attention to commands as well, and they were less interested in pleasing their owners.

It should be noted that two of these dogs are sighthounds and one is a sight / scenthound. These dogs have traditionally been bred to hunt on their own without needing guidance from humans. They are often described by their owners as “aloof.” In short, it is part of the nature of these breeds to have an independent nature. It is possible to train these dogs for obedience but it will take some work. The Borzoi and Afghan, while very agile dogs when hunting, can also have some difficulty when doing agility work because of the nature of the obstacles. They may be bored by obedience training.

The Basenji is small and agile but he is can also be independent and aloof.

The Bulldog can have difficulty with obedience training for physical reasons. They are a brachycephalic breed and can have problems with breathing and with the heat. Their posture can also make it difficult for them to do some obedience exercises.

The Chow Chow is also built differently than other dogs, with a very straight front. This, and their heavy coat, can present problems for them when doing obedience work. The Chow Chow can also be an aloof breed that is not very interested in the repetitions involved in training.

These breeds, and others like them, were bred to do certain jobs that required them to work on their own. This made them very independent and capable of thinking for themselves. As a result these dogs may be very intelligent in some ways that you may not find in some of the breeds that are usually considered the most intelligent. The Borzoi and the Afghan Hound can be superb hunters and can anticipate the moves of a rabbit in an open field, for instance. Some of the other hounds, which also scored low in the ratings, have great intelligence when it comes to outwitting the animals they have to hunt. Unfortunately these skills don’t show up when they are scored by obedience judges.

Individuals of these breeds can be very intelligent but they may not be interested in learning obedience lessons. If you have one of these dogs it may be better to find things that your dog does enjoy doing and spend time on those activities.

If working in obedience is important to you then you may want to consider other breeds. Even if you find a good dog in one of these breeds it’s possible that obedience judges may have a bias against them. Or, you may like to try to change some minds about these breeds. Find a good dog and show the world what they can do. But be prepared to work hard and find ways to motivate your dog.

Until next time…………….

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Help! My Dog’s Breath Is Killing Me!

by Wayne Booth on September 21, 2009

Does your dog have breath like death warmed over? Do you cringe when she gives you doggy kisses? Is her breath making your kids faint? Then it’s time to do something about your dog’s breath. Luckily, there are some answers.

Dogs can have bad breath for lots of reasons. One of the most basic reasons is because they are eating some very foul things. Do you know what your dog has been eating? For instance, does your dog eat dog poop outside? Does your dog get in the cat litter box? These are two common causes of bad doggy breath and they are both preventable.

If your dog is eating doggy poop outside you should do the following:

  1. Make sure you keep your yard picked up. Pick up poop as fast as your dogs make it so they won’t have a chance to eat it.
  2. If your dog still finds poop to eat, add some pineapple or meat tenderizer to his food. Both of these ingredients will make poop taste unappetizing to him (as if it needs something to make it taste bad!). Or, you can look for products for this purpose at your pet supply store.
  3. Make sure that cat litter boxes are kept in places where your dog cannot get to them, such as a special room for the cat, or in high places.

Finally, check to see if your dog is eating other nasty-tasting things outside. Is he eating dead birds or dead squirrels? If your dog is eating carrion or rotting flesh then it could very easily give him bad breath.

Next, check your dog’s teeth. What do they look like? If you have a young dog then your dog’s teeth should be pearly white. Even older dogs should have teeth that are mostly white, though they may show some signs of wear. If your dog has teeth that are brown, yellow, green or which have obvious cavities or broken teeth; you have likely found the source of your dog’s bad breath. You need to take your dog to the vet. He may do doggy dental work himself or he may refer you to a doggy dentist.

In some cases your dog may simply need his teeth cleaned. This is usually done by giving your dog anesthesia and scaling all of his teeth while he’s asleep. Your dog can also fix any cavities or pull any bad teeth while your dog is asleep. In some cases a dog may need a root canal in order to save a tooth.

Most dogs will need their teeth cleaned by a vet at least once in their lives. Good dental care will prevent bacteria from these bad teeth from getting into your dog’s bloodstream and going to his heart. As your dog ages, bad teeth can also prevent him from eating, so it’s very important to keep your dog’s teeth in good shape.

If your dog’s teeth aren’t at this dire stage you can still make his breath better by starting to care for his teeth regularly. If you brush your dog’s teeth at least once a week with dog toothpaste and a dog toothbrush you can avoid most dental problems and keep his breath nice.

There are also a number of good dental chews recommended for dogs that can help to freshen their breath. Check your pet supply store for dental chews for dogs and other things to freshen your dog’s breath.

Finally, check what you’re feeding your dog. Canned food tends to stick to your dog’s teeth more and can cause bad breath. Dry food may be slightly better from a breath stand point. People who feed a raw diet say that their dogs have the cleanest teeth and the freshest breath.

I hope this answers the question.   Please tell us any reasons or cures for bad breath that you are aware of.

Until next time……..

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Mental Stimulation For Your Dog

by Wayne Booth on September 15, 2009

Providing exercise for your dog is one of the best ways you can keep him calm and relaxed. This is a great way to avoid many behavior problems. Unfortunately, for many of us, an exercise outing isn’t possible every single day. Most of us work, we have family issues that crop up, the roof needs repairs or the water heater breaks down. There are lots of reasons why we can’t go out with our dog to get some exercise. What can you do on those days to keep your dog from going bonkers?

Mental stimulation is highly recommended for your dog if you can’t take him out to exercise. One of the best ways to provide mental stimulation is by simply making sure your dog has plenty of toys. Encouraging your dog to play is a great activity for him and it can keep him out of trouble. Make sure you provide lots of different kinds of toys: chew toys, ropes, “indestructible chews,” stuffed animals, and more.

These days there are a number of toys that are considered “interactive.” That means that your dog has to do something — get involved with the toy — to make it work. One toy makes scented bubbles (in a dog’s favorite scents) when your dog presses on different parts of the machine. Other toys light up and give out recordings of your voice when your dog rolls them around. Other toys, such as the Buster Cube, dispense treats when your dog rolls them and plays with them. Some stuffed animals seem simple but they have other, smaller stuffed animals hidden inside that your dog has to find.

You can also play dog puzzle games with your dog. Nina Ottosson makes wooden, interactive dog puzzles where dogs have to move certain puzzle pieces to reveal hidden treats. The puzzles can be very challenging and some of them come with different levels. Most of these puzzles should not be played by a dog alone since they do have removable pieces that your dog could swallow — and that would be the end of the game and perhaps your dog.

All of these toys and games can be fun and mentally stimulating for your dog. They make good substitutes when he can’t go out for a good run.

You can also spend time playing with your dog. You don’t have to play any kind of elaborate game. You can play fetch with a ball or give your dog belly rubs. Spending some quality time together will be just as good as getting some exercise outdoors. Dogs that get lots of petting and play rarely show behavior problems.

Of course exercise is great for dogs but when you can’t take your dog out to exercise there are some excellent alternatives. Even when your dog is getting plenty of exercise you should still make sure your dog has plenty of toys and try to spend lots of quality time with him. Chances are that you will have to be away from your dog during parts of the day. Dogs love to spend time with interactive toys. They can provide mental stimulation when you’re not around.

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Why Do Dogs Heel On The Left?

by Wayne Booth on September 8, 2009

It’s a fair question: why do we ask our dogs to heel on our left side? For that matter, why do we do so many things to the left? Why do we mount a horse from the left side? The reason is basically the same. We have our dog’s heel to our left because this is a right handed world.

In the old days, when men still wore swords, it was necessary to mount horses from the left side for safety purposes. With the swords hanging on the left side (for right handed riders), it was easier and safer to mount from the left. Consequently, all of the tack for horses has always been made to be buckled and put on and taken off from the left, too.

When it comes to dogs a similar logic applied. When handling a dog a person would want their right hand (usually the stronger hand) free. The left hand could hold the leash. They would want their right side unimpeded. The dog could be on the left. And so, the dog should walk and heel on the left side. Or so it used to be. Today owners often teach their dogs to heel on either side.

Many dog activities rely on training a dog from the left because the trainer or owner needs to keep the right hand free to signal. Many herding and hunting dog trainers train their dogs from the left because they need to have their right hands free for using equipment or giving signals.

So many people in the world are right handed (approximately 80 percent) that training dogs from the left has become the standard way of training. It’s not necessarily good or bad, it’s just the usual way of doing things. Dogs probably don’t care which side is used.

On the other hand, dogs do seem to be right-pawed or left-pawed themselves. You can tell if your dog is right-pawed or left-pawed by filling a Kong with peanut butter or some other food your dog loves. Place the Kong in the floor for your dog. Record which paw your dog uses to touch the toy first — until he has made 100 touches on the Kong with either his right and his left paw. (Don’t record touches with both paws at the same time.) Dogs that use their left paw 64 times are left-pawed; dogs that use their right paw 64 times are right-pawed. If your dog has fewer than 64 uses of either paw then he is ambidextrous.

You may already have some idea of whether your dog is left or right-pawed. Does he always paw at you with one particular paw? Does he try to pick things up with one of his paws? These can be tip-offs that he favors one of his paws over the other.

So, there is really no particular reason why dogs are taught to heel on the left. It’s mostly due to the fact that the majority of people are right handed. We teach dogs to heel on the left as a tradition now. People have learned to teach their dogs to heel on the left and it would probably confuse people to start teaching them otherwise.

Until next time……

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